Sain bainuu,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Nigeria’s airtime lifeline just got disrupted
- From gaming kid to startup founder at 22
- MTN plans expansion, but keeps fixing broken cables
Nigeria’s airtime lifeline just got disrupted
Remember this? Court freezes FCCPC rules on loan apps in Nigeria
Nigeria woke up last week to a bit of telecom drama. On April 12, MTN Nigeria quietly pulled the plug on its Xtratime and XtraByte services -– those airtime and data borrowing options many people rely on — and disclosed it a few days later. Then Airtel Nigeria followed almost immediately. Naturally, the backlash was loud, and most people pointed fingers at the regulator. But the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission quickly issued a statement saying, ‘We didn’t ban anything.’ According to them, the telcos made that call themselves.
What the FCCPC is essentially saying is that the rules have been in place for a while. The commission introduced its lending regulations in mid-2025 and gave operators months, including an extension into 2026, to comply. But some didn’t fully meet the requirements. So from the regulator’s perspective, this isn’t a sudden crackdown; it’s companies finally reacting to deadlines they’ve known about for months. The twist is that what looks like a regulatory restriction might actually be a business decision dressed up as one.
That distinction matters because of who feels the impact. For millions of Nigerians, borrowing airtime or data isn’t just convenience; it’s survival. It’s the quick ₦200 to make an urgent call or the extra data to finish work before payday. With the cost of living still biting hard and incomes stretched thin, losing access to those small credit lifelines hits people who already don’t have many alternatives. So whether it’s regulation or strategy, the effect on everyday users is the same: disruption.
Zoom out, and this is turning into a bigger fight. Some telecom players are pushing back against the regulations (even in court), while the FCCPC is accusing “vested interests” of spreading misinformation. Meanwhile, Nigerians are stuck in the middle of a tug-of-war between regulation and industry, and for now, the services they rely on are caught in the crossfire.
From gaming kid to startup founder at 22
At 22, Adeyemi Akitoye is already thinking about a problem most people don’t even notice: how to protect African creators from piracy without killing their ability to earn. His story starts simply: a kid playing games on his parents’ computer, poking around software, and quietly asking, “How does this actually work?” That curiosity didn’t turn into coding immediately, but it stayed long enough to shape what would come later.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
Stop struggling to find your tech career path
Discover in-demand tech skills and build a standout portfolio in this FREE 5-day email course
By the time he got to Dominion University, where he studied cybersecurity, the interest had become more intentional. He chose the field because it felt like the future, and in many ways, it is. But like many Nigerian tech students, he quickly realised the classroom wasn’t enough. So he did what most self-taught engineers do: downloaded courses, set up his own test environments, learned penetration testing on his own, and slowly built real-world skills that school didn’t quite cover.
That shift, from theory to doing, changed everything. He began to see security not just as protection, but as something that had to be built into products from the ground up. So he picked up software development alongside cybersecurity, learning how systems are created, not just how they’re attacked. Somewhere in that process, the idea for building something of his own started to take shape.
That “something” became Knowvas, a platform he’s building with his father to help African creators distribute digital content without losing control over it. The problem is familiar: once content is downloaded, it’s easy to resell, share, or pirate. Knowvas is his attempt at a fix, almost like a protective layer for books, comics, audiobooks, and more. The timing also mattered. When platforms like Okada Books shut down, it exposed a gap in the market, and Akitoye stepped into it.
It’s still early days, but his journey says a lot about how this next generation is building: self-taught, multi-skilled, and focused on solving real, local problems. If you want the full story, the experiments, the pivots, and what he’s building next, check out Delight’s latest on After Hours.
MTN plans expansion, but keeps fixing broken cables
MTN Ghana is planning one of its biggest expansion pushes yet — over $300 million in 2026 alone to build out its network. But here’s the twist: the biggest threat to that investment isn’t competition or regulation. It’s people digging holes. Speaking at a recent stakeholder forum, CEO Stephen Blewett revealed that about 157 network sites have gone offline recently because of fibre cuts. So while the company is trying to build 500 new sites this year, it’s also spending millions just fixing cables that keep getting damaged.
That’s where the real problem sits. Every new telecom site depends on fibre, the cables buried underground that carry data across the network. But those same cables are constantly being cut, mostly by road construction crews or property developers who either don’t know they’re there or don’t take the time to check. On top of that, there’s vandalism. In some cases, people even dig up fibre cables thinking they contain copper, only to realise too late that they don’t.
And it’s not a small issue. Ghana recorded thousands of fibre cuts in recent years, costing the telecom industry millions of dollars and hundreds of days in repair time. That’s time and money that could have gone into improving coverage or building new infrastructure. Instead, operators are stuck in a cycle of building, breaking, and rebuilding, which slows down progress for everyone relying on those networks.
This has been brewing for a while. Industry groups have raised concerns, launched awareness campaigns, and called for better coordination between telecom operators and construction companies. But the reality is, there’s still no strong system forcing builders, road agencies, and utilities to work together before digging. So the same mistakes keep happening, over and over again.
What makes this moment stand out is the scale of what’s at stake. MTN is doubling down on Ghana’s digital future, but that investment depends on infrastructure that’s still surprisingly fragile. Until there’s proper coordination, or at least better protection for fibre networks, the risk remains the same: you can build all the towers you want, but if the cables connecting them keep getting cut, the network never really holds.
In case you missed it
What I’m watching
Opportunities
- Qore is hiring for several roles, including Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, Lead Product Manager, Full Stack Software Engineer (.NET framework & React), and Software Engineer (.NET framework), in Nigeria and Ethiopia. Apply here.
- Rayda is recruiting People & Culture Manager, Legal & Compliance Officer, and Technical Product Manager. Apply here.
- Source Bank is looking for a Product Analyst. Apply here.
- Flutterwave is hiring for several roles in Nigeria, the UK, and the US. Apply here.
- LemFi is looking for a Head of Financial Crime Operations in the UK. Apply here.
- Cognition is hiring a Developer Community Manager. Apply here.
- Chess dot com is looking to hire a Product Designer. Apply here.
- Bujeti is currently expanding operations and hiring across several roles. Apply here.
- Prenetics is hiring a remote Email Marketing Specialist. Apply here.
- InterviewReady is looking for a Software Developer, a Product Associate, and a Marketing Associate. Apply here.
- Flutterwave is recruiting for several roles. Apply here.
- Briter is hiring a Commercial Director, a Senior Research Associate, and an Insights and Market Intelligence Associate. Apply here.
- Opay is currently recruiting for these roles: Partnership Manager (Fintech Experience), Junior Accountant, Junior Product Manager (Research), and IT Manager.
- Oyster is looking to hire a Risk Analyst. Apply here.
- Circle is looking to hire a Lead Product Designer (Remote). Apply here.
- SafetyWing (YC W18) is hiring a Product Manager Intern (fully remote). Apply here.
- Paystack is hiring a Performance Marketing Specialist. Apply here.
- VOYA (visa travel tech startup) is hiring an Operations and Admin Director (fully remote). Apply here.
- MTN MoMo TechSpark Graduate Programme is open. Apply here.
- MAX is looking for interns. Apply here.
- McKinsey is hiring for several roles, including Junior and Senior roles. Apply here.
- Paystack is hiring a Business Development Partner. Apply here.
- Zenith Bank is recruiting a Junior Software Tester Quality Control. Apply here.
- UNICEF Abuja is looking for a National Consultant (Immunization Programme Monitoring and Evaluation). Apply here.
- Standard Chartered Bank is hiring an Executive Research Partner. Apply here.
- e-Tranzact is looking to hire a product marketing officer. Apply here.
- Bumpa is hiring for several roles, including Bumpa Expert Lead (Account Management) – Customer Success; Product Designer; and Mid-level Motion/Graphic Designer, Mid-level Full-stack Engineer (Commerce), and Senior Fullstack Engineer (Commerce). Apply here.
- ABDS 2026 will take place April 29–30, 2026, in Lagos, gathering founders, investors, developers, and policymakers shaping Africa’s blockchain and Web3 ecosystem. The summit focuses on industry insights, partnerships, and investment opportunities in one of the world’s fastest-growing crypto markets. Secure your pass or sponsorship here.
- Paga is hiring a Sales Manager. Apply here.
- Paga is hiring senior sales executives. Apply here.
- Paga is looking for sales executives. Apply here.
- Paga is recruiting Senior Key Account Managers. Apply here.
- Paga is hiring Account Managers. Apply here.
- As one of Techpoint Africa’s most engaged readers, you have a direct hand in shaping what we publish next. Take our quick, 3-minute survey to tell us the stories and features you value most. Your responses are anonymous, and your feedback will help guide our editorial focus in the months ahead. Fill the survey here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for over 100 roles. Apply here.
- Building a startup can feel isolating, but with Equity Merchants CommunityConnect? You can network with fellow founders, experts, and investors, gaining valuable insights and exclusive resources to help you grow your business. Click here to join.
- To pitch your startup or product to a live audience, check out this link.
- Follow Techpoint Africa’s WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.
Have a productive week!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa