As a digital architect, he develops and supervises digital spaces. He was introduced to programming at 10 and started working for Google at 13. His professional experience includes working with American celebrities like Nipsey Hussle and Kanye West.
Iddris Sandu (photo) is a Ghanaian-born digital architect living in the U.S. He is the founder and CEO of Spatial Labs, a California-based tech infrastructure company that develops Web3 hardware and software.
On its website, Spatial Labs (founded in 2020) presents itself as "a technology infrastructure company that is powering the next generation of Augmented Reality, Blockchain, Omni-channel, and Immersive Experiences - collectively known as the Metaverse." Its LNQ One chip allows brands to integrate loyalty benefits, authentication and tracking services into their products.
On January 26, 2023, it announced the closing of a US$10 million seed round led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from Marcy Venture Partners, a VC firm co-founded by U.S. rapper Jay-Z.
"The metaverse to us is not a virtual space that people go to spend time in. It’s a world in which we can add more context to your real world and make your real world more enjoyable. [...] We’re going to be responsible for catalyzing a completely new generation to be more conscious of their environment; more conscious of how they spend and how they buy," Iddris Sandu told Techcrunch at the time.
The tech enthusiast was introduced to programming at 10. At 11, a Google designer who spotted him at a library offered him an internship position with the Mountainview company. Two years later, he signed his first professional contract with the giant, working on several projects such as Google Plus, a defunct social network. At 15, he designed an app that allowed Narbonne High School (his high school)'s students to easily find their classrooms. For that innovation, former U.S. President Barack Obama awarded him a commendation certificate.
After high school, he declined an MIT offer and instead focused on internships to gain more experience. Between 2014 and 2015, he interned at Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. In 2016, he was contracted as a consultant for Snap Inc. In January 2017, he joined Uber where he created the Autonomous Collision Detection Interface, a driver activity recognition system.
In 2018, he founded ethosDNA and Hakt Labs, respectively design and software development companies.
As a cultural programmer, he worked with U.S. rapper Nipsey Hussle to create The Marathon Clothing, a smart clothing store where he served as the chief technology officer between 2017 and 2018. He also worked as a design and tech consultant for Kanye West's Yeezy LLC. In August 2019, he also worked as an independent contractor for Beautycon Media. Months earlier, he was a mixed reality specialist for Innocean USA.
He has built a tech literacy school in Ghana and implemented several educational programs in California. From 2020 to 2022, he was an internal/external partner for Facebook (now Meta). He has received several awards, including a US$100,000 scholarship from the Peter Thiel foundation.
Melchior Koba
Waves of layoffs are multiplying in major American tech companies. In November, Meta set the tone by cutting 11,000 jobs, and others have followed. Since the beginning of 2023, over 210 tech companies have laid off 68,000 people, mainly in the United States."
The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) has filed a lawsuit against the federal government regarding the proposed imposition of a 5% excise duty on telecommunications services. According to the organization, this decision is unjust in view of the multiple taxes already paid by telecom consumers. In September 2022, the Nigerian government abandoned its plan to introduce a 5% excise duty on telecom services. Today the executive is trying a second time to impose this tax because it wants to primarily rely on taxation to finance its 2023 budget.
Digital technologies are still widely underutilized in microenterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa despite their huge potential for productivity gains, according to a report published on January 23rd by the World Bank. The main factors that prevent African microenterprises from using computers, smartphones, or stock management software on a large scale are the lack of information about these technologies, insufficient digital skills, the high cost, and the lack of suitable infrastructure.
The Central African Republic component of the Central African Backbone (CAB-RCA) project is finally entering its operational phase. The infrastructures were officially handed over to the Central African government on Monday, January 7th in the presence of partners. Spanning 935 km, they connect the Central African Republic (CAR) to the Republic of Congo and Cameroon. The network's commercialization is expected to begin "soon."
Data center operator iColo, a subsidiary of Digital Realty, inaugurated its first operator-neutral data center in Maputo, Mozambique on Wednesday, February 8th. Named MPM1, the infrastructure is expected to allow the company to expand its footprint and meet growing connectivity needs along the East Coast of Africa. The project was first announced in October 2021.
Wholesale bandwidth provider West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) has laid the 2Africa fiber optic submarine cable at the Durban Open Access Data Centers (OADC) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This is the fourth and final landing of this infrastructure in the rainbow nation.
The arrival of 2Africa in KwaZulu-Natal comes about three weeks after Vodacom laid the same cable system in its Gqeberha facilities in Eastern Cape. A month earlier, MTN SA and MTN GlobalConnect landed the cable in Yzerfontein and Duynefontein in the Western Cape.
The Zimbabwean government has announced that it plans to deploy over 300 base stations across the country this year to address connectivity issues, particularly in rural areas. The equipment needed to build these telecoms infrastructures has already been purchased, it has been learned. Installation and operation will be entrusted to NetOne, the mobile branch of the historic operator TelOne. " We have sent in our team to conduct mapping and scoping and we want to make sure that we connect the unconnected." said Jenfan Muswere, Minister of Information, Communication, Technology, and Postal and Courier Services.
The partial privatization of Ethio Telecom is part of the process of liberalizing the Ethiopian telecom market. The government had originally planned to sell 40% of the historic operator. Finally, it announces that it wants to sell "up to 45% of Ethio Telecom's capital to an international company as part of the partial privatization" of the historic operator. To this end, the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance has launched a call for proposals published on Thursday, February 9.
According to Muriel Edjo, Chief Editor at We Are Tech, Africa is adopting 5G faster than expected, but not yet fast enough to meet the exploding demand for connectivity driven by new uses such as videoconferencing, streaming, e-sports, e-health, and remote work. Not to mention the rapid progress of AI and the growing importance of data that are disrupting the economy and public administration. Most of the major African telecom operators are ready to deploy this technology on a large scale. But they face several obstacles that the report "5G in Africa: The Challenges Facing Telecom Operators" aims to identify.
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Disrupt Africa has released its annual report on funding for African startups and announces a historic record despite the global slowdown in the venture capital sector. For the first time, the media claims, the $3 billion mark has been surpassed. This is also the first time that this report is made available for free thanks to several sponsors Flat6Labs, MarketForce, 4Di Capital, Mercy Corps Ventures, Newtown Partners, and InsiderPR
The serial entrepreneur has launched and sold several companies. He is focused on the fintech segment, developing solutions that dynamize the sector. With Fyatu, he allows businesses to generate virtual credit cards when needed.
Felix Maroy (photo) is a Congolese entrepreneur and the founder-CEO of fintech startup Fyatu.
Fyatu, founded in 2020, is a modern platform and simple application programming interface developed for innovators who want to issue virtual debit cards. With Fyatu, they can instantaneously create cards to be used for online payments and purchases from over six million websites. The cards come with 3D secure technology to avoid fraudulent use, and advanced and simple card management tools.
"We developed this solution to address the need for electronic payments in the Congolese and African markets, where there are still several businesses and individuals who do not have access to modern and secure payment methods," Felix told TechCabal.
His platform currently boasts over 158,000 active users, with more than 3,000 cards generated monthly and 48 countries covered. In 2016, the entrepreneur launched STREAMZEN, a free music and movie streaming app. With over two million downloads, the app was sold about a year after its creation.
In 2017, he also co-founded Pesapay, an online payment platform. The following year, he launched MerciPro, a software development business he ran until 2020.
Melchior Koba
In recent years, Benin has implemented a number of digital projects to facilitate access to basic services. This year, it intends to pursue its digital transformation.
Last Friday, Benenise Digital Minister Aurelie Adam Soule Zoumarou presented the 2023 agenda of the Ministry of Digital Economy. According to the official, "impact, resilience strengthening, and upscaling" will be the keywords in the digital sector in Bein this year.
Before the national assembly, Aurelie Adam Soule Zoumarou defended a 2023 budget of over XOF31 billion (US$49.2 million) for projects including the implementation of the newly-approved National Artificial Intelligence and Mega Data Strategy (SNIAM), the deployment of digital and e-service centers and the creation of a legal framework that will encompass the digital law, the digital broadcasting law, and the data protection law.
The agenda also includes the deployment of more mobile cell sites and the launch of 5G trials. Aurelie Adam Soule Zoumarou also announced two major reforms, namely the mutualization of efforts for the construction of passive infrastructures and the inclusion of basic digital training in conventional and certifying education programs.
The Ministry will also focus on pursuing the modernization of the state TV ORTB, launching the new state TV A+ Benin, establishing an organizational framework for the advertising industry, and the launch of digital terrestrial television with the marketing of TV decoders.
The 2023 agenda also plans for the extension of mobile coverage in rural zones and the deployment of digital community centers in eligible communities where the centers are not yet deployed.
Samira Njoya
Seventeen years after the 2006 population census, Nigeria wants to conduct its fifth census. For this edition, the country is betting on local tech firms for the supply of its digital equipment.
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Population Commission (NPC), recently signed a groundbreaking US$184 million contract with Zinox Technologies, a local tech company based in Lagos. Under the contract, the local tech firm is to supply technology components and other accessories for the population scheduled for next March-April.
"It is a privilege for the Federal Government to consider us among many other companies in the world. They know we have the capacity. We are deploying all our resources to make sure it is successful," said Kelechi Okonta, CEO of Zinox Technologies.
Last February 4, Zinox supplied the NPC with about 100,000 of the PDAs needed for the census.
Between 2006 and 2010, the same company worked with the government for the voter registration process because the foreign tech companies hired by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were unable to deliver the equipment ordered in time.
At the time, it used its Z-Pad smart device (which INEC is still relying on) to lay the foundation for Nigeria's digital democracy. The successful execution of the US$200 million-plus INEC contract in 2010 positioned Zinex as a strong and skilled local firm.
Samira Njoya