Ecobank Partners with Google Cloud to Drive AI-Powered Financial Transformation in Africa
To promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI), Ecobank Group has entered into a strategic partnership with Google Cloud. It is hoped the partnership will improve customer experience, increase operational efficiency and help foster a data-led culture at the bank’s 35 countries offices.
It’s a clever idea, at least from logical perspective. But what stands out here is not just the technology, it’s the timing. In Africa’s banking sector, the competition is centered on data, speed and personalization. If utilized appropriately, AI could serve as a catalyst for banks like Ecobank to scale more quickly and efficiently.
A Big Tech Partnership With Local Impact
Ecobank is collaborating with Google Cloud to enhance its digital banking services through the use of AI capabilities. Processes are automated to improve customer experience through hyper-personalized models that incorporate machine learning and NLP models, while fraud detection is improved.
MTN Nigeria launches data center in Lagos
MTN Nigeria has joined the cloud race by launching the first phase of its US$235 million data center in Lagos, marking a significant step in the country’s digital infrastructure development.
Named after a former MTN Group CEO, the Dabengwa Sifiso Data Centre’s newly completed phase 1 features a 4.5MW IT load, spans three floors and houses 780 racks, having cost $100 million to build.
Upon full development, the facility will achieve a 9MW capacity. Phase 2, with an estimated cost of $135 million, aims to secure Tier IV certification, the pinnacle of global standards for uptime and redundancy.
Read more: https://www.connectingafrica.com/data-centers/mtn-nigeria-launches-data-center-in-lagos
LATRO and Ouranos Partner to Expand Telecom and Fintech Services Across West Africa
LATRO, a global leader in telecommunications solutions, announced a new strategic partnership with Ouranos, a prominent digital transformation and IT solutions provider based in West Africa. This collaboration is set to significantly expand LATRO’s geographical reach for its cutting-edge Telecom Applications Managed Services (TAMS), Fintech solutions, and Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management software and services throughout the rapidly evolving West African market.
This alliance combines LATRO’s deep expertise in optimizing telecom operations and securing digital revenue with Ouranos’s robust regional presence and profound understanding of local market dynamics. Together, the companies aim to empower more West African telecom operators and businesses with advanced technologies that enhance efficiency, combat fraud, and drive financial inclusion.
The quest for cheaper and faster cross-border payments: regional and global solutions
First, they play a growing role in the world economy, as international transaction volumes have been increasing at a faster pace than GDP growth. However, despite some improvements in recent years, many payment corridors remain poorly served, which results in slow transaction times and high costs and ultimately hinders economic growth and social cohesion. Moreover, this inefficiency undermines the benefits of globalisation, as the economic gains from lower trade barriers are diverted into rents within cross-border payment markets, rather than benefiting the businesses and households that make use of them.
Second, new risks are emerging. Geopolitical tensions, for instance, could lead to further fragmentation of global payment systems. Moreover, the expansion of stablecoins could introduce several additional challenges, including currency substitution risks and over-reliance on a limited number of dominant private issuers.
Read more: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date/2025/html/ecb.sp250627~de084f5b69.en.html
Openpayd and Ripple Partner to Enhance Fiat and Stablecoin Infrastructure for Streamlined Cross-Border Payments
This collaboration will integrate Openpayd’s global fiat infrastructure, including real-time payment rails and multi-currency accounts, with Ripple Payments, which utilizes blockchain technology to facilitate fast and transparent cross-border payments in EUR and GBP.
The partnership also enhances Openpayd’s stablecoin infrastructure by enabling direct minting and burning of Ripple USD (RLUSD), allowing businesses to seamlessly convert between fiat and RLUSD while accessing a comprehensive suite of services through a single API.
Both companies emphasize the importance of robust fiat infrastructure for mainstream stablecoin adoption, with the partnership designed to simplify cross-border payments and improve liquidity management for enterprises.
Opera’s Celo-Based MiniPay Wallet Launches Global-to-Local Stablecoin Payments with Noah
Celo-based MiniPay stablecoin wallet from Opera has partnered with payment infrastructure provider Noah to provide a non-custodial solution for global-to-local stablecoin payments.
The announcement shared with Cryptonews argues that, while mainstream now, stablecoins still offer “a fragmented and inaccessible” experience. MiniPay’s and Noah’s partnership provides a fully non-custodial stablecoin payment feature that connects global banking rails with local payment methods, it claims.
Users can utilize this solution to receive, convert, and spend stablecoins via global and local rails within the same app. They retain full control of their funds and transact globally without intermediaries, the announcement claims.
