General News
Software Implementation Failure not Peculiar to Nigeria – Agada

James Agada, managing director of ExpertEdge and chief technology officer, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Plc, is a thoroughbred electronic engineer with over two decade experience in the information technology industry.
Agada has worked with reputable IT companies before helping to form ExpertEdge in 1994.
He spoke to chike onwuegbuchi on issues around software and Computer Warehouse Group Plc.
Certification of Local Software & Role in Marketing and Patronage
Yes, certification has a role to play in marketing and branding. But in the software world, certification is normally done on the Company rather than the product.
Why it is done on the Company is that the product gives you the link to areas you can certify a company. For instance, if you are using word document, did anybody certified it? of course, no. We use Google daily without being certified.
But in some areas the software such as software used in running an airplane, there might be no certifications, but they are of standard, dogged and resilient.
Although, while you want to purchase certain products you might require to know if the software met certain standards, but it is very hard to deduce that, because any software in its composition has a mode it can operate depending on the environment, parameters and the users.
That is why nobody writes software and gives you a guarantee that it is bug-free.
In fact, if you read most licenses for software, there are usually clear disclaimers that they will not be responsible for any loss you might suffer as a result of a bug in the system.
They can only guarantee that when bug cases arise they will use their anti-bug system to fight it. However, companies that provide third party or outsourcing services, when you do not know the man’s competencies, you would want to see some certifications that will assure you that they have the competence. That gave rise to levels of certifications.
These are process certification. The idea is that when you follow these processes, hopefully, the quality of what you produce will match what is requested for.
But there is large portion of the work where people signify Mr. X I want banking software and it should do A, B, C, D&E in the following order.
So, you have that already specified; in other words, you can check if the final product meets the standard.
Basic Causes of Incidences of Failed Software Implementations
If we actually take time to study IT projects in general, there are probably more failed ones than the successful projects.
But it is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a worldwide phenomenon, because software is trying to capture the way you work; part of the problem is, does the user know all the possible use cases he can have. So, as a banker, you do your processes, but you do not know all the possible ways to go about it.
The failure of IT or software related projects starts with the setting, which is establishing the act. If you fail to establish what your processes are properly, there is a great tendency to failure. Failure here implies that it is not meeting the requirements.
Maybe you set it to calculate interests under this condition, however, in actually use there are more conditions that you thought.
The second thing that causes failure in the software management projects is that the initial plan ought to incorporate all the decisions and at what point they need to be implemented, but bringing it as an adhoc thing will not fly.
Part of the success we’ve had is because the processes were laid down and when the banks came, we told them before you start we are going to take you away for 45 to 52 days and train the people in the bank, so they will understand what the software can and cannot do.
The next two weeks will be used to set the parameters; now you know the software; you have to configure it and establish where there are gaps, adopt the software and close the gaps.
Then, you do training and retraining to keep the update on the processes. We have used this process to deliver our Finnacle successfully.
So, project management is a big issue; you have to set the process correctly.
More so, choosing the wrong partner and wrong software add to the failures. It is your project, not the consultant’s.
You have to be dedicated to it and fight till it is delivered. Such choices as he is my brother, business partner; kickbacks, influential personality, are not supposed to be the standards.
Competence matters. For instance, in changing you bank application; it is like changing the processes engine; the man to do it must be qualified.
Managing Processes in Face of Incessant Project Failures
There is a clear process for implementation. We have adopted that into many projects we are doing. I think you can apply that process to any software project for a better result.
A software provider can be sure of the properties, but you do not know the man’s or client’s business and vice versa.
The first thing is that the man has to learn your software, as you learn his business too. Then, two of you can discuss on how to get the best out of the processes.
A lot of software providers go with the notion, ‘this is the software’, now, come and take it to run your business.
Most times, the providers tend to assume that this is what the people required for their operations.
CWG 2.0 For SMEs
CWG 2.0 is not a product rather an initiative of the company. Most of the time, we have focused on large corporations. But if we look at it in Nigeria, we probably do not have more than 2,000 big corporations.
If you use the Stock market as a yardstick, only 200 are listed on the market. But, if you look at the statistics government gave us, we have more than 17 million medium and small enterprises. So, to have an impact on the economy, it cannot be only the large corporate.
Like somebody said, Dangote on its own can employ about 10,000 or all the corporations that are flourishing employ 100,000 people all together, but how many Dangotes are you going to have in Nigeria.
But the 17million SMEs are individuals doing something and they need support. To us as a business, it is not just going to make impact on the economy. It also means that we are going to sell to the 17 million enterprises.
These smaller companies do not have millions of dollars to spend on; but the smaller amounts they have can be used to transforms their fortunes.
So, how do you support them? How do you use IT to make them increase their profit margins? A large portion of what we are doing in CWG 2.0 is to make this happens.
It will improve their business and they can employ others.
For instance, if most of them employ one person it will reduce the issue of unemployment in Nigeria.
The SMEs platform CWG 2.0, have three initiatives. One of them allows businesses to operate, but you pay only subscription fee and it is delivered over the web.
That solution also ties into the cashless initiative of the government. What we have done is that you can even use your mobile phone to access it or the regular PoS.
Now, as an SME, you may end up not making any investment fee, because you will get the PoS from the bank and can use it to run your business and other commercial activities.
We also know that critical to this segment of business is their inability to sell outside the immediate market. The easiest way to overcome that is to have online shop. We are aware there are several online shops at different combination in Nigeria, but what we have done is that we created a platform in collaboration with Spin, where we have equity holding too.
The solution is where anybody can open an online shop. What we have done to make it easier is by integrating payment and logistics system on it.
Therefore, without doing anything extra, people can go and start accessing you through the internet. And when you sell, our logistics partner will come to your shop, pick it up and deliver it.
What that means is that we have taken away the barrier that prevented them from selling online. Even the question of accepting payment is eliminated, because it is with a proof of delivery that will guarantee you take your money.
Subscription to That
Of course, there is a subscription fee, but the fee is very minimal; an average of about N2,500 for a month.
If you are to go rent a shop, for instance, Tejuosho, do you know how much it will cost. Even the subscription of N10,000 amount, that has not gotten you a shop in that market, but with that you are sure of reaching out to your customers anywhere in Nigeria.
CWG’s Data Centre
The Data centre we have is the Tier 111 with 25 to 45 racks. For now, we are our biggest customer, because we are using a considerable amount. However, there are other customers. We need to make distinctions.
Ordinarily, you build a big house, people come and rent. That is why a lot of people are building data centres in Nigeria.
Why is our different? It becomes different, because when you have such infrastructure, you need to keep something inside. When you do that, you need to manage it.
We have the capacity to support your hardware, software and your obligations. We have the engineers ready to attend to additional services in a jiffy.
However, we also realized that the data centre requirements in Nigeria is not necessarily going to be met by people who build any large data centre. My opinion is that there is already a block of data centres but there is a scarcity of properly managed data centres.
Our programme is that, we are going to maintain the support services; we are not saying build a 100 rack data centre; rather we will follow the trends of businesses.
For instance, we are building a teleport; that alone will consume 5 to 10 racks. Others are coming on board. So, if we look at banks, what many people will quickly find out is that if the banks require putting their data recovery centre, which is what keeps them going, the problem you will have as a datacenter is power.
By the time you have five of those banks putting their servers with you; you will need a power source, not a generator issue, to keep powering them.
That is going to be major challenges in future because most of them are using enterprise servers that consume power. For now, we are not in that business, because of power.
If power situation in Nigeria improves significantly where generator will be your fall-back, then it will become easy to go into that business. Currently, the public power is the fall-back.
General News
Appeal Court Nullifies Registration of ‘KPMG Professional Services’

The court of appeal in Lagos has asked the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to revoke the certificate of registration of “KPMG Professional Services”.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, the appellant court granted the reliefs sought by KPMG Nigeria against CAC and KPMG Professional Services.
The judgment was read by Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero, the judge.
The two other judges are Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and A.M. Talba.
In 2002, KPMG Professional Services was registered as a company with CAC despite the existence of KPMG Nigeria, comprising its audit, tax, and consulting arms.
The KPMG Nigeria has long been registered in Nigeria before 2002.
KPMG Audit was registered in 1969, KPMG Tax Consultants in 1990, and KPMG Consulting in 1969.
Displeased with the registration of KPMG Professional Services, KPMG Nigeria approached the federal high court.
The consulting firm had argued that the name “KPMG Professional Services” was deceptively similar to its long-established identity.
In 2005, the lower court dismissed KPMG Nigeria’s case, citing an alleged merger between KPMG Nigeria and Akintola Williams Deloitte as reason the company could no longer assert rights to the name.
The lower upheld the second respondent’s (KPMG Professional Services) counterclaim and ordered that KPMG Nigeria’s name be struck off the CAC register.
The lower court had premised its decision on newspaper articles stating that KPMG Nigeria reportedly merged with Akintola Williams Deloitte.
Delivering the judgment, Bayero ruled that the lower court erred by relying on newspaper articles to ascertain that KPMG Nigeria allegedly merged with another company.
The judge said the documents showing the alleged merger were not presented before the lower court, and the form of the alleged merger could not have been known.
“In any event, the only branch of KPMG, if any, that entered into a merger with Akintola Williams as stated in the newspaper articles 18, is KPMG Audit,” the judge ruled.
“The other spheres were totally unaffected. It would therefore be wrong to state that the merger (which has not been shown to this Court) of KPMG Audit with Akintola Williams means all the other areas of business, including KPMG Consulting and KPMG Tax Consultants, also ceased to exist.
“Even if the Appellants (KPMG Nigeria) had ceased to do business as the Court seemed to have held, the 2nd Respondents (KPMG Professional Services) should not have been carrying on business until the Appellant’s certificate of registration is withdrawn or set aside.
“They cannot use the name until the Appellant’s certification of registration is withdrawn or set aside. They cannot use the name until the name is removed from the 1st Respondent’s (CAC) Register of Names.
“The 1st Respondents can only assign the name to the 2nd Respondents after first taking it away from the Appellants.”
The court ruled that CAC erred by registering KPMG Professional Services despite the existence of a business name, which is already registered.
The judge reversed the earlier ruling of the lower court and reaffirmed the primacy of statutory protection for existing business names under Nigerian corporate law.
General News
Air Peace Launches Abuja–London Heathrow, Gatwick flights October 26

Air Peace has announced the launch of direct flights from Abuja to London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with operations scheduled to begin on October 26, 2025.
The airline said in a statement on Sunday that round-trip fares for the Abuja–London service will start from N1m, making it the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct connections from the capital to both of London’s major international airports. This was contained in a press release issued on Sunday by the airline’s spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey.
“Direct international flight services from Abuja to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick Airports, effective October 26, 2025.
“Air Peace becomes the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct services from Abuja to both of London’s major international airports, further solidifying its role as a leader in regional and intercontinental aviation.
“Travellers originating from any of Air Peace’s domestic destinations across Nigeria can now book through fares via Abuja to either Heathrow or Gatwick using a single ticket, eliminating the need for multiple bookings or baggage re-checks,” the statement read.
Similarly, the new route opens convenient access for inbound passengers from the UK to cities across Nigeria.
“Travellers from London can access multiple destinations across Nigeria using a single Air Peace ticket through Abuja every morning. These destinations are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Kano, Yola, Gombe and Asaba, for now. Other destinations will be added later,” Osifo-Whiskey stated.
Air Peace is also offering what it describes as unprecedented value in pricing and service.
Osifo-Whiskey said, “It provides a distinct competitive advantage, enabling passengers to travel between Nigeria and the United Kingdom with greater ease, efficiency, and value, due to the possibility of choosing multiple cities entry and exit points.
“Has the cheapest fares ever, starting from only 1 Million Naira round trip. Huge baggage allowance.”
The Abuja–London launch comes months after the airline began Lagos–London Heathrow flights, which started earlier in 2024.
General News
Prateek Suri CEO Maser Meets Zambia’s Education Minister to Propel Student Housing and Education Projects

Prateek Suri, CEO of MASER and recognized as the richest Indian entrepreneur in Africa, was welcomed this week by Zambia’s Education Minister, Hon. Douglas Munsaka Syakalima, for a high-level meeting in Lusaka that focused on student housing and broader education infrastructure initiatives.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Education’s offices, opened with warm greetings and a presentation by Mr Suri detailing Maser’s plans to support Zambia’s rapidly scaling education sector. Suri, who led Maser to become Africa’s seventh unicorn, emphasized the company’s commitment to infrastructure that benefits students, educators, and communities across the continent.
Minister Syakalima underscored the urgency of addressing Zambia’s student accommodation gap, citing the country’s expanding net enrollment and the need for safe, affordable housing for tertiary students. Under his leadership, the Government has embarked on a bold infrastructure agenda: over 82 secondary schools already completed, 46 set to be finished in 2025, and 120 new institutions under construction, alongside 169 ECE hubs and 145 satellite centers to reach underserved areas.
During the meeting, Suri shared Maser’s vision for modern student housing built through public–private partnership models. He outlined a multi‑phase plan utilizing sustainable building design, digital infrastructure, and vocational training facilities integrated into these campuses. “Zambia’s youth deserve world-class learning environments,” Suri remarked. “Maser is prepared to leverage its experience to co-create impactful educational infrastructure.”
Minister Syakalima responded positively, stating, “We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Maser. The CEO’s entrepreneurial success and the company’s commitment to Africa’s education development are exactly the kind of partnership we need to scale our infrastructure goals.”
Beyond housing, the dialogue extended to opportunities in blended learning, vocational skills, rural outreach, and digital inclusion. With Zambia implementing its forward‑looking 2023 Education Curriculum this year—including early childhood, primary, and Form 1 levels—the minister highlighted the need for supporting infrastructure at all levels to enable effective rollout.
Under Minister Syakalima’s tenure, the education sector has seen notable progress: 4,200 new teachers hired recently, bringing the total teacher workforce to over 40,000 in three years; strengthened focus on foundational learning via teacher training programmes like the “Catch Up Programme”; and ambitious expansion of school infrastructure across Zambia’s provinces.
Maser, co‑founded by Prateek Suri, transformed from an African startup in consumer electeonics and large infrastructure projects into a multi‑sector unicorn operating in real estate, renewable energy, mining and education technology. Its rapid rise and African focus have made Suri a leading figure in bolstering India–Africa economic relations.
As the richest Indian in Africa, Prateek Suri’s influence spans beyond business success—it represents growing bilateral investment aimed at credible, sustainable societal impact. His partnership with Zambia’s Ministry of Education signals a new era of cross-border collaboration in education infrastructure.
With both parties committing to inclusive planning and scalable implementation, the Maser‑Zambia dialogue could mark the beginning of transformative initiatives: from affordable student housing to cutting‑edge learning facilities, vocational training hubs, and digital classrooms.
In closing remarks on the significance of this dialogue, Suri stated, “Education infrastructure is the foundation for future growth. Our partnership with Minister Syakalima and the Government of Zambia is a testament to collective investment in youth, equity, and sustainable development.” Minister Syakalima echoed this optimism, saying that with strategic public–private investment, Zambia’s education sector is poised for a significant elevation.
This meeting lays the groundwork for collaboration that bridges government strategy and corporate innovation—ultimately aiming to empower Zambia’s students and accelerate national development.
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