LH Telecoms Nigeria, a subsidiary of Light House Capital, has acquired a majority stake in 9mobile’s parent firm Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited, after approvals from the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but the new board will be chaired by Thomas Etuh, with Nahim Ibraheem and Femi Edun joining as new members. Former senator, Daisy Danjuma will also be on the board, as well as Michael Ikpoki, Ibrahim Puri, Gloria Danjuma, and Emmanuel Etuh.

“The investment, approved by the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM), the senior lender to 9mobile in May 2023, has resulted in a change in control of 9mobile in favour of the new investor by the issuance of new shares amounting to 95.5 per cent of 9mobile to the new investor in consideration for the injection of fresh capital into the company,” the board announced in a statement.

The firm expects the new organization to revive the once telecom firm formerly known as Eutisalat Nigeria to give it the ability to compete more effectively in Nigeria’s highly competitive telecom market. The firm will be lead by Obafemi Banigbe as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer succeeding outgoing CEO Juergen Peschel who will remain with the company as a consultant.

Banigbe began his telecoms career at Celtel, now Airtel Nigeria, as the Director of Operations and worked at Ericsson across various roles within the Sub-Saharan Africa Market Unit, culminating as the Network Support Group Manager for Access and Transport Networks. He also served as the Chief Operations Officer at Millicom Ghana, and Interim CEO and Chief Technical Officer for Millicom Ghana and Millicom International Cellular Tanzania. 

Banigbe co-founded Silver Rock Technology Services Ghana, a strategic advisory firm specializing in the Telecom, Media, and Technology sectors. He has also served as a Non-Executive Director at Amplitude Telecoms, a tower infrastructure provider in Nigeria, and contributed to the successful acquisition of Vodafone Ghana as an Advisory Board member for Telecel Group. Additionally, he provided strategic insights to the Nsano Group, a leading Fintech platform operating across multiple African countries, and offered guidance on product development and market entry strategies to Kirusa Group in New Jersey, USA.

“The Nigerian telecoms industry is characterized by strong competition, but it also provides opportunities for different stakeholders. I am delighted to join the 9mobile family and look forward to using my experience and unique value propositions to lead the company in the next exciting phase of its journey. The goal is to build on the existing foundation to create value that will transform the Nigerian telecoms sector,” said Banigbe

Banigbe holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria. He has furthered his expertise through the Ericsson Management Development Programme, the Advanced Management Program at the London Business School, and an MBA from Manchester Business School, UK. Prior to his appointment at 9mobile, he served as Senior Partner: Strategy and Technology with Africa Context Advisory Partners.

9mobile, was formerly known as Etisalat Nigeria was acquired by Teleology Holdings but ended up losing subscribers from its peak of 22 million in October 2016 to just over 11.7 million voice subscribers and 3.3 million internet users to date.

The High Court has halted any further progress on the new digital identity cards, popularly known as Maisha Namba, until a lawsuit filed by the Haki na Sheria Initiative is settled.

On July 24th, Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued the order, citing the potential for irreversible harm if the court ultimately finds the process unconstitutional.

“Based on the latest information,” the judge stated, “the court is convinced that an order suspending any further or continued implementation of Maisha Namba, Maisha card and Maisha Database pending the hearing and determination of this application ought to be issued.”

Haki na Sheria Initiative brought to the court’s attention a July 22nd circular confirming the commencement of mass collection, processing, and storage of data for Maisha Namba, along with enrollment into the Maisha Database (Maisha Namba ecosystem).

The documents presented outline three methods for enrolling in the Maisha ecosystem:

• Issuing Maisha cards to newborns.
• Providing them to first-time ID applicants reaching 18 years old.
• Replacing lost IDs for adults who currently hold the 2nd generation ID.

The petitioner contests the entire Maisha ecosystem rollout, citing concerns about potential mass personal data breaches and the permanent exclusion of specific groups.

Haki na Sheria Initiative argues that the Maisha ecosystem lacks adequate safeguards for handling personal data.

“There’s a significant risk of causing harm to the public and their right to privacy by revealing certain types of personal information without proposals on how the data will be protected,” their documents partly state.

The organization further argues that the rollout is likely to exacerbate the already existing disparity in Kenyan citizenship.

Their reasoning is that some groups, primarily children from minority and marginalized communities, face difficulties obtaining citizenship documents like birth certificates. These difficulties stem from challenges in accessing registration centers or years of secondary vetting faced by their parents and grandparents when acquiring 1st and 2nd generation IDs.

Double-registered individuals, according to Haki na Sheria, encounter similar problems.

“If the state is allowed to proceed with this process, countless people will be left in limbo,” Haki na Sheria warns. “They won’t be able to obtain a Maisha card at birth or replace it as adults due to the lack of a 2nd generation ID.”

This, they claim, will have an impact on other fundamental rights like access to government services, education, and healthcare.

Justice Mugambi ordered the petitioner to serve the application to the case’s respondents by July 26th. The respondents include the Attorney General, CS Interior, Director General of Kenya Citizens and foreign nationals management service, Principal Registrar of Births and Deaths, and Principal Registrar of Persons.

The next court date for further directions has been set for September 17th.

Ory Okolloh and Francesco Bianco have left the Safaricom Board according to company statement from Safaricom’s acting Company Secretary, Linda Mesa Wambani.

“The Board wishes to announce changes in the board with exit of Ory Okolloh and Francesco Bianco with effect from 24 July, 2024 and 1 August, 2024 respectively, following the full board meeting held on 24 July, 2024. The Board will announce their replacement in due course,” The statement read.

The board thanked Mr. Bianco and Ms. Okolloh for their invaluable and robust contributions in the committees and at board meetings
during their tenure and wishes the two all the best in their future endeavors. Ory Okolloh replaced Prof Bitange Ndemo effective February 2, 2023 after his appointment by the then Kenyan government to serve as Kenya’s ambassador to Belgium. She served as an independent director at Safaricom since February 2023 until her departure this July 2024. She has also previously served on the board of Stanbic Bank Foundation Kenya, from April 2020 to July 2024, and as a Non Executive director to Stanbic Bank till December 2020 when she resigned.

Ory Okolloh has also served on Omidyar Group’s Omidyar Network Board but left the organization end of April 2020 after seven years of service. Luminate, part of Omidyar Group funds non-profit and for-profit organisations that improve advocacy, civic participation and transparency.

Zendesk’s Teresa Anania has joined Sophos as Chief Customer Officer [CCO] to accelerate Sophos’ customer and partner success initiatives.

With more than 25 years of experience in leading customer satisfaction and sales growth across public and private sectors, excelling in both direct and indirect sales channels, Anania is joining Sophos from Zendesk, where she was responsible for the management and development of its global client base of more than 110,000 customers. At Zendesk, Anania led all post-sales functions, including Professional Services, Customer Support, Customer Service, Customer Success and Renewals, to deliver top line growth and measurable impact for customers.

“Sophos is in an exciting phase of its business growth, and I am eager to bring my career success building positive customer experiences to the company,” said Anania. “Sophos has a stellar reputation for continually innovating cybersecurity technology and managed security services that help organizations defend their businesses against ransomware, data breaches and other potentially business-ending cyberattacks. I will be working closely with channel partners, MSPs, and the global team, to advocate for Sophos’ customers and their security defenses and to drive value for partners from Sophos’ entire portfolio of solutions and services.”

As CCO, Anania will be responsible for developing a stronger customer-centric culture, working together with channel partners and Managed Service Providers [MSPs] to deliver a seamless experience for Sophos’ growing customer base of more than 600,000 organizations worldwide. She will be in charge of maximizing value of Sophos’ portfolio of cybersecurity solutions and services, including Managed Detection and Response [MDR] services and endpoint, network, email, and cloud security.

“To provide this pathway, we’ve hired Teresa, who has an impressive track record building post-sales relationships and delivering experiences that increase customer satisfaction and drive topline growth,” Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos. “Her knowledge and expertise will allow us to further put customers at the center of our business, alongside our channel partners and MSPs. Most importantly, Teresa’s new role will help keep our customers as secure as possible, which is always our top priority. We are delighted to welcome Teresa to the Sophos team.”

In the past two months, it has been evident that in Kenya, a new wave of civil unrest has brewed with Generation Z (Gen Z) at the centre stage.

Tuesdays and Thursdays have been witnessing nation wide protests where the young demographic, known for their digital savvy and activism, has been at the forefront of recent demonstrations against the government.

The decision to hold weekly protests comes on the heels of successful demonstrations that led to the withdrawal of the contentious Finance Bill 2024 and the reshuffle of the cabinet secretaries. However, it appears that the youth are not satisfied with this victory and are determined to maintain pressure on the government to address other pressing issues.

Social media has been abuzz with the planned protests, with young Kenyans using platforms like X (Twitter) and TikTok to mobilize support and share information.

According to reports, these protests have no claimed leaders.

Today on X, the hashtag  #OccupyJKIA has been on the trending on X where protesters announced they were going to march to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a move which the authorities have condemned.

Similar hashtags have been trending across different social media platforms indicating a growing momentum behind the movement.

Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja earlier issued a stern warning to protesters, particularly those affiliated with the Gen Z movement, against attempting to occupy the airport. The warning comes ahead of planned demonstrations scheduled for today (Tuesday, July 23, 2024.)

Mr Kanja emphasized that JKIA is a protected area and unauthorized access is strictly prohibited under the Protected Areas Act. He cautioned protesters that any attempt to enter the airport will be met with the full force of the law.

The airport authority issues directive to the travellers to arrive four hours earlier before take off time as stringent security measures were put in place and security checks were expected to be lengthy. This comes after the social media notice ahead of the protest today and hashtag #OccupyJKIA trending on X.

The police boss urged protesters to exercise their right to peaceful assembly responsibly, emphasizing the importance of adhering to legal boundaries. He also expressed concerns about potential criminal elements infiltrating the demonstrations, calling for vigilance among protesters.

The warning follows a series of protests that have rocked the nation, with the youth playing a prominent role in demanding government accountability. While the government has made concessions, including the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, tensions remain high as the youth continue to press for further reforms.

The police have deployed additional officers to strategic locations in anticipation of the protests, with a focus on maintaining law and order while protecting critical infrastructure.

Protests erupted in Nairobi , Kenya’s capital city. Demonstrators flooded the streets of the central business district (CBD). They waved Kenyan flags, blew whistles, and chanted slogans demanding change. Their chants resonated with messages like “We’ve had enough!” and “President Ruto needs to step down!”

However, the anti-government protests weren’t universally supported. Another group, primarily consisting of boda bodas took to the streets as well. They voiced their support for the president, urging patience with chants like “Let’s give our president a chance!”

Peach Payments, a South African digital payments firm has acquired customer software development firm Operativa and will integrate the entire Operativa team into Peach Payments, with Operativa co-founders Dayne Olivier and Ben Janecke taking on Principal Engineer positions.

The acquisition comes after Peach Payments latest close of $30 millionled by the Apis Growth Fund II. The terms of the deal were not disclosed but the full acquisition is expected to be completed by August.

According to Rahul Jain, CEO and co-founder of Peach Payments, “Operativa has been a trusted partner since the very beginning of our relationship, so the opportunity to acquire the business was not only a strategic business decision, but felt like a natural next step. The additional capital raised from the Apis Growth Fund II is allowing us to execute faster as we build new products and expand across Africa. Operativa has the people, skills, and  intricate knowledge that comes from having worked with us on developing our systems, allowing us to hit the ground running together on some really exciting new projects.”

Operativa works with clients in the financial services, information security, e-commerce and cloud hosting industries. Olivier and Janecke have worked with Peach Payments since 2022, building and maintaining a number of the company’s payments systems and solutions. The pair and their team have been instrumental in building the technical architecture that has paved the way for Peach Payments’ rapid expansion, including integrating additional payment methods such as Apple Pay, and onboarding new merchants and banking partners.

“We were able to build something really special with Operativa. We made significant strides working with Peach Payments as our partner, and we are confident that as an integrated business, we’ll be able to achieve even more,” Janecke adds.

The decision to sell the business had been influenced by a number of factors, including their relationship with Peach Payments and its plans for the future, as well as market conditions.

Bringing Operativa’s specialised skills and developers in-house allows Peach Payments to deliver on its growth strategy more quickly and efficiently, says Jain.

“We have always really enjoyed working with Peach Payments. We believe that the business has what it takes to become the undisputed payments leader in Africa. We see this acquisition as a call up to the winning team,” Olivier says.

Just a month after Copia Global administrators announced the sale of its assets to settle creditors, Tracey Turner, co-founder of the Kenyan-based e-commerce platform, is already gearing up for a new venture, new reports indicates.

“According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Ms Turner is in the process of launching a new company that will focus on delivering household items in Nairobi and its surrounding suburbs. The company, which has already been registered in Kenya, is reportedly in advanced talks with investors, with three already lined up to provide funding, according to a venture capitalist privy to the discussions,”the report stated.

Also, Ms Turner’s co-founder and former Copia CEO, Tim Steel, is also expected to join the new team, although his exact role remains unclear. Mr Steel headed Copia from March 2017 until its entry into administration in May 2024.

Copia’s downfall began in May when it admitted to financial struggles and laid off over 1,000 employees. Despite attempts to raise new funding, the company ultimately decided to wind down operations after eleven years.

The new company’s anticipates a potential launch between September and October.

You have probably heard the expression “Data is the new oil.” Well, data today is fueling an increasing number of businesses as well as individuals. Personalized customer experiences, automated marketing messaging, and science-driven insights all depend on the quality and volume of your information.

Companies and individuals are eager to gather data, and understandably so. Legislators, on the other hand, are keen to protect the privacy and safety of individuals. You have probably searched for something on the internet only to meet with voluminous and overwhelming, sometimes annoying ads of similar searches across all other platforms. It is all about data and your privacy.

As technology continues to advance, thanks to the latest inventions like Artificial Intelligence and the ever-advancing technology in smartphones and other electronics such as televisions, data privacy, and protection have never been as much needed as now.

Did you know, for instance, that your favorite smartphone listens to you? Yes, it does. Your phone listens to you. Phone listening is a proven fact, as voice assistants require your microphone to be enabled at all times, and they need it to pick up trigger words. It listens and keeps a record just like the human mind.

Did you also know that through the Internet of Things, (IoT), your devices can effectively communicate with each other and share data which might include some personal and private data? For starters, the term IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to the collective network of connected devices and the technology that facilitates communication between devices and the cloud, as well as between the devices themselves.

It is because of this, and the urgent need to safeguard your data that Samsung TVs now have the Knox Matrix. This is a feature that provides blockchain security monitoring and secure data sharing between your devices, such as your TV and phone, your TV and tablet, or your TV and SmartThings devices. Through this tech, data that is stored via cloud servers is also fully protected with Enhanced Data Protection, which means that data can only be decrypted on your trusted devices. Additionally, your data is completely inaccessible to others, including Samsung, and is protected in the event of data breaches in the cloud server.

At the same time, Samsung Knox offers comprehensive 3-layer security that functions in all areas of your TV, including hardware, platform, and service solutions. These layers are covered within; Hardware Security which ensures safe booting of the TV’s operating system and blocks personal information leakages; Platform Security which ensures a safe and secure environment by encrypting and blocking malicious apps when storing data; and service Security which ensures confident use Internet-based services without the threat of information leakages. For example, Service Security will block access to phishing sites when you’re using a web browser.