Catalyst Fund has already helped 31 different fintech firms get off the ground, and Cowrywise is one of them. It would appear that this most recent inclusion may signify an increase in the number of funding opportunities available to Nigerian fintech businesses over the next three years.

After completing its previous funding round in 2018, Flutterwave has now raised an additional $35 million through a series B funding round to fund its expansion into northern and Francophone Africa. Visa and Worldpay were among those who took part this time.

One of the simplest ways to complete online transactions is by using a bank's mobile application on your mobile device or dialing USSD codes from any mobile phone. Customers of GTBank are reporting problems when attempting to use the mobile app and USSD codes at this time.

The announcement of a merger or acquisition can be very exciting for startups. However, what is not discussed very frequently is the fact that the integration stage can be just as difficult.

According to a report by Briter Bridges, approximately one hundred new businesses launched in Africa in 2017 raised more than one million dollars. We examine the participation of women in this conversation through the lens of diversity and consider the results.

Attend SME Clinic 2020 to gain knowledge on how to use technology to automate your company's processes. You also have the opportunity to win a grant for your company in the amount of 100,000, which is equivalent to CFA 160,000.

Techpoint investigates what users intend to do in response to Microsoft's decision to end support for Windows 7 and encourage them to upgrade to Windows 10 in order to reduce their exposure to potential security threats.

The government of Lagos state claims that it has purchased drones to monitor its waterways in an effort to reduce the number of boating accidents that take place there. The waterways are currently the quickest mode of transportation.

Peter Salovey, President of Yale University, paid a visit to the headquarters of Techpoint Africa in Lagos, Nigeria, on Thursday afternoon for the purpose of engaging in a conversation with members of the technology entrepreneurship ecosystem. The most important parts of the meeting are as follows:

The world's largest social media company, Facebook, has recently announced its intention to pull back on its promotion of products and services through the use of advertisements on WhatsApp.

If you have been unable to connect to the internet through MTN since Thursday evening, you are not the only one experiencing difficulties. The situation is the same for many people throughout West Africa. What follows is the current state of our understanding regarding the underlying cause.

Adedeji Olowe is a fintech expert who has made some educated guesses about the Nigerian fintech space in the year 2020. He predicts that WhatsApp will pose a threat to fintechs, that there will be a major acquisition of a fintech company, and that the Monzo of Africa will arrive.

As of soon, South Africa will no longer be the only African nation to broadcast live court proceedings online; Zimbabwe is planning to start doing the same thing.

With the recent appointment of Diana Owusu-Kyereko to the position of Chief Executive Officer for Jumia's Ghana operations, the company may be working toward its goal of achieving gender parity at the most senior executive levels.

Tanzania's National Identification Authority has ensured that its workers put in 16-hour days in order to meet its biometric goals for January 20. This is done in an effort to beat the deadline that it has set for the registration of SIM cards, which is rapidly approaching.

Following his departure from Co-creation Hub, Femi Longe set his sights on a new challenge, which he found in Qiesto. In this section, he explains to us how and why he is working to find a solution to one of Africa's most pressing issues: unemployment.

Techpoint speaks with a representative from a network provider to get their take on the necessity of recycling and how users can be protected in light of the growing number of reports of people getting into difficult circumstances as a result of acquiring recycled phone numbers.

The use of Internet blackouts by governments in sub-Saharan Africa as a tool to manage civil unrest cost the region's economy an estimated $2.16 billion in 2019, according to a report published by Top10VPN.

The competition for a share of Nigeria's internet market heated up in 2019, and after a closely fought battle, MTN once more pulled ahead of the pack. However, Glo's loss of over a million internet subscribers had a ripple effect on the market's overall composition.

Have you submitted an application for a National ID card but you do not yet possess a National Identification Number (NIN)? This is the procedure to follow in order to obtain your NIN using a USSD code.

In 2017, three-wheeled services were first made available due to the proliferation of ride-hailing motorcycle startups. On the other hand, in contrast to their forebears, these services are probably easier to scale offline than they are online.

Nigeria has entered into a public private partnership to invest $732 million into the construction of stable broadband infrastructures that will serve the nation in order to diversify its economy, which is currently dependent on oil revenue, and to form a more cohesive mission.

Participate in the town hall meeting that Techpoint will be hosting this Thursday in honor of the President of Yale University, Peter Salovey, along with other senior officials from Yale University.

E-commerce in Nigeria could be thrown into disarray as a result of the passage and signing into law on Monday of Nigeria's Finance Bill, which will have the effect of altering the taxation system for individuals who hold bank accounts and small businesses.

Isa Pantami has served as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy for five months, and during that time he has issued orders to agencies that fall under his supervision. The following are a few of those orders, along with the responses that have followed them.

Bankole Oluwafemi, who established Big Cabal Media almost six years ago, has decided to leave the company in order to pursue other opportunities. He made the announcement today.

Despite the fact that they attempted to compete with Airtel Nigeria by launching 3flix TV in 2018, Airtel Nigeria has now launched Airtel TV, which is a TV and video-on-demand app that enables users to stream live TV programs and watch video content on demand. But will people start using this?

Ian Cleverly, who has worked as the chief financial officer of a variety of businesses for the past 15 years, has been hired by Paga, a payment company based in Nigeria, to serve as the new Group CFO. His primary responsibility will be to assist the company in its efforts to expand internationally.

By implementing a digital attendance system, the Bauchi State Ministry of Education has joined the growing number of public agencies across the country that have already made the transition to automated processes. We take their chances of success into consideration.

Creators of content for Opera News are complaining that the platform engages in excessive censorship of content.

The organization Future Africa has just recently made an announcement regarding the launch of three new initiatives in the areas of capital, coaching, and community. When we inquire about the Future Africa Fund, its co-founder, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, provides us with the following information.

Most business owners can only hope to achieve their entrepreneurial goals, which may include the creation of jobs and the connection of communities through digital content. However, Henri Nyakarundi, a Rwandan businessman, founded ARED with the intention of doing exactly that.

CBN revised bank charges to an apparently tolerable extent in an effort to broaden access to financial services; however, when compared to what is provided by a variety of fintech platforms, there is still room for significant improvement.

Recent events resulted in Safaricom, Kenya's largest telecoms company, being unsuccessful in its attempt to prevent the Competition Authority of Kenya from receiving potentially sensitive business information. It's possible that there was a good reason for the rejection.

Kenya's largest telecom provider and its banks ensured that the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 2019 ahead of other African stock exchanges by ensuring that the NSE had a market share of 79.8 percent on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), which was designed to attract foreign investors.

If a bill that is currently being considered by the House of Representatives is passed into law, it is possible that Nigeria will join other countries in Africa in installing CCTV cameras across the entire country.

You might remember Zzapo Mobile for its unbelievable offer of a smartphone for only $7,999.99. It ended up being a trap because it was too good to be true.

A recent decision made by the governments of Lagos and 13 other states to raise Right of Way (RoW) charges on telecommunications companies may signal a possible increase in voice call and Internet service fees moving forward in the year.

The provisions of the finance bill were highlighted by Nigeria's Minister of Finance, who disclosed that businesses with an annual income of less than $68,500 do not have to pay taxes, and that rates of taxation will be lowered for medium-sized businesses.

The Techpoint Awards 2020 will focus on startups, tech communities, and tech companies that are active in Nigeria between January 2015 and January 2020. The eligibility period for these categories is the same. The call for nominations is now open to the general public. However, there is a time limit.

When purchasing smart devices, consumers often pay attention to the capacity of the device's battery. In the not too distant future, mobile devices will likely be powered by lithium-sulfur batteries rather than lithium-ion batteries. This is another possibility that may arise.

As 2019 comes to a close, we take a look back at the most noteworthy occurrences in Nigeria's technology space, which is a difficult task considering that the year blessed us with a great number of them. Listed below, in no particular order, are our top 10 favorites.

Techpoint has reached the age of 5! On the first of the year 2015, at precisely 00:01, our very first post was published online. Five fruitful years have passed, but the real adventure has only just started for us. Find out what we have in store for the year 2020 here.

When looking at the forecast that Open Banking Nigeria trustee, Adedeji Olowe, made for the field of financial technology in 2019, it can be seen that some of his predictions have already come to pass.

The reality that running a startup successfully is challenging is often hidden by the glitz of the industry, staggering fundraising totals, and flamboyant founder personalities. The following are some of the lessons that we can take away from certain startups that were forced to shut their doors in 2019.

This week on social media, we covered a variety of topics, including how Davido proved that Nigerian men are always faithful, how Kenyans are dragging their Navy on Twitter, and more.

Since PHCN first introduced prepaid meters in 2006, the majority of customers have encountered some level of difficulty whenever they have attempted to purchase tokens for their meters. Paynergy is working to improve user experience in the hopes of influencing this trend.

In the beginning of this year, Abdulhamid Hassan left OyaPay to join Paystack after getting into a disagreement with an investor who had ties to his family. But now, with Voyance, he is embarking on the journey back into the world of entrepreneurship. What is different?

At the beginning of this year, the Nigerian scriptwriter Omotunde Akiode was chosen to be one of the writers for the first African animation series produced by Netflix. This is the tale of her ascent from performing in small-scale shows to garnering attention on a global scale.

The increasing number of people using the internet in Nigeria appears to be beneficial to the online sports betting market. According to website ranking reports, betting sites have the highest number of visitors in Nigeria.

Because of concerns regarding users' privacy with the call app Truecaller, @0xRogue, a software developer and hacker, examines the potentially hazardous path that your data takes from your phone all the way to Mountain View, California, in the United States, and possibly other locations as well.

A renewable energy startup known as Rensource Energy has raised $20 million in series A funding. This comes nearly two years after the company raised $3.5 million in bridge financing, allowing it to expand and provide more services.

As a result of a partnership between Vodacom Tanzania and WorldRemit, expatriate Tanzanians now have the ability to deposit funds directly into the M-Pesa wallets of their intended recipients.

Chipper Cash, which had previously raised a seed round totaling $2.4 million back in May, has now raised an extended seed round totaling $6 million in order to expand into markets in southern Africa.

Cowrywise is an online platform for savings and investments, and Eniola Abiola works there as a Product Designer. In this episode of How I Work, we have a conversation with her to find out what her job entails and how she manages everything that comes with it.

Despite concerns regarding the possible misuse of public funds, the government of Kenya has finally given its blessing to the combination of Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya, which is predominantly owned by the state.

Google has announced the top trending searches for the year 2019 in Nigeria. The publication reveals what has piqued Nigerians' interest over the course of the past year, including the artists, lyrics, people, songs, and television shows that have received the most online searches.

This week on social media, we've seen stories about Cardi B in Ghana, a blackout in Nigeria, and other events.

OPay's mobile application continues to test out new features and services, and the company recently added a messaging function to the log of 15 other services it has already tested. We investigate what this might imply for the super app plans of the startup company.

In light of the fact that its operations serve as an accelerator, we require The Baobab Network to divulge some information regarding the manner in which it invests.

Recent actions taken by Jiji and observations made by its co-founder and CEO point to the fact that there are still opportunities available in the classifieds market in Africa.

If you've ever been in charge of planning an event, you've probably suffered from headaches brought on by the stress involved. Find out how Planit can make the planning of future events relatively easy for you before you attempt to plan another.

Approximately 66 percent of all personal computers that are exported to Africa every year come preloaded with illegal software. Microsoft has launched the Windows PC Affordability in Africa Initiative in an effort to make genuine alternatives more accessible. This move was made in consideration of the risks to businesses and the privacy of customer data.

Even though all contracts have been out of effect since May 2019, Makueni county in Kenya has just recently launched its online open contract portal, which will enable stakeholders to participate in the bidding process for executing government contracts.

Adewale Yusuf, our founder and CEO, discusses the journey that led to the establishment of the Techpoint Startup School as well as plans for the school's future.

In Nigeria, where it can be expensive to learn digital skills, a software developer by the name of Iniobong Udoh and her team are providing free online and offline digital training to young people in order to give them an advantage in the job market.

If you do not upgrade the operating system on your Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone before February 1, 2020, it is possible that you will no longer be able to use WhatsApp.

The activities that take place at various NIPOST locations point to the fact that the organization as a whole is not prepared to comply with the directives issued by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to switch to a cashless system.

GIG Logistics, on the other hand, has kept a relatively low profile in the digital sphere, in contrast to its media-savvy and venture capital–backed competitors in Nigeria. However, the effect it has on the eCommerce industry is much more significant than you might initially think.

Muhammad Nami has taken over as Chairman of the FIRS, succeeding Babatunde Fowler in that role. What will become of the department's proposal to start collecting sales tax on online purchases in the year 2020?

A sandbox for the fintech industry has been launched by Financial Service Innovators with support from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Insurance and Pensions Supervisory Service (NIBSS). This will assist innovators in developing creative financial solutions and scaling regulatory hurdles.

As a result of the expansion of the automotive trading platform into Ghana and Kenya, local consumers now have the ability to buy, sell, and even swap their vehicles.

Chimezie Okonkwo, a former executive at 9mobile, has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer at Cheki, an online marketplace for new and used vehicles. This appointment comes three months after the previous CEO, Gbenro Dara, left the company.

Jiji made a major acquisition at the beginning of this year when it purchased OLX, and it has now raised $21 million in an effort to become Africa's most popular classifieds website.

A review of the recently released Oppo A9 2020 in Lagos, Nigeria, which can be purchased for 89,900 (approximately $248).

MTN Ghana will have to pay a fine to the National Communications Authority because the company did not follow the authority's directives when it inaccurately billed subscribers and did not have a customer care line that was operational.

Fisayo walks us through the ups and downs of his professional life, shares a straightforward method that is surprisingly effective, and discusses the fascinating hobby he enjoys. Consequently, in the absence of 'FodaAdu,' the following is how Fisayo Fosudo operates:

Just a few short weeks after shutting down its eCommerce businesses in Tanzania and Cameroon and laying off staff in Kenya, Jumia has decided to stop managing the operations of one of its subsidiaries, which is known as Jumia Travel.

Uber has officially launched its operations in Abidjan, the capital city of Côte d'Ivoire, as part of its expansion into African markets with limited car ownership and public transport. This is part of Uber's strategy to expand into African markets with limited car ownership and public transport.