Author: Elan

Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission has raised the minimum capital requirements (MCR) across the capital market ecosystem, doubling down on its push to strengthen oversight of fintechs and digital asset firms, months after the country formally legalised cryptocurrencies. In a circular dated January 16, 2026, and titled “Circular No. 26-1: Revised Minimum Capital for Regulated Capital Market Entities,” the SEC said the new thresholds apply to all categories of regulated operators, spanning traditional capital market intermediaries, fintechs, virtual asset service providers, and commodity market players. Under the new framework, Digital Assets Exchanges (DAXs) and Digital Assets Custodians, which operate trading…

Zenith Bank Nigeria PLC has finally received regulatory clearance from the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) to acquire a 100% shareholding in Paramount Bank Limited, a mid-tier lender in Kenya. This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday through CAK’s official X (formerly Twitter) page, stating that the approval is subject to conditions aimed at safeguarding employment. “The approval is conditional, where Zenith must retain all 78 Paramount employees for at least 12 months after the deal is completed, with CAK framing employment as the key public-interest issue rather than competition risk,” the regulator said in a statement. This measure…

We are currently transitioning through a sort of dongle purgatory. While the industry aggressively pushes toward a USB-C-only era, we believe in the philosophy of “one cable to rule them all.” But the real world is still attached to the past. And that’s the only reason why, despite owning top-rated docking stations, I still feel the need to carry around a tiny yet important Type-A to Type-C adapter and keep old cables around. Carrying this dongle isn’t by choice, though. It’s necessary in a mixed-media environment. And since day one, I’ve been carrying this tiny dongle; it has proven itself…

Most citizens say they worry about being unable to obtain or afford medical care. Key findings Health tops the list of important problems that Kenyans say their government must address. About four in 10 citizens (39%) say they have medical aid coverage. Among those who don’t have health insurance, the most common reason is that they can’t afford it (cited by 59%). Most citizens (89%) say they worry at least “a little bit” about being unable to obtain or afford medical care if they or their family should need it. More than half (57%) say they worry “a lot.” A…

In a striking realignment of global capital flows, Japan’s patient, strategically minded investors and the resource-rich sovereign funds of the Gulf states are surging into Africa’s technology and startup ecosystem, filling a void left by retreating traditional Western equity players. A detailed 2025 analysis of the continent’s venture landscape by Briter Intelligence, drawing from ecosystem reports, investor participation data, and deal trends, reveals a maturing market no longer tethered to the boom-bust cycles of U.S. and European venture capital. Instead, it is being reshaped by long-term, diversified financing from Asia and the Middle East, alongside a strengthening local African base…

Young Africans used to invest their money through three main methods, including saving in bank accounts, participating in chama groups, and purchasing stocks through informal or poorly understood brokers. Today, that system has shifted. Users can now initiate transactions on their phones while standing in matatu lines, using a few taps to follow social media tips that often require only small amounts of capital. Forex , shares, crypto, and money market funds are often grouped together in people’s minds, even though their risk levels differ widely. What matters most is not just that Gen Z is investing more, but why…

In brief 21Shares launched the first spot DOGE ETF backed by the Dogecoin Foundation on Thursday. The product will initially target younger and affluent mainstream investors, the president of 21Shares said. It is the third spot DOGE ETF to enter the U.S. market, following products launched by Bitwise and Grayscale. The Dogecoin Foundation has officially gone Wall Street.A spot Dogecoin ETF backed by the organization began trading in traditional financial markets this morning, launching on the Nasdaq under the ticker TDOG. The product will allow retail and institutional investors to gain exposure to the world’s first meme coin—without relying on…

Nigeria recorded its lowest funding share among Africa’s four largest startup markets in 2025, even as startups across the continent disclosed $3.8 billion in funding, according to Briter’s Africa Investment Report 2025. The country accounted for just 8% of total disclosed funding, placing it behind South Africa (32%), Kenya (29%) and Egypt (15%). This marks Nigeria’s weakest performance since 2019, signalling a shift in investor capital away from Africa’s most populous population, which also used to be the most dominant startup ecosystem by deal value. The decline is more striking given that Nigeria still recorded the highest number of deals…

It initially pained me to write this article. As I jokingly told my colleagues, I felt shame, and I felt I should feel shame. But it’s time I acknowledge the truth—I watch more YouTube Shorts on my TV than on my phone, and I know I’m not alone. I don’t feel shame anymore, either. After spending more time comparing the YouTube Shorts experience on my TV with that of my phone, I’ll come right out and say it: I think TV offers a superior experience. I’ve never been a fan of vertical video Vertical video has been described as the…

In 2025, the retail and e-commerce sector continued to face intense pressure from cybercriminals. According to Kaspersky data, 14,41%* of users in the global retail sector encountered web-based threats, while 22,20% were affected by on-device attacks. Ransomware remains a serious concern for the industry. Last year, 8,25% of retail and e-commerce companies experienced ransomware incidents, and the number of unique B2B users in the sector affected by ransomware detections rose by 152% compared to 2023, signalling a sharp escalation in targeted attacks. Phishing also continues to be a major threat vector. Kaspersky identified 6.7 million phishing attacks targeting users of online…