Category: e-Business

Original equipment manufacturer (OEM), OPPO Nigeria, is pushing to increase its market share in the country through the manufacturing of quality devices that meet the expectations of the customers.

Its Marketing Director, Iris Cao, who spoke in Lagos during the launch of Reno 7, said the company has two per cent of the market share and fourth in terms of market acceptance, adding that the company will not compromise product quality for affordability.

Its Integrated Marketing Manager, Jennifer Okorhi, said the Reno7 is not just a fashion statement for its stylish and sleek look but a device customers would find very amazing in terms of functionalities.

“This is the era of social media platforms which are replete with stories whether personal, business or service oriented, and are usually accompanied by pictures. Good pictures help to bring the stories to life and this is one area where Reno7 stands out from the rest. It creates great pictures irrespective of low or high lighting backgrounds,” she said.

She said Reno 7 is the first smartphone series to specialise in portrait photography, the OPPO Reno series has since paved the way for a new generation of smart portrait capabilities with its revolutionary portrait technology and chip-level AI algorithms.

“With the launch of the new Reno7, OPPO Nigeria has taken portrait-focused experience to the next level thanks to a combination of professional hardware and algorithms that enable users worldwide to create gorgeous portrait images with just the click of a button,” she said.

OPPO Reno7 is also the first smartphone to embed algorithms onto sensor hardware which enables the device to produce sharper, clearer and brighter images.

 

This was achieved after OPPO engaged in extensive research in sensor technology in order to deliver the highest quality images to its customers.

 

Cao said the new Reno 7 comes with innovative features powered by advanced image processing algorithms. Among these are Bokeh Flare Portrait, Selfie HDR and AI Beautification. These features are the result of over 10 years of image technology research and development, as well as the latest success in high-quality portrait photography for smartphones. “For instance, the AI beautification delivers natural beautification effects for portrait photos and videos on OPPO Reno7’s rear and front cameras. It also helps to remove blemish, pimples and facial acne on the faces of individuals and produces customized retouching for individuals in group photos. Our customers would love this phone,” she added.

 

She explained that with the addition of a two-megapixel Microlens on OPPO Reno7 and support for 16.6x magnification on both video and photos, OPPO introduced a new way to experience smartphone photography and maximize your creativity and curiosity.

 

“The inclusion of the Microlens on OPPO Reno7 involved more than simply making room for an additional lens on the phone. At the structural level, OPPO made the decision to install the Microlens module on the back cover of the phone, rather than directly mounting it on the motherboard. As the short focal length of the Microlens requires the phone to be placed very close to the objects being photographed, OPPO also added a new Orbit Light underneath the Microlens to provide additional illumination to ensure the delivery of image versatility and high shooting performance,” said Cao.

 

She said the Bokeh Flare Portrait on OPPO Reno7 is an improvement on the previous generation features to deliver more professional-looking DSLR-like portraits. OPPO’s exclusive AI algorithms enhance the brightness of the human subject in images while automatically blurring the background and boosting the bokeh light spots. With just one click, OPPO Reno7 can capture portrait images with rich bokeh light spots that look just like those taken on high-end DSLR cameras.

 

Compared to previous generation features, the new Bokeh Flare Portrait delivers a more textured bokeh effect and enhances skin tones, especially in images with high color saturation, Cao said, adding that it helps portrait subjects to stand out more against backgrounds, making them the clear focus of the image.

 

Backlight can be one of the most difficult environments to master when taking photos, but with OPPO Reno7’s Selfie HDR function and the IMX709 sensor, it’s now easier than ever to happily snap sharper, brighter, and more natural-looking selfies in the presence of strong backlight.

 

“Although these stunning selfies appear instantly on the screen of OPPO Reno7, behind the scenes, various complex algorithms are at work making sure that what the user sees is the best possible selfie image. The HDR algorithm uses multi-frame synthesis technology to suppress highlights and enhance dark details in the image. Alongside this, a portrait matting algorithm has been trained on a large database of portrait images to accurately identify human subjects in the image. Following this, the bokeh algorithm optimizes image segmentation to reduce false bokeh and ensure that edges between bokeh lights and the background appear natural. Further enhancements are then made to the shape and color of the bokeh flares and the brightness and tone of the subject’s skin.

 

“OPPO continues to explore how AI algorithms can be used to meet the different photo retouching needs for users around the world with AI Beautification. Leveraging machine learning trained on 5,000 unique faces in 400,000 images, AI Beautification recognizes 393 key facial feature points to deliver natural beautification effects for portrait photos and videos on OPPO Reno7’s rear and front cameras. Beautification effects include AI blemish removal and customized retouching for individuals in group photos,” she said.

 

AI Beautification can accurately recognize and erase blemishes, pimples, acne scars and sunspots, and intelligently retouch skin tones or makeup while keeping other desired features intact. It can also intelligently identify information such as ethnicity, gender and age to offer personalized retouching. On the front camera, skin textures and other facial features can be adjusted using the customizable beauty panel, which offers 10 different settings and 8 detailed retouching modes open to complete personalization.

 

OPPO has never stopped pushing the limits of snapshot and high-resolution photography on its smartphones as it aims to make it as simple as possible for everyone to take high-quality photos in any situation.

 

Making use of the OPPO Image Clear Engine (ICE) embedded in OPPO Reno7, Flash Snapshot shoots multi-frame bursts of ultra-short exposure photos to capture crystal clear images even when subjects are moving. Simply raising the OPPO Reno7 and pressing the shutter is all that’s needed to capture any moment, anywhere, without worrying about blurry or out of focus images. In addition, the 64MP main camera provides amazing image processing capabilities. The resolution enhancement algorithm can construct higher-resolution images by utilizing sub-pixel displacement between multiple frames to synthesize 108MP Extra-HD images using what’s known as a VD solution. With OPPO Reno7’s Flash Snapshot and Ultra-Clear 108MP Image, amazing photos are on hand anytime and anywhere.

 

The phone is available in two colours – Sunset Orange and Cosmic Black. OPPO has promised to continue its focus on exploring new possibilities in imaging through advancements in both hardware and software, empowering the Reno series to bring even more professional portrait photography to users around the world. Reno7 is now available for pre-order on www.opponigeria.com ahead of it availability later in the month.

Businessman and ECOWAS youth ambassador Ehis Daniel aka Coin doctor has expressed gratitude for being ranked among the ‘100 most influential young leaders in Nigeria’ by Pan African Youth Awards.

The young entrepreneur spoke during his acceptance speech at the Pan African Youth Award event which took place at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria recently.

READ ALSO:Alex Okosi named one of Britain’s 100 Most Influential Black People

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the organisers of the award. This is a big motivation to do more. It’s an honour to be ranked as one of the 100 most influential young leaders in Nigeria by Pan Africa. I hope to continue putting in the very best now and in the future,” he said

Ehis Daniel is a Fintech expert who has carved a niche for himself in the cryptocurrency space, thus earning the name, Coin Doctor”.

The Regional Director, Afrocet Montgomery, organisers of the international exhibition, Securex West Africa Exhibition and Conference, George Pearson, has rooted for the role of exhibitions as a contributor to economic growth.

He spoke at the firm’s lastest outing last week. He said exhibitions affords buyers and sellers the opportunity to know the newest products and trends in the industries.

The three-day event, which held at the Landmark Events Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, paraded 70 speakers drawn across the business sector. They included specialised fields as security infrastructure.

The event, which was in its 12th year hosted over 200 brands, according to George Pearson, the Regional Director, Afrocet Montgomery, organisers of the international exhibition. They included Emirates Fire Fighting Equipment Factory (FREX), Provast, Integrated Facilities Management, Kazih Kits Limited, Turkish Aerospace. Others are Turnstar Systems (Pty) Limited, and Trends Ventures Limited.

He expressed satisfaction with the exhibition and the attendant conference. He noted that due to the lockdown  caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was suspended for two years, adding that it has bounced back.

Some entrepreneurs are making it from processing plantain flour, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Many entrepreneurs are exploring the plantain flour processing business.

One of them is Bosun Solarin. In May 2017, she established Dasun Integrated Farms. Apart from plantain flour processing, the company supplies food items, including spices, honey and fish.

Bosun acquired five acres of land. By the end of that year, she was growing plantain but expanded into other areas.

Another entrepreneur making it from plantain flour is Mrs. Ire Akintunde-Johnson, a graduate of English and Literary Studies from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU).

She ventured into food business following the compliments she got from her husband for her exemplary skills at cooking delicious dishes. Specifically,  she went into plantain flour business in 2018 because of the nutritional attributes of plantain.

Her initial challenge was sourcing unripe plantain at a desired price. She was able to work around it by sourcing from remote plantations. The business has expanded since. What makes the difference is her resolve to produce undiluted plantain flour.

A pillar in the industry is the Chief Executive, Noberto Group, Nobert Okafor. He spent Christmas and holidays with his grandmother who grew bananas at her compound in Nimo, Anambra State. She would give the produce to the young Okafor to sell.

Today, he is a successful businessman running an empire which consists of construction, farms and renewable energy. He still processes plantain.

In 2010, Okafor founded the first company in the group, Nobleman Industries and acquired 500 hectares in Cross River. He established a cocoa tree nursery and transplanted the trees onto 100 hectares. Plantain trees were interspersed between the cocoa trees to provide additional moisture during the dry season.

Noberto Group also produces gluten-free flour from plantain. He started processing gluten-free flour from the plantain on his farm. Noberto Group worked hard to get its products onto the shelves of retailers, gaining traction steadily over time.

Okafor believes there is a global market for plantain flour, with demand coming from African expatriates and consumers looking for a gluten-free option. He is working with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council on export opportunities.

Clean-tech plastic waste recycling company Kaltani has raised $4 million in seed funding to expand its business.

Founded by Mr. Obi Charles Nnanna, Kaltani aims to solve Africa’s growing plastic waste crisis by promoting recycling best practices.

The startup has 100 workers spread across its collection centres, factory and offices.

Kaltani’s technology utilises data analytics, predictive analytics, and geo-mapping to ensure transparency and traceability throughout the value chain. With the loan, it aims to open 20 new collection and aggregation centres across Nigeria and increase its staff to over 500 people.

These will boost Kaltani’s capacity, allowing the company to recycle up to 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste yearly.

Also, The Netherlands Development Finance Corporation (FMO) has teamed up with BIX Capital to open a $10 million line of credit to C-Quest Capital (CQC). It will use the facility to distribute environmental-friendly cook stoves in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. The Washington, D.C.-based company has a $10 million line of credit for its operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

The facility was made available by the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) and BIX Capital, an Amsterdam, Netherlands-based portfolio manager.The $10 million line of credit will finance the implementation of CQC’s clean cooking program. Under the program, the Ken Newcombe-led company aims to distribute environmental-friendly stoves to seven million households in 15 sub-Saharan African countries, including Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Angola.

The CQC programme, which runs through 2026, is expected to benefit 28 million Africans, an important step toward universal access to clean cooking.  More than 900 million sub-Saharan Africans do not have access to clean cooking, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Yet, traditional cooking methods using wood and charcoal are responsible for 490,000 premature deaths yearly, according to the same source.FMO estimates that the CQC project will reduce deforestation while avoiding 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This initiative comes at a time when investors are increasingly interested in clean cooking in Africa. A few days ago, the Mechanism for Modern Cooking in Africa (MCFA) launched a call for projects to finance clean cooking enterprises in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Equity Group have signed an agreement on sustainable development of Africa through supporting micro, small and medium sized businesses (MSMEs), including climate-smart businesses.

This also includes IFC and IFC Financial Institutions Growth Fund acquiring a minority shareholding stake in Equity Group.

The partnership has seen IFC and its partners, namely, the Dutch Development Bank (FMO), British International Investment (BII) and Symbiotics, ResponsAbIility from Switzerland commit $165 million towards Equity’s Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan that will see the Group, through its regional banking subsidiaries, finance at least five million MSMEs and 25 million households, thereby creating 50 million jobs.

The facility of $165 million includes $50 million from IFC, $50 million from British International Investment (BII) and $65 million from Symbiotic, Responsibility and FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank and a long-time shareholder in equity through Arise Investments.

IFC and the IFC Financial Institutions Growth Fund acquired a 6.71 per cent stake in Equity Group, East Africa’s largest banking group.

The investment is IFC’s first in Africa that aligns with the corporation’s approach to increase green equity investments in financial institutions.

Equity Group commits to zero lending for coal-related projects such as the development or expansion of coal-fired power plants, coal mines, transportation assets used exclusively for coal, or infrastructure assets exclusively dedicated to support coal mines and coal transportation, or any utility company that generates more than 20 percent of energy or revenue from coal, or have an annual coal production of 10 million tons or more; or have an installed coal-fired capacity of 5,000MW or more. Further, Equity Group has agreed to allocate $80 million equity towards climate related interventions covering subsidiaries over the next five years.

Lagos, Ogun states and a former Chairman, First Bank Nigeria Plc have commended Airtel Nigeria for its generosity in complementing public sector efforts towards lifting the less privileged in the society.

Speaking in Lagos at the weekend at the premiere of the Sixth ‘Airtel Touching Lives’ programme, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu commended the operator for its support towards the less privileged, describing the operator as a role model.

Represented by the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Sam Egube, the governor lauded Airtel for being an example to individuals and organisations in giving.

He said: “Airtel is leading as an example for individuals and institutions. They have exhibited the true Lagosian spirit of working in unity, by joining the Government in raising a sustainable nation…. Therefore, as individuals and organisations, let us also make efforts to reach out and empower the less privileged as Airtel is doing.”

Also, wife of the Ogun State governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, lauded Airtel’s efforts in providing relief for the vulnerable and sustaining a robust campaign to encourage other organisations to embrace philanthropy.

She said: “I would encourage Airtel to keep doing what they do as well as expand the Airtel Touching Lives programme for an increased impact. I would like to implore Airtel and other entities to keep sharing these inspiring stories for the world to emulate. I am proud to be associated with Airtel Touching Lives, and I look forward to partnering with Airtel.”

Also, former Chairman, First Bank Nigeria Plc, Ibukun Awosika thanked Airtel for going the extra mile to take a bit of the burden away from some hardworking Nigerians through its CSR Initiative.

A beneficiary of Airtel Touching Lives Season 5, who survived a ghastly accident that damaged his urinary tract until Airtel intervened by supporting him with N8million for corrective surgery in the United Kingdom, commended Airtel for giving him a second chance at life.

He said: “I have always heard about stories like this on Television and Radio, but I never knew such an opportunity would come to my doorstep for free. Airtel gave me a second chance without wanting anything in return.”

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Surendran Chemmenkotil, while speaking on the track record of the initiative said Airtel Touching Lives has not only recorded milestones but has offered real help to individuals, communities, groups, and institutions since the launch of the initiative.

“In Season 6, Airtel Nigeria has helped to rebuild a dream, a life, a hospital. We helped children rebuild their confidence, get an education, and we tested millions for COVID. We turned tears of sadness into tears of joy,” he said.

He encouraged other corporate entities as well as well public spirited individuals to join hands in improving the society, as collaboration to solve societal problems can make a huge difference, and if the privileged people continue to support the needy, society will excel and triumph at a quicker pace.

Airtel Touching Lives takes the format of a reality television show, allowing the public to nominate causes, communities, and underprivileged persons/people with special needs. Airtel thereafter evaluates and selects the causes to support, and the activities are filmed and broadcasted on terrestrial and satellite television stations with the aim of inspiring other corporate organisations as well as well-meaning individuals to join in supporting the weak across society.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Lagos State government have pledged to deepen the tech start-up ecosystem in the country  to harness the immense potential of the industry for growth.

The Director-General, NITDA, Mallam Inuwa Abdullahi, who spoke at Eko Innovation Centre, Ikoyi, during  pitching for tech start-ups that will represent the country at Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX)  slated for Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He pledged not to relent in giving support to young Nigerians with start-ups in various forms to catalyse the entire ecosystem to build a digital economy.

Represented by Head of Corporate Planning & Strategy at NITDA, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, the DG said:  “As regards this particular programme, the North Star is trying to take advantage of the programme to expose our start-ups, while NITDA is partnering GITEX.

“What is happening will happen in Dubai, but the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Government are represented here.

“They have come to Nigeria to harness the innovative skills in Nigeria to start early marketing of the two to be selected and connect them with various investors across the globe so that even before they get to GITEX proper, they would have had a kind of visibility.”

Similarly, the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology, Tunbosun Alake, said the initiative is to give opportunities to our ecosystem start-ups with better access to local and foreign markets.

“At the same time, Dubai and GITEX are keen to be part of the start-up ecosystem in Lagos.

“This initiative is for us to explore opportunities together, so the finalists will be participating in the North Star program in Dubai in October, and we hope they are able to get more international investors and access to the UAE market. The number one objective is to grow our ecosystem. In terms of accelerating the state as a tech hub, it gives us more recognition globally because of our partners in the UAE.

“If the UAE is here, it is a signal to other partners across the globe. It also helps our start-ups here to get access to their market internationally and with that, they can expand their revenue base.

At the end of the pitching, two Nigerian start-ups, Paddy Cover and Pricepally.com won the Dubai World Trade Centre’s $200,000 Lagos talent show, while TruQ emerged the EIC and Lagos State winner.

The insuretech firm, Paddy Cover, co-founded by Mayowa Owolabi and Tobi Obasa, and the food sourcing and distribution tech firm, Pricepally, owned by Luther Lawoyin, as well as TruQ, owned by Williams Fatayo, beat 24 other contestants who pitched their ideas before six judges.

Forty-two days ago, the Federal Government directed telecom operators to bar mobile numbers that were yet to be linked with a National Identity Number (NIN) from making calls. Over 72 million subscribers were affected. Attempts by some of the affected subscribers to end their nightmare is being frustrated by extortionists, reports Lucas Ajanaku.

Telecom subscribers have lamented extortion and inability to make calls on their phones even after enrolling in the National Data Base (NDB) of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and getting their National Identity Number (NIN).

Many of them who are small business owners are counting their losses to the April 4, 2022 Federal Government directive that operators restrict outgoing calls for subscribers whose Subscribers Identity Modules (SIMs) were not linked with their NINs.

A shop owner in Ayobo, a Lagos suburb, who identified herself simply as Iya Philip, said she paid N2, 000 to do the registration about four weeks ago, lamenting that she hasn’t been able to make calls.

“I am a single parent with three kids. I do buying and selling and I eke my living from the profit I make from my sales. Since I was barred from making calls, my sales have dipped.

“About three or four weeks ago, I approached a registration centre in Ayobo; paid N2000. I got the print out and it contained my NIN. I sent it to my service provider to do the needful but sadly, I remained unbarred. So, I approached the operator and he asked me to pay N4000 if I wanted my validation expedited. He said I had to wait for four months to get validated by NIMC if I choose not to pay. That’s too much for me to pay, so I have remained in darkness,’’ she said.

Another small business owner at Lafenwa, a sleepy community on the outskirts of Ogun State, Peter Njoku, said he sells electronics. “I did my enrollment the second week this wahala started. Though I have paid, I still cannot make calls. I was told my NIN has not been validated.

“This is not fair at all. I was asked to go and bring more money accelerate the validation process. I see that as extortion because registration for NIN should be free in the first place,” he said.

Over 72 million subscribers were affected by the directive of the Federal Government.

Operators say they are not responsible for the misfortunes of the likes of Iya Philip, Njoku and millions of others.

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said his members’ duty was to supply the subscriber information transmitted to the appropriate authorities for further action.

He told his audience on NTA Morning Show that the other end was slow in doing the needful and apologised to the subscribers over the pains they are passing through.

President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOM), Deolu Ogunbanjo accused officials enrolling people into the NDB of corruption. He said NIMC doesn’t seem to have the equipment to the exercise.

As usual, text message sent to the spokesman of NIMC, Kayode Adegoke failed to elicit response as at press time.

Over 80 million NINs have, so far been, generated. The figure was pushed up by the government directive.

The largest operator, MTN Nigeria said 19 million of its affected subscribers were affected on that date of the implementation of the directive.

“As at April 25, 2022, about 8.7 million of those restricted submitted their NINs for verification, of which approximately 1.2 million have been reactivated, many of whom are high-value customers. Outgoing voice revenue from the subscribers who are yet to be reactivated therefore contributed approximately 7.8 per cent of total service revenue based on FY 2021.

“In terms of how general traffic trends have evolved since the implementation of the directive, we have seen a drop off in traffic following our compliance with the directive. However, we have started to see a gradual recovery as the affected subscribers are reconnected to resume voice calls. Data revenue has continued a steady increase but has currently not fully compensated for the decline in voice revenue of restricted subscribers. Encouragingly, we have seen an acceleration in new connections.

“As MTN Nigeria, we continue to engage our affected subscribers while providing hardware support for the National Identity Management Commission to accelerate the verification of NINs submitted. We have taken significant steps to help drive NIN enrolment for subscribers who do not yet have a NIN, deploying over 4,200 points of enrolment across the country. We have also provided multiple channels to enable our customers to submit their NIN for verification and linkage,” the carrier had said through CEO Karl Toriola.