Author: Insider Editor

Many young graduates and career switchers struggle to transition from education to employment, often facing a lack of guidance, mentorship, and clarity on the right career path. PivotWings, a new career development platform, aims to address this challenge by providing structured support, practical tools, and access to experienced professionals. The platform combines AI-enabled learning environments with curated video lessons and specialised learning materials, alongside structured, cohort-based programmes led by industry experts. This approach helps users identify their strengths, reposition their skills, and take deliberate steps toward meaningful career growth. PivotWings serves three primary user groups: The platform also encourages a…

The iDICE Startup Bridge has officially launched in Nigeria, offering a structured two-track support programme for early-stage and post-MVP startups. Idea-stage founders can access grants of up to ₦10 million ($7,215), while startups that have developed a minimum viable product (MVP) are eligible for $100,000 in equity investment. Applications for the first cohort are now open. The initiative is implemented through the Bank of Industry and funded by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Islamic Development Bank. It forms part of the federal government’s broader Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme, which is tied…

The Nigerian subsidiary more than doubled its profitability in 2025, according to the group’s full-year financial results released on Monday. MTN Nigeria reported $1.926 billion in Chief Operating Decision Maker earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (CODM EBITDA) in 2025, up from $946.59 million in 2024. The 103.4% year-on-year increase represents one of the sharpest earnings jumps across MTN’s major markets. CODM EBITDA is the profit metric used by MTN’s senior management to evaluate the performance of its operating markets. It measures earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. The surge in Nigeria’s earnings pushed it well ahead of…

Kenya is preparing to tighten its fight against online piracy, with a proposed copyright law that would allow courts to order internet service providers to block websites illegally livestreaming sports, concerts, and other entertainment events. A draft was published by the Kenya Copyright Board for public comment in March, introduces new rules that would allow courts to direct ISPs and online platforms to restrict access to websites hosting pirated streams. The proposal focuses strongly on live broadcasts, where delays in enforcement can wipe out the value of broadcast rights. By the time an illegal stream is removed, the event may…

KCB Group is awaiting regulatory approval to acquire a stake in regional payments startup Pesapal, as the bank expands into merchant payments across East Africa. Chief executive Paul Russo announced the planned acquisition during an investor briefing in Nairobi on Wednesday, highlighting the bank’s strategy to drive its next phase of growth. “We are waiting for regulatory approval [to complete the acquisition,” he said. The move comes as banks across East Africa seek a larger share of digital transactions increasingly processed by fintechs rather than traditional lenders. KCB already processes 99% of its transactions through digital channels. Russo said the…

Central Bank of Nigeria has formally recognised artificial intelligence as a tool for fighting financial crime, introducing new rules that require banks, fintechs, and payment companies to deploy automated anti-money laundering (AML) systems. The guidelines, released Tuesday, mark the first time the regulator has explicitly written AI and machine learning into Nigeria’s AML framework. The move pushes financial institutions away from largely manual compliance processes toward technology-driven monitoring. The shift reflects how quickly Nigeria’s financial system is becoming digital, with mobile banking, fintech platforms, and instant payments expanding rapidly. “As financial services become increasingly digitised and complex, manual AML/CFT/CPF controls…

Larry Madowo sparked debate about Nigeria’s visa policy after he said he paid $80 for a single-entry visa at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. In the viral clip posted on X, Madowo questioned why Nigeria charges visitors fees that many African countries do not. Later, Nigerian officials signed an agreement to host the Intra-African Trade Fair 2027 in Lagos, one of the continent’s largest commerce gatherings aimed at boosting trade across Africa. The ceremony was led by Jumoke Oduwole and attended by former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who chairs the fair’s advisory council. Executives from African Export-Import Bank, including George Elombi and…

Nigerian startups have fought the same battles: acquiring users, keeping them engaged, and finding ways to build loyalty without burning through incentives. Cashback works for a while. Discounts work for a while. But neither necessarily creates lasting relationships. This is the idea behind ZOI, Wellahealth’s embedded healthcare infrastructure. Its latest move launching Femcare on the PalmPay app—offers an early glimpse of what healthcare could look like when it becomes part of the digital platforms Nigerians already use every day. Instead of asking people to download another health app, the approach is simple: integrate affordable health plans directly into apps they…

Africa remains largely invisible in the data that powers today’s artificial intelligence systems, despite being home to more than 2,000 languages. Most machine learning models are trained primarily on English, Mandarin, and a handful of other dominant global languages. For millions of Africans, that gap means the next generation of digital tools—from voice assistants to financial apps—may struggle to understand the languages they speak every day. Nigeria is now taking a step to change that. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with NKENNEAi, an African language artificial intelligence platform, to build the infrastructure needed to support AI…

Nigeria’s formal exit came at the FATF plenary in Paris on October 24, 2025, when the country was removed from the grey list after completing a 19-point action plan aimed at strengthening its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing framework. The reforms were the result of a two-year effort involving multiple agencies, coordinated largely through the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU). The NFIU upgraded its goAML intelligence platform, expanded data-sharing across financial regulators, and deepened Nigeria’s engagement with the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), FATF’s regional body. By the time of the October plenary, Nigeria…