On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan paid his first visit to regions affected by two devastating earthquakes that occurred earlier this week and left more than 19,000 people dead in Turkey and Syria. Many more people have suffered injuries.
In the worst-affected provinces, Erdoan has proclaimed a state of emergency that will endure for three months. More than 30 countries’ worth of emergency response teams are still searching for lives beneath the rubble, and the World Health Organization announced that it had sent medical teams to assist with rescue operations. According to local media, the earthquakes in Syria have caused a displacement of close to 300,000.
The magnitude-7.8 earthquake that slammed southeast Turkey early on Monday was the worst to strike the area in 80 years; a second earthquake of magnitude-7.5 struck hours later. There have been more than 650 aftershocks.
According to some estimates, the disaster might result in up to 20,000 fatalities and immediate economic damages of almost €1 billion.
The EU has promised to send both nations immediate help and humanitarian aid totaling approximately €6.5 million.
Donations are also being requested by humanitarian organizations.
Lagos based integrated payments and digital commerce platform, Interswitch has been called out by a customer for incompetency over a failed transaction left unresolved for about a month.
The customer, identified as Oluwatoyosi Sokeye on microblogging site, LinkedIn expressed frustration that the issue, which she described as “trivial” could remain unresolved for about a month.
“Interswitch Group I have never seen more incompetency from any company other than yours. Your level of incompetence is very astonishing for a company such as yours. Please scrap your Quickteller as it is very very useless (sic).
“A transaction done on the 22nd of December has not been rectified until now. Something that trivial is very very amazing that it can’t be solved” Sokeye lamented.
While she blamed herself for patronizing the company, Sokeye demanded a quick resolution to the failed transaction carried out via the company’s Quickteller platform.
“I may not be significant and I don’t care but I would like the money I paid for a failed transaction to be reversed to my account as soon as possible”, adding that the company has lost a customer in her.
Similarly, she accused Wema Bank Plc of negligence over the same transaction, which is believed to involve the two companies.
“Wema Bank Plc I guess you people are already full and have now become too pompous to work on a failed transaction that happened at your end on the 22nd of December.”
In a swift reaction, Interswitch Group, through its official account on LinkedIn responded to Sokeye promising to address her situation.
“This is certainly not the nature of feedback we look forward to reading about our solutions and services, and for this experience, we apologize to you unreservedly.
“Please rest assured that we are keen to get to the core of the issues and to make this right as soon as possible”, the company stated.
While the company has resolved Sokeye’s failed transaction issue after about a month, the incident is one of many frustrating experiences faced by customers of financial and payments companies in Nigeria.
In a press statement titled– CBN Revises Timelines for Dispense Errors, Refund Complaints, published June 1, 2020, the apex bank mandated that failed “Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transactions,” when customers used their cards on their bank ATMs, would now be instantly reversed from the current timelines of three days.
According to the statement, where instant reversal failed due to any technical issue or system glitch, the timeline for manual reversal should not exceed 24 hours.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in its determination to further enhance service quality, particularly quick refunds when customers experience failed transactions, dispense errors or disputes, has revised timelines for reversals and/or resolution of refund complaints on electronic channels, with effect from June 8, 2020, as follows:
1) Failed “On-Us” ATM transactions (when customers use their cards on their bank’s ATMs) shall be instantly reversed from the current timeline of three (3) days. Where instant reversal fails due to any technical issue or system glitch, the timeline for manual reversal shall not exceed 24 hours.
2) Refunds for failed “Not-on-Us” ATM transactions (where customers use their cards on other banks’ ATMs) shall not exceed 48 hours from the current 3-5 days.
3) Resolution of disputed/failed PoS or Web transactions shall be concluded within 72 hours from the current five (5) days.
4) All banks are directed to resolve backlog of all ATM, POS and Web customer refunds within two weeks starting June 8, 2020”.
Award winning Afrobeats musician, 2Baba has been accused of not giving scholarships to children of late colleague, Sound Sultan, who died of lung cancer in the United States on July 11, 2021.
Controversial Nollywood actor Uche Maduagwu made the accusation on Friday moments after the African Queen hit maker published a post on his @official2baba Instagram page, expressing how he misses Sultan – Lanre Fasasi.
“Miss u madly AGuy, Celebrate u till I join u bro (sic)”, 2baba wrote.
Following this, Maduagwu, who is known for having penchant for attacking celebrities on one of the popular blogs to question why 2baba has not given scholarships to children of the late Motherland crooner.
“Did you give his Pikin Scholarship? No be just to talk, let us assist his Pikin that is True love (sic)”, controversial Maduagwu wrote.
However, fans responded to Maduagwu quesationing the grounds of his accussation.
President Buhari presides over Maiden Edition of the Members of the Governing Board of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in State House on 26th Jan 2021
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, observed globally every May 3, President Muhammadu Buhari recommits to freedom of the press, and urges media professionals to wield freedom responsibly, and without licentiousness.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina noted that while celebrating the landmark day with the media, the President notes that freedom of the press is an irreducible minimum in a democracy that would flourish, adding that freedom must, however, be used responsibly.
“That everything is permitted does not mean that there are no rules of correctness, particularly in a polity seriously challenged as ours now,” President Buhari says. “The media must be sensitive to what we are going through as a country, and anything that would exacerbate the situation, and further inflame passions and emotions, should be avoided.
The media needs to ensure that while informing, educating, entertaining and setting agenda for public discourse, it does not encourage incendiary words and actions that could further hurt our unity in diversity.”
Licentious freedom, the President says, is different from freedom with responsibility, and charges the Nigerian media to embrace the latter, rather than the former.
On the part of government, President Buhari pledges greater cooperation with the media to discharge its duties, in line with the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, ‘Information as a Public Good.’
He charges those who manage information for government to do everything in public interest, while also encouraging the media to use the Freedom of Information Act available to make its jobs easier.
The President submits that it is very vital to have access to reliable information in an era of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, all to cause discord in society.
Thirty three suspected internet fraudsters have been apprehended in Abeokuta by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office.
This is contained in a statement signed by the EFCC Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren disclosed the arrest of the suspects in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Ibadan.
The suspects, accused of defrauding unsuspecting individuals through the internet were arrested by the operatives of EFCC on Tuesday at Adigbe, Oloke, Ibara Housing Estate Extension, and Idi Ori areas of Abeokuta, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the agency’s spokesman.
Uwujaren stated that the arrest, followed actionable intelligence earlier received on the alleged criminal activities of the suspects, which led the operatives to making the arrests at different locations in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
According to Uwujaren items recovered from the suspects include: 18 cars, mobile phones, laptops, and several other incriminating documents.
The suspects are to be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations.
Governor of Niger State, Nigeria, Abubakar Sanni Bello
Government Working For Their Safe Return Back Home Sooner Than Later – Governor Bello
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) to immediately provide relief materials to the victims of Banditry attacks following influx of more displaced persons from Chiro, Kuchi and Guni to IDP Camp in Gwada.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary Mary Noel Berje, the Governor said similar gesture should be extended to other IDP Camps in the state stressing that the urgent intervention is to alleviate their condition in these trying times.
The Governor, while empathizing with the displaced persons, said security efforts are being intensified to bring an enduring solution to the incessant attacks by the Bandits.
“Government is not unmindful of the precarious situation you found yourselves in, we are making frantic efforts to intervene and ensure that your communities are rid of those criminal elements and made safe for your return”.
Governor Sani Bello, who acknowledged the fact that most of the displaced persons are predominantly farmers and needed to go back to their homes ahead of the coming rainy season, said the people will not be rushed into going back to their communities until ‘the Coast is clear’.
The Governor called for calm and patience from the Internally Displaced Persons assuring that, sooner than later, they would all be safely returned home and reunited with their sources of livelihood.
He also urged all the communities affected by Banditry activities in the state to cooperate with the joint Military Taskforce in the renewed but undisclosed tactical strategy that will comb-out the miscreants from their hideouts.
“Once again I sympathize with the displaced persons and, as a government, the situation is regrettable and we are not resting on our oars until we are able to get you back to your homes to live your normal, productive lives”.
We couldn’t have forgotten so soon how Ebola, Zika, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) viruses have in recent years ravaged the world’s social-economic settings.
More than we could ever imagine, with thousands of people dead including many business and institutional deaths, the year 2020 will remain a remarkable year for millions of people around the world. From South Africa to Nigeria, Britain to United States, China to Korea, our lives, businesses have experienced a kind of disruption that is only to be imagined.
In no small ways, organizations and businesses in Nigeria, just like in any other parts of the world have been severely impacted and are still experiencing COVID-19 disruptions. There were concerns about how Board of Directors of organizations would meet as the law requires, how Annual General Meeting were to hold and even conduct elections and how to keep the distribution channel running. In other areas, there were issues of how pensioners, who only rely on monthly pension allowances would be verified so their pay doesn’t stop. Organizations like cooperative societies, professional and societal associations whose administration rely on elected officials had to think outside the box to carry on pending election electronically, yes, this is possible with some electronic voting system.
Organization’s exposure to COVID-19 did not only leave many Nigerians unemployed, it impaired distribution network, increased cyber security and fraud risk, increased the burden of both customer and employee relations.
COVID-19 isn’t the only disruption that we have seen, it is a part of the black swan experience of 2020 if we consider the changes in global oil prices, Naira devaluation and the EndSARS protest that turned violent. All of these fuels the shocks that test the balance and survival of organizations – where their operations are directly or indirectly affected.
As though the COVID-19 lockdown of not less than 4 months and attendant restrictions following the gradual easing wasn’t disruptive enough, the EndSARS protest also added its bite on an already stressed business environment.
These disruptions gave credence to the campaign ‘The Future is Digital’. Organizations had to seek alternatives
Because we haven’t possessed the capacity to really figure out when the next crisis will happen, it is important for businesses and organizations to position for resilience in the face of the next global threat.
“We expect that the COVID-19 threat will eventually fade, as the Ebola, Zika, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) viruses have in recent years. However, social-economic impact will still be felt long after the virus fades”, KPMG stated in an introduction to its series of publications under the title COVID-19: A Business Impact Series.
The words out there now is that The Future is Digital. Embracing digital processes is what has aided the survival of a many organizations in the tumultuous 2020 year of the COVID-19.
In just three months from May to July, Zoom reportedly recorded higher sales and profit than it did in all of 2019, as more people work and learn remotely during the coronavirus pandemic.
Getting onboard digital cannot be overemphasized as those who fail to do so will suffer the consequences. The world will apparently not remain the same, digital is its future. Whether for strategic meetings, corporate sector elections, verification processes and or any other identification needs, the solutions are available.
For some organizations, digital transformation may appear costly and unnecessary investment. Although, the process takes time, investment and patience, ultimately, it’s the businesses that adapt and adopt that are reaping the rewards. In other words, going digital isn’t really an option. It’s a necessity.
Here is what organizations and businesses that won’t digitalize are likely to suffer.
1) Competitive disadvantage
It is not easy keeping up when new companies come in with innovation that disrupt the industry. You should know that keeping up is pertinent, and digital capabilities are the best ways to stay sprightly. A popular reference is the Blockbuster and Netflix story.
In the predigital era, you’d have to walk into a Blockbuster to rent a film or video game. Blockbuster is one of the most glaring examples of a business unwilling to adapt to digital. The mistake cost them an entire empire.
You must have learned about the story. Netflix’s Reed Hastings approached former Blockbuster CEO John Antioco in 2000 and asked him to pay $50 million for the company he founded. Today Reed Hastings is worth $5 billion.
Apparently, Antioco didn’t take the offer to buy Netflix as he couldn’t imagine a film business without customers walking into a rental store just like many Nigerians would not foresee that elections at all levels, especially private sector elections, can be conducted without voters walking into a polling venueand get the process done fast and with less cost.
Netflix, an online DVD ordering and mailing service at the time saw a world of digital transactions and convenience.
Take a big turn from that box of traditional methods and think outside it innovatively. Failure to think outside the box and innovate can keep companies moored to traditional tried and tested methods. In today’s digital landscape, experimentation is required to find new paths to a customer and new ways to make revenue.
2) Inability to collect key analytics
In today’s world, consumers are far less brand loyal than they were 3 decades ago. This is a wakeup call to businesses and organizations on the need to understand their stakeholders and consumers to promote loyalty.
In the case of an election, unlike the paper-based polling process with all the attendant manual input of data, an electronic voting solution simplifies the rigorous processes and draw data in the simplest form.
Data allows companies to tailor content, engage on the platforms that matter, and continuously learn what does and doesn’t work. Without this type of insight, companies and organizations can make detrimental strategy errors.
Data provided by digital platforms is invaluable in shaping the knowledge a process or brand has of a stakeholders and customers respectively. By missing the opportunity to capitalize on data and take a digital approach, companies can struggle to thrive and even survive.
3) Lose relevance
It is so easy to be lost in an ocean of high speed-moving digital era when an organization is not digitally positioned. The speed at which digital move is as much as 5 times faster than traditional business methods.
When the iPhone 6 launched consumers realized the new model of phones were prone to bending. Seeing an opportunity, Kit Kat’s marketing department took to Twitter to play off the news cycle.
Kit Kat leveraged hashtags that were trending and news that was hyped across hundreds of news outlets to gain visibility.
Their quick wit and digital effort made the brand relevant at the right moment, and the company achieved over 25,000 retweets bringing them timely exposure.
A lack of digital activity will make growth a challenge. Take Kodak as an example. The decades-long decline of film-based business ended in bankruptcy due to the resistance of change. For the company, digital change was realized as early as 1975.
And, in 1981 researchers at Kodak suggested the company still had the chance to stay relevant if they embraced a digital transformation. Researchers anticipated, that for a full business revamp, the change would take approximately 10 years— but it was still possible.
The problem is that, during the 10-year window, Kodak did little to change. Even as late as 2007, a Kodak marketing video continued to emphasize “Kodak is back” disregarding the new digital landscape.
These strategic errors stifled the company’s ability to grow and in January 2012, Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Acknowledging change is not enough, a company needs to embed that change into its practices, culture and processes in order to realize its full potential. The change apparent and it will sweep away resistance.
In June, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu demonstrated an understanding of the changing times from traditional tom digital process when he approved the conduct of year 2020 biometric verification of pensioners tagged “I am Alive” virtually (online) in line with government’s efforts to reduce the effect of COVlD-19 pandemic in the state and ensure physical distancing.
When it comes to digital transformation, brands and indeed organizations need to engage in the process and look at how it can be integrated to drive digital maturity.
5) Struggle to retain (and hire) valuable talent
The largest demographic in the current workforce is millennials, and soon Gen Z will infiltrate.
Both of these generations grew up in a digital world, where technological innovations are an expectation rather than a novel thought. As such, when given the choice, it’s likely that these cohorts will opt to work for companies that embrace digital workflows.
This is proving true with the rise of the gig economy, which now accounts for 34% of the US workforce.
More specifically, we can point to Uber vs taxi services, and the growth of each industry. As taxis fail to take a digital approach, they continue to lose staff numbers.
Currently, there are 13,587 yellow cabs on New York City streets. The total number of black cars associated with ride-hailing apps total 60,000, with more than 46,000 specifically connected with Uber.
The imbalance between drivers for Uber and taxi are accounting for a large productivity difference. As of December 2017, ride-hail apps performed 65% more rides per month than taxi drivers did in New York City.
Though yellow cabs are still in business, as more drivers shift to jobs at Uber, Lyft, and other app-driven taxi services, the fate of old-school taxi and cab services looks uncertain.
As more digital disrupters enter the marketplace across industries, it’s key to have an agile workforce that can adapt to change and rise to challenges. Cultivate a culture of collaboration and learning that prepares employees for the pace of the digital world.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Pan-Yoruba group- Afenifere, Yinka Odumakinn has died early Saturday at the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
The 56 year old outspoken Odumakin died due to a respiratory failure despite showing signs of recovery from complications he suffered from COVID-19, Joe Odumakin, wife of the deceased revealed in a statement.
Joe, in a shaky voice while confirming the passing of her husband told The Nations that a big part of her is gone.
She described him as an “irreplaceable soulmate”, stating he died of complications from respiratory issues due to complications from COVID-19 from which she claimed he already recovered from.
In a statement on Saturday, She said: “With gratitude to the Supreme Being for a life well spent, I announce the passing on of my beloved husband, Comrade Yinka Odumakin to the great beyond after a brief illness.
“The sad event happened this morning (Saturday, 3/4/2021) at the intensive care unit of LASUTH where he was being managed for respiratory issues due to complications from COVID-19 which he had recovered from about a week ago.
“I appreciate the outpouring of grief and sympathy from home and abroad as I mourn my irreplaceable soul mate.
“I urge us all to remain steadfast in the cause of the masses to which he dedicated his life.
“Burial arrangement will be made public in due course.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, rolled out a groundbreaking plan for the enhancement of security and safety in Lagos State. The Governor approved a mass training for the State’s law enforcement personnel on the use of body worn cameras, ahead of the deployment of the digital tools for security operations across the State.
The three-day training, which will commence in May, will be facilitated by the State’s Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI), headed by Prince Oyekan Falade. After the training, all State-funded law enforcement officers will be commissioned to wear body cameras for their operations.
Sanwo-Olu said the move would improve transparency and accountability in the activities of law enforcement agencies, and put the State Government in a better position to respond to security challenges in real time.
Provision of adequate security, the Governor said, is a key pillar of his administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda, stressing that the initiative reflected his Government’s resolution to ensure Lagos remained secure for residents and investors.
He said: “I am pleased to inaugurate the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement officers in Lagos and this is a groundbreaking move to enhance safety in the State, as well as increase transparency and accountability in the activities of our law enforcement agencies. Lagos State has strategically set the pace among other States in Nigeria to launch the use of body worn cameras by law enforcement officers.
“The security challenges in different parts of the country are worrisome, but with proactive action, the use of modern technological tools, and a mix of well-trained and intelligent officers, we will successfully combat many of these challenges. With body-worn cameras, our law enforcement officers are better equipped to protect lives and properties, thereby, making Lagos safer for us all.”
Sanwo-Olu said the launch of the body-worn cameras would take the Government a step closer towards fulfilling its security agenda, stressing that the introduction of devices to frontline security team and officers would enhance their productivity and professionalism, while also fast-tracking law enforcement process.
The cameras, the Governor pointed out, will help the State Government check abuse of power and excesses by security personnel, while also improving the safety and accountability of officers, who will use the devices for evidence sharing and intelligence gathering.
“I am hopeful that all officers will optimise the cameras that will be assigned to them for the furtherance of justice and improvement of the law enforcement process. Our Government will continue to prioritise the welfare of our law enforcement officers whose pivotal efforts we acknowledge in the entrenchment of a safe city,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Khadijat Shittabey, applauded the Governor for approving the initiative, stressing that the body worn cameras would help the ministry in the administration of justice.
She said: “The cameras will also help to enhance professionalism on the part of the law enforcement agents, provide digital evidence of events and provide additional means of protection for officers. The cameras will be used to establish guilt or innocence of officers when confronted with allegations of wrongdoing.”
Falade, after demonstrating the operation of the camera on the Governor, said 7,000 officers will be trained in the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC), and the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC).
The training, LETI boss disclosed, will be done in 26 batches to reduce crowding of the training centre.
LETI was established in 2013 through an Executive Order, to set standards for recruitment of law enforcement agents, training and development of the officers.
Lagos State Government, through the Parastatals Monitoring Office, PMO, has organised a Workshop tagged “Corporate Governance: Series II” for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Government Parastatals in the State to reiterate the continuous adherence to the journey for a better and more prosperous Lagos.
The Special Adviser, Parastatals Monitoring Office, Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, while declaring the workshop open on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, explained that the workshop is to further enlighten the CEOs on the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.
“The T.H.E.M.E.S agenda is an elaborate plan of action based on extensive accurate data gathering, empirical studies and research, including projections based on collected data for realistic postulations on derivables expected from all sectors of government, all aimed at uplifting the living standards of Lagosians in a manner that is of both sustainable and enduring for generations to come”, he said.
In order to achieve this, Ayantayo advised all CEOs of State government parastatals to ensure prompt, proper and excellent service delivery on various mandates in fulfilment of the Greater Lagos Agenda.
The Special Adviser recalled that the first series of the workshop tagged “Digging Deep into the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda”, was focused on the sectoral spread of the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda by exploring pillar by pillar, the functionality of each pillar of the agenda that governed with the ideals, tenets and principles of corporate establishments aimed toward enhanced efficiency for better result.
“Just like we did in the first series, we have facilitators, as well as experts in all the sectoral divisions of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, who will guide participants through and impact further knowledge and expertise that will enhance our grasp in our various fields with capabilities to perform our duties better”.
He then enjoined all participants to utilise all principles and ideas gathered at the workshop in their respective sectors, towards achieving a Greater Lagos.
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