Women Ministry to partner UN-Women on Digitally Assisted Climate Smart Agriculture Platform.

Women Ministry to partner UN-Women on Digitally Assisted Climate Smart Agriculture Platform.

 

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen. OFR, KSG has directed the Department of Economic Services of Her Ministry to further explore the newer proposal of the UN-Women’s agricultural empowerment digital platform tagged, “Rural Women Economic Empowerment Through Digitally Assisted Climate Smart Agriculture” so as to harness the benefits for many more Nigerian rural women.

It should be recalled that the Ministry through the same Department has a similar platform which it runs under the World Bank-assisted Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) which however is not empowering women in Agriculture but for the economic emancipation of women through Cooperative Societies in their trade clusters.

Dame Tallen gave the marching order to the Department of Economic Services when she received in audience, the new UN-Women Country Representative to Nigeria and Ecowas, Ms. Beatrice Eyong who came on her first official visit to the Minister. The new Country Representative came hitting the grounds running, with her proposal on Rural Women Economic Empowerment Through Digitally Assisted Climate Smart Agriculture.

The Women Affairs Minister, Dame Tallen stated that the digital platform of the UN-Women aligns with the Ministry’s World Bank assisted project on women economic empowerment which she revealed is very dear to her while observing further that the main problem of women is poverty. The Minister’s recommendation is that “If government could focus more on empowering women, it will not only change the lives of women alone, but jump-start the economy.” She therefore called for more Government’s resources to be devoted to women empowerment projects.

Ms. Beatrice Eyong, the newly deployed UN-Country Rep to Nigeria and ECOWAS who is a Cameroonian succeeds Ms Comfort Lamptey in that Office. She has over 35 years professional working experience in promoting gender equality and Women’s Empowerment.

The UN-Women Country rep who came in company of her Deputy, Mr. Jansana Wonneh and UN Consultant, Christine Uwamahoro; said UN-Women in Nigeria is developing a “new strategy note” which is the organization’s plan for the next 5years. According to her, the Ministry’s team needs to put “words” into the draft strategic document on what UN-Women programme should be for the country in the next 5years. She submits that the organization doesn’t want to sit in the office and come up with information on what they think the needs of Nigerian Women, girls and vulnerable should be. This, she said made them to incorporate field-data gotten from 6 Geo-political zones covering 36 States of Nigeria into the document.

Beatric Eyong further stated that the UN-Women’s coming to the Ministry is also, to tell the Minister that they are at the point of developing this document saying that whatever programme UN-Women will carry out in Nigeria must align with what the Ministry stand for and must tally with national priorities.

Commenting on “Rural Women Economic Empowerment Through Digitally Assisted Climate Smart Agriculture”, Beatrice disclosed that the digital platform to drive Assisted Climate Smart Agriculture for rural women has been applied in Mali, Senegal and other parts of Africa and has been embraced and met with many successes to the benefit of rural women farmers and even men.
She pointed out that a lot of leadership work have been done at the National and States levels on the digital platform. She said the aim of the digital platform is to use it to enhance both economic and financial capacities of rural communities; as it introduced them to digital economy and better prepare them for climate change. It is also to see what opinions, inputs and criticisms the Ministry may have on the digital agricultural platform to make it better.

As the Women affairs minister at the courtesy call event formally welcomed the newly deployed Permanent Secretary, Mr. Aliyu Shehu Shinkafi to the Ministry, she seized the moment to congratulate the newly promoted Directors, Andrew Ali Madugu of the Child Development Department and Funke Oladipupo of Women’s Development Department.

Dame Tallen stressed the need for everyone in the Ministry to keep drumming support for and advocating for the empowerment of many more Nigerian women, especially those in the rural areas. According to her, once a woman is empowered, the home and lifestyle of her family will change and the nation will be healthier and better-off.

In his short speech to welcome the new UN-Women’s Country Rep and her Team, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Shehu Aliyu Shinkafi, while welcoming the new UNWomen Country reps, said he fully appreciates the UN and other development partners in their collaboration with the Ministry; particularly, in the roles they are playing in the lives of women and children. Shinkafi prayed that the synergy of the UN Agencies with the Women Affairs Ministry will grow from strength to strength.

The courtesy call event had in attendance other Directors of the Ministry, including Director of Economic Services, Mr. Idris Mohammed who while giving a vote of thanks to close the event remarked that the directive of the Honourable will not only be expedited, but deeper research to enable a successful outcome for the Un-Women’s Rural Women Economic Empowerment Through Digitally Assisted Climate Smart Agriculture.

Report by Taiwo Hassan (Chief Information Officer)

UN Independent Experts seek partnership with Women Ministry to prioritize care for older Women.

UN Independent Experts seek partnership with Women Ministry to prioritize care for older Women.

 

…… senior citizens should not be left behind in order for them to enjoy their old age – Tallen.

While receiving the delegation of the United Nations Independent Experts On The Enjoyment Of All Human Rights By Older Persons to Nigeria in an official visit to her office 8th September, 2022, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen OFR, KSG said that senior citizens should not be left behind in order for them to enjoy their old age.

The Minister who warmly welcome the UN Team in company of the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shinkafi re-emphasized that the mission of the Team is already part of the Ministry’s Mission, Vision and Mandates of the Ministry.

She promised to work with the Team on their laudable mandates; saying that our children have a lot to learn from the wisdom of the elders. She maintained that elderly people need our attention, care and love.

Tallen disclosed that the problem faced in the society today is traced to the neglect of the elderly. She commends the UN for having a mandate on the cause of older persons and for developing such mandates “where no one is left behind within gender equality.” Without mincing word, the Minister said that issues of gender-based violence, climate change and crime against humanity must be addressed.
While recognizing the yeoman’s job being undertaken by Nigeria’s illustrious daughter, Amina Muhammed as UN Deputy Secretary-General on women and gender equality, the Minister assured the delegation of working with the UN System, particularly UN Women, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNDP etc. to address issues affecting older women.
Speaking earlier, Ms Claudia Mahler in company of her team, thanked the Minister for warmly receiving her team requesting Nigeria to “put some importance on older women because they are vulnerable people in the society.”

Ms. MAHLER’s Team has already pulled in, the Director-General, Senior Citizens Commission of Nigeria, Dr. M.M. Omokaro to join the Women Affairs Team that will give her insight into how older women are being treated in Nigeria and suggestions on what the UN can do to assist in remediating gaps.

She stated that inequality is a huge issue in Nigeria especially for older women as this gets aggravated as they get older. Barring all the issues about neglect and inequality, Tallen saw a lot of resilience and strength in Nigeria’s older women. She further stated that there is a need for us to take care of our elderly women.

The visiting UN Expert on The Enjoyment Of All Human Rights By Older Persons to Nigeria asserts that there is a gap in data, policy and practice on matters concerning the elderly as “they are not included in decision making process”. She observed that as demographics are changing in favour of older women, all of us should get prepared to care of the elderly; stressing that climate change has a lot of impact on the lives of women especially those living in rural areas.

Ms Claudia disclosed that the mission of team is to collaborate with the Ministry to create awareness on this issue and also, to “assess the situation” so as to get a fruitful exchanges and insights from the Ministry.

Report by Taiwo Hassan (Chief Information Officer) with input from Olaoye Boluwatife (NYSC member) & Agbo Maria (Undergrad Intern)

PRO UJU ANYA: NOBODY HAS YET ACCUSED HER OF TELLING LIES

PRO UJU ANYA: NOBODY HAS YET ACCUSED HER OF TELLING LIES

 

Even Christains who pray for their enemies to die by fire everyday, are attacking Uju Anya for expressing her satisfaction over the death of her own “enemy” We have people who celebrate the death of politicians in this country and even pray for more politicians to die, they see nothing wrong in their actions but thinks Uju has defiled the land..If this is not hypocrisy, then i need a better explanation.
If Valdmir Putin of Russia dies today, the way Ukraine will react to it is different from the way countries like china and north Korea will react, that’s life.

Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest serving monarch, is deadUju Anya might be harsh with her words, but looking deeply, you will agree with me that her tweet was a reaction to an action.We all know Uju Anya, she is beautifully brave and Brilliantly controversial. She loves expressing herself and damning the consequences.People will judge her for her “harsh” comments about late Queen Elizabeth II and I understand. If i were her, I wouldn’t have made such comment publicly, she is an African and I expect her to understand better.

I’m an African, not the just an African but an Igbo to the core just like her. Understandably, it is obviously against our culture to speak ill of the dead, but we are permitted to speak in parables, when “terrible” people die. that’s what Uju Anya did.With the available evidence, i cannot accuse her of Violating the African cultural heritage.Names were not mentioned, but the message was clear to all and sundry. The fact that the whole world was able to relate to her message even when names were not mentioned, shows that she is not lying, she is just being harsh.I have listened to some of the people who criticized her, but just like me, they all accused her of being harsh, nobody has been able to accuse her with facts that she lied.

She didn’t lie, she was just too blunt.Most times, when people are angry with the dead, they dam the consequences and speak their minds.We all watch movies, let me bring it down to Nollywood movies so it can be widely relateable. When we watch patience ozokwor commit or support evil in movies, we pray for her not to die well in that movie, when she finally dies in the movie, we feel better.
To buttress this, i will like to remind you of how patience ozokwor was nearly lynched in Lagos in her early days in the movie industry. She was so good in interpreting evil roles, she pounded a new born baby in a movie and she made it look so real with her facial expressions. She visited Lagos and was almost lynched.

I have seen people spit on the dead and urinate on their graves, that’s extreme but when you hear their story, your judgement might change. We know how people celebrated the death of abacha, If Buhari drops dead today, such thing is likely to happen.

That’s life, as we live, we create enemies and friends with our actions.Having said this, i think it is time for Africans to move on.. we need to move on from the blame games and our terrible pasts. yes, we were treated badly, brutally colonized but we are a little bit free now, we can change our destiny by focusing on innovations, productions and Positivity.Honourable Africa, we need to off the mic.
This is the time to move on.

Nichogbuagu Peter Onyedikachukwu

OGUN STATE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE INSPECTS SHIMAWA SMART POLICE FACILITIES, COMMENDS ADRON HOMES

OGUN STATE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE INSPECTS SHIMAWA SMART POLICE FACILITIES, COMMENDS ADRON HOMES

 

Adron Homes and Properties, a leading player in the real estate sector partners with the Nigerian Police Force to give Shimawa and its surrounding communities a strong security presence.

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole inspected the newly built, cutting-edge smart police station and quarters donated by Adron Homes and Properties, just as he commended the real estate giant for providing modern policing facilities in Shimawa, Ogun State.

The police chief, accompanied by the Area Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Ojugbele Adebola, did a general inspection of the building and other facilities put in place for police officers to be deployed to the area, the facilities include a cutting-edge smart Police Station and an elegant Officers’ quarters.
In his address after inspecting the facilities, he commended the company’s effort and lauded its cooperation with the force.

CP Bankole while appreciating the support of the host community for creating an enabling environment for business to thrive, which he said, would give the community the economic strength it deserves commended the Group Managing Director of Adron Homes and Properties, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking for the initiative and support towards the community.

Aare Adetola Emmanuelking in his speech reaffirmed Adron’s commitment to collaborating with the Nigerian Police Force, he said “safety has to be everyone’s responsibility” and that “safety and security don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and public investment.”

“Every investment in security is an investment in life,” he continued, “because being conscious also means being responsible, and this is one way we as an organization believe we can demonstrate our resolve and desire to give back to society.
As a home to several of our iconic estates, Shimawa continues to have a special place in our hearts.

The GMD thanked the Nigerian Police Force, especially, Ogun State Command for its unrelenting support in the area of security in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
Nigeria Police Force

 

PANTAMI EXCITED WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED 18.44% HIGHEST EVER ICT CONTRIBUTION TO NIGERIA’S GDP

PANTAMI EXCITED WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED 18.44% HIGHEST EVER ICT CONTRIBUTION TO NIGERIA’S GDP

 

The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), is very excited to hear of the remarkable contribution of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2022 (Q2 2022). The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated this in the ‘Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product Report’ for Q2 2022, released on the 26th of August, 2022.

The Digital Economy sector under Professor Pantami has continued its trend of playing a key part in the growth on Nigeria’s economy. The Report by the NBS indicated that the ICT sector contributed 18.44% to the total real GDP in Q2 2022. This is the highest contribution of ICT to the GDP and is truly unprecedented and marks the third time that the sector has achieved an unprecedented contribution to Nigeria’s GDP during the tenure of the Honourable Minister- in Q1 2020, Q2 2021 and now Q2 2022.

The oil sector contributed 6.33% to the total real GDP in Q2 2022, which was lower than the contribution in Q2 ‘2021 and Q1 ‘2022, where it contributed 7.42% and 6.63% respectively. The non-oil sector’s contribution grew by 4.77% in real terms, resulting in a 93.67% contribution to the nation’s GDP in the Q2 ‘2022, higher than Q2 ‘2021 and Q2 ‘2022, where it contributed 92.58% and 93.37% respectively.
The Honorable Minister notes that the growing contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP is as a result of the commitment of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to the development of the digital economy. The diligent implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria, stakeholder engagement and creation of an enabling environment have all played an important role in this achievement.

The support of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has contributed immensely to the impressive developments in the sector. The unprecedented contribution of ICT to Nigeria’s GDP can also be attributed to the dynamic and results-oriented leadership of the sector. The GDP Report has shown how critical the ICT sector is to the growth of our country’s digital economy and, by extension, the general economy.

The Honourable Minister congratulates all stakeholders in the digital economy ecosystem for this cheering news. He also renews his call to all sectors to take advantage of the Federal Government’s new focus on the digital economy to enable and improve their processes through the use of ICTs. This would enhance the output of all the sectors of the economy and boost Nigeria’s GDP.
Dr Femi Adeluyi

Technical Assistant (Research and Development) to theHonourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy

FG AND REPUBLIC OF CUBA TO COLLABORATE IN VACCINE PRODUCTION.

FG AND REPUBLIC OF CUBA TO COLLABORATE IN VACCINE PRODUCTION.

 

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora has said that the Federal Government and Republic of Cuba will collaborate in Vaccine production.

Dr. Adeleke said this when Amabassdor of Republic of Cuba Mrs Clara Pulido paid him a courtesy visit in his office on Tuesday, in Abuja.

He noted that the collaboration will ensure that companies producing vaccines in the Republic of Cuba can be established in Nigeria for fruitful bilateral relationship.The Minister while saying that Cuba has done so much in Primary Health Sector stated that Nigeria is also replicating same for the growth and development of our nation.

He further said that Federal Government is willing to collaborate with the Republic of Cuba in Vaccine Production to enable it tap Cuban’s wealth of experience in order to achieve our quest for health for all in the country.

Vaccine production, the minister said, will play a key role in tackling the emerging and re-emerging diseases in country, such as Malaria, Lasafever, monkey pox as all diseases have been declared emergency, globally.

Dr Adeleke further added that the Nigeria is making serious efforts in producing vaccine locally so as to enable the country prevent childhood diseases such as polio, tetanus and tuberculosis.

According to the minister, knowledge and experience of those who are ahead of us in Vaccine technology is something we must learn, through technology transfer.
Earlier, the Ambassador of Cuba Mrs Clara Puildo said that she is here to congratulate the minister on his assumption of duty and to seek for the ministry’s collaboration in vaccine production for betterment of the society.

Wildfire, floods don’t need to turn into disasters: United Nations (UN) risk repor

Wildfire, floods don’t need to turn into disasters: United Nations (UN) risk repor

Hazards such as earthquakes, floods, heatwaves, and wildfires, can be prevented from becoming life-threatening disasters, according to the authors of a UN report launched on Wednesday.

 

From record-breaking heatwaves in British Columbia, to wildfires in the Mediterranean, floods in Nigeria, and droughts in Taiwan; the period between 2021 and 2022 saw record-breaking catastrophic disasters in all corners of the world.

Some 10,000 people lost their lives, and an estimated $280 million was incurred in damages worldwide.

The latest Interconnected Disaster RiskOpens in new windows report, from the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHSOpens in new window), finds that many of these disasters shared root causes. At the same time, the study’s authors found that the solutions to preventing or managing them are also closely linked.

Connecting the dots

“Disasters occurring in completely different parts of the world at first appear disconnected from each other. But when you start analyzing them in more detail it quickly becomes clear that they are caused by the same things, for example greenhouse gas emissions or unsustainable consumption,” said Dr. Zita Sebesvari, lead author and deputy director of UNU-EHS.

To connect the dots, the research team of the Interconnected Disaster Risks report looked “below the surface” of each disaster and identified the drivers that allowed them to occur in the first place.

For instance, deforestation leads to soil erosion, which in turn makes land highly susceptible to hazards such as landslides, drought, and sandstorms.

An even deeper dive shows that the drivers of disasters are formed by shared root causes which are more systemic in nature, such as through economic and political systems.

Deforestation can be traced back to placing economic interests over those of the environment and to unsustainable consumption patterns.

Other common root causes found in the report include inequality of development and livelihood opportunities, human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, and legacies of colonialism. It is root causes like these that can be found in disasters around the globe.

Disasters occurring in completely different parts of the world at first appear disconnected from each other

The connections do not stop at root causes and drivers either, but also with who and what is at most risk; vulnerable groups, in both human settlements and natural ecosystems, continue to be the hardest hit by disasters.

‘Let nature work’

However, the solutions are also interconnected, which means that one type of solution can be applied in several contexts to reduce the impact of disasters in different parts of the world. Additionally, there are multiple solutions to address one disaster and they are most powerful when applied in combination with each other.

The “let nature work” solution, for example, draws on the strength of nature to prevent risks and avoid disasters.

Prescribed burning in forests can reduce the risk of mega-fires in the Mediterranean; restoring urban rivers and streams can reduce the impacts of floods like the one that hit New York in the wake of Hurricane Ida; and investing in boosting early warning systems can improve prediction and communication of risks ahead of time.

In three of the events analyzed in the report – the British Columbia Heatwave, the Tonga volcano and tsunami, and Lagos floods, in Nigeria – early warning systems could have reduced fatalities the report finds.

“If we don’t want the disasters which we are currently experiencing to become the new normal, we need to recognize that they are interconnected, as are their solutions,” says lead author Dr. Jack O’Connor.

“We have the right kind of solutions to better prevent and manage hazards, but we need to urgently invest in scaling them up and developing a better understanding of how they can work in combination with each other.”

‘We are all part of the solution’

Not all solutions will be convenient for everyone. The redistribution of resources among generations, countries, and groups of people with different vulnerabilities, or requesting the inclusion of stakeholders who are rarely heard, will mean that some will need to share their resources more broadly than they currently do.

The solutions are not limited to governments, policymakers, or the private sector. They can also be carried out at the individual level, the researchers urge.

“We can let nature work when we give spaces back to it. We can promote sustainable consumption by being mindful of where our food comes from and where we buy it.

“We can work together to prepare our communities in the event of a disaster,” says O’Connor.  “The point is that we, as individuals, are part of a larger collective action, which goes a long way in creating meaningful positive change. We are all part of the solution”.

NIPR Fellowship to Muoka, Ibietan, Meritorious – Danbatta

NIPR Fellowship to Muoka, Ibietan, Meritorious – Danbatta

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, has hailed the conferment of the Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, (fnipr) on two management staff of the Commission, as meritorious and a testimony to the Commission’s promotion of professionalism and excellence in its scheme of management.

The NCC EVC’s assertion followed the recent investiture and induction of Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs, and Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, Head, Media Relations in the Public Affairs Department of the Commission, as Fellows of the Chartered Institute during its AGM and Conference at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

Danbatta, in congratulating the duo, said the Commission is proud to have produced these two individuals who have been considered worthy of elevation to the fellowship cadre of the prestigious institution like the NIPR, and that their emergence resonates with two of the Commission’s core values; Excellence and Professionalism; which the Commission coincidentally shares with the NIPR.

The NCC boss, a Professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, with many Fellowships like: Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Renewable and Alternative Energy Society of Nigeria, expressed delight at the level of performance of the Commission’s staff in their different areas of professional calling.

He commended the NIPR as a body for its commitment in the regulation of the practice of public relations in Nigeria for which it has found an ally in NCC. “This can only rekindle the healthy collaboration and partnership existing between the NCC and NIPR, especially in the area of capacity-building and commitment to appropriate national social orientation”, Danbatta stated.

Muoka, the Director of Public Affairs Department of the NCC, holds M.Sc. in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos with specialisation in Public Relations and Advertising, after a Postgraduate Diploma in the same field from the same University; and he had earlier obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts from the University of Ilorin. Besides being a fellow of NIPR, he is also an associate of the Registered Practitioners of Advertising, (arpa).

He had worked for many years as Communications Editor in Vanguard Newspapers during which he also chaired the League of Communications Correspondents, one of the platforms that championed the deregulation of the telecom industry in Nigeria. He also worked for MTS First Wireless, Nigeria’s first mobile network operator, where he rose to the position of Deputy General Manager. In 1999, Muoka received a fellowship involving a Pan-African training and tour, leading to the award of a Diploma in Journalism, at the instance of the Egyptian Ministry of Information, and the African Journalists Union (AJU), in Cairo, Egypt.

Ibietan earned a PhD in Communication from North-West University in South Africa. He had earlier obtained MA in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan, a BA in Communication Arts from the University of Uyo, and a Journalism Diploma from the Moscow-based International Institute of Journalism, Abuja Campus. A noted advocate of freedom and democracy, he was Freedom House Nigeria Project’s Regional Media Researcher in the Niger Delta until his appointment in 2006 as Special Media Assistant to the Federal Minister of Information and Communication, during which he popularised the use of new media for public communication in Nigeria. He is a member of the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) and the International Institute of Communications (IIC).

Ibietan joined the NCC in 2008 and was deployed to Legislative and Government Relations (LGR) Department where he was frontline liaison staff of the Commission with the National Assembly. Much later after the merging of the LGR Department with the Public Affairs Department in 2010, he served as Manager Media and Public Relations under Muoka’s supervision and became Senior Manager Media Management until January 2017 when he was redeployed to PAD’s emergent Online Media and Special Publication Unit, and subsequently designated as the head of the Unit. He also worked at the Consumer Information and Education Unit of the Commission’s Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) until his redeployment to PAD. He became an Assistant Director in January 2021 and was appointed Head Media Relations in July 2022.

Kwik launches its delivery and e-commerce services in Ibadan to deliver under 60 minutes

Kwik launches its delivery and e-commerce services in Ibadan to deliver under 60 minutes

Kwik (https://Kwik.delivery) announces today that it officially launched its innovative and award-winning just-in-time delivery solutions to merchants, entrepreneurs, businesses, government agencies and social vendors in Ibadan (https://bit.ly/3dWdsVv) and promises delivery under 60 minutes.

 

Ibadan is one of the fastest-growing urban area in Nigeria and a key commercial city. One of the downsides to this rapid development is the increasing difficulties in moving goods around the city. Kwik aims to play a significant role in solving this problem by delivering parcels from businesses to customers under 60 minutes,

More than 80% of Nigerians prefer to shop online from the comfort of their homes and have these products delivered to their doorsteps

Kwik aims to feature over 500 partner vehicles located in Ibadan on its platform in the next 12 months, according to Founder & CEO Romain POIROT-LELLIG. “The Lagos-Ibadan corridor is fast becoming the most dynamic industrial and commercial hub of West Africa thanks to improving infrastructure, unparalleled market depth and attractive local government policies” declared Romain POIROT-LELLIG. “Kwik’s role is to ensure that all the moving parts can circulate effectively.”

In addition to its award-winning delivery service, Kwik is also making available in Ibadan its KwikStore (https://www.Kwik.Store) feature, an innovative, free to use online storefront tool that helps merchants automate their online sales and manage their inventory. Setting up an online store now literally takes 5 minutes.

“E-commerce activities in Nigeria have continued to grow at a steady pace since 2015. More than 80% of Nigerians prefer to shop online from the comfort of their homes and have these products delivered to their doorsteps”, Yinka Olayanju, Kwik’s Chief Operations Officer said. “With its isothermic bags, Kwik will ensure that all kind of products arrive in mint condition.”

She added that “This rising trend in online activities has led to a steep increase in public spending as well as all-round economic growth, both of which require logistics support of the kind that Kwik Delivery is best-equipped to provide”.

Launched in 2019, Kwik (https://bit.ly/3dWdsVv) has continued evolve with new innovations, providing digital and logistics solutions to African B2B merchants and e-commerce social vendors in the fields of delivery, fulfilment, and payment. The Kwik platform is currently open to merchants and businesses operating all over Nigeria, with last-mile delivery available in Lagos State, Ogun State, Abuja FCT, and now Ibadan city of Oyo State.

Webb Fontaine Continues Expansion and Investment Drive in Trade Technology

Webb Fontaine Continues Expansion and Investment Drive in Trade Technology

Webb Fontaine (www.WebbFontaine.com), one of the leading providers of AI-powered Trade technology and Customs facilitation solutions to governments and trade administrations around the world, marks its 20th anniversary this month.

 

In 2002, a group of leaders in their respective fields and early adopters of new technologies came together to form Webb Fontaine. Its goal was clear: to improve the Customs and Trade environment by providing government agencies and commercial enterprises with cutting-edge technology and knowledge. The Customs solutions, the company’s starting point, was the inspiration for its first solutions. The market demanded cutting-edge innovations that would improve efficiency and security. What Webb Fontaine’s Customs solutions did was that and more.

“Our Customs solutions were developed to address fundamental issues that Customs departments all around the world were experiencing” Alioune Ciss, CEO Webb Fontaine

First deployed in Nigeria with its partnership with Nigeria Customs Service. Playing a proud role in one of the regions most advanced Customs environments underpinning millions of Nigerian imports and exports a year. Still today enabling Customs revenue collection to continue on an upward trend despite the threat posed by Covid-19 and other such industry challenges.

Following the success of its Customs solutions in multiple countries it was apparent that the Trade industry as a whole could not continue to develop and keep up with demand without fundamental advancements and investments in Trade technology as a whole. The Trade eco-system was operating in a fragmented and suboptimal manner producing severe and costly delays, loss of Customs revenues and mis-management of risks.

Webb Fontaine focused its efforts on this investing heavily in its research and development capabilities. In order to support the development and expansion of its portfolio of products. The company was determined to produce solutions that not only used the latest technology, but covered nearly the entire spectrum of Trade. Today Webb Fontaine operates 5 state-of-the-art R&D facilities around the world. These centres of excellence continue to recruit the best minds in the industry to develop innovative products and services in line with the demands of modern international trade. Today, more than 300 highly talented and well-qualified individuals work at these research centres and play a crucial role in the consistent growth of the company’s portfolio of products.

Our Customs solutions were developed to address fundamental issues that Customs departments all around the world were experiencing

Webb Fontaine’s solutions, deployed in several countries across the globe are now a fully integrated portfolio. Underpinned by AI these include Single Window Operations (https://bit.ly/3d8IwAC),  Customs Systems (https://bit.ly/3TLvmKO), Electronic Payment Gateways (https://bit.ly/3x396lW), AI Based Risk Management, Port Community Systems (https://bit.ly/3BpfOoY), Governmental Reforms (https://bit.ly/3Qss8ZN), Trade Compliance (https://bit.ly/3DgKz0u), IT Infrastructure Development (https://bit.ly/3RO8M2k), Automated Goods Tracking & Classification, Cargo Management Systems, and many more.

“Our portfolio was developed with the goal of fostering widespread access to critical Trade technology, all of our products are fully transferable to our partners, support various languages, and can be utilised in developed and undeveloped Trade environments. All these years of investment and R&D have paid off, providing us a really unique portfolio that we can confidently roll out in almost any setting.”   Samy Zayani, Chief Commercial Officer of Webb Fontaine

Over the years, Webb Fontaine has enjoyed many collaborations with the forward-thinking governments of Bahrain, Benin, Niger, Egypt, Nepal, Abu Dhabi, Panama, Nigeria, and Ajman among others.

The development of its solutions continues having recently launched a state-of-the-art AI-powered Integrated Risk Management (IRM) Service in Egypt in partnership with Misr Technology Services.

As the company observes its 20th anniversary, the dedication to build the future of trade through technology remains as strong as ever.

“We have never wavered from our mission to empower governments and Trade entities with future-proof technology and expertise that will change the Customs and Trade environment for the better.

In recent years, international Trade has been under a great deal of pressure. Technology is vital throughout the trade ecosystem to counteract industry threats to continue to keep Trade flowing efficiently, effectively and continuously. 

We now have 25 entities across the world, with nearly 1000 employees of which 30% of those are dedicated to R&D.

We’re committed to expanding our efforts around the world so that everyone who engages with Trade can benefit from the many revolutionary solutions we continue to build, develop, deploy and transfer.” Alioune Ciss, CEO of Webb Fontaine