Telecom
Zoho Announces 31% Growth in Nigeria, Unveils Strong Community Initiative Programs
Zoho, a global technology company, on Thursday said that it grew by 31% in 2023 in Nigeria, one of its key markets in the Africa region.
The company has been providing its 55+ apps in Naira to help local businesses avoid fluctuating dollar rates.
Zoho also announced its collaboration with Bridge International Academies in order to support the education of underprivileged children. The announcements were made on the sidelines of Zoholics Nigeria, the company’s annual user conference.
“As we continue to grow our presence in Africa, our focus is on ensuring that our expansion positively impacts the local economy, communities, and the broader business ecosystem,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria.
“This approach aligns with our transnational localism strategy, which emphasises being rooted in local markets while staying globally connected.
“To support this, we are committed to hiring local talent, strengthening our partner network, and creating products tailored to the local market.
“Additionally, to serve the community, we are supporting the education of children and also undertaking sustainability initiatives.”
Community and Environment Initiatives
Zoho is partnering with Bridge International Academies to establish a meaningful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.
The primary objective of this partnership is to support the education of 200 children from underserved communities by sponsoring school uniforms, fees for four terms, and other essential items for students attending Bridge International Academies.
This initiative aims to address the issue of financial constraints that hinder many pupils’ access to essential school supplies.
Zoho recognises the crucial role of education in societal development and is committed to breaking down these barriers by supporting Bridge international Academies pupils with necessary supplies.
In addition to this, Zoho aims to assist Bridge international Academies in its digitalisation efforts, offering Zoho Wallet Credits to help them utilise the company’s technology.
“Every child has the right to education, yet many children from underprivileged backgrounds face significant barriers to accessing quality learning opportunities.
“That’s why we are committed to transforming the lives of millions of children in underserved communities by delivering life-changing education. Through strategic partnerships, we aim to bridge this gap by providing vital resources and high-quality education to the students we serve.
“We are thrilled and deeply grateful for our partnership with Zoho, as our shared commitment to delivering meaningful value is at the heart of what unites us,” said Foyinsola Akinjayeju, Managing Director, Bridge International Academies, Nigeria.
Zoho is also recycling the billboards of its out of home ads and turning them into bags. Over 500 flexes from Nigeria and 1300+ in Kenya have been recycled so far.
“At Zoho, we believe that our growth should go hand in hand with the success of our customers, partners, employees, and the communities we are part of.
“In Nigeria, we embrace this same philosophy by hiring locally, expanding our partner network, and offering affordable technology tailored to meet local needs. For the community, we have been investing in youth upskilling initiatives and are now extending support to children’s education.
“We are also committed to strengthening our sustainability efforts, including expanding our recycling programmes, such as flex recycling,” said Ogundare.
Zoho’s Growth in Nigeria
Zoho has experienced impressive growth in the Nigerian market since commencing operations in 2020. Over the past three years, Zoho has achieved a 43% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in Nigeria.
In 2023 alone, Zoho saw a 21% increase in its partner network. Additionally, the company expanded its local workforce in Nigeria by 40% in the previous year.
Zoho’s success in Nigeria stems from the widespread adaptation of its flagship products, including Zoho Workplace, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk, Zoho CRM, and Zoho One.
These products have played a crucial role in optimising business operations, improving customer experience, and enhancing efficiency.
Zoho’s success in the Nigerian region is driven by key sectors such as financial services, energy, real estate and construction, IT hardware & IT related services, professional services (non IT), utilities and resources, and retail.
Other upskilling initiatives in Africa
Earlier this year, Zoho revealed several upskilling partnerships across Africa. As part of the Young Creators Program, Zoho partnered with She Code Africa, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering and upskilling African women in tech.
Zoho conducted “train the trainer” sessions for SCA Academy trainers, equipping them with skills to use Zoho Creator, Zoho’s low-code app development platform.
The SCA Academy trainers will then train more students associated with SCA to develop impactful applications using low-code technology, addressing real-world business challenges.
In Kenya, the company joined forces with MOMO Pencils, a leading manufacturer of eco-friendly stationery in Nairobi, for the “Hope for Literacy” program.
The program seeks to combat intergenerational poverty by improving access to quality education for children in underserved communities while promoting environmental sustainability and eco-friendly practices in schools.
Zoho also partnered with J-Hub Africa, the digital innovation hub at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, to provide training for JKUAT technology students.
This partnership will focus on teaching students how to leverage Zoho’s cloud-based business applications, enhancing their technology skills, and preparing them for diverse career opportunities in various industries.
Recently, in South Africa, Zoho collaborated with BabesGotBytes to empower over 40 girls and women with digital skills through a comprehensive one-year boot camp, aimed at bridging the skills gap and increasing female representation in tech.
Additionally, Zoho partnered with CodeTelligence to support a 6-month boot camp for 36 economically disadvantaged youth, providing IT training and mentorship to enhance their employability and readiness for the workforce.
Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON, stated in an interview with NAN in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.
Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.
“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.
‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.
The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.
He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.
The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.
“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.
Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.
The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.
MTN Nigeria has successfully completed a scheduled network maintenance operation that affected 101 sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States.
The restoration marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability in the Northeast region, amidst multiple fibre cuts and vandalism.
The maintenance, which took place on Sunday, August 24, involved the cutover of traffic to a newly installed fiber span along the AFCOT–Bawo Village route in Adamawa State.
This upgrade was necessary to replace a previously damaged section of the network infrastructure. All service maintenance was done within timeframe and restorations before 1 PM on Sunday August 24th.
We can confirm that all impacted sites have been fully restored, and services are now operating normally. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime.
The affected services included 2G, 3G, 4G, and enterprise connectivity, with temporary disruptions experienced in LGAs such as Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, and Michika in Adamawa; Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno; and Nasarawa in Kano.
The work was scheduled during daylight hours to ensure the safety of field engineers, given the linear and unprotected nature of the route.
This restoration is part of MTN’s broader strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in underserved regions and ensure consistent service delivery across Nigeria, amidst constant fibre cuts and vandalism.
TikTok has launched its music insights platform, TikTok for Artists, in Nigeria to support artist growth and fan engagement across the country’s vibrant music industry.
The platform, which debuted globally earlier this year, provides artists, labels, and management teams with access to daily-updated dashboards and analytics tools to track music performance, audience demographics, and fan interactions.
Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to empowering African creators.
“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally,” Mustapha said.
The platform offers detailed song performance metrics, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track. It also provides granular post-level data such as likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, alongside demographic breakdowns by gender, age, and language.
In addition to analytics, TikTok for Artists includes educational resources and step-by-step guides to help artists build sustainable careers.
A key feature of the platform is the Pre-Release tool, which allows artists to launch campaigns for upcoming albums and enables fans to pre-save tracks on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
British artist Jordan Adetunji described the platform as a “game changer,” noting its value in helping artists and their teams plan effective campaigns.
TikTok said the rollout reaffirms its investment in Africa’s creative economy and aims to foster deeper connections between artists and fans across the continent.
The platform is now available to all certified TikTok Artist Accounts, with access also extendable to managers and label teams.
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