Author: Insider Editor

Africa’s most heavily funded defence technology startup, Terra Industries, is expanding its manufacturing footprint with a new 34,000-square-foot drone factory in Accra, Ghana, in what the company says will become the largest facility of its kind on the continent once operational in June 2026. The facility, called Pax-2, marks Terra’s first production site outside Nigeria and more than doubles the size of its existing 15,000-square-foot factory in Abuja. The company says the new plant is designed to scale output to about 50,000 drone units annually by 2028, as demand for unmanned aerial systems continues to rise across security and industrial…

Central Bank and the Nigerian Communications Commission have signed a new agreement aimed at tightening oversight of digital financial transactions by giving banks real-time access to telecom data, in a move designed to plug one of the most exploited gaps in the country’s payments system. At the heart of the Memorandum of Understanding is a data-sharing framework known as the Telecom Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS). The system will allow banks and other financial institutions to instantly verify the status of mobile numbers used in transactions checking whether a number has been recently swapped, recycled, flagged for suspicious activity, or…

A student from the University of Lagos has emerged winner of the Red Bull Basement Nigeria finals after developing a device that can detect illness in livestock before visible symptoms appear. The winner, Jesutofunmi Oniyide, a final-year mechatronics engineering student, outperformed more than 3,000 applicants with his innovation Vital-Tag, a smart livestock monitoring system designed to reduce losses for farmers. The device is worn around an animal’s neck and continuously tracks key health indicators such as temperature, heart rate, and feeding patterns. The information is then transmitted to farmers via SMS alerts, giving them early warnings that can help prevent…

In the southeastern part of Nigeria Enugu. In communities where public schools have long struggled with poor infrastructure and outdated teaching, new buildings are rising. Modern, well-equipped, and designed for a different kind of learning. Inside these classrooms, the contrast is clear. Interactive boards have replaced chalkboards. Science labs, digital libraries, and innovation studios are now part of the learning environment. In some cases, children who once spent their days hawking goods in nearby markets are now seated at desks, navigating lessons on computer screens. The state government plans to build 260 smart schools one in each ward, in what…

The biggest telecom operators are hitting pause on one of their most popular services, airtime and data loans as they adjust to stricter consumer lending rules. MTN Nigeria suspended its Xtratime service on Thursday, with Airtel Nigeria following a day later. Both companies say the move is temporary and aimed at aligning with new regulatory requirements, while customers can still buy airtime and data through regular channels. The shift is tied to new guidelines introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission under the Digital, Electronic, Online, or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025. These rules now bring airtime and…

Kenya’s data protection regulator has moved to escalate action against directors of LOLC Microfinance Bank, recommending prosecution after the lender failed to respond to an official inquiry into its handling of personal data. In a decision dated April 14, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) found that the bank unlawfully processed a former employee’s personal information by publishing it in public notices without consent or a valid legal basis. The regulator has also ordered the bank to delete the data within 14 days. The case highlights a tougher enforcement approach under Kenya’s data protection framework, where penalties are…

Abakar Mahamat was studying IT engineering at ISGA (Institut Supérieur des Génies et des Affaires), he didn’t plan to build medical kiosks, he initially wanted to create an app to connect patients to doctors in Chad. But that idea quickly ran into reality. With limited internet access and low smartphone penetration, a digital-only solution wouldn’t reach the people who needed it most. Healthcare access in Chad is already strained, with just 0.8 physicians per 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation. Mahamat realised that proper diagnosis required more than video calls patients needed access to basic medical tools like…

Sama is set to lay off more than 1,100 employees in Nairobi after Meta moved to terminate a key content moderation and data annotation contract. The San Francisco headquartered outsourcing firm said it has issued formal redundancy notices to 1,108 workers at its Nairobi delivery centre, most of whom were assigned to the now-ended project. The layoffs are expected to take effect later this month, in line with Kenyan labour regulations. The development delivers a fresh setback to Kenya’s fast-growing, yet fragile, AI outsourcing sector. While the country has positioned itself as a key hub in the global artificial intelligence…

Over 80% of ride-hailing transactions in South Africa are still paid in cash, highlighting a stark contrast with Nigeria’s rapidly digitising market, according to a joint report by Bolt and Ipsos. While South Africa leans heavily on cash, over 85% of ride-hailing trips in Nigeria are completed through digital payments. The gap reflects deeper structural differences in how the gig economy operates across both countries. In Nigeria, ride-hailing makes up 24% of a $5.17 billion gig economy that supports roughly 3 million workers. E-commerce leads the space, accounting for 38% of activity. By comparison, South Africa’s gig economy is valued…

A new ruling by Kenya’s Tax Appeals Tribunal could reshape how income earned abroad is taxed especially for Nairobi’s growing community of remote workers and global-facing businesses. In a March 26 decision, the tribunal ruled in favour of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in a KES 1.9 billion ($14.6 million) case involving German engineering firm H.P. Gauff Ingenieure. At the heart of the judgment was a key idea: companies can’t avoid Kenyan taxes simply because their projects are located outside the country if core decisions are being made from within Kenya. According to the tribunal, if a business is managed…