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Silicon Valley-based Founder Institute Launches Newest Chapter in Abuja

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The Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator, has announced that it is officially launching its newest chapter in Abuja, Nigeria. With plans to run two semesters annually, the Founder Institute aims to launch over 20 meaningful and enduring technology companies per year in Abuja.

Applications to the program are open now, and anyone interested in working with Abuja’s top startup mentors to launch a technology company is welcome to apply to the Abuja Founder Institute.

In order to celebrate the launch, the Abuja Founder Institute will host a series of free startup events for the general public, where attendees can learn how to build a company and learn more about the program.

For aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs up to the challenge, the Founder Institute’s 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, Zowasel, Limestart, Rentit, Athlst and many more.

In addition, the Abuja 2020 program will include the Founder Institute’s newest company-building curriculum suitable to address the needs of advanced founders (MVP stage) as well as aspiring new entrepreneurs at the idea-stage – a project just released this year in collaboration with hundreds of startup leaders across the globe.

The Abuja Chapter will once again be led by local startup leaders Abdulrazaq Ahmed (Founder, Work and connect Hub), Christian Ndubisi. (Co-founder, 42 NG), Fisayo Olabisi (CEO, TukioKonsults), Mohammed Ibrahim Jega,(Founder, StartupArewa).

According to Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. Regional Director, Founder Institute, “Startups in Abuja now have the unique opportunity of joining other startups in various other cities across the globe to benefit from FI’s hard-core, time tested curriculum and global network.”

Mentors who have expressed interest in helping Abuja Founder Institute participants include:
● Abdul Hakeem Ajijola: Chairman, Consultancy Support Services (CS2) Ltd
● Afolabi Imoukhede: CEO, MCS Consulting Limited
● Aituaz Kola Oladejo: Executive Director, Financial Services Innovators (FSI)
● AkindayoAkindolani: Founder, McAnderson Institute of Technology
● Anna Ekeledo: Executive Director , AfriLabs
● Ayodeji Abitogun: Lead Consultant, Management Edge
● Bankole Oloruntoba: CEO, Nigeria Climate Innovation Center
● Basil Udotai Esq.: Managing Partner , Technology Advisors
● ChiomaAgwuegbo: Founder, TechHer
● Collins Nwosu: Executive Director, P.R.I. global ventures limited
● DoyinAdewola: CEO, Box Office Hub
● Ife Adebayo: Special Assistant on Innovation & Entrepreneurship to the Nigerian Vice President, Vice President Office, Federal Republic of Nigeria
● Ifeoma Malo: CEO, Clean Technology Hub
● Kadir Salami: CEO, Techspecialist Consulting, Procurease
● Kola Aina: Founder, Ventures Platform
● Lanre Philips: CEO, Elpee Consults
● Lawrence Olawale Roberts: CEO , MicroBoss Technologies
● Louisa Ogwuru: Co-founder, Insiteful Solutions, Alfret.Ng
● Mercy Olorunfemi: Program Manager, Work and Connect
● Michael Oluwagbemi, Executive Partner, LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited
● Mohammed B. Hussaini: CEO, Cupious Energy
● Musa Ali Baba: CEO, Teasy Mobile
● Nkechi Oguchi: CEO, Ventures Park
● NkoyoEfretei: CEO, Insiteful Solutions and Talented Space
● Noel Akpata: CEO, Stratex Pro
● OsasenagaEnogieru: National Program Manager, Wennovation Hub
● OyajeIdoko: CEO, Layer3 Tech
● Philip Agbese Jnr.: Founder, CAVIC.
● Raji Mohammed: Co-Founder, MyLearningAcademy
● Saidu Abdullahi: Head of Partnerships, Next Billion Users, Google
● Simiola Olusola: Founder, Aspilos Foundation
● And many more to be announced.

Abuja being the capital city isn’t just a civil servants’ city anymore. The city is characterized by a constant influx of fresh young entrepreneurs looking to launch new businesses and to collaborate with the government and its parastatals.

With the launch of government-funded projects like StartUp Fridays (A platform that enables young entrepreneurs to pitch their startups, receive feedback and network with potential investors), it is obvious that the government is always ready to provide support for tech entrepreneurs and established businesses in Abuja.

Startups need more than just money in Abuja. They need a framework and a community to support their ideas and to help them build a valuable network.

The city’s unique combination of entrepreneurial energy, quality of life and a supportive government makes it a perfect place for entrepreneurs trying to build a more liveable future.

Anybody who is interested can apply to the Abuja Founder Institute. Anyone who applies by the Early Application Deadline (2020-03-29) is eligible for a variety of scholarships – including the Female Founder Fellowship, which is offered to the best overall female applicant.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Telcos Resume SIM Card Sales after 2-Week Halt

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Telecommunications operators have resumed full SIM swap and related services following a four-week nationwide outage linked to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)’s migration to a new verification platform.

Telcos Resume SIM Card Sales after 2-Week Halt

The outage rendered millions of subscribers unable to perform SIM-related tasks such as swaps, replacements, and activations.

Operators in the industry say the disruption began on June 26, 2025 when telcos temporarily halted SIM registrations and swaps due to unforeseen technical challenges during the transition to NIMC’s upgraded identity verification system.

The migration was mandated to enhance the integrity and efficiency of national identity management but caused major service interruptions across all Nigerian networks.

However, July 21, both MTN and Airtel confirmed via their social media handles that SIM swap services have now fully resumed.

MTN announced: “SIM swaps have now resumed. We can confirm that NIMC services are fully operational and appreciate their support in the migration to a new platform for NIN verification services for the telecommunications industry.

In a public update issued via its MTN Nigeria Support handle on X (formerly Twitter), MTN confirmed that SIM swaps have now resumed.

Telecom operators complained that the portal was unreliable or inaccessible, which resulted in the suspension of SIM swaps, number porting, and new SIM registrations, even though NIMC maintained that the platform was operating as intended.

Unexpected technical difficulties arose during the switch to the new platform, according to the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria.

Real-time NIN verification for SIM registration, replacement, and network migration was impacted by these issues.

“Unexpected technical difficulties have surfaced, impacting real-time NIN verification for SIM registration, replacement, and porting, following a recent directive from the National Identity Management Commission mandating Mobile Network Operators to transit to a new identity verification platform,” ALTON stated in a previous joint statement signed by Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, and Damian Udeh, publicity secretary.

 


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Nigeria, Others Achieve 84% Adult Mobile Phones Penetration

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The World Bank has affirmed that 84 per cent of adults in low-and middle-income economies, including Nigeria, own personal mobile phones.

The bank in its Global Findex 2025 report said mobile phone ownership was widespread and nearly everywhere. It said data from the Global Findex 2025 Digital Connectivity Tracker, revealed that “86 per cent of adults worldwide, and 84 per cent of adults in low- and middle-income economies, own personal mobile phones.”

The report pointed out that mobile phones and the internet had become widespread and essential to daily life in every economy around the world.

A earlier overview had indicated that Nigeria had a high mobile phone penetration rate, with estimates around 85 per cent to 87 per cent in 2024.

This translates to over 200 million mobile connections, making Nigeria a leading market in Africa for mobile phone ownership and usage. While the overall penetration is high, there’s a growing trend towards smartphone adoption, with forecasts predicting over 140 million smartphone users by 2025.

According to DataReporter, a total of 150 million cellular mobile connections were active in Nigeria in early 2025, with this figure equivalent to 64.0 per cent of the total population.

However, note that some of these connections may only include services such as voice and SMS, and some may not include access to the internet.

There were 107 million individuals using the internet in Nigeria at the start of 2025, when online penetration stood at 45.4 percent. Nigeria was home to 38.7 million social media user identities in January 2025, equating to 16.4 percent of the total population.

These headline stats offer a great overview of the “state of digital” in Nigeria at the start of 2025, but in order to make sense of how digital trends and behaviours have been evolving over time, we need to dig deeper into the data.

According to the World Bank, “as of 2024, individual ownership of mobile phones reached 86 per cent of adults worldwide.

“For many people, barely an hour goes by without their using a mobile device to make a call, ext a friend, read the news, access business information, post a meme on social media, pay for something, play a game, engage with a colleague or a customer, or search for information.

“As access to and use of digitally connected technologies increase, people, businesses, and governments place an increasingly high priority on online interactions. “Digitally connected technologies have clear, well-documented benefits.”

It further highlighted that access to mobile phones and the internet was associated with reduced poverty, increased consumption, and more employment for individuals in lowand middle-income economies.

“Women also experience these benefits, as internet access enables access to flexible jobs3 and has been shown to increase female labor force participation. “Mobile phones also facilitate information sharing.

For instance, in agricultural contexts, farmers’ access to real-time prices and buyer demand data can inform their decisions on where to sell, enhancing market efficiency and reducing the distances they would otherwise travel to get the best return for their product and time.

“Internet access also helps create jobs and aids individuals and countries in exporting goods and services,” it added. The World Bank further noted that owning a mobile phone furthermore enabled financial access through mobile money and other mobile financial services.

It added that these financial accounts and services, typically offered by mobile network operators or fintech firms and accessed via networks of local agents, were associated with lower rates of poverty, increased consumption and savings,and greater resilience to economic shocks.


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Sophos Secures Leadership Spot in 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection

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Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced that it has been named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP), marking the 16th consecutive time the company has received this recognition.

Sophos has been recognized in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP) since the inaugural publication for this category in 2007.

Sophos’ market-leading endpoint security solutions include Sophos Endpoint powered by Intercept X, Sophos Extended Detection and Response (EDR/XDR), and Sophos Managed Detection and Response (MDR).

Over 300,000 organizations trust Sophos endpoint security solutions to defend against cyberthreats, including advanced remote ransomware attacks and active adversaries.

Unique to Sophos, the solution includes adaptive defenses that automatically disrupt attackers by dynamically adjusting protection levels based on threat context.

“Sophos’ strength lies in its prevention-first strategy, designed to stop breaches before they start, adapt defenses in real time, and strengthen detection and response when it matters most,” said Kyle Falkenhagen, SVP, Product Management, Sophos. “We believe that receiving this recognition in the highly competitive endpoint security market for 16 consecutive reports reflects our relentless focus on developing innovative solutions that stay ahead of the global threat landscape and the adversaries we face every day.”

Sophos and Secureworks: The future of protection, detection, and response

Following Sophos’ acquisition of Secureworks in February 2025, combining two leading and complementary portfolios to offer a comprehensive suite of solutions for small, midmarket and enterprise organizations.

Secureworks Taegis XDR customers can use Sophos Endpoint to elevate their cyber defenses, at no additional charge, delivering both improved protection and return on investment.

The integration of Secureworks also adds a new Counter Threat Unit (CTU) to the Sophos X-Ops advanced threat response joint task force, further expanding the rich threat intelligence that informs all customers’ defenses.

Backed by Sophos’ advanced security technologies and a broad network of intelligence contacts and partners, the CTU plays a critical role in identifying and tracking threat actors and analyzing anomalous activity, uncovering new attack techniques, threats, and major shifts in the threat landscape.


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