World Bank and Co-Creation HUB hosts WaterHackathon in Lagos, Nigeria

Hackers, mark your calendars! On October 22^nd and 23^rd an unprecedented event is taking place: WaterHackathon – an international hackathon bringing together developers to tackle one of the world’s most pressing challenges. 

Lack of safe water and adequate sanitation is the world’s single largest cause of illness, responsible for more than two million deaths every year. As the global population grows, and demands on natural resources increase, the sustainable management of water is acquiring new urgency.

New ideas, better data and innovative instruments are needed to respond to the global water crisis. WaterHackathon will be taking place simultaneously in Bangalore, Cairo, Kampala, Lima, London, Nairobi, Tel Aviv, Washington DC, Toronto and Lagos. Technologists will work hand-in-hand with water experts in their countries in an intensive weekend of hacking technical solutions to help communities address water problems.

Programmers, designers, engineers, techies, data specialists and concerned citizens are invited to come to CcHUB, 6^th floor, 294 Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos on October 22^nd and 23^rd to work with developers and experts around the globe to brainstorm, code, mash up data and win prizes for apps that can make water safer, more accessible and more sustainable for all. Register at http://www.rhok.org/event/waterhackathon-lagos

WaterHackathon Lagos is a Random Hacks of Kindness Community Event supported by the World Bank and Co-creation Hub Nigeria

SIM registration deadline (28th September 2011) - Will it be extended?

Eugene Juwah - NCC Chairman

It is the 25^th of September 2011. And the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is still insisting that it will not change the SIM Registration deadline i.e. the 28^th of February 2011. Hmmm….. I wonder how long this insistence will last. Definitely the telcos would want this deadline to be extended because they have a lot to lose if the deadline is adhered to. If the NCC blocks all unregistered SIMs after the deadline, this means that the telcos will lose revenue from these SIMs. As at today, I don’t think the telcos have registered up to 60% of the SIMs on their networks; in spite of all the promotions that they conjured up to get subscribers to register their SIMs.

The SIM registration exercise started on the 14^th of February 2011. And the Federal Government approved over N6 billion to the NCC for the exercise.

I read somewhere that the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, the umbrella body of operators and providers of telecommunications and ancillary services in Nigeria, which has reportedly sent a powerful delegation to the federal government, last week, warned that unless the NCC extends the deadline, about 50 percent of telephone subscribers in Nigeria will be cut off from the system.

I think it is in the best interest of all stakeholders that this deadline is extended. But will the NCC change its mind? Let’s wait and see.

Five companies granted licenses to operate as Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs) in Nigeria

In the continued bid to put a lasting payment structural framework in place, Central Bank of Nigeria recently granted licences to five (5) companies to operate as Payment Terminal Service Providers in Nigeria. A PTSP is an entity in the Nigerian payment space licensed by the CBN and charged with responsibility to ensure effectiveness of Point of Sale (POS) operations and a proper support/maintenance infrastructure.

Hitherto, it was a free for all business and it was actually dependent on the existing payment card operators and switches. Most of the Terminal providers suffered during this period and many of them closed shop because they claimed they were subject to the unfair rules of the ruling switching companies and card operators.

The five successful companies are Paymaster, Etop, Citiserve, Valucard and ITEX. CBN licenced only these companies to enable the PTSPs build scale and maximize efficiency. Criteria for PTSPs shall be defined by CBN, and the performance of licensed PTSPS shall be reviewed annually to confirm they meet defined performance targets. Licenses of PTSPs that fail to meet performance expectations can be withdrawn and fresh licenses issued to qualifying companies.

Only PSTPs shall be allowed to deploy POS terminals nationwide. Any party, other than a PTSP that deploys POS terminals, shall be fined 50,000 Naira per day that terminal remains deployed. PTSPs shall clearly agree SLAs on deployment timelines with acquirers to ensure efficient deployment of POS terminals.

Have you been drawn to Google+? New Features

Hi,

Have you been drawn to Google+? I just noticed this new blue arrow drawing people to Google+ on the Google search page. See below.

I hear this coincides to yesterday's public launch of Google+. Before now, you would have needed an invite to join. Now you can now sign up for the service. It also used this opportunity to add 9 new features, including advanced hangout features, search features e.t.c. Since its inception, Google has made 91 different improvements to the service. See more in Google official blog post.

Interestingly, I got an invite some time ago. I signed up, played on it and with it but got tired. I must admit that I am more of functional technology user, not someone just after the latest fad. So I am still trying to find out what value  Google+ will add to the way I do my work.

I hope it will work for Google.com by getting more people to sign up for Google+. Analysts estimate that upward of 25 million users have joined Google+ since its inception.  How does this compare with the leader in this space - Facebook with 750+ million users? Well these are early days. Let's watch and see.

But I would like to know how Google+ has changed the way you do your work. Comments please

Internet innovation failing in Africa, Europe, and here’s why: Koos Bekker | memeburn

Hmm...All I can say is Ouch!! it hurts but it is the truth. 
However it is true in Africa because of the theory of Maslow's heirarchy of needs. Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before an individual will strongly desire (of focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs. The Average African is still struggling with the Physiological, Safety, Love and Esteem issues. Why would (s)he risk security for entrepreneurial risk? There is no safety net. If he fails, he fails and there is no Social Security to pick him up. It is all about Self Actualisation. That is where it all happens.
As for Europe, that is another kettle of fish........Though I do agree with the fact that "An entrepreneur needs the “freedom to try and fail, be good at maths, attend good universities, have hungry ambition and have computers and bandwidth aplenty.”

This is an interesting piece from an experienced man who heads one of the foremost media outfits in the world, NASPERS.  Please read on.  Internet innovation failing in Africa, Europe, and here’s why: Koos Bekker | memeburn

Will the Huawei IDEOS phone prove to be a success in Nigeria?

I just read about the interest of Huawei‘s intention to flood the Nigerian market with its IDEOS phone which should cost about $100. It also intends to spend $1 million in advertisements to spread the word. The 12^th September edition of online Wall Street Journal under its caption “Nigeria Gives Huawei a place to prove itself” records the following:

Rocky You is determined to see his company’s $100 Chinese-made smartphone catch in Nigeria, so he visits crowded Lagos shopping malls every few days to make his case directly to the sales clerks at cellphone shops and electronic stores. “People making $2000 or less a month, “says Mr. You, a 28-year-old senior account manager for Huawei Technologies Co., “those are the people we want to reach.”

My mind went back to my trip to Kenya earlier in the year when I first saw the phone being reviewed by my good friend, Moses Kemibaro and also his blog post in May 2011, when Huawei reported that its IDEOS phone was most popular smartphone in Kenya for the first quarter of 2011. Huawei launched in Kenya in December 2010 and within 5 months, it had sold over 60,000 copies.

I also remembered seeing some samples at the last G-Nigeria day organized by Google. I wondered when it would be available in Nigeria. But then I remembered seeing the IDEOS phone being marketed by Starcomms; a leading CDMA operator in Nigeria. It is currently selling the C8150 for N24,499.00 ($157.00); at a 50% premium above the $100 price.

 Can Huawei replicate the same Kenyan magic in Nigeria?

Innovationvillage writes:

•  In Kenya, Huawei partnered with a strong force, Safaricom – the foremost mobile company in Kenya to push the IDEOS phone. I hope Huawei knows that it will need to also do that in Nigeria. I would not think that its partnership with Starcomms would be the only partnership it seeks to have in Nigeria. It should clearly be talking with the likes of MTN Nigeria or any other.
•  Hauwei would find a formidable competitor in Blackberry which has partnered with the leading telcos (MTN, Airtel, Glo) to introduce cheap models  with affordable daily, monthly plans so that subscribers can have access to Blackberry chat and social media at a very cheap cost.
•  Will the vendors keep the selling price at $100? Hmmm…. I doubt it. Current evidence negates this. A point in case is Starcomms.
•  Android phones are still not as popular as Nokia Symbian phones. Nokia still has a lot of respect and followers in Nigeria.

In conclusion, Hauwei will need to address the above issues before it can achieve same kind of adopition Nigeria or even better. It needs to leverage on its relationships it has built over the years with some of these GSM telcos to make headway in the Nigerian market. It may also go as far as subsiding the cost of acquisition in one way or the other to the consumer.  Nigeria is a huge market that Hauwei cannot afford to ignore. So get cracking, the road ahead is not smooth. 

Can Mocality threaten Vconnect’s premier position in the online business directory business?

Mocality started out in Kenya a couple of months ago and it is now the largest online and mobile business directory with over 130,000 businesses listed to-date. It is owned by one of foremost media companies in the world, NASPERS and it has proven to be hit and a household name in Kenya.

Now Mocality believes it can replicate its success in Nigeria. This is the third NASPERS initiative, within 2 years, in its quest to dominate the Internet media space through its Internet media business arm, MIH Internet Africa. It started with Kalahari.com.ng and Dealfish.com.ng.

Dr. Victor Alaofin

The website is already up (www.mocality.com.ng) and a Country Manager has been recruited to achieve this feat. The Country Manager is Dr. Victor Alaofin and he comes with a lot of experience in the Technology industry.

The leader in the online business directory business is Vconnect who claims to have over 230,000 business listings and Mocality will need to do something very different to challenge Vconnect. It was noticed that Vconnect recently increased its offline and online spend in an apparent bid to fend off this cash rich debutant, Mocality. I wonder where this leaves Nigeria Galleria, another contender to the premier position. Let the fight begin.

Google announces Android Developer Challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa

Early in the year (April 2011), Google announced the Android Developer Challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa, a competition to encourage the development of exciting, high quality applications that can delight mobile users in Africa and around the world. Developers in Sub-Saharan Africa submitted hundreds of innovative and interesting applications across three broad categories: apps related to entertainment, media and games; apps related to social networking and communication; and apps related to productivity, tools, and local and geo services. In July, Google announced the top 29 applications, provided them new phones, mentoring from Googlers and six weeks to improve their applications. From those 29, 3 finalists have been chosen. They are listed below:

Entertainment/Media/Games
Afrinolly - Nigeria
Team: FansConnectOnline Limited
Afrinolly brings African movies to your pocket, allowing you to watch movie trailers, read entertainment news and gossip, track celebs, listen to music and share it all with your friends

Social/Communication
Olalashe - Kenya
Team: David Lemayian, Capefield Ltd.
Olalashe (which means "brother" in Maasai) is a geo-alert application that can help you communicate when you’re in trouble, through a widget that can send your location and a pre-set message to your ‘In Case of Emergency’ contacts with the push of a button

Productivity
Shoppers' Delight - Kenya
Team: Elan Telemedia Ltd
Shoppers' Delight is a shopping application that allows shoppers to compare product prices across different area supermarkets. The app also helps shoppers discover bargains and relevant sales, and access maps and health information.

Each winner will be awarded $25,000 to help them build and grow their business, and will receive additional mentoring from Google employees to help them make their app even better. Google judges also gave honorable mention to finalist apps Rainbow Racer and Wedding Plandroid; the developers of those apps will each receive $5,000.

All three winning apps, both honorable mention apps, and many of our finalist apps are or will soon be available on Android Market.

Etisalat Launches World's First SMS Instant Noticeboard

Etisalat Nigeria has become the world's first network to offer its customers Telsis Just Dot Me, a unique SMS-based instant noticeboard service.

Etisalat's eight million customers can now post information, by simply texting it to the shortcode 8900.
A post can then be accessed by anyone, anywhere, with any handset, by just texting a dot (.) to the Etisalat customer's mobile number. The key strengths of the service are simplicity and ubiquity – there are over 5 billion mobile phones worldwide, and each one supports SMS.

Etisalat has built a strong base in the Nigerian market through a combination of innovative marketing and aggressive positioning. CEO Steven Evans says the service, branded as Etisalat DotMe, will accelerate still further his network's growth rate.

"DotMe is a brand new, exciting and innovative service. It will enrich the lives of our customers and their families, friends and contacts. It is a simple yet powerful SMS-based social bulletin board that serves the masses. DotMe opens up the concept of an instant noticeboard for people to publish from their mobile phones. It will reinforce the Etisalat brand as the market leader in service and new services.

"As an instant mobile notice-board, it allows people to publish all kinds of information from their mobile phones via SMS. Early adopters are religious organisations who are using it to update their congregation on daily scripture readings, inspirational messages and other church information. DotMe is also positioned to help other businesses post short and quick updates that are easily available to any and every customer with a mobile phone, enabling all their contacts to stay updated on their products and services via SMS.

"For the young and young at heart, DotMe will serve the important purpose of helping keep friends updated on the social scene while on the go. Here at Etisalat, we have already begun to use this unique service to keep our various audiences informed on our various promotions and activities and we are seeing positive results."Telsis founder, CEO and chairman Jeff Wilson is the inventor of the service. He says the power of Just Dot Me lies in its simplicity. "For phone users, Just Dot Me couldn't be simpler to use and it's ideal for those that want people to know what time the children's coach will arrive, what time the match starts, or that the school trip is going well. However, users can post whatever they want and we believe Just Dot Me is going to be one of those services that will grow virally as people discover new uses for their personal noticeboard."

In the next few months, Telsis will roll out an upgrade to Just Dot Me. Instead of texting a single dot to the poster’s number, if a user texts two dots, they will receive details of whatever is posted on the virtual noticeboard when it is updated, even if the noticeboard is currently empty. So when the coach departs for the school trip, a mother could double-dot the school’s number to get the next update on how the trip was going, as soon as it is posted.

Innovationvillage writes:
Feels like Twitter and Facebook on SMS. Good product considering that I don't need the internet or to have a smartphone before I can use the service. I know a Dotter must be an Etisalat subscriber but will this be enough to draw people to the Etisalat network. Let's see the uptake within the next few months.

Nigeria Approves Inclusion of Chinese Renminbi in External Reserves

Central Bank of Nigeria approves the Chinese Renmibi

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has finalized arrangements to diversify its external reserves holdings by including the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) to the existing currency mix of United States Dollars (USD), the Euro (EUR) and the British Pound Sterling (GBP).
After due consultations with the Federal Government and other stakeholders in Nigeria, the CBN has gone ahead to engage the Chinese financial regulatory authorities with a view to building strategic and mutually beneficial relationships with key Chinese financial institutions. Given the growing economic importance of China in the world, and the increasing trade flows between the two countries, the CBN initiative is expected to secure a strategic advantage for Nigeria in its economic and trade relationship with the People’s Republic of China.

In order to strengthen collaboration between the monetary authorities of both countries, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has today in Beijing, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) to foster greater cooperation in various areas of central banking. Governor Zhou XiaoChuan signed on behalf of the PBoC while Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi signed on behalf of the CBN. The signing ceremony was witnessed by His Excellency Alhaji Aminu Wali, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the People’s
Republic of China and Mr. Tunde Lemo, Deputy Governor (Operations) of the CBN.
This move by the CBN to diversify the nation’s external reserves is consistent with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, and has the full support of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Access Bank entices Kiddies with Dora the Explorer

In the already saturated market of kiddies’ bank accounts, Access Bank Plc. hopes to differentiate itself from the pack by introducing a new kiddie account. It has partnered with Nickelodeon’s world famous animated pre-school heroine and cartoon character, Dora the Explorer to “redefine the retail banking space for children in Nigeria”. The name of the account is the “Early Savers Account”.

To engage and involve young savers, and to drive the adoption of the Early Savers Account by Nigerian children and their parents, Access Bank and Nickelodeon will bring Dora the Explorer and her best friend Boots to Nigeria for the very first time in September 2011 for “Dora’s Birthday Fiesta”. Dora, seen in Nigeria on DStv Channel 305 and STV, will be holding her first ever public performance, featuring well-known nursery rhymes, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 September 2011.

In conceptualizing and designing the Early Savers Account, Access Bank seeks to serve the unbanked segment of the Nigerian economy, particularly children 0-9. The Access Early Savers Account recognises that existing banking products targeted at children fail to address some of the key elements children would like to see in offerings from banks.

Commenting on the new product, Group managing director, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said; “Access Bank’s introduction of this revolutionary Early Savers Account is the first bold step in the implementation of our financial inclusion strategy. The future of this great nation belongs to our children and we will create a win-win partnership with Nigerian youths resulting in a lifelong customer-bank relationship. The Early Savers Account with Dora the Explorer is a strong launching pad from which parents can propel their children along a wonderful journey of financial well-being and prosperity.”

Also commenting, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa, Mr. Alex Okosi said; “We are delighted that Dora the Explorer will be helping young Nigerian children to go on an exciting adventure that will help them understand the value of money and get involved in the banking system early on.”

Now this is the standard report of any company introducing a new product.

But I daresay, will this partnership truly bring about a sustainable advantage for Access Bank? Only time will tell. Good Luck, Access Bank.

Dealfish.com launches its Android app to the Nigerian and Kenyan customers

In its bid to offer the customer easy ways of putting up ads on its site, Dealfish.com has launched its Android app for the Nigerian and Kenyan audiences.
I tried it out on the Samsung Galaxy S and the Galaxy II and it works perfectly. It can be downloaded from the android app market and it is free of charge.
So download the Dealfish.com android app by clicking on this link "Dealfish Android App" or go to the Dealfish page www.dealfish.com.ng or www.dealfish.co.ke and click on the tab on the page.

Download and enjoy.

Francis Ebuehi, Regional Manager of Dealfish West Africa talks about Online Business in Nigeria on Tech360

Francis Ebuehi, Regional Manager of Dealfish West Africa talks about Online Business in Nigeria on Tech360, a radio program on City 101.5 FM, Lagos, Nigeria managed by Abiodun Thorpe.
Tech360 is a website that provides tech news, views and reviews.

Enjoy the podcast.