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Sidmach Eager to Sign Up 20,000 Schools on SmartSchool in Next 12 Months
The need for accurate data to education and national planning cannot be overemphasized. In line with this, Sidmach Technologies joined forces with tech giant, Microsoft, to launch its cloud solutions, signaling it plans to sign up 20,000 schools within the next twelve months.
The Sidmach Cloud solutions are expected to assist enable organizations and individuals improve productivity, grow revenue, reduce operational costs, reach new markets and improve efficiency for educational and health institutions in the country.
The cloud platform offers a host of custom solutions including SmartSchool, School Safety Portal, APMIS together with Microsoft flagship offerings like Office 365, Skype for business, Azure and others.
Speaking at a press conference to unveil the cloud solutions in Lagos, Mr. Peter Arogundade, managing director, Sidmach Technologies, noted that this is an era of digital transformation for businesses and what the cloud platforms enables businesses to do is to operate without boundaries.
“Our SmartSchool is an effective, reliable, and affordable school management solutions developed totally in compliance with UNESCO and Nigerian Government education policy framework. It simplifies and improves school administration,” the MD said.
Speaking further on another of the solutions, Mr Arogundade said that the All-Purpose Medical Information Solution (APMIS) is an innovative, affordable, Medical Information System which connects all stakeholders on a single platform to harness the values that are inherent in seamless connectivity of health service delivery, education, research and administration.
He stated that, “APMIS is more than just a hospital information management software. It mitigates the challenges associated with information for hospital owners, healthcare professionals, caregivers, patients, government, health maintenance organisations, intervention agencies such as WHO, UNICEF and other stakeholders in the health sector.”
Mr Arogundade said schools will be able to use this cloud platform for free till the end of the current session and will only need to subscribe from next session.
On her part, Oluwawemimo Adeniyi, director, Small Midmarket Solutions and Partners Group, Microsoft Nigeria, noted that this is in line with Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program, designed to strengthen customer relationships and expand cloud sales opportunities by enabling partners to provide direct billing, sell combined offers and services, as well as directly provide, manage and support products and services.
The implication, according to Mrs Adeniyi is that Sidmach Technologies owns the complete customer lifecycle, allowing it to easily sell her Solutions and Microsoft offerings which includes but not limited to Office 365, Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 subscriptions and helping customers drive new business value through the cloud by owning the entire billing process and directly managing support.
Also speaking, Mr. Michael Olajide, executive director, Sales Market, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, said that the company was motivated to develop the solution (smartschool) in lieu of the need for reliable data to assist government and school proprietors to make informed decisions and plan for the future.
According to him, “On the course of our research we discovered there are State with registered and unregistered schools, which shows that proper record management is paramount to assist them perform better. Thus, our target is to register about 20,000 schools within the next one year. The moment a school adopts the smartschool it covers the proprietor, teachers, students and parents/guidance and the key purpose is for each of the stakeholder to perform better”.
However, Mr. Chijioke Ekeh, chairman of the Company said that the solution has developed in the simplest form to enable easy navigation and enhance adoption.
Mr. Ekeh said, “In the process of putting the smartschool solution together, it took a lot of brainstorming to come up with the simple and effective solution. We took note of the fact that not all is tech savvy; thus, we make bold to say that the average literate person can use the platform”.
Sidmach also added that the smartschool solution will enable schools focus on their core-competences while the platform takes charge of the curriculum and some administrative responsibilities off their shoulders.
Mobility technology company, Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.1 billion, reaching unicorn status.
The startup will deploy the fresh capital to build out autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow its autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by year-end.
The company plans to enter additional global markets, reflecting a strategy to build the operational infrastructure required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles.
Led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific, the round also included new investors BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, alongside existing backers BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton and Uber.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an infrastructure race requiring fleets, charging systems, maintenance, data infrastructure and continuous city-level operations,” said Ladi Delano, co-founder, co-CEO and advisory board chairman of Moove.
Founded in Lagos in 2020, Moove has grown into a global mobility platform employing about 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching $420 million in annualised recurring revenue.
It has expanded organically and through acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. Moove also operates autonomous vehicle fleets in partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with London expected to join its footprint.
The $2.1 billion valuation places Moove among Africa’s small group of tech unicorns, alongside Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, Andela, Chipper Cash, Wave, Tyme, MNT-Halan and Interswitch.
The $250 million round is the largest single funding deal announced by an African startup this year, though EV mobility firm Spiro raised $270 million cumulatively across two separate rounds.
Heirs Life Assurance, the specialist life insurance company of Heirs Insurance Group, has appointed Pastor Jerry Eze as an Independent Non-Executive Director on its Board, effective August 10, 2026.
L – R: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance; Pastor Jerry Eze, incoming director, Heirs Life Assurance
The appointment reinforces Heirs Life Assurance’s commitment to expanding financial inclusion and accelerating insurance adoption by strengthening public trust, consumer education, and long-term financial resilience across Nigeria.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s insurance penetration remains below one percent – among the lowest globally – highlighting the need to expand financial protection and build greater public trust in insurance.
As Heirs Life continues to pursue its mission of making insurance accessible to every Nigerian, Eze’s appointment brings a unique perspective on community engagement, value-based leadership, and broad societal impact.
Pastor Jerry Eze is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Streams of Joy International Ministry, a growing multinational ministry with 34 branches across West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe and North America.
He is also the convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration (NSPPD), one of the world’s largest digital prayer platforms, reaching millions of people daily. Through his ministry and humanitarian initiatives, he has become one of Africa’s most influential voices, championing hope, compassion, and community transformation.
Beyond ministry, Eze is the Founder of the Jerry Eze Foundation, a faith-led philanthropy where he provides housing support and grants to vulnerable and underserved communities.
In 2026, he announced N1billion in grants to support young entrepreneurs across agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, further advancing enterprise development and economic opportunity.
Before entering full-time ministry, Pastor Jerry Eze built a career in development communications, serving as a Communications Specialist on a World Bank HIV/AIDS programme and with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from Abia State University and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Speaking about the appointment, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance, said: “Pastor Jerry brings an exceptional combination of integrity, influence, and a deep understanding of people and communities.
“As we continue our mission to democratise access to insurance, his insight will help strengthen consumer trust, deepen financial inclusion, and reinforce our commitment to protecting the financial future of millions of Nigerians.
“We are delighted to welcome him to the Board of Heirs Life Assurance and the broader family of Heirs Insurance Group.”
Commenting on his appointment, Pastor Jerry Eze said: “I am honoured to join the Board of Heirs Life Assurance at a defining moment for the insurance industry. Financial security empowers individuals, families, and businesses to pursue their aspirations with greater confidence and resilience.
“I look forward to working with the Board and Management to advance the company’s mission of making insurance more accessible, relevant, and impactful for every Nigerian.”
Heirs Life Assurance has become one of Nigeria’s leading specialist life insurance companies, ranking 7th on the Financial Times list of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.
It is one of the three insurance businesses of Heirs Holdings, the leading pan-African investment company, with investments across 24 countries and four continents.
Combining an omni-channel digital presence with physical branches spread across the country, Heirs Life continues to redefine life insurance through innovation, customer-centric solutions, and a commitment to making financial protection accessible to every Nigerian.
Heirs Insurance Group, comprising Heirs Life Assurance, Heirs General Insurance, and Heirs Insurance Brokers, collectively serves over 3 million people directly and indirectly.
The Group is championing financial inclusion and leading the digital insurance play in Nigeria, demonstrating its mission to democratise access to insurance.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
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