Telecom
AfriTECH 2.0: Agada Lists Factors That Could Kill Startups
Immediate past Chief Executive Officer, CWG PLC, and Founder, Ixzdorelabs, an innovation hub and consultancy focused company, Mr. James Agada, has listed some factors that could lead to the premature death of a Startup.
James Agada, Immediate Past CEO, CWG and the Founder, Ixzdore Laboratories Limited delivering keynote address at AfriTECH 2.0
Agada, who spoke to the theme: Sustainability and the company of the future, at Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 2.0) held in Lagos on Wednesday, listed the factors to include non-reporting of sales figures, issues around corporate governance, Court or Government interference, and inability to create new business.
A well-regarded, innovative, and versatile technology expert, Agada, while aligning with the views of economists said in his keynote address at the event that the only way to determine whether a company is alive or dead is to check whether they are reporting their sales figures.
“When a company stops reporting its sales figures, it means the company is dead. For a startup, three things are obvious: Sales, Cash and Profit. At maturity, the company’s sales, or what they call cash cow, typically flatten out. Before then, you see a steep growth in sales or what you call exponential growth.
“That sale has to translate into profit, and profit must have cash. The only thing that can kill a company is when it runs out of cash. Another thing though is that sales do not necessarily translate to cash; if you sell, you must also collect the money and make a profit. At any point the company starts declining because it’s not able to generate enough cash from the declining sales to maintain itself, death beckons,” he said.
He said that at any point a company decides to do a life extension, that’s what is at the core for the sustainability of the company, noting that between the sales a company generates and the cash it gets, it is the funding that determines where the company is going.
“At maturity, you have a lot of debt funding because you are generating enough cash and trying to minimize business risk. Kodak had misjudged where the technology it developed was leading to, leading to its decline. Customers left Blackberry and went for iPhone and Android, and that left Blackberry behind if not dead.
“Therefore, the issue of corporate governance is another thing that can kill a company. The court or government can also decide to close your company. And the inability to create new business even when you are struggling with that company can as well lead to the death of a company,” he further explained.
Agada stated that a sustainable company is one that has figured out how to balance its business risk and sales to ensure that decline does not put it in a situation where it is no longer sustainable, contending that once a company is not growing, it is dying.
In providing a solution to this, Agada opined that “the real thing is that you are looking for increased profit and increased cash flow. You have to look at what is happening around you and take those defensive and offensive actions to prevent collapse and eventual death.
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.
The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.
According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.
Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.
It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.
This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files
“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”
In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.
Here’s what users should be doing now:
Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.
Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.
Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.
Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.
If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.
ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.
“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.
This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.
MTN Nigeria is set to host the National Schools Team Chess Championship, Nigeria’s largest inter-school chess competition, scheduled to take place from June 26th to 28th, 2025, at the Ecobank Pan African Center in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The championship, organised in partnership with Ecobank and the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), aims to promote intellectual development, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among young Nigerians, while also identifying and nurturing future chess champions.
The championship is open to primary, secondary, and tertiary level students, and this year’s edition will host an impressive 1,600 students from 400 schools across 36 states and the FCT.
The competition will feature team-based play, with each team comprising four players from the same school. A significant prize pool of over N40 million is at stake, with winning schools also having the invaluable opportunity to represent Nigeria internationally.
Onyinye Ikenna Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at MTN Nigeria, expressed the company’s commitment to the initiative, stating, “Our investment is driven by our commitment to fostering youth development, just as our shared value initiative.
“By supporting, we not only contribute to the growth but also engage with the younger demographic in a meaningful way, as we believe we are good together”.
MTN’s sponsorship of the National Schools Team Chess Championship is a natural extension of its long-standing dedication to empowering young people through various initiatives in sports, education, and skill development, including programs like MTN Champs and MTN Campus Invasion.
The company aims to establish itself as the leading driver of youth empowerment, education, and strategic thinking through chess in Nigeria.
The event will also feature the presence of Tunde Onakoya, a renowned chess master and inspiration, who will join the championship week to share his experiences and further inspire the young participants.
His involvement underscores the profound impact strategic thinking can have on transforming lives and building dreams.
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