1. Nigerian lending platform, Aella has raised a $10m debt financing round to invest in new products including a blockchain-based lending market called Creditcoinand become the largest blockchain-backed financial services project that is currently operational.
2. Nigeria is updating its sim card policy and usage to ensure that the National Identity Number becomes a prerequisite for Nigerians registering new SIM cards (while for foreigners, their passports, and visas should be used).
3. Lagos is going after Uber, Bolt, and others set a new regulatory framework for Uber and Bolt riders to ensure smooth operations in line with best practices.
4. Microsoft has discontinued support for Windows 7 and the Nigerian government wants citizens to stop using the OS warned citizens against the use of Microsoft’s Windows 7 Operating System (OS). This is due to its vulnerability to viruses and malware.
5. Nigerian medical startup, 54gene launches African Centre For Translational Genomics (ACTG) an initiative established to facilitate translational genomics research by African scientists, leveraging talent from across Nigeria to promote genomics research scholarship.
6. Samsung revealed a new foldable smartphone the “Galaxy Z Flip worth $1,380.
7. TLcom, the Africa-focused Venture Capital firm, has secured an additional $31 million for its TIDE Africa Fund, bringing its Sub Saharan Africa (SSA)-focused fund to $71 million. TIDE Africa is one of the most active funds operating in Sub Saharan Africa since its first close in 2017, with 6 companies in its portfolio, including Andela, Kobo360, Twiga Foods, Ajua, Terragon Group, and uLesson.
8. Zipline, the drone delivery company, will start delivering medical supplies to health facilities across the Savannah, Northern, North East, and Upper East Regions of Ghana, by the end of February.
