Can Nigerian courts handle AI-generated evidence? Lawyers say it’s inevitable
Artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining daily life, and Nigeria’s legal system is struggling to keep up. With the rise of AI-generated content like ChatGPT essays, deepfake videos, and algorithmic trading, a critical question has emerged: how can AI-generated evidence be treated in a Nigerian court of law? While Nigerian courts are yet to tackle their first AI-generated evidence case, South Africa faced its AI-related legal misstep in January 2025. A South African lawyer, Ms. S. Pillay, came under scrutiny after allegedly submitting court documents that included fictitious case law generated by an AI tool. This incident sparked a broader debate about the responsibilities of lawyers using AI, highlighting the need for stricter checks to prevent such errors. Nigeria’s legal framework for digital evidence Nigeria’s 2011 Evidence Act already recognises electronically generated evidence, a category broad enough to include AI-generated content. Section 84 of the Act sets the conditions for admitting computer-generated evidence, including reliability and proper storage. However, this law was crafted in an era when “digital” meant emails, PDFs, and CCTV footage, not hyper-realistic deepfakes or AI-generated content. Nigerian lawyers are sounding alarms about an immediate threat: the admissibility of AI-forged evidence in a legal system still grappling with basic digital forensics. “Our laws are very archaic right now,” says Queen-Esther Ifunanya Emma-Egbumokei, a corporate lawyer specialising in international commercial law and the creative economy. Bernard Daniel Oke, who specialises in intellectual property rights, data protection and privacy, and media, explains that the most critical requirement is proper authentication. He notes that digital evidence “must be properly authenticated and shown to be reliable such that it emanates from the right device, untampered and proper foundation being laid.” The party presenting the evidence must convincingly show that it originated from the device or source they claim. This authentication process is essential because, without it, the court cannot determine if the evidence is genuine or relevant to the case at hand. This authentication isn’t limited to AI-generated content alone. Content on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Slack can now be edited, which raises a critical concern about how Nigerian courts will verify the authenticity of potentially manipulated digital evidence on these platforms. “The implication of edited messages on social media platforms being tendered in evidence can be inadmissible for being tampered with,” Oke explains. “ Tampered evidence is inadmissible in evidence.” The implication is that any sign that an electronic message, screenshot, or document has been edited, manipulated, or otherwise changed can render it inadmissible. The law is clear: tampered evidence is not to be trusted and will likely be rejected by the court. However, there’s a potential workaround. Tolu Adeyemi, a dispute resolution lawyer, explains that while computer-based evidence is generally inadmissible in court, it can be accepted if supported by oral evidence or a certificate of authenticity from the person operating the device. She says the certificate of authenticity is one that “complies with the requirements of Section 84 of the Evidence Act.” The requirements state that the document tendered was “produced by a computer during a time when the computer was regularly used to store or process information; that the computer, phone in this instance, was operating properly at the relevant time; [and] that similar information to what was tendered was regularly inputted in the computer; that the document was produced from information given to the computer in the ordinary course of activities.” Nigerian courts have no specific legal tests for detecting AI-generated evidence. Lawyers agree that the burden falls on the parties: if one party claims a piece of evidence is fake or AI-generated, they must present contrary evidence or expert testimony to prove their case. “The court isn’t an investigator, it wouldn’t go on a frolic of its own to determine if the evidence is true or not, it just judges based on what is placed before it and whatever is not contradicted or opposed is deemed admitted,” Adeyemi says. The gaps and the future: Nigeria’s legal lag While Section 84 of Nigeria’s Evidence Act 2011 mandates certificates of authenticity for electronic records, Hauwa E. Amuneh, a corporate and commercial lawyer, notes critical gaps: “Nigeria isn’t versed with the forensics department, and detection [of AI-generated evidence] would either take longer or come at a high cost.” As Amuneh points out, if evidence has been altered by one of the parties editing a message, it is up to the parties to prove or disprove authenticity, often relying on additional evidence, expert witnesses, or cross-examination in court. Oke advises that since messages on these platforms can only be edited within a few minutes of being sent, “a party who notices such editing can contest the edited content and seek clarification in the same chat immediately such alteration is noticed, to avoid future arguments. In law, equity aids the vigilant and not the indolent.” He adds that a party can keep screenshots of original messages and have them backed up “as evidence against a party for future reference, especially since the disappearing messages feature is also a possibility”. AI disputes in Nigeria: It’s not a matter of if, but when Despite the growing use of AI, none of the lawyers interviewed have encountered a Nigerian court case directly involving AI-generated evidence. While AI-related disputes are already cropping up globally, Nigeria is yet to enact targeted legislation or develop forensic capacity to address these challenges. “As for AI-related [legal] disputes, we already have those,” Emma-Egbumokei says. “ Not in Nigeria, of course, but there are ongoing legal disputes all over the world concerning AI.” Oke and Adeyemi echo Emma-Egbumokei’s view, saying they predict that AI-related disputes will inevitably reach Nigerian courts in the next few years as the technology becomes more deeply integrated into everyday life. “I believe there will be disputes in the intellectual property aspect, as a lot of people create works, inventions from what AI has fed to them,” says Adeyemi. Need for legal reforms If anything, there is an urgency for updates in the Nigerian
Read MoreThis South African AI-powered edtech helps students land top jobs
In a country grappling with about 32% unemployment rate and a drop in tech hiring activity due to a persistent skills mismatch, finding a job in South Africa’s competitive tech industry can feel like a long shot. While universities continue to produce graduates, many enter the job market lacking the practical, in-demand skills that employers need. This skills mismatch means it often takes graduates six to twelve months to secure employment, if they can at all. But Zaio, a local edtech startup, addresses this issue head-on by integrating career placement into its core model, not as an afterthought, but as the outcome, helping students secure jobs in top companies. Founded in 2017, Zaio provides intensive, bootcamp-style training programs to equip learners with in-demand skills. The institute offers courses in data analysis, machine learning, and web development, along with a newly launched cybersecurity program—all lasting six to seven months and priced at around R30,000 ($1660). Zaio also provides shorter, specialised training options, including micro developer bootcamps and an AI for office professionals course, each costing approximately R10,000 ($550), with options for installment payments. Since January 2025, Zaio has successfully placed 131 of its students in various roles across nine South African provinces, with a near-even gender split of 63 women and 68 men. Zaio trains between 600 to 800 students per year, of which 90% are young people—claiming an 80% course completion rate. Mvelo Hlophe, Zaio CEO, told TechCabal that this success lies in Zaio’s placement-first approach and proactive career facilitation. “Our training is directly aligned with industry demand, ensuring that our graduates leave with job-ready skills that companies are actively hiring for,” he said. Zaio’s graduates have secured positions in top organisations such as First National Bank, Absa, Girl Hype, and Africa Inspired Foundation, as well as emerging tech firms like Torho Technologies and Ecolabs. “Zaio’s bootcamp truly changed my life,” said Mpho Lawrence Buthelezi, a web development graduate from Zaio. “Not only did I gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed, but its strong industry connections helped me land a job with a top AI company, a role perfectly aligned with my goals.” Zaio’s extensive network of industry placement partners plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between education and employment for young tech professionals in South Africa. “Our strongest commitment is that we guarantee an interview for every learner who completes our program,” adds Hlophe. “That is only possible because of the robust network of placement partners we have built within the tech ecosystem, and we consistently have companies looking to hire our graduates.”. How Zaio uses AI to help students complete their courses to secure jobs In 2023, as artificial intelligence’s influence grew, South African educators expressed concerns that tools like ChatGPT would unleash a wave of academic dishonesty, and genuine learning would take a back seat. It was that time, when Zaio took its bet to build on existing models like OpenAI to provide AI-assisted and personalised learning. “Initially, using AI was to reduce the need for constant tutor interaction, especially to beginners who often encountered numerous errors while learning to code, particularly during late-night study sessions when tutors were unavailable,” said Asif Hassam, Zaio’s CTO. That early experiment evolved into a sophisticated AI-assisted learning platform. Today, Zaio combines human support with AI, providing real-time feedback, progress tracking, and adaptive coding challenges. This inclusive philosophy has helped Zaio attract a diverse pool of learners. Dakalo Sadiki, another graduate, said, “Before joining Zaio, I knew absolutely nothing about coding, not even what HTML looked like. Today, I have grown into an advanced developer, building websites, AI projects for top clients.. Zaio did not just teach me how to code, it gave me the tools and the network to build a future I never thought possible.” Zaio operates in a competitive landscape of coding bootcamps and digital skills academies focused on job-ready training. Institutions like Zaio’s main competitors are HyperionDev, WeThinkCode_, and CodeSpace, as one of the leaders in the space. While several institutions in South Africa offer tech training similar to Zaio, Hlophe claims, unlike many institutions that require prior qualifications or technical experience, it removes entry barriers for even tech starters, with no age limit. “We believe coding is for everyone,” says Asif. “Our curriculum starts from the ground up, designed for absolute beginners with no background in tech.” To set itself apart, Zaio has also established the Africa Inspired Foundation (AIF), which aims to provide high-quality training in rural areas with an ambitious goal of training 10,000 youths in rural areas by 2030. What Zaio is betting big on In 2024, South Africa’s edtech market generated $928.7 million, with 61% of that revenue coming from the K–12 (basic education) segment. Despite the dominance, Zaio is placing its bets on higher education and corporate upskilling markets, two segments expected to explode in the coming years as e-learning platforms, virtual classrooms, and the demand for workplace-ready talent intensifies. Zaio addresses the pressing demand for skilled tech professionals such as full-stack developers and data analysts, which remain among the most sought-after tech roles in South Africa for 2025. Zaio is moving towards a learning system that adjusts to each student’s needs, where the curriculum shifts in real time to match each learner’s speed and skill level. By using data analytics, it tracks engagement, pinpoints common struggles, and tailors lessons to individual needs for a more personalised education experience. “We track how learners engage with the material and identify common bottlenecks,” explained Asif Hassam, Head of Product at Zaio. “This allows us to deliver a more personalized and effective learning experience for each individual.” Looking ahead, Zaio’s ambitions extend beyond South Africa. The team envisions a future where African developers are globally sought after and where Zaio is the training ground that powers job creation. “We want talent emerging from the African continent to be globally competitive,” said Hlophe. “If a hiring manager anywhere in the world is looking for a developer, and Africa becomes their
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Cell C eyes IPO
In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning! How was your weekend? It was a weekend of many firsts: English football club Crystal Palace lifted their first trophy. I am particularly excited because that win meant Man City will end the season trophyless for the first time in eight years! That’s soothing considering their run of domination in England. Yes, I am a big hater. If football is not your jam, Nollywood film ‘My Father’s Shadow’ made history as the first Nigerian film selected for the Cannes Film Festival. Here’s to kicking off the week with something new. – Faith Cell C could go public on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) $50 to register for BVN? The new normal for Nigerians in diaspora Facebook wants to scan your face to know if it’s really you World Wide Web 3 Job Openings Telecoms Cell C could go public on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Image Source: Google Companies go public all the time—sometimes to raise cash, sometimes for more technical or strategic motives. For Cell C, South Africa’s fourth-largest telecom operator, the incentive is more structural. On May 16, its parent company, Blue Label Telecoms, announced that it is considering listing Cell C on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) as part of a sweeping restructuring. The plan centres on converting Cell C’s debt into equity, reducing its financial burden while increasing Blue Label’s stake (Blue Label would offer up the debt Cell C owes in exchange for getting equity.) It also involves transferring airtime assets and bringing Cell C’s postpaid business fully in-house. Blue Label says this move will make Cell C stronger, more independent, and ready for life as a standalone public company. In 2017, 9mobile, a Nigerian telecom firm, once attempted a debt-to-equity swap with creditors (banks) but failed. For Cell C, the stakes are high. It has spent years battling financial woes, from technical insolvency to major asset write-downs. It recently pivoted to a leaner, asset-light model instead of owning its telecom infrastructure. In 2023, Cell C started leasing infrastructure from competitor MTN in a bid to drive down costs, and so far, this has worked. The company’s finances steadied again after major revenue climbs last year, and in the half-year period ending November 2024, it was profitable again. Cell C has not been consistently profitable since 2021. Going public could put Cell C under new pressure to maintain order in its house. Yet, for the JSE, a Cell C listing would be a win. Despite solid financials, the exchange has struggled with more companies leaving than joining. In 2023, 11 companies delisted from the JSE. And by March 2024, two more companies had already exited the bourse. Cell C’s debut could signal that South Africa’s capital markets are open for new business. The JSE currently lists six telecom companies, including the top three players: MTN, Vodacom, and Telkom. While Cell C still trails far behind its competitors, a listing could increase its visibility and familiarity with retail investors as well as raise capital. With its newfound efficiency, the telecom company could get a real shot at the top three. Seamless Global Payments With Fincra. Issue accounts in NGN, KES, EUR, USD & more with one integration. Send & receive funds seamlessly across borders; no more banking hassles or complex conversions. Create an account for free & go global today. 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10 people share how they use AI in their everyday lives
Ever used ChatGPT to fix your resume at midnight? Or asked an AI tool to outline your next client pitch? You’re not alone. Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just for coders and researchers anymore. It’s already part of daily life, helping people write, plan, strategise, and reflect. To understand the uses of AI, we asked 10 professionals and creatives across several cities how they’re incorporating AI into their routines. Their answers might surprise you and even give you a few ideas. Uses of AI shared by everyday people 1. Tobi – Brand strategist using AI for proposals and brainstorming Location: NigeriaProfession: Brand & Business Strategist When the creative well runs dry, Tobi leans on AI to flesh out brand strategies, build client proposals, and spark new ideas. “I use ChatGPT-4 because it feels like it already understands how I think. I don’t need to provide too much context anymore, it’s become a creative partner.” Why it matters: Once you train your prompts well, AI can become a reliable extension of your brain, especially for tasks that require structure and creativity. 2. Mo – Talent manager building competency frameworks Location: LagosProfession: Talent Manager Mo used AI to create a complete competency framework for an entire department, which would’ve taken hours to build from scratch. “It makes your job seamless. Just plug in what you want and get a starting point instantly.” Why it matters: Structured HR work, like planning, documentation, and evaluations, becomes much quicker with the correct prompts. 3. Jessa – Job seeker saving on resume writing Location: AbujaProfession: Unemployed Jessa uses AI to write and tailor her resumes to different job roles, cutting out the need to pay for professional writing services. “It gives me answers fast. No need to dig through countless websites or pay for help.” Why it matters: Job hunting is tough enough. If AI can help save both time and money, that’s a win, especially when you’re between roles. 4. Gigi – Digital marketer targeting new audiences Location: ZambiaProfession: Digital Marketer Gigi used AI to define the right audience for a cleaning business and to polish up client emails. “I use Gemini. The research depth and sources it gives me are out of this world.” Why it matters: Whether you’re working on strategy or communication, AI helps marketers stay sharp and save time on research. 5. Nwachukwu – Investment banker creating polished presentations Location: LagosProfession: Investment Banker Nwachukwu uses AI daily, from enhancing PowerPoint decks to streamlining complex documents. “I use Claude and Premium ChatGPT. I honestly don’t think I could go back to doing things the old way.” Why it matters: Even in industries where precision is key, AI can help speed up workflows without sacrificing quality. 6. Naya – Dietician simplifying health data analysis Location: AbujaProfession: Dietician at a wellness and fitness tech startup From scoring food databases to writing group texts, Naya uses AI to move faster, though she still edits for accuracy. “I’m scoring foods for health conditions. AI helps a lot, even if I have to fix a few things here and there.” Why it matters: AI mustn’t be perfect to be useful. When paired with your expertise, it becomes a time-saver, not a replacement. 7. Daniel – Visual designer generating images and presentations Location: LagosProfession: Visual Designer Daniel uses various tools from ChatGPT to ImageFX to design visuals, write copy, and create stunning presentations in less time. “AI helps me skip the stock image hunt. That alone saves hours of effort.” Why it matters: If you’re a creative professional, AI can speed up the parts you hate so you can focus on the parts you love. 8. Ada – Entrepreneur using AI for content and self-discovery Location: AbujaProfession: Entrepreneur & Civil Servant Ada drafts social media posts, rewrites reports, and even explores life goals, all with the help of AI. “AI has insights that reflect who I am. It’s become a tool for self-discovery.” Why it matters: AI isn’t just about tasks but also reflection, strategy, and growth. 9. Imran – Frontend developer speeding up backend work Location: LagosProfession: Frontend Developer Even though Imran works in frontend development, he uses AI to handle backend tasks in Node.js, helping him meet deadlines faster. “With AI, I complete backend tasks earlier than expected.” Why it matters: Developers can save hours by offloading boilerplate or complex logic brainstorming to AI tools. 10. Honour – Finance manager learning and communicating with AI Location: LagosProfession: Finance Manager From crafting LinkedIn posts to studying for ICAN, Honour uses AI to make learning easier and communication faster. “It gives me what I need quickly, but I’ve also seen it get some answers wrong.” Why it matters: AI can enhance productivity, but double-checking its work is still essential, especially for technical or academic tasks. You might also like: How I use ChatGPT, other Generative AI tools to work smarter Final thoughts These stories show that the uses of AI go far beyond coding or automation. AI has a role to play in your world if you’re a job seeker, designer, strategist, or just trying to get things done faster. And now it’s your turn: How do you use AI? What tasks has it helped you simplify, speed up, or completely transform?
Read MoreDay 1-1000: PaidHR’s baptism of fire birthed a now profitable company
I first met Seye Bandele, CEO of Nigerian HR tech upstart PaidHR, physically, at last year’s Moonshot event. Bandele was much taller in person than I imagined. There was a self-assuredness about him. Before that meeting, I had interacted with him a few times: once at the launch of the startup’s cross-border payroll products and at another during the launch of its Employee Wage Report (EWA). Bandele is my guest for the second edition of the Day 1-1000 column, and this time we are meeting again over Zoom to reflect on the defining experiences, challenges, and breakthroughs that have shaped his startup from its inception through its first thousand days. Bandele, who’s told me on several occasions that he’s not the biggest fan of remote work, joins me from his neatly furnished office in Surulere, an office he says was designed for his comfort. Before founding PaidHR, Bandele was a business development, strategy, and marketing professional. He’d previously held chief of marketing roles at Konga and Yudala, and ran a marketing consulting agency alongside Chikodi Ukaiwe (now CEO of Salad Africa). During his consulting days, Bandele worked with companies like Flour Mills and, notably, HR tech competitor SeamlessHR. When I ask about whether his time at SeamlessHR revealed a market gap that inspired PaidHR, Bandele says he’s not ready to speak publicly about that transition. Instead, Bandele’s nudge to start an HR company came from his longtime friend and co-founder, Lekan Omotosho. Omotosho, bored of building software for the government, was itching for a new challenge, a problem they could solve together. Bandele did notice problems with personnel administration. While working at Deal Day, he observed how companies struggled with a broken flow of information and communication between management and the wider team. Bandele encountered this problem at multiple organisations, and it became the inspiration for PaidHR, initially ideated as an employee engagement and feedback tool. Get the best African tech newsletters in your inbox Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Canton and Enderbury Islands Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos [Keeling] Islands Colombia Comoros Congo – Brazzaville Congo – Kinshasa Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d’Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Dronning Maud Land East Germany Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories French Southern and Antarctic Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong SAR China Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Johnston Island Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau SAR China Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Metropolitan France Mexico Micronesia Midway Islands Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar [Burma] Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles Neutral Zone New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Vietnam Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pacific Islands Trust Territory Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Panama Canal Zone Papua New Guinea Paraguay People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria São Tomé and Príncipe Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Minor Outlying Islands U.S. Miscellaneous Pacific Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Unknown or Invalid Region Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Wake Island Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands ?> Gender Male Female Others TC Daily Events <!– Next Wave –> <!– Entering Tech –> Subscribe Day 1: Baptism of fire In 2020, still running his consulting gig, Bandele began work on PaidHR. The vision was clear: solve HR tech problems for Nigeria’s small- and medium- scale businesses. Together with his co-founder Omotosho, they spent about three months studying various global HR software companies—Gusto, Swingvy, and Zenitz—before deciding on their product direction. “We were no HR experts. It was just myself and my co-founder talking to as many HR people as possible and shadowing many HR tech products that were already available,” Bandele says. The first version of PaidHR was a direct copy of Gusto, the San Francisco-based company that provides cloud-based payroll, benefits, and human resource management software for businesses in the United States. Bandele loved the business model of YC-backed Gusto, which he saw as desirable. Omotosho, who had over 12 years of experience building enterprise software, built most of the initial product himself over 15 months. The first version was basic: a simple human resource information system and payroll tool that didn’t even automate disbursements. “You’d process payroll, download an Excel sheet, and take it to your bank to pay,” Bandele says with a laugh. Bandele leveraged his network from previous corporate roles to get feedback on their initial product. An HR director told them their initial product was “rubbish” and needed to be rebuilt. This model, based on Gusto, targeted the small business market in Nigeria, which they estimated at 36 million
Read MoreThe invisible walls stunting African startups
Across Africa, a growing number of startups are reaching for the future by leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve real, local problems. From AI-powered tools to fintech innovations, the ambition is clear: build world-class solutions for African challenges. But despite hitting the right notes on market fit and innovation, many of these companies stall. Not because their products are flawed, or because people don’t need them, but because the very systems that should support them don’t exist. There’s a quiet but consistent pattern: as momentum builds, reality kicks in. The truth is, there’s a significant infrastructure gap that too many players underestimate until it’s too late. And it’s not just a “startup problem” — it’s a systemic issue, buried deep within how our economies function. Often, the factors that stall African startups are completely outside the control of the founders, VCs, or even major industry players. They’re issues that more established companies have figured out how to work around, not solve. These workarounds are rarely shared and never scalable. New players that are coming in with all the energy and clarity of a fresh solution get blindsided by the same invisible walls. Take Nigeria, for example. One of the most glaring roadblocks is the lack of a robust credit system. Unlike in the US or other developed economies, startups and consumers alike here cannot rely on a stable financial infrastructure to support scaling or long-term planning. It’s hard to forecast, harder to lend, and even harder to collect. This makes it nearly impossible to build reliable B2C or even B2B models that depend on trust, recurring payments, or creditworthiness. Add worsening macroeconomic conditions like currency devaluation, inflation, erratic policy shifts, and you’ll see how even the strongest financial projections fall apart in months. It’s no longer enough to build a good product. You also need to build for volatility. This is why building in silos doesn’t work anymore. If fintech is thriving but logistics is broken, it doesn’t matter how sleek your payment product is, people won’t get their goods. If edtech is booming but internet access is patchy, your best-in-class app won’t reach the students who need it most. Founders, investors, and policymakers need to stop thinking in isolated verticals. In economies like Nigeria’s, industries must rise together or risk collapsing under the weight of one another’s failures. Yes, this sounds idealistic. But it’s also essential. One of the most promising levers for achieving this kind of cross-industry acceleration is artificial intelligence. Not because it’s trendy, but because of how it can help us close these gaps. Imagine an AI system built to assess students’ abilities and help target their strengths early on. Before now, that kind of tailored guidance required a skilled teacher: someone educated and experienced enough to notice subtle potential. But with the right AI tools, that bottleneck can be removed entirely. We only need to build the system once, and suddenly, nationwide talent development becomes scalable. Students across rural and urban areas alike can be evaluated with consistency. And once you’ve built a system that recognizes and channels student strengths, the incentives shift: you’re no longer just hoping kids turn out great, you’re now actively nurturing them toward greatness. Spray-and-pray education policy has failed us. Just sending kids to school and hoping something sticks is no longer acceptable, especially not in an economy this fragile. But by building solutions that democratize talent discovery, we’re finally in a position to lay a real foundation for the future. And yet, no startup can do this alone. No sector can build this in isolation. The kind of transformation we need requires collaboration across industries: education, AI, infrastructure, telecoms, and policy, all moving in sync. With AI, we can begin to imagine a technocultural society where innovation isn’t just about gadgets and code, but about deeply embedded, accessible technology that changes how people live, work, and learn. Where nothing seems to change at first glance, but everything under the surface is transformed. We’re not there yet. But if we stop chasing isolated wins and start building connected systems, we could be. __________ Samson Odo is the Founder of NodeShift Nigeria, an AI infrastructure startup focused on building Africa’s AI economy. He’s passionate about creating locally-adapted, scalable solutions that drive real change across industries.
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Digital Nomads: This Ethiopian-born 6x founder is building a Web3 game to connect with her roots
I’m a big gamer; not a skilled one by any stretch, but pushing buttons releases certain endorphins that I love to experience again and again. I picked up my phone on a rainy Saturday morning to play Rise of Fearless, a new battle royale peer-to-peer (P2P) game launched on May 3. Kanessa Muluneh, the brain behind the game, had told me there was a launch party that weekend for the game back home in Ethiopia. And when we spoke again on May 14, I was enthralled by the storytelling; Muluneh’s voice carried so much passion in the way she spoke about trying something new. She poured that passion into building Rise of Fearless. My gameplay session was mostly filled with a lot of waiting; first, I had to create a game login, then I waited for what seemed like an eternity to find someone to play with. The game kept buffering and ultimately allowed me to play solo, pending when someone joined the game. In the game, I moved around skillfully with my avatar, craftily performing melees and upper-cutting no one in particular. I collected spears and weapons and never used them, and a few minutes later, the game kicked me out, notifying me that nobody joined the game, and bringing my leisure time to a premature end. A screenshot taken from the game after it logged me out/Image Source: Rise of Fearless mobile game Two weeks later, when I caught up with Muluneh again, this was the first question I asked her: “I like what you’re going for with Rise of Fearless, but P2P battle royale game thrives when people play it; how do you plan to build network effects in the game?” Muluneh told me that she and her team were working hard to fix the shortcomings. Shortly after the launch party, they introduced a game tournament that skyrocketed the downloads on Google Play Store from 100—when I played the game—to over 1,000. “When you look at Africa’s gaming industry, we don’t have many wins,” she said. “But Rise of Fearless could easily be as big as Call of Duty Mobile or Fortnite.” Yet, after playing the game, my submission to Muluneh was that it still needed to improve in many ways, including the graphics, storytelling flow, and an overall pizzazz the game currently lacks—all flaws she is acutely aware of and vows to fix. From Ethiopia to the Netherlands Born in Dire Dawa, in eastern Ethiopia, Muluneh was aged three when her parents left the civil-war-ridden country for the Netherlands. “Ethiopia was an imperial state ruled by emperors before we moved to the political system we have now,” Muluneh said. “When I was young, there was a civil war, and everybody who owned assets was forced to hand them over to the government. So my father left for the Netherlands; he didn’t want to fight.” It was an experience that changed her dramatically, she tells me. Back home in Ethiopia, Muluneh came from money, but when her family moved to Europe, they became poor. They were economic refugees in a foreign country, and rebuilding life from the ground up in a new place that didn’t share their values was always challenging, said Muluneh. Yet, the Netherlands would go on to play a key role in her entrepreneurial journey. Over the course of her entrepreneurial journey, she has launched six businesses and sold four for a combined sum of over $9.5 million. Yet, the most relevant one, she says, was selling a medical tech business at age 21 for $500,000. In 2013, at medical school, Muluneh was asked to identify a real problem during her internship and find a solution. What she found was something no one else seemed to be addressing. Most of the assistants working in clinics were women, and when family emergencies came up—as they often did—it was always the women who had to step back from work. Yet, so much of their job, especially patient triage, was already done over the phone. So Muluneh created a system that allowed nurses and assistants to take patient calls from home, and more importantly, securely access medical records from home too. It was a simple idea, but one that required sorting through legal, technical, and privacy challenges. She was 21. Bright-eyed and young, and with the wind at her back, Muluneh worked with lawyers, software engineers, and insurance advisors to get it right. An insurance company later bought the business, which grew her conviction. She later launched businesses in fashion and women’s football. Today, she wears the investor hat, investing in Web3 technology and blockchain, and advising companies in this sector. Yet, this is not set in stone. “I mostly invest in AI products,” said Muluneh. “I’d say I love spotting problem-solving businesses, because that’s how I started. Right now, I’m at the stage where I’m ready to back traditional businesses in Africa in agriculture and manufacturing.” Press start: Inside the Battle of Adwa The Battle of Adwa is an important part of Africa’s history. During the fateful 1884 Berlin Conference, where European countries gathered to divide Africa in the scramble, Italy, rather unfortunately, walked away with dreams of Ethiopia, even though the country had other plans. What ensued next was a long, raging battle during the 1896 Italo-Ethiopian war period, which saw the African country claim victory over the Europeans. This made Ethiopia the only country on the continent that was never colonised. But importantly, says Muluneh, it inspired other countries to fight back. “It is an important part of history too, considering the role women played,” said Muluneh. “If you go deeper into the history, it was the emperor’s wife [Taytu Betul] who convinced him that he couldn’t give up; she drew the whole strategy and [Ethiopia] applied it and won.” Like the battle, the game will involve players teaming up and fighting enemy ranks with local weapons, and competing on leaderboards. Muluneh plans to monetise the product by offering in-game advertising, putting billboards
Read MoreMorroco’s Sand to Green secures $50K DeepTech grant to turn deserts into farms
Sand to Green, a Moroccan agrotechnology startup that turns degraded land into productive farmland, has won a $50,000 grant at the DeepTech Summit 2025, unlocking new funding to expand operations across Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Europe. The company was awarded the prize in the Green Economy category at the summit held on May 8–9 and organised by the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir, Morocco. The grant highlights the growing investor interest in the agriculture technology-as-a-service (AaaS) sector in Africa. Similar businesses, including South Africa’s Aerobotics, have received similar attention after raising a total of $26.8 million in funding. The interest in Sand to Green also comes at a time when the Moroccan government and the World Bank, through its Morocco Digital and Climate Smart Agriculture programme and other related ventures, are investing in agrotechnology. By providing much-needed technology to scale farming, investors are buying into startups that can tap into Morocco’s $12.39 billion agriculture market, while still backing technology. Sand to Green’s model blends satellite-driven land analysis, solar-powered desalination, and regenerative agroforestry to transform arid zones into fertile, sustainable farmlands. The company says the grant will fast-track its expansion plans and deepen its reach in markets highly vulnerable to desertification and climate-driven food insecurity. “This international recognition is a turning point for us,” said Benjamin Rombaut, CEO and co-founder of Sand to Green. “It confirms that Deep Tech can be a powerful lever for restoring ecosystems, fighting desertification, and offering sustainable economic prospects to vulnerable territories in cooperation with all local actors.” Founded in 2021 by Rombaut, Gautier de Carcouët, and Wissal Ben Moussa, Sand to Green has raised $1 million in seed funding from investors including Norway’s Katapult and the Catalyst Fund. The company operates at the intersection of two rising global priorities: climate resilience and food security. According to the United Nations (UN), over 40% of the world’s land is already degraded, affecting half of the global population and costing the world economy up to $6 trillion annually. Due to desertification, Africa loses roughly 3 million hectares of forest and arable land each year. This translates to nearly 3% of Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth being lost yearly from soil and nutrient depletion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), forcing the continent to spend more than $35 billion on food imports. Sand to Green’s approach integrates environmental data—soil type, climate patterns, topography—with local agricultural practices to develop customised agroecological systems. Projects are co-developed with rural communities, farmers, and local institutions, a strategy the company says ensures long-term viability and community buy-in. The company makes money by designing and managing sustainable farms that grow high-value crops like nuts, grains, and herbs. It also earns revenue through consulting, land development, and by generating carbon credits, which it can sell to businesses looking to offset emissions. Sand to Green operates in Morocco and plans to expand locally in the Tan-Tan region. The agrotechnology startup is backed by NextAfrica, a trans-continental accelerator run by UM6P and Paris-based STATION F, providing strategic support, mentorship, and investor access to startups. By marrying traditional land stewardship with advanced satellite and water technology, Sand to Green is betting on a model it believes can scale—both economically and ecologically—to meet one of the planet’s most pressing challenges.
Read MoreSouth Africa’s AURA raises $14.6 million to drive U.S. expansion and global ambitions
AURA, a South African lifesaving technology platform, has raised €13.5 million ($14.6 million) in Series B funding to drive its expansion into the United States and broaden its global footprint, aiming to operate in nearly 50 countries within two years. The round was co-led by the Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF) and global venture capital firm Partech, bringing AURA’s total funding to €21 million ($22.8 million). The fresh capital will support product scale, deepen international partnerships, and integrate AURA’s emergency tech across a growing number of consumer-facing applications. Founded in 2017, AURA, which operates in South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., offers emergency response services through its smart auto-dispatch and routing platform. The platform enables people in emergencies to connect to emergency response via mobile apps and integrated panic buttons with the nearest vetted private security and medical responders. “AURA addresses the challenge that, traditionally, access to private security or ambulance services is expensive and limited to those who can afford monthly contracts and alarm systems,” Warren Myers, AURA’s founder and CEO, told TechCabal. “Our solution democratises access to safety by enabling anyone with a phone to access rapid emergency response at an affordable subscription rate.” Aura operates a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) model, charging a per-user, per-month subscription fee. The company partners with resellers and distributors such as insurance companies, security companies, monitoring centers, and app providers that offer access to emergency response services through white-labeled apps and panic buttons. The company also partners with companies such as Uber, FNB, Samsung, and traditional security and ambulance companies to integrate its technology with armed response and ambulance companies, allowing them to monetise their idle capacity by being available on AURA’s platform. AURA is betting on the fundamental human need for safety and the growing prevalence of mobile phones, which allows them to democratise access to emergency response services at a low monthly cost. The platform currently has 1.2 million paying subscribers globally. In South Africa alone, it estimates that 20 million mobile phone users fall within its target market based on its ZAR 40–ZAR 50 monthly pricing ($2.20–$2.70), suggesting significant room to grow. “South Africa has an addressable market of 46 million mobile users,” Myers said. The emergency response market is growing rapidly in both developed and emerging economies. In South Africa, alarm response revenue is projected to reach $121.4 million by 2025, according to Statista. The U.S., where AURA is now prioritising expansion, represents a $7 billion market, according to Myers. “In markets like the UK and US, police are stepping back from responding to unverified alarms owing to pressure on time and resources,” he said. “This creates a huge opportunity for private sector players to fill the gap.” AURA claims to have pioneered the on-demand emergency response marketplace at scale in Africa and the U.K., and now wants to replicate that momentum in the U.S., where consumer safety platforms are fragmented and largely tied to traditional alarm systems. The company plans to leverage partnerships with major tech brands and insurance providers to embed its technology into phones, wearables, and other smart devices. “Our goals are to make alarm verification faster, homes and businesses safer, and to help law enforcement focus on higher-priority incidents,” Myers said.
Read More“I didn’t know”: The Buy Now Pay Later boom that’s backfiring in rural Kenya
When Grace Achieng’, a vegetable vendor in western Kenya, signed up for a Vivo smartphone on a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) plan, it felt like a lifeline. With no deposit and weekly instalments of $2.71 (KES 350) or $0.39 (KES 50) daily, the deal was attractive: pay in bits, own the device, and stay connected with your friends and relatives. Three missed payments later, her device was remotely disabled. “Imagine your only way of sending money or calling family getting locked,” says Achieng’. “It’s an inconvenience that forces you to borrow from other people or lenders. That’s an additional cost.” Unlike traditional asset finance, which involves lengthy forms, background checks, and slow approvals, BNPL offers instant credit with a few clicks. The ease has made this form of asset financing popular, especially among younger consumers. But the same ease that brings people in has led to a debt regret facing users like Achieng’. Many users find themselves stuck in repayment cycles they did not fully anticipate, a debt trap disguised as convenience. BNPL offers deferred payments for customers who would otherwise be excluded from credit. The appeal is undeniable in a country where formal lending is scarce and most people survive on irregular incomes. However, for many customers in rural Kenya, the fast-growing consumer credit looks more like a risk than a help. BNPL is drawing scrutiny for its opaque terms, digital lockouts, and aggressive collection tactics, especially in a country like Kenya, where regulation lags behind innovation. The trap In principle, BNPL offers deferred payments for low-income customers who would otherwise be excluded from credit. In rural Kenya, where formal lending is scarce and most people survive on irregular incomes, the appeal is undeniable. Startups backed by global venture capital have rushed to fill the rural credit gap, offering solar kits, motorcycles, phones, and household electronics under flexible payment terms. Instalments can be as low as $0.77 (KES 100) per week, and customers can sign up with just a national ID and mobile number. But beneath the ease of entry lies a model increasingly reliant on digital coercion. BNPL platforms use sleek design and persuasive messaging to keep users spending. Push notifications and SMS reminders often dress up new credit as “pre-approved” or frame repayments as part of exclusive offers, pushing customers toward repeat borrowing with the language of opportunity rather than caution. The result is a user experience engineered for ease, which can quietly lock consumers into a cycle of debt. “These companies are not selling mobile phones or motorcycles, they are selling debt at high interest rates,” says Gad Awuonda, a Nairobi-based lawyer and consumer-rights advocate. “I have met customers who do not even fully know what happens when they fail to pay.” The challenge is that BNPL startups like Aspira, Watu Credit, MOGO, Buy Simu Technologies, SunKing, and FlexPay Lipia Pole Pole operate with few regulations that govern formal lenders like commercial banks and microfinance institutions. Many are not registered as financial institutions and, therefore, are not subject to Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) oversight. None of the BNPL providers responded to requests for comments. Regulatory grey zone Since 2021, CBK has been scrambling to create sanity in the digital lending and BNPL sectors, requiring licensing and data protection compliance under the 2021 Digital Credit Providers (DCP) regulations. The regulator also wants to repeal the outdated Hire Purchase Act 1968 —originally designed for furniture and car sales — to allow new legislation covering BNPL. The regulatory grey zone has left consumers exposed. Few understand how much they are ultimately supposed to pay or what recourse they can take when locked out or facing repossession. Disclosures on interest rates — often in the 30– over 100% annualised range — are rare. Contracts are short and largely unread if presented at all. For example, an electric scooter priced at $851 (KES 110,000) in cash can end up costing nearly twice as much under a BNPL arrangement once interest and fees are factored in. For rural users unfamiliar with structured credit, the consequences of default can be harsh. A spot check by TechCabal revealed that BNPL startups disable devices after two to four missed payments, in some cases without notice. While some of the companies market the lockouts as a gentle nudge toward repayment, it is punitive in rural areas where mobile phones and motorcycles serve as financial lifelines. “Most young people who are unemployed buy motorcycles in instalments, expecting to earn some income. What happens when it is switched off or worse, when repossessed,” says Awuonda. Across the country, dusty yards are filling up with thousands of repossessed motorcycles, fridges, and televisions, seized from defaulters and auctioned off by BNPL companies struggling to recover their money. “Modern hire purchase models thrive on information asymmetry,” says Dennis Oduor, a banker based in Kisumu, a city 400km west of Nairobi. “In urban areas like Kisumu, you might have options such as working on a construction site for daily wages. In rural areas, people feel trapped.” Like any VC-backed firm, BNPL startups are under intense pressure to show revenue growth to satisfy global investors. In 2023, African BNPL platforms raised over $200 million in equity and debt funding, most of it to expand customer bases and explore new markets. Increased investor appetite could mean aggressive onboarding and even more aggressive enforcement. The BNPL payment market in Africa is forecast to reach $5.34 billion in 2025 and over $10 billion in 2030. For many Kenyan rural users, the expansion could mean more pain. “We cannot have people who are lending and not regulated by any financial regulator. That’s a ticking time bomb,” says Awuonda. If Kenyan regulators can catch up with innovation, the BNPL startups could still deliver on its promise without trapping the millions of unbanked rural users it aims to help.
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