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Nigeria, Others to Account for Half of 115m new Subscribers by 2020 – de Morais
Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais is an entrepreneur and innovation specialist with a deep interest in African socio-economic development. In 2007, He founded Quantum Global Group, an international group of companies focused on African development, particularly in the fields of corporate finance advisory, asset and private wealth management, real estate and investment consulting. He has been supporting sustainable and innovation-led socio economic growth in Africa through African Innovation Foundation. He spoke to chike Onwuegbuchi on issues around his Foundation and supporting innovation in Africa
Low Internet penetration in Africa as a Challenge for Entrepreneurs
The 2017 Mobile Economy report by GSMA estimates that at the end of 2016, there were 420 million unique mobile subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa, equivalent to a penetration rate of 43%.
The region will have more than half a billion unique mobile subscribers by 2020, by which time around half the population will subscribe to a mobile service.
Four of the most populated markets in the region – DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania – will account for nearly half the 115 million new subscribers expected by 2020.
A decade ago, none of this existed. Today, despite bandwidth challenges, African entrepreneurship is on the rise.
The 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report shows that three quarters of working age adults in Africa consider entrepreneurship as a ‘good career choice’.
The GEM report also shows that ‘Total Early-stage Entrepreneurial activity (TEA) rates in Africa are amongst the highest in the world, with just under a fifth of working age adults engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity.
The majority, 55%, of early-stage entrepreneurs in Africa operate in retail trade, hotels and restaurants, while the second most-popular sector is agriculture, forestry and fishing, at 10%, followed by manufacturing at 8%.
Through IPA we have seen many African innovators rise above the common day challenges that affect Africans at large and go on to build successful local, regional and global businesses.
As I referenced before, the challenges are more in relation to entrepreneurs not being able to commercialize their ideas due to their lack of ability to meet the real needs in Africa, which renders their ideas technically and commercially unviable.
AIF and Innovative Initiatives in Africa
In the six years since AIF hosted the inaugural Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA), I have seen African ingenuity evolve in its sophistication and relevance. Africa’s youthful demographic has come of age in the digital era, making them early adopters of technology and the vanguard of innovation on the continent.
The continent has witnessed a cultural shift from consumers of technology to innovators capable of disrupting traditional sectors such as agriculture while pioneering relevant African-focused solutions in important growth sectors such as healthcare and clean energy.
However, not all segments of African society have been privy to being able to participate in driving the continent’s innovation needs.
In order for African innovation to truly have an impact on socio-economic transformation, we need to create more inclusive innovation ecosystems that provide windows of opportunity for Africans who are outside the formal economy to develop technically and commercially viable solutions that meet their needs as well.
Attracting Investment to Develop ideas in Africa
Africa’s investment in research and development (R&D) is less than one per cent of the global investment share. Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) infrastructure and resources continue to fall short.
These factors are amongst the reasons why very few scientific discoveries translate into viable solutions that solve real African challenges.
An innovative solution is only as good as its viability in the real world. Year after year, through IPA, hundreds of African innovators put forward solutions that they believe meet local challenges. Yet only a handful of African innovators are able to translate their ideas to the lab and scale their innovations.
There is a need for increased collaboration between researchers and innovators to facilitate knowledge transfer and enable the creation of more impactful and marketable innovations across the continent.
In an effort to close this gap, AIF recently entered into a MoU with The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) to create more value and enhance cooperation, interaction, and knowledge sharing in STI in Africa. In doing so, we aim to catalyse research-led innovations into sustainable African enterprises.
Motive Behind African Innovation Foundation
I founded the AIF in 2009 with the aim of supporting sustainable and innovation-led socio economic growth in Africa. Its key focus has been to enable Africans to create homegrown solutions for local challenges.
Then, in 2011 we launched the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). This proved to be the catalyst for unlocking the dormant African innovation spirit.
In 2012, at the joint Africa Union (AU) and UNECA conference, IPA was endorsed by the ministers in attendance, and a resolution was passed, calling for member states to work with AIF to promote innovation-based societies in Africa.
To me, this will always remain one AIF’s greatest milestones because it led to important beginnings.
Many African governments have since begun to see the real value in investing in innovation economies and have been increasingly putting innovation ahead on their development agenda.
Last year at IPA2017 held in Ghana, H.E. President Akufo-Addo pledged to commit a minimum of one per cent of GDP towards strengthening Ghana’s innovation ecosystem.
This is yet another reflection of AIF’s impact in defining the importance of innovation in securing widespread socio economic transformation.
I sincerely hope to see more African leaders make this level of commitment towards driving innovation-led growth in their respective countries.
Way out of problem of Access to Credit for Entrepreneurs in Africa
This comes down to a financing mismatch more often than not. Africa is an early stage market. The ideas on the continent are also young, reflecting a young demographic that are early adopters of technology.
At present, investors are largely interested in startups in the e-commerce, clean technology, e-health and financial services space but many of these startups are still in early stages. What they need is venture capital because they do not yet qualify for private equity.
Africa needs to attract more venture capital money in order to boost its startup scene at a faster rate.
The theme for IPA2018, ‘Investing in Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems’ calls for African governments and innovation stakeholders to invest in building bridges for more inclusive ecosystems that will accelerate and scale African innovation at all levels of society.
The aim is to find solutions to increase access to innovative financing and knowhow, and to enhance collaboration between African nations to enable local innovators to access higher value markets for their solutions at a faster rate.
We are also looking to garner increased participation form the diaspora. Diaspora entrepreneurs and investors too are uniquely positioned to recognize opportunities in their countries of cultural origin as ‘first influencers’ in fostering economic growth.
Recent research suggests that diaspora entrepreneurs can contribute to development by creating businesses and jobs, stimulating innovation, expanding global networks, and generating social capital across borders. So in this regard, IPA2018 is a call to action for diaspora investors to support African innovation and entrepreneurship.
Africa Prudential Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable growth and digital transformation after posting another strong half-year financial performance, driven by robust growth in its core registrar business, technology-driven solutions and increased activity in Nigeria’s capital market.
Speaking during the company’s H1 2026 Investor Call on Tuesday, the management outlined plans to deepen revenue diversification and accelerate innovation as part of efforts to reduce reliance on interest income and strengthen long-term profitability.
The company reported gross earnings of ₦4.28 billion for the first half of 2026, representing a 27 per cent increase from ₦3.34 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Profit before tax rose by 22 per cent to ₦2.41 billion, while profit after tax climbed 18 per cent to ₦1.59 billion.
Net operating income also increased by 27 per cent to ₦4.21 billion, while total assets grew by 13 per cent to ₦46.53 billion. Shareholders’ funds similarly rose by 13 per cent to ₦12.52 billion.
According to the company, the impressive performance was driven by sustained growth in its registrar business, increased corporate actions across the Nigerian capital market, stronger treasury earnings supported by the prevailing interest rate environment and rising adoption of its technology-enabled products and services.African Mineral Wealth
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Catherine Nwosu, said Africa Prudential is steadily evolving from a traditional share registrar into a diversified technology and business solutions provider serving the broader capital market ecosystem.
Addressing concerns from investors about the sustainability of earnings if interest rates decline, Nwosu said the company was deliberately expanding its non-interest income sources.
“Interest rates influence our treasury income positively, but that is why we are deliberately diversifying our revenue streams. Our strategy is to grow recurring fee-based business lines such as our digital solutions, Know Your Customer (KYC) services, AGM technology, probate services and the SabiVest mobile app. Over time, this will reduce our reliance on interest income and create a more balanced and resilient earnings mix,” she said.
She noted that increasing activity in the Nigerian capital market presents fresh opportunities for technology-driven solutions.
“With capital market activity nearly doubling over the past year, demand for seamless digital investor experiences, improved market efficiency and stronger compliance standards continues to grow. We are investing in technology-enabled solutions that position us to capitalise on these opportunities while delivering sustainable value to our shareholders,” she added.
Looking ahead, the company identified five strategic priorities for the second half of 2026, including driving sustainable growth through its core registrar business and new revenue streams, accelerating technology-led product innovation, strengthening brand leadership, investing in talent development and reinforcing corporate governance.
The investor call attracted institutional investors, shareholders, analysts, regulators and other capital market stakeholders, reflecting strong interest in Africa Prudential’s earnings outlook, revenue diversification strategy and long-term growth plans.
News
IHS Nigeria Donates Business-Support Equipment to Empower People with Disabilities in Abuja Community
Communications infrastructure company, IHS Nigeria, has donated business support equipment to empower people with disabilities within the Karonmajiji community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This is part of the company’s commitment to drive inclusive community development and sustainable livelihood support under its Project Empower initiative.
The equipment was distributed to beneficiaries during a ceremony held in the community on Monday, July 27. The initiative was conceived following a community needs assessment and is designed to empower active traders by providing them with business tools rather than cash grants, thereby strengthening their businesses and ensuring long-term economic impact and accountability.
Speaking at the event, Director, Sustainability, IHS Nigeria, Titilope Oguntuga, described the initiative as a reflection of the company’s commitment to advancing inclusive development by equipping persons with disabilities with the tools and opportunities needed to build resilient livelihoods.
She explained that rather than providing short-term financial assistance, IHS Nigeria adopted an asset-based approach by donating 50 pieces of business support equipment, including sewing machines, freezers, generators and hairdressing kits, to the selected beneficiaries.
According to her, the intervention is designed to create lasting value by supporting entrepreneurship, promoting self-reliance and strengthening household incomes, while contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
In his opening remarks, the Chief of the Karonmajiji Disabled Community, Alhaji Sulaiman Muhammed Katsina, represented by the Secretary of the Community, Alhaji Mohammed Dantani commended IHS Nigeria for its commitment to empowering persons with disabilities through practical and sustainable interventions.
He described the initiative as a demonstration of genuine partnership with the community and expressed appreciation for the company’s continued engagement with the Association, noting that the donation of the equipment was a significant investment in improving the livelihoods of persons with disabilities and would create meaningful economic opportunities for the beneficiaries and their families.
The event brought together traditional rulers, government representatives, leaders and members of the Karonmajiji Disabled Community Association, implementing partners, including Field of Skills and Dreams Vocational Technical and Entrepreneurship (FSD VTE) Training Institute and other community stakeholders, reaffirming a shared commitment to promoting inclusion and sustainable community development.
Project Empower reinforces IHS Nigeria’s commitment to advancing sustainable development through strategic partnerships that promote economic inclusion, strengthen community resilience and create opportunities for underserved communities.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
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