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Akeem Obe

How mobile technology is transforming Africa

Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr.

Africans and technology have indeed come very far. In the past, we were regarded as late adopters because we had to wait for the ‘tokunbos’ to land through the ports before trying out those technologies, but today all that have literally changed at least in the urban areas where mobility has brought about massive disruption.

Africa is known for the lowest rate of development and poor infrastructure. Majority of Africa’s population have access to key infrastructures, which are considered as the basic necessities in today’s world. This indicates the poor economic growth of Africa. The last decade, however, has shown some tremendous changes in the general trends of development on the continent of Africa.

Infrastructure has improved considerably along with the increase in employment opportunities. Although, various factors contributed to this transformation, but the most important one is the adaptation of mobile telephony. The poor population of Africa that found telecommunication services inaccessible now enjoys the different benefits of mobile telephony.

The reasons behind this are related to the increased population density in general and improved per capita income. The increased demand for telecommunication convinced the authorities to facilitate small cities with this service as well. At this stage, Africa contributes about seven per cent to the world’s telecommunication services. Consequently, this continent has experienced a complete transformation in the social and economic areas which we will discuss here.

Due to poor communication services, small-scale production firms in Africa always faced efficiency and financial issues. As they were mainly dependent on a limited number of supply chains, it was difficult for them to make a quick decision regarding production and transportation. With mobile telephony, not only the small firms but also the large organisations, are now able to communicate and coordinate better with their clients.

Market efficiency has improved a lot as the cost and time required for searching relevant information has decreased tremendously. For instance, a farmer can easily exchange market price and other necessary information with another farmer in a different city or location from where he is without visiting that place and bearing traveling expenses.

Other than the market efficiency, a large population has got employment in the telecommunication sector. Increased mobile telephony means that there are more service operators which need labor to share the workload. Mobile telephony, thus, has given Africa many employment opportunities and decreased the poverty rate. Residents of both urban and rural areas, now have good sources of income. Decreased unemployment directly relates with the betterment of the social aspect. Due to a stable job, crime rate has also decreased. Moreover, any dangerous incident can be reported immediately, due to easy access to mobile phones, to take appropriate action.

With the use of mobile telephony, Africa is now able to facilitate its natives with better infrastructure and communication services to interact within and outside the continent. The improved market position and job opportunities from that have supported the economic growth being witnessed in some parts of the continent quite well.

With mobile telephony, it has now become very easy to get in touch with family, friends and business associates in Europe, Asia and America as they are just one phone call away. Business deals are either initiated or sealed in record time over the phone. Mobile telephony has also made life easy for the citizens as they can now transact banking activities such as checking of bank balance, transfer of funds from one account to the other, make payments for the use of utilities, make payment for the purchase of items, and even opening a Zero balance account, etc, thanks to the advent of mobile telephony.

It is, in fact a spectacle to behold, when these days, you find the local pepper seller in the market using her mobile phone to call her son in a distant location to discuss domestic affairs or her wholesale pepper supplier to discuss one or two things about the business. The use of mobile phones has also reduced the continents consumption of fuel. This is because, it has reduced the tendency to transport oneself to see someone at another location for matters that can easily be finalized over the phone.

These days, phones have been designed to perform more than the traditional one-on-one call and fax facilities that the erstwhile dial phone system had. With Mobile phones these days, you can now perform a lot of functions. These other functions and services include sending and receiving short messages between individuals, popularly known as SMS, serving as a source of time piece. A lot of smartphones even have more functions, such as voice recording, video recording, serving as camera for taking pictures, and gives the user the ability to connect the internet, etc.

Internet connection through mobile phones has now given many more Africans the opportunity to access lots of information that are relevant for their individual and business advancement as well as join social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on, to keep abreast of goings on and contribute meaningfully to discussions, both in their immediate society as well as overseas. This has given Africans more awareness and consciousness of their immediate and remote environment. Care should, however, be taken in monitoring the use of mobile phones by students on the continent so they do not use at the expense of their studies.

It can safely be said that the advent of Mobile Telephony in Africa has really opened up the consciousness of the African people, to the opportunities that abound all over the world. Here’s what my friend and European partner said to me recently; “CFA, I believe Africa particularly Nigeria is where it will happen for the next 20 years.” His assertion only proves that we have indeed come very far.

 

Culled from punchng

These Cities Have The Ingredients To Become The Next Silicon Valley

November 22, 2014 Editor Editor's Pick, Innovation & Science, Tech 3 Comments

inShare22

VENTURES AFRICA – When asked to name the world’s startup capitals, people normally think of Silicon Valley, London or New York. But with innovation on the march globally, the emerging markets have strong potential to become the next hotspots for entrepreneurs.

According to World Bank data, there are now more than 90 tech hubs across Africa. Regions such as South East Asia have also caught the eye of both investors and intrepid entrepreneurs. The following five most promising tech cities in emerging markets have all the right ingredients to become future startup capitals. It may only be a few years before we see the next entrepreneurial hub emerge from Asia, Africa or Latin America.

Medellin, Colombia

Medellin – Colombia’s cultural capital city – was named 2012’s innovative city of the year by the Wall Street Journal Magazine and Citibank. The appearance of Colombia’s second biggest city has changed dramatically during the past 20 years. Public libraries, parks, schools and museums – as well as a series of transportation links from the suburbs to the center – have been built. The Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño, an accumulation of Medellín-based companies, now generates seven percent of Colombia’s gross domestic product. Leaders such as Diego Angel, creator of Angel Studios and a role model in the Medellin startup scene, help young entrepreneurs to found startups in order to support the city’s fast-growing tech scene.

Amman, Jordan

Across the Middle East, entrepreneurship is on the rise. Amman, the capital city of Jordan, is the leading startup hub in the region. Trying to fill its natural resources gap with human capital, the government has invested in infrastructure, education and also reformed regulations, meaning Jordan is now one of the easiest and cheapest regions to register a business. The outcome is the best Internet connectivity in the Middle East, as well as good universities producing many young, skilled entrepreneurs. Women in the workplace is still a controversial topic in the Middle East. Although over half of the region’s university graduates are women, only one fifth can find a job in the market. One key benefit of online startups is the opportunities they create for women at work. One of the most successful startups in Amman is Zaytouneh (“olive” in Arabic). It was founded by Fida Taher and offers videos on how to cook by only showing the ingredients and the hands of the cook.

Lahore, Pakistan

Since 2012 there has been a massive shift in the Pakistani startup scene. Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad – the three major cities – have become home for many new startups in Pakistan. Lahore, the capital city, is especially interesting because of its urban development, adding industrial areas, new university campus and airport to the cityscape. The strong infrastructure has helped to create a dynamic market for startups, with many incubators launching fascinating business ideas. With the young population – two thirds is under 30 – of the country as well as strong support from the government, Lahore has potential to be one of the most innovative startup hubs in the world. Big companies such of Microsoft already have their eye on the country, with the tech giant hosting a Windows phone hackathon in Lahore last year.

Jakarta, Indonesia

The largest city of Indonesia, Jakarta is also known as one of the biggest megacities in the world. One skyscraper after the other keeps rising into the sky of Jakarta, showing the massive demand for space. The country’s growing middle class keeps flocking into the city,bringing with them a strong purchasing power, high penetration of mobile phones and an enormous demand for online service – presenting plenty of opportunities for new business ideas. The outcome is a strong market for tech startups to explore. Although there is no government funded support, more and more Indonesian investors including Merah Putih Incubator, GDP Venture, East Ventures and GREE Ventures are entering the market. Solving the upcoming challenges caused by the city’s fast growth means startups have to be practical, because they need to pay off since day one. For this reason, Jakarta is home to a number of startups focusing on travel, e-commerce and lifestyle, including property portal Lamudi which launched locally in late 2013.

Lagos, Nigeria.

Nigeria has now taken the lead as the largest economy on the continent. Lagos, the most populous city with over 20 million people, illustrates the country’s strong economic development. It is the second fastest growing city in Africa and the seventh in the world. One reason for its success over the past decades is the fast growing tech startup scene, especially in Yaba, a suburb in the port of Lagos. Residents have nicknamed the area Yabacon Valley because of its likeness to Silicon Valley. In Yabacon Valley you can find the financial and banking center of Nigeria, several education institutions as well as a cluster of technology startups. An unique place for high-tech innovation and development, buoyed by the country’s growth, the middle-class affinity towards technology and massive online population of 45 million Internet users. No wonder co-working spaces and events pop-up in Lagos attracting many angel investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.

inShare22

 
http://www.ventures-africa.com/2014/11/these-cities-have-the-ingredients-to-become-the-next-silicon-valley/

CEO Crown meadows cakes -Odunjo Tomisin

Kindly introduce yourself and your brand

 

My name is Odunjo Tomisin,CEO Crown meadows cakes. I make cakes for all occasions.

I had my primary education at St. Birgitta's Nur/Pry school and secondary at Sacred Heart Catholic College,both in Abeokuta. Had my tertiary education at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where I studied Botany.

Crown meadows cakes makes cakes for all occasions; birthdays,anniversaries, weddings, graduation ceremonies e.t.c

 

How did you start your brand?

 It all started in 2012 when I developed great interest in baking. In 2013 I was so into sugarcraft,because the creativity interested me a lot. So
I started my brand from making simple birthday cakes(which were done mostly for free),before the business kicked off. My cakes are made using different recipes as there are different types of cakes;such as,red velvet cake, fruit cake,sponge cake,coconut cake,to mention a few.

 

Price range of your products?

 

I'll say the business is quite lucrative.

A price range can't be given specifically on cakes,this is dependent on the fact that customers want different things and so a fixed range can't be given as regards our prices

 

What makes your brand unique from others?

 

My recipe & methods are major distinctions in my brand,and I take sugarcraft more as a work of art than just decoration.

 

What has been the response from customers?

Response from customers has been impressive.

 

What are the challenges that you are currently facing?

 

A major challenge I am facing is with trying out new recipes that require some scarce ingredients that you can hardly get in Nigeria. So most times I go for likely alternatives. An example of such recipes is the orange cake,mostly for diabetic patients.

 

Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

In the next five years I see my brand among the top leading brands in the nation and a leading institute that's training on cakes & sugar craft.

 

How can prospective customers reach you?

Customers can reach me on 08116951574 and also follow me on IG @crown_meadows_cakes

 

 

 

Moiritza Essenza on 9jaStartUpSeries

Kindly introduce yourself and your brand

Moiritza Essenza is a Cosmetologist and Perfumery. We provide Beauty Advisory services, Make up Artistry and produce beauty and health products.

Our products carry the MEB (Moiritza Essenza Brand) Trademark.

Educational background?

University of Lagos, Nigeria. B.A. Philosophy

What does your brand do?

They furnish clients with the essentials of a good and healthy life.

How did you start your brand?

 It started with a research into why people are faced with certain health and beauty problems. What the brand does is to look for a holistic approach to help resolve these issues.

How do you make your products?

The herbs, butter and oil are sourced and produced from fruits, leaves, barks and roots of medicinal trees found in different parts of the country. (With more topical products in the pipeline)

How lucrative is the business? Very

Price range of your products? The least goes for 500 naira while d most is 2,500 this depends on the product type and d qty packaged.

What makes your brand unique from others? Our brand is an integration of oral and topical health and beauty fixes.

What has been the response from customers? So far, we have had positive responses from our clients and impressively a great deal of referrals.

What are the challenges that you are currently facing? Ease of production will go a very long way in the brand advancement.

Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

 To be the one brand that meets multitudes of basic health and beauty needs.

How can prospective customers reach you?

Leave a comment on our blogspot; http://moiritza.blogspot.de/?m=1 or connect with us on facebook; www.facebook.com/Moiritza  07025295632

 

I recommend entrepreneurship for women – Afodeso

November 30, 2014 by Ife Adedapo 0 Comments

 

 

Kehinde Afodeso

Kehinde Afodeso, 27, is the Director, Atoke Makeup, a beauty and makeup outfit. She speaks on the attributes that make her business unique in this interview with IFE ADEDAPO

 

What was your growing up like?

 

I actually had a very strict and humble up-bringing. I remember growing up in a home filled with love. And I also remember not growing up with a silver spoon, but one thing I know we had then was love and we had each others’ back.

 

What kind of business do you do?

 

I am basically into makeup, bridal makeup, runway makeup, fashion makeup, skin consultation and skin care.

 

How did you start the business?

 

I started the business in 2011. When I started it was not a choice career for me although I had a keen interest in it. I remember seeing people beautifully made up in magazines because most of the time then, we usually see well made up faces mostly in magazines, unlike now that people wear makeup everyday and everywhere. I became curious as to how it is being done. After my NYSC, before gaining admission into a Masters degree programme in university of Ibadan, I decided to pick up a new challenge and learn makeup artistry. I enrolled in makeup school and make one in 2011.

 

What inspires your makeup style?

 

When I meet someone, the first thing I look at is the person’s features. I watch out for the shape of the eyes, and lips, and I come up with a makeup style that would enhance the person’s beauty and features. Unique facial features motivate me to try out different makeup styles. I find out that no two persons have the same facial structure. It is different for everybody and it is actually a challenge to try out new faces and see what can be done to improve their beautiful faces. I draw inspiration from works of older colleagues in the industry. I admire the beautiful jobs they do and i want to do better than they actually did.

 

What is your educational background?

 

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from University of Ilorin and a Masters degree in human nutrition from University of Ibadan.

 

Do you regret not working with your certificate right now?

 

No I don’t because I still have plans to work with it in line with makeup artistry. I don’t intend to abandon what I have learnt in school. I have plans to incorporate human nutrition in to the makeup business. There is a saying that beauty comes from within and we all know that it is what we eat that radiates outside. Nutrition plays a significant role in beauty and they go hand-in-hand. It when people feel comfortable in their skin that their beauty can radiate out. Like when someone who is fit, has good nutrition and feels confident, then the beauty tends to radiate. That is where makeup comes in to complement the beauty that already exists. I still intend to work with my knowledge in nutrition, I don’t just want to dump it.

 

We have a lot of makeup artist in the industry today, but what makes you business unique?

 

For now, it might just seem like all makeup artists are doing the same thing but I would say apart from the future plans that I have to start incorporating nutrition into the business, the unique aspect of my business is customer service. I try as much as possible to tolerate people. In the industry, people tend to look down on makeup artists, treat them with disrespect and price the them down. For me, I tolerate all these and don’t let it get to me and it is portrayed in the way I treat my clients. When I go for jobs, people often say most makeup artists are rude and they are surprised that I am not. I just tell them that in order to survive in this business, one has to be tolerant. A makeup expert should not always have his or her way at all times because such attitude can be perceive as insulting.

In addition, I try to work on the features I see on people. I don’t try to give them a different face from what they have. I give them a different complexion from their natural one, but I enhance their natural beauty.

 

Who is you role model?

 

In the makeup industry, Banke Meshida inspires me to want to be better and improve on my skills.

 

If you go back to when you started, what would you do differently?

 

I would have tried to create a balance between my makeup and Masters programme in the university. The programme was full time and took up a lot of my time, making it difficult to set up a makeup studio. When you have to always be in class and it was so difficult for me. In order to start a makeup studio, I need make myself available at all times and before leaving the place to people to man. I wish I had tried to crate that balance. Then, I thought I should concentrate on my Masters programme and after I would set up the studio. I wish I had done that differently.

 

What are your challenges and how do you tackle them?

 

Like every other business, competition is one of the greatest challenges we face. Competition is everywhere and the makeup industry is becoming saturated and the charges are not standardised. Basically, I tackle that by leveraging on referrals from friends, family and clients that I have worked on before because I found out that people tend to believe their friends and family than when you introduce yourself to them as a makeup artist.

When I work with someone I try as much as possible to give my best so that the person can actually refer me to friends and family.

I improve on my skills as well. I learn, read and practise every day so as to be better in it. Another challenge I face is when clients don’t keep to commitments. For instance, when someone books a date with you and then two to three days to the day, they tell you they are cancelling. That is a very big challenge because I would have planned my time around that day. What I do in the situation is to tell my clients to pay a certain amount as commitment fee prior to the day.

 

Where do you see your business in 10 years times?

 

I see my business not only as a makeup business, but as a beauty outfit and also a well centre. I tend to combine wellness and makeup to beauty people inside out. In ten years time I see myself as a beauty and wellness expert.

 

What is your take on graduates choosing entrepreneurship over full time employment?

 

I am an advocate of entrepreneurship most especially for women, not because there are few jobs available in Nigeria but because there is a fulfilment and joy derived from knowing that you can actually utilise you talents and be creative with your hands. The money there might be very little at the beginning but consistency is the key. Anyone going into entrepreneurship must first find his or her passion. And try to gain addition knowledge on how it can be improved on. Patience is very key to survive as an entrepreneur because it is a long process for an entrepreneur to be successful. It is not a journey of two to six months.

Also, in everything you do, try to put a bit of professionalism.

 

Culled from punchng.com

Brand Owner of Hago Femina, Baderinwa Omobolade Ibukunoluwa

Kindly introduce yourself and your brand

My name is Baderinwa Omobolade Ibukunoluwa, my brand constitutes of everything that boarders around indigenous fabric craft. Our mission is to create indigenous pieces that ensemble; no matter the outfit pulled off. Our major target is to ensure that while trying to imbibe the indigenous style, women stand out.

 

Educational background?

I am a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University with a Bachelor of Science and education degree in Economics.

What does your brand do?

We produce handmade fabric pieces; these pieces range from shoes, clutch bags, neckpieces, earrings, hair accessories, wristwatches, bangles and bracelets

How did you start your brand?

I took a paid course in fabric crafting and because I generally have a passion for hand crafting; in one week I presented my first set of pieces.

How do you make your products?

The pieces are totally handmade, we make use of chains, fashion wires and proper finishes, and we also incorporate ornaments to our finishes. For the shoes some customers bring their pairs to be refurbished, customers are also allowed to bring their fabrics for us to work with.

 

How lucrative is the business?

As long as your creativity is evident such that your pieces are unique, of topmost quality and durability, and affordable; just like the sale of fashion pieces people would consistently buy into the product.

Price range of your products?

It depends on what product and service you are purchasing, some people prefer that we work with their fabrics and/or ornaments.  However, some stand alone earrings go for as low as a thousand naira.

 

What makes your brand unique from others?

I incorporate the use of fashion wires and chain into my fabric pieces, and I work very hard at making my finishing neat and decent…. Making it look just like the industrial pieces.

What has been the response from customers?

So far, all my customers have loved their products; as a matter of fact, for every product there is usually at least one referral.

What are the challenges that you are currently facing?

I have to combine it with my regular job and since for now I have no staff; it has been a major challenge.

Where you see the brand in 5 years?

My very hope is that we would go viral with our brand selling worldwide; we would have a school to teach interested entrepreneurs and also a foundation to support women; especially single mothers, widows and the less privileged ladies and women.

How can prospective customers reach you?

hago.femina@gmail.com