Category: Technology

The Network for Best Practice and Integrity in Leadership (NEBPRIL) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to halt moves to license more 5G telecommunications services.

It said that rather, the government should encourage more competition in the thriving telecommunications industry by urging the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to introduce and license additional Mobile Virtual Network Operation ( MVNO) services, which has the potential of stimulating increased activity in the sector, especially given it’s potentials in creating more employment opportunities and wealth in the nation.

According to NEBPRIL, this call became necessary because engaging in such an end-of-tenure bonanza, with a national economic resources in a critical sector such as telecommunications, at a time that the nation is toiling to chart new pathways in non oil revenue, is self-serving, dubious, unethical and a brazen act of economic sabotage.

NEBPRIL said it had it on good authority that some powerful interests in the corridors of power are currently arm-twisting officials of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), to auction two additional lots of the 3.5 GHz spectrum on 5G services barely eight months after the first auction produced two investor companies at $275m each.

Read Also: ‘Fixing East-West road has brought joy to Niger Delta’

According to NEBPRIL, the regulators had given a timeline of two years before another set of licenses could be issued, in order to have ample time to appraise the services, functionality and safety of the new 5G technology amid remarkable apprehension about safety; and also to give the first investors time to properly roll out and recoup some of their investments.

NEBPRIL in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by its Chairman, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, former member of the House of Representatives, wondered what may have necessitated the hurry to ‘give away’ the premium telecom license in a less than transparent manner.

Ogene said further: “This development is not only insensitive to the investors and would-be investors, it also calls to question the government’s policy on the ease of doing business in Nigeria. Nigeria cannot afford to continue on this path of policy inconsistency, as that would continue to harm the drive to attract more investment into the country. If a regulatory authority has given a timeline of two years before more licenses would be on offer, integrity demands that such a directive is upheld in order to build and retain the confidence of both investors and consumers in the sector.
“We, therefore, call on President Buhari and the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly, to urgently take steps to put a stop to this obvious attempt at official malfeasance in the telecommunications sector, in order to save the nation from further self-serving, national economic harm being orchestrated by some unscrupulous individuals in the corridors of power.”

Concerned about the electricity access gap in Nigeria, the Sahara Group Chairman, Kola Adesina, has clamoured for a holistic solution to the challenge in all the value chain.

According to him, once the stakeholders address the issue of generation, transmission and supply to customers from day one, there will be stable power supply.

He spoke in Abuja where the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) conferred an award of honorary fellowship on him.

Adesina said: “The moment you can get the issue resolved, the moment you can get generation into location where there is off-taker and the transmission facility is valued then to the people ultimately in distribution.

“All they need in the value chain must be available from day one. That is how you can ensure there is stable power supply all over the world.”

In order to fascinate investors, he insisted that the market design must be the type that can attract investors.

He also sought less of government presence in the power business environment.

The chairman noted that until there is round the clock supply of power to the citizenry, the country has failed.

He however insisted that his group cannot afford to fail.

He pledged to align with the support of NSE to ensure the conquer of darkness in Nigeria.

His words: ” Until we give 24/7 electricity, trust me, we have failed.
And we cannot afford to fail.
“I want to say to you, I’m not going to detract or diminish the value of your wonderful profession.

“I’m here to say I will align with you to support you to ensure that we truly ultimately conquer darkness in Nigeria.”

Buttressing the assertion that without 24/7 electricity, the country has failed, he said smaller countries meet their power needs, wondering why Nigeria should be an exception.

He noted that so many talents of the country have refused to bring their experience and resources to bear in the development of Nigeria.

He said the missing link in the country is inability to have the appropriate mindset to unlock the potentials of Nigeria and convert the them to opportunities.

According to him, he initially wondered why the NSE should confer the award on him when over 200 million people only have 4500MW supply.

Adesina said when the representative of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Patani spoke in the event, he (Chairman Sahara Group) felt power is more important than Communication and Digital Economy, noting without electricity there can be no communication and even agriculture.

He added that without electricity, life, could be uninteresting.

He tasked all the engineers and other stakeholders to ponder on how to electrify Nigeria.

Read Also: Military officers’ wives empower widows, orphans

He said: “When the representative of the Honorable Minister of Communications spoke earlier and I felt there is far more important and more significant than advancing the advancing the frontiers of Communication and Digital Economy Nigeria, without electricity that can’t be digital economy.

“Without electricity, you cannot communicate without electricity, there is no agriculture. Without electricity, the quality of life will be boring and boring, to say the least.

“I am here to simply say this, until we can guarantee 24/7 electricity to Nigerians, we have failed.

” The quantum of energy in the system today is absolutely insufficient for our population.

“Our population is growing phenomenally, whereas the infrastructure that needs to deliver the key services to serve as the engine to boost the GDP is lagging behind.

“There is a need for each and every one of us to go deeper into our minds and search for solutions that will help electrify Nigeria.”

The chairman dedicated the award to the over 5000 staff of Sahara Group at Egbin Power Plc, First Independent Power, Ikeja Electric and Sahara Global.

Informing his team that the award is a call for more service to customers and humanity, he noted the work is looking forward to them for a solution to the country’s power challenge.

NewGlobe, a global leader in learning and learning expert will be showcasing homegrown education transformation at scale success stories in Nigeria at the 28th Nigerian Economic summit

The 28th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #28), billed to hold from 14 – 15 November 2022, will convene national and global policymakers, business leaders, development partners, civil society leaders and scholars to articulate the country’s development imperatives that satisfy the need for economic security and sustainability, social justice, conscientious governance, political stability and environmental sustainability.

The annual Nigerian Economic Summit is organized by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning in partnership with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, representing the private sector.

It has become the flagship event of government and business and has provided a credible and widely recognized platform for forging understanding and consensus on the national economic policy direction and growth strategies. Over the past 28 years, national and global policymakers and business leaders have acknowledged that the annual NES is the premier platform for public-private dialogue in Nigeria.

Read Also: Education cannot exceed the quality of our teachers

The theme of this year’s Summit is “2023 and Beyond: Priorities for Shared Prosperity”. Discussions at NES #28 will be dimensioned across four sub-themes: Delivering Macroeconomic Stability for Shared Prosperity; Investing in Our Future; Unlocking the Binding Constraints to Execution; and Reframing the Agenda for Transformational Leadership. These sub-themes will run through all the sessions at the Summit as stakeholders highlight the imperatives of Economic Sustainability, Inclusive Growth, Execution, Political Economy and Visionary Leadership as drivers of sustainable socioeconomic development.

NewGlobe will be participating in at the interactive Panel – “Eradicating Learning Deprivation” which will deliberate on solutions to learning poverty in Nigeria. According to UNICEF, 70% of Nigeria’s Children are learning deprived and Nigeria accounts for one of the highest proportions of children of primary school age who are not in school. Through its learning poverty measure, the World Bank has identified reading as an essential foundation for future learning outcomes at all levels. Understanding the layered behavioral factors that propel learning poverty in Nigeria is therefore necessary to proffer workable solutions to the education sector. The data shows that acute learning deprivations in children today will become drivers of chronic destitution in large segments of the Nigerian population if not urgently addressed.

NewGlobe represented by Omowale David-Ashiru, Group Managing Director, will share insights and learnings from homegrown large-scale Nigerian education transformation solutions that NewGlobe has been a part of. Partnering with State governments in Nigeria, NewGlobe is strengthening education systems in Edo (EdoBEST), Lagos (EKOEXCEL) and Kwara (KwaraLEARN) and by extension delivering life-changing education solutions to children in urban and even hard-to-reach rural communities. These states have adopted the attainment of SDG-4 as a strategy for enshrining future economic prosperity, peace and stability.

NewGlobe partnered education programs utilize a holistic learning methodology that was recently the subject of a

2-year study led by 2019 Nobel Prize winning professor Michael Kremer. The Kremer Study finds that NewGlobe methods deliver unequivocal major learning gains across every academic year in NewGlobe-supported schools, compared with other schools. These are particularly large in the “key grades” for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), primary classes One and Two. Kremer and his co-authors found that students in early childhood years supported by NewGlobe received the equivalent of an additional year and a half of learning in two years.

NewGlobe is uniquely positioned to support foundational literacy and numeracy growth in Nigeria, the essence of the “Eradicating Learning Poverty” interactive session and will be doing so at the 28th Nigerian Economic Summit.

His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, is expected to declare the 28th Nigerian Economic Summit open, while the Vice President, His Excellency Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), is expected to close the Summit.

• By Tosin Ojo

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy has entered a new phase of digital acceleration. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)  particularly in the service sector the challenge is no longer whether to go digital, but how to do so strategically.

Across Africa and emerging markets, the pandemic exposed deep structural weaknesses in business continuity and customer engagement. Those SMEs that had embraced digital tools early  from cloud-based operations to digital payments and data-driven customer insights  proved more resilient. In contrast, those that depended on traditional, paper-based, or purely physical interactions faced severe disruptions.

Digital transformation, once a buzzword, has become a survival imperative.

The New Digital Divide: Beyond Connectivity

While conversations about digital transformation often focus on access to the internet, true transformation goes far deeper. It involves rethinking business models, customer experience, and operational processes through technology.

According to the International Trade Centre’s 2022 SME Competitiveness Outlook, SMEs represent 90% of global businesses and 70% of employment. Despite this significant presence, less than 30% of SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa have an online presence, and only a fraction have adopted advanced digital systems for operations or customer management. This underscores the need for greater digital integration to enhance competitiveness and growth.

This gap is not simply technological, it is strategic. Many SMEs adopt technology tactically (creating social media pages or mobile apps) without integrating digital thinking into their core value proposition.

The Service Sector’s Digital Moment

Nigeria’s service sector  including financial services, logistics, education, healthcare, and hospitality  contributed over 50% of GDP in 2021, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). However, much of this contribution comes from informal and low-technology enterprises.

With rising smartphone penetration (estimated at 44% in 2022 by GSMA Intelligence) and growing digital payment adoption, the potential for scalable transformation is immense. But digital adoption cannot be reduced to acquiring gadgets or creating e-commerce sites. It requires strategic intent, structured capacity building, and leadership buy-in.

As Professor Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum famously noted, “In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it’s not the big fish that eats the small fish, but the fast fish that eats the slow.” The implication is clear: agility, not size, will define survival.

Strategic Levers for SME Digital Transformation

For SMEs in the service economy, a structured digital adoption plan should rest on four key pillars:

1. Leadership Vision and Digital Mindset

Transformation starts with leadership, not technology. SME owners must see digitalization as an enabler of strategy, not a cost. Successful cases from small accounting firms leveraging cloud-based ERP systems to logistics startups using predictive analytics show that transformation works best when guided by a clear digital vision and measurable goals.

2. Process Digitization and Customer Experience

Digital transformation should begin with automating repetitive processes and improving customer interactions. For example, integrating CRM systems allows SMEs to capture and analyze customer data, forecast demand, and personalize services creating loyalty loops that drive growth.

3. Workforce Upskilling

A major barrier to transformation in Nigeria is the digital skills gap. According to the World Bank’s 2019 Digital Economy Diagnostic Report for Nigeria, less than 25% of SME employees possess intermediate digital skills. Upskilling must therefore be a deliberate investment encompassing data literacy, cybersecurity awareness, and digital marketing proficiency.

4. Data and Decision-Making

In the digital age, data is the new currency of competitiveness. SMEs should develop the capacity to collect, interpret, and act on data whether it’s analyzing customer preferences or tracking operational efficiency. Adopting business intelligence (BI) tools like Power BI or Google Data Studio can enable data-informed decision-making even for micro enterprises.

Challenges and Policy Implications

Despite the optimism, SMEs face real barriers: unreliable power supply, costly internet access, and weak policy support. The SMEDAN/NBS 2021 Survey indicated that 69% of Nigerian SMEs cited “infrastructure deficits and regulatory complexity” as their top barriers to scaling digitally.

Government and industry associations therefore have a shared responsibility to foster an enabling digital ecosystem through tax incentives for digital investments, SME innovation grants, and nationwide broadband expansion.

Furthermore, collaboration with fintechs and telecoms can help SMEs access affordable digital tools and financial inclusion platforms. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s eNaira initiative, for instance, is a step toward integrating SMEs into digital financial ecosystems, though adoption remains low due to limited awareness.

A Comparative Perspective: Lessons from Asia

Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia provide compelling lessons. By 2020, Singapore’s SMEs Go Digital Programme had supported over 78,000 enterprises to adopt new technologies through grants and advisory services. Malaysia’s Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) aimed to digitize 875,000 micro-businesses by 2025.

The common factor? A national digital strategy that links technology access to business outcomes. African economies, especially Nigeria can adapt these models through public-private partnerships that empower SMEs with digital capacity rather than one-off gadgets.

The Path Forward

For SMEs, digital transformation is not about becoming tech companies. It’s about leveraging technology to become data-driven service companies efficient, customer-centric, and scalable.

Owners must start small but think strategically:

*                             Automate one process today.

*                             Train one employee in digital literacy.

*                             Use one tool to track customer data.

Each of these micro-transformations compounds over time into systemic competitiveness.

As Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, observed during the pandemic, “We saw two years of digital transformation in two months.” For Nigeria’s service sector, those who begin today will lead tomorrow’s economy.

Conclusion: From Adoption to Advantage

By August 2022, the question for Nigeria’s SMEs is no longer if they should go digital, but how strategically they can do it to survive, compete, and grow. Digital transformation must move from a buzzword to a boardroom strategy, from improvisation to intentional innovation.

For the service sector, the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, digital adoption is the bridge between today’s uncertainty and tomorrow’s opportunity. Those who cross it early will not just survive disruption; they will define it.

Author Bio:

Tosin Ojo is a data and strategy professional and STEM education advocate focused on digital transformation, innovation, and sustainable business development in Africa’s emerging markets.

Ingressive for Good (I4G), one of Africa’s leading ed-tech non-profit organisations, has announced its first physical festival I4G HACKFEST 2022. 

It is an annual event that celebrates the growth of African techies and communities while also showcasing rising talents, industry trends and insights from leading tech startups and professionals.

The one-day event which will be hosted by filmmaker and content creator, Kunle Idowu, popularly known as Frank Donga’ with the heme ‘No Techies left behind’. 

It holds wat 9am on Saturday, November 12 at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Speaking about the festival, the Co-founder of Ingressive for Good, Blessing Abeng, said the 2022 edition is community-centric, with several members of the tech communities and significant industry contributors to be spotlighted.

“This year, tech contributed majorly to Nigeria’s GDP. Across tech sectors, we are witnessing outstanding market expansion, creativity and growth in the African tech industry.

Read Also: Ingressive For Good gets co-founder

“In June 2022, startups raised up $3billion, a remarkable increase from the $1.19billion raised during the same period last year. But these opportunities also emphasise the importance of improving and providing support for African tech talents to meet the demand for their skills, and ensure that they are nurtured, upskilled and placed in the best companies across the continent. At I4G we believe that there is a place for every tech talent, they just need to be purposefully nurtured and supported. That’s why we themed this event, “No Techie Left Behind” in line with our commitment to our community of African techies to hold their hands as they navigate their unique tech journey and increase their earning power. ”

The event will feature engaging conversations with thought leaders and influencers in the tech industry, including a keynote speech on Creating a Chain Reaction of Change by Odunayo Eweniyi, the Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer PiggyVest, one of Africa’s leading fintech companies. 

This will come right after a fireside chat with Ezekiel Sanni of TeamApt, who tells the inspiring story of transitioning from a POS merchant to becoming the Head of Offline Distribution and Growth at Nigeria’s largest payment platform. 

Also speaking will be The cofounders of I4G – Maya Horgan Famodu, Sean Burrowes, and Blessing Abeng, Adora Nwodo of Microsoft,  Uwem Uwemakpan of Ingressive Capital, Edwin Madu of Zikoko, Koromone Koroye of TechCabal, Joshua Koya of Nguvu Health, Oladiwura Oladepo of Tech4Dev, Victor Fatanmi of FourthCanvas, Samuel Otigba of Meta, Tamilore Oni of Google, Shodipo Ayomide of Polygon, Tage Kene-Okafor of Techcrunch, Tunde Onakoya of Chess In Slums,  Salem King, Tobi Ayeni (MissTechy), Oladiwura Oladepo, Amanda Iheme, Alma Asinobi, and many others.  With topics focused on personal and professional growth in the tech ecosystem. The sessions will highlight strategies for promoting diverse aspects of the technology sector from an individual to a collective basis.

In addition, a Hackathon geared towards digital identity transformation in Africa, will be open to developers to create solutions using Verified Africa, an identity verification product by Seamfix. The winner will walk away with half a million naira and more goodies by Seamfix

During the event, both physical and online attendees will have the opportunity to network and engage with talents in the tech community and gain insights from leading members of the community.

An eco-friendly firm, Paperbags by Ebees has secured financial assistance to boost sustainable packaging solutions through a recycling model.

The firm is also expanding its business operations across West Africa and reaching more businesses through its expansion plans for 2023.

Selected as one of the top 30 female-led businesses across Africa by Women Entrepreneurship for Africa, Paperbags by Ebees has received grant funding and tailor-made business mentorship to help meet some of her goals.

The “Women Entrepreneurship for Africa” (WE4A) program is an action jointly supported by the European Union (EU), the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), and the German Development agency GIZ (E4D program). The Acceleration/Growth Programme is implemented with support of SAFEEM (Swiss Association for Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets), a Seedstars Program.

According to the Co-founder, Ms. Chidiebere Nnorom, Paperbags by Ebees: “We are currently fundraising to scale our operations across West Africa and looking at instruments such as debt financing with interest rates lower than 10 percent, equity and grant funding to upgrade our current capacity’. We are hopeful that pitching at the TEI IYBA (Team Europe Initiative-Investing in young Businesses in Africa) event at the Marriott in Lagos will take us a step closer to the funds we need. We have also received funding from Orange Corners, Nigeria (OCIF), Nigerian Export Promotion Council and Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Read Also: Firm to set up payment platform for agro exporters

“For four years, we have serviced most of the high-end restaurants and hotels in Lagos, Nigeria. But more and more businesses are beginning to realize that there is a business case for circularity in business. Our headline product, paper bags, is made from recycled paper and cheaper by 50 percent than FBB PE coated bags and 100 percent recyclable with high recyclable value. With scale, we have plans to collect these bags through partner recycling companies and help to drive a local circular economy’. The impact we are currently validating with a team of experts at GCIP, a UNIDO and Federal Government sponsored event to see at what scale our operations can help mitigate against GHGs.

“I like what Paperbags by Ebees is trying to achieve,” said Alhaji Ahmed Alex Omah, President of the African Packaging Organization, Executive Director Institute of Packaging Nigeria, and Board Member World Packaging organization. “Packaging touches every sector, and Nigeria is a huge market with great potential. That’s why through the Nigeria Packaging Academy, in collaboration with the Institute of Packaging South Africa, we are helping to structure and certify professionals in the sectors with advanced packaging technology education to help build human resources for the industry.

Paperbags by Ebees manufactures eco-friendly packaging alternatives to single use packaging targeting msmes in food service agro and fashion sectors across West-Africa. Our solutions provide green options to single use plastic packaging. For example, paper bags for polyethylene bags used in food service, grocery bagging and retail.

On the shelf paper bags instead of plastic pouches used for processed agro products such as tea, dried grains, groundnut, flour etc. and baked foods like coconut flakes etc. paper takeout/ paper straws for PP or Poly-styrene (Styrofoam) plates/straws. Other products include corrugated boxes for fresh farm produce/ delivery boxes, food service boxes like pizza and shoe boxes. As well as outer box packaging for skin care and beauty products like soaps and creams. Products are currently made mainly with food gradable kraft paper and recycled paper/ boards.

With a commitment to impacting the lives of local communities, Paperbags by Ebees sets aside 10 percent of profits to environmental causes targeting the environment in areas of tree planting, beach cleanups and community awareness programmes. Paperbags by Ebees has a vision to plant 10,000 trees in low-income communities across West Africa and have so far partnered with MEDIC an NGO to plant 50 trees and remove plastic from the lagoon. 

Titan Trust Bank Limited (TTB) and its Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Adaeze Udensi, shone at the 2022 edition of the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards at the weekend in Lagos.

While TTB won the ‘Deal of the Year’ award, for its recent acquisition of 105-year-old Union Bank of Nigeria in barely three years of its establishment, Dr. Adaeze was adjudged the ‘female banker of the year’.

According to the organisers, the bank clinched the award in recognition of its drive and tenacity in overcoming significant obstacles, complexity, regulatory hurdles, and setting the tone for the market or laying a template for future transactions.

“When the deal was first announced’ many had wondered how a 3-year-old institution had found the daring, backing and deal-making leverage to acquire a venerable institution.

“The sheer stealth and scale of the deal is worthy of recognition. This is because the potential of this deal to fundamentally reshape the banking industry is not in doubt,” the newspaper said.

Receiving the award on behalf of the bank, Mr. Mudassir Amray, Union Bank’s Managing Director/CEO, said: “Recognitions such as this show that we are indeed doing something right, and I want to assure all our customers and stakeholders that we will continue to leverage on platforms and dedicated workforce to further strengthen our drive to the top.

“We promise to do all we can to ensure that our customers remain central to our decisions in every aspect and dimension of our remarkable organisation, and this is more than a clarion call to service excellence.

“We therefore dedicate this award to all our stakeholders including, customers, shareholders, board of directors, executive management and staff.”

Titan Trust Bank, in pursuit of an expansionary course with the objective of building a stronger brand capable of taking on a larger market share of a continent striving for financial inclusion, took the financial industry by surprise after it announced its acquisition of 93.41% holding in Union Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria’s second oldest lender in few years of its operation.

Read Also: Gtext Holdings boss honoured at Dubai ‘Titans Of Africa’ Awards

The deal, regarded as one of the largest acquisition deals in the history of Nigeria’s banking industry, with an  off-market deal worth N191 billion, was however, formalised earlier this year with Tropical General Investments Limited (TGI Group), the parent company of TTB, becoming majority shareholder and core investor in UBN. The deal has, however, received applause from shareholders, investors and industry watchers who have described it as a win-win for Nigerians and the Nigerian economy.

To further demonstrate its commitment to protecting Nigerians and their investments and create wealth for its shareholders, TTB recently offered the majority and minority shareholders of Union Bank a N7 per share premium Mandatory Takeover Offer (MTO), a gesture not common in the Nigerian banking industry.

Within a few months of the acquisition of Union Bank by the TGI Group, the retail lender is beginning to gain a lot of stability and also earn confidence of the public following the emergence of a new leadership team which the group has assembled to make it a bank of first choice for Nigerians in the very near future.

For Dr. Adaeze, the organisers said the award was conferred on the quintessential banker in utmost recognition of her outstanding leadership, vision, impact, contributions and accomplishments in the banking industry and the Nigerian economy.

The organisers specifically noted that “Dr. Adaeze’s effortless grace in handling strategic and highly demanding portfolios, frequently by growing market share in emerging areas, fending off competition in crowded markets, or achieving stretch goals assigned by the board of directors, were second to none.

“She is a corporate exemplar who over the course of her career has consistently exercised transformative leadership in different roles and institutions. She has built a verifiable record of driving growth across all relevant KPIs, created sustainable new economic opportunities for the bank’s customers and has also inspired a younger generation of bankers through her dedication, drive, and values.”

While receiving the award at the event, Dr. Adaeze said: “I am humbled by this unique recognition. This will definitely spur me to work harder to create more impact in the finance sector through Titan Trust Bank which has broken many grounds since its entry into the fray a few years ago.”

It’s worthy of Adaeze, alongside other senior management staff of Titan Trust Bank were instrumental to the bank’s whirlwind record and its recent acquisition of 93.41 per cent shareholding in 105-year-old Union Bank of Nigeria in barely three years of its establishment.

A naturally-gifted marketer and inspirational manager, Adaeze also possesses a solid knack for the operational aspects of banking.

Since joining Titan Trust Bank, Dr. Adaeze who has over 26 years of banking experience across all banking sectors, has shown great talent in scaling a start-up institution to become, without any shadow of doubt, the leading new commercial bank in Africa’s largest economy.

BAFI Awards was established by Business Day Newspapers to identify and celebrate organisations, teams and individuals that have achieved excellence in the delivery of financial services across banking, insurance, fintech, capital markets, markets infrastructure and technology, investment management, pension fund, trustees, registrars, stockbroking, private equity and digital currencies.

An awards review committee made up of analysts and members of the BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU), evaluates and selects winners using parameters such as profitability, net interest margins (NIM), loan to asset ratios, cost to income ratios, non-performing loans (NPL), net asset value (NAV), share price performance, return on average asset, deposits and loan growth, return on average equity (ROAE) amongst other financial and non-financial indices.

 

Educational technology platform GetBundi has secured approval from Imo Ministry of Education for the establishment and operation of its GetBundi online STEM and Digital Skills Centre.

The approval came via a letter dated 31st October 2022 with the title “Approval to operate a private digital skills acquisition centre” by L. I. C. Okereke, Deputy Director (STTE), for Commissioner, Ministry of Education.

“I am directed to refer to your application dated 22nd August, 2022 on the above subject and to convey the approval granted by the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Education, Owerri, Imo State for your Centre which particulars are stated hereunder, to operate as a skills acquisition centre leading to examinations conducted by government recognized bodies with effect from 1st December 2022,” the letter reads.

GetBundi STEM and Digital Skills Centre is a brainchild of GetBundi, an edtech platform designed to deliver high quality, engaging and accessible Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses focused on six years of post-primary education as well as Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) skills.

Commenting on the approval, Osita Oparaugo, founder of GetBundi, restated GetBundi’s commitment to its vision of up-skilling, through the STEM and digital skills centre, 10 million Africans by 2032 and beyond in order to create an inclusive sustainable development driven by technology.

“We have a vision to upskill 10 million Africans in 10 years, 2023-2032. We have tagged this plan as ‘The GetBundi VISION 2032’,” Oparaugo said.

Read Also: STEM learning will build Africa beyond aid – GetBundi founder

He said the centre would start with six years of secondary school STEM subjects of about 1,008 hours and 312 hours of digital skills courses that can make holders instantly employable in the 21st century and beyond.

The GetBundi founder said the digital skills will cover courses like Coding, Graphics, Cinematography, Video Editing, Digital Marketing, Cyber Security, etc.

He further said that GetBundi, interestingly, has some of the digital skills courses delivered in Pidgin English which, according to him, would be a game changer.

“One of our goals with GetBundi is to enable our learners to acquire knowledge, skills and behaviours that will help them to transform their lives and improve the prospects of employment and productivity in employment,” he said.

“Jobs will vanish, new jobs will be created and majority will be in the digital space. Our target is to upskill and reskill Nigerians/Africans with 21st century skills that will make them instantly employable,” he said.

Speaking on the STEM courses, Oparaugo said they are based on the West African School Syllabus for secondary schools and can be used as teachers’ aid, to support continuous learning for in-school students, and as a study guide for out-of-school students.

“It can also be used to prepare those standing in for competitive examinations like WASSCE, NECO Examinations, and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination organized by JAMB,” he said.

GetBundi MVP was launched in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, in June 2022 and has since continued to gain acceptance across the country and beyond. The dedicated web and mobile app versions will be live on 1st December 2022.