₦airaland Forum

Millions of lives of women and newborns are lost, and millions more experience ill health or injury, because the needs of pregnant women and the skills of midwives are not recognized or prioritized.
The world is currently facing a shortage of 900,000 midwives, which represents a third of the required global midwifery workforce. The COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated these problems, with the health needs of women and newborns being overshadowed, midwifery services being disrupted and midwives being deployed to other health services.

These are some of the key takeaways from the 2021 State of World’s Midwifery report by UNFPA (the UN sexual and reproductive health agency), WHO (World Health Organization), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), and partners, which evaluates the midwifery workforce and related health resources in 194 countries.

The acute shortage of midwives is exacting a terrible global toll in the form of preventable deaths. An analysis conducted for this report, published in The Lancet last December, showed that fully resourcing midwife-delivered care by 2035 could avert 67 per cent of maternal deaths, 64 per cent of newborn deaths, and 65 per cent of stillbirths. It could save an estimated 4.3 million lives per year.

Despite alarms raised in the last State of the World’s Midwifery report in 2014, which also provided a roadmap on how to remedy this deficit, progress over the past eight years has been too slow. The analysis in this year’s report shows that, at current rates of progress, the situation will have improved only slightly by 2030.

Gender inequality is an unacknowledged driver in this massive shortage. The continued under-resourcing of the midwifery workforce is a symptom of health systems not prioritizing the sexual and reproductive health needs of women and girls, and not recognizing the role of midwives – most of whom are women – to meet these needs. Women account for 93 per cent of midwives and 89 per cent of nurses.

Midwives do not just attend births. They also provide antenatal and postnatal care and a range of sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning, detecting and treating sexually transmitted infections, and sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents, all while ensuring respectful care and upholding women’s rights. As numbers of midwives increase, and they are able to provide care in an enabling environment, women’s and newborns’ health improves as a whole, benefitting all of society.

For midwives to achieve their life-saving and life-changing potential, greater investment is needed in their education and training, midwife-led service delivery, and midwifery leadership. Governments must prioritise funding and support for midwifery and take concrete steps to include midwives in determining health policies.

Quotes From Partners:
Dr. Franka Cadée, President of the International Confederation of Midwives: “As autonomous, primary care providers, midwives are continually overlooked and ignored. It’s time for governments to acknowledge the evidence surrounding the life-promoting, life-saving impact of midwife-led care, and take action on the SoWMy report’s recommendations. ICM is committed to leveraging the strength of our global midwife community to carry forward these powerful findings and inspire country-level change. However, this work is not possible without the commitment from decision-makers and those with the resources to invest in midwives and the quality care they provide to birthing women.”

Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director: “The State of the World’s Midwifery report sounds the alarm that currently the world urgently needs 1.1 million more essential health workers to deliver sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health care, and 80 per cent of these missing essential health workers are midwives. A capable, well-trained midwife can have an enormous impact on childbearing women and their families – an impact often passed on from one generation to the next. At UNFPA, we have spent more than a decade strengthening education, enhancing working conditions and supporting leadership roles for the midwifery profession. We have seen that these efforts work, but they need greater investment.”

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General; “Midwives play a vital role in reducing the risks of childbirth for women all over the world, but many have themselves been exposed to risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. We must learn the lessons the pandemic is teaching us, by implementing policies and making investments that deliver better support and protection for midwives and other health workers. This report provides the data and evidence to support WHO’s longstanding call to strengthen the midwifery workforce, which will deliver a triple dividend in contributing to better health, gender equality and inclusive economic growth.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/05/06/latest-report-warns-against-global-shortage-of-900000-midwives/

Nokia today announced the launch of the Nokia Data Marketplace as-a-service to facilitate secure sharing of data and AI models, enabling digital transformation and data monetization for enterprises.
As data volumes continue to surge, AI and machine learning are increasingly crucial in business decision-making. Nokia Data Marketplace is designed to help enterprises and communications service providers (CSPs) use data in strategic decision making, by providing real-time access to massive trusted datasets.

The new service also enables enterprises and CSPs to become data marketplace providers themselves, by monetizing data exchanges between customers or business ecosystem participants.

Nokia Data Marketplace ensures trusted data exchange and authorization mechanisms. This enables a wide range of vertical use cases, including electric vehicle charging, environmental data monetization, supply-chain automation, and preventative maintenance powering numerous vertical segments, including transportation, ports, energy, smart cities, and healthcare.

Friedrich Trawoeger, Vice President, Cloud and Cognitive Services at Nokia, said:“Our customers need secure and trusted access to data for effective business decision making. With Nokia Data Marketplace, enterprises and CSPs can now benefit from richer insights and predictive models to drive digital ways of working and tap into new revenue streams.”

Nokia Data Marketplace accelerates AI initiatives through federated learning. This approach, combined with orchestration capabilities, facilitates the collaborative development of highly accurate machine learning models for analytics use cases. It also meets growing demand for a platform that can efficiently apply AI and machine learning algorithms to in situ data.

Nokia Data Marketplace complements Nokia Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING), which offers global IoT connectivity and vertical applications. For example, Nokia WING’s asset tracking solution is enriched by Nokia Data Marketplace’s blockchain to provide secure and automated data exchange and transactions between logistics’ ecosystem partners for faster turnaround.*

Kaladhar Voruganti, Senior Fellow, Office of the CTO at Equinix, said: “Nokia Data Marketplace combined with Equinix data centers allows organizations to share data and algorithms globally at more than 240 metro edge locations. Our Metal platform augments this to provide secure, proximate, on-demand infrastructure to enterprises and government agencies.

Sharing and processing of data close to its point of creation mitigates issues related to latency, compliance, and network backhaul cost. These neutral and secure edge locations are connected via high-speed and secure networks to data sources spanning across public clouds, private enterprise data centers and data brokers.”

Wouter van Neerbos, Chief Executive Officer at Marlin, said: “Through automated data exchange among shipping participants, Nokia brings us the transparency and operational efficiency required in our global marine supply chain. This reduces waiting time for shipping participants in the marine ecosystem, enables faster turnaround for ships, and reduces our costs.”

Justin van der Lande, Principal Analyst at Analysys Mason, said: “Data is the energy needed to run all future business; critical to their success in creating the best AI based insights and needs access to the largest data sets. Data sharing between enterprise partners is vital in building complete data sets. Facilitating data sharing using a secure platform, such as Nokia’s blockchain-based Data Marketplace, accelerates enterprises’ building of new data sets and creates richer business partnerships for them.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/05/06/nokia-launches-blockchain-powered-data-marketplace-for-secure-data-trading-and-ai-models/

Ford’s April retail sales were up 57.1 percent, not only selling above 2020 results but also up 23.7 percent relative to April 2019 results. Together, retail truck and SUV sales were up 70.1 percent providing Ford Truck and SUV sales with their best April retail sales performance since 2006
F-Series retail share expanded 2 percentage points through April of this year in the full-size pickup segment. F-Series retail sales were up 19.7 percent for the month while beating April 2019 retail sales levels by 9.3 percent.

Andrew Frick, vice president, Ford Sales U.S. and Canada said,
“Ford’s retail sales not only increased 57 percent over a year ago but also exceeded April 2019 by 24 percent. Strong customer reaction to our newest products, despite tight inventory, confirms our strategy of investing in electrified vehicles, along with trucks and SUVs.

In April, we not only beat pre-coronavirus sales numbers from April 2019, but we saw record electrified vehicle sales for the month, along with record April Ford and Lincoln SUV sales. Trucks had their best retail performance since 2008.”

Ford electrified vehicle sales produced a new all-time monthly sales record – up 262 percent on new product offerings. Mustang Mach-E sales totaled 1,951, F-150 PowerBoost sales totaled 3,365, while Escape electrified sales totaled 3,695 in April. Electrified vehicle sales totaled 11,172 – up 262 percent.
The fully electric Mustang Mach-E is turning on dealer lots in just 4 days, with a majority of buyers only considering a fully electric vehicle as their purchase. Ford has sold 8,565 vehicles and sales continue to grow.
Order banks now open for the high-performance GT Mach-E version. Total sales of Ford Mustang were up 50.9 percent, with sales totalling 8,000 in April.

New products drove transaction pricing to record levels, with 94 percent mix of trucks and SUVs. Ford transaction pricing in April totalled $43,600 per vehicle. Bronco Sport, turning on dealer lots in just 13 days, produced an average transaction price of $31,800 per SUV – the highest in the segment.
Mustang Mach-E is turning in just 4 days on dealer lots and transacting at $45,800. Ford’s investment in trucks and SUVs is not only producing greater volume but replaces sedans like the Fusion, which produced an average transaction price of $22,600 in April 2021.

Ford brand SUVs hit record high retail sales – up 125 percent over a year ago on new product introductions. Ford SUV sales were up across the board, besting April 2019 by 54.7 percent.
Ford’s gross stock at the end of April remains favourable relative to competitors. Ford’s overall gross stock position going into May was 265,000 vehicles, which is at the higher end relative to the overall industry and stands at 35 days’ supply. This compares to an overall industry with 33 days’ supply

Lincoln SUVs posted record April retail sales. Lincoln SUV sales were up across the board in April, with a total of 9,943 SUVs sold.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/05/05/ford-electrified-vehicle-sales-post-best-sales-month-ever/

Jennifer Gates, a daughter, and eldest child of Bill and Melinda Gates, alongside her two other siblings, are not set to inherit a fortune on their father’s death.
Jennifer has stated that the family has been going through “a challenging stretch of time”.

The statement comes as her parents announced on Monday their separation after a 27-year marriage.

Brand Spur Nigeria recalls that less than two weeks after they (Bill And Melinda) made their last public appearance, virtually, at a COVID event for healthcare workers.

The 65-year-old Microsoft founder and his 56-year-old wife announced the split on Twitter, where they both posted the same joint statement.

Meanwhile, taking to her known Instagram page, Jennifer Gates said, “I’m still learning how to best support my own process and emotions, as well as my family members at this time and I, am grateful for the space to do so.”
Refusing to comment on the divorce, the 25-year-old said, “I won’t personally comment further on anything around the separation, but please know that your kind words and support mean the world to me.”

“Thank you for understanding our desire for privacy while we navigate the next phases of our lives,” she added.
Bill and Melinda have three children: Jennifer, 25, Rory (male), 21, and Phoebe (female), 18.

Jennifer is a medical student. Having graduated from Stanford University in 2018 with a degree in human biology, she is attending medical school in New York City.
She got engaged to Nayel Nassar, a professional Egyptian equestrian, in January 2020.

She once said of her childhood: “I was born into a huge situation of privilege, and I think it’s about using those opportunities and learning from them to find things that I’m passionate about and hopefully make the world a little bit of a better place.”
Rory is believed to be studying law.

His mother penned an essay about him for Time magazine on his 18th birthday, which read: “Rory is compassionate and curious. He’s intelligent and well-read and deeply informed about the wide range of issues that interest him.

“He’s a great son and a great brother. He’s inherited his parents’ obsessive love of puzzles. But one of the things that makes me proudest is that Rory is a feminist.”

While Phoebe studied at The School of American Ballet as well as the prestigious Juilliard School.

Children Will Only Get “A Minuscule Portion” Of Gates Family Billions
Bill Gates is currently the fourth richest man in the world with a fortune of $124billion. But his children aren’t set to inherit a fortune on his death. In fact, the couple has raised their children in surprisingly modest ways.

The three weren’t allowed phones until they were 14 and help wash the dishes every night.

And they will ‘only’ inherit $10 million each as Bill has made clear his children will only get “a minuscule portion” of his wealth, with the rest going to charity.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/05/04/gates-family-billionaires-eldest-child-jenniferto-inherit-less-than-1-percent-of-their-wealth/

Microsoft Corporation partners with Federal Government to accelerate digital transformation in Nigeria.
Brand Spur Nigeria understands that the collaboration between Nigeria and Microsoft would enable the Corporation to equip about five million Nigerians with digital information technology skills over the next three years.
In a joint announcement with the Federal Government, Microsoft detailed several projects aimed at intensifying the nation’s move to become a more digital economy.

After extensive consultations with the Nigerian government, Microsoft identified three key pillars that will help to build strong foundations for a digital economy in Nigeria: connectivity, skilling and digital transformation.
“We believe in the future of Nigeria, and we are excited as a company to add to our investments,” says Brad Smith, Microsoft President.
“Together, we have an enormous opportunity to put technology to work, create jobs, to foster the technology ecosystem across Nigeria, and use technology to preserve the best of the past and take us into the future.”


Research points to internet penetration in Nigeria of around 50 per cent and while the pandemic has increased the pace of digitisation, much needs to be done to empower all citizens to take advantage of the opportunities of a digital economy. Microsoft’s Airband Initiative has succeeded in bringing high-speed internet connectivity to underserved communities around the world, tapping into the unused broadcasting frequencies of television white spaces. The technology is cheaper and faster to deploy than fibre and has the added benefit of being able to travel long distances and through forested terrain.

Following discussions with the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and local partners, six regions in the country have been earmarked for the development of high-speed internet infrastructure. Microsoft’s Airband team will work closely with local partners to improve broadband connectivity in these communities while also assisting with the design and implementation of hyper-scale cloud services.
Technological infrastructure alone is not enough to ensure sustainable digital transformation, so Microsoft is committing to upskilling five million people in Nigeria over the next three years. To help reach this goal, 1,700 trainers will provide blended online and in-person training courses to the country’s youth as well as government workers.
The government will also be given the tools to digitally transform skilling, education, and employment methods to match job seekers with the right employers. In doing so, we hope to create over 27,000 new digital jobs in the next three years.

“We are setting ourselves a big goal, to bring access to digital skills to five million people in Nigeria over the next three years,” continues Smith. “But this is not something we can do by ourselves. We will equip master trainers and, along with them, are committed to creating thousands of new jobs.”

The final pillar, digital transformation, will initially be made up of two initiatives. The first will address corruption, a major global challenge with economic losses totalling $3.6 trillion each year. By collaborating with local partners, Microsoft will support the design and implementation of cloud-based tools to further enable the government’s fight against corruption.

Microsoft will be partnering with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to apply technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to help identify potential risk, highlight them, and reduce corruption.
The second initiative will help protect Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, as Microsoft will look to deploy artificial intelligence tools to safeguard these treasures for future generations. Through a newly formed partnership with the National Institute of Cultural Orientation, Microsoft will support the organisation’s efforts to preserve and revive Nigeria’s three major indigenous languages: Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.

“This is one of my favourite projects that we pursue around the world. It uses the most advanced technology of the 21st century to nurture and keep alive the culture that has been so important for humanity from the centuries past,” concludes Smith.

Reacting to the partnership, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo said, “Indeed, it is with this in mind that we have sought constructive partnerships that bridge the knowledge, skills and technology gap that exist in most of our communities.

“Microsoft’s extensive experience in the utilization of technology as an enabler for the delivery of public and social good makes them an ideal partner.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/05/03/microsoft-partners-federal-government-to-accelerate-digital-transformation-in-nigeria/

United Capital Plc, a leading pan-African investment and financial services group, emerged a winner at the Nigerian Investors Value Awards (NIVA) which was held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island over the weekend.
The prestigious event, jointly organized by BusinessDay Media Limited and the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), recognized United Capital Plc as the “Most Profitable Company (Financial Services: Other Financial Institutions) and Shareholder Capital Allocation Company of the year (Dividends Payment)”

This recognition follows a string of successes recorded by the organization in recent times. For the 2020 financial year, United Capital Plc generated N12.87Billion in revenue and N7.95Billion in Profit Before Tax.

Its Return on Average Equity for the financial year stood at 35%, one of the highest among listed financial services institutions, paying shareholders dividends of up to 70 kobo per share, for a total of N4.2Billion; a record befitting of the acknowledgement received.

Commenting on the awards, the Group CEO of United Capital Plc, Mr. Peter Ashade said

“Our successes and achievements are representative of the people and culture at United Capital Plc. We embrace enterprise, execution, and excellence as our core values and are constantly exploring innovative solutions to enhance our clients’ experience. We are therefore honoured and humbled to receive due recognition for these.”

According to the organizers, the event was refocused to highlight the diverse avenues in which companies are creating value on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) particularly in view of the volatile national economy and implications of the pandemic. These criteria, in addition to a credible and thorough audit process of shareholder value creation, led to the selection of United Capital Plc as a winner in the aforementioned categories.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/30/united-capital-plc-shines-at-nigerian-investors-value-awards-niva/

The signing of Chris Evans has intensified TECNO’s globalization strategy, allowing them to break into emerging markets around the world to become a leader in those areas
April 30, 2021 – TECNO, a global leading premium smartphone brand, has announced its new brand ambassador, Chris Evans. This signing has intensified TECNO’s determination of globalization allowing them to break into emerging markets around the world to become a leader in those areas.

As the brand continues to grow on the world stage, TECNO now finds itself competing with major mainstream brands, who will undoubtedly take note of this new partnership.

Best known for his role as Captain America in the Marvel Universe series of films, the charismatic Chris Evans embodies TECNO’s brand motto ‘young at heart’ and the pursuit of excellence. The partnership with Evans enhances TECNO’s continuous global footprint and helps to highlight the brand’supgraded product design, which is increasingly fashionable, energetic, and constantly pioneering.

In the recent 2 years, TECNO obtained certain positive results in globalization and internationalization by strengthening its technology innovation, stylish design detailed with elegant taste, professional photography experience as well as its worldwide partner network.

The industry has witnessed TECNO’s solid achievement in mobile photography by its bagging of the championship after competing with the world’s best minds at its first match in the Look In Person (LIP) competition at Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) 2020 in Track 5: Dark Complexion Portrait Segmentation Challenge.

And by industry-leading research institution Counterpoint’s most recent report, TECNO is recognized as one of the few brands that have made breakthroughs in AI-enhanced mobile photography and videography.

TECNO’s excellent photographic performance also let the brand earn distinctions in Guinness World Records 2020 with the largest flipbook shot by its photography pioneer CAMON product line and in IFA(Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) with “Camera Technology Innovation Smartphone Gold Award 2020”.

TECNO’s increasing market share also speaks loudly for its globalization footprint. In 2020, TECNO led the industry through a tough year, where brands took a hit in terms of smartphone sales.

According to global market intelligence company IDC, TECNO sales volume exceeded 25 million units, up 45%, and revenue exceeded 15 billion, up 38% YoY in 2020. TECNO’s India smartphone sales, increased more than 200% YoY, topped 5 million units in 2020, breaking its own sales growth record. There seems to be nothing stopping the upcoming brand from breaking new grounds and achieving new heights.

From the perspective of trend analysis, the future holds great promise for TECNO, as further exhilarating steps are anticipated. TECNO has been committed to strengthen the R & D investment and layout in intelligent applications, intelligent connected devices, and build an intelligent ecosystem integrating hardware and software.

In 2020, the RD investment increased by about 30% year on year. The sky is the limit if TECNO continues its trajectory of gaining greater market share.

Now, together with Evans, TECNO with its four reputable product lines will stand out in the global market as a new shining superstar. TECNO’s wildly popular CAMON series is set to release the CAMON 17 within the next few days, setting the market and consumer ablaze with chatter on upcoming features and innovations.

TECNO CAMON series has been well-known for the excellent photography experience and have been recognized by numbers of international media industry professionals.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/30/tecno-signs-renowned-actor-chris-evans-as-its-brand-ambassador/

Time management is an issue with humans and serves as an obstacle to progress. Poor time management might slow you down if you don’t understand what it takes to manage your time.
Good Time management increases productivity reduces stress levels and allows you to have free time to engage in other tasks.

So having good time management skills gets you more time to do other things that help shape your life experiences and helps create work and life balance. Many professionals suffer from poor time management skills as the time required to keep a good and healthy relationship with family and friends is being replaced with work.

Another benefit of good time management is the attainment of goals. Having a good sense of time allows you to achieve your goals and objectives as fast as possible.

Here Are Five Tips To Effective Time Management:

1. Tackling Small but important task: Whenever you have a small task that is vital to your overall goal or objective and does not take much time to execute then you can quickly work on it. This helps free your time to do other things that would require your full attention.

2. Set a time limit to complete your task:

A Time limit acts as the much-needed constraint that allows you focus your effort on a particular task before moving to another. This allows you to have a sense of what is need to be done at a particular time.

3. Plan your schedule ahead:
You can plan what you intend to do for the next day and this gives a sense of importance to what you have itemized. So try writing a to-do list and try sticking to it.

4. Relax in between Tasks:

You don’t want to lose focus while rushing your daily task and it allows you to put less thinking into what you working on. Try relaxing after a task or two, you can have a short walk or have a mini chat with colleagues and start working or completing your task when you feel refreshed.

5. Eliminate Unnecessary tasks:
There are so many unnecessary tasks that stop the real work or task from being done, try identifying them and eliminating them or getting someone else to take responsibility for that task. This frees your time in order to achieve what is important and allows you to have free and personal time to yourself.

These five-time management tips are very important in building a work and life balance and sticking to this would help change your approach to work and increase productivity.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/30/five-tips-you-dont-want-to-miss-out-on-time-management/

Samsung Electronics has announced that its operating profit for the last quarter jumped 46% from a year earlier driven by increased sales of smartphones and televisions as its business continues to flourish amid the pandemic.
The South Korean tech giant also said its quarterly revenue of 65.39 trillion won ($59 billion) was its highest for the first three months of the year.

The company’s operating profit of 9.38 trillion won ($8.5 billion) would have been higher it not for an underperforming semiconductor business, which was impacted by a storm-related shutdown at its chip plant in Austin in February and declining prices of NAND memory chips.

Samsung said it expects its chip business to rebound in the current quarter, driven by stronger demands in servers and a resumption of full operations at its Austin plant. However, the company expects its profit from mobile devices to decline during the period due to supply shortages of some components and slowing sales of its flagship smartphones.

Samsung said its TV business could possibly benefit from major sporting events, such as the UEFA Euro 2020 soccer tournament and the Tokyo Summer Olympics, but that the continued spread of COVID-19 and lockdowns were creating uncertainties.

The company said global demand for its TVs could slow in the second half of the year, due to a “switch of demand from home entertainment to outdoor activities as more countries reach herd immunity” as their populations are vaccinated.

Employees are reflected on revolving door windows with logos of the Samsung Electronics Co. at its office in Seoul, South Korea Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Samsung Electronics said Thursday its operating profit for the last quarter jumped 46% from a year earlier driven by increased sales of smartphones and televisions as its business continues to flourish amid the pandemic.

“For the second half, market conditions (are) expected to improve for the component business with the company continuing to extend product and technology leadership,” Samsung said in a statement. “However, global macroeconomic risks, including uncertainties over demand related to COVID-19, are likely to persist.”

Samsung is coming off a robust business year, with its dual strength in parts and finished products allowing it to benefit from the pandemic and the prolonged trade war between the United States and China.

Samsung’s semiconductor business benefited from increased demand for PCs and servers as virus outbreaks forced millions of people to stay and work at home. U.S. sanctions against China’s Huawei Technologies have meanwhile hindered one of Samsung’s biggest rivals in smartphones, components, and equipment.
Samsung has shown no obvious sign of trouble related to the imprisonment of its vice chairman and de facto chief, Lee Jae-yong. He is serving a 2 1/2-year sentence for bribing then-President Park Geun-hye and her close confidante to win government support for a 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates.

A visitor tries out Samsung Electronics’ notebooks at its shop in Seoul, South Korea Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Samsung Electronics said Thursday its operating profit for the last quarter jumped 46% from a year earlier driven by increased sales of smartphones and televisions as its business continues to flourish amid the pandemic.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/29/samsung-profits-improve-in-q1-on-demand-smartphone-tv-sales/

The Lagos State Government, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has expressed its readiness to partner Eko Wellness in this year’s Eko Wellness Fair and the 6th of its Edition, which would hold on the 1st of May through 7th May, 2021 and its theme as ‘My Mental Health Matters; For Our Collective Prosperity’ as part of Lagos State’ Mental Health Month.
The Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Pharm. Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, while addressing the press during a briefing gave insight into the event. According to her, the event is to be hosted virtually and will accommodate many African based Holistic Practitioners and Wellness businesses to discover local solutions that help to manage daily stress and boost mental wellbeing.

Furthermore, she gave more insights about the theme saying ‘We don’t talk about mental illness or emotional health the same way we talk about physical health. Programs as this are believed to help destigmatize mental illness, raise awareness and empower people to be on the front lines of meeting mental health needs, She also spoke on the Master Plan of Lagos Tourism sector, thereby stating that one of the sectors is Medical and Wellness. In her words “The mental health of a state is important.’’ The importance of Wellness Tourism is such that cuts across all nations of the world.
Uzamat informed all that Wellness Tourism attracts the high-end tourists from developed and developing nations, it increases the economy of not only developed countries but also developing nations, which otherwise are rich in conventional methods of health and wellness.

The Honourable Commissioner went on to mention that the event would involve a Panel of Discussants, Mental Health Doctors, Therapeutic sessions, Shopping for healthy food drinks, Workshop, Cooking demonstrations, Therapy connections, are all the experiences all should expect as the Eko Wellness unfolds. She encouraged the attendees especially Lagosians to use the Wellness Fair as an opportunity to better their overall wellness.

She went further while concluding, that this year’s Eko Wellness Fair, for obvious reasons, would be very unique and at the same time peculiar because of the psychological effect the Covid 19 have caused in the tourism sectors which will be looked into as well as solutions to be proffered while stating her hopes that participants who will not be present at the venue would join the celebration via Zoom and Facebook Livestream.

In her response, the Convener, Oyin Talabi thanked the Hon, Commissioners for Tourism and Health for their support and cooperation towards a successful hosting of the 6th edition of Eko Wellness. She thanked Pharm. Uzamat for taken up Eko Wellness as her baby and product.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/28/lagos-state-government-tourism-joins-in-eko-wellness-fair/

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has queried the Board of the First Bank of Nigeria Plc for removing Dr Adesola Adeduntan, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, without regulatory approval. The query is contained in a letter dated April 28, 2021, signed by the CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Haruna Mustafa.

The letter was addressed to the bank’s Chairman, Ibukun Awosika. Mr Mustafa said that the action was taken without due consultations with the regulatory authorities, especially given the systemic importance of the commercial bank. He noted that the tenure of Mr Adeduntan has yet to expire.

“The CBN was not made aware of any report from the board indicting the managing director of any wrongdoing or misconduct; there appears to be no apparent justification for the precipitate removal.



“We are particularly concerned because the action is coming at a time the CBN has provided various regulatory forbearances and liquidity support to reposition the bank, which has enhanced its asset quality, capital adequacy and liquidity ratios amongst other prudential indicators.

“It is also curious to observe that the sudden removal of the MD/CEO was done about eight months to the expiration of his second tenure which is due on Dec. 31, 2021,” he added. Mustafa noted that the removal of a sitting MD/CEO of a systemically important bank was not good.“

The removal of a sitting MD/CEO of a systemically important bank that has been under regulatory forbearance for five to six years without prior consultation and justifiable basis has dire implications for the bank and also portends significant risks to the stability of the financial system.

“In light of the foregoing, you are required to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against the board for hastily removing the MD/CEO and failing to give prior notice to the CBN before announcing the management change in the media.

“In the meantime, you are directed to desist forthwith from taking any further public/media comments on the matter. Your comprehensive response on the foregoing should reach the Director, Banking Supervision Department, on or before 5 p.m. on April 29, 2021,” he said.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/29/cbn-queries-first-bank-for-appointing-new-md-without-approval/

Nokia today announced that it has been ranked as number one in 5G patents in an independent study.
The strength of Nokia’s industry-leading 5G patent portfolio has once again been confirmed by an independent third party. In its study on Standard Essential Patents (published April 2021), independent analyst firm PA Consulting concluded that Nokia is number one for ownership of granted patents that the researchers found essential to 5G standards.

This is the second time Nokia’s leadership in 5G Standard Essential Patents has been confirmed by PA Consulting’s research. Nokia was ranked as number one in their previous study published in 2019. The analyst firm conducted their own technical analysis of the 5G patent landscape, investigating whether the patents are truly essential to the 5G standard, instead of relying on patent holders’ own raw declaration numbers.

Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies, said:
“These independent findings reflect the significant contribution Nokia makes to developing industry standards, our continuous investment in R&, and the strength of our patent portfolio. The study is also a reminder that you need to look at not just the number of patents but also the quality when assessing the strength of a patent portfolio.”

For over three decades, Nokia has been significantly contributing to the development of industry standards, holding a variety of leadership positions in major industry standardization bodies. In 5G standardization, Nokia is one of the most active contributors and drivers of key features. Several independent third-party studies have ranked Nokia among the top for ownership of patents that have been declared as essential to cellular standards, including 5G.

Nokia’s industry-leading patent portfolio is built on more than €130 billion invested in R& since 2000 and is composed of around 20,000 patent families, including over 3,500 patent families declared essential to 5G.

Nokia contributes its inventions to open standards in return for the right to license them on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Companies can license and use these technologies without the need to make their own substantial investments in R&.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/28/nokia-ranked-as-number-one-in-5g-patents/

TAJBank, a non-interest banking services provider has recorded earnings per share (EPS) of N11.82 for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The EPS, which represented an appreciation of 1,182 per cent on every N1 investment by shareholders, was said to be the highest in the banking industry.

In all, the lender reported N845 million profit after tax (PAT) in its first year of operations, just as its other performance indices recorded an upswing. This, it explained demonstrated the management’s superior financial competencies to create sustainable value for its various stakeholders.

Tajbank’s scorecard was achieved during the financial year amid the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global, and particularly Nigeria’s economic landscape.

In addition, TAJBank grew its total assets from N9.2 billion in 2019 to N50 billion in 2020, representing a 443 per cent increase and a remarkable growth. The bank also grew its agency banking network (TAJExpress), to over 3,000 agents within its first year of operations.

Commenting on the bank’s impressive performance in its maiden year and capacity to break even within nine months of operation, the Founder and Chief Operating Officer, TAJBank, Mr. Hamid Joda, said the feat was indicative of the massive amount of support and encouragement from various bodies and individuals within a period of nine years of operations.

“Breaking even in nine months of operation is a laudable feat and we are appreciative of the enormous support and encouragement that we have received so far.

“We assure our customers that we will continue to ts explore the business landscape with a view to consistently deliver on our mission to provide the very best of products and services to our customers,” Joda said.

Also speaking, the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of the bank, Mr. Sherif Idi, said:

“In our business environment, creating products and services that fully resonate with our customers while addressing their needs is a priority.

“We are delighted with the satisfaction rate and feedback we have received so far on TAJBank, a thought leader in the increasingly dynamic non-interest banking sub-segment of the banking industry, and its numerous value-adding services to customers.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/28/tajbank-records-highest-industry-eps-growth-rate-rakes-in-n845m-profit-in-first-year/

BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers has announced robust results driven by the exceptional growth of U.S. Lighters in Q1, propelled by a shift in market dynamics and trading environment in both Pocket and Utility lighters in Q1’21 Result.
In South Africa, while the overall market was also challenging, declining 9.8%, we grew share by 1.6 points in value in Coloring.

In Nigeria, Net Sales more than doubled, underpinning the continued positive momentum in the BIC’s acquisition of Lucky Stationery and BIC’s efficient route-to-market strategy in the region.

Challenging underlying market trends in core Writing Instruments, worsened by the pandemic in developing countries
Solid performance of Rocketbook in Digital Writing
Continued growth in e-commerce, driven by all channels of trade, and share gains in key markets
Improved manufacturing costs are driven by procurement efficiencies
Sustained Free Cash Flow and solid Net Cash Position
Gonzalve Bich, Chief Executive Officer commented
“Our first-quarter performance was positively impacted by exceptional results in our U.S. Lighter business. Rocketbook, our digital writing business, doubled its sales vs the same period last year, with strong results across all online channels.

In Shavers, we were able to grow in added-value products and in e-commerce amidst underlying weak market trends. While we continue to effectively navigate through a challenging trading environment, we remain cautious for the balance of the year due to uncertainties related to the pandemic, particularly in Latin America and India.

With our Horizon plan serving as our North Star, I am encouraged by the direction that we are taking and the capabilities we are building throughout our organization that will drive accelerated profitable growth.”

The Stationery category continued to be strongly affected by ongoing school and office closures and evolving consumer shopping habits. Latin America, Africa and India, with traditional trade highly impacted by the pandemic remained the hardest hit.

In Europe and North America, sell-out was negatively impacted by the decline in core Writing Instruments segments, such as Ball Pens, at the expense of more positive trends in Coloring.

In Europe, while we lost share in value due to headwinds in core segments, we gained a 0.5-point market share in France10 and 2.1 points in the U.K in Coloring. Sell-in performance was driven by a rebound in demand from Office suppliers in France and Italy and robust e-commerce growth.

In North America, after a weak start to the year, the market rebounded in March and reached 6.2% growth in Q112, driven by Gel and Coloring. We lost 1.1 points market share in value in total Stationery, though we continued to gain share in both Coloring Markers and Coloring Pencils.

In line with our Horizon strategy, we continued to pave our way in the Digital Writing segment with Rocketbook’s integration well underway and outstanding performance, as sales more than doubled versus the same period last year.

Back-to-School seasons in the Southern Hemisphere were heavily disrupted in most countries.

In Latin America, Brazils’ market was down 49.3% in value due to the lockdown measures13. Yet, we gained 2.3 points value share, thanks to gains in both Ball Pens and Coloring markers13.

In India, Cello Net Sales grew double-digit thanks to improving domestic market conditions in Q1 and positive momentum in e-commerce.

Q1 2021 Human Expression division adjusted EBIT margin was 2.6% compared to 0.7% in 2020. This increase was driven by higher Net Sales (including Rocketbook’s), lower Brand Support investments and manufacturing costs savings linked to Procurement efficiencies, which more than offset unfavourable Forex (from Latin American currencies versus USD).

2021 Outlook (based on current market assumptions)
Despite a better-than-expected start of the year and an exceptional performance in Lighters, our Full-Year Net Sales outlook remains unchanged, although we now expect to be at the high end of our +5% to +7% growth objective at constant currencies.

The trading environment remains volatile in Latin America, Africa and India, and the visibility of the upcoming Back-To-School is reduced due to evolving consumer shopping habits. The Group will provide an update on overall business trends alongside its half-year results in July.

The full Year 2021 operating margins should improve thanks to tight management of input costs and further manufacturing efficiencies. The Full Year 2021 Free Cash Flow is expected to be above 200 million euros, driven by strict control of CAPEX and Working Capital.

First Quarter 2021 Net Sales increased 25.6% at constant currencies. The unfavourable impact of currency fluctuations (–9.5 points) was mainly due to the decrease of the U.S. dollar and BRL against the euro4. Excluding the impact of acquisitions and divestitures, growth on a comparative basis was 20.9%.

Growth was driven by the Flame For Life division, with a favourable comparison base, and U.S Lighters contributing approximately 13.5 points to the Group’s Net Sales growth on a comparative basis. This exceptional performance was driven by a shift in market trends (U.S Lighter market grew 11.1% in value YTD March) and customers calibrating Q1 orders to meet unexpected consumers’ demand.

BIC’s overall performance was also boosted by increased pricing vs. Q1 2020, additional distribution, and some customers’ pre-buys ahead of the May 2021 price increase. Our new E.Z. Reach Utility Pocket Lighter continues to be a success, reaching 3.2% of the total Pocket Lighter market at the end of March.

In Human Expression, Rocketbook more than doubled its Net Sales compared to Q1 2020, growing in all online channels, and propelled by efficient promotional activities on Amazon. Nevertheless, the overall Stationery category remains highly challenging, and BIC’s core Writing Instrument business continues to be hit hard by home-schooling and consumers’ evolving shopping habits.

The Blade Excellence division performance was driven by our added-value 5 blades and Hybrid Flex ranges. While the underlying Shaver markets remained weak in the U.S., we held in-store market share globally and outpaced the online market, gaining +2.2 points market share year-to-date March.

E-commerce (excluding Rocketbook) delivered a solid +42% growth compared to the same period last year, propelled by a continued outstanding performance in Pure Players channels (+82% year-on-year) and the rebound of Omniretailers (+20%). Sales grew in most regions, and we continued to gain or hold market share in key markets, supported by increased digital brand support.

In line with the “Invent the Future” roadmap, we achieved a 7.0 million euros incremental benefit in Q1, of which 2.3 million euros in direct and indirect procurement. We continued to adapt our organization by further streamlining our Stationery manufacturing footprint in India from five to four factories.

The impacts from Raw Materials price increases were negligible in Q1 (-0.1 pts on Gross Profit). However, despite improved procurement efficiencies and active mitigation plans, including alternative material sourcing and the use of recycled materials, we expect the current challenging feedstock market conditions to persist in Q2 and weigh on Full Year 2021 Gross Profit margin.

Q1 2021 Free Cash Flow before acquisitions and disposals totalled 36.0 million euros, including 15.9 million euros of CAPEX. Net Cash Position was 393.6 million euros, positively impacted by 173.9 million euros of proceeds from our headquarters’ sale.

The Q1 Gross Profit margin improvement was driven by the strong increase in North America Lighter sales, a decrease in Brand Support above Net Sales and savings linked to manufacturing efficiencies. This was partly offset by adverse forex from Latin American currencies against the U.S. dollar. The strong increase in Net Sales positively impacted Q1 2021 Adjusted EBIT.

Q1 2021 non-recurring items included 167.7 million euros from Clichy Headquarters sale gain, 3.0 million euros from Pimaco divestiture gain, and 3.9 million euros of restructuring costs related to the transformation plan.

Q1 2021 finance revenue decrease is due to 2020’s strong favourable impact of the fair value adjustments to financial assets denominated in USD (versus BRL and MXN).

Q1 2021 effective tax rate was 29.2%, whereas Q1 2020 effective tax rate, excluding Cello impairment, was 31.2%. The decline is primarily due to the decrease in the statutory French tax rate in 20218.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/28/net-sales-more-than-doubled-in-nigeria/

Lagos, 27th April 2021: Paxful, the leading global peer-to-peer fintech, has disclosed that Nigeria is its biggest market with an impressive volume which currently stands at $1.5 billion to date. The P2P platform made this known while also announcing an impressive increase in the number of its Nigerian users to almost 1.5 million.
Ray Youssef, CEO and co-founder of Paxful, said:
“Our mission at Paxful is to give everyone equal access to finance no matter who they are or where they are so they can control their own money and build the future they want with financial freedom.

The financial system is failing 99% of the world’s population; it’s disconnected and out of date. This means there’s no way out of income inequality for a lot of people in the world. With cryptocurrencies, we see an alternative: a way to rest the financial system based on equality.”

“We’re on track for a 20%+ increase in volume this year. We are seeing growth in all our markets and especially among groups or in countries where there’s a real need for cryptocurrencies: where the traditional financial system is failing people, whether that’s because of extreme volatility, strict capital controls or high transaction costs.
People are looking for freedom from these constraints and find that in cryptocurrencies. So, there’s a real increase in people using cryptocurrencies for their original purpose – as currencies and not just as a speculative asset’’.

Globally, Paxful announced that over $5 billion has been traded to date on its platform and it now has over six million users.
As of April 2021, the top 4 countries by volume on Paxful asides Nigeria are China, the US, India, and Kenya.

Founded in 2015 and completely bootstrapped since then, Paxful is a peer-to-peer platform where you can buy and sell digital currencies as the means of exchange and make payments, transactions, and send money.
With close to 400 different ways to buy and sell digital currencies from gift cards to online wallets, Paxful connects you to almost any financial network in the world. The platform just added ETH to the cryptocurrencies available.

Paxful is a peer-to-peer finance platform for people to make payments, transactions, and send money by buying and selling cryptocurrencies as a means of exchange.
Founded in 2015 by Ray Youssef and Artur Schaback, Paxful’s mission is to help everyone have equal access to finance no matter who or where they are.
Over 5 million people use Paxful to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT) with almost 400 different payment methods.

Ray Youssef, co-founder, and CEO of Paxful set up the Built with Bitcoin Foundation to help people have access to education and water. To date, the foundation has built four schools (two in Rwanda, one in Kenya, and one in Nigeria. The Built with Bitcoin Foundation is funded by Paxful and in part by donations from Paxful users.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/27/nigeria-emerges-as-paxfuls-biggest-market-hits-1-5-billion-in-volume-with-over-1-5-million-users/

Rite Foods Limited, a truly world-class and proudly Nigerian food and beverage company has stated that it will continue to produce world-class products for the benefit of its consumers, through the possibility of the state-of-the-art infrastructure and up-to-the-minute technology deployed in its production factory.
This was the submission of the Company’s Managing Director, Mr. Seleem Adegunwa, at the recent Rite Foods Brand Academy organized for content drivers at its first-rate factory at Ososa, Ogun State, where he said the company which started with a humble beginning has set the pace for others in the industry through unique brands that are proven to be unrivaled by consumers.

He said the rapid success of the indigenous company can be attributed to its quality consciousness and technological advancement it has attained.

Adegunwa affirmed that the company’s exceptional brands are produced with machinery that are the best from across the world, thus ensuring the most hygienic and global standard it has maintained since inception.

On a tour of the infrastructure, the content drivers were inundated with the Nigerianess and “I CAN, I AM” mantra of Rite Foods.

They were also amazed at the up-to-date technology installed in the factory, which is automated with little or no – human interference, with artificial intelligence at all phases of the production processes, thereby ensuring the delivery of quality products at optimum capacity.

The Rite Foods MD explained that the factory generates its own source of electricity via the largest solar plant in West Africa, alongside its usage of gas and diesel induced plant connected to the National Grid that facilitates seamless, uninterrupted power supply to the highly sensitive, sophisticated technology infrastructure.

According to him, the global approach was induced to enable the company to deliver unparalleled brands to meet consumers’ expectations, which according to market survey, has been surpassed, with the largest market share in the sausage and beverage sector of the Nigerian economy.

Established in 2007, Rite Foods Limited is a subsidiary of Ess-Ay Holdings.

Its sausage brands have been the mark of excellence for the industry with the Rite Spicy, Bigi Beef, and Rite Sausages.

On the company’s stables are the 12 leading Bigi soft drink variants which include the Bigi Cola, Bigi Orange, Bigi Apple, Bigi Bitter Lemon, Bigi Soda Water, Bigi Lemon & Lime, Bigi Tropical, Bigi Chapman, Bigi Tamarind, Bigi Cherry Cola, Bigi Ginger Lemon, and the Bigi Ginger Ale.

Its Bigi Premium Table Water, which is produced with global best practices in purification, offers quality, freshness, confidence, and reliability.

Rite Foods’ inventiveness has earned high recognition in the energy drinks market with the first-ever packaged polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle brands for the Fearless Red Berry and Fearless Classic.

The effort of Rite Foods in setting up such superlative factories was highly commended by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo when he visited the place. He said, “This is a testament to the true Nigerian spirit of hard work, bold entrepreneurship, and commitment to world class standards.”

The leading company has also made inroads into the entertainment industry with the sponsorship of the Prophetess movie premiere which recently debuts in Oyo and Lagos States, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

Nigerian Idol, a platform for budding and talented singers to express themselves is also been sponsored by this emerging, friendly conglomerate, which also organised a prototype of the show for content drivers in Lagos recently, christened Bigi Media Idol.

In its environmental preservation programme, the organization recently embarked on a clean-up of the Alpha beach in Lagos, and immensely supported the less privileged in one of the communities in the state with consumable household items, as part of its CSR programme.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/26/why-we-continue-to-produce-world-class-products-rite-foods-md/

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says a total volume of 3,464,811,083 transactions valued at N356.47trn was recorded in Q4 2020 as data on Electronic Payment Channels in the Nigeria Banking Sector revealed.
Online transfers dominated the volume of transactions recorded. 2,227,449,949 volume of Online Transfer transactions valued at N120.27trn were recorded in Q4 2020.

In terms of credit to the private sector, the total value of credit allocated by the bank stood at N20.37trn as of Q4 2020. The oil & Gas and Manufacturing sectors got credit allocation of N3.93trn and N3.19trn to record the highest credit allocation as of the period under review.

As of Q4 2020, the total number of Banks’ staff decreased by -0.90% QoQ from 95,888 in Q3 2020 to 95,026.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/26/nigerian-banking-sector-records-transactions-worth-n356-47tn-in-q4-2020-nbs/

In the just concluded week, the Federal Commissioner and Chairman of the Public Affairs Committee of the National Population Commission (NPC), Mr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa, reportedly said that the Commission awaits President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to conduct an accurate and reliable national census by the first quarter of 2022.
He noted that plans are underway to commence work as the President had recently approved N10 billion intervention fund which enabled the Commission to carry out Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) of 629 Local Government Areas – EAD precedes the conduct of the national census and it is expected to be completed by July 2021.

The enumeration of the local government areas would help the Commission determine the number of enumerators to be deployed during the national census. Notably, the Commission promised to deploy technological innovations, which include customized software that would fast-track demarcation of areas, and high imagery resolution satellite technology.

In another development, the State Governors finally pledged to implement the financial autonomy granted to state Judiciaries and legislatures by the 1999 constitution, as amended, after the Judicial workers embarked on several weeks of indefinite strike action to press on their demand.

The state governors have unnecessarily dragged the financial independence of the other arms of government for so long, despite the signing of Executive Order 10 (that enforces the constitutional provisions for financial autonomy for the state, judiciaries) by the Federal Government, as the financial dependency of the Judiciaries and legislatures gave the state governors controlling power over the other tiers of government.

We feel that the conduct of the national census has been long overdue given the importance of accurate data to making strategic and economic plans in a country – the last national census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006.
The World Bank estimated Nigeria’s population to be 200,963,599 people in 2019, increasing from 195,874,740 people in 2018.
These figures which were based on mere estimates can only propel minimal development.
Hence, with the eventual conduct of the national census, the country may be on the right track to reviewing its national population policy as it affects the birth rate, access to health, affordable housing and other social-economic needs that would allow Nigerians to function effectively.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/25/nigeria-to-conduct-census-in-q12022-as-npc-demarcates-629-lgas-for-headcount/

The Professional E-hailing Drivers and Partners Association (PEDPA), under whose umbrella Uber and Bolt drivers fall, recently commenced a strike action.
Uber and Bolt have remained the biggest players in the ride-hailing industry in Nigeria since their arrival till date.

They have established their dominance over the industry thus making it hard for new entrants to breathe.

These two brands compete a lot using pricing rather than clear differentiation. The pricing war birthed a lot of promos and low fare prices aimed at attracting customers to use their platform. This pricing war, however, has affected the drivers who do the actual work of taking passengers to their destination.

The Umbrella body housing Uber and Bolt drivers have written severally to both companies on having a roundtable discussion about reviewing their fares in order to reduce the impact of the current inflation rate and fuel price hike as these two factors were negatively impacting the drivers.

The association wanted Uber and Bolt to increase their base fare from 500 Naira to 1000 Naira. However, every means to get Uber and Bolt to discuss a fare review failed. The lack of action and response from Uber and Bolt has led to the current downing of tools by the drivers.

It seems Uber and Bolt have refused to negotiate because they felt any upward review of the base fare will affect their business, considering the fact that there are more competitive e-hailing companies springing up and making prices low would help keep the new competition out of business.

While this low-cost approach to business might be a business strategy for Uber and Bolt, the low fare and high commission remitted to Uber and Bolt is seriously affecting the drivers. Uber charges 25% commission per trip while Bolt charges 20% commission per trip and in as much as these companies are in this for profit, their business can only thrive when the benefits are mutual and the drivers are also happy.

The association created was made in order to support and fight for the drivers. However in a chat with Obagunla Opayemi, a driver who does not belong to the association, he made known that “most drivers don’t believe in the association because many believe that those who formed the association are in for their selfish interest”. This is probably why we can see a lot of drivers staying away from the protest thereby reducing the impact of the protest.

A happy Driver relates with the passenger well and is helpful in rendering further assistance to the passengers and that would keep this brand in the business because the brand would be in the good book of the passengers and that is why the happiness of the drivers should be prioritized.

Many Uber and Bolt drivers get their cars from high purchase agreements that require them to pay weekly while some remit money to car owners who give their cars out for business and expect an agreed weekly return.

These factors coupled with high commission, low fares, and car maintenance have made drivers overwork themselves just to make a living.

It is evident that a new competitor might be able to latch upon this opportunity if more drivers are able to partake in this protest. According to Mr. Obagunla Opeyemi, there is an e-hailing company trying to compete in this space named “inDriver” and this competitor is probably trying to understand the current landscape by currently not receiving any commission for now however the challenge with this new platform is that it does not automatically link drivers with passengers thereby allowing the drivers to stick with Uber and Bolt.

The Strike action is probably an opportunity for this new entrant to understand the grievances of the drivers and work towards coming with a better package in order to fully compete with Uber and Bolt. For any of the ride-hailing companies, attracting customers is important but so is making the drivers happy. The ability to balance these two variables would help build a business that can withstand competitive pressure.

The constant overworking culture is one that needs to be stopped and the strike by this association is a valid argument against how people get overworked and earn peanuts. The way this issue might be addressed is going to determine whether the culture of overworking for drivers will continue and how future negotiations would go.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/24/ongoing-strike-action-by-uber-and-bolt-drivers-the-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back/

Paypal’s Venmo Launches Crypto Service
Venmo, a service by Paypal, announced Tuesday the launch of “crypto on Venmo,” which it described as “a new way for Venmo’s more than 70 million customers to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency directly within the Venmo app.”

Users can start investing in cryptocurrencies with just $1 using the Venmo app. Customers can use funds from their Venmo balance or link a bank account or a debit card for the purchase.

Darrell Esch, senior vice president and general manager at Venmo, commented: “Our goal is to provide our customers with an easy-to-use platform that simplifies the process of buying and selling cryptocurrencies and demystifies some of the common questions and misconceptions that consumers may have.”

Venmo is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services, its website explains, noting that buying, selling, and holding cryptocurrency with Venmo is not available in Hawaii and where prohibited by law. “Crypto on Venmo is enabled through Paypal’s partnership with Paxos Trust Company, a regulated provider of cryptocurrency products and services,” the announcement notes.

More than 30% of Venmo customers have already started purchasing cryptocurrencies or equities, 20% of which started during the pandemic, the 2020 Venmo Customer Behavior Study reveals.

What do you think about Venmo launching this crypto service?
Let us know in the comments section below.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/23/paypals-venmo-launches-crypto-trading-for-70-million-users/

Audiomack has partnered with MTN Nigeria to unveil the Audiomack+MTN Data Bundle program (www.MTN.tc.Audiomack.com), which offers MTN subscribers tailored data bundles for streaming unlimited music and accessing content on Audiomack free of data charges.
The partnership will see MTN subscribers gain free access to Audiomack’s streaming service via their mobile devices on weekly and monthly subscriptions. The weekly plan offers 1.2GB + Free Audiomack at N270 while the monthly plan offers 2.5GB + Free Audiomack at N550.

Commenting on the partnership, Dave Macli, CEO and Co-Founder of Audiomack Africa said, “At Audiomack, we recognise the importance of access to quality music, and this coupled with Nigeria’s vibrant music industry has influenced this partnership. This relationship not only allows us to create shared value for MTN subscribers by delivering the best musical experiences but also enables us to further connect with the Nigerian music fans.”

Charlotte Bwana, Head of Business Development and Media Partnerships for Audiomack Africa described the partnership as a reinforcement of Audiomack’s commitment towards democratising music streaming, a mission from which MTN subscribers will greatly benefit from.

“High data costs are one of the barriers to music streaming and we are glad to be partnering with Africa’s leading telecommunications company to provide the Audiomack+ Data Bundle. We are truly excited to offer the best and hottest new musical tracks—a mix of real-time trending, top charts, and expertly-curated playlists to MTN subscribers.”

Also speaking, Srinivas Rao, Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria said, “Collaboration is not just rhetoric for us; it is the guiding philosophy behind everything we do. We are good together. We recognize the growing need of our customers to have more options to access entertainment and have partnered with Audiomack to offer them an uninterrupted stream of the best, newest and most diverse music selections.”

With millions of monthly active users in Nigeria, Audiomack continues to demonstrate its commitment to moving music forward across the region by providing accessibility for all.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/22/audiomack-partners-mtn-to-bring-music-streaming-to-over-76-million-subscribers-at-zero-data-cost/

Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has listed Emzor Pharmaceuticals Plc’s N13.7 billion 5-Year Series 1 Fixed Rate Senior Unsecured Bond due 2026 under its N50 billion Debt Issuance Programme.
According to the Nigerian Exchange, the listing of the bond showed that it was becoming the preferred listing destination for companies seeking to raise capital via corporate bonds, including private companies.

The exchange explained that at the time of its issuance on 20 January 2021, the bond saw solid interest from a diverse pool of institutional investors, and was priced at a coupon rate of 10.00 per cent per annum. With this listing, members of the general public who invested in the bond can now sell their investments, while those who wish to invest can do so.

Speaking on the significance and success of the bond issuance, the Group Managing Director, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Stella Okoli, said:
“This first-time bond issuance is a fantastic achievement for Emzor and is in line with our commitment to facilitate unlimited wellness by delivering quality and affordable medicines for all.

“The capital raised will, therefore, drive and accelerate our expansion plans, delivering strong growth and margin improvement. We recognize the efforts of the investor community ensuring the success of this bond issuance and commit to upholding their confidence in us as we deliver on our long-term growth strategy.”

She said Emzor Pharmaceutical had become a household name and continued to establish its footprint as a leading manufacturer of high-quality pharmaceutical and medical consumables in Nigeria. According to the company, that facilitated by lead issuing house, Renaissance Securities (Nigeria) Limited, and joint issuing house, Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited, the debut offering was without a doubt, a testament to its growth potential and the level of confidence placed on the brand by the investing community.

On its part, NGX Limited said it would continue to deliver on its commitment to provide a platform for issuers and investors to meet their investment objectives. It noted that just a week ago, BUA Cement’s debut listed an N115billion bond issue, the largest of many corporate debt issuances in the history of the Nigerian capital market.

Meanwhile, the stock market extended gains for the third consecutive trading session as a result of price appreciation in Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.

Consequently, the NGX All-Share Index rose 0.29 percent to close at 39,128.34. The year-to-date decline moderated to 2.8 percent.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/22/ngx-lists-n13-7bn-emzor-pharmaceuticals-bond/

Nestlé, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have today announced a new partnership to support broad and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
With more than CHF 6 million of new financial support from Nestlé, the partnership will accelerate the delivery of vaccines to underserved communities around the world.

“The development of effective vaccines against COVID-19 has given the world hope,” said Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “Our partnership with Nestlé will help secure quick and equitable access to vaccines to those most in need, particularly in low-income countries.”

Nestlé’s donation approach allows for a flexible response, including a contribution to the IFRC global appeal as well as targeted in-country support in vulnerable countries and regions including in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.

Much of the work on the ground will be through the local structures of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It will focus on the establishment of vaccination sites, the transport of vaccines, information campaigns and promotion of the vaccination of high-risk groups.

Lisa Gibby, Head of Corporate Communications at Nestlé said:
“Nestlé’s collaboration with the IFRC during this pandemic builds on a two-decade-long partnership. Together, we can support vaccine equity and help communities everywhere find a way out of this crisis.”

This donation complements a recently announced contribution to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. This fund supports plans by COVAX to rapidly scale up the international delivery of vaccines to low-income countries.

We are also working directly with government authorities in some countries to provide donations and support for local vaccination programs.

Through these combined initiatives Nestlé has committed CHF 10 million to equitable vaccination efforts to date.

The support for equitable access to vaccines is just the latest phase in Nestlé’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to engage in the fight against the pandemic and its consequences, protecting people, maintaining the global food supply and giving a helping hand to our local communities.

Nestlé and the IFRC are long-standing partners. In 2020, the two organizations responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in a joint effort aimed at supporting caregivers and strengthening healthcare systems. The program benefited millions of people in communities across 50 countries in all parts of the world.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/22/nestle-partners-with-ifrc-on-equitable-covid-19-vaccination/

Microsoft’s Project xCloud is set to bring Xbox gaming to Windows 10 PC and Apple Phones and Tablets as Limited Beta for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Members.
According to a press statement made available to Brand Spur Nigeria, the mission is to empower Xbox users to play the games they want with others, anywhere you want.

“Our mission at Xbox is to empower you to play the games you want with the people you want, anywhere you want. Simply put, we believe games have the power to connect humanity and it’s our mission to make gaming more accessible to people around the world”.
“As we shared at the end of last year, we’re bringing Xbox to more players on more devices via the cloud this year. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin sending out invites to select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to start testing the Xbox Cloud Gaming limited beta for Windows 10 PCs and Apple phones and tablets via web browsers.

“We’re launching xbox.com/play where invitees can play over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles through Edge, Google Chrome, or Safari. Offering cloud gaming through the browser and having a simplified, universal landing page presents a great opportunity to make cloud gaming approachable to more players in more places over time.

“The limited beta is our time to test and learn; we’ll send out more invites on a continuous basis to players in all 22 supported countries, evaluate feedback, continue to improve the experience, and add support for more devices.

“Our plan is to iterate quickly and open up to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the coming months so more people have the opportunity to play Xbox in all-new ways.

“Those who receive an invite just need a compatible Bluetooth or USB-connected controller or can use custom touch controls for more than 50 games to start playing and testing. In the early stages of the beta, we’ll be focusing on fine-tuning features and creating a consistent experience across platforms, while making sure games are running their best. For more information on how to play, an updated list of supported devices, and release notes, please visit our support hub.

This is an exciting step on our journey to bring gaming to the 3 billion players around the world. Thanks so much for helping us shape cloud gaming, from the early days in Preview to today, quite simply we couldn’t have done it without you.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/22/microsoft-brings-xbox-gaming-to-apple-phones-and-tablets/

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report for the month of March 2021 on transport watch, the average fare paid by commuters for journey by motorcycle (Okada) per drop increased by 1.76% month-on-month and by 102.46% year-on-year to N271.44 in March 2021 from N266.74 in February 2021.
Further analysis by Brand Spur revealed that states with the highest journey fare by motorcycle per drop were:
Rivers – N420.35
Taraba – N420.15
Yobe – N420.10

While states with the lowest journey fare by motorcycle per drop were:
Adamawa – N90.43
Katsina – N147.64
Niger – N159.20
Bus Transport Fare
The average fare paid by commuters for bus journey within the city increased by 4.42% month-on-month and by 82.50% year-on-year to N377.27 in March 2021 from N361.31 in February 2021.

States with the highest bus journey fare within the city were Zamfara (N618.23), Bauchi (N597.14) and Ekiti (N500.15)
States with the lowest bus journey fare within the city were Oyo (N197.55), Abia (N209.87) and Borno (N258.14).
The average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity increased by 1.62% month-on-month and by 42.58% year-on-year to N2,411.29 in March 2021 from N2,372.87 in February 2021.

States with the highest bus journey fare intercity were Abuja FCT (N4,576.28), Lagos (N3,425.18) and Sokoto (N3,380.20)
States with the lowest bus journey fare within the city were Bayelsa (N1,700.19), Enugu (N1,720.45) and Bauchi (N1,725.35).

Air Transport Fare
Average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey increased by 0.10% month-on-month and by 18.71% year-on-year to N36,495.41 in March 2021 from N36,458.11 in February 2021.

States with the highest air fare were Anambra/Lagos (N38,600.00), Delta/Jigawa (N38,500.00), Bauchi (N38,450.00)
States with the lowest airfare were Akwa-Ibom (N32,700.00), Sokoto (N33,200.00), and Katsina (N35,150.00).

The average fare paid by passengers for water way passenger transport increased by 1.81% month-on-month and by 43.52% year-on-year to N808.38 in March 2021 from N794.02 in February 2021.

States with the highest fare by water way passenger transport were Bayelsa (N2,300.80), Delta (N2,300.60) and Rivers (N2,285.67)
States with the lowest fare by water way passenger transport were Borno (N250.30), Gombe (N320.15) and Abuja FCT (N350.79).

WaterWay Transport Fare
The average fare paid by passengers for waterway passenger transport increased by 1.81% month-on-month and by 43.52% year-on-year to N808.38 in March 2021 from N794.02 in February 2021.

States with the highest fare by waterway passenger transport were Bayelsa (N2,300.80), Delta (N2,300.60), and Rivers (N2,285.67).
States with the lowest fare by water way passenger transport were Borno (N250.30), Gombe (N320.15), and Abuja (N350.79).

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/21/motorcycle-okada-commuters-paid-more-102-46-in-march-2021-nbs/

Last year, it was revealed that The Coca-Cola Foundation committed thousands of dollars to innovative initiatives such as the RecyclesPay Project, a programme through which waste collection was incentivised for vulnerable communities.
This year, The Coca-Cola Foundation is sticking to this tested formula through the Cash 4 Trash Initiative, implemented by local NGOs, W.A.S.T.E Africa, in partnership with MEDIC.

Intuitive thinking from numerous NGOs saw a proliferation of out-of-the-box ideas to reduce the country’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gases.

With Coca-Cola identifying these local NGOs and empowering them to do more, it’s safe to say positive behavioural change is already occurring, even though the country still has a long way to go. With the Coca-Cola “Cash 4 Trash” initiative, the trust in an incentive-based system is purely empirical, and that’s what makes it so effective.

Here’s all you need to know about the purpose of the initiative:

Behavioural Change

Current data shows that Nigeria generates more than 32 million tons of solid waste annually with only 20–30% collected. These startling numbers and percentages are a testament to the general populace’s attitude towards recycling and waste management — posing a major challenge for those seeking to shape behaviours favourably.

The Cash 4 Trash Initiative not only seeks to drive a faster approach to eliminate waste off the streets but also instilling positive attitudes in Nigerians towards adopting healthier environmental practices. Through the initiative, Coca-Cola seeks to encourage a change in the consumption habits of individuals and communities.

Waste Collection, Meet Technology: Or The Pakam App
Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? The “Pakam” app. This ingenious creation is a by-product of the innovative incentivised system adopted by the Cash 4 Trash Initiative. Through the Pakam app, recyclers and interested participants can request a pick up of plastic waste collected at the tap of a button.

This cutting-edge technology, utilised by the initiative, eliminates the stress associated with managing copious amounts of plastic waste. The technology connects waste from the general public to waste companies in real-time and also harbours a host of features including Waste Bin schedule monitoring, route navigation, real-time collection of waste, and more.

Trash Is The New Cash
In partnership with WASTE Africa and MEDIC, the Pakam app has been enabled to ensure individual recyclers receive online and automated payment for their recycling efforts. With the app or USSD code, recyclers and interested parties can now report waste for pick-up and subsequently get paid in the process.

Indeed, it’s a very exciting time for the women and members of the Ajah community as they get to experience firsthand the many benefits of Coca-Cola’s “Cash 4 Trash” Initiative.

Not only will this initiative aid environmental sustainability in line with the company’s World Without a Waste mandate to collect and recycle a bottle or can — regardless of where it comes from — for every one it sells by 2030, this initiative will also ensure the economic empowerment of thousands (and potentially millions of women, should the scale of the initiative be bolstered).

With support from The Coca-Cola Foundation to multiple local NGOs, several recycling and women empowerment programs are constantly being implemented to enable environmental sustainability while ensuring economic empowerment.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/21/cash-from-trash-heres-how-coca-cola-is-tackling-plastic-waste-in-nigeria/

Just as Twitter opened its headquarters in Ghana, Amazon is also tolling that path with concluded plans to open its African headquarters in South Africa with a real estate investment of over R4 billion ($279 million).
Authorities in Cape Town noted that Amazon would be occupying a new development in River Club, a prime section of the city, local media reported.

This new development will create 5,239 jobs in the construction phase alone. Along with 19,000 indirect and induced jobs.

The 15-hectare parcel of land will cost R4 billion and include two precincts. Authorities said the first precinct of 60,000sqm would occupy different layers of development, while the second section of 70,000 will hold Amazon headquarters in Africa.

“US retail giant, Amazon, will be the anchor tenant, opening a base of operations on the African continent,” Cape Town city officials said in a statement. “The development is envisaged to take place in phases, with construction set to take place over three to five years.

“It is clear that this development offers many economic, social, and environmental benefits for the area. We are committed to driving investment to revitalize the economy, which is slowly recovering following the impact of Covid-19.”

Brand Spur recalls that a few weeks ago, Twitter picked Ghana for its first African office and headquarters. Twitter said Ghana’s democratic and economic strides made the West African country a highly competitive destination over Nigeria and other countries.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/21/amazon-set-to-open-african-headquarters-in-south-africa/

Tullow Oil plc, a leading independent oil and gas exploration, and production company announced the start of a multi-year, multi-well drilling campaign offshore Ghana with the commencement of drilling of the first well at the Jubilee Offshore Field on Monday the 5th of April 2021.
The London, United Kingdom, headquartered multinational company, Tullow Oil is a well-established and recognised oil explorer and producer, operating across Africa and South America.

As previously announced, the Maersk Venturer, which has been contracted for four years, is expected to drill four wells in total in 2021, consisting of two Jubilee production wells, one Jubilee water injector well and one TEN gas injector well.

The 2021 drilling campaign is the first part of Tullow’s 10-year Business Plan which was presented at Tullow’s Capital Markets Day in November 2020. The Ghana portfolio has a large resource base with extensive infrastructure already in place.

Through a rigorous focus on costs and capital discipline, Tullow believes that these assets have the potential to generate material cash flow over the next decade and deliver significant value for Ghana and investors.

Throughout this campaign, Tullow will continue to implement its Shared Prosperity strategy through a strong local content programme with suppliers in Ghana, the professional and technical development of Ghanaian nationals and continued investment in STEM education, enterprise development and shared infrastructure.

Rahul Dhir, Chief Executive Officer, Tullow Oil plc, commented today:
“Today is an important milestone in the implementation of our long-term Business Plan. Working closely with the Government of Ghana and our joint venture partners in Ghana, I am confident that we will unlock the full potential from the Jubilee and TEN fields through this multi-year, multi-well drilling programme.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/20/drilling-of-first-well-at-jubilee-offshore-field-in-ghana-commences/

With the company committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, Nestlé last year published a roadmap laying out how it will achieve the goal.
Reducing the carbon footprint of key agricultural raw materials such as cocoa, milk, and coffee, will play a vital role.

In a major breakthrough, Nestlé plant scientists have developed a new generation of low carbon coffee varieties, through classical non-GMO breeding and by harnessing the plant’s natural biodiversity. Compared to standard varieties, the two new Robusta varieties deliver up to 50% higher yields per tree. Because more coffee can be produced using the same amount of land, fertilizer and energy, the result is an up to 30% reduction in the CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) footprint of the green coffee beans.

Since green beans account for 40-80% of the CO2e emissions of a cup of coffee, these breakthrough varieties significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with coffee consumption.

One of these new Robusta varieties with up to 50% higher yields has already been successfully trialed on fields and is now being grown by farmers in Central America. Ultimately, such new varieties will help farmers earn a better living by enabling them to grow more high-quality coffee on the same amount of land, sustainably, and with a lower carbon footprint.

Similarly, Nestlé is developing new higher-yielding Arabica varieties that are also bred to be more resistant to ‘coffee leaf rust’ – a plant disease that has devastated coffee plantations across the Americas. This also contributes to a higher yield while using the same amount of fertilizer and land.

Furthermore, Nestlé plant scientists have also developed a drought-resistant coffee variety, currently being trialed on fields in Central Africa, that delivers up to 50% higher yields per plant under moderate to severe water stress. This will support the continuation of coffee cultivation in regions impacted by climate change.

Nestlé CTO Stefan Palzer says: “Thanks to the expertise of our plant scientists in selection and classical breeding, and by leveraging our rich collection of coffee varieties, we were able to develop this new generation of low carbon and drought-resistant coffee plants. In doing so, we will contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2e emissions associated with coffee consumption. We will also enable farmers in regions affected by climate change to continue to produce great coffee.”

Work on new plant varieties is led by the Nestlé Research center for plant sciences in Tours, France. Through classical breeding, the scientists continuously develop improved coffee varieties which are then tested on the company’s experimental farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Finally, the new plantlets are proliferated and distributed to farmers globally through Nestlé’s sustainable sourcing programs and partnerships with local agricultural institutes and cooperatives.

Since 2011, Nestlé has distributed 235 million high-performing coffee plantlets through the Nescafé Plan, and the new varieties are being included in this sustainable sourcing program. Similarly, the Nespresso AAA Program is committed to improving coffee quality and sustainability, which involves distributing improved plantlets to farmers.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/20/nestle-scientists-discover-unique-low-carbon-and-drought-resistant-coffee-varieties/

The social audio app, Clubhouse recently announced that it has closed its Series C funding round, which values the company at USD 4 billion. The round was led by the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz with investors Tiger Global and DST Global joining for the first time.
Co-founder and CEO Paul Davidson confirmed the news in Sunday’s town hall with users.

The social audio app has received plenty of hype in recent months, attracting an unending stream of press and mystique. It reports about 10 million monthly active users but has experienced some significant fall-off in new growth this spring. While the app is still invite-only and iOS-only, it faces serious competition from Twitter Spaces which, while in beta, has already rolled out to Android users.

Spotify, Discord, Linkedin and Facebook are all making moves into the social audio space as well, signalling that Clubhouse will have to fight for the format it pioneered.

In Sunday’s town hall with the Clubhouse community, Davidson and co-founder Rohan Seth laid out priorities for the company, which included better discoverability features and better notification settings. They also said they’re working to improve their server capabilities.

The company said in a blog post,
“While we’ve quadrupled the size of our team this year, stabilized our infrastructure, launched Payments in beta to help creators monetize, and readied Android for launch, there is so much more to do as we work to bring Clubhouse to more people around the world, It’s no secret that our servers have struggled a bit these past few months, and that our growth has outpaced the early discovery algorithms our small team originally built.”

The company has been on a hiring spree, filling out its leadership team with Maya Watson as global head of marketing, Fadia Kader as head of media partnerships and Sean Brown as head of sports partnerships.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/04/19/social-audio-app-clubhouse-is-now-a-4-billion-company/