Telecom
Zoho Announces 31% Growth in Nigeria, Unveils Strong Community Initiative Programs
Zoho, a global technology company, on Thursday said that it grew by 31% in 2023 in Nigeria, one of its key markets in the Africa region.
The company has been providing its 55+ apps in Naira to help local businesses avoid fluctuating dollar rates.
Zoho also announced its collaboration with Bridge International Academies in order to support the education of underprivileged children. The announcements were made on the sidelines of Zoholics Nigeria, the company’s annual user conference.
“As we continue to grow our presence in Africa, our focus is on ensuring that our expansion positively impacts the local economy, communities, and the broader business ecosystem,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria.
“This approach aligns with our transnational localism strategy, which emphasises being rooted in local markets while staying globally connected.
“To support this, we are committed to hiring local talent, strengthening our partner network, and creating products tailored to the local market.
“Additionally, to serve the community, we are supporting the education of children and also undertaking sustainability initiatives.”
Community and Environment Initiatives
Zoho is partnering with Bridge International Academies to establish a meaningful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.
The primary objective of this partnership is to support the education of 200 children from underserved communities by sponsoring school uniforms, fees for four terms, and other essential items for students attending Bridge International Academies.
This initiative aims to address the issue of financial constraints that hinder many pupils’ access to essential school supplies.
Zoho recognises the crucial role of education in societal development and is committed to breaking down these barriers by supporting Bridge international Academies pupils with necessary supplies.
In addition to this, Zoho aims to assist Bridge international Academies in its digitalisation efforts, offering Zoho Wallet Credits to help them utilise the company’s technology.
“Every child has the right to education, yet many children from underprivileged backgrounds face significant barriers to accessing quality learning opportunities.
“That’s why we are committed to transforming the lives of millions of children in underserved communities by delivering life-changing education. Through strategic partnerships, we aim to bridge this gap by providing vital resources and high-quality education to the students we serve.
“We are thrilled and deeply grateful for our partnership with Zoho, as our shared commitment to delivering meaningful value is at the heart of what unites us,” said Foyinsola Akinjayeju, Managing Director, Bridge International Academies, Nigeria.
Zoho is also recycling the billboards of its out of home ads and turning them into bags. Over 500 flexes from Nigeria and 1300+ in Kenya have been recycled so far.
“At Zoho, we believe that our growth should go hand in hand with the success of our customers, partners, employees, and the communities we are part of.
“In Nigeria, we embrace this same philosophy by hiring locally, expanding our partner network, and offering affordable technology tailored to meet local needs. For the community, we have been investing in youth upskilling initiatives and are now extending support to children’s education.
“We are also committed to strengthening our sustainability efforts, including expanding our recycling programmes, such as flex recycling,” said Ogundare.
Zoho’s Growth in Nigeria
Zoho has experienced impressive growth in the Nigerian market since commencing operations in 2020. Over the past three years, Zoho has achieved a 43% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in Nigeria.
In 2023 alone, Zoho saw a 21% increase in its partner network. Additionally, the company expanded its local workforce in Nigeria by 40% in the previous year.
Zoho’s success in Nigeria stems from the widespread adaptation of its flagship products, including Zoho Workplace, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk, Zoho CRM, and Zoho One.
These products have played a crucial role in optimising business operations, improving customer experience, and enhancing efficiency.
Zoho’s success in the Nigerian region is driven by key sectors such as financial services, energy, real estate and construction, IT hardware & IT related services, professional services (non IT), utilities and resources, and retail.
Other upskilling initiatives in Africa
Earlier this year, Zoho revealed several upskilling partnerships across Africa. As part of the Young Creators Program, Zoho partnered with She Code Africa, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering and upskilling African women in tech.
Zoho conducted “train the trainer” sessions for SCA Academy trainers, equipping them with skills to use Zoho Creator, Zoho’s low-code app development platform.
The SCA Academy trainers will then train more students associated with SCA to develop impactful applications using low-code technology, addressing real-world business challenges.
In Kenya, the company joined forces with MOMO Pencils, a leading manufacturer of eco-friendly stationery in Nairobi, for the “Hope for Literacy” program.
The program seeks to combat intergenerational poverty by improving access to quality education for children in underserved communities while promoting environmental sustainability and eco-friendly practices in schools.
Zoho also partnered with J-Hub Africa, the digital innovation hub at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, to provide training for JKUAT technology students.
This partnership will focus on teaching students how to leverage Zoho’s cloud-based business applications, enhancing their technology skills, and preparing them for diverse career opportunities in various industries.
Recently, in South Africa, Zoho collaborated with BabesGotBytes to empower over 40 girls and women with digital skills through a comprehensive one-year boot camp, aimed at bridging the skills gap and increasing female representation in tech.
Additionally, Zoho partnered with CodeTelligence to support a 6-month boot camp for 36 economically disadvantaged youth, providing IT training and mentorship to enhance their employability and readiness for the workforce.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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