Technology
Stakeholders in Tech Sector Raise Alarm Over Fresh Move by FG
By Adedapo Adesanya
Innovation has been the buzzword on the lips of many stakeholders in Nigeria in the past few years, especially as revenue from oil, which accounts for a huge chunk of Nigeria’s wealth, is depleting due to prevailing conditions in the global oil market.
This has since created an opportunity for many Nigerians, who have quickly moved in to disrupt the space with several startups that are disrupting traditional methods and creating new markets with technology.
With technology, many Nigerian entrepreneurs are doing wonders. It has made investing, saving, crowdfunding, logistics and even accountability easier. It has also done one key thing – reduced the power of dependence on the government and its unfriendly policies.
However, it has not been an easy ride for these companies who have had to deal with the constant governments’ policies believed to be anti-growth like in the case of Lagos State placing a ban on bike hailing and moving to collect 10 per cent on ride-hailing companies like Uber, Bolt, and others in the state.
This has not been the only case so far. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) appears to be the biggest villain at the moment.
In February, it hit the budding cryptocurrency market with a surprise as it ordered all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) and Non-Banks Financial Institutions (NBFIs) to with immediate effect shut down the accounts operated by entities that facilitate the trading of digital currencies.
Yesterday, all was looking well until late evening when a court ex parte order froze the bank accounts of six online investment platforms for 180 days over claims that they were using the foreign exchange sourced from the Nigerian market for purchasing foreign bonds/shares in contravention of a July 2015 CBN directive.
Affected by the court order are Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Bamboo Systems Tech. Ltd OPNS, Chaka Technologies Limited, CTL/Business Expenses and Trove Technologies Limited.
Uproar followed the decision as many Nigerians have recounted the moves carried about regulators and government in hurting innovation especially as economic conditions continue to worsen with inflation, COVID-19, and conflict gripping the nation.
Yet, the government is not done as another policy in the pipeline as a leaked bill circulating on social media shows that the Nigerian Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is proposing amendments to its regulatory Act, giving the agency more control over the technology ecosystem.
The general consensus is that regulation is a necessity, however, some regulations can stifle growth as evident in the latest move by the NITDA to review its outdated laws and make them more beneficial for startups.
The leaked bill is proposing that tech companies operating in Nigeria must get a license, pay pre-tax profit levies and sanction whoever (person or company) operates contrary to the new Act’s provisions.
It proposes a developmental bill funded by a levy of one per cent of the profit before tax of companies and enterprises with an annual turnover of N100,000,000 and above.
In Section 20 of the leaked bill, NITDA said it will issue licenses and authorizations for tech companies regardless of their size. The licenses are classified into three sections: product, service provider and platform provider.
The bill provided no additional information about what these licenses entail and how startups qualify to get them.
Stakeholders in tech sector have raised the alarm that further moves to regulate a space where the Nigerian government’s investment is minimal may drive these companies offshore leading to loss of tax revenue, jobs, and future investments while still serving Nigerians.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Aminu Maida, has reemphasised the need to protect the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, especially fibre networks, noting that damage to fibre networks carries significant economic consequences.
Speaking virtually at the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Critical Conversation Forum on Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) in Lagos recently, he described FTTH as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s digital future.
“FTTH is uniquely positioned to meet Nigerians' next phase of data demand. The quality of our broadband will increasingly shape the competitiveness of our businesses, the growth of our digital industry and the opportunities available to our citizens,” the NCC chief stated.
“We must uphold deployment standards. Nigeria needs fibre that is properly installed, properly documented, and properly protected,” Mr Maida further said at the event themed Fibre to the Home in Nigeria: Addressing Challenges, Strengthening Standards and Ensuring Sustainable Deployment.
During a panel discussion titled Policy, Governance and Regulatory Alignment, the Deputy Director of Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX, Mr Segun Okuneye, highlighted the need for stronger collaboration across the telecommunications ecosystem to unlock the full potential of fibre broadband in Nigeria.
According to him, sustainable fibre deployment extends beyond technology and investment to include policy consistency, stakeholder alignment, infrastructure protection, and shared responsibility.
“Achieving universal fibre connectivity requires more than deploying infrastructure; it requires sustained collaboration between operators, regulators, government agencies and host communities.
“When policies are aligned, deployment standards are consistently enforced, and critical infrastructure is protected, we create an environment where investment thrives and more Nigerians can enjoy reliable, high-speed broadband.
“At ipNX, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to build resilient digital infrastructure that will support Nigeria’s economic growth for generations to come.”
Earlier in his welcome address, ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, underscored the strategic importance of FTTH in achieving the country’s broadband penetration targets while calling for greater public awareness around protecting communications infrastructure.
“This forum is critical because Fibre-to-the-Home is the technology that will enable the country to achieve full broadband penetration. We all depend on communication infrastructure, and it must be protected,” he declared.
Drawing a comparison with power infrastructure in the country, he added, “If somebody comes to your neighbourhood to tamper with your transformer or power cables, everybody will come out. The same thing needs to apply for communications infrastructure. When we see people damaging fibre cables, we should raise an alarm.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Thursday, July 23, 2026, provided an opportunity for financial services professionals to converge on Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, to brainstorm on ways to meet the rising customers’ expectations.
The platform used for this purpose was Core by Interswitch. It is part of the company’s broader commitment to strengthening Africa’s digital payments ecosystem by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and operational excellence across the financial services value chain.
At the event, participants, numbering over 400, also highlighted the growing importance of operational excellence in sustaining resilient payment infrastructure.
As digital financial services continue to expand across Africa, closer collaboration among financial institutions, fintechs and payment service providers will be essential to improving responsiveness, resolving operational challenges more effectively and delivering consistently reliable customer experiences.
The Executive Vice President for Operations and Technology at Interswitch, Mr Babafemi Ogungbamila, said the forum reflects the company’s belief that exceptional customer experiences are built not only on innovative technology but also on the expertise, collaboration and commitment of the professionals who keep payment systems running every day.
“Every successful digital transaction is powered by professionals whose work often goes unseen but is fundamental to building trust in digital payments. Core by Interswitch was created to recognise their contribution, strengthen collaboration across the industry and create opportunities for shared learning that ultimately benefit financial institutions and the customers they serve.
“As digital payments continue to evolve, investing in the people and processes that power the technology is just as important as investing in the technology itself,” Mr Ogungbamila said.
Beyond recognising the professionals whose work often goes unnoticed, the programme underscored the value of creating stronger connections across the payments ecosystem.
By creating a dedicated platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional development, Core by Interswitch aims to build a more connected community of payments operations professionals equipped to respond to the evolving demands of the digital economy.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
WhatsApp has been updated with a web calling feature, allowing users to now make and receive audio and video calls, both one-on-one and group, directly from WhatsApp Web.
A notice from the Meta-owned messaging platform disclosed that this feature works without the need to download any app.
It was disclosed that this update was made to WhatsApp to make it easier for users to make calls wherever they are and on whatever device, phone or laptop.
Users will have access to features available on their other devices, including screen sharing, reactions, and a dedicated Calls tab with full call history and favourites, all from their browsers.
WhatsApp noted that calls from this feature are end-to-end encrypted, with no time limits and at no cost, as it is the same private experience they expect from the platform.
WhatsApp has also been embedded with easy call transfer, enabling the movement of an active group call from one device to another without hanging up. Users can seamlessly transfer calls to WhatsApp Web or Desktop when they arrive home to collaborate on a larger screen – or vice versa.
The platform further said it now has QuickHD, which allows for an improved video experience at the beginning of a call. With QuickHD, users can now enjoy high-definition video immediately in the very first few seconds of the call.
In addition, it has launched noise suppression to remove the background noise around callers so their voices come through clearly to the person on the other end, even in loud or busy environments. This can be managed at any time in in-call settings.
WhatsApp said these features are rolling out gradually and will be available to everyone soon, expressing its desire to make WhatsApp calling simpler to use.
