Weekly Roundup: Paystack’s Ezra Olubi Misconduct Claims, Starlink Update for Consumers

This week in Techstroriex: major developments in Africa’s fintech, telecoms, satellite internet, and artificial intelligence landscape. Paystack encountered its worst leadership crisis when it suspended co-founder Ezra Olubi over allegations of misconduct; Vitel launched a new enterprise communication service offering free calls and SMS; Starlink issued an urgent update notice that may leave users offline; and Google made a play to democratise AI access across the continent with its new partnership with Cassava Technologies. Put together, these stories reflect a sector grappling with rapid innovation, increased scrutiny, and rising demands for access to much-needed digital tools.

Paystack Co-Founder’s Suspension Ignites Questions on Tech Leadership

LAGOS, Nigeria – Paystack, the Stripe-backed fintech giant, has suspended its co-founder and CTO, Ezra Olubi, following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate. The claims surfaced on social media on November 12, 2025, after which the company opened a formal probe. In a statement to TechCabal, the fintech giant confirmed his suspension and described the situation as one it takes “extremely seriously.” Olubi hasn’t replied to media inquiries and deactivated his X account on the day following the accusation.

The matter had surfaced and gained renewed momentum when a number of his old tweets between 2009 and 2013 surfaced, where he made sexually explicit remarks about colleagues and minors. One tweet from May 23, 2011, went like this: “Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.” There are now fresh debates on accountability within the fast-growing African tech ecosystem, where workplace culture and ethics among leaders remain under scrutiny. With Paystack considered a case study for African startups, the outcome of the investigation could set a major precedence for the region’s tech governance standards.

Vitel Launches New Service Offering Free Calls and SMS

Vitel Wireless has announced the launch of a new communications service aimed at helping Nigerian enterprises significantly cut their communication costs with free on-net calls and SMS. The platform seeks to combine traditional GSM services with new cloud tools, with its goals firmly set on organisations strained by high communication costs. Executive Chairman Engr. Kenneth Nwabueze described the solution as a “growth engine for businesses,” highlighting its Closed User Group (CUG) network that connects up to 50 staff lines under a private system. The users within the group can make free Xphone-to-Xphone calls and SMS, in addition to enjoying discounted data bundles and full-time auto-attendant support.

The event saw the company demonstrate a raft of productivity and security tools integrated into the ecosystem. Chiobi Ben Odera, Head of Product Marketing at the company, said the platform was built to help organizations track staff movements in real time, automate payroll, send safety alerts, and generate performance insights. Tools like SecureMe and Oga-App use location-based services and GPS verification to support logistics, schools, hospitals, and fast-scaling startups. The newly launched system is aimed at making communication smarter, safer, and more affordable for businesses of all sizes in Nigeria.

Starlink Users Must Update Their Devices or Risk Losing Internet

Starlink has issued an urgent software update notice, warning users that failure to perform required updates before November 17, 2025, could result in lost internet access—or permanent damage to their terminals. According to the company, the update forms part of a global network upgrade that is designed to improve security, performance, and reliability in connectivity. This means customers need to act only if they have received either an in-app alert or an email, with the normal update process taking less than 30 minutes.

Customers whose hardware is older than the 2024.05.0 version have to plug their terminals in before the deadline or face permanent inoperability. Customers whose version falls between 2024.05.0 and 2024.12.26 have to sideload the latest firmware via a computer before November 17. Starlink has clarified that to update their equipment, customers do not require an active subscription. The company asked users who can’t access their terminals immediately to call customer support to prevent service disruption. The move comes amidst similar efforts by global tech giants like Apple and Amazon to push the industry toward better device security. 4. Google’s Gemini Goes Data-Free Across Africa Through Cassava Deal 

Google has collaborated with Cassava Technologies to ensure users can access its Gemini 

AI tools throughout Africa without using mobile data. Using Cassava’s far-reaching regional network, users now have unlimited free access to the Gemini app, while eligible users will get six months of complimentary Google AI Plus, which unlocks advanced features like Deep Research and creative AI-powered tools. 

According to Google, the collaboration is meant to remove the decade-long barrier of high data costs which has prevented the mainstream adoption of AI across the continent. The deal is expected to extend educational and creative opportunities for millions of African learners and professionals. Students will be given access to tools such as NotebookLM, used to summarize notes into flashcards, Gemini in Google 

Docs for academic writing, and Google Flow for film or other creative projects. Every user will also get 200GB of cloud storage to facilitate better collaboration. Both Google and Cassava characterize the partnership as a step toward democratizing AI access across the African digital economy, enabling users to learn, build, and innovate without the burden of data expenses.