Telecom
Annual DigitalPayExpo Set to hold from 5th – 7th June 2018
Preparations are in top gear to host the annual DigitalPayExpo 2018. According to Intermarc the organizers of the African destination trade show for payment industry the 18th edition of the event will aggregate the energy of this era and capture the waves of technology and lifestyles; and present an encompassing worldview for the emerging approaches to payment and enterprise.
The theme for this year is Innovative Financial Services for the Vast Unserved Segments scheduled to hold from 5th – 7th June 2018 at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites Victoria Island Lagos.
Despite remarkable efforts at ensuring innovative financial services reach the unbanked and underserved, multiplicity of regulations, long distances to service points and high costs of financial services continue to hinder financial inclusion, hence the need to bring this seemingly over-flogged issue to the front burner once again.
DigitalPayExpo 2018, in line with continuing its tradition of excellence, presents a boutique of avenues to harvest the opportunities being offered in informal sector of the unbanked markets.
Never in the history of the African Continent has technology and society had such a seamless relationship as we see today and this presents a curious need to explore digital financial services in tackling an age-long issues of inclusion.
Happening along with this bold inroad into the unserved segments are the collocated events happening simultaneously at DigitalPayExpo viz The Fintech StartUp Challenge which will give opportunity to millennials with micro payment solutions and ideas to pitch their solutions and stand a chance of being incubated at a national hub.
Others include the DataFiesta an initiative promoting global connectivity and access to the internet and the PayExpo Dinner and Awardsa ceremony to sum up the three day experience in celebrating meritorious achievements and contributions to the industry.
START-UP CHALLENGE
What’s the next market-ready idea we can’t wait to adopt for payment industry? We wait to know at DigitalPayExpo2018, as an audience of 5,000+ millennials lookout for the Next-Big-Thing in Fintech at the Fintech Start-up Challenge.
Start-up challenge is a competitive route to identifying, evaluating and supporting innovative ideas relevant to Enterprise, Governance and social development in Nigeria.
It is a call for start-ups and entrepreneurs to propose their innovative micro-payment solutions with the aim of transforming enterprise and services in Nigeria.
DATA FIESTA
The Data Fiesta is another of the multipronged approaches needed to tackle the connectivity gap across Africa.
The technological skill gap beef-up across Africa can properly be premised on increased interest in technology generally.
We believe universal access to the internet can pique the interest for technology adoption and skill development in the African youths.
Airtel Nigeria, telecom service provider, has announced that its AI-powered Spam Alert Service issued over 9.6 million spam alerts between March 13 and May 20, 2025.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting customers from unwanted and potentially fraudulent communications, Airtel designed the AI Spam Alert service to analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies.
In the period since launch the AI pinpointed a total of 9,667,008 SMS as potential spam messages in the two months after its launch.
Of these, the system identified 528,080 on-net (Airtel-to-Airtel) and 9,138,928 off-net (from other networks) numbers as suspected spam messages, demonstrating the scale of the threat and Airtel’s advanced processing capability.
Airtel Nigeria is a subsidiary of Airtel Africa.
Commenting on this development, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, restated Airtel`s commitment to protecting its customers.
“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our AI-driven infrastructure in combating the growing menace of spam and scam calls. At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network.
“We understand that trust is the cornerstone of digital communication. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in intelligent systems that not only detect potential threats but also learn and evolve with data. As threats become more sophisticated, so will our solutions. As a company, we remain focused on leading the industry in innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring that every Nigerian can enjoy a safer and smarter digital experience,” Mr. Balsingh said.
The Spam Alert Service is part of Airtel Nigeria’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its core offerings to deliver smarter and safer experiences for its customers across the country.
Recall that the Spam Alert Service was launched on March 13, 2025. A groundbreaking and free solution from Airtel, it notifies users in real-time of suspected spam SMS messages by analyzing over 250 parameters.
The Airtel AI Spam Alert Service is available to all Airtel subscribers on smartphones and feature phones.
Vitel Wireless Limited, pioneer mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Nigeria has made another history by announcing the successful completion of interconnectivity with all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.
Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless
Recall that Vitel Wireless, became the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator to receive a dedicated number series (0712) from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This breakthrough enables Vitel Wireless subscribers to make and receive calls with users on MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), and 9mobile Nigeria.
It also marks the first time an MVNO in the country has successfully interconnected with all the major MNOs, setting a new precedent for Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Following the NCC’s licensing of 46 MVNOs, Vitel Wireless continues to lead the way in establishing a dynamic MVNO sector in Nigeria—Africa’s largest market and most populous nation.
The company has already achieved several historic firsts: the first MVNO issued a numbering plan and national and international routing codes, the first to launch a location awareness network in Africa, and the first to unveil a strategic nationwide rollout plan.
“We are gathering momentum for our big launch,” said Kenneth Emeka Nwabueze, chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless.
“We are proud to be showing what’s possible for MVNOs, while also creating a path for others to follow. By leveraging our years of experience in Nigeria’s telecom industry, we are opening up new possibilities where there used to be none.”
Interconnectivity was achieved through a combination of direct fiber connections with some MNOs and indirect routing via third-party providers.
This milestone was the result of a collaborative effort involving engineers from Vitel Wireless, Wireless Technology Labs (WTL), and Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria (ICN), working closely with engineers from MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile.
“We wish to thank the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, for their timely interventions and guidance, which were instrumental in achieving this interconnectivity and bringing the formal launch of the Vitel Wireless nationwide network one step closer to reality,” said Nwabueze.
The company entered a nationwide pilot phase in May 2025, with plans for a full rollout in July 2025, aiming to deliver next-generation mobile services to millions across Nigeria.
Layer3 Limited, One of Nigeria’s foremost ICT solutions providers, has once again solidified its place as a trailblazer in Africa’s technology landscape, emerging as the Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year and Leadership Award in Cloud Services at the prestigious African Beacon of ICT Leadership and Awards held on May 24, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
This year’s event brought together leading tech innovators, policymakers, and thought leaders to recognize organizations making extraordinary contributions to Africa’s digital transformation.
Among the many luminaries in attendance, Layer3 stood out for its 19+ years of consistent innovation, technical excellence, and client-centered service delivery.
Speaking at the event, the organizers praised Layer3’s pioneering work in delivering robust enterprise solutions across sectors, as well as its bold leadership in advancing cloud infrastructure and services across Nigeria and beyond.
“These awards are more than recognitions, they are a reminder of the fulfilment to our mission to deliver peace of mind to our customers,” said David Ita, the Head of Strategy and Business Development of Layer3.
“They speak to the impact we’ve made and the promise we hold for the future of the cloud and enterprise technology business in Africa. We dedicate this honor to our clients, partners, and the hardworking Layer3 team who continue to redefine excellence every day.”
Since its founding, Layer3 has championed a future-forward approach to ICT services offering cutting-edge solutions in enterprise networking, cybersecurity, broadband, cloud computing, managed services, and IT advisory. The company’s Layer3Cloud platform and managed service offerings continue to power the digital ambitions of Nigeria’s leading businesses.
These accolades underscore Layer3’s unwavering commitment to driving transformation and supporting digital economies through smart, secure, and scalable technology.
NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres
Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Flags 9.6m Spam Attempts
Vitel Wireless Completes Interconnectivity with all Major Telcos in Nigeria
Nigeria Approves $500m for AfDB’s Trust Fund Replenishment over Next 15 Years
Nigeria Among Hotspots as Kaspersky Warns of Rising Ransomware Threat in Africa
E-Business2 days agoNigeria Launches Cybercrime Team with Commonwealth, UK Support
Telecom2 days agoTelecom Subscribers Decline By 43m in One Year
Telecom2 days agoNCC Orders Telcos to Compensate Subscribers for Outages More than 24 Hours
E-Financial2 days agoSERAP Drags CBN to Court over Alleged Failure to Disclose LG Allocations
General News2 days agoHEDA Sues FG, Oil Giants over Alleged Unlawful Oil Licence Transfer
Telecom2 days agoIHS Nigeria, NSCDC Partner to Protect Telecoms Infrastructure
Telecom1 day agoEngr. Ikechukwu Nnamani Receives Two Prestigious @ABoICT Awards
Telecom1 day agoFG to Deploy 80 Percent of 7000 Telecom Towers to North