General News
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and the Konga Option
By: Dr. B. B Usman – Business Analyst
The business side of the Pandemic? Covid-19 is transforming itself from the ‘Bad, the Ugly and the Good’ – into the Business-of Things. This is within the background of the arrival of several types of Covid-19 Vaccines around the world, many weeks ago.Indeed, the epicentre of global challenges and business opportunities has moved from the ugly pandemicscenario of 2019-2020 to the commercial businessof Covid-19 vaccine implementation ecosystem.All over the world, business leaders and policymakers leverage on condensed real-time data and information to achieve trustworthy entrepreneurial business opportunities, values, and equitable corporate governance for sustainable trade and business assurances – going forward to Covid-19 version 2.0.
Emerging research outcomefrom the analysis of content and thought-process ofvision-bearers, investors, innovative people, business analysts is fostering a new evidence-based and real-time business model. This modelis energized by Covid-19 version 2.0, with a different type of condensed challenges. The new challenge is returning the world to the routine of normal way of life.
Therefore, what do we do when the vaccines arrive in Nigeria?
Implementing a national vaccination rollout plan is not a child’s play. It demands a colossal high-level logistics know-how and high-end professional skillsets at all levels of the rollout spectrum.
When will the pandemic end? Seriously speaking, no one knows. Some forecast estimated 2023, 2026 and some beyond those dates. Thefocusof this piece is to ensure that Africa is not left out of the big-pie and disconnected from the post-pandemic business network. Rather, African businesses should explore and gain real time business insights, benefits and profitability assurances from the value chains of the vaccine-propelled global commerce.The challenges in implementing the Vaccine-to-the-Arm project comes with its complexities of risk factors and requires seamlessly connected business-chain logistics and distribution networks for effective delivery. Some call it e-Commerce tasksystems, others call it superlative e-platform. Anticipating the challenges which the COVID-19 vaccine distribution pose to Nigeria and Africa means we seriously need experienced organisations to deliver our vaccine. Luckily, research shows that Nigeria has reliableinter-connected combinations of all the above.
One out of the mega-pack is the Konga Group.
Effective implementation model has shown that,no one company has the capacity and capabilities to effectively implement the COVID-19 vaccination challenge. The most effective working model is what is classified as ‘Collaborative Resilience’.A common operating model of COVID-19-vaccine delivery, shown in the interactive graphics from McKinsey and Co, below, clearly demonstrates the complexity of the task at hand. Essentially, the interactive is a qualitative risk map, showing the many stages of vaccine deployment and highlighting areas of potential failure as one party interacts with another. A breakdown at any point in the deployment process can set off a cascade, shutting down the entire operation!
Today, Konga has become one of the acclaimed global digital brand in a class of its own – navigating the mega-business world at 360 degrees. I found this truth after many months of conventional e-business research – with particular focus on Nigeria and Africa e-Commerce space. Konga commands the nationwide reach with its own quality infrastructure, digital logistics and tracking technologies for last mile delivery.
When the COVID-19 vaccine comes, how will it be put into the arms of an estimated 170 million Nigerians who need it? How will the logisticsbe provided and who will manage the implementation logistics? Who has the best infrastructure and experienced manpower to secure and deliver the best result, similarto the INEC electioneering challenges and experiencesof 2014 and 2009?
Lessons learned suggest that the Corona-19 pandemic has become the greatest challenge faced by humanity in the last 100years to date. It reveals that many nations are still deficient in developing and managing critical information and logistic infrastructures (CILI) at real-time levels. This is primarily due to our collective ignorance in understanding the work-around of the digital connectedness of our world, theimperatives of networked data efficiency, infrastructure and information systems.In effect, many millions of the world’s citizens have been sent to their untimely death. Regrettably, many citizens will still die if the arrival, distribution, and vaccination of the vaccines is ignorantly managed by inexperienced entities, poor infrastructure and logistics. Truth is, there would be points of failure and our primary goal is to reduce the points of failure.
Here is my take: First, the bad news:-COVID-19 pandemic has hit semiconductor chips manufacturing industry very hard. This situation is expected to worsen as companies battle for supplies of the critical parts. According to AlixPartners, the shortage will cut $60.6 billion in revenue from the global automotive and associated industries this year. The broader implication is that most business survival is evolving collaborative model of survival. Considering thefact that, the worldwill need to deliver about 6 x 2 billion doses of vaccine into the arms of the targeted six billion of the global human population of 7.3billion people, and that Nigeria’s share of the task would require her to deliver about 160 x 2million (or 320million vaccines to the arms of 160 million eligible Nigerians), we must be on top of the game.
Point-to-point Data communications efficiency is not only imperative but mandatory to augment efficiency. The biggest challenge in responding to the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccines resides in its logistics know-how, storage, distribution systems safety,communications logistics and security know-how.The Federal Government is therefore advised, apart from landing the vaccines and related operational apparatus into the country, to draw up a national rollout strategic plan, commission experienced logistics e-Commerce company like Konga.com group, with its own nationwide quality infrastructure, digital logistics and tracking technologies with performance assurances to ensure that the expected collateral damages areeliminated and/or reduced to the barest minimum.
Vaccine delivery, storage and distribution come with high-end safety and logistic issues. Reliable data analysis reveals that the Covid-19 vaccine procurement and distribution assignment should be classified as a national emergency challenge. The assignment is required to be handled with care and professional ability.Therefore, before the anticipated COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Nigeria, indigenous experienced logistic companies with track records similarto/or better than that applied to deliver the 2014 and 2010INEC national election mission should be consulted and signed on to ensure quality performance.
Konga remains our best indigenous e-Commerce logistics company, comparable in facility management, infrastructure and top-skill professional project management. Not only that, amongst others:
- They possess the cognate experience and ingenuity for success
- With our climatic conditions, Konga Group has the capability and can in few days createvaccine storage capacity and commensurate transportation logistics to deliver the strategic imperatives
- Records shows that Konga has digital 360 Blockchain-enabled warehouses with 24/7 uninterrupted power supply and Interstate Tier 3 Level security monitoring/tracking system
- Also, her AI-controlled warehousing inventory systems should be prioritized in the decision-making process. Fake vaccine and syringes control monitoring system is essential
- Internet of Things (IoT) alarm-based embedded time clock would be installed in all vaccine delivery packages to monitor date of expirationof each vaccine pack and syringes
After exploring the Oracle side-of-things, I have become deeply aware of the fact that the nation is really fighting a war with an invisible enemy. Alarmed on the above challenges and how to conquer them, I turned to the grapevine for the most efficient smart and dependable solutions providers. From all the nooks and crannies, the consensus is that the most experienced tech platforms accredited with high-breed global standard performance should be listed to handle and deliver the required services. Especially those who were responsible for delivering superlative end-to-end services to INEC, during the elections, when procurement, logistic and delivery were the hallmark of success.
With this, the vaccine implementation experience in Nigeria will undoubtedly benefit the rest of Africa.
Fidelity Bank Plc, a leading financial institution, will host a free virtual training on the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (NTA) as part of its commitment to helping small businesses prepare for the upcoming legislation.
Fidelity Bank
The masterclass is scheduled for 10:00 AM (Nigerian time) on Friday, 12 December 2025. It will provide participants with clear insights into changes in the tax framework, the impact on income and business operations, and practical steps to avoid penalties in 2026.
Attendees will also learn strategies to stay ahead in an evolving regulatory environment.
The Nigerian government enacted major tax reforms on 26 June 2025 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed four tax bills into law.
These Acts will take effect on 1 January 2026 and represent a significant overhaul of the country’s tax system.
The reforms aim to modernize and harmonize Nigeria’s tax framework, improve revenue generation, broaden the tax base, and create clearer rules for individuals, businesses, and government agencies.
“Our decision to host this masterclass reflects our commitment to empowering businesses with the right information ahead of the commencement of the new tax regime.
“Information is money and a well-informed business owner is already steps ahead in the race to success.
“This is why we are bringing experts to provide accurate details and demystify the tax act,” said Osita Ede, Divisional Head, Product Development, Fidelity Bank Plc.
Interested participants can register via https://bit.ly/2026TaxLawMasterclass .
PalmPay, Nigeria’s leading digital banking platform, has renewed its commitment to deepening financial inclusion across the country. At the CeBIH Annual Conference 2025, themed “Reimagining Financial Inclusion through Cultural Shifts in Consumer Credit,” PalmPay’s Managing Director, Chika Nwosu, urged industry players to deepen financial inclusion by embracing community-aligned solutions and customer-centric innovations that can better serve Nigeria’s underserved and unbanked populations.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Social Inclusion, A Veritable Tool for Financial Inclusion,” Chika Nwosu joined other industry leaders to share insights on strengthening participation among women, rural dwellers, low-income earners, and other financially excluded groups.
Chika Nwosu highlighted PalmPay’s commitment to inclusive finance through its 500,000-strong agent network, which enables seamless cash-in/cash-out services for unbanked users across Nigeria. He also emphasised the importance of PalmPay’s USSD platform, 861#, which allows users with basic phones or limited internet access to perform essential financial transactions.
“Financial inclusion goes beyond access; it must be equitable and tailored to real-life needs,” Chika Nwosu said. He shared how PalmPay leverages behavioural insights to design impactful services, including affordable health insurance, reliable bill payments, merchant solutions, and automated savings features that support financial discipline among users.
The session further examined the role of grassroots agents and community touchpoints in driving last-mile adoption. Chika Nwosu noted that PalmPay’s widespread community presence continues to build trust and encourage excluded populations to embrace digital financial tools.
The session was moderated by Ronke Kuye of the CeBIH Advisory Council and featured representatives from E-Doc Online, SmartCash Payment Service Bank, SANEF, and EFINA.
PalmPay reaffirmed its commitment to driving accessible, secure, and inclusive financial services for all Nigerians. PalmPay is a leading digital banking platform driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment in underserved emerging markets. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay empowers individuals and businesses with tools to manage and grow their money.
PalmPay offers a comprehensive range of products, including mobile payments, savings, and micro-insurance via its app and mobile money agent network.
Since launching in Nigeria in 2019 under a Mobile Money Operator license, the platform has grown to over 35 million app users. PalmPay has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.
Reality Defender and 1Kosmos have announced a strategic partnership that will see the deepfake detection firm integrate its real-time deepfake defenses into 1Kosmos’ blockchain-based biometric authentication platform.
Deepfake
A release says the integration enhances the platform’s existing PAD capabilities with new signals on both live and pre-recorded AI-generated image and video impersonations: “multimodal deepfake detection” that “enhances ISO/IEC 30107-3 PAD Level 2 performance to counter the growing share of synthetic-media attacks.”
“Deepfake attacks are evolving faster than most organizations can adapt, and detecting them requires specialized, continuously updated models,” says Ben Colman, CEO of Reality Defender. Reality Defender’s models keep pace with regulatory changes like the EU AI Act and upcoming ISO 25456 standards, to ensure seamless compliance.
“Advances in AI-generated impersonations are rewriting the rules of identity assurance and ratcheting up fraud losses,” says Mike Engle, chief strategy officer for 1Kosmos. “By adding Reality Defender as an embedded detection layer, we’re enabling enterprises to verify identity with greater certainty and stop AI-driven impersonation attacks before they result in financial loss, brand damage, or regulatory consequences.”
The product deploys without friction, integrating natively into existing 1Kosmos workflows, identity stacks, and user experiences with no new licenses, retraining or rearchitecture.
Resemble AI heads straight to market with new funding
Resemble AI has raised 13 million dollars in strategic funding to accelerate development on its voice generation and deepfake detection products. An announcement says the investment round includes Google’s AI Future Fund, Okta Ventures, Taiwania Capital, Gentree Fund, IAG Capital Partners, Berkeley Frontier Fund and KDDI – partnerships, the firm says, that “create immediate paths to market distribution and embed our technology within key identity and security ecosystems.”
The company says its deepfake detection model achieves 98 percent accuracy across more than 40 languages with multimodal threat detection across audio, video, images and text, and enhanced explainability for content analysis. It intends to use the investment to “fuel our global expansion and accelerate the development of our AI detection platform.”
FARx releases new multimodal deepfake detection tool
FARx, which bills itself as “the world’s only fused-biometrics company,” has announced the launch of FARx 2.0, its new generation of biometric software which fuses speaker, speech and face recognition for added capabilities in synthetic and cloned voice detection. The software can be integrated into browsers, apps and communication systems, and operates in the background to provide continuous multi-factor authentication without disruption.
A post on the firm’s LinkedIn page says FARx 2.0 “identifies not just what is being said but who is speaking, enabling it to detect and block attempts to spoof someone’s identity using synthetic voices, deepfakes, or cloned audio and video.” Trained on some 55,000 synthetic voices from real telephony environments, it can “reliably distinguish between real and AI-generated voices.”
The Malvern Gazette quotes Clive Summerfield, CEO of the Worcestershire, UK-based firm, who says the new product aims to deliver “an even more sophisticated, flexible biometric multi-factor authentication technology to users across a broad range of industries and applications.”
“Legacy voice biometrics and traditional MFA systems are simply no longer enough to outsmart the new era of AI-powered threats.”
The launch follows a recent investment of 250,000 pounds (about US$337,00) through the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).
Grant funds deepfake tool tailored to South Korea, Singapore
A team from Singapore Management University (SMU) has won a grant to develop a deepfake detection tool. A release says the project will be “the first multilingual deepfake data set that includes dialectal variants such as Singlish and Korean dialects.”
“Many existing tools don’t perform well on Asian languages, accents, or content,” says Professor He Shengfeng, who leads the team. “We’re focused on building something that fits the specific needs of our region.”
Understanding different linguistic, socio-cultural and environmental characteristics was a key requirement for the grant, which comes from AI Singapore (AISG) and South Korea’s Institute for Information & Communication Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP).
The team has dubbed its tool DeepShield, which its proposal paper calls “the first unified interpretable detection system capable of handling diverse and multi-modal manipulations – including object insertions, lighting alterations, background swaps, and voice dubbing – within a single, explainable pipeline.”
Overall, DeepShield wants to position itself as “not merely a detection tool, but a next-generation AI governance layer for digital media integrity – setting it apart from commercial offerings in both ambition and design.” The ultimate goal is a spin-off startup that He imagines licensing services such as deepfake forensics, media authenticity verification, enterprise compliance and digital governance to public and private enterprise.
Work commences in January 2026 with the scouring of large-scale, publicly available datasets such as the YouTube8M dataset.
Ant International’s winning deepfake detector looks to eliminate bias
Ant International has won first place at the NeurIPS Competition of Fairness in AI Face Detection. A release from the company says its entry trumped over 2,100 submissions from 162 teams globally.
The deepfake detection contest challenged participants to develop AI models that “not only achieve high-utility performance but also demonstrate fairness across demographic subgroups such as gender, age, and skin tone.”
“A biased AI is an insecure AI,” says Dr. Tianyi Zhang, general manager of risk management and cybersecurity at Ant International. “Our model’s fairness prevents exploitation from deepfakes and ensures reliable identity verification for all users, supporting our mission to deliver secure and inclusive financial services worldwide.”
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