From ₦1 to ₦9,477 per metre: What each Nigerian state charges for broadband right-of-way
As Nigeria races toward its goal of achieving 70% broadband penetration and extending coverage to 90% of its population by the end of 2025, it faces a long-standing barrier: conflicting government jurisdictions over Right-of-Way (RoW), a legal framework that permits telecom providers to lay fibre cables in public spaces in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Despite RoW being a key enabler of broadband infrastructure and a critical linchpin in Nigeria’s digital future, its inconsistent fees and overlapping agency jurisdiction across the states have made internet rollout slower, more expensive, and inequitable. For everyday users, it means unreliable internet connections, high data costs, and a digital divide that leaves some regions behind. While the federal government, through the National Economic Council (NEC), recommended a benchmark RoW fee at ₦145 per linear metre in 2013 to streamline broadband expansion, among other efforts, many Nigerian states have gone on to implement varying RoW charges, many with high costs, indicating noncompliance. This situation places Nigeria among African countries with low broadband penetration in proportion to its 142 million internet users. While Nigeria has only achieved 78,676km deployed fibre, its penetration stood at 45.4%, indicating more than half of its population remains offline. Other African countries have advanced more decisively in expanding broadband access by eliminating, subsidising, and harmonising their RoW fees. Nigeria is deploying an additional 90,000km to meet its target of 125,000km of fibre deployment by Q4 2025. Here is what each Nigerian state contributes to the country’s fibre deployments and their Right-of-Way charges. Lagos State Lagos State, renowned as Nigeria’s commercial hub, leads the country in internet connectivity, boosting 18.8 million internet users. The state has the highest internet penetration with deployed fibre cables of approximately 7,864km, and is ranked the third most expensive state with RoW charge, charging ₦6,264 per metre. It uses RoW as an important revenue-generating source. Edo State Edo State, with 5.9 million internet users, ranked second in the highest fibre cable deployment, deploying approximately 4,893km of fibre. The state officially charges ₦3,491 per metre for RoW, but has waived fees for key operators like MTN and Airtel under the immediate past administration led by Godwin Obaseki. This selective waiver aims to fast-track broadband infrastructure, especially for education and public institutions. It has invested in a few tech initiatives, including Edo Tech Park and the Edo Innovates Hub. Federal Capital Territory (FCT)–Abuja Abuja has RoW better than many states, charging ₦850 per metre for laying fibre in the capital. It has only achieved 4,472km of fibre deployed despite having 7,808,784 internet users. Oyo State Oyo State also imposes higher RoW fees at ₦5,303 per metre, significantly above the federal benchmark and has 4,329km deployed fibre in the state. It contributed 8.23 million internet users and was part of the Oodua Infraco Resources Limited project coverage to lay 1,031.44km fibre cable across the region. However, the high charge poses a barrier to expanding broadband deployment by telecom providers. Ogun State Ogun State leads with the highest RoW charge rate in the country at ₦9,477 per metre. With 9.5 internet subscribers, the state has recorded 4,189km fibre deployment. Ogun’s high RoW cost deters wider fibre expansion as it has raised concerns among Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and broadband investors. Niger State Niger State has waived Right-of-Way (RoW) fees for telecom operators, but introduced a one-time, non-refundable application fee of ₦500,000. This policy aims to attract private sector investment and expand internet access across the state. It has deployed 3,682km fibre cable and has 5.7 million internet users. Kaduna State Kaduna State was one of the earliest adopters of the federal recommendation, and waived its RoW fees to accelerate fibre deployment. It has laid 3,028km fibre cable, accounting for low broadband rollout to meet its 7.3 million internet users. It is also listed among the 19 states in the federal government’s fibre deployment project. Delta State Delta State adopted the federal benchmark for RoW charges at ₦145 per metre. This prompt fibre deployment in a state with approximately 2,750.42km, and favourable in terms of broadband infrastructure. The state has a higher number of online subscribers of 6 million.. Kano State Kano State’s Right-of-Way (RoW) fee stands at ₦2,258 per linear metre, surpassing the federal recommended charge. This cost poses challenges for telecom companies aiming to expand broadband services in the state. The state with the largest internet users of 9 million, has just 2,697km fibre cable deployed. Kogi State Kogi State’s Right-of-Way (RoW) fee is set at ₦2,000 per linear metre, also exceeding the federal benchmark. It has approximately 2,602km of fibre cable deployed, recording 3.6 million internet users. It launched the project connectivity to enhance internet access across its local government areas. Benue State Benue State charges ₦2,500 per linear metre for Right-of-Way permit, below the market average but exceeds the federal benchmark of ₦145. It currently has 4.4 million internet users and has laid 2,375km fibre cable. Aligning RoW charges with federal recommendations may encourage telecom operators to invest in the state’s digital infrastructure, enhancing internet accessibility and economic development. Ondo State Ondo State is a model for broadband-friendly policy, charging ₦145 per metre for RoW in line with federal recommendations, and it is also among the Oodua Infraco project coverage. It has 3.7 million internet users and has laid 2,302km fibre cable. Through its State Information Technology Agency (SITA), Ondo enforces the ‘One Dig Policy,’ which encourages coordinated fibre laying and infrastructure sharing. This approach reduces costs and disruption while boosting internet access. It is also implementing a Metro Fibre Network across the state to enhance ICT infrastructure. Bauchi State Bauchi State is among the 12 states that have waived their RoW charge. Its elimination of RoW fee is to attract telecom investment and facilitate broadband rollout to enhance digital connectivity in the state. The state is also among the 19 northern states that benefited from the federal government’s fibre deployment project. It has 2,018 km of fibre and accounts for 3.5 million internet users.
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Next Wave: Why Africa’s tech dream is political
Cet article est aussi disponible en français <!– In partnership with –> <!–TopBanner Join us for TechCabal Battlefield, Moonshot’s startup competition where you can showcase your startup idea to a global audience and an esteemed panel of judges and stand a chance to win up to 2.5 million naira in funding for your business! Click to register for TC Battlefield First published 25 May, 2025 Why Africa’s tech dream is political Image | CTECH Let me tell you the truth that we don’t say enough in Africa’s tech circles: If you’re building the next unicorn and ignoring politics, you’re playing with house money in a burning casino. I’ve spent the past two years of my journalism career listening to Africa’s startup stories. I’ve heard pitch after pitch at tech conferences from Nairobi to Lagos, Cape Town to Kampala about the continent’s untapped potential. I’ve talked to founders building payment solutions, edtech platforms, and e-commerce ideas. I’ve met investors who believe that Africa is the next frontier for venture capital, especially in climatech, agritech, fintech, and e-commerce. But there’s a sentence I rarely hear in these circles, which should be on every slide deck and in every boardroom: “We need government to work to make this a reality.” And now I’m convinced that billion-dollar valuations, oversubscribed rounds, and the gospel of venture capital seduce us. I understand the silence. Politics is messy. In some parts of Africa, it’s dangerous. But after years of reporting on this space, I’m certain the so-called “African digital revolution” will stall unless founders and investors stop ignoring governance and start engaging with it. You can’t build the future on a broken foundation—and right now, too many of us are pretending we can. Next Wave continues after this ad. Moonshot is back, and this year, it’s about moving from resilience to results. With the theme Building Momentum, the 2025 edition explores how Africa’s digital economy can shift gears into scale, structure, and long-term growth. Expect more honest reflections, sharper insights, closed-door roundtables, and conversations that don’t end when the panels do. Watch the 2024 highlights. Early bird discount now available Reserve your spot here! Apolitical innovation? There’s a comforting myth that tech can rise above politics. That we can engineer solutions around our messy governments with enough capital, code, and cleverness. But the longer I’ve been in this space, the clearer it’s become: Africa has no apolitical innovation. And I’ve seen this fantasy play out countless times: a founder claims they’re building a groundbreaking B2C e-commerce platform or an agritech that connects farmers to cutting-edge soil testing technology. But when you dig deeper, you realise the core assumptions—about logistics, connectivity, electricity, and regulation—don’t hold up to the reality on the ground. Let’s look at some numbers: 1. In Nigeria, 85 million people (about 43% of the population) have no access to grid electricity. Power outages cost the economy an estimated $29 billion annually. Try running a data centre—or a cold chain logistics company—in that environment. Frequent outages force most startups to rely on diesel generators, eating up 30-40% of operational budgets for data centres and fintechs. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, just 19% of people have access to electricity, according to the World Bank. 2. Intra-African trade is just 15.9% of the continent’s total exports (UNCTAD, 2023). For comparison, intra-EU trade is about 68.2%. Why? Bureaucratic borders, poor transport infrastructure, and conflicting customs regulations—all political failures. 3. The World Bank’s “Doing Business” indicators (before they were discontinued in 2021) consistently placed African countries at the bottom for ease of starting a business, enforcing contracts, and accessing credit. These are not tech problems. They’re governance problems. 4. Meanwhile, internet penetration across Africa is just 43%, and the average cost of 1GB of mobile data in sub-Saharan Africa is 5x higher than in South Asia. Spectrum pricing, telecom taxes, and monopolistic policy frameworks are at the heart of this disparity. 5. The African Development Bank estimates the continent needs $170 billion a year in infrastructure investment—roads, ports, power, and digital connectivity. The current shortfall? Around $100 billion annually. 6. In Ghana, the cost of borrowing for public infrastructure remains as high as 25% due to weak credit ratings and poor fiscal policies. Next Wave continues after this ad. Nigeria’s digital payment space is evolving fast. Are you keeping up? Our latest report highlights key shifts, challenges, and opportunities across the country’s payments ecosystem. Donwload the report now. What does this mean for startups? You can’t scale a logistics company without roads. You can’t host AI models in a country without stable power. You can’t deploy nationwide edtech if half your students are offline or paying $5 for 1GB of data. These are not nice-to-haves. They are the rails on which a digital economy runs. Every dream of disruption in Africa—whether in health, finance, mobility, or manufacturing—is bottlenecked by the exact root cause: systemic corruption and underinvestment in public goods. And public goods are political. Founders are political actors, whether they admit or not Every time a founder negotiates a license, secures a tax break, or lobbies for regulatory clarity, they engage with politics. Yet too many behave like politics is a dirty word—best avoided at dinner parties, pitch decks, and board meetings. But the truth? We’re already in it. And the longer we pretend we’re not, the less prepared we are to shape the systems that shape us. Look at China. You can’t write its growth story without the government. From constructing world-class ports to rolling out 5G infrastructure, Beijing has been a strategic co-architect of its tech ecosystem. The same goes for the US—Silicon Valley didn’t just explode out of libertarian magic. It was boosted with public R&D dollars, government contracts, and policy decisions that created the internet, GPS, and semiconductors. Next Wave continues after this ad. The Lagos Startup Expo returns on June 18–19, 2025, at Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, with the theme “Connect, Invest and Innovate.” This year’s edition will host over 200 startups
Read MoreIHS trims tower portfolio to 37,700 in strategic shift from smaller African markets
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, IHS Holdings—Africa’s largest independent telecom tower operator—announced the sale of its Rwandan operations to Paradigm Tower Ventures for up to $274.5 million. Although the deal covers just 1,465 tower sites—less than 4% of IHS’s total portfolio—it marks a clear strategic pivot: the company is shifting away from smaller, lower-margin markets to focus on larger, high-growth African economies where scale offers stronger operational leverage and profitability. This move represents a departure from IHS’s earlier strategy: aggressive expansion and geographic diversification across emerging markets. In the past decade, the company has entered countries such as Rwanda, Kuwait, and Peru through acquisitions and build-to-suit agreements, to secure early-mover advantages and long-term tenancy contracts. That expansion drive helped position IHS as a global player ahead of its 2021 IPO, even though it meant operating in markets that often delivered lower returns or posed operational complexities. The Rwandan divestment follows similar exits from Kuwait and Peru in 2024, signaling a deliberate realignment of IHS’s global footprint. The company now prioritises markets with higher commercial potential and more favorable economics. CEO Sam Darwish described the Rwanda sale as “carefully considered” and part of a broader effort to drive shareholder value. The deal’s valuation—8.3 times adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA)—underscores continued investor confidence in African telecom infrastructure, even as the sector recalibrates for efficiency and scale. This transaction also simplifies IHS’s business model. Streamlining its portfolio allows the company to reduce operational complexity and allocate capital more efficiently. It also supports clearer financial reporting and enhances visibility for investors, key priorities as IHS continues to evolve post-IPO. IHS’s shift mirrors a broader trend across the African tower industry. Tower companies are increasingly retreating from smaller or operationally challenging markets in response to rising interest rates, currency volatility, and logistical constraints like unreliable electricity. Helios Towers, for instance, reduced its capital expenditure from $765 million in 2022 to a projected $170–210 million in 2023, focusing on core markets such as Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Oman. The company also paused planned acquisitions in Chad and Gabon due to regulatory hurdles, reflecting a more disciplined and selective expansion strategy. Despite Rwanda’s reputation as a politically stable, fast-digitising economy, its scale presented limitations for a player of IHS’s size. The 1,465 towers operated in Rwanda represented a small portion of IHS’s 39,212 sites as of Q1 2025. Post-sale, IHS’s portfolio will stand at approximately 37,747 towers—still far ahead of any independent towerco operating on the continent. The deal highlights a fundamental truth in the tower business: scale matters. Managing towers in smaller markets demands similar administrative, regulatory, and infrastructure oversight as larger ones—but without the same revenue potential. By concentrating on scale, IHS aims to improve margin efficiency, deepen market penetration, and better serve anchor tenants across its core geographies. These core markets are not only larger, more strategic. Nigeria accounts for over 16,000 towers, representing roughly 43% of IHS’s post-sale portfolio. IHS holds a 63% market share in Nigeria and is the sole independent tower operator in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Zambia. In South Africa, it maintains a 37% market share and continues to invest in 4G densification and early-stage 5G deployments. The Rwandan divestment is also a play in capital discipline. Proceeds from the sale can be reinvested into infrastructure upgrades in high-value markets or used to reduce debt, strengthening IHS’s financial position and positioning it for future growth. As Darwish noted in the company’s Q1 2025 report, such moves are about “boosting the balance sheet” and realigning the portfolio to match evolving market opportunities. According to IHS Q1 2025 earnings, the Rwandan business remained part of its consolidated results during the quarter, with revenue from the sale to be recognised once the deal closes in H2 2025 Despite the sale, IHS remains the undisputed leader in Africa’s tower infrastructure landscape. With over 37,700 towers, its scale enables it to negotiate favorable tenancy agreements, reduce per-site costs, and attract long-term investment. IHS’s leaner, more focused structure positions it to capitalise on the next wave of infrastructure demand. The reduction in tower count, from 39,000 to 37,700, is less a contraction and more a strategic reorientation—designed to play smarter in a market where scale and focus increasingly trump size alone.
Read MoreWhy Kenya is selling part of its 34.9% stake in Safaricom
Kenya plans to offload an undisclosed portion of its 34.9% stake in Safaricom, the region’s most profitable company, as part of a privatisation push to raise $1.1 billion (KES149 billion) to plug a hole in public finances and avoid imposing new taxes amid a tough economy. The planned transaction, expected before the end of the 2025/26 fiscal year, would mark the government’s biggest divestiture in nearly two decades and a reversal of its previous reluctance to part with shares in the telecom giant. The sale could open doors to Africa-focused institutional investors or private equity funds, many actively scouting African telecoms assets for their stable cash flows and strong margins. “There is talk that if we could offload more of our ownership of Safaricom, where we are likely to get the Sh149 billion through privatisation in the 2025/26 financial year,” John Mbadi, Treasury Cabinet Secretary, told Business Daily. Safaricom, whose growth in recent years relied on its dominant mobile money platform M-Pesa and data services, posted an 11% rise in net profit to $540 million (KES 69.8 billion) in 2024, including returns from its Ethiopia subsidiary. It declared a total dividend of $0.009 (KES1.20) per share, delivering $130.5 million (KES16.8 billion) in earnings to the Kenyan government. Kenya last sold a 25% stake in Safaricom during its heavily oversubscribed 2008 IPO, raising $400.5 million (KES51.75 billion). The current stake is valued at $2.1 billion (KES280.5 billion) at the prevailing share price of $0.15 (KES19.9). While the Treasury has not revealed how to offload the stake, it could opt for a secondary public offering or an off-market block sale to private investors. Privatisation has long stalled in Kenya due to political meddling and bureaucratic inefficiencies. Since 2013, the Treasury’s attempts to divest from parastatals, including hotels, sugar companies, and airlines, have faltered, as losses and debts plague many of the firms targeted due to decades of mismanagement. With fewer financing options, rising debt repayments squeezing the budget, and a possible taxation revolt from Kenyans, the government has limited choices. The urgency behind the Safaricom stake sale is rooted in the country’s mounting debt costs. In the first eight months of the 2015/2016 financial year, Kenya spent $5.5 billion (KES 722 billion) on interest payments alone—more than half of the $10.8 billion (KES 1.4 trillion) it raised in tax revenue over the same period. Domestic debt was the biggest drain, consuming $4.3 billion (KES 565.8 billion), while $1.2 billion (KES 156.5 billion) went to external creditors. Currently, interest costs are on track to exceed $7.7 billion (KES 1 trillion) by year-end—a huge figure highlighting how much room debt repayments are taking up in the national budget. Kenya’s total public debt now stands at $88.5 billion (KES 11.4 trillion), up from $67.3 billion (KES 8.7 trillion) when President William Ruto took office less than three years ago. The rapid growth—$20.8 billion (KES 2.7 trillion) in under 36 months—has left the Treasury with few painless options. With tax revenues underperforming and little political appetite for more tax hikes, selling stakes in profitable state assets like Safaricom is now a fiscal necessity.
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Twiga’s new glam
In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Happy salary week! Sadly, it’s the beginning of lengthy, boring weekends for football lovers across the globe. Both the English Premier League and the Italian football league came to a close yesterday. With more football leagues closing next weekend, the beautiful game is officially on vacation until August. But hey, that just means you’ve got more time to chase your own big goals, find new interesting hobbies and, of course, catch up on our weekend columns. ICYMI: Discover how MyFoodAngels thrived in its first 1,000 days, and follow Chioma Wilson-Dike’s inspiring legal-tech journey in last week’s Digital Nomads. – Faith Twiga is restructuring: 300 jobs out, new holding company in South Africa’s new ICT policy could finally clear a path for Starlink Nigeria’s proposed blockchain policy whitepaper will encourage collaboration Egypt cuts benchmark rates for the second time in a row World Wide Web 3 Events E-commerce Twiga is restructuring: 300 jobs out, new holding company in Image Source: Twiga Foods Twiga Foods is in its reinvention era, and it’s not joking about it! Project Easter: Twiga Foods, one of Kenya’s most funded B2B e-commerce startups that connect farmers and vendors, is currently pivoting to an asset-light operation model to cut costs. The move which has been favored by VCs allows the company to scale faster by leveraging existing distributor networks instead of owning expensive infrastructure. Dubbed ‘Project Easter’ (because, rebirth?) Twiga Foods has created a new holding company—referred to internally as “newco,”—to oversee logistics, procurement, and technology across the company and its subsidiaries. Whether Newco has been formally registered and if it would function as a holding company is yet to be disclosed. Only a small central crew of about 10–12 people will transfer into the mysterious newco. The company also had a round of job cuts. In an internal document seen by TechCabal, Twiga had 300 job cuts, with the supply chain department taking the hardest hit—267 roles gone. The restructuring continues a round of layoffs in the company, as in October 2022, the company laid off 211 people from its sales team. As part of the restructuring, Twiga acquired controlling shares in three Local FMCG distributors, Jumra, Sojoar, and Raisons, In April 2025. The acquisitions gave Twiga access to eight distribution centers across Kenya’s Central, Coastal, and Western regions. So… why the drama? Twiga insists these changes are about sustainability and profitability, but the need for a new holding structure suggests its previous model wasn’t built to manage a multi-entity operation. Twiga’s bet is that a sleeker and more centralised business structure will unify its operations and attract investors. But the drive for efficiency goes beyond just corporate reorganization. Twiga is also rethinking its physical presence, considering relocating from its Tatu City logistics hub to more affordable, centrally located sites closer to Nairobi. Altogether, these moves reflect Twiga’s broader shift toward growth after years of grappling with the challenge of digitizing food distribution from rural producers to urban resellers across Kenya. Join Fincra for an Exclusive Side Event at Money20/20 Europe Fincra is co-hosting “Stablecoins & The Future of Payments” at Money20/20 Europe with Utila, Rail, Wirex & more. Join fintech leaders for insightful panels & networking. Limited spots – RSVP here. 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Read MoreHow data obsession became MyFoodAngels’ secret sauce in the first 1,000 days
In Day 1–1000, we follow founders through the raw, unfiltered journey of company-building: the early scrambles, the quiet breakthroughs, the painful pivots, and the milestones that shape what a business becomes. This goes live on Saturdays by 2 PM WAT. The acrid sting of rotten tomatoes. The musty gutters running behind stalls. The sharp tang of fresh vegetables packed in raffia baskets. These smells—unmistakable and inescapable in Nigerian open-air markets—are etched in the memory of Olapeju Umah, co-founder of grocery delivery startup MyFoodAngels. An electrical-electronics engineer who never held a 9-to-5, Umah has spent the past decade iterating on one obsession: making good quality food cheaper and easier to access for the average Nigerian family. The idea took shape in 2014 when her family moved from the Lagos mainland to Ajah, a remote neighbourhood on the island. “The cost of food was insane,” she recalls. “I’ve always bought in bulk, so I just kept going to Mile 12 once a month.” That journey was a 1 hour 26 minutes commute (40.8 km) Those grocery runs soon became something more. Neighbours—mostly busy professionals—began asking her to pick up food staples for them for a fee. The informal service grew organically. By 2018, Umah formalised it as Mile12 Market Woman, a small team that delivered groceries from the mainland to homes and restaurants on the island. Then came COVID. 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 TC Scoop <!– Next Wave –> <!– Entering Tech –> Subscribe Day 1–100: Structure through chaos With lockdowns and market closures, demand surged. Umah’s pre-COVID groundwork gave her a head start, and the service quickly became a lifeline to households and restaurants. While orders surged, Umah observed a sharp decline in the food quality the team sourced in open markets. Profit margins she had once relied on were quickly eroded by Nigeria’s relentless food inflation, which has been a major driver of the country’s headline inflation. Like every founder, Umah faced the classic dilemma: pivot or perish. She chose the former. By 2021, the company had rebranded to MyFoodAngels, and they began sourcing food items directly from farmers, which was 15-20% cheaper than buying from open markets. “We had to start from scratch,” she tells me. The rebrand came with product confusion, organisational shuffles, and a fundamental shift in how customers and staff interacted with the company. Before the rebrand, the company had operated their entire operation on WhatsApp, handling both orders and transactions on the platform. However, with its growing user base, WhatsApp become unsustainable. As part of its rebrand, the company introduced a website and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to help optimise orders and delivery. But technology doesn’t solve everything. The bigger challenge was behavioural. Customers, long accustomed to the intimacy and immediacy of ordering on WhatsApp, were now required to order on a website. The transition was anything but smooth. To onboard reluctant customers, MyFoodAngels staff manually created user profiles, migrated WhatsApp customers onto the web platform, and filled carts individually. The team also offered web-only discounts to incentivise customers to join. As customers began adopting the website for deliveries, the ERP system ran into some issues. “The ERP system wasn’t optimised. It kept pulling billing addresses instead of delivery addresses. That meant a customer in Ikeja would order delivery to Ikoyi—and we’d go to the wrong location.” Umah recounted. “It was chaotic, but we stayed the course.” As customers adopted the website
Read MoreDigital Nomads: Liverpool-based Chioma Wilson-Dike wants to simplify legalese across multiple countries
Chioma Wilson-Dike is a lawyer with vast experience in global compliance. In 2015, she kicked off her career at Aluko & Oluboyede, a Nigerian top-tier law firm, in corporate finance. But eight years later, it was a new test that would bring her the most clarity and set a course for the founder path that she’s on right now. After years of working in Nigeria, Wilson-Dike moved to the UK on a student visa in 2022 after a national security incident that shook her core, she said. The following year, she completed a master’s in project management at the University of Liverpool. She has since worked on legal compliance and labour regulation projects in Nigeria, Canada, and the UK. But it was one ‘yes’ that got her going. In 2023, she reached out to join a global sustainability project at Adidas, the sports apparel company—not for recognition, but to work on something meaningful. “I decided to reach out directly to the supervisor to say, hey, look, I’m interested,” she said. “At first, I didn’t get a response. I sent a follow-up, and I got selected.” The work turned out to be defining. At Adidas, she researched human rights, environmental, and modern slavery laws in more than 30 countries where the company operates. It involved scanning fragmented legal texts across various jurisdictions, often written in different languages, with no central access point. “That was the first time I said to myself—there has to be a better way to do this,” she said. The work was dense with no pay. But what she walked away with was more valuable than money: a firsthand look into the messy, inefficient world of global compliance. She saw the gaps, the delays, the legal blind spots. But instead of turning away, she began sketching a solution. 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Eventually, she switched to the law faculty and graduated with a focus that took her to Aluko & Oyebode. In Lagos, Nigeria, she became fluent in the language of finance and mergers and acquisitions, but her heart wasn’t in it. She began helping startups structure operations, draft contracts, and pitch to investors. Then came the role at a Canadian gaming company. It felt like a step in the right direction—until it plateaued. A promise to relocate never materialised. And then, a national tragedy made the path crystal clear. In March 2022, after the bombing of an Abuja-Kaduna train, Wilson-Dike started applying to UK schools. It was not an easy decision. She had a toddler, a stable job, and a home. “That was the moment I told myself I really needed to leave Nigeria,” said Wilson-Dike. By September that year, she landed in Liverpool with her husband and child. What awaited her was both the promise of new beginnings and the brutal honesty of British life. Rent was due monthly. Agencies wanted up to a year’s worth in advance. Healthcare was a labyrinth of appointments and waiting lists. There were no shortcuts, no soft landings. Still, she managed to turn the quiet chaos of adjusting into a crucible for growth. Her work at Adidas had planted a seed, and now
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Twiga Foods creates holding company, cuts over 300 jobs in major restructuring push
Twiga Foods, one of Kenya’s most funded e-commerce startups, has created a new holding company, referred to internally as “newco”, as part of a broader restructuring effort that will consolidate its recent acquisitions and streamline operations. The move, which comes in the wake of Twiga’s takeover of three Kenyan FMCG distributors, led to job cuts affecting over 300 employees as the company pivots to an asset-light model to cut costs. While Twiga described the plan as “a routine corporate realignment,” an internal document reviewed by TechCabal suggested a more significant operational overhaul, including the transfer of a core team into the new entity and potential consolidation of key functions. The restructuring plan first surfaced in an internal document labelled Project Easter, first reported by Techish Kenya, a Kenyan tech media publication. The document outlined the formation of a newco to oversee logistics, procurement, and technology across Twiga and its subsidiaries. Though the company has not denied the document’s content, which TechCabal reviewed, it downplayed its importance, calling it part of “standard planning work” for a multi-entity business. Twiga declined to comment on whether the newco had been formally registered and whether it would function as a holding company or manage shared services. It also declined to disclose how much capital its key investors, Juven and Creadev, have injected into the company as part of the restructuring or whether the funding was structured as equity or another instrument. “The internal references to a ‘newco’ reflect strategic efforts to align the group structure with operational needs,” a Twiga spokesperson told TechCabal. However, the details of the internal document go deeper, including a proposal to move a small central team of 10–12 employees into the new entity and centralising shared services such as tech, procurement, supply chain, and finance, across all four businesses. Of Twiga’s 435 staff, 319 were marked as “leaving,” with the largest cuts hitting the supply chain department, where 267 roles were laid off. Just 83 office or distribution centre staff and 33 field staff were expected to remain. A note beside 18 retained employees indicated they are “likely to be fully transferred to Jump,” believed to be a codename for newco. This number could drop to 10–12. Twiga declined to disclose the number of employees laid off, but the document suggests more than 300 roles have been cut as part of the restructuring. Redundancies were possible as overlapping roles were merged. In an email to TechCabal, Twiga disputed the headcount figure as not indicative of the “final scope” but did not challenge the broader restructuring plan. “All workforce-related adjustments have been carried out in full compliance with our HR policies and Kenyan labour laws, and are equally guided by best-practice standards,” Twiga told TechCabal. The startup laid off 59 employees in August 2024. The consolidation could be seen as a move to improve operations since managing four separate companies creates inefficiencies, likely in logistics. A unified structure could make Twiga more attractive to investors, a pressing concern since its last major funding round, a $35 million convertible note in 2023. Twiga’s push for efficiency doesn’t stop at corporate restructuring since the firm is also reconsidering its physical footprint, including a potential move from its Tatu City logistics hub to cheaper, more centralised locations near Nairobi. The changes show Twiga’s broader pivot toward growth after years of struggling to digitise how food is distributed from producers in rural Kenya to resellers in local towns and cities. Twiga insists these changes are about sustainability and profitability, but the need for a new holding structure suggests its previous model wasn’t built to manage a multi-entity operation.
Read MoreMongoDB eyes Africa’s $100 billion digital opportunity, starting with Nigeria
MongoDB, a global database management systems provider, is officially entering the African market, starting with Nigeria, as it looks to tap into the continent’s projected $100 billion digital economy. This move is anchored by a strategic partnership with Tier 5 Technologies, a West African enterprise IT and cloud services provider, and marks MongoDB’s first physical presence on the continent. The company is betting on Nigeria’s fast-growing tech sector to serve as a launchpad for wider African expansion. Founded in 2007, MongoDB began as a NoSQL alternative to traditional relational databases, offering developers a more flexible and scalable way to manage unstructured data. Over time, it has evolved into a full-scale developer data platform used by over 52,000 customers in more than 100 countries, including major institutions like JP Morgan and Coinbase. Its flagship product, MongoDB Atlas, is a cloud-native database designed for modern applications across fintech, e-commerce, AI, and more. The choice of Nigeria as the company’s entry point into Africa is no coincidence. As the continent’s most populous country and a leading innovation hub, Nigeria boasts a $10 billion tech industry, a digitally progressive banking sector, and one of Africa’s largest developer communities. Despite economic challenges, the country continues to attract international investment and produce globally recognised startups. Tier 5 Technologies, which has offices in Lagos, Abuja, Kigali, Nairobi, and Accra, will serve as MongoDB’s primary implementation and support partner in West Africa. The firm works across key sectors including finance, telecommunications, and government. According to Tier 5’s Director of Sales, Afolabi Bolaji, the MongoDB partnership is strategic and future-focused. “This isn’t just a reseller deal,” Bolaji said at the official launch event in Lagos on Thursday. “We’ve made significant investments in MongoDB because we believe it will underpin the next generation of African innovation. Many of our customers—from nimble fintechs to established banks—already rely on it. Now, they’ll have access to enterprise-grade features, local support, and global expertise.” MongoDB’s product suite includes three core offerings: the open-source Community edition, the Enterprise edition (designed for large-scale deployments with enhanced security), and MongoDB Atlas, its fully managed cloud database available across AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The Atlas product is especially relevant in Africa, where cloud adoption is rising, and traditional IT infrastructure remains a challenge. By delivering scalable, low-latency databases via the cloud, MongoDB aims to bypass infrastructure limitations and empower developers to build world-class applications—whether in Lagos or Nairobi. Mahmoud Thakeb, MongoDB’s Regional Head for Africa, described the expansion into Nigeria as a “crucial moment” for the company. “We’ve supported banks, startups, and telcos from afar, but we knew a deeper commitment was needed,” he said. “Nigeria has the scale, talent, and ambition that aligns with our mission. This isn’t just about selling a product—it’s about building an ecosystem.” Thakeb added that MongoDB’s goal is to democratise access to cutting-edge technology. “We’re not saying throw out SQL or legacy systems overnight. We’re saying developers in Africa should have the same tools and opportunities as developers in London or San Francisco.” MongoDB’s entry reflects a broader shift in how Africa is perceived by global technology leaders. No longer just a consumer market, the continent is being recognised as a source of innovation, technical talent, and enterprise demand. The company’s presence could help catalyse further investments in cloud infrastructure, data skills development, and digital transformation initiatives. With surging demand for solutions in fintech, logistics, AI, and edtech across the continent, MongoDB’s arrival is timely—and potentially transformative. By embedding itself in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and backing it with Tier 5’s regional reach, MongoDB is signaling a long-term commitment to Africa’s tech future. And if the bet pays off, the company won’t just gain market share, it could help define how Africa builds its digital economy from the ground up.
Read MoreSouth Africa introduces new ICT policy to push for Starlink’s entry
South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, has announced a new policy direction in an effort to modernise the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment regulation in the ICT sector, a move that could bring Starlink in the country. Currently, South Africa’s ICT licensing regulations require that at least 30% of a company’s ownership is held by historically disadvantaged South Africans. While this rule is designed to promote economic inclusion, it has proven to be a significant barrier for international tech companies like Elon Musk’s Starlink, which do not typically sell local shares or cede equity to meet these requirements. Published today, South Africa’s draft ICT policy, now open for public feedback, introduces the concept of equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs) as an alternative route for multinational companies. Under this system, instead of selling shares to local partners, companies can invest directly in initiatives that support South Africa’s digital transformation goals. These initiatives could include funding local enterprise development, supporting digital inclusion projects, providing skills training, building digital infrastructure, or investing in small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs). “Digital infrastructure and access to the internet open a world of opportunity — from applying for jobs and studying, to accessing government services or even starting a business,” Malatsi said. The policy is particularly significant for Starlink, which has previously cited South Africa’s local ownership requirements as a key reason for its absence in the market. Notably, negotiations to bring Starlink to South Africa did not progress during the much-anticipated Trump meeting, leaving its future in the country uncertain. With the new EEIP option, Starlink and similar companies could finally obtain the necessary licenses to operate, provided they invest in projects that benefit South Africa’s digital ecosystem. Once finalised, the policy will empower the Minister to direct the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to update its regulations and align them with the new approach. The public has 30 days from the date of publication in the Government Gazette to submit feedback on the draft policy.
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