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When Nigerian Women Win, the Nation Rises

By
Mutiu Iyanda
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0

The night in Rabat was heavy with tension. The Super Falcons were two goals down to Morocco in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final. The home crowd roared with every Moroccan pass, and the air felt like defeat. But then, as if remembering who they were and the nation they carried, the Falcons fought back. One goal. Then another. Then the winner.

“What a comeback in Rabat!!!” one tweet exploded. “The Super Falcons fought from 0–2 to win 3–2 against a spirited host. As Mr. President @officialABAT noted, this is the determination that defines Nigeria. Congratulations, champions,” an X user said.

In that moment, the game became more than football. It was a parable of resilience, the Nigerian story of refusing to accept the script of failure. That grit, that refusal to surrender, is the same quality that fuels entrepreneurs who build in tough markets, artists who create despite limited resources, and citizens who keep dreaming despite political and economic turbulence.

Just days later, across the continent in Abidjan, another chapter unfolded. The D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, stepped onto the court for the Women’s AfroBasket final. They didn’t just win, they dominated Mali 78–64 to claim their fifth consecutive, seventh overall AfroBasket title.

“DOUBLE DOMINANCE! ???” another tweet declared, “Nigeria has just become the FIRST African country in history to win both the AFCON and AfroBasket in the same year — and our women did it in serious style!”

The phrase “in serious style” was apt. Both the Falcons and D’Tigress went unbeaten in their tournaments. This was not luck. It was a demonstration of discipline, preparation, and the pursuit of excellence — the very qualities that can, and should, form the foundation of a renewed Nigerian patriotism.

The wins reverberated far beyond sports. One post captured the mood perfectly:

“From the football pitch to the basketball court, our Nigerian sports women just keep making history… To both squads: thank you for the inspiration. You reflect the Nigerian spirit of grit, unity, and excellence — on every stage. Our young girls are watching, learning, dreaming. As women in leadership, finance, innovation and sport, you show the power of ambition realised.”

Here was the heart of it: these victories were not just trophies; they were signals. Signals that Nigerian women  could lead the world in any field when given the chance. And when young girls see women lifting trophies, they start believing they can lift anything: a company, a movement, a nation.

The celebrations didn’t stop with football and basketball. “Nigeria is dominating sports in Africa,” one tweet listed triumphantly. “Super Falcons won the WAFCON. D’Tigress won the Women’s AfroBasket. Super Eagles won the Unity Cup. Nigeria won the African Arm Wrestling Championship… Men’s & Women’s African Flag Football Championships.”

It was a reminder that these moments, when properly harnessed, can become glue for national identity. For a few weeks, the noise of politics was replaced by the sound of Nigerians speaking one language: victory. Flags flew in Lagos and Kano alike. People in Abuja and Enugu wore the same jerseys. For a fleeting moment, the divisions seemed less important than the unity of a shared win.

But these wins also carry a challenge. Patriotism built only on moments fades quickly. True nationalism grows when these moments become fuel for collective action. If Nigerians can unite to celebrate the Falcons and D’Tigress, we can unite to tackle shared challenges, from education to clean energy. The same pride that fills the stands can fill community halls, innovation labs, and polling stations.

Of course, there is always the temptation for political leaders to claim these victories as their own. One congratulatory message ended with the signature “–AA” and read, “We are solidly behind you… Wishing you victory.” While support from leadership is important, these wins must remain people-owned stories. When patriotism belongs to everyone, it thrives.

The Super Falcons and D’Tigress have shown us a template for a different kind of nationalism, one built on resilience, shared identity, gender equality, and the pursuit of excellence. They have reminded us that when Nigerian women win, the nation rises with them.

African Startup Funding Hits $550M in July 2025 With 61 Deals Recorded

By
Ojukwu Emmanuel
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0

African startups witnessed a significant rebound in funding activity in July 2025, signifying a notable uptick from previous months, which signaled renewed investor confidence in the continent’s innovative ecosystem.

Report by Africa; The Big Deal, revealed that 61 startups across the continent, announced funding rounds of at least $100,000, a significant increase from the monthly average of around 40 during the first half of the year.

Notably, 41 of these startups were based in the continent’s “Big Four” tech hubs (Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa), but funding activity was well distributed, with 15 countries represented. This included a historic milestone, the first $100,000+ funding deal ever recorded in Libya.

In total, startups raised $550 million during the month, making it the highest monthly funding figure Africa has seen in over two years. Remarkably, 83% of this amount was raised by just two companies in the energy sector, d.light and Sun King, both with Kenyan roots.

In July 2025, d.light, a leading off-grid solar energy company, secured over $300 million in new capital to purchase consumer receivables, expanding its “Brighter Life by d.light” (BLd) financing facility. This move increased its total securitized financing capacity to $842 million across five facilities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria.

The funding, led by Mirova and arranged by African Frontier Capital, aims to scale the distribution of solar home systems to 10 million people over two years using d.light’s Pay-As-You-Go (PayGo) model, which allows low-income households to make affordable weekly payments. This initiative supports d.light’s mission to provide clean, accessible energy to off-grid communities, with a proven track record of impacting over 200 million lives.

On the other hand, Sun King, a leading off-grid solar energy company, closed a landmark $156 million (KES 20.1 billion) securitization deal in Kenya, marking the largest solar-backed debt facility in Sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa. This transaction, arranged by Citi with Stanbic Bank Kenya as the placement agent, is designed to scale affordable solar access to approximately 1.4 million low-income households and businesses in Kenya through Sun King’s pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model

When factoring in several smaller transactions, debt accounted for 89% ($493 million) of July’s total funding and 45% of all funding raised on the continent since the beginning of 2025. Equity funding, on the other hand, amounted to $58 million, the second-lowest monthly figure this year. Despite this, the continent’s ecosystem celebrated a major milestone, surpassing $1 billion in equity funding for the year, a powerful signal of renewed investor confidence and the continent’s growing tech maturity. This milestone was reached much earlier than in 2024 (October) and nearly matched the pace set in 2023 (June).

Notably, this achievement marked a turning point following a period of global funding slowdowns and economic uncertainty. The momentum so far has been driven by a combination of large growth-stage rounds and a healthy volume of early-stage deals across key markets like Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa, with emerging contributions from markets such as Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco.

Fintech remains the dominant sector, but increasing activity in logistics, Healthtech, AI, and climate tech shows diversification in both investor appetite and innovation focus. Also, the participation of global venture firms alongside African-focused funds and angel syndicates reflects a growing recognition of the continent’s long-term potential.

While total startup funding (excluding exits) for the year fell just $25 million short of the $2 billion mark, this near miss signals the continued momentum of Africa’s startup scene with the next major milestone likely just around the corner.

Alaan Raises $48M Series A to Scale AI-Powered Finance Automation Across The Middle East

By
Ojukwu Emmanuel
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0

Alaan, an AI-powered expense management platform for Middle Eastern businesses, has raised a $48M in Series A equity funding to accelerate its mission of simplifying finance operations through automation.

This round was led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA) and 885 Capital. Pioneer Fund joined it, with continued support from Y Combinator and 468 Capital.

Both primary and secondary funding were included in the round, which also saw the backing of some of the region’s leading operator angels which include Hosam Arab (Founder of Tabby), Mudassir Sheikha (Founder of Careem), Jeppe Rindom (Founder of Pleo), Parth Garg (Founder of Aspora), Khalid Al Ameri (Founder of KAM and the Middle East’s most well-known creator) and many others.

With the new funding, Alaan plans to double down on two priorities: expanding its footprint in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and enhancing its AI-powered finance suite. Saudi Arabia, in particular, is seen as a high-growth market, with businesses eager for digital transformation but still underserved by modern financial tools. Alaan is building tailored features to accommodate Saudi-specific tax regulations, workflows, and language needs. Alongside expansion, the company is launching new products such as Bill Pay and Rewards Cards, enabling end-to-end spend management from a single platform. 

In the age of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, finance functions continue to rely on traditional tools and methods for their day-to-day operations, such as using petty cash for business payments, calculators for manual reconciliation, and spreadsheets for managing budgets. These methods take time, involve manual effort, and incur huge costs. Simply put, these traditional approaches no longer meet the demands of modern business.

Launched in 2022 by Parthi Duraisamy and Karun Kurien, Alaan helps companies manage expenses through corporate cards, artificial intelligence-led automation, and centralized dashboards.

The fintech startup is an all-in-one solution for finance teams to manage and control their expenses easily. It provides everything a finance team needs like smart corporate cards, an AI-driven expense management platform, streamlined accounting processes, and centralized dashboards that provide real-time visibility.

Alaan caters to any business or organization that incurs expenses. From startups to large enterprises, and across various sectors including manufacturing and services, whether a sole proprietorship or a multi-entity organization, the company is designed to serve businesses of all sizes and industries.

Since launch, Alaan has raised more than $7.5 million from the world’s best investors, like Y Combinator, and renowned angels, like Mudassir Sheikha, CEO & Co-founder of Careem. Though the company has achieved profitability, the decision to raise fresh capital wasn’t driven by necessity but by ambition.

“Profitability was never the only end goal. Impact was. From day one, we built Alaan to be financially disciplined. We were generating revenue early, growing efficiently, and hitting profitability faster than most would expect from a fintech company in our space. But we didn’t raise this round to keep the lights on – we raised it to move faster and drive our mission of becoming the most loved fintech in the Middle East”, the company wrote via a blogpost.

Alaan believes impact, not just financial returns, is the real goal. With the backing of top investors and regional leaders, the fintech startup is positioning itself to become the Middle East’s most loved fintech, transforming finance teams from manual processors to strategic decision-makers.

Investors Are Accumulating These Altcoins For A BIG August Pump: Solana, Remittix and Litecoin

By
TI Partners
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0

The crypto market is heating up again, and while some tokens are stalling, others are gaining serious traction. Solana and Litecoin are both showing major signs of accumulation this August. But a fast-rising token, Remittix (RTX), is catching even more attention with explosive growth, a confirmed wallet beta launch, and strong investor interest pushing it over $18M raised.

Let’s take a look at what’s driving each project forward.

Solana Price Holds Key Support, But Traders Brace For Movement

The Solana Price has been stuck in a horizontal range between $125 and $180 since early 2024. After a failed breakout attempt in July, SOL was rejected near the upper band and is now hovering around a weekly low. The most recent candle shows weakness, increasing the likelihood of a retest of the $125 range support.

Momentum indicators like the RSI (currently at 50) and MACD (neutral) offer no strong signal either way. Short-term analysis on the daily chart paints a more bearish picture. The SOL news includes a projected correction to $145 this week, based on an A-B-C wave count and RSI/MACD downturns.

Litecoin Price Builds Toward Breakout

After months of lagging behind, the Litecoin Price is showing signs of life. LTC has reclaimed the $105 level and is now making a fifth attempt to break above its descending resistance trend line. This could be the moment bulls have been waiting for.

Momentum indicators back the move. The RSI is above 50, and the MACD is positive, both suggesting an upside breakout is near. If successful, analysts believe the Litecoin Price could quickly rally toward the $200–$230 zone.

Remittix Wallet Launch Fuels Bullish Sentiment

While SOL and LTC face technical hurdles, Remittix (RTX) is charging full steam ahead. The token just announced its beta wallet launch for September 15, 2025, with over $18M already raised and more than 580 million tokens sold. Momentum has been building steadily, and this launch is a huge milestone as RTX becomes one of the fastest-growing payment-focused projects of the year.

Why traders keep talking about RTX:

  • 40% bonus tokens available now for a limited time
  • Wallet beta launches September 15, 2025
  • Supports 40+ cryptos and 30+ fiat currencies at launch
  • Real-time FX conversion and user-first interface
  • Built for freelancers, global earners, and everyday users

With current pricing at $0.0895, RTX is positioning itself as a true crypto with real utility and one of the top crypto to buy now.

Final Word: Remittix Is Leading This Month’s Altcoin Momentum

While Solana Price and Litecoin Price technicals point to possible gains, Remittix already has the wind at its back. With the beta wallet launch locked in for September 15 and over $18M raised, RTX is proving it’s more than hype—it’s a working product with serious long-term value.

Now’s the time for smart investors to position early. The bonus window is still open—but not for long.

Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix by checking out their project here:
Website: https://remittix.io/

Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix

$250, 000 Giveaway: https://gleam.io/competitions/nz84L-250000-remittix-giveaway

Nigeria’s Oil Output Hits 1.78mbpd But Still Falls Short of Budget Benchmark

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

Nigeria’s crude oil production has climbed to an average of 1.78 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, marking a significant improvement from earlier months, but still falling short of the 2.06 million bpd benchmark set for the 2025 budget.

The development, announced by Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), comes as the country intensifies efforts to recover from years of chronic underproduction caused by insecurity, oil theft, and underinvestment.

Speaking at an energy conference on Monday, Komolafe said the output gains were largely due to improved security operations in the Niger Delta region, where most of Nigeria’s crude is extracted. He noted that the government is still working to increase production to 3 million barrels per day, a long-held national target.

Komolafe said the current average stands at 1.78 million barrels per day, and this includes condensates, adding that the improvement stems from collaborative efforts with stakeholders to reduce losses and ensure transparency.

Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, depends on crude oil exports for about two-thirds of government revenue and over 80% of foreign currency earnings. Boosting production is therefore critical not just for revenue generation, but also for stabilizing the naira and financing government programs amid soaring inflation and rising debt service obligations.

However, analysts say the current production levels are far from sufficient. The 2025 national budget was drafted with a crude oil production benchmark of 2.06 million bpd — a target that remains elusive despite recent gains.

Adding to the pressure is Nigeria’s obligation to supply crude to the Dangote Refinery, which began operations this year. With its 650,000 bpd refining capacity, the refinery has had to source crude externally, including from the U.S. and other producers, because Nigeria’s domestic supply has remained inconsistent.

Meanwhile, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reported that Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production rose to 1.505 million bpd in June, based on figures from Nigerian authorities. This marked a 3.58 percent increase from the 1.453 million bpd recorded in May and was the highest level since January. It also signaled that Nigeria met OPEC’s 2025 quota of 1.5 million bpd for the second time this year. However, OPEC’s secondary sources estimated slightly higher output at 1.547 million bpd.

In its latest performance report, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) said total crude oil and condensate sales dropped to 21.68 million barrels in June, down from 24.77 million barrels in May. However, gas production increased marginally to 7.581 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscf/d) from 7.352 billion bscf/d.

Despite the dip in crude sales, the downstream segment showed signs of recovery. Fuel availability at NNPC Retail Limited stations improved to 71 percent in June from 62 percent in May, pointing to better supply chain management.

The NNPCL also announced it made a profit after tax of N905 billion for June 2025 and posted a revenue of N4.571 trillion, buoyed by improved crude and gas production.

Still, the gap between actual production and the budgetary projection poses a risk to macroeconomic planning. Industry stakeholders and economists are urging the government to urgently address infrastructure gaps, end crude theft, and prioritize investment in upstream activities if the country is to meet its budgetary and energy obligations.

The broader implications, according to experts, include possible revisions to the budget or the need for additional borrowing, which could deepen Nigeria’s debt crisis and erode the limited gains being made in oil and gas.

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