Quadri Adejumo.

Nigerian women suffer from malnutrition, starvation amidst the country's hunger crisis, leaving them with empty plates, and broken dreams. “I’ve sold my children’s clothes, my own clothes, anything to feed them,” a mother confessed. Read my new report. allubtimes.com/plates-of-desp…

As global financing tightens, African nations are leveraging oil to access capital. Is this strategy sustainable long-term?

Why mini-grids may resolve Nigeria’s power crisis Nigeria’s failing grid shows why renewable energy alternatives offer a better solution.

Dangote to battle Ethiopia's fertilizer importers The billionaire's $2.4 billion fertilizer push in Ethiopia to rival established importers Can Dangote win out over an already captured, import-dependent market?

Nigerian independent oil firms are expanding across the continent, slowly reshaping Africa’s oil market. How are these companies taking the lead, and what does it mean for energy investment in Africa? Read the full analysis.

More Nigerians are turning to rooftop and balcony solar as grid challenges persist. What is driving the shift, and what risks should users keep in mind? This analysis breaks it down.

Why Nigeria’s proposed electricity transmission firm ‘GAMCO’ makes little sense Read the full insight: energyinafrica.com/insights/niger…

Nigeria’s electricity crisis is deepening as power generation remains unstable and infrastructure struggles to keep up with demand. Link to the full story: energyinafrica.com/insights/niger…

I graduated secondary school in 2021, ready to take on the world, but one subject stood between me and my Law admission: Literature in English. Nearly everyone in my set struggled with it, and because it's a core requirement for Law, my entire result was useless. So I fought back. I registered for GCE in late 2022, confident I could fix it. The result came out, E8 to D7. That stupid Literature had done it again. 😭 With my motivation in the mud, I wrote JAMB mostly for the experience and scored 247. 247 for Law keh? Oya naw. 😂 I registered for UI Post-UTME anyway, barely prepared, and walked in half-ready. I scored 65/100, an aggregate of 63.375. The cut-off was 67.25. I accepted my fate. Time to start over, properly. I committed to retaking everything in 2024. But mid-preparation, UI's admissions office called. I'd been offered admission, portal closing tomorrow. The problem? I'd never uploaded my GCE result on JAMB since I knew it wasn't valid for Law. School portal said yes. JAMB said no. Village people won again. 😭 I let it go and refocused. I scored 289 in UTME, aced WAEC and NECO, and relocated to Ibadan a month before Post-UTME for tutorials, something I'd never done before. I was not going home without that admission. Then village people visited again. Three weeks before the exam, I was robbed. Phone, laptop, my work tools, my income, gone. I made myself one promise: pass the exam first, rebuild everything after. So I kept going. Exam day came. I felt confident. Result dropped, 62/100. My aggregate was 0.1 marks below the cut-off. I had lost the admission and my livelihood in the same season. I fell into a dark place for a while, but eventually got back up. I was offered Political Science and turned it down. I had a promise to keep. So I went again. I did utme and scored 299. I arrived in Ibadan two weeks early, locked in completely, and wrote the Post-UTME. The result came out, 75/100. Aggregate: 74.875, comfortably above the 67.25 cut-off. When it was later raised to 70.875, I was still four points clear. That was the moment everything finally came together. What kept me going through all of it? I am the first person in my bloodline pursuing a professional course. That responsibility never let me quit. Today, that promise has been fulfilled and every setback was just part of the story that made the victory worth having. Delay is indeed not denial.

A Nigerian youth-led health technology startup, SereniMind, has launched a pan-African mental health awareness campaign aimed at challenging stigma and promoting emotional wellbeing among young people across as many as 25 African countries. The Lagos-based startup, founded by entrepreneur Ridwan Oyenuga, said the initiative, known as the Africa Wellness Voices Initiative (AWVI) will run throughout February and feature daily wellness messages spotlighting a different African country each day. SereniMind said the campaign is designed to make conversations around mental health more culturally grounded, relatable, and accessible, particularly for young Africans who often face social stigma, misinformation, and limited access to professional mental health support. “At SereniMind, we are building more than awareness; we are building a new way for young Africans to connect, speak, and support one another around mental wellbeing. As a young Nigerian founder, I have seen how stigma keeps people silent. With AWVI, we are using digital platforms, youth networks, and AI-supported coordination to amplify African voices,” Oyenuga said. Quadri Adejumo of Techparley reports how Nigerian startup SereniMind is scaling youth-led mental health advocacy across Africa. techparley.com/nigerian-healt… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

The European Commission has opened a new formal investigation into social media platform X under the Digital Services Act (DSA), intensifying regulatory scrutiny over the spread of sexual deepfakes and other harmful content within the European Union. The Commission said the probe will examine whether X has adequately assessed and mitigated risks linked to the dissemination of illegal content, particularly manipulated and non-consensual sexually explicit images. The investigation also raises concerns that some of this content could amount to child sexual abuse material. Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, described sexual deepfakes as a grave violation of fundamental rights. “Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens – including those of women and children – as collateral damage of its service,” Virkkunen said. Quadri Adejumo of Techparley reports how the European Union is tightening scrutiny of X over the spread of AI-generated sexual deepfakes. techparley.com/eu-opens-inves… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

London-based wealth creation platform Vennre has secured $9.6 million in a hybrid pre-Series A funding round. This marks a significant step in its ambition to unlock institutional-grade, Sharia-compliant private market investments for a new generation of high-earning professionals across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and beyond. This positions Vennre to accelerate client growth, enhance its digital platform, and deepen its footprint in Saudi Arabia’s fast-expanding wealth management market. At the core of Vennre’s proposition is a long-term vision of disciplined wealth creation rather than short-term transactional investing, a philosophy its leadership believes is missing in much of today’s retail investment landscape. We are building for long-term wealth creation, not one-off transactions, starting with curated and vetted private investment opportunities and expanding into a full wealth journey built on discipline, trust, and alignment,” he said. Yakub Abdulrasheed of Techparley Africa reports how Venner, a London-based wealthcreation platform, is easing shari'a-compliant private investment for high-earning professionals across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and beyond. Read full story here: techparley.com/vennre-raises-… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

AfricAI has entered into a multi-year, exclusive distribution and deployment agreement with Micropolis Robotics. Under the terms of the deal, AfricAI becomes the sole partner authorised to commercialise, deploy, and scale Micropolis’s advanced autonomous robotics platforms throughout the continent. The agreement grants AfricAI exclusive territorial rights, effectively prohibiting Micropolis from engaging in direct sales within Africa or appointing alternative distributors or third-party agents. “This is not a collaboration — it is a market-shaping mandate,” said Fareed Aljawhari, CEO of Micropolis Robotics. “AfricAI now represents the exclusive gateway through which Micropolis technologies enter Africa. Their sovereign AI vision, operational reach, and regulatory fluency make them the only partner capable of executing at a continental scale.” “Africa does not need imported automation — it needs sovereign, context-aware intelligent systems. This exclusive mandate allows AfricAI to industrialise robotics deployment at scale while retaining control, compliance, and value creation on the continent,” HRH Prince Malik Ado-Ibrahim, Executive Chairman of AfricAI, stated. Quadri Adejumo of Techparley details how AfricAI’s exclusive mandate with Micropolis is reshaping Africa’s robotics landscape. techparley.com/why-africai-an… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Silicon Delta Innovation Hub has announced the upcoming release of two landmark publications: the 65 Most Influential Young Nigerians and the 100 Most Influential Young Africans for the year 2025. The number 65 is symbolic. It represents Nigeria’s 65th year of independence in 2025 and marks the beginning of an annual tradition in which the list will grow in line with Nigeria’s age as a nation. Each year, the number of honorees will increase to reflect the country’s independence milestone, turning the project into a living historical record of Nigeria’s evolving generation of influence. Read more here: techparley.com/silicon-delta-… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Dataroid, an AI-powered digital analytics and customer engagement platform, has raised $6.6 million in a Pre-Series A funding round, as it prepares to accelerate expansion across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The round was led by FinAI Venture Capital Fund, managed by Tacirler Asset Management, with participation from the Tacirler Asset Management Future Impact Venture Capital Fund and Endeavor Catalyst. Founded by Fatih İşbecer, Elif Parlak and Can Elmas, Dataroid enables enterprises to analyse customer interactions across digital channels, generate real-time insights, and make data-driven decisions that directly affect revenue, retention and customer experience. “With this new funding, Dataroid plans to expand into its target geographies, strengthen its presence across the Middle East, Europe and Asia, accelerate global marketing initiatives, and further develop its AI-powered self-service analytics capabilities,” Elif Parlak said. Quadri Adejumo of Techparley reports how Dataroid is using AI to transform digital analytics and customer engagement for enterprises. techparley.com/dataroid-raise… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Paystack, the African payments company backed by Stripe, has announced the launch of The Stack Group (TSG), a new parent holding company designed to consolidate and scale its expanding ecosystem of technology-driven brands. According to a press release received by the Techparley team today, 20th January 2026, the agreements establishing TSG were signed in October 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. Founding shareholders of the new holding company include Stripe, Paystack’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Shola Akinlade, as well as existing Paystack employees. Commenting on the announcement, Shola Akinlade, Founder and CEO of Paystack, described the launch of TSG as a reflection of the company’s expanding ambition. “The launch of TSG signals a larger scope of ambition for us and sets the tone for the next decade of our company,” Akinlade said. “Having worked with thousands of companies across the continent since 2016, it is clear that there are significant opportunities to support businesses beyond payments, and TSG enables us to address the challenges African companies face.” Quadri Adejumo of Techparley reports how Paystack’s new holding company, The Stack Group, could reshape Africa’s fintech ecosystem. techparley.com/paystack-marks… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

For Simon Allen, founder of wearelevelai, an artificial intelligence company, the journey into AI did not begin with code or corporate ambition. It began with exhaustion of frontline workers in charities, the NHS, and local government, stretched thin by bureaucracy while trying to serve people who needed them most. As a former CEO of Age UK in Bath and North East Somerset, a senior leader across health and social care, and a registered social worker, Allen spent years watching committed professionals lose precious time to paperwork, reporting requirements, and administrative systems designed for a world that no longer exists. “Brilliant people were drowning in admin while the work that actually mattered got squeezed into the gaps,” Allen tells Techparley in an interview. “The systems weren’t broken. They were just designed for organisations with more money, more staff, and more time — and that world isn’t coming back.” That gap between what technology could do and what mission-driven organisations were actually able to access ultimately led to the founding of Level AI, an “AI for good” company focused on charities, social enterprises, B Corps, and ethical businesses. Quadri Adejumo of Techparley speaks with Level AI founder, Simon Allen, on why AI should not replace human work. techparley.com/exclusive-leve… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

In a crowded market of digital wallets and cashback platforms, Numoni is taking a radically different approach, it is giving consumers value before they even make a purchase. Unlike traditional wallets or loyalty programmes that reward users after transactions, Numoni’s spending-first wallet provides instant rewards the moment funds are loaded, enabling users to start each spending decision with additional purchasing power. The Lagos-based fintech, founded by Francis Ekeng, positions itself as a new layer in the consumer economy. By converting merchant marketing budgets into immediate, redeemable pre-spend rewards, Numoni aims to reshape both consumer behaviour and how businesses incentivise purchases. “Most loyalty systems reward people after they’ve already spent. We flipped that logic. Numoni gives value before spending — before checkout, before the decision, before the moment that matters,” said Francis Ekeng, Founder and CEO of @NumoniRM . Quadri Adejumo of Techparley explores how Numoni is empowering users with pre-spend rewards and reshaping consumer spending in Nigeria. techparley.com/new-wallet-fro… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

The Teaching Innovation Lab (TIL), led by education innovation firm, Elimu-Soko, with support from the Gates Foundation, has opened a new funding call aimed at improving foundational literacy teaching across African public schools. The programme is seeking low-cost, scalable innovations that can strengthen how teachers are supported in classrooms, without relying indefinitely on donor funding. Under the call, organisations operating in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and Mozambique can apply for grants of up to $150,000 to design and pilot solutions focused on foundational literacy and numeracy. Selected pilots will run for six to 12 months and are expected to reach a minimum of 200 teachers, with larger cohorts encouraged to enable comparative analysis of cost, effectiveness, and scalability. “The frontier we seek to explore is whether innovations can deliver meaningful improvements in teaching quality at costs governments can realistically manage,” Elimu-Soko said. Quadri Adejumo of Techparley reports on Elimu-Soko’s Teaching Innovation Lab and its bid to fund African education innovators. techparley.com/elimu-soko-ope… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Artificial intelligence is transforming classrooms worldwide, but are schools ready for the change? New AI tools promise speed, personalization, and efficiency, making them an attractive addition to modern education. The increasing availability of digital devices, escalating demand for personalized learning experiences, the rising need to alleviate administrative tasks, expanding educational opportunities, and the rapid advancement of #AI technologies are some of the major factors propelling the market. To shed light on this issue, Techparley’s Ridwan Adelaja spoke with the CEO and Co-founder of GMind AI, Dr. Success Ojo, a cybersecurity and AI strategist, who shares insights from her work with hundreds of thousands of educators and school leaders on how to implement AI safely and effectively. According to the AI expert, “the schools that succeed won’t be the ones that adopted AI first, but the ones that adopted it well enough to last.” techparley.com/gmind-ai-ceo-d… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Many use over 10 different tools daily, Gmail, Slack, Notion, Twitter, GitHub, constantly switching contexts, copying and pasting, and manually coordinating tasks. This not only consumes hours each week but also interrupts focus and slows productivity. In this edition of Techparley’s Drive100, we spotlight @Orceum_ai, a conversation-driven productivity platform designed to unify fragmented workflows into a single, AI-powered workspace. Co-founded by Peter Akande, Orceum allows users to execute complex tasks across multiple apps directly from a single interface. “Teams today are stretched thin between too many apps. Orceum isn’t just another platform, it’s a movement to unify how modern work happens,” Akande says. Key features include integration with Gmail, Calendar, Slack, Notion, Twitter, GitHub, Linear, and Spotify, plus AI-powered task execution and workflow automation. As reported by Techparley's Yakub Abdulrasheed, Orceum is designing philosophy that prioritizes simplicity, adaptability, and cultural relevance for African teams, allowing it to fit naturally into existing work patterns. Read now: techparley.com/drive100-afric… #Drive100 #Stories #Startup #Africa2025 #futuretech #techtrends #technewsafrica #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley