Broadcasting
Using Entrepreneurship and Working with the Private Sector, Governments can End the Unemployment Crisis in Africa
By Didi Onwu, Managing Editor: Youth and Investors at the Anzisha Prize
There can be no doubt that the events of the past two years have had a devastating impact on the African economy. In fact, according to the International Labour Organisation’s flagship report, World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2022, at least 13.3 million jobs and income opportunities were lost as a result of the pandemic. This has only made the severe economic difficulties facing the continent worse.
But even as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic linger, green shoots are starting to rise up across the continent. Thanks to a growing crop of young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs, as well as rapidly accelerating connectivity rates, Africa’s next chapter could be somewhat brighter than the one just concluded.
But that will only be the case if a collaborative environment that brings together entrepreneurs, corporates, and governments is created.
Building across sectors
If you want a glimpse of how bright that future can be, you need only look at how many young African entrepreneurs are building innovative products and services across a variety of sectors.
Take Farmhut Africa’s efforts in the agricultural sector, for example. Owned by 21-year old entrepreneur Munyaradzi Makosa from Zimbabwe, Farmhut Africa is an AI-powered marketplace connecting farmers to markets that pay fair prices for their produce in the SSA region.
Another entrepreneur doing incredible things in the agricultural space is 22-year-old Tafadzwa Chikwereti from Zimbabwe. He launched eAgro in March 2020 with the sole purpose of creating a platform that fosters resilience and profitability for smallholder farmers using data analytics and machine learning.
In the mobile space, meanwhile, South Africa’s Lipa Payments, created by Thando Hlongwane – an Anzisha Prize Fellow – has the potential to be an emerging unicorn. It aims to bring Africa’s unbanked population and informal businesses into mainstream banking through mobile. The company recently raised an investment of R10 million and is expanding across the continent.
Significantly, all of the businesses mentioned above employ young people and create earning opportunities for others both directly and indirectly through their innovative business models.
Our own research shows that 60% of the businesses owned by young entrepreneurs or Fellows of the Anzisha Prize have created not less than 2 500 work opportunities by starting and scaling up their businesses.
The right environment to thrive
Of course, these entrepreneurs can only do so much, especially if they aren’t given the necessary environment to thrive in. It’s critical that governments do everything they can to provide that environment.
For some countries across the continent, that means a radical change in approach.
African governments have often relied on big business and foreign direct investments to bolster economic growth and job creation. The results of this approach have, at best, been mixed. Instead of relying on big business to spur economic growth and create jobs, African governments need instead to focus efforts and resources on improving the chances of success for small and medium-sized businesses.
Additionally, they should focus on building a culture of entrepreneurship from the ground up amongst children and teenagers. Ultimately, the goal should be to create a generation of job creators rather than just job seekers.
Big business has a role to play in creating that environment too. It is, after all, in its own interest to channel entrepreneurial opportunities toward young people and redirect trade to businesses owned by young people. By integrating these businesses into their supply chains, they help uplift the wider population, who can then spend money on their products and services. Governments can further show their support for this kind of approach by creating incentivising policies that reward organisations which support young entrepreneurs.
Change is imperative
Africa’s young entrepreneurs are building solutions that have the potential to change not just their own countries and the continent but also the world. Given the right environment, they can create numerous jobs along the way too. In a region facing major unemployment struggles (especially among young people), it’s critical that they be allowed to do so.
It’s clear then that governments, big businesses, and other players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem must come together and collaborate to create an environment that fosters and supports as many young entrepreneurs as possible.
In today’s rapidly evolving tech world, a hit product can really lift a company. But as businesses get bigger, they often end up with many different products and features. The challenge? Making sure all these pieces work together to help the company succeed in the long run. It’s like walking a tightrope, balancing what each product needs with the company’s overall goals. It goes way beyond just planning one product’s future.
Reuben Nkemjika Obasi
Here’s Reuben Nkemjika Obasi, a senior product manager who’s great at organizing product strategies on a large scale. Many product managers are good at guiding a single product from start to finish. Reuben, though, is skilled in running a whole group of products and features.
He brings the smart thinking needed to handle this mess, making sure every product, every feature, and every investment lines up with the company’s main business aims. He helps build a strong, unified product system.
One thing Reuben deals with daily is the push and pull between quick wins and long-term goals.
It’s a key tension in product management: hitting short-term targets like quarterly revenue while also developing the core products that will fuel growth later on. Reuben uses his knowledge of market trends and user habits to set up a way to prioritize things that allow for both. He makes sure a product’s plan includes features for immediate results and bigger projects that create a lasting foundation.
This balance is clear in how he handles several products. He knows each product in a group has a different job and is at a different point in its life. He uses his skills to sort products, like Google had to do with Google Meet, Google Duo, and Hangouts.
By figuring out which products are driving growth, which are making money, and which are old systems, he can adjust his strategy for each one. That way, they all get the right focus and resources.
Deciding where to put resources is super important. At big companies, there’s never enough people in engineering, design, and marketing.
Reuben has to make tough calls about where to invest those resources to get the most out of them. He uses information to judge plans across the board, balancing the possible impact of adding one new thing to an old product with the work needed to update a product that’s growing fast.
His choices are a careful mix of market numbers, limited resources, and what the company wants to achieve in the long run.
One of the hardest but most important things in product portfolio management is knowing when to retire a product. Markets change fast, and sometimes a product has just run its course. Google has faced this many times with its messaging tools.
Reuben is skilled at guiding this process, and he knows it calls for both understanding and clear thinking. He makes a plan to end a product responsibly, giving users a simple way to move to a newer, better product, keeping problems to a minimum and keeping users happy.
It’s not just about turning a product off, it’s about handling the change smoothly. Reuben manages a careful plan for talking to users, giving them clear instructions and help, and making sure their information and experiences are saved as much as possible. This planned goodbye keeps users from getting annoyed and lets the company focus its work and resources on its most products, like when Google focused on Meet.
Ultimately, Reuben Nkemjika Obasi helps turn a bunch of separate products into a product system that is connected and strong. He’s a leader who thinks ahead and uses data to make smart choices that push a company forward. His skills in product portfolio management ensure a company’s product investments aren’t just quick reactions but a thought-out plan for growth and success over time.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against Umar Bago, Niger State Governor, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over what they described as “the ongoing intimidation” of Badeggi FM Radio, Minna, and the threat to shut down the station.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP, accusing NBC of failing to stand in defence of the local station.
PUNCH Online had reported that Bago ordered the closure and the revocation of the licence of Badeggi Radio 90.1 FM in Minna over alleged public incitement.
However, in suit number FHC/L/CS/1587/2025, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE are seeking to determine “whether by Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM from the ongoing intimidation from the governor.”
They are also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Niger state governor and NBC from further harassing, intimidating and/or threatening to shut down Badeggi FM radio, revoke its licence and profile the station’s owner.”
The groups argued, “The ongoing intimidation and threat by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its licence, further threat to demolish the station’s premises and profile its owner is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.”
They described allegations of inciting violence against the station and its owner as “vague, unfounded and unsubstantiated and apparently made to silence the radio station.”
The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP and NGE by lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Oluwakemi Agunbiade, and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part, “The media plays an essential role as a vehicle or instrument for the exercise of freedom of expression and information – in its individual and collective aspects – in a democratic society.
“Intimidating, harassing and silencing critical or dissenting voices under the guise of vague and unsubstantiated national security concerns is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
“The ongoing intimidation and harassment of Badeggi FM and its owner is capable of discouraging participation of the press in debates over matters of legitimate public concern ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
SERAP and NGE are therefore asking the court for the following reliefs, “A declaration that by the combined provisions of Section 22 Nigerian Constitution and section 2(1)(t) of the National Broadcasting Act, the NBC is obligated by law to protect Badeggi FM station and other broadcasting outlets in Nigeria from undue interference from unauthorised persons or entity.
“A declaration that the failure and/or neglect of the NBC to protect and defend the independence of the radio station against arbitrary executive interference constitutes a breach of its statutory duty to ensure fair, independent, and lawful broadcasting practices in Nigeria.
“A declaration that the ongoing intimidation and threat issued by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its operational licence and further threat to demolish the station’s premises is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.
“A declaration that the threat issued by the Bago to strip Badeggi FM radio station of its operational licence encroaches upon the statutory powers of the NBC as provided for under section 2 of the National Broadcasting Commission Act.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the governor and NBC, its agents and privies from harassing, intimidating and/or threatening to revoke the operating licence of Badeggi FM station or any other broadcasting outlet in Niger State.”
It was said that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Spotify has named Ghanaian trailblazer Amaarae as the EQUAL Africa artist for August, spotlighting her as one of the continent’s artists who continues to push creative and cultural boundaries with every beat, lyric, and look.
Amaarae, born Ama Serwah Genfi, raised between Ghana and the U.S.A often pulls her musical inspiration from the cultures and genres she grew up with. She has consistently pushed the boundaries of sound and identity, with her unique fusion of alternative, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats cementing her place as a singular voice in modern music.
Her musical journey took a turn in a computer lab in Ghana in 2009, where she taught herself to make beats on a cracked version of FL Studio. That moment sparked the fire for a career that would go on to produce game-changing projects like “The Angel You Don’t Know” and global hits such as “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY”.
Amaarae’s inclusion on Spotify’s Global Impact List for the first half of the year, highlighting the most-exported Ghanaian songs, was no surprise. She has become a symbol of how African music is travelling further, faster, and louder than ever before.
With her latest album BLACK STAR she returns to her Ghanaian roots with bold energy, crafting what she calls a “rallying cry for youth culture around the world. This album is bringing the alternative community to the forefront and being fearless about that.”
“I navigate the music world with balance, willpower, and strength. The challenges are real, don’t get me wrong, but I put my blinders on, lock into tunnel vision, and get to work. And when I come across another woman on the journey, especially a Black woman, I do my best to share knowledge, create opportunities, and lighten the load where I can,” says Amaarae.
As part of Spotify’s EQUAL programme, which amplifies women’s voices worldwide, Amaarae joins a growing list of African women shaping the future through sound and self-expression.
“Amaarae embodies the spirit of boundary-pushing creativity that EQUAL stands for,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa. “Her artistry is bold, distinct, and unapologetically authentic – qualities that continue to inspire a new generation of artists across the continent and beyond.”
We sat down with Amaarae to learn more about her and her music:
1. What is that one surprising thing your fans might not know about you?
Amaarae: I’m one step away from being legally blind! My vision is a -7 and I have astigmatism!!
2. When did you realise that making music was in your destiny and what is your WHY for pursuing this craft?
Amaarae: When I moved back home to Ghana in 2009, I was learning how to make beats and record myself at the back of the computer lab. Someone had installed a cracked version of FL.
3. Which African songs or artists did you grow up listening to?
Amaarae: The list goes on and on. Daddy LUMBA (RIP), Terri Bonchaka, MzBel, Abrewa Nana, Obrafour’s legendary album Pae Mu Ka, Sarkodie, Kwadwo Antwi. I could go all day.
4. To someone who has never heard your music, how would you describe the sound, tone, and style?
Amaarae: Let’s encourage listeners to be curious and adventurous! If you’re reading this and you’ve never heard my music, I dare you to go listen! And tell me how YOU would describe my sound.
5. Any advice for someone dreading following their dreams?
Amaarae: The regret does more damage than the effort.
NCC Claims to Have Eliminated Unregistered SIMs from Telecoms Networks
Telcos See Biggest Growth Post-COVID – ALTON
UBA Secures N5Bn BoI Fund to Boost Women Entrepreneurs, Others
Nigeria First Policy: FG Reaffirms Galaxy Backbone as ICT Provider
Aliyu Aboki Applauds Broadband Mapping as About Expanding Opportunity in Africa
Telecom1 day agoNCC Launches Nationwide Campaign to Defend Nigeria’s Digital Lifelines
General News1 day agoNCC Moves to Protect Consumers, Enforce Accountability in Telecoms
General News1 day agoSamsung Launches the Sleek and Durable Galaxy A07 in Nigeria
News1 day agoCAC Delists 247 Firms Over Invalid Registration Claims
Telecom1 day agoGufwan Commends NCC for Sensitisation Workshop on Digital Citizenship for Persons with Disabilities
General News1 day agoNGF Plans Investopedia to Showcase Investments in 36 States
Telecom11 hours agoNCC Claims to Have Eliminated Unregistered SIMs from Telecoms Networks
General News11 hours agoVirtual Reality in Healthcare: Nigeria’s Untapped Opportunity for Training, Patient Care, and Medical Innovation