Made for creators to deliver stunning content, the Nokia 7 plus is now available to buy through accredited dealers nationwide
Lagos, Nigeria, 16.04.18 – HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces that the Nokia 7 plus is now available to buy from accredited dealers nationwide for an estimated N146, 000 from Monday, 16th April, 2018.
A smartphone with striking design, the Nokia 7 plus combines innovative imaging capabilities and powerful performance for up to two days with one charge. With enhanced Dual-Sight, highly sensitive ZEISS optics and Pro Camera mode, the Nokia 7 plus captures images that are true to life, no matter the lighting. Selected by Google to join the Android One family, the Nokia 7 plus offers a pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience.
According to Joseph Umunakwe, General Manager at HMD Global, West, East and Central Africa, “The Nokia 7 plus is a true hero in our smartphone range. We know our fans are capturing, watching, exploring and gaming on their mobile phones more than ever before. From livestreaming both sides of their story to binging their favourite YTV shows, they want to see more in the palm of their hand. That’s why we’ve designed the Nokia 7 plus to be your stylish companion that goes everywhere you go, always ready to deliver a high-quality big screen experience.”
The Nokia 7 plus stands out from the crowd, with its unique ceramic-feel coating achieved through a 6-layer paint system that helps to ensure improved call quality and signal as well as better grip.
The vivid 6-inch 18:9 Full HD+ display makes the Nokia 7 plus perfect for browsing, social media consumption, gaming and entertainment with more content in the same width as a traditional 5.5-inch display device.
Combining innovative optical hardware and imaging algorithms, the Nokia 7 plus captures moments into photos that are true to life. Dual rear sensors with ZEISS optics combine an ultra-sensitive 12MP wide-angle primary camera for impressive performance in both low-light and extra bright conditions and a secondary 13MP sensor that delivers 2x optical zoom for the moments when you wish you were closer. The Nokia 7 plus boasts Pro Camera mode which lets you take pictures like a pro by giving you quick and easy manual control over advanced camera settings like white balance, focus, ISO, shutter speed and exposure. You can see the impact of your adjustments in real time before you snap to achieve your perfect photo with just one take and no need for filters.
The Nokia 7 plus joins the Android One family, offering a high quality software experience designed by Google. It will stay fresh over time with the latest Google innovations and regular security updates and because it runs pure Android, the Nokia 7 plus comes with no unnecessary UI changes or hidden processes that would eat up your battery life or slow it down so you can enjoy your new phone for longer. As with all Nokia smartphones in the Android One program, it will come with a limited number of pre-installed apps so that you’ll get more storage space.
By shipping with Android Oreo™ out of the box, you’ll be able to enjoy the latest features, including Picture-in-Picture for multitasking, Android Instant Apps to discover and run apps with minimal friction, 60 fantastic new emojis and battery-maximising features like limiting background app use.
“The Nokia 7 plus will give our fans the chance to see more, do more, capture more and share it as it happens,” Umunakwe added.
Available in Black/Copper and White/Copper the Nokia 7 plus is available on 16th April from N146, 000.
At the growing rate of technology, it has become important to engage and dialogue and that is what Diamond Bank and its partners are set to achieve with TechFest this year. For 2 days, the venue will house technology lovers, exhibitors and investors. You will be surprised at the millions of things you can do to improve your business with technology. Registration for this event is absolutely free
Showcase technological solutions for businesses. Also, connect technology providers with new markets and provide access-to-market opportunities for tech start-ups amongst others.
Connect entrepreneurs to investors and venture capitalists and also encourage collaboration, and partnerships.
Provide opportunities for SMEs and young tech entrepreneurs to network and meet sponsors, financiers and partners that will help them grow their businesses.
Highlight Of Techfest:
To your amazement you get to see how small home grown brands (startups from 5 locations battle for the prize money) in the Battle of the Hubs.
The investors zone lounge which allows techpreneurs to network with angel investors, partners and other collaborators
The exhibition stand will have the biggest names in the Tech space. You need to be at the event to feel the excitement.
Date of the Event: May 15 & 16,2018
Venue of the Event:Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos
INFINIX Mobility Limited today announced the prolific Nigerian music artiste, Davido as its brand ambassador at the illustrious Radisson Blu Hotel.
One of the leading smartphone makers, INFINIX Mobility Limited, has distinguished itself from its competitors with its tech, bold, stylish brand persona which is a perfect mixture of technology and art. This has appealed to its target audience immensely and its “The future is now” mantra has also encouraged its young fans to be creative and be productively efficient in their various fields of specialisation.
A lot of strategies can be linked to the uprising of INFINIX Mobility Limited. One of them is being able to understand the extent of connection of its target audience to certain pivotal aspects of Pop culture and creating affiliations with notable icons to propel the brands to new heights.
Born David Adedeji Adeleke, Davido’s musical career has been nothing short of amazing. From chart topping singles, awards, ground breaking records, worldwide tours to global recognition, this was yet another major milestone attained for the singer as he was all smiles today while putting pen to paper to be the new face of INFINIX Mobility Limited.
Speaking at the media unveiling, Infinix Marketing Communications Manager, Mr. Adetayo Odunowo, re-echoed the brand’s innovative culture from its formative years till date. He spoke about the unveiling and Infinix commitment to continually give their budding fans what they want and when they want it.
“Apart from consistently dishing out world class gadgets, we at INFINIX Mobility Limited, understands that our fans are young trend setters and so is Davido’s fans and since we are a brand that is known over the years as bold and stylish, bringing Davido in as part of the team was a welcome development from all of us at INFINIX Mobility Limited,” Odunowo reiterated.
Infinix being one of the leading smartphone makers and Davido as one of the biggest music artistes to emanate from Africa in recent times. It’s no coincidence that they have come together to form a cohesive partnership
They are both trendsetters who possess a similar fan base that are built to challenge the norm with their ideas and line of work. They are both tech savvy entities that have built their reputation on the emphasis for top notch delivery, Infinix through their smartphones and Davido through his music.
While both entities also possess an International reach that is continually expanding, this news is poised to set off a ripple effect of excitement through the minds of smartphone and music lovers. It would also lead to an expansion in the sales of Infinix smartphones within the marketplace and an increase in demand for Davido’s craft.
Infinix Mobility Limited and Davido, it is indeed a double amazing partnership; strategic and well orchestrated.
For more information on this and more, Visit INFINIX Mobility Limited, Facebook, Twitter & XClub platforms
About Infinix Infinix is a premium smartphone brand designed for young generations who desire to live a smart lifestyle. Founded in 2012, Infinix is committed to building cutting-edge technology and fashionably designed dynamic mobile devices to create globally-focused intelligent life experiences through a merging of fashion + technology. Through daily interactions, these intuitive products become part of a lifestyle that represents trend-setting and intelligent experiences for young people around the world. Infinix currently promotes four product lines: ZERO, NOTE, HOT S, and HOT in a global marketplace reaching countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America, Middle East and Asia. With the brand spirit of challenging the norms, Infinix smart devices are designed specifically for young people who want to stand out, reach out and in sync with the world.
Check out more pictures from the media unveiling of Davido as Infinix brand ambassador
Techfest is for tech lovers interested in changing the narrative. Techfest will be a catalyst for Nigeria’s growth engine that connects entrepreneurs to investors and venture capitalists. This event aims to #SparkYourCuriosity as discussion would be on changing and transforming the technological space.
The 2 day event is packed with lots of activities to allow for discussion, engagement and collaboration. Women in Technology also gets to discuss on the opportunities for them in the technological space. Also, SMEs get to learn on the considerations, opportunities and implications that technology has on their small businesses.
Date: May 15 and 16, 2018
Venue: Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos
You need to be at the event to feel the excitement. The exhibition stand will have the biggest names in the tech space. The investors zone lounge which allows techpreneurs to network with angel investors, partners and other collaborators. Watch startups from 5 locations battle for the prize money in the battle of the Hubs. You also get to interact and engage with your personal banker from Diamond Bank, ADA, at the event.
This event promises to be exciting and educative. To attend, all you have to do is register here: https://techfest.ng/registration/ and it is absolutely free to attend.
The Camon X, which was released a few weeks ago has been making a lot of waves in the Nigerian market due to the high resolution 20MP front camera and some other cool features on the device. The Camon series has been known over the years to deliver great camera performance, especially in the selfie department. The new Camon X smartphone even takes this feat further.
The Camon X major focus is on the 20MP selfie camera which is breathtaking. In this article we will get to know all the great features of the Camon X and why you should consider upgrading to the new device.
Ultra-thin Design Gone are the days of using ugly four corner phones. The design of this device is amazingly sleek with just 5.2mm visual thickness. Smooth curve edges that have special appeal to the eyes and is quite light in the hands at just 152g. That is very light indeed.
The position of some add-ons were also changed. For example, the 3.5mm jack is now at the bottom of the device. Also, the sim tray, which now also carries the memory card is also now on the right side of the device.
The Camon X comes with slim bezels just like the Camon CM and offers the 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen is an IPS with 2.5D corning gorilla glass which is known for its accurate display and durability. You also get a protective casing to protect the screen.
New HiOS This device features the new HiOS version (v3.3) which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo. This version of HiOS is more fluid and fast. Issues of apps lagging and force shutting down is now a thing of the past.
The HiOS also comes with a lot of new features like the one hand mode, multi window, lock screen notifications switch etc
Face ID-New security for Unlocking your device Imagine you unlocking your device by merely staring at it. Well, no need to imagine it again, because it is now possible on the Camon X smartphone. With the facial recognition technology, all you need to do is just look at your device to unlock it. Plus, it is fast. Interestingly, it works in low light and total darkness with the help of the front flash?, it is just amazing
Amazing Camera
The Camon X features an enhanced front and back camera compared to previous Camon devices. The front camera, which is 20MP delivers very clear selfie pictures. Not only that, it comes with some cool features like the portrait mode and AI beautification. The 16MP back camera too captures amazing images even in low light.
Let’s check out some cool pictures shot on the Camon X
No more photo bombing – Portrait Mode
Selfie taken at Night
Good Performance and great battery life The multitasking capabilities of this device is great thanks to the new Helio P23 octa-core processor coupled with 3GB of RAM. The new processor is clocked at 2.0GHz and delivers amazing graphics with Mali G71 GPU.
The device has the ability to multitask several heavy apps and games without closing one for the other. In the battery department you have a 3750mAh battery which has a fast charging support. The battery can last up to 2days of constant use and interestingly there is no overheating issues on the Camon X.
The Camon X smartphone is now available in all retail outlets for just N58, 900 in the Nigeria.
German company Robert Bosch GmbH on the 21st of April 2018, hosted a grand event at the Ikeja city mall which heralded the entry of the revolutionary Bosch Go automatic screwdrivers into the Nigerian Market. All were welcome to the event as it hosted a series of activities that not only created excitement but also fostered interaction with the Bosch Go automatic screwdriver.
What is Bosch Go?
‘Bosch GO’ automatic screwdriver is a perfect tool for screwing tasks, it is not only cordless but also has a very compact design that makes it very easy to use. ‘Bosch GO’ is the smart screwdriver where a simple push gets the work done and it is intelligent E-clutch system knows when to stop on reaching the target torque. The strong spindle lock closes the gap between manual and automatic operation helping users to stop impending work on demand.
Bosch GO is powered by a lithium-ion battery and is compact & easy to carry around anytime, anywhere. The tool is designed to be as close to the shape and size of a manual screwdriver in order to help the Indian user leapfrog from manual effort to effortless working with minimal discomfort. With the smart screwdriver, you no longer need to worry about the misaligned screws since it has excellent precision. ‘A simple push, A perfect finish’ perfectly suits the Bosch GO.
What are the features of Bosch Go?
Bosch Go is 4 times more powerful than any existing screwdriver in size and form. It has a lot of interesting features, some of them are:
Push and Go – Just push to drive screws (Push & Go). It’s as simple as that.
1-6 Torque settings – There are 6 torque settings that lets you get the job done at a speed you need and based on the surface in question.
USB Charging – The battery lasts quite long and unlike other products marked can be charged via USB. You can every use your external battery pack if you run out of juice. You also get a battery indicator. How cool is that?
Multiple modes – It offers you multiple modes to screw or unscrew or simply use the product as a manual screwdriver.
Electronic cell protection – Safety is crucial for Bosch and they have kept it in mind for their product. In case Bosch Go gets over-heated, the built-in electronic cell protection will automatically stop the product from functioning avoiding any damage.
e-Clutch – Make it possible to control speeds and also ensures that the device works as per your command. It stops when you want it to stop!
33 bits and extension – The kits contains 32 different bits to enable usage with all kinds of screws along with an extension to improve visibility along with reach.
Lightweight – The tool weighs just 0.28 kg making it super handy and easy to carry around.
Users are also invited to another exciting event to be held on Saturday, 28th of April 2018 at the Palms shopping mall, Lekki. All are most welcome to come experience the exceptional Bosch Go cordless automatic screwdriver first-hand.
Bosch is a reputable international engineering company renowned for producing high quality and sustainable engineering alternatives for almost all aspects of the extensive field.
The rapid changes in the world we live are increasingly rewarding those who are innovating. Adoption of new ways of doing things is driving growth in companies, expanding opportunities in economies and increasing the quality of life in nations that embrace it. The outliers in innovation and those who are improving their position have some things common – they bolster their innovation capacities through positive-sum policies such as investments in Research & Development, Education, Tax incentives for innovation that contribute positively to the global body of knowledge and stock of innovation.
In partnership with The Lagos Business School and select C-Suites from tier one companies who are judges in the process, Accenture applies best practice research approaches to provide a confidential customized innovation diagnostic report that identifies each participant’s innovation strengths and weaknesses; benchmarks their innovation within their industries; and presents strategies that may help them gain competitive advantage.
“The banking industry is evolving right now, requiring banks to navigate through significant challenges to not only maintain their profitability but to also increase their revenue and meet the customers dynamic demands. The topic of “Innovation” is a critical discussion among the Banking C-Suites right now, as Banks are being pushed to think about innovation in new ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago,” said Toluleke Adenmosun, Accenture Nigeria’s Managing Director Financial services. “We believe, the biggest challenge banking in Nigeria is facing is keeping up with the changes in digital technology, consumer expectations and governmental regulations. Accenture has received a significant number of requests from banks asking for greater insight and assistance on Innovation in the first few months of 2016. And with a rapidly evolving ecosystem, banks must make innovation a part of their culture and rotate to the new.”
The Accenture Innovation Index 2018 will survey nearly 100 companies in banking and Fintech space – this will include interactions with these executives. This year’s index will focus on banking and the fintech industry that is driving an increasing number of solutions to customers in the financial services space. As companies in this space are pressured to innovative and create new products and services, their impact is shaping people’s lives and contributing to the improvement of living standards in the country. In subsequent editions other industries and their impact will be indexed to give an even broader view of the various industries strengths and the nation’s most advantageous attributes.
Collaborating with us on this journey to document and highlight the topic of innovation, we are partnering with The Guardian newspapers and Techcabal to share the insights with you. This Index is designed to provide a national benchmark for innovation, providing businesses and policymakers with an authoritative and objective snapshot of the state of innovation within their organizations and in Nigeria
We look forward to sharing the report and its findings with you once the process is completed. We are excited to see how our industry leaders compare with peers in other countries where we have conducted the survey.
TECNO is back with a bang!!! In January, they came with the Camon CM and got the attention of everyone. Now they are back again with something better! With its amazing full view display and a remarkably sleek and light design that makes the device sit comfortably when held, the new TECNO CAMON X is no doubt an amazing piece of ingenuity.
The device is here for unboxing and first impression.
Quick Specs of the Camon X
Display: 6.0-inch HD+ Full View
Processor: 2.0GHz Octa-core Helio P23
Operating System: HiOS 3.3 based on Android 8.1 Oreo
Storage: 3GB RAM / 16GB Storage, expandable to 128GB
Camera: 16MP rear Camera with Quad-flash / 20MP front Camera with double flash
Network: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE (up to 150Mbps)
Fingerprint Sensor: Yes (Rear)
Face ID: Yes
Battery: 3750mAh with Fast Charging
The Camon X comes in a black rectangular box with the inscription of the phone name on both sides.
Opening the box reveals the usual accessories. It is a fully accessorized package and you won’t need to buy anything again as far as accessories are concerned. A unit of power cable, USB cable, a plastic protective back case, user guide, Sim ejector tool and pair of earphones.
Camon X accessories inside the box
One Wall adapter Charger
USB type B cable
A plastic protective back case
User manual
SIM ejector tool
A Pair of earphones.
Design and Placement
The 3.5mm audio jack is positioned at the bottom of the phone for the first time on a TECNO device. This means you can now put your phone in your pocket conveniently with the headphone plugged. The mono speaker, the noise cancellation microphone and the charging port have not left their usual place, you still have them all placed at the bottom of the phone.
The earphone is quite stylish and sounds great as well. I couldn’t but test this out and believe me this earphone produces excellent base and is loud.
The SIM ejector tool
Since the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom, you have absolutely nothing at the top and left hand side of the phone. All other physical buttons can be found at the right hand side.
Like I said, you have the Dual SIM + SD Card tray (Nano Sims), volume rockers and power button all at the right hand side of the Camon X.
The back houses a 16MP camera with QUAD-LED flash system and just below this is the fingerprint scanner and the TECNO Logo. The fingerprint scanner doubles as a camera button and also for unlocking the phone
One of the major highlights of the Camon X is the front-facing camera which is a 20MP lens. Selfie lovers will have a good time taking pictures with this device. Asides the 20MP camera at the front, There is an LED notification light followed by the mouthpiece and a dual flashlight.
The Camon X has its multitasking, Exit and home buttons all on the screen. Apart from the fingerprint scanner, there is Face ID as well which according to TECNO is more secure than the Fingerprint scanner. The Face ID works pretty well and we are quite surprised how fast and accurate it unlocks the device.
The TECNO Camon X is TECNO’s second smartphone with a full view display, with Camon CM being the first. The device is quite light in the hands which is something many smartphone users will like a lot.
The Face ID now replaces the eyes scanner that was used on the Phantom 6 and 6 Plus and is a lot quicker and accurate in unlocking the phone. The device is also powered a more powerful MediaTek Helio P23 octa-core processor alongside 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which can be extended to 128GB via a MicroSdcard.
The Camon Series are known for their photography prowess and the new Camon X won’t be different. We will get to test this out in the full Review.
Our generation has experienced all sorts of technological advancements that it is presently difficult to imagine an innovation and tag it as impossible. From sending a man to the moon to cars driving itself and mobile phone’s having a personal assistant, you’d be forced to wonder what inventions the future generation will be powering –a new Internet? we will never know.
Nevertheless, going by the rumors floating around the internet, Africa’s leading smartphone brand TECNO Mobile is set to unleash another smartphone wonder from its CAMON series which we hear will be showcased sometime in April at a Global Spring Launch which will happen in Lagos and our sources made sure to inform us that the event will be one that has never been experienced in Africa before.
Nonetheless, the device to be launched is said to debut a futuristic “blink and snap”. The technology is expected to better the process of capturing photos on a smartphone. Arguably, smartphone makers have realized that beyond camera ratings, other elements such as the accessibility of the camera, the focus speed and the ease of capturing images amongst others are also important.
With the “blink and snap” technology on the TECNO device (that is, if the rumors are true), photography enthusiasts will be able to capture an image when the camera is in Selfie mode by just blinking their eyes. With the speed of their blink, users will be able to capture multiple fast-moving actions as they happen – ingenious.
Though we have not been able to lay our hands on even a spy shot of the device however, we have received intel from a reliable source that this highly sort after device will be available in local markets starting from early second quarter.
However, all we have heard from our sources states that the new device will flaunt several upgrades on the camera which will leave users amazed. We are on standby to experience this device and as soon as we get more verifiable information concerning the device, you can be rest assured we will share it with you. But, for now our fingers are crossed.
The world’s leading trading platform, OLX, is launching a brand new, overhauled app, and replacing its website and mobile site with a progressive web app (PWA), which is part of a global move to solidify OLX’s number one position. The changeover will provide new and existing users an easier, faster, safer, and more local way of buying and selling used goods.
Through a number of new features, OLX has created a far safer buy and sell platform in Nigeria. The additional security gives users the most secure experience when trading through OLX.
Both buyers and sellers will need to register/login on the platform with verification happening either via mobile phone or through Facebook. Users will now have a profile, be able to see who they are talking to, and through Facebook verification, will be able to see if they have any mutual friends in common. This new layer of security will help to further prevent potential scammers and fraud.
“This is our biggest upgrade to date to the platform”, said Sjoerd Nikkelen, OLX’s CEO, AMEA. “The new version not only includes significant improvements to current OLX systems, but new features as well. We have improved every aspect of the OLX user experience, reaching a level of innovation that we are incredibly proud of.”
OLX has changed the way its products are displayed to users. The listings now appear in an intuitive newsfeed-style layout, similar to social media platforms. By using a device’s built-in GPS, the geolocation system will look at where a user is and which offers are available in his/her area. The search area expands as users scroll through the listings. All the regular search functions, such as category and product filtering, will still be available.
This new platform will ensure better quality ads for buyers, which is an important differentiator between OLX and its competitors. It is supported by a large team of moderators who check thousands of ads on a daily basis. OLX also uses a sophisticated algorithm that is able to pick up controversial or potential scam ads.
In order to keep making use of OLX, all users are encouraged to upgrade to the easier, faster, safer app.
About OLX
The OLX Group is a global product and tech company which operates a network of market-leading trading platforms in over 40 countries.
With more than 330 million monthly users worldwide, OLX Group makes it fast and easy to buy and sell almost anything online, such as household goods, phones, cars and houses. Through consumer brands including Avito, Dubizzle, Letgo, OLX, and many dozen others, more than 15 million things are exchanged on its apps and platforms every single month.
The OLX Group is powered by a team of 5,000 people, operating from +30 offices across five continents. The team is united behind a single mission to make it easy for people to buy and sell almost anything, promoting prosperity in local communities.
Picture yourself sitting on the beach with your toes in the sand, sipping on fresh chilled coconut juice and listening to the sound of the sea waves roll in. How amazing would it be if you and a loved one had a chance to explore one of the most beautiful places on earth?
Exciting right?!
Travelstart Nigeria is giving you a chance to bring this picture to reality with an opportunity to fly for free! Experience the beauty of nature at its best in the exotic and breathtaking island of Zanzibar, with a partner!
Here’s your chance to make your flight dream come true. Simply go to the competition page here to get started. You can also follow these two (2) simple steps for a chance to win:
Step 1: Go to Travelstart Nigeria’s @travelstartng on Twitter or Instagram and Travelstart Nigeria page on Facebook. Share/retweet/repost the birthday post on your own page with the hashtag #TSNGBirthday6
Step 2: Subscribe to Travelstart Nigeria’s newsletter here
Competition ends on 26th of April, 2018. The winner will be announced on Travelstart’s social media pages and contacted via email on the 27th of April, 2018. Terms and conditions apply.
This giveaway is one of the ways Travelstart is saying “thank you” to its customers and Nigerians as a whole for 6 amazing years of doing business in Nigeria. Make sure you also don’t miss out on the ongoing birthday sales flight deals. For amazing deals and cheap flights, always book on Travelstart.
L-R: Chief Marketing Officer, Swift Networks, Victoria Onwubiko; Managing Partner, AT3 Resources, Tosin Adefeko; Managing Director, Swift Networks, Charles Anudu and Chief Operating Officer, Swift Networks, Chuma Okoye at the press conference announcing the launch of Red Cheetah free broadband service in Lagos.
SWIFT Networks, Nigeria’s leading broadband service provider to enterprise and residential customers is partnering with leading global brands to offer free broadband Wi-Fi service in Lagos. This service, Red Cheetah, a new brand under the stable of Swift Networks will start with an initial 10,000 hotspots distributed all over the state, supported by advertising revenues from leading global brands and partners. Red Cheetah is expected to help deepen Nigeria’s broadband penetration and aspiration for universal internet access for greater social equity and inclusion.
“The Red Cheetah service model once more follows in SWIFT’s tradition of demystifying and making technology to work for Nigerians so that they can hook up to the digital world to explore, work and entertain more efficiently” says Charles Anudu, the entrepreneur behind SWIFT NETWORKS. “We are excited to pioneer this cutting edge service model and will rapidly extend it to more cities in Nigeria and the continent. The security of every user’s access is enhanced by the Red Cheetah App which establishes a distinct and secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to the internet for each device on the platform. I strongly believe that this dogged work of over two years is the ideal model that will empower Nigerians to live their most productive lifestyles in a digital world. I am extra proud that everything about Red Cheetah is Nigerian and shows what we can achieve when we commit to solving the problems of our society taking our context into consideration”.
“Our plan is to roll out an initial 10,000 Red Cheetah hotspots in Lagos which will be the largest Wi-Fi footprint of its kind anywhere in Africa and will cover many verticals including schools, airports, buses, taxis, shopping malls, bars, clubs, restaurants, open markets, hospitals and in fact any place where Nigerians need to research, catch up on work and play. This revolutionary service powered by SWIFT is fast, secure, reliable and supported by legendary sponsor brands with strong commitment to corporate social responsibility to Nigeria”, enthused Mr. Chukwuma Okoye, Chief Operating Officer of SWIFT.
Red Cheetah hotspots went live in Lagos earlier this month at certain locations including MMA-2, Hard Rock Café, Shiro restaurant, Festival Mall, some Tastee Fired Chicken and Bukka Hut outlets, over 200 BRT Buses, Smart Cabs, Eko Hospital, VGC Club, among others. The rollout is ongoing and more locations are being added on a daily basis towards our 10,000 hotspot target in Lagos.
Prospective Red Cheetah users must first download the Red Cheetah app for Android free from the Google Play Store or www.redcheetah.net and complete a mandatory one-time online registration process. Users are allowed to register multiple android devices as every device must be independently registered to access the internet via Red Cheetah. The first Red Cheetah app release is for the Android operating system only while the other operating systems will follow shortly. Users will be expected to view adverts at intervals from the sponsors and partners who make the free service possible.
No one likes it when network downtime freezes the Internet and disrupts our entertainment. We want
to stream and send videos, as well as enjoy video calls without any interruptions whatsoever.
Well, guess what? It’s all possible with CloudCover!
You can easily stay connected, download and send videos and surf conveniently with CloudCover’s CC1MiFi device.
The CC1 is a revolutionary internet MiFi device that makes use of virtual sim technology to deliver stable and high quality Internet access to users all over Nigeria and in more than 100 countries around the world. It takes advantage of multiple service providers within its range, switching seamlessly between them to ensure constant connectivity for its users.
Wherever you find yourself, you can be rest assured that the CC1 will hook you up to the best and strongest network in that location. The MiFi automatically switches networks so that you can continue to enjoy your downloads, streaming, picture and video uploads.
With the CC1, you won’t be left hanging as the coverage of 7 network providers in Nigeria and over 100 network providers across the world are at your disposal in one small device! Explore the Web with confidence; log on to www.cloudcover.ng and begin to enjoy constant connectivity.
It is frustrating when the speed of your internet connection suddenly drops – especially for business owners. The frustration escalates even more when employees complain they can’t complete tasks; sales can’t go through, information can’t be sourced for and projects can’t be completed.
In any office, you can identify at least two devices on an employee’s desk that likely require an Internet connection in order for employees to complete their daily tasks. These devices directly affect employees’ level of productivity and care they can provide to a customer, and thus begins the need for a constant data connection. Accessing files through a cloud service like SharePoint, reviewing emails, or using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software application are just some items that would require an employee’s device to need a constant & stable internet connection.
CloudCover offers the perfect solution to constant connectivity!!
The CloudCover CC1 MiFi device makes use of virtual sim technology to give users seamless and constant internet connectivity across 7 network providers in Nigeria, by switching to the strongest network with the highest bandwidth available within a location every time quality drops, doing away with the need to switch between multiple sims and MiFi devices. The device also has a long-lasting battery life that keeps you surfing even in transit, while also serving as a power bank for your phone so you don’t miss out on anything important.
What’s more? All these cool benefits are not restricted to Nigeria only. Can you imagine “roaming” without paying exorbitant prices or not needing a new sim whenever you’re on an international business trip? Yes, Cloud Cover makes it possible!
CloudCover partners with multiple international service providers in over 100 countries, including the USA, UK, and Dubai, enabling you to browse at local rates in the countries and cities you visit.
The CloudCover CC1 MiFi is reliable and durable! Visit www.cloudcover.ng to get yours and start enjoying constant connectivity.
Finding a reliable internet connection when travelling from country to country continues to remain a big challenge for most of us. Hotels, Motels and guesthouses advertise that they have “Free Wi-Fi” but in most cases once logged in the connection is often slow, or, even worse, unusable. The same is common in coffee shops and airports. It can be very frustrating when you have an important email to send, or you need to research your next destination, do a video call or update your social media status before boarding a flight.
Your hassle is over today!!! With the new CloudCover CC1 MiFi device – you no longer have to worry about not getting the most out of your travel experience.
The CloudCover CC1 is a revolutionary pocket-fitting MiFi device that makes use of mobile networks within its range to constantly connect you to stable and high-quality internet in every location with mobile network coverage in Nigeria and in over 100 countries around the world.
No more adding “research best service providers’ to your travel to-do list or unnecessarily cashing out on the cost of purchasing excess data just to keep in touch for a few hours while in transit.
The CC1 provides a blanket service that keeps you covered no matter where you go, how long you stay or how often you go there. You don’t have to do anything extra; just take your CC1 MiFi on every trip and enjoy seamless, hassle-free connectivity. The device stays on for long hours at a time and doubles as a charger for your phone with its inbuilt power bank.
The CC1 is simply the gift that keeps on giving! Stay connected as you explore the world by tapping into this amazing product. Visit www.cloudcover.ng to start enjoying constant connectivity.
Leading retail banking giant, Diamond Bank Plc, has raised higher the bar in the delivery of unique financial services that suits customers changing lifestyles and needs.
In partnership with Women’s World Banking with support from Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) funded by UK aid from the UK government, Diamond Bank worked with Gamsole, Commonwealth (formerly D2D Fund) and Microsoft to open another window of money management opportunities for youth. The simplified digital financial platform will enable youths to plan their financial future, save, chat, and update their financial knowledge while playing games.
The financial service known as Dreamville, does not only enable youths to learn and develop healthy savings habit and build prudent expenditure profile, it also helps customers understand diverse investment portfolios, link their respective accounts with social media channels and chat with friends.
According to the Bank’s chief spokesperson, Chioma Afe, the Dreamville online community and the development of the multifunctional game-enabled platform are “revolutionary” and tallies with the Bank’s proposition to meet the changing needs and lifestyles of customers.
She added that the platform is aimed at motivating customer engagement, provide fun and entertainment with up-to-date financial information that will enable the customer to accomplish his/her future financial goals and needs with excitement.
“At Diamond, we value our Youth customers. We do not just acquire customers, we engage customers. That is why in collaboration with internal and external partners such as IT, Transaction Banking, Women’s World Banking, Commonwealth (formerly D2D Fund), Gamsole, Microsoft and other local vendors, we have developed a multifunctional engagement platform to cater to both the needs of customers and non-customers alike”
Ryan Newton, Manager for Strategic Advisory at Women’s World Banking stressed that the service will enable youth to build financial capability that will serve as a foundation for banking successfully as adults.
“By using a gamified platform, we not only drive engagement with youth, but we help these young clients build their financial capabilities and set them up for long-term success. Users earn points, badges and rewards for positive financial behaviors such as managing their finances and budgets, setting savings goals, and achieving those goals. They can also participate in championships and tournaments to reinforce these lessons in good banking.”
According to the Bank, the service will help customers imbibe a savings culture from an early age, by building financial capability and literacy in customers. “This entails teaching, assessment of risks and opportunities, development of entrepreneurial skills, teamwork and collaboration, goal setting and readying for the workplace”.
With the launch of the service, Diamond Bank has reaffirmed its leading revolutionary role in driving digital financial services as Nigeria’s fastest growing retail bank.
The Bank has continued to leverage innovation and technology to enhance customer experiences and drive financial inclusion in what it terms Beyond Banking. Since incorporation in December 1990, Diamond Bank has challenged the market environment by introducing new products, innovative technology and setting new benchmarks through international standards. Today, Diamond Bank is best placed to respond to changing lifestyles and is leading the digital transformation in response to these societal shifts. Diamond Mobile app is Africa’s leading banking app and the first with the touch ID feature.
Have you at any point been frustrated with internet connectivity or even had to do the unthinkable in search of internet that works? Do you worry about downloading large files or endure long hours streaming your favorite music video because of bad coverage ? If you are a Nigerian, chances are that you can relate with one or even all of these scenarios.
The interesting thing now is that the good guys at Cloud Cover have put an end to your internet sufferings with the introduction of the CC1 MiFi, an amazing device that helps you connect easily, stay online for longer, surf, stream and download faster at a cost that does no harm to your pockets.
The device is the most reliable alternative to your regular MiFi modems, providing subscribers with access to a wide range of network providers, instant connectivity without need for SIM configuration and an inbuilt power bank that charges your devices on the go.
The CC1 MiFi is also able to intelligently scan all available networks within yourlocation and automatically connect you to the network with best quality and bandwidth so there is almost never any internet downtime. The Mifi coverage stretches to all 36 states in Nigeria and over 100 countries acrossthe world including USA, UK & Dubai.
Hurry now and get yours on www.cloudcover.ng and begin to enjoy constant connectivity.
Diamond Bank – Nigeria’s fastest growing retail bank – has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbot, leveraging pioneering technology to reach more customers with an enhanced service in Nigeria.
The Chatbot named ‘Ada’ uses AI technology to provide a human-like interaction and personalized experience for Diamond Bank customers. As Ada learns from past interactions, Diamond can offer more relevant and timely solutions that are really simple for customers to use.
Ada enables transactions such as airtime purchase, bill payments, stock trading, and money transfers all via a social network platform. Already live on Facebook Messenger, the most popular social chat programme, Ada will also be on other messaging platforms in the coming months.
Ada will give Diamond the opportunity to reach millions of people, and facilitate financial inclusion on an extraordinary scale, extending Diamond’s reach into Nigeria’s massive retail opportunity. Diamonds existing customers can already start chatting to Ada.
Ada is also an ideal solution to Nigeria’s evolving lifestyle trends which have moved towards preferences for mobile and digitally delivered services, as well as the use of natural language Ada delivers a consistently great experience every time you talk with her. The move is also aligned with the economy’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and she was built using local talent.
Commenting on the launch of Ada, Uzoma Dozie, CEO of Diamond Bank said: “I believe data and technology has the power to transform Nigeria’s economy, so I am excited to announce the launch of Diamond’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Chatbot named Ada.”
“Ada will allow us to further digitalize the mobile banking process and create an increasingly customized mobile banking experience for our millions of customers, Ada also presents another opportunity to deepen financially literacy and build trust and transparency in our ecosystem.
“I am passionate about how Diamond can leverage technology to tap into Nigeria’s huge market, whereby a large segment of the population is underbanked or unbanked. Data-led technology can plug this gap, and expand financial inclusion on a rapid scale.”
“Diamond already has a foundation of over 15 million customers, and our AI-driven Chatbot Ada will enable us expand our digital-led strategy, and reach even more people across Nigeria through mobile banking.”
As a pioneer in banking through the harnessing of technology and a digitally-led approach, Diamond Bank has already made significant strides in Nigeria in recent years, with foundation of over 15 million customers in Nigeria.
Key Diamond Bank initiatives include supporting Nigeria’s future business leaders through its Building Entrepreneurs Today (BET) programme and upcoming Tech Fest in April, improving financial inclusion by focusing on increasing female participation in the formal economy and the roll out of its Diamond Y’ello mobile banking service, which now has over 9 million users.
From Left: Dozie Okafor, Managing Director, PHD Nigeria, Wayne Bishop, Managing Director, PHD Johannesburg, South Africa, and Henry Ononiwu, Business Development Manager, PHD Nigeria, during the launch of PHD’s 7th publication titled MERGE at the 2018 Social Media Week, held at Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
PHD, a global communications planning and media buying firm, has stated that its seventh publication, Merge: The Closing Gap Between Technology and Us, is relevant to Nigeria because of the changes in the economy, the strong entrepreneurial culture and the growth in technological development.
Merge was recently unveiled to the public by PHD Nigeria during its session at the Social Media Week held from February 26 to March 2, 2018, at Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Wayne Bishop, Managing Director, PHD Johannesburg, who co-authored the book, was invited by PHD Nigeria to be the keynote speaker at the event. He stated that Merge dwells on how technology prepares marketers and advertisers for the future with regards to brands and audience engagement.
“Looking at path towards the future, there is likely to be a fusion between technology and humans which may free us up to live more creative, more efficient and better connected lives,” he affirmed.
According to him, the five evolutionary stages in Merge include surfacing, organising, extracting anticipating and elevating. These stages illustrate our journey from putting information up on screens, to organising that information via search engines, to managing to make sense of all this information as it is extracted. Finally, we look to how AI helps anticipate our needs which end with us merging with technology, elevating us as a human race.
Speaking on Merge, Dozie Okafor, Managing Director, PHD Nigeria, said it helps marketers and advertisers understand the different evolutionary stages as well as their relevance to businesses. It also enables them to understand how they should perceive things and the evolving role they have to play if they want to remain competitive.
He said people interact more with brands online and other digital platforms due to the advancement in technology as posited in Merge.
Okafor explained that Merge was launched at the Social Media Week because PHD felt it was a platform for a diverse audience suitable to catapult what Merge ia about.
“But also important is the theme ‘Closer’ for this year’s Social Media Week, which is in line with how technology and human beings are coming closer till they merge,” Okafor stated.
Drawing on insights and foresights of experts, including world-leading inventor, author and futurist (and writer of the foreword) Ray Kurzweil, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, futurologist Dr Ian Pearson and Microsoft chief envisioning officer UK Dave Coplin, Merge sets out how technology and human evolution has progressed since the 1950s and what the world will look like over the next 25 to 35 years.
PHD is a global communications planning and media buying firm.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) has found a new way to make everyday banking transactions easier with the introduction of an online messaging banker called Leo. Just like a regular chat with a friend, you can chat with Leo on your facebook messenger and get loads of your typical banking requests sorted, right there on facebook.
With this new artificial intelligence banker, millions of UBA customers across Africa can now perform series of bank transactions through the Facebook messenger chat platform. All you need to do is ‘chat.’ Yes! Chat with LEO. Like we do on a daily basis with family, friends and business partners. LEO comes in handy for business individuals and organizations who have limited time to visit a bank to process banking services and requests. With easily accessible data service/network, you can chat with Leo on the go and perform your normal bank transactions such as opening new accounts, checking account balance, Airtime recharge/Top up, Fund transfer, Payment of bills, Quick application for loans, Request for mini statements, etc.
Kennedy Uzoka, Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, explained that Leo, being an intelligent personality, will give customers instant feedback as they transact their business on the platform, describing it as “a solution that is from the customer’s standpoint which is easy to use by anyone regardless of your career”
Chat with LEO and you can instantly – transfer funds to friends and family – pay personal bills – request for your account statements – open new accounts – purchase airtime for yourself and loved ones – check your account balance – freeze accounts in case of emergencies – quickly apply for loans etc
To top this, Transactions made with Leo are totally safe and secure. There’s no smarter way to bank. Chat With Leo!
For more ways LEO can make your life easier, click here.
(L-R) Commercial Director CoolWorld West Africa, Olugbenga Kolawole, Director General Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry,Muda Yusuf, State Co-ordinator, Lagos Standard Organization of Nigeria, Engr.Joseph Ugbaja, Marketing Director TEC West Africa, Bukola Bandele, Chairman PZ Group, Chief Kola Jamodu and the Managing Director, TEC Africa, Dimitris Kostianis at the unveiling of HPZ energy saving home appliances in Lagos
As part of its efforts to protect the environment, help in cutting down on power consumption and saving teeming Nigerian consumers some money on electricity bills, the leading electrical appliances retailer, Coolworld Retail Store has introduced a new range of Haier Thermocool refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners into the Nigeria market.
The company states that their new Haier Thermocool ranges of Energy Saving refrigerators and freezers have the ability to save up to forty percent on energy consumption while the Energy Saving Inverter DC technology Air Conditioner, aptly named GENPAL, can save up to sixty percent on energy consumption.
According to the company, all the products were birthed out of the desire to give consumers the best comfort experience on home appliance usage at a reduced energy charges.
Speaking at the launch event in CoolWorld Retail Store in Lagos, the Marketing Director of HPZ Ltd., Mrs. Bukola Bandele disclosed that whether the consumer is a trendy young corporate executive or a busy working mother, the desire to minimize electricity bills and save money as well as sustain a comfortable lifestyle remain constant. “This is why we decided to take ownership of this energy saving conversation by championing the provision of quality energy saving home appliances on all models of our Fridges and Freezers and the new GENPAL; to give everyone greater peace of mind, irrespective of the size purchased,” she explained.
According to her, as the No.1 Electrical Appliance business in Nigeria with Haier Group partner who is No.1 Worldwide for the Sixth Consecutive Years, investment in the project is a true demonstration of Haier Thermocool steering the market in the right direction by delivering right benefits first to the Consumers, the Community where the business operates & the Country at large.
Bukola Bandele added that, the new products are made with improved globally-accepted and environmentally friendly refrigerants. “It has no destructive effect to the ozone sphere; thereby preserving the environment for the future generations. She mentioned that at least 40% of global refrigeration now employs environmentally friendly refrigerants and as such, ‘we are delighted to be the leading organization to employ this technology that reduces our carbon footprint by 97%” she stressed.
Mrs. Bandele reiterated that consumers will have full benefit and experience on all the models & sizes of the New Energy Saving Refrigerators, Freezers and Air-Conditioners which come with significant cost savings on electricity consumption, are environmentally friendly, have faster cooling system and can withstand low voltage supply. She mentioned that the products are now available at CoolWorld Retail stores and other Thermocool showrooms across the country.
She promised that consumers will continue to witness a plethora of innovative and forward-thinking products from the stables of Haier Thermocool as they consistently churn out products with top-notch technology and multiple capabilities that will keep their brands permanently in the minds of consumers. “For over 45 years, we have consistently championed consumers’ comforts by walking miles in their shoes to understand their pain points and by using technology to transform the way consumers live, work and play” Bandele explained.
Activities lined for the post launch phase include a full 360-degree communication campaign, supported by in-store experience at the CoolWorld Retail Stores & Thermocool Showrooms nationwide, making it possible for consumers to access the new energy saving appliances and start saving money nationwide.
Lagos; 9th February 2018: With a resolve to foster love and affection this Valentine’s Day and connect with the young-at-hearts, leading broadband and internet services provider, Spectranet 4GLTE is launching a limited edition EVO MiFi, with unheard of bundled Data benefits for carefree communication.
Artistically designed for younger people, EVO MiFi comes bundled with two different data plans at #20,000 with 40GB Data and at #25,000 with Unlimited Data respectively.In addition, customers will enjoy 50% data bonus in their next 6 renewals within 210 days of activation. With limited edition, Spectranet encourages all Nigerians especially women, to walk into any of the Spectranet exclusive shops or Dealers and purchase one for their loved ones. The offer is till the stocks lasts.
According to Chief Executive Officer, Ajay Awasthi, the launch of EVO MiFi is aimed at fostering love and bonding among the young-at –heart this Valentine season.With this innovative offer, we would like to encourage the Nigerians to express their love freely with affordable, high quality, high speed 4G data connectivity.
He added “ EVO MiFi is specifically designed as a perfect gift for women. As a mark of tribute to the entrepreneurship of Nigerian women. Spectranet plans to launch two “women only “stores in Lagos before Valentine’s day.By extending the high speed broadband connectivity to the Nigerian women , EVO MiFiwill help achieve the30% broadband penetration target set by the Nigerian Communications Commission. The target can be only attained when more people, especially women, are connected to broadband and internet services”
EVO MiFi is the latest addition to Spectranet MiFi family which comprises; Freedom and Pebble. The portability of the device makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor purposes.
Customers can purchase the EVO MiFi at any of Spectranet shops, sales outlets in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ibadan.
Spectranet Limited was the first Internet Service Provider (ISP) to launch 4G LTE internet service in Nigeria. The brand is known for providing an affordable, faster and more reliable internet broadband to Nigerian homes and offices. Its internet service is currently available across Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Port Harcourt. The state of the art network ensures high speed internet connectivity for the customers.
Spectranet 4G LTE is a recipient of multiple awards for Best Internet Service and 4G LTE Provider in Nigeria in 2016 and 2017
LAGOS, 9 FEBRUARY 2018 – Ngozi Madueke-Dozie, General Manager of iflix West Africa will be joining a panel of industry-leaders on a webinar hosted by the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), aglobal trade body addressing issues pertaining to the broadening mobile environment.
The webinar, dubbed The Future of Digital Entertainment in Africa, will take place on the 15th of February at 17:00 WAT. The forum will discuss video streaming, social media and the rise of the African entertainment ecosystem in driving exciting new business models across the continent, leapfrogging Western markets.
The panel, consisting of other key influencers – Antos Stella (Content Connect Africa), Peter Verkade (Unitel), Thabiet Allie (Music, Tencent Africa) and MEF’s Tim Green will discuss a variety of interesting topics including:
Building new revenue streams across the mobile ecosystem
The opportunities through VOD/streaming, local content, mobile payments/wallets/direct carrier billing
What can Africa learn from the rest of the world and what can the rest of the world learn from Africa?
The challenges – Cost of data, regulation, disposable income & access to content-ready devices
Localisation in Africa – the iflix Strategy
As a global company, iflix has access to top notch technology and a global success story that cannot be matched. What makes iflix continue to win in its local markets however, is its ability to infuse the right amount of local flavor into its marketing, content and product to suit the tastes of each market.
People should have the freedom to “play” in whatever language or pace that they choose to. iflix is a company that thinks global but acts local. Goodbye standardization, hello iflix!
iflix is the world’s leading entertainment service for emerging markets, offering users unlimited access to thousands of TV shows, movies and more. With a vast selection of everyone’s favourite comedies, drama, K-drama, Turkish drama, Bollywood, Nollywood, cartoons, movies, live sports and more from Hollywood, The UK, Asia, The Middle East and Africa, iflix places the entertainment people want at their fingertips to either stream or download. For one low monthly fee, iflix subscribers can watch on their mobile phone, laptop, tablet or TV, wherever, whenever.
Let’s play.
iflix is currently available to consumers in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, the Maldives, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan and Cambodia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Nepal, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
A brand new cryptocurrency coin is launching with the mainstream African user in mind. KureCoinHub, a self-service banking platform built into a decentralised system based on smart-contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. It has been described as the largest cryptocurrency project in Africa.
KureCoin was created as an investment solution to help Africans rise above the poverty line, by developing a unique access point for the mainstream user into the cryptoeconomy. The KureCoinHub is a trifecta of a bank, an exchange platform called KUREX and the coin called KURECOIN. KureCoinHub runs on a highly secure system, built with the proof of stake algorithm based on Ethereum smart-contracts, which have been said to be perfectly suited to direct buyer-seller interaction.
According to the founder and CEO, Tega Abikure, KureCoin was created to function as a much easier way to buy and sell. His team identified an opportunity to use blockchain technologies to solve problems such as access to capital by creating a system of zero collateral loans using your crypto assets; leveraging on the ease of transaction and exchange of bitcoin, alt coin and Naira or other local fiat currency.
The KureCoinHub platform is poised to solve the problems of current payment systems, which involve too many intermediaries and impose many restrictions, especially when it comes to international payments.
KureCoinHub entered the marketplace with a Pre-ICO, soon to be followed by the ICO phase and plans to continue to gradually improve the hub which is the bank. Soon, the Hub will have enough functionality for people to start selling/buying coin. Then we have our exchange coming soon.
On the ICO, Tega Abikure said, “As an investor, my primary need is to get my money to work for me. An ICO offers the public that opportunity. This is a revolutionary ICO aimed at solving the problem of liquidating your bitcoin in order to access cash denominated in local or fiat currencies. We wanted to solve real a world problem, not just try to reinvent finance away from the traditional banking system.”
The ICO is not aimed solely at crypto investors, but for the larger banking industry. Built with wealth creation for the African individual in mind, investors in KureCoinHub are set to receive competitive returns on their investments. KureCoinHub is poised to be the first blockchain bank, launching with a range of products and services, including lending against an individual’s crypto-based assets and KURECOIN.
KureCoinHub restricted the maximum number of subscribers at the Pre-ICO to a limited number of people in order to provide an individual approach and maximum security within the available resources. The hard cap for the ICO is 60 000 ETH, which the team believes is what is needed to release a finished product backed by good marketing, legal organization and community management.
KureCoinHub is also trying to tackle the global perception that Africans are fraudulent with this move. “We want Africans to know they can trust Africans; we want the world to know that there are African men who can be trusted. Our company is based in Lagos, Nigeria. We are always on all media platforms speaking to people about the need to do the right thing. ICO scam is not exclusive to Africa, it happens on every continent”, said Abikure.
As part of its goal to enriching customers’ internet experience and rewarding Nigerian internet users this Christmas, leading ISP service provider, Spectranet 4G LTE, has announced a special Xmas promotion. The promo, according to Mike Ogor, head of marketing, is part of the brand’s endeavour to better understand its customers’ needs and deliver better value by providing additional benefits on important occasions
The offer, which started on 18th December 2017, will run all through to January 31st, 2018.
He stated that customers will enjoy uniquely designed Pebble Mifi or Freedom Mifi at N20,000 plus Free 40GB and Unlimited night browsing. Other offers in the promotion include a Mifi at N16,000 plus free 20GB , a Mifi or Zoom CPE at #25,000 plus free Unlimited Gold Plan which comes with 100GB.
The exciting Xmas promo from Spectranet further offers 100% data bonus in the next two renewals on any capped data plan within 90 days of activation.
The Spectranet Xmas promo is coming at a time when the brand was awarded the 4G LTE Internet Service Provider of the year by the Nigerian Technology Awards, celebrating the core essence of the brand as a family and business brand that provides unique experience to its customers.
Speaking on the extensive promo offer, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ajay Awasthi, said,“we want our customers to have enough data to reach out to their friends and loved ones during this holiday season by staying connected with a faster, affordable and more reliable 4G connection.
We at Spectranet believe in delivering more value to its customers while ensuring superior customer experience.
Spectranet 4G LTE brand positioning in the market is very strategic as a quality brand with huge consideration for the pocket of the consumers. As a brand, we are very conscious of quality and high speed internet connectivity.
Spectranet Limited was the first Internet Service Provider (ISP) to launch 4G LTE internet service in Nigeria. The brand is known for providing an affordable, faster and more reliable internet broadband to Nigerian homes and offices. Its internet service is currently available across Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Port Harcourt. Its state- of- the- art 4G network ensures high speed internet connectivity for the customers.
Spectranet 4G LTE is a recipient of multiple awards for Best Internet Service and 4G LTE Provider in Nigeria in 2016 and 2017.
Nigeria’s leading 4G LTE and broadband Internet services provider, Spectranet is intensifying efforts to connect its customers to innovative internet solutions with the appointment of Mr. Ajay Awasthi as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Ajay takes over from David Venn, who has been at the forefront of building Spectranet into a leading broadband Internet service provider in Nigeria, offering faster, affordable and reliable internet solutions to Nigerian homes and offices.
With over 17 years’ experience working in top positions in India’s telecommunication’s industry, Ajay looks forward to leverage Spectranet’s commitment to its customers and stakeholders and make its high quality, high-speed broadband services widely available to more internet users.
He said: “I’m delighted with my appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of Spectranet. We shall continue to introduce innovative solutions that will boost our service offerings as a leading Nigerian brand and endear us to individuals, families, and businesses.
“It’s our endeavor at Spectranet to offer faster, affordable and reliable high-speed broadband connectivity to our customers. We will continue to sustain our commitment to provide high-quality broadband services and help bridge the digital divide by reaching across to many more Nigerian families and businesses”
Ajay, who comes from a Sales & Marketing background, has a rich experience creating demand through marketing innovations, setting up multi-channel distribution network and running optimized business operations.An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Ajay is a strong believer in the power of distribution and customer service in building a sustainable customer franchise through superior levels of service quality
Speaking at the official handing over ceremony, David Venn commended the shareholders, management, and staff of Spectranet for the opportunity to serve the company. According to him, Spectranet is now well positioned to transform the quality and availability of Internet service offerings across Nigeria.
The Africa Fintech Foundry supported by Access Bank, Microsoft, IBM, Kantar TNS, SAS and SystemicLogic will host the first edition of its fintech conference – AFF DISRUPT 2017, on December 14, 2017. The AFF is a growth stage accelerator whose primary focus is finding, nurturing and accelerating the growth of Financial Technology (FinTech) startups in Africa..
AFF DISRUPT 2017 is scheduled to hold at the Eko Convention Centre, Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Eti-Osa, Lagos, Nigeria. It will will bring together the best startups building products and solutions in the Financial Technology (FinTech) space, alongside investors, financial and technology partners, and a global audience of delegates from disparate industries to showcase next generation technologies and innovative solutions relevant to the financial services industry. Sessions on the day include a keynote address, fireside chats, masterclasses, partner exhibitions and panel discussions.
At a recent press conference held in Lagos, the organizers of the foundry announced the opening of the application portal ahead of AFF DISRUPT 2017 on December 14th. Startups have until December 1st, to apply to get the chance to demo or participate at the event.
“This is a very good opportunity for startups to take advantage of the partner network created by AFF Disrupt and its partners to create linkages and networks that can help grow their businesses,” says Adeleke Adekoya, Event Coordinator, for AFF DISRUPT 2017.
The vetting process is currently going on, and a total number of 12 startups would be selected from a pool of about 400 startups, to demo/exhibit at the AFF Disrupt 2017 conference. The selected startups will also get a chance to be part of the Africa FinTech Foundry’s 3-month accelerator program.
Interested participants can register on the AFF DISRUPT 2017 website to attend, as the event is strictly by invitation.
Paying your bills across the African continent can be quite a headache for businessmen, travellers, traders and parents paying school bills. Well, with every problem comes an opportunity to build a solution which the lads here have done.
Payments of Bills just got a whole lot easier with Instant Bills Pay.
Transactions and payment of bills across various vendors in Africa can now be done in a click with the new online collection platform – Instant Bills Pay.
It’s a fast, secure and easy payment platform that anyone can use to make online payments any day, anytime, anywhere; even on-the-go.
Instant Bills Pay does not only favour customers; merchants can collect / receive all payments for their goods and services online, without hassles.
The platforms gives the opportunity for your clients to pay up anytime of the day and you’ll be notified when a payment has been made through a downloadable & customised report for proper documentation and book keeping in accordance with your business needs.
How does it work?
Instant bills Pay gets customers personal info & contact details
Customers pay on Instant bills Pay with their debit or credit card
Instant Bills Pay processes payment of bills
Merchants sign up on Instant Bills Pay to receive payments
Money is sent and received. Deal Done!
Instant Bills Pay is a step up from other payment platforms as it works with multiple currencies, languages and payments can be made across Africa be it your kid’s school fees in Ghana, goods purchase in Cotonou, tickets/hotel bills in Kenya or invoice from a coffee shop in Senegal or Mozambique.
All you need is an Internet connection and a mobile device as it is compatible with all devices (phone, tablet or laptop). Also, Merchants will find it seamless and useful as they can track their international payments with a downloadable report and transaction notification from the Instant Bills Pay team.
So here’s a chance for vendors to take their businesses across Africa in a click, and what’s the best part, the more you pay on Instant Bills Pay, you increase your chance to win a brand new car this Christmas.
Infinix Mobility launched the biggest promotion yet this year ‘The Infinix Super Friday’ exclusive to Infinix customers every Friday in November. The Super Friday promotion kicked off two weeks ago and customers have enjoyed up to 5% discounts on Infinix smartphones and cashing out during the ‘Money grab Game’.
Infinix Super Friday still has a lot more to offer customers with the Infinix Note 4 coming up during this week’s ‘Super Friday promotion’. For customers interested in locking down their own Infinix Note 4 or Note 4 pro like Noble Igwe, Owen G, Opeyemi Awoyemi did in this video, here are reasons why you should get your Note 4 at this week’s Infinix Super Friday
Here are four reasons to purchase the Infinix Note 4 and Note 4 pro during the Infinix Super Friday Promotion.
The Infinix Note 4 pro comes with Long lasting 4500mAh battery infused with Xcharge 4.0 charging 5 times faster and guarantees for 48 hours non-stop talk time.
The Infinix NOTE4 Pro offers an astonishing Xpen with a life changing experience. Customize XPen shortcuts, Record moments and ideas in Memo and explore your creativity with Xnote in sleep mode. Charge the Xpen for 20 seconds and maximize your output for 40 minutes or more.
The Infinix Note 4 pro is equipped to capture all your best moments with the powerful 13MP back camera and Dual-color LED flash. The 1.4μm 8MP front camera combined with the latest selfie filters will ensure all your selfies are stunningly beautiful.
The Infinix Note 4 pro comes with Android 7.0 with XOS 2.3. XOS is the customized User interface, which improves mobile, & battery performance by 20%. The latest version offers phone security and also multi-windows for multitasking. XOS is sleek with meticulously designed icons, themes, and magazine wallpaper, which change often.
Customers can visit any of the Infinix Super Friday retail partners in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Benue and Benin to purchase the Infinix Note 4 at a discount this Friday. Stay up-to-date with the Infinix Super Friday promotion offerings by following Infinix Nigeria on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
As the official distributors of Manage Engine in NIGERIA, Tranter ITInfrastructure Services Limited was proud to collaborate on the biggest seminar so far in Nigeria for Manage Engine. On the 15th of November at the Radisson Blu hotel with Tranter IT, the Manage Engine team who arrived from Dubai and India, offered a closer look at the features, benefits and value of their wide range of IT enterprise solutions for even the most difficult IT management problems.
As partners in progress, Manage Engine and Tranter IT offer World class IT solutions. Manage Engine has a whole suite of solutions for your IT problems. Manage Engine offers unified IT and is constantly updated to maintain an Innovative and competitive technical edge for your company. The suite of solutions is supported by a whole calendar of seminars, webinars and workshops each year around the world.
The CEO of Tranter IT, Mr. Lare Ayoola, a visionary, pioneer and leader in the IT industry, opened the seminar with an insight in to the 3-year partnership between Tranter IT and Manage Engine, focusing on the growing demand for the product range whose success is attributed to its high relevance in enhancing business optimisation.
Leading industry stakeholders were all part of the successful and highly interactive event. The seminar demonstrated how Manage Engine allows corporate organizations to achieve maximum productivity while effortlessly managing overall workload, a key factor in surviving the somewhat challenging economy.
The manage engine suite of solutions is a game changer in the industry improving standards of service, response and raising the bar in monitoring and measuring output. The software delivers awesome customer service with great control in identifying and addressing IT related issues before they can affect operations. This has led to the tagline # “No down time” the essence of the Tranter IT offering.
The manage engine range of software also comes packed with powerful integration along side smart automation, extensive reporting capabilities and cloud services.
As Tranter IT and Manage Engine continue to meet the Nigerian market’s needs for IT solutions, more seminars can be anticipated in 2018.
Life is now synonymous with technology. You either accept that, or you live under a rock, at the top of a secluded mountain, on another planet. From transport to entertainment, to sharing opinions and lifestyle, technology rules the world.
Today you hold in your hand a device that allows you interact with anyone globally, at the same time showcase your artistic tendencies, and yet still go to the bank right from your living room.
Man has been on the moon, people have cybernetic body parts, there are self-tying shoelaces, and jetpacks galore.
It’s all very nice to talk about, and even nicer to look at. But there is a small problem. None of these amazing discoveries came from us. From Africa. And even though a majority of them have useful applications here, many of the challenges faced by Africans today are unique to us only.
In the same way, only you can properly identify what part of your body hurts, only an African can identify what challenges affect us the most. And then, develop solutions to said challenges.
And this is where AAAP comes in. Africa As A Platform is a gathering of some of the continent’s brightest and most intuitive minds, here to discuss where we are, how we got here and how to create solutions in today’s technology driven world to move us forward.
Temie Giwa Tubosun (Founder & CEO LifeBank), Bosun Tijani (Co-Founder Cocreation Hub), Dr Beri Mbenkum (Founder/CEO Nanoarc), and Onyeka Akumah (Founder/CEO Farmcrowdy) are just some of the aforementioned minds who will be present to give their perspectives on everything technology as it relates to the African condition.
The event is themed “Machines Millennials and Money”, and will be held at Landmark event center, in Lagos, on the 17th of November, 2017, and everyone is invited.
There is an argument claiming that the western world first went through an industrial revolution, before their technological revolution, and as Africa is yet to have an industrial revolution, surely, we cannot just jump into the realm of tech.
But that is where the world is now. Africa has for far too long, lagged behind as the world develops. It is time we used the technology and expertise available to shed light on the so called ‘Dark Continent’.
So join us on the 17th of November, as Africa’s biggest minds tackle Africa’s challenges.
Bounce News Nigeria’s Head of Marketing, Modupe Ogunyemi and Traffic Acquisition Manager, Tunde Ajetomobi receiving the award in South Africa.
Bounce News App, Nigeria’s most exciting online news app, has been declared winner of the 2017 AppsAfrica Best News and Entertainment App Award.
The AppsAfrica awards ceremony, which was held in Cape Town, South Africa on November 6th, 2017, recognizes innovation in the tech ecosystem across Africa and is supported by Mobile Monday South Africa and Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF).
The award adds to the growing collection of Bounce News’ laurels and also underlines the fast-rising profile of the news app as Nigeria’s leading online news destination.
Bounce News Nigeria’s Head of Marketing, Modupe Ogunyemi along with Traffic Acquisition Manager, Tunde Ajetomobi, was there in the beautiful city of Cape Town to receive the award on behalf of Bounce news.
And in a short acceptance speech, she thanked the organizers for recognizing Bounce News Apps’ excellence in delivering personalized news to its users within Nigeria and across the world.
Ogunyemi also pledged that the platform will maintain the higher standards set in producing original news content while tailoring the App’s content to suit individual user preferences.
It is fitting to note that Bounce News is in line for another major international award, as it has been nominated for the World Architectural News Award. The WAN award is the largest international architecture award programme.
The WAN Festival, where winners will be decided comes up from November 15th to 17th, 2017 at the Arena Berlin in Germany.
Interestingly, these outpouring of accolades for Bounce is coming less than eight months after it was established. And its growth has been attributed to its digital innovation and superior newsgathering technique, which leverages artificial intelligence to provide Nigerians with personalized content.
Other nominees for the Best News and entertainment award are Jokko Text (Senegal), Vodacom Music (South Africa), Vodacom Games (South Africa) and Sportsie (Nigeria).
Bounce News Nigeria’s Head of Marketing, Modupe Ogunyemi and Traffic Acquisition Manager, Tunde Ajetomobi receiving the award in South Africa.Bounce News Nigeria’s Head of Marketing, Modupe Ogunyemi and Traffic Acquisition Manager, Tunde Ajetomobi receiving the award in South Africa.
L–R: Regional Director (East Africa) – Mr Chinasa Udeala, Snr. Marketing Manager (West Africa) – Miss Tosin Sorinola, Regional Director (West Africa) – Mr Oyebowale Akideinde, Director, Joe He & Country Manager, Tanzania, Miss Natasha Stambuli
Boomplay Music, Africa’s fastest growing music streaming and download platform, reinforced its continued contribution to the African content distribution ecosystem, after being recognized by an independent panel of industry experts at the AppsAfrica Awards. AppsAfrica is a leading pan-African technology news portal and advisory service dedicated to delivering the latest insights on mobile, tech and innovation in Africa. The AppsAfrica Awards aim to celebrate and connect the best in the African mobile and tech ecosystem with global players, and are recognized as the premier accolade for anyone operating in Africa’s digital market.
Boomplay Music won the award for the ‘Best African App’, with its unique and user-friendly Boomplay Music application, which gives easy access to millions of songs, videos and entertainment buzz. The award was announced at the AppsAfrica Awards party in Cape Town, South Africa on November 6, 2017. Nominated in the same category was Carter – SA, Asorbia – Ghana, Truecaller Africa and Feastfox – SA. Boomplay Music led the pack in the category to become the first on demand music streaming and downloading app to ever win the award.
As at October 2017, Boomplay Music users have increased to over 16 million, compared to 6 million at the end of 2016. Meanwhile, the Monthly Active Users have also increased to 9 million, up from only 2 million in the same period in 2016. According to Joe He, Managing Director of Boomplay Music, over 2 million users are now using the app to listen to music, watch videos and read news every day.
Boomplay Music app was awarded for its ease of use, beautiful user interface and innovations, particularly its significant impact in making music easily accessible to millions of Africans and ultimately driving more customers to mobile music consumption, while helping in curbing piracy through smart business strategies and ensuring intellectual property is duly protected using both technical and commercial efforts. Boomplay sees to it that content providers are able to make revenues off their music sales.
Commenting on the awards, the Managing Director of Boomplay Music, Joe He said: ‘’Bagging the award for the best African app showcases our renewed efforts to build a sustainable ecosystem for content providers, while ensuring that content consumption is a walk in the park for our users. The growth we have experienced in only a little over two years is super impressive. On behalf of Boomplay Music, we are emboldened by this recognition and will continue to sharpen our focus towards confronting digital content consumption challenges with new and adaptive innovations through technology.’’
Boomplay Music app is currently available for all android devices in the Google Play Store and will be available for iOS users in the year 2018.
On the 24th of October 2017, Siemens launched its new mobile power generation turbine, the SGT-A45TR, at its customer event at the Wheatbaker Hotel Ikoyi Lagos.
This new addition to its gas turbine portfolio; a 44-megawatt aero-derivative gas turbine for mobile power generation, aptly called the SGT-A45 TR, is said to be Siemens highest efficiency mobile turbine to date that boasts outstanding power density, high fuel efficiency, and excellent operational flexibility.
The SGT-A45 is one of the four turbines Siemens has on offer that it will be deploying for its fast power initiative; Siemens approach to bringing solutions tailor made for the Nigerian market in an accelerated time schedule to satisfy the needs and demands of customers, particularly in fast-growth regions and places where infrastructure is yet to be fully developed.
The forum was attended by Lagos state Commissioner of Energy and Mineral resources, Honorable Olawale Oluwo, developers, OEM’s and other industry experts, The commissioner who gave the keynote address at the forum said “I like the kind of cooperation we have with Siemens, it has been very exciting and I think yesterday, we achieved a major milestone about it, we signed the MOU to work together, we will prepare this under the Lagos State embedded power program, and that MOU was signed yesterday night, it is very timely. Where we will be working jointly to utilize multiple SGT-A45 across Lagos State with Siemens”
“Our new SGT-A45 TR mobile gas turbine is an important next step in turbine technology and efficiency, and we’re excited to introduce this turbine at this moment in time. It’s a one-of-a-kind compact design makes it particularly well suited for customers with urgent power needs or in regions with less developed power infrastructures and we can say that we have a product that has no rival on the market that we are very proud of. This innovative mobile power generation unit is an ideal choice for critical power needs and provides significantly more electrical output than comparable models currently on the market, with an electrical generating capacity of up to 44 megawatts” Said Andreas Pistauer, Executive Vice President, Siemens Power and Gas, Africa.
He went further to say we are also worried the that technically designed human machines and products is not enough because if we look at projects, the biggest tool is financing structuring the project and developing the project so here for SGT-A45TR, it comes together with the full set of financial instruments, a facility to help realize the project, which goes from leasing and other financial support.
The right solutions for the Nigerian market
The SGT- A45TR, the flagship of the Siemens fast power solutions is mobile and comes complete with its own substation for direct connection to the injection point on a distribution network.
Siemens is able to provide quick delivery of this unit and it can be deployed from factory to site in three months. Its performance is optimized for Nigeria’s tropical climate and its aeroderivative heritage makes its robust enough to withstand multiple starts and stops.
This turbine is a great example of what can be achieved through combining technology and development with innovative design and expertise from our team with input from customers around the world to ensure we are meeting their specific needs
The SGT-A45 does not need any major civil construction works for its installation on site because it is mobile. This thus reduces its installation and commissioning time to mere two weeks
Siemens also introduced its other units in the fast power portfolio, the SGT -400, SGT- 800(both industrial turbines) and the bigger SGT-A65TR aeroderivative unit all offer great value and unique values.
The SGT 400- is class leading in its single cycle electrical efficiency numbers
The SGT- 800 – is class leading in its combined cycle electrical efficiency numbers
SGT – A65 is highly flexible adaptable to varying environments while offering high power efficiency in both full and part load conditions
With this new innovative technology and financial solutions, Siemens is offering developers to purchase them; the company believes it is offering a way out of darkness that has bedeviled the power industry.
Power is a key driver for the accomplishment of Nigeria’s economic potential. Siemens has shown with its new unit and fast power initiative that it is committed to Nigeria economic prosperity.
Data Science Nigeria (DSN), a non-profit initiated by MTN’s executive, Mr Bayo Adekanmbi is driving industry-level discussions about Nigeria’s need to build its big data/machine learning ecosystem, with the goal of being well positioned to access a 10 percent share of the global data analytics outsourcing market, which is expected to garner $5.9 billion by 2020, according to Allied Research Group.
To facilitate the discussions and help practitioners prepare for this opportunity, Data Science Nigeria hosted an industry engagement summit and a follow-up four-day Bootcamp with leading industry stakeholders, including statistician Dr Yemi Kale, Statistician General of the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and many leading professionals and academics in the private and public sectors. Speaking at the summit, Dr. Kale said that the value of data is enormous and that Data Science Nigeria’s initiative to equip future data scientists is a veritable initiative harnessing untapped potentials in the data analytics industry. He stated that “Data is money. Some of the multinationals like WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook may be providing their services for free, but they are worth billions of Naira. What they do to make so much money is sell data.” He said: “We understand that oil has been the primary source of revenue for Nigeria, but if we start taking this seriously, data could be more valuable than the oil.
In his industry perspective presentation, Mr. Olumide Olayinka, Partner and Head of Analytics Practice, KPMG Nigeria said that “Some organizations do not even understand that they need data scientists, and unfortunately this subject is not even discussed in the boardroom”. He also advanced the argument that, “Machine learning and artificial intelligence are not taking away our jobs; [they facilitate] the rise of humans to create better jobs”. His view was shared by Mr. Dozie Uzoma, the CEO of Diamond Bank, who spoke about why a CEO needs data science. He said, “Twenty years ago, accountants were important as they looked at historical records. Today, data scientists are important because we want algorithms that understand the future and can predict how to meet the needs of customers”.
Two-panel discussions were also held to discuss a Nigeria-centric big data roadmap and local case studies. The leading experts in these discussions included James Agada, CEO, CWG; Wale Olokodana, Director, Enterprise Commercial Segment, Microsoft; Babafemi Ogungbamila, CIO, Interswitch; Chika Nwobi, CEO, L5Lab; Emeka Okoye, CEO, Cymantiks; Yomi Akinyemi, Senior Manager, Analytics, KPMG; Chidiebele Ifediora, Technical Sales Leader, IBM; Nadayar Enegesi, Director, Andela; Bernard Ewah, CCO Keoun.ng; Steve Baba-Eko, CEO X3M; Dr. Tunji Adegbesan, Founder Gidimo; Mr Foh Patrick, Software Engineer, Maxdotng; Ngozi Dozie, Director, OneFi; Samuel Odeloye, Co-Founder Lara.ng; Dele Tejuoso, Founder, Wifi Combat and Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe, a US-based Nigerian scholar and the inventor of Zenvus, a precision agriculture solution powered by big data. In his practical application presentation, Prof Ekekwe remarked that technology improves productivity rates and simplifies all the industrial sectors of any economy. In Nigeria’s case, to transition from “a petroleum-driven economy to a possible data-driven economy, Nigeria needs to build the necessary model that would enable that.”
Data Science is globally celebrated as the No 1 career taking the first spot in Glassdoor’s Best Jobs in America list in 2016 and 2017, while Harvard Business Review described it as the sexiest job of the 21st century. A new study by CareerCast.com revealed data scientist jobs have the best growth potential over the next seven years, as they are one of the toughest jobs to fill.The summit and the Bootcamp were supported by Microsoft, 4Afrika, Interswitch, Diamond Bank, OneFi, L5Lab, Keoun.ng, KPMG, ProShare Nigeria, Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, DataCamp, BusinessDay, CFATech.ng, BrandCrunch and the Machine Intelligence Institute of Africa.
Cross section of partipants at the summit– Olumide Olayinka, Partner and Head of Analytics Practice, KPMG and Bayo Adekanmbi, Convener, Data Science NigeriaAbove, L-R, Emeka Okoye, CEO, Cymantiks; Yomi Akinyemi, Senior Manager, Analytics, KPMG; Wale Olokodana, Director, Enterprise, Microsoft and James Agada, CEO, CWG Below L-R, Chika Nwobi, CEO, L5Lab; Babafemi Ogungbamila, CIO, Interswitch; Bayo Adekanmbi, Convener, Data Science Nigeria; Olumide Olayinka, Partner, KPMG and Chidiebele Ifediora, IBMCross section of partipants at the summitAbove, L-R, Nadayar Enegesi, Andela; Bayo Adekanmbi, Convener, Data Science Nigeria; Samuel Odeloye. Lara.ng; Adedamola Ibironke, MTN; Ngozi Dozie, Director, OneFi Below L-R, Dele Tejuoso, Founder, Wifi Combat; Steve Baba-Eko, CEO X3M; Bernard Ewah, CCO Keoun.ng; Mr Foh Patrick, Software Engineer, Maxdotng; Dr Tunji Adegbesan, GidimoCross section of partipants at the summitCross section of partipants at the summitProfessor Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Chairman Fasmicro Group, USA
Cross section of the bootcamp participants at one of the plenary learning sessions
Data Science Nigeria hosted its industry engagement summit and a four-day, intensive, all-expense paid Bootcamp from 12-15 October 2017 at the Peninsula Resort in the Lekki axis of Lagos. Featuring a hands-on focus on machine learning algorithms, engineering statistics, and the broad principles of data science applications in solving real word problems, the sessions were facilitated by seven Ph.D. data scientists as either on-site tutors or dial-in instructors from the US and Canada. The learning sessions were spiced up with three ongoing hackathons aimed to stimulate the 150 participants, who qualified for the Bootcamp through pre-qualification exams on Microsoft/Edx Data Science MOOC series and DataCamp followed by a public Kaggle competition.
In his welcome address, the Bootcamp convener, Mr. Bayo Adekanmbi, MTN’s Chief Transformation Officer, said “We must focus on world-class capacity building in a consistent and rigorous manner if we truly want to build high-impact analytics products that can accelerate our national development and position Nigeria to become the data science hub for the continent, with the potential to access as much as 10% of the global data analytics outsourcing market, which is expected to garner $5.9 billion by 2020”.
Mr Corne Nagel, a Data Scientist from South Africa facilitating a class on building risk algorithm
The Bootcamp included very intensive hands-on classes, group learning sessions, and three individual hackathons. One of the hackathons on students’ performance prediction was won by Adeola Balogun, a young female 400-level Computer Science undergraduate from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State. At the award ceremony, Adeola said, “I only started taking data science three weeks ago, but I have carefully followed the instructions and guidance provided by the instructor to become the first on the competition leaderboard.”
Adeola Balogun began programming in Python during her 200-level classes. She is passionate about encouraging ladies interested in programming in Python, and she complements her academic studies by working as an intern with the Elo Umeh-led Terragon Group. She is also an advocate for the Women Techmakers movement, and a Google Ambassador on her campus. The other top four participants in the Kaggle competition are Chibueze Oguejiofor, Onimisi Esho, Sarah Adeola, and Aminu Onimisi Abdulsalami.
Award Night presentation L-R, Mrs Toyin Adekanmbi, Adeola Balogun, Mr Usoro Usoro and Dr Sulaimon Afolabi
According to the participants, the Bootcamp was an eye-opening, skill sharpening, and rigorous experience that provided a full immersion in the realities of the field. Data Science has been rated the number one career in the USA today, according to Glassdoor’s Best Jobs in America list for both 2016 and 2017.
Top 3 participants L-R, Bayo Adekanmbi, Chibueze Oguejiofor, Adeola Balogun, Corne Nagel and Onimisi Esho
The Bootcamp participants also had the chance to learn from leading industry experts, who shared real-world information about the intersection of data science and machine learning for solving business problems. Mr. Ladi Aduni, Associate Director, Technology Advisory KPMG led the briefing on the KPMG-sponsored Segmentation Hackathon at the Bootcamp. The hackathon required participants to use unsupervised learning to group banking customers based on many unrelated variables. The top-rated participants in this hackathon will qualify for internships and possible job placements at KPMG Nigeria.
Mr Ladi Asuni and Jennifer Grant-Ezeronye, both of KPMG engaging bootcamp participants on an unsupervised learning hackathon sponsored by KPMG
Mr. Ngozi Dozie of OneFi discussed how to build industry-ready algorithms that can solve real-world problems, using the example of how weather forecasting correlates with loan defaults. He said, “When the weather is bad, people default more on their loans, and data science must be able to explore other non-obvious variables in making business prediction solutions”. Mr. Usoro Usoro, General Manager of Digital Financial Services at MTN Nigeria engaged the participants on how to leverage the robust intelligence of big data algorithms to unravel local opportunities in the payments and lending fields.
Mr Ngozi Dozie, Director, OneFi discussing real world model for business application.
To underscore how social media provided a platform for the Bootcamp’s followers’ engagement, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, followed the event in real-time on Twitter. She challenged the participants to drive the structural shift that the 2nd Machine Age has made imperative and advocated increasing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for girls. She commended Adeola Balogun for winning the hackathon and for proving that women are smarter when it comes to logic-based disciplines like algorithm development.
The seven experts who facilitated the classes focussed on various aspects of big data applications. Dr. Raphael Yemitan of PwC explored the fundamental principles of feature engineering in a data science project, while Dr. Sulaimon Afolabi, a leading data scientist from South Africa, led a step-by-step class in the fundamental theories of data science from the perspectives of statistics and machine learning.
South African-based Corne Nagel, Chief Data Scientist with OneFi, explored both the bottom-up and top-down approaches to model development using an exciting demonstration of the Zeppelin software, and the hands-on use of automatic machine learning via the DataRobot platform. He also kicked off the second hackathon, on credit risk scoring.
Corne Nagel providing one-on-one hands-on support to participants.
Professor Raj Krishnan, a Microsoft Azure expert and adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, led a hands-on immersion in machine learning using the cloud-based Azure platform. Dr. Johnson Iyilade, the Founder, and CEO of Glomacs IT
Solutions and Services contributed from Canada, exploring how we have moved from a system-centric to a user-centric connected data architecture, featuring practical explorations of the major big data technologies (Hadoop, HDFS, MapReduce, etc.). Wale Akinfaderin, a doctoral researcher, and expert data scientist dialed in from the USA to discuss feature engineering, data preparation, overfitting, and managing missing data (including mean, median, mode, regressed value and even nearest neighbor values). Dr. Ponmile Oloyede, a computational physicist, and USA-based finance modeling expert showed many practical use cases for big data in everyday life and introduced Rattle as a simple R interface.
The Bootcamp also included a gala night, during which the top performers from the Kaggle competitions, Mr. and Ms. Algorithms (individuals who epitomise values of leadership, excellence, and team-spirit), Ph.D. participants, Bootcamp instructors, and volunteers were recognized with gifts, awards, and accolades. Bootcamp participants came from far and near; over 65% were from outside Lagos. Major clusters of attendees include Owerri (FUTO), Kaduna (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria) and the southwest (Ibadan, Ile Ife, Ogbomosho, Abeokuta, and Ilorin) among other locations.
The industry engagement summit and the Bootcamp were supported by Microsoft, 4Afrika, Interswitch, Diamond Bank, OneFi, L5Lab, Keoun.ng, KPMG, ProShare Nigeria, Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, DataCamp, BusinessDay, CFATech.ng, BrandCrunch and the Machine Intelligence Institute of Africa.
CitiServe Limited, a member of the Vigeo group Limited recently launched its OrangeBox™ 7210. Citiserve is a technology enabled distribution company with focus on enterprise solutions and payment services that make life easier. It provides e-business solutions for the industry, developing applications for e-transactions, bill payments and numerous value added services. This in turn provides income, facilitates cashless payments via bank cards on the PoS and other touch points.
CitiServe is described by industry experts as a dominant payment and distribution platform for products and services. They achieved this status by offering radically superior value for stakeholders in terms of product service, delivery and speed. This belief and achievement is conspicuously embedded in their vision.
The OrangeBox™, Introduced in 2011, a part of Central Bank of Nigeria cashless roll-out, is the preferred POS terminal modeled for the climate of Nigeria with its strong external shell for accidental drop. It has a very strong transceiver to pick weak signals for GPRS networks (MTN, Etisalat, Glo, and Airtel) with options for other POS communication including Wi-Fi, LAN and dual SIM.
To further strengthen its market base and its ever growing appetite to bring ease of financial transaction to their growing customers/consumers, CitiServe recently introduced the Orangebox™ 7210. The launch of the new spectacle in the world of e-payment at Four Points by Sheraton recently, was witnessed by representatives of virtually all the banks in Nigeria, Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) and other captains of the industry. The new OrangeBox™ 7210 box is a high performance multiple hold terminal and has the capacity to support multiple tasks and application. Several breath-taking components makes the OrangeBox™ 7210, a dream come true for e-payment services.
The new OrangeBox™ 7210 with its attractive features lends credence to Citi Serve’s drive to be known as a base for innovative ideas and this assertion was echoed by the industry bigwigs that graced the launch. Those that shared their thoughts were unanimous on how CitiServe sets the standard and then go above it again and again with strategic innovation in its product features. OrangeBox™ 7210 is poised at delivering superior value to our stakeholders-banks, billers, merchants and the consumers. Through market insight and understanding, CitiServe developed the OrangeBox™7210, a robust, dynamic and efficient PoS machine unparalleled in today’s PoS industry.
With the launch of the Orangebox7210, e-payment is set to experience a new dawn as it hits the market to give uncommon services to consumers and customers alike. The Chief Operating Officer said “the CitiServe Orangebox was built on innovation and will stick with this belief in satisfying its consumers as long as e-payments operate in Nigeria and innovation will not be compromised”.
CitiServe also used the opportunity of the launch to introduce its Retail platform. The OrangeBox™ Retail platform is a digital distribution platform that creates and delivers value, through the chain to the last mile by providing income opportunities in the sale of e-products via the OrangeBox™ point-of-sales device and on-time and in-full product delivery to the consumer.
This platform “it’s not just a PoS, it is a Merchant”, as it affords the retailers the opportunity to up-sell and make more profit.
The platform with over 40,000 OrangeBox™ Pan Nigeria, affords billers/ product owners a deep and penetrating distribution channel delivering availability, accessibility and more profit to biller. Its expanding products include sales and payment of Airtime, Pay/cable TV, Power/utility bills (token), Lottery, Internet, Insurance, Money Transfer and much more. Our ever expanding product platform is structured to explore catalogue sales and physical products distribution in the future.
9mobile is showing its innovative and customer-friendly streak once more by deepening its commitment to continuously improve positive customer experience for its subscribers with the launch of a new service “Moreflex Hybrid Premium Bundles.”
Moreflex Hybrid Premium Bundles is a prepaid package that offers cost effective roaming experience to customers on voice, SMS and data services. The package is designed to allow subscribers use the flex bundles locally and when roaming in selected countries.
Upon successful subscription to Moreflex Hybrid Premium Bundles, all the features, services and promotions of the existing package before migration will cease while the features and services on Moreflex Hybrid Premium Bundles will apply immediately.
Moreflex Hybrid Premium Bundles are available via the same existing codes *320# for Evolution Bundles and *344*amount# for Moreflex bundles.
“The new MoreFlex Hybrid Premium Bundles is in line with keeping our promise to constantly introduce innovative solutions that break communication barriers for both our data and voice subscribers”, says Adeolu Dairo, Director, Consumer Segment,
The new package is a unique product that allows prepaid customers to enjoy roaming functionality while in selected roaming destinations and also available to postpaid customers on Classic Hybrid and MoreBusiness Hybrid and such customers can purchase the bundles from their prepaid account.
In 2016, the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit provided a timely opportunity for a national economic review during the country’s worst recession in decades, while at the same time setting the “Made in Nigeria” agenda within the context of economic diversification and restructuring. For the most part, the Summit created a consensus amongst all Nigerians on the need for the country to significantly increase the level of productivity across all sectors. To ensure we transition beyond this national consensus into a phase of concerted, collective and collaborative broad-based national action, it is imperative that the dialogue between private sector and policy makers goes to the next level in delivering solutions that create the factor conditions and requirements for an environment that ensures economic diversification.
In a world of increasing economic volatility, political uncertainty and global complexity, proactive steps are required towards building the “Nigerianisation” of our economy, in which our national competitive advantage is created and sustained through a highly localised process. It is no news that the Nigerian economy has seen its fair share of turbulence which has impacted the citizenry negatively, leading to growing unemployment from job cuts, closure of several businesses, reduced spending et al.
Despite these challenges, there is optimism that Nigeria has the potential to emerge stronger if the right decisions are taken and rigorously implemented. The economic fundamentals of Nigeria are still very attractive: a population size of about 180 million and growing, a large workforce, relatively young median age, vast mineral resources, diverse and rich culture and more.
To leverage these economic fundamentals, Nigeria’s economic programmes need to be balanced between the current and future needs of her citizens. The urgent need to resolve the business environment and investment climate challenges must be aligned to policy incentives that encourage the appropriate forms of investment in local products and services, sustained upgrading of business capacities to take advantage of the opportunities.
The theme of the Summit, “Opportunities, Productivity & Employment Actualizing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan” will elicit and adopt a solutions-based approach in addressing the issues that will create opportunities, tackle unemployment and improve productivity.
The key thrust of NES #23 will seek to create robust stakeholders’ discussions and deliberations that accentuate the economic framework for opportunities, productivity and employment.
Summit Agenda includes
Agriculture & Food Security: Building the Competitiveness of Nigerian Agribusiness
Financial Inclusion & Financial Markets: Enabling Accessibility to Capital through Financial Inclusion and Alternative Funding
Human Capital Development: Job Creation and Economic Growth Through Human Capital Development
Infrastructure: Unlocking Opportunities Through Infrastructure and Urban Development
Science & Technology: Science & Technology as Key Drivers in Actualizing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan
Proceedings will be broken into 4 Formats
Insight Session which will give the Keynote Speaker an opportunity to share his perspectives on the Summit Theme drawing from his/her experience, knowledge and expertise.
Plenary Sessions to address the core issues generated by the Summit Theme. These discussions will stimulate robust discussions between the panellists and elicit comments and questions from participants.
Breakout Sessions which adopt a Workshop approach to discussing the issues around the Summit Theme as it relates to specific sectors. These will be intense, interactive, stimulating and will be driven by the Policy Commissions with clear Action Plans.
Start-ups Pitching Events which would connect new ventures seeking to raise funds with potential investors. Four selected early-stage start-ups that are registered in Nigeria and have been doing business for no more than 3 years will be invited to pitch in front of venture capitalists and investors.
NES23 starts tomorrow Tuesday,October 10 – 12, 2017 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Siemens is set to supply three SGT800 to Proton Energy Delta Sunrise project. The turbines will provide a combined electrical capacity of approximately 150MW to the national grid upon completion in 2020.
The project is estimated to attract close to US$250Million of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Nigeria, assisting industrialization, business and job growth in the country. The economic impact of this project will be positively felt in Delta State and particularly in the town of Sapele, where up to 1000 jobs will be created during its construction phase.
The SGT-800 gas turbine has a proven long term record of successful installations around the world and is an excellent choice for both industrial power generation and oil and gas applications. The turbine meets the sectors requirements for efficiency, reliability and environmental compatibility offering low lifecycle cost and the best possible return on investment.
During the opening remark of the ground-breaking ceremony held in Sapele, Delta State on September 28th 2017, the CEO of Proton Energy, Mr. Oti Ikomi, in part, said “The plant will be powered by state of the art and fuel efficient Siemens SGT 800 turbines. The turbines have good operating flexibility that will enable the plant to ramp up to full capacity at times of peak needs thus contributing to grid security. Using a modularized design, the capacity of the plant can quickly be expanded to 500 MW to address the country’s growing energy needs.”
“Siemens has 150 years of history in Africa and over 50 years in Nigeria, we have built a large portion of energy infrastructure in the continent,” said Mr. Andreas Pistauer, Vice President, Power and Gas, Africa, during his address. “As I speak we are currently building more than 17,000mw in Africa with projects in Nigeria (with Azura), in Sudan and Egypt. Today, the cost of power in Nigeria is very high. In order to have reliable, constant and reliable power supply, the cost varies between 80 and 150 Naira/kWh. One also has to consider the cost of a backup generator, the fuel, the capex and service. This is very expensive for the average Nigerian. In New York, the cost is three times lower and it should be less in Nigeria, a country blessed with gas. A power plant as Proton Delta Sunrise can drastically reduce these cost and people will pay a substantially lower cost than what they currently pay for reliable electricity,” he further went on to say.
“We are proud to be a part of this project, we will train the locals here in-State in our state of the art technology and Nigerians will build, operate and maintain this power plant. We are in Nigeria for Nigerians and we are committed to supporting projects like the Delta Sunrise project and future project to increase electricity generation and human capital development in Nigeria,” Mr. Pistauer concluded.
Siemens has sold over 325 of SGT 800 gas turbines worldwide, totaling into more than 5 million equivalent operating hours of fleet experience and more than 99.5% overall fleet reliability.
