Uber launches taxi service in Nigeria's commercial city

Uber Driver - Pic courtesy Uber Lagos

Getting around in Nigeria's boisterous city, Lagos can be a nightmare for commuters who often encounter what many call a go-slow - a traffic jam crawling through lanes of hooting yellow buses and rickshaws every day. Apart from running late, commuters often worry about their safety. Nigeria is one of the world's worst countries for kidnapping, getting in the wrong cab could end up costing you or your family a lot more than the agreed taxi fare.
A number of new taxi service companies are now offering transport options to commuters with a promise of making their travel easier and safer.
Silicon Valley's Uber a new entrant, recently launched its online cab-hailing services here.
The company uses a smart phone app and GPS technology to provide taxi services by linking up customers with a trusted driver who is nearby. The drivers go through an eight step process of vetting to check their psychological state and car documents. They also undergo training on customer service and appropriate conduct. Uber is now competing strongly with Easy Taxi, a Rocket Internet startup launched in 2013 with same strategy of providing taxi services by linking customers with a trusted driver nearby. 

Link to the video:

Uber makes entry into Nigeria market with 'safer' taxi services

Pic courtesy Uber Lagos

Uber riders - Pic courtesy Uber Lagos

Young entrepreneurs open Nigeria's first coffee chain

Pic courtesy Cafe Neo

A coffee shop in Nigeria's Lagos is a rare sight for many living in the West African country. The coffee culture is something that is alien to the Nigerian culture but all that is fast changing with the opening of coffee shop Cafe Neo in the country's commercial city. Popular Cafe Neo set up shop in the high-brow area of Lagos in 2012 to attract Nigeria's budding middle class with its unique coffee sourced from Rwanda. Established by two brothers, Ngozi and Chijioke Dozie, their aim is to celebrate the return of coffee to its African roots. The brothers are looking to leverage on the country's population and are working towards ensuring the business is successful before coffee giants like Starbucks make an entrance into the Nigerian market. The atmosphere in the coffee shop is slightly upbeat with music playing in the background, sofas have been set up with free WiFi internet for those who intend to stay connected while having a cup of coffee. The new cafe phenomenon was a challenge for the brothers at the initial stage but currently, they attend to over 100 customers daily.
Co-Founder, Cafe Neo, Ngozi Dozie says the need to establish a coffee shop came when they realised Nigeria did not have cafes solely dedicated to selling coffee.
Coffee giant Starbucks is already eyeing the sub-Saharan African market and will open stores in sub-Saharan Africa for the first time next year after agreeing a deal with Taste Holdings in July.

Link to the video:

Business brewing at Nigeria's first coffee chain

Pic courtesy Cafe Neo

Pic courtesy Cafe Neo

Ngozi Dozie - Pic courtesy CCTV

Nigerian Teens Create Mobile Web Browser

Anesi and Osine Ikhianosime - Pics courtesy Kenya Citizen TV

Two Nigerian teenagers, Anesi and Osine Ikhianosime have created a mobile web browsing app known as 'Crocodile Browser Lite' that they say is faster and more easily accessible on lower end phones commonly available in Africa and other developing countries.
Anesi and Osine Ikhianosime are teenage brothers living in Lagos, Nigeria. Like many children their age, they spend a lot of time on social media and browsing the net. But the two boys decided to do much more. They developed their own browser known as 'Crocodile Browser Lite.'
Anesi and Osine taught themselves how to code when they were 12 and 14-years-old respectively using free online resources and reading books. Now 16, Onesi says they are also motivated by a desire to help people and are passionate about developing the IT industry in Nigeria.
Industry analysts have long hailed the explosive growth of mobile telecoms in sub-Saharan Africa - 635 million subscribers by the end of 2014 climbing to 930 million by the end of 2019 according to a report by Ericsson.
But size isn't everything. Development in the mobile and IT sectors depends on the quality of those mobile phone connections, subscriptions and surrounding infrastructure. The number of expensive smartphones that can run sophisticated games and applications is low.
Anesi and Osine see as an opportunity for new, innovative technology. They say 'Crocodile Browser Lite' is faster than more conventional browsers like Google's 'Chrome' and can be supported on lower-end phones common across Africa.
'Crocodile Browser Lite' is available on Google Play store and has so far received 40,000 downloads.

Link to the video:

Crocodile Browser by Nigerian Teens

Young Nigerian artist jazzes up the art scene with toothpicks

Adeoye Adetunji- Toothpick Artist - Pictures courtesy Adeoye

What a couple of months it has been. Been juggling work, school, family and oh my! Thankfully, I am in a new phase of my life and loving every bit of it. 

I have missed blogging and sincerely apologise for being out of the scene for a while. So many things have occurred since my absence. Nigeria has a new president, there's been fuel scarcity, the plummeting currency.... Also, some things haven't changed and that brings to mind the attacks by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria. 

Not all bad things going on though. I never cease to be amazed at Nigerians who are defying all odds to create something new and stand out from others.
A unique art form is gradually gaining popularity in Nigeria with young artist Adeoye Adetunji creating unusual artworks with toothpicks. The small sticks of wood which is a must have in many homes for the removal of unwanted particles in the teeth has been transformed into a tool by Adeoye, taking after popular toothpick artist Steven Bachman who has been building works of art from them for decades. Despite negative remarks from his friends, he decided to carve a niche for himself by experimenting with an art that no other Nigerian had ventured into. After overcoming the challenge of making items larger than a hut, the young artist was finally able to make a living from his artworks. His background in mathematics science aids him in creatively coming up with new pieces.
Some of his artworks take up to six months to be completed but simpler ones like the hut take just a few hours. The young artist is looking to build a museum which he hopes can be completed in two years time so that people can come view his artworks.

Nigerian automobile bodyshop gives cars some special effects.

As with almost everything Nigerian, we just had to adopt the name of the Pimp My Ride TV show produced by MTV to establish a company. Naija we hail thee! The term "Warri no dey carry last" should not just be for Warri folks. The phrase should evolve to become "Naija no dey carry last". Nigerian businessman and entrepreneur, Rasheed Filua was inspired to set up Filua Pimp My Ride company in 2007 to pimp rides. He established the company after he got lots of praises from people when they saw the transformation he did on his car. The rest as they say is history. It is not a TV show like the American version but it is reality which the budding middle class and super rich are eager to buy into as it is just another way to flaunt their wealth. Filua Pimp My Ride transforms automobiles in colour, design and performance to the taste of its customers. Cars are miraculously metamorphosed from just a roadworthy necessity to luxury. They become stylish vehicles having a TV, fridge, beautiful interior decor all aimed to provide comfort for the owner. Such striking change does not come cheap. Clients pay a minimum of 950,000 naira. No surprises there as the parts and paints are imported from Europe. Filua has had to pay a price as well in setting up the company as he says getting capital was tough. He put in an initial investment of 4 million naira. That has paid off as his business is now worth over 50 million naira. Clients we interviewed say the money spent pimping their ride is worth it as it came out good and interesting. I must commend Filua, good thinking, good business.

Link to the video: Nigeria's Pimped Rides

Nigeria's 'megachurches' making megabucks

This story on megachurches and tax in Nigeria took months to complete. It became really interesting after the church building collapse incident in September. Fortunately, Bishop Oyedepo was having an event to mark his birthday and that was like the last piece for the jigsaw puzzle. All fell into place perfectly. Personally, I have no views on this issue so cannot express my opinion. Should churches be taxed? Why should they be taxed? Many will argue back and forth on this but I choose to be objective about it. Hear both sides and just 'sit on the fence'. Maybe it is because I have the utmost respect for some of the pastors. I listen to Adeboye, I huge respect Papa Ayo and I have been impacted by Oyedepo's messages. I once travelled from school to Warri to hear him preach. S, no comment. But I can say one thing though. I pay tithe. It does not really matter to where. Church, charity; I take it very seriously. What one believes works for the individual and my strong feeling towards tithe paying has yielded unimaginable results. Positive ones.
"Mega churches" in Nigeria attract millions of followers from inside and outside the country. They have spawned almost an entire economy of their own through hotels, universities, publishing firms and merchandising, making hundreds of millions of untaxed dollars. The surging popularity of the megachurches among the Christians who make up half of Nigeria's 170 million population has propelled their preachers into the ranks of the richest people in Africa. I would be hugely surprised if pastors were not wealthy. I mean they are working for the best person anyone can ever work with so the returns should make their bank accounts really fat.
But exactly how much of Nigeria's 510 billion US dollar-GDP they make up is difficult to assess.
As the churches have charity status, they have no obligation to open their books, and certainly don't have to fill in tax returns, an exemption that is increasingly controversial in Nigeria, where poverty remains pervasive despite the oil riches.
The pastors argue their charity work should exempt them.

Bishop Oyedepo defends their stance when he says:
"Look at where we are, there is no single government input on this premises, we supply our water, we make our roads and all of that and then you come back again and say let's tax them, on what,".

Oyedepo also added that the wealth the church gathers is invested in expanding it, and that if he did not use a private jet, he would be unable to oversee its many foreign operations and still return to Ota every week in time for Sunday's worship.

Click on these links to watch the story: Nigeria's 'megachurches' making megabucks

Nigeria's 'megachurches', a hidden pillar of Africa's top economy

Pics courtesy Reuters Akintunde Akinleye

NIGERIA'S WOMEN IN OIL BUSINESS

Years back, we could hardly find women holding top positions in oil companies but that is gradually changing as many women are beginning to handle management positions. This is a good development for our country because globally, the number of women in executive leadership positions within the oil industry is markedly low. Having a woman, means we have someone who can bring in her ideas and things can be done differently, passionately. When women are driven by their passion, they are committed to seeing it through despite the challenges even when all hell is breaking loose; the woman who has it all together can hold it all together. No offence to the men. I just feel women have that extra something, the "je ne sais quoi!".
Doing this women in oil business story was quite interesting. Well, for obvious reasons, I am female and all for championing the cause for women to explore their creativity and talents and use them in affecting their environment positively. Our first mission was to film at Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) and interview the managing director. I was pleasantly surprised when I met her. She looked young! Add beauty and brains to the list. Great personality, wonderful composure. She was on time. She knew the business quite well, explaining the entire work process that takes place on the site. I was challenged. And I was not the only one, her male staff were also challenged that they had a female boss. Amy Jadesimi, the 39 year old medical school graduate from Oxford University and a trained MBA graduate from Stanford while speaking about her experience said people are often surprised when they meet her. She has been the MD for five years but still faces challenges. She says she has to always prepare herself for any scenario. For her, the important thing is for the company to achieve their goals. LADOL is working on expansion with an ongoing construction of an integration and fabrication yard, in partnership with Samsung that will be the only facility in West Africa that can fully integrate floating, production, storage and offloading. Uju Ifejika, chairman and chief executive officer of Brittania-U is another woman in management position in the oil sector. She says things are beginning to change because men are starting to realise that women equally have certain potentials. The African mentality that a woman's place is in the kitchen, is changing. I do hope that we can all embrace this change and give women an opportunity to represent in various fields not just in the oil industry.
Cheers!
Click on any of the links to watch the video: Girl Power at Top Nigerian Energy Firms
Reuters: Girl Power at Top Nigerian Energy Firms

Amy and a member of staff

Ongoing work on the site

LADOL's Jetty