Telecom
GSMA Launches Mobile Money Interoperability Test Platform

Interoperability can help the mobile money industry shift to a higher gear, where customers can pay merchants and transfer money without having to consider which mobile money provider they are using.

More so, end-to-end interoperability may provide more people with access to financial services and enable new services to address the needs of the most under-served user groups.
This is according to the GSM Association (GSMA), which underlines the role its Mobile Money Interoperability Test Platform (ITP) (launched in March 2020) plays in testing to help instill reliability and trust within financial services.
The organisation says to achieve scale, it is necessary to have a high degree of reliability between all systems involved in enabling those transactions, leading eventually to consumer trust in the financial system. Especially amongst under-served groups, reliability and trust in the financial system are critical for success and adoption.
According to the GSMA, for over a decade, mobile money has been driving financial inclusion, opening access to digital transactions and giving people the tools to better manage their financial lives.
“Today, there are more than a billion registered mobile money accounts globally, spread across 290 mobile money deployments that are live in 95 countries. In Africa over 50.7 million new registered mobile money accounts were opened in 2019-20 alone, taking the total number of registered accounts in the region to 481 million.
The total transaction volume and value for mobile money accounts during this period was 24 billion and $461 billion (up by 20% and 27%) respectively,” the organisation stated.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has accelerated the need for mobile and digital technology on the African continent. This has created a platform for innovation.
New companies are emerging with service offerings aligned to a new way of transacting, further unlocking employment opportunities but also highlighting a need for skills development as the world digitally transforms.
The GSMA’s Director of Inclusive Fintech for Mobile Money, Bart-Jan Pors, said: “The platform empowers both Third-Party Service Providers and Digital Financial Service Providers to test their software implementation in an end-to-end ecosystem.
It solves complex testing scenarios through the simulation of the different ecosystem entities, the different APIs and different use cases.”
The GSMA Inclusive Tech Lab is guided by a global Advisory Group which comprises GoPay, IDEMIA, KaiOS, MTN, Telenor, the University of Washington, VEON, Vodafone, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The role of this advisory group is to assess, prioritise and contribute towards potential project ideas that drive financial and digital inclusion for the under-served, including the openness and interoperability of payment systems, service accessibility for women and vulnerable user populations, digital identities for unregistered people.
Under their guidance, it was found that this rapid rise in the need for digitisation has been accompanied by an increasing emphasis on the need for mobile money accounts to be able to work together across different networks, also known as account-to-account interoperability.
“We are pleased to support the Interoperability Test Platform, as a shared industry resource to accelerate the design of digital payment systems that benefit the poor, including the 1.7 billion people, globally, who do not have access to formal financial services,” said Kosta Peric, Deputy Director, Financial Services for the Poor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Max Cuvellier, Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA, added: “To truly transform the financial lives of all citizens, mobile money must become a primary monetisation mechanism, universally available across a greater range of digital transactions. By making mobile money more central to the financial lives of users, greater financial inclusion, economic empowerment and economic growth can be achieved.”
Telecom
NCC Expands IPv6 Board with the Appointment of Olusola Teniola, Funke Opeke Others

Olusola Teniola, ipNX Director has been named to the newly inaugurated IPv6 Council Board by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as part of a broader industry effort to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

The inauguration, which took place in Ikeja, Lagos, underscores the Commission’s renewed commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), a critical enabler of the country’s digital future.
Mr. Teniola joins a distinguished group of industry leaders, including Funke Opeke, Muhammed Rudman (Chairman), Chris Uwaje (Vice Chairman), Mary Uduma, Gbenga Adebayo, Lanre Ajayi, and Latif Ladid, alongside representatives from key regulatory and government institutions.
Speaking on his appointment, Teniola expressed appreciation to the NCC for the opportunity to serve and reiterated the importance of collaborative action in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“The transition to IPv6 is no longer a future consideration; it is an immediate priority for Nigeria’s digital economy. As data consumption grows and emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and AI become more pervasive, we must ensure that our underlying infrastructure is scalable, secure, and globally competitive,” he said.
He further emphasized that achieving meaningful IPv6 adoption will require strong alignment across stakeholders, including telecom operators, internet service providers, enterprises, academia, and government.
“This is a collective responsibility. We must invest in capacity building, drive awareness, and create the right policy and regulatory environment to accelerate adoption. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in an increasingly connected world.”
The IPv6 Council Board has been tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of a national IPv6 strategy, monitoring progress, and providing periodic updates on adoption levels across the country. The Council will also play a key role in addressing infrastructure challenges, strengthening technical expertise, and recommending policy incentives to support nationwide deployment.
Teniola’s appointment reflects ipNX’s continued commitment to shaping Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and advancing the development of resilient, future-ready network infrastructure across the country.
Telecom
QNET, Manchester City Host Football Clinic for Young Talents in Ghana

In a transformative initiative focused on youth empowerment, talent development and community impact, QNET, an international wellness and lifestyle company and a decade-long Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City , has successfully hosted an elite football clinic in Accra for 25 promising young Ghanaian footballers aged 7 to 11.

QNET
Delivered by official Manchester City coaches from 21 to 24 May 2026, the football clinic brought together talented young boys and girls from different communities across Ghana at AIS School Park, East Legon, for a unique opportunity to receive world-class football coaching, mentorship and life-skills training inspired by one of the world’s leading football clubs.
For many of the participants, the experience represented more than football. It was an opportunity to dream bigger, build confidence and believe that through hard work, discipline and determination, young Ghanaians can achieve their full potential both on and off the pitch.
Football holds a special place in Ghanaian culture and identity, inspiring generations of young people across the country. Through this initiative, QNET and Manchester City Football Club aimed to contribute meaningfully to the future of youth development in Ghana by creating an inclusive platform where children can learn, grow and thrive regardless of their background.
Trevor Kuna, Chief of Network Development at QNET said, “Football does something that few things can — it cuts across language, background and circumstance and gives young people a common language of ambition. When you watch these children on the pitch, you see not just their talent but their hunger to grow, to prove themselves, to be seen. At QNET, we believe that hunger deserves to be met with opportunity, and that is exactly what this clinic is about.”
The clinic focused not only on football skills and tactical development, but also on teamwork, leadership, discipline, perseverance and self-belief, values that are essential both in sport and in life.
Cherif Abdoulaye, QNET’s Deputy Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said,“,“When QNET took this initiative to Nigeria in 2023, we saw first-hand what happens when young people are given access to world-class coaching in their own communities — it shifts something in how they see themselves and what they believe is possible. Bringing it to Ghana felt like the natural next step. Ghana has a football culture that runs deep, and a new generation ready to carry it forward. We are proud that QNET and Manchester City can be part of that story.”
Philipa Harrison, Partnerships Marketing Manager for City Football Group’s MENA region, said “Over the past few days, we have witnessed tremendous passion, energy and commitment from these young players. This football clinic is about helping young people develop their abilities, enjoy the game and believe in what they can achieve in the future. We are proud to partner with QNET to bring this experience to young players in Ghana.”
For more than 10 years, QNET has been the Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City Football Club. QNET has also maintained a longstanding partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), supporting major African interclub competitions including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
These partnerships reflect QNET’s broader commitment to youth empowerment, community engagement, and the development of sports across Africa.
Beyond its sports and community initiatives, QNET continues to champion ethical business practices, transparency and public education across its markets while working closely with stakeholders and authorities to address the misuse of its brand by unauthorised individuals.
Telecom
Telcos Mull Calculator to Address Data Depletion Complaints

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) may introduce data calculator to enable users to measure their data usage and address complaints of rapid data depletion.

Data depletion is the rapid exhaustion of your internet data bundle before its expected expiration.
The data calculator is a tool that will show subscribers how their data is used daily.
Telecom operators, largely the MNOs, are already providing subscribers a daily report of data used the previous day, as part of directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive transparency.
According to a report by Nairametrics, an industry source confirmed the new measure, noting that subscriber complaints over data depletion have now become a major concern in the industry, as it undermines trust.
“An average subscriber believes their service provider steals their data once their data is exhausted before time or depletes faster than they expected, which is not true.
“Over the years, we have tried to enlighten subscribers on factors that could lead to the fast depletion of their data, which include smartphone functionality, among others.
“And now, we are looking at tools that could show the subscribers not just what they have used, but also how they have used it to further promote transparency,” the source said.
According to the source, operators are also intensifying their sensitisation campaigns to help subscribers understand why their data can run out quickly.
Recall that NCC carried out an audit about 24 months ago across the mobile networks and found out that there was “no major” issue of data depletion, contrary to claims and complaints by subscribers.
Findings showed that the major issue still concerns the types of mobile phones and the activities users perform on them.
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