Telecom
Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana Ink MoU to Integrate Innovation Hub Ecosystem
The Association of Startups and SME Enabler of Kenya (ASSEK), Innovation Support Network (ISN), Hubs, Nigeria and Technology & Business Hubs Network, Ghana (TBHN) have signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) towards ensuring an integrated innovation ecosystem among the three countries.
This MoU is to foster collaboration amongst these networks as they work to encourage knowledge exchange, capacity development programmes for the networks as well as growth.
The MOU was signed at the 4th Afrilabs Annual Gathering currently happening at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Representing the network of hubs at the signing of the MOU were Sheilah Birgen, Vice Chair, ASSEK; Fiifi Baidoo for TBHN; Hanson Johnson, Ecosystem Director, ISN Hubs; Jeremy Riro, Treasurer, ASSEK and Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr., Marketing Director, ISN Hubs.
The three associations are part of AfriLabs, the largest pan-African network of technology and innovation hubs with over 174 members across 44 countries.
This collaboration is in line with the theme of Afrilab’s this year’s Gathering that is ‘Connect: Towards an Integrated Innovation Ecosystem’.
Hanson Johnson in a statement stated that in Africa, the number of youth is growing rapidly. In 2015, 226 million youth aged 15-24 lived in Africa, accounting for 19 per cent of the global youth population.
He added that according to the United Nations, by 2030, it is projected that the number of youth in Africa will have increased by 42 per cent and is expected to continue to grow throughout the remainder of the 21st century, more than doubling from current levels by 2055. This is scary and caused us to worry, hence this strategic MoU with our Kenyan and Ghanaian counterparts.
The partnership will provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate collaboration between the association as they share common interest within the continent.
Innovation Support Network (ISN) Hubs is a community of Hubs in Nigeria with the goal of promoting collaboration amongst hubs, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems across Nigeria. ISN is a non-profit organization. Seventy-five Nigerian innovation hubs have come together to form a network with the aim of fostering greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing in the entrepreneurship space.
The Association of Startups and SME Enabler of Kenya (ASSEK) brings together organisations supporting the development and growth of startups and SMEs in Kenya, with the aim of actively promoting networking, capacity development, positioning the Kenyan entrepreneurial ecosystem internationally, drive policy and agenda for members with the government and facilitate member access to opportunities through collaborations and partnerships within the country as well as globally.
Technology and Business Hubs Network (TBHN) consist of hubs in Ghana, (generic innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem enablers across the country) who have come together to use shared ideas and resources to develop human resource and equip innovative individuals with the requisite skills, build capacity to grow local innovations & businesses, build capacity for jobs creation and generate income.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
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.
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