#CitiTrends

The global digital report put together by We Are Social and Hootsuite yearly, presented some rather interesting details about the state of the digital world we live in today. 

For example, 5.22 billion people are reported to use a mobile phone today, equating to 66.6 percent of the world’s total population. There are now 4.20 billion social media users around the world with the typical user now spending 2 hours and 25 minutes on social media each day. Filipinos are still the world’s biggest consumers of social media, spending an average of 4 hours and 15 minutes per day using social platforms

To everyone who has a bank account, who spends money, who gives money; who does anything related to financial transactions, this is a show for you. 

With global trends suggesting a huge interest and funding in the financial technology space, it was only a matter of time for investors and entrepreneurs to find ways of disrupting the financial sector. 

One of such concepts gaining traction across the continent is Open Banking. 

Paul Damalie, CEO of Appruve, joined me to share some insight and how crucial it was to roping more people into the financial space. 

Enjoy the show. 

Happy New Year and what a way to kick things off on #CitiTrends. 

The platforms that allows us to stay in touch with loved ones and family and friends come under scrutiny. Whatsapp, global leader of the pack, issues a statement about data it will be making available to Facebook (its parent company) and the world goes into meltdown.

People want to delete the app, other want to switch, others just do not understand what is going on. 

On the show this week we answer the security concerns of the announcement and what users should bear in mind when using the messaging platforms. 

We also gain insight on how the announcement will impact the the lives of individuals, businesses and the tech space generally. 

Closing the curtains on the show this year, we spoke to Eric Osei-Annor on television resolutions in Ghana and why the TV industry needed a player to provide an HD television output service. Enjoy the show and Merry Christmas. 

Ghana's electoral was uploaded onto a Google Drive account. The link was shared. Everyone had access to it. Lots of people uploaded. The Election Commission says it has withdrawn it and will publish another one with added security features. How big a deal is that?

Ghana's cybersecurity bill has been reviewed by Parliament. The President needs to sign it. But what does the bill mean for the Ghanaian? Private legal practitioners, Jessie Abugre and Yinsongti Tindana break the bill down on the show. Derek Laryea who is the Head, Research & Communications at the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications also shares some insight into how the bill affects the financial tech and telecommunication space. 

Getting affordable and accessible internet to the remotest parts of Africa will also be a headache. What is most encouraging is the desire for Africans to develop home grown solutions for the. continent. My guests to share their insight on the show this week were:

- Andy Halsall, CEO of Poa Internet, an ISP bridging the digital divide by providing affordable Internet to rural and low-income communities in Kenya. 

- Henri Nyakarundi is a native Rwandan is a well-respected voice on entrepreneurship in Africa, renewable energy, innovation & technology impact and more. 

Double dose of goodness on #CitiTrends this week. We look at how the legal fraternity in Ghana has been trying to catch up with the myriad of technological disruptions happening globally with legal profession with Kwaku Boadu, an IT lawyer. 

We then try to break down what influencer marketing is all about with Therese Jones of Ripple Influence. 

Loved every bit of it. Time for you to do same. 

The final debate of the year! 

What a debate it turned out to be. 

Kudos to Elikplim Sabblah, Project Coordinator at Mobile Web Ghana, who argued for Twitter emerged victorious. 

Duncan Kwame Gablah, a Member of GhanaThink Foundation, argued for Facebook. 

Enjoy the debate. 

We did a number of things on the show this week.