Telecom
Technext Rallies Blockchain Stakeholders on the Future of Digital Currencies @ Africa’s Largest Cryptocurrency Gathering in Lagos

Technology news platform, Technext, held the maiden edition of its Technext coinference on Thursday, December 9th at the Pistis Conference Center in Lekki, Lagos.

During a Panel session themed ” Blockchain: Opportunities for Africa” at the event on Thursday, in Lagos.
The event, with the general theme “Reimagining crypto as the future of finance,” gathers brilliant minds in the Nigerian blockchain sector to have essential discussions about the future.
David Afolayan, Content chief at Technext, in his opening address reiterates that it is important to have such a conversation around digital currencies as it is the new approach to trade and central to our survival.
“We need instruments to achieve conveniences, and trade is that instrument. Trade has taken different forms, and now we are lucky to be at the foothold of that change where digital currencies are replacing fiat money and we can transact without borders. ” – Content chief at Technext, David Afolayan,
He also noted that the rules guiding trade many years ago are no longer applicable and many people are not finding that convenient. To address these concerns, innovators, enthusiasts, and regulators need to have a conversation, one that the event provides.
The hybrid event brought together individuals and institutions from across Nigeria and beyond. Stakeholders and individuals from regulatory bodies were also present at the event.
Giving a keynote address at the event, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, minister of state budget and national planning, stated that the event captures the mutual desire of the government and its citizens to explore innovative methods towards economic recovery, growth, and development.
According to the minister, the government remains enthusiastic about the numerous possibilities the crypto industry provides despite the seemingly growing restrictions.
“So far, I hope I’ve demonstrated that both citizens and governments see the benefits of cryptocurrencies and share a mutual belief in them.
“I believe it is crucial for all stakeholders to view each player as a key teammate in forging a path toward a healthy crypto space in Nigeria. ”
He noted that cryptocurrencies could be the biggest disruptor in finance and governance the world has ever witnessed. However, the government needs to regulate the industry.
Regulations of the industry don’t mean “a giant hammer slamming down on the activities going on in an industry,” but rather to optimize conditions for growth, tailored towards the industry.
The event also had insightful takes from enthusiasts and innovators in the blockchain industry who addressed lingering questions and myths around the sector.
The first panel discussions involved Uzoma Dozie, CEO of Sparkle; Buchi Okoro, CEO of Quidax; Dickson Nsofor, CEO of Korapay; Austin Okere, CEO of CWG; Nkemdili Uwaje, CEO of Future Software; and Chimezie Chuta, Founder of the Blockchain Nigeria User Group.
The session was focused on untying the regulatory knots in the space, and a key idea that was mentioned by all speakers was the pace at which cryptocurrency is changing the financial system.
A panelist, Uzoma Dozie, spoke about the difficulties of scaling crypto because it is currently one of the fastest payment systems in the world.
He reiterated that the Nigerian CBDC, enaira, is not going to compete with card payments. It will only be one of the many available payment systems.
Buchi Okoro, CEO of Quidax, elaborated that the central bank’s development of eNaira is a step towards meeting stakeholders halfway and will encourage digital liquidity.
He explained that in the same way that WhatsApp can’t replace hugs and physical interactions, cryptos can’t replace fiat cash. Both currencies can only collaborate to bring better lives to the people.
Patricia’s CEO, Hanu Fejiro Agbodje, giving the keynote speech on Blockchain for Africa: The endless possibilities illustrate how Michael Faraday did not envisage that one day, Elon Musk would use his creation, electricity, to power his electric vehicles.
According to him, the world is still in its very early days of blockchain technology. It is one that people will constantly try to understand and use in various ways into the unknown future.
“We have been succeeding in this industry with zero support. Imagine if we got support from the government. He concluded by saying, “We can win and we will win as long as we continue to strive,”
The second panel comprised experts like Emmanuel Babalola, Africa Director at Binance and Interim CEO of Bundle; Modibe Matsepena, Senior Associate of Growth in Africa at Paxful; Founder of Aza Pay, Jacqueline Madu, and Bitmama CEO, Ruth Iselema.
Owing to the popular belief that crypto transactions are not traceable, users wanted to know the veracity behind that claim.
Buchi Okoro replied that Bitcoin is not anonymous. Bitcoin is pseudonymous.
“When you track patterns on ether scan and blockchain explorer, you can actually see every transaction that’s happened on the blockchain up until the very first production of that bitcoin,” he says.
Further highlights from the event were the brand moments, where institutions in the crypto scene gave insights into their various innovative products aimed at making the Nigerian blockchain industry a success.
Most of the conversations from the event centred around regulations and what the future holds for the crypto space in Nigeria.
Telecom
Equinix Expands Digital Footprint in Nigeria with Launch of LG2.3 Data Center

Equinix, Inc. the world’s digital infrastructure company™, has officially opened its latest data center expansion in Lagos. Called LG2.3, the facility will support Nigeria’s growing digital transformation efforts, providing state-of-the-art colocation and secure interconnection solutions which will empower businesses across the region.
It also signifies Equinix’s unwavering dedication to advancing Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the region.
As part of the inauguration, Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix, along with other Equinix executives, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly expanded site. In addition to an official visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Equinix hosted an exclusive customer engagement event, bringing together key customers and partners from Nigeria’s business and technology sectors.
Attendees discussed shared successes and Equinix’s role in facilitating digital transformation, while also connecting directly with Bruce Owen for insights into how Equinix’s solutions drive innovation and business agility in the region.
Equinix executives also took part in a tree-planting ceremony, symbolising Equinix’s continued investment in sustainable initiatives across the globe and highlighting the company’s broader goal of reducing its carbon footprint while supporting greener practices across its operations worldwide.
Speaking about the expansion, Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix said “Nigeria is a crucial market for Equinix. Today’s opening is a clear demonstration of our continued commitments to invest and grow digital infrastructure that will benefit the many thousands of businesses in Nigeria and on the continent as a whole.
“I am deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic partnerships and innovations emerging from this dynamic region, which continue to inspire our commitment to Nigeria’s digital and sustainable future.”
Adding to this, Wole Abu, Managing Director of Equinix West Africa, highlighted the critical role of data centers in driving economic growth stating “Data centers continue to play a pivotal role in driving economic development in Nigeria, serving as critical infrastructure that supports digital transformation and economic growth.
“As governments and enterprises increasingly acknowledge their significance, global demand for data center capacity is poised to rise. While Africa’s demand for data solutions is still evolving compared to more mature markets, the continent is demonstrating strong potential for digital adoption and innovation.
“To meet this growing need, Equinix is actively advancing three major data center projects in Nigeria, with future expansion plans for Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.”
Equinix remains steadfast in its mission to enable secure, scalable, and sustainable digital growth for economies across the world.
Telecom
African Women Hit Hardest as Mobile Internet Gender Gap Persists

African women remain among the most digitally excluded globally, with smartphone affordability and digital literacy among the key barriers. New data from the 2025 GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report, launched recently, reveals a persistent global gender gap in mobile internet use across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
It further notes that literacy, digital skills, safety, and affordability of data also remain critical barriers. The report highlights that 885 million women across these regions still do not use mobile internet, with nearly 60% of them living in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
While mobile internet is the primary way women in LMICs access the internet, offering critical lifelines to health, education, and financial services, the pace of female adoption has stalled, leaving 235 million fewer women than men connected.
Claire Sibthorpe, head of digital inclusion at GSMA, highlighted that the gender gap had narrowed significantly between 2017 and 2020, but progress flatlined in recent years.
Although 2023 brought a slight improvement, restoring the gap to 15%, 2024 saw minimal change, with the gap settling at 14%.
The disparity is most severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, where women are 29% less likely than men to use mobile internet.
“It’s disheartening that progress in reducing the mobile internet gender gap has stalled. The digital divide is driven by deep-rooted socio-economic and cultural factors that disproportionately impact women,” said Sibthorpe.
GSMA projects that closing the gender gap by 2030 could add $1.3 trillion to GDP across LMICs and deliver $230 billion in revenue to the mobile industry.
The report, funded by the UK FCDO, Sida, and the Gates Foundation, stresses the urgent need for targeted investment and policy action to bridge the digital divide and ensure that no woman is left offline.
“The mobile internet gender gap is not going to close on its own. It is driven by deep-rooted social, economic, and cultural factors that disproportionately impact women,” said Sibthorpe.
Telecom
₦800 Billion Infrastructure Plan Set to Boost MTN’s Network Quality Nationwide

In a recent interview, MTN Nigeria reaffirmed that its ongoing infrastructure investment is a strategic step to improve network quality, speed, and nationwide coverage.
Speaking on Beyond the Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye, Ugonwa Nwoye, Chief Customer and Experience Officer at MTN Nigeria, explained that although public concern is valid, the company undertook several internal cost-efficiency measures before making structural adjustments.
She emphasised that improved investment is critical to fast-tracking improvements across MTN’s network.
Nwoye explained that MTN undertook extensive internal reforms before embarking on structural changes needed to support this scale of investment.
The company completed its phased roll-out of the increase between February and March, ensuring that every existing data plan was below the 50% increase, and most remained below 25%.
She also noted that customers were proactively informed about all changes, particularly when certain legacy plans were retired and replaced with new ones. “We gave customers six to eight weeks’ notice,” she explained.
“This is why it has taken us some time to complete this process, where we let customers know that at a certain date, this particular tariff is not going to exist.”
Nwoye stressed that MTN had exhausted other internal measures before turning to broader structural updates. Now, with the new pricing structure in place, the company is accelerating its investment in infrastructure, spending over ₦200 billion in the first quarter of 2025 alone, a 159% increase from the same period last year. A total capital expenditure of ₦800 billion is planned for the year.
She noted that this investment is a direct outcome of long-term operational restructuring aimed at improving service quality.
She added, “We are investing over ₦800 billion this year alone in our infrastructure. This will translate into better customer experience, reduced congestion, faster internet speeds, and wider network reach.”
This investment will support the upgrade of over 1,000 cell sites and the expansion of more than 2,000 transmission links nationwide.
Nwoye stressed that these upgrades are designed to deliver faster data speeds, fewer dropped calls, and broader network reach, especially in underserved areas.
She acknowledged the public’s expectations for immediate service improvements but emphasised that large-scale infrastructure takes time to deploy.
Nonetheless, MTN expects customers to begin experiencing visible improvements in network performance by the second half of the year.
In a sector where service quality and customer satisfaction are closely watched, MTN maintains that its ongoing investments are not merely capital commitments but vital enablers of improved digital experiences across Nigeria.
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