General News
Automation Key in Capital Market Resuscitation-Emmanuel
Amos Emmanuel, chief software architect/CEO, Programos Software Group, is first vice president, Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and member of other various industry Associations.
He also founder and president of Programos Foundation and national coordinator and designer of the SPACE4Nigeria – Strategic Planning, Acquisition and Control Education portal of the UN Infopoverty Initiative that now serve as the pivot for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.
The polyglot programmer is the UN World Summit Award Eminent National Expert for Nigeria and has authored many software products including the most populous African capital market software called CloudIntegraeTrade and IntegraFixPro5.0 OMS (Order Management System) Software utilized by over 100 African stockbroking organizations mostly in Nigeria and Ghana. Emmanuel founded the eAfrica.
He spoke to peter ugwu on software and Nigeria’s IT sundry issues.
Initiatives to Resuscitate Software for the Stock Market
The Nigerian stock market has been one segment of the nation’s financial sector that we have offered services in the last 15 years.
In addition, we have, from inception, introduced indigenous software called INTEGRA2000+ now been changed to a new product that is 100% cloud-based called CLOUDINTEGRA eTRADE.
It is an investment and e-Trade software that will enable stock market operators in Nigeria and indeed Africa to offer daily online services in a very transparent manner to local and foreign investors.
These were actually the things that eluded the Nigerian investment community before now. Besides, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has been developing a trading platform which calls for supporting software vendors to design fresh systems that can integrate the market with investors and dealers through a direct market access to the Nigerian Stock Market X-GEN FIXTrading Platform on daily basis and make investors trade directly, even from the comfort of their homes.
Programos Software Group has now being certified of the new IntegraFixPro5.0 OMS solution. This solution is the Orders Management System which empowers any stock market operator like the Dealer and customers to trade online over the new trading infrastructure.
Some of the benefits are that stock market brokers are able to offer transparent services.
Before now, investor do not know what transpires between their investment records, the stockbrokers, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the Bankers, the Registrars and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
These are the major organs in the market. However, with information technology (IT), we have been able to provide more transparency in the processes that at no point can any of the players engage in anti-best practice without being noticed.
We all know that before now an investor gives a mandate before a broker can carry out a deal; if that rule was kept we would not have had cases in the news of a broker selling shares without the knowledge of the owner.
Some of the anti-best practices happened in the past because the regulatory rested on human beings and not necessarily on automatable standards which we now offer.
So, we have been able to use technology to mitigate risks in the market with the launch of CloudIntegra eTrade software.
CloudIntegraeTrade Software and IntegraFixPro5.0 will be on exhibition at the Nigerian Pavilion of the World Congresson Information Technology, WCIT 2014 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, September 2014.
Automation of the Stock Market and Investors’ Confidence
Automation is going to mitigate the risks and make the investment climate safer. Sincerely, it is the best time for you to penetrate the market, because you might be hearing that the market is coming up. The operating rules have changed and are still changing.
At the Americas Fix Trading Conference this year in New York, we were made to understand that the FIX (Financial Information eXchange) is designed to satisfy the investor.
Going by the investors’ appetite for optimal returns, mandates have become more challenging for the human mind as of the stockbroker to cope with on the new trading platform. So it is now more technology processes than more people-oriented processes.
According to Mr. David Jiboye, the IntegraFixPro5.0 OMS director at Programos Software Group, “Given the machine-to-machine architecture, risks have become better controlled”. With our CloudIntegra eTrade Solution, you can now manage your investment account as a self-service, because the automation empowers you.
From your CloudIntegra eTrade Account portal, as an investor, you are not only able to post buy and sell mandates of equities and bonds; you are offered online investment advisory services especially on your portfolio.
By this, the software knows what your average cost of investment has been and can actually give you basic trigger pricing information from time to time, to know when to salvage a loss or get out of an investment when it is nose-diving too badly, and consolidate into cash position to either withdraw or pick more valuable investment options.
So, investors are now able to watch their growth on investments, optimize their gains, take profits at target return shitting points like 15%, 20% etc.
Entrepreneurship Initiatives to Aid Youth and School Leavers
Programos Software Group funds its Programos Foundation for a variety of initiatives in this area. We mentioned the graduate capacity building where we train for free and supply to the labour market freely.
Programos Foundation in conjunction with Seone Foundation Inc, Houston have met with the Vice Chancellor and management of Bells University for the establishment of a Campus-to-Corporate Initiative for its undergraduates.
This will span more universities. In Programos, we have records of students who have done their SIWES through us become best students upon graduation.
Local Software Developers and International Certifications
The story of certification shows that Nigerians are top there! It is not about certification. You can get all the certifications in the world without achieving anything. Even in IT, Nigerians are top in any professional certification.
You can get all that abroad, on getting back to the country you get frustrated.
Sincerely, you need an environment where you offer a service and the market measures you based on your competence.
In my segment of the economy, I have made sure that no foreign software plays any role there.
Let the public make their research if there were foreign software running in the Nigerian stock market in the last 15 years.
And I also operate outside Nigeria, but who recognizes that? Who is even encouraging one? No body! Instead, people, especially government officials will be eavesdropping, searching one ways to frustrate you.
You have institutional degeneracy all over the place. As an entrepreneur, I run on generator at an average of almost 15 hours daily; nobody cares what your pains are.
It is unfortunate to see government functionaries embezzle tax payer’s money yearly without anybody doing something substantive.
We are not begging for funds, but space to operate, and the right conscience to know that they owe us the demand for our services and products.
In every aspect of IT innovation, Nigerians are innovative. Now, we have come to realize that we are worth more than what we are getting.
I feel, one day, we will get a government that will take advantage of what Nigeria has as human resources. We may not appreciate it today, but very soon, we cannot shy away from the fact Nigeria has very solid resources.
It is unfortunate we have generations in Nigeria that one produces only for the other to consume and not replicate or re-produce. That is why someone can steal my intellectual property without recourse.
In the media and entertainment industry in particular, it is a nagging issue. Our entertainment industry is facing a situation of almost extinction. Is that industry not the one we believed so much in? They create values and never reap from it. Who cares for their protection and continuous promotion?
Tomorrow we make noise of about million or billion dollar intervention fund that are never seen to address the challenges of the industry.
There is quite a lot the IT industry can do for this country. In the World Summit Award, my concerns are about the Governments themselves; offering e-services to its people and being accountable to the services.
IT will take care of tourism problems of this country. When we talk about IT inclusion, we have a larger population of this country in places that are not yet developed. We talk about internet penetration, there are still areas people do not understand the meaning of the word Internet.
There are some places that as you travel and cross a particular boundary all your signals are lost. We have a major challenge; we need innovations that will address the societal issues.
We need to bring those who are out of the system to understand there are areas or things they need to embrace. Outside that, we need to protect the Nollywood; we should not play with that industry. You talk about the Nigerian capital market today, it is and is going to be the wonderful work of technology that will revive the market that has defied many regulatory interventions; it takes technology to restore investors’ confidence, make the players to do the right for the public to see the transparency and decide to get back or not. Is it in health, aviation, education, you name it, innovation spans across several aspects of life.
Nigerians innovators crave to become actors of the socio-economic development of their societies.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has raised the alarm that some corrupt Nigerian politicians are now hiding their illicit wealth in cryptocurrencies to evade scrutiny and detection by anti-graft agencies.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman, EFCC
The EFCC boss said the agency had uncovered a growing trend where fraudulent public officials now used cryptocurrency wallets to stash stolen public funds and conduct illicit transactions.
Olukoyede made the revelation at an event commemorating Africa Anti-Corruption Day.
The event was held simultaneously in Abuja, Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo State.
Other speakers at the event lamented that Nigerians usually fell victim to crypto fraud, including the recent CBEX scam, where Nigerians lost over N1.3tn.
Olukoyede said, “Virtual asset fraud is on the rise. Our findings show that fraudulent politicians are already perfecting schemes and hiding their loot in cryptocurrencies to beat the investigative blackness of anti-corruption agencies.
“Stolen funds and unexplained wealth are being warehoused in wallets and payment for services are being done through this window,” he said.
Olukoyede warned that while the rise of virtual assets had transformed financial transactions globally, it had also created new avenues for money laundering and financial crimes.
He said, “Technology is moving at a supersonic speed around the world.
“The advent of virtual assets is a response to one of the qualities of money as a store of value like it is known in our elementary economies.”
“However, as with every progressive innovation, fraud starts to usually evolve, evolve ways of perverting their genuine purposes,” he said.
He added that the EFCC was not helpless in the face of the sophisticated schemes, noting that proactive training and intelligence sharing had enabled the commission to identify and investigate such cases.
Airtel Nigeria, telecommunications and digital solutions provider, has reemphasised its commitment to national development with a two-day workshop for companies in Nigeria’s Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) and utility sectors.
Held from July 8 to 9, 2025 at the Lagos Continental, the exclusive event brought together C-suite executives and industry thought leaders to co-create transformative and tech-driven solutions for these critical industries.
Themed “Banking on Innovation: Powering Financial Services with Connectivity” on 1 and “Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Leap: Smarter Networks, Smarter Business” on Day 2, the sessions were designed to identify critical pain points, unlock business potential, and drive smarter, more connected operations across two of the nation’s most essential sectors.
Delivering the keynote address, Dinesh Balsingh, Managing Director/CEO of Airtel Nigeria, reaffirmed Airtel’s dedication to enabling and driving Nigeria’s digital transformation across the finance and energy sectors.
Speaking on the timeliness of the workshop, Airtel Nigeria’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh said, “From power and water to finance, transportation, and logistics, this is a defining moment for every sector. The real question isn’t whether to adopt digital solutions, but how quickly and intelligently we can do so. At Airtel Nigeria, we’re moving beyond basic connectivity and becoming a true digital partner to the industries we serve.”
He highlighted Airtel’s categories of enterprise solutions that has been created to improve quality of life. These groupings include Internet of Things (IoT) for such services as smart metering, leak detection, energy optimisation, and real-time asset tracking; Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS), which enables secure, multi-channel customer engagement via SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, and USSD; as well asl Network as a Service (NaaS), which delivers flexible, secure connectivity with cloud-ready agility.
Mr. Balsingh added that, “Nigeria’s power and energy industries are under growing pressure to modernise. Legacy infrastructure, fragmented systems, and lack of real-time visibility are major obstacles. Airtel is stepping in with the right tools, not just to connect, but to transform. With IoT, CPaaS, and NaaS, we’re laying the groundwork for smarter operations, improved service delivery, and better outcomes for businesses and consumers alike.”
Abhishek Biswal, Chief Business Officer, Digital Services at Airtel India, brought substantial insight to the discourse with a demonstration of Airtel’s IoT Hub and its transformative impact on energy distribution.
Biswal said, “The future of finance and energy is digital, and that future must be secure, scalable, and seamless. When financial players and utility providers partner with telcos like Airtel, we’re not just connecting systems; we’re building a smarter digital ecosystem for everyone.”
Reinforcing the CEO’s position, Ogo Ofomata, Director, Airtel Business, called for collaboration among the participating sector and their stakeholders.
“We don’t take lightly the trust you have put in us. Airtel operates in what we call the enabler industry. Sometimes we don’t even know there’s a problem until we come together like this. This workshop is about understanding your needs and working side by side to design solutions that truly fit,” she said.
In his remarks, Luc Serviant, Group Enterprise Business Director at Airtel Africa, highlighted the company’s role in driving digital transformation through sustained investments in 5G and LEO satellite connectivity, aimed at boosting remote operations and expanding access in underserved regions across the finance and energy sectors.
He said, “At Airtel, we understand that the future of is going digital, and reliable connectivity is the backbone of that future. From 5G to LEO satellite integration, we are investing in intelligent infrastructure that empowers service providers to operate more efficiently, respond in real-time, and deliver uninterrupted services to millions of Nigerians. This isn’t just about innovation; it’s about building the digital foundation that will power the nation’s next chapter.”
This workshop, which continues the series of sectoral engagements within Nigeria’s growing economy, concluded with feedback from stakeholders who called for the inclusion of regulatory bodies such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in future editions.
The Credit Fund of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund has successfully closed its first investment, committing $10 million to Telecel Global Services Ltd, through a senior secured amortising loan.
The transaction marks a significant milestone in the operationalisation of the Fund. The Credit Fund is one of three Funds under the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, established by the AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to provide targeted transitional support to AfCFTA State Parties and private sector entities as they adjust to the requirements and opportunities presented by the AfCFTA Agreement.
Telecel Global Services, a subsidiary of the Mauritius based Telecel Group, provides wholesale voice and SMS services and enterprise connectivity solutions to more than 250 telecoms operators across Africa and globally.
With digital connectivity being at the heart of the trade and economic integration and success of the AfCFTA, this facility will support Telecel’s expansion in Ghana and Liberia, strengthen its infrastructure, and contribute to bridging Africa’s digital divide through enhanced connectivity and digital inclusion.
By investing in digital infrastructure in underserved markets, the Fund is helping reduce trade barriers, foster cross-boarder productivity and accelerate inclusive industrialization. Mr. Jean-Louis Ekra, Chairman of the Board of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Corporation, stated: “
The closing of our first deal marks a historic milestone for the Credit Fund and the broader vision of the AfCFTA.
This US$10 million investment in Telecel Global Services is a clear demonstration of how targeted capital can drive meaningful impact—accelerating digital connectivity, enabling intraAfrican trade, and supporting private sector-led development in priority sectors.
It is our commitment to ensure that such investments continue to bridge critical gaps, stimulate economic resilience, and unlock Africa’s vast potential.”
H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, noted: “This transaction demonstrates how the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund is beginning to serve its intended purpose – supporting State Parties and the private sector as we work to make this Agreement commercially meaningful.
By investing in digital infrastructure, we are addressing some of the most critical enablers of trade facilitation, industrialisation, and regional value chain development.”
Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, added: “Today, we make another bold statement of our unwavering intent to ensure that Africans reap the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
We are proud to have commenced the operationalisation of the Credit Fund. With this Fund, we will provide vital support to African corporates, helping them retool and expand their operations necessary to capitalise on the AfCFTA opportunities.
The investment strengthens a critical enabler, the digital economy and regional connectivity, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to transforming the structure of the African economy.”
Marlene Ngoyi, CEO, FEDA, the Fund Manager of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, said: “This investment exemplifies the strategic intent of the Credit Fund – to catalyse growth and resilience in sectors that are vital for Africa’s structural transformation.
We are proud to partner with Telecel, whose operations directly advance intra-African connectivity and digital trade.”
The Credit Fund will continue to prioritise commercially viable investments that enable trade, support diversification, and promote inclusive growth in line with the broader AfCFTA implementation agenda.
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