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How Businesses, Govt Can Re-strategize After COVID-19 – Adedayo Amzat
Adedayo Amzat, group managing director, Zedcrest, has advised corporate organizations to rethink their business model and adopt technologies that would keep the green-light on – should another pandemic of COVID-19 scale ever happen again.
In an Instagram Live Chat with Peter Oluka, editor of TechEconomy.ng on the theme; “Implications of COVID-19 on Nigerian Economy: Way Forward for Businesses”, Amzat stated that the battle against COVID-19 is one that leaders today must win if we are to find an economically and socially viable path to the next normal.
According to him, “This is worse than the worst case scenario that businesses plan for”; noting that the last time the world experienced a pandemic like this was 1918 (the Spanish flu).
“No company or individual could have foreseen and made adequate preparations to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies and businesses.
“Businesses are shutting down in their numbers because this crisis is unprecedented.
“In order to stay alive, businesses will require a shift from a brick and mortar mind set to exploring digital channels to reach their consumers.
“What we have now are opportunistic winners. Digital business are taking over brick and mortar businesses”, he said.
He stated that very few insurance packages have pandemics in their contracts which unfortunately mean that many businesses will struggle after the pandemic.
The financial expert also urged the government restructure its finances and to give more support to agriculture, mining and other sectors that can create jobs to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on the Nigerian economy.
Adedayo Amzat, group managing director, Zedcrest
“Before now, the government has been trying to move the economy from an export driven economy to a consumption driven one.
“There should be more local aggregate demand to drive the economy. Government has heavily invested in supporting the agricultural sector. With lessons that we have learnt during this COVID-19 crisis, it makes sense to deepen internal competences across different sectors.
“Agriculture has the capacity to employ a lot more people. Our first problem in Nigeria is unemployment, if we can develop our agriculture value chain, a lot more people will be employed.
“Almost 100 million Nigerians live in abject poverty, but remember, poverty isn’t just the lack of money, and it is also lack of access to information that can lift you out of that poverty.
“Agriculture can increase aggregate demand and we can generate more tax revenues, which can make our GDP more liquid.
“We have a GDP of $360 billion, but we don’t make up to $20 billion in tax revenue. We can make our GDP more liquid by ensuring that people get to work”, he explained.
Amzat opined that the government also needs to increase funding and encourage more research in the health sector.
“There was a video by Bill Gates that he did after the Ebola crisis, everything he said is happening right now.
“There is this theory that anything that can go bad will one day go bad. We have to have a plan for every possible situation. We need to create our health sector response and model it after the military.
“The military is funded even when there is no war, it’s like an insurance. Every year there is one health crisis or the other so why do we not have the same response for the military?
“What if HIV comes back what are we going to do? We have to have reserve health doctors that can be called upon for periods when there are health crisis that can overwhelm the health sector”, he urged.
The Zedcrest Group boss concluded that this is the best time to reduce the cost of governance by slashing the prodigious salaries and allowances of political officers; needless tours and other ostentatious expenses.
For now, Zedcrest Group has since activated its business continuity plan which amongst other elements includes work from home arrangement for staff.
The Group’s consumer finance outfit, Zedvance Finance Limited remains one of the lending firms that are still active at this time through their digital channels.
United States (US) House of Representatives has banned WhatsApp from all official devices as a result of data privacy and security concerns.
Harry Coker, acting national cyber security (ONCD) Director confirmed this via a statement issued on Monday, June 23 stating that WhatsApp’s high risk classification is attributed to the messaging app’s ambiguous data protection policies, inadequate encryption for stored data, and other potential security vulnerabilities.
He stated that staff have since been advised to utilize more secure communication platforms, with recommended alternatives including Microsoft Teams, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, Signal, and Amazon’s Wickr.
However, Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs for Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has strongly opposed the ban.
He said, “We disagree with this decision in the strongest possible terms, whatsApp provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps.”
This ban on WhatsApp is not an isolated incident, it follows previous restrictions on other applications, such as TikTok, which was removed from government devices in 2022.
The decision also comes just months after WhatsApp itself confirmed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted some of its users, including journalists and civil society figures.
MTN Foundation has received accolades from UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The recognition, presented during a profile courtesy visit by UN Women representatives to MTN Nigeria’s Head Office in Ikoyi, Lagos, acknowledged the Organisation’s profound contributions to advancing women’s empowerment across the nation.
The UN Women delegation, led by Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, commended MTN and its Foundation for their unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive society where women thrive.
During the presentation, Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, expressed profound admiration for MTN’s efforts. “I want to congratulate MTN for all that they have been doing,” Eyong stated, her voice resonating with appreciation. “And I want to congratulate MTN Foundation specifically, because they are leaving things better than they met them especially with their Mother and Child Initiatives.” Her remarks highlighted MTN’s focused impact, suggesting a significant improvement in the landscape of women’s empowerment due to the company’s interventions.
Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, received the award and further elaborated on the company’s broader commitment to societal upliftment through women’s empowerment. ” Our Y’ellopreneur program targeted at Female entrepreneurs is about creating access for our Female Entrepreneurs – access to skills, capital and markets. Our commitment is to contribute to the success of women – led businesses in Nigeria.
This focus on economic empowerment through skills development directly benefits women seeking to improve their livelihoods. This recognition comes as MTN Nigeria continues to champion various programmes aimed at uplifting women, from promoting gender diversity within its corporate structure to supporting women-led businesses and initiatives.
The company’s alignment with global best practices, including its recent signing on to the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs), further solidifies its position as a leader in corporate social responsibility and gender equality advocacy.
The award serves as a testament to MTN Nigeria’s strategic and impactful investments in creating a more equitable future for Nigerian women.
Google today announced the selection of 15 promising tech startups for its Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 program. These innovative startups, hailing from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address significant challenges across diverse sectors, including fintech, agritech, healthtech, and professional services.
In an era where startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across Africa, these innovators often face significant hurdles to scale their operations, particularly in securing essential support, mentorship, and funding. Programs like the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa play a crucial role in providing these opportunities, enabling tech founders and innovators to amplify their impact. By bringing together Google’s extensive resources, including cutting-edge AI technologies and a global network of experts, the program aims to equip these startups to not only thrive but also lead in addressing both local and global challenges in this AI era.
The selection follows a highly competitive application process that began in April 2025 , drawing nearly 1,500 applications from across the continent. This cohort underscores Google’s deep commitment to fostering Africa’s vibrant tech ecosystem and supporting startups in their growth journey.
“African startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across the continent, and their work with AI is truly transformative,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google. “This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply. We are incredibly excited to support these founders who are building for impact and helping to shape an inclusive AI ecosystem across Africa.”
Over the next three months, the selected startups will participate in a hybrid accelerator program (June 23rd to August 22nd, 2025). Participants will receive dedicated technical mentorship from experienced Google engineers and industry experts , up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits , and strategic support in AI implementation, product leadership, and business growth. They will also gain access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators, amplifying their reach and impact.
Since its inception in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 153 startups from 17 African countries. Collectively, these alumni have raised over $300 million in funding and created more than 3,500 jobs. Google has directly contributed $5 million through a combination of equity-free funding and product credits to support these founders.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 cohort includes:
AFRIKABAL (Rwanda): A blockchain and AI-powered platform helping farmers, buyers, and logistics firms trade crops securely and transparently.
Apexloads (Kenya): A logistics SaaS platform helping African freight brokers, forwarders, and transporters move cargo faster with verified partners.
E-doc Online (Nigeria): Simplifies compliance and credit checks by analyzing real-time banking data, enabling faster onboarding and smarter lending decisions.
GoNomad (Nigeria): Enables businesses to start and run global entities, and solopreneurs to professionally invoice and get paid globally like a local.
Midddleman (Nigeria): An intelligent sourcing and payment platform helping African businesses import and pay for goods from China faster, safer, and cheaper.
Myltura (Nigeria): An AI-powered digital health platform enabling remote care, test access, and seamless health data management in Africa.
Pastel (Nigeria): Offers Enterprise AI solutions, inc. AI based fraud detection and anti-money laundering solutions to financial institutions in Africa.
Rapid Human AI (South Africa): An end-to-end AI design-thinking platform that turns ideas into code in days, cutting development time by 80%.
Regulon (Ghana): An AI-powered compliance and onboarding platform designed to simplify regulatory processes for businesses across Africa and the EMEA region.
Scandium (Nigeria): An AI Quality Assurance suite that helps teams ship bug-free software faster with end-to-end test automation and test ops tooling.
Shamba Records (Kenya): An AI-powered platform that empowers 50,000+ African farmers with smart credit, market access, and climate-resilient, data-driven agriculture.
Smartel Agri Tech (Rwanda): Helps smallholder farmers in the Global South get ahead of crop pests and diseases early using AI-powered, solar-driven devices and SMS alerts.
TOLBI (Senegal): Leverages AI and satellite imagery to empower sustainable agriculture across Africa, providing precise crop yield forecasts.
YeneHealth (Ethiopia): An AI-driven digital health web, and mobile app streamlining access to affordable, reliable, quality medications & health care services.
Zerone Analytiqs (Ghana): A transformative two-pronged solution to the data scarcity in Africa, We are revolutionizing how data is sourced, analyzed, and utilized for decisions.
For further information and updates, visit the Google Africa Blog or follow @GoogleAfrica on social media.
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