M-KOPA expands its operations in West Africa, rapidly growing its reach on the continent M-KOPA, a leading African fintech platform, Tuesday announced the official launch of its flexible digital financing model in Ghana following a successful pilot phase. The strategic move to expand its operations makes Ghana the second West African country for the company, strengthening its Pan-African footprint to provide financial and digital inclusion for underbanked customers. The company established its market entry in the Greater Accra Region, focusing on smartphone financing. Leveraging key partnerships with Samsung and Nokia, M-KOPA has provided financing to over 100,000 people and unlocked…
Author: DigitalTimesNG
By Glory Ejime Ikeke AI adoption is no longer an experiment, it’s a business imperative. Global tech giants like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Alibaba have mastered the art of scaling AI-powered products, driving massive efficiencies, improving customer experience, and reshaping industries. What lessons can product managers, startups, and enterprises learn from these AI pioneers? This article explores the key strategies and pitfalls to avoid when scaling AI products.Lessons In Scaling AI from Tech GiantsData is the New Fuel: But Quality Over Quantity: Companies like Google and Microsoft have scaled AI by investing heavily in high-quality, labeled datasets. However, more data…
The government of Japan has been called upon to leverage Nigeria’s youthful population to build a strategic talent partnership that will nurture and build a workforce that can be exported. Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa made the call at the iHatch startup incubation programme 2nd cohort demo day and 3rd cohort opening ceremony organised by the subsidiary of the agency, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), in partnership with Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) in Abuja. He stated that the iHatch 5-month free intensive incubation programme executed by the ONDI and hosted within the National…
Engineering teams often walk a fine line between shipping fast and building sustainably. Senior software engineer OLUMIDE PETER OBASA shares lessons on how to manage technical debt without sacrificing product velocity—showing that real speed comes from balancing quick wins with long-term stability…. Engineering teams are always trying to balance getting things done quickly and making sure they don’t create problems down the road. If they’re too slow, they might miss opportunities. If they’re too fast, they can end up with technical debt that makes future work really hard. For companies that are growing fast, this is a constant issue that…
AFEX plans to replace ComX Africa’s leading commodities player, AFEX, has launched Africa Exchange, a digital platform for trading commodities. The platform follows AFEX’s first foray into digital commodities trading with the launch of ComX in 2020. This new trading platform further transforms the commodities space in Africa by enabling commodities market players to meet and interact both in the physical and financial markets. Data and information crucial to decision-making are readily available on the platform, offering a comprehensive and informed trading experience. Africa Exchange provides a structured marketplace duly regulated by Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ensuring that…
It has been suggested that digitising Nigeria’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will drive the needed sustainable economic growth given the critical roles digitalisation and technology play in optimising the operation of businesses in the 21st century. The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, made this known in Abuja while delivering a Keynote Address on the theme: “Digital Nigeria – Leveraging Technology to Improve Ease of Doing Business for MSMES” at the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) 2023 Annual Lecture series. The NITDA DG noted that technology innovation is occurring at an exponential pace…
Mr. Kashifu Inuwa, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has said that rejuvenating the agricultural sector by digitising all its processes for smallholder farmers through initiatives developed by the government would not only boost productivity but increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $67billion. This is against the backdrop of indications that the smallholder farmers are producing an estimated 90% of the country’s food and contributing 21% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $477 billion. Inuwa made this disclosure at the Policy Dialogue session in collaboration with the Office of the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of…
Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), is set to detail the Agency’s plans and strategies for rural electrification in Nigeria using homegrown technologies. The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, though officially opened today, 30th November 2023, also known as Conference of the Parties (COP28), holding at the Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), will see Mr. Halilu on December 3rd, 2023, deliver opening remarks and also participate at a panel session titled ‘Advancing Sustainable Rural Electrification through Homegrown Technologies’ The COP28 also referred to as…
By Akinade AKINADENIYI A casual stroll in Lagos Mainland can show anyone pointers on what to design for if they pay attention. Too many closely knit storey buildings that look like they could collapse at any moment show a failure in design and planning. When it rains in Lagos and it pours heavily, many parts get flooded and underwater – another failure in design. As per CNN, the cost of flooding in Lagos in terms of damages, economic productivity and mortality is estimated to be as high as $4 billion per year. A few years back, the highway leading to…
By Patricia AKINKUADE Quantum computing is the new gold particularly in the technological landscape, creating new opportunities and offering computational power like never before, to solve complex problems far beyond the capabilities of the classical computers that we are used to. Although it promises significant improvements upon the computation systems that we are used to, it also creates new challenges particularly to crypotgraphic systems. Quantum computers have the potential to break widely used encryption algorithms, putting sensitive data at big risk. Therefore, when creating and developing a software, engineers have to account for quantum safe cryptography that ensures future proof…