EXCLUSIVE: How Fintechs Engineered Nigeria’s ₦1 Quadrillion Payment Revolution, Says LCCI Boss, Dr. Almona - ITREALMS

Nigeria’s digital financial landscape is undergoing a structural transformation, propelled by home-grown financial technology (Fintech) innovators rather than traditional banking models or public sector initiatives, reports ITREALMS.

​Delivering her keynote address on Friday, July 31, 2026, at the 3rd Business Journal FinTech & Financial Inclusion Roundtable at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, the Director-General and CEO of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Chinyere Almona, emphasized that local Fintech unicorns are enhancing Nigeria’s global footprint through rapid infrastructure development and financial integration.

FRSC@38: Shehu Mohammed Steering Nigeria's road safety revolution to greater heights by Bisi Kazeem - Commentary@ITREALMS

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When Mallam Shehu Mohammed assumed leadership as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), he inherited not just an institution with history, but a national mandate that touches every family, every highway, and every community in Nigeria. At 38 years, the Corps stands tall as Africa’s model road safety agency, and under his stewardship, that legacy is not merely preserved, it is being boldly redefined.

Nigeria’s highways were once synonymous with fear. Before 1988, the World Health Organisation ranked Nigeria among the most dangerous countries in the world to drive. It was a troubling indictment that demanded courage and clarity of purpose. 

Inuwa: NITDA–JICA partnership driving Nigeria’s startup revolution - ITREALMS

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The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has described Nigeria’s collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a key driver of the nation’s technology innovation and startup revolution, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Survey on the Digitisation of Supply Chains in Small-Scale Nigerian Farms, organised by AGROVESTO, a JICA-funded agritech startup and beneficiary of NITDA’s iHatch Incubation Programme (Cohort 2), Inuwa, represented by Dr. Amina Sambo-Magaji, Deputy Director, e-Government and Digital Economy Development Department, described the partnership as “a cornerstone for Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.”

TECNO’s AI revolution redefines connectivity, user experience - ITREALMS

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The future arrived in grand style at TECNO's highly anticipated AI Launch event, bringing together a star-studded lineup of tech influencers, actors, and industry captains to celebrate a major leap in the world of technology. From the sleek ambience to the forward-thinking innovations, every detail of the event embodied the trailblazing spirit of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as TECNO unveiled its first-ever AI-powered ecosystem.

Hosted by the vibrant Miss Techy, the event drew the who’s who of the tech world, including influencers like Izzi Boye, Valor Reviews, and Kagan Tech. But the guest list didn’t stop at the tech elite—Nigerian stars like Liquorose, Veekee James, and Kie Kie also graced the occasion, blending entertainment and industry expertise. The presence of these luminaries underscored the significance of this launch, poised to reshape how Nigerian consumers connect with technology.

Cyber revolution, applause for Anambra @USTDA - ITREALMS

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Anambra State Government, led by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, continues to make giant and groundbreaking strides in the realm of technology. In recognition of Anambra's commitment to a digital future, the MD/CEO of Anambra State ICT Agency was selected by the US Consulate Lagos as part of the Reverse Trade Mission (RTM) Delegates on Cybersecurity, underscoring the Soludo's administration's commitment to delivering a digital Anambra, attracting collaborators and global attention.


The MD/CEO of Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata (CFA), is part of a 9-man Nigerian delegation invited to the Access Africa: Nigeria and Ghana Financial Sector Cybersecurity Reverse Trade Mission (RTM) organized by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is an independent U.S. government agency that promotes economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. One of its key objectives is to link U.S. businesses to export opportunities by facilitating partnerships and connections with overseas projects. USTDA is organizing the Reverse Trade Mission to foster collaboration between the United States and Nigeria/Ghana in financial sector cybersecurity.

Embracing Digital Revolution: Empowering Nigerian SMEs by Reuben Kalu - ITREALMS

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Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria can maximize their business potential by effectively leveraging a digital business model. 

Here are some key strategies for SMEs to consider:

Sagacity of a digital revolution - ITREALMS

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Taking a look at the digital revolution in Nigeria, REMMY NWEKE gave a pointer to a sagacious president under who the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication thrived.

Often sagacity is ascribed to the quality of being sagacious, especially of the political class and with all the historical perspectives to the entrance and realisation of the Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications in Nigeria, its obvious that the then elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was sagacious enough in his approach to the adoption of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and precisely telecommunications following his resolve to liberalise the nation’s telecoms sector in year 2000.

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo to review 'Sagacity of a digital revolution' - ITREALMS

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The chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Engr. Gbenga Adebayo would be reviewing the latest book in the industry, entitled ‘Sagacity of a digital revolution’ authored by the award-winning journalist, Remmy Nweke, reports ITREALMS.

Adebayo, according to Remmy Nweke, would on Thursday, June 9, 2022 would share his thoughts as the reviewer at the book public presentation and formal launch slated to hold at the prestigious Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos, as a sideline event of the 2022 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development with the theme: ‘5G: Enthroning Internet Governance for Digital Economy.’

Powering Fourth Industrial Revolution in Nigeria - ITREALMS

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A KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY PROF. UMAR GARBA DANBATTA, EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, 
NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (NCC), DELIVERED AT VIRTUAL 3RD DISCOURSE SERIES OF THE ADVOCAAT LAW PRACTICE HELD ON THURSDAY APRIL 29, 2021.

Introduction:

It gives me great pleasure to give this keynote address at the 3rd Discourse Series of the Advocaat Law Practice. I am pleased to note that the theme of this Discourse is “Powering the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Nigeria” – I believe that this theme is of immense importance at this stage of our national development, as it gives us an opportunity to assess ongoing efforts and refocus our energies as appropriate.

Elumelu tasks ACP countries to help youth accelerate industrial revolution - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Governments across the Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have been tasked to help youth to be aware and accelerate drive to meet the challenges, capture and channel extraordinary opportunities through an industrial revolution across member countries, reports ITREALMS.

There are over 80 countries in the membership of ACP.

In a keynote address at the Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Business Summit in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday, the founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Mr Tony Elumelu gave this charge, urging everyone to take time to check out the TEF Connect and learn more about how individuals could contribute to socio-economic development through mentoring young and eager entrepreneurs.

He observed that talent was not hard to find in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries nor was dedication, ideas and discipline which are the components of entrepreneurial success.

“These brilliant ideas cannot exist in a vacuum and it is up to the governments across the developing world to help the growth of Small Medium- sized Enterprises (SMEs),” said Mr Elumelu.

He also said that the enabling environment was the backbone of success with industrialisation and wealth creation for ACP countries, noting that without enabling environment, the dream of industrialisation will be a fleeting illusion.

“We must streamline our bureaucracies, provide infrastructure and stable access to power,” he said, stressing that there was need to promote implementable policies that support industrialization than those hindering people.

“Power is critical, in Nigeria, where I come from, about $10 billion yearly is spent by people and businesses who provide power for themselves. Now, imagine if that money was spent on more productive activities,” he asked.

Insisting that “We cannot hope to industrialize if we do not fix the issue of power, if our entrepreneurs spend so much money to power their businesses, how then are they expected to make the investments necessary to upgrade and industrialize?”

He equally called for a self-honest introspection, emphasising that “if we do not tackle these issues, we will be unable to achieve industrialisation, wealth creation and poverty reduction.”

ACP youthful dividends, he advised, cannot be allowed to waste or can we exclude “our women from our development agenda.”

In addition, he commended the European Investment Bank, represented by Mr. Ambroise Fayolle, for its initiative SHE INVEST, focusing on mobilizing 1 billion Euros for women across Africa, through innovative digital solutions, financial products, climate responsiveness as well as capacity building.

“We at the Tony Elumelu Foundation strive to reach the same goals of uplifting women out of poverty and empowering them with knowledge and resources. This is an invitation to join forces as we have done with the UNDP to lift 100,000 young African boys and girls out of poverty and thereby stemming migration challenges.

“We must develop our industry, improve our knowledge base, the technical capacity of our people must be up scaled. Power and infrastructure are crucial to our success if we are to compete in an increasingly interconnected world with rapidly advancing technology,” he said.

Further, Mr. Elumelu said that there was need for the private sector, governments and policy makers, development partners to all work together through positive engagement to create the right environment and give hope to young ones so that their latent talent can be realised for the development of ACP countries and for peace in the world.

Asked if the Tony Elumelu Foundation will open up physical offices in the sub-region, the Chief Executive Officer of TEF, Ifenyinwa Ugochukwu alluded to efficacy of technology in helping to spread message beyond the nations.

Ugochukwu equally explained why the entrepreneurs do not receive the full $5000 USD grant, saying that the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with awardees stated that it would be $5,000 at the Central Bank of Nigeria foreign exchange rate of N306 Naira, lamenting that in Nigeria there are two parallel markets.

“You have the official rate and the black market rate subject to wild fluctuations and as a company that earns in Naira we could not expose ourselves to that which is why we had to peg the currency exchange with the Central Bank which is stable,” said Ugochukwu.

Pointing out that any disparity that the entrepreneurs see is in that exchange rate, just as she acknowledged that they have gotten information that in other countries by the time the entrepreneurs get the grant money which is changed back to their own national currencies there are some limitations.

*Brenda Zulu reporting from Nairobi, Kenya.

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Pix: Ifenyinwa Ugochukwu, CEO TEF.

IM revolution: Give us NIMDA now says forum - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Stakeholders in Nigeria may be gearing up for a revolution in the Information Management (IM) industry with their strong demand for the creation of National Information Management Development Agency (NIMDA), reports ITREALMS.

This call was made at the weekend by the body of the National Information Management Stakeholders’ Forum (NIMSF) who spoke through the founder, Records and Information Management Awareness (RIMA) Foundation, Amb. (Dr) Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole in Lagos.

NIMSF also called for the breakout of Information and Archives departments from the current Ministry of Information and Culture by creating NIMDA to enable transformation and repositioning, especially on data and information governance in the country.

In addition, NIMDA, he said, for instance, will be setting the standards and ensuring that qualified and certified personnel are assigned to the management of government data and information.

Also, he said, developing and promoting best practices in government business processes and providing adequate training and monitoring for data and information management personnel in government, will be part of the proposed agency mandate.

NIMDA, he noted that when set up will ensure all government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) comply with standards, processes, procedures, and specifications as it applies to data, information, records, content, and archives use, classification, storage, collaboration, retention, and disposition.

Further, NIMDA, he told ITREALMS, will work with other relevant government agencies in ensuring appropriate information management and technology tools are deployed at all government MDAs for effective information security and governance and so on.

He insisted that for an effective National Digital Economy Policy implementation, there is a need for the industry to effectively and consistently engage the Ministry of Information and Culture, stressing that “effective data and information governance will go a long way in ensuring the success of the initiative.”

NIMDA, he said, will be tasked with managing the “Information Lifecycle of data, information, documents, contents and archives generated by all government agencies, ensuring enabling standards, specifications, processes, laws, and policies are in place for a good data and information governance regime in the country.”

NIMSF, he told ITREALMS was developed by the RIMA Foundation to advance sustainable development at all levels in the information management industry.

“Our activity aims to enhance open, accountable and participatory decision-making and governance on sustainable development through enhancing the involvement of all industry stakeholders. We focus particularly on the effective engagement of stakeholders on information management related policy processes,” he said.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Pix: L-r: Protocol Officer, Span Kitiya James; Monsurat Amina; President/Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole; Member, Governing Council and Director of Training, Dr. Kolawole Oseni and Head of HR, Merit Emmanuel, all members of Institute of Information Management (IIM-Africa) during the press conference by National Information Management Stakeholders’ forum held at IIM-Africa’s secretariat last Friday in Lagos State, Nigeria.

'Nigeria missing in Artificial Intelligence revolution' - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

The match of science and technology is a relentless one. And its transformative power has been profound. Most of the wealth created in the past fifty years in the developed world has been traced to Science and Technology. While we quickly notice the richest companies in the world like Apple, Google , Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and several others as the warriors of this match, their profound effect on productivity has created more wealth for the world than it created for the companies. They have also in the process completely transformed the world

But what is to come is even more than what has happened. If you appreciated how email, instant messaging, internet, social media, the PC, the smartphone all came together to change the way we live and work, then imagine the future that is coming. Man has always craved extra intelligence. And to create intelligent machines. Its been written in books for generations. Predicted by futurist and scientists, made into movies for decades. But finally, we are (almost)there. All over the world, scientists, engineers, programmers, venture capitalist and governments are in a new race to augment natural intelligence. It is called Artificial Intelligence. The creation of intelligence that will match the intelligence that man was given during creation and evolution.

You cannot miss the excitement in technology community. And the worry and apprehension of those who regulate the world. We are getting into uncharted territory. What will become of the world we have known and gotten used to when we create intelligence ? What will be the manifestation of this intelligence. How will the world fight wars, define sovereignty and national security in an age of artificial intelligence? What will be the effect of AI on productivity, health, leisure, recreation and work? On the entire human experience and our relationship with God?Artificial intelligence promises to be an uncertain ride into the future we have to navigate as the perennial clash between science and civilization escalates.

But like all such strides since the first industrial revolution,there will be consequences for nations and societies that have not prepared themselves for the age in which science and technology form the primary fabric of the society.

Take Nigeria for example. Nigeria has not really benefited from the boom created by technology in the past 50 years. Look at any of the tech milestones of the past era. The PC era ushered in by Microsoft, IBM and Apple did not really benefit Nigeria. We were not ready for it. While Microsoft and co visioned a world in which every human being had a personal computer, in Nigeria, a personal computer was few and far between and could not lead to the massive productivity that it promised. It took the evolution of mobile technology and the advent of the smart phone to allow Nigeria and other third world countries to finally get access to the internet and the benefits that came with it. But the revolution it has brought to education, health, productivity and quality of life has been mostly absent for most of Nigeria. Our health system has not improved. Our educational system has decayed. Our infrastructure overall has degraded.

There are patches of benefits here and there but overall, we have lost in the race to use these technologies to advance our civilization and build wealth for our citizens. Countries like India, China and some in Africa have latched on to the technology culture to pull millions out of poverty.

Age of Intelligence:

The foundation that will allow artificial intelligence has building blocks that have layered on each other for decades: computer processing power, faster and pervasive internet connection, data storage, cloud technology and progressive policies around data sovereignty, security and safe and collaborative use of technology. The second industrial revolution was enabled by the successes and failures of the 1st. The 3rd on the 1st and 2nd. The 4th will take all the successes of the previous ones and build on it. That’s the way the world makes progress.

The Nigerian tech community is obviously excited like their peers globally. I am excited for the world. By the progress of science. But not excited for Nigeria . I feel mostly pity for us as a nation. And for my colleagues in the tech industry. I think their excitement is misplaced. And will be shattered by experience. Not that the technology will not berth here. AI will come to Nigeria. In fact it is already here. I use it when I open my smartphone. When I use applications that have bots on my laptop. In the near future I will possibly fly smart planes and drive smart and intelligent cars. But that will be it. I fear that the foundation that will make it pervasive has not been built.

Some say that like mobile technology which allowed us to leapfrog the loss of the earlier era of wired telephones, some of the new technology will allow us get into the 4th industrial revolution without the foundations laid by the earlier revolutions.

I disagree. The 4th industrial revolution that will be driven by artificial intelligence did not come out of the blues. It layers on the progress of earlier revolutions starting from the steam engine of the 1st revolution. And sadly, Nigeria and most of the poor countries in Africa are not about to be given free tickets into the 4th industrial revolution after missing out on the preceding ones.In Nigeria, we are still battling to install electricity for the vast majority of Nigerians. Electricity was part of the 1st industrial revolution. Our government does not have secure mail, a key part of the 3rd industrial revolution.We have missed the revolution that has happened in health, education , all key foundations of leapfrogging into the 21st century.We have been unable to count ourselves and build the national data that can really create a culture of data collection and usage, again part of the building block for the promise of intelligence.How can you really hope for extra intelligence when you fail at basic intelligence?

The prognosis is not good. While there will flashes of intelligence among us as this age comes upon us, we will mostly be observers. Admirers. At best , peripheral users. Our citizens will integrate into other societies and excel in science and technology and we will celebrate them gleefully, to tell ourselves that we can be like others. And sometimes, something great will happen locally that will show the possibilities of what we could have been. But these will be exceptions. The lone wolves. But whats the effect of one lone wolf in the sea of global intelligence.

Betting on 5th Industrial Revolution:

What if we make a bet to join the 5th or 6th industrialist revolution? Perhaps the age of machines? Or the age we migrate to Mars?What can we do now to give us a fighting chance to become part of the global culture that will be driven by periodic revolutions and continuous advancements?

First, we must take our education system more seriously. People talk of STEM education. But I say education. Science and Technology education is really important. But you cannot build a world on science alone. Our education must work. As a tool for national aspiration. As a foundation for rebuilding our battered institutions. As a gateway to building the leadership we need for the tomorrow.The failure of our educational system means that even the Nigerian human intelligence is totally underutilized . Will artificial intelligence enhance underutilized intelligence?

Revolution in education:

We must as a matter of urgency guarantee every Nigerian born henceforth a good and quality education. From kindergarten to the end of high school .And reform the rules that govern the creating of higher institutions to make it easy for individuals and organisations to set up universities and other institutions of higher learning.Education technology has liberalized university education with Nigerians studying online, mostly free or subsidized from global institutions, most better than the best possible education in our local universities. This is while our national education regulators are in self denial and using a 20th century mindset to regulate 21st century university education.The Government must make it as easy for Nigerians to consume higher education online as it is to consume the one offered by universities and institutions all over the globe.

And this must start now. Other nations are laying the foundation for the 5th industrial revolution that will happen in the decades to come as I write. The thinking that time is waiting for Nigeria is a fallacy. The longer it takes for us to start on the path we need to join the rest of the world , the harder it becomes. Because no one is waiting and the pace of change is accelerating. We must save Nigeria from entering a future in which its citizens are disconnected from a progressive world. The consequence is already grave. And will get worse as our population explodes without the support of the extra intelligence that the rest of the world will come to depend on.

4th Industrial Revolution:

How can we still make the best of the situation in the 4th Industrial Revolution? And get AI working for us as a country?I am not advocating that we fold our arms and wave a while flag of defeat. On the contrary. The Nigerian tech industry is really small. But growing fast. What it lacks in size though, it makes up for in energy and some pomp. You would think , based on the narrative about the industry, it was one of the biggest contributors to the economy. It is not. But there is something going for the industry that despite its size, it manages to get its message across. The industry has to however turn this star power into the right advocacy and lobbying.And raising its voice in national conversations. Tech is eating up every industry. Building capacity for lobbying and policy making in collaboration with other industries will position Tech as a key policy for the reform of the Nigerian economy. That would help create the momentum for adoption of technologies like AI in a widespread manner .Only then can we hope for a chance to join the AI conversation.

Under the right guidance, Nigeria can aspire to join the next industrial revolution. And even have a play in the current one. In the the process it will build a nation whose citizens can aspire to be the best in world. And join a future that will be led by educated humans, supported by intelligent machines.*Contributed by Collins Onuegbu, founder, SIGNAL ALLIANCE, Nigeria.

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Revolution is coming says Iyke Nnamani

ITREALMS:

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Communications Limited, Mr. Iyke Nnamani, has predicted a silent revolution on-going in the Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, reports ITRealms.

Speaking as a panelist at the 2017 Telecoms Executive and Regulator Forum (TERF) at Oriental Hotel in Lagos, weekend, Mr. Nnamani, said that major improvement would be made in the sector by next year.

“I see major improvement coming out next year,” he declared.

Nnamani also pointed to the fact that the anticipated revolution will come in form of growing investment from the private sector.

These investments, he said, will be looking beyond the commercial nerve centre of the country, Lagos.

ITRealms gathered that the predicted revolution will evolve lthe Internet of Things (IoT) among others.

The panel included the outgoing Vice President of 9mobile, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented by the deputy director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity at NCC, Engr. Bako Wakil; Director, External Affairs at ntel, Mr. Osondu Nwokolo, and was chaired by the President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola.

The 2017 edition of the Telecoms Executives and Regulator Forum 2017 is the 5^th in the series.

Ogochukwu Nebenanya/GEE

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iSON extends African reach with call center revolution

ITRealms:

African emerging Information Technology (IT) leader, iSON Group is extending its reach with build out of call centers across Africa countries, ITRealms reports.

Currently, iSON boost of presence in 29 countries spanning 4 continents including Africa, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Middle East, iSON Group is inarguably a market leader in its niche.

ITRealms gathered that iSON Group consists of three operating companies, namely the iSON BPO which provides outsourcing services specifically in customer service experience management, iSON Technologies the systems integrator arm and iSON Innovation and Investment (i3), which is a recent initiative launched by the Group to drive consumer internet business in Africa.

The Chairman of iSON Group, Mr Ramesh Awtaney, was quoted in a press statement made available to ITRealms by Ope Alebiosu, as saying that in Africa alone, iSON operates in 25 countries with over 10,000 employees operating in its call centers including Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, South Sudan, Liberia, Uganda and Tanzania, with plans to build more facilities in the coming years.

“With the global awakening to more cost effective solutions, Business Process Outsourcing, with specific regard to call center management has become a cost effective solution to most customer centric organizations with the twin benefit of this being a ready-made platform for employment generation for the rising number of employable youths, with basic IT training to steer them onto a gainful career path.  

“We are responding simply to the law of demand and supply but in such a way that ‘supply’  in turn organically grows macro economies rapidly in all our host communities,” Chairman and Founder of iSON groups asserts.

“This of course has a ripple effect on not just providing a much needed service to our clients and engendering youth development and capacity but also building and sustaining our communities while encouraging urban to semi urban job shift,” he concludes.

As of 2016, Nigeria accounts for over half the call center staff working for iSON across Africa. Due to the rigorous training the company offers its staff, they are highly valuable in other verticals they migrate to, thus reinforcing iSON as a strong platform for capacity engagement and building.

iSON Group services a growing list of market leaders in their various niches i.e. Banking, Insurance Financial Services (BFSI), Telecom, Hospitality, Retail, Government, Health care, FMCG and DTH, Media and Entertainment.

  

The company offers its teeming customers all over the world various services such as analytics, customer experience management, voice process solution and CRM process solution.

Since its inception, iSON Group has amassed numerous awards for its BPO efforts some of which include the 2016 Great Place to Work award for ‘Best Practices’ and ‘CSR’, CIO top 100 Companies, Champions of Governance award, World Class Cup Team award from Standard Chartered Kenya, Distinguished Achievement in IT & ITES, Best Technology Vendor Top 100 Organizations Supplier Award – Zimbabwe Customer Service Week and the Global Business Excellence Awards - Outstanding IT Team.

The company continues to expand its services around Africa with new call center facilities recently launched in Ilorin and Abeokuta in Nigeria.

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Koko Master @Yudala, applauds retail revolution

PR@ITRealms: 

The self-styled KokoMaster and one of Nigeria’s most iconic entertainers, D’Banj has paid a courtesy visit to the Corporate Head Office of Yudala to congratulate the company on the revolution being spearheaded in the retail business space with the launch of its Retail Stores Division which held last Saturday July 25^th. 

Yudala, Nigeria’s first true composite retail chain, has carved a niche for itself by being the first company to combine an online shopping platform with offline retail outlets spread across major cities in Nigeria, with a target of further expansion into other African capitals.

The company had commissioned four stores: two Experience Stores at Medical Road, Ikeja and at the 1st Floor of The Palms Shopping Complex, Lekki as well as two Smart Stores at 25B Idowu Martins Street, Victoria Island and Redemption Crescent, Gbagada last weekend.

The glamorous and well-attended event attracted eminent Nigerians from all walks of life including bank CEOs, captains of industry, representatives of Corporate Nigeria, A-list artistes and crowds of enthusiastic shoppers who were on hand to take advantage of the unprecedented discounts and freebies on offer. 

Yudala Online is set to go live in August, with the Management of the e-commerce platform promising even bigger deals at launch.

Speaking during his visit to the office, the multi-award winning D’Banj commended the vision behind the emergence of Yudala, while acknowledging the company’s status as a Nigerian-owned business as a thing worth celebrating.

“I am glad to be here today to key into the Yudala revolution. The combination of online and offline retail is a master-stroke and I offer my sincere congratulations to the Management of Yudala for this idea. Also, the fact that Yudala is a purely Nigerian company is good news for us all. I had assumed the company was a foreign-owned business, especially considering the strategy, standards and ambience of the Yudala Experience Stores.”

D’Banj, who stormed the Yudala office armed with the Evolution award which he received at the 2015 MTV Africa Music awards (MAMA 2015), presented the award to the Management of the company as well as his latest brand offering - KokoGarri, a packaged variant of the staple food.

Vice President, Yudala Retail Stores, Mr. Stanley Uzoechina, who was on hand to welcome the KokoMaster with excited staff of the company, congratulated D’Banj for his 2015 MAMA Evolution award and hailed him as a true ambassador and pride of Nigeria.

Mr. Uzoechina who seized the opportunity to further share the company’s vision with the artiste, revealed that Yudala is indeed a revolution worth identifying with. According to him, the company has a road-map to reach millions of unreached Nigerians with the launch of 10 additional stores nationwide before the end of August 2015 and the commissioning of 151 Yudala Stores by June 2017.

This figure, he noted, will increase to 512 Stores by June 2019, stressing that in no time, there will be a Yudala Store in virtually every local government council in the country which will create a minimum of 150,000 jobs for Nigerians.

Yudala – which means Best wishes, Peace of mind and Prosperity - has strong partnership for products from major brands in the ICT sphere including HP, Apple, Lenovo, Tecno Mobile, INNJOO, Infinix Mobility, Wiko Phones, X-Touch, SONY, YEZZ, DELL, Philips, ITEL, IBM, Microsoft, APC Schneider, Cisco, Canon, D-Link and many more, with the delivery of quality products and services at the right prices. The company will continue to roll out multiple products from the biggest and most renowned brands, with the Yudala product network set to also feature Consumer Lifestyle, Urbane Fashion, Healthy Living Products, Consumer Electronics and others which will be unveiled in segments.

Backed by its multi-pronged yet standardized business model, the company has a bold ambition to dictate the pace and set new milestones for online and offline retail business, with the delivery of world class products and services in every Yudala store and on the online platform.

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

The Coming Digital TV Revolution

Opinion: DigitalSENSE Business News:

Except something unexpected happens, by July 31 next year, all analogue TV transmission in Nigeria will cease. Essentially all our existing TV stations - Channels, NTA, State TV stations and several others will cease to broadcast signals that can be directly received on our television sets. The world is transiting to digital TV broadcasting and July 31, 2015 has been set as Nigeria’s cut over date. Every television signal will have to pass through a set top box or decoder before being received by a television set.

The most obvious impact is that Nigeria will have to spend an estimated 700 billion naira to purchase decoders if they plan to continue watching television! The big question is how will this come about? Can Nigerian families really afford this, should they spend that much and what can anyone do to ameliorate the expenditure. The elephant in the room question is will it all be worth it?

To answer this question, let us look at the digital satellite TV service currently in the works from CWG and SES. SES is one of the leading communication satellite operators in the world. Her fleet of satellites include the Astra 2G craft whose foot print on the ku-band covers Nigeria and the rest of West Africa with high fidelity signals. SES also has considerable expertise in digital broadcast including operating the HD+ high definition service in Germany as well as being the partner of choice for a variety of other operators. SES’ expertise extends beyond satellites to also include content management and integration into worldwide content distribution networks. CWG has been SES partner in data communications for the past 20 years. CWG operates both a teleport for the upload of signals to SES satellites as well as a Tier 3 Data Centre that provide hosting services for storage and management of content and signals.

CWG and SES have introduced a service that allows any broadcaster to broadcast digital satellite signals that will be received using a variety of standard decoders. These signals will be received all over Nigeria and West Africa. The broadcasters will not need to change their existing equipment but will only need to make minor investment in digital encoders and they are good to go. This means for instance that Zamfara state TV can be received all over Nigeria as well as Osun State TV or Channels TV. IT means State TV broadcasting stations will no longer need to invest in expensive repeater stations in order to cover their states. The Enugu man in Lagos will happily see Enugu State TV in Lagos as well as the Enugu State man can easily see Lagos State TV. 

This is a staggering saving and expansion of reach for the regional or local broadcasters without the attendant significant cost outlay. For this alone, the television viewer will have received the value of digital television. Consider that as at today, it is impossible to keep up with local news if you leave the locality.

The CWG and SES service introduces a totally new dimension to television broadcasting. They are making it possible for any content owner - say a movie producer or a journalist or entertainer or school or church or consultant or government entity - to be able to broadcast 24 hour television which is viewable anywhere in Nigeria. We could be watching National Assembly TV as easily as we could be watching Open University TV or Catholic TV or NAFSAT TV. This is achievable because the CWG/SES system can accept live content as well as recorded content. It can also broadcast standard definition as well as high definition picture quality. We should be expecting an explosion of content of various forms.

TV can be used for not only entertainment but also for education. China’s education system utilizes TV heavily to reach remote locations with standard curricula. This can also be the case in Nigeria. Our falling standard of education can benefit a lot from standard curricula delivered by properly equipped teachers to all school classrooms. This immediately reduces variation in the quality of teaching and also improves the quality of the teachers.

The coming digital television revolution will bring incredible value and opportunities for both viewers, broadcasters and other content owners. CWG and SES aim to be at the centre of this revolution, working with other stakeholders to make the switch to digital TV worth every effort and expense.

*This piece was contributed by the Chief Technology Officer, Computer Warehouse Group Plc, Mr. James Agada.

 

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