Condia Insider: Green passport, red alert 🚨

In this letter, we explore:

• Nigerian government increases passport fees by 100%
• T2mobile signs multi-million dollar Huawei deal for network upgrade
• Access Holdings picks Innocent Ike as new Group CEO

We also curated updates on startup funding in Africa, weekend reads, and several opportunities.

Nigerian government increases passport fees by 100%

From September 1, getting a Nigerian passport won’t just test your patience; it’ll test your wallet.

The 32-page booklet is jumping to ₦100,000 ($69), while the 64-page version will now cost ₦200,000 ($134). That’s a 100% hike, the second increase in just a year.

To put it in perspective: Back in 2007, the same 32-page passport cost just ₦8,750. Fast-forward 18 years, and it’s now 11x that price. The government says the increase will help maintain a “world-class” passport system, but for most Nigerians, it feels like another price increase at the worst possible time.

× Sponsored

Nigerians abroad won’t be spared either. They’ll continue to pay $150 (₦231,000) for the smaller booklet and $230 (₦354,200) for the larger one. That makes applying at home cheaper, at least if you stick to the 32-page.

Context: Officials argue the hike will help maintain quality and speed up service. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has already cleared a 200,000-application backlog, introduced contactless renewals for Nigerians overseas, and nudged Nigeria’s passport ranking to its best spot in years (88th). Still, the “green passport” only gets you visa-free entry into 45 countries, down from 46 earlier this year.

If you’re wondering how we got here (and how much pricier the “green book” has become over the years), Victory’s piece has the full story.

T2mobile signs multi-million dollar Huawei deal for network upgrade

T2mobile (formerly 9mobile) is in the news again! This time, they signed a multi-gazillion-dollar deal with Huawei to deliver amazing service to whatever remains of its 2.7 million customers. 

The partnership builds on a roaming agreement with MTN Nigeria, which allowed T2mobile subscribers tap into MTN’s extensive coverage in areas where its own network is patchy. The rebrand and roaming deal has already started yielding results: NCC data shows that T2mobile gained 290,601 new subscribers in July, marking its first growth in two years.

Even with that bump, T2mobile remains the smallest of Nigeria’s four major operators, with 2.7 million subscribers and a market share of just 1.6%. MTN leads with 89.1 million users, followed by Airtel (56.5 million) and Globacom (20.7 million). Maybe you should join the winning team? MTN. That’s if you are still on 9Mobile..sorry, T2Mobile. Wonder whether using numbers in the name would improve latency.

Access Holdings picks Innocent Ike as new Group CEO

Access Holdings has been cooking in the last 48 hours. The latest news: it named Innocent Ike as its new CEO. His appointment ends a 19-month search triggered by the tragic death of co-founder Herbert Wigwe.

For Bolaji Agbede, who stepped in as interim CEO after Wigwe’s passing, it signals your time is up. She now returns to her role as Executive Director for Business Support—back like she never left. The board credited her with keeping staff morale steady and overseeing a crucial ₦351 billion ($234 million) rights issue during her tenure.  

Zoom in: Ike’s appointment, effective today, August 29th, wrapped up a 48-hour leadership shake-up at Nigeria’s largest lender. Giving Peter Obi vs Tinubu vibes.

A day earlier, Roosevelt Ogbonna stepped down from the holding company’s board to focus on leading Access Bank, the group’s flagship subsidiary. That move was a direct response to fresh CBN rules that demand clearer boundaries between holding companies and their subsidiaries.

Ike is no stranger to the Access family. He clocked a decade there before heading to Polaris Bank, where he led its digital revamp. Now, he’s tasked with steering the $16.6 billion giant into calmer waters, while rebuilding around a stable leadership team that regulators and investors can trust. Congratulations to the new captain. Let’s see where he pilots the ship. Hopefully, Amorim will be proud. Or not.

💰 State of Funding in Africa

Here’s a roundup of African startups that secured funding this week:

• South African fintech startup StraTech secured undisclosed funding from VEA Capital Partners, the private investment arm of the VEA Group conglomerate. 
• Egyptian quick-commerce grocery app Breadfast secured $10 million in Series B2 funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with Novastar Ventures leading the round.
• Moroccan startup Hypeo AI raised an undisclosed investment from Renew Capital to expand its AI-driven influencer marketing platform.

🍿 Weekend binge

• What African tech leaders look out for when hiring: Insights from 5 industry experts
• How Deji built Chicken Republic into a $150M giant
• How to waste your career, one comfortable year at a time (Highly recommend!)

💼 Opportunities

We carefully curate open opportunities in Product & Design, Data & Engineering, and Admin & Growth every week.

Product & Design

• Produqtedge — Product Consultant, Lagos
• Cordoros — Product Manager, Lagos
• Alt School — Product Marketing Specialist, Remote

Data & Engineering

• Norebase — Applied AI Engineer, Hybrid
• Norebase — Cloud Engineer, Hybrid
• Norebase — Senior Backend Engineer, Hybrid

Admin & Growth

• M-KOPA — Head, Business Management, Lagos
• Hike — Brand Manager, Remote
• Sparkle — Creative Copywriter, Lagos