Johnstone Kpilaakaa

uLesson’s Miva University is now a licensed online university in Nigeria

Miva University, a tertiary education arm of Nigerian edtech uLesson has obtained an Open Distance eLearning Licence from the National Universities Commission to operate in Nigeria.

Kenyan fintech M-KOPA gets $250M+ in debt and equity

M-KOPA has secured more than $250 million in debt and equity funding to boost its smartphone financing offering, expand into additional markets, and prioritize sustainability.

BD Insider 162: Nigerian banks owe telcos ₦120 billion USSD debt

We are starting the week with two funding news. Pan-African asset financing platform, M-Kopa has secured over $250 million in new funding. The investment includes $55 million in equity and over $200 million in debt, according to reports. It is one of the largest combined debt and equity funding that has been raised in the […]

Gricd secures $1.5M seed, rebrands as “Figorr” to enable insurance of perishable goods in Africa

Gricd has raised $1.5 million in a seed funding round led by Atlantica Ventures. The company wants to expand across Africa and deliver new solutions that will make it easier to insure perishable goods on the continent.

Elon Musk hires Ad expert, Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO

Elon Musk has hired ex-NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino to be the new Twitter CEO.

Safaricom gets licence to expand M-Pesa into Ethiopia

Safaricom Ethiopia has received mobile money licence from the National Bank of Ethiopia to expand M-Pesa in Ethiopia.

Kenyan agritech startup, iProcure expands into Tanzania

Kenya-based iProcure has announced its expansion into Tanzania through its partnership with the Farm to Market Alliance.

What we know about the Zimbabwean gold-backed digital currency

Zimbabwe has launched a gold-backed digital currency. It will be used as legal tender alongside the Zimbabwean dollar.

BD Insider 161: Kenya wants to tax digital creators

We examined the proposed tax on digital content creators in Kenya, the possible duplicate of telecoms regulators in Nigeria and the QR payment plan in Kenya.

Inside Gebeya’s plan to support 100 existing marketplaces in Ethiopia, and across Africa

In 2016, two Ethiopian entrepreneurs—Amadou Daffe and Hiruy Amanuel—founded Gebeya to bridge the shortage by providing training and also serving as a marketplace between these talents and companies in Africa. We look at the next phase of this company.

Examining venture funding trackers in the African tech ecosystem

Experts examine the state of venture funding tracking on the continent; its importance, its shortcoming and the way forward.

FEC approves use of blockchain in Nigeria

Nigeria's federal executive council has approved the national policy on blockchain. Through the policy, the country will develop regulatory framework to govern the adoption of the technology.