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Carmudi to Dominate Nigeria’s Online Auto Market-Keller

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Christian Keller, managing director, Carmudi Nigeria & Ghana, graduated from University of Mannheim, Germany, and holds an MBA from Portland State University, USA.
Prior to joining Carmudi, he worked in corporate strategy at Swisscom and in management consulting at Arthur D. Little and IBM in Europe with a focus on ICT and automotive industries.
He shared Carmudi’s vision for the Nigeria’s automobile market with peter ugwu.

Carmudi.com
Carmudi is Nigeria’s leading online vehicle market place. It functions as a hub that connects buyers and sellers of cars, tricycles and other mobility in that category.
 So, if you are looking for a car, you will find, at the moment, over 35,000 unique listed cars on the website. For instance, if you are searching for Toyota Camry of a particular price range, colour, you will find a vast amount of them on our site.
Based on our findings, for a long time, Nigerians have been made to drive around major cities all in search of the right car to suit their budget and taste, but since the emergence of Carmudi.com.ng they are able to sit in the convenience of their homes, offices or any other locations and search through thousands of new, used (Tokunbo) and Nigerian used vehicles to buy – all quality-approved.
Now, they have a choice and no longer restricted to car sales in their immediate environment and to the dealers they already know well, as we have taken time to attract a large population of independent car dealers and individual car sellers to our site and verify all these dealers and sellers in a bid to build a large car market network and strengthen trust which is commonly lacked amongst buyers and sellers. In the past, people had to reach out to friends and it takes some months to get them purchase a car.

Uniqueness Of Carmudi App
It is less than a year that we launched in Nigeria and we already have most of the cars that are for sale in Nigeria on carmudi.com.ng.
So, it has been a huge adoption in the market. In the beginning, it took some months to convince the professional car dealers to list on our site.
The challenge was how we could convince those that have not used the internet before to place their cars on our site.
So, we used a team of enthusiastic young car lovers to reach out to them; preaching the good news of the internet.
We made them to understand the importance of going online. It was a very big plus to us, because we have become internet evangelists, harping on the need to adopt the platform which has become home for all.
 So, our team moved, had discussions with them and that helped us to get have enough interest to first of all visit our site and get firsthand knowledge on the message we brought to them.
Subsequently, we saw them coming to enlist; many did that from their sales outlets using their devices.

Connecting Buyers And Sellers
We simplified the process; making buying easier and better. Now, with car inventory of over 35,000 unique vehicles and an average constant new addition to inventory of cars, trucks and buses in a month, a potential buyer can buy a car that has been certified by auto experts and workshops.
 As you continue with the transaction the assurance is that this is the first of its kind in Nigeria; full auto expert reports and history of your Nigerian used car.
The buyer will just browse through our list of dealers and sellers who offer purchase support and incentives such as: warranty, price negotiation and installment payment. One thing is clear; we do not charge you to access dealer or seller information.

Importance of  Carmudi to Sellers
Of course, they are quite important, because they are the ones to make available list of cars for sell with the specs.
So, as a dealer you no longer need to park cars by the road side and put a plastic bottle on it. From the comfort of your home all you need to do now is to take three easy steps: Take a photo. Post it. Sell. It is simple.
Take very clean and nice photos of the vehicle; write up a nice advert of your car, with a good and clear description to give buyers a good idea of what they are getting into, and post it right away; then have buyers contact you and sell it. So, you can put the car on Carmudi and based on the potentials, you can sell as quickly as possible. 

Mechanism for Verifications and Guard against Fraudsters
Apparently, one of the reason people were skeptical about embrace e-commerce was the issue of fraudsters; people masquerading as genuine to either tap others’ data or tap into their financial records, and this time, posing as real car dealers to defraud people.
One thing is that we do not compromise standards, because the integrity of our platform will be called to question should we compromise.
At Carmudi, we know that customers are concerned about that. I make bold to say that we do not accept scams on our website. Our team is on ground, moving round the streets to actually take photos of the cars that are uploaded.
The quality assurance team (QST) ensure nothing about the car is fraudulent or below standard. As people are uploading on their own, the quality assurance team also does background checks such as calling to confirm biography given by the person. This also guides in ensuring the car actually matches the price.

Connecting Non-Internet Compliant Car Dealers
The way we make money is that we charge small amount of fee from professional car dealers. But if we find out that in the beginning we need to give the space on free-trial to them, to have first-time experience, we do that.
Testing will always convince them; by doing that we have been able to bring most of them online. Most importantly, when they post or list their cars online and get patronized by potential customers, it is evidence to them that online marketing or transactions are real.
Some time, referrals help to market us. People who have gone through the seamless process go to town to inform others. That is the beauty of the internet.
When you are genuine there is nothing to fear about e-commerce. Likewise, the customers, they have nothing to fear. We usual advice them on the processes and things to look out for while buying certain categories of car through our carmudi online journal too.
We found that education is key in this aspect of business as well. At time, people buy out of persuasion from friends or relatives, but there are critical decisions one has to make before buying any brand of car.

The Tide of Competition
There is a vast of sites with some car listed on them, that is the basic truth, but that does not mean it is the business they are set out to do.
Carmudi is the premium cars website, dominating the space and become a house-hold name. To us, every listing is unique; there is no room for complicity.
Our quality assurance is there to ensure high level of compliance by both parties. We work hard every day that all vehicles listes are actually genuine and for sale. Our great customer care representatives will be happy to help you in case of questions.

Impact on Internet Penetration
Internet penetration is key in this kind of start-up (business). Although, it is still on the rise in Nigeria, however, we have seen a shift towards usage.
We just launched the Carmudi App, where you can have over 35,000 cars in your pocket. You can browse it from anywhere at your convenient anytime. So, we hope to leverage on the increasing internet penetration in the country.

Adoption Rate Outside Lagos 
We have people all over Nigeria, including the major cities, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. However, Lagos remains the location in Nigeria where most cars are imported into and people come from far and near to buy cars.


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EAIF Commits Additional US$30M to Support Indorama’s Expansion with Third Urea Plant in Nigeria

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The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company, has committed a US$30 million senior debt facility to Indorama, a leading producer and exporter of fertiliser.

The investment enables the construction of a new plant, port terminal, handling stations, and storage facilities in Nigeria, providing a major boost for the country’s agricultural sector, which is a crucial driver of the country and region’s economic growth.

EAIF acted as a co-lender within a broader debt financing package arranged by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), mobilising US$1.25 billion from a syndicate of impact investors, development finance solutions, and commercial banks.

EAIF’s investment increases the Fund’s lending to the company to $111 million, reflecting a joint-ambition to accelerate Indorama’s growth strategy and Nigeria’s aspirations for diversification and industrialisation.

The new funding unlocks fresh capital to enable the construction of a dedicated port terminal and state-of-the-art urea fertiliser plant, anticipating an increase in its current capacity from 2.8 million metric tons to 4.2 million metric tons per annum.

The expansion leverages the company’s strategic location as a freight-competitive supplier serving the needs of significant urea markets in the southern Atlantic, including Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, as well as West Africa, South Africa and the USA.

The facility bolsters Indorama’s capacity, extending its complex beyond the current two urea fertiliser plants, which is well poised to meet the entire demand of the Nigerian market.

The third urea plant aims to maximise output to meet the food demands of growing populations as disruptions precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis affect food security around the globe.

Global crop production is reliant on the international supply of fertiliser. The landmark project is expected to position Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, as a leading producer of urea among the top 10 producers worldwide.

Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 9 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, EAIF’s loan forms part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) objective for new infrastructure to drive action on climate and nature.

The construction of the port terminal and third plant is set to begin in 2024, with commercial operations expected to commence in 2026. During the construction phase, it is estimated that over 500 jobs will be generated, further contributing to economic development in Nigeria and beyond.

Commenting on the transaction, Olivia Carballo, Managing Director, Emerging Market, Fixed Income at Ninety One, the fund manager of the EAIF, said: “Our continued support for Indorama demonstrates EAIF’s commitment to harnessing the region’s significant economic prospects.

Africa’s potential for industrialisation is tremendous, and this landmark project is a testament to Nigeria’s enhanced ability to produce and export competitively priced, high-quality fertiliser to farmers in regional and international markets, which will remain a priority for years to come.”

Munish Jindal, CEO, Indorama, said: “Indorama will utilise state-of-the-art technology and adhere to stringent environmental standards to ensure optimal efficiency, product quality and sustainability.

We believe that the establishment of this fertiliser will position Nigeria as a key player in the global agricultural market. We are committed to maximising the potential of this project to benefit farmers, communities, and stakeholders across the value chain.

The involvement of esteemed lenders like the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund will not only help Nigeria’s in becoming one of the largest exporter of the fertilisers in the region but will also address the issues of global food security. We extend our sincere appreciation to all our partners, lenders, and stakeholders for their unwavering support and dedication to our shared vision.”

Sérgio Pimenta, IFC Vice President for Africa, said: “Reliable access to high quality fertiliser is essential for food production and food security around the world. IFC’s investment in Indorama, along with African, Asian, European, and American partners, signals our joint commitment to support the agriculture sector, Nigeria’s economy, and the expansion of Indorama, an important supplier in the global food chain.”


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Lifi.net Achieves 500mbps Speed to Rank among Fastest Internet Providers in Nigeria

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Lifi.net, a fast-growing internet service provider, has attained internet speed that is many times faster than the documented average internet speed in Nigeria as at January 2024.

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Latest disclosure by LIfi.net shows that the company now delivers up to 500 megabits per seconds (mbps) internet speed in unlimited services provided to homes and offices. This is higher than the country’s average internet speed of 26.74mbps.

As internet subscriber base increases in Nigeria and hit 161.68 million in January, the quality of internet service provided by operators to their users still constitutes concerns as 2G network which has limited speed dominates the space by covering 57.78%.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed through its latest data that while 3G is responsible for 9.36% of internet users in the country, 4G covers 31.75% of internet access and 5G internet only serves 1.11% of internet users in the country.

This combination explains why Nigeria ranked 93rd on the global mobile internet speed test out of 144 countries tested by Ookla, a U.S-based internet speed analysis firm, in January, putting the country’s median internet speed at 26.74 megabits per second (mbps).

However, Lifi.net (NT/007/22), a licensee of NCC, is among few Internet service providers (ISPs) that deliver fastest internet speed in Nigeria with up 350mbps for homes and 2500mbps for offices while assisting new ISPs with speeds over 5000mbps at the data centre and delivering the capacity to their various hubs at no extra cost.

“For over five years Lifi.net has been a leading network company, providing quality internet solutions at the speed of light and at affordable rates. We have highly technical and hard-working personnel and partners. We are very skilled at managing Cisco and Mikrotik Routers’ deployment, configurations, and integrations, fibre laying, and splicing,” says Abraham Oluwambe, Chief Operating Officer of Lifi.net.

He added that as operators attract more subscribers to their respective networks, they should equally place a premium on upgrading the quality of services to deliver broadband at the fastest internet speed possible.

“Our services are not only widespread but also affordable. We believe in making quality connectivity accessible to all. We understand the importance of budget-friendly solutions. Our cost-effective broadband plans ensure you get the best value for your investment without compromising on quality.

“While providing high-speed and reliable broadband connectivity, operators may choose the floor or the peak performance of its service. At Lifi.net, we always go for the latter,” he said.


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Our 2023 Ads Safety Report

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By Duncan Lennox, VP & GM of Ads Privacy and Safety

Billions of people around the world rely on Google products to provide relevant and trustworthy information, including ads. That’s why we have thousands of people working around the clock to safeguard the digital advertising ecosystem. Today, we are releasing our annual Ads Safety Report to share the progress we’ve made in enforcing our advertiser and publisher policies and to hold ourselves accountable in our work of maintaining a healthy ad-supported internet.

The key trend in 2023 was the impact of generative AI. This new technology introduced significant and exciting changes to the digital advertising industry, from performance optimization to image editing. Of course, generative AI also presents new challenges. We take these challenges seriously and will outline the work we are doing to address them head-on.

Just as importantly, generative AI presents a unique opportunity to improve our enforcement efforts significantly. Our teams are embracing this transformative technology, specifically Large Language Models (LLMs), so that we can better keep people safe online.

Gen AI Bolsters Enforcement 

Our safety teams have long used AI-driven machine learning systems to enforce our policies at scale. It’s how, for years, we’ve been able to detect and block billions of bad ads before a person ever sees them. But, while still highly sophisticated, these machine learning models have historically needed to be trained extensively – they often rely on hundreds of thousands, if not millions of examples of violative content.

LLMs, on the other hand, are able to rapidly review and interpret content at a high volume, while also capturing important nuances within that content. These advanced reasoning capabilities have already resulted in larger-scale and more precise enforcement decisions on some of our more complex policies. Take, for example, our policy against Unreliable Financial Claims which includes ads promoting get-rich-quick schemes. The bad actors behind these types of ads have grown more sophisticated. They  adjust their tactics and tailor ads around new financial services or products, such as investment advice or digital currencies, to scam users.

To be sure, traditional machine learning models are trained to detect these policy violations. Yet, the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of financial trends make it, at times, harder to differentiate between legitimate and fake services and quickly scale our automated enforcement systems to combat scams. LLMs are more capable of quickly recognizing new trends in financial services, identifying the patterns of bad actors who are abusing those trends and distinguishing a legitimate business from a get-rich-quick scam. This has helped our teams become even more nimble in confronting emerging threats of all kinds.

We’ve only just begun to leverage the power of LLMs for ads safety. Gemini, launched publicly last year, is Google’s most capable AI modeI. We’re excited to have started bringing its sophisticated reasoning capabilities into our ads safety and enforcement efforts.

Our Work to Prevent Fraud and Scams

In 2023, scams and fraud across all online platforms were on the rise. Bad actors are constantly evolving their tactics to manipulate digital advertising in order to scam people and legitimate businesses alike. To counter these ever-shifting threats, we quickly updated policies, deployed rapid-response enforcement teams and sharpened our detection techniques.

  • In November, we launched our Limited Ads Serving policy, which is designed to protect users by limiting the reach of advertisers with whom we are less familiar. Under this policy, we’ve implemented a “get-to-know-you” period for advertisers who don’t yet have an established track record of good behavior, during which impressions for their ads might be limited in certain circumstances–for example, when there is an unclear relationship between the advertiser and a brand they are referencing. Ultimately, Limited Ads Serving, which is still in its early stages, will help ensure well-intentioned advertisers are able to build up trust with users, while limiting the reach of bad actors and reducing the risk of scams and misleading ads.

  • A critical part of protecting people from online harm hinges on our ability to respond to new abuse trends quickly. Toward the end of 2023 and into 2024, we faced a targeted campaign of ads featuring the likeness of public figures to scam users, often through the use of deepfakes. When we detected this threat, we created a dedicated team to respond immediately. We pinpointed patterns in the bad actors’ behavior, trained our automated enforcement models to detect similar ads and began removing them at scale. We also updated our misrepresentation policy to better enable us to rapidly suspend the accounts of bad actors.

Overall, we blocked or removed 206.5 million advertisements for violating our misrepresentation policy, which includes many scam tactics and 273.4 million advertisements for violating our financial services policy. We also blocked or removed over 1 billion advertisements for violating our policy against abusing the ad network, which includes promoting malware.

The fight against scam ads is an ongoing effort, as we see bad actors operating with more sophistication, at a greater scale, using new tactics such as deepfakes to deceive people. We’ll continue to dedicate extensive resources, making significant investments in detection technology and partnering with organizations like the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Stop Scams UK to facilitate information sharing and protect consumers worldwide.

Investing in Election Integrity

Political ads are an important part of democratic elections. Candidates and parties use ads to raise awareness, share information and engage potential voters. In a year with several major elections around the world, we want to make sure voters continue to trust the election ads they may see on our platforms. That’s why we have long-standing identity verification and transparency requirements for election advertisers, as well as restrictions on how these advertisers can target their election ads. All election ads must also include a “paid for by” disclosure and are compiled in our publicly available transparency report. In 2023, we verified more than 5,000 new election advertisers and removed more than 7.3M election ads that came from advertisers who did not complete verification.

Last year, we were the first tech company to launch a new disclosure requirement for election ads containing synthetic content. As more advertisers leverage the power and opportunity of AI, we want to make sure we continue to provide people with the greater transparency and the information they need to make informed decisions.

Additionally, we’ve continued to enforce our policies against ads that promote demonstrably false election claims that could undermine trust or participation in democratic processes.

Overall 2023 Numbers

Our goal is to catch bad ads and suspend fraudulent accounts before they make it onto our platforms or remove them immediately once detected. AI is improving our enforcement on all these fronts. In 2023, we blocked or removed over 5.5 billion ads, slightly up from the prior year, and 12.7 million advertiser accounts, nearly double from the previous year. Similarly, we work to protect advertisers and people by removing our ads from publisher pages and sites that violate our policies, such as sexually explicit content or dangerous products. In 2023, we blocked or restricted ads from serving on more than 2.1 billion publisher pages, up slightly from 2022. We are also getting better at tackling pervasive or egregious violations. We took broader site-level enforcement action on more than 395,000 publisher sites, up markedly from 2022.

To put the impact of AI on this work into perspective: last year more than 90% of our publisher page level enforcement started with the use of machine learning models, including our latest LLMs. Of course, any advertiser or publisher can still appeal an enforcement action if they think we got it wrong. Our teams will review it and, in the cases where we find errors, use it to improve our systems.

Staying Nimble and Looking Ahead

When it comes to ads safety, a lot can change over the course of a year: the introduction of new technology such as generative AI to novel abuse trends and global conflicts. And the digital advertising space has to be nimble and ready to react. That’s why we are continuously developing new policies, strengthening our enforcement systems, deepening cross-industry collaboration and offering more control to people, publishers and advertisers.

In 2023, for example, we launched the Ads Transparency Center, a searchable hub of all ads from verified advertisers, which helps people quickly and easily learn more about the ads they see on Search, YouTube and Display. We also updated our suitability controls to make it simpler and quicker for advertisers to exclude topics that they wish to avoid across YouTube and Display inventory. Overall, we made 31 updates to our Ads and Publisher policies.

Though we don’t yet know what the rest of 2024 has in store for us, we are confident that our investments in policy, detection and enforcement will prepare us for any challenges ahead.


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