Telecom
NITDA Boss, Sterling Bank, The Nest, others Honoured at Nigeria Innovation Summit 2021

The Nigeria Innovation Summit 2021 (Virtual Edition) with the theme: Charting a New Economic Path Through Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, organized by InnovationHub Africa, and held on October 5-6, 2021 was successfully concluded with the participation of delegates and stakeholders across the globe, who connected virtually.

Some of the 2021 Nigeria Innovation Awardees
The Summit in its 6th year is an annual event that brings together stakeholders from different sectors of Nigeria’s economy to share ideas, trends, and opportunities around technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria.
The three-day event was dedicated to promote innovation in all sectors of the economy in Nigeria.
Highlights of the summit included Keynote Sessions and Presentations, Innovative Showcase by startups, NiX Talks, and Panel Discussions/Interactive Sessions which were given by distinguished speakers including Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi DG/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Lanre Ogungbe, CEO IdentityPass; Prof Tony Bailetti, Chair of the Board Nigeria-Canada Trade & Investment Group; Oluwajoba Oloba, Co-Founder, The Nest Technology Innovation Park; Prof. Isaac Abereijo, Director, Institute for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies (IFEDS), OAU; Dr. (Mrs) Erigbe Patience Ajirioghene, Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and General Studies, Mountain Top University; Dr. Stephen Oluwatobi, Board Chair, Hebron Startup Lab at Covenant University; Johnny Enagwolor, Co-founder Treepz; Bola Lawal, Co-founder & CEO, ScholarX; Bruno Woeran, Head, Research & Innovation, PMU, Austria.
The crowning of the Nigerian Innovation Summit (NIS) 2021, was The Nigeria Innovation Awards Night (NIAN) 2021.
The Nigeria Innovation Awards recognises and awards key innovators at the forefront of the Nigerian Innovation landscape, as well as disruptors bringing positive and empirical impacts as well as progressive solutions to unique challenges.
Of the hundreds nominated for the Nigerian Innovation Awards 2021, only ten organisations and individuals emerged worthy recipients of this year’s awards, given their impressive track record to innovatively tackle problems and measurable impacts in keeping the Nigerian innovation landscape sustainable.
The 2021 NIAN awardees include Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi for His Effort in Technology Development in Nigeria through NITDA. Sterling Bank Plc. for innovating consumer / retail banking with digital products; Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) For Pioneering & Supporting Startup Development in Nigeria’s Academic Environment; The Nest Innovation Hub for supporting innovation in the tech & startup ecosystem, Kudabank for innovating banking through digital bank, Chaka for innovating retail investment opportunities for Nigerians, Utiva for innovating education through Online Learning, Helpmum for Innovating maternal and infant health, Greenage Technologies, for innovating energy through indigenious smart solar inverters and Treepz for innovating mass transport through bus-hailing.
Speaking on the summit and the Nigeria Innovation Awards, Tony Ajah, Programme Director of Nigeria Innovation Summit said: “the submissions and recommendations from NIS 2021 proves that in this post-covid era, there is a need to build innovative business solutions, and develop an ecosystem in Nigeria across all sectors drive innovation by promoting local content development, and locally-relevant technological solutions.
“Key stakeholders and innovation actors must have a decentralised collaborative platform to exchange ideas and mobilise the increasing knowledge of innovation to greatly impact on the socio-economic development of Nigeria so that local innovation can solve local issues. This will improve performance across every sector of the economy.
“NITDA as an agency of government is poised to create opportunities for the development of homegrown technology solutions including the indigenous manufacture of competitive IT components, to meet the needs of the country, create jobs and wealth, compete globally and generate foreign exchange earnings. Other agencies of government are encouraged to emulate such initiatives.”
The Nigeria Innovation Summit 2021 had participation from 5 continents, delegates from government agencies, diplomats, academic communities and research institutes, international organisations, investors, innovators, business/thought leaders, innovators, startups and students.
And this year’s Summit received huge support from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); The Next Technology and Innovation Hub as partners, and was sponsored by IdentityPass and Sterling Bank Plc.
Telecom
MTN Nigeria Unveils CPaaS Platform to Transform Business Communication

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.
Telecom
MTN Mulls Establishment of Fintech Firm in Nigeria, Others

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.
Telecom
Netflix Expands European Presence with €1 Billion Investment in Spain

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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