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Payd, a Kenyan-born pan-African fintech startup, has partnered with UK-based payments infrastructure provider, Noah, to enable its users to receive international payments using stablecoins instead of traditional bank rails. For many African remote workers, getting paid is still the hardest part of the job. Freelancers and contractors working for US and European companies routinely lose up to 10% of their income on platforms like Upwork to lifting fees, FX spreads, and intermediary bank charges. SWIFT transfers can take several business days to clear. Through the partnership, initially rolling out to over 30,000 Payd users in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Senegal, customers can now generate virtual USD and EUR accounts within the app, complete with US routing numbers and European international bank account numbers (IBANs), allowing them to receive payments like a local in the US or Europe. Foreign employers pay them via an Automated Clearing House (ACH) or Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), like a local transfer. Behind the scenes, Noah converts those funds into stablecoins, such as the USD Coin (USDC) or Tether (USDT), and settles them into customers’ Payd wallets in real-time. Instead of waiting days and losing value along the way, users receive digital dollars almost instantly. They can hold those balances to hedge against local currency volatility, spend online, or withdraw to mobile money platforms like M-PESA, Wave, or Orange Money within minutes. This isn’t Noah’s first Africa-focused partnership. In January, the company announced a similar integration with pan-African fintech NALA, signalling a strategy to power African fintechs serving remote workers who earn in foreign currencies without operating directly on the continent. This partnership-led approach is central to Noah’s model. Rather than acting as a consumer-facing app for African remote workers and freelancers, Noah provides the regulated backend infrastructure: virtual account issuance (USD and EUR), compliant collection rails (ACH and SEPA), stablecoin conversion, settlement, and payout application programming interfaces (APIs). It replaces slow correspondent banking chains with programmable, real-time settlement infrastructure that fintechs, such as Payd, can plug into. African startups can offer dollar-native accounts and faster global payments without securing their own cross-border banking licences or building complex treasury operations from scratch. The timing for Noah is also strategic. Freelance and remote work in Africa has grown by over 55% since 2020; more professionals are earning in foreign currencies while living in volatile local economies. Spotting the opportunity, fintechs are turning to stablecoins as a workaround to dollar accessibility challenges and sluggish banking infrastructure that frustrate workers.
Read MoreValentine’s Day is just around the corner, and for many people, it means shopping for gifts, planning romantic meals, or spending more time on dating apps and social media in search of connection. That surge in online activity is exactly what scammers look for. These criminals often exploit the heightened emotions and urgency associated with the season, using social engineering tactics that feel personal and convincing. With emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) making fake profiles, messages, and promotional offers more believable, spotting scams has become increasingly difficult for everyday users. Romance scams remain one of the most common risks during this period. They rose by 19% globally in 2023, according to data from the behavioural biometrics cybersecurity company, BioCatch. In early 2025, Meta said it removed more than 408,000 accounts across Africa linked to romance scam activity, underscoring how widespread the problem has become across the region and beyond. Others encounter fake Valentine’s gift deals, suspicious email offers, or giveaways claiming to come from well-known brands, only to discover they are scams designed to steal personal data or compromise accounts. To stay one step ahead of cybercriminals this Valentine’s Day 2026, here are digital safety tips to help you stay protected while searching for love or planning the perfect surprise for your partner. 1. Guard your personal information Before diving into online dating or shopping, be mindful of what you share. Avoid posting sensitive details like your home address, phone number, or financial information on social media or dating apps. The less personal information you put out there, the harder it is for scammers to target you. Check your privacy settings on all your devices. Make sure your dating apps and social media accounts are set to limit who can see your personal information. Only allow people you trust to view sensitive content. 2. Secure your dating and social media accounts Valentine’s Day is a great reminder to show some love to your digital security. Many people still use weak passwords or reuse the same password across multiple accounts, which makes it easier for hackers or scammers to gain access. Using a password manager like Google Password Manager can help you generate and store strong, unique passwords for every account. Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection, usually combining “something you know” (password) with “something you have or are,” such as a code sent to your phone or your fingerprint. Many devices and apps now support biometric authentication, which makes it much harder for anyone else to log in, even if they somehow get hold of your password. And always be cautious of login notifications or password-reset emails you didn’t request. 3. Verify offers before you click Scammers love to take advantage of Valentine’s Day deals, from fake gift cards to irresistible discounts at popular retailers. If you receive an email or a text message advertising a great deal, don’t click the link immediately. Instead, open a new browser window, type in the retailer’s official website, and compare it with the link you saw to make sure it’s legitimate. The same goes for giveaways or promotions you see on social media. Even if the ad looks convincing, take a moment to verify it before sharing personal information or clicking any links. Being cautious about what you click can save you from phishing attacks, malware, and other scams that prey on impulse and excitement during the season. Get The Best African Tech Newsletters In Your Inbox Select your country Nigeria Ghana Kenya South Africa Egypt Morocco Tunisia Algeria Libya Sudan Ethiopia Somalia Djibouti Eritrea Uganda Tanzania Rwanda Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Central African Republic Chad Cameroon Gabon Equatorial Guinea São Tomé and Príncipe Angola Zambia Zimbabwe Botswana Namibia Lesotho Eswatini Mozambique Madagascar Mauritius Seychelles Comoros Cape Verde Guinea-Bissau Senegal The Gambia Guinea Sierra Leone Liberia Côte d’Ivoire Burkina Faso Mali Niger Benin Togo Other Select your gender Male Female Others TC Daily TC Events TC Scoop Subscribe 4. Verify identities before you trust them Even if someone’s profile looks legitimate, it is important not to assume they are who they say they are just because they have attractive photos or write professionally. Scammers often use stolen pictures or AI-generated images to create convincing profiles, and it is easy to get drawn in before realising something is off. One simple way to check is to do a reverse image search on their photos to see if they appear elsewhere online. If the same image shows up on multiple accounts or in unrelated contexts, it is a strong warning sign. Beyond photos, pay attention to inconsistencies in their stories or unusual requests for money or personal details. Taking a moment to verify someone’s identity before sharing sensitive information or investing emotionally can save you from heartbreak, financial loss, and unnecessary stress. 5. Use secure payment methods when shopping or gifting If you are buying gifts online, be careful about how you make payments, especially when dealing with unfamiliar sellers or websites. Avoid cryptocurrency payments or requests to pay with prepaid gift cards, as these methods are difficult to reverse once money has been sent. Instead, use trusted platforms or payment options that offer buyer protection, so you have a way to recover your money if something goes wrong. It is also important to confirm that the website or seller you are dealing with is legitimate before completing a purchase. Pay attention to unusual spelling or slight changes in domain names that may indicate a fake site. Before making a purchase, check reviews from independent sources, confirm contact information, and avoid platforms without clear return or refund policies. Fake online stores often appear around major shopping periods like Valentine’s Day, advertise attractive discounts, collect payments quickly, and disappear soon after. 6. Report and block suspicious accounts early If a conversation, offer, or online interaction begins to feel suspicious, it is safer to stop engaging immediately. Many people continue responding because they hope
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In a 2,000-square-metre facility in Nsukka, Enugu State, in southeastern Nigeria, engineers assemble airframes, test control systems, and fine-tune battery modules to prove a point: Nigeria can build hard tech. Arone Technologies, founded in 2018 by AI engineer Emmanuel Ezenwere, is one of the few Nigerian startups attempting to manufacture drones and modular solar energy systems locally. The company is betting on hardware, from autonomous aerial logistics to portable solar systems, built largely in Nigeria. That ambition is set to scale through a ₦12.95 billion ($9.52 million) partnership with the state-owned Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu. Over the next four years, both partners plan to establish what they describe as Nigeria’s first tech manufacturing plant dedicated to defence, aerospace, robotics, AI, and renewable energy, an entire industrial hub built within the IMT campus. “We’re building solutions that enable energy security and enable smart living,” Ezenwere told TechCabal in an interview. “Our primary focus is energy security and artificial intelligence.” Arone was founded “way before AI became sexy,” as Ezenwere puts it. The company’s early mission was practical: solving Nigeria’s last-mile healthcare delivery problem. Arone’s journey began in 2018 with a ₦3 million ($2,200) grant from Roar Nigeria, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s tech hub, alongside a $5,000 angel investment. It later raised a $100,000 seed round from Energia Ventures and AfriClim Accelerator, as well as investments from angel investors. For a company that once watched its capital evaporate in a drone crash, the ₦12.95 billion ($9.52 million) manufacturing partnership marks a dramatic evolution. Solving the last-mile problem Nigeria has more than 30,000 primary healthcare centres, many located in rural communities with poor road infrastructure. Deliveries of blood, vaccines, and emergency medication can take hours, sometimes too long. Arone’s answer was autonomous drones capable of carrying up to 5kg of medical supplies over distances of up to 200 kilometres. Through a network of “Avports”, autonomous vehicle ports stationed at blood banks and distribution hubs, drones can take off, deliver to remote clinics, and return without human intervention. A trip that might take one hour and fifteen minutes by road can be completed in about 15 minutes by drone. The company’s early cargo drone, capable of carrying 20kg, was among the first of its kind in Nigeria. Its maiden flight in 2019 was successful. The next one crashed. “We were thrilled with the accomplishment,” Ezenwere recalled. “But the reality was that the crash cost was greater than the capital we had raised.” The setback forced the team to rethink how to build hardware in Nigeria. Instead of chasing perfect, finished products, Arone began breaking systems into manageable modules, refining and iterating gradually. It also pivoted toward niches that could sustain revenue, including security applications. Today, Arone claims it works with the Nigerian Defence Research and Development Bureau and the Air Force, supplying drones for surveillance and security use cases. Manufacturing in a difficult environment Arone engineers at work in the Nsukka factory. Image source: Arone Building hardware in Nigeria is not for the faint-hearted. Ezenwere describes a landscape where every layer must be questioned: talent, materials, capital, and market readiness. “It’s not just manufacturing,” he said. “It’s the full food chain, research, development, manufacturing.” When asked what “manufacturing” means for Arone, Ezenwere is careful. No modern hardware company builds everything from scratch. But Arone says over 50% of its drone systems are indigenous. The company designs and builds its airframes locally, develops its control systems and software in-house, and owns its AI models. Motors and batteries are still sourced externally, though the company says it is working toward deeper localisation. For its AI surveillance platform, QView AI, Arone owns the entire software stack. The models combine custom-built systems with open-source components, but without third-party ownership of the final product. For enterprise clients, including government institutions, the system can be deployed on-premise, scaling from a few gigabytes of RAM to terabytes, depending on requirements. The strategy reduces exposure to currency fluctuations and import markups, though not entirely. “We are exposed,” Ezenwere admits, “but the level of exposure is reduced.” The cost advantage is significant. Arone’s Aurora drone, equipped with thermal imaging capabilities for night surveillance, costs around ₦3 million ($2,190). Comparable foreign drones with similar specifications can cost upwards of $10,000. “Why would someone interested in security applications choose to spend $10,000 when they can get the same capability locally?” he asked. Powering beyond drones As Arone scaled its drone operations, it encountered another Nigerian constraint: electricity. That constraint birthed its second division: modular energy systems. Its flagship product, Luminar 2.0, is a portable, suitcase-sized solar energy system designed to power appliances and critical equipment during outages. The largest Luminar model delivers 3KVA and 2000 watt-hours, enough to power a microwave, television, and fan, sufficient for a middle-sized household. The systems use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries with smart thermal management, designed to withstand temperatures up to 45°C and operate for five to seven years. Arone’s drones. Image source: Arone. As of late 2025, Arone says it has deployed over 1.35 MWh of modular energy systems across all 36 states in Nigeria. Vaccine refrigerators are among the critical appliances powered by the systems during blackouts. Energy security, Ezenwere argues, is inseparable from technological independence. “It’s a mission for us to build an ecosystem that will transform Nigeria from a consuming nation to a producing nation.” Under the partnership with IMT, Arone will provide intellectual property and product designs, while IMT provides funding and infrastructure. Production targets include 5,000 Aurora drones per year, over 30,000 Luminar energy systems annually, and more than 200 QView AI servers. Beyond manufacturing output, the partnership aims to train more than 20,000 students. The goal is not merely to produce factory workers but future industrialists. “The objective is not just to train production workers,” Ezenwere said. “It’s to train people who will eventually build other industries.” Arone’s facility, located near the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, initially had to transport students by bus daily to build practical
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