Author: ITPulse

The Financial Times has ranked Zedcrest as the fastest-growing firm in Nigeria’s financial services sector in its 2022 Financial Times ranking for Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies published two days ago. Africa’s new-age principal investing and financial solutions powerhouse is also ranked the second fastest-growing company in the country and the fifth fastest-growing in Africa. The ranking was compiled with Statista, a research company and released after months of study, public calls, intense database research, and direct interaction with over 900 public companies in the continent. 75 firms were ranked among millions of African-based businesses based on their revenue compound annual…

Licensed telecommunications in Nigeria have written the Nigerian Communications Commission, proposing a 40 percent increase in the cost of calls, SMS and data, the Punch reports. Their proposal letter titled, ‘Impact of the Economic and Security Issues on the Telecommunications Sector’ and written under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria is attributed to the rising cost of running a business in the country. Based on the proposal, calls will increase from N6.4 to N8.95 while the price cap of SMS will increase from N4 to N5.61. The operators believe that the telecommunication industry has been…

The devastating floods of April 2022 in KwaZulu-Natal, which claimed the lives of at least 435 people, demonstrated an opportunity to leverage the power of data in both prevention and relief efforts in the future. SAS experts share further insights. Data is generated everywhere – from the movements of mobile devices or wearables tracked by GPS to social media and retail activity. While there may seem to be no direct connection between data and coordinated flood response, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has created the opportunity for crowdsourcing and citizen data scientists to help solve humanitarian problems. I-Sah Hsieh, Principal…

Nigeria will soon experience the accelerated deployment of a 5G network that will usher the country into a more robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and a more digitised Nigerian economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has assured. The assurance is coming based on the fact that the telecom regulator has confirmed the issuance of the final letters of award of the Fifth Generation (5G) Spectrum Licences to MTN and Mafab Communications, winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction conducted by the Commission on Monday, December 13, 2021. In a statement issued and signed by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs…

The total number of Voice-over-5G users will reach 2.5 billion globally representing 780 percent by 2026; rising from only 290 million in 2022, a new study by Juniper Research has found. According to the study, this remarkable growth of 780 percent will be driven by the acceleration of 5G roll-outs following a slowing during the pandemic, where voice-over-5G leverages the software-based nature of 5G networks to offer APIs for business voice services over operator networks. The new research, Mobile Voice Strategies: Future Monetisation Opportunities & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, urges operators to capitalise on the growth of Voice-over-5G users to create…

With the complexity surrounding Nigeria’s healthcare system today, keeping medical records in a safe and secured place where they can be easily accessed remains a top priority. Whether one is using a digitalised record-keeping system, or old-fashioned files, the safety of one’s medical history is very important. Regardless, digitalised systems for medical records have many advantages over a manual filing system. Digital systems ensure that incidences such as exposure of a patient’s medical record to third parties are brought to a minimum. This enhances the doctor-patient trust, driving efficiency in the medical field in the country. Patients and healthcare practitioners…

The State of Ransomware 2022 global survey, which was conducted by Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, covers ransomware incidents experienced during 2021, as well as related cyber insurance issues from the Nigerian respondents. Four main findings from Nigeria’s perspective are: ·         More victims are paying the ransom – In 2021, 44% of organizations that had data encrypted in a ransomware attack paid the ransom. ·         The impact of a ransomware attack can be immense – The average cost to recover from the most recent ransomware attack in 2021 was US$3.43 million. It took on average one month to…

The Director of Trade Promotions at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Seriki Oyediran has described the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as a partner in progress in ensuring Nigeria succeeds in its Digital Infrastructure pursuit. Seriki Oyediran, while seeking NCC’s participation in the 8th Edition of the Information Communication Technology and Telecommunication (ICTEL) Expo focusing on “Ensuring Efficient Digital Infrastructure in Nigeria”, being organised by the Chamber, believes that the Commission’s participation in the past added colour, focus, clarity, and ensured the success of previous events. “We are here to seek your partnership to enable us to record…

Nigeria’s premier banking institution, Firstbank has been recognised with two awards for promoting financial inclusion in Nigeria at the International Investor Awards 2022. The two awards are Best Bank in Nigeria 2022 and Best Banking Digital Transformation Nigeria According to the organisers of the award, FirstBank was recognised for its leadership role in promoting financial inclusion in Nigeria which has been integral to improving lives and stimulating businesses of individuals across the country. Commenting, Ms Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications First Bank of Nigeria Limited said: “We thank International Investor Awards for the recognition, whilst dedicating these…

South Africa-based Dis-Chem Pharmacies has adduced reasons why it decided to engage Clickatell, one of the leading CPaaS innovators and Chat Commerce service providers to enable Whatsapp as its customer communication channel with its customers being serviced by over 250 stores. According to Lynne Blignaut, Head of Loyalty & Customer Rewards at Dis-Chem, Dis-Chem customers can now quickly and easily access various services through WhatsApp by sending “Hi” to 0860 347 243, explaining that the easy to navigate menu then allows shoppers to choose which action they want to perform. “Clickatell’s close relationship with Meta as an enterprise Business Service…