Telecom
PR Practitioners Gear Up to Celebrate First-Ever “World PR Day”

PR practitioners and enthusiasts the world over will today celebrate the first ever World Public Relations Day, inspired by a need to present a unified global agenda to make the world understand and utilize PR better.

World PR Day presents opportunities for public relations and marketing communications practitioners across the globe to unite and stake a claim for the practice.
World PR Day will from today be held annually on July 16 and is a day dedicated to truth, honesty and reputation management in a way that is beneficial to all humans across the globe.
Due to the rise of digital communications over the years and significant changes in the way people read and digest news, interesting developments have emerged, and public relations, as a practice, has had to incorporate new trends in order to adapt to the times.
However, practitioners believe that while public relations is widely accepted, it is barely understood, due to a reductive view of its scope of functions. Analysts also believe that this trend has contributed directly to the lack of consideration the public relations industry has received, in comparison to advertising.
Another issue identified by industry experts is the common failure of organisations to attribute the results of PR activities to their top line, and this has eroded the value of PR not only in the eyes of senior stakeholders in organisations and Government, but also in relation to other marketing and communications activities competing for budget or substantial financial backing.
“PR is more than a terribly misunderstood, poorly appreciated, and thus poorly remunerated practice.
“We believe businesses, countries, and people do, not just practitioners, but themselves a huge disservice, if they continue to fail to see PR for what it is and should be: a strategic aspect of business and governance, invaluable in building relationships, preventing crises, achieving business objectives; pushing national interest, and preventing the kind of confusion that could ruin a company or lead nations to war. I was surprised to discover that there’s not a single day dedicated to PR and Comms.
“No unified global agenda towards making the world understand and utilize PR better. And with July 16, we are changing that,” Ayeni, CEO and founder of BHM stated.
The date July 16 pays homage to one of the forefathers of public relations, Ivy Lee, who was born on the same day in 1877.
Holding annually on July 16 from 2021, World PR Day will present a unified global agenda towards making the world understand and utilize PR better.
It also spurs practitioners to answer a call of duty, to help people, companies and governments communicate more honestly and responsibly and help them to be more deliberate about using public relations to build, innovate and develop. World PR Day will also feature key activities to be announced soon.
Telecom
Google Rolls Out Search Live AI to 200+ Countries, Including Nigeria

Google has launched its Search Live feature globally to over 200 countries, including Nigeria, where AI Mode is available, enabling voice-and-camera conversations in users’ preferred languages.

Powered by the new multilingual Gemini 3.1 Flash Live model, it delivers natural, real-time interactions via the Google app on Android or iOS—tap the Live icon under the Search bar.
Ideal for hands-free help, users can speak queries for audio replies, follow-ups, or web links. Camera integration adds visual context, like troubleshooting a shelving unit, or pairs with Google Lens for real-world chats.
From the app or Lens, Nigerians can now explore, learn, or solve tasks instantly, boosting everyday productivity worldwide.
Telecom
IFC Invests $45m to Green African Telecom Sites

Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.

The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Telecom
Expedier Launches Platform to Ease Cross-Border Payments for African Firms

Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.

Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
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