Nigeria's data protection chief, Vincent Olatunji, met with French digital authorities in Paris to hash out cross-border governance stuff and AI policy. The French embassy set up talks between the Nigerian delegation and France's digital affairs directorate plus CNIL, which handles their data protection.
Both sides swapped notes on enforcement tactics, public-private partnerships and how to handle info sharing across borders. Nigeria walked through its regulatory framework while French officials laid out their approach to digital economy strategies and innovation. The whole thing is meant to tighten Nigerian-French cooperation on data governance and push economic growth in tech sectors.
Liberia's telecom authority dropped a new communications tower in Vahun in Lofa County through their Universal Access Fund setup, which basically fixed spotty mobile coverage for people living there. The government is rolling out 14 more towers across the country with Rivercess and Sinoe counties getting hit next, as part of closing the connectivity gap between cities and rural areas.
Schools out in the sticks are getting Starlink satellite kits that bring fast internet and smart classroom tech to students who were basically stuck offline before. The whole push is meant to keep rural communities from getting left in the dust while urban spots keep racing ahead with digital access.
The African Telecommunications Union teamed up with AFRALTI and Masterspace Solutions to run an IPv6 training session in Nairobi with 60 people from 30 different countries across the continent. The whole point is getting member states up to speed on ditching IPv4 restrictions and rolling out better connectivity through their national networks.
ATU wants local experts handling both the regulatory side and technical transitions when countries shift to next-gen internet infrastructure. The program gets funding through the first cycle of the ICANN Grant Program.
Seagate showed off a lab prototype hard drive hitting 6.9 terabytes on a single platter, which basically doubles what their commercial HAMR drives can do right now. The company already ran simulations for eight terabytes per platter and thinks seven-plus-terabyte platters could hit mass production sometime in the early 2030s. Way down the road, they are eyeing 15 terabytes per platter that would let single drives store multiple petabytes.
The tech matters most for backup servers, cold storage setups, media libraries and data centers where cramming the most storage into the least physical space wins. Fewer physical disks means less power draw and rack space while keeping the same total capacity. HAMR still faces manufacturing yield...
Cougar just dropped three gaming chairs, with the high-end Defensor S leading the pack at around 403 bucks. The flagship model rocks push-back lumbar support, magnetic pillows, 4D armrests and can recline back to 155 degrees while holding up to 150 kilograms. Navy Blue F and Jet Gray F colorways are available.
The Stryder sits in the middle tier for people who want decent ergonomics without dropping serious cash, while Speeder One White basically reissues an older model with a fresh coat of paint and foldable armrests. Both lighter options max out at 120 kilogram capacity. All three models hit shelves late this month for gamers upgrading setups or office workers looking to not wreck their backs.
Australian energy company Invictus is hammering out a deal with Qatari outfit Al Mansour Holdings that could hand the Gulf investors half the company. The talks come after AMH dropped a 500 million dollar commitment back in August to get the Cabora Bassa oil and gas project moving in Zimbabwe's Muzarabani district. The two sides have already set up a joint venture called Al Mansour Oil & Gas to grab and develop energy assets around Africa.
The deal structure needs clearance from regulators in both Australia and Qatar, with shareholders getting a vote at a special meeting if everything gets finalized. Invictus pushed back the settlement of a share placement until late January to keep negotiations rolling. That placement would give AMH...
AfDB president Sidi Ould Tah dropped a four-point plan at the Africa Investment Forum Market Days in Rabat to speed up economic transformation across the continent. The bank chief told ministers and investors that Africa needs serious capital mobilization through fresh financing tools and better guarantees from national and regional banks. He wants financial architecture reformed with a three-tier structure to unlock funding streams.
Tah pointed out that Africa will hit 25 percent of the global population in under three years with a workforce bigger than China and the UK combined. The demographic boom only pays off if governments pump resources into youth and women through financial access, business support, and STEM training while...
Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe scored the Best Transaction Bank award at the Euromoney shindig over in London, which is basically a big deal because those awards look at cash management, payments, trade finance, and fintech stuff across the globe. The bank beat out competitors through data analysis and peer reviews that pit financial institutions against each other.
This win stacks on top of a bunch of other trophies Stanbic collected recently. They grabbed Banking Excellence from the Top Companies Survey sponsored by Old Mutual and got named Best Investment Bank in Zimbabwe by the Global Banking and Finance Awards. The Marketers Association of Zimbabwe gave them props for their Online International Payments product, while the Customer...
Africa's power sector is getting absolutely wrecked by currency mismatches, with big shots at a panel before the Africa Investment Forum saying foreign-currency debt is turning into a nightmare for utilities and governments across the continent. AfDB director Wale Shonibare called out how unsustainable it is to finance projects in hard currency when revenues come through in shaky local money. Gambia's energy minister, Nani Juwara, admitted this mismatch is crushing utilities because tariffs can't keep up with exchange rate swings.
Development financiers are pushing for local-currency solutions and hedging tools to stop the bleeding. TCX Fund is working with the International Finance Corporation and European Commission on a...
