Author: ITPulse

Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for urgent national action to combat the rapidly evolving cybersecurity risks fueled by artificial intelligence. In anticipation of the council’s formal inauguration, Inuwa revealed that the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will hold at least two more stakeholder engagement sessions. This collaborative approach mirrors the development of Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, prioritizing transparency and inclusivity. Inuwa emphasized that AI has fundamentally shifted the digital landscape by introducing complexities that traditional security measures may not be equipped to handle. He identified two primary areas of…

Nigeria’s foremost payments and financial inclusion dialogue platform, Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 3.0), will hold this Friday, April 24, 2026, at the prestigious Lagos Oriental Hotel, Lekki Road, bringing together regulators, fintech leaders, banks, policymakers, agent networks, cybersecurity experts, innovators, and ecosystem stakeholders to shape the future of digital payments in Nigeria. With the theme: “Fair Digital Payments as a Catalyst for Deepening Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,” PAFON 3.0 comes at a defining moment for the country’s digital economy as stakeholders seek practical pathways to close the inclusion gap, strengthen trust in payment systems, and accelerate access for underserved populations.…

By Gloria Onosode Nigeria is targeting an ambitious $1 trillion economy by 2030. To achieve this, women-led businesses must transition from mere passive observers to primary growth drivers at the heart of the economy and strategic participants in their respective industries. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the increased ownership rate of MSMEs by women represents a significant contribution to economic growth and job creation. Digital empowerment for these enterprises must move from being a social responsibility or gender support initiative to contributing to broader economic development. To reach the $1 trillion GDP milestone, women-led businesses must be…

In a move to formalize the burgeoning ‘borrow now, pay later’ digital ecosystem, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has officially granted regulatory approval to five companies to provide airtime and data lending services across Nigeria. The consumer protection watchdog announced that the licenses aim to ensure fair competition and protect Nigerians from predatory lending practices within the telecommunications sector. The commission identified the following entities as meeting the necessary regulatory requirements to operate: Coverage Broadband Limited, Total TIM Nigeria Limited, Rane Interactive Medien CLS Limited, Mode NG Applications Nigeria Limited and Cloud Interactive Associate Limited. For millions…

There is a persistent assumption in modern business that attention is progress. If people are seeing you, engaging with you, and talking about you, then you must be growing. On the surface, this feels true. In practice, it is one of the most expensive misconceptions companies carry. Visibility is not legitimacy. And confusing the two creates fragile businesses that look successful long before they actually are. Visibility is distribution. It is how often you are seen, how far your message travels, and how loudly you exist in a market. It is driven by campaigns, partnerships, content, and media. It is…

The Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation, in partnership with industry giants TD Africa, Konga Group, Zinox Technologies, and Task Systems, has announced that the application portal for its landmark technology scholarship program will officially open on Monday, April 27, 2026. Originally slated for April 22, the launch date was moved to ensure final technical optimizations provide a secure and transparent experience for applicants nationwide. The initiative was first unveiled on February 22, 2025, to mark the 70th birthday of Zinox Group Chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh. Eschewing a traditional celebration, the tech pioneer chose to fund the education of 1,000 indigent whiz-kids…

In a significant nod to Nigeria’s burgeoning tech scene, four homegrown startups have been selected for the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa. Out of nearly 2,600 applications across the continent, these four innovators secured spots in the final group of 15, a feat representing an acceptance rate of less than 1%. The four startups are: Bani : A cross-border payments infrastructure platform eliminating settlement delays for African businesses trading globally. MasteryHive AI : An AI-native platform automating transaction reconciliation, fraud detection, and AML monitoring. Regxta : Combines alternative data-driven credit scoring with a hybrid digital-agent distribution…

By Epiphanus Obia  Flutterwave has denied reports that the Nigerian government approved a $75 million investment in the company, pushing back on widespread speculation that it is preparing for an imminent initial public offering (IPO). The reports, which circulated on Monday, claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had authorised the investment through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoFI) as part of plans to anchor a potential $250 million IPO. Some accounts also suggested a possible dual listing on the Nigerian Exchange and in New York. The speculation appears to have been triggered by a now-deleted social media post from a…

Epiphanus Obia WhatsApp users may soon start paying for some features on the platform, as its parent company Meta Platforms begins testing a new subscription service. The feature, called WhatsApp Plus, started rolling out on April 20, 2026, to a small group of Android beta users. It offers paid add-ons, including custom themes, more pinned chats, and better chat organisation tools. For now, the basics are not changing. Sending messages, making calls, and end-to-end encryption will remain free for all users. But the test marks a shift for WhatsApp, especially for users in Nigeria, where the app is used daily…

By Deen Yusuf Nigeria has never struggled with ingenuity. It is a place where innovation grows from necessity, and where developers, entrepreneurs, and problem solvers consistently push past limitations to build what does not yet exist. But in the era of artificial intelligence, ingenuity alone is no longer enough. The nations that will lead are those that not only innovate, but also ensure AI reaches workers at every level of the economy, because innovation without diffusion is simply potential left on the shelf. Yet research shows this diffusion is far from guaranteed. While global generative AI usage continues to rise,…