OUR AGENT NETWORK HAS CREATED OVER A THOUSAND JOBS – AFRIMASH CEO

OUR AGENT NETWORK HAS CREATED OVER A THOUSAND JOBS – AFRIMASH CEO

 

 

In this interview, Ayoade Ahmed Oyedotun, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Afrimash Limited, Nigeria’s leading agri-tech eCommerce platform speaks on the agriculture sector and how Afrimash is using information technology to improve food security and productivity in Nigeria via their new USSD Code and Agent Network. Anthony Nwosu captures this in an exclusive interview.

 

 

What is informing your decision on deploying these technologies in Nigeria?(Tell us about Afrimash) 

Our mission is to make agriculture convenient for everyone. We want to create a system where farmers can have access to quality products without stressing them in Nigeria and in Africa as a continent. We know that the industry is growing and the players making waves are focused on funding, off-taking and access to credit facilities. While we focus on access to quality inputs and so on, we can be looking to off-take from farmers.  We wouldn’t wait for the full digitalization of our farmers. We rather chose to bring these technologies to them and make life easier for them. They do not have to be tech gurus to be able to place orders. With the USSD code and agent network, farmers can be anywhere and have access to any farm input they so desire.

Tell us about your USSD   that you just deployed?

The agent network works with these three platforms; the USSD, Agent Mobile app and IVR (Integrated Vertical Response – a self-service voice response that prompts callers on what to do). The USSD technology made it possible for people that do not have smartphones to access our products and farm inputs using the code – *2282*2#. At AFRIMASH, we are focused on convenient agriculture. Although we started with just the website, we had to discover the bridge to link us to farmers, especially those that do not have access to the internet. This was the sole reason we deployed our USSD codes, to help those that do not have smartphones. The USSD code is important to these farmers and we have a lot of products in various categories. The USSD option grants access to lots of products in various categories. Features under the USSD option include order placements, shipping options, wallet, hot deals, and much more. By using this code, farmers can be notified of the nearest pickup locations to pick up their products. Our USSD makes it easy for farmers to access quality farm inputs and can be accessed via any network.

 

Tell us about the Agent Network and how it works

We realized that access to quality agricultural inputs has always been a challenge for farmers in rural communities. In 2021 we applied for and won a $150,000 grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in order to solve this critical problem for farmers. This birthed our Agent Network which is particularly unique in Nigeria’s Agri-tech ecosystem.

AFRIMASH has over 3,000 products on our website and we have the desire that farmers should know how to get easy access to these products. What we did was get an agent in every community to serve these farmers and farming clusters who asks them what they need and places an order on the website or Agent app and we get them delivered. We started this network in sixteen (16) states, Kaduna, Kebbi, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Borno, Benue, Niger, Ebonyi, Delta, Cross River, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti States. This agent network is co-sponsored by USAID and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit).

Tell us about this USAID  ?

In 2021, we made a pitch to USAID, and won a grant. We were given a sum of $150,000. This grant helped us in expanding the scope of our business. Their support made it possible for us to reach areas and communities that have insecurity issues such as Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Adamawa.

 

How many agents do you have presently and what are the impacts they have been able to make in the farming ecosystem?

Across these states we have a minimum of hundred agents in each state and multiply it by these sixteen states then we have over a thousand six hundred states. Although this has positively impacted our finances, most importantly, we have created jobs for over one thousand six hundred people and we have also been able to reach out to over one hundred and twenty-three thousand farmers across the nation. This is a remarkable achievement for us this year. We have also seen our revenue growth and have been able to reach out to places that we only dreamt of.  Our drive is that farmers get quality farm inputs irrespective of their literacy level.

Our app is so easy that Agents can know how much they are making on orders and can withdraw it to their regular bank accounts. The Agent Network has made things easy for farmers in the country.

Trust and acceptability would have been a challenge. How were you able to surmount this?

We initially had this challenge, farmers were used to the ‘cash and carry’ mode of transactions, but we are disrupting that model. We were able to gain an edge due to the profile of the agents we used- reputable individuals in the community. We also worked with Agric Extension officers from the ministry of agriculture. This method has helped us scale.

 

 

Support system for farmers in Nigeria is mostly lacking especially in the rural areas, what are you doing about this?

We offer systems and technical support from our in-house experts in fields such as agronomy, veterinary medicine and agricultural engineering. These experts reach out to these farmers, take enquiries and offer advisory services. Farmers understand that we have industry experts and due to this confidence, we have been able to advise them through their production processes; from delivery to production. We do not leave farmers without aid. We follow up from conception to production till access to the market. We have partnered with many organizations on the best farming methods for these farmers.

What are the challenges you have with poultry farmers in  ?

One major challenge has been the quality of the birds. We have started verification of the day-old chicks by putting stringent measures which ensure that farmers get quality day-old chicks from hatcheries across the country. We want farmers to get quality birds that will give them maximum output. We have put in place robust quality assurance processes that are conducted by our in-house veterinary doctors. These experts certify the quality of these birds that will go out.

 

How has this agent network program impacted the lives of farmers?

One of the critical areas that affects farmers is expiry of products. Most times farmers buy from villages or roadside Agro-allied product vendors that take time to sell a product. With our Agent Network, the farmers can have access to products that haven’t expired because we have partnership with manufacturers and authorized distributors. This way, farmers can be assured of the quality of the products, hence the issue of buying expired products have been eliminated.

As we are approaching the end of the year, what can you say AFRIMASH has been able to achieve?

We have made tremendous strides such as the introduction of the USSD technology and the agent network program. We wanted to capture farmers and farming communities in remote areas in all the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. We have also worked on various projects and have been able to impact the lives of several farmers.

What are we to expect from AFRIMASH this last quarter and in future?

Running our platform online, we have been able to close to a million items to farmers in over 10,000 transactions in Nigeria till date. The introduction of USSD and the agent network has the potential to scale it up and get to millions of farmers in Nigeria. We want to enable them to also shop through the IVR technology where they have access to online shopping assistant. We have a long product roadmap and they are designed for farmers regardless of their level of exposure to digital tools.

We want them to have access to quality products and we are just one click away.

 

 

“Our mission is to make agriculture convenient for everyone. We want to create a system where farmers can have access to quality products without stressing them in Nigeria and in Africa as a continent.”

 

 

VPD.MONEY MAKING BANKING TRULY MOBILE FOR NIGERIANS

VPD.MONEY MAKING BANKING TRULY MOBILE FOR NIGERIANS

 

 

VPD.money is a financial services App brought to you by part of the team that delivered VoguePay, A leading payment solutions provider that was founded in 2012 and now operating across 5 continents has reemphasized the importance of VPD.money mobile app as a financial management tool for Nigerians.  The mobile app has been lauded by users as an innovative mobile app that has aided transactions to a great extent for them.

Speaking on the importance of the mobile app, Michael Femi Simeon the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at VPD.money said “VPD.money is a financial services and lifestyle App that offers its users money management tools, instant access to a digital wallet and bank account. We are unifying wallet and digital banking experience in order to bridge the gap between Africa and the global e-commerce market. Enabling connectivity that drives performance powered by individuals, African & International SMEs, and the diaspora community seeking to trade or complete transactions in/with Africa. In a nutshell, VPD is the new way of living. The banking choice for the smart and new generation. A lifestyle banking app.”

“We believe that if you go to any part of the world be it Kenya or Gambia, you shouldn’t be bothered about remittances, payment and exchange rates, that is where we come in. Though, we have Fintechs in payment, digital banking etc. we are into digital banking that is supported by artificial intelligence (AI) these solution helps in gathering data for you, tries to answer critical questions like how to serve you best, at what convenient and at what rates can I change the currencies when you travel out. Our solution addresses these things”, Michael added.

Speaking on the relationship with the legacy banks or the traditional banks, the Fintech boss said that there is need for banks to partner with fintechs to be relevant in future.

He opined that “Our relationship has been great, as banks, the traditional banks ought to work with us and they are doing that. Though the regulation is developed around the legacy banks, a lot of smart banks are working hand in hand with innovative fintechs so as to disrupt themselves. Some are even buying fintechs and investing massively, any bank that wants to be part of the future must align with the realities which is fintech. If you want to go far in this ecosystem, you must key into fintech. “

Simeon lamented on the importation of foreign software to the detriment of indigenous software developers and fintech firms. Running into billions on annual basis, the fintech boss said that it is high time banks started collaborating with indigenous fintech firm to make them scale in future and be highly competitive. Available in the Google Playstore and Apple Playstore, VPD.money has gained acceptability in the country.

“It is not only a wrong approach, but a gross betrayal to millions of Nigeria that has the capacity to deliver and also a capital flight to the nation. It is worrisome. We have the biggest resources which is the people, go to Silicon Valley, you see a lot of Nigerians thriving and manning serious IT projects, why are the Nigerian banks deploying obsolete Indian software”, Simeon concluded.

 

 

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

 

NCC, NLRC inaugurate committee to strengthen consumer protection

NCC, NLRC inaugurate committee to strengthen consumer protection

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) on Thursday in Abuja set up a committee to work towards the protection of the interest of telecom consumers against malpractices that may attend mobile lotteries in the country.

The Committee, which was inaugurated at the NCC Head Office in Abuja, was tasked with the responsibility of articulating measures to address mutual regulatory issues, including the review of revenue-sharing formula between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and lottery operators.

The NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), Barrister Adeleke Adewolu, who presided at the meeting comprising senior staff of the two agencies, recalled fondly previous engagements between the agencies and stated that the committee was important in order to review and update an NCC-NLRC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed on the 6th of August 2018 but has now expired.

The ECSM said the Commission is committed to regulatory collaboration and strategic partnerships and has carefully reviewed NLRC’s requests and is convinced that both organisations can conclusively address issues and other concerns that have been identified in the operation of lotteries in the telecom industry.

“We expect that the Joint Committee of senior members of staff in both organisations will work closely to develop a collaborative framework to progressively improve gaming service delivery for telecoms consumers and further accelerate holistic development in Nigeria’s digital economy,” Adewolu stated.

In addition, the ECSM reiterated that the Committee is expected to articulate a new MoU to address issues around revenue sharing between MNOs and lottery operators, the need to review and recommend a workable model for addressing the needs of both organisations, and present informed recommendations to deepen regulatory collaboration between the two regulatory agencies.

“Given the strong professional pedigree of the members of this Joint Committee, I have no doubt that they will meet and even exceed the expectations of the Managements of both the NCC and the NLRC, and I wish you all success in this task,” Adewolu added.

Speaking on behalf of the Director-General, NLRC, Lanre Gbajabiamila, the Director, Legal Services, NLRC, Olayemi Ajayi, expressed her organisation’s commitment to improving revenue generation from the lottery industry while appreciating NCC for being receptive to inter-organisational collaborations.

Ajayi reiterated the need for renewal of the expired MoU with amendments to accommodate new provisions that will be favourable to stakeholders and fast-track the development of Nigeria’s digital economy.

Ajayi assured that, “The NLRC is working tirelessly to ameliorate its functions and service delivery to stakeholders. Therefore, this renewed collaboration with NCC will help for better and efficient service delivery by both agencies.”

 

E-VOTING WILL ENTRENCH DEMOCRATIC ETHOS, SPURS DEVELOPMENT – NITDA BOSS

E-VOTING WILL ENTRENCH DEMOCRATIC ETHOS, SPURS DEVELOPMENT – NITDA BOSS

 

The proper administration of elections contributes immensely to the growth of democracy and civic development, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE has said.
Inuwa stated this in Abuja while delivering a paper at a hybrid symposium of the Nigeria eGovernment Summit 2022 themed: “Promoting eGovernment in Election Year for Improved Governance”.

Represented by Mr. Bernard Ewah, the acting Director, e-Government Development and Regulation Department, the DG NITDA said, “e-voting constitutes a very important aspect of ICT-enabled democratic governance. It generally aims at increasing participation of citizens in the electoral process and improving the outcomes of elections by addressing challenges associated with traditional voting practices”.

The NITDA boss explained that the e-voting technologies support one or more of the major phases of the electoral processes from the registration stage in the pre-voting phase to voting, balloting and verification to counting or tallying after voting.
Inuwa asserted that e-governance has become an important mechanism in enhancing citizens’ participation, monitoring and evaluating government projects, ensuring government accountability and transparency as well as transferring information from one sector to another.

“e-government has transformed Nigeria into a world-class economy and has restructured our electoral and other government processes” he added.

He said, “Participatory democracy is one of the major requirements for achieving e-governance, particularly, where majority of the citizenry is disenchanted with the electioneering or democratic processes or government. For successful adoption of e-voting and e-government, grassroots mobilization through e-democracy should be encouraged.”

He disclosed that NITDA has an e-Government Master Plan that promotes the use of e-government at sub-national and grassroots, adding that, so far, Plateau, Benue, Jigawa, Ogun and Nasarawa states have benefited from this initiative.

Inuwa, while asserting that a unique feature of e-Governance in an election year is the increasing use of private or non-state infrastructure, noted that a lot of Nigerians are utilising personal devices and private networks to disseminate information relating to the forthcoming general election. “As such, the role of government is to ensure that non-state actors including individuals and private businesses act responsibly and uphold the common interest of the Nigerian sovereignty.”

NITDA boss further stated that the adoption of electronic voting and transmission of results has the potential to drastically reduce the prospect of electoral violence because as long as the polling centers are well secured, political thugs will have little or no influence over proceedings as the results could be transmitted within minutes to the collation center.

He concluded that as the 2023 general elections draws nearer, electronic voting would play a paramount role. He said, “E-voting is becoming a standard in electoral processes around the world, and Nigeria is poised to improve its ranking on the global e-governance index as well as toe the line of countries like Estonia, Brazil, India, Philippines and Australia who have all introduced e-voting at various levels in their political systems.”
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VAB SOLUTIONS LIMITED HELP SMEs IN NIGERIA TO DIGITIZE THROUGH INNOVATIVE IT SOLUTIONS 

VAB SOLUTIONS LIMITED HELP SMEs IN NIGERIA TO DIGITIZE THROUGH INNOVATIVE IT SOLUTIONS 

 

 

 

In a digitizing world, there is a need for businesses to get up-to-date with the digital trends and while on it also protect their information technology (IT) infrastructure with robust cyber security solutions that will no deep a huge hole in their pocket.  Looking at the cost-effective IT solutions for businesses locally, especially those in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), VAB Solutions Limited, an indigenous IT firm located in Victoria Island, Lagos is bringing to the market robust IT and cyber security solutions that is tailor-made for Nigerian firms. A move the company said that will deepen their business productivity and continuity.

Speaking to the media, Voke Benjamin Agadagba, the Managing Consultant of VAB Solutions Limited said that “VAB Solutions started operation January 2018 however the company was incorporated September 2017, We like to think of ourselves as an information technology ( IT ) Advisor, meaning we believe our customers ought to understand the core value of IT and appreciate the return on investment (ROI) in any solution that will ease their paint point before getting into any agreement, VAB Solutions derives the acronyms VAB from Values Added Business, our core areas of interest is IT infrastructure and IT Security, we are not a jack of all trade organization but we like to harness the knowledge so as to advise our customers and potential customer the benefits from an end to end solution of their pain points”

On their relationship and the way, they deploy solutions to clients, Voke said “First, we like to understand the situation, so we can give the best advice, secondly, we then render solutions that will embed the customer’s systems for a long time. We are indeed in business to make money but paramount that is to have a have customer call us and gives us a thumbs up. This a lot shows the value and not the money. I believe the keyword here is value, Many companies sell security solution, but the question is how long does it take for the customer to realize that the tool you have provided lacks some features or doesn’t the work as expected, in lieu of the above we only partner with OEM’s that have long lasting credibility in the market and solutions that cater not just for the customer but with their solution they can solve the customers issues not for 2, 4, 5years, NO, but a solutions that embeds itself with the customer.”

On deploying specifically to the SME sector, the company made it known that IT solutions shouldn’t be viewed from the prism of being too pricey or expensive. They have specific solutions for the SMEs, Voke added that “we sell security solutions for the Enterprise Market and Small medium organizations, we also factor the organization budget in offering their security needs, being an organization that prefer to render value, we have strong relationships with our vendors and preach the needs to factor all organization in our sales circle. So, we do not have a particular market we are focused in, we can work with the small firms and big conglomerates.”

On ways to prevent data breach, Voke advised firms on what to do. Hear him, “Data Breach can be prevented by taking certain security measures which includes but is not limited to; Ensuring the security application software(s) are running and are up to date. Using multifactor authentication where necessary.  Also, the need to have updated system is critical, as criminals and hacks get more sophisticated the need to have updated system is important. ”

Established in 2017, with a team of experts with vast knowledge across the different IT domains, from their small but resolute beginning, VAB Solutions Limited has made major inroads into the IT market, capturing key area of products and services, and established a track record of success in delivering high quality products and services VAB Solutions has proven its ability to deliver timely, cost-effective solutions for small owner managed business to multi-national companies.

Zoom Users Advised to Update Software After Vulnerabilities Found

Zoom Users Advised to Update Software After Vulnerabilities Found

 

 

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has advised users of videotelephony platform, Zoom, to install the latest update of the software from its publisher’s official website following the discovery of vulnerabilities that allows a remote attacker to exploit the app.

 

In advisory issued on Wednesday, NCC-CSIRT reported that the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) found several flaws in Zoom product.

 

The videotelephony platform became popular for virtual meetings in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic with more than 300 million daily users.

 

According to the NCC-CSIRT advisory, “A remote attacker could exploit the vulnerabilities to circumvent implemented security measures and cause a denial of service on the targeted machine.”

 

It noted that “These vulnerabilities exist owing to incorrect access control implementation in Zoom On-Premises Meeting Connector MMR prior to version 4.8.20220815.130. A remote attacker could exploit these flaws to join a meeting they were not permitted to attend without being seen by the other attendees. They can also access audio and video feeds from meetings they were not permitted to attend, as well as interrupt other sessions.”

 

Successful exploit of these vulnerabilities could allow an unauthorized remote authenticated user to bypass implemented security limitations on the targeted system.

 

The Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large. The CSIRT also work collaboratively with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risks incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, and problems or related events.

NCC-CSIRT Urges Firmware Update after Lenovo Found Vulnerabilities in Own Products

NCC-CSIRT Urges Firmware Update after Lenovo Found Vulnerabilities in Own Products

 

 

Equipment manufacturer, Lenovo, has disclosed several vendor vulnerabilities in some of its products, which it said could lead to information disclosure, privilege escalation, and denial of service.

 

The vulnerabilities primarily affect Lenovo Products (Desktop, Desktop-All in One, Hyperscale, Lenovo Notebook, Smart Office, Storage, ThinkAgile, ThinkPad, ThinkServer, ThinkStation, and ThinkSystem).

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT), in its recent advisory, rated the probability of the vulnerability as high with an equally high damage potential. It, therefore, urged users of affected products to update their firmware.

 

The advisory cited the Lenovo report, first published in the second week of this month, indicating that the vulnerabilities are caused by flaws in the System Management Interrupt (SMI) Set BIOS Password SMI Handler, other systems used to configure platform settings over Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and a buffer overflow flaw in WMI SMI Handler.

 

Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities could allow an authenticated local attacker to bypass security restrictions, gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code on the targeted system. The attacker could also send a specially crafted request to the targeted user to gain sensitive information, which could result in unauthorized Information disclosure, privilege escalation and denial of service on the targeted system.

 

According to NCC-CSIRT, the solution to addressing the vulnerabilities is for users to update their system firmware to the newer version(s) indicated for their product model.

 

The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large. The CSIRT also works collaboratively with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risk incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, and problems or related events.

NO STATE HAS APPROVAL FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS IN NIGERIA

NO STATE HAS APPROVAL FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS IN NIGERIA

 

The Presidency wishes to strongly assert that there is no state, not Katsina, not any other state in the federation, that has been authorized to procure automatic weapons for their security outfits.

Under this administration, the President has repeatedly made it clear that nobody is allowed to illegally carry AK-47 or any other automatic weapons and that they must surrender them.

Where they fail to do so, the law enforcement agencies have been given clear directives to deal with any such outlaws.

Under the existing regulations, only the Office of the National Security Adviser can issue such authorization, upon proper clearance by the President and Commander-in-Chief and as it is at this moment, no such approvals have been issued to any state government.

In the specific Katsina State often cited, the Governor, Aminu Bello Masari wrote to explain that the administration invited the Provost of the Civil Defence Training College in Katsina to train their Vigilantes for a five-day period “in the handling and operations of Pump Action Rifles,” emphasizing that “the Vigilantes were not trained to take over the responsibilities of the security agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria but to assist them.”

 

The Presidency appreciates the active involvement of states with security matters.
As they continue to expand their capabilities as well as their active collaboration with law enforcement agencies of the federation, the joint efforts continue to yield good results, thwarting attempts of terrorists to wreak havoc and destruction on communities.

The President in particular has expressed happiness that in the last couple of years, security outfits mandated by state governments have been associated with several important initiatives, and reports have reached him of acts of utmost bravery and professionalism.

He thanks them for their alertness that is helping to defeat nefarious plots against targets at grassroots levels.

He, however, cautions against the politicization of security.

Government at the centre with a national mandate cannot afford to alienate Ondo State or any other state for that matter on the important issue of security and urges leaders at various levels to exercise restraint in their speech, even as we are in a political season.

NIGERIAN SAUDI ARABIA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE WILL DEEPEN COUNTRIES RELATIONS

NIGERIAN SAUDI ARABIA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE WILL DEEPEN COUNTRIES RELATIONS
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the establishment of the Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture will deepen the relations between the two countries beyond diplomatic ties to commerce and industry.
The Minister made the remarks in Abuja on Thursday when he received the President of the newly-established Chamber, Engr. Ibrahim Usman, on a courtesy visit.
“Clearly from your presentation, it’s clear that the major objective is to change the narrative and ensure that the relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria should not be seen just from the narrow prism of Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, but from the prism of two very important nations of the world creating a bridge through better cooperation for the two countries and their citizens,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed described the Chamber as a clearing house for proposals from business people from the two countries in order to open new vistas for trade opportunities.
He said the absence of such a Chamber has led to the decline in the volume of trade and also bred trust deficit between business people from the two countries.
“The absence of this vehicle has led to loss of businesses between the two countries and it has also aggravated the trust deficit between them,” he said.
The Minister congratulated Engr. Usman for his doggedness in making the establishment of the Chamber a reality, after over 10 years of strenuous efforts, saying he has proven himself as a man of vision and deep conviction.
In his remarks, Engr. Usman said in spite of the historical relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, the volume of trade between the two countries is about $5 million.
“And whereas many Saudi investors are looking out for profitable investment windows in friendly countries like Nigeria, our businesses have been unable to capitalize on such opportunities due to lack of an organized, reliable, safe and very secure private sector platform like a Chamber of Commerce,” he said.
He said a 60-member inter-ministerial delegation from Saudi Arabia will be in Nigeria next week for the second session of the Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission, which will further create opportunities for the chamber to set up trade missions.

HER STORY FROM A WHEELBARROW PUSHER TO NYSC CORP MEMBER TO A BUSINESS OWNER

HER STORY FROM A WHEELBARROW PUSHER TO NYSC CORP MEMBER TO A BUSINESS OWNER

 

 

 

 

In a country that youths are traveling out calling it Japa, a lot of Nigerian youths also have been able to show their business agility and institutions have been nurturing their growth from cradle to what they are today. One of the great business story was the story of Ojevwe Owhorode a young-Nigerian girl that is consciously grown her business.

Speaking via her Linkedin account, Ojevwe said,”I have been on LinkedIn for sometime now and I have been contemplating on how to go about my first post. Amazingly, an incredible event happened in August and I saw it as a good opportunity to kick-start my LinkedIn journey.”

She added that “I’m currently an Edo state Corper (Batch B Stream II, 2022). Two months ago, I was at the Nysc orientation camp in Edo state and we were told about a competition organized by Access Bank Plc known as “accesspreneur” (a business plan competition where corp members were to write a business plan on their business idea and 10 best plans would be selected for pitching before a selected panel of judges with the winner going home with a star prize of One million naira). Fortunately, I had started a business in school and I saw this as a great opportunity for my business to come to the limelight. Well, I must confess, I was a bit scared but I took up the challenge regardless.”

“I had started a gas delivery service for students with 19,500 Naira, which I used to get a wheelbarrow for picking up and delivering the students gas cylinders. After my classes each day, I would push that wheelbarrow from hostel to hostel and then to the gas station to get the cylinders filled and afterwards, return them. Many people made remarks about why a stunning young woman like me would be pulling a wheelbarrow, but it didn’t matter because I knew where I was going. This business didn’t make me slack off in school either. I graduated with a Distinction and in fact 3rd best in my class from Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences department of the prestigious Petroleum Training Institute (P.T.I.), Nigeria.(P.T.I.), Nigeria.”

“To make a long tale short, I applied for and was selected for this competition and I won it!Today with that grant, I have successfully set up my own gas station. Although modest, this is just the beginning of great things for this business. By the way, the name of my brand is WINX GLOBAL. Do enjoy the ride because u will be hearing alot from this brand. Indeed, we are going global!”

 

 

Anthony Emeka Nwosu