Connect with us

News

How and Why Techpreneurs are Dying

Published

on

techpreneurs.jpg
Kindly share this post

High interest rate; banks’ apathy to financing startups; multiple taxation;  poor accounting system; weak management system; marketing are some of the  factors impeding the growth of technology entrepreneurs (techpreneurs) in Nigeria according to technology experts.

A technopreneur is simply an entrepreneur in the field of technology. He can be best described as an innovator in a certain product or service, and who bears the risk for promoting and supplying this product or service.

But the experts who spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek at the weekend said some of the attributes and responsibilities of traditional entrepreneurs are lacking in the Nigerian techpreneurs.

Harry ‘Tomi Davies, chief executive officer, TechnoVision Communications, identified “indiscipline” as a major roadblock to the realization of the dreams of techpreneurs.

“Discipline! There is this inability to have long-term expectations and the lack of managerial prowess to nurture and manage ideas for the long term” he added

On his part, Peter Asolo, chief executive officer, PetVini Global Concepts Limited, blamed unsavory economic policies and lack of patronage.

He said, “The Nigerian economy like, already said severally is very harsh for a quick breakthrough. The Petvini tab is one device that targets the students and schools to eliminate physical notebooks and do away with the level of little or no knowledge of technology among our people. But some of the challenges we are currently experiencing is lack of access to investable funds. Most people do not see any reason in investing in technology yet.

“What many see as doing technology business ends up at selling the already known foreign brands. They will never believe an African or a Nigerian can be innovative to the extent of bringing about innovation that not only compete with the foreign brand but tackle our local challenges”.

Nodding in agreement, ‘Tomi Davies, who is also the chairman, Mobile Monday (Nigeria), said, “In Nigeria, we tend to be short-term about a lot of our business plans. What that means, if you take a tech opportunity, the first thing is to get attraction, then the skills.

“So, we get the attraction accompanied by a lot of noise, but when it comes to scaling only people like Sim Shagaya, founder & CEO of Konga.com, the Jumia co-founders, the Jobberman founders, and a few others. Why we revere these people is because they have shown managerial competence in their ability to scale.

“That kind of skill is not what you get your head around easily, especially when the focus in the environment you have to operate in is not about how satisfied your clients or customers are rather the amount of cash you make daily, monthly or yearly, or how swollen your bank account is”.

But, Asolo believes that the technology adoption awareness level among Nigerians is still low.

“Other challenges are the (Nigerians) awareness level is still low. Though we have a reasonable pocket friendly pricing but the purchasing power is not still widely spread.

“Many people often believe the lack of stable energy is another form of obstacle, but we have also devised a solution to that by embarking on OEM of power banks to charge not only the tablets but also charge other devices such as phones, laptops and other mobile devices”.

While TD believes that Nigerian entrepreneurs in the technology ecosystem should submit themselves for mentorship, Asolo, also highlighted the need for the government to redouble efforts in providing conducive environments for them to thrive. 


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

News

NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira

Published

on

Kindly share this post

National Reading Culture (NRC), an online investment platform targeting Nigerians has collapsed, resulting in the loss of billions of Naira for investors.

NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira

The website unexpectedly shut down, blocking users from withdrawing their funds and locking in their investments.

Just like all other investment scams, victims were lured with promises of doubling their money in few weeks.

When National Reading Culture eventually crashed, the operators vanished with users’ funds, leaving investors devastated.

How the Platform WorkedTask-Based Earning:

According findings, National Reading Culture lured users with promises of making money by completing simple daily tasks like reading articles, clicking links, or inviting friends.

They also offered investment tiers to  earn higher daily profits, where users had to deposit their own money into the platform.

Evidence showed the website previously operated as a Chinese job search platform before rebranding into an “earning” scheme.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

NSITF Partners South African Insurer on Digital Transformation

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) to collaborate on digital transformation aimed at strengthening worker protection systems and support economic growth.

According to RMA, the agreement was concluded during a visit by its delegation to Abuja.

The partnership will focus on institutional capability development, modernising operating models, improving service delivery and sharing knowledge between the two organisations.

Through the partnership, RMA and NSITF will collaborate to strengthen institutional capability, modernise operating models, accelerate digital transformation and improve services for workers and employers.

The organisations will also explore opportunities for knowledge exchange and the adoption of best practices in social security administration.

RMA said the agreement forms part of its broader engagement with governments, regulators and social security institutions across Africa to support improvements in governance, operational resilience and service delivery.

“Our partnership with NSITF reflects much more than the signing of an agreement,” said Mandla Shezi, group chief executive officer of RMA. “This partnership is not simply about sharing knowledge. It is about co-creating the next generation of African social security systems.”

He added: “By combining our respective strengths, we can help build institutions that are more resilient, more responsive and better equipped to protect workers while supporting national development.”

Shezi said the future of social security depends on integrated systems where prevention, insurance, healthcare, rehabilitation, technology, investment management and institutional capability work together.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

Microsoft to Lay Off 4,800 Workers

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Microsoft has announced plans to cut about 4,800 jobs, representing roughly 2.1 percent of its global workforce, with  Xbox, its gaming division, expected to bear the largest share of the layoffs.

Microsoft to Lay Off 4,800 Workers

The company said more than 1,600 positions at Xbox would be eliminated immediately, while another 1,600 jobs would be phased out over the next year as part of a major restructuring of the gaming business.

In a memo to employees, Amy Coleman, executive vice president, Microsoft, said the company was streamlining its operations to focus on areas that deliver greater value to customers in a rapidly changing technology industry.

Asha Sharma, chief executive officer, Xbox, described the move as “the most significant restructure in Xbox history,” saying the changes are intended to position the gaming business for long-term growth rather than downsizing.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending