Telecom
PEN 2014 to Gather Nigeria’s Largest Mobile Ecosystem
The maiden edition of Phone Expo Nigeria 2014 (PEN 2014), four unique series of co-located events scheduled to hold in Lagos, is planned to be the largest annual gathering of the Nigerian mobile ecosystem, according to the show producers.
PEN 2014, which takes place December 2-6, 2014 under the theme, “Next Frontiers of Connected Nigeria”, has been designed to become the nation’s largest marketplace of the Nigerian Mobile Ecosystem, according to the producers of the show, Technology Times Events, the conferences and events subsidiary of Technology Times Media Limited.
Mr. Shina Badaru, founder/group CEO of Technology Times, said that the PEN 2014 Show will offer an annual gathering that brings together diverse segments of the biggest market in the Nigerian economy, the vibrant mobile telephony subscribers.
The four co-located events at the PEN 2014 show will focus on four key touch points that matter to the Nigerian Mobile Marketplace: BITE: Business, Innovation, Thought Leadership and Entertainment, he said.
PEN 2014 will co-locate PEN 2014 Exhibitions, PEN 2014 Mobile App Challenge; PEN 2014 Thought Leadership Conferences and Miss PEN 2014 Pageants, to deliver maximum benefits to Show visitors, partners, sponsors and advertisers, according to Technology Times.
“We are pleased to be producing PEN 2014 with our partners to evolve the annual must-attend mobile telephony show in Nigeria that will become the flagship exhibitions and trade show catering exclusively for the mobile ecosystem”, Badaru said while formally announcing the Show plans in Lagos, Nigeria.
Badaru cited that the latest telecommunications market statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that by June 2014, Nigeria’s telecommunications market base has grown to 130,780,703 active telephone subscriber lines; 67,197,505 Internet users and 93.41% teledensity.
“In the course of our PEN 2014 planning, we found out that except for the freely-given gifts of nature like air, sunlight and rain, the telecommunications market today ranks top in number of customers spread across the geographically-dispersed landscape of Nigeria. The indices and indicators also point to a vibrant ecosystem that fosters innovation, job creation and overall growth within the Nigerian economy”, according to Badaru.
Over 85% of 7,500 respondents polled by Technology Times across key decision makers in industry, government, early adopters and business professionals believe that there is a need for a major show that will cater for the mobile ecosystem in Nigeria, he added.
More than 90% of respondents of the poll indicated interest to attend such an event where new technologies will be showcased and they can also learn about policies, market trends and other key drivers of the Nigerian mobile ecosystem “under one roof.”
“PEN 2014 will gather the mobile ecosystem across Nigeria, Africa and beyond to showcase, learn and share ideas about the next frontiers in technologies, innovation, solutions and services for today’s Connected Nigeria”, Badaru added.
Under the plan, no fewer than 10,000 daily attendees are expected at PEN 2014 reflecting the diversity of decision makers in industry, government, Original Device Manufacturers, Device Retailers, Mobile Network Operators, Mobile Payment Service Providers, Online Shopping Services, e-Commerce Companies, among several tiers of organisations that offer services through mobile platforms.
Also commenting, Miss Omotola Raheem, programmes manager, PEN 2014, said that the Show has been into four co-located events to cater for the diversity of the Nigerian mobile ecosystem.
“PEN 2014 attendees will come to the show for several reasons to see the latest technology, get the best education the industry has to offer and also get entertained.”
According to her, “importantly, the PEN 2014 Thought Leadership Conferences will serve as a powerful magnet for industry professionals to share ideas about market trends, policy and other issues that shape and define the mobile diversity in Nigeria.”
The PEN 2014 will hold December 2-6, 2014 on the sprawling grounds of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
“UNILAG is already home to a population of 40,000 and has been chosen to host the maiden edition of PEN 2014 because of its central location and accessibility from all parts of Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria and influential hub of the nation’s mobile ecosystem”, Raheem added.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
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