🛂 Nigerians To Disclose Social Media Accounts for US Visas

Today’s Menu ☕️

👨🏽 MTN Appoints Karl Toriola as VP of Francophone Africa While Retaining Nigeria CEO Role
💸 Flutterwave Partners with iPaylinks to Simplify Africa–Asia Cross-Border Payments
🛂 Nigerians Applying for U.S. Visas Must Now Disclose Social Media Accounts
📱Airtel Nigeria Launches WhatsApp Chatbot “Airtel Assist”
💰 CrossBoundary Energy secures $40M investment from Impact Fund Denmark

If you haven't subscribed, join over 7,000 people curious about Innovation, New Products, New Technologies in Africa.

👨🏽 APPOINTMENTS

MTN Appoints Karl Toriola as VP of Francophone Africa While Retaining Nigeria CEO Role

MTN Group has announced a major leadership realignment effective 1 November 2025, with Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, taking on an expanded role as Vice President of Francophone Africa. In addition to overseeing Nigeria, Toriola will now be responsible for MTN’s operations in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Congo Brazzaville.

Toriola, who has led MTN Nigeria since 2021, is credited with driving strong growth despite regulatory hurdles, currency volatility, and infrastructure challenges. His dual role reflects MTN’s confidence in his leadership and underscores the strategic importance of both Nigeria and Francophone Africa to the Group’s long-term growth.

The move comes as MTN posts impressive H1 2025 results, including a 23.2% rise in service revenue to R105.1 billion and a 37.3% increase in fintech revenue. Toriola’s appointment is expected to help MTN capture synergies across markets, accelerate fintech adoption, and strengthen its West and Central Africa presence......……continue reading

🎯 New to Product? Seasoned Leader? We’ve Got a Training for You.

Whether you're starting your product management journey or leading cross-functional teams, we’ve designed two powerful classroom trainings to meet your needs.

✅ New Product Development & Management Fundamentals (Aug 25–26): Perfect for new or aspiring product managers
✅ Product Leadership (Aug 28–29): Tailored for experienced PMs driving growth and innovation.

Both sessions will be packed with practical frameworks, real-world tools, and expert facilitation by Product Management veteran, Francis Ebuehi.

Register Now. Click the link or scan the QR code on the 🖼️

✍🏽 New Product Development and Management Fundamentals: https://bit.ly/TCNPD0825
✍🏽 Product Leadership: https://bit.ly/TCPL1025
📍Venue: Canton Concourse, Oniru, Lagos

8% Discount Available for organisations who send up to 4 people

 💸 CROSS-BORDER PAYMENTS

Flutterwave Partners with iPaylinks to Simplify Africa–Asia Cross-Border Payments

Cross-border trade between Africa and Asia has surged in recent years, but payments remain a major obstacle for exporters and importers. Complex regulations, fragmented systems, counterparty risks, slow settlements, and currency volatility have long hindered trade flows. To address these challenges, Flutterwave has partnered with iPaylinks, a leading East Asia-based payments company, to simplify cross-border transactions.

iPaylinks, which specializes in global payment solutions for Asian exporters, chose Flutterwave for its strong African infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and single API integration across multiple countries. The partnership leverages Flutterwave’s Virtual Accounts solution, enabling Asian exporters to receive payments from African buyers in local currencies with the simplicity of a domestic transfer. Flutterwave then manages foreign exchange and liquidity, settling funds in exporters’ preferred currencies within one to two days.

With transparent pricing and reliable settlement, the collaboration promises to reduce friction in Africa–Asia trade, unlock growth, and set a new standard for cross-border B2B payments.....……continue reading

📱SOCIAL MEDIA

Nigerians Applying for U.S. Visas Must Now Disclose Social Media Accounts

Nigerians seeking to travel to the United States now face a new visa application requirement: disclosing their social media history. Under the directive, applicants must list all social media usernames or handles used over the past five years on the DS-160 visa application form. This covers popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Applicants must also certify the accuracy of the information before submission.

U.S. authorities have emphasized that omitting social media details—whether intentional or accidental—could result in visa denial and possible ineligibility for future applications. The measure is part of broader security vetting strategies aimed at using digital footprints to identify potential risks.

For Nigerians, one of the largest groups of U.S. visa applicants, this highlights the growing importance of online presence in immigration processes. Experts advise applicants to be transparent, accurate, and thorough to avoid complications during visa processing......…continue reading

📱 TELECOMS

Airtel Nigeria Launches WhatsApp Chatbot “Airtel Assist”

Airtel Nigeria has launched Airtel Assist, a WhatsApp-based chatbot that allows users to recharge airtime, buy data, check balances, and access FAQs without calling customer care or navigating USSD codes. With over 93 million Nigerians active on WhatsApp, the platform choice makes strategic sense, lowering barriers to customer support and meeting users where they already are.

However, success will depend on execution. Nigerian subscribers have long complained about poor support—dropped calls, long wait times, and failed USSD sessions. If Airtel Assist delivers fast, reliable, and accurate responses, it could genuinely transform customer care. But if limited to basic queries, it risks being dismissed as a glorified FAQ tool.

The move also highlights rising competition in Nigeria’s telecom market, where customer experience is becoming as critical as pricing or coverage. Done right, Airtel Assist could free human agents for complex issues and set a new standard for telco engagement across Africa....…continue reading

💰 INVESTMENTS

CrossBoundary Energy secures $40M investment from Impact Fund Denmark

CrossBoundary Energy (CBE), a leading renewable energy developer for commercial and industrial clients in Africa, has secured a $40 million equity-like investment from Impact Fund Denmark (IFDK). The funding will expand CBE’s clean energy portfolio, advancing its mission to deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable power to African businesses. IFDK’s Thomas Hougaard noted that the deal aligns with the fund’s goals of tackling climate change, fostering inclusive growth, and driving sustainable development across vulnerable regions.

CBE President Pieter Joubert emphasized the benefits of the company’s zero-CapEx model, which removes upfront infrastructure costs for businesses, enabling them to focus on core operations. Currently, CBE is constructing Africa’s first solar and battery energy storage baseload plant, backed by a record power purchase agreement with Kamoa Copper in the DRC.

The investment builds on recent milestones, including Norfund’s $80 million commitment, Standard Bank’s $140 million debt facility, and MIGA’s $495 million guarantee, positioning CBE as a key player in Africa’s energy transition...........…continue reading

 OTHER STORIES

• MEST opens applications for 2025 Africa Challenge, focused on fintech innovation……continue reading

• Samsung Introduces Vision AI TVs……continue reading

• New WhatsApp Update Brings Scheduling and Reactions to Group Calls…….continue reading

Do you know you can join and follow us on our WhatsApp Channel?