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Four Firms Raise ‘Techpreneurs’ Through DevCon Alpha
Verve International, leading e-payment solution provider in Nigeria, Microsoft, renowned software company, Nokia, smarphone manufacturers and Mobile Monday, a mobile solution developing company have joined hands in a quest to raise technology entrepreneurs (Techpreneurs).
In the Mobile Monday Nigeria developer contest tagged “DevCon Alpha: Build with Verve – Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 Edition”, a developer can win over $200,000 in Marketing and Prizes by participating in the contest.
Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek immediately the competition was unveiled in Lagos on Monday, Oremeyi Akah, country manager, Verve International, said that the Company was attracted to the contest following its quest to redefine software market while alleviate the sufferings of developers in Nigeria.
She said: “Verve is home grown and our participation and motivation in the context are very clear. The entrepreneurial spirit in Nigeria is very strong, especially in the developers’ community. We want to encourage, support and help them attain the heights they envisaged. Verve as a leader in payment solutions we are bringing that aural into the developers’ community.
“People have fantastic apps coupled with a lot of efforts, but they are not commercialized. That implies, they cannot grow their businesses or contribute to the growth of the country’s economy. At the same time, the CBN is trying to push the cashless policy, we are coming in to support that. Their efforts will not be in vein again as they can compete internationally while solving local demands”.
The country manager added that Verve views the programme as a win-win for all the parties involved and the nation will have greater testimony to show for it.
Also speaking, Tomi Davies, chairman, Mobile Monday Nigeria, said that, DevCon Alpha competition was launched out of concern that the Nigerian software market and the other sectors need to be saved from foreign strangulations.
He said that upping the market value will make it more attractive to the developers.
Davies said: “We are concerned that some foreign brands and platform are taking over the system in Nigeria; companies from Germany, US, UK, etc. but the people who attended this event today (Monday) are Nigerians who are looking for opportunities to develop the market. That is why Mobile Monday (MoMo) has partnered with Microsoft and Nokia.
Most importantly, we have seen that the big sponsor is Verve; it is a home grown e-payment company. That is why this is very important to us. We need as many Nigerian developers and designers to be part of this competition. Just like Nokia promised, even you do not win they will still promote you provided the software solves local needs. We need icons or role models that will spur the minds of others. Everybody talks about IrokoTv; we want 200 to 300 like of IrokoTv. We know that there is money to be made in mobile software development.
“Meanwhile, it is not about the $300,000 that will be made by a developer rather we want to train young people that can develop apps that the whole world can assess at the Windows Store.
Why the Windows platform? In as much as we want to do other programmes with other platforms, the focus in on developing Nigerians. We want the country to become a player in the technology space. When we build our software then we can easily solve our local needs.
Where are we coming from? If you look at Nollywood, it is worldwide today, even the Nigerian music industry. MoMo’s aim is to put our software on the same footing; people will come to Nigeria for mobile software applications.
“I don’t want Nigerians to become employee, but employers. We are focused on developing ‘Techpreneurs’; Technology entrepreneur that use technology to create employment and wealth and the tools they will use is what we are developing at MoMo. It is not enough to develop one’s skills and employ you”.
According to him, the process is self selecting; “we are not saying you have to pair. But for you application to be accepted it must be visual appealing to people and technically sound to ensure scalability,” he added.
On his part, Shina Oyetosho, Microsoft’s Developer Platforms Evangelism Lead, West East and Central Africa Microsoft, said that, it is all about marking the market value attract international recognition while not shying away from local trends and demands.
He said: “Overtime, we have been participating in events and organizing events that ensure we develop local talents in Nigeria. This SDK/payment integration into apps is something that developers have asked for.
“So, we threw it back at the industry. It is an opportunity for the developers to monetize their creativity. The more we do that, the more we are helping the local developers. That is tied to the national goal of developing the software sector. Secondly, it will create employment; there are people who have left their jobs in banks and focused on apps development. And this is a way the industry is providing them with value and a driving force to do more quality work”.
The contest is primarily focused Developers integrating the Verve payment SDK into their applications.
The winner of this competition will also walk away with interesting prizes and an advertising push provided by Nokia, Microsoft and Verve. It would also be deployed on the Nokia OVI store.
Mobile Apps which have the embedded Verve Payment SDK are able to securely receive payments within the app from the over 20 million Verve Cards and Verve payment tokens in Nigeria.
The solution also utilises Verve’s “Remember Card” feature, implying that customers do not need to enter their card numbers when initiating these payments – only PIN and is some cases CVV2 is required to complete a payment.
Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has awarded a total of N13 million in grants to three standout tech startups at the 2025 Techpreneur Summit held in Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and inclusive growth among Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The winners include: BuyScrap, a digital marketplace for recyclable materials – N6 million; Qiqi Farms, which connects local farmers to hospitality and export markets – N4 million; Eco-Cyclers, a youth-led recycling initiative based in Enugu – N3 million
Alongside the grant awards, DBN also launched a new digital data asset, a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at enabling data-driven decisions within the MSME ecosystem.
The platform offers deep insights into business trends, sector-specific challenges, and growth opportunities—supporting smarter policymaking and targeted investments.
In his keynote address in Lagos, Tony Okpanachi, managing director/ CEO, DBN, described the event’s theme, “CTRL + SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija,” as a strategic call to reimagine enterprise development in Nigeria.
“This isn’t just a keyboard shortcut,” he said. “It’s a mindset reset—powered by technology—to build a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient business landscape. From financing to innovation, DBN remains committed to enabling MSMEs to thrive.”
Okpanachi emphasized that the Summit aligns with DBN’s AMPLIFI Strategy, which integrates digital transformation, sustainability, and scalability into its core programs.
He highlighted initiatives such as the Digital Shift Workshops and the Eco-Innovation Challenge as key steps toward embedding innovation in Nigeria’s MSME sector.
Encouraging young innovators, he added: “The future belongs to those bold enough to imagine and build it. DBN is proud to support the ideas that will shape tomorrow.”
A major highlight was the unveiling of the DBN Data Asset—a digital platform designed to provide real-time, evidence-based insights into Nigeria’s MSME landscape.
The platform combines DBN’s proprietary data with external sources like the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to offer a comprehensive view of MSME performance by region and sector.
Jeremy Dan Okayi, DBN’s Head of Strategy, Policy & Innovation, described the platform as: “A reservoir of insight, potential, and direction—built on two years of collaboration and shared vision. This tool will support informed decision-making across the public and private sectors.”
News
FCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations
In a bold enforcement action, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), supported by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has sealed off the visa application centres of France, Belgium, and Italy in Abuja over alleged consumer protection breaches and obstruction of regulatory investigations.
The affected centres—located at Mukhtar El-Yakub House in the Central Business District and operated by TLS Contact, a Teleperformance Company—were shut down following reports that they refused to accept formal correspondence from the FCCPC regarding a consumer complaint. The Commission cited further infractions, including obstruction of investigation and alleged assault of its officers during lawful duties.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, Director of Surveillance and Investigations at the FCCPC, explained: “This is an enforcement operation against TLS. On March 25, 2025, we served them a letter to address a consumer complaint, which they refused to accept. Instead, TLS officers assaulted our team, and in a subsequent visit on June 17, they also allegedly assaulted uniformed police officers.”
Citing Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), Mrs. Adeyinka emphasized that failure to comply with Commission directives constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment, fines of up to ₦20 million, or both.
TLS has been ordered to appear before the Commission on June 20, 2025, to provide testimony, submit evidence, and make formal depositions. The company may be held liable for any financial losses suffered by applicants due to the disruption of visa services.
Despite multiple requests for comment, management at TLS Contact declined to respond as of press time.
Adedapo Segun, chief financial officer (CFO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has explained why there is a missing sum of N210 trillion in the company’s audited financial statement spanning from 2017 to 2023.
According to Segun, the missing funds are cash calls requested by joint venture (JV) partners and settlement to the JVs.
He spokeat a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada.
Segun was responding to an alarm raised by the committee over missing N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statement.
Recall that Wadada issued a one-week ultimatum to NNPCL to account for the missing N210 trillion.
Reacting, Segun said, “The N103 trillion and N107 trillion are made up of joint venture cash calls that have been requested by the JV operators and JV cash call payments made by NNPCL, which are yet to be reconciled because governance procedures were not done at that time.
“That is why you see the description reflecting those two items would be washed out because they are two sides of the same transaction, which is the cash calls by JV partners and the settlement by NNPCL.”
However, Habu Sadeik, a financial analyst, in a post on X on Thursday, said Segun’s response was unsatisfactory.
Saidik faulted NNPCL’s response about the fund discrepancies, noting that something is not right with the audited financial statement.
“Forget about the senators’ lack of knowledge.
“The CFO’s response is not satisfactory. Are you saying that cash calls worth hundreds of trillions are just appearing on your FS only in 2024 without 31 disclosure?
“If it’s a cash call, why hasn’t the disclosure said so?
“Which cash call is over 100 trillion?
“Something is definitely not right, and I hope they retrospectively correct that FS.
“Someone somewhere did a chef’s work,” he wrote on X.
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