Fwd: Technology Startups in Eastern Nigeria and Innoson motors Innovation in Eastern Nigeria---Re: Innoson Releases Locally-made Luxury IVM G80 And G40 SUV (Photos) and Technology Startups in Eastern Nigeria-----Nigeria’s next generation of startups are being redefined in the southeast, not just in Lagos
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
From: Ugo Harris Ukandu <abuj...@gmail.com>
Date: 2 December 2017 at 14:33
MADE IN ABANigeria’s next generation of startups are being redefined in the southeast, not just in Lagos
Made In Aba Edition-- http://3.startupsouth.org/
Startups, Innovators, Investors, Policy Makers and Entrepreneurs from across Nigeria and beyond gather in Aba on November 9 for #StartupSouth
http://3.startupsouth.org/
Labor Unions in the USA have tremendous influence on elections. Politicians crave their support. When you buy made in USA products, you are keeping union members employed. If you are a politician and you drive a foreign made automobile Labor Unions will take note of that at election time. I hope that all the Labor Unions memberships are aware that buying made in Nigeria products keeps them employed. Maybe politicians who drive foreign cars instead of made in Nigeria cars should draw their attention. It should be surprising to find an Igbo governor driving an import when Innoson cars are available. Same for Igbo politicians and Ohaneze. They should all be tooling around in Innoson cars.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhoneOn Friday, December 1, 2017, 4:31 AM, Ken Okorie kaycee....@gmail.com [WorldIgboCongress] <WorldIgboCongress@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
WIC and Ohaneze should Ohaneze to urge federal and state governments (especially in the SE) as well as private companies to institute a policy requiring no less than 50% of their fleet be purchased from this indigenous manufacturer. This is done even here in the US both by government and private business. It creates jobs,The world now knows about the indomitable Gallery Furniture (a/k/a Mattress Mac or Jim McInvale) in the Houston furniture market because he proudly shout that all his inventory is “made in the USA”. In the UK, you will never see the Queen or Prime Minister driving other than UK-made.Ken Okorie
[Every business decision has legal implicaitons]On Nov 30, 2017, at 4:01 PM, Africa...@aol.com [WorldIgboCongress] <WorldIgboCongress@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Innoson Releases Locally-made Luxury IVM G80 And G40 SUV (Photos)
Posted by George on Thu 30th Nov, 2017Innoson Motors limited has successfully manufactured luxury vehicles which are set to high the local market en masse.One of the newly constructed vehiclesThe long awaited luxurious Innoson IVM G80 and G40 have been released by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co Ltd, Nigeria’s first indigenous Vehicle Manufacturing Company.It should be recalled that last year, the Chairman of Innoson Vehicles, Chief Dr Innocent Chukwuma OFR promised Nigerians that he would manufacture a Made in Nigeria luxurious SUV that will be added to its range of vehicles to accommodate the high cadre of Nigerians who wish to drive a Made-in-Nigeria vehicle.The date for the official vehicle launch will be announced soon.Also released is G20, a 7 seater sedan and INNOSON IVM GRANITE (5 SEATER DOUBLE CABIN PICK-UP) 2018 MODEL. The IVM Granite comes in 3 variance which includes; 2WD, 2.7 Petrol; 4WD 2.7 Petrol; 4WD 2.4 Diesel.See more photos:=================================================================MADE IN ABANigeria’s next generation of startups are being redefined in the southeast, not just in Lagos
Made In Aba Edition-- http://3.startupsouth.org/
Startups, Innovators, Investors, Policy Makers and Entrepreneurs from across Nigeria and beyond gather in Aba on November 9 for #StartupSouth
http://3.startupsouth.org/
Nigeria’s startup ecosystem continues to be dominated by developments in Lagos, Africa’s largest city and the country’s commercial hub. But developers and stakeholders in the oil-rich southern part of the country are gradually building an ecosystem backed by local tradition, patient founders, supportive mentors and potentially easier access to funds from the money-spinning oil and gas sector.
Perhaps crucially, they’re building without the usual dependency on Lagos’s fast-growing ecosystem.
In his telling of how he founded what has grown to become Nigeria’s leading travel site, Hotels.ng, Mark Essien, explained how he started in the city of Calabar in 2012 before he was contacted on Facebook by Jason Njoku (who co-founded iROKOtv and Spark) and was convinced to move to Lagos so his company could secure seed funding of $70,000 and another $150,000 when it hit the 6,000-listings milestone.
These days, however, Essien is often back in the southeast as part of a coalition of stakeholders who are working to ensure that entrepreneurs launching startups in the region no longer have to move to Lagos.
“It is very important there is a lot of focus on regional startups. Somebody can stay in Aba and say that “I want to build a technology company” and have all the resources necessary to be successful at their disposal without having to leave for Lagos,” Essien said while speaking at the Made in Aba edition of StartupSouth a tech meet-up that was held in Aba, Abia state, on Nov. 9.
While Lagos dominates for startups because of the proximity to both finance, partners and customers, there have been some moves by startups to other regions of Nigeria and the capital city, Abuja. Similar moves have been seen in Kenya, where Nairobi has dominated but more recently Mombasa and Kisumu have also attracted or kept startups at home.
“Not only oil and gas”
While entrepreneurs and investors in Nigeria’s southeast region’s tech space are aware of the capabilities of local developers, it has yet to become a major reference point for tech conversations because the region is largely known for the energy industry. And for startups in the region, this can be a problem, says Gabriel Eze, founder of Port Harcourt-based Touchabl Pictures, a startup that allows users to search inside any picture simply by touching it.
“Tech investors, and people in general, still see the south as an oil and energy hub instead of an emerging software technology hive,” says Eze. “It will take the global success of Touchabl or other startups to give the region its claim to fame which will attract more local and foreign investors.”
Eze and several other startup founders believe that waiting for the region’s ecosystem to grow is worth their while. They include on-demand repair service WeFix, event venue sourcing platform VenueHero, and skills outsourcing platform Wokkaholic.
For these startups, they are inspired by the success stories of MyPadi.ng which started and still remains at Ozoro in Delta state in spite of securing funding from Ventures Platform and is about to raise a follow-up round; bitcoins trading platform Unicorn.ng that secured a $10,000 seed funding; and several other startups from the region that had raised funding from local and foreign sources including the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme.
“The community is my motivation,” says Eze. He highlighted community networking events like Startup Sunday and annual tech/business events like StartupSouth and input from mentors like Essien.
There are also work spaces including KoWork, The Bubble Coworking and Yelocode that offer similar and material supports to founders in the community.
A stakeholder in the ecosystem and lead creativity and strategy at Havilah & Hills, Uche Aniche, believes that the region would have an edge over Lagos if the startups can access “oil money”.
“There are lots of young hydrocarbon industry players that are itching to get into startup investing and, already, talks are on for an angel investment network,” says Anichie. “So, very soon, there’s going to be interesting capital available—which also provides an opportunity for active investors right now.”
The Imu Ahia factor
While outsiders have only just started paying attention to the entrepreneurial spirit of the southeast’s tech startups, the area has long been regarded as one of Nigeria’s most entrepreneurial and commercial regions. Passed down for generations is the Imu Ahia traditional system of entrepreneurship among the Igbo ethnic group. It is sometimes referred to as a “traditional Igbo Business School“. Explaining the tradition, Chukwuemeka Afigbo, Facebook’s strategy partnerships manager, said Imu Ahia consists of apprenticeship, incubation, mentorship and partnership.
“I see a lot of elements of the first three stages in many startups in our ecosystem today but then not much of the last one—partnership because in the traditional system, by the time the apprentice graduates after being incubated and is “settled”, they usually become partners of their master and they end up doing a lot of business together,” says Afigbo.
“This is not happening as much as it should in many of the new startups. Also, not many young people are prepared to dedicate the right amount of time to their apprenticeship.”
Essien on the other hand argues that while Imu Ahia is neither incubation nor acceleration, it is better than both and should be embraced by startups even beyond the southeast region.
“I think it is something that would work really well, not just in the southeast, but all over the world,” Essien.
Afigbo believes startups in the region can ride on the wings of the successes of Abia’s “Made in Aba” mantra in addition to notable feats in Onitsha and Nnewi.
For most Nigerians, “Made in Aba” captures the both the chutzpah and ingenuity of local makers who are able to copy or reinvent almost any product from toilet roll to major car parts. This is the reason why the popular Ariaria International Market is often referred to as the “China of Africa”. This has positioned the region as preferred destination for individuals and businesses that are interested in producing copies of particular products or even better ones—thanks to the creativity and impeccable skills of the artisans in the region.
“Startups in the southeast should focus on how to use technology to add value to the cottage and commerce sectors since they already have the advantage of geography as well as understanding the culture and the people,” says Afigbo.
Essien on the other hand believes that the southeast region’s high population and several big markets are great opportunities for big startups coming out of the region. Meanwhile Andela and Hotels.ng have both launched annual internship programs that is believed to have raised the bar has been raised for quality talents in the region.
“More people are taking to the startup philosophy—away from the traditional ‘small business’ mind set as well. People are beginning to see business and fund raising for what it is—a means to an end instead of an end in itself,” says Essien.
The local startups can also benefit from a steady flow of talented young graduates from several of the universities which are leading on technology including Federal University of Technology Owerri, University of Nigeria Nsukka and University of Port Harcourt.
Eze however noted that while the startups would love access to more opportunities and funding, they are willing to make their own sacrifice until situation further improves in the region.
“I believe self-funding is part of the cost we have to pay for the investor community to take notice. Lagos had to prove itself with iROKOtv, Hotels.ng, Co-creation Hub and others before local and international funding came,” he said.
=================================================================
Re: Made in Aba proudly in Igbo land videos-----Land of bare-chested millionaires---- WAEC: Abia State Retains Top Position in 2017 Results and past 3 years Despite Being Disadvantaged
A Land of Bare-Chested Millionaires
A Land of Bare-Chested Millionaires
Aba is a town of settlers - most of whom have been attracted by the lure of doing business in an energized community. The people care about production, distribution and revenue generation.
There are so many success stories in Aba. The bare-chested millionaires are one. They are the extremely wealthy producers who care so much about giving value that they forget to wear shirts.Aba has a population of about 600,000, based on the last Census carried out in 2006. Over one-tenth of this population are artisans producing garments and leather shoes and fabricating machines. One in six of these people is a manufacturer and an employer of labour.
The normal average in Aba is one shop owner to between five to seven workers. This is where it gets interesting - some are learning the trade and some are working the trade. The worker is paid wages while the apprentice pays to learn the trade. Revenue circulates.
The most common refrain in Aba is, ‘When I finish I will get money to start my own’ and that is why you would get so many people who have more than two decade's experience doing the same thing. These business owners continue to mentor others. Sustainability is guaranteed.
There are 14 manufacturing clusters in Aba which are divided into leather products [shoes, belts and bags]; Garments; and fabrication. With over 50,000 artisans, the only thing that cannot be manufactured in Aba presently is a human being.
But all that is needed by a human being to survive and thrive are manufactured in this economic capital of Abia State. The first thing you will notice at Ehi Road is the preponderance of two and three-story buildings, which are very wide spread.
Most of the time, you will see where the building starts from but you will likely be unable to see where it ends. In one of the buildings - 156, Ehi Road, there are about 70 stores, where clothes - shirts, trousers, dresses, etc. are manufactured from 6:30am to about 6pm everyday, apart from Sundays.
One of the propietors in the building, Kalu said he had been domiciled there for the last 23 years. "Do you have a picture of what you desire to make," he asked. "Whatever you want will be created here," he continued.
Full of confidence is a trait common in these parts. These men and women of Ehi Road do not believe that there is nothing that is beyond them, even though they are the first to admit that they can definitely get better - if some circumstances are corrected.
Going through the town of Aba exposes you to a people who are extremely hard working - a people bent on sharing knowledge to sustain the future. In this town, there will always be work!
You too can help spread the reality about Aba by supporting Made in Aba. Simply join our email list and invite others to do so.
=====================================================================On Fri, Jul 21, 2017 at 6:52 AM, Chukwuemeka Okala reu...@yahoo.co.uk [NaijaObserver] <NaijaO...@yahoogroups.com> wrote:WAEC: Abia State Retains Top Position in 2017 Results AND THE PAST 3 YEARS Despite Being Disadvantaged
- Written by Uchechukwu Ugboaja
WAEC: Abia State Retains Top Position in 2017 Results Despite Being Disadva...
By Uchechukwu UgboajaOfficial sources at WAEC have just confirmed that Abia State have yet again retained the top in Nigeria for the ...Unlocking the potentials of Abia
Print this articleFont size -16+By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
Recent events in Abia demonstrate high capabilities of unlocking the potentialities that abound in the cultural,tourism,hospitality sub-sectors of the state economy, especially Aba, the state’s economic heartbeat.
As 2015 was winding up, Aba Sports Club commissioned its green golf course. The 18-hole course was constructed at N1.5million each and the estimated maintenance fee per hole each month is N250,000.
The economic implication of this venture on Aba in particular,and Abia in general cannot be over-emphasised. Golf is tagged an elitist sports and is played by high-profile industrialists and the well-to-do in the society. With a functional green golf course in Aba, big time investors will be trooping into the city for tournaments and this will rake in huge earnings for the state through tourism and hospitality.The expected impact of the green golf course on the economy of the state was aptly captured by the President of the club, Dr. Uwa Onwucheka when he commended Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu for embarking on urban renewal, stressing that when completed, Aba would fully bounce back to its former glory.
“I commend what the governor is doing on urban renewal; fixing the roads and other infrastructure. I appeal to him to help maintain the golf course. People may not realize what we have done for Abia state. Any man who is an entrepreneur who wants a place to recreate, this is what Aba Sports Club represents. From now, most big time investors would look at the calendar and see when the Aba Amateur Open will take place. They can plan to have their holidays in Aba and hotels in the city would be fully booked. Investors would come in. All the factories that had left Aba would come back. We need world class international hotel. People who lodge there will come here and recreate. With this, Aba will bounce back. By extension, Abia state will also bounce back”.
But now that Aba Golf Course has gone green alot is expected from the government to achieve its full economic potentials. One vital area is the maintenance of the course. The financial burden will be huge on Aba Sports Club if they are left to bear the N250,000 maintenance cost per hole every month.
According to Onwucheka, “In other places like Enugu, Uyo, Owerri, government contribute heavily to the maintenance of the golf course, knowing fully well the tourism potentials of the golf course. We plead that the government of Abia state sees the need to invest in golf. This has been done by private capital and individuals. Government must work in conjunction with the people by investing more and helping in the maintenance of the golf course. This would be to the betterment of the state”.
Besides regular maintenance of the course, efforts should be geared towards upgrading hotel facilities in the city. This issue brings to fore the comatose state of the popular Enyimba Hotels. Like Onwucheka appealed to Gov. Ikpeazu to upgrade the facility, Enyimba Hotels require urgent attention.
The facility located at the bank of Aba River(Waterside) was a dream project of the Ukpabi Asika administration of the defunct East Central State and was initiated after the civil war, was supposed a standard swimming pool, garden and other recreational facilities.
The foundation of the seven- storey edifice was laid by the administration of late Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe of the old Imo State. The project,which was to cost N56million, had reached an advance stage- with contracts awarded for procurement of furniture and fittings, utensils, among others when military intervention in politics of December 31, 1983 truncated it.
Regime after regime abandoned Enyimba Hotels until 1991 after the creation of Abia State when it was rumoured that the Aba Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) purchased the facility.
One of the remarkable efforts by Ikpeazu’s administration to give the facility a facelift was the ejection of miscreants from it. Before now, the facility was converted to the abode of all manner of miscreants who constituted nuisance to both the security of the city and the beauty of the neighbourhood. Though overwhelming applause trailed the action , there are strong calls to the government by individuals to revoke the purchase by ACCIMA if the chamber fails to expedite actions on revitalizing the hotel.
In mid December 2015, residents of the state were treated to another event that would in the near future shape the cultural and commercial potentials of the state. The Enyimba Cultural Carnival was test run. The event, though was test run, was a huge success .It featured road show, beauty parade,award night, fashion show,amongst others.The carnival with the theme”Reigniting our cultural and commercial values” was dedicated to the celebrations of the Christmas and Enyimba International Football Club victory in the national Premier League last season. It is an annual event that would attract visitors to Enyimba city every year.
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu has emphasised on several occasions that Aba is key and and pivot to his administration’s policy. Efforts to achieve this came to a climax few days back when the 1st Aba Urban Development Summit was held .The aim of the summit was as a result of the determination of Ikpeazu’s administration to ensure that Aba attains its full potentials. It was also aimed at providing government the opportunity to seek partnerships from development partners, interested individuals and organisations to help government extract solutions towards the holistic development of Aba.
It is not only that Aba in a foreseeable future would become a tourist-haven but a motion has been set in place to ensure this.The ugly narrative of Aba as a city lying in ruins has changed instantly- courtesy of Gov. Ikpeazu’s Aba Urban Renwal Drive.The drive has ensured the provision of world-class infrastructure,especially roads in the city. Some of these roads are fitted with street lightings and solid drainage.
Also, to ensure that these roads constructed outlast Ikpeazu’s administration, the state has adopted the cement technology. And the perennial flooding that rendered the streets of Aba impassable and contribute to the collapse of these roads has been taken care of through the dredging of the Aba River. This exercise ensures the expansion of the river banks to accomodate more flood water from the channels. Besides existng drainage in the city are desilted to ensure free flow of flood water.
A paper entitled “From This to That: Restoring Spatial Sanity to Aba Urban” delivered at the just concluded summit captured the essence of Ikpeazu’s renewal drive thus:”Urban renewal entails redevelopment, revitalization and remodeling of older structures. Urban renewal projects are crucial to the success of city because they stimulate the economy, enhance property values, in-stall a sense of civil pride, reduce crimes, help existing businesses and attract new ones. Renewal efforts generally focus on areas that have fallen below current public standard. Aba urban is an example of a city that has fallen below the acceptable standard of development”.
Indeed, the stage is set for the potentials that abound in Abia to be unlocked.
Ukegbu is SSA to Gov. Ikpeazu on media.=======================================================
MADE IN ABA: ABA FORMALLY JOINS THE FASHION ELITE (ENYIMBA ENYI!)
Click to teach Gmail this conversation is important.
x
Okwukwe Ibiam o.i...@gmail.com [NaijaObserver] <NaijaO...@yahoogroups.com>
Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/Globalreporters
Follow us on Google + https://plus.google.com/117731974741683419994/posts
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Reporters-Vienna/446110438771047
Subscribe to our You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/globalreportersnews
__._,_.___
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1) Have you tried the highest rated email app?With 4.5 stars in iTunes, the Yahoo Mail app is the highest rated email app on the market. What are you waiting for? Now you can access all your inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, AOL and more) in one place. Never delete an email again with 1000GB of free cloud storage.
.
![]()
__,_._,___
__._,_.___
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1) Have you tried the highest rated email app?With 4.5 stars in iTunes, the Yahoo Mail app is the highest rated email app on the market. What are you waiting for? Now you can access all your inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, AOL and more) in one place. Never delete an email again with 1000GB of free cloud storage.www.PETOLAM.com sells affordable gifts and collectables for holidays, birthdays, weddings, wedding anniversary, graduations, housewarmings, and other special occasions.
*****************
Call Express Funding Group @ 214.637.6036. www.expressfundinggroups.com
**************************************************
For your cosmetics needs, go to
www.jonathaninternational.com
**************************************************
For pain relief, go to: www.zikspain.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OGUERI and ASSOCIATES, P.C. ATTORNEYS and COUNSELORS Phone:214.363.5857 Fax:214.363.3043
==================================================
Bendex Color Graphics and Digital Imaging. Printing and Publishing: Books, Brochures, Newsletters, Magazins, Invitation, Anouncement and Wedding Cards, Logos, Fyers, Letter Heads, Business Cards.3229 Forest Lane, Garland, Texas 75042 972 487 6500 . 972-487-6503 . 972-487-6523 Fax
469 226 8275 . 888 206 6306 ben...@juno.com . Bend...@yahoo.com
===================================================
For Your Homes Call Zennith Realty and Associates at 214.221.7733
===================================================
For your Dream Home, call Johnson Ihemeremadu with Expedient Mortgage Today @214-349-3339 OR 469-358-1172. Remember-your credit is good with us.
===================================================
GC Computer Systems SALES-REPAIR-UPGRADES-TROUBLESHOOTING-CUSTOM-BUILT SYSTEMS-NETWORKING ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING & CONSULTATION-REASONABLE RATES-NO FEE FOR SERVICE-CALLS 214-677-0138/214-538-4724/ GC_Comput...@attbi.com
To Post a message, send it to: igbo_...@eGroups.com
To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: igbo_forum-unsubscribe@eGroup.
![]()
__,_._,___
My money is on PDP winning the next election. PDP is now what APC was going to be and APC is now what PDP was.Related News
Another chieftain of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, has resigned his membership of the party.Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, a senior party member in Kaduna State, was a member of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007.He was also elected a Senator on the platform of the Congress For Progressive Change, CPC, in 2011 when he defeated two-time Kaduna governor, Ahmed Makarfi.Mr. Baba-Ahmed on Thursday, in a hand-written letter, informed the chairman of Tudun Wada ward in Zaria Local Government of his decision to resign his membership of the APC.The former Senator did not give reasons for his decision to leave the party.He however told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Friday that he did not give reasons in the letter because “for a party like APC, the shorter the better”.He also told this newspaper that he decided to leave the APC because “Buhari’s government is incompetent and corrupt”.Asked about the government’s effort to check corruption in Nigeria, Mr. Baba-Ahmed said “the government is lying”.“The government of Buhari was established by looted funds and over 80 per cent are from the PDP; his so called fight against corruption is a ruse,” he said.The former lawmaker also said the APC administration lacks principle and vision and came to power without any concrete plan for Nigeria.He said he has moved back to the PDP “where 80 per cent of current APC members are from”.He said the 80 per cent “are the same people who destroyed Nigeria in the last 18 years and they are now in APC”.
__._,_.___
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1) Have you tried the highest rated email app?With 4.5 stars in iTunes, the Yahoo Mail app is the highest rated email app on the market. What are you waiting for? Now you can access all your inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, AOL and more) in one place. Never delete an email again with 1000GB of free cloud storage..
![]()
__,_._,___