Author: Rommy Imah

HCL Software is expanding its business footprint in Nigeria and across West Africa, leveraging the region’s growing demand for cybersecurity, endpoint management, workplace collaboration and other enterprise technology solutions, according to Chancard Moise Kanga, General Director, Africa, HCL Software. Kanga, who spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing 2026 GITEX Nigeria in Lagos, said Nigeria has emerged as one of the company’s strongest and most mature markets on the continent, accounting for a significant share of the growth HCL Software has recorded across Africa over the past three years. Speaking on the company’s operations and strategy in Africa, Kanga described…

Lagos has emerged as the focal point of Africa’s accelerating technology and artificial intelligence ambitions, as government leaders, technology companies, investors and startups gathered in the city for the second edition of GITEX NIGERIA, with a renewed call for the continent to build, own and commercialise the technologies shaping the global intelligence economy. The two-day Tech Expo & Future Economy Conference, which opened in Lagos on Wednesday, followed Monday’s sold-out Government Leadership & AI Summit in Abuja, bringing West Africa’s largest technology, AI and startup gathering to Nigeria’s commercial capital for an intensive programme of innovation showcases, strategic conversations and…

Uber has announced its withdrawal from Nigeria and Uganda, bringing an end to its operations in two key African markets and raising fresh questions about the sustainability of ride-hailing businesses on the continent. The global ride-hailing company said it had taken the “difficult decision” to leave the two markets with immediate effect following a comprehensive review of its operations. Uber entered Nigeria in 2014, initially establishing itself as a major player in the country’s fast-growing urban transportation market. Two years later, it expanded into Uganda, where its services became particularly prominent in the capital, Kampala. The exits come amid mounting…

Nearly 3,000 women entrepreneurs across Nigeria have sought to benefit from a new initiative aimed at addressing the persistent challenges of funding, business knowledge and growth opportunities confronting women-led enterprises. The programme, Fearless Female Founders (FFF) 2.0 Accelerator, is being implemented through a partnership between alpher, Union Bank of Nigeria’s dedicated proposition for women, and Zuri Circle Network (ZCN). The initiative attracted 2,810 applications from female entrepreneurs across the country, underscoring the strong demand among women-owned businesses for access to capital, mentorship, business expertise and networks capable of supporting sustainable growth. Following a rigorous selection process that included business verification…

WhatsApp has announced a new set of account security features designed to give users stronger protection against account takeovers, suspicious calls and unauthorised access. The Meta-owned messaging platform said the updates are part of its ongoing efforts to keep users’ conversations and accounts secure, building on its default end-to-end encryption. One of the key changes is an upgrade to WhatsApp’s two-step verification system. Previously, users were required to create a six-digit PIN as an additional layer of protection against account takeover. Under the new system, WhatsApp is introducing support for a full password that can be longer, contain letters and…

After 10 editions of championing entrepreneurship beyond Nigeria’s traditional innovation hubs, #StartupSouth is taking its flagship conference in a new direction, unveiling OffChart NXT as a broader platform for discovering founders, businesses and opportunities emerging across Africa. The inaugural OffChart NXT 2026, scheduled for October 22–23 in Port Harcourt, will be held under the theme, “Growth Doesn’t Follow Maps.” The rebrand represents more than a change of name. It signals an expanded ambition by #StartupSouth to challenge the conventional geography of Africa’s startup ecosystem by connecting entrepreneurs with capital, technology, industry and markets regardless of where they are based. For…

Nigeria’s ambition to move from a consumer of imported technology to a producer of indigenous digital solutions and sovereign artificial intelligence has taken centre stage as the second edition of GITEX NIGERIA opened in Abuja on Monday. The high-profile inauguration brought together senior government officials, international technology executives, investors and digital economy stakeholders, setting the tone for a four-day programme focused on artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, innovation and technology-led economic transformation. Held under the patronage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GITEX NIGERIA is taking place in Abuja and Lagos from August 31 to September 3, 2026. The event is supported…

For Francis Okafor, China is not a country best understood from a distance. Since arriving in 2018, Okafor has moved from being a Nigerian Engineering graduate and scholarship student to becoming a software engineer, an AI and Technology Lead, and now President of the Nigerian community in Shenzhen, one of China’s most dynamic technology and manufacturing centres. That journey has given him a perspective shaped not by headlines or policy announcements, but by proximity to the machinery that turns ideas into products and increasingly into artificial intelligence systems. “I have seen how quickly an idea can become something real,” Okafor…

West Africa is stepping up efforts to build a home-grown artificial intelligence (AI) economy, with governments, investors and technology leaders converging in Abuja next week to tackle the infrastructure, investment, talent and governance gaps that could determine the region’s place in the global AI race. At the centre of the push is Nigeria, which is anchoring its emerging sovereign AI agenda on the National AI Strategy, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Framework and Project BRIDGE, while seeking deeper regional cooperation to ensure African countries move beyond consuming imported technologies to developing and scaling their own AI solutions. The urgency of that…

The Executive Mayor of Umunneochi Local Government Area, Chief Sunny Afurobi, has congratulated the government and people of Abia State on the 35th anniversary of the state’s creation, describing the milestone as an opportunity to reflect on its journey and renew the push for greater development. Afurobi, in a goodwill message marking the anniversary, said Abia’s 35-year history had been defined by resilience, enterprise, innovation and the determination of its people to overcome challenges and create opportunities. According to him, the anniversary should go beyond celebrating the past and serve as a moment to strengthen the collective resolve to build…