Author: Elan

After eight years of advising startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Irtus Consolidated is moving into private capital, seeking to raise between $15 million and $20 million to invest in businesses it believes can capture large sections of Nigeria’s economy. Tamara Posibi, CEO of Irtus Consolidated, said the move represents a natural progression for the firm after years of working closely with founders, tracking the performance of their businesses and observing the challenges confronting early-stage companies. The firm, established in 2018, began primarily as an advisory business supporting founders with business formation, growth strategy and fundraising. It has since…

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Bitcoin faces a tougher interest-rate outlook after US inflation data released Oct. 14 pushed bets on another Federal Reserve hike sharply higher. Rising Treasury yields could weigh on Bitcoin by making interest-bearing dollar assets more attractive.Market-data provider LSEG data shows money markets priced in roughly a 47% chance of another October rate increase after the release, up from closer to 20% beforehand.September consumer prices were 3.7% higher than a year earlier, up from 3.4% in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics release. Annual core inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased to 2.6% from 2.4%. Both readings exceeded forecasts…

Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says its national identity database is hosted entirely in Nigeria and managed by its own employees, as digital identity verification becomes increasingly important to public services. Alvan Ikoku, director of NIMC’s Strategic Programme Office, disclosed this during a briefing with journalists on Wednesday, addressing concerns about where Nigerians’ identity data is stored, who controls the infrastructure, and how the commission protects it from leaks. “It is being managed by Nigerians, not Nigerian vendors, by NIMC employees,” Ikoku said. He maintained that NIMC has never hosted its identity data outside the country, does not use…

If file transfers between your PC and NAS feel painfully slow, your first instinct might be to run a speed test to check your internet connection. But even if the test results show much faster speeds than you’re getting in practice, your internet connection isn’t actually to blame for those painfully slow local transfers. The real bottleneck has nothing to do with your internet speed — it’s probably somewhere inside your NAS or your local network. A fast internet connection won’t make your NAS transfer files faster Your NAS doesn’t care how fast your ISP can deliver data Before we…

Sajan ShahVerdant Capital has appointed Sajan Shah as director for East Africa and opened a new office in Nairobi, Kenya.Shah joins Verdant with about a decade of investment banking experience. He most recently worked at BDO East Africa, where he built and led deal advisory teams, and previously worked as a private credit investor at Cygnum.The Nairobi office will support Verdant’s corporate finance and investment activities across East Africa.Verdant currently has mandates in six countries in the region across financial services, technology, mining, logistics, renewable energy and real estate. Its work includes sell-side mergers and acquisitions, debt restructuring, equity and…

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, has said he has handed everything over to God as he confronts the responsibility of conducting the 2027 general election. Amupitan, who spoke on Wednesday at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, said his faith in God remained his anchor amid the enormous demands of his office. He said, “I’m being reminded of the enormity of the task on me. I’m also encouraged by the word of God, which is, ‘Come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will…

Liberia’s fisheries regulator is using a World Bank-backed project, which has now disbursed more than 80% of its funds, as a springboard to court private investors in aquaculture, fish processing, and cold storage, arguing the sector can create jobs and keep more of its value at home if infrastructure gaps are closed. J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr., director general of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, made that case to Valerie Hickey, director for environment and blue economy at the World Bank Group, during talks on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World…

Most trading in tokenized stocks on major blockchains now takes place outside regular US market hours, offering an early indication that around-the-clock trading could be one of the biggest advantages of putting equities onchain.According to Blockworks data cited by The Kobeissi Letter, more than 70% of tokenized stock trading volume on BNB Chain occurs outside the traditional 9:30 am to 4 pm Eastern trading session. The figure is 63% on Solana and nearly 60% on Base.Meanwhile, Jupiter, a major Solana-based trading platform, reported a 50% month-over-month increase in tokenized asset trading volume.Source: The Kobeissi LetterThe figures suggest investors use tokenized…

Most banking apps expect their users to navigate complicated menus and learn how to use various features. However, Xara aims to change that by allowing customers to interact with a friendly AI assistant through WhatsApp. This means that if you need to send money, pay a bill, or check your spending, you can simply type a message, send a voice note, or even share a picture. The assistant will understand your request and help you with your financial task without the hassle of digging through menus. But trust is a critical issue when it comes to handling money. Sulaiman Adewale,…