As digital channels become increasingly fragmented across Africa, customer retention has emerged as a major challenge for businesses on the continent. This entrepreneur aims to address that challenge.
Emmanuel Gbolade is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief executive of Termii Group, a company that provides digital customer communication solutions for businesses.
Founded in 2017, Termii has developed a multichannel platform that helps businesses communicate with customers through SMS, WhatsApp, voice calls and email. The platform is designed to support rapid notification delivery, strengthen customer engagement and enhance authentication security.
Termii offers a unified system for sending critical messages such as one-time passwords, transaction alerts and security notifications. Businesses can distribute messages across multiple channels and monitor delivery performance in real time.
Beyond transactional messaging, the company also provides tools for marketing and customer engagement. Businesses can run promotional campaigns, schedule reminders and personalize communications according to customer preferences and behavior.
The startup has also integrated artificial intelligence into its customer support services. Its AI-powered tools can automatically handle routine inquiries and direct more complex requests to the appropriate teams, helping businesses reduce response times and improve support efficiency.
Gbolade graduated from the University of Lagos in 2014 with a degree in urban and regional planning. Between 2018 and 2019, he served as chief operating officer of Accounteer, a Nigerian digital financial management platform, before focusing full-time on building Termii.
Melchior Koba
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Nigeria signed a deal with Coursera to expand digital skills training for youth
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The program will train Nigerians in AI, cybersecurity, data science and software engineering
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Nigeria is increasing digital training as demand for tech skills and youth unemployment rise
Nigeria has signed a partnership agreement with U.S. education technology company Coursera to equip its youth with digital skills sought by employers globally, as Africa’s most populous nation steps up efforts to prepare its workforce for the digital economy.
The initiative, called the Digital Training Academy, is part of the government’s broader push to expand training for digital careers.
The agreement was signed last week in London by Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa on the sidelines of the 2026 World Education Forum.
“Through this programme, young Nigerians will receive world class training in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Software Engineering and other high demand digital fields, while earning globally recognised certifications valued by employers across the world,” Alausa said in a statement posted on social media on Thursday, May 21.
The program will be implemented in partnership with the National Open University of Nigeria and Yaba College of Technology, combining nationwide access with mentoring and support aligned with labor market needs. As part of the initiative, the government has fully funded 36,000 Coursera and Pluralsight licenses for the program’s first year.
The agreement comes days after the announcement of a separate initiative aimed at training 50,000 young people in digital skills. In collaboration with Ericsson, the government had already launched the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon in February 2026, an intensive four-month digital training program targeting 50,000 youth.
Also in February 2026, Young Advocates for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future, a civil society organization focused on sustainable development and inclusion, announced plans to train 15,000 disadvantaged young Nigerians through IBM’s SkillsBuild platform.
The initiatives underscore Nigeria’s push to strengthen digital skills training amid a broader digital shift reshaping the labor market. The World Bank estimates that around 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. In Nigeria, between 35% and 45% of jobs are expected to require those skills over that period.
As of June 2025, 23% of Nigerians aged between 18 and 35 were unemployed and actively seeking work, according to an Afrobarometer survey. The study also found that 32% of people in that age group had stopped looking for work altogether.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
- Orange Morocco launched new eSports partnerships at Morocco Gaming Expo 2026
- The company introduced a grant programme and sponsored Team xProjekt
- Morocco’s gaming market reached an estimated $227 million in 2024
Orange Morocco unveiled a series of partnerships and initiatives to support the growth of gaming and eSports in the country during the Morocco Gaming Expo 2026, held in Rabat from May 20 to 24. The telecommunications operator is increasing its presence in a rapidly growing sector, driven by rising digital adoption and growing interest among young people in competitive gaming and interactive content.
Among the main announcements was the launch of the “Orange eSport Grant,” developed in partnership with the Royal Moroccan Federation of Electronic Games. The programme will support five eSports associations based outside Casablanca and Rabat, with the objective of helping develop emerging talent across Morocco. Orange Morocco also signed a sponsorship agreement with Team xProjekt, becoming the first telecom operator in the country to officially sponsor a national eSports team. The organization currently has 29 players competing across several disciplines.
The operator also announced initiatives combining digital culture and gaming. The Orange Foundation, alongside journalist Nadia Larguet, introduced a digitized version of the quiz game “1,001 Questions About Morocco,” now integrated into the MaxIt application. Through these projects, the group aims to combine gaming, educational content and mobile services to strengthen engagement among younger users across its digital platforms.
The announcements come as Morocco and the wider North African gaming market continue to expand rapidly. According to SpielFabrique’s State of the African Video Game Industry 2026 report, published in January 2026, Morocco’s gaming revenues reached an estimated $227.3 million in 2024. The country is now considered one of Africa’s fastest-growing video game markets, supported by a young population, the rise of mobile gaming and ongoing improvements in digital infrastructure. The expansion of fibre, 4G and 5G networks is also helping drive growth in online gaming, streaming and eSports competitions.
The new partnerships align with Morocco’s broader ambition to develop a mature national gaming and eSports industry. Authorities increasingly view the sector as a potential driver of the digital economy, creative industries and youth employment. Morocco aims to increase annual video game industry revenues from around $200 million currently to $3 billion by 2030–2032, while capturing nearly 1% of the global gaming market.
Samira Njoya
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Senegal’s National Civil Status Agency (ANEC) and the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) signed a partnership agreement on May 22 in Dakar to modernize and secure civil registry services through nationwide digitalization.
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Senegal had already digitized more than 19 million civil records by 2024 as part of its broader administrative modernization strategy.
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Authorities aim to strengthen public data management, improve citizens’ access to official documents and reduce document fraud through centralized databases and digital platforms.
Senegal has accelerated the digital transformation of its civil registry system as the government pushes forward with broader administrative modernization efforts.
The National Civil Status Agency (ANEC) and the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) signed a partnership agreement in Dakar on Friday, May 22, to modernize and secure civil registry services through nationwide digitalization. Senegal had already digitized more than 19 million civil records by 2024.
The two institutions aim to strengthen administrative data management, improve citizens’ access to official documents and curb document fraud, which continues to affect several administrative procedures across the country.
The partnership includes the gradual digitalization of civil registry procedures, the protection of archives, the modernization of administrative centers and the deployment of digital management tools.
Authorities have already launched several projects, including the creation of a centralized database and the deployment of integrated management software in multiple civil registry centers. In addition, authorities continue to expand the “Sama État civil” platform, which already allows citizens to complete some administrative procedures remotely. The government expects the platform to reduce travel requirements for users and accelerate request processing times.
Meanwhile, the reform comes as several African countries seek to modernize identification systems and civil data management.
According to UNICEF, nearly 150 million children under the age of five worldwide still lack official birth registration, while sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the most affected regions.
In Senegal, challenges linked to birth registration, paper archive preservation and access to administrative documents continue to limit access to certain public services, particularly in rural areas.
Through the reform, Senegalese authorities also seek to improve the reliability of public data as digital administrative services expand.
The government considers civil registry modernization a key component of the country’s national digital strategy. Authorities expect the reform to improve citizen identification, facilitate access to public services and support future projects related to digital identity and broader administrative digitalization.
Samira Njoya
Applications are now open for the Africa HealthTech ExCon Accelerator 2026, a program aimed at supporting early-stage African startups developing healthcare solutions, from telemedicine to AI-driven health technologies. Selected startups will receive practical training, mentorship, and opportunities to connect with global investors, with the broader goal of expanding access to healthcare across Africa.
IT integrator Velmie announced on Monday a partnership with Ivorian ride-hailing startup Flot to launch a digital bank in Africa. The partnership will support the rollout of a mobile banking app offering business accounts, payment cards and money transfer services. Using Velmie’s turnkey technology, the venture aims to reduce development costs while adapting to regulatory requirements across African markets.
MEST technology school opened registration on Monday, May 25, for the second edition of its pan-African AI training program. The free seven-month program, aimed at young developers across the continent, will take place in Ghana. Participants will learn to build advanced AI applications under the guidance of industry experts, while the best projects may receive up to $100,000 in funding. Registration is open here.
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Kenya-based entrepreneur Mohamed Lamine Malet launched ReportsAI in 2025 to automate reporting processes for impact-driven organizations and field teams.
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The platform centralizes documents and data while automating customized reports for donors and financial partners.
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ReportsAI aims to reduce administrative burdens that often slow field operations and complicate access to international funding.
Mohamed Lamine Malet is an electrical and electronics engineer and entrepreneur based in Kenya. He serves as co-founder, chief technology officer and product lead of ReportsAI, an innovative digital platform focused on optimizing data, document and project management.
Founded in 2025, ReportsAI primarily targets impact organizations, field teams and support structures that must regularly produce operational and financial reports for partners and donors.
The platform simplifies information collection, data verification and report generation.
Designed as a unified collaborative workspace, the platform allows teams to centralize, access and use multiple file formats, including PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, presentations, audio recordings and photographs. The system then organizes the content to improve accessibility and operational use.
Beyond data centralization and structured information management, ReportsAI also integrates a task management system.
In addition, the platform automates the creation of customized reports tailored to the specific requirements of financial partners and funding institutions.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Lamine Malet continues to lead several technology initiatives alongside the rollout of ReportsAI. He founded and currently serves as chief technology officer of MCorp-Mali, a software development startup launched in 2018. He also serves as chief technology officer of Greeney!, an organization specializing in technological and ecological innovation. Earlier in his career, he completed an internship in 2015 at Akinsoft Software Engineering, a Turkish technology company.
Mohamed Lamine Malet graduated from Mevlana University in Turkey, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering in 2016.
Between 2018 and 2025, he worked as information technology manager at Humundi in Mali, formerly known as SOS FAIM Belgique, an organization focused on fighting hunger. At the same time, he managed information technology, digitalization and youth entrepreneurship initiatives at Mali-Folkecenter Nyetaa, a Malian non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Ugandan entrepreneur Sserubiri Uhuru founded eMaisha Pay in 2021 to digitize financial operations for agricultural cooperatives, exporters and traders.
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The platform converts transaction data into creditworthiness indicators, allowing businesses to access financing without real estate collateral.
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eMaisha Pay uses mobile money payments, delivery tracking and warehouse monitoring to build digital financial histories for agricultural actors.
Sserubiri Uhuru is a Ugandan entrepreneur operating at the intersection of fintech and agritech. He serves as co-founder and chief executive officer of eMaisha Pay, a digital platform designed for exporters, cooperatives and agricultural traders.
Founded in 2021, eMaisha Pay aims to help these businesses organize operations more efficiently, pay suppliers more quickly and secure financing more easily without relying on real estate collateral. The platform converts commercial activity into measurable creditworthiness indicators.
In addition, the system allows companies to register suppliers, track payments, document agricultural deliveries and maintain detailed transaction records. Companies then use the data to demonstrate operational capacity and repayment ability to lenders and financing partners.
The platform operates through several stages, including supplier and agricultural partner registration, bulk mobile money payments to compensate multiple farmers quickly, harvest and delivery tracking and warehouse inventory monitoring. As a result, businesses build a digital operational history through the platform’s data infrastructure.
Meanwhile, eMaisha Pay also offers an order-based financing system and a dashboard that allows users to track payments, suppliers and processed product volumes.
The platform centralizes operational information to simplify day-to-day agricultural management and improve transaction traceability across the supply chain.
Sserubiri Uhuru graduated in chemical engineering from Kyambogo University. He began his entrepreneurial career in 2018 with the launch of Cabral Tech, a digital platform connecting smallholder farmers to markets. He served as the company’s chief executive officer until 2021.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Guinea launched the TELEMO digital platform on May 22 in Conakry to fully digitize public procurement procedures.
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Authorities developed the platform in partnership with Rwanda to improve transparency, reduce administrative delays and modernize public spending management.
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Public procurement represents between 11% and 15% of Guinea’s GDP, according to official figures, making the sector a major driver of the national economy.
Guinea officially launched the TELEMO platform in Conakry on Friday, May 22, as the government accelerated efforts to digitize public procurement procedures and modernize public administration.
Authorities developed the digital platform through cooperation with Rwanda. The government aims to modernize public procurement management, strengthen transparency and reduce administrative processing times.
“TELEMO’s vision is to establish a single, reliable and secure national system for managing public procurement. The system tracks every action and records every decision, which enables full transparency. We also target efficiency and inclusion because the platform remains open to all companies, both domestic and international,” TELEMO project manager Mouslihou Diallo said.
The platform now allows authorities to manage the entire public procurement cycle digitally, from tender planning to contract awards.
In addition, the system centralizes tender publication, bid submission and evaluation, procedural monitoring and secure data archiving. The project also seeks to improve small and medium-sized enterprises’ access to public contracts through an online platform.
Meanwhile, the launch forms part of a broader strategy to modernize Guinea’s public finances and digitize government administration.
According to official figures, public procurement accounts for between 11% and 15% of Guinea’s gross domestic product, which makes the sector a major lever of the national economy.
At the regional level, the World Bank estimates that public procurement represents around 11.5% of GDP across West African countries, with governments in the sub-region spending roughly $80 billion annually on goods, services and infrastructure works.
For Guinea, the reform extends beyond administrative modernization.
Authorities expect the digitization of public procurement to improve the efficiency of public spending, strengthen the country’s business climate and increase local companies’ participation in government contracts.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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- Togo and Poland signed a €24 million ($27.8 million) financing agreement to launch Africa Drone Company.
- The project will develop local drone design, assembly and deployment capabilities for security, agriculture and logistics applications.
- Poland’s state development bank BGK mobilized the financing under the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative with guarantees from the EFSD+ fund.
Togo and Poland signed a financing agreement worth 24 million euros ($27.8 million) on Tuesday, May 19, to launch Africa Drone Company, a project that will develop local capabilities for drone design, assembly and deployment.
Officials signed the agreement during the official visit to Lomé by Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs.
Cyber Defense Africa, the entity overseeing the initiative, emerged from a public-private partnership between the Togolese government and European group Asseco Data Systems in 2019 in the cybersecurity sector.
The structure will spearhead the development of the drone industry. The project targets applications in security, agriculture, logistics, industry and critical infrastructure monitoring.
Meanwhile, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), Poland’s state development bank, mobilized the financing under the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative. The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) provided the guarantee mechanism.
The project aims to move beyond the acquisition of imported technologies. Authorities want the initiative to accelerate skills transfer, technical training and the emergence of local industrial expertise in a sector considered strategic.
Togo’s Ministry of Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation said the cooperation aligns with Lomé’s ambition to strengthen technological sovereignty and build infrastructure capable of supporting the country’s long-term priorities.
Togo has invested heavily in digital modernization and administrative reform in recent years. Authorities have increased spending on digital infrastructure and cybersecurity as part of a broader economic transformation strategy.
The drone industry initiative extends that strategy into higher value-added industrial technologies and reinforces Togo’s ambition to position itself as a regional digital and technological hub.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum, Ecofin Agency
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
- Orange Côte d’Ivoire and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a partnership to expand digital skills training and youth employability in Côte d’Ivoire.
- The agreement targets young women and vulnerable populations through training, entrepreneurship support and innovation hubs.
- Côte d’Ivoire aims to raise the digital sector’s contribution to GDP to 15% by 2030 from about 6% currently.
Orange Côte d’Ivoire and the United Nations Development Programme plan to accelerate digital inclusion and youth employability through a new partnership focused on digital training and entrepreneurship. Both parties formalized the cooperation on Thursday, May 21, through a memorandum of understanding signed in Abidjan.
The agreement provides for the joint deployment of digital skills training programs, with a particular focus on young women and vulnerable populations. The initiative will also support start-ups and develop innovation hubs by leveraging the infrastructure of Orange Digital Center, the telecom group’s entrepreneurial support platform.
Moreover, the partners said they plan to extend the programs beyond Abidjan into several rural areas and underserved localities. The initiative aims to reduce disparities in access to digital skills in a country where digital transformation continues to concentrate largely in major urban centers.
The partnership comes as digital skills become increasingly strategic for Côte d’Ivoire’s economy. The country’s Digital Acceleration Project (PADCI) notably plans to develop intermediate and advanced digital skills, while prioritizing young people and women.
At the same time, Ivorian authorities aim to increase the digital sector’s contribution to GDP to 15% by 2030 from around 6% currently. The government plans to achieve that target through investments in infrastructure, digital services and human capital.
For Orange Côte d’Ivoire, the partnership forms part of a broader strategy to develop value-added services around digital education and innovation. The operator, which says it serves more than 35 million customers across Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Liberia, has expanded initiatives related to digital professions training, coding and support for technology entrepreneurs in recent years.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme said the cooperation aligns with programs that use digital technology as a lever to reduce inequalities and support economic inclusion.
Both partners therefore aim to support the emergence of a more inclusive digital ecosystem capable of meeting the growing needs of Côte d’Ivoire’s labor market.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
- Awa Alyne Daffe founded STEAMtastic in 2020 to make science and technology education more accessible for French-speaking African youth.
- The platform delivers interactive STEAM courses through videos, quizzes, games and practical projects targeting children aged 5 to 18.
- Daffe also holds leadership roles in entrepreneurship, marketing and investment networks across West Africa.
Awa Alyne Daffe is a Senegalese engineer and entrepreneur. She founded and leads STEAMtastic, an interactive educational platform designed for children, teenagers and teachers across French-speaking Africa.
Founded in 2020, STEAMtastic aims to make learning in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) more accessible, engaging and practical. The platform uses a hands-on and game-based approach to help young users learn while developing creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
The platform offers dozens of educational modules tailored to different learning levels. The courses cover multiple disciplines and target both beginners and advanced learners. The company also provides part of its content free of charge and without registration requirements in order to allow users to test the platform’s teaching model before committing further.
Meanwhile, STEAMtastic primarily targets young people aged 5 to 18. The platform adapts content to each age group in order to make learning more engaging and accessible. Lessons take the form of interactive videos, quizzes, practical projects and educational pathways designed as games. Learners can also earn badges and certificates as they progress, strengthening user engagement and motivation.
Beyond STEAMtastic, Awa Alyne Daffe co-founded Siza Company, a commercial promotion and consulting firm established in 2019. The company provides marketing, advertising and strategic advisory services.
She also serves as Senegal’s lead representative for Pangea Global Ventures, a company that connects West African entrepreneurs with global impact investors.
Awa Alyne Daffe graduated in computer science from the University of Maryland. She started her professional career in 2013 as a freelance graphic designer.
In 2019, she became regional manager for Francophone Africa at STEMCafe, a learning center where children and young people aged 5 to 18 discover STEM subjects through play-based learning.
That same year, she joined iDEV Technologies, a digital services company, as business development manager. From 2024 to 2025, she served as partnerships and development manager at the YALI Regional Leadership Center Dakar.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
Kenya is exploring a partnership in the space sector with Kazakh company Ghalam LLP as the East African nation seeks to tap the firm's expertise in spacecraft development and component manufacturing.
President William Ruto visited Ghalam LLP's facilities during a state visit to Kazakhstan on May 19 and 20.
Ruto said the proposed partnership is primarily aimed at accelerating the development of Kenya's emerging space program, based in Malindi. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s expertise and capabilities in the space sector to improve data collection, support research and enhance evidence-based national planning and development.
Kenya is relying on international partnerships to advance those ambitions. Since the start of the year, Nairobi has intensified engagement with several countries active in the space industry, including China, India, Italy, the United States and Germany. Discussions with Germany focused on areas such as Earth observation, innovation and business incubation, capacity building, and the use of space technologies for socioeconomic development.
Kenya has also joined Egypt and Uganda in launching the ClimCam program, a regional initiative focused on climate observation and environmental monitoring applications.
Space technologies and economic development
Kenyan authorities see space technologies as a tool to support socioeconomic development across multiple sectors. In agriculture, the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) says such technologies can help improve food security and agricultural productivity.
Satellite imagery enables the monitoring of crop conditions and health, the early detection of anomalies and quicker intervention measures. The data is also used for crop mapping, monitoring crop growth and estimating yields to help anticipate food security risks.
Earth observation technologies also support soil moisture monitoring to optimize irrigation, as well as pasture assessment and vegetation analysis to help forecast droughts. Remote sensing can additionally estimate soil nutrient levels, making fertilizer use more efficient and targeted.
The KSA says in the health sector, space technologies could help strengthen healthcare systems. Satellite connectivity can support the expansion of telemedicine services in remote areas by improving access to medical expertise, healthcare services and digital health data.
Satellite data is also used to monitor environmental factors affecting public health, including disease vectors and water quality. It can further help assess the impact of health emergencies and natural disasters, enabling faster and better coordinated responses.
Isaac K. Kassouwi