Telecom
Konga Jara: 12 Lucky Shoppers Enjoy VIP Treatment, Exclusive Mentorship by Ekeh, Zinox Boss, Others
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It was a weekend of excitement, filled with a huge dose of useful business success tips and powerful insights from a carefully selected cast of resource persons and spiced with loads of fun and surprises as Konga, Nigeria’s leading e-commerce giant hosted 12 lucky shoppers to an all-expense paid weekend with the Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh.
Spanning from Friday, February 10 through Sunday, February 12, 2023, the 12 participants had been exposed to a series of mind-blowing and exciting initiatives which commenced from their arrival and reception at the grand Lagos Continental Hotel and culminated in a lunch date with Ekeh at his residence in the heart of Ikoyi, Lagos on the final day.
Tagged Knowledge Weekend, the 12 selected participants had been rewarded with the exclusive mentorship programme with Ekeh, a Forbes Best of Africa Leading Tech Icon, after emerging from a random pool of shoppers drawn from the recently concluded Konga Jara promotion. Among the list of 12 lucky shoppers that graced the exclusive weekend event are Mrs. Molayo Jebutu, Mr. Joshua Emmanuel, Mr. Olanrewaju Ogunkunle, Mr. Henry Idugala, Mr. Adeyemi Oyewale, Mrs. Stella Ezeonwuka, Mrs Sonia Omatedjor, Mr. Chris Godwin, Mr. Soliu Saad, Mrs. Amaka Michael, Mr. Olatomide Idowu and Mrs. Maureen Okeke.
Following their arrival to a VIP treatment at the five-star Lagos Continental Hotel on Friday evening, the management of Konga had proceeded to surprise the guests with a welcome package delivered to their respective rooms, setting the tone for what turned out to be a weekend of delightful surprises and treats for the beneficiaries. A sumptuous buffet dinner soon followed suit, bringing a fitting end to proceedings for the day.
Saturday, February 11, 2023 opened with an intense aerobics session involving the guests in the hotel gym. This was supervised by a certified fitness instructor who put the participants through their paces. From there, the lucky shoppers were hosted to a smart breakfast in the hotel before being conveyed in a custom-fitted limousine bus to the imposing Yudala Heights on Idowu Martins Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the day’s activities. From here on, it was a roller-coaster ride of extensive learnings as a rich faculty of resource persons took turns to deliver masterclasses for the benefit of the guests.
The highly interactive masterclasses cut across personal financial planning delivered by Okezie Akaniro, Senior Vice President, Konga Group and a finishing school expertly imparted by Managing Director, Task Systems Ltd., Mrs. Gozy Ijogun.
Also exciting the guests was a thought-provoking session on the link between discipline and goals/results presented by Dr. Anthony Oguike. A Mechanical Engineer by profession but an entrepreneur, innovator and a philanthropist at heart, Dr. Oguike is the the Founder and current Group Managing Director, The Future Concerns Group, a group of productive and well-respected companies specializing in corporate HSE and Oilfield Engineering Services within the Oil, Gas and Allied Industry.
Also featuring was Chief Operating Officer (COO), Konga Group, Dave Omoriege, who took the guests through the remarkable story of Konga’s rise to dominance in the Nigerian e-commerce space.
The high point of Saturday’s learnings was a much-awaited session with Ekeh, the Zinox Chairman, who exposed guests to the New Mega Wealth, a major topic of interest for the participants. Ekeh’s engagement with the guests formed the theme of further expositions on Sunday at his residence where the selected participants received additional insights on new/potential business ideas and success tips for navigating the pitfalls-ridden landscape of the contemporary business space.
Meanwhile, Saturday night heralded another surprise for the lucky Konga shoppers as they were treated to a VIP night-out at a high-brow lounge in Victoria Island. It was a time for the guests to make merry and unwind to premium entertainment, marked by choice wine and food in an atmosphere of utmost conviviality, fun and leisure.
With Sunday morning came breakfast in the hotel and a trip to Ekeh’s residence where a prayer session opened up the day’s proceedings. Thereafter, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Konga Group, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh anchored a lively feedback session with the guests.
Afterwards, the concluding part of the direct engagement with the Zinox Chairman took centre stage, culminating in a special lunch date which featured meals recommended by a dietician. Before departure, the 12 lucky shoppers were treated to another surprise, with each of them receiving a high-specs tablet courtesy of Ekeh.
Expressing their gratitude to the management of Konga for the weekend treat, the guests took turns to heap praises on the e-commerce brand, while also hailing the Zinox Chairman for sparing time from his schedule to personally mentor them.
‘‘I am so excited. It’s been a very beautiful and amazing experience and I am grateful to Konga for the opportunity. By and large, my experience from this event cannot be quantified,’’ said Mr. Ogunkunle, one of the participants.
Another participant, Mr. Henry Idugala was effusive in citing the engagements with Ekeh as a major highlight. ‘‘We got to hear from one of the great captains of industry first-hand on his own personal values, principles and even some advice that we can take to ensure that we live the best life,’’ he disclosed.
Also speaking was Mrs. Ezeonwuka. ‘‘I consider it a privilege to be honoured by Konga with this all-expense paid weekend. Wonderful! It was extremely wonderful. I had value added and I am so happy. I look forward to this again and again.’’
The winners were selected randomly from shoppers who participated in the recently concluded edition of the Konga Jara promotion which ran from Tuesday December 13, 2022 till Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The mentorship programme, an initiative of Konga Kares, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Konga Group, is part of efforts to empower budding entrepreneurs with the right business success tips and strategies to create new wealth in the 21st Century.
Telecom
OnePipe Launches PaywithAccount: Revolutionizing Payment Collections in Nigeria
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For many Nigerian small business owners, cash flow isn’t just a challenge—it’s a constant battle. Whether it’s schools struggling with delayed tuition payments, logistics firms dealing with inconsistent driver remittances, or cooperatives managing member contributions, the process of collecting payments remains inefficient, unpredictable, and time-consuming.
A study by PwC revealed that 48% of Nigerian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have experienced delayed payments due to different reasons, with 33% of affected businesses reporting severe consequences.
Traditional systems often involve manual invoicing, repeated follow-ups, and high transaction fees, leaving business owners with less time to focus on growing their operations.
In response to this challenge, OnePipe has launched PaywithAccount, a direct-from-account payment solution that helps businesses automate and simplify collections, reducing delays and improving cash flow predictability. With PaywithAccount, businesses can collect payments directly from customer bank accounts—securely and automatically—without the need for cards, manual reminders, or complex reconciliations.
For entrepreneurs across Nigeria, the ability to receive payments on time means the difference between survival and growth. “As a school owner, I want to focus on my students, not spend hours tracking unpaid fees,” said Mrs. Olumide Ashade, Founder of King’s Court School in Lagos.
“Many of our parents pay in installments, but managing these payments manually has been stressful.
“A solution like PaywithAccount means we can offer flexibility to parents while keeping our finances in order.”
“Reliable repayment is the backbone of growth for lenders. At Lendsqr, we understand that payment delays are a significant problem for lenders”, said Adedeji Olowe, Founder, Lendsqr.
“We have helped many of our lenders transition from debit cards to PaywithAccount which reliably ensures loan repayments are on schedule.”
“At NIBSS, our core vision is to empower the financial ecosystem to innovate within the framework of interoperability, ease of connectivity, collaboration, and cost-optimization,” said Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, Executive Director of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems PLC (NIBSS).
“PaywithAccount is another heartening example of what happens when industry players leverage these guardrails to enhance the overall quality of our nation’s digital payment system.”
For Ope Adeoye, CEO of OnePipe, this is a commitment to empowering Nigerian businesses. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but too many struggle simply because getting paid is a challenge,” said Adeoye.
“We believe financial technology should remove obstacles, not create them.
“PaywithAccount helps businesses worry less about collections so they can focus on what truly matters—growth, innovation, and serving their customers.”
With PaywithAccount, small businesses across Nigeria can now eliminate the stress of late payments, automate their collections, and take full control of their financial future.
For more information about PaywithAccount, visit www.onepipe.io or call 02013438444.
Telecom
Apple Introduces Affordable iPhone 16e Model
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Apple has announced the iPhone 16e, a new iPhone model, which is priced lower than its main models that usually debut in September.
The iPhone 16e, retailing at $599, is set to go on sale later this month.
It features a modern design without a home button or fingerprint sensor, using Apple’s FaceID scanner and a sensor notch at the top of the screen.
Powered by the same A18 chip as the main iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16e can run all the same apps and games. It will be available in black and white.
The iPhone 16e also introduces Apple’s first cellular modem, the C1, replacing the Qualcomm modems used in previous models.
With a single camera lens, as opposed to the multiple lenses on more advanced models, the iPhone 16e aims to attract new customers to Apple’s ecosystem, supporting features like image generation and notification summaries via Apple Intelligence.
Apple is releasing this low-cost iPhone to boost sales amidst mixed results in recent quarters, as overall iPhone sales fell 1% annually in the December quarter, though the company still sold over $69 billion worth of phones during this period.
This model continues Apple’s tradition of offering affordable iPhones, following the iPhone SE. Unlike previous major product launches, the iPhone 16e was introduced through a press release, reflecting Apple’s new approach to product announcements.
Telecom
Airtel Nigeria Faces 40 Percent Revenue Dip amid Naira Devaluation
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Airtel Nigeria’s revenue fell by 40.34% in 2024, reaching $738 million, down from $1.24 billion the previous year.
This sharp drop is mainly due to the steep devaluation of the Nigerian naira.
Although the company saw a 3.2% increase in its customer base, which grew to 52.1 million subscribers, the rise in data usage per customer was more significant.
Average data consumption grew by 37.2%, reaching 8.4 GB per month.
Airtel’s EBITDA dropped by 46.4%, standing at $360 million.
Despite the challenges posed by inflation and rising operational costs, the company adjusted its pricing for voice and data services, in line with the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) tariff changes.
The company said it remains focused on adapting to the tough economic situation while maintaining its service quality for a growing customer base.
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