First Ever Tech-Enabled Trade Agency Launched to Promote Trade Between the UK and Africa

Africa House London, the first ever tech-enabled trade agency created to promote bilateral trade between the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa will be formally launched at an event at the House of Commons in London today.

The event will be attended by public sector officials representing both the UK and sub-Saharan Africa, along with representatives from the private sector including KPMG, BT, DLA Piper and TNT, who have already signed up as members of Africa House and are set to benefit from the full set of services offered by the new trade agency’s technology platform.

The new trade agency aims to secure long term, sustainable trade and wealth building for both the UK and Africa and is backed by a cutting-edge trading and collaboration platform. The platform, which is device-agnostic, provides technology resources and practical tools to facilitate successful trade between UK and African companies.

Africa House’s Chairman, Andrew Boff, said: “Africa House has been developed with mobile technology in mind and the platform we have developed is geared towards how Africa is doing business and communicating. Subscribers of the Africa House platform can interact freely with counter-parties and access market data through a range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets.

Valentine Season: God Is Good Motors Kicks off Selfie Contest

Its Valentine. It's another time of the year when love, sharing and bond are strengtened. One of the leading transportation service in Nigeria, God is Good Motors says it's NonStopLove season and would like everyone to experience love this valentine's day.

The company is giving out a whopping NGN 100,000 (One hundred thousand naira) for the winner of its selfie contest. While several posts are welcome, pictures must be clear and you must use the harsh tag ‪#‎GodIsGoodMotorsNonStopLove‬

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
1. Take a selfie with anyone and you both Share a story of your most memorable moment, invite your friends to like your stories (The person can be of any sex).

2. Send us your pictures via inbox for us to post on Facebook and Instagram, invite your friends to like your post with the link we would provide by posting it on your wall.

3. They must like our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram for their votes to be valid. (Instagram @GodIsGoodMotors)

Tiger Brands' Nigeria business widens losses

Tiger Brands' Nigerian flour business reported a widened loss of 2.92-billion naira (about R176m) for its first quarter ended December, as currency weakness in the local market offset a 27.5% surge in sales.

Dangote Flour Mills (DFM), which is 65.7% held by Tiger, said its total comprehensive loss widened 4.1% as the Nigeria-listed company included a currency devaluation charge of 1.29-billion naira. Tiger's acquisition of DFM two years ago has so far proved a major drag on the group's earnings, with impairments and losses from Nigeria featuring prominently in Tiger's results since.

Of its initial R1.5bn investment for the stake in DFM, Tiger has had to write off the entire R849m premium paid for the business and a further R105m against the value of the firm's assets. The investment was made to build scale in Nigeria and to create a platform for other opportunities.

In a regulatory filing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, DFM said "the business has achieved positive volume momentum and operating leverage due to tight cost control and improved efficiencies in line with its stated recovery plan".

"However, pricing competition remains intense notwithstanding the impact of the recent currency devaluation and the ongoing volatility and constrained liquidity in the foreign exchange market, which has resulted in a significant increase in the cost of raw materials."

A sneak Peak into the Jumia Kenya Valentine Flash Sale

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we all remember the brick and motor stores we walked in and out of during Valentine’s to buy gifts years back and even though the stores still exist, most of us don’t go there anymore, we shifted to shop online, save money and time to be together more with the people we love.

With a Mega Valentine flash sale tomorrow 5th February 2014 Jumia is set to ensure that you have a wide selection of gifts to choose for him and for her right from your computer or smartphone while sited on your lazy boy’s seat at home or office and have deliveries made on your doorstep anywhere in Kenya with a cash on delivery option.

Among the mega deals to be released every hour include a 32“LED Sharp TV selling at Ksh. 13,999 down from ksh23,999, a Quantum 3G tab at Ksh. 3,499 down from Ksh 14,600, a Techno R7 at 17,299, a Lenovo Ksh. 18,999 among other mega deals that will be released every hour for 14 hours starting from 8:00AM.

Parinaz Firozi, MD, Jumia Kenya said, “Valentine is a special day for love the world over, we have prepared amazing gifts of love for our customers at incredible prices all in a stress-free shopping experience, all you will need to do is be online to avoid missing out.”

For a sneak peek into the items on offer tomorrow click here

Arsenal Star Olivier Giroud Joins Rehab Movement

English Club Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has joined fitness technology company HYPERICE as a shareholder and global brand ambassador. The partnership aims to generate more awareness for the brand’s advanced recovery, injury prevention, and movement enhancement products.

Giroud, who spent the second half of 2014 recovering from a broken leg, credits HYPERICE as a major factor in his recovery.

Giroud is no stranger to injury recovery, having spent the second half of 2014 recovering from a broken leg he suffered in August. The professional soccer star credits HYPERICE as a major factor in his quick and successful recovery. Giroud believes HYPERICE technology will aid and improve performance for himself and his fellow athletes for years to come.

This new partnership solidifies HYPERICE's brand reputation as one of the most trusted names in sports worldwide. The company's global mission is to lead and innovate the injury prevention, recovery and movement enhancement sector. HYPERICE continues to provide athletes with efficient and effective solutions for preventing injury, advancing performance, and promoting faster recovery through its innovative technologies.

GeoPoll, Control Union Use Mobile Surveys to Engage with Agricultural Industry in Africa, Asia

GeoPoll Survey

One of the world’s largest real-time mobile survey platform, GeoPoll has announced a strategic partnership with Control Union, global leader in agricultural certifications, food safety, and sustainability.

Partnering allows Control Union to tap into GeoPoll’s multimodal mobile platform and database of 200 million users, giving them access the fastest and most cost effective data collection method available in emerging markets.  Together, GeoPoll and Control Union will utilize mobile surveys to engage and educate smallholder farmers in emerging economies, with the goal of reaching 1 million farmers by 2020 via SMS and voice messaging.

The partnership will allow commercial organizations such as global brands, exporters, and suppliers, as well as governments and non-profits to ensure social compliance in key value chains and to empower farmers to gain greater access to markets, ultimately adding value for both farmers and consumers.

“Control Union is excited to focus its expertise and better support smallholder farmers. GeoPoll’s team and platform provides us practical tools to connect with rural farming communities to educate, certify and link them to a global marketplace.  The survey tools also empower our commercial clients to monitor goods as they move through supply chains, increasing transparency and helping them report better economic and social impact. Accessing information from the most remote farming communities will no longer be a barrier to asking or answering consumer questions,” said Johan Maris, Managing Director, Control Union.

Nokia Networks Pledges To Help Achieve Nigeria National Broadband Plan

Nokia Networks yesterday held a telecom conference titled ‘Connect Nigeria: Exploring ICT Potential for Growth’ and explored the road for connected Nigeria in line with the government’s ambitious National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2013-2018.

The plan aims to increase broadband penetration from 6% in 2013 to 30% by 2018. It also aims to cover 80% of the population with 3G and LTE services and offer a minimum download speed of 1.5 Mbps. About 150 industry experts representing Nokia Networks, operators, government, and IT companies participated in the conference.

L-R:Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, Corporate Services Executive, Regulatory Corporate Services Department, MTN, representing Mr. Michael Ikpoki, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN; Mr. Matthew Willsher, the CEO of Etisalat Nigeria; Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman, Zinox Group and Buyright Africa as well as the Chairman of the Conference; Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, CEO of Airtel and Mr. Bernard Najm, the Vice President, Head of Middle East and Africa Region at Nokia Networks during the Nokia Networks Conference titled Connect Nigeria:Exploring ICT potential for growth in Victoria Island, Lagos on February 3, 2015

According to a recent GSMA report, Nigeria is a fast growing economy and the largest one in Africa, but has low mobile broadband penetration. However, due to various factors including high access rates of over 50% of the population (those who use a mobile despite not owning one), data consumption growth, a rise in digital entrepreneurship, and a large youthful population, Nigeria presents a growing opportunity for investment and innovation in telecom networks.

Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said: "The Nokia Networks conference has brought out excellent insights from various telecom industry players on how to achieve further mobile broadband penetration in Nigeria in linewith our ambitious NBP. The government is committed to enabling the operators to take the quality and coverage of mobile broadband services to a new level for the benefit of greater socio-economic development. We are confident that Nokia Networks’ commitments and advanced 2G, 3G and 4G mobile broadband technologies will significantly contribute in providing high quality mobile broadband services in our country on a par with leading services around the world."

Blackberry Messenger Recruitment Contest Begins In Nigeria

BBM is awarding NGN 10000 (Ten thousand Naira) each in airtime to 1000 BBM users who gets the most new BBM Users. What this entails is that, you need to add new users on BBM and you need to have a minimum of 10 contacts at the end of the contest.

You want to know how to win? Begin recruiting new BBM users right away! Make sure you add them to your BBM contact list so we can count them. Each new recruit must be new to BBM, have a minimum of 10 contacts by the end of the contest and send messages regularly.

The contest runs from January 30th to April 30th, 2015 and you need to be a BBM user before January 30th to qualify.

The interesting thing is that this isn’t only open to Blackberry users, it’s also open to android, windows phone and iPhone users who use BBM app on their devices. However, for Blackberry users, only BB phones operating on OS7 or above can partake in the contest.

Interested in the contest? click here for more information.

Nigerian Idol 5: It's Time For Lagos Audition!

The final leg of the Nigerian Idol 5 auditions will hit Lagos State at the Dream Studios in Omole on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th of February. Season 5 of the reality TV music show, has been on the search for Nigeria’s best voices since the New Year began and the audition train has moved through Benin, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Ibadan.

The Ibadan auditions which was held over the weekend proved all the worth for the efforts by the organisers as it produced 7 Golden Tickets, the highest recorded from any centre in the on-going season 5.

Nigerian Idol is in its fifth season after a successful debut in 2010 won by Yeka Onka.

In the following years, which saw the emergence of Mercy Chinwo, Moses Adigwe and Zebili Evelyn (Evelle), it has grown in popularity and followership on the basis of the unique platforms it offers to young Nigerians with exceptional music talent.

It is the only music TV reality show in Nigeria with a global appeal that currently cuts across 46 countries.

Nigerian Idol focuses on discovering Nigerian youths with talent in music and giving them a unique platform to take shots at stardom.

Beyond the Classroom: The Case for Younovators, Youngpreneurs and Advertising

As venture capital firms, collaborative works spaces and creative schools become mainstream, young and enterprising Nigerians are leveraging the opportunities afforded them through these platforms to learn new skills in mobile technology, management information systems, apps and software development, Trends Marketing, business model design, and digital marketing.

One of such creative institutions is Orange Academy, Africa’s School of Integrated Brand Experience situated in Lagos. Orange is a creative hub where students that have been admitted into the annual IBX Program are taught how to develop strategic marketing plans and digital platforms, which are beneficial to connecting brands to consumers.

The effect of these initiatives, inventions and innovations will be the subject of discourse during a keynote presentation titled, The Next Wired Generation: Orange Minds and the Future of Advertising, delivered by Franklin Ozekhome at Social Media Week Lagos 2015.

Social Media Week is a leading news platform and worldwide conference that curates and shares the best ideas, innovations and insights into how social media and technology are changing business, society and culture around the world.

Ozekhome, a marketing strategist and the former head of Insight Communications, will be providing an analysis of the potential power of Nigerian youths, social media platforms and their impact on the future of integrated marketing communications, using Orange Academy as a case study. Ozekhome is also the Dean of Studies at Orange, and recently launched TINK Africa, a startup consumer insight firm. In October, he was invited to share insights and emerging trends on the Nigerian digital consumer at Social Media Week Johannesburg.

WPBSA and ICSS renew global integrity partnership to help safeguard Snooker

As snooker experiences record commercial growth and continue its drive to reach out to new markets, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) - the international governing body for professional snooker - has announced it has renewed its global partnership with the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) to help safeguard the integrity of the sport.

First announced at the 2013 Indian Open in New Delhi, the global integrity partnership between the WPBSA and ICSS will continue working to protect the integrity of professional snooker by delivering a range innovative new programmes and initiatives as the sport seeks inclusion at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

In particular, the ICSS will work closely with the WPBSA to provide integrity awareness training, including seminars and advice to tour players, coaches, officials and administrators, as well as supporting the WPBSA on intelligence issues concerning match fixing.

As part of the extension, the ICSS will also continue to support throughout the 2014-2015 season by overseeing the WPBA’s betting monitoring programme, ensuring that snooker’s world governing body is immediately notified about any suspicious gambling behavior or patterns during a match.

Kaymu Rounds-Off Anniversary In Grand Style

Leading online marketplace, Kaymu.com.ng wrapped up its two year anniversary with a dinner party at the Ember creek in Ikoyi, Lagos on Saturday January 31st, 2015.

The exclusive party had in attendance the CEO of Kaymu Africa, Massimiliano Spalazzi, the Managing Director of Kaymu Nigeria, Evangeline Wiles, staff, top sellers on Kaymu platform and the media.

 It was indeed a night of fun as the compere, Kenneth Agberia, popularly known as MC Shakara thrilled guests with rib cracking jokes.

Berger Paints’ MD steps down

Tor Nygard

Board of Directors of Berger Paints Nigeria Plc has announced the disengagement of the Managing Director, Mr. Tor Nygard, from the services of the company at the expiration of his contract on of January 31, 2015.

Nygard joined the company on the 2nd of November 2009 as the Deputy Managing Director (Designate), moved on to become an Executive director and was later appointed as the Managing Director.

In the interim, Mr. Jatin Madan, the Chief Operating Offi cer, will act as CEO, pending the appointment of a substantive Managing Director.