WhatsApp to Roll Out Screen-Sharing Feature for Video Calls

By Adedapo Adesanya Social messaging platform, WhatsApp, has introduced a feature that lets users create groups on the instant messaging app without needing to name them. This is a new option open to users, a change from the norm as users are required to name the groups they create on the messaging app. The announcement was made by Meta’s chief executive officer (CEO), Mr Mark Zuckerberg, on his Facebook page and Meta’s Instagram channel on Wednesday. According to him, the feature will help users now be able to create a group, even if they have not decided on a topic

By Adedapo Adesanya Data and AI technology company, Flapmax, has announced 12 startups selected for the second cohort of the FAST Accelerator startup programme, created in partnership with Microsoft to help strengthen and scale Africa’s digital ecosystem. Following the conclusion of its 2-week Online Bootcamp, which saw 60+ tech companies participate in intensive online training with experienced mentors, FAST Accelerator’s cohort of 12 startups will progress to a 5-week comprehensive acceleration experience in Silicon Valley, California, starting in October. Speaking on this, Mrs Mame-Fatou Gueye, SME Program Manager, Microsoft Africa Transformation Office, said, “Microsoft believes that African startups and small

By Adedapo Adesanya WhatsApp has announced that its latest update will allow users to share Higher Definition (HD) photos through the messaging app. According to an announcement shared by Meta CEO, Mr Mark Zuckerberg, on his Instagram broadcast channel and via a Facebook post on Friday, the HD photos feature is rolling out to global users over the next few weeks, followed by support for HD videos. The feature, which allows users to preserve the high-def resolution of the photos they share with friends and family, was previously in beta testing with select users. To access the new feature, users

By Adedapo Adesanya The Nigerian government has expressed a fresh commitment to the harmonisation of the country’s data through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who said that his Ministry was committed to the success of the project, assuring that the days for multiple ID registration would soon be over. Mr Tunji-Ojo, while hosting the MTN management team led by its chief executive, Mr Karl Toriola, earlier this week in Abuja, disclosed that NIMC has been mandated to harmonise the country’s database as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seeks to

By Aduragbemi Omiyale The sum of N656.6 billion has been distributed to the three tiers of government as allocation for May 2022, a communiqué from the Director of Information, Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Henshaw Ogubike, has confirmed. In the notice released after the rescheduled monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held on Thursday, it was gathered that the amount disbursed this month was lower than last month’s N725.6 billion. It was stated that in April 2022, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and excise duties increased marginally, while oil and gas royalties,

By Dipo Olowookere The senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Mr Dino Melaye, was on Wednesday arraigned by the police at the Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse, Abuja. The vocal lawmaker was brought before the court for alleged criminal conspiracy, causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody. His arraignment in court today was subsequent to his discharge from the National Hospital after he was confirmed fit for trial. It will be recalled that, on April 24, 2018, at about 12 noon, Mr Melaye, while in lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force and being taken

A new strategic agreement has been entered into by Visa and Western Union so as to bring speed, simplicity and transparency to global payments. As part of the deal, Western Union will implement Visa Direct, Visa’s real-time push payments platform in an effort to bring speed and transparency to the process of sending money around the world. This collaboration reinforces Visa’s commitment to modernize how payments are made around the world. Once Western Union’s implementation of Visa Direct is live, Western Union will be able to offer customers an expedited remittance service onto cards with more transparency and an enhanced

By Ahmed Rahma One of the telecommunication providers in Indonesia, Indosat Ooredoo, has deployed the artificial intelligence (AI)-based advanced analytics and marketing automation solution of Comviva for its marketing campaigns aimed to serve its customers better. The technology is aimed to improve Indosat’s customers engagement and increase the company’s revenue through Comviva’s MobiLytix Real Time Marketing platform. This platform will deliver contextual, in-the-moment, omni-channel marketing initiatives to enhance customer lifetime value in today’s hypercompetitive market. MobiLytix Real Time Marketing is a powerful Machine learning driven real-time interaction management platform that delivers proven top-line results for CVM marketers. It is a

By Adedapo Adesanya The Naira depreciated by N1 against the Dollar at the unregulated segment of the foreign exchange (forex) market on Monday as it closed at N486/$1 in contrast to N485/$1 it traded on Monday. At the same black market, the local currency depreciated against the Pound Sterling by N1 to trade at N678/£ compared with the previous day’s N677/£1. Similarly, the domestic currency declined against the Euro yesterday by N2 to sell for N577/€1 in contrast to N575/€1 it was sold at the previous session. However, at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window, the Nigerian currency had a

By Dipo Olowookere The Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has taken a swipe at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the depreciating value of the local currency. The President of ABCON, Mr Aminu Gwadabe, in an interview with The Punch, said some of the regulatory policies of the apex bank are affecting the Naira value in the foreign exchange (FX) market. He said, for example, the running of more than one forex regime in Nigeria was decreasing the inflow of foreign currencies as the gap between the official exchange rate at N416/$1 and the black