Telecom
CNN’s Connecting Africa Explores Africa’s Telecommunications Industry
In the latest episode of Connecting Africa, CNN International’s Eleni Giokos explores how Africa’s telecommunications industry is transforming business and gearing up for a more interconnected continent.
Giokos interviews the CEOs of several major telecommunications companies and sees how their products are helping traders across Africa.
First, Giokos meets Ralph Mupita, President and CEO of the MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile network. Mupita says that investment in the telecommunications industry is only going to increase in the years ahead, “We’re going to spend approximately $10 billion over the next five years to ensure that Africa has the infrastructure to power its growth.”
The African Continental Free Trade Area agreement has opened up trade across the continent and across many areas of industry. The telecommunications sector is a key part of this and Mupita discusses why, “I would argue that it’s not possible that we get the kind of growth that is anticipated under the agreement without the telecommunications sector.”
Looking to the future, MTN is hoping to harness 5G technology across Africa. Mupita speaks about his goals, “5G is coming to Africa. We’re not going to get left behind.
“And as you start thinking about future technologies and how they can drive African growth, we will be right there as MTN for sure, and looking at how these technologies can be harnessed to drive socioeconomic progress in the various countries that we operate in.”
Next, Giokos visits Vodacom, the second most valuable brand in Africa. Vodacom executives are thinking big after a 40% jump in mobile traffic during the pandemic. Shameel Joosub, Group CEO of Vodacom, talks about their new financial services ‘super-app’ VodaPay, “It’s creating the opportunity for you to trade way beyond your geographical area.
“Before, if you had a physical store, you were limited to a certain geography. What this does is it opens it up, firstly within their broader country, but also there’s no reason why someone sitting in Nigeria cannot supply someone in Kenya. And moving into this free trade environment just allows companies to trade across multiples geographies.”
East Africa is home to one of the world’s leading mobile money platforms M-Pesa. It was pioneered by East Africa’s largest telco Safaricom and is now co-owned by Vodacom. Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO says that he believes M-Pesa has the potential to become Africa’s leading mobile money platform.
He tells Giokos about how the platform is facilitating cross-border trade, “We have started to sign contracts with companies such as Visa to create interoperability and also to enable trade. We also need to make sure that we reduce the cost, the cross-border costs, of interacting.”
Undersea cables connect Africa to the internet. The Main One cable stretches from Portugal to West Africa with landings along the route in Dakar, Abidjan, Accra and Lagos. Main One is a broadband infrastructure company providing telecoms services and network solutions across West Africa.
Founder Funke Opeke describes the importance of their infrastructure work, “When you look at internet penetration in our region, it was hovering in the 10% range when we started. Today, it’s 40% and growing, so clearly a lot more eyeballs on the internet. The big players are all here. The global tech giants want to be in Nigeria.”
Giokos also meets Sokowatch Group CEO Daniel Yu to explore how Africa’s informal retail sector is becoming digitised. The tech start-up is helping retailers connect to large pan-African manufacturers to make them more agile and competitive. Yu tells Giokos, “I see our aim as being able to come in and provide small retail stores with the tools, with the technology, with the services to unlock their potential.”
Around 18,000 small business use Sokowatch. Angela Nzioki, Sokowatch Kenya CEO, explains the company’s success, “Typically, most retailers in Africa really struggle when it comes to access to goods and services, so where Sokowatch becomes really integral in that process is because we’ve taken the power of ecommerce and technology and really put this in the hands of the retailers.”
From billions of dollars pumped into infrastructure to mobile payment platforms, Africa’s digital transformation has the potential to spur economic growth and give rise to new tech and telecommunications companies across the continent.
Telecom
VDT Communications Achieves Two Prestigious Certifications ISO /IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27032:2023 Reinforcing its Leadership in Broadband Service Provision
VDT Communications Limited, a provider of Enterprise communication solutions, is proud to announce that it has been awarded the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management System (ISMS) and ISO/IEC 27032:2023 Cybersecurity Management System certifications.
These prestigious certifications demonstrate VDT’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of information security and cybersecurity, ensuring the protection of sensitive customer data and maintaining the trust of its clients.
These certifications are a testament to VDT’s dedication to implementing robust information security and cybersecurity measures, aligning with international best practices.
The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification recognizes VDT’s ability to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve its ISMS, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of customer information. The ISO/IEC 27032:2023 certification highlights its commitment to protecting its customers’ information assets and preventing Cyber threats.
VDT Communications Limited has consistently demonstrated its commitment to excellence, previously earning and maintaining ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and ISO 20000-1:2018 IT Service Management certifications. These certifications have enabled the company to deliver high-quality services, ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.
“We are thrilled to receive these two prestigious certifications, which reinforce our commitment to information security and cybersecurity. These certifications demonstrate our dedication to implementing robust security measures that ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of customer data” said Engr. Abiodun Omoniyi, GMD of VDT Communications Limited.
The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27032:2023 certifications bring numerous benefits to VDT’s customers, including:
- Enhanced information security and cybersecurity posture
- Protection of sensitive customer data
- Compliance with international standards and regulations
- Improved risk management and incident response
- Increased trust and confidence in VDT’s services
“We are proud to serve our customers with the highest level of security and quality,” Bimbo Ikumariegbe, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of VDT. “These certifications demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our dedication to delivering innovative communication solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers” – Olufemi Akinola, Head, Information Technology.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has issued a stern warning to content creators filming and sharing videos of unsuspecting citizens on social media, describing such practices as direct violations of citizens’ rights to informational self-determination.
NDPC
The Commission drew attention to individuals capturing pictures and footage of the general public without consent, breaching Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act).
NDPC specifically flagged a content creator in Lagos State who films unsuspecting passersby at roadsides for a “reality show”. The Commission stressed that processing personal images in this manner demands explicit consent or a justifiable lawful basis under the NDP Act.
Preliminary investigations revealed no public or legitimate interest served by this “wilful invasion of privacy”. Data subjects, the Commission noted, have no reasonable expectation that their images would be captured and broadcast globally by an unknown individual.
National Commissioner/CEO Dr Vincent Olatunji has instructed social media platform owners—including TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Meta—to intensify enforcement of community guidelines to prevent harm from unlawful and unfair personal data processing.
Platforms failing to act promptly face sanctions under the NDP Act. Individual creators remain personally liable for violations, potentially facing criminal prosecution for infringing citizens’ and data subjects’ privacy rights.
The advisory was signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, Esq. CDPRP, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations.
NDPC emphasised that abuse of rights under the guise of entertainment will not be tolerated, urging compliance to safeguard Nigerians’ data privacy in the digital age.
In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026, Techeconomy, a leading business news platform in Nigeria, has unveiled its “100 Women Shaping the Future: Techeconomy Power List 2026,” recognizing exceptional women driving innovation, leadership, and impact across technology and the broader digital economy.
Techeconomy
The annual recognition spotlights women who are transforming industries through entrepreneurship, policy leadership, digital innovation, financial inclusion, media, education, and emerging technologies.
The initiative is part of Techeconomy’s commitment to promoting gender inclusion and highlighting female leadership shaping Africa’s technology ecosystem.
The Techeconomy IWD Power List features a diverse group of women, from corporate executives and startup founders to policymakers, ecosystem builders, and social innovators, whose work continues to influence the future of technology, business, and digital transformation in Nigeria and across Africa.
Speaking on the initiative, Joan Aimuengheuwa, the Managing Editor at Techeconomy, noted that the recognition goes beyond celebrating titles, focusing instead on impact, resilience, and the ability to shape the future through innovation and leadership.
According to her, “the women on the list represent different sectors including fintech, banking, healthcare, agriculture, education, communications, and the creative economy, demonstrating the growing role of women in advancing technology-driven development.
The unveiling aligns with the global celebration of International Women’s Day, which highlights the achievements of women and calls for accelerated progress toward gender equality. Across the world, the technology sector continues to push for greater female representation and leadership as part of efforts to build more inclusive digital economies.
Also speaking, Oluwatosin Aloba, the Brand Manager at Techeconomy, said: “Techeconomy IWD 2026 Power List is specially designed to inspire the next generation of female innovators and leaders by showcasing role models who are breaking barriers and redefining possibilities in the technology landscape.
“Techeconomy encouraged industry stakeholders, institutions, and the broader public to celebrate the achievements of these women while continuing to support policies, programs, and investments that expand opportunities for women in technology”, she added.
The full list of the “100 Women Shaping the Future: Techeconomy Power List 2026” is available on the Techeconomy website or visit: https://techeconomy.ng/techeconomy-iwd-2026-power-list-celebrates-100-women-shaping-the-future-of-tech/.
VDT Communications Achieves Two Prestigious Certifications ISO /IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27032:2023 Reinforcing its Leadership in Broadband Service Provision
CBN Orders Banks to Restrict Access to Banking Services for Loan Defaulters
NLNG Advances Media Excellence with Change Your Story Workshop
Interswitch Advocates Trust-Driven Infrastructure as Cornerstones of Africa’s Cross-Border Capital Future
Why JustMarkets Is a Strong Choice for Gold Trading
Kaspersky Discovers New Phishing Campaign Exploiting Google Tasks Notifications to Steal Corporate Credentials
esentry 2025 Report Shows Healthcare, Financial Services and Telecoms as Staging Grounds for Increased Cyberattacks in Africa
AfDB, UNDP Launch $10Bn AI Initiative for Africa
Pheelz Shares His Journey on Glo-Sponsored African Voices
Mutual Benefits Assurance Settles ₦5.9bn Claims in January 2026
General News2 days agoCourt Freezes Bank Accounts of Petrocam, Founder over Alleged N9Bn Zenith Bank Debt
E-Business3 days agoFG Moves to Strengthen Children’s Online Safety
E-Financial3 days agoCBN Directs Banks to Activate Anti-Money Laundering Systems
General News2 days agoFCCPC Says Telcos, Energy Firms Lead Consumer Complaints in Nigeria
Telecom2 days agoTecheconomy Unveils IWD 2026 Power List Celebrating 100 Women Shaping the Future
Telecom3 days agoCanal+ Unveils €100m Rescue Plan to Revive MultiChoice after Subscriber Slump
E-Business3 days agoHow Africa Can Turn the AI Wave into Inclusive Growth
E-Business2 days agoKaspersky Uncovers a New Android Malware Campaign Disguised as Starlink Application