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🏭 Dangote Cement’s $1bn Africa Expansion

🏭 Dangote Cement’s $1bn Africa Expansion

Plus: 📶 Lebara Nigeria launches with 0724

Innovation Village
March 02, 2026

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Happy New Week Valued Subscribers👋

Lebara has officially entered the Nigerian telecom market with the launch of its 0724 number series, marking a new chapter in the country’s highly competitive mobile landscape. The entry signals fresh momentum in Nigeria’s telecom sector, where new operators continue to test opportunities in a market long dominated by established players.

The development inevitably draws comparisons to previous entrants such as Vitel Wireless, whose launch generated initial buzz but has since faded from mainstream industry conversation. As Lebara rolls out its services, industry observers will be watching closely to see whether it can build sustainable infrastructure, competitive pricing, and strong customer adoption — avoiding the quiet disappearance that has characterised some past telecom hopefuls.

Let’s dive in👇

Today’s Menu ☕️

🏭 Dangote Cement Signs $1bn Sinoma Deal to Expand African Production to 80 Million Tonnes by 2030
💰 Liquid Intelligent Technologies secures $410 million in new funding
✈️ FAAN Launches Cashless Card Payments at Airports
📶 Lebara Enters Nigeria with 0724 Number Series
📱MTN Nigeria Posts N1.70 Trillion Pre-tax Profit In 2025, Declares N20 Dividend
🪙 Bitcoin Nears $63,000 After U.S. and Israel Strike Iran, Wiping $128 Billion Off Crypto Market
🛒StayAssist Expands to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt
🤖 OpenAI, Amazon Seal $50bn AI Partnership
🏢 Luno Nigeria Expands into Derivatives

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🏭 INDUSTRY

Dangote Cement Signs $1bn Sinoma Deal to Expand African Production to 80 Million Tonnes by 2030

Dangote Cement Plc has signed a landmark $1 billion agreement with Sinoma International Engineering to construct new cement plants and expand existing facilities across Africa, marking one of the continent’s most significant industrial investments in recent years.

The agreement, signed in Lagos, covers 12 projects across seven African countries and forms a core part of Dangote Cement’s strategy to increase production capacity to 80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2030. The expansion aligns with the broader Vision 2030 ambition of Dangote Group to generate $100 billion in revenue within the same timeframe.....….continue reading

📶TELECOMS

Lebara Enters Nigeria with 0724 Number Series

Lebara has officially launched operations in Nigeria, marking its entry into Africa’s largest telecom market with the rollout of its 0724 number series. The British-owned mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) announced its arrival at a Lagos event supported by the UK Department for Business and Trade and the British High Commission, signaling strong diplomatic and commercial backing.

Operating under an asset-light MVNO model, Lebara leases network capacity rather than building infrastructure. It has secured interconnectivity with major operators and partnered with Airtel Nigeria to ensure nationwide coverage...............….continue reading

🛒MARKETPLACE

StayAssist Expands to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt

StayAssist has expanded its tech-driven accommodation marketplace into Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, aiming to formalize Nigeria’s rapidly growing short-let sector. The move responds to rising demand for secure, verified, and professionally managed short-term rentals amid increased domestic travel, remote work, and business mobility.

The platform differentiates itself through structured property verification, standardized booking processes, and defined service protocols, addressing long-standing issues around safety, trust, and inconsistent standards in the market.................….continue reading

💰 FUNDING

Liquid Intelligent Technologies secures $410 million in new funding

Liquid Intelligent Technologies has secured US$410 million (R6.5 billion) in fresh funding from a consortium of commercial development finance institutions, the company said in a recent statement.

At the same time, Cassava Technologies, Liquid’s parent company, has committed an additional US$195 million (R3.1 billion) equity injection into Liquid. Combined, the new financing package totals R9.6 billion, marking one of the largest recapitalization efforts for the African telecoms and digital infrastructure group in recent years....….continue reading

🤖ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

OpenAI, Amazon Seal $50bn AI Partnership

OpenAI and Amazon have announced a sweeping multi-year AI partnership that includes a $50 billion investment from Amazon, starting with $15 billion upfront and a further $35 billion tied to future milestones. The deal significantly deepens their existing relationship and positions AWS as a central pillar of OpenAI’s enterprise and infrastructure strategy.

At the core of the collaboration is a new Stateful Runtime Environment, delivered via Amazon Bedrock, designed to enable AI systems that retain context, manage long-running workflows, and interact continuously with software tools and data. This marks a shift from stateless AI usage toward persistent, agent-like applications suitable for large-scale enterprise deployment.............….continue reading

🏢FINTECH

Luno Nigeria Expands into Derivatives

Luno Nigeria is broadening its services to include perpetuals trading and plans to explore futures products in 2026, marking a shift toward becoming an all-in-one investment platform for Nigerian retail investors.

This expansion complements existing offerings such as staking and tokenized U.S. stocks, which allow users to earn yield on crypto and diversify into equities without leaving the Luno app. CEO Ayotunde Alabi emphasized a conservative token listing approach, prioritizing assets with real-world utility to mitigate risk for users.

The move positions Luno to compete with both local platforms like Busha and Roqqu, which are also expanding into derivatives and high-risk products.............….continue reading