E-Business
Fixit45 Acquires Parkit, Unveils Subscription-based VIP Programme
In demonstration of its commitment to facilitating value-creating interactions across stakeholders in the automotive industry, leading autotech platform, Fixit45 has announced the acquisition of Parkit, a network of tech enabled autocare and car wash centres.
Since its entry into the market in July 2021, Fixit45 has been focused on building a platform that provides a seamless, collaborative infrastructure for interactions to occur across verticals that include auto repair and maintenance services, fleet management, auto parts sourcing and delivery, auto care, refurbishment and upgrades, repair financing and mechanic workshop software as well as pre-purchase inspections, underlying these with moderation for compliance and accountability.
Fixit45 caters to needs in the repair and maintenance segment, Parkit plays in the auto care vertical, Xparts is a discovery and trading platform for spare parts where you can explore a rich inventory, find exacts parts based on the platform’s AI tools and get these parts in very good time and Rampware is a Software-as-a-Service tool to help auto-workshops manage their operations and improve service delivery experience.
On the acquisition, Justus Obaoye, CEO and Co-Founder, Fixit45 said, “Parkit was committed to building out and digitizing the fragmented vertical in the autocare and car wash space. They provided business support, training and consumables to businesses and ensured that the experience was rewarding for fleet and car owners.
“We found synergies in what they were doing at the time and we approached them to join us in this journey to fix and build the aftermarket ecosystem which has culminated in the acquisition. Parkit has been fully integrated in the Fixit45 family and we look forward to providing market leadership.”
According to Gerald Okonkwo, VP, Business Development, Fixit45 and Founder, Parkit, “our business was founded in June 2018 to use technology in making the customer journey for car washes very seamless by automating payments, helping them acquire the right tools for the job and providing professional care services that were not available in-country.
“This journey has been a collaborative experience and we are blessed to have found the right team at Fixit45 with bold ambitions to create value for consumers in this space.
“The acquisition was finalized in September 2021 and we are looking to many more wins. When we started, we had to import most of our consumables and materials, but today, we are to provide quality car shampoo, upholstery, tire and engine wash, polish and air fresheners. This is just one of many success stories that this acquisition has berthed.”
Automobile ownership for car and fleet owners can be a frustrating experience owing to a myriad of factors that include highly fragmented, mostly unregulated industry, informal service providers who often lack the technical competence, as well as proliferation of counterfeit spare parts with a lack of warranty on repairs. These challenges in turn have also impacted the service delivery experience from service providers.
To change the narrative in the space, Fixit45 is collaborating with a lot of stakeholders and partners with a view to deepening value creation in the ecosystem. Some of these stakeholders include workshops, spare part suppliers, insurance companies, tow trucks, fintechs, and fleet owners.
The Fixit45 Vehicle Intact Programme (VIP) has been designed as the name suggests to delivering quality and affordable repair and maintenance services via subscription-based plans with a view to ensuring that the lifetime value of a vehicle or fleet is enhanced and productivity optimized. The rich bouquet of plans come in 4 packages that include the Service Plan, Maintenance Plan, Extended Services Plan and the Emergency Services Plan.
The Service Plan ensures that subscribers don’t have to worry about workmanship and getting their vehicles in good shape. The Maintenance Plan is a commitment to a routine and or scheduled preventive maintenance which in turn mitigates the need for some repair work on the vehicle.
The Extended Service Plan works as an HMO for vehicles in which subscribers transfer to us the duty of keeping their fleet and or vehicles operational at all times. Because breakdowns don’t announce themselves, the Emergency Service plan is designed to give comfort and succor to motorists in the event of a breakdown.
With presence across 4 cities in Nigeria, more than 100 network partners and over 2500 vehicles under management, Fixit45’s ambition is to become Africa’s largest and most trusted autotech platform.
“We have built a robust end-to-end ecosystem platform that caters for all players in the aftermarket segment. The industry has largely been based on brick-and-mortar operations and it is our intention to disrupt and digitize this space using technology,” said Abdulazeez Ogunjobi, Cofounder & CTO.
“It is gratifying to see the uptake and adoption of Fixit45’s service platform by corporates in the FMCG, Mobility and Tech industry. The glowing commendations we have received will further spur us to do more in the aftermarket space.
“Our value propositions of affordability, peace of mind, quick turnaround time, convenience, quality assurance and accessibility will never go out of fashion. We will double down on these and ensure that the vehicle ownership experience is better improved,” said Bemigho Awala, Head of Marketing and Communications.
E-Business
Naija Shopping Festival: Konga Offers Unbeatable Christmas Deals
Nigeria’s leading e-commerce platform, Konga, has unveiled the Naija Shopping Festival, a Christmas sales event designed to offer shoppers extraordinary discounts and unbeatable deals.
This exciting shopping extravaganza begins on December 1 and runs through December 30, promising an unforgettable experience for all.
With discounts of up to 70% off on your favourite products, the Naija Shopping Festival is Konga’s way of spreading festive cheer and ensuring no one misses out on amazing deals.
This event caters especially to those who could not participate in Konga Yakata, giving everyone a chance to save big this holiday season.
The festival boasts a wide array of incredible offers across multiple categories, including mobile phones, electronics, FMCG, fashion, groceries, and accessories.
Shoppers can also enjoy specially curated deals such as Christmas Eve Deals, Flash Sales, Santa Shop, and Hamper Packs, ensuring there’s something for everyone this festive period.
Konga is partnering with top global brands such as Apple, Starlink, HP, Zinox, CeraVe, Lenovo, Haier Thermocool, Samsung, and Infinix to deliver the best possible deals. Customers can expect discounts of up to 70% on premium products, ensuring maximum value on every purchase.
Speaking on the launch, Onochie Melvin, E-commerce Manager at Konga, stated, “The Naija Shopping Festival is our way of giving back to our customers and making this Christmas season special for every Nigerian.
“We remain committed to easing the financial burden on Nigerian consumers, especially during challenging economic times. Also, we want to ensure shopping is fun, affordable, and stress-free. With our trusted partners, we’ve curated the best deals to meet the needs of every shopper during this festive period.”
As always, Konga is committed to making shopping easy and convenient for Nigerians.
“By offering substantial price cuts and collaborating with trusted brands, Konga continues to set the standard for e-commerce in Nigeria.
To have a feel of Konga’s Naija Shopping Festival, visit www.konga.com today and make your Christmas shopping a joyful experience.
E-Business
TD Africa Joins Forces with Check Point to Enhance Cybersecurity in Nigeria
TD Africa, a leading technology distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa, has joined forces with Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a global cybersecurity leader, to enhance Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience.
This strategic partnership, announced at a partner roundtable event in Lagos and attended by industry executives, stakeholders, and IT professionals, facilitated discussions on emerging cybersecurity trends and fostered strategic partnerships.
Participants explored innovative approaches to digital security, concluding with a networking session designed to spark future collaborations and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Abiodun Idowu, Assistant General Manager for TD Africa, highlighted the company’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions, saying: “This partnership with Check Point reflects our commitment to providing advanced tools that safeguard businesses against today’s complex cyber threats.”
Check Point’s Security Manager, Victor Ugwu, who underscored the partnership’s significance in strengthening cybersecurity frameworks in Nigeria, said, “With this collaboration with TD Africa, we aim to deploy innovative solutions like Harmony and CloudGuard to protect organizations across the country.”
TD Africa now offers Check Point’s Harmony and Email Collaboration solutions, incorporating Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology to enable secure connectivity for remote and hybrid work environments.
Additionally, the partnership provides CloudGuard, an end-to-end cloud security solution, and Quantum Firewall appliances, which scale to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.
This partnership reinforces TD Africa’s position as a driving force in Nigeria’s technological advancement. By delivering robust cybersecurity solutions, TD Africa empowers businesses to navigate the digital age with confidence and resilience.
E-Business
Kaspersky Contributes to Joint INTERPOL-AFRIPOL Operation Combating Cybercrime Across Africa
Kaspersky has recently assisted its partner law enforcement agencies INTERPOL and AFRIPOL in a joint effort to disrupt cybercrime across the African region.
Dubbed “Serengeti,” the operation has led to the arrest of more than 1,000 individuals suspected of links to cybercrimes such as ransomware operation and business email compromise (BEC) attacks, resulting in nearly US $193 million in financial losses worldwide.
As Africa is going through a rapid digitisation, the threat of cybercrime on the continent is also escalating. In the African region in general and West Africa in particular, ransomware emerges as one of the most prominent attack vectors, targeting critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and manufacturing facilities, among others.
During the first 10 months of 2024, ransomware detections in West Africa surged by 36% year-on-year, according to Kaspersky data. Other noticeable cyberthreats targeting users and organisations in the region include spyware and password stealers.
Conducted from September 2 to October 31, operation Serengeti dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks linked to cybercrimes including ransomware operations, BEC attacks, digital extortion and online scams — all identified as prominent threats in INTERPOL’s 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.
Kaspersky has contributed to the operation by sharing information on threat actors, data on ransomware attacks and malware targeting the region, as well as up-to-date indicators of compromise (IoCs) for malicious infrastructure across Africa.
Among the malware targeting African countries was also a well-known Brazilian banking trojan Grandoreiro – Kaspersky recently released new findings on this trojan at its Security Analyst Summit. Additionally, ransomware families detected in attacks on African organisations among others included LockBit, Rhysida, and Medusa.
The operation has also resulted in the identification of more than 35,000 victims of cyber offenses investigated.
Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, said: “From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern.
Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together, and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain. We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide.”
Ambassador Jalel Chelba, AFRIPOL’s Acting Executive Director said: “Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends. Our focus now includes emerging threats like AI-driven malware and advanced attack techniques.”
“We are proud to contribute to this multi-stakeholder operation orchestrated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL,” comments Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Kaspersky. “The emerging dynamics of the threat landscape in Africa requires a stronger regional dialogue on mitigating acute cybersecurity risks.
Kaspersky firmly supports INTERPOL’s and AFRIPOL’s efforts to prevent and disrupt cybercrime attacks across Africa and shares the holistic approach towards creating a more cyber-resilient environment within the continent.”
Thanks to the cooperation with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, Kaspersky has been an active contributor to fostering a more cyber-savvy environment in the African region.
In addition to the vast record of joint operations in Africa, with the latest being INTERPOL-led operation Synergia II, Kaspersky has recently sealed a five-year cooperation agreement with AFRIPOL to further strengthen its role in creating a more cybersafe climate on the continent by sharing Kaspersky’s extensive data on local cyberthreats and cybercrime trends with the organisation.
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