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Begho, Atul Charge Startups to Prioritize Building a Brand

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(L-r): Ingo Herbert, German Consul General in Lagos; Nkemdilim Begho, CEO, Future Resources Software Limited, and Atul Kshetry, a business mentor and founder of IDM Services Plc, during CFA startup hangout at the weekend.
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Young Startups have been tasked to focus on building reputable brands and creating value in business rather than striving to make money as their priority.

With the general mindset of making money being the current major focus of most up and coming entrepreneurs, speakers at the CFA’s Startups Hangout for the March Edition are of the opinion that creating value and building brands remains the critical factors for achieving sustainable business growth.

Addressing entrepreneurs at the event, Nkemdilim Begho, CEO, Future Resources Software Limited, stressed that creation of value in a business, as well focusing on how to build the brand should be the primary objective for Startups.

Begho said money should never be the primary objective when starting a business, as this would not provide the ingredients to building a sustainable business in the long run.

“Whenever, I ask up and coming entrepreneurs why they want to venture into business, if they tell me money,  I tell them it doesn’t work that way.  I always tell them to focus on creating value and building a brand, which has helped me till this moment”, she said.

“When I started my own business, it was never easy. I didn’t pay myself salary for over five years let alone thinking of hiring any employee. In spite of all the challenges, I kept on going”, she added.

The Future Resources Limited boss, however, charged the Startups to be strategic with pricing whenever a client shows interest in their services.

Begho explained that most times, clients do not know exactly what they want and the inability to explain in detail to them in a simple language they understand makes this become an issue.

“Some clients don’t even want to pay for your services. Some will under-price your services. You, however, need to be strategic and charge exactly what will work for you.  If you charge less than the real cost, you will never grow your business.

“On the other hand, you need to understand what value you are offering to your client and be able to explain in simple terms the ‘what, when and how’, before implementing a clients project”, she opined.

“When you communicate these things at the initial stage, it becomes easy to avert hurdles in the process of implementation”, she said.

Continuing: She charged all the entrepreneurs to always develop skills at every point in their career and make it a responsibility to grow day after day.

“The only way I get impressed with my employees is when they grow on their job, develop skills and learn fast from me. This way, I get impressed with their performance and that is what all entrepreneurs should be doing”, she concluded.

In his words, Atul Kshetry, a successful business mentor who has led IDM Services Plc through a fast track diversification process, said focus and patience would go a long in way in the entrepreneurial journey.

He explained that Startups have the wrong focus on business, which is commonly driven by money, at the same time jeopardizing integrity.

“When you start a business, be rest assured that the minimum years of getting returns is five, sometimes seven or even ten years and that means, patience. When you don’t have patience, then, it becomes a problem.

He, however, tasked entrepreneurs to make their employees shareholders in their businesses and by so doing, some level of integrity will be injected into the business.

On hiring staff, Atul’s maxims are “sincerity without ability is useless; ability without sincerity is injurious; but ability with sincerity is priceless”, so, go for staff with ability and sincerity when hiring.

“I have always made sure that integrity rules in every busines that I get involved with, meanwhile, making employees shareholders in the company triggers a sense of belonging and responsibility”, he concluded.

CFA’s Startups Hangout is a monthly program sponsored by CFAtech.ng, an online technology media, where entrepreneurs meet, learn, and network.

The Next edition of the CFA’s Startups Hangout holds on the 21st of April, 2017 at Adna Hotel, GRA, Ikeja.

For more information visit: http://startups.cfatech.ng

 


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E-Business

OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

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Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


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Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

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Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


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Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

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National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said Nigerian software developers have reached significant milestones with locally made applications generating over one million Dollar in sales across domestic and regional markets.

Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, director-general of NOTAP, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Abuja.

Amadiobi said the development signified the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem and how local innovation powers digital growth.

She said it was also a direct outcome of targeted support initiatives led by NOTAP.

She added that the initiative helped to build capacity, protect intellectual property, and connect developers to market opportunities.

According to the NOTAP boss, the journey from concept to impact started with understanding and securing intellectual property (IP) rights, a step many local innovators missed.

“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.

“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.

“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.

Amadiobi said that the challenge was compounded by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which hit the ICT sector hardest.

“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like TikTok, unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.

“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.

The DG noted that most popular online personalities with distinctive styles often don’t realise they could protect their original contributions through IP registration.

She said that to address these gaps and unlock the value of Nigerian innovation, NOTAP implemented a multi-pronged strategy,- a cornerstone initiative – which is the Local Vendor Policy.

“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,’’ she said.

Amadiobi said that among the performing apps are solutions addressing critical local challenges such as a mobile health platform that now serves 750,000 users across six states.

“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.

She added that the apps were developed by teams that gained skills and resources through NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy.

According to her, the policy requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to allocate a portion of their technical service fees to local partners.

“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.

“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she said.

The D-G explained that the one million dollar figure represented sales from over 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between 5,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars from their products.

“Looking ahead, NOTAP aims to double these sales figures by 2027, with plans to expand support to developers focusing on fintech, renewable energy management, and climate adaptation tools.

“These are the sectors identified as high-growth opportunities for Nigerian innovation,’’ Amadiobi said


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