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 Education / PMI Urges Schools To Embrace Digital Literacy In Schools by postbox: 9:48pm On Feb 17, 2023 |
To bridge the digital divide in Africa, George Asamani, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa at Project Management Institute (PMI), has urged schools in the continent to adopt three ‘R’- ‘reading’, ‘riting’ and ‘rithmetic’ to deepen digital literacy that would empower the next generation. Speaking at the media intervention recently, Asamani stated that digital literacy is the ability to use, create, and communicate with digital technologies and media. It’s an imperative in Africa because it can enable better education, innovation, and economic growth. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 230 million jobs will require digital skills by 2030, according to the Digital Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa report that IFC recently published,” he added. Africa controls 70% of the world’s $1trillion mobile money market, which lulls you into believing the continent is a land of digital abundance. Being Pollyanna about the explosive growth in mobile payments masks the full magnitude of the digital divide. For instance, he said, “Compared with other regions in the world Sub-Saharan Africa still has the highest monthly cost, as a percentage of GDP, for one gigabyte of data. “The success of mobile money and the resultant rise of African techpreneurs has spurred the technology investment scene on the continent. During the last decade, the promise of Africa’s $180bn digital economy started an undersea cable race among Silicon Valley giants to build the region’s internet infrastructure. However, urgent action is still very much required – as the African continent needs a smarter approach to addressing data illiteracy and digital skills shortages.” “The information explosion we have today is something we have never seen before. Data is all around us, and it is playing a vital, ever-growing role in our lives and livelihoods – even when we do not always realise it. Connectivity is enriching the human experience, but only for those who are connected,” Asamani revealed. According to the 2021 Ibrahim Forum Report, 82% of pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to the internet and 89% to household computers. At least 20 million people live in areas not covered by a mobile network. Moreover, wide gender disparities in ownership of and access to digital devices have left many girls behind. Also, only 50% of countries have computer skills as part of their school curriculum, compared with 85% globally. Although increased internet access and related infrastructure profoundly affect the continent, they are only partial solutions to narrowing the digital divide. People often limit the divide to access and devices, without acknowledging the gulf between people with digital skills and those without. The new work opportunities that technology is creating need people to be digitally literate, with more than just the ability to use the internet. These include skills in data analytics, app development and network management. However, policymakers have primarily focused on delivering visible results: affordable internet, with little influence on strategies to address skill development. Outside of Kenya, where coding was introduced in primary and secondary schools last year, curricula at best address basic computer literacy — the ability to use a computer. Speaking on policies the managing director of PMI said, “Policies to promote digital literacy in Africa are important to address the challenges of digital divide on the continent. Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy is a good example of a policy that seeks to drive digital literacy and make Nigeria a global outsourcing destination for digital jobs. The strategy emphasises the need to partner with relevant institutions to promote globally competitive training that focuses on digital technologies. A practical example is Nigeria’s collaboration with IBM. With technology evolving rapidly, students and workers need access to flexible and affordable reskilling pathways to transition into new digital careers. Universities must also look at how they can deliver a talent bench to take up these jobs. Project Management Institute, a non-profit organisation, has been advocating to make it easier for students to access skills development opportunities over the internet. It offers free citizen development courses to interested universities in Africa. But coordinating mechanisms are needed to improve interaction and collaboration across government, educational institutes, training providers and businesses. Citizen development is one of the strategies to improve digital literacy. Citizen developers create software and applications with little or no coding experience and will be central to digital transformation in the future. If we continue to ignore technological progress and the accelerating rate of new skill sets required, we will produce a workforce unfit for the 230 million jobs requiring digital skills by 2030 (IFC 2019 Digital Skills Report). “As we face the fourth industrial revolution, improving access at the expense of the ability to code and participate in the digital economy is squandering the best opportunity in decades to close the digital divide,” Asamani added. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/17/pmi-urges-schools-to-embrace-digital-literacy-in-schools/
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| Politics / CBN Opens Portal For Deposit Of Old Naira Notes by postbox: 7:40pm On Feb 16, 2023 |
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has opened a portal for Nigerians to to deposit the old Naira notes by filling up forms. This development comes after the adjournment of the case on the legality of the February 10, 2023 deadline for the Naira Swap to February 22 by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court adjourned the case till February 22, 2023, and ordered that the old Naira notes remain legal tender until it sits next week Wednesday. Meanwhile, the portal for depositing old Naira notes has opened up on the Central Bank’s official website. On the portal, which is on cbn.gov.ng, depositors are required to fill in their Bank Verification Number (BVN), phone number, email address, bank details, address, the amount to be deposited as well as the denominations to be deposited, after which a reference number is generated. A guideline on the deposit of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes commenced on Wednesday afternoon and is expected to run till Friday, February 17. To deposit their old notes at the CBN branches, customers would be required to have a completed online application form, copy of valid means of identification, and a completed teller. Once the account is verified, the equivalent of the cash would then be deposited in the customer’s bank account. “The CBN Branches do not open accounts for individuals. As such, Individuals who wish to deposit their old, redesigned notes must have an active account with a Deposit Money Bank (Commercial Bank). “Individuals who wish to deposit their old, redesigned notes are required to be orderly and comply with the instructions of the security personnel and other staff when in the Bank’s premises. if validation turns out negative, the Bank will return the unvalidated old, redesigned notes in the form deposited,” the guideline reads. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/16/cbn-opens-portal-for-deposit-of-old-naira-notes/
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| Business / Naira Scarcity: Nigerians Can Now Report POS Operators Charging Above 200 – CBN by postbox: 1:37pm On Feb 15, 2023 |
With the scarcity in the circulation of new notes and the old notes being rejected by traders and danfo drivers in some parts of the country, some POS operators are now charging above N200 for N1000 and as much as 2500 for N10000. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stepped in and released a list of emergency telephone numbers that Nigerians could use to report Point of Sale agents who are engaging in the selling of new naira notes or charging above N200 for withdrawal of cash for up to N10,000. According to Mr. Joseph Omayuku, Director of CBN’s Governor’s Department made this known on Tuesday, in a briefing with journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Capital. Mr. Joseph warned individuals and bodies engaging in such illegal practices henceforth. He also advised members of the public to report those who fail to comply with the directive by reaching out to the CBN contact center on 07002255226, Telephone Ext: 711025-7; or sending an email to contact@cbn.gov.ng and its social media handles. Nigerians have endured the scarcity of new naira notes since the commencement of the first deadline date in January before another 10 days was added and still, it seems there is no endor solution to the naira problem, while some governors have resolved to sue the Federal Government for the sufferings experienced by the people in their respective state. Although Nigerians have been advised to go cashless and make use of online payment platforms or mobile banking for their transactions, this solution has so far been marred by failed transactions. Observers have come out to say the challenges experienced by digital platforms to process the increasing number of online transactions due to the naira redesign policy is because the platform is not strong enough, however, the apex bank has countered these reports saying it is “not as bad as to warrant rejection of transfer payments.” SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/15/naira-scarcity-nigerians-can-now-report-pos-operators-charging-above-200-cbn/
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| Business / How Deepened Internet Penetration Will Scale SME Activity In Nigeria by postbox: 2:41pm On Feb 14, 2023 |
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) among other obstacles are faced with the inability to have a seamless business operation due to internet connectivity. There is a need to digitalise businesses for a wider reach and global influence. Service providers have come up with strategies to enhance internet access. 3G, 4G, and 5G are now the standard levels of internet connectivity. Internet penetration as a crucial indicator for the adoption of technologies accesses the usage of the internet in regions as demographics is a factor. Internet penetration is lower in many developing nations because of poor infrastructure, expensive expenses, and restricted access to technology. As more individuals acquire access to technology and the infrastructure for internet connectivity develops, the rate of internet penetration keeps increasing. As a result, SpaceX introduced Starlink, an internet satellite service that promises to address the problems of regional internet service providers by using satellites that are sent into orbit. The Starlink service provides Internet connection to some of the world’s most remote regions using low-orbiting satellites. This is done to spread the internet over the world. The creation of the internet has aided in the advancement of commerce and lifestyles and served as the basis for numerous subsequent innovations. SMEs are not left out in the vision of Starlink. Starlink makes it possible for SMEs to access the internet with quick and dependable broadband packages. The ongoing expansion of Internet accessibility and affordability will lead to commercial growth for businesses of all sizes. Starlink will result in small enterprises growing sustainably. Low-cost access to the internet and data services enables small businesses to concentrate on what they do best—serve clients and generate income. In developing nations, access to dependable and fast internet is limited, especially in rural and small towns where conventional broadband services are frequently unavailable or unreliable. By giving them access to dependable and fast internet, Starlink’s satellite-based broadband internet service might have a substantial influence on small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Adoption of improved technologies: A global, enhanced internet service has several positive effects on how businesses are delivered. Adopting new technologies and integrating with advancements made around the world is relatively simple for remote regions. By allowing SMEs to participate in e-commerce, reach new markets, and utilize cloud-based solutions, the availability of dependable and high-speed broadband can positively affect SME activities. The effect on this is increased productivity of SMEs activities. Access to wider user base: Increasing the user base already in place is crucial for business expansion. Access to a wider user base can make it easier to expand your customers, increase revenue, and penetrate new markets. Low latency: Business activities, communication, and feedback from remote places are not delayed in a low traffic internet environment. Predictions indicate that there will be a significant impact on how widely SMEs use the internet. Starlink may be able to offer SMEs high-speed internet access and support big data transmission because of its worldwide coverage and low latency. Business processes will become more productive and efficient with depending on outdated wired internet connections thereby, generating more revenue. In summary, Starlink has a greater positive impact on SMEs operations than it would cost to purchase it, and the expected expansion of its internet penetration has the potential to greatly aid in the scaling of SMEs activities. SMEs can create income at a reasonable cost if they have access to quick and dependable internet connectivity. SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/13/how-deepened-internet-penetration-will-scale-sme-activity-in-nigeria/
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| Sports / Media Accreditation Process For The Best FIFA Football Awards™ Launched by postbox: 6:31pm On Feb 13, 2023 |
FIFA is pleased to announce that the media accreditation process for The Best FIFA Football Awards™ 2022, which will take place at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, France, on 27 February 2023, has now been launched. The deadline for submitting accreditation requests is 23 February 2023. The process will be handled via the FIFA Media Hub (https://apo-opa.info/3lB2oAY) for written press and photographers. Please be informed that there is limited space available at the Salle Pleyel. FIFA will endeavour to guarantee that the accredited press is able to work in the best possible way, in line with FIFA standards. Please ensure you complete both of the following steps when requesting accreditation: FIFA Media Hub account (https://apo-opa.info/3YIGV7g): Media representatives who do not have an approved FIFA Media Hub account should register at https://apo-opa.info/3Yyv5Ny. Please note that approval to access the FIFA Media Hub does not mean that you have been granted accreditation. Submit accreditation form: Please complete the media accreditation form via the FIFA Media Hub. All applications are subject to confirmation. Confirmation will not be on a first-come, first-served basis. Information for broadcasters Broadcasters interested in covering the event should contact: BroadcasterServicing@fifa.org Furthermore, please be advised that: International applicants are responsible for obtaining their own visas; and Successful applicants will be notified and provided with further information in due course. Information on The Best FIFA Football Awards The voting process for the player, coach, and goalkeeper of the year for 2022, in both men’s and women’s football, started on 12 January 2023 and was closed on 3 February 2023. The full voting and awards process is detailed in the Rules of Allocation (https://apo-opa.info/3HOiPBf). SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/13/media-accreditation-process-for-the-best-fifa-football-awards-launched/
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| Foreign Affairs / Inflation In Ghana And Cedi Depreciation: Causes And Impact On Money Transfers by postbox: 10:34pm On Feb 09, 2023 |
Inflation rates in Ghana are at a record high, but what is causing the increase, and how does it affect you? Ghana’s inflation rate currently stands at over 40%. Predictions suggest that inflation in Ghana will peak in the first quarter of 2023, following another slump in the Ghana Cedi in November 2022. Here, we are looking at the causes of inflation in Ghana from August 2022 to today. Read on to see how that inflation impacts the exchange rate for Ghanaian currency, why the Ghana Cedi is depreciating, and what that means for your money transfers to Ghana. What is causing inflation in Ghana? Currently, the inflation rate in Ghana continues to rise though analysts predict that it will decelerate in 2023. The inflation rate in Ghana is affected by many elements, and there are different factors involved in how inflation is calculated. Firstly, the heightened political division in Ghana between the ruling New Patriotic Party and their opposers has resulted in an opposition request for the removal of the current Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, due to his handling of the current financial situation. Political instabilities, situations, and risks can have a vast impact on inflation rates, as they will affect how much a government will be able to borrow in times of need. Over the course of the last year, Ghana has borrowed money in attempts to stabilise inflation, so there is also the possible risk of further debt, which will influence political conversations. Further, prices for commodities are a leading indication of inflation risks, and are often used in predicting inflation or deflation, though high global commodity prices can also add to high inflation levels. Prices of crude oil surged globally after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, but oil is one of Ghana’s highest sources of export revenue, and oil prices in Ghana are driving inflation, causing rising energy costs. Ghana’s current inflation rates are partly a result of global oil price increases causing domestic increases at gas stations, as well as generally in transportation costs, with a knock on to other factors such as food supply chains. Though food is generally excluded from ‘core’ inflation measures, the rising prices for food was the initial cause of the inflation rate in Ghana, created by panic-buying as the country entered lockdowns due to Covid-19 in 2020. Despite making some recovery, inflation in Ghana soared again in mid-2021, after the food supply chain ran into issues of oil pricing, a bird flu outbreak in one of Ghana’s food-producing regions, and climate change causing delayed rainfall. The increase in food costs affected Ghana’s inflation rates as specific ingredients became harder to source, and therefore more costly. Today, Ghana’s currency, the Cedi, is depreciating against the US dollar, and is now one of the worst performing global currencies. This is one of the main factors of the inflation rate in Ghana. A weakened currency means that hikes in import costs must be passed on to individuals within the country, adding pressure to already-higher costs of food and transportation. How this affects Ghana Cedi’s inflation rate Inflation and currency exchange rates are very closely related, and changes in one have an impact on the other. In the last year, the Ghana Cedi has lost more than half of its value against the US dollar. As imported commodities are priced in US dollars, when inflation rises, the same amount of Ghana Cedi buys less than it did before, causing currency depreciation in Ghana of the Cedi against USD. Exchange rates are often determined by a perceived desirability of a particular currency, so a decrease in that currency’s purchasing power leads to a decrease in desirability, further lowering the exchange rate. Sending money to Ghana with WorldRemit WorldRemit wants to make sure you get the most for your money, even through tough times. Though the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi has impacted money transfers to Ghana, WorldRemit always tries to offer the closest exchange rates to the market. Compared to other money transfer companies, WorldRemit places itself as the most competitive in terms of exchange rates and Google Exchange Rates. To check real time exchange rates for money transfers with WorldRemit, use our calculator. With WorldRemit, it is easy to send Cedi to friends and family in Ghana as mobile money, bank transfer, airtime top up, or for cash pickup. Once you’re registered with WorldRemit, and we’ve verified your information, you can send money to family and friends via our website, or on our iOs or Android app. You will pay no fees on your first three transfers with our 3FREE offer, and 90% of money transfers to Ghana are ready within minutes. Disclaimer: The contents of this blog post does not constitute legal or financial advice and is provided for general information purposes only. If you require specific legal and / or financial advice you should contact a specialist lawyer or financial advisor. Information true at time of publishing. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/08/inflation-in-ghana-and-cedi-depreciation-causes-and-impact-on-money-transfers/
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| Food / Bacardi Acquires Majority Stake In D’usse Cognac by postbox: 7:55pm On Feb 08, 2023 |
Bacardi and Shawn Carter, better known as American rapper Jay-Z, have announced a long-term agreement to renew their partnership with premium cognac brand D’Usse. Carter’s company SCLiquor and a subsidiary of Bacardi collaborated in 2012 to launch D’Usse Cognac, and they were 50/50 equal owners prior to this acquisition. According to Bloomberg, Bacardi has now purchased the majority of SCLiquor’s stake in D’Usse, giving the spirits conglomerate 75.01% ownership of the company, with Carter retaining a significant stake in the brand. “The next stage of this journey will further cement D’Usse’s legacy as one of the world’s most respected brands,” Carter said. “I am delighted to renew this collaboration with Bacardi.” SCLiquor filed a $2.5 billion lawsuit in October 2022, prompting the acquisition. SCLiquor sought internal files from D’Usse, managed by Bacardi subsidiary Empire Investments, to investigate “Empire’s failings by exercising its statutory and common law rights to demand information from D’Usse,” according to a court document obtained by Bloomberg Law. “The next step in this journey will solidify D’Usse’s legacy as one of the world’s most respected brands,” Carter said. “I am thrilled to continue working with Bacardi.” In October 2022, SCLiquor filed a $2.5 billion lawsuit, prompting the acquisition. SCLiquor requested internal files from D’Usse, which is managed by Bacardi subsidiary Empire Investments, in order to investigate “Empire’s failings by exercising its statutory and common law rights to demand information from D’Usse,” according to a court document obtained by Bloomberg Law. https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/08/bacardi-acquires-majority-stake-in-dusse-cognac/ SOURCE:
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| Politics / FG Awards Zinox Technologies Over N85bn 2023 Digital Census Contract by postbox: 7:45pm On Feb 07, 2023 |
The Federal Government through the National Population Commission (NPC) has signed a landmark deal with Nigeria’s leading integrated technology brand, Zinox, for the supply of the tech components and other accessories for the 2023 national census project, further justifying President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s commitment on local content promotion. SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/06/fg-awards-zinox-technologies-over-n85bn-2023-digital-census-contract/# 33 Likes 6 Shares
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| Politics / 2023 Budget Analysis: Lagos Allocates 27.3% For Modern Infrastructure by postbox: 7:34pm On Feb 07, 2023 |
The Lagos State Government has said that 27.3% of its entire Y2023 Budget amounting to N482.86 Billion will be expended on providing modern infrastructure for the citizenry. The State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget. Mr. Samuel Egube disclosed this at Press Briefing held today at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Secretariat, Alausa, adding that the Y2023 Budget christened: “Budget of Continuity”, was prepared to continue the good work of the present administration, especially in delivering reliable and sufficient infrastructure that meets the needs of a 21st Century Economy. Egube said, “The State is totally committed to ensuring that the dividend from its investments in Integrated Transport Infrastructure, which will materialise into the birth of the fully functional light rail (Red-Blue) system, the first of its kind by a sub-national Government in Africa and the 37 km Fourth Mainland Bridge will be felt by the citizens of the State”. “These will reduce commute time to millions of Lagosians, reduce congestion on the existing Carter, Eko, Third Mainland Bridges and Ikorodu Road, while increasing productivity, quality of life, as well as improving the overall transportation system in the State”, he added. The Commissioner listed some of the infrastructure captured in the Budget as the Construction of the Second Phase of the Blue Line from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko; Completion of Eight Stadia across the Five IBILE divisions to facilitate youth development, engagement and community sports; Continuous Construction and Rehabilitation of Schools to significantly improve access to quality education; Completion of the 130-Bed New Massey Hospital that will be the largest specialist children hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa. Others, according to him, include the Completion of the ultra-modern 280-Bed General Hospital serving the people of Ojo and its environs which is currently at 47% completion; the Completion of the Mental Health Facility in Ketu-Ereyun in Epe Local Government; Completion of the Opebi Link Bridge to Maryland that will improve significantly travel time and provide alternative route options in the axis and the Rehabilitation/Upgrading of Phase II Eti-Osa – Lekki-Epe Expressway Project from Eleko T-Junction-Abraham Adesanya among others. The Commissioner also revealed that the State Government allocated 13% of the Budget for the provision of affordable and world-class education, healthcare and social services for its teeming populace to make the system accessible and affordable. The present administration has also demonstrated its commitment to its continuous investment in the provision of affordable Homes for the people of Lagos through its Social Housing Programme by injecting a total of N67.1 Billion into the sector. His words, “Some of the Social Housing programmes the Budget targets include the Completion of 444 units of Building projects at Sangotedo Phase II; Completion of 420 units of Building Projects at Ajara, Badagry Phase II and the Construction of 136 units of Building Projects at Ibeshe II among others”. Egube stated that the State Government’s commitment to its five-year Agric road map had seen to the commissioning of the Imota Rice Mills which will provide support to farmers and improve the food systems generally in the State, adding that the State will invest a total sum of N45.1 Billion on Food Security through Cattle Feedlot Project, Fish Processing Hub programmes and Wholesale Produce Hub & Market to improving wholesomeness of food, reduction in food prices and optimisation of the Agricultural sector. He averred that the sum of N86 Billion investment in the Public Order and Safety Sector by the Government is geared towards ensuring that Lagos is safe for living, working and investment, just as N12 Billion is earmarked for the Provision of Rescue and Emergency operation equipment for disaster management. “Provision has also been made for surveillance and body cameras for security monitoring, this is in addition to strengthening intelligence gathering/capacity-building capabilities together with improving the ease of doing business through the Smart-City project, the Lagos new Data Centre project, Eko Excel project, E-GIS and the Oracle upgrade project among others”, he added. While reviewing the approved Y2022 Budget of ₦1.758 Trillion which had total revenue of ₦1.237 Billion and deficit financing of ₦521.275 Billion, with the Capital to Recurrent Ratio that stood at 66:34 with Capital Expenditure of ₦1.167 Trillion and a Recurrent Expenditure of ₦591.281 Billion. Egube said as of December 31st, 2022, the Budget posted a performance of 74% with Revenue Performance at 77%, while Capital & Recurrent Expenditure performed at 70% & 81% respectively. He added that the 70% performance of Capex is a result of the late closure of the N134.815 Billion Bond transaction, which was oversubscribed in December 2022 and utilisation deferred to Y2023. The State approved Y2023 Budget of ₦1.768 Trillion is made up of ₦1.020 Trillion (Capital Expenditure) and ₦748.097 Billion (Recurrent Expenditure-Debt Charges inclusive), resulting in a Capital to Recurrent ratio of 58:42. The total Revenue is estimated at ₦1.418 Trillion, while deficit-funding requirement is ₦350.411 Billion, which at 25% of Total Revenue implies that the Budget is strongly dependent on Revenue. As a result of this, the Commissioner urged the residents and those that have business with the State to be tax conscious and fulfil their responsibilities as and when due. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/07/2023-budget-analysis-lagos-allocates-27-3-for-modern-infrastructure/
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| Phones / 2023 Elections: FG Signs Agreement With Google, Meta To Handle Fake News by postbox: 9:12pm On Feb 06, 2023 |
Ahead of the 2023 presidential and governorship elections, the federal government of Nigeria has signed agreements with tech giants, Meta and Google, to tackle and curb the spread of fake news and promote the integrity of the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/05/2023-elections-fg-signs-agreement-with-google-meta-to-handle-fake-news/ 4 Likes
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| Business / MTN Declares N2trn Revenue In 2022, Proposes N203.5 Billion Final Dividend by postbox: 9:03pm On Feb 06, 2023 |
Nigeria’s largest telecommunications company MTN became the first publicly listed company to hit the N2 trillion mark in revenues. MTN first cross one trillion naira in revenues in 2019 meaning it has taken the company just three years to surpass N2 trillion in revenues. The company released its 2022 audited financial statements posting revenue of N2 trillion a 21.6% rise from the N1.6 trillion reported in 2021 (which at the time was also record-breaking). Never in the history of Nigeria has a quoted company reported revenues of N2 trillion in a financial year. MTN becomes the first, while also reporting a blistering N358.8 billion in profit after tax. The company’s profits delivered a whopping return on average equity of 119.5% also one of the highest we have ever seen since Nairametrics started keeping track of company financial statements performance. MTN also said it will be paying a dividend of N10 per share taking its total dividend to N15.5 per share, which delivers an indicative dividend yield of 6.68%. How MTN According to its CEO, Karl Toriola explained that the high inflation rate led to a dip in consumer spending during the year. However, the company was still able to record growth across its key business segments supported largely by strategic investments. “Our strong commercial momentum, supported by an accelerated investment in our network, enabled growth across all revenue lines. As a result, we recorded a 21.5% increase in service revenue, above the average inflation rate and in line with our medium-term growth guidance. Our ability to maintain service revenue growth while unlocking efficiencies through disciplined execution of our expense efficiency programme led to a 22.0 per cent growth in EBITDA and a 0.2pp expansion in EBITDA margin to 53.2 per cent per cent in line with our medium-term target range.” While growth in voice calls has fallen to single digits over the years, it still remains the company’s dominant revenue puller. The company stated that its mobile subscribers increased a whopping 10.5% during the year adding 7.2 million new subscribers and taking its total to 75.6 million subscribers. What MTN is saying about ita voice revenue “According to the company, “Voice revenue maintained a steady recovery as more customers were reactivated and gross connections ramped up. This was backed by our customer value management (CVM) initiatives through which we managed churn and drove increased usage from the existing base. As a result, voice revenue rose by 6.8%, bucking the slower growth trend of general voice traffic as data traffic continues to increase.” Continuing with its blistering growth trajectory over the last 5 years, MTN’s data revenue recorded a whopping 49.6% rise in revenues to N746.9 billion in 2022 alone. In the last quarter of 2022 alone, alone reported revenue of N215 billion from data. At this pace, MTN’s data revenue will surpass N1 trillion in 2023. Active data subscribers also rose by 15.3% to 39.5 million after it added 5.2 million new users in 2022. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/04/mtn-declares-n2trn-revenue-in-2022-proposes-n203-5-billion-final-dividend/
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| Career / Top Online Jobs With The Best Pay by postbox: 8:50pm On Feb 02, 2023 |
Working from home or online can significantly aid in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The society you live in is changing, and it’s becoming more and more feasible to work online and make a solid living. In the previous era and according to Brand Spur, you could have felt that internet employment was limited for the fortunate few or those prepared to accept a significant wage cut in trade for unappreciated labor. It has changed because there are now nearly as many job titles available online as in actual workplaces. Some websites can assist you in finding the ideal position by comparing your qualifications and wage expectations to open positions. What are the best-paying internet jobs, though, with many different career paths available? Let’s go through the list, explaining what’s involved and what prior experience you might need to be successful. There are many options to find a career with a respectable income if you want the convenience of work-from-home employment. While some tasks you can do from home need specific technical training or degrees, others call for creative abilities like writing or designing. There are many possibilities to consider while searching for new virtual employment, no matter your capabilities. Here are several high-paying work-from-home jobs, along with a description of each position’s duties. Translator A career as a translator or interpreter can be rewarding if you are multilingual. That’s because the internet is global, making it possible for businesses to be discovered in regions where English isn’t the dominant language. While tools like Google Translate work well for simple translations, companies or websites that need precise translations should contact a professional translator. It would help if you made factually correct language translations as a translator to give the user the intended message. Learning both languages’ idioms and other peculiarities often makes a significant difference. The most effective translators are skilled in several languages, although for many businesses, being bilingual is sufficient. Language proficiency mainly depends on the requirements the company has for a translator. SEO Experts You are an authority on search engine optimization (SEO) tools, procedures, and strategies if you work as an SEO consultant, you are also up on the most recent SEO and web marketing strategies. Undeniably, you aim to make client websites more visible on Google search results to attract more visitors. Identifying client objectives, designing an online marketing strategy, improving website pages, conducting keyword research, producing content, and resolving technical issues are typical job duties. At the same time, some SEO consultants offer more comprehensive services and carry out each strategy’s separate components, many just present clients with a comprehensive plan. For instance, in the gambling world, one of the essential factors in the success of online casinos is search engine optimization (SEO). The benefits of SEO for the casino include improved user experience, increased visibility, increased organic traffic, credibility-building, and competitive advantage. Online casinos may rank higher in searches by optimizing their website for search engines, making it more straightforward for prospective players to find them. It may result in more visitors, more time spent on the website, and more active visitors who are potential participants. Online casinos may enhance conversions and their player base by improving the user experience and fostering confidence and trustworthiness. The main objectives of SEO for online casinos in Vegas Slots Online are to raise awareness, draw more players, and boost revenue. SEO specialists in the online casino sector keep up with the most recent search engine algorithms and changes to guarantee that the website is successfully optimized. In addition, the purpose of this website is to offer slot machine gamers a convenient and enjoyable gaming environment, as well as the opportunity to try it for free. Website Designer Even though web design work is trendy based on Digital Trends, the advancement side of things is more rewarding. The process includes developing back-end apps and content to guarantee that websites, regardless of complexity, operate consistently. In addition to ensuring the site is secure from all threats, extensive testing methods are frequently needed. If you have the expertise, web development jobs are virtually always available, just like there are for all the most lucrative jobs. Several online classes make this more attainable even though you may frequently need to complete the course or guarantee you have a specific degree. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/02/top-online-jobs-with-the-best-pay/
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| Health / Fake Medicines Kill Almost 500,000 Sub-saharan Africans A Year by postbox: 6:52pm On Feb 02, 2023 |
A lack of access to healthcare and medicines has been fuelling a host of opportunists aimed at filling the gaps, the report Trafficking in Medical Products in the Sahel shows. But, this supply and an imbalance in demand, has triggered deadly results. Bitter pill of trafficking In sub-Saharan Africa, as many as 267,000 deaths per year are linked to falsified and substandard antimalarial medicines, the transnational organized crime threat assessment found. In addition, up to 169,271 are linked to falsified and substandard antibiotics used to treat severe pneumonia in children. Trafficking these products is also taking a direct economic toll on affected countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that caring for people who have used falsified or substandard medical products for malaria treatment in sub-Saharan Africa costs between $12 million to $44.7 million every year. 605 tons seized International operations saw more than 605 tons of medical products seized in West Africa, between January 2017 and December 2021. Typically, these products travel through mainstream international trade channels, mainly by sea. Diverted from the legal supply chain, the products often come from major exporting countries to the Sahel region, including China, Belgium, France and India. Others are manufactured in neighbouring States. Once in West Africa, smugglers move medical products by bus, cars and trucks to the Sahel, following existing trafficking routes, to avoid border controls. Myriad traffickers Terrorist groups and non-State armed groups are commonly associated with medical product trafficking in the Sahel, but, their involvement is limited. These groups levy “taxes” in areas they control or they abuse the drugs themselves. News reports on drug use for non-medicinal purposes among terrorist groups, have documented an Al-Qaida affiliate in Côte d’Ivoire and former Boko Haram recruits in Nigeria, using or attempting to buy the opioid-like clonazepam (rivotril) since at least 2016. At the same time, the UNODC report states that investigations have uncovered a variety of actors involved in the illicit medical product trade. Traffickers include pharmaceutical company employees, public officials, law enforcement officers, health agency workers and street vendors. Tackling trafficking The African Union established the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization initiative in 2009 to improve access to safe, affordable medicine. The effort is part of its Framework on Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa. In addition, all Sahel countries but Mauritania have ratified a treaty for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency. Recognizing these achievements, the UNODC report offered recommendations. Among them was to introduce or revise legislation to prevent all related offences, such as smuggling, money-laundering and corruption. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/02/02/fake-medicines-kill-almost-500000-sub-saharan-africans-a-year-report/
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| Politics / AFAWA Hits $1 Billion Investment Milestone In Lending To Women Entrepreneurs by postbox: 9:55pm On Jan 31, 2023 |
The African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative has reached a landmark $1 billion in approved funding designated for lending to African women entrepreneurs. This is yet another milestone for the bank following an historic summit last week to tackle the escalating challenges of food security in Africa. The Dakar 2 Africa Food Summit, co-hosted by the Bank and the Government of Senegal, was attended by 34 heads of state and government, more than 70 ministers, farmers’ representatives from the private sector and development partners. AFAWA was launched in 2015 in Dakar during the first Feed Africa conference (Dakar 1 Africa Food Summit). Dr. Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development said: “I am incredibly proud of AFAWA’s financing achievement. AFAWA’s benchmark reminds us that when we invest to grow Africa’s food systems, we must also invest in Africa’s women agripreneurs.” Women run the majority of Africa’s agricultural sector small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), yet they face significant barriers to accessing finance. Across the continent, African women entrepreneurs face an estimated $42 billion gender financing gap compared to men. In the last two years, the Bank, through AFAWA, has multiplied the volume of investments toward women-owned small and medium enterprises sevenfold. “By the end of December 2022, AFAWA-approved lending to women-led small and medium sized enterprises reached $1.051 billion. Of that, $135 million targets women in the agriculture sector,” said Malado Kaba, Director of the Bank’s Gender, Women and Civil Society Department. “AFAWA’s approved lending reaches across 27 countries, and through 56 financial institutions. Already 4,115 women business owners have benefited from AFAWA financing instruments. This is just the beginning,” she added. Already, financial barriers to African women ‘agripreneurs’ growing their businesses, are being addressed through AFAWA investment. AFAWA is working to boost the professional and financial capacities of over 200 women cooperatives in the staple crop food sector in Cote d’Ivoire. This includes training and access to a digital platform connecting women producers to buyers of agricultural products like wholesalers, retailers and consumers across Cote d’Ivoire. Furthermore, AFAWA is working with Ecobank on the “Financing Climate Resilient Agricultural Practices in Ghana” project. The project mobilized $20 million from the Green Climate Fund, and $5 million from Ecobank Ghana as co-financing, to fill the gap for working capital to farmers. The AFAWA project aims to provide financing and technical support to 400 women-led, farmer-based associations and women-owned small and medium enterprises, to foster their agriculture productivity and strengthen their climate resilience practices. To accelerate progress toward unlocking $5 billion in lending for women by 2026, AFAWA has established a Guarantee Mechanism (http:///3DtOnuS) which de-risks the women’s market and increases the ability of financial institutions to lend to women business owners. AFAWA also launched the Women Entrepreneurship Enablers program, which provides up to $250,000 for women’s business associations, incubators, accelerators, women-led cooperatives, and civil society organizations. The program increases women SMEs readiness to access credit and scale their businesses. The program inducted its first cohort of 10 Enablers (http:///3wFoVi8) in July 2022, who are expected to apply skills acquired in the Enablers program to reach more than 15,000 women-led micro and small enterprises. The second call for proposals to the program drew more than 1,200 applicants. The second cohort will be announced later this year. “In 2023, we will continue to work closely with our partners to accelerate their ability to lend to women-led micro and small enterprises. Ensuring that the enabling environment is inclusive to enhance women’s ability to access financing will be critical. Thus, we will work closely with policymakers to ensure that the right reforms are in place to accelerate women-led small and medium enterprises’ financial access,” said Kaba. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/31/african-development-banks-afawa-hits-1-billion-investment-milestone-in-lending-to-women-entrepreneurs-in-africa/
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| Celebrities / Venita Gets Signed Into Hollywood Based Pan-african Company by postbox: 7:12pm On Jan 30, 2023 |
A Nigerian actor and influencer, Venita Oghenekevwe Akpofure, has been announced by the management and staff of BSK STUDIOS, the mother company of BSK STREAMS, as the first brand ambassador of the company. BSK STREAMS is a multi-functional streaming platform where you can enjoy multiple services including: MOVIES, 24 HOUR NON-STOP RADIO BROADCASTING, LIVE STREAMING OF YOUR FAVOURITE CONCERTS/EVENTS and much more. With its headquarters based in Maryland USA, BSK STREAMS is set to project PAN-AFRICAN content globally. Set to launch summer 2023, subscribers will have access to content such as movies, tv shows, podcasts, and documentaries. Subscribers also can switch to the live radio station where you can listen to non-stop music and radio shows from top radio DJs who bring the best of afrobeat sounds. BSK’s live streaming of events will be a dream come through for our subscribers. Any afrobeat event, anywhere in the world, you’re unable to attend will be streamed live to you on our platform. Making you feel like you are right there at the venue! “Our goal is to take pan-African culture and entertainment to the world with our newly signed brand ambassador and others that will be joining us soon”. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/27/venita-gets-signed-into-hollywood-based-pan-african-company/
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| Career / DLM Capital Group Sponsors Employee’s Philanthropic Projects by postbox: 9:49pm On Jan 27, 2023 |
DLM Capital Group, a development investment bank, partnered with the Shile Akinjo Charity Foundation (SACF) on two of its charity initiatives: “Love Feast on the Street” and “Back-to-School Project.” Shile Akinjo, a corporate finance associate at DLM, started SACF in 2022 to support low-income families and the less privileged to fight poverty, receive decent health care, and achieve a basic education. The “Love Feast on the Street” was held on the 17th of December 2022 to celebrate Christmas with over 400 kids at Makoko Slum, Yaba, Lagos. The day’s highlights include face painting, a dance competition, popcorn, food, drinks, and the gifting of party packs to the kids. The “Back-to-School Project” was held on the 20th of January 2023, at The Light School and Boanerges School at Akesan, Alimosho, local government. All the pupils in basic 1–5 were given school supplies such as school bags, socks, notebooks, pencils, biros, erasers, rulers, crayons, water bottles, and snacks. Shile Akinjo commented on the initiative, stating, “Happiness is as essential as food if a child is to develop into normal manhood or womanhood.” Being able to put smiles on these kids’ faces is fulfilling, and we will continue to carry out initiatives that support these goals. I am grateful to Mr. Sonnie Ayere and DLM Capital Group for their full commitment to these projects. I feel lucky to work for a company that supports and encourages its employees to do good things for the community. In a statement highlighting DLM’s sponsorship of the projects, Chinwendu Ohakpougwu, Head of Corporate Communications, said: “At DLM, we are committed to impacting human lives. The management of DLM will continue to support good causes that promote the welfare of others.” SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/27/dlm-capital-group-sponsors-employees-philanthropic-projects/
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| Business / Bolt, Uber Drivers Form Trade Union As FG Approves AUATWON by postbox: 10:31pm On Jan 26, 2023 |
The drivers of e-hailing services in Nigeria have officially unionised as the Nigerian Government presented a letter of approval of registration to the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON) Brand Spur Nigeria reports that the letter presentation was made on Tuesday by Chris Ngige, Nigeria’s Labour Minister after FG approved the union. The union members comprise app-based transport workers, online transport services, and e-hailing drivers and operators in Nigeria. Speaking on the achievement, the Minister said it was a milestone achievement for Nigeria’s Labour scene, stating that it is a major step to formalise Nigeria’s informal sector. “Hitherto, we gave recognition and certification to workers in the formal sector, including the private sector, such as banks, oil and gas, and insurance, among other technical areas. “Recently, the two newly registered university-based unions, the Congress for University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) were also given. “Today, we are breaking new ground with those in the informal sector who are employing themselves and from there, employing others.” Ngige further disclosed that the promoters of AUATWON applied for registration as a trade union on April 27, 2021, to cater for self-employed persons in the field of IT-based transportation services, adding: “We considered necessary factors and perimeters, especially the global movement, which is sponsored mostly by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to formalise the informal sector. “In our case today, we have a hybrid of the forgone in the informal economy that owned and operate economic units which may also further include employers and members of cooperatives of social and solidarity economy units.” SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/25/bolt-uber-drivers-form-trade-union-as-fg-approves-auatwon/
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| Phones / Airtel Nigeria Introduces eSIM For Subscribers by postbox: 10:21pm On Jan 26, 2023 |
Airtel Nigeria, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa Plc, has introduced its embedded subscriber identity modules (eSIM) services on its network. The initiative comes two years after MTN Nigeria began the use of eSIM, the first in West Africa. An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a programmable SIM card that is embedded directly into a smartphone or wearable device. The new technology is useful for frequent travellers and tourists, making it easy for them to opt for and keep a local subscription when visiting Nigeria. In a statement on Tuesday, Airtel said customers who wish to switch their current physical SIM cards for eSIM can now do so as the service is now immediately available on its network. It also said for successful usage, customers must ensure the availability of a compatible device, obtain the required QR code by dialling *#06#, and be guided through a SIM Swap process by Airtel service personnel. Airtel’s management said it believes that the digital SIM will significantly improve the productivity of Nigerians, helping its stakeholders to achieve personal and professional goals. Speaking on the development, Femi Oshinlaja, assistant chief commercial officer, Airtel Nigeria, said Airtel Nigeria was always at the forefront in championing technological advancement and creating innovative platforms and opportunities that will make life better, more exciting, and more enjoyable “for all those in our stakeholder value chain”. “With eSIM, we are not only bringing the latest technology to the fingertips of our customers, but we are also focusing on our sustainability goals of digital inclusion and environmental best practices as no plastic is involved with eSIM,” Oshinlaja said. “It is therefore our commitment to continue to create offerings that will expand and deepen our digital footprints in line with our positioning as the network of first choice in Nigeria for everything mobile internet, digital and home broadband.” SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/26/airtel-nigeria-introduces-esim-for-subscribers/
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| Politics / Dr. Olubunmi Ademosu Conferred Life Matron Of NANS Southwest by postbox: 9:48pm On Jan 26, 2023 |
The Leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Southwest Zone has confered Dr (Mrs) Olubunmi Ademosu as the associaion’s matron. The Deputy Coordinator of NANS Southwest, Comrade Alao John alongside the Public Relations Officer of the zone Comrade Awoyinfa Opeoluwa via s statement made available to Brand Spur Nigeria praised Dr. Olubunmi, SA Public Affairs and Inter-Governmental Relations to the Ondo State Government for her selfless contribution to humanity and the students constituency. “Nigeria students are very happy to associate with such a dignity personified. We salute your brave and fearless Leadership at all time” NANS said. The statement further reads that, “Dr. Ademosu is a figure of inspiration to Nigerian Women, Youth and Students. She’s a fantastic role model for all those seeking to understand how to make an impact with their life, she has proven herself to be a leader of ethics and morality. She’s the voice for the voiceless”. “Whenever we see her, we see a Jane Austen of U.K, we see a Florence Nightingale,Coco Chanel, Mother Theresa, Oprah Winfrey, J.K Rowlings or Sarafina of South Africa, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria. Sarafina of South Africa Ma, she’s one like Mary Slessor who stopped the killings of twin. “The leadership of NANS Southwest hereby say thank you for your service to Humanity, thank you for your brave and fearless leadership. “She’s a figure of inspiration to Nigerian Women, Youth and Students. She’s a fantastic role model for all those seeking to understand how to make an impact with their life, you have proven yourself to be a leader of ethics and morality. “She has exhibited uncommon wisdom, remarkable vision, and exemplary leadership, she has been a role model and an example of selfless giving to this generation and We’re proud to hold her as someone worthy of emulation. “She has been an inspiration to youth and students. In accordance to a biblical assertion which state that “Many women do noble things but you surpass them all”. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/26/dr-olubunmi-ademosu-conferred-life-matron-of-nans-southwest/
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| Politics / Naira Redesign Policy: CBN Launches Cash Swap Programme In Rural by postbox: 6:01pm On Jan 24, 2023 |
In furtherance of its Naira Redesign policy and in recognition of the need to maximise the channels through which underserved and rural communities can exchange their Naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) today launched a Cash Swap programme in partnership with Super Agents and Deposit Money Banks, DMBs.https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/24/naira-redesign-policy-cbn-launches-cash-swap-programme-in-rural/ 2 Likes
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| Politics / LIRS Reaffirms January 31 Deadline For Filing Of Annual Tax Returns by postbox: 9:05pm On Jan 23, 2023 |
The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has announced that January 31, 2023, remains the deadline for filing the annual tax returns by employers of labour. The LIRS Executive Chairman, Mr Ayodele Subair made this known in a statement signed by the Head, Corporate Communications of LIRS, Monsurat Amasa on Sunday. According to the LIRS Executive Chairman, all businesses and employers of labour residents within Lagos State must file their annual income tax returns on or before January 31, 2023, as failure to comply with the directive would attract penalties as well as other statutory sanctions as stipulated in section 81 (2) of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) Cap P8 LFN 2004 (as amended). The Act stipulates January 31st as the deadline for filing of annual income tax returns, failing which a penalty accrues. “For filing the annual income tax returns in Lagos State, the only available platform is the LIRS e-Tax portal: https://etax.lirs.net. The e-Tax portal is built for the convenience of taxpayers and is easy, convenient and safe. All businesses and employers of labour are advised to use the e-Tax portal to file their returns. “With the eTax system, corporate bodies are expected to find it more convenient to carry out tax transactions in the comfort of their homes and offices, Subair noted. To be on the eTax platform, corporate bodies can follow these steps: Visit https://etax.lirs.net, input your company payer ID, password and click login; Step two: Generate your bill and Step three: Make your payment. ‘’Taxpayer ID of all employees is compulsory for the annual income tax returns to be successfully filed on the e-Tax portal. Therefore, all employees and taxable persons within the State are advised to generate a taxpayer ID (where applicable) and file their individual annual income tax returns on the e-Tax portal.’’ SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/23/lirs-reaffirms-january-31-deadline-for-filing-of-annual-tax-returns/
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| Business / CBN Launches Its Own Debit Card by postbox: 8:14pm On Jan 19, 2023 |
The apex bank of Nigeria, CBN has introduced a national domestic card scheme to facilitate financial inclusion and grow Nigeria’s payment system which would take effect from January 16, 2023.SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/18/cbn-launches-its-own-debit-card/ 6 Likes
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| Phones / Apple Launches 14; 16 Inches Macbook Pro by postbox: 7:55pm On Jan 19, 2023 |
In the world of technology where we have super devices and super technology that keeps making it easier to do everyday activities. Apple is stepping it up a notch with its newest addition to the MacBook Pro collection and this is not just any MacBook. This MacBook is coming with an M2 chip and according to Apple this is definitely life-changing and sets a new standard in the department of super-fast and battery-conserving devices. The technology company had earlier teased an M1 model in June 2022, which features in MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini models, and it has got great reviews from users due to its incredible performance and efficiency since this marked Apple’s first step towards transitioning from Intel chips to its System on a Chip (SOC). This was a welcoming boost for Apple. What made the M1 chip so good and faster than Intel chips was that the unified memory architecture that Apple included, made it easy for all of the technologies in the M1 to access the same data, without having to swap between multiple pools of memory. So what is so special about Apple’s latest addition to its MacBook series? The 14 and 16 inches MacBook Pro which was launched on 16 January 2023 are the best range of MacBook that Apple sells. This new series comes with the new improved M2 System on a Chip (SOC) which integrates several different components which includes CPU, GPU, unified memory architecture (RAM), Neural Engine, Secure Enclave, SSD controller, image signal processor, encode/decode engines, Thunderbolt controller with USB 4 support and many more. All this feature gives Apple MacBook Pro 3.9x faster video processing and 7.1x faster image processing. This is a whole new world of fast and with the help of the unified memory architecture on the M2 chip just like the M1 chip, the CPU, GPU, and other processor components do not need to copy data between one another for processing since they access the same pool of data. However, this means the RAM is not user upgradeable anymore and this isn’t much of a surprise as the latest Macs do not have user-accessible RAM, only a few, but the M2 Macs are fitted with 24GB RAM which is more than enough for everyday tasks. Apple also disclosed that M2 chips are next-generation processors built with 5-nanometer technology, with better performance per watt. The M2 chip, which is 1.4x faster than the M1 chip, has an 18% faster CPU and a 35% more powerful GPU, running at 3.49GHz compared to 3.2GHz for the M1 chip. The M2 chip impacts more on an Apple MacBook Pro more than just faster processing and memory, it is also battery efficient. The M2 chip on a MacBook Air affords it 18hrs of battery life while on a 13-inch MacBook Pro, battery life is up to 20hrs. Battery life in an M2 Mac lasts 2x longer than the prior version of Mac that came with Intel chips and the 13-inch MacBook Pro has the longest battery life, which is 20hrs due to the M2 chip SOC on it. Currently, Macs that run on an M2 chip include the 2022 MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro and also the recently launched 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro. In the security department, Intel Macs were fitted with T2 chips which handled security and other features but with M1 and M2 chips, no need for a separate chip, M1 and M2 took care of everything. With its inbuilt Secure Enclave that handles Touch ID and a storage controller with AES encryption hardware for better and secure SSD performance. Apple is also pushing back on the software department with the development of the Rosetta 2 transition layer. This layer, which is added due to the unique style of the M2 chip architecture, allows developers to create universal app binaries that run flawlessly on both Apple silicon chips and Intel chips. It also developed the Rosetta 2 translation layer to allow it to run x86 apps on the m1 chip. This means Rosetta 2 can allow Apple users to run apps designed for Intel machines on both M1/M2 chips, however with some limited performance compromises, most apps will run smoothly on both Intel and M1/M2 Macs due to performance improvement. Here are also some features for the 14-inch MacBook Pro as well as their prices. 14-inch MacBook Pro WAS: M1 Pro, 8-Core CPU, 14-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD: $1,999/£1,899 NOW: M2 Pro, 10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD: $1,999/£2,149 WAS: M1 Pro, 10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD: $2,499/£2,399 NOW: M2 Pro, 12-Core CPU, 19-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD: $2,499/£2,699 while NEW: M2 Max, 12-Core CPU, 30-Core GPU, 32GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD: $3,099/£3,499 16-inch MacBook Pro WAS: M1 Pro, 10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD: $2,499/£2,399 NOW: M2 Pro, 12-Core CPU, 19-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD: $2,499/£2,699 WAS: M1 Pro, 10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD: $2,699/£2,599 NOW: M2 Pro, 12-Core CPU, 19-Core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD: $2,699/£2,899 WAS: M1 Max, 10-Core CPU, 32-Core GPU, 32GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD: $3,499/£3,299 NOW: M2 Max, 12-Core CPU, 38-Core GPU, 32GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD: $3,499/£3,749 Apple which continues to make hitting new milestones in the smartphone and laptops division has proven to the world once again and according to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing “MacBook Pro with Apple silicon has been a game changer, empowering pros to push the limits of their workflows while on the go and do things they never thought possible on a laptop”. What feature excites you the most about the latest Apple MacBook Pro 2023 SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/19/apple-launches-14-16-inches-macbook-pro/
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| Politics / Nigeria’s Inflation Drops First Time In 11 Months: From 21.47% To 21.34% by postbox: 10:13pm On Jan 16, 2023 |
Nigeria’s inflation rate eased for the first time in 11 months to 21.34 percent. https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/16/nigerias-inflation-drops-first-time-in-11-months/ 5 Likes
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| TV/Movies / Creativity: Films Now Have Sub-brands And Franchises by postbox: 7:40pm On Jan 12, 2023 |
I’m not sure if you saw Glass Onion over the holidays, but it’s fantastic. Rian Johnson’s modern whodunit stars Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc, as well as a slew of other actors led by Edward Norton. The film follows a group of unlikely characters who are invited to a surprise event in which someone kills someone else somewhere with something. I don’t want to ruin it for you. But then something unexpected happens. The film was a critical success, with most critics naming it one of the year’s best. However, Johnson, who wrote and directed the film, had one major complaint about its release. To his chagrin, the title of his new film was changed at the last minute. The film, originally titled Glass Onion, was retitled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery just days before its November premiere. “I tried really hard to make it self-contained,” the 49-year-old writer-director explained in an interview with The Atlantic magazine at the film’s premiere. “To be honest, I’m irritated that we have ‘A Knives Out Mystery’ in the title. I had hoped to simply call it Glass Onion. I understand, and I want everyone who enjoyed the first film to know that this is the next installment in the series, but the whole appeal to me is that it’s a new novel off the shelf every time. But there’s a thousand suns’ gravitational pull toward serialized storytelling.” In terms of modern branding architecture, the film went from a shadow-endorser approach all the way across the Brand Relationship Spectrum to a sub-brand strategy, and the director was clearly unhappy with the outcome. One of the simplest and most logical ways to demonstrate Aaker and Joachimsthaler’s famous continuum of how brands relate to each other within a company’s portfolio is to use movie sequels. It’s a deceptively simple model, but it’s at the heart of one of the most important branding decisions any organization can make. On one extreme, the ‘house of brands,’ the company chooses to make no connection between its various brands and allows each to exist in the consumer’s mind independently of the other brands in the portfolio. Our film example is Road Warrior (1981), the sequel to Mad Max (1979). Because the original film had a very limited release in the United States, the decision was made to market the sequel as a completely new, standalone film with no reference to the original film. On the other end of the Spectrum is the ‘branded house,’ where every product is branded with the same name. Our film example is 2018’s Halloween, which has the same title as the original film on which it is based. One that was created exactly 40 years ago. Between these two extremes, the Brand Relationship Spectrum transitions us from a situation in which each brand in the portfolio is presented to consumers independently to one in which everything is branded the same. There are numerous gradations along the way. The Artist Formerly Known as Prince once sang that a one-night stand had 23 positions. I’ve been married for 20 years, so I’ll believe him. But I can confirm that the Brand Relationship Spectrum has nine positions, and if you work in marketing, each one is as exciting as anything the Purple One did at Paisley Park. Sub-branding synergies Rian Johnson’s original plan was to mimic the style of Agatha Christie novels while keeping his protagonist, Benoit Blanc, in an entirely new mystery and thus a completely new brand. The goal was not to conceal but also not to reveal the connection to the original film. This type of relationship is known as a shadow endorsement because it is never explicitly stated but also never hidden. Consider Jetstar’s relationship with Qantas or Mini’s relationship with BMW. Just as Ridley Scott’s Prometheus was clearly a prequel to the Aliens films but made no direct mention of that series in its plot or marketing, Johnson wanted to trust his audience’s intelligence while also freeing up his new film to allow for future sequels. However, Netflix, the creators of Glass Onion, upended this plan. They did not want the independence that a shadow endorsement provided, and instead desired a more solid connection to the original film. As a result, the studio decided to make Glass Onion a sub-brand of the Knives Out masterbrand and ensure that the new film’s marketing positioned it clearly as such. Although there were no “a thousand suns” driving the name change, there were certainly several very large planetary objects pulling the film away from the independence of shadow endorsement and toward the inherent synergies of sub-branding. First, this is a general trend in modern branding. During the 2000s, many multinational corporations took pride in creating and acquiring an increasing number of brands. After a decade, the costs of maintaining and growing such a large, diverse portfolio became increasingly obvious, and every wise company did two things. They reduced the quantitative size of their portfolio of brands. Everyone from P&G to FedEx demolished some of their properties in order to lower their marketing land tax and boost their renovation budgets by focusing on only the largest and best remaining properties. The surviving portfolio was then aligned under as few brands as possible by moving as many of the surviving brands as possible from left to right on the Brand Relationship Spectrum. Zero became a product variant of Coke rather than a separate brand. Picasa was renamed Google Photos. More was reduced to less. Less began to yield more. Netflix is simply following a well-established trend in modern brand management: attracting as many customers as possible with as few brands as possible. The last 30 years have seen an incredible revolution in product development. There were a few famous sequels when I was a kid – The Godfather, Star Wars – but for the most part, you went to the movies to see a completely new story with characters who would not appear again once the credits rolled. The concept of prequels was novel. As was a film in its sixth or seventh incarnation. Or one that, like Marvel, spawns a whole new series of films that are interconnected to the original. Hollywood produced a film. They promoted the film. You watched the movie. The conclusion. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/11/creativity-films-now-have-sub-brands-and-franchises/
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| Phones / Airtel Nigeria Acquires $317 Million Spectrum Ahead Of Its 5G Launch by postbox: 7:03pm On Jan 12, 2023 |
Ahead of its 5G launch, Airtel Nigeria has acquired $317 million 5G spectrum for its 4G network, this was disclosed in a statement by the local unit of the telecom giant saying “The acquisition of 5G spectrum will underpin our growth strategy by enabling the launch of higher speed connectivity to enhance customer service and accelerate digitalization for consumers, enterprises and the public sector,” Airtel Nigeria disclosed in its statement, that it purchased 100 MHz of spectrum in the 3500MHz band and 2x5MHz of 2600MHz from the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) for a gross consideration of $316.7m, as a strategic part of its broader plan to boost Airtel Nigeria’s mobile data network and the power of its fixed wireless home broadband. The company hopes to gain the needed momentum to steady its feet in the 5G technology development in Africa’s telecom market. This recent development has already begun to attract attention as shares in Airtel Africa rose to 5.2 per cent to N1,630 per unit on Lagos’ Customs Street at 13:28 WAT after the news hit the market, pushing its market value above N6.1 trillion, which is the highest value ever traded by a public company in Nigeria. The company is capitalizing on “the (shallow) penetration of data customers in Nigeria” where fewer than 44 per cent of people have access to smartphones according to a survey by the Alliance for Affordable Internet. Airtel Nigeria has also assured its customers that this purchase will increase the ease of connectivity at a much faster rate to enhance access to the digital world for its consumers. Segun Ogunsanya, CEO of Airtel Africa disclosed that Nigeria is a market with enormous potential for future growth in mobile services,” while adding that “Investment in new technologies and local infrastructure to enable this growth is a strategic priority for the group and will ensure we are able to provide reliable and affordable services to local communities across the country,” Airtel Nigeria had lost an earlier chance to run 5G technology when it couldn’t secure one of the two available licenses auctioned by the Nigeria Communication Commission in December 2021, which was secured by MTN and Mafab, and although the MTN has already begun operating its 5G technology in August 2022, Mafab chose to extend its launch to January 2022 due to its Mafab’s regulations. Airtel Nigeria hopes to establish itself in the conversation quickly while delivering value to its customers in Nigeria, which is the biggest market for both Airtel and MTN. SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/10/airtel-nigeria-acquires-317-million-spectrum-ahead-of-its-5g-launch/
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