TECHDIGEST – Stakeholders in the technology space including the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA,Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Galaxy Backbone Limited, among others will be gathering in Lagos for second edition of Africa Tech Alliance Forum, AfriTECH 2.0.

Africa Tech Alliance Forum is an annual event that brings together stakeholders from different sectors of Nigeria’s economy to share ideas, trends, opportunities around technology, innovation and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria and Africa.

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The programme which will be held next Wednesday with a theme: ‘Sustainability and the Company of the Future’ is sponsored by a multinational technology company, Zoho Corporation.

Other tech ecosystem players from across the continent including Nigeria Computer Society, NCS, InnovationBed.Africa among others will also participate at the event.

Commenting on the event, Co-Founder of TechCastle Foundation, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, said that delegates can expect two days of expert panel discussions, keynote addresses, case studies, live-demo experiences.

“They should also expect to network with leaders in the private, public sectors, civil society, investors, and academia- all with their unique insights around ‘Harnessing Digital Identity for Digital Economy Agenda; Creating Sustainable Future through Connectivity; Blockchain & Cryptocurrency’,” he added.

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Running an Informal Retail Shop in the Digital Age, By Chike Onwuegbuchi 

TECHDIGEST – Operating in every nook and cranny, informal retailers are lifesavers in Nigeria. They are often the go-to people for everyday essentials for the majority of Nigerians.
As a Nigerian, either rich, average or poor, you must have patronized them at one point or the other for a last-minute purchase to meet a pressing essential need.
While these enterprises fill this crucial gap, they put in a lot for every kobo of their profit. The process of restocking their shops is not as easy as the quick dash customers make for purchases.
For many of them, a trip to the market takes a whole day. The fares also eat deep into their profit. However, being an informal retailer is becoming easier with e-commerce.
With communication technology putting smartphones at the fingertips of millions of Nigerians, an informal retailer can do much more to make life and business easier and smoother.
For instance, there are business-to-business e-commerce platforms linking retailers in the informal market to manufacturers. Alerzo, Omnibiz, TradeDepot to mention a few, are providing reliable links. With app download on their mobile phone, retailers can place orders.
“We are empowering retailers in the informal sector through our ecosystem of digital products, so they are equipped to run profitable and sustainable businesses.  We believe that technology has the potential to transform the way informal retailers conduct their businesses, by using it to facilitate – with just a click of a button – fast and easy access to a wide assortment of consumer products at zero delivery cost to the retailers,” said Adewale Opaleye, Alerzo Limited CEO.
Market prices are hardly stable, hence retailers are forced to buy less than they planned on a market day. Joining e-commerce and restocking directly from manufacturers will save them such constant market inflation. These savings, in turn, provide the needed boosts for their businesses and widen their profit margins.
Some B2B platforms go as far as offering additional free delivery services to their customers. Another added advantage is that business-to-business shopping platforms are run by professionals with apt business knowledge which they can impart to informal retailers to help grow their businesses.
Adopting a digital shopping network also frees up more customers/family time for these sellers, the majority of whom are women who run hole-keeping duties along with the business.
Running informal retail in the digital age is becoming easier, retailers only need to open their minds to more possibilities. A lot is there to benefit from digital commerce, and everything is just a click away on a smartphone.

Source: Nigeria Communications Week @
https://www.nigeriacommunicationsweek.com.ng/running-an-informal-retail-shop-in-the-digital-age/

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TECHDIGEST – As the industry media body, the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), prepares for its stakeholders engagement event, NITRA ICT Growth Conference 2021, two industry regulators have indicated interest in supporting the event scheduled to hold on November 11, 2021 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The event has received the backing of the telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the nation’s information technology regulator, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The event targets to bring stakeholders in the ICT industry, both from the public and private sectors, to discuss and find ways of accelerating growth in the industry as a means of achieving laudable federal government set targets and policies, including those recorded in policy documents by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the NCC and NITDA.

These documents include NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024); The Nigerian Cybercrime Act of 2015; the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content (NPPIC); The National Telecommunications Policy; the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025; National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) among others.

While looking at policies and regulation around the sub-sectors, the event will further look into challenges such as multiple taxation and regulations, high cost of Right of Way (RoW), theft of telecoms facilities, Policy issues, Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Bill and cybersecurity issues; and ways of tackling these challenges effectively.

Under its “NITRA ICT Growth Conference”, which seeks to bring a multi-sectoral development agenda, NITRA is organising a multi-panel interactive conference that will look at the theme: “Harmonising ICT Sub-Sectors Towards A Digitalised Nigeria”

Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, NITRA chairman, while commending the regulators for their support of the event and passion for the growth of technology in Nigeria, noted that the growth in the ICT industry will impact all other sectors of the economy positively.

“Specifically, the Forum will offer stakeholders the opportunities of reassessing and reinvigorating some policies to make maximum impact in the growth of ICT in Nigeria. This is a growth conference, and stakeholders will be allowed to speak out on what the growth indices should be.” he said.

Expected to be at the event include the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami; the EVC of the NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta; the DG of NITDA, Mallam Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi, CEOs of other government and private ICT companies, the Media including the full membership of NITRA and other stakeholders in the industry, including COOs, CIOs, CFOs, CROs and CCOs.

As part of the event, special recognition awards will be given to some industry players that have played strong roles in the growth of ICT in Nigeria, and still contributing to the development of the industry.

The Awards will also be for those companies and individuals, who through their innovativeness have revolutionised the ecosystem they play in.

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