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Airtel Unveils ‘Catapult-a-Startup’, Entrepreneurship Initiative

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(L-r):  Shelley Chaudhary, managing Director, Seven Colours Digital Ltd, Zainab Baruwa-Abiola, head, HNI & High Value Acquisition Strategy, Airtel,  Nitin Anand, Vice President, Data & Innovation, Airtel,Olubunmi Ekundare, managing director, Intel, Francis Ebuehi, Vice President, Value Added Services, Airtel, Alex Dadson, MD, Blue Management Group,  at the media launch of Airtel’s Catapult-a-Startup entrepreneurial initiative held on Wednesday in Lagos.
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Airtel Nigeria, leading telecoms operator,  has launched an entrepreneurial initiative tagged ‘Catapult-a-Startup,’ a platform which aims to inspire innovation and assist  start up mobile app developers towards actualising their business goals and dreams.

With this, Airtel is offering a platform for budding mobile app developers to receive advanced mentoring from industry veterans, funding, marketing, and also improve their skills to become successful using their creativity.

To participate in the programme, interested start-ups are to submit their ideas and presentations to the ‘Catapult-a-Startup’ website www.cas.ng, for evaluation.

After the initial evaluation, selected start-ups will be invited to pitch their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges who will do a thorough evaluation and select the best start up proposals.

The promoters of the selected start up proposals will be subsequently supported with a cash prize of one million naira, mentoring, funding, marketing and a chance to integrate their developed apps and services on the Airtel platform gaining direct access to the Telco’s large customer base.

Speaking during the launch in Lagos, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, managing director and chief executive officer, Airtel Nigeria, explained that Airtel as an innovative and forward thinking brand initiated the programme in line with its vision to encourage innovation and empower young Nigerians by creating opportunities for them to bring their business ideas to fruition.

The MD/CEO represented by Nitin Anand, vice president, Data & Innovation, Airtel, at the media launch of the initiative on Wednesday said, “At Airtel, we are passionate about building a community for young talented Nigerians. We are aware of the abundance of young people who are blessed with the skills to develop relevant apps with most of them not having the opportunity to showcase or develop their skills.

“Through theCatapult-a-Startup programme, we aim not only to identify talent, but also to encourage local content. The apps and services developed by these start-ups will ride on Airtel’s superior 3.75G network in Nigeria and the large customer base. Airtel will continue to go the extra mile at empowering them to succeed in their respective endeavours.”

The Catapult-a-Startup is uniquely geared towards empowering Nigerians especially those with superior business acumen and it is open to all tech-savvy apps developers across Nigeria which ties well with Airtel Nigeria’s vision of being the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians.

It would be recalled that early this year, Airtel in partnership with Google, sponsored the GoogleCloud Developer Challenge which provided opportunities for thousands of young Nigerians to improve their skills in Apps development.

The Google Cloud Developer contest saw the emergence of three winners who developed creative Apps with distinct features.

They were rewarded with exciting cash prizes to enable them to further improve their skills and become entrepreneurs.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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MTN Nigeria Unveils CPaaS Platform to Transform Business Communication

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At the recently concluded NextNow Business Forum in Victoria Island, MTN Nigeria electrified the business community with a live demonstration of its forthcoming Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), a solution engineered to redefine how Nigerian enterprises connect with their customers.

Unlike traditional communication systems, MTN’s CPaaS is built for the realities of a mobile-first market. The platform unifies SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email, and more into a single, intuitive interface. This approach is especially significant in Nigeria, with over 107 million internet users, 45.4% of the total population, according to Data Report. This figure underscores the necessity for businesses to meet customers where they are.

During the demo, attendees witnessed how CPaaS enables two-way, real-time conversations between brands and customers. The platform’s support for rich media, instant analytics, and seamless integration with business workflows drew particular attention. These features are designed to empower businesses with data-driven insights and the agility to personalise every interaction, whether it’s a service notification, marketing campaign, or customer support exchange.

Akinbulejo Onabolu, Head of Enterprise Segment at MTN Nigeria, articulated the vision: “CPaaS gives enterprises the flexibility to interact with their customers on their preferred platforms; whether it’s chat, voice, or messaging, in a way that feels personal and immediate. We’re looking forward to the value this will unlock for businesses across industries once it launches.”

The fireside chat added depth to the conversation, with Omowunmi Olatunbosun, Head of SME Segment at MTN Nigeria, and Stephen Agbi of Bayobab, highlighting how digital engagement bridges the gap between businesses and audiences.

They emphasised that today’s consumers demand immediacy, relevance, and ease, qualities that CPaaS is built to deliver.

The stakes for digital transformation in Nigeria are high. In a report by Punch, the country’s enterprise tech market is projected to reach $22 billion by 2027, reflecting a surge in demand for scalable, cloud-based solutions that drive efficiency and customer loyalty.

The CPAAS Acceleration Alliance have estimated that globally, the CPaaS market is expected to grow from $14.7 billion in 2025 to $72.4 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 18.4%, a testament to the platform’s transformative potential.

The event’s closing keynote from META’s Korhan Yunak reinforced the strategic value of digital channels like WhatsApp, which are now indispensable for business communication and engagement at scale.

As MTN Nigeria prepares for the Q3 2025 launch, the anticipation is unmistakable. With its promise of flexibility, intelligence, and seamless integration, MTN’s CPaaS platform is set to become the backbone of next-generation business-customer engagement in Nigeria, enabling enterprises to not just communicate but to connect, adapt, and grow in a digital-first era.


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MTN Mulls Establishment of Fintech Firm in Nigeria, Others

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MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.

According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.

If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.

Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.

The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.

Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.

MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.

“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.

 


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Netflix Expands European Presence with €1 Billion Investment in Spain

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Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.

The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.

Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.

Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.

Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.

The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.

The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.


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