Telecom
Network International Launches its Innovative Network One Payment Platform in Nigeria
FTSE-listed Network International, a trusted payment partner of Nigerian banks, has underscored its commitment to local and regional markets by bringing its innovative award-winning digital payment platform, Network One, on soil in Nigeria.
L-R: Dr. Reda Helal Group, Managing Director, Processing, Africa, Network International; Mrs. Chinwe Uzoho, Regional Managing Director, West and Central Africa, Network International; Mr. Nandan Mer, Group Chief Executive Officer, Network International and Mrs. Lola Agbebiyi, Managing Director, Nigeria, Network International during the media roundtable to announce the launch of Network One Payment Platform in Nigeria on Wednesday, August 7th 2024.
The platform is now ready to onboard and empower banks, MNOs and fintechs in Nigeria and throughout the West African region.
By deploying its flagship Network One platform on soil, Network International aligns with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive for in-country transaction routing, enhancing its local processing capabilities.
The integrated platform provides banks, FIs, and fintechs with a comprehensive range of payment products and services locally in Nigeria for both issuers and acquirers.
The suite is complemented by a variety of value-added services such as digital, loyalty, tokenization, enterprise fraud prevention, embedded finance and data and advisory solutions and many more.
Network International is strategically investing in rolling out the platform in key markets to effectively serve its local and regional clients and partners across the MEA region.
Nandan Mer, Group CEO, Network International, said: “This major milestone took us only a few months to deploy thanks to a local team that worked tirelessly and seamlessly with cross-functional colleagues in various geographies to ensure we deliver on Network One’s promise of innovation, resilience, and agility.
“Taking Network One live in Nigeria is integral to our company’s continued commitment to the country and the continent.”
As the fourth-largest GDP in Africa with strong consumer spending, Nigeria is ripe for a digital payments boom. Total transaction value in the domestic digital payments market is projected to reach US$21.32bn in 2024, with an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2028) of 10.06% projected to reach a total amount of US$31.28bn by 2028
Domestic deployment good for local and African clients
The Network One platform is an integrated payment suite offering both merchant and issuer solutions, hosted and supported in-country. It relies on a consolidation of best-in-class technologies brought together to provide end-to-end payment processing capabilities in a highly adaptable environment.
Network International is strategically positioning its proprietary technology infrastructure, which is developed, hosted, and maintained on a local level, to cater to the needs of local and regional entities seeking market-relevant digital payment solutions for their consumers.
“Our presence on the ground and comprehension of the specific needs of the local market have enabled us to tailor a solution that is ideally suited for Nigerian enterprises.
“Our capability to establish a hub equipped with all the essential technology not only empowers our clients to enhance their value proposition but also positions Network to effectively contribute to financial inclusion and democratization of payments, addressing the needs of a large population of consumers across the continent,” explained Dr. Reda Helal Group, MD – Processing, Africa and Co-Head Group Processing, Network International
Swift growth of local talent yields significant outcomes
A crucial aspect of Network International’s sustained investment in Nigeria is nurturing an empowered local workforce. By growing local personnel, Network is positioned to collaborate and co-innovate with local banks and mobile network operators, providing proximity to small and medium-sized enterprises and payment experts, right in the heart of their operations.
As a show of its commitment to the transformation of the local entity, the company is firming up its staff complement and will continue to enhance its resources and talents. Network recently marked its move from level 4 BBBEE status (in July 2023) to level 1 a year later as it continues to gain trust among African institutions as a payments partner of choice.
“By recruiting the right talent, we are assured that our teams in Nigeria can achieve quicker results with reduced reliance on our international teams, leading to significant operational benefits for our clients locally and regionally,” Dr. Helal added.
Network International’s investments throughout Africa have led to substantial improvements in economies of scale. Consequently, the company can provide state-of-the-art technology at a lower cost than what companies might incur if developed internally. This affordability, coupled with the technology’s advanced features, appeals to a broad audience and furthers the company’s mission to expedite digital transformation across the continent.
“Network One’s successful touchdown in Nigeria embodies our ambition to establish ourselves as a company that is authentically local in the African markets we serve,” Mer concluded.
Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON, stated in an interview with NAN in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.
Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.
“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.
‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.
The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.
He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.
The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.
“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.
Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.
The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.
MTN Nigeria has successfully completed a scheduled network maintenance operation that affected 101 sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States.
The restoration marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability in the Northeast region, amidst multiple fibre cuts and vandalism.
The maintenance, which took place on Sunday, August 24, involved the cutover of traffic to a newly installed fiber span along the AFCOT–Bawo Village route in Adamawa State.
This upgrade was necessary to replace a previously damaged section of the network infrastructure. All service maintenance was done within timeframe and restorations before 1 PM on Sunday August 24th.
We can confirm that all impacted sites have been fully restored, and services are now operating normally. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime.
The affected services included 2G, 3G, 4G, and enterprise connectivity, with temporary disruptions experienced in LGAs such as Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, and Michika in Adamawa; Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno; and Nasarawa in Kano.
The work was scheduled during daylight hours to ensure the safety of field engineers, given the linear and unprotected nature of the route.
This restoration is part of MTN’s broader strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in underserved regions and ensure consistent service delivery across Nigeria, amidst constant fibre cuts and vandalism.
TikTok has launched its music insights platform, TikTok for Artists, in Nigeria to support artist growth and fan engagement across the country’s vibrant music industry.
The platform, which debuted globally earlier this year, provides artists, labels, and management teams with access to daily-updated dashboards and analytics tools to track music performance, audience demographics, and fan interactions.
Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to empowering African creators.
“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally,” Mustapha said.
The platform offers detailed song performance metrics, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track. It also provides granular post-level data such as likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, alongside demographic breakdowns by gender, age, and language.
In addition to analytics, TikTok for Artists includes educational resources and step-by-step guides to help artists build sustainable careers.
A key feature of the platform is the Pre-Release tool, which allows artists to launch campaigns for upcoming albums and enables fans to pre-save tracks on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
British artist Jordan Adetunji described the platform as a “game changer,” noting its value in helping artists and their teams plan effective campaigns.
TikTok said the rollout reaffirms its investment in Africa’s creative economy and aims to foster deeper connections between artists and fans across the continent.
The platform is now available to all certified TikTok Artist Accounts, with access also extendable to managers and label teams.
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