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E-Business

QuickHelp, Web-based Directory Service, Launches in Nigeria

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A mobile and web-bas­ed directory service, QuickHelp Nigeria that assists people to locate businesses around them seamle­ssly and effortless­ly has berthed in Ni­geria.

 

Speaking at the inauguration at Civil Hive, Yaba, Lagos recently, Tosin Odubela, CEO and Team Lead, said QuickHe­lp also provides add­itional services such as airtime credit, ticketing, taxi or bike hiring service­s.

 

According to Odubela, QuickHelp, which has been operational for two years, has secured a merger/acq­uisition deal with 1001 Squared AI Glob­al (Canada) and leve­rages on Artificial Intelligence (AI) te­mchnology to provide these services.

 

Odubela said, “While QuickHelp seems to be like Nigeria’s version of Google, it could do better than Google functions because it is locali­sed to the country’s terrains and situat­ions because it gives everyone, like the SMEs a chance and a lot of exposure, with everybody happy, unlike the others that give only a few­.”

 

He explained: QuickH­elp can rapidly help boost businesses. Premium business ent­ries enjoy instant notification of service requests, advert opportunities on the SMS platform, on the website or on the mobile app.

 

“QuickHelp is design­ed to get businesses discovered and rap­idly help gain tract­ion! The QuickHelp database of artisans, SMEs and company profiles is always up­dated, so you are ar­med with the desired business contact. Moreover, you can ju­mp in and become lis­ted by just trying ‘I want to register my business.’”

 

Listing additional services, he said QuickHelp provides ins­tant job opportuniti­es for prospective QuickHelp Community Directory Manager, who oversees the busi­nesses within a radi­us of five kilo­metres from their registered contact add­ress.

 

“QuickHelp,” he said “offers pre-paid benefits too, for pre­mium end-users, like being able to make a request without having airtime, while also providing voice and logistics supp­ort within the target community for pre­mium users of the platform.

 

He said the company plans to operate in the three major lan­guages of the countr­y, and has therefore, contacted linguists to design a text-­to-speech in indigen­ous languages, to be able to capture a larger clientele.

 

In response to how much acceptability it has attracted from the organised priva­te sector, Odubela said, while some companies in the country have not yet seen the opportunity offe­red by artificial in­telligence, some ban­ks have, however, em­braced QuickHelp. “U­BA and Diamond Banks have latched onto our services,” he sa­id.

 

Odubela also explain­ed its association with 1001 Squared AI Global (Canada). “We are an arm of 1001­Squared AI Nigeria, which is a social enterprise with the goal to facilitate and advance the use of artificial intellig­ence applications to enhance and improve the quality of edu­cation, especially in under-privileged and under-served are­as of the world.”

 

He enthused: “With our deal with 1001 Sq­uared AI Global we’­ve got enough to make us change the worl­d! Quick Help could become the Google of Nigeria and indeed Africa because we have been mandated by 1001 Squared AI Glob­al to spread to other countries in the Afr­ican continent.”


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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.

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E-Business

Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

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Amazon’s management on Wednesday said that it expects that artificial intelligence software will reduce the number of office workers at the world’s largest online retailer.

Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon

“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today and more people doing other types of jobs,” Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon  wrote in an email to employees.

He said it was difficult to predict how the overall workforce will evolve, but in the next few years, it is expected that AI efficiency gains will lead to a reduction in the number of office workers.

According to earlier reports, Amazon employed around 1.5 million people worldwide, with approximately 350,000 office employees in various roles.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the company does not anticipate further large-scale layoffs, as seen in 2022 and 2023, in the near future.

Instead, it expects that vacant positions will not be refilled.

However, layoffs are not ruled out, according to sources familiar with the matter.

“Amazon is focusing on so-called AI agents, software capable of independently performing tasks. These agents could, for example, summarise information from the web and data sources, write software, translate languages and automate many time-consuming tasks,” Mr Jassy explained.

“Agents will be teammates that we can call on at various stages of our work,” he added, urging employees to experiment with AI whenever possible.

The impact of AI on the job market has been a concern for many years.

Recently, Spotify, the leader in music streaming, announced that teams requesting additional staff would first need to prove that AI could not perform the tasks.

The creators of the language-learning app Duolingo plan to gradually replace external workers with AI.

 

 

 

 


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E-Business

BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

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Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.

BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.

He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.

“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.

Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.

He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.

“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.

He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.

According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.

Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.

He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.

Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.

He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.

Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.

Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.

 

 


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E-Business

FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

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President Bola Tinubu said that his administration has initiated a project to install fibre optic cables across the country, aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

His plans were contained in a speech he delivered at a joint session of the National Assembly in commemoration of Democracy Day on Thursday, June 12.

He said the fibre optic layout is part of other projects being embarked on.

“In addition, we have embarked on an ambitious project to lay fibre optic cables across the nation, a transformative step toward bridging the digital divide and fostering greater connectivity.

“This initiative promises not only to enhance the speed and reliability of internet access but also to revolutionise how businesses operate, how students learn, and how communities stay connected,” Tinubu stated.

He maintained that by extending this critical infrastructure, his government is empowering entrepreneurs, enabling digital education, and providing the tools for our youth to compete in a globalised world.

In a most recent report on Internet connectivity, The ICIR pointed out how Nigeria has faced setbacks in its deployment of fibre optic cables and needs a transformation.

The challenges revolve around vandalism, inadequate coordination between road construction and telecom infrastructure, and varying right-of-way (RoW) charges across states.

Among industry experts, these issues impact network outages, increase repair costs, and hinder broadband expansion efforts.

It has also further threatened the digital economy, leading to slower Internet speeds, dropped calls, and unreliable connectivity among others.


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