In 2020, many tech policies came into effect while others hung over different sectors’ heads. Here are some policies Nigeria’s tech industry players in logistics, fintech, and others should watch out …
Insight
With privacy fears, yet numerous benefits, WhatsApp users face the Hedgehog’s Dilemma
A poll conducted to sample WhatsApp users’ opinions about jumping ship for privacy reasons shows that many people using the platform for business are not bothered. What may have influenced this?…
Social media shutdown in Uganda: The thin line between moderation and outright censorship
Following recent events, discussions about who should police social media use, and to what extent, have arisen again. We examine the primary reasons for moderation and consider when it becomes abuse.…
Nigeria recorded $428 billion worth of e-transactions in 2020, 42% higher than in 2019
In what was quite an electronic year, 2020 data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System shows that Nigeria recorded $13 billion worth of POS transactions and over $415 billion in Inter-bank tran…
Kenya eyes $45 million in revenue as it implements digital services tax
Kenya’s tax regulator eyes millions in revenue as it implements digital taxes on local and foreign Internet companies and entrepreneurs pay a 1.5% tax on goods and services sold and offered online…
Why Nigerian fintech startup, TeamApt is changing business model and expanding across West and North Africa
Finding success with Monnify and Moniepoint, TeamApt has made plans to shift its focus from bank products to direct consumer and business-facing ones. Also, there are plans to expand across West and N…
What you should know as SEC plans to regulate Chaka, Trove, other investment-tech apps
In 2020, Nigeria’s Securities regulator sent a court order restricting investment platform, Chaka from offering or advertising stocks. The details of this move suggest it wants to regulate how every N…
African startups raised at least $1.3b in 2020, according to Briter Bridges
Investments went off to a flying start in Jan & Feb 2020 before fluctuating throughout the year. In the end, not less than $1.3b was deployed into African startups, and when M&A come into pl…
Africa’s dependence on Facebook companies and the WhatsApp conundrum
WhatsApp’s request for users to agree to a new privacy policy by February 8 or risk losing their accounts has sparked reactions online. Telegram and Signal have been touted as options; what does this …
How tech solutions can help speed up access to COVID-19 vaccines in Africa
WHO believes low-income regions like Africa are unprepared for the COVID-19 vaccines for funding and logistics reasons. We explore how technology can address this problem with the available frameworks…
Fintech predictions for 2021: Visa, Mastercard, to acquire Nigerian fintech giants
From huge upticks in cashless transactions to the landmark acquisition of Paystack, Nigeria’s fintech space witnessed immense growth In 2020. Let’s take a look at some of the financial predictions for…
In 2020, Nigerians traded more than $400m worth of crypto on local crypto exchange platforms
In October 2020, UsefulTulips reported that $32.3m worth of bitcoin was traded in Nigeria. And judging by the numbers of different crypto-exchange platforms, Nigerians likely traded $400m+ worth of cr…
9 game-changing policies that rocked Nigeria’s tech community in 2020
Dubbed ‘The year of the pandemic,’ 2020 will also be remembered as the year of significant game-changing policies for Nigerian startups and the broader technology space. Let’s take a look.…
An insight into how Lagos and US-based VC, GreenHouse Capital invests in African startups
A spin-off from Venture Garden Group, Nigerian fintech conglomerate, GreenHouse Capital launched as an investment firm in 2014. With startups like CredPal and Flutterwave in its portfolio, here’s how …
Bitsika posts impressive 2020 metrics including a 4,000% increase in transaction volume from 2019
Joining a growing list of private fintech startups that have shared numbers publicly in the past, Ghana’s Bitsika posted impressive metrics in its fiscal year of 2020 (Jan 1, 2020 – Jan 1, 2021)…
How Africa’s AfCFTA agreement will impact startups and policymakers
Africa is set to enter a new economic era, as the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement launches today, January 1, 2020. While it presents several opportunities for startups, it is only one ke…
The 10 most memorable Nigerian tech moments of 2020
Despite the COVID pandemic, 2020 gave us some surreal moments. From Paystack’s acquisition to tech ecosystem stakeholders rallying around during the #EndSARS movement, here are our ten most memorable …
Reviewing Nigerian fintech predictions for 2020
In January 2020, a seasoned financial expert, @dejiolowe, made what is best described as educated and fun guesses for Nigeria’s financial sector: He walks us through the happenings of the year.…
Here are Nigeria’s 6 biggest hashtags of 2020
2020 is set to go down as a year to be remembered for many reasons, least of which is COVID-19 that has trended all year on social media. Beyond #COVID19 and its variants, we explore 2020’s biggest ha…
10 must-read ‘How I Work’ interviews to help boost your productivity in 2021
Here are our 10 favourite How I Work interviews from 2020 with several tips on how to improve your work-from-home strategy in 2021…