Telecom
RCCG Holds First Faith-based Hackathon
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, a trailblazer and a frontrunner in driving innovation that is positioning the Church and Africa as a global stakeholder in solving one of the greatest global epidemics – poverty, through its Young Adults and Youth Affairs has successfully held the first ever faith-based hackathon in Nigeria and second of the few in Africa.
The event tagged ‘Kingdom Hack’ was held from November 1st till 3rd 2018.
The objective of Kingdom Hack is to drive social change through technology.
This year’s focus was on addressing the challenge of poverty through redistribution of wealth.
Hackers from different parts of the country came together and were tasked with the responsibility of developing tech products and innovations that will enable redistribution of wealth and greater generosity.
Nine teams mentored by experts competed for the ultimate prize and at the end of the three-day event, Team Credital won the Hackathon ahead of team LinkUp and team Wagro. The three top teams were trailed by the six other teams.
Team credital developed a peer-peer lending platform aimed at exploring the lending market place in Nigeria with a bid to help accelerate the growth of small and medium scale enterprises and in turn, create a chain reaction of wealth redistribution and fight poverty in the process.
Speaking earlier at the beginning of the event, Bayo Adekanmbi, Chief Transformation Officer, MTN Nigeria, spoke about the dangers posed by poverty and its effect on national productivity as he challenged participants to position themselves as the game changers in driving the change of narrative.
He also took the participants through an inspiring session which focused on how to develop innovative products that can address the subject matter with many eye opening case studies.
Pastor Precious Akingbade, The National Young Adults and Youth Pastor of RCCG, spoke about the strength of the Youths and Young Adults as a major tool that can create wealth and reduce poverty if properly harnessed as the Redeemed Christian Church of God is currently doing.
In his remarks, the International Director of Programs, RCCG Young Adults and Youth Affairs, Pastor Oluwadamilare Adeboye congratulated the participants whom he described as the pioneers of a landmark initiative focused on solving a problem that has held the world in ransom for too long.
He further stressed that Kingdom Hack is one of the major initiatives through which the church is living up to her responsibility as a key stakeholder in driving social change.
The event also featured judges who are experts in various subjects’ matter in the tech community within and outside Nigeria.
Busola Oyefeso, CEO Tailorbricks, Kayode Adeyinka, Co-MD Jumia Ghana, Babajide Asegbeloyin, Techspace Ecosystem Business FCMB all added colours to the event as they employed their expertise and experience to determine the winners of the event.
At the end of the event, the winner, Team Credital walked home with a whopping sum of One million naira, while the first runner up, Team LinkUp walked home with seven hundred and fifty thousand naira while the second runner-up, Team Wagro, smiled home with five hundred thousand naira.
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.
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.
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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