News
VoguePay’s CEO Wins Online Payment Leadership Award
Michael Femi Simeon, CEO of VoguePay, the leading online payment gateway in Nigeria, has been named Payment Personality Leader of the year at African Prize for Leadership Awards. The award, supported by Forbes Africa and NEPAD, celebrates national icons with proven track records in business, governance and social advocacy.
While thanking the organizers for the recognition, Michael used the occasion to express gratitude to more than 85,000 global businesses using VoguePay to accept payment as their continued patronage enabled the startup to become the fastest growing fintech company from West Africa that has not raised external capital.
Michael remarked that the entry of VoguePay into the payment landscape in 2012 was the beginning of the fintech revolution in Nigeria as more than 17,000 SMEs took their business online for the first time, at no cost.
The company continued to innovate by building new payment processing capabilities that enabled small businesses to accept payment globally and become global companies without the associated cost.
Michael challenged both fintech startups and banks to collaborate with each other, not to see the other as threat, stating that this will unlock value for millennial. He hinted that the company is due to launch its digital financial services platform in collaboration with partner banks by Q1, 2019. Michael also solicited the support of government to provide regulations that encourage innovation.
As he pointed out, proactive regulations that encourage innovations like open banking and sandbox program will enable fintechs to launch bank-grade financial products that can position Nigeria’s financial services sector to global significance.
In his final remarks, Michael added that the most exciting part of his job is working with an amazing team of talented co-founders and staff across the company’s offices in United Kingdom, Nigeria and Estonia.
News
Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
News
President Tinubu Appoints Jim Ovia as Student Loan Fund Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
- News3 days ago
60 Hearty Cheers to Chioma Ekeh, Africa’s Leading Unusual Female Tech
- News3 days ago
Academic Technologists Propose N350,000 Minimum Wage
- Telecom2 days ago
World Earth Day: Kuda Partners with Wecyclers to Clean up Communities in Lagos
- Telecom2 days ago
Airtel Boosts NIPR Public Relations Week with Onsite Unlimited Data Connection
- E-Financial3 days ago
Confusion as CBN Deletes, Reinstates Tweet Calling Crypto-Related Directive Fake
- News2 days ago
UK Pledges €1Bn to Fight against Malaria in Nigeria
- Editorial2 days ago
Telcos Ask NCC to Allow Them Hike Tariff
- Broadcasting2 days ago
NCC Seeks Media Collaboration on Copyright Infringement