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  • June 14 2025
  • BM

Why startups fail: The overlooked role of people processes

Startups fail for different reasons, some within the founders’ control, and some out of their control. When startups fail, the world points fingers at the founders and asks various questions about marketing, product, and compliance. Guess what?  People barely probe into the people and HR processes, at least not as frequently as other functions. Quite paradoxical because people drive processes and keep businesses running, right? According to StartupGraveyard, 12 startups shut down in Africa in 2024, and about 25% of these shutdowns were due to people and operations-related challenges.  The previous year, 18 startups met their demise due to the absence of operational licences from relevant authorities, harsh macro-economic processes, and, of course, scandalous actions by founders due to the absence of  HR processes. This data reinforces how pivotal HR processes are to the sustainability of startups, guess what? It is one of the most overlooked roles, or have you not heard founders say, “Is it not just HR?” As an observer in the tech ecosystem, I have seen different founders make foundational errors when it comes to people processes, and this has gone on to affect how they operate, how well they operate, and the life span of their operations. The first and most repeated mistake I have seen founders make is hiring shiny talents in the infancy stages. It is one thing to make a senior hire; it is another decision entirely to hire from a big-tech simply for the name, the profile, or the image. Not only does the hire not have the local context, but it also eats deep into the almost meagre funds that affect the business’s runway. For instance, when the Coinbase-backed crypto startup Mara went bankrupt in 2024, one of the problems the CEO highlighted was that they “paid high salaries to attract talent from well-paying companies like Apple, but they didn’t always deliver.” An adjacent scenario is when these talents are hired but are stifled from expressing their expertise, where founders rarely allow talents to implement ideas and are turned into “yes-men.”  This is a misuse of scarce resources (and investors’ funds) as the cost of hiring shiny talents will get you two or three excellent local talents who will add more impact.  Another major problem is the absence of a transparent remuneration structure that is scalable and defendable. From Mara to 54gene  to Payday, the paucity of a salary structure—with the founders being overpaid and staff earning peanuts—has led to the demise of several startups. There are a hundred more people operations mistakes Nigerian and African founders make, like scaling the workforce size without proper planning, attributing personal expenses as business costs, and lots more. The disheartening tale is that these gaffes do not just lead to the end of a promising enterprise; the catastrophe spills over to the members of staff; they leave real people stranded, employees who tied their hopes and finances to a promising vision, only to be betrayed by the spontaneous decisions made by startup founders. What do we do to reduce the rate at which founders make these people-centric blunders? Proper workforce planning and strategy: Planning your workforce is important, as building your MVP. You do not have to increase your staff from 20 to 60 in three months just because you raised $3 million pre-seed, nor do you have to hire from Google or Meta if you don’t have the tools and systems required for them to succeed. Have a transparent total rewards structure: Having built the compensation and benefits structure of at least six startups in the last five years, one of the strong foundations you can lay for your startup is a defined salary structure alongside other benefits. When people know their level, the pay they are on, and what they need to do to get to the next pay band, they are motivated to do good work, and this ultimately adds value to your organisation. Spelling out other benefits like performance bonus, annual bonus, Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP), and other kinds of rewards also helps steer the psychology of the workforce in the right direction. Monitor people metrics: Founders are often obsessed with product and growth metrics, and while this is great, it is also paramount that they monitor people metrics. They should ask questions around the cost of human capital, attrition rate, retention rate, engagement rate, and other related metrics that measure people’s contribution to the business. Be accountable: From using company’s funds to meet personal needs in the name of making the company a better organisation, to declining when members of staff ask questions, having due process for documentation and reporting is crucial to the longevity of startups, and if you are a founder building for the people, then you should listen to people building with you. A great startup isn’t just about the product; it’s about the people building the product and having the right processes to ensure that people are continuously empowered to do great work in a psychologically safe environment.  Emmanuel Faith is a globally certified, award-winning Human Resource Manager with almost a decade of cross-functional experience across diverse industries.  He has spent the last six years in Lead HR roles, building sustainable people processes that help tech companies thrive. He is the founder of HR Clinic, a speed-consulting platform, providing scalable people-centric solutions for Founders who are looking to build the best place to work. 

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  • June 14 2025
  • BM

How Jordan Belonwu taught Nigerian startups to dress with soul: Day 1-1000 of Belonwus

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. When Lagos-based football club, Sporting Lagos launched its brand new identity—jersey, typography, campaign—the internet exploded. Strangers tweeted: “I think I’ve found my new club.” Others asked, “Where can I buy this jersey?” I was determined to seek out the designer or creative studio that had made the club jerseys some of the most desirable pieces of clothing in Lagos. For the first time since I was born, I saw Nigerians wear a local football jersey with pride and style. My quest led to Jordan Belonwu. It did not surprise me to learn that his studio, Belonwus, was behind other outstanding branding of some of Nigeria’s prominent tech startups, including Zap by Paystack, Grey, JuicyWay and Cassava. Belonwu is my guest today on Day 1–1000. We spoke for nearly two hours—the longest interview I’ve done for this column—and the conversation felt like a masterclass on taste, identity, and proving yourself again and again. During our conversation, Belonwu takes me  from his Blackberry Messenger (BBM) logo days to nearly being fired by fintech company, Bamboo, and running a studio that now chooses who to work with. Act I — The making of taste “I think I’ve been designing since I was a teenager,” Belonwu says when I ask where it all started, a mix of happy accidents. He grew up in Lagos, the child of a fine art–appreciating mother. In their home was a computer with illustration software. “I was redrawing the Superman logo on CorelDRAW before I even knew what design was.” In secondary school, he tried science and failed nearly every subject. “At some point, I realised: I’m not a science student. I’m just not.” He switched to arts and eventually studied Fine Art at the University of Benin. But even there, he didn’t fit neatly into the system. While his peers painted or sculpted, Belonwu was already using Illustrator and Photoshop, teaching himself software the department dismissed. “We were told to do assignments in CorelDRAW. I was using Illustrator. And the lecturers hated that,” he says. 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 He clashed with teachers. He fought for relevance in a system that prized hand-painted poster boards over digital precision. “You’d be asked to paint a Close-Up ad by hand. It wasn’t design education, it was nostalgia training.” He never stopped designing, though. On BBM, he posted logos he had made for friends. More friends reached out: campus makeup artists, photographers, fashion entrepreneurs. Soon everyone in school knew someone who had a ‘Jordan logo’. “I didn’t know it was brand identity at the time. I just thought I was designing logos.” What he had—even then—was taste. “Because of my mum, and the artists she knew, I had early exposure to what great art looked like.” That early calibration of the eye, the sense of refinement still anchors his work today. Act II — The battle for belief After school, Belonwu didn’t spend a week job-hunting. He texted a designer friend just to say he was open to opportunities and got called in the next day. He was hired immediately. He worked at CampSport, then freelanced, then got pulled into an advertising agency— Image & Time—where he finally saw

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  • June 13 2025
  • BM

CBEX is back, and Nigerians are paying again despite frozen funds

Two months after CryptoBridge eXchange (CBEX), the Ponzi scheme which falsely claimed to be a cryptocurrency exchange platform, froze withdrawals for thousands of customers on its platform, it is back with another gimmick, much to the chagrin of regulators. CBEX never shut down its platform, despite warnings from Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and multiple public arrest warrants issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for several persons linked to the Ponzi scheme. The platform has been operating under different domains, making it difficult for authorities to track its activities. CBEX is now asking users to pay a $100 “verification fee” to enable them to withdraw their frozen balances, according to messages shared on engagement groups seen by TechCabal. Once they do, these users get access to “sub-accounts” which allow them to continue their daily trading activities as they’re instructed on the platform. “The verification fee is now $100 for all unverified accounts, regardless of your balance,” CBEX said in one of those messages. This is a deviation from its previous method, where it asked users to pay $100 for balances below $1,000 and $200 for balances above $1,000. Screenshot taken from one of the official comms groups with the updated policies/Image Source: TechCabal According to updates seen by TechCabal, withdrawals will be sorted out in batches and are contingent upon users completing their assigned daily trading activities. CBEX claims it will process 50% of all pending user withdrawals by June 25 and the remaining 50% by August 25. It also says 30% of profits from users’ trading activities will be paid out under a revenue-sharing model on October 25. Nigerians, desperate to get back their money, have begun paying the verification fee. After payment, they gain access to a dashboard showing their frozen balance as of April. Their balance begins to grow again once they engage in activities that generate revenue, such as referring new users or trading using CBEX’s daily signals. The signals are codes shared manually on CBEX engagement groups; users copy them at specific times when they’re released and paste them in their apps. Regulators are alert to the issue. On June 11, the SEC issued another warning, cautioning Nigerians to refrain from investing money in CBEX.  “The Commission hereby restates unequivocally that neither CBEX nor ST Technologies International Limited or Smart Treasure/Super Technology [CBEX’s partner] is registered with the Commission, or authorised to offer investment-related services to the Nigerian public,” SEC wrote in the public statement. The EFCC has listed six Nigerians in connection with the platform, declaring them wanted. Several media publications also reported that the anti-graft agency recovered part of the stolen funds on May 26. However, Nigerians who were hopeful of the EFCC’s progress at the time, now left to hang dry, are taking matters into their own hands. 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 Nigerians still believe in CBEX In one of the Telegram groups connected to ST Technologies, a CBEX partner, several Nigerians are already making payments and referring friends to the platform.  Old users are hurrying to pay the verification fee against a June 24 deadline. They are also roping in new entrants who are making USDT transfers exceeding thousands of dollars to join CBEX. “Depositing $100 is the only way to verify your account,” wrote an ST admin, who only identified as Laurafx Wilson in

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  • June 13 2025
  • BM

Nigerians are turning their backs on streaming platforms for “YouTube movies”

Not long ago, giant video streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video were hailed as the future of television in Nigeria. They offered an escape from the limitations of cable television and promised premium on-demand content. But today, they face a powerful competitor: YouTube. While Netflix, Showmax, and Prime Video chase audiences with sleek Nigerian originals and aggressive pricing strategies, many Nigerians are opting for YouTube for movies and series. The reasons are economic, infrastructural, and technological. YouTube is practical Streaming services are getting more expensive. Netflix recently raised its Nigerian subscription prices for the third time in less than a year.  According to Punch, the increase follows similar hikes in April and July 2024. Under the new price, Netflix’s premium plan now costs ₦8,500 a month, up from ₦7,000 ($5.3).The Standard plan jumped to ₦6,500 ($4.1) from ₦5,500 ($3.4).The Basic plan rose to ₦4,000 ($2.5) from ₦3,500($2.2), and the Mobile plan now costs ₦2,500 ($1.6), up from ₦2,200 ($1.4). Showmax’s subscription starts at ₦3,200 ($2), and its full version at ₦2,500($1.6). Prime Video’s subscription  is ₦2,300, but now shows ads unless users pay more. In a country where the minimum wage is ₦70,000 and some people spend up to ₦40,000 ($25) on data, these prices are unaffordable for many. According to the World Bank, over half of Nigeria’s 230 million people live in poverty. Streaming, for many, is a luxury. YouTube works better with Nigeria’s internet reality In contrast, YouTube meets users where they are by offering what many see as a more adaptive solution. It is free, widely accessible, and critically, allows users to control video quality, download videos for offline viewing, and stream using data-saving options.  Streaming platforms often load in HD or 4K by default, quietly draining viewers’ data. While both streaming platforms and YouTube require data, YouTube allows users to drop resolution, turn off autoplay, or use data-saving browsers like Opera Mini. Most Nigerians know the drill: download videos overnight using midnight bundles, then watch offline during the day. YouTube supports that. Most streaming  platforms don’t. To watch videos on YouTube, users only need internet access and data, which is relatively affordable compared to subscription-based services. In a country where mobile is the dominant mode of access, that control makes a difference. Statista reports that Nigeria had 103 million active internet users as of January 2024, with most of them on  mobile, and 107 million users as of February 2025. YouTube’s mobile-first features give it a native advantage.  Beyond affordability, YouTube offers users vast access to videos. Unlike paid streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Showmax, YouTube offers free access to an array of content, from Nollywood films to music, comedy skits, and more. In essence, people pay less for more in contrast with the abundant but still limited content bank of most streaming platforms. Local content plus local relevance  Another reason YouTube wins? Relevance. Where paid platforms lead with Western and high-gloss African content, YouTube gives users content at different quality levels but which, importantly, offer more chances for relatability.  Additionally, filmmakers and other creators on YouTube publish faster and more frequently than streamers. This is attributed to the fact that the platform gives them direct control over their content, production timelines, and distribution strategies. Unlike streaming services that require lengthy approval processes, high-budget production standards, and executive sign-offs, YouTube removes these barriers, allowing filmmakers and creators to shoot, edit, and upload content at their own pace. It’s a business, not a bet Streaming platforms like Netflix often buy out Nollywood creators’ work, offering upfront money but little long-term payoff. YouTube, by contrast, offers Nigerian filmmakers recurring income through its monetisation features.  Monetisation methods include AdSense revenue, Super Thanks, Super Chat, and channel Memberships, YouTube Shorts Fund, brand partnerships and affiliate marketing. Consistent viewership can lead to sustainable income, especially for those with dedicated audiences. Streaming activities, including YouTube, have driven record increases in internet spending and data usage in Nigeria. Also, the number of Nigerian YouTube channels earning significant revenue has doubled in recent years, encouraging even more filmmakers and creators to put their content on the platform. Many Nollywood production houses now use YouTube as both a distribution platform and a marketing funnel, leading fans to paid platforms, merchandise, or exclusive content. It also gives them full control over release schedules, audience engagement, and monetisation strategies, which is something most streamers do not offer. Production costs are lower, too. Unlike cinema or streaming, YouTube doesn’t require expensive cameras, costumes, or elite production values. As filmmaker Olatunbosun Amao put it in ThisDay: “On YouTube, anyone—literally anyone—can make a film. If it’s good and people like it, you can make way more than you spent.”  Filmmaker and co-founder of iBAKATV YouTube Channel, Kazeem Adeoti, said the number of full-length movies on YouTube had grown tremendously. Several top actors own YouTube channels to directly distribute their movies to consumers, he said. Seun Oloketuyi, film producer and founder of the Best of Nollywood (BON) awards, said YouTube had become more appealing to filmmakers as there were no specifications on the types of cameras to be used, the quality of costumes or the language mixes. So, is YouTube a viable alternative to streaming? For millions of Nigerians, it already is. It’s not just about affordability. YouTube offers a tech experience that matches Nigerian habits: offline viewing, lower-res options, platform-agnostic access, and relatable content. It’s entertainment on your terms, not a Silicon Valley subscription trap. Will streamers disappear? Probably not. But unless they rethink their pricing, data consumption, and distribution models, they may become premium outposts. *Exchange rate used is $1 to  ₦1,600. 

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  • June 13 2025
  • BM

One year on, Nigeria’s telecom protection law fails to stop fibre cuts

In June 2024, Nigeria signed the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order (CNII), which classifies telecom infrastructure, such as fibre cables, data centres, and towers, as critical national assets and makes their protection a matter of national security. However, one year on, Nigeria is seeing record levels of fibre cuts and network disruptions, raising questions about the policy’s implementation. Between January and June 2025, Nigeria recorded 349 major network outages—an average of two per day, according to Uptime, a network monitoring website launched by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). May alone witnessed 75 disruptions, the highest in any single month so far this year. In the first 12 days of June, there were 19 more outages, with 11 caused by fibre cuts, seven by power failures, and one due to equipment vandalism. These outages have affected states across the country, including Borno, Kaduna, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Rivers, Anambra, and Lagos, and have disrupted essential services such as USSD banking, voice calls, and internet connectivity. Industry frustration mounts Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), acknowledged the delay in implementing the CNII framework. “I must admit we have been too slow in getting the operationalisation of the CNII Order off the ground,” he said. “This is due to the back-and-forth between stakeholders. But we want the results to be sustainable and last for a long time.” That delay is proving costly. In Lagos alone, telcos lost an estimated ₦5 billion ($10.8 million) in 2024 due to more than 2,500 fibre cuts. MTN Nigeria spent ₦11.1 billion ($24.1 million) between 2022 and 2023 to repair and relocate over 2,500 kilometres of fibre-optic cables, resources that could have gone into expanding network infrastructure in underserved regions. The telecom industry lost an estimated ₦27 billion ($58.6 million) to fibre-related damages in 2023. These losses go beyond financial metrics. Every fibre cut delays services to banks, hospitals, government offices, and businesses. In June 2025, a Glo fibre cut in Abia and Rivers states left subscribers without USSD, SMS, voice, or data services for nearly an hour. Airtel faced a similar challenge in Anambra and Imo, with over an hour of disruption. These outages have far-reaching economic consequences, undermining confidence in digital services and stalling digital transactions. Wider economic risks For businesses dependent on cloud computing, digital payments, and remote work, these network failures are a direct threat to revenue and productivity.  In the final week of May 2025, fibre cuts in Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Yobe brought business operations to a standstill. Residents couldn’t access basic telecom services, banks struggled with failed USSD transactions, and healthcare providers were locked out of telemedicine platforms. Recognising the economic risks, some states are taking steps to support telecom operators.  “It’s part of why we eliminated Right of Way (RoW) fees,” said Suleiman Isah, Commissioner for Communication Technology and Digital Economy in Niger State. “We’ve also partnered with the NCC and telecom providers to coordinate with the Ministry of Works and Water Resources, so there’s advance notice before any construction that could impact fibre routes.” Niger is one of 12 states that have waived RoW charges to accelerate fibre deployment. But fibre cuts continue to rise. On May 8, 2025, a Globacom fibre line running through Kebbi, Niger, and Sokoto was severed by road contractors from China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), knocking out internet access in several communities for nearly three hours. Another incident in Niger State on June 10 disrupted SMS, voice, and data services across eight communities and took more than two hours to fix. Repair times vary widely—from 30 minutes to several hours or days—depending on the terrain, accessibility, and the state of supporting infrastructure like roads or drainage systems. Each hour lost chips away at economic activity, customer trust, and Nigeria’s broader digital transformation goals. Promises of progress The CNII Order was designed to make the willful damage of telecom infrastructure a serious criminal offense, with penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment. It also called for minimum protection standards, coordinated information sharing, and enforcement led by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). These measures have yet to yield tangible improvements. Adebayo said stakeholders—including ALTON, the NCC, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, ONSA, and NSCDC—have now reached consensus on the best approach for implementation. The NCC recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Works to protect fibre infrastructure during road construction. “You will soon start seeing the implementation of what we have been working on,” Adebayo said. Mark your calendars!  Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com.

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  • June 13 2025
  • BM

Crypto as a growth enabler for innovation and development in Nigeria—But first, regulation

In a small shop tucked away in Onitsha’s bustling market district, a trader unlocks her smartphone, checks the day’s crypto rates, and sends USDT to her supplier in Guangzhou, China – no delays, no middlemen, and near-instant delivery. It’s a transaction that once took three days or more with hefty foreign exchange fees. Now, it takes less than three minutes. This is the quiet revolution cryptocurrency is powering across Nigeria. Between July 2023 and June 2024, Nigerians traded over $59 billion in crypto, making the country the second-largest market in the world. And while there’s still some speculative activity, more people are turning to crypto as a functional tool, one that solves real problems in everyday life. It’s meeting financial needs that the traditional system can’t always reach, or can’t reach fast enough. It’s not replacing banks, but it is expanding what’s possible. With a smartphone, individuals, including the financially excluded, can access digital wallets, save in stablecoins, send money across borders, and get paid in real time. In a country where financial needs are shifting rapidly, crypto is giving people accelerated options, and that flexibility matters. Similar to how many SMEs now rely on USDT to pay overseas suppliers, high-net-worth individuals are also using USD equivalents to preserve value in an inflationary economy, access liquidity, and keep their businesses running smoothly.  Beyond individual convenience, the functional utility of crypto extends to businesses, creating significant ripple effects across key sectors. In fintech, for instance, it’s powering the growth of decentralised finance (DeFi), offering instant remittance options and novel investment tools. Similarly, e-commerce and retail are gaining efficiency through borderless payments and reduced fees. In the creative economy, freelancers are bypassing payment delays and gatekeepers. Perhaps most significantly, in cross-border trade, stablecoins are providing a vital lifeline for Nigerian businesses grappling with dollar scarcity and currency volatility, simplifying international sourcing and settlements within Africa and beyond.  From our vantage point at Luno, we’ve seen users increasingly turn to stablecoins like USDT to address these pain points: facilitating swift payments to global partners, securing stable dollar access, and shielding capital from inflation. The popularity of stablecoins among SMEs and high-volume traders points to their reliability in cross-border dealings, while freelancers and importers depend on their speed and stability to participate in the global economy. Despite this growth, the conversation around cryptocurrency regulation in Nigeria remains complex. Yet from our experience, working closely with regulators can be a win-win for users, government, and industry players alike. Nigerians are already active crypto participants, and ensuring their security is paramount. While many platforms maintain high security standards, regulatory oversight provides an added layer of protection. It can help users access crypto safely while reducing exposure to scams and Ponzi schemes. Beyond safeguarding users, regulation presents tangible benefits for the government. With an estimated 80% of crypto transactions occurring informally, often peer-to-peer, much of the activity remains outside the tax and legal framework, leaving considerable revenue untapped. This is especially relevant as the market is projected to reach $1.6 billion in revenue by 2025. Clear, forward-looking regulation could also help stem the outflow of Nigerian talent. Many developers, fintech founders, and startups are incorporating in jurisdictions like the UAE and the UK, where crypto policies are more clearly defined. Regulatory clarity at home could keep this innovation local, strengthening Nigeria’s ecosystem rather than dispersing it. Moreover, regulation can help build trust and confidence in the crypto space. South Africa offers a compelling example: its introduction of a crypto licensing regime in 2023 coincided with a marked decline in scam-related complaints, demonstrating that smart regulation can create a safer and more resilient sector. Nigeria can follow suit, protecting users while fostering responsible innovation. Globally, countries like Singapore, the UAE, and South Africa are moving decisively on crypto regulation, attracting investment and innovation in the process. Nigeria, with one of the most engaged crypto user bases in the world, has every reason to lead. We have a chance not only to regulate, but to enable. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Programme (ARIP) is a promising first step toward building a more structured, secure, and innovation-friendly digital finance ecosystem. By offering startups regulatory clarity and a path to compliance, ARIP is laying the groundwork for a stronger, safer crypto sector. With two local exchanges already accepted into the sandbox, expanding the program to include more players could create a richer, more competitive ecosystem and unlock the full potential of crypto as a growth driver for Nigeria. Nigeria has the talent, the tech-savvy population, and the appetite for innovation. With the right regulatory support, we can harness crypto not just as a financial tool but as a catalyst for broader economic transformation. It’s not about choosing between innovation and oversight; it’s about designing a framework that allows both to thrive. If we get it right, crypto can be more than a workaround. It can be a cornerstone of Nigeria’s digital future. _________ Ayotunde Alabi is the CEO of Luno Nigeria with over a decade of experience in finance and technology. He has previously held leadership positions at Spektra, ARM HoldCo, FBNQuest, and Heritage Bank Limited. He is a SEC-sponsored professional with certifications from Nigeria’s Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and the UK’s Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Mark your calendars!  Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com

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  • June 13 2025
  • BM

In rural Kenya, donkeys are now microchipped, insured, and protected

In May, World Donkey Day came and went quietly in much of Kenya.  But in a small corner of Kisumu County, western Kenya, 30 small-scale farmers in Agoro East chose to mark the day differently – by actually celebrating their donkeys. On top of resting all 86 animals they collectively had, members of the community, part of the Agoro East Tunza Punda Self Help Group, checked donkeys for signs of illness, refreshed their feed and water, and, in what one farmer called an “intentional gesture of gratitude and care,” gave them a day of rest. For many, it was a moment to reflect on the vital role donkeys play in sustaining the nation’s agricultural backbone. Across Kenya, over 1.8 million donkeys transport goods, fetch water, and sustain entire households. But for decades, these animals have borne the brunt of neglect, suffering from malnutrition, lameness, and work-related injuries. In fact, recent statistics show that a third of Kenya’s working donkey population is in poor condition, largely due to a lack of veterinary care, harmful traditional practices, and widespread ignorance about animal welfare. Now, a new model of care is taking root in western Kenya that is showing the very people who depend on donkeys the most a different way to handle these animals. A new model of care Tunza Punda, or “take care of the donkey,” in Swahili, is both a guiding ethos and the name of a group founded in 2018 to improve the welfare of donkeys and the lives of their owners. The group is one of many in rural Kenya supported by the Kisumu-based NGO, Support for Tropical Initiatives in Poverty Alleviation (STIPA) and the animal welfare organisation Brooke East Africa. Together, they founded the Community Donkey Insurance for Protection (CDIP) scheme, offering a novel safety net for donkey owners. For an annual fee of just $5.40 (700 Kenyan shillings), farmers can enroll their first three donkeys into a health plan under CDIP that provides expert veterinary treatment and regular check-ups. Each additional donkey costs $1.55 (200 shillings) to insure per year. Additionally, all participating donkeys are microchipped for easy identification, especially useful when they stray during grazing. In just five months, 312 rural farmers have joined, microchipping 517 donkeys. The program aims to include 5,000 donkeys in the next three years. The microchips, just 14 millimeters in length, are inserted under the mane or neck of each donkey, at a location chosen by the farmers themselves. “The chips carry vital data, such as the donkey’s medical history, the owner’s identity, and even the animal’s name,” said Kevin Wekesa, an IT officer with STIPA. With each animal uniquely identified, veterinarians no longer rely on vague descriptions or paper logs. “When a farmer calls about a sick donkey, a veterinary officer arrives, scans the chip, and instantly accesses a full profile,” Wekesa explained. “From diagnosis to dosage, everything is recorded in a regional database.” In places like KAMARA Self Help Group in Rarieda sub-county, where the system has been fully implemented, the technology is already bearing fruit. 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 Cases of donkey mix-ups, common in a community where animals often graze together and, as Wekesa noted, “donkeys look alike,” have dropped. “We’ve even recovered stolen donkeys in markets as far away as Nyakach,” he added. The system operates on a frequency of 134.2 kHz and

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  • June 13 2025
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Moove eyes unicorn status with planned $300 million raise

Moove, the Uber-backed Nigerian startup that finances vehicles for ride-hailing companies, is seeking to raise $300 million in a fresh funding round that could push its valuation past $1 billion, according to The Information. The planned raise comes at a time of rapid expansion for Moove. Last year, the company announced a partnership with Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving vehicle division, to manage and operate fleets of autonomous vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona, and Miami, Florida. Moove’s responsibilities include cleaning, charging, and storing Waymo’s electric robotaxis, as the self-driving service rolls out commercial operations in new U.S. markets. Moove has raised $750 million in debt and equity to date, with backers including Uber and Mubadala Investment Company. In 2024, Moove raised $100 million, at a valuation of $750 million, from investors including Uber—which has a stake of more than 10% in the company—and Mubadala Investment Co. Moove’s growth trajectory has also been fueled by strategic acquisitions. In January, the company acquired Kovi, a Brazilian urban mobility provider that finances ride-hailing drivers, which significantly boosted Moove’s revenue. The company’s annualized revenue has reportedly climbed to $360 million, up from $115 million just over a year ago, largely driven by its core business of extending loans to Uber drivers and its growing fleet management operations in the U.S. The new revenue pace suggests Moove is generating $30 million a month in revenue. 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 Founded by Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi, the mobility fintech buys cars with bank loans and offers them to Uber drivers through a drive-to-own model. Drivers in Africa, India, and the UK pay for the cars out of their earnings and can eventually own them. Moove also recently expanded into robotaxi management, handling cleaning, charging, and storage when the cars aren’t in use. The company employs over 2,100 people worldwide and has recently hired at least 90 staff in the U.S. to support its expanding operations. This latest funding effort underscores Moove’s ambition to become a key player in the autonomous mobility ecosystem, not only as a fleet operator for Waymo but also by potentially leasing mini-fleets of robotaxis to entrepreneurs and businesses in the future. Moove’s current agreement with Waymo is confined to fleet management, according to co-founder Ladi Delano. The company is eyeing a broader role in the autonomous vehicle ecosystem, with plans to purchase AV-enabled cars directly from manufacturers and lease mini-fleets of robotaxis to individuals—potentially former ride-hailing drivers—or businesses looking to operate at scale. Moove would continue to oversee depot operations, handling charging, storage, and cleaning for the vehicles. Mark your calendars!  Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com. 

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  • June 13 2025
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👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – SuperSport to fly solo

In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Wazzup! Much of the internet went down yesterday due to a Google cloud outage. Although much of social media was still active, services like Spotify, Discord, and Google went down.  How did those minutes feel for you? Did you crash out? Go out to touch grass or did you rediscover just how quiet—and maybe even peaceful—the offline world can be? MultiChoice to spin off SuperSport from DStv Europe places Kenya on a Greylist Ex-Moniepoint staff sues over stock options BYD increases EV dealership in South Africa World Wide Web 3 Job Openings Streaming MultiChoice is thinking of splitting SuperSport from DStv Image Source: MultiChoice Hold up, before you panic: no, MultiChoice is not removing SuperSport from DStv. Here’s what’s actually happening: MultiChoice is thinking about letting people subscribe to DStv without SuperSport, and then choose to add only the sports they want. So, if you’re not into tennis or football, you don’t have to pay for them. Want only tennis channels? They will allow that. Want all the sports? Just bolt them on! This model is used by global pay-TV operators, including Sky in the UK. Why the sudden decision? MultiChoice is bleeding subscribers. The group lost 1.2 million subscribers—an 8% decline—in the recently concluded financial year. This is a result of people ditching traditional TV for streaming rivals like Netflix and YouTube Premium or pirated sites (no names mentioned). Multichoice also recognises the tough economic situation, and it knows people will choose food over football. What’s in it for MultiChoice? They want to make money. Your revenue doesn’t fall by 9%, and you’d do nothing about it. By making DSTV cheaper and more flexible for customers, they believe it will increase their subscriber base. However, they hope that this model will not harm their business. Zoom out: Multichoice is changing its stripes. First, it’s giving you the power to drop SuperSport if you want. Then it’s testing weekly bundles in Uganda. What’s next? A “build-your-DStv” menu? It’s giving survival, but it’s also giving reinvention. Join Fincra for an Exclusive Networking Mixer at iFX Expo, Cyprus. Fincra is co-hosting “AI-Powered Fintech and Blockchain” at iFX Expo, Cyprus, with Quidax. Join the brightest minds in fintech and blockchain for insightful panels & networking. Limited spots – RSVP here. 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 Economy European Commission has placed Kenya on a Greylist Image Source: Google Kenya’s financial reputation just took another hit.  The European Commission has added Kenya to its high-risk list for money laundering and terrorism financing, following the country’s 2024 greylisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).  The EU move, which mirrors FATF’s, means European institutions must now apply stricter checks on transactions involving Kenyan entities. Here’s why it matters to Kenya’s financial ecosystem. Banks, businesses, and startups will likely face slower cross-border payments, higher compliance costs, and more red tape. It also risks making foreign investors nervous, potentially raising borrowing costs for the government and private sector. There’s more at stake. EU development funding could shrink, and with Europe as a top export destination for Kenya, tighter transaction scrutiny could dampen trade flows.  Remittances could also become more expensive or delayed due to the added checks from financial institutions. This is a huge blow because the UK-Kenya corridor is one of the fastest-growing sources of diasporan

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  • June 12 2025
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15 student-led startups solving real-world problems

What do you get when ambition and youthful exuberance meet challenges with actionable solutions?  No longer waiting till graduation to make a mark in the world, student innovators are developing a myriad of solutions to tackle real-world challenges. Some of these student owned startups focus on accelerating emergency medical response and others, on digitising the voting process. The student-led startups profiled below tackle problems across many sectors, showing how technology continues to address systemic challenges Nigerians grapple with daily.  Precision Health: Accurate diagnosis, made easy (Healthtech, University of Lagos) Eniola Alex, a student of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, is behind  Precision Health, a platform that seeks to combine AI technology with medical expertise to help healthcare providers triage faster. The product is inspired by his personal experience.  Alex spent eight months in the ICU battling Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder where the immune system attacks nerves, causing weakness or paralysis. His gruelling four-year recovery exposed the pitfalls of trial-and-error healthcare, inspiring a mission to take away the guesswork from medicine.  Currently, Precision Health is offering its triage tools to Nigeria’s skincare market, allowing users to connect with a slew of dermatologists who consult and recommend treatment virtually. The platform merges dermatologists’ expertise with AI tools analysing skin type, climate, and user data to deliver personalised, medical-grade recommendations.  Precision Health trains its AI model with an archive of over 1500 data sources of African skin type. Following its launch in January 2025, the platform has since garnered up to 300 users on its waitlist and partnered with Lagos-based Aesthetic Medical Central. Precision Health earns money through  consultation commissions and personalised product kits.  Carrely: Learning made fun (Edtech, University of Lagos) Carrely, a social, gamified, and AI-powered learning platform, is the brainchild of Lawrence Eniola, a 200-level computer engineering student. Carrely was born out of a frustration with traditional online learning platforms, which he found more like a necessary inconvenience rather than fulfilling.  Drawing inspiration from more engaging learning platforms like Duolingo, Eniola developed Carrely to make learning more fun than a chore. With Carrely, students can engage in discussions, challenge each other in quizzes, and earn badges as they progress through levels. This platform incorporates AI models to give explanations and smart recommendations that help users learn at their own pace, and cloud storage services for ease in sharing PDFs.  Carrely intends to be the go-to platform for social learning, helping students retain knowledge better by tying learning to more social kinds of interaction. Although Carrely is still in its pre-launch stage, the platform is on the lookout for early-stage investors as it is currently bootstrapped, according to the founder. It intends to generate revenue through a mix of in-app targeted advertising and premium subscriptions that unlock additional features for users. 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 Smooth Ballot: Elections, digitised (Services, University of Ibadan) University student Prince Ogbonna came upon the idea for an e-voting platform after participating in a campus election and collating paper ballots manually.  This election software, available as a web app,  includes features that enable individuals to create elections and allow voters to cast their ballots. Ideated in 2023 and launched in September of the following year, Smooth Ballot has partnered with 12 associations, including the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) and, more recently, Silverbird Group for their upcoming beauty pageant

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