TechNigeria: A weekly digest of what went down in Nigeria’s tech space

NCC, Starlink, E3, CcHUB, Nio, Koa, Instagram, INTERPOL, were some of the names that made the headlines this week.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed the country’s telecommunications operators, MTN, Airtel, and Globacom, to disable all phone lines unlinked to the National Identification Numbers (NINs) by February 28, 2024.

Also, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has expanded its coverage to Eswatini, a southern African nation

Let’s get into details

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed the country’s telecommunications operators, MTN, Airtel, and Globacom, to disable all phone lines unlinked to the National Identification Numbers (NINs) by February 28, 2024.

According to NCC, subscribers who have submitted their NINs but remain unverified will also be affected by the directive.

Verification through biometrics and biodata is mandatory for all affected subscribers before their lines can be unbarred.

Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), Africa’s largest innovation center, has announced the appointment of Ojoma Ochai, formerly a Managing Partner at CcHUB’s Creative Economy Practice, as its new Managing Director.

Ochai will succeed Bosun Tijani, who has transitioned to serve as the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy in Nigeria.

Funke Opeke, Chairperson of the CcHUB Board, expressed optimism for Ojoma’s appointment, citing her commitment to social change through innovation

The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla’s competitor, Nio, has announced securing a substantial $2.2 billion investment from CYVN Holdings in Abu Dhabi.

The financial injection aims to enhance Nio’s standing in the fiercely competitive EV market, following a prior investment of $1 billion from CYVN in July.

The agreement grants CYVN Holdings a 20% stake in Nio, with the power to nominate two directors to the company’s board.

Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has expanded its coverage to Eswatini, a southern African nation.

This move marks Starlink’s presence in its 8th country, following Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, and Benin.

The expansion, according to the management, aligns with Starlink’s mission to deliver high-speed internet to regions lacking or underserved by traditional infrastructure.

Swiss-Ghanaian startup, Koa, has closed an equity investment of US$15 million in its latest Series B funding round.

Leading the funding round are the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund from Mirova and the Regenerative Growth Fund 1 managed by Zebra Impact and Mirabaud, contributing a noteworthy US$9 million.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the investment was supported by various new investors, accompanied by backing from existing shareholders, including Haltra, the principal driver of Koa’s Series A equity round in 2021.

The curtain falls on the Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3, once renowned as the gaming industry’s foremost gathering and media showcase, as it is officially discontinued.

Confirmation of this decision was relayed by organizers in a statement seen by Ripples Nigeria on Monday, December 18, 2023.

This development followed a pronounced industry shift away from E3, with multiple years of event cancellations.

Instagram has introduced an innovative feature to elevate the interactivity and enjoyment of Stories.

The new feature allows users have the ability to design their own templates for the “Add Yours” feature.

According to Instagram, this feature empowers users to “craft and share their unique, customizable Add Yours templates, incorporating GIFs, text, and gallery photos within a Story template.”

INTERPOL has concluded Operation HAECHI IV, a six-month transcontinental effort spanning 34 countries.

This operation resulted in the arrest of nearly 3,500 individuals and the seizure of assets totalling $300 million.

The operation, according to the organisation, focused on combating various cyber-enabled scams, including voice phishing, romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, money laundering linked to illegal online gambling, business email compromise fraud, and e-commerce fraud.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now