Magunda replaces former BSG Chairman, Jordi Borrut Bel who has moved on from his position as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Breweries Plc, to take up new responsibilities within the Heineken Group.
Baker Magunda | Brand Spur Nigeria
The BSG is a trade association comprising beer manufacturers in Nigeria who are members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Its membership includes Nigerian Breweries Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc and International Breweries PLC.
Baker Magunda is the current Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria Plc. Prior to joining the Guinness Nigeria team, Baker was Managing Director of Diageo Ethiopia and the Indian Ocean Markets. He gained his first degree in Economics at Makerere University in Uganda and Makerere University Business School. He also attended IESE and Strathmore Business Schools for postgraduate studies in Business and Leadership.
He started his career in Sales and Marketing at Coca-Cola Sabco in 1991. He was made Head of Sales in 1996 before joining Diageo in 1999. At Diageo, he served in several marketing roles before becoming Managing Director for Diageo’s businesses in Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon.
Few people think of Africa when they hear something about the world’s gambling hubs and in vain. Over the past few years gambling has been gaining popularity on the African continent, and the gambling market is developing at a rapid pace.
Features of the African Gambling Market Brandspurng How the Gambling Business Is Organized
Specifics of the African Gambling Market
In recent years, African countries have been confidently shattering stereotypes about limited resources and lagging behind the rest of the world. In fact, 70 percent of the continent’s population has access to high-speed mobile Internet and technology, and that number continues to grow rapidly. Because of this, online casinos and sports betting are gaining popularity. Land-based casinos are somewhat less in demand, but also have plenty of customers.
The African gambling market is much younger than the European and American markets. Therefore, the legislation of African countries regulating the organization of gambling is rather unclear. In spite of this fact, most types of gambling are officially allowed in most regions, and a categorical ban is in force only in some countries.
The largest gambling centres are South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. In more detail, we will consider features of the African gambling market on the example of these countries.
South Africa
In the Republic of South Africa, gambling was legalized relatively recently – in 1994 when the new democratic government came to power. Now each of the 9 provinces of South Africa has its commission that regulates the business of organization and holding of gambling in their territory.
The range of gambling in South Africa is somewhat limited – land-based casinos, the national lottery, and bookmaker’s offices that take bets on sports and horse races are allowed here. Online casinos are illegal here.
The National Lottery is in first place in the gambling ranking of South Africa. It is popular among locals before online sports betting and casinos.
Nigeria
Gambling was legalized in Nigeria in 2004. They are controlled by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission. Gambling in Nigeria is divided into 2 categories: legal and illegal. Off-line and online casinos, lotteries, and sports betting are legal, while individual games such as roulette and craps are illegal.
Nigeria is the second-largest gambling market in Africa. Its population (almost 200 million citizens) and loyal legislation put it in this position.
The most popular gambling entertainment here is sports betting and bet in-play in Nigeria. Most Nigerians are fond of European soccer and like not only to watch it and cheer for their favorite teams but also to bet on the outcome of the game and earn from it.
Kenya
The situation in the gambling market in Kenya is similar to Nigeria, but since the population is several times smaller (47 million people) – it develops more slowly. In addition, it is also affected by the fact that not all of the country has quality internet coverage.
Most types of gambling in Kenya are legalized, although online gambling is not very common due to limited technical capabilities. The most popular entertainment is betting on European soccer, as in Nigeria.
Prospects for Development
Experts in the field of gambling say that the African gambling business is only gaining momentum and will continue to evolve. With the spread of the mobile internet network, the number of people who will play online casinos and bet on sports online will grow.
The more and faster this sector develops, the better national governments will be able to set up systems of legal regulation of gambling to make it work clearly and efficiently.
The theme of this year’s conference – ‘Africa: An Ecosystem of Changemakers’ – could, therefore, not be more relevant. Changemakers are the many people who need project-based skills and insights to get work done, tackle their challenges, secure career opportunities and realise their ambitions to improve livelihoods.
As a virtual event, this year’s Africa Conference on 4 September is an incredible opportunity for learning and professional development open to every African from across the continent and globally. You will hear perspectives from thought leaders and practitioners on opportunities across the continent and the skills that will continue growing in demand for project professionals.
For example, findings from PMI’s 2021 Talent Gap Report has revealed that the global economy needs 25 million new project professionals by 2030 to help organisations turn their biggest ideas into reality. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the potential for economic expansion in the long term is encouraging. And the projected rate of PMOE (Project Management-Oriented Employment) opportunities ramping up at 40% growth from 2019 to 2030 – the largest globally.
Africa Conference will be a platform that empowers organisational leaders and professionals to create change. The conference is designed to acknowledge and further Africa’s project professionals and changemakers to the continent’s development. Driving the interest of attendees will be the renewed focus on the continent’s development opportunities and infrastructure.
Building on the success of last year’s conference which attracted more than 2,000 delegates, this year’s virtual conference is expected to attract more changemakers and project professionals than ever. The population of Africa has grown rapidly over the past century, making it the second most populated continent, with around 1.37bn people and a growth rate of more than 2.5% per year. This makes the continent fertile ground for new projects and investments.
The conference will provide hands-on, practical information and insights from keynote and session speakers selected for their expertise and passion.
Included in the programme will be Desmond Ovbiagele, award-winning Nigerian film director and producer of The Milkmaid Movie, who will share insights on leading projects in the world of cinema.
Renowned professor and organisational theorist Eddie Obeng will conclude the conference with a closing keynote on ‘Leading together to Successful Change’, highlighting how practitioners can harness the opportunities of our changing, complex, and ambiguous world through interdependent innovation and project delivery.
We also recognise that Africa’s young population will inevitably reshape the world of project management. For this reason, we have included a dedicated track focusing on youth enablement. One of the speakers for the youth track will be Aya Chebbi, the first African Union Youth Envoy, and she will speak on Intergenerational Co-Leadership for Africa’s transformation.
Participation in the conference will open opportunities for delegates to learn about the latest best practices, the challenges facing professionals and strategies being put in place to meet Africa’s demanding environment. Networking opportunities and the chance to interact with speakers will add significant value for delegates attending this year’s virtual conference.
With the continent emerging slowly from the shadow of a global pandemic, it’s time to raise greater awareness about the project management profession. The skills and knowledge that can be brought to bear to transform organisations and help them exceed customer expectations have never been more important than now. Africa is one of the youngest, fastest-growing regions globally, holding enormous opportunities for project professionals and changemakers.
By attending the 2021 Virtual Africa Conference, delegates will benefit from a 50% discount on their PMI membership. To learn more about PMI Virtual Africa Conference 2021 and register, please visit: www.pmiafricaconference.com or reach out to pmiafrica@pmi.org. Sessions will be offered in English and French.
After returning from London on Friday, August 13, and working from home in a five-day quarantine as mandated by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the President signed the Bill on Monday, August 16, in order to fulfill his constitutional obligation.
After the required seclusion days have been completed, the ceremonial component of the new legislation will be completed on Wednesday.
The Petroleum Sector Act establishes a legal, governance, regulatory, and budgetary framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, host community development, and other associated concerns.
The bill was enacted by the Senate on July 15, 2021, and the House of Representatives on July 16, 2021, putting an end to a protracted wait that began in the early 2000s and giving the Buhari government another victory.
One of the most iconic games of the gaming industry reached an important milestone in August 2021, further solidifying its place in gaming history. According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) reached 150M lifetime unit sales in August 2021.
GTA Franchise Has Sold 350M Units In Its Lifetime; GTA V Reaches 150M Units
The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) franchise is one of the most iconic franchises in all of gaming and has sold over 350M total units in its entire lifetime. The game is developed by Rockstar Games which falls under the umbrella of Take-Two Interactive’s group of companies. In 2013 the latest full version of the game, GTA V, was released and as of August 2021, has sold 150M units in its lifetime.
The enhanced version of GTA V arrives on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in November.
In the calendar year of 2020, GTA V sold more than 20M units, more than any other year since the year of its release. According to Take-Two Interactive’s latest investor presentation, GTA V reached $1B in retail sales faster than any entertainment release in history. The company also boasts that GTA V is the best-selling game in the US on both unit and dollar sales.
Such is the success of GTA V that an expanded and enhanced version of the game is set to be launched in November 2021 specifically for next-generation consoles.
Over 1 Billion Hours Watched On Twitch In First Half Of 2021
GTA V is also one of the most popular games when it comes to the video game streaming segment. The game is also in a period of resurgence in popularity and has been streamed by an average of 3000 concurrent streams or more since February 2021. The average concurrent viewers by month have also reached 6 digits since the same period and reached a high of 341,000 in May 2021.
In the first half of 2021 alone, GTA V was watched for more than 1B hours on streaming platform Twitch, recording a high of 253M hours watched in May 2021.
Rex Pascual, eSports editor at Safe Betting Sites, commented:
“GTA is as iconic as they come with regards to gaming franchises and GTA V’s longevity only adds to its already storied legacy. The franchise is also largely credited with popularizing the open-world genre which is now one of the most popular genres in all of gaming. Despite constant rumours about the next version of the game and the 10-year mark fast approaching, GTA V shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.”
The Mobile Games segment of the video game industry is the most lucrative form of gaming and is growing in influence in developed markets such as the UK. According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, Mobile Games are projected to generate $5B in revenue and reach 30M users in the UK by 2025.
Revenue From Mobile Games In The UK Projected To Reach $5B By 2025
Mobile Games have been the most lucrative segment of gaming over the last couple of years and many experts believe the segment is only about to get stronger. In 2021, revenue from Mobile Games in the UK is projected to reach $3.43B after a 14% YoY growth from 2020. This figure is set to grow a further 12.7% in 2022 and reach $3.87B.
From 2021-2025, revenue from Mobile Games in the UK is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.94% and reach $5.02B by 2025. The UK falls just outside of the top 5 Mobile Games’ revenue-generating countries, just behind India’s $3.83B in 2021. China leads the way by a large margin with a $41.48B revenue from Mobile Games in 2021, more than doubling the next largest revenue generated by the US.
30M Mobile Game Users In The UK By 2025
In 2021 the number of mobile game users is projected to reach 25.8M. By 2025 this number is projected to rise to 30M users. The penetration rate of Mobile Games is also expected to add 6 percentage points within the same forecast period; from 37.8% in 2021 to 43.8% in 2025.
Man playing mobile video game on smartphone modern lifestyle and technology
The UK’s Mobile Games penetration rate is the fourth highest in the world, just behind China’s 38.8%. The US leads the way at 46.8%, narrowly beating South Korea at 44.9%.
Rex Pascual, eSports editor at Safe Betting Sites, commented:
“It is incredible to think that the future of Mobile Games is about to get more lucrative, considering the heights it has already reached. But the segment is set to experience just that with advancements in technologies such as 5G and cloud gaming set to enhance the mobile gaming experience and make it more accessible than ever before.”
Chekkit, a Nigeria anti-counterfeiting software company, said it has closed a $500,000 pre-seed funding round for its operations, which primarily entail building technology that aids in protecting consumers from patronising fake products by using mobile phones for verification.
Over the past few years, Chekkit has helped protect consumers and producers in both Nigeria and Afghanistan from the dangers of counterfeit products by providing the consumers with a means to identify original products.
In doing that, the company have secured over 7 million pharmaceutical products, protected over 200,000 consumers, and expanded our partnership with the Afghan government for the verification and tracking of over 200 million products in the Middle Eastern country. This was achieved by working with pharmaceutical companies like Merck, Royal Star Pharma, Nabros Pharmaceutical, to mention but a few.
Chekkit has also worked with consumer goods brands like Indomie, Nivea, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, etc., helping them get closer to their consumers using our point-of-sale consumer engagement solution. These brands have been able to optimize their promotions, loyalty programs, and also collect valuable insights directly from their consumers using smart intuitive surveys.
In terms of working with the government and non-profit organizations, Chekkit deployed a covid19 engagement solution in partnership with the African Union and the Africa CDC, and we are constantly working with regulatory and standardization bodies like NAFDAC, GS1, and the FCCPC to ensure that the products we use are safe and of the best standards for consumption.
Speaking on why they chose Chekkit as a viable investment, Biola Alabi (co-leader of one of the angel syndicate groups) has this to say;
“Investing in Chekkit Technologies was a no-brainer, they are tackling the scourge of fake drugs in Nigeria and across emerging markets globally, one of the biggest challenges still facing the pharmaceutical and healthcare systems in Africa is fake and substandard drugs, weak regulatory environments and lack of consumer education. Fake and substandard drugs are responsible for thousands of deaths annually across Africa.
Chekkit is already working with governments to strengthen and heighten pharmacovigilance, patient education, and advocacy. The application/platform is saving lives by simultaneously detecting and notifying consumers, manufacturers, and policymakers from the minute fake or substandard drugs are detected.
I’m excited that the company is building and using blockchain to build out its solution. Chekkit with an experienced team, local and global traction, are poised to save more lives and I’m proud to be an investor and lead a team of other investors to build”.
Biola will also be joining our advisory board, bringing in years of experience in media and communications as well as industry-related know-how as she currently serves as a non-executive director at Unilever Nigeria Plc.
The funds we have raised will be utilized in further strengthening our anti-counterfeiting and consumer engagement solution as well as building out our robust supply chain tracking and infrastructural optimization technologies. In terms of impact, the funds raised will enable us to directly protect up to 100 million lives across the globe. To achieve this, we’ll be expanding our team of innovators with like-minded and innovative individuals to join us on this noble quest.
In conclusion, we leave you with these words from Dare Odumade (CEO);
“We are super-pumped about the future as we develop unique technological products to protect the lives of millions and also directly improve the act of doing business for several brands by learning about consumers in the largely informal African markets.
We will be launching the first consumer intelligence software-as-a-service for consumer brands to create end-to-end loyalty campaigns, aggregate engagement data, and distribute rewards in-house and with their marketing agencies for the first time ever, enabling consumers to directly interact with brands through QR and USSD shortcodes printed directly on the product package.”
Chekkit is already working with governments to strengthen and heighten pharmacovigilance, patient education, and advocacy. The application/platform is saving lives by simultaneously detecting and notifying consumers, manufacturers, and policymakers from the minute fake or substandard drugs are detected.
Here are 10 lessons Nigeria should learn from the latest Taliban victor:
Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
In the 1970s and 80s, Afghanistan was a very secular country. Under President Mohammed Najibullah, they were no different from say Pakistan or India. It was the US backing of the Mujahadeen that gave rise to fundamentalism in Afghanistan
When secular organs of government do not work, people swing towards religion as a default position
When religious bodies start attracting mass followings, you have to negotiate with them before they take up arms
Secession is never a solution to socio-economic woes. Afghanistan is not part of Pakistan, Uzbekistan or Tajikistan but its problems remained
Western nations have got to start investing in poor countries if they want to avoid the rise of fundamentalism. If Afghanistan was receiving say $10bn a year in foreign direct investment, the Taliban would not have found fertile ground for its propaganda
Donald Trump’s isolationist policy has brought this problem to the rest of the world. He abandoned the engagement policy of the Obama era, released the current Taliban leader from detention, withdrew US troops and told the Afghans he wants nothing to do with their wahala
Boko Haram and ISWAP will be emboldened by this victory. Nigerians should brace themselves for tough times in the coming years
Our biggest headache now is that Afghanistan will become a global training camp for all forms of Islamic extremists and terrorists. Nigeria as a nation needs to equip itself to bomb such camps if need be. It is time we started manufacturing aircraft carriers and B-52 bombers
No doubt, the secular forces of Afghanistan will regroup and mount a fightback but they are in for another long messy war. Let this be a warning that when you start a war, it can last for decades
We now need to surround Borno State with troops, offer free education to every kid there, open factories in every urban centre there and turn it into an industrial zone. Otherwise, it will become the Taliban African outpost
Written by:
Ayo Akinfe, born in Salford, Manchester, is a London-based journalist who has worked as a magazine and newspaper editor for the last 20 years. Ayo attended Federal Government College Kaduna and obtained his first degree in history from the University of Ibadan.
The world has a plastic problem, and this problem is even worse for developing countries. Although less than 5% of the brewer’s products are sold in plastic, the company still feel a strong sense of responsibility to ramp up efforts towards plastic recycling in Nigeria.
L-R: Prince Kunle Aromire, Crown Prince of Ijora and the Iganmu Kingdom; Sade Morgan, Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Hans Essaadi, Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Alhaji Hakeem Oyewole, the Bashorun of Ijora and the Iganmu Kingdom and Alhaji Suraj Dosunmu, the Eletu of Ijora and the Iganmu Kingdom | Brand Spur Nigeria
Brand Spur gathered that the pilot project will be extended to all other brewery locations before the end of 2022 to enable its employees to participate in recycling all plastic bottles, aluminium cans, paper, cartons, nylon, and glass.
In addition, Nigerian Breweries is also promoting community-led plastic recycling in host communities through donations of recycling bins and sensitization drives by NB staff volunteers. Also, the brewer donated 4 recycle bins to the Ijora Community.
Nigerian Breweries Unveils NB Recycles Program, Partners Wecyclers Photos
The NB Recycles Project is part of the larger NB Plastic Strategy which (through its participation and commitment to the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance – FBRA) aims to scale up plastic recovery and recycling in Nigeria.
Nigerian Breweries Unveils NB Recycles Program, Partners Wecyclers Photos
The company states that it’s on a journey to ensure Zero Waste and Environmental Sustainability and looks forward to raising the bar and celebrating more innovative and successful initiatives like this, as part of Brew a Better World Sustainability Agenda.
Latest research by Mastercard highlights high digitalization among women-owned businesses as an opportunity for broader SME recovery and digital economy growth
Despite the gender gap and social challenges, entrepreneurial women across the world and in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are leading the way in tapping into the power of the digital economy to succeed and grow. In new research by Mastercard, women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) believe there are huge benefits of a cash-free economy to their businesses.
Model: The Brandy K Photographer: Kieana Rochelle Mainor | Photo by Brandy Kennedy
In terms of a digital footprint of the region’s women entrepreneurs, social media (71%) leads the way, followed by a company website (57%). In the Middle East and North Africa, more women entrepreneurs had a website (71%) than a social media presence (55%).
These findings are aligned with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.
Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard said,
“The Mastercard MEA SME Confidence Index revealed that over 80% of women entrepreneurs have digital readiness for their business compared to their male counterparts but yet so few have access to funding for their business growth.
Globally, women-owned businesses are well represented in the entrepreneurship space, yet it is estimated* that they only access between 2 and 10% of commercial bank finance. This reflects the huge potential SME women entrepreneurs have when we accelerate their access to financial and digital tools which will enable greater gender parity in the business ecosystem,”
From presence to payments, digital and cash-free economy leads
According to the Mastercard survey, confidence levels around digital transactions are high with 30% of women entrepreneurs in MEA experiencing no challenges in accepting more payments digitally versus cash payments-especially mobile payments (62%), online payments (57%) and card payments (45%).
In Southern Africa, this confidence is further elevated with two-thirds (67%) seeing no challenges to accepting more payments digitally.
Growing confidence levels in digital as a business imperative is tied to a deeper understanding and wider recognition among SMEs of the advantages that result from a growing digital economy. When asked about the biggest benefits of a cash-free economy to their businesses, women entrepreneurs highlighted the increased efficiency of transactions across multiple channels (60%) and the ease of not handling or processing cash (60%).
They also appreciated having a more convenient way of paying suppliers and employees (59%), faster access to revenues (55%), less potential for fraud (53%) and access to new business growth opportunities (50%).
Women entrepreneurs are innovative risk-takers
In the 2020 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE), evidence already emerged of how women business owners have reacted to a new world of work with renewed confidence and adaptability, tapping into new business opportunities or realigning their business models to cater to new consumer behaviour and local or global needs.
Despite challenges around funding, support and attention, Uganda, Botswana and Ghana were ranked as the world’s three leading economies having the most women business owners (WBO) as a percentage of total business owners in the 2020 MIWE.
The report also mentioned high regard for risk-taking, innovativeness, individuality and creativity in entrepreneurship prevalent in Nigeria and Angola. Growing the contribution of women entrepreneurs is a positive sign, as almost half of the female entrepreneurs (48.7%) around the world report being driven by a desire to contribute to the greater societal good.
In addition to empowering women-led businesses everywhere with digital payments acceptance tools, Mastercard is also advancing social progress through financial literacy training to encourage the growth of entrepreneurship among women:
Sarah Beydoun, owner of a social impact fashion business in Lebanon, was one of the women entrepreneurs featured in the award-winning Mastercard documentary FIVE – just one of the technology company’s initiatives to encourage by collaborating with inspiring entrepreneurs who are making a positive change.
Through its partnership with Junior Achievement South Africa, Mastercard has empowered over 3,000 women to gain entrepreneurial skills, start their own ventures and create new jobs.
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth awarded a seed funding grant to The Omaness Skinfood Company, which will empower 10,000 women entrepreneurs in Nigeria to run their own skinfood merchant businesses.
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