Telecom
Founder Institute, Semicolon Partner to Provide Early-Stage Startups with Technical Resources

The Founder Institute, world’s largest pre-seed accelerator program, and Semicolon, an organisation turning Africa’s vibrant youth population into an army of technologists – software developers, enterprise architects, project managers, etc., are announcing a local partnership to further connect early-stage startups with technical resources.
As part of this partnership, the two organizations are announcing a mutual partnership to collaborate and work with aspiring software engineers and entrepreneurs in the tech ecosystem through Founder Institute program and Semicolon’s Techpreneurship program in Lagos, Nigeria.
“A country’s greatest investment is in its people and we must do what we can at all times to drive it—drive them.” – Semicolon
Founder Institute and Semicolon will collaborate to support and provide resources for the 40+ startups joining Founder Institute Lagos each year.
In addition to supporting startup founders throughout Lagos, a goal of this initiative will be to [train entrepreneurs from the idea stage to early company stage/equip individuals with problem-solving skills for society].
According to Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr, regional director, Founder Institute, “we are proud of the value Semicolon has added so far.
“This collaboration will in no small way increase the value both organisations can offer the ecosystem because the connection between a world-class curriculum and quality technical resources will result in the creation of great companies in a very short time”.
For early-stage founders and teams up to the challenge, the Founder Institute’s comprehensive step-by-step program provides the structure, mentor support, and global network of entrepreneurs needed to start an enduring company.
The Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that focuses on people versus ideas, accepts founders with day jobs, and shares equity with all participants.
Founder Institute Graduate companies include fast-rising startups across 6 continents like Udemy, Realty Mogul, Travelcar, goplaceit, Appota, and many more.
Semicolon achieves its aim through an intensive 12-month programme, we train Nigerians in core IT skills (such as software development, enterprise architecture and project management), as well as leadership, entrepreneurship and business management skills.
Semicolon students work on innovation-oriented projects, take internships and work with mentors to develop hands-on experience, build their professional networks and develop innovative technical solutions to the world’s problems.
Telecom
Kenya Beats Nigeria As the Most Progressive ICT Regulation in Africa

Kenya is celebrating its regulatory ecosystem being ranked as the most progressive in Africa. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ranked the East African country first in its most recent ICT Regulatory Tracker.
ITU’s ICT Regulatory Tracker is an evidence-gathering tool for decision-makers and regulators. It demonstrates the effectiveness of regulatory systems in the age of technology.
The ITU evaluates the design of the national regulatory authority, the scope of the regulatory mandate, the obtaining regulatory environment, and the robustness of the competition framework in member countries.
Kenya received 93 points, up from 92 in 2023, and now leads the continent in best practices for ICT regulations.
Nigeria and South Africa finished second and third, with 92 and 88 points respectively. Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal complete the top 10 list.
Globally, Kenya was ranked 20th out of 194 countries covered.Italy led the rankings, with 100 points.
The regulator, Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya, said the achievement underscored Kenya’s commitment to creating a robust, technology-neutral regulatory environment that supports innovation, affordability and access.
Steve Isaboke, permanent secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications, visited CA Centre in Nairobi following the announcement on Thursday.
“The ranking is a clear testament of the excellent work that CA has done in spearheading Kenya’s digital transformation and driving digital access for all,” he said.
“After 25 years, CA’s regulatory regime has attained maturity, and gained global recognition. This ranking shows that the CA staff and leadership are executing their work diligently.”
Telecom
MTN’s Female Leadership Surges to 41.4%, Doubles Industry Average

MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced a significant increase in female representation within its leadership, with women now making up 41.4% of its workforce, a notable rise from 38.7% in 2023.
This figure reportedly doubles the industry average, positioning MTN Nigeria as a frontrunner in gender diversity within Nigeria’s ICT sector.
The company’s recently released 2024 Annual Report highlights its sustained commitment to workplace inclusion and gender equality, aligning with its “Ambition 2025” strategy. Female representation within the executive management team has reached approximately 46.7%.
MTN Nigeria attributes this progress to dedicated initiatives aimed at empowering women professionally. These include the “Women in Tech” programme, which provides targeted upskilling in high-demand fields such as Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, AI/ML, Data Science, and Cyber Security.
The “MTN Y’ello Mums Internship Programme” also supports young mothers in their transition back into the corporate world after career breaks.
Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the MTN Foundation, was recognised as the CSI Personality of the Year at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecoms Awards (NTITA), further underscoring the company’s impactful social initiatives.
Additionally, Uto Ukpanah, the company secretary, received the inaugural Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award from the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).
Speaking at a recent conference, Odunayo Sanya, emphasised the importance of balancing profitability and sustainability equation, saying, “Businesses today need to be purpose-driven. While the soul of business is profitability, it is not profitability alone that should matter to stakeholders.”
Uto Ukpanah, added, “Showcasing our corporate values and ethos to the world opens the door for greater collaboration with other organisations, as we believe there’s a lot to learn when we all come together. Governance continues to evolve. The challenges today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Greater accountability is expected, and companies can only continue to do better.”
The company’s broader efforts in diversity and inclusion have been acknowledged with multiple accolades, including the Corporate Responsibility Award. MTN Nigeria also received the “Employer of the Year” award at the 4th Edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Employers’ Excellence Awards.
Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, in the report, reiterated the company’s commitment to building a purpose-driven organisation, emphasising that its success is intrinsically linked to its people and their dedication to a shared vision.
“Since we initiated our culture transformation journey in 2021, our culture transformation has significantly enhanced employee engagement and organisational cohesion. It’s directly strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding business performance and drive sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
Telecom
TikTok Rolls Out Personalization Tools for Nigerian Users


To help users better understand how the For You feed works, TikTok is also rolling out a comprehensive educational guide. This resource will equip users with practical tips and tools to effectively understand and personalise their feeds in one convenient place.
The guide will include features that show why content was recommended, and educational videos that have received over 180 million views around the world. The new updates are eligible for both teen and adult accounts, building on tools and safeguards that help people have a great For You feed experience. These include:
- Applying strict For You feed eligibility standards to restrict content that isn’t appropriate for a general audience from recommendation in For You feeds and working to prevent content with mature or complex themes from reaching teens through Content Levels.
- Offering additional For You feed tools to help people refresh their For You feed, indicate they’re “not interested” in a video or turn on Restricted Mode to further limit content that may not be comfortable for broad audiences.
- Taking steps to interrupt frequent recommendations of some types of content that may be problematic if seen too often.
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