FG advised to emulate India: 'Ban import of computer hardware' - ITREALMS

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The current Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) led by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been advised to emulate India government which recently imposed restrictions on import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers and ultra-small computers and servers with immediate effect, reports ITREALMS.

This, they said is in the spirit of product nationalism whereby countries deliberately promote patronage of home-made products and services to boost local productivity, create more jobs, encourage proficiency, and discourage capital flight.

Prof Ibidapo-Obe tasks tech start-ups to emulate Kong strategy - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, has advised tech startups to emulate the new Konga strategy, reports ITREALMS.

He gave this charge in a recent engagement with budding entrepreneurs, business owners and other Ph.D. students in Lagos.

According to Prof. Ibidapo-Obe, Konga has sprung a surprise in the last six months, noting that the impact of the new owners of the business has been felt in the e-commerce landscape.

“The new Konga is a very good case study for tech start-up to emulate as it is obvious that there is a clear plan by the new investors. If we consider their omni channel strategy which is quite expensive, only a few Nigerian banks can match the fusion of online power with the number of stores being rolled out across the country, mostly in Lagos as I have seen.

“What we can learn from this is that, apart from strategy, planning and tact is very critical in the Third World. I am sure the former owners of the business will be amazed at the transformation the business had undergone within the last six months. A company like Konga has proven that Nigerians have the capacity to make things happen and though I am not sure what their figures look like today, I am sure it must have appreciated over 200 per cent,” he said.

Continuing, the Professor of Systems Engineering and Fellow of the African Academy of Science cautioned that startups must be seen to deliver on their promises and not just raising funds or using investor capital to fund flamboyant lifestyles.

“The Konga example shows that African entrepreneurs can hold their own and succeed. It is very important, however, for budding entrepreneurs or startups to go through an incubation period and excite their investors to inject more funds rather than being on negative and still asking for more funds. It has become fashionable for startups to keep looking to raise money without looking at the book balance while unconsciously signing off their equity.

“When entrepreneurs gradually liquidate equity, they must see a bigger future even as they continue to dissolve their shares. Modern investors are very smart and when they see that they are gradually getting a foothold in the business, they can see that you are gradually liquidating and their funds is at risk. This is why there is a high failure rate among startups as investors must, at a point, take a business decision not to put in more money because the owner has reduced his stake substantially that he has nothing to lose anymore.”

While noting the difficulty in gathering accurate statistics in Nigeria, Prof. Ibidapo-Obe observed that a lot of business decisions are based on assumptions. He, however, disclosed that the image of the new Nigeria will be built by the new breed of young Nigerian whiz-kids, irrespective of the current harsh economic climate.

“You must not be discouraged by the current economic and political situation in the country. Every country goes through it and Nigeria is no exception. Most importantly is the fact that, the country will emerge stronger from it and young, smart entrepreneurs will own the country in future and will create even more wealth in a short space of time than the present set of entrepreneurs,” he concluded.

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Emulate Airtel, Shittu tells corporate Nigeria

ITRealms:

The Honorable Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, has urged corporate organizations and wealthy Nigerians to support humanitarian causes as this could help reduce the rate of poverty in the country, reports ITRealms. 

Speaking at the premiere of Airtel Touching Lives season 4 in Lagos, the Minister applauded Airtel’s commitment and consistency in reaching the downtrodden and empowering them.

He urged other corporate organizations to follow in the footsteps of the telco in extending a helping hand to those in need.

“I think that the companies doing business in Nigeria who have been benefiting from the enabling environment in Nigeria and the individuals and businessmen who have been benefiting must certainly come to the rescue and multiply what Airtel has been doing,” he said.

He stated that government needs the support of the private sector, NGOs, philanthropists and other well-meaning organizations to eradicate hunger and poverty.

The Minister also called on the National Assembly to inspire and encourage businesses in Nigeria to embark on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

“On the part of government, I think particularly, the National Assembly, which is saddled with making laws for us, should also feel challenged by what we have seen tonight by trying to initiate laws which would inspire or encourage Corporate Social Responsibility to be a major issue in the running of businesses of Nigeria”, he said.

“I am sure that Airtel might have spent fortunes to do what they have done, it is my prayer that Almighty God will continue to prosper the management of Airtel Nigeria and to help prosper Airtel itself. I want to challenge all of us tonight to make resolutions to touch lives in the same vein that Airtel has been doing” he added.

According to the Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, the telco will not relent in its effort to restore hope and helping the less privileged in the society in line with its vision of creating empowerment opportunities and making life better for Nigerians.

“I want to thank everyone in this room and to encourage you again; there is no limit to how kind any of us can be. My parting message is don’t spend your time asking why there are poor people in the world; it’s a waste of time.

“The right question is what can we do to change it? We are always going to have poor and unfortunate people amongst us. What next is what you can do to affect their circumstances and I am encouraging you to do something,” he said.

Since Airtel launched the Touching Lives initiative three years ago, it has achieved remarkable successes having restored hope of despaired individuals and families, saved many from the throes of death and empowered many underprivileged Nigerians.

The event was attended by several dignitaries including Senator Ajayi Borrofice, Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology; Hon. Ujam Chukwuemeka, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Communications; Representative of the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Adeniji Kazeem; Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission; Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry; Leo Stan Ekeh, founder, Zinox and Oby Ezekwesili, Former Minister of Education & Renowned Public Intellectual, among several others.

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Nigeria urged to emulate Malaysia, India – Charles Eke

ITREALMS:

The founding Chief Executive Officer, Infotech Systems and founder of Ngor-Okpala Progressive Organization (NOPO) for the Tri-state area in the United States of America (USA), Chief Charles Ugochukwu Eke, has urged Nigeria to emulate Malaysia, India by leveraging diaspora citizens, reports ITRealms.

Speaking exclusively to ITRealms, Chief Eke who is a Computer Engineer by profession, noted that the roles by Nigerians, especially of Igbo extraction leading to recent appointment into the transition team by the New Jersey-elected governor, Mr. Phil Murphy in USA, brings to the fore the need for Nigeria to take a second look on how to relate with her citizens in diaspora.

He also said that by this call for searching inwards would be influenced through engagement of the Nigeria in diaspora.

Eke who holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and United States, said that Nigeria must trust the brain lost and find a way to regain it by leveraging her expertise in diaspora, mostly in the United States.

According to him, Malaysia and India were able to develop because they used their citizens abroad with honest, “so, why can't Nigeria?”

Eke, who is a leading figure in the ‘Africans for Phil Murphy’ campaign team expressed delight over the harnessing of his potentials and opportunities accorded him in US.

He further gave some insights into his membership of Team Murphy for Governor campaign via Rev Derrick Green, who supported his vision to start Africans for Phil Murphy which today played a great roll in mobilizing Africans and Caribbean that contributed greatly in victory of the governor elect, Mr. Phil Murphy.

Eke, a Computer Engineer turn politician, said that he gave his best to the campaign for 18-month none pay crisscrossing New Jersey, organizing and campaigning for the candidate Murphy.

“I became a family member welcomed by him and that ushered in the four appointments and more to come,” he said.

As said by him, the other trio include Dr. Obilor Iwuozo who is a medical doctor; environmental engineer, Dr. Francis Owoh and Chief Sir Polly Ubah, all stood beside me providing all their resources and always available throughout the campaign.

“Chief Sir Polly Ubah to serve in Education, Access and Opportunity; Chief Charles Ugo Eke in Government, Technology and Innovation; Chief Dr. Francis Owoh to serve in Environment and Energy; and Chief Dr. Iwuozo Obilor to serve in Health,” he said.

Eke emphasized that their appointment is an indication that if given chance and opportunities “we can deliver victory” stressing that he rose to senior coordinator in the campaign and have helped bring victory to couple of other elections in New Jersey.

“The zeal and exposures are very high in New Jersey,” he declared.

Eke, whose political career started in United States in 1995, said that persistent, patient and total loyalty and honest.

ITRealms recalls that Eke had contested first level in 1998 and won in his city, then served out is tenure and by 2002 became two-term commissioner before becoming citywide councilman at large completing in 2012, whereas in 2015 he became a county committee member and 2016 joined Murphy for Governor campaign.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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