Newsletter 27102023

Newsletter 27102023: OpenAI to be valued At $80 billion 🤖 , MTN Nigeria to Settle $72.5m to FIRS ⚖️

AUTOMOBILES 🚙

Ghanaian startup Kofa partners Chinese EV manufacturer to launch e-bikes

TAILG Group signed formal cooperation with a Ghanaian startup, Kofa, a company focusing on battery swap networks, to jointly develop a battery swap electric motorcycle called Jidi, with first orders of the Jidi expected to arrive in Ghana at the end of 2023.

The partnership with TAILG aims to deploy 200,000 electric vehicles and over 5,000 battery swap stations across Africa by 2030. Based on the advantages of Kofa batteries and battery swap networks, the Jidi will reduce rider costs by up to 30 percent. Jidi is a battery swap electric motorcycle designed and manufactured for the diverse and growing African market, jointly developed by TAILG Group and Kofa. ...…Continue reading

Honda and GM abandon their plan to co-create affordable EVs

Honda and GM are abandoning their plan to develop a line of affordable electric vehicles together. Under the program, which was announced in April 2022, the two had committed to building compact crossover EVs that would start at less than GM’s upcoming $30,000 electric Chevrolet Equinox. The first models were expected to be released in 2027.

The decision comes amid industry-wide EV production slowdowns and an ongoing United Auto Workers strike, which has GM at its center. Just this week, GM announced it would be delaying the production of EVs that use its Ultium battery pack, including the Equinox, Silverado, and GMC Sierra EVs. As part of the now-scrapped affordable EV program with Honda, the companies intended to develop Ultium-based small crossover SUVs to compete with Tesla.….Continue reading

ECOSYSTEM

Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) aims to evolve into a more dynamic government entity

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) is exploring a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Interior to utilise its facilities for the delivery of international passports and other essential documents.

Ms Tola Odeyemi, the Postmaster General of the Federation and CEO of NIPOST, made this proposal during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Rt. Honourable Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at the Ministry of Interior headquarters in Abuja.

NIPOST, in a statement on its official page, indicated that the collaboration aims to enhance inter-agency cooperation by making use of NIPOST’s extensive network for e-fulfillment services in Nigeria. This potential partnership aligns with the aspirations of Nigerians who have been calling for the effective utilisation of NIPOST’s facilities….Continue reading

SOCIAL MEDIA

Mark Zuckerberg says Threads has ‘just under’ 100 million monthly active users

Threads’ growth has been closely watched since its July launch. The app saw 100 million sign-ups in its first week, but quickly saw engagement drop off amid complaints about limited functionality and feeds flooded with posts from brands.

But Meta has steadily added new features, and engagement seems to have rebounded in recent weeks as Elon Musk makes unpopular changes to X, like stripping headlines from links. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Threads has recently succeeded in attracting former “power users” from X......….Continue reading

You can now have two active WhatsApp accounts on a single device

Have you ever found yourself in the juggling act of managing two separate aspects of life, work, and personal, and wished there was a smoother way to handle communications for both? If so, WhatsApp has some good news for you!

Gone are the days where having two different WhatsApp accounts meant using two phones or constantly logging in and out. Now, Android users can relish the luxury of having two active WhatsApp accounts on a single device.

The best part? Each account has its own set of privacy and notification settings. This means you can customize how you receive messages for your work and personal accounts, avoiding any mix-ups…..Continue reading

OTHER STORIES

• Nigerian fintech Vella Finance shuts down crypto operations, shifts focus to SME Banking. Vella Finance said it is shifting its focus from crypto-based services to SME banking. According to reports, the announcement was made in an email sent this week. The company informed its users and subscribers that it will be shutting down all its crypto-related services starting Monday, October 30. This includes ending activities like crypto trading, deposits, wallets, fiat and crypto exchanges, and crypto services….Continue reading

• Google reportedly pays $18 billion a year to be Apple’s default search engine. Google pays Apple billions of dollars every year to be the default search engine in Safari on Macs, iPads, and iPhones. That, we’ve known for a long time. But exactly how many billions Google pays, what strings are attached to that money, and what might happen if it went away? A New York Times report offers a specific figure: it says Google paid Apple “around $18 billion” in 2021…..The Verge

• Zipline, a drone delivery company has commenced transporting medicines to hard-to-reach hospitals in Kaduna. In 2021, the Kaduna State Government signed a memorandum undertaking with the U.S. Zipline company to address the logistics issues and improve the delivery of medicines to hard-to-reach health facilities….Nairametrics