No less than 85 million current jobs will disappear by 2025 to be replaced by 97 million fresh ones through newly implemented technologies.

This was the major highlight of Talent Summit Africa powered by elev8 in Lagos.

The summit submitted that lifelong learning and digital skills remain the tools for strengthening the labour market.

It also exposed digitisation and the arrival of hybrid working environment has determined the newest market trends, stating the importance of continued learning, digital and automatic learned and resilience in times of crisis.

Delivering the keynote address on the topic: “How digital transformation will secure a sustainable future for Africa” Vice President and CIO at Airtel Nigeria Oluwaseun Solanke, said Nigeria commenced the journey of digital transformation in Nigeria from when changed the Federal Ministry of Communications changed to Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy with a mandate to develop and implement a harmonized and well- coordinated digital economy, policy and strategy.

He said: “To retain talent within a business, we need to evolve the necessary skills within the same post or job profile (upskilling) but the requirement has also emerged to go beyond and prepare a professional to develop technical skills required by a dynamic labor market (reskilling).”

The Country Director for elev8 Nigeria, Lars Johannisson, in his address virtually said: “The discussion around growth and talent is intimately connected to two very important factors which are skilling and talent. Bringing talent and skilling together can scale both business and economy by bringing a larger portion of the population into this growing economy is a paramount imperative for all of individuals working in the IT environments.”

According to the World Economic Forum, two out of every three employers will receive a return on investment within a year if they reskill their employees.

Other speakers at the summit were Wale Olokodana Director Microsoft Consulting Services – Middle East and Africa – Multi Country Cluster Region; Bode Abifarin, COO Flutterwave; Bayo Adesanya, Chief Digital Officer for AXA Mansard Insurance Plc.; Yvonne Ige, CCO at AppZone.

The panelists who discussed ‘The Future of Jobs, The Implications and Role on People, Businesses, and Government’ were Ireayo Oladunjoye, Head Startups, LSETF; Emmanuel Abegunde, HRBP East & West Africa, NielsenIQ; Richard Rotoye, Group Managing Director, Creditville Group Limited; Obinna Ukonu, Country Digital and Technology Platform Director, Coca Cola; Emmanuel Mimshach Obioha, Country Manager, TeleSoftas; Nsikak John, Head, Enterprise Innovation Hub

A group devoted to the production of Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals in the country, Data Science Nigeria (DSN), has said AI is an underground catalyst that improves productivity in every facet of human life.

Its Founder Dr Olubayo Adekanbi, who spoke in Lagos on occasion to mark the fifth anniversary of the organisation, said the group remained irrevocably committed to training 1 million AI professionals in the country.

Quoting a PwC report which said AI would lead to $15.4trillion improvement in global GDP by 2030, he expressed optimism that with the current enthusiasm displayed by the leadership of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigeria would definitely take a huge bite of the huge revenue.

He said AI will promote the ability to more on 5G technology scheduled to be deployed in the country soon.

A data analytics expert an executive at MTN Nigeria, Dr Adekanbi, said DSN was launched as a not-for-profit organisation with the mission to build one million data and AI scientists in 10 years. Five years later, over 500,000 people have passed through its various free training programmes, and it has opened three hubs across Lagos, including the new and first AI hub in West Africa where it plans to nurture AI-enabled startups.

He said learning centres have been opened in 41 cities across the country while AI Knowledge Box has been given out. He said the organisation which is now thinking of setting up an arm for profit to support the not-for-profit arm, has also set up AI Libraries in Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, adding that others were also in the pipeline.

 

He said the group which already has sealed a deal with University College, London, will launch in the United Kingdom to deepen its global connection so as to develop AI solutions that will address the peculiarities of the country.

DSN, he said, has designed an inclusive learning model through its unique offline learning platform of over 20,000 AI learning videos containing publicly available content from top international universities-curated in external drive and distributed freely across Nigeria to address the challenge of poor internet. In addition, it published the first AI book for kids in Africa which is currently being distributed free through the train-the-teachers programme to support massive adoption of digital skills across African schools.

A DSN marks its fifth anniversary it is taking on a dual business model where it monetizes its research work for the sustainability of its non-profit efforts. Its new extension, DSN AI Innovation Limited will operate in Nigeria and UK and focus on advanced AI solutions development and deployment in the eras of FinTech, EdTech and MedTech. DSN’s consulting and training practice will also be driven through an expanded network of local and international partners and independent consultants as the business welcomes expert partners to support its delivery in a shared value business construct.

Additionally, DSN will also be unveiling its new logo to reflect its global positioning and expansion beyond Nigeria. The logo which has the global map of the world emphasizes the DSN short name identity will reflect the organisation’s ambition to deliver high impact AI solutions across the world while also expanding its free training and research network across many countries beyond Nigeria.

“This is an important moment in our evolution. We are becoming a distributed talent company with global impact. We are excited about the opportunity to translate some of our works into products that will add value while also supporting our sustainability. I am also excited about the opportunity to outsource our projects to multiple partners as we co-create value at scale,” Dr Adekanmbi said.

Two decades after the famous telecoms revolution that has seen the value of the sector rise to about $80 billion and Q3 2021 contribution of 11.94 per cent to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), indigenous content has remained insignificant. LUCAS AJANAKU writes on the need for Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom Sector (NODITS) to close the gap.

Twenty years after the liberalisation of the telecom sector  opened a floodgate of both local and foreign investments into the country, indigenous content in the sector has been nothing to write home about. Indigenous players have been playing on the fringes, manufacturing subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, airtime, plastic casings for mobile phones and such others.

In terms of local manufacturing of mobile phones, the big techs such as Huawei, Samsung, Apple, Tecno, and other China’s brands have dominated the space. There are about one of two firms that play in that area, their impacts are yet to be felt significantly.

Realising the need to improve the promotion of indigenous contents in the nation’s telecoms sector, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Telecommunication Sector (NPPIC) in March, 2021. That led to the creation of NODITS in July 5, 2021, which is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) designed to stimulate the creation and development of top quality indigenous content in the telecommunication sector. NODITS was subsequently domiciled in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO), NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, has urged NODITS on the need to ensure effective delivery of its mandates with respect to the promotion of indigenous contents in the nation’s telecoms sector, adding that the office was very critical to effective mainstreaming of local content development in the nation’s burgeoning telecoms sector.

Prof Danbatta said the development of NPPIC, facilitated by the Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, is essentially aimed at driving the desire of the current administration and the NCC to ensure that indigenes become more active participants in Nigeria’s telecoms sector.

The EVC said, as an SPV under the purview of the Commission, NODITS would be expected to get involved in development of new guidelines and regulations bordering on indigenous content, local manufacturing of telecom equipment, outsourcing services, construction and lease of telecoms ducts, succession planning in the telecoms sector, among others.

He also urged the NODITS team to adhere to regulatory and ethical principles held in high esteem by the management of NCC. “The Commission’s commitment to maintaining high standards, ethical conduct, and superior performance is a priority of the management, hence by extension, NODITS should reflect the established values, guiding principles, strategic awareness and the goodwill associated with the NCC,” he said.

Besides, the EVC said NODITS would be involved in working with various stakeholders towards reducing capital flight, as local manufacturers would be encouraged to participate in the design and manufacturing of devices. This vision will also ensure that manpower requirements towards making indigenes active participants in the Nigeria’s telecoms development are met.

“In essence, NODITS will be expected to initiate strategic programmes and projects that will stimulate the growth of the telecoms sector through an approach that is visionary, focused, sustainable and based on incentives to indigenous telecom stakeholders” EVC said added.

Prof Danbatta congratulated the pioneer team of the new Office, saying they were carefully selected by NCC management based on their background, dedication and integrity. He urged the team to work harmoniously within the Office and with other relevant stakeholders to fast-track seamless delivery of its mandates, as clearly spelt out in the NPPIC.

Team Lead, NODITS, Babagana Digima, said what the mission of NODITS is “to deliver on the objectives of the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the telecom industry and the Executive Orders 003 & 005,” its vision is “to harmoniously integrate indigenous content in the Nigerian telecoms sector.”

The Executive Order 003 mandates all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to always grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers for procurement; while Executive Order 005 seeks the promotion of Nigerian content in contracts bordering on science, engineering and technology.

Some of the activities being carried out by NODITS within the last five months of its creation, Digima said  include visiting the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); visitations to various Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) manufacturers; engagements with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); ongoing training of 60 young entrepreneurs, and developing industry relevant proposals for incentivising Information Communication Technology (ICT) companies by the Federal Government, among others.

Digima said NODITS has, so far, identified partners it would be collaborating with towards achieving its mandates. They include the NCC, NITDA, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigerian Contents Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).

Others are the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Nigerian Exports Zones Processing Authority (NEZPA), Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and Ajaokuta Steel Company (ASC).

Digima called on his team at NODITS to work with dedication and purpose towards building a telecoms sector where ingenious players are actively participating in creating values for the overall development of the digital economy. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I want us to build a strong and resilient office that will be fit-for-purpose, withstand the test of time and which the telecom industry will look back at and appreciate like the great pyramids of Egypt. All of us will be the designers, thinkers, architects, and builders in this great NODITS journey,” he added.

to 15 years loans, and equity participation,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Swift Telephone Network, Oluwole Adetuyi, agreed no less with Ibisi. He said for the indigenous operators to grow, the sector would require access to funding for from financial institutions at low-interest rates.

Ibisi said indigenous players need seed funds, increased subsidies, incentives for local device manufacturers (including duty waivers for equipment and components), pioneer status for indigenous players in manufacturing, services, research and development, and innovation fund.

He said in other climes, they make some funds available to indigenous players.

For instance, Ibisi said in the USA, there is a $65 billion Broadband Fund, which comprises $42.45 billion for a new Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program focused on connecting un-and underserved areas; a $1 billion grant programme targeting middle-mile infrastructure; and $14.2 billion for an affordable connectivity subsidy programme.

According to him, in the UK, there is a £30 billion broadband expansion program, while Germany has $14.5 billion Digital Infrastructure Fund and $10 billion for broadband expansion.

Speaking to the New National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) which needs $5 billion for implementation, Ibisi said national backbone and metro fibre of 80,000km would cost $1.5 billion; 4G roll out targeting 2,500 base stations is expected to gulp between $1-2 billion; 5G roll out with 6,000 base stations is pegged at $500 million; local manufacture of devices to cost $100 million.

He recalled that there have been power and aviation funds via the BoI of about N300 billion, with seven per cent interest rate, and between 10 and15 years tenure.

According to him, there has been a $37 billion Infrastructure Fund of the Infrastructure Corp of Nigeria (InfraCorp), managed by four asset managers with $2.4 billion seed capital from the Federal Government. He added that there was also the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) supervised by the Bank of Industry.

“We need similar fund as NCIF with seven per cent interest rate, 10 to 15 years loan and equity participation; equity participation by InfraCorp; subsidies and grants, and pioneer status for five years (Tax Waivers and Duty Waivers),” Ibisi stressed.

Swift Telephone Network chief said easy access to foreign exchange (forex) is needed at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approved rate. He added that it will not be a bad idea if a special intervention funds for the telecoms sector is created by the apex bank as has been done to other sectors.

He said tax waivers, as well as provision of grants and subsidies to telecoms operators, would help the small players grow, adding that reduction and harmonisation of right-of-way (RoW) charges across states and local government areas would also be in the interest of growing local content in the sector.

He urged the NCC to put in place a strong local content policy because of the need to create more jobs, increase FDIs, improve technology adoption, enhance security; improve revenue and forex earnings.

Adetuyi said most PNLs and local telecommunication companies in Nigeria fall into the SME category, accounting for 60 to 70 per cent of jobs in most developed economies.

He said the in the telecoms sector, these categories of network operators also account for a large share of entrants and exits.

”If Nigeria must play in the unfolding IoT market that is in excess of $20 trillion, it must use its local companies with smaller legacy loads to drive faster technology adoption,” he said.

According to him, there must be urgent reforms, which must promote a regulatory environment conducive to the development of smaller firms as part of the consideration for growth; lesser regulatory burdens on small operators, and NCC should allow the use of Nigerian numbers on a global scale as it is with the USA, the UK Canada, and numbers.

Divisional CEO, ipNX, Segun Okuneye, said interventionist policies needed in the industry.

He said considering the current relatively slow pace of infrastructure development in the country, interventionist policies by the government have become necessary in order to give telecoms operators the required leverage to resolve challenges that impede their ability to deliver seamless services to subscribers.

 

Spotify is one of the largest streaming platforms worldwide that has changed the way listeners find the new music being released on the market. It offers the best advertising platform for music to reach potential fans amidst listening sessions.

Spotify has a challenging competitive space, and having a decent chance to have your music placed on it means that you have to work your ways correctly. Below are tips on how to get your new music on Spotify.

Create Spotify artist account

Getting your new music on Spotify isn’t a “hack.” Things won’t just work in your favor without putting a lot of effort into your new song. Creating a Spotify account is the first step to ensure you get verified to boost your credibility. After completing the profile, you will access valuable features like analytics and notifications when your new music is added to a playlist.

You should pay keen attention to the nuances that make you gain many followers and what makes you lose streams and followers. If you are using Mac, you can use the Spotify web player to listen to your favorite music to get inspired to keep going. The online player is very similar to the app in terms of UX and offers the same features.

Submit your music for consideration

Submitting your music for consideration is a milestone that will take you a step ahead to getting your new song listed in the top Spotify list. Make sure that your bio, avatar and pictures are clear and precise to attract more followers, as the platform will use all this information when sharing your music.

Navigate to Spotify for Artists on the computer and click on the “Music” on the top. Click on the “Upcoming” and choose from your list the new song. Then proceed to click “Pitch a Song” to submit it for the playlist consideration. To succeed when introducing your new music, you will need to fill in as much information as possible, not limited to genre, mood, region, instrumentation and language.

Spend more time on Spotify

Spotify tends to favor artists who love the platform and spend more time on it. The more time you spend on Spotify, the more chances your new song will be added to the playlist as soon as possible. That gives your new song better chances of being recognized easily. Make sure that you release as much music as possible.

You can even go ahead to carry out page promotions on your social media accounts to build your Spotify following. The higher the number of new followers, the more likely  your  new  music  will  appear  in  your  follower’s  Release  Radar.  Making substantial social proof will ensure that your new music gets pitched on the top list as the platform tends to favor artists generating buzz.

Pitching songs to independent curators

To get your new music on Spotify, you will need to treat it like a product. And that involves pitching the new music to the independent playlist owners depending on the target playlists you would like to work with.

It’s a waste of time to spend too much effort on the playlists that are irrelevant to your music, and they no longer correlate in one way or the other. No matter how popular and promising they might appear, know that your effort will be in vain.

It’s not an easy task as you will have to search for multiple phrases that fit your genre and style, then put them together in a collection. If possible, the list should include the playlist’s name, all the associated links, the owner, number of followers, and contact addresses.

Get an accredited music college

Apart from having a huge fan base for your songs, perfecting your craft will make you more famous easily than any other possible means. That means that your new music must sound like it belongs to the top playlists.

You can choose to work with a group of professionals or use different music editing software available online free and on premium subscription. Both will provide you with an opportunity to hone your craft and learn the best insider techniques that make music pleasing to listen to.

It also showers you with the opportunity to work with industry-leading instructors. It doesn’t matter what you are highly interested in, i.e., drums, keyboards or vocals, there shall always be a music college to help you deal with the issues.

Conclusion

Getting your music on Spotify has never been a lap of luxury to many artists. You have to be actively involved in the platform to get a large fan base, as the medium tends to favor artists who love it. Also, you will need to up your game by releasing as many quality songs as possible, as a single song won’t give you so much credit.

Short video app, Vskit, said it plans to increase its share of the continent’s multimillion dollars entertainment industry.

The firm, which started business in Nigeria 2018, said it has enjoyed immense support from top artistes, comedians, talents, and brands.

Vskit Country Manager, Nigeria, Ajiri Agborua, during a media chat, said company will leverage its relationship with players in the entertainment industry to increase Nigeria’s stake in the African gigital ecosystem.

“We believe strongly in the African dream, hence our reason for being African-centric. “There are millions of amazing talents Nigeria alone has provided over the years and we cannot but acknowledge their hard work as a brand, ” Agborua said.

While Vskit has a very strong presence in Nigeria, other African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Cote d’Ivoire are benefitting from the global yet local vibes the contents on Vskit comes with.

He said a direct result of our user base growth is a major increase in brand utilisation. Vskit, he said, has worked with many brands over the years, including Tecno Infinix, Softcare, itel, Oraimo, Boomplay, among others.

Some of the challenges that have rocked the Vskit airwaves are #itelSparkleWithP36 #PLrestart  #iMuah #PalmPayLoveVibes #OraimoGbeduKing #GiveMe5 #InfinixBlowMyMind #BiggerBetter #MyPassionForInfinix #TECNOPhantom9Style #OraimoGrooveAtHome, among others.

“The brand keeps fostering a sense of community through engaging contents, viral challenges, and reward packages for the growth of her users.  It is not hard to believe that over 30 phones have been won by Vskit talents alone, just by actively using the app daily. Not too long ago, seven people were rewarded with N1 million, and two of the seven were Vskit talents.The fact that brands approach the short video app for a chance to run a campaign, gives Vskit users an advantage and first-hand information on how to emerge winners, ” he said.

The app has produced amazing talents over the years, ranging from Miss Berry, Domino King, Peter Odeh, and the recently much talked about Neyorla. Neyorla’s involvement with ace record label Aristocrat and Boomplay a music streaming and download platform has further proven the extent of the opportunities Vskit gives Nigerian rising stars.

Agborua said worthy of note is also the fact that professionals are changing the stereotypes of them being rigid. A widely known professional on Vskit, Dr Adenipoko Ejiro joined the Vskit family in 2019 through one of her professional friends. She added that her reasons for being on Vskit is to put smiles on people’s faces while paying attention to her mental health.

“My workload does not avail me the time to engage in physical fun activities, hence the reason I choose to spend as much time as I do on social media. How I have been able to combine being a doctor and creating content is basically time management. I spend my leisure making contents as that makes me happy, ” he added.

Ensuring the growth of the country is also some of the reasons for its existence.

He said in its bid to fulfil part of the developmental goals, Vskit constantly engages in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives with the most recent being a collaboration with phone producing company, itel. Tons of amazing gifts were given to students of the Leap of Dance Academy.

“Although Nigerians are very hard-working people, Vskit is here to maintain the social vibes the buzzing country is known to pride in,” he said.

 

Nigeria’s army of the poor has continued to rise. The World Bank said no fewer than seven million Nigerians may have been condemned to the agonising island of poverty. But is the situation totally hopeless? Experts say no. Leveraging information communication technology (ICT), they say could be the game changer. LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

The World Bank, in its Poverty and Shared Prosperity report 2020, said the concentration of high poverty rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) brings back the image of a poverty belt extending from Senegal to Ethiopia and from Mali to Madagascar. Half of the countries in SSA have poverty rates higher than 35 per cent.

The bank added that these numbers become even more alarming when compared with the levels of extreme poverty in other regions. Of the top 20 economies with high poverty estimates are Nigeria and others in the sub-region.

The global bank’s Lead Economist for Nigeria, Dr. Marco Hernandez, said unhinged inflation has exacerbated the poverty level in Nigeria.

“Right now, Nigeria is growing at a slow rate with a high rate of inflation. About 5.6 million Nigerians have been pushed below poverty line within one year. Inflation is driven by increasing domestic food prices and not imported food prices. Exchange rate reforms are essential to reduce inflation and to boost growth; and inflation follows the movements in the parallel foreign exchange rate,” he said warning: “they can only expect the same kind of growth experienced since 2015, which will continue to witness decline in per capita income and limited job creation.”

The United States (US) Government believes poverty could be fought by empowering the girl-children with the requisite technology skills that would assure a better future for them.

The government said when barriers to the participation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are removed, the result is win-win for all, whether at home or abroad.

A non-for-profit organisation, Zwart Talent Foundation, agrees no less with the U.S. on the place of education as a veritable tool for combatting poverty in the country.

Its Chairman, Nelson Tosin Ajulo, said poverty is a global phenomenon. “We strongly believe that the right type of education can lift millions of underserved Africans out of Poverty. Today, the right kind of education is IT or tech education. This is because of the worldwide shift to the digital economy. The kinds of jobs out there have changed.

“Global companies are looking for software experts, coders, UX UI designers, and system analysts among others. If we deploy efforts into training youths in tech education, they are guaranteed to get both local and international jobs to earn more and eventually take their families and communities out of poverty,” Ajulo said.

Pursuant to the belief of the U.S. Government in tech education as a liberating tool from the pangs of poverty, its Consulate-General has unveiled a project aimed at empowering 300 high school girls in Osun State to pursue education and careers in STEM fields.

Through the project tagged “Osun Girls Can Code”, the 300 schoolgirls will receive training on coding, web design, and product creation, being all the key skills needed in today’s increasingly-competitive job market.  The goal of encouraging the role of girls and women in STEM fields has been the cornerstone of the technology-learning programs supported by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria.

U.S. Consul-General Claire Pierangelo said the six months capacity building programme would foster a supportive community where young girls can receive mentorship, network and share internship opportunities in STEM fields.

Pierangelo said the programme is one of the many initiatives of the U.S. Mission that seeks to ensure gender parity, and provide women and girls with opportunities to contribute to creating sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity for Nigeria.

“The United States promotes the rights and empowerment of women and girls in our foreign policy, and we have invested millions of dollars to advance gender equality across sub-Saharan Africa.

“When barriers to the participation of women and girls in STEM fields are removed, we all benefit; whether at home or abroad, promoting women in the STEM fields is a U.S. government priority,”  Pierangelo said.

In addition to the capacity building program for the high school girls, 60 female STEM teachers from Osun State will receive training to help teach more effectively and on how to mentor women and girls about careers in tech fields.

The project will end with a pitch competition to showcase the participants’ achievements, with U.S. Consulate representatives taking part on the panel and the winning schools receiving prizes.  A 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow, Dayo Adeniyi, is implementing the project with a public diplomacy grant from the U.S. Consulate-General.

The U.S. government has introduced some programmes to create opportunities for women in the tech field.  In 2011, the U.S. government introduced the TechWomen programme to empower the next generation of women leaders in the technology field. This exchange program brings together women in Northern California with their counterparts in the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria for a professional mentorship at leading technology companies in the U.S.

Ajulo advised the Federal Government to tackle poverty with tech education. “Poverty is a problem across the world. It is not peculiar to only Africa. Regardless, the developed world has made us believe that Africa is the poverty capital of the world. This is not true. Despite this, we have to find quick and practical solutions to combat endemic poverty on the continent,’’ he added.

He said Zwarttalent is training the vulnerable and young African population in IT skills to enable them to boost their economic status.

“At Zwart Talent Foundation, our social innovation is that we train underserved youths in IT skills for free and within two years, they become junior developers and start earning.

“Our solution is quick, effective and not time-consuming compared to the typical education we are all familiar with.

“With this, we can get thousands out of poverty. But we can’t do this alone. We need every support we can get because with African population growing at a geometric rate, it will get to a point where the typical education cannot suffice and there would be serious competition for the limited resources,” he said.

Africa’s largest disposable syringe manufacturer, Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing (JSM) company, has exhibited arrays of its quality syringes to showcase ‘Made in Nigeria’ products.

This was the thrust of the firm at the 50th anniversary and 49th annual general meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Lagos.

The Managing Director of JSM, Mr. Akin Oyediran, said: “Our syringes are manufactured from the best, most reliable, and safest materials available to ensure the highest level of satisfaction for our stakeholders.

“Jubilee Syringe’s distribution network is within and outside Nigeria “to other countries across the continent. We ensure we keep best practices in our manufacturing processes.”

Oyediran was unanimously reelected as the Executive Council Member of MAN for the second consecutive time.

The recent launch of the Central Bank Digital Currency (eNaira) didn’t come to many Nigerians who have been following the unparalleled feats of the Central Bank Governor, Chief Godwin Emefiele, with keen attention as a surprise.

By this singular feat of Emefiele’s CBN, Nigeria has become the first country in Africa, and one of the first in the world to introduce a digital currency to its citizens. This is no small achievement, particularly as the country, like other parts of the world, is coming out of COVID-19 induced recession.

This breakthrough, like many others before it in Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, is a block chain technology that will add a whopping $2.9 trillion (N1.189 trillion) every year to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

What this simply means is that: the country’s GDP will be raised by $29 billion in the next 10 years. This was aptly captured by President Muhammadu Buhari during the launch of the national digital currency midwifed by Emefiele’s CBN.

“Alongside digital innovations, CBDCs can foster economic growth through better economic activities. Indeed, some estimates indicate that the adoption of CBDC and its underlying technology, called block chain, can increase Nigeria’s GDP by US$29billion over the next 10 years,” the president proudly announced.

The eNaira, will among others, help increase remittances, foster cross border trade, improve financial inclusion, make Monetary Policy more effective, and enable the government to send direct payments to citizens eligible for specific welfare programmes.

At the launching, the CBN governor also unveiled a new financial instrument christened “The 100 for 100 PPP – Policy on Production and Productivity” to reduce the nation’s overdependence on imports.

He said the instrument “will be anchored in our Development Finance Department under my direct supervision.”

“Under this policy, the CBN will advertise, screen, scrutinize and financially support 100 targeted private sector companies in 100 days, beginning from 01 November 2021, and rolling over every 100 days with a new set of 100 companies, whose names will be published in National Dailies for Nigerians to verify and confirm.

“The purpose of this instrument is to take further steps to reverse our over reliance on imports,” the CBN governor said.

Chief Emefiele said working through banks, the financial instrument would be available to their customers in critical areas to boost the production and productivity, with a view to immediately transforming and jumpstarting the productive base of the economy.

“After these 100 projects by companies in the first 100 days from November 1, we will take the next 100 companies/projects for another 100 days beginning February 1, 2022, and then another 100 companies for another 100 days beginning from May 1, 2022.

“We believe that if we target and support the right companies and projects, we will see a significant, 14 measurable and verifiable increase in local production and productivity, reduction in certain imports, increase in non-oil exports, and improvements in the FX-generating capacity of the economy.

“This, in my view, is the best and most sustainable way to address the Naira’s value –whether in hard currency or digital eNaira – through production, production and more production,” Chief Emefiele explained.

Financial analysts and economists have, for years, realized the tremendous reforms the CBN governor brought to the country’s financial and economic sectors through various programmes and policies, with eNaira being the latest.

In an attempt to save the naira, for instance, the CBN has issued at least 21 policies and directives between September 2020 and September 2021.

In August 2020, Emefiele resolved to go tough on exporters who were guilty of forex non-repatriation. This was another effort to tackle the prevalent forex crisis in the country by increasing forex liquidity. The CBN ordered banks to submit the names, addresses, and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) of all the exporters who had failed to repatriate their export proceeds, for necessary ‘action’.

When faced with rising cases of forex hoarding and funding of militant and terrorist groups, Emefiele swooped to action by taking deliberate and albeit drastic policies in arresting those maladies with catastrophic effects on the security architecture of the country.

After the CBN’s monetary policy rate (MPR) meeting in July 2021,Chief Emefiele braved the odds and banned Bureau De Change (BDC) operators from accessing forex, and also said some them have become conduit for illegal financial flows working with corrupt people to conduct money laundering in Nigeria.

“They have turned themselves away from their objectives. They are now agents that facilitate graft and corruption in the country. We cannot continue with the bad practices that are happening at the BDC market,” the CBN chief said.

He said the depreciating value of the national currency was partly because of prevailing ownership of several BDCs by the same promoters to procure multiple forex from the central bank.

“Several international organizations, embassies patronise BDC through illegal forex dealers to fund their institutions. We will deal ruthlessly with Nigerian Banks that deal with illegal BDCs and we will report foreign organisations patronising them,” he said.

It is a truism that not all BDC operators are engaged in subterranean operations in their course of doing their businesses. But the fact remains that some enemies of Nigeria are using the unofficial forex windows to perpetrate crimes against the country.

The apex bank, as part of the operation, traced and blocked billions of naira to businesses belonging to persons in banks in a series of ‘post no debit letters.

The CBN governor did not stop there. Despite the political repercussions, the CBN in March 2021, froze 193 corporate and individual bank accounts over allegations of suspicious forex transactions. This was done after 138 accounts were frozen earlier in February.

Not done yet, in April 2021, the CBN investigated and engineered the arrest and arraignment of over 400 persons across the country in an ongoing nationwide crackdown on financiers of Boko Haram and other criminal groups in Nigeria.

All these are Emefiele’s continuous efforts in tackling terrorism and terrorist financing across the country. This alone will hasten the defeat of terrorists as they are starved of funds, hardware, food, weapons and everything.

While working tirelessly to ensure physical security, the CBN under Emefiele is equally bent on reducing unemployment, particularly among the youths.

Just recently, the CBN developed the Tertiary Institutions Entrepreneurship Scheme (TIES), in partnership with Nigerian polytechnics and universities to harness the potential of graduate entrepreneurs (gradpreneurs) in the country.

The goal of the TIES is to enhance access to finance to undergraduates and graduates of polytechnics and universities in Nigeria with innovative entrepreneurial and technological ideas.

Under this policy, the CBN will offer N500 million grant to graduates, undergraduates with the best entrepreneurship pitch across the tertiary institutions.

Emefiele’s revolution has touched not only those at the fiscal sectors, but even the peasant farmers at the downtrodden ladder. Despite the coronavirus pandemic that precipitated global lockdown, Nigeria didn’t suffer food shortage. This is thanks to Emefiele’s agro-economic intervention.

The CBN governor principally achieved this through the Anchor Borrowers Programme(ABP) launched by President Buhari in 2014.

It is public knowledge that the ABP has empowered rice farmers and processors in the country and resulted in a significant boost in rice production in the country. Official data shows that the ABP has added six million metric tons of rice supply in the country annually and created nearly six million direct jobs in a year.

Official statistics from the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) reveals that about two million direct jobs are created every cropping season. And Nigeria has three cropping seasons in a year, all of them fully funded by the CBN. These jobs are restricted to only the production value chain of rice, and not include millions of other jobs created in the processing, packaging, transport, marketing sectors of the rice ecosystem.

Courtesy Emefiele’s reforms, over 100 integrated rice millers are currently working across the country, providing thousands direct and indirect jobs. This Is not to mention over 50 fertilizer plants, hiring thousands and counting.

The ABP has so far saved Nigeria over N369 billion per annum, while the country consumes N1.5 billion worth of rice every day. This breakthrough has saved the country the challenge of sourcing forex or devaluing our currency to finance this monstrous import wage bill.

There is no gainsaying repeating the fact that Emefiele is playing a crucially unprecedented role that is shaping almost all the spheres of our human lives, irrespective of our economic status and whether we live in cities or in villages.

• Mahmood writes from Katsina

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), HMD Global, has unveiled the first-ever tablet in the Nokia mobile stable – the Nokia T20.

The device, which offers users a suite of cutting-edge functionalities, was  launched into the Nigerian market at the weekend.

The Nokia T20 – a portable tool, which Adetayo Obinaike, Marketing Manager, West Africa, HMD Global, says is configured for users to love, trust and keep – comes with a powerful 8200 mAh battery, offering longer hours for work, play and learning. In addition, the device comes equipped with two years of Operating System (OS) upgrades and three years of monthly security updates with an optional fourth year for Enterprise customers, ensuring greater security and data privacy for users. Further distinguishing the Nokia T20 is a 2k screen which delivers crisp, crystal-clear detail, as well as a massive 64GB internal storage.

The 10.4-inch device is powered by an octa-core chip ensuring a faster, more reliable user experience, among other exciting features and will be distributed nationwide by TD Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading tech, lifestyle, and solutions distributor.

The General Manager, West, East and Central Africa, HMD Global, Joseph Umunakwe, emphasised the unique attention to security and safeguard of user information which the device assures, notably through the monthly security and Operating System (OS) upgrades. He noted that the device was built in compliance with international standards and guaranteed to deliver long-lasting performance for users.

Earlier, Adetayo Obinaike, Marketing Manager, West Africa, HMD Global, highlighted the wide range of benefits and unique differentiators which make the Nokia T20 a must-have for all categories of users, especially in line with the new normal occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, he disclosed that the changes brought about by the pandemic represented an ample opportunity for Nokia to come up with a device that is built to specifications to support virtual work, remote learning and for leisure users as well.

Additionally, he revealed that the device accommodates a wide audience, including kids, with the inclusion of the Google Kids Space, which comes loaded with apps that encourage educational and fun/entertainment-focused content for this specific class of users, along with essential Family Link parental controls.

‘‘The new Nokia T20 comes with 10.4-inch display with high resolution but it is eyes friendly so that you can spend more time using the tablet. It also comes with an amazing battery life that could last a whole day once fully charged. Unlike other devices, the Nokia T20 Tab comes with three years of monthly security update, which is great for protection of your information. It also runs with Android 11, which can be upgraded to Android 12 and 13 with two years of OS update.

‘‘But that’s not all. The device comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM, 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. This is an amazing device. It is a gadget we want Nigerians to love, trust and keep,” Obinaike said.

Also endorsing the device, Managing Director, Sales, TD Africa, Mrs. Gozy Ijogun, attested to the quality, unique selling proposition and competitive pricing of the Nokia T20.

‘‘At TD Africa, we are deliberate about our partnerships and the Nokia T20, one of the latest innovations from Nokia Mobile is a device we are very excited about. In addition to the great features, we are also excited about the fact that it comes at a very competitive price point. The device will be available in every retail store or online platform through our nationwide database of channel partners.’’

In his contribution, Emmanuel Ossai, Senior Business Manager, West Africa, HMD Global, revealed that the Nokia T20 would retail at N118,000, even as he reiterated the large screen display, big battery, work-life balance and rugged accessories that accompany the device.

Present at the unveiling ceremony were top officials of HMD Global and TD Africa, as well as channel partners and resellers from the ICT ecosystem and the media.

Digital media entrepreneurs are changing lives in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, Inflection Point International report launched last week has highlighted, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Digital media organisations in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa have contributed to the empowerment of citizens, says The Inflection Point International report, published by SembraMedia, a non-profit organisation that supports entrepreneurial journalists in partnership with the global philanthropic organisation Luminate. It published over 200 global interviews and interviewed 49 independent digital native media organisations in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

The report noted that African media entrepreneurs reported the achievement of civic engagement through their articles. Almost half said they were engaged in some solutions journalism – compared to 15 per cent in Asia – citing solutions reporting and investigative journalism as key factors in achieving social change.

“This report shines a light on a new generation of creative and courageous media entrepreneurs, developing solutions to Africa’s social and economic challenges and strengthening the workings of democracy and issues of governance,” said Director, Africa of Luminate, Abdul Noormohamed. The researchers found that more than 85 per cent of the media interviewed had contributed to significant political and societal changes, in a report that comes a month after the award of Nobel Peace Prizes to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their achievements in defending freedom of speech and upholding democracy.

Media in Nigeria and Ghana reported higher incidences of lawsuits and legal attacks than the media organisations interviewed in other countries. Yet, most of the entrepreneurs appear to have survived the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While there are differences across the three regions, what struck us most as we reviewed the data were the similarities that emerged among these news organisations as they strive to cover their communities and build sustainable business models,” said Janine Warner, co-founder SembraMedia.

Some of the outlets established news sites, such as the Daily Maverick in South Africa, but many were much smaller, with 60 per cent of the outlets interviewed globally earning less than US$50,000 in revenue.

Overall, the African digital media reported higher levels of advertising revenue than Latin American and Southeast Asian digital media, with advertising contributing around 29 per cent of incomes for the African media in 2019, falling to 26 per cent last year. The top tier digital media on the continent was also found to be earning more for smaller audiences – measured as page views – than equivalent media in Latin America and South-east Asia.

However, the African entrepreneurs had the most limited financial records with around half unable to identify their total revenues or revenue sources. Those that shared financial details were also benefitting from a lower proportion of grants than digital media elsewhere, at 16 per cent of revenue in 2019. However, during the pandemic, the grants to African media rose, to account for more than 19 per cent of revenue last year.

Stephen King of Luminate said: “This report demonstrates the vital role that grant funding is playing in supporting digital media organisations through this pivotal moment of change. This is not about funding without end – it’s about helping a vibrant new generation of media entrepreneurs to evolve their business models so they can build pathways to sustainability while continuing to produce important journalism in the public interest.”

The researchers also investigated the staffing structures at the media outlets and found that those who employed a staff member to drive revenue earned six to nine times more revenue in 2019 than those who didn’t. Similarly, media with a dedicated tech or innovation lead reported three times higher revenue.

However, fewer of Africa’s digital entrepreneurs were women, at 13 per cent, than in other regions, with 32 per cent of the founders of the companies studied worldwide being women. But this proportion still represented a far greater role for women in media ownership than exists in the mainstream media, where the ownership by women is as low as one per  cent.