Opinion

The Need For Inclusiveness In Society: Could Online Platforms Be Leveraged To Reduce Poverty?

Published

3 years ago

18 May 2020

By Austin OKERE

On May 04, 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in a report about poverty and inequality from September 2018 to October 2019 in Nigeria, said 40 per cent of people in the continent’s most populous country lived below its poverty line of 137, 430 naira ($381.75) a year. It said that represents 82.9 million people.

I had written this article about four years ago on Nov 15, 2016, about how society today is split more along the lines of those who are included and those left behind. This is even truer today with Businesses and Education moving Online due to the COVID-19 induced Social Distancing. How can we ensure that nobody is left behind?

While society in the past was split between the haves and have nots, society today is split more along the lines of those who are included and those left behind. This inequality is most heavily felt in emerging markets, where 80% of the world resides.

India As An Example

Take for instance fast developing India, while globalisation has significantly increased GDP, it has also expanded the already wide chasm between the rich minority and poor majority. For instance, seven companies on Fortune’s 2016 Unicorn List are in India, mostly in the e-commerce sector. That’s more than South Korea, the Netherlands and Canada combined. However, the 12.5m employed directly and indirectly by the ICT sector and contributing 25% of India’s export revenue, accounts for only 2.5% of the national labour force.

The bottom line is that India is an agrarian society with more than half the population engaged in agriculture and allied industry. By cutting subsidy on irrigation and other rural needs, and switching farm output from food crops to fertiliser intensive cash crops, the poor have gotten poorer. On the other end of the chasm, the number of dollar billionaires in India has jumped to 110 in 2015; the third-largest after the US and China, while dollar millionaires have crossed the 250,000 marks. This is what the Canadian political philosopher, Crawford Macpherson describes as the ethic of possessive individualism.

Growth Without Prosperity, Youths Most Impacted

In his book, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, famed author, Peter Drucker wrote about an entrepreneurial society and its impact on economic development. An entrepreneurial society is one that is either prosperous or on a path to prosperity; different from mere growth. Economies can grow without becoming prosperous. We saw this happen in the 2000s when many African economies, such as Nigeria, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, were the fastest growing in the world but failed to create prosperity for millions of their citizens.

A close examination of those left behind shows that they are mostly the youth of our society. For example, while the unemployment/underemployed rate in Nigeria is 32.6%, the rate among the age bracket of 15-24 years is as high as 58.3%. The sheer size of unemployed youths is surely a time bomb waiting to explode, as they are left to be seduced by terrorist ideals or other antisocial proclivities out of desperation.

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Ascension Of The Right Wing

The surge in the popularity of right-wing politicians across Europe and the rest of the world is a testimony to the exasperation of the silent majority of society who feel left behind, as was manifest in the recent unexpected emergence of Donald Trump as President-elect of America. The Brexit vote in the UK highlights the division of the demography into those who belong; mostly the elite, who voted to remain and those left behind, who largely voted to leave.

The view widely held is that while globalization has brought awareness to premium products and urban lifestyles across boundaries, it has robbed nationals of jobs, which are now being shipped to other regions with more competitive production costs. It is also perceived that jobs at home are fast being snapped up by immigrants who are either more qualified or willing to work for less pay. The vote against globalisation and liberalisation in favour of nationalistic border controls is more a protest against immigration than any firm convictions of its demerits.

Non-Consumption Could Be The Root Cause

Many of those in a society stuck at the wrong end of the Gini-coefficient is majorly locked out of the ‘consumption pool’ for a variety of reasons; including affordability, availability and awareness.

According to Efosa Ojomo, a research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, the way we define competition, and the method employed by companies to assess the competitive landscape leaves out the most important competitor of all – non-consumption. And nowhere is this feisty competitor more prominent than in emerging markets.

While companies compete for the few people in the consumption pool, their fiercest competition is the huge segment of society that is not consuming. Finding ways of including this large demography will not only boost production, sales and distribution but will also provide additional jobs to meet the increased demand. This sets off a self-sustaining cycle of growth and further inclusiveness.

According to market intelligence firm, Euromonitor, in 2015 only 2.5 per cent of households in emerging markets had access to air-conditioners, while just 19 per cent had access to refrigerators and barely 9 per cent had access to cars. Compare these numbers with those in the United States, where 83.4 per cent of households have air-conditioners, 99.9 per cent have refrigerators, and 86.5 per cent have automobiles.

Market-Creating Innovation To The Rescue

Entrepreneurs, investors, and managers can invest in what Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen calls ‘market-creating innovation’ to transform complicated and expensive products into simpler and less expensive products, making them accessible to significantly more people in society. Market-creating innovations pull people from non-consumption into the consumption pool. Companies that engage in these types of innovations are the engines of economic growth in an economy. It is through market-creating innovations that the other types of innovation such as potential innovation and efficiency innovation are birthed.

A perfect example of a market-creating innovation is Henry Ford’s Model T car. Henry Ford was able to manufacture a car that was inexpensive enough for an American with a modest income to purchase. He also made the car easier to drive so that owners would not have to hire a driver or need special expertise. Some of Ford’s innovations were the assembly line which reduced the Model T chassis assembly from 12.5 hours to 1.5 hours. Ford passed on the cost savings to the new class of consumers of automobiles such that by 1925 the price of his car had plummeted from $825 to $260.

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The Modern Age Of Platforms

Enter the modern age of Platforms such as Facebook, Google, Amazon, Uber and Airbnb. There is hardly an area of economic and social interaction these days that is left untouched by these Platforms in some way. Two major areas in which the Platform Czars have riled the establishment are in transportation and hospitality; the major ‘culprits’ being Travis Kalanick of UBER and Brain Chesky of Airbnb.

UBER, until recently a relatively unknown company out of Silicon Valley in California, employs 327,000 drivers today and is adding an average of 50,000 drivers every month. This transport services disrupter is now valued at $62.5b and operates in many major cities across the globe. Airbnb, a previously obscure company with similar roots, has over 2.8m accommodation on her platform and is now valued at $30b. These Platforms provide a means of significantly extending services at low-cost efficiencies, and as a result draw many people into the consumption pool, while also creating many jobs along the value chain which would otherwise simply not exist.

A major concern of the new Platform Economy, however, is data security and confidentiality. The bigger problem is about governments getting interested wherever there are large amounts of data, and seeking to gain access to it, perhaps for tax purposes, security or otherwise. How do the Platforms, which typically generate tons of customer data, handle this dilemma?

The Education Bottleneck

Urbanisation and inclusiveness will put a strain on the current education structure as a result of unprecedented demand for knowledge workers. This makes education another area where there is a need to reach far more than our traditional schools can cater for. Here again, leveraging on online learning Platforms to provide Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are coming to the rescue. In the past, if you wanted to get a qualification, or even simply learn something new, you would sign up for a course at a bricks-and-mortar institution, pays any relevant fees, and then physically attend class. That was until the online learning revolution started.

According to Zi Hu, MED candidate, Columbia University, last year the e-learning market was worth an enormous $166.5 billion and estimated to reach $255 billion by 2017. Its growing financial value is matched only by the swelling numbers of students choosing to follow an online course, making online learning seem like the future of education. Instead of worrying whether or not online education can ever be as good as more traditional formats, perhaps we should instead focus on how we can use it to deliver quality education for people all over the world, particularly the poor and underserved.

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Broadband And Smartphones As Platform Vehicles

The ubiquity of broadband and the proliferation of smartphones has extended the life of Platforms and made services that were hitherto unavailable to a large section of the population possible. This heralds an era of unprecedented inclusiveness. For instance, MPESA in Kenya has made it possible for a large swathe of the population to gain financial inclusion by providing the opportunity to transact financial services vide your mobile phone on a continent where typically 70% of the population is unbanked. Similar applications have metamorphosed across Africa.

Regulatory Challenges

While Platforms will bring inclusiveness and bring a lot of people into the consumption pool, there are major regulatory challenges that have to be surmounted as a result of issues that were not foreseen when the governing statutes and regulations were enacted. To fill the regulatory gaps these Platform behemoths have resorted to what could be referred to as spontaneous deregulation, which has arisen as a result of Platform disrupters ignoring laws and regulations that appear to preclude their business model.

Believing in the efficacy of their utility model and its appeal to a pent up global demand, these disrupters seem to see many rules and regulations as belonging to the past and impractical for today’s innovative clime. They, therefore, simply ignore them, opting for their own version of self-regulation, usually based on a mutual rating system between service providers and consumers.

A bigger dilemma perhaps is the placement of regulation. For instance, who should regulate the plethora of Fintech companies springing up globally and providing Platforms for financial inclusion; should it be Central Banks or the Communications Commissions? The jury is still out on this. Another major worry is the issue of the Platform provider having an undue advantage by also being a player on his Platform. This makes him the judge and jury in his own case.

A Case For Platforms, And Their Expansion

A big plus for platforms, albeit more out of serendipity than design, is the lowering of the carbon footprint, a major consideration of both the millennium and sustainable development goals. With all the perceived drawbacks of Platforms, they will significantly help in bringing more people into inclusiveness, who otherwise would have been left behind.

I believe that Platforms will, in the long run, contribute more towards saving society, especially if extended beyond their current technology boundaries into other non-consumption realms to maximise their impact towards achieving a more equitable society.

Austin Okere is the Founder of CWG Plc, the largest ICT Company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange & Entrepreneur in Residence at CBS, New York. Austin also serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Business School Network, and on the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Innovation and Intrapreneurship. Austin now runs the Ausso Leadership Academy focused on Business and Entrepreneurial Mentorship

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Opinion

NDPB At One: The Evolution Of Data Privacy Under Dr. Vincent Olatunji

“People who end up being first don’t actually set out to be first, they set out to do something they love,” thus, creating a lasting legacy for themselves.

Published

2 months ago

8 February 2023

DigitalTimesNG

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner/CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau

By Yusuf YUSUF

The pioneer National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), is one man who has risen through the ranks, showing expertise both in administrative roles as well as the information technology field, as a formidable force whose trajectory of achievements keeps many on their toes.

All these, he has managed to achieve without giving room for the notion of imitation but rather, by setting an exemplary step in advancing policies to ensure the development of the status quo.

A Certified Public Private Partnership Specialist (IP3 Specialist) and a PECB Certified Data Protection Officer, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, (FIIM, IAPP, and NCS) is a promising figure the technology world needs to watch out for in coming years.

He joined NITDA in 2002 and has worked in various departments thereby rising to the position of director in 2014 and Acting DG in 2016 amongst other roles serving in various departments before his recent appointment as National Commissioner.

In just over a year, Dr. Vincent Olatunji is creating a new legacy as the pioneer National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau while setting the pace for the institutionalization of data protection laws in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) is an intrinsic segment of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy born on the 4th of February 2022, out of the need to uphold the National Digital Economy Policy for Digital Nigeria (NDEPS) by further strengthening as well as entrenching the protection of personally identifiable information and sensitive personal data.

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Such data includes emails, names, telephone numbers, house addresses, religious beliefs, political lineage, medical records, labour union affiliations, and information being uploaded online in line with standard global practices in a digital economy.

The objective of the bureau as stipulated by the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019 (NDPR) include

Safeguard the rights of natural persons to data privacy
Foster safe conduct for transactions involving the exchange of personal data
Prevent manipulation of personal data and
Ensure that Nigerian businesses remain competitive in international trade through the safeguards afforded by a just and equitable legal regulatory framework on data protection.

While keying into the global digital revolution is inevitable, it is only pertinent that this rising need is met with accurate preparedness. It is on this note, a major milestone was recorded under the able leadership of Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, with the launch of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria (NDEPS).

The NDEPS was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) in 2019. This subsequently led to the re-designation of the Ministry of Communications to include the digital economy, thereby giving it a new phase.

With this development, the journey of the much-desired and envisioned Digital Nigeria began. This was, however, followed by several restructurings to accommodate the new set mandate of the Ministry. And such restructuring included the NDPR.

Unarguably, Dr. Olatunji has continued laying exemplary standards for any successor to measure up to in time memorial as he has managed to adapt existing resources and manpower to carter for the immediate needs of his bureau to ensure swift and immediate operations against all odds to kick start immediate operations.

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Stepping into the herculean task of laying a solid bedrock for data protection policies and strategies without giving room for doubts or sloppiness while distinguishing himself as a formidable force to reckon with, as a pioneer, may pose a major challenge to many.

This is because the way of the pioneer is always filled with different hurdles stemming from proper administration to implementation of policies. However, Dr. Olatunji draws strength from his love for his profession, leaving no stone untouched in his quest to achieve excellence as he emulates the popular saying that “People who end up being first don’t actually set out to be first, they set out to do something they love.”

The Bureau, within the last year of its establishment, has recorded significant growth under various parametres including but not limited to the following: –

Rate of increment of the public sector integration into data privacy and protection framework – 100%,
Rate of increment in the enrolment of DPOs from data controllers and processors across Nigeria – 600%,
Rate of increment in the licensing of Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCOs) – 50%

Similarly, revenue generation through the implementation of the NDPR has increased by over 60%.

The foregoing milestones are taking place at a time when the Digital Economy under Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami is breaking records in its contribution to Nigeria’s GDP. The ICT sector for instance contributed 18.44% to the total real GDP in Quarter 2 of 2022 – outperforming virtually all other sectors.

The establishment of the Bureau, under the visionary leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, has strengthened the bulwark of fundamental rights and freedoms of Nigerian citizens in the data economy ecosystem and has, to all intents and purposes, earned Nigeria a pride of place in the arena of international data governance and human capital development.

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With the recent approval of the Nigeria Data Protection Bill by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for further ratification and endorsement by the National Assembly, we wish Dr. Vincent Olatunji, twice as much of successes recorded by him just in one year as he sets out to achieve greater developments in the strategic implementation of data protection laws in Nigeria.

Opinion

How To Survive The Last Week Of January On A Budget

Published

2 months ago

25 January 2023

DigitalTimesNG

January is renowned for being a month of extremely slow days, mounting bills and a long, grinding wait for payday. This is often the case for folks in paid employment.

However, the difficulties that traditionally accompany the month of January impact entrepreneurs or those in business as well.

Usually, discretionary or disposable income is often limited and tightly guarded, with many potential customers trying to wade through to the end of the month after the customary lavish spending that trailed the previous year-end festivities.

With the current fuel scarcity plaguing most parts of Nigeria burning deeper holes in the pockets of the average Nigerian, there is a common consensus among many to see the back of January.

Beating the sapa occasioned with the January season often requires a certain level of skill and wits. It is better to stroll into February (the month of love) with a meagre balance or even broke than to enter it on your knees with a crushing bundle of debts on your back.

Here are a few ways you can see out the last week of the month in flying colours on a tight budget, courtesy of Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce company.

1. Make Garri Your Friend

Just kidding, but then you might want to invest a little of your scarce resources on food or foodstuffs that are not so expensive but last for a long time. Food items like Garri, Bread, Beans, and the like, as they allow for varieties, would definitely come in handy if you are the type that cooks their own meals.

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2. Substitute

We know our help comes from God, but at times like this, you might like to forego your normal routine and go with more budget-friendly options. Instead of ordering an Uber or a ride to work as you’ll typically do, you may have to wake up earlier and commute via public transport. You can also substitute your expensive beverage for a 3-in-1 coffee or tea; instead of buying that pricey loaf of bread, you could opt for a biscuit instead.

3. Spend more time with friends and family members

The famous saying “The more, the merrier” has never been more beneficial. When things are tight, the best exit route is to be with people who could help lighten the load. With friends, you could share your resources and make the best out of the situation.

4. Be Content

This last week of January, beating sapa entails being content with yourself. In fact, phrases like YOLO or “If I perish, I perish” would do you more harm than good. Avoid frivolities, get only the necessities, understand that all fingers are not equal, and be content with what you have. Mr. James’ brokenness could be your average level, so no matter where you find yourself, cut your coat according to your cloth.

5. Look out for Cheaper deals

Most importantly, a major element to seeing yourself through January smiling is to be alert to juicy offers or the best deals. There is always an advantage to it, that satisfaction that comes from walking away with a sweet deal on a purchase. This is one of the reasons you must embrace Konga when it comes to shopping for all your items during this period.

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In fact, the ongoing Konga Jara promotion remains your best bet. It is an open secret today that most items are cheaper at Konga and you also enjoy the benefit of guaranteed quality and swift delivery.

In summary, if you’re able to stick to the points mentioned above, you’re well on your way to surviving these last 77 days of January, while leaving many of your peers wondering how you managed to pull through in such a brilliant fashion.

Opinion

7 Mistakes Organisations Make That Cause Good Workers To Quit

The decision to leave an organization doesn’t just happen overnight

Published

2 months ago

23 January 2023

DigitalTimesNG

Workers in an Organisation....... Photo Credit: Business Insider Africa

By A J HESS

Talk to any leader of an organization and they will tell you one of the things that bother them the most is losing good people. There is a saying that has become very common: “People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.” While many people do leave because of their relationship with the people they directly report to, the reasons are more varied in many cases.

Unhappiness is the main reason employees leave organizations. Yet, what exactly causes people to be unhappy? There are a number of factors that come into the equation that can cause people to conclude they could be better off working somewhere else.

The decision to leave an organization doesn’t just happen overnight. Usually, the conditions have been around for a long time, slowly draining the employee’s enthusiasm and desire to bring their best selves to work every day. As Phil Johnson, founder and CEO of The Master of Business Leadership, says, “The drama, chaos, and conflict experienced in these toxic work environments lead to low levels of employee engagement.”

Here are seven issues that slowly drain a person’s desire to work for an organization:

LACK OF APPRECIATION

People spend a great deal of time at work, and if they get the feeling that they’re not being appreciated, it will slowly drain their energy and desire to give their best. The lack of appreciation can show up in various forms. Lack of recognition for their accomplishments is a key example. When we are working hard, doing good work, and nobody seems to notice, it kills our desire to continue to do more.

Another area is a lack of caring or taking an interest in our special interests, talents, and life outside of work. When we spend so much time at work, we expect others to take an interest in us as unique individuals, with special talents, needs, struggles, and home situations. And we want the people we report to support us when we are going through difficult times.

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“When employees feel a genuine connection with their leader, their role, and the organization, they are stronger collaborators and communicators, and are more engaged,” explains Debbie Muno, managing director of Genos North America.

UNFAIRNESS AND FAVOURITISM

While there are different levels of talent and responsibilities within organizations, we expect the standards for promotions and rules of conduct to be applied equally to employees in the organization. Few things are as upsetting as when organizational rules they’re expected to follow are not adhered to by the higher-ups.

Another sore point that really drains performance is when people perceive that promotions are given based on favoritism rather than meritocracy. The resentment and anger resulting from these actions, or just the perception of them, create a toxic culture that causes good people to leave.

ALLOWING NO AUTONOMY OVER ONE’S WORK

In order to feel fulfilled in our work, we need to have some say in what our work looks like. Whether we have a choice on what we work on, have a say in company goals, or have a say in work-related decisions, we need to have choices to feel fulfilled in our career.

The best work happens when leaders trust us to know what to do and can count on us to do it well. Managers who act as guides and coaches—and are approachable when employees have problems—will see their staff perform much better than those who micromanage and allow their people little discretion over how their work is done.

SHOWING NO INTEREST IN EMPLOYEES’ PASSIONS

Organizations that expect employees to do their jobs without considering what they are passionate about not only miss out on harnessing those passions, but also alienate their people. It takes work, effort, and getting to know people to find out what their passions are. Unfortunately, many workplaces don’t have the desire to find out. As a result, those who believe employees are hired simply to fill a position and should leave their passions at home will find significant turnover among their teams. After some time, these team members will be looking at other companies known for an employee-first culture.

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On the other hand, those organizations that do make the effort to find the connections between their people’s work and their passions will see an increase in productivity, higher rates of job satisfaction, and a happier workplace overall. To that end, author Debbie Peterson recommends utilizing psychometric questionnaires. “[These] can ensure employees are in roles where their skills and personalities can shine, and ensure the longevity of the employee and their employment as well as the performance of the organization,” explains Peterson.

ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL STAFF APPRECIATION

Many organizations have an Employee Appreciation Day once a year when everyone is acknowledged and treated the same. The problem is that not everyone has the same skills, contributes equally, or regularly brings the same effort. Receiving the same recognition as someone who does the least work possible upsets those who go above and beyond, bring extra enthusiasm to their work, and give their best every day.

Not only should people be recognized for their achievements, but they also should be able to communicate how they wish to be recognized. In my book, The Other Kind of Smart, I talk about how important it is to get to know people in order to appreciate them in a way that powerfully connects with them.

A LACK OF MEANING

One thing millennials have become known for is wanting their work to have meaning and to feel that they are making a difference. Previous generations have wanted this as well but settled for less as they believed the workplace was not the place where this was possible. Now, millennials are a major part of our workplace and are rising to leadership positions. Finally, organizations have started to pay attention.

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Organizations must create a vision and share it with their people in a way that ensures everyone understands how their contribution makes a difference. Everyone wants to feel pride in their work and in the organization they work for. This will become increasingly important as younger generations, crucial to an organization’s success, demand this.

A LACK OF FUN AND PLAY

In previous decades, the idea that we should have fun at work would have left leaders aghast. Work was work, and people were expected to have fun outside of the workplace. We have since come to understand that having fun at work is a great way to invigorate people, give them something to look forward to, and even alleviate stress and boredom. “For instance, [some] high-tech firms now encourage employees to take table tennis breaks,” says Peterson, “with the added benefit that it promotes physical and neurological fitness.”

When people are not only allowed, but encouraged, to have fun in their workplace, they are more relaxed, are able to build camaraderie with their colleagues, and are motivated to perform better.

****Culled from fastcompany.com