Telecom
Airtel Begins ‘5 Days of Love’ Yuletide Initiative

Telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, commences the 2020 edition of its annual ‘5 Days of Love’ Yuletide initiative today with a focus on providing palliative packs to five thousand persons across five Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the country.
Speaking during a virtual press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, said despite the pandemic and a difficult year, Airtel will continue its long standing tradition of celebrating and empowering the vulnerable and underprivileged during Yuletide.
“Our resolve to Nigeria and Nigerians is unshakeable. Despite a difficult year, we are committed to making lives better for many Nigerians and we will not rest on our laurels as we will continue to create opportunities for underprivileged Nigerians.
“We believe little things can make a difference and as we continue to support the vulnerable and the underprivileged in our society, events will take a positive turn. At Airtel, we believe that to be great, we must first be good. It is in this spirit that we have chosen to celebrate this Yuletide with underprivileged and underserved persons across the country,” he said.
Airtel says it will be distributing food palliative packs to 5,000 vulnerable families in IDP camps across the country. 1,000 palliative packs will be distributed to select IDP camps in 5 cities across the country over a period of 5 days.
Currently in its sixth year, the 2020 edition of the ‘5 Days of Love’ initiative kicks off in Benue state today Friday, 18th December, 2020 at the Daudu IDP camp and will move to Edo state on Tuesday, 22nd December, at the International Christian Centre Benin city as well as in Borno State at the Teacher’s village same day.
On Wednesday 23rd December, the distribution will be concluded at the Abbari YBC camp in Yobe state, and likewise in Kaduna state at the Sabin Tasha camp, just in time for Christmas.
Ogunsanya also assured that Airtel will continue to collaborate and partner with the government in the ongoing fight against Coronavirus, noting that the fight against the dreaded virus is not over yet.
He also highlighted some definitive steps Airtel had taken to curtail the spread of the virus.
“Although I do not like throwing figures, we expended over N1.97Bn providing relief for Nigerians during the lockdown and at the height of the pandemic. My colleagues, from their pockets, donated N20m to provide relief materials for indigent persons during the lockdown.
“We also donated N50m each to the Lagos State Government and the Ogun State Government in their fight against COVID-19. We are currently renovating an Infectious Disease Centre at the Lagos State University and we have committed N200m to the project.
“Airtel further committed various sums and support in kind covering donations to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health and Port Health Authority, State Governments, the Federal Governments just as we also reached out to our dear customers by offering free Short Message Service (SMS) worth over N1.2Bn,” he noted.
Telecom
Meta, FMCIDE Unveil AI Accelerator to Drive Innovation in Nigeria

Meta, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE), has launched the Llama Impact Accelerator Program to foster AI-driven solutions across critical sectors in Nigeria.
The eight-month program will support early-stage startups developing AI innovations using Meta’s open-source Llama models. Target sectors include Agriculture, Security & Safety, Healthcare, and a wildcard category for other high-impact applications.
Speaking at the launch, Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, emphasized the initiative’s role in advancing Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. “We are thrilled to partner with FMCIDE in supporting local AI talent. Open-source AI should be accessible and relevant to national challenges,” she said.
The program will begin with a six-week incubation period, offering technical training and mentorship from industry experts, followed by six months of extended support, including access to technical resources.
Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, hailed the initiative as a “major step forward” in Nigeria’s AI development strategy. “AI will be a key driver of national growth, and this program equips innovators with the tools to tackle pressing issues,” Tijani stated.
The Llama Impact Accelerator aligns with Meta’s broader mission to democratize responsible AI access while fostering innovation in emerging markets.
In collaboration with academic and government stakeholders, the initiative is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s AI industry and drive impactful change.
Applications for the program remain open until June 27, 2025. More details can be found at llamaimpactssa.splashthat.com.
Telecom
Nigeria Leads the Charge in Green Innovation @MTN’s Africa PachiPanda Challenge

In an era where climate change, youth unemployment, and food insecurity loom large over the continent, a powerful new force is rising — young African innovators building a green future from the ground up.
At the just-concluded Africa PachiPanda Challenge 2024, organised by MTN and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), Nigerian entrepreneur, Olabisi Rafatu Emmanuel, emerged as one of the continent’s top eco-champions, spotlighting the potential of purpose-driven innovation to rewrite Nigeria’s climate and development story.
While Moses Afopezi of Cameroon took home the top prize with AgricFresh, a smart solution combating post-harvest loss, Olabisi’s reusable menstrual products solutions as a waste transformation model earned her national applause and a seat at Africa’s sustainability table, emerging as the second-place winner.
Speaking during the announcement, MTN’s leadership underscored that this challenge goes far beyond accolades. “Together, we have the power to shape a greener, more sustainable Africa — one bold idea at a time,” Nompilo Morafo, Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, MTN, said.
The triumph comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with the environmental menace of climate change in major urban hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, even as the Nigerian government is clamouring for smart innovations to address climate change issues such as climate funding, carbon trading and just energy transition.
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) recently reiterated calls for tech-based waste management solutions – making Olabisi’s innovation timely and impactful.
MTN says this is just the beginning. With plans to expand the PachiPanda Challenge to more countries and deepen support for eco-entrepreneurs, the telecoms giant is reaffirming its commitment to socio-economic development through green innovation.
As Nigeria sets its sights on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the PachiPanda story is a timely reminder that the answers may lie not in government halls – but in the dreams and drive of Nigeria’s young changemakers.
Telecom
Zinox Technologies Collaborates with FGN for VivaTech Paris 2025

In what could be a turning point for Nigeria’s global tech ambitions, Zinox Technologies, a strategic integrated tech solution company and pride of Nigeria ICT ecosystem has been officially invited to represent Nigeria at VivaTech Paris 2025, one of the world’s largest technology and innovation events.
The invitation, extended in partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, is seen as a strategic endorsement of Zinox’s over two decades track record of delivering digital infrastructure, innovation, and enterprise solutions across the country for government, corporates and homes including some African countries.
The four-day event, taking place from June 11–14, 2025, is a major fixture in the global tech calendar, drawing startups, corporates, investors, and tech leaders from across the world. Zinox is expected to engage with international players at its assigned booth while showcasing flagship projects and solutions that reflect Nigeria’s evolving digital capacity.
“Zinox represents the kind of indigenous innovation the world needs to see more of — practical, scalable, and deeply rooted in local challenges,” said one of the international event leads, who confirmed their excitement about Zinox’s participation. “It’s a unique opportunity to place African tech at the centre of global conversations.”
From Local Execution to Global Attention
Zinox’s reputation has largely been built on its ability to execute high-impact, often mission-critical tech projects for both public and private sector players. The company is known for powering most government and corporate sector tech infrastructure rolling out the most integrated ICT projects and partnering global manufacturers with it’s iPower renewable energy solutions. Zinox is credited with transitioning Nigeria from analogue to digital democracy, amongst many other critical projects for companies like Chevron, Shell, FIRS, CBN, NPC, and educational institutions just to mention a few.
Its inclusion at VivaTech reflects growing international curiosity about Nigeria’s digital innovation and infrastructure story, particularly from brands that have built success indigenously.
Konga, the e-Commerce Engine, Joins the Spotlight
In an interesting strategic angle, Zinox will also showcase Konga, the composite e-commerce group it acquired in 2018. The move united two major tech forces under one umbrella and enabled a fusion of logistics, fintech, and commerce with Zinox’s core technology expertise.
Since the acquisition, Konga has benefited from infrastructural reinforcements, platform upgrades and supply chain optimization, becoming Nigeria’s most efficient digital marketplace.
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