Telecom
MDXI Launches West Africa’s Carrier-Neutral Internet Exchange (IX) with Asteroid
West Africa’s largest data centre provider, MDXI and global IXP platform provider, Asteroid have partnered to launch a carrier-neutral Internet Exchange Point (IXP) for West Africa. The West African Internet Exchange (WAF-IX), is based on Asteroid’s lightweight design and will be located in MDXI’s Tier III Data Centre, in Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa’s biggest economic hub.
Outlining the three major objectives for WAF-IX as accessibility, lower costs and reduced latency for Internet users in West Africa, Vremudia Oghene-Ruemu, Product Manager, MDXI/Peering Coordinator, WAF-IX, stressed that the new Internet Exchange would complement national IXPs, improve regional traffic and ultimately foster the attainment of the digital economy across West Africa.
“Given the size of its markets and status as home to some of Africa’s biggest economies, West Africa is uniquely positioned to scale up its digital transformation efforts via Internet traffic growth. The West African Internet Exchange, hosted within our globally certified Data Centre will significantly improve traffic exchange and localization within West Africa, with benefits of reduced latency, improved speed and better quality of service to end users. WAF-IX will enable more Africa-focused global and local carriers take advantage of the region’s growing Internet penetration to enable services originating and terminating within the region”, he says.
West African Internet Exchange will facilitate improved interconnection, collaboration and peering between players with access to MDXI’s Tier III data centre, and will enable an ecosystem that allows customers connect to multiple networks, cloud and content providers.
Using the lean and efficient Asteroid IXP platform, WAF-IX will enable service providers operate more efficiently with the delivery of enhanced end-to-end network performance, while reducing overall IP Transit costs.
Remco van Mook, CEO, Asteroid said: “West Africa’s digital economy is on the rise, but huge gaps still exist in in-country interconnection. We believe that the Internet sector across West Africa has incredible potential for growth and will be greatly enabled by the West African Internet Exchange. Together, we can provide a gateway for West African networks to peer with international content providers.”
WAF-IX host, MDXI is West Africa’s largest data centre provider offering colocation, interconnection and cloud services and is the region’s most connected data centre, with proven competence to interconnect OTTs and major network, content and financial services providers.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
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