Telecom
Plaqad Launches SocialCred, A Tool To Rank Online Clout
Plaqad, Africa’s leading marketing technology company has launched SocialCred, the continent’s first-ever social media clout ranking app.
The SocialCred works by assigning and summing up points across key metrics such as engagement rate, number of followers, audience sentiment, and number of impressions among others to determine an individual’s social media popularity and influence.
Based on the total points amassed, the individual is then awarded one of ten ranks and a cool badge they can share with their friends and fans on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Whatsapp.
Users are able to rank their social media pages or those of others on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube and also compare two influencers side-by-side to determine the most popular of the two.
Aside from the fun element to the app, SocialCred serves an important function of helping brands assess and select influencers based on the strength of the influencer’s popularity across four of the biggest social media platforms today: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.
By offering growth and monetization tips, the app also helps influencers, content creators and regular social media users grow their pages, improve audience engagement and better monetize their influence through partnerships with brands.
Gbenga Sogbaike, co-founder & CEO of Plaqad the creators of SocialCred said, “SocialCred takes a fun and exciting approach to rank social media popularity and influence and we are very glad about how quickly it has been accepted by social media users worldwide.
“In its first week, we expect no less than 100,000 people to use the tool and share their badges on social media.
“The app is a product of over three months of high-level product engineering by a team of super-smart and experienced engineers, product developers and expert PR professionals and beside the cool factor, SocialCred provides brands and influencers a transparent and very accurate way to analyse social media influence and prevent fraud which is a major drawback for the influencer marketing industry.” He concluded.
Through its online platform, Plaqad facilitates seamless collaboration between social media influencers, content creators, and owners of media inventories, and brands looking to engage consumers and reach new audiences at scale.
Today, Plaqad, strengthened by a community of over 15,000 influencers, creators, and publishers, has successfully placed over 25,000 pieces of content on social and web platforms across four continents, and directly paid out over 200 million naira ($570,000) on hundreds of campaigns to members, effectively helping its programme members monetize their content, platform and influence.
According to a new report “Martech: 2020 and Beyond” collaboratively produced by BDO, WARC, and the University of Bristol, the global spend on marketing technology is $121.5 billion. This represents a significant share of the global advertising market estimated to be worth US$ 560 billion in 2019 by Statista.
In addition, the Financial Times in a recent post projects the value of the global influencer market — another area where Plaqad features prominently — to reach $15 billion by 2022.
With the covid19 pandemic necessitating prolonged social distancing and lockdown measures across the globe, traditional means of marketing like events, out-of-home and newspapers have suffered setbacks as consumer behaviour continues to change.
Companies like Plaqad which are at the forefront of digital media technology will help marketers, influencers, brands and the government to navigate the new reality.
With social media usage by consumers on a steady rise this period — 61% over normal usage rates according to research firm Kantar — brands are leaning into influencer marketing to deliver relevant and consistent messages that keep their audiences engaged amid the coronavirus crisis and they look up to marketing tech companies like Plaqad to navigate the new normal.
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.
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.
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.
China Expands Zero-Tariff Trade for Nigeria, 52 Other African Nations
Sterling Bank Pledges ₦2bn to Fully Fund University Scholarships
MTN Nigeria Unveils CPaaS Platform to Transform Business Communication
Aliko Dangote Signs out @ Dangote Sugar Refinery as Chairman
Court Declines Access Bank’s Request to Freeze MTNN Account over N180Bn Claims
General News2 days agoAfDB to Provide $184.1mfor Africa’s Largest Solar Energy, Battery Storage Project
News2 days agoReport Reveals New Malware Posing as an AI Assistant Steals User Data
General News2 days agoCourt Declines Access Bank’s Request to Freeze MTNN Account over N180Bn Claims
Telecom2 days agoMTN Mulls Establishment of Fintech Firm in Nigeria, Others
E-Business2 days agoFG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps
News2 days agoAliko Dangote Signs out @ Dangote Sugar Refinery as Chairman
E-Financial2 days agoFG to Train 100,000 Youths Annually in Forex Trading and Financial Skills
E-Financial1 day agoSterling Bank Pledges ₦2bn to Fully Fund University Scholarships