The electronic commerce (e-commerce) market in South Africa has exploded and is expected to continue growing exponentially in the next few years. However, online retailers will not only have to refine their digital strategies, but they will also have to up their security measures, says Gur Geva, Co-Founder and CEO tech innovator, iiDENTIFii.

 

South Africa is only the 41st largest market for e-commerce with a revenue of $5 billion (R75 billion at average rate of $15) in 2021. It is expected to grow 8% annually between 2021 and 2025, surpassing the global average of 6%, according to ecommerceDB. Major global players have shown great interest in the South African market, notably the recent entry of Amazon – who also see this as a gateway into Africa.

 

“We believe every single person will eventually have to be biometrically authenticated to be able to transact online. This is not only to protect them, but also the organisations they are transacting with. There is a huge increase in online fraud by dishonest customers as well as by organised crime syndicates,” says Geva.

 

Digital strategy

Many of the large retail chains  are compelled to increased their online footprint to remain competitive, and need a sophisticated digital strategy to compete with the likes of Amazon. Currently, the biggest player in the South African e-commerce market is takealot.com. The online store had a revenue of US$602 million in 2021. It is followed by superbalist.com and woolworths.co.za as the second and third largest stores with US$85 million and US$57 million, respectively. Estimates suggest that the top three stores account for only 15% of online revenue in South Africa.

 

Online security is still broadly considered to be in its infancy in South Africa and very few retail chains have strong identity authentication measures in place. “The lack of sufficient knowledge about the person or organisation you are transacting with is a serious threat in e-commerce. The uptake in digital identity authentication has been quite slow relative to the exponential increase in online transactions,” says Geva.

 

“The main reason behind this slow uptake is the lack of proper regulations for e-commerce verification keeping up with the increase in transaction volumes. Added to this was the impact of Covid, which forced people to transact online.

 

“The financial sector, however, has made giant leaps with the implementation of enterprise-grade remote digital biometric identity authentication solutions.”

 

This is because of strict know-your-customer (KYC) regulations to combat identity theft, money laundering and terrorist financing. It is only a matter of time before identity authentication will become more regulated in the retail space.

 

Better protection

Some companies are gearing up already for stricter regulations by aggressively seeking out various authentication technologies and solutions. iiDENTIFii says account hijackings, identity fraud and data breaches continue to become more prevalent.

 

Account hijackings (also known as account takeover fraud) are when fraudsters or criminals pose as genuine customers to gain control of an account and then make unauthorized, fraudulent transactions. In the US alone reported cases increased by 90%, costing an estimated US$11.4 billion in 2021 compared with 2020. Around 22% of US adults have fallen prey to account takeover fraud scenarios.

 

Preferred partner

Biometric face authentication helps organisations to prevent account takeover fraud, says Geva.  iiDENTIFii recently raised US$15 million (R272 million) in growth capital which will be used to fund the company’s expansion across Africa.

 

“We’re excited to put the investment to work as we close in on our goal of authenticating every face in Africa. We confidently continue our mission of stopping identity theft in Africa,” says Geva.

 

The investment, led by African investment company Arise, validates the company’s central business thesis that it remains the preferred partner for enterprise-grade identity authentication in Africa. Other investors alongside Arise are private equity firm Sanari Capital and US tech entrepreneur Bill Spruill.

 

 Meta today unveiled an exclusive XR exhibition featuring the six finalists from the ‘Future Africa: Telling Stories, Building Worlds’ programme, focused on supporting the next generation of Extended Reality (XR) creators in Africa. Developed in partnership with Africa No Filter, Electric South and Imisi 3D this forms part of Meta’s XR Programs and Research investment into XR talents across Africa.

 

With a focus on owning and shifting the African narrative, whilst telling compelling African stories that are contemporary and immersive, the finalists have developed a range of immersive digital experiences rooted in African culture across various media formats including 360 video, AR/VR and Mixed Reality.

 

The experiences showcased include:

 

  • Malik Afegbua, Nigeria: Malik’s ‘Moving Between’ is a 360 documentary that presents a virtual heritage experience of the Kofar-Mata dye pit, a cultural and historical site in Kano, Nigeria, by showcasing it in a three-dimensional virtual reality model. In a 5-minutes immersive experience, a deaf dancer takes the audience on a tour through the historic Kofar-Mata dye pits, using sign language instructions anddance.

 

  • Xabiso Vili, South Africa: A writer, performer and new media artist, Xabiso’s ‘Black Boi meets Boogeyman’ is a multi-ending, ‘choose your adventure’ style 360° visual album. A speculative fiction piece where Black Boi, our protagonist, goes on a hero’s journey through a South Africa that needs reminding of its light to confront the Boogeyman. This 360 visual album hopes to become an access point in which artists and communities can imagine using XR artistically and intentionally for communalhealing.

 

  • Dylan Valley, South Africa: Dylan’s Cissie Gool House is a 360 documentary about a precarious housing occupation in a new Cape Town hospital. This 360 documentary will immerse the viewer in the occupation as if they were partaking in reclaiming the building. The film will showcase the voices of the activists and occupiers who call Cissie Gool House home and speak to those who would rather have them gone. The medium of VR will allow for greater empathy for these characters (often demonised in the press). It will impart a deeper understanding of what it means to occupy, especially when it is the only viable option youhave.

 

  • Nirma Madhoo, Mauritius: A fashion filmmaker, XR creator and Ph.D. candidate. Nirma’s ‘XWE,’ 360 fashion film using volumetric capture and photogrammetry is a tribute to the original stargazers of SouthernAfrica. It will celebrate the constellations of dispersed diasporic African identities through a Noirwave fashion performance set in a VR landscape of astrophysics.

 

  • Pierre-Christophe Gam, Cameroon: Pierre is a multimedia artist who worked on ‘TOGUNA’, a hybrid (both live and online) Art installation, fusing AR/VR, film, photography, mixed-media sculpture, future-thinking and storytelling, designed to facilitate a forum for an innovative conversation on the future of the African continent. This provides a WebVR experience usingAR.

 

  • Michelle Angawa, Kenya: A film editor and XR creator, Michelle’s ‘1000 Shillings in Nairobi,’ a 360 fiction film is a short tragicomedy depicting a day in a Nairobian Boda rider’s life. He drifts through a seriesof absurd encounters in an attempt to pay a motorbike loan of KSH 1000 ($10).

Sherry Dzinoreva, Meta’s Public Policy Programs Director, Africa, Middle East, and Turkey, said: “As the next phase of this programme, we’re delighted to be unveiling this specially curated exhibition featuring the work of six talented creators from across the continent, all of whom have created beautiful, thought-provoking African stories and experiences using immersive technology. We know that Africa holds immense talent, which we see reflected in the experiences curated, and as we set our sights on the metaverse, we believe creators, especially those on the continent, will play a key role in unlocking its potential.”

 

Commenting on the ‘Future Africa: Telling Stories, Building Worlds’ programme, Moky Makura, Executive Director, Africa No Filter added “We know the power stories have when it comes to influencing and shaping perceptions about Africa. That power is amplified when those stories are immersive and that is what today’s technologies offer storytellers. It’s exciting to be part of an initiative that has allowed us to tap into the future of storytelling in Africa.”

 

The Africa Early Stage Investor Summit team is proud to announce 9 partnerships for the 9th edition of #AESIS2022 coming up on 2nd, 3rd and 4th, November in person and online. VC4A (https://VC4A.com) and ABAN made the move in order to jointly promote an active Gender inclusive and pro Green/Climate investment mindset in the future.

 

#AESIS2022 – Strategic Partners

Introducing GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and the Work In Progress! Alliance as the Strategic Partners for the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit #AESIS2022.  Through this partnership, attendees will benefit from a powerful keynote delivered on the double-themed Summit “Investing with a Gender Lens & Clean/Green Tech”, GIZ powered roundtables, fireside chats, reverse pitch events, workshops and more. The rich and insightful learnings ensure delegates enjoy a varied yet holistic agenda at The Summit.

#AESIS2022 – Knowledge Partners

As part of our efforts to inspire and educate, AESIS2022 announces two Knowledge Partners namely the FMO Ventures Program and The UNDP – Sustainable Finance Hub. The Knowledge partners will anchor workshops on relevant topics around funding and lessons learned in supporting entrepreneurs across various markets, LP/GP Office Hours and multi-city Investor Meetups.

Friends of #AESIS2022

Introducing the UK-South Africa Tech Hub, Bestseller Foundation, NEXT176 by Old Mutual, Launch Africa and Afrilabs as Friends of #AESIS2022. Meet and greet members of each team in various virtual rooms, workshops and in person Investor Meetups across the globe.

Tickets for #AESIS2022 are free however registration is required to secure your seat

The #AESIS2022 Agenda

  • On November 2nd, 3rd and 4th, VC4A and ABAN are hosting the 9th edition of the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit #AESIS2022
  • IN-PERSON Nov 2nd investor meetups hosted in 30 cities around the world
  • ONLINE Nov 2nd daytime – Ecosystem Side Event
  • ONLINE Nov 3rd and 4th 2022 – Summit

 

The program includes:

  • Online Summit with the most inspiring investor speakers
  • Virtual investor panels, keynotes, and fireside chats
  • Learning track with masterclasses hosted by investor expertise
  • VC4A Venture Showcase (95 alumni have raised over $500M)
  • LP and GP Office Hours
  • In-person investor meetups hosted by investors all over the world

 

Brand new to the #AESIS2022 Agenda: The Ecosystem Side Event

#AESIS2022 is for the first time introducing an Ecosystem Side Event, curated for Entrepreneur Support Organizations and accelerators. The segment speaks to the intersection between entrepreneurship development and early stage investing. Attendees can join the Investment Readiness Masterclass powered by GIZ, the Reverse Dragon’s Den where investors will be showcasing, as well as the Hub Sustainability Panel Discussion, where different models of creating value by providing deal pipelines will be discussed.

In addition, #AESIS2022 is thrilled to partner with AfDB and AVCA, to offer a select group of Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) who are exploring establishing a Fund, an opportunity to learn Fund Management and network with investors.

 

 

 

Fintrak Software Limited, an indigenous financial technology firm based in Lagos with an international footprint in various African country recently held banking and financial industry of Rwanda in awe with the reintroduction of their solution known as ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION. A software application that is designed for businesses to boost productivity and reduce human error in all the areas of their enterprise. The Fintech also presented their credit management solution known as CREDIT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION, the event was held at the KIGALI MARRIOT HOTEL, in the Rwandan capital City.

Speaking to the Rwanda financial ecosystem, the company described the Credit management solution as a software that was designed to help banks meet the need to identify, measure, monitor and control credit risk as well as to determine that they hold adequate capital against these risks and that they are adequately compensated for risks incurred. The Credit Risk 360 solution is Web based and can be easily accessed from all branches of the bank without separate installations on branch-by-branch basis.

“Banks are increasingly facing credit risk (or counter-party risk) in various financial instruments other than loans, including acceptances, inter-bank transactions, trade financing, foreign exchange transactions, financial futures, swaps, bonds, equities, options, and in the extension of commitments and guarantees, and the settlement of transactions”, they added.

Bimbo Abioye, the Group Managing Director of Fintrak used the opportunity to address Rwandan stakeholders on various features of their solutions such as Portal Driven Loan Origination, Online Loan Appraisal and documentation, Credit rating, mobile Loan approval and other areas of loan management such as SME Digital lending and disbursement.

On enterprise solution they focused on key features such as cost allocation, balanced scorecard, product profitability reports and flexible transfer pricing. All these features are embedded in the solution to make business seamless.

FinTrak Software is a global Financial Technology organization providing innovative technology and business solutions to financial institutions in the financial services sector and enterprises across continents. FinTrak Software is a global company, with business offices in Nigeria, Ghana and Gambia. Armed with and army of software engineers and professionals with competencies across banking, finance, audit, consulting and software development, FinTrak Software is on a mission to support organizations and states with technologies and intellectual strength required to enable them surpass their stakeholders’ expectations.

 

 

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

 

 

Trailblazers in the technology and business circle in Africa are set to gather in Lagos, Nigeria (West Africa) on 9 November 2022 for another edition of Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 2.0) as the continent’s sought-after technology Forum, exhibition, and awards ceremony.

AfriTECH 2.0 scheduled to hold at Oriental Hotel, Lekki Road, is focused on ‘Sustainability and The Company of the Future’, as the central theme.

According to the organisers from TechCastle Foundation and TechEconomy.ng, AfriTECH 2.0 will convene Business leaders/CEOs of Companies and Organisations, Innovators, Government Representatives, International Organizations, Diplomats, Investors, Academia, Start-ups and Entrepreneurs in their numbers.

The array of industry leaders, and tech-entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and tech ecosystem players from across the continent, will unpack the various challenges, scenarios, and mind-blowing economic opportunities in ‘Harnessing Digital Identity for Digital Economy Agenda’; ‘Creating Sustainable Future through Connectivity’; ‘Blockchain & Cryptocurrency – The Future of Money’; and ‘Cloud Computing in 5G Era – Everything-As-A-Service’.

According to Statista, 97% of respondents to a digital transformation survey stated that the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, sped up digital transformation processes in their respective organisations.

Global spending on digital transformation is projected to reach $1.78 trillion in 2022. But in what ways will this transformation manifest?

Africa Tech Alliance Forum 2021 to center on digital transformation  solutions - ITPulse.com.ngThe answer lies in trends that will shape the businesses of tomorrow. The case is no different for the Government: The current, incremental pace of economic and social advancement shows too many of Africa’s expanding youth population will be denied the opportunity to live up to their potential. Therefore, Africa should think big on digital development.

“Digital technologies offer a chance to disrupt this trajectory – unlocking new pathways for rapid economic growth, innovation, job creation and access to services which would have been unimaginable only a decade ago.

“Yet there is also a growing ‘digital divide’, and increased cyber risks, which need urgent and coordinated action to mitigate. Access to the internet remains out of reach for many citizens in the continent. Too few citizens have digital IDs or transaction accounts – locking them out of access to critical services and e-commerce”, said Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, the co-Convener AfriTECH 2.0 and Co-Founder of TechCastle Foundation.

Continuing, he said, “Digital startups seek more funding and ‘traditional’ businesses are only slowly adopting digital technologies and platforms to boost productivity and sales. Few governments are investing strategically and systematically in developing digital infrastructure, services, skills and entrepreneurship.

“To become tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, Africa’s youth need to be empowered with the digital skills and access to technology and markets that are essential to thrive in an increasingly digitized global economy. The time for action is now! Join us at AfriTECH 2.0

On his part, Peter Oluka, the Editor of TechEconomy.ng, said that AfriTECH 2.0 will be a consolidation on the last year’s edition with massive publicity and industry participation, adding that delegates should expect issue-based Forum through Keynotes, Panel Discussions, Exhibitions, Innovation Management Workshops, and AfriTECH AWARDS 2022.

“Africa Tech Alliance Forum 2022 will culminate in awards ceremony which aims to celebrate and reward companies and individuals on the African continent that have demonstrated excellence in the areas of innovative product/service development, policy/regulations, amongst other areas”.

“We are very excited about the feedbacks so far with regards potential speakers, panellists and even the potential awardees.

Delegates will be exposed to unique insights into the different ways 5G networks, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain/cryptocurrency, digital identity, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will shape the future of Africa’s development.

With only 300 in-person passes available to the public, interested attendees are encouraged to secure their spot by going to AfriTECH 2.0 or click the link here to register: https://registration.africatechallianceforum.africa/

 

 

 

 

Microsoft Africa Development Center, the premier engineering center for Microsoft is organizing a free virtual event as part of its ADC’s user group series themed Azure Developers Connect for Developers and Software Engineers in Africa scheduled to hold on the 24th of February, 2022.

The event which would be held virtually is targeted at Azure user groups & communities, developers, engineers, working professionals; Tech communities in West Africa and Kenya in a bid to expose them to the many capabilities of Azure for building next-gen apps and driving global transformation as a developer or software engineer in Africa.

Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of cloud services such as computing, analytics, networking, and storage. Microsoft Azure helps developers and software engineers to develop new applications or even upscale existing applications with its various cloud services. The public cloud computing platform is flexible and open which makes it globally recognized to developers and software engineers due to reliability.

Developers and software engineers would enjoy practical sessions with Top Azure experts, as well as get insights into existing cloud features, they never knew were in existence. Speakers at the event will include Scott Hunter (VP DIR Program Management, Azure Applications, Microsoft) Matt Soucoup (Senior Cloud Advocate, Microsoft) Donald Okafor (Principal Software Engineering lead, Microsoft ADC) Kehinde Ladipo (Software engineer, Microsoft ADC) and other Microsoft ADC software Engineers. The event would also serve as a great way for developers and software engineers to network with other Azure professionals in the field.

Developers and Software Engineers in Africa can book their seat by registering with the link https://aka.ms/AzureDevelopersConnect to get an in-depth knowledge about exploring the Microsoft Azure Platform and its existing features whilst they prepare to build next-gen apps that would drive global transformations.

 _ _ _ _ _

Microsoft Africa Development Center (ADC) represents Microsoft’s first-ever engineering offices in Africa, with locations in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria. These centers were created by Microsoft to serve as a base for African industry leaders to create local solutions with global scalability as well as provide employment opportunities and further enhance technological innovations in the continent of Africa.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. For more information, news and insights from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft’s news center at http://news.microsoft.com and or Middle East & Africa News Center (microsoft.com)

From better healthcare access to improved food security, machine learning could tackle a wide range of challenges in developing countries.

In 2020, a study published in Nature showed that Google’s machine learning artificial intelligence programme, DeepMind AI, outperformed radiologists in detecting breast cancer. After being trained on thousands of mammograms, the system was able to accurately identify 89% of breast cancer cases, compared to radiologists’ 74%. Just imagine what a difference the deployment of such a system could make in sub-Saharan Africa, where there are 0.2 doctors per 1000 people, according to the World Bank.

And that’s just the start. Marilyn Moodley, Country Leader for South Africa and WECA (West, East, Central Africa) at SoftwareONE, says machine learning can help with some of the region’s most pervasive problems, from reducing poverty and improving education to delivering healthcare and addressing sustainability challenges such as food demand. “Machine learning democratises access to innovative and productivity-boosting technology to fuel the growth the continent needs. It’s fundamentally reshaping how work is done, allowing for a more efficient allocation of resources leading to increased productivity and, in the case of government, improving the delivery of services to citizens.”

Agricultural improvements

The agriculture sector employs over 65% of Africa’s labour force and accounts for 32% of gross domestic product (GDP), says Moodley. “The World Bank estimates that African food markets will be worth US$1 trillion by 2030, up from the current $300 billion. Demand for food is projected to at least double by 2050, yet the sector is burdened with limitations. Land is degrading, soil is becoming less fertile, water tables are dropping, pests are becoming more resistant, and the climate is more vulnerable and unpredictable. All this could have disastrous effects on food availability in the future.”

Machine learning has the potential to improve productivity and efficiency at all the stages of the agricultural value chain, she says. “These technologies can empower small-holder farmers to increase their income through higher crop yield and greater price control. For example, analytics of crop data can help identify diseases, enable soil health monitoring without the need for laboratory testing infrastructure, and facilitate the creation of virtual cooperatives to aggregate crop yields and broker better prices with suppliers.”

Healthcare developments

Machine learning can not only analyse tests and images to suggest diagnoses, but also aggregate data and update patients’ charts. It’s also rapidly expanding into other healthcare areas, including early detection of diseases, treatment and research, says Moodley. “This would free up physicians’ workloads, allowing them to spend more time with patients and on actual patient care. Japan is already looking at augmenting their doctors with artificial intelligence to combat their doctor shortage.”

In Africa, machine learning could plug the same gap, but also address other challenges, she says. “Health systems in Africa face several structural challenges such as shortages of qualified professionals or supplies, resulting in divergent outcomes for patients. Even when facilities and staff are available, affordability and rural/urban disparities can put needed services out of reach of patients.”

Machine learning can enhance these outcomes in the following ways, she says:

· Improve healthcare delivery: Advanced data analytics can help practitioners identify potential problems early and tailor better preventive care. Early interventions make healthcare more affordable and easier for the patient, with better outcomes.

· Better diagnostics and detection: Analysing patterns in data, such as machine vision analysis of x-rays, can make diagnoses faster and more accurate.

· Improved access: Tools such as online conversation agents can extend access to millions of people and remotely diagnose various health conditions using images from the cameras of everyday smartphones.

Moodley concludes: “Machine learning is a powerful tool that can benefit multiple industries, including Marketing; Financial services; Transportation and Manufacturing. Possible use cases are boundless and clearly demonstrate the importance of innovative technology for ensuring efficient business processes.”

Though with a funny musical career or do we say faltering musically with no album this last few years, no single, no “banger”, no LP Tunde Ednut made a name when the Nigerian pop culture was in her nascent period when competition wasn’t there much ! He has been in the news lately for his love for Igbo staying in Nigeria and his phobia for Igbo being a president because of Biafra! Whichever way you look at it, Tunde is in news and possibly using Biafra to trend once again!

All for the gram, Tunde, just like tundra took to the Instagram and made his position clear to those that follow him and said ““An Igbo man should not be allowed to be president of Nigeria. I have a feeling that BIAFRA will be established if that happens. They will leave us Oo and Nigeria will crumble if they leave Oo. Igbos have been planning BIAFRA since. They have their plan together. Let’s not give Igbos the opportunity to leave now. We are in this Nigeria together, you will not run anywhere. we die here.”

Now we have a different school of thought here,some folks are saying that Tunde has demonstrated his hate for Igbo and that he has made it clear that no Igbo will ever be president if he has the opportunity, while others have seen this statement as a patriotic statement which is in tune with the “indivisibility” of Nigeria and the need to keep the Igbo ethnic group in the country having seen the tremendous glory and strides they have brought to the nation.

Though,the Igbo enthic group has been fighting for their independence and a state of their own called Biafra, citing injustice, inability to express themselves economically, politically and above all marginalisation. An accusation that the Nigerian Governemnt has clearly denied after the first civil war which saw millions of people especially the Igbo and the erstwhile Biafrans die.

The country has made tremendous effort to reintegrate the Igbo back to the nationhood and make them feel and have a sense of belonging, but the big question is; are the Igbo feeling this sense of belonging?

Well, Tunde has come out to clarify his position now that it is Igbo turn to produce the president of the country for the first time ever, Tunde is advising and saying that it is pointless or suicidal to allow an Igbo man ever be a president in his own country and possibly, he doesn’t and wouldn’t allow them to have their own country to govern themselves!

Tunde has a feeling that if that happens, Biafra will be established, the Igbos will leave and Nigeria will crumble.He said an Igbo man should not be allowed to be president of Nigeria for now. Doing so will allow them establish Biafra which many Nigerians are uncomfortable with and it is understandable,no nation would sit back and let the critical people .

Igbo people in their traditional wears

Though, some Igbo folks like Kanu ain’t taking that either, they have been demanding for referendum to exit , but (un)fortunately,the Nigerian constitution doesn’t recognize plebiscite or referendum and Kanu with his group proscribed. A quagmire the country might find herself in! How they would navigate this waters is what Tunde Ednut seems to offer via the Instagram!

Igbo people are one of the major ethnic group of the country, numbering over 40 million,very urbanised and Western. Having produced one of the finest brains in the country ranging from literature ,Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie , Buchi Emecheta to Economic gurus such as Pat Utomi, Charles Soludo, Paschal Dozie, Jim Ovia, Ngozi Iweala and Paul Ogwuma! Having notables in sports such as Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Mikel Obi etc. Igbo people have been appointed globally as world class citizens offering top notch services in the world organization such as the international court of justice (ICJ) Louis Mbanefo, though no Igbo man had ever been the Chief of justice in Nigeria ! Ngozi Iweala in the global financial space and others but with all these strides including an appointment of Igbo man.

Obinna Ukwuani just few days ago to pilot Rwanda’s agro revolution and fintech space, majority of Nigerians feel that it would be unwise to let the Igbo be president and show case what they have done globally and locally in their region. A lot of Igbo are Mayors in Western world ,many are members of parliament and handling policy making offices in the developed world but in their own country many of their compatriots seems to have this phobia of them and wouldn’t want them to be at the decision making process, a coinage they (Igbo ) call “Igbophobia” which Chinua Achebe explained in his last work “There was a Country. ” But,the Igbo has consistently demonstrated that they are more Nigerian than the rest by building structures, investing heavily in non Igbo areas.

It is believed that the Igbo region has the highest start up ecosystem in the continent with their bespoke business settlement scheme which they call “igba boy” which has produced many millionaires like the car manufacturing man, Innocent Chukwuma and the only Rolls Royce and BMW franchise dealer in Nigeria , Cosmos Maduka known as Coscharis. As it stands now, folks like Ednuts are saying “Hell No” we can’t allow them to govern, we ain’t gonna have it and they ain’t going no where either …we all gonna die here. But as it is said before, it is all for the gram!

Anthony Emeka Nwosu

“Though, some Igbo folks like Kanu ain’t taking that either, they have been demanding for referendum to exit , but (un)fortunately,the Nigerian constitution doesn’t recognize plebiscite or referendum and Kanu with his group proscribed. A quagmire the country might find herself in…”

African Union Member States (55) reporting COVID-19 cases (944,450) deaths (19,920), and recoveries (602,578) by region:
Central (48,897 cases; 941 deaths; 34,212 recoveries): Burundi (395; 1; 304), Cameroon (17,255; 387; 15,320), CAR (4,614; 59; 1,635), Chad (936; 75; 813), Congo (3,387; 56; 923), DRC (9,084; 215; 7,030), Equatorial Guinea (4,821; 83; 2,182), Gabon (7,531; 50; 5,223), Sao Tome & Principe (874; 15; 782).

Eastern (77,840; 1,719; 40,902): Comoros (386; 7; 330), Djibouti (5,081; 58; 4,999), Eritrea (279; 0; 225), Ethiopia (17,999; 284; 7,195), Kenya (21,363; 364; 8,419), Madagascar (11,273; 107; 8,109), Mauritius (344; 10; 332), Rwanda (2,042; 5; 1,119), Seychelles (114; 0; 75), Somalia (3,212; 93; 1,562), South Sudan (2,418; 46; 1,195), Sudan (11,644; 720; 6,119), Tanzania (509; 21; 178), Uganda (1,176; 4; 1,045).

Northern (161,197; 6,694; 86,367): Algeria (30,394; 1,210; 20,537), Egypt (94,316; 4,834; 41,137), Libya (3,621; 74; 618), Mauritania (6,295; 157; 4,898), Morocco (25,015; 367; 17,960), Tunisia (1,552; 51; 1,217), Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (4; 1; 0).

Southern (526,870; 8,642; 352,233): Angola (1,164; 54; 460), Botswana (804; 2; 63), Eswatini (2,706; 43; 1,214), Lesotho (702; 14; 171), Malawi (4,186; 120; 1,914), Mozambique (1,907; 11; 638), Namibia (2,224; 11; 171), South Africa (503,290; 8,153; 342,461), Zambia (6,228; 165; 4,130), Zimbabwe (3,659; 69; 1,011).

Western (129,646; 1,924; 88,864): Benin (1,770, 35; 1,036), Burkina Faso (1,149; 53; 945), Cape Verde (2,480; 24; 1,837), Côte d’Ivoire (16,109; 102; 11,750), Gambia (498; 9; 68), Ghana (37,014; 182; 33,365), Guinea (7,183; 46; 6,404), Guinea-Bissau (1,981; 27; 903), Liberia (1,189; 75; 673), Mali (2,535; 124; 1,937), Niger (1,136; 69; 1,028), Nigeria (43,537; 883; 20,087), Senegal (10,284; 209; 6,822), Sierra Leone (1,823; 67; 1,362), Togo (958; 19; 647).

SOURCE

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing investment zones for financial technology companies according to new research says Forbes. The GSM Association says in its Mobile Economy, Sub-Saharan Africa 2019 report that the region will remain the fastest growing worldwide. Predicting a total subscriber base of over 600 million by 2025, which represents approximately half the population, Sub-Saharan Africa will become a flagship for mobile disruption.

One of the driving forces behind this growth, according to Mike Smits, co-founder, uKheshe, a micro transaction platform, is the unbanked: “Mastercard reports that while around 1.2bn adults opened bank accounts for the first time over the past decade, 1.7bn remain outside the formal banking sector worldwide. Our challenge, as a continent, is to reach these “unbanked” individuals and better understand, as financial service providers, why they opt to stay in the informal sector.”

Smits says that since launching uKheshe 10 months ago, the plight for financial inclusion has become glaringly obvious: “While progress has been made in terms of mobile money, it’s become imperative that we move beyond that and look into digital payment solutions. What we have realised is that financial inclusion is not just about technology disruption, but more about solving greater economic problems.”

He says that consumers need simpler, more cost-effective ways to do simple tasks such as sending or receiving money and buying airtime as examples. Of course, financial inclusion goes beyond consumers and plays a far greater role in the lives of small-scale entrepreneurs: “The gains for these informal merchants is significant, bringing income for the community at large. We have seen this as so many of our users have trebled their businesses since using our platform to trade,” says Smits.

It’s ultimately about inclusive economic growth and how digital financial services can play a major role in the increase of financial inclusion in Africa. With an ever-growing mobile base, Sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to lead the way, while also creating widespread economic prosperity.