TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, will pay $100 million to the US state of Alabama and introduce stricter controls on children’s use of the platform under a settlement reached ahead of a scheduled jury trial. The agreement ends a lawsuit brought by Alabama authorities, who alleged that TikTok’s platform was intentionally designed to encourage addictive use among children. Under the settlement, TikTok will immediately impose a two-hour daily usage limit on children’s accounts in Alabama, alongside restrictions preventing access during school hours and overnight. The measures apply only to users in Alabama and mark TikTok’s first settlement with a…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will deliver meaningful benefits to businesses only if African countries strengthen cross-border payment systems, modernise customs and improve trade infrastructure, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, has said. Mene made the call during a fireside conversation with George Asamani, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at the Project Management Institute (PMI), at PMI’s Global Summit Series in Cape Town, South Africa. Speaking on the summit theme, “Africa Delivers M.O.R.E. Together,” Mene said the success of Africa’s single market would depend not only on trade agreements but also on the systems that allow businesses…
An Ardova Plc-led consortium, including Diadem Energy, has agreed to acquire 100 per cent of Powergas Global Investments Nigeria Limited and Powergas Ebedei Limited (PEL), in a deal that will expand Ardova’s footprint into Nigeria’s growing natural gas market. The transaction, agreed with A.P. Moller Capital through its Africa Infrastructure Fund I (AIF I) and Impala Energy Holdings, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory and other required third-party approvals. Powergas is one of Africa’s major compressed natural gas (CNG) producers and virtual pipeline distributors, supplying industrial, commercial and power customers that are beyond…
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has set September 24, 2028 as the target date for Nigeria’s domestic gas market to transition fully to a willing buyer, willing seller framework. The regulator also called on industry stakeholders to establish clear milestones and deliver the investments required to increase gas production, infrastructure and domestic consumption. Mallam Rabiu Umar, Chief Executive of NMDPRA, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Gas Market Maturity Workshop organised under the Decade of Gas initiative at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Abuja. Umar said the transition would be guided by measurable conditions demonstrating…
By Elvis Eromosele For years, Nigeria’s fintech revolution has been celebrated for bringing banking closer to millions of people. Mobile banking, USSD, digital wallets, agency banking and payment platforms have transformed how Nigerians save, transfer and spend money. But there is a large population that remains on the margins of this digital revolution: Nigerians living with disabilities. The Central Bank of Nigeria estimates that about 40 million Nigerians are living with disabilities, identifying the group as one of the most underserved segments of the financial system and a potentially significant market for fintech companies. The revelation by CBN Governor Olayemi…
Dettol has emerged as the Best Bathing Soap at the 2026 Consumers Value Awards (CVA), securing 59.4 per cent of consumer votes as Nigerian consumers used their collective voice to recognise brands delivering value, trust and consistent experiences. The recognition places Dettol among a diverse group of private-sector brands and public institutions that emerged winners in the fifth edition of the consumer-driven awards. According to the official results, Dettol won the Best Bathing Soap category with 59.4 per cent of the votes. The award was part of a broad list covering banking, fintech, online retail, food and beverages, telecommunications, healthcare,…
WION correspondent Louisa Olaniyi has emerged among the leading technology and media professionals recognised at the 2026 Technology Innovation and Leadership Awards (TiLAwards), alongside a distinguished list of individuals and organisations shaping Nigeria’s digital economy. Olaniyi, a Nigerian Correspondent with WION (World Is One News), was recognised with the Technology Media & Broadcast Excellence Award, highlighting her contribution to technology journalism and broadcast coverage. Her recognition was among several honours presented at the TiLAwards 2026, organised by TechEconomy, to celebrate individuals, companies and public institutions contributing to technology innovation, digital transformation and leadership in Nigeria. The award organisers had earlier…
IHS Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding digital connectivity and supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation as the telecommunications industry marked 25 years of GSM technology in the country. Speaking at the 2026 eWorld Forum, held under the theme, “The GSM Digital Milestones: 25 Years On” Sylva Ifedigbo, Director, Corporate Communications, IHS Nigeria, said the introduction of GSM technology had fundamentally changed the way Nigerians communicate, conduct business and access opportunities. Ifedigbo noted that what began 25 years ago as a telecommunications revolution had evolved into an important driver of economic growth, financial inclusion, innovation and national development. He said IHS…
With the Federal Government’s backing and a site provided by Heirs Energies, Africa Gas Technology Company is preparing to pilot a technology that captures wasted gas at Agbada-2 near Port Harcourt and turns it into electricity for nearby communities. For more than 60 years, gas flares have lit up the Niger Delta sky, burning off a resource that could power the homes and businesses beneath them. A new project near Port Harcourt aims to change that. Africa Gas Technology Company Limited (AGTC), the Nigerian subsidiary of Dutch cleantech firm, Energy Ventures B.V., has secured the Federal Government’s support to capture…
The mobile phone has evolved from a luxury for a few into a bank, classroom, marketplace, office and livelihood. The next challenge is turning that connectivity into productivity. Twenty-five years ago, making a telephone call in Nigeria could feel like an achievement. Fixed telephone lines were scarce, and families sometimes relied on the number of a neighbour, office or nearby business as their contact. For many Nigerians, the nearest practical option was a business centre displaying the familiar sign: “Make Your Phone Calls Here.” Then came GSM. The arrival of mobile telecommunications in 2001 changed not only the way Nigerians…