₦airaland Forum

The Coca-Cola System in Nigeria, comprising Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) and Coca-Cola Nigeria Ltd, has donated business start-up equipment to women and youths in communities in Aba, Abia State, and Port Harcourt in Rivers under its post-COVID-19 community interventions.

The beneficiaries, who had earlier been trained by a local NGO, Genius Hub, on behalf of the Coca-Cola System, received shoe-making and tailoring equipment to start their businesses and begin their journey to self-reliance.

The Coca-Cola System, which has always supported its stakeholders and communities with positive and impactful interventions, implemented the program with funds from The Coca-Cola Foundation.

The beneficiaries, who beamed with smiles while receiving the equipment, expressed gratitude to the Coca-Cola System, noting that the gesture would improve their economic status.

“I am very grateful for this sewing machine and other fashion designing equipment given to me, and I want to thank you, Nigerian Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria. You have not only given us fish, but you have also taught us how to fish,” one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Gift Ejike, said.

Another beneficiary and a community leader, Elder Azubuike Erondu, also commended the NBC and Coca-Cola Nigeria for the intervention, describing it as a more sustainable approach to helping communities overcome the economic disruptions caused by the pandemic.

“The NBC and Coca-Cola Nigeria have done excellently well for us, and we are grateful. This is a timely intervention, especially for people who are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. The pandemic affected businesses and brought untold hardship on many people. But through this intervention, we have gained valuable skills and received start-up equipment and support to launch our businesses and create value,” Erondu said.

According to the Director of Public Affairs and Communications, NBC, Ekuma Eze, the intervention, tagged ‘Making a Difference’, ‘was a continuation of the Coca-Cola System’s support for Nigerians adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are witnesses to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to families, small businesses, artisans and other vulnerable Nigerians. As a responsible organisation committed to the growth of our communities, we believe this initiative will support and empower vulnerable people in our communities to regain their feet post-pandemic.”

“We also recognise the critical role and contributions of the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector to the Nigerian economy. Therefore, this intervention will not only lift the beneficiaries out of their present predicament, but it also presents an important avenue to stimulate the growth of this important sector.

Ekuma, who assured that the equipment grant was a precursor to many more rewarding programs to support host communities, commended its implementing partner, Genius Hub, for the diligent execution of the program and reiterated the System’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians.

Also speaking, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, said: “Without a doubt, entrepreneurship remains a veritable tool to promote economic empowerment and build a sustainable economy for the benefit of us all. This is why, for the past 70 years, we have remained committed to continually unlock new vistas of opportunities for our people and communities to thrive. “

The ‘Making a Difference program is the latest COVID-19 and post-pandemic intervention by the Coca-Cola System in Nigeria. The company launched a food relief intervention to support vulnerable households in the wake of the pandemic. The System also donated over 13 million centilitres of its beverages, including Eva premium table water and soft drinks, to provide hydration and nourishment for patients and healthcare workers at Isolation and Treatment Centres across different states in the country.

Besides, both companies also supported the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC to develop risk communication materials to complement the government’s public education and mobilization initiatives in the fight against the Coronavirus outbreak.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/19/coca-cola-start-up-equipment-nigerians/

Brands need to rethink risk and be brave, in order to sustain their ability to produce meaningful innovation.
Innovation is a critical foundation for brand growth. The brands that recovered well from the last recession and have survived COVID challenges to date are those that have put innovation at the heart of their recovery (Kantar BrandZ data post-recession).

However, the challenge is that most innovations fail.

How can brands repeat their initial successes in Innovation to create those difficult second and third albums?

Successful brands create meaning for consumers and deliver better than their competition.
Think Dyson, ranked No1 in Kantar BrandZ Innovation 2020, or Gordons, who have been doing so well innovating into new occasions and around new trends like the low alcohol and ready-to-drink categories. Walkers have been impressive with three new innovations in the UK top 10 incremental innovations of 2020, while CrispIn or CrispOut was April’s most effective ad campaign scoring high on both long and short-term effectiveness measures*. McVities also continues to demonstrate that it’s possible to reinvent even the simple biscuit – cf. ‘VIP biscuits’.

But just as artists can struggle to define and refresh their connection with fans after a successful debut, brands can struggle to define this intangible ‘meaning’.

Five Ways To Create Meaning For Your Fans
Tap the cultural zeitgeist: Oatly has connected itself to the growing dairy alternatives sector, whilst bringing an irreverence to an otherwise earnest category.
Capitalise on new or emerging trends: Flora plant butter is a great example of stretching a long-established brand into the emerging plant-based sector with a fresh brand identity.
Meet a need or resolve a tension better than the competition or for a new audience: Think of Carex soaps and hand gels, who capitalised on their leadership in hand soap with further packaging and product innovation to ride the wave of handwashing seen in 2020 and become Britain’s fastest growing grocery brand.
Deliver in the moment with occasionality: Halo Top performed the trick of making Ice Cream more permissible and in the process opening it up to occasions that stretch beyond treats.
Create new means of access for consumers in a moment of need :Rapid delivery in grocery through services like Deliveroo, Gorillas or Getir is an example of identifying a growing need of people being at home and reluctant to step out to the shops and offering a solution that has caught the attention of consumers and mainstream grocery players alike.
Meaning isn’t an automatic by-product of ideation: it comes from developing a strong innovation strategy and building from solid foundations. Those who achieve meaningful difference do so by putting the consumer at the heart of their innovation processes, which is what brand managers should be doing anyway – it’s not rocket science.

That being the case, why doesn’t all innovation meet these two simple criteria? The answer is in the translation.

Translating Desire Into Reality
Established artists have a history and a legacy to consider, with record labels often pressing for fast returns. The same is true for brands and stakeholders. The result tends to be a well-established process that generates ideas but doesn’t focus on driving incremental growth through meaningfully different innovation.

Instead, brands (and bands) often try to repeat initial success by taking a rear-view mirror approach. They replicate what they’ve done so well to create the first successful album, leading to the perennial problem of that ‘difficult second album’.

The biggest problem that established brands face, due to their legacy, is that it restricts their ability to make bold and brave decisions. This gives smaller more nimble brands the advantage. Take the examples of smaller brands such as Halo Top or Graze, pre-acquisition: how many big businesses can claim the same bravery?

How To Be Brave: Five Observations
Brave brands’ innovation strategies face forward: they are prepared to think differently and to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Think Beck rather than S Club!
They move from understanding consumers to being obsessed with people and their context, to unlock new opportunities to be meaningful to consumers. For inspiration, look at what the Beatles did with Sergeant Pepper in terms of reflecting a zeitgeist.
Brave brands are never satisfied: they continually review and challenge their innovation processes. They drive internal and stakeholder momentum by focussing on defining a learning journey that is right for each project; using intelligence and testing critical assumptions to reduce risk and build confidence. David Bowie is a great example of this type of self-reflection.
That confidence gives them the right foundation to focus their energies on moving with agility through the build phase, getting the innovation to market, monitoring and pivoting to ensure success. And if we’re talking agility, is there anyone to compare with what Madonna achieved in the 80s and 90s?
Finally, businesses that create repeatable, successful innovation do so by thinking brand-first. That is not to say they have a blind focus on brand to the exclusion of sales, but that they understand and respect the reciprocal relationship between brand and innovation in creating a mental predisposition to purchase. Examples of this type of brand-first thinking include Cadbury’s chocolate tablets (new variants launched in 2020 bought by 1 in 10 GB households), Febreze’s incremental extension into different occasions (top UK incremental innovation of 2020) – or returning for a final time to our analogy, BBC Radio 1.
So whether you’re looking to crack that second album, revitalise a flagging fanbase or simply maintain your position at the top of the charts, remember: be brave, build the right foundations and keep your audience at the heart of your innovation.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/19/the-recipe-for-successful-innovation/

Canalys, the leading global market research firm, launched its Q2 global smartphone market report in which Xiaomi took second place with a 17% share and a 83% YoY growth, surpassing Apple (iPhone).
Canalys expressed that Xiaomi is now transforming its business model from challenger to incumbent, with initiatives such as channel partner consolidation and more careful management in the open market. Canalys commented that Xiaomi’s new goal is to displace Samsung to become the world’s largest vendor.



In a letter to all employees, Lei Jun, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, pointed out that becoming the World’s No.2 is a key milestone in Xiaomi’s history. After five years of self-improvement under extremely difficult conditions, Xiaomi’s product capabilities have been enhanced significantly – they paved the way for the premium market segment and increased its market share.

Xiaomi will continuously strengthen its core capabilities and cement its place as the second-largest smartphone brand.

In Q4 2020, the global shipments of Xiaomi reached 43.4 million units with 31.5% YoY growth, surpassing Apple for the first time and returning to third place. In Q1 2021, Apple rose to No.2 with 15% of the global smartphone market share, followed closely by Xiaomi with its 14% of market share. Xiaomi’s global smartphone shipments were 49.4 million units back then with 69.1% YoY growth.

Since Xiaomi launched its first premium flagship Mi 10 series, it has been continuously innovating in critical areas, such as imaging, display, charging, smart manufacturing and more. Xiaomi is invested in achieving breakthroughs in the premium market, bringing cutting-edge leading technology to consumers, and helping to shape the direction of the industry.

Xiaomi has been the first to bring numerous industry-leading technologies to market. In-camera technology, the company introduced the 108-megapixel camera, the GN2 camera sensor and an innovative liquid lens. In-display, it has been pioneering the technology research of the third generation under-display camera.

Xiaomi has also led in battery charging, realizing 200W wired charging and 120W wireless charging for the very first time. In addition, it was the first to introduce graphene-based lithium-ion batteries and second-generation silicon-oxygen batteries. Xiaomi is also a pioneer in mobile phone ceramics, leading the trend of industry exploration.

In addition, the first phase of Xiaomi’s smart factory has started operation. Its production lines are automated and capable of manufacturing a million high-end smartphones per year, it is also a huge lab facility that enables Xiaomi to research new materials and technologies as well as test advanced manufacturing and production processes.

Innovation is part of Xiaomi’s culture and the company invests considerably in R& and recruiting the very best talent. Xiaomi has invested nearly RMB10 billion in R& in 2020, this year the number is expected to increase by 30-40%. At the beginning of 2021, Xiaomi announced the biggest engineers recruitment drive in its history: 5,000 engineers in one single year, which will occupy 20% of total employees.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi has launched multiple talent incentive initiatives such as a one million US dollars award project for technology talents, young engineers incentive plan, etc. Nearly 700 young engineers of Xiaomi were granted 16 million shares, following the incentive plan just in the month of July.

Xiaomi’s global expansion as well as the transformation in new retail channels have been an important driving force in helping the company become the second-largest smartphone manufacturer. According to the latest global smartphone data of Canalys, Xiaomi is expanding fast in overseas markets, reaching over 300% YoY growth in the Latin America market, over 150% YoY growth in Africa and over 50% YoY growth in Western Europe.

According to the Q1 2021 Results Announcement of Xiaomi, Xiaomi smartphones have entered over 100 markets worldwide, ranked No. 1 in terms of smartphone market share across 12 markets and ranked No.2 in Europe. It is also No. 1 in India for years.

Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an Internet of Things (IoT) platform at its core.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/18/xiaomi-iphone-largest-smartphone-maker/

Kantar BrandZ finds that Tesla is the most valuable and fastest-growing auto brand on the planet, more than trebling its value from 2020.
According to the Kantar BrandZ™ Most Valuable Global Brands 2021 ranking, Tesla has surged ahead of its rivals in the automotive sector, with 275% brand growth and a valuation of $42bn. It also reported a full-year profit for the first time.

While Tesla more than trebled its brand value, increasing from $11.35bn in 2020 to $42.6bn in 2021, German automotive makers had a strong year, with brand value increasing by 21% for BMW to $24.8bn, Audi by 22% to $8.9bn, and Mercedes-Benz by 21% to $25.8bn.

Honda led the charge for Japanese brands, growing its brand value by 6%, compared to a less positive year for Toyota and Nissan, declining their brand values by 5% and 4% respectively.

Only the top four car brands achieved a brand value high enough to be ranked in the Top 100 Global Brands, with Tesla’s meteoric rise positioning it at #47 in the index.

While Tesla has clearly shown tremendous growth, and Toyota is well established as a hybrid/EV manufacturer, other established carmakers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are seeing the brand growth benefits of transforming new production and promoting hybrid, electric and other new fuel vehicles.

Those brands growing their value in this year’s index have been faster to adapt and have been rewarded as a result. The challenge now is for car brands to embrace their responsibility along the entire cycle of production and use and clearly communicate progress to their customer base.

Automakers lagging on environmental responsibility

Tesla’s position may be as the poster child for environmental responsibility, but the automotive industry is falling behind compared to other industries. While all brands are trending upwards from 2020 in terms of perceptions of being environmentally responsible, they are still perceived as being behind when compared to other companies ranked in Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Brands ranking.

To catch up with Tesla, brands like Toyota must communicate more emphatically about their environmental credentials and leverage this with a broader point of difference. Our Issues Radar research shows us that the automotive industry’s environmental performance dominates the social conversation around sustainability, telling us there is a willing audience to hear how these brands reshape their industry.

Fresh marketing is required to broaden consumer appeal
The results in this year’s ranking show that brands need to meaningfully engage with their audience to drive business. Even Tesla, with the largest stock valuation ahead of Toyota and the most valuable automotive brand in the ranking, has the opportunity to meet the needs of more consumers by becoming more meaningful.

Car brands have traditionally used marketing to position themselves as desirable, contemporary, and adventurous. Failing to communicate open, honest, and fair brand values may inhibit future growth as consumers increasingly align with brands that show their commitment to ethical and social practices.

This year’s results show that high growth brands have a stronger reputation, especially for sustainable and ethical purposes. For automotive makers, the results suggest that leveraging environmental responsibility with a meaningful difference is the winning formula for future growth in this sector.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/16/tesla-accelerates-into-most-valuable-automotive-brand-position/

Zenith Bank Plc has been named the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria in the World Finance Banking Awards 2021.
The award, which was announced in the July 2021 edition of the World Finance Magazine, was based on individual banks’ ability to adapt to a continually evolving technological environment while maintaining top-class customer relations and bolstering their financial footing amidst the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting on the award, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu said that: “This recognition reflects our resilience and ability to adapt to a very challenging macroeconomic environment exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as our commitment to creating value for our teeming customers through our best-in-class service and innovative products and solutions.”

He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the bank’s customers for making Zenith Bank their preferred financial Institution which has culminated in this award.

World Finance is a leading international magazine providing comprehensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business, and the global economy.

The editorial combines award-winning reportage, covering a broad range of topics from banking and insurance to wealth management and infrastructure investment, with contributions from some of the world’s most well-respected economists and theorists as well as consultants in government think tanks and the World Economic Forum.

This award comes in the wake of several awards and recognitions received by the bank in recent times for its track record of excellent performance and commitment to global best practices. Zenith Bank was voted as Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020, Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards 2020 and 2021, and Best Corporate Governance ‘Financial Services’ Africa 2020 and 2021 by the Ethical Boardroom.

Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, and Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the “2021 Top 1000 World Banks” Ranking by The Banker Magazine.

The bank was also recognized as Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Retail Bank of the year at the 2020 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards, and Best Company in Promotion of Good Health and Well-Being as well as Best Company in Promotion of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2020.

Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offerings, unique customer experience, and sound financial indices.

The bank has remained a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions, and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/15/zenith-bank-named-best-commercial-bank/

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Niyi Adebayo, has said that strategic human capital and capacity development are essential to industrialization growth in the country.

Adebayo stated this, yesterday, in Lagos while unveiling a solar-powered Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station and electric vehicle pilot project of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) in conjunction with the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

He said the programme was designed to promote advanced technology transfer and the development of sophisticated human capital.

Adebayo said the charging station developed by the NADDC would promote applicable local solutions for vehicle electrification in Nigeria, adding that it will offer students first-hand experience with the latest innovations in mobility and renewable power technology.

Earlier in his message, Director-General, NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, said the charging station was 100 per cent solar-powered.

Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the university would put the facility into proper use.

He said the innovation came at the right time the global world is shifting to renewable energy, stating that the institution would continue to invest in research.

Chief Executive Officer, Stallion Group, Anant Badjitya, said Stallion and Hyundai were passionate to drive innovation in Nigeria.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/15/fg-unveils-solar-electric-vehicle/

If you have not been paying attention to recent COVID-19 updates, now is the time to hear a couple of crucial details about a newer, more contagious strain: Delta. It originated in India and has been described by the World Health Organization as one of several “variants of concern,” because of how it is spreading rapidly across the globe.
Here’s what you need to know about the Covid-19 Delta Variant…
1. Where is it spreading?
Delta has been reported in 80 countries, including Nigeria. It is now the most common variant in India and Britain, where it accounts for more than 90% of cases.

2. Why should you be more alert?
Delta is believed to be 50% more contagious than both the original strain and the Alpha variant first identified in Britain. Other evidence suggests that it may also cause more severe illness; infected people are twice as likely to be hospitalized.

3. Does Delta have different symptoms?
Delta symptoms differ from the ancestral virus and other mutations as patients have described headaches, sore throats, runny noses, fever, and coughing. This could lead people to think they only have a mild cold and continue to go about their day normally. If you have these symptoms, stay home, and get tested.

4. If you’re vaccinated, do you need to worry?
The Delta variant is unlikely to pose much risk to people who have been fully vaccinated, according to experts. The current set of vaccines are still effective but if you’ve only gotten one dose, you’re at higher risk.

5. What can you do?
Get vaccinated, fully. If you’re already vaccinated, encourage your family, friends, and neighbours to get vaccinated too. It’s our best shot at slowing the spread of all the variants and reduce the possibility of other variants emerging.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/14/thing-know-about-covid-19-delta-variant/

In line with its commitment to investing in and amplifying African music, Audiomack has teamed up with leading entertainment provider, Ziiki Media.
This partnership will see Audiomack propel the craft of artists across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa through a couple of marketing campaigns.

Through this partnership, Audiomack will have access to artistes under Ziiki Media’s platform while offering them an opportunity to amplify their music to millions of fans through Out-Of-Home advertising (billboards, posters, bus branding) and live event activations for their music projects.

Speaking about the initiative, Charlotte Bwana, Head of Business Development and Media Partnerships for Audiomack Africa said, “At Audiomack, we constantly work to identify challenges that exist in the music industry and pull our resources to overcome these challenges. We recognize the need for artistes to reach existing and potential fans within their region and beyond through impactful marketing tactics, making this initiative a good step in the right direction. With this partnership, we aim to support the growth of the African music industry and we look forward to spearheading similar initiatives that propel the region’s music ecosystem.”

Also commenting, Arun Nagar, Chief Executive Officer of Ziiki Media said, “Ziiki Media is home to prominent artistes across sub-Saharan Africa and we are excited to combine efforts with Audiomack to help provide exposure and support to these talents. We believe that Ziiki Media and Audiomack’s shared value in spotlighting and elevating local talent will drive positive tangible change to the region’s music industry.”

This partnership will kick off in July 2021. With a presence in all 54 African countries, Audiomack remains committed to moving music forward and connecting with its African audience by investing resources into the region’s culture and communities.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/14/audiomack-partners-with-ziiki-media/

Payment technology over the years has completely transformed how retailers operate. Thirty years ago, most retailers across Africa did not accept credit cards, and mobile money was still an idea.

Over the past decade and a half, mobile money has transformed how African consumers access and use their money to pay for goods and services. But the most significant shift in the use of digital payments has happened in the last year, where the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digitization for the retail sector.

Unfortunately, retail businesses in major urban areas that were not equipped to handle card or mobile payments found it challenging to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. In Zambia, where multiple mobile money players are fighting for market share, merchants and retailers have set up fragmented payment processes, contracts and accounts to accept all forms of payments. In turn, this means that the retailer is managing varying user payment experiences to collect from multiple mobile money networks and processes for settlement and reversals daily.

Cellulant, a Pan-African payments company, is addressing this fragmentation in payment processing for retailers by rolling out Tingg, a digital payments platform enabling businesses across Zambia to accept payments from their customers seamlessly.

“Today, roughly 50% of retail customers request to pay for their purchases using digital payment options. Therefore, for all businesses – small, medium, large- digitising their payments has moved from a good to have to a game-changer in what has become the new norm. However, this demand presents several challenges for most merchants who might not always support the customer’s preferred payment method, resulting in merchants having to enable multiple solutions to support multiple wallets. We want to partner with these businesses and makes it easy for them to conveniently and affordably accept payments with fewer hoops,” says Gilbert Lungu, Country Manager for Cellulant Zambia.

A single integrated solution, Tingg offers simplified payment tools and processes for a merchant to manage their payments. As a result, businesses can allow their customers to make payments for goods and services using locally relevant payment options.

“In rolling out this digital payments platform, we are slowly removing the dependency on cash and POS terminals. Retailers can accept as many payment methods as possible whilst simplifying the collections and settlement processes. For retail customers, the solution provides a standard and unified payment experience regardless of the payment method.,” add Mr Lungu.

More than 70% of businesses in Africa are small or medium businesses and remain a backbone for economic growth for many other countries in Africa. Yet, 90% of these businesses collect payments in cash and lack digital payments options that cater to their customers. Cellulant aims to leverage its digital payments platform to boost growth for the retail sector by making it easy for businesses to conveniently and affordably accept payments and address the complex needs of managing payments.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/14/cellulant-introduces-tingg-a-digital-payment-platform-for-the-retail-sector/

All arrangements have been concluded for the successful hosting of the much-anticipated Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) Brand Experience Summit billed to hold this week, on the 14th and 15th July 2021.
The two-day Brand Experience Summit will feature two plenaries and 40 sessions across five different parallel streams each day covering Brands/Campaigns/Ideas, Marketing Technology/Data, Agency/Insights/Measurement, Shopper/Trade Marketing and Academy. According to the organisers, the topics under each stream have been carefully curated to cover the wide gamut of business practice, consumer engagement, evidence-based marketing, creativity, and business growth.

The hybrid event which will hold virtually and at Providence By Mantis in Ikeja, Lagos, boasts seasoned speakers across industries.

The summit will have:
Tosin Runsewe, CEO at Afya Care/Non-Executive Chairman, Evercare Hospital Lekki;
Biola Alabi, Founder, Biola Alabi Media;
Cosmos Maduka, Chairman Coscharis Group and
Stella Fubara, Director International Operations – Dubai Dept of Tourism Commerce & Marketing, as plenary speaker.
Mr. Cosmas Maduka will kick off the first day by talking about how to grow a business from small to big business while Stella Fubara-Obinwa will be speaking about building brand experience for destination brands.

On day two, the plenaries will be taken by Biola Alabi who will be talking about building brands with cultural relevance while Tosin Runsewe will speak about preparing your business for the big stage.

Among the powerful lineup of speakers also expected at the summit are:
Adenike Adebola, Marketing and Innovations Director, Guinness Nigeria;
Amaechi Okobi, Group Head, Corporate Communications – Access Bank;
Emmanuel Agu, Group Marketing Director, JOTNA Nigeria Limited,
Dr Rotimi Olaniyan Founder, Experiential NG;
Tolulope Medebem, CEO Aster Integrated Marketing Ltd.;
Mr. Kehinde Salami, MD, Ideas House and
Himanshu Verma CEO Ipsos Nigeria and West Africa.
Others are:
Atunyota ‘Alibaba’ Akpobome, the famous ‘Alibaba’ Comedian;
Oluwaseyi Adeoye, CEO Pierrine Consulting;
Kayode Olagesin, CEO Towncriers;
Steve Babaeko, President AAAN;
Femi Adelusi, President MIPAN, GMD BrandEye;
Dr Lekan Fadolapo, Registrar/CEO APCON;
Ayona Trimnell Coordinator, W initiative, Access Bank;
Tinuke Bosun-Okusaga, Management Consultant;
Victor Gbenga Afolabi, Group CEO, GDM Group and
Emeka Oparah, VP Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel, among others.

According to the President of EXMAN, Mr. Tade Adekunle, the Brand Experience Summit is set to provide a platform for robust discussions about business growth, innovation, and brand experience in Nigeria. These discussions will be the focus over the two days of the Summit.

Mrs. Sola Antwi, the Communications Lead for the Brand Experience Summit explained that the summit will be delivered in a hybrid format.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/13/exman-brand-experience-summit-begins/

Most food insecure people are located in Nigeria, where about 12.8 million people need urgent food assistance, followed by Burkina Faso (2.8 million), Niger (2.3 million), Chad and Sierra Leone (1.8 million in each country) and Mali (1.3 million), according to Quarterly Global Report from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) titled “Crop Prospects And Food Situation”
FAO assesses that globally 45 countries, including 34 in Africa, 9 in Asia and 2 in Latin America and the Caribbean, are in need of external assistance for food. Conflicts and climate-related shocks continue to underpin the high levels of severe food insecurity.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily in terms of income losses, have exacerbated vulnerabilities and heightened existing levels of food insecurity.

Nigeria – Persisting conflict in Northern areas
According to the latest “Cadre Harmonisé” analysis (CH analysis), about 12.8 million people are assessed to be in need of humanitarian assistance in the June−August 2021 period as a result of worsening conflict that is driving new population displacements, especially in the North East, North West and North Central regions.

Over 2.8 million people are estimated to be internally displaced in northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, due to communal clashes in northwestern/northcentral zones and natural disasters. The areas inaccessible to humanitarian interventions are facing the worst food insecurity conditions.

Persistent insecurity in northeast Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin, northern and central Mali, northeastern Burkina Faso and western and eastern Niger, continues to severely affect agricultural activities and hinder farmers’ access to fields and agricultural inputs, curbing overall production expectations in the affected areas.

Following poor main harvests in southern parts of East Africa, production prospects are more positive in northern countries, on account of favourable weather. Outlooks are mixed in West African and Central African countries, where less-than-favourable rainfall forecasts and persisting conflicts are impairing production prospects.

The bulk of the main season harvests were completed in North Africa and Southern Africa, and outputs are estimated at above-average levels.

Africa Countries in need of external assistance for food (Lists)
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo
Djibouti
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Guinea
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/11/nigeria-top-african-countries-need-food/

Leading financial services and technology platform, Tangerine has officially launched its financial service product offerings.
Speaking at the press conference held earlier in the week, Livingstone Magorimbo, Head Life Insurance, Tangerine Nigeria, Dapo Akisanya, Head Pensions, Tangerine Nigeria & Ibitunde Balogun, Head Commercial, Tangerine Nigeria who introduced the press to Tangerine and shared the businesses agenda and future growth plans.



In September 2019, Tangerine was established following the acquisition of a 100% equity stake in Metropolitan Life Insurance Nigeria by Verod Capital Management (“Verod”), a leading private equity firm investing in growth companies across Anglophone West Africa.

This was immediately followed by a stream of strategic mergers & acquisitions, notably: The acquisition of ARM Life through Metropolitan Life to establish the 4th largest life insurer in Nigeria – Tangerine Life Insurance Limited; Verod’s acquisition of Law Union and Rock, one of the leading general insurance companies in the space, which has since been rebranded as Tangerine General Insurance Limited; the acquisition of Assured MFB, a microfinance bank, by Tangerine Life to establish Tangerine Money; and in the pensions space, the acquisition of Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) – AXA Mansard Pension and a minority stake in a significant PFA by Verod. AXA Mansard has since been rebranded Tangerine Pensions and the process to merge the two PFAs has commenced. The merger will produce a formidable competitor with wide geographic coverage.

Today, Tangerine comprises of the following entities: Tangerine Life, Tangerine General, Tangerine Pensions, and Tangerine Money. Tangerine is positioned to be Africa’s preferred one-stop financial solutions provider, leveraging a tech-driven, flexible, high-access platform to drive business across all the financial services segments in Africa to deepen financial inclusion, facilitate wealth creation and protection.

Speaking at the press conference on the progress Tangerine has made since 2019, Dapo Akisanya, Head Pensions, Tangerine Nigeria said, “In under 2 years, we have been able to successfully acquire and rebrand several businesses, firmly establishing Tangerine.



We have also made significant strides in repositioning our businesses in readiness for growth by assembling a strong, agile, and experienced team that aligns with our strategic thinking. In the area of recapitalization, the Nigerian insurance industry is currently going through a suspended recapitalization process, which has sought to increase the minimum statutory capital levels for life insurance and general insurance businesses from N2 billion to N8 billion and N3 billion to N10 billion, respectively.

For our 2 insurance businesses – Tangerine Life and Tangerine General – this recapitalization process has already been concluded”.

Speaking on their plans to deepen financial inclusion and impact the Nigerian socio-economic landscape, he added, “At Tangerine, we believe in democratizing access to financial services and products and we seek to achieve this by developing simple value-adding products that are easy to understand and, which leverage technology to increase ease of accessibility, helping millions of uninsured Nigerians have protection or save for the future”.

Head Life Insurance, Tangerine Nigeria Livingstone Magorimbo shared plans to establish Tangerine as the No. 1 financial solutions provider of choice in Africa by driving efficiency, value addition and growth.

“Our intention over the next 3 to 4 years is to build strong businesses that are profitable and have a fair share of the larger market, in all of the segments we participate in. We aim to do this by ensuring that the assets acquired in Nigeria are efficient and all the merger synergies are fully realized. In addition, we plan to generate value through customer acquisition, expansion of our agent network, cross-selling to our pool of customers and improving efficiencies. The issue of real time claims processing is one of our target deliverables, as we continue to look for operational efficiencies to add value to our customers and distribution partners”.

Mr. Magorimbo also touched on Tangerine’s growth and expansion plans, “We see our future growth coming from the retail segment where we have made significant investments in understanding the market need, and in the technology and people required to support us going forward. We are also set to expand Tangerine’s presence beyond Nigeria. We plan to have a presence in at least 8 African countries by 2024”.

Technology is the backbone of the Tangerine financial services ecosystem. Speaking on Tangerine’s approach to product development, Head Commercial, Tangerine Nigeria Ibitunde Balogun said, “We have merged deep consumer insights and cutting-edge technology to build a range of carefully tailored and relevant products that create value by broadening the financial potential of every individual, offering a unique blend of life insurance coverage, pensions and wealth management to help individuals live without the worries of the future”.

“At Tangerine, we believe that digital transformation done right can help build a seamless environment for interaction with customers. This is what guides our agile infrastructure. We have built a one-stop platform for customers that features a front-end user interface that enables seamless interaction; with single sign-on for our mobile app; a core operating platform that is specific to each business which cross-sells within regulatory limits to other businesses; and the ability to integrate Application Programming Interface (APIs) smoothly, facilitating partnerships.

“We’ve also built intelligence capability by implementing business logic and Artificial Intelligence (AI), giving due consideration to the Nigeria Data Protection Regulations and other local data privacy rules of industry-specific regulators. AI is used to understand and predict customer needs and preferences, and thus optimize value-add across all touchpoints”, he added.

Tangerine is equipped with a robust, integrated, and scalable digital platform that has been designed to meet the needs of a growing financial solutions ecosystem.

Furthermore, it is driven by a high-performance and experienced management team. As a result, Tangerine is uniquely positioned for significant growth and impact.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/10/tangerine-officially-launches-nigeria/

The Central of Nigeria (CBN) hereafter called the Bank has introduced various initiatives to enhance access to financial services for the unbanked population of the Nigerian economy.

This included the deployment and facilitation of the use of technology to drive the financial inclusion ambition of the CBN.

To this end, the Guidelines for the Licensing and Regulation of Payment Service Banks (PSBs) in Nigeria was issued in 2018 (revised 2020).

The Payment Service Banks are expected to leverage technology to provide services that would be easily accessed by the unbanked population and those who are in hard-to-reach areas of the country.

This framework hereby provides a set of regulations that are targeted at streamlining the operations of Payment Service Banks, ensuring transparency in their operations as well as ensuring adequate customer protection.

The framework focuses on corporate governance, risks management of the PSBs, and safety of funds to the consumers of the Payment Service Banks’ products.

This Framework also aims to ensure that sound risk management practices are embedded in the operations of the Payment Service Banks.

Payment Service Banks are required to comply with relevant extant regulations and CBN’s prudential guidelines and circulars which are issued periodically.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/10/cbn-publishes-supervisory-framework-for-payment-service-banks/

The new list of LIFDCs consists of 47 countries, four less than the previous list. Three countries graduated out of the list based on income criterion – Djibouti, Solomon Islands and Viet Nam, and one country, India, graduated based on the food import criterion.
The list of low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs) was developed by FAO in the late 1970s to assist in analysing and discussing food security issues.



List of low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs) per region
Africa Countries – 36
Americas – 2
Asian Countries – 9
List of low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs)
Benin
Haiti
Nicaragua
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Côte d’Ivoire
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gambia
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Kyrgyzstan
Nepal
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Yemen
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Niger
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Togo
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Zimbabwe
LIFDCs are currently defined as nations that are:
First, a country should have a per capita Gross National Income (GNI) below the “historical” ceiling used by the World Bank to determine eligibility for assistance by the International Development Association (IDA) and for the 20-year IBRD terms, applied to countries included in World Bank’s categories I and II. The newly updated LIFDC list is based on the GNI for 2019 (estimated by the World Bank using the Atlas method) and the historical ceiling of USD 1 945 for 2019.
The second criterion is the net food trade position (i.e. gross exports minus gross imports) of a country averaged over the last three years for which statistics are available, in this case 2017, 2018 and 2019. Trade volumes for a broad basket of basic foodstuffs (cereals, roots and tubers, pulses, oilseeds and oils other than tree crop oils, meat and dairy products) are converted and aggregated by the calorie content of the individual commodities.
Third, the self-exclusion criterion is applied if a country meeting the above two criteria specifically requests to be excluded from the LIFDC category.

Furthermore, in order to avoid countries changing their LIFDC status too frequently – typically reflecting short-term, exogenous shocks – an additional factor was introduced in 2001.


This factor, called “persistence of position” postpones the “exit” of a LIFDC from the list, despite the country not meeting the LIFDC income criterion or the food-deficit criterion, until the change in its status is verified for three consecutive years. In other words, a country is taken out of the list in the fourth year, after confirming a sustained improvement in its position for three consecutive years.

Unless concerted action is taken, things could get worse for many LIFDCs, where population growth is projected to outstrip gains in food production, and the liberalization of the grain trade, under the Uruguay Round Agreement, is likely to increase food prices in the short term.


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/10/low-income-food-deficit-countries-lifdc/

Cryptocurrency adoption continues to grow in 2021, with more than 300 million crypto users worldwide and 18,000 businesses already accepting crypto payments.
Although Bitcoin and Ethereum, as the world’s largest digital coins, still hold the biggest ownership rates in the crypto space, Dogecoin climbed high on the list of the most popular crypto investments.

According to data presented by Trading Platforms, one-quarter of the US crypto investors have chosen Dogecoin in 2021, compared to 15% of them in the United Kingdom.

The Original Meme Coin Became the World’s Sixth Largest Cryptocurrency
Dogecoin started back in 2013 as a joke between two engineers but gained popularity quickly. IBM software engineer Billy Markus and Adobe software engineer Jackson Palmer successfully combined two of 2013’s greatest phenomena: Bitcoin and “doge,” to create a new crypto coin people started using as soon as it was released. More than a million unique visitors went to dogecoin.com within the website’s first month.

However, in 2021, Dogecoin’s popularity exploded. In February, the digital currency captured public attention as Tesla CEO Elon Musk and rapper Snoop Dogg sent out a flurry of tweets about the coin, driving up its price. The price continued growing in the following months, reaching an all-time high of $0.7 on May 8. Although this figure slipped to $0.24 last week, it still represents a remarkable 2400% increase since the beginning of the year.

The Measure Protocol data showed Dogecoin ranked as the third most popular cryptocurrency to own both in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, Bitcoin still convincingly tops this list in the two countries, with an 80.7% and 70% ownership rate, respectively.

Ethereum holds the high second place with a 35.7% share among the US investors and a 37.3% ownership rate in the United Kingdom. Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash round the top five list.

Dogecoin’s Market Cap Soared by 2,700% in 2021
Over the last six months, Dogecoin come to be one of the top ten cryptocurrencies by market cap. In January, the combined value of all Dogecoins in circulation amounted to around $1.1bn. After the tweets from Elon Musk and Snoop Dogg about the coin, this figure surged to $6.5bn the next month.

In April, Dogecoin’s market cap hit $50.5bn, a staggering 4500% increase in four months, and continued rising.

On May 8, it hit an all-time high of $93.5bn, and then stumbled significantly after the recent crypto price crash. Last week, it stood as $31.5bn, still a massive 2,700% increase since the beginning of the year.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/08/quarter-us-crypto-investors-choose-dogecoin/

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has detected a confirmed case with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, also known as lineage B.1.617.2. The variant was detected in a traveler to Nigeria, following the routine travel test required of all international travelers and genomic sequencing at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Abuja.
The Delta variant is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant of concern, given its increased transmissibility. The variant has been detected in over 90 countries and is expected to spread to more countries.

The variant has also been linked to a surge in cases in countries where it is the dominant strain in circulation. There are ongoing studies to understand the impact of the variant on existing vaccines and therapeutics.

As part of Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, NCDC has been working with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), the African Centre for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), and other laboratories within the national network, to carry out genomic sequencing.

This is to enable the detection of variants of concern and initiate response activities. All data on variants from Nigeria have been published on GISAID, a global mechanism for sharing sequencing data. Given the global risk of spread of the Delta variant, positive samples from international travellers to Nigeria are sequenced regularly.

The Government of Nigeria through the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) has initiated several measures to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19. This includes the introduction of travel restrictions from countries where there is a surge in cases associated with the widespread prevalence of variants of concern.

The national travel protocol which includes compulsory seven-day self-isolation and repeat test on the seventh day after arrival, are in place to reduce the risk of spread of the virus. It is very important that this is strictly adhered to, to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.

Given the high transmissibility of the Delta variant and following its detection in Nigeria, NCDC urges all Nigerians to ensure strict adherence to public health and social measures in place. Proven public health and social measures such as physical distancing, frequent handwashing, and proper use of face masks, prevent infections and save lives. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and offers protection against the disease.

Additionally, states are urged to ensure sample collection and testing for COVID-19 is accessible to the public. Public settings such as schools with accommodation facilities, workplaces and camps should utilise the approved Antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for rapid testing of their population.

According to the Director-General of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu,
“Although we have seen a low number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria in the last eight weeks, it is incredibly important that we do not forget to be careful. The surge in cases in countries across the world and Africa is an important reminder of the risk we face. Please protect yourselves and the people you love by adhering to the known public health and social measures, getting vaccinated if you are eligible and getting tested if you have symptoms”.

The recommended control measures to limit the spread of the Delta variant continue to be testing, following the existing public health guidance and abiding by the current travel and public restrictions.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/09/delta-variant-detected-in-nigeria-ncdc/

08 July 2021 – BUA Cement Plc, one of Africa’s largest Cement companies, today held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the period ended December 31, 2020, whilst paying dividends of N70billion at N2.067k per ordinary share in a move that shareholders applauded. This is coming on the heels of a profitable year for the Cement producer with a turnover of N204bn and declared Profits After Tax of N72.3billion in the year under review.

Speaking at the AGM, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Cement, whilst addressing shareholders and the press, praised the efforts of the Yusuf Binji led management, staff, and customers of the company for ensuring that BUA Cement remained the cement of choice for quality in Nigeria.

In his comments on the increased demand for cement which had led to higher retail prices despite significantly lower ex-factory prices, Rabiu canvassed more investments in the cement industry saying that current national production levels across were not enough to meet the ever-increasing national demand for cement which was increasing at a rate over 3million metric tonnes per annum.

He, therefore, canvassed new investments in the cement sector and encouraged other investors to develop new cement plants. It should be noted that BUA Cement is constructing a 3million metric tonnes which are expected to come on Stream in Sokoto by the end of 2021 with new plants already in the works.

In his comments, Yusuf Binji, Managing Director of BUA Cement Plc, said BUA Cement is committed to remaining a value-driven, oriented company that prioritizes excellence and product quality. He also added that the company was well-poised to sustain current profitability despite the very competitive landscape.

According to Binji, “Our value proposition, in terms of product and service support offerings has positioned BUA Cement as a market leader. In addition, we continue to prioritize innovation and continuous improvement, thereby ensuring the continued “fit” of our products to ever-changing customer demands and needs. We are also investing in the latest plant designs which not only drive efficiency but translate into value addition to our customers through the cost savings derived.

BUA Cement Plc is Nigeria’s second-largest cement company and the largest producer in its North-West, South-South, and South-East regions; BUA Cement operates strategically from Okpella, Edo State and Kalambaina, Sokoto State.

Currently, the second most capitalized manufacturing company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), BUA Cement is committed to quality – a differentiating attribute, driven by its people, innovation, and technology; and positioned to solving Nigeria’s cement under capacity while driving economic growth and development.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/08/bua-cement-agm-profit-aft-tax-dividend/

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding with Next Hydrogen Corporation, a Canadian company specializing in water electrolysis technology and a subsidiary of Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc., bolstering their efforts to usher in a global hydrogen society through cost-effective production of clean hydrogen.

Under the agreement, the companies will jointly develop an alkaline water electrolysis system[1] and its related stack for the purpose of generating green hydrogen economically and exploring new business opportunities and technological applications.

Today it is expensive and time-consuming to produce clean hydrogen. Due to this reason, Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Next Hydrogen are looking to improve the price competitiveness of clean hydrogen in consideration of regional climate and environmental characteristics. The companies, which are expanding their base by examining the strengths and weaknesses of various water electrolysis technologies, agreed to explore the possibility of alkaline water electrolysis system among various water electrolysis technologies this time.

Among the various methods of water electrolysis, the alkaline water electrolysis system is regarded as technologically one of the most rigorously tested and proven means with a long track record of research and development. Also, it has the advantage of being able to produce large-scale hydrogen and using relatively inexpensive catalysts, making facility costs low.

The aim is to advance stack-related technologies that are at the core of the alkaline water electrolysis system to reduce the cost of building the system and maintaining/operating the system. The key benefit to be derived from the project is that by enhancing the performance of stack-related technologies in the alkaline water electrolysis process, it will be possible to develop a new stack which can be operated at high current density[2] and produce green hydrogen economically.

The newly developed stack will use Hyundai Motor and Kia’s component technology related to electrodes, bipolar plates and current collectors, combined with Next Hydrogen’s design technology. Hyundai Motor and Kia will also oversee the test performance of the new stack. A pilot test is planned for next year, and the companies will also explore potential technological applications and commercial arrangements.

“We are pleased to partner with Next Hydrogen specializing in state-of-the-art water electrolysis technology. This partnership is another leap forward for our hydrogen business and will be our first step into the alkaline water electrolysis market,” said Jae-Hyuk Oh, Vice President and Head of Energy Business Development Group at Hyundai Motor Group. “We believe our technology will be an excellent match for Next Hydrogen’s technology, and this synergy will help achieve our goal to provide our customers with cost-effective green hydrogen.”

“Next Hydrogen’s innovative water electrolysis stack design technology is an ideal solution for enabling the economical production of green hydrogen,” said Raveel Afzaal, President and CEO of Next Hydrogen. “We are extremely appreciative of the opportunity to work with Hyundai Motor and Kia, given their industry leadership as champions of this technology. This partnership is expected to accelerate efforts to address the incredible emerging opportunities in sustainable transportation globally.”

Among the varieties of hydrogen produced by different methods, the conveniently called “green” hydrogen is one of the cleanest varieties, generating zero carbon emissions, as it is produced using water electrolysis powered by renewable energies such as offshore wind. Hailed as the “fuel of the future” for its eco-friendliness, green hydrogen has the potential to revolutionize the world’s industrial and transport sectors.

Apart from green hydrogen, the so-called “grey” hydrogen is made with fossil fuels and emit CO2 into the air as they combust, while the so-called “blue” hydrogen is produced the same way, but its carbon-capture technologies prevent CO2 from being released into the air and instead store carbon dioxide deep underground.

Due to high production costs, many hydrogen companies around the world are researching ways to advance their water electrolysis technologies for producing green hydrogen more economically. This common goal has brought Hyundai Motor Group and Next Hydrogen together to develop the technology as a more cost-efficient solution.

Hyundai Motor Group, the parent of Hyundai Motor and Kia, has recently introduced ‘HTWO’, a new brand representing the Group’s world-leading hydrogen fuel cell system. The Group is stepping up its efforts to develop a next-generation hydrogen fuel cell system that can be applied to various forms of mobility such as urban air mobility (UAM), automobiles, vessels and trains and beyond.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/08/hyundai-motor-kia-collaborate-with-next-hydrogen/

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, the global smartphone memory market clocked a total revenue of $11.4 billion in Q1 2021.
The research states that Samsung Memory led the smartphone memory market with 49 percent (DRAM & NAND) followed by SK Hynix and Micron in Q1 2021 as per Strategy Analytics Handset Component Technologies research report, “ Smartphone Memory Market Share Q1 2021: Samsung Memory Captures Top Spot .”

Samsung Memory, SK Hynix and Micron captured more than 80 percent revenue share in the global smartphone memory market in Q1 2021.

NAND Market
In Q1 2021, the smartphone NAND flash market witnessed 18 percent year-over-year growth in revenues driven by the adoption of UFS NAND flash chips, especially in mid and high-tier devices. Samsung Memory claimed the top spot with a revenue share of 42 percent followed by SK Hynix with 20 percent and Kioxia with 19 percent share in the smartphone NAND market in Q1 2021.



DRAM Market
The smartphone DRAM memory chip revenue observed an annual revenue growth of 21 percent in the quarter owing to the increase in new 5G device launches by smartphone customers. Samsung Memory led in terms of market share, capturing a revenue share of 54 percent followed by SK Hynix and Micron each having 25 percent and 20 percent respectively in the smartphone DRAM market in Q1 2021.

Jeffrey Mathews, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics said,
“The recovery in the smartphone end-market resulted in early customer orders for memory vendors who shipped high-density memory chips to some of the key smartphone models.

Samsung Memory, SK Hynix and Micron all gained share aided by the shipment of high capacity Multi Chip Package (MCP) based memory solutions. We note that UFS Multi Chip Package (uMCP) unit share reached nearly 30 percent driven by the shipment 128GB NAND and 6GB DRAM memory configurations in the quarter.”



According to Stephen Entwistle, Vice President of the Strategy Analytics Strategic Technologies Practice,
“The strong demand for 5G smartphones creates a tailwind for the smartphone memory market growth. Memory vendors are expected to cater to the 5G demand with the introduction of high capacity UFS 3.1 and LPDDR5 Multi-Chip Package memory solutions. However, the ongoing non-memory component shortages could dampen the memory market prospects.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/07/samsung-win-smartphone-memory-market-q1/

Elev8 education, Nigeria’s leading technology educational partner and digital skilling academy for businesses and governments, recently announced its mandate at a media event at its VI Lagos headquarters to train up to 1000 companies in technology specialized training programs by 2022 to help businesses reach their full potential.
This announcement comes on the heels of the earlier release of an elev8 report on the path to Nigeria’s knowledge economy, specifically the role of digital transformation and upskilling in driving economic growth. elev8 aspires to replicate its success in other couniries in order to help transform Nigeria’s business landscape.

Country Head, Ashim Egunjobi, speaking at a media event held at the elev8 education office in Lagos, said,
“The country is currently recovering from the economic repercussions, and we recognize that businesses/companies, both public and private, are also trying to recover. As we enter the second half of the year, it’s critical to reflect, strategize, and ensure that businesses employ all available technology tools to scale up their operations in order to fulfil their objectives.

While information technology drives innovation, and innovation is the path to business success, elev8’s commitment is to help equip IT specialists, business managers, and leaders in over 1000 companies by 2022 to upskill and reskill so that they can comprehend, adapt, and implement these technological advancements and tools in a variety of ways and thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape, thereby increasing the value chain and growing the economy.”

Across the world, businesses across all sectors are accelerating the adoption of technology and digitalization to establish a competitive edge, drive growth and ensure efficiency. Nigeria’s workforce has to be technologically educated, trained, and upskilled as the country strives to stay up with the rest of the globe. Failure to do so would be devastating, as our country and industries would be swiftly left behind in today’s global economy.

elev8 aims to be a leading global player for mass digital skilling and transformative education initiatives. Our purpose is to make a social impact in the countries where we operate.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/08/elev8-education-digital-technical-skill/

6 July 2021: FCMB Group Plc hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) that its pension management subsidiary, FCMB Pensions Limited (FCMB Pensions) has received relevant regulatory approvals and concluded the acquisition of a 60% stake in AIICO Pension Managers Limited (AIICO Pensions).
This is made up of a 33.9% stake held by AIICO Insurance Plc and a 26.1% stake held by other shareholders in AIICO Pensions. The acquisition makes AIICO Pensions an indirect subsidiary of FCMB Group Plc.

The acquired stake was reduced from the initial 96.3% stake in our notification to the NGX on 25 June 2020 to comply with the transaction structure approved by regulators. The goal is to combine the businesses of FCMB Pensions and AIICO Pensions to build a stronger and more resilient business.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/06/fcmb-pensions-aiico-pension-managers/

Opera launches Hype, an in-browser chat service for Opera Mini users, in Nigeria
Hype is the first African-inspired chat service built into a mobile browser, allowing users to easily set up an account and start chatting with secure end-to-end encryption

July 6, 2021 – Today, Opera has announced the launch of its dedicated chat service Hype, built into the Opera Mini mobile web browser, in Nigeria. With the introduction of Hype, Opera is redefining the concept of mobile browsers, providing users with a personalized, engaging browsing experience that enables seamless chatting, surfing and sharing – without compromising speed or driving increased data consumption.

Browsing and chatting, all in one app
Hype is the first African-inspired chat service built into a mobile browser, allowing users to easily set up an account and start chatting with secure end-to-end encryption right away. This means users can now browse the web, chat with friends, and share self-created memes, stickers and GIFs with other Hype users, all in one app.

Hype was built because younger generations of internet users are expecting more social connectivity from the apps they use on their devices. With this integration, Opera Mini becomes the first major browser in the world to integrate a social component that keeps users connected to the ones that matter the most. This unique and innovative blend is something that no other mobile browser in the Google Play Store offers.

“Hype is an original instant messaging service from Opera, designed for the new generation of African internet users to elevate the traditional browsing experience and make it more engaging. With Opera Mini and a Hype account, Nigerians can enjoy a browsing and chatting ecosystem tailored to their needs,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile Browsers at Opera. “Hype bridges cultures from Sub-Saharan Africa with mobile technology, as the world’s first African-inspired chat service.”

Hype was first launched in 2021 in Kenya as a pilot market, and it is already showing impressive results with more than 400k activations and more than 10k invites to join Hype per day. This launch was one facet of Opera’s emphasis on investing and growing its digital ecosystem in Africa, with the goal of bringing more people online.

Free chatting with Hype up to 1.5GB per month
To help familiarize people with the concept of an easy-to-use chatting service built into a browser and as a response to the high cost of data in Nigeria, Opera has partnered with the leading carriers in Nigeria to enable free daily browsing and chatting for those using the service.

Users of Opera Mini and Airtel, MTN and Globacom can activate the free data anytime by opening the Feedback Bot in Hype, sending “Unlock my free data” in chat, then clicking the link in the reply message. The free mobile data will be activated when the page is loaded.

Key features
Opera is constantly working on improving the chatting experience. Hype users can now use link previews, GIF support, and the unique built-in meme creator to make chatting with friends even more personal and fun. Moreover, users can join interest-based channels Hype Clubs to chat with those who are on the same wavelength.

Hype Clubs
Hype Clubs are organized into topic-based channels where users can easily chat about their mutual interests. If a user is into something, there is a good chance they can find a Club for it. There they can share opinions with others, or even create their own Club and gather interested people together.

Chatting with others who have the same interests is a great way to find new friends and become a part of an interest-based community. With Hype Clubs, fans of sports, gaming, the arts, and even software development are now able to find a community they can truly belong to.

The built-in meme creator
Memes are an essential part of internet culture. People not only use existing memes but also wish to create and spread their own. Now, Opera has introduced the first meme creator built directly into a browser’s messenger!

Users can choose memes in Hype chat, then edit them by changing the text and experimenting with fonts, colours and placement – more easily than ever. This comes in handy as users no longer need to copy links from websites and switch between apps to share the memes they want.

GIF support in chat
Hype supports GIFs and makes choosing them super simple with its search capabilities and scrollable GIF grid. To help users choose the one they want, GIF previews and full-screen views are also available.

Link previews
It’s always good to know what’s hiding behind a link we’ve sent or received, which is why Hype comes with the link preview feature. With it, a snapshot preview, website header and description will automatically appear in chat. This function is also available in encrypted chats and on metered networks.

Share online content in a snap
Today, new generations are relying on formats like memes and stickers to express themselves. To make this easier, Hype includes WebSnap, a feature already known from the Opera desktop browser, allowing users to take snapshots from the web.

Once a websnap is captured, users can edit it by adding colours, text and emojis, making it fun and entertaining before sharing it with others. WebSnap also allows users to smoothly share the link of the original website from which they took their snaps, so users no longer need to switch between apps to share the content they want.

First African inspired chat service in the world
Hype is the first African inspired chat service built into a mobile browser. It offers its users a series of stickers created by African artists such as Okolo Chibuike and Mayowa Alabi from Nigeria.

The sticker packs have been designed to include everyday expressions currently popular in Nigeria. This unique offer from Hype stands out from other chat services and gives Nigerians new ways of expressing themselves more accurately when using chat apps.

Hype account setup
To activate the Hype account, users should have an Opera Mini application. Users set up a Hype account by tapping the Hype logo at the bottom of the Opera Mini browser, or through the O menu.

Next they choose their name and take a selfie or upload a personalised photo, which will become their profile picture and will be visible for other Hype users. Once this process is completed, users sync Hype with their phone contact list to start chatting with others.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/06/opera-browser-chat-opera-mini-nigeria/

Mercedes-Benz Cars delivered 1,182,724 passenger cars (+25.1%) to customers worldwide in the first half of 2021. In China, Mercedes-Benz set two new records: The highest deliveries in a second quarter (219,059 units, +5.8%) and in the first half of a year (441,579 units, +27.6%).
Double-digit Q2 sales growth was achieved in Germany (+26.3%) and the USA (+38.6%). Global sales partners face very high customer demand across the Mercedes-Benz model portfolio.

Nevertheless, the worldwide supply shortage of certain semiconductor components affected global deliveries to customers in Q2, especially in the month of June. The shortage is expected to continue to impact the upcoming two quarters in terms of sales.

“Great customer demand for our Mercedes-Benz models propelled our double-digit growth in the first half of 2021. Order intake levels remain high supported by the popularity of the new S-Class, the xEVs and the sales launch of the new C-Class in many markets”, stated Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes‑Benz AG responsible for Marketing and Sales.

Deliveries of plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars more than quadrupled in just six months, reaching 121,500 units (+305.0%). In total, the xEVs made up 10.3% of total Mercedes-Benz Cars sales in the first half of 2021.



Around 39,000 all-electric vehicles were delivered from January to June (+291.4%), including more than 19,000 units (+469.4%) of the EQA, EQC and EQV models (Combined power consumption: 26.4‑15.7 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km)[1].

“The positive feedback we received about the EQS following its world premiere and our strong EV sales momentum is proof that Mercedes-EQ is just at the beginning of its electric success story”, said Britta Seeger.

Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales by regions and markets

Sales of Mercedes-Benz in the Asia-Pacific region rose from January to June 26.1%. Deliveries of Mercedes-Benz in China remained on a record level, with a total of 441,579 units in H1 (+27.6%).

In the Europe region, the recovery of many markets and an improved COVID-19 situation led to a sales growth of 53.7% in the second quarter. Mercedes-Benz sold in Germany a total of 107,269 cars from January to June, achieving a sales level slightly above last year (+1.0%).

Sales in the North America region totalled in H1 182,305 units (+24.4%) with 160,646 passenger cars delivered to customers in the USA (+26.3%).

Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans unit sales
Mercedes-Benz sold 581,201 cars worldwide in Q2 (+27.0%) and 1,162,471 cars from January to June (+24.3%). Around 21,500 S-Classes were delivered to customers in Q2 (+69.2%), totalling more than 36,000 units since the beginning of the year (+43.1%).

The E-Class saloon & estate (+11.8%), the compact cars (+42.1%) and the SUVs (+53.2%) achieved a strong sales performance from January to June. From January to June, the GLC SUV was again the best-selling single model of Mercedes-Benz worldwide, followed by the C- and E-Class saloon.

The new C-Class, which had its start of sales on March 30, already achieved an order intake level of around 50,000 orders. Deliveries of the smart brand more than doubled in Q2 with 10,524 units (+148.3%). A total of 20,253 two- and four-door urban microcars were delivered from January to June (+100.5%).

In Q2 2021, commercial vans sales from Mercedes-Benz Vans grew by 37% compared to the prior year quarter despite the worldwide shortage of supply in certain semiconductor components. In total, 84,190 Sprinters, Vito, Tourer and Citan were recorded sold worldwide. Growth was particularly high in Latin America and Europe, where eSprinter and eVito contributed strongly to the growth in predominantly all European markets.

“We are successfully implementing our strategy in line with our aim of establishing a leadership position for Vans in the field of electro-mobility. Sales of more than 2,400 electrified vans in the second quarter helped to underline this goal,” stated Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

“In May, we presented the concept EQT which met with very positive feedback from media and customers. Our future generation of small vans will complete our electric product range in 2022.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/06/mercedes-benz-passenger-worldwide-6-mon/

Konga Health, an ambitious, technology-driven healthcare solutions company, has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) to boost access to quality healthcare services in Nigeria, including the delivery of genuine drugs and medical supplies.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) took place on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at the company’s corporate headquarters at Yudala Heights on Idowu Martins, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Present during the signing of the partnership agreement was Co-CEO, Konga Group, Mr. Nick Imudia; Vice President, Konga Health, Mr. Festus Akinola; National Portfolio Manager, Mr. Cornelius Umanze and Group Company Secretary, Barr. Chris Eze Ozims, among others. Also present were members of the Executive Council of ANPMP, led by its President, Dr. Ugwu Iyke Odo; Vice-President, Dr. Kay Adesola and General Secretary, Dr. Ned Okoro and other executive members of the association.

The landmark partnership will see Konga Health – a digitally-driven healthcare company – boost standards across verticals in the Nigerian health sector.

Specifically, the company intends to achieve this by improving access to quality healthcare for the reached, under-reached and unreached members of the populace through the importation and timely delivery of certified pharmaceutical products and medical supplies across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria through a wide chain of distribution centres.

Furthermore, the development will guarantee the gradual eradication of the incidence of fake drugs, while also providing a credible and robust platform for local and international donor agencies, government, non-governmental institutions as well as philanthropic and public-spirited individuals who wish to support access to quality Medicare with clear data to the remotest part of Nigeria.

‘‘We are delighted and see it as a privilege to have finally signed this very strategic partnership between Konga Health and ANPMP which will positively change the face of healthcare delivery in Nigeria,’’ disclosed Imudia, Co-CEO, Konga Group.

‘‘This is another important milestone recorded by the Konga Group. It is also in line with our other disruptive efforts, including launching the world’s first composite e-commerce company, our CBN-certified mobile wallet, advanced digital logistics company, frontline travel booking agency and much more.’’

Also speaking, the President of ANPMP, Dr. Odo described the partnership with Konga Health as a much-needed development that will transform the fortunes of the Nigerian healthcare delivery system.

“This MoU will change the dynamics of the healthcare delivery system. At a time in the world when everything is changing and medical practice has shifted in the direction of technology, this understanding between the Konga Group, an ICT and logistics conglomerate and the Nigerian private doctors who cater for the healthcare needs of over 70% of Nigerians, could not have come at a more desirable season.

“This partnership is a bold step at the concept and vision of integrated private sector synergy aimed at revamping our health sector and bringing global best practices home. The MoU has given hope to the dire need to build a reliable database in the healthcare space, integrate local and international content in raising advocacy for the actualization of Universal Health Coverage, development of a functional network of electronic health record systems, elevating public-private partnership to its prime place in the healthcare delivery structure, inspiring infrastructural development, training, intellectual tourism, research and institutional quality monitoring and evaluation as well as drive programme and projects that connect and benefit private doctors across the land in an engagement effort that aggregates into a new national orientation in healthcare development in Nigeria,” he said.

On his part, VP, ANPMP, Dr. Adesola, also hailed the partnership with Konga Health as one that will greatly benefit Nigerians and improve standards in the healthcare sector, even as he lauded the company’s reach, capacity and future outlook.

This point was further espoused by Akinola, VP, Konga Health, who explained that the collaboration will further deepen the role of Konga Health in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system and delivery.

“The collaboration between Konga Health and ANPMP is a welcome development. Nigerians should expect the best from this partnership. The partnership will help Konga Health to actualize its mission of making healthcare accessible to all, the “unreached” and the “under-reached” in society.

It will also transform the system and reduce the incidence of fake drugs and medical devices supplies through the introduction of its strategically positioned distribution infrastructure,” Akinola said.

Also commenting on the partnership, National Portfolio Manager, Umanze cited the prevalent danger of fake drugs, noting that the partnership between Konga Health and private medical practitioners will change the narrative for many Nigerians.

“Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown that the incidence of fake and adulterated drugs is frightening, especially in developing countries, with an urgent need for businesses to step in to tackle the ugly trend. For us at Konga Health, this is not just a business, but also a social responsibility to save an adulterated drugs-challenged society like Nigeria from the dangers associated with this trend,” he said.

He concluded by expressing confidence in the strategic importance of the partnership, especially in making quality healthcare accessible through private hospitals.

“Through this collaboration, we are bridging that gap so that our clients do not only have their necessary medicines at the right time but also that they have such supplies in genuine and unadulterated form,” he disclosed.

The MoU is one of the recent collaborations Konga Health has recorded since its incorporation. A tech-driven healthcare aggregator, Konga Health supplies quality medicines and diagnostic equipment to hospitals and other clients through its strong online and offline outlets.

Konga Health also provides a range of services, including the provision of genuine medication, medical devices, ultra-modern equipment, pharmaceuticals, among other health-related essential services. Since the advent of the dynamic company, it has remained in the forefront for pharmacies seeking access to quality pharmaceuticals, as well as medical and diagnostic equipment.

The latest collaboration with the ANPMP is expected to further redefine medical operations in Nigeria and bequeath hitch-free, data-driven quality healthcare services to millions of Nigerians.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/04/konga-health-private-medica-association/

The shares of African Alliance Insurance Plc, Niger Insurance Plc, Royal Exchange Plc, The Tourist Company of Nigeria Plc have been placed on a full-suspension by Nigerian Exchange Limited.
This means holders of the company’s equities would not be able to trade them on the floor of the exchange during the time of the embargo. The suspension became effective on Friday, July 02, 2021, according to a circular issued by the management of the bourse to stockbrokers, having failed to file their Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2020.

According to Rule 3.1, Rules for Filing of Accounts and Treatment of Default Filing, (Default Filing Rules), which provides:
“If an Issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the Cure Period, The Exchange will:

a) Send to the Issuer a “Second Filing Deficiency Notification” within two (2) business days after the end of the Cure Period;

b) Suspend trading in the Issue’s securities; and


c) Notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Market within twenty- four (24) hours of the suspension”.

In accordance with the Default Filing Rules set forth above, the suspension of trading in the shares of the above-mentioned companies will only be lifted upon the submission of the relevant accounts, provided NGX Regulation Limited is satisfied that the accounts comply with all applicable rules of the Exchange.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/04/ngx-royal-exchange-niger-insurance-sus/

Ford sales of electrified vehicles expanded 117 percent in June, capping off a new first-half sales record on sales of 56,570 vehicles. That’s a new all-time sales record driven by new products. Mustang Mach-E sales totaled 12,975 vehicles, while F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid added an additional 17,039 vehicles to the total. Escape Hybrid and Escape Plug-in Hybrid sales totaled 15,642 – up 45.9 percent over last year.
Record turn rates and new products drive record transaction pricing. Average transaction prices at Ford were up approximately $6,400 over a year ago at $47,800 per vehicle. Ford’s Mach-E expanded its sales 26.7 percent compared to May, while Bronco Sport is producing some of the highest transaction pricing in its segment, while turning on dealer lots in just 15 days.

Andrew Frick, vice president, Ford Sales U.S. and Canada commented,
“Through June of this year, Ford retail sales were up 10.7 percent. With constrained inventories and record turn rates in the second quarter, we have been working closely with our dealers gathering retail orders, which are up 16-fold over last year. Reservations for F-150 Lightning have now surpassed 100,000 since the truck was first shown in May, while Ford’s sales of electrified vehicles produced a new all-time first-half sales record with 56,570 vehicles sold – up 117 percent over a year ago.”

Retail orders for Ford and Lincoln vehicles are up more than 16-fold this year over last. With vehicles turning at record rates on dealer lots, Ford, along with its dealers, have worked to expand retail orders which are being filled as semiconductor chips become available.

Ford’s overall retail truck sales expanded 2.6 percent in the first half of the year, totaling 420,403 pickups. With tight inventories, F-Series sales totaled 362,032 trucks, while Ranger had its best first half since 2005 on total pickup sales of 58,371.

Strong incremental growth of Bronco Sport and Mustang MachE propelled Ford brand retail SUVs to their best first-half performance in 20 years. Ford brand retail SUVs were up 37.0
percent over a year ago on overall sales of 391,190 SUVs. The all-new Bronco Sport sales totaled 60,514 SUVs, with Mustang MachE adding 12,975 SUVs. Escape, Explorer and Expedition all continued to expand their sales, adding to Ford brand SUV growth.

Lincoln SUVs posted a new first-half sales record. Lincoln’s entire SUV lineup was up in the first half of the year. At retail, Lincoln SUV sales were up 23.3 percent on total sales of 46,018 SUVs.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/04/ford-electrified-vehicle-sales-117-per/

Samsung Nigeria has unveiled movie industry icon, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, as brand ambassador for its Consumer Electronics division.
Dakore, as she is popularly called by her teeming fans, will be working closely with the brand and, by so doing, use her star power to raise awareness for Samsung consumer electronics products and ultimately contribute to making Samsung the preferred brand in the West Africa sub-region.

According to Danny Kim, Managing Director, Samsung Nigeria, Dakore represents the values that Samsung has stood for over the years. “The Samsung brand stands for quality, innovation, change, discovery, self-expression, and excellence in performance.

These very same qualities are exemplified by Dakore whose quality and depth of work as well as versatility as an artiste have endeared her to Nigerians today. We are indeed very proud and privileged to have her as our brand ambassador,” Kim said.

Marketing Manager, Consumer Electronics, Samsung Nigeria, Chika Nnadozie, said the signing of the award-winning actress is an opportunity for Samsung to reach out to her teeming fans and its customers through the Nigerian movie industry.

“It is important to us, as a brand, to connect with customers at all touchpoints and, in so doing, we have chosen Dakore who is one of the biggest stars in Nollywood the movie industry here in Nigeria, which is one of the passion points of people in West Africa” Chika added.

In her own words, Dakore said she was delighted to be chosen as an ambassador by the electronics giant. “Samsung is one of the biggest brands in the world and I am thrilled to be working with them at this stage in my career.

“This partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship which I will hold dearly,” she said, adding that “Samsung is brand that is well-respected all over the world for its reliable and durable products, which made it very easy for me to accept the offer of being an ambassador for the consumer products division of the company” she added.

Samsung has proven its enduring popularity in Africa with the release of the latest Brand Africa 100® list. It is the first and most comprehensive pan-African study and ranking of brands in Africa. Samsung was acknowledged as the third Most Admired Brand in Africa, across all categories and number one in the electronics/computer category.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems and semiconductor and LED solutions.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/02/https-wp-me-p8raym-ozq/

July 1, 2021 – PepsiCo announced its plans to reduce sugar content in sodas and iced teas by a fourth in the European Union and launch more nutritious snacks by 2025, to attract more health-conscious consumers in its second-biggest market.
The beverage company is planning for a 25% reduction in added sugar levels by 2025 and a 50% cut by 2030 in beverages like Pepsi-Cola, Lipton Ice Tea and 7UP sold across Europe.

With an eye on making healthy snacks its fastest-growing food category over the next four years, PepsiCo is aiming for a more than tenfold increase in sales by 2025 and expanding it to a $1 billion portfolio by 2030.

Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo’s Chairman and CEO said,
“We are working to transform the way we create shared value by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people.

This will make us a Better company, with a purpose more deeply integrated into our business strategy. It will also make us Faster and Stronger, enabling accelerated growth and continued investment in our people, business and communities. And we hope it will make us an example, for our partners and our peers.”

PepsiCo’s sustainability approach targets every stage of its complex value chain, with the company sharing progress in its 2020 Sustainability Report against several key focus areas, such as:

Rethinking the growth and sourcing of crops, with highlights including:
Sustainably sourcing 100% of its direct commodities in 28 countries, with nearly 87% of direct commodities sustainably sourced globally as of 2020;
Announcing a new Positive Agriculture ambition that aims to spread regenerative practices across 7 million acres, improve the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in its agricultural supply chain, and sustainably source 100% of its key ingredients, including key crops from third parties, by 2030.
Doing business in a sustainable and inclusive way, with highlights including:
Reducing absolute GHG emissions across our value chain by 5% as of 2020 versus a 2015 baseline;
Improving operational water-use efficiency by 15% in high water-risk areas as of 2020 versus a 2015 baseline;
Continuing efforts to help build a world where packaging never becomes waste, including offering products made from 100% rPET in 22 markets worldwide;
Working with The PepsiCo Foundation to invest more than $71 million globally in COVID-19 relief and provide over 145 million meals to those impacted by the pandemic

Announcing plans to transition to 100% renewable electricity globally, after achieving 100% renewable electricity for its U.S. direct operations in 2020. By the end of 2021, 15 countries in PepsiCo’s direct operations are expected to be fully sourcing renewable electricity;
Doubling down on its science-based climate goal by targeting a reduction of absolute greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by more than 40% by 2030 and pledging to reach net-zero emissions across its global operations by 2040;
Advancing its $570+ million Racial Equality Journey to elevate diverse voices within the company, among supply chain partners and communities, whilst helping to break down longstanding racial barriers.

Tapping into the power of its brands to encourage consumers to make positive choices for themselves and the planet, with highlights including:
Building on progress in reducing added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats across its portfolio. As of 2020:
48% of the PepsiCo beverage portfolio has 100 Calories or less from added sugars per 12 ounce serving, an improvement of 8 percentage points over the past three years (goal is 67% by 2025).
64% of the company’s foods portfolio contains 1.3 milligrams or less of sodium per Calorie, an improvement of 8 percentage points over the past three years (goal is 75% by 2025).
71% of PepsiCo’s foods portfolio contains 1.1 grams or less of saturated fat per 100 Calories, an improvement of 10 percentage points over the past three years (goal is 75% by 2025).
Embracing platforms like SodaStream and SodaStream Professional that offer convenient, sustainable options, without single-use packaging;
Expanding its portfolio to meet evolving consumer preferences, with options like Off The Eaten Path, bare, Hilo Life, Driftwell and bubly.

“2020 was a year of challenges and a year of change,” said Jim Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo. “The challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted every corner of the globe and highlighted the urgent need to partner and drive change toward a more sustainable and resilient food system. I’m proud that PepsiCo rose to the challenge in 2020, and there’s no slowing down PepsiCo’s ambition to drive a positive impact on our planet and the communities we serve.”

The all-digital and interactive 2020 Sustainability Report includes a summary, progress against goals and other downloadable resources. The easy-to-navigate ESG topics section provides detailed information about the company’s current policies and performance related to specific key issues.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/01/pepsico-cut-soda-sugar-levels-by-25/

Coronation Merchant Bank Funding SPV Plc has listed its Twenty-Five Billion Naira (N25bn) Bond on Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Wednesday.
The 5-year 6.25% Series one (1) Fixed Rate Subordinated Unsecured Bonds due 2025 is under Coronation MB Funding SPV Plc’s One Hundred Billion Naira (N100bn) bond issuance program.

With this issuance, NGX has supported Federal Government and corporates to raise over N4.7Trillion from the capital market via the fixed income segment in the first half of 2021. Issuers continue to express excitement and satisfaction over the ability to access capital from the market and list the securities on NGX to provide liquidity for investors, despite the prevailing weak macroeconomic conditions.

NGX on its part has expressed and proven its commitment to providing issuers with a platform that allows them to raise capital to meet strategic business objectives even in the most difficult times. “It is the Exchange’s delight to see issuers take full advantage of our products and services to support their growth story,” the Divisional Head, Listings Business, NGX, Mr. Olumide Bolumole had previously stated.

Some of the issuers that have listed on NGX in first half of 2021 include; NOVAMBL Investments SPV Plc, Federal Government of Nigeria, Mecure Industries Funding SPV Plc, CardinalStone Financing SPV Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, SPV Funding Plc, BUA Cement Plc, Etranzact International Plc, Kogi State Government, TSL SPV Plc, Lagos State Government and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/01/coronation-merchant-bank-lists-ngn25-billion-bond-on-ngx/

Netflix introduced a Mobile plan across 43 countries in the sub-Saharan Africa region, including Nigeria.
The Netflix Mobile plan is a 50-60% reduction in the price of the basic Netflix offering and is available to members in Nigeria from N1,200 per month alongside the other three Netflix plans; namely basic, standard, and premium.

Different people have different entertainment preferences. Some want Ultra HD and the ability to stream on four screens at once. Some only watch movies and shows on their phone. Adding a mobile plan gives consumers more choice no matter what their budget or requirements.

Additionally, Netflix members can now watch titles that are partially downloaded through the Play Partial Download feature on Netflix.

Between the Nigerian and South African markets, there will be 475 million people using the mobile internet by 2025. Also, Netflix members within these countries already watch 2x more Netflix on their phones than the rest of the world, therefore in order to ensure a much more enjoyable user experience, Netflix has given it’s members the Mobile plan as well as eliminated the problem of prohibited access to titles that are not fully downloaded.

According to research done by the streaming platform, the African market is most popular for downloading titles which means that the launch of the Play Partial Download feature is apt for the market.

This feature will enable members save time because they no longer must wait more than 10 minutes for complete downloads before watching their favorite titles. Additionally, it would save cost because members across Africa, have pivoted to using offline viewing after cellular data prices have increased in markets.

To access this feature from the ‘download’ menu on their mobile device or from the continue ‘watching menu’. If a member starts watching a title that has not finished downloading, they will be prompted to download the rest of that movie or episode in a series once they’re connected to Wi-Fi or cellular network.

According to Keela Robinson, VP of Product Innovation at Netflix, “We always want to make it easier for members to access their favorite series or movies regardless of language, device, connectivity, or location. So partial downloading is now available on Android phones and tablets” Additionally, she shared that “We’ll begin testing on iOS in the coming months. That’s the download on Netflix’s latest improvement – for now.”

To access this feature from the ‘download’ menu on their mobile device or from the continue ‘watching menu’. If a member starts watching a title that has not finished downloading, they will be prompted to download the rest of that movie or episode in a series once they’re connected to Wi-Fi or cellular network.

Netflix is committed to ensuring that their best-in-class titles are available at the utmost convenience of their members. Through the Mobile Plan and features like the Partial Play Download, Netflix members can access their favorite titles a lower cost and comfortably enjoy them with just 5-10% of the tittle being downloaded.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/01/netflix-launches-affordable-mobile-plan/

Premium entertainment and gaming brand Betway Nigeria, on Wednesday donated an 18-passenger bus to EliteBox, a boutique boxing gym in Lagos, to provide transportation for club members.
The donated bus will help make transportation and tours for members and trainee boxers easier.

“Betway is happy to support EliteBox Gym in their bid to promote fitness and healthy living in Lagos. We hope that this donation will go a long way in contributing to the general well-being of residents and trainees at the facility,” Betway Nigeria’s Director, Chris Ubosi, said.

EliteBox revolutionizes training with unique equipment inspired by training methods of boxing greats like Mohammed Ali, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, among others.

Executive Chairman, Yangabet, Derrick Kentebe, joined Manager, Retail Channel, Betway Nigeria, Clement Okolie and Agency Manager, Betway Nigeria, Dotun Adepegba to present the bus at EliteBox fitness centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Rehia Giwa-Osagie, the founder of EliteBox, says “I founded EliteBox Fitness in May 2016 to provide people with a platform to keep healthy, destress, and also as a way to pick up life skills that include techniques on how to defend oneself. The goal was to improve the boxing culture in Nigeria and have more world champions come out of Africa. I am grateful to the Betway team for supporting us with this bus, and this gesture will go a long way in changing lives”.

The donation is in continuation of Betway’s community support programme and contribution to healthy living in Nigeria. Since the initiative commenced in March 2021, Betway has donated nearly N10 million worth of fitness and sports equipment across Nigeria

In April 2021, Betway donated gym equipment to ForeverLiving Fitness and Wellness Centre in Ikorodu to promote fitness and healthy living in the community.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/07/01/betway-donate-bus-to-community-gym/