Airtel Africa, a telecommunications and mobile money services provider with presence in 14 countries across the continent, has appointed of Dinesh Balsingh as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, effective 1st November 2024.  By this appointment, Balsingh also becomes a member of the Executive Council for the Airtel Africa Group.

He takes over from Carl Cruz, who returned to his home country, The Philippines, at the end of October.

Balsingh has extensive experience across the telecommunications industry and returns to Nigeria following his appointment as Managing Director and CEO of Airtel Tanzania in 2022. Prior to his move to Tanzania, he served as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Airtel Nigeria and therefore brings with him considerable experience of the Nigerian telecommunications market.

Balsingh’s career in the telecommunications industry spans over 24 years, having begun his career in 2000 with Hutchison Essar, before moving to Airtel India as a Marketing Director in 2006 and then Tata Docomo in 2011. Balsingh joined Airtel Nigeria as Marketing Director in 2013, before taking over as CCO in 2018.

During his tenure in Airtel Tanzania, Balsingh led the business to achieve record growth through intelligent pricing, product enhancements and disciplined execution of projects, resulting in strong Revenue Market Share (RMS) gains in the highly competitive market.

Speaking on the leadership changes, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar said, “Mr. Balsingh’s deep telecommunications experience and strong operational execution, combined with his knowledge of the Nigerian market, will be instrumental in further supporting our corporate purpose of transforming lives across Nigeria.”

Balsingh holds a Master of Business Administration from Thiagarajar School of Management.

Meta recently hosted its first Youth Summit in Lagos, Nigeria, bringing together over 200 young professionals, students, recent graduates, creatives, tech enthusiasts and aspiring entrepreneurs.

A cross-section of some of the attendees and the Meta team.

Themed ‘Empowering Youth Through Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship’, the summit included a series of thought-provoking panel discussions, a mentoring session and an interactive workshop designed to equip young Nigerians with the skills, insights and networks needed to thrive in today’s tech-driven world.

Commenting about the event, Phil Oduor, Head of Policy Programs, Sub-Saharan Africa said, “At Meta, we believe that today’s youth are tomorrow’s change-makers.

“Through initiatives like the Youth Summit, we aim to foster innovation, promote digital literacy and empower young Nigerians with the tools and opportunities to realise their potential and contribute to Nigeria’s growing digital economy.”

Delivering the keynote address, Femi Aluko, CEO/Co-Founder, Chowdeck, shared his journey of breaking barriers to achieve success in tech. He encouraged attendees to embrace the limitless opportunities within today’s technology ecosystem.

A panel discussion, led by Chinny Francis, Public Policy Manager at Meta, featured panellists Nifemi Akinwamide, Head of Operations, Alt School; Adaora Mbelu, Co-Founder of Lumination Global and Obaloluwa Adeagbo, Marketing Lead at Talstack.

They shared valuable insights about the future of work, emphasising the importance of storytelling to build a personal brand, practicing self-awareness, developing soft skills, lifelong learning and honing problem-solving skills to thrive in a digitally transformed world.

Francis Sani, Technical Adviser for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Capital at the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, spoke at the event.

He highlighted the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program, emphasising that the program aims to build Nigeria’s technical talent backbone to drive the digital economy and position Nigeria as a net talent exporter. He encouraged youth to take advantage of this opportunity.

Another panel of industry experts took the stage during the ‘Lunch and Learn: Navigating Entrepreneurship in a Rapidly Changing Landscape’ session, moderated by Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa at Meta.

Seye Bandele, CEO of PaidHR and Damilola Teidi-Ayoola, Head of Platform and Networks at Ventures Platform Fund, shared their invaluable insights.

Seye highlighted the importance of grit, curiosity and candour, while Damilola reinforced the need to understand one’s target audience, deliver value through their business and embrace data-driven decision-making in the dynamic entrepreneurial landscape.

The event also featured inspiring conversations with leading figures in the creative industry. Miss Techy, an award winning tech content creator and Salem King, a creator, storyteller, author and speaker, shared their experiences and advice on achieving long-term success.

Attendees also benefited from an interactive workshop and a mentoring session, where industry experts shared practical advice and strategies for entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts.

Meta’s Youth Summit 2024 highlights a commitment to driving positive change, championing youth empowerment and advancing economic opportunities in Nigeria. Through investments in key areas—such as the creative industry, digital literacy, economic impact and youth job training—Meta is dedicated to empowering young Nigerians to thrive in today’s tech-driven world.

Mastercard Academy, one of the leading providers of world-class training solutions in the payments space, has unveiled a free online financial literacy course: ‘Master Your Card: Finance Demystified’.

Designed in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the course aims to empower individuals with the financial knowledge needed to navigate complex personal finance tools and improve their overall financial well-being.

According to the latest S&P Global FinLit Survey, only 33% of adults – 35% of men and 30% of women – worldwide are financially literate. This means that around 3.5 billion adults, most of them in developing economies, lack an understanding of basic financial concepts.

Mastercard’s financial literacy program removes geographical barriers to financial education and promotes greater access to financial services in line with the company’s goal of connecting one billion individuals worldwide to the digital economy by 2025.

The engaging course features interactive lessons, quizzes and real-world examples across four key areas: electronic payments, budgeting, credit scores and financial security.

Available worldwide, the new proposition underscores the importance of education in advancing Mastercard’s mission to power economies and empower people on a global scale.

“At Mastercard, we are dedicated to democratizing financial literacy and ensuring that everyone has access to the tools they need to achieve their financial goals.

“Our new free online course removes the confusing jargon and cracks the code on everyday finances.

“This way, it equips individuals, particularly those in underserved communities and young adults, with the knowledge and tools needed to manage their personal finance with confidence, achieve their financial goals and avoid common financial pitfalls,” said Driss Belemlih, Executive Vice President of Customer Delivery, EEMEA at Mastercard.

Additionally, Mastercard’s customers can leverage the free access to the course to reach the unbanked, youth and gig worker segments in their regions, helping integrate them into the digital economy and establish brand affinity early on.

A report published in The World Bank Economic Review shows that individuals who participate in financial education programs are likely to see a significant improvement in their financial knowledge and adopt more positive financial behaviors.

Mastercard Academy offers access to on-demand and instructor-led training from over 200 experts across Mastercard’s global network.

Their comprehensive online learning platform equips the company’s customers and partners – and now also the public – with professional insights, skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the world of payments.