Author: Victor Olayiwola

A massive rush of retail investors into the Dangote Refinery IPO has overwhelmed Nigeria’s fintech trading platforms, leaving thousands of first-time buyers unable to access their accounts during peak market hours. The offer, priced at ₦525 per share with a minimum entry point of ₦5,250 for 10 shares, is targeting as many as 10 million retail investors nationwide. The scale of demand quickly proved too much for some platforms to handle. Cowrywise became the most visible casualty, with users reporting failed transactions and unreflected deposits. One investor posting on X as Mo Kane wrote: “I made a deposit, it was…

When Yinka Arouko left Paystack to launch Bujeti in 2021 alongside co-founder and COO Samy Chiba, the pitch was straightforward: give African businesses a better way to handle spending. More than a thousand teams now use the platform for spend management, payments, payroll and tax management — and that growth has pushed the company well past its original identity. Bujeti is no longer simply competing to be the company that issues business cards. It is positioning itself as the system through which businesses understand and control their money. Cross-Border Payments, Business-Only The company has now enabled cross-border payments for its…

A massive rush of retail investors into the Dangote Refinery IPO has overwhelmed Nigeria’s fintech trading platforms, leaving thousands of first-time buyers unable to access their accounts during peak market hours. The offer, priced at ₦525 per share with a minimum entry point of ₦5,250 for 10 shares, is targeting as many as 10 million retail investors nationwide. The scale of demand quickly proved too much for some platforms to handle. Cowrywise became the most visible casualty, with users reporting failed transactions and unreflected deposits. One investor posting on X as Mo Kane wrote: “I made a deposit, it was…

Digital Parks Africa has announced Nigeria Data Centre 1, a new facility designed for a market where businesses, financial institutions, banks, cloud providers and connectivity providers demand infrastructure that is ultra-reliable, resilient, flexible and geographically close to the customers they serve. NDC1 forms part of the DPA portfolio and is being built to give businesses a stronger, more resilient platform for ultra-critical digital services, cloud access, connectivity and data-driven offerings as demand continues to climb. The group says it understands the extreme challenges Nigeria and Africa present and has designed the facility specifically to meet those conditions — with the…

As the global artificial intelligence boom drives unprecedented demand for computing infrastructure, one of the most critical bottlenecks has emerged not in silicon or software, but in electricity. Vertiv, a global provider of digital infrastructure solutions, has announced a $1.45 billion agreement to acquire Universal Infrastructure Group (UIG), a UK-based developer of microgrid controls and specialist switchgear that coordinates electricity from public grids, on-site generators, and energy storage. The transaction, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026 subject to regulatory approvals, represents a significant bet on the intersection of AI infrastructure and power management. UIG’s technology enables data…

A new initiative aimed at bridging the artificial intelligence skills gap among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa has been launched. The AI Skills for Business Programme, powered by HP LIFE (the HP Foundation’s free global training platform) and delivered by UpSkill Universe, is designed to equip small business owners with the practical AI skills they need to grow their businesses in an increasingly digital economy. The programme builds on last year’s successful Skills for Business Programme, which reached over 40,000 SMEs across Nigeria and South Africa. That pilot initiative, delivered in partnership with HP and Google, focused on…

A Western Cape agri-tech company is taking a radically different approach to food production by transforming shipping containers into climate-controlled farms capable of producing fresh vegetables throughout the year. Arable Grow, founded by Hein Duvenhage, combines hydroponic farming, renewable energy and locally developed technology to bring food production closer to urban consumers. Rather than depending on large areas of farmland, favourable seasons and long-distance transportation, the company’s modular farms can be positioned close to population centres and operate under controlled conditions regardless of the weather. Farming with less water and fewer resources The container-based systems were developed with African conditions…

Applications are now open for the AI Safety Policy Entrepreneurship Fellowship, a programme aimed at people developing practical solutions to emerging challenges surrounding artificial intelligence, including AI safety, security and governance. The fellowship is designed for participants who want to take an idea beyond research and turn it into a policy proposal capable of influencing governments, regulators and other decision-makers. Rather than focusing solely on academic research, the programme places emphasis on policy implementation. Fellows will receive guidance on developing their ideas, identifying opportunities for policy change, building partnerships and creating realistic strategies for getting their recommendations adopted. Fellowship Benefits…

Schneider Electric is strengthening efforts to prepare Nigerian engineering students for the workplace through a mentorship programme that pairs undergraduates with experienced professionals in the energy sector. In Nigeria, the initiative is being delivered at the University of Ibadan (UI) and Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech). Selected students are matched with Schneider Electric engineers who provide individual guidance throughout a six-month mentorship period. The programme is designed to tackle one of the major challenges facing young graduates: the gap between academic knowledge and the practical skills employers expect from new entrants to the workforce. The need for such programmes is…

Nigeria and Thailand are considering a broader strategic partnership aimed at expanding cooperation beyond their traditional focus on crude oil and rice. The proposed shift would place greater emphasis on areas where Thailand has developed significant expertise, particularly agricultural technology, food production, healthcare, renewable energy and intermediate technology. The issue was raised during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where Vice President Kashim Shettima hosted a Thai delegation led by Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yousef Hassan Khalawi. Representing President Bola Tinubu, Shettima said the relationship between the two countries should evolve from a…