Brands/Products
realme Launches Affordable Premium Smartphones in Nigeria
By Dipo Olowookere
One of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brands, realme, has formally entered the Nigerian market, with a focus on delivering premier products to consumers at affordable prices compared with its competitors.
At the grand launch in Lagos last Friday, the company stated that its main target audience in Nigeria is the young at heart, who want good smartphones that can make them do more on-the-go.
“Africa is at the forefront of global mobile growth, and realme is committed to being a key player in this vibrant market.
“We’re not just selling smartphones, but delivering value and making sure that advanced technology is within the reach of every Nigerian,” the Marketing Manager for Gulf Countries and Africa, Zena Ma, said at the event held at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Ikeja.
“Nigeria is a dynamic market with immense potential. The youth are tech-savvy, passionate, and constantly on the lookout for innovative technology that doesn’t break the bank.
“We believe in empowering the Nigerian youth with the technology they need to make bold strides in a digital world. This is just the beginning of our journey in Nigeria, and we are excited to grow with this market,” the Sales Manager for Nigeria, Mr Olamide Kaka, said.
At the centre of realme’s launch is the Note 50, a device tailored for users who desire top-level performance without compromising on design or price.
The Note 50 is equipped with a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and IP54 dust and splas resistance and a 7.99mm thickness, which is the only product in the same price range that can reach IP54 level warterproof and dustproof.
Its durability far exceeds our expectations. The realme Note 50 runs on Android 14-based realme UI T Edition and is powered by a Unisoc T612 chip onboard paired with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage (expandable to 128GB). realme Note 50 comes with 5,000mAh battery, which can be used for a long time.
Alongside the Note 50, realme unveiled two other devices catering to different segments of the market: the GT6, a premium flagship device, and the C61, a budget-friendly smartphone. GT6 is equipped with the latest and most powerful mobile phone chip: Snapdragon 8 gen3, which can meet almost all your requirements for mobile phone chips. At the same time, its AI camera and AI eye protection mode also use the most advanced technology.
According to Mr Kaka, “With the launch of the Note 50, alongside our flagship GT6 and the affordable C61, we are confident that realme will become a household name in Nigeria in no time.”
Realme’s entry into Nigeria is part of its broader expansion strategy across Africa, aiming to provide affordable, innovative technology to the region’s fast-growing youth population.
With a focus on design, performance, and value, realme plans to partner with local retailers and telecommunications companies to ensure that its products are widely accessible across the country. Additionally, realme is committed to investing in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To make finding the right service provider or reaching the right customer seamless, popular local information portal, Connect Nigeria, has introduced a Quote Request platform.
Connect Nigeria described the new system as “a digital solution designed to make connecting with service providers faster, easier, and more reliable.”
It said the Quote Request was built for consumers who need services quickly and want trusted options without the stress of searching endlessly; and service providers and businesses looking for real, high-intent customers without spending heavily on marketing.
“Whether you need a caterer for an event, a plumber for your home, or a designer for your brand, the platform is designed to connect you with the right people,” Connect Nigeria added.
“By connecting demand directly with supply, the platform creates a more structured and dependable marketplace,” it further stated.
At its core, the Quote Request simplifies the entire process of finding and offering services.
To use the service, users have to submit a request describing the service or product needed, which is then sent to verified vendors on the platform. Interested providers respond within 1–2 days, and users compare offers and choose what works best for their needs and budget.
“Instead of searching for vendors, the vendors come to you, with relevant, tailored responses,” Connect Nigeria explained.
The company expects this new platform to eliminate the stress of endless online searches, delayed or vague responses, and uncertainty about service quality.
As for businesses, it solves poor visibility, inconsistent customer flow, and lost opportunities due to slow response times.
Connect Nigeria Quote Request mobile app is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An institutional investor, First Ally Capital, has strengthened a leading Nigerian financial technology company, Mathesis Analytics, to scale its proprietary credit decisioning infrastructure.
It made this possible by injecting fresh capital into the firm, which specialises in AI-powered credit decisioning infrastructure, an action that will directly support the growth and scaling of Mathesis’ core mission of providing the intelligence and infrastructure needed to bridge the credit gap for millions of unscored or underscored individuals across Nigeria.
With this investment, Mathesis will enable financial institutions to confidently assess and extend credit to borrowers who lack a formal credit history by leveraging an expanded pool of alternative behavioural and transactional data.
To date, Mathesis’ systems have supported more than 8 million loans for over 2 million unique borrowers in Nigeria, and the company is actively deploying its infrastructure to establish a growing pan-African footprint.
With the investment from First Ally Capital, Mathesis is well positioned to transform how the credit ecosystem operates, driving financial inclusion in partnership with lenders across the continent.
A significant barrier to credit access in Nigeria, which prides itself on being Africa’s largest economy, is data fragmentation. Borrowers frequently build positive financial behaviours across multiple digital platforms by repaying microfinance loans, saving through fintech wallets, or servicing Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) facilities.
However, under traditional credit infrastructure, these achievements remain invisible to new lenders.
Mathesis addresses this challenge through the concept of Personal Equity—the quantified expression of an individual’s financial behaviour aggregated across every institution with which they have transacted.
By translating these disparate signals into a precise, portable measure of creditworthiness, Mathesis creates a comprehensive credit identity that reflects the full breadth of a person’s financial life.
“True financial inclusion cannot be achieved in a vacuum; it requires structural collaboration in which lenders and fintech companies work as partners within the ecosystem.
“This investment from First Ally Capital validates our approach to reshaping credit infrastructure. By quantifying Personal Equity, we empower lenders to safely look beyond the constraints of formal credit histories and recognise a borrower’s true creditworthiness. This capital enables us to accelerate our pan-African expansion while maintaining the robust, institutional-grade infrastructure our partners rely on,” the chief executive of Mathesis Analytics, Winston Osuchukwu, stated.
On his part, the chief executive of First Ally Capital, Mr Ebenezer Olufowose, said, “At First Ally Capital, we pride ourselves on being a one-stop destination for financial solutions, offering a diverse portfolio of services ranging from investment banking and asset management to trusteeship, inclusive banking, and real estate.
“Our investment in Mathesis Analytics reflects our strong belief in the company’s vision and our commitment to supporting forward-thinking enterprises that deliver excellence.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Canal+ Africa, Mr David Mignot, has disclosed that MultiChoice is now fully integrated into the media group.
Mr Mignot disclosed this via a statement issued on Thursday, noting that this development marks a new phase in the evolution of one of Africa’s leading pay television operators.
He noted that the integration positions MultiChoice within a global media organisation with an extensive international footprint.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries. The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mr Mignot said.
The statement underscores the scale of the combined business, highlighting Canal+’s global reach alongside its significant investments across Africa.
The completion of the transaction is expected to strengthen MultiChoice’s position in the African media and entertainment market by giving it access to the broader resources, expertise and international capabilities of the Canal+ Group, while reinforcing the group’s commitment to the continent.
MultiChoice operates across sub-Saharan Africa through platforms including DStv and GOtv, serving millions of subscribers with entertainment, sports and news content.
