WHO Issues First Global Report On Artificial Intelligence In Health

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WHO Issues First Global Report On Artificial Intelligence In Health

… And Six Guiding Principles For Its Design And Use

The growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for health presents governments, providers, and communities with opportunities and challenges.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds great promise for improving the delivery of healthcare and medicine worldwide, but only if ethics and human rights are put at the heart of its design, deployment, and use, according to new WHO guidance published today.

The report, Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health, is the result of 2 years of consultations held by a panel of international experts appointed by WHO.

“Like all new technology, artificial intelligence holds enormous potential for improving the health of millions of people around the world, but like all technology it can also be misused and cause harm,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This important new report provides a valuable guide for countries on how to maximize the benefits of AI, while minimizing its risks and avoiding its pitfalls.”

Artificial intelligence can be, and in some wealthy countries is already being used to improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis and screening for diseases; to assist with clinical care; strengthen health research and drug development, and support diverse public health interventions, such as disease surveillance, outbreak response, and health systems management.

AI could also empower patients to take greater control of their own health care and better understand their evolving needs. It could also enable resource-poor countries and rural communities, where patients often have restricted access to health-care workers or medical professionals, to bridge gaps in access to health services.

However, WHO’s new report cautions against overestimating the benefits of AI for health, especially when this occurs at the expense of core investments and strategies required to achieve universal health coverage.

It also points out that opportunities are linked to challenges and risks, including unethical collection and use of health data; biases encoded in algorithms, and risks of AI to patient safety, cybersecurity, and the environment.

For example, while private and public sector investment in the development and deployment of AI is critical, the unregulated use of AI could subordinate the rights and interests of patients and communities to the powerful commercial interests of technology companies or the interests of governments in surveillance and social control.

The report also emphasizes that systems trained primarily on data collected from individuals in high-income countries may not perform well for individuals in low- and middle-income settings.

AI systems should therefore be carefully designed to reflect the diversity of socio-economic and health-care settings. They should be accompanied by training in digital skills, community engagement, and awareness-raising, especially for millions of healthcare workers who will require digital literacy or retraining if their roles and functions are automated, and who must contend with machines that could challenge the decision-making and autonomy of providers and patients.

Ultimately, guided by existing laws and human rights obligations, and new laws and policies that enshrine ethical principles, governments, providers, and designers must work together to address ethics and human rights concerns at every stage of an AI technology’s design, development, and deployment.

Six principles to ensure AI works for the public interest in all countries

To limit the risks and maximize the opportunities intrinsic to the use of AI for health, WHO provides the following principles as the basis for AI regulation and governance:

Protecting human autonomy: In the context of health care, this means that humans should remain in control of health-care systems and medical decisions; privacy and confidentiality should be protected, and patients must give valid informed consent through appropriate legal frameworks for data protection.

Promoting human well-being and safety and the public interest. The designers of AI technologies should satisfy regulatory requirements for safety, accuracy and efficacy for well-defined use cases or indications. Measures of quality control in practice and quality improvement in the use of AI must be available.

Ensuring transparency, explainability and intelligibility. Transparency requires that sufficient information be published or documented before the design or deployment of an AI technology. Such information must be easily accessible and facilitate meaningful public consultation and debate on how the technology is designed and how it should or should not be used.

Fostering responsibility and accountability. Although AI technologies perform specific tasks, it is the responsibility of stakeholders to ensure that they are used under appropriate conditions and by appropriately trained people. Effective mechanisms should be available for questioning and for redress for individuals and groups that are adversely affected by decisions based on algorithms.

Ensuring inclusiveness and equity. Inclusiveness requires that AI for health be designed to encourage the widest possible equitable use and access, irrespective of age, sex, gender, income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability or other characteristics protected under human rights codes.

Promoting AI that is responsive and sustainable. Designers, developers and users should continuously and transparently assess AI applications during actual use to determine whether AI responds adequately and appropriately to expectations and requirements.

AI systems should also be designed to minimize their environmental consequences and increase energy efficiency. Governments and companies should address anticipated disruptions in the workplace, including training for healthcare workers to adapt to the use of AI systems, and potential job losses due to use of automated systems.

These principles will guide future WHO work to support efforts to ensure that the full potential of AI for healthcare and public health will be used for the benefits of all.

Nigeria’s Peanut Consumption Is Expected To Grow 8% To 4.45MMT – Report

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Nigeria’s Peanut Consumption Is Expected To Grow 8% To 4.45MMT – Report

Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) Lagos forecasts Nigeria’s peanut total consumption in MY 2021/22 to reach over 4.8 million metric tons (MMT), up by nearly 8 percent compared to the USDA official MY 2020/21 estimate of 4.45 million metric tons (MMT).

Nigeria is the largest producer of peanuts in sub-Saharan Africa and third in the world. Prior to the persistent insurgency in the northern part of the country, groundnut pyramids were common across northern Nigeria. Groundnut pyramids were pyramid-like structures made from groundnut sacks. In tandem with the insurgency, a combination of drought, and diseases are limiting bumper production in the north.

FAS expects Nigeria’s food use domestic consumption in MY 2021/22 at around 2.8 million metric tons (MMT) an uptick of 6 percent increase compared to the USDA MY 2020/21 estimate of 2.65 million metric tons (MMT). Post sees increasing consumption of roasted, whole peanut consumption along with peanut-based snacks and peanut butter in Nigeria’s urban areas.

FAS Lagos expects Nigeria’s peanut feed waste consumption in MY 2021/22 to reach 1.2 million metric tons (MMT), up by 14 percent or growing by 150,000 metric tons (MT) compared to the USDA official MY 2020/21 estimate of 1.05 million metric tons (MMT).

The increase is due to the growth in the number of domestic ranching operations; these are using peanut waste as an affordable feed input. Poultry and aquaculture feed millers are also experimenting with feed formulations by incorporating peanut cake to reduce production costs. Peanut shells also serve as a fuel source in some local oil factories, as well as spread on fields for soil enrichment.

PRODUCTION

FAS Lagos forecasts Nigeria’s peanut production in MY 2021/22 (May-April) at 4.8million metric tons (MMT), up nearly by 9 per cent or some 400,000 metric tons (MT) from the USDA official MY 2020/21 estimate of 4.4 million metric tons (MMT).

Area harvested at 3.5 million hectares (MMT) in MY 2021/22 is up by 9 percent compared to the USDA official MY 2020/21 estimate of 3.2 million hectares. Post sees farmers in the less conflict prone states in southern Nigeria expanding plantings to take advantage of growing demand, and prices paid, by food processors and animal feed manufacturers.

TRADE

FAS Lagos forecasts Nigeria’s peanut imports in MY 2021/22 to remain same with what the USDA estimated in the previous year. Trade-in Nigeria’s peanut production is mainly locally. There is however some informal regional trade that occurs between Nigeria and the neighboring Sahel region countries (i.e., Niger, Chad, and Cameroon), where Nigerian peanuts command high prices. Nigeria is the largest peanut producer in Africa, accounting for 30 percent of Africa’s total peanut production, and third in the world after China and India.

The country’s poorer farmers produce peanut largely under rain-fed conditions. Around 30 percent of the crop exceeds permissible aflatoxin levels for most countries including Nigeria.

To reenter the global market, Nigeria needs to address the aflatoxin in peanuts issue. A few tears ago, IITA developed aflasafe, which is a biocontrol solution to reduce aflatoxin in soybean and peanut. Currently, the adoption rate of aflasafe is low among the smallholder farmers – but growing due to extension programs.

Global Stocks Bound Back On U.S Infrastructural Deal, Inflation Data

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Global Stocks Bound Back On U.S Infrastructural Deal, Inflation Data

This week, world stocks reach high as buy sentiment prevailed on market indices under our coverage with thirteen (13) advancers and one (1) decliner, after U.S President Joe Biden embraced a bipartisan senate infrastructural deal, this may extend the recovery in the world’s largest economy after massive fiscal stimulus helped the economy grew at a 6.4% annualized rate in the first quarter.

GLOBAL MARKET 1

Also, U.S Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index, excluding the volatile food and energy components, increased 0.5%. In the 12 months through May, the P.C.E price index shot up 3.4% y-o-y.

Accordingly, in the U.S, the S&P 500 Index advanced by 2.74%w/w, boosted by gains in Nike and sector stocks. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and DJIA index both gained 2.35%w/w and 3.44% w/w respectively.

Also, all the major markets around Europe, France CAC 40, German DAX, and UK FTSE 100 Index gained 0.82% w/w, 1.04% w/w, and 1.69% w/w respectively, as travel picks up in Europe.

Furthermore, the major indices in Asia under our coverage, China Shanghai Composite, India S&P BSE Index, Japan Nikkei 225, and Hong-Kong HANG SENG all advanced 2.34%w/w, 1.11%w/w, 0.35%w/w, and 1.69%w/w respectively.

All the major indices in the emerging market indices under our coverage, South-Africa FTSE/JSE Index and Egypt EGX 30 gained 0.88%w/w, and 4.19%w/w respectively, save for Brazil’s BOVESPA, which slumped by 0.90%w/w and Argentina MERVAL that remained unchanged.

We expect the global equity market to maintain a positive posture in the next trading week in reaction to U.S President Joe Biden Infrastructural plan. However, important economic data and monetary authorities may sway investors’ sentiment.  

Kwik Delivery Launches Better Bigger Kwik Bag 2.0 Isothermal Bags

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Kwik Delivery Launches Better Bigger Kwik Bag 2.0 Isothermal Bags

Kwik Delivery has launched a better bigger Kwik bag 2.0 isothermal bags.

Compared to regular delivery bags, the Kwik bag 2.0 isothermal bags are to replace the first-generation delivery bags used by Kwik Delivery bike riders since its launch in 2019.

They are introduced to make deliveries much safer as well as increase the carrying capacity of bikes.

The new Kwik 2.0 bags can carry up to 40kg of load as against the 25kg capacity of the previous bags. Zippers on the bag are covered with protective flaps to safeguard delivery packages against water leaks from rainfall while in transit. More interestingly, the bags are designed to keep the temperature (hot or cold) of parcels up to 6 hours while in transit.

Meanwhile, Kwik’s platform ensures parcels delivery within 2 hours of pick-up in Lagos and 1 hour in Abuja.

“With this new Kwik 2.0 bag, customers can move even more merchandises around Lagos with just-in time effectiveness and complete peace of mind knowing, as before, that the condition of their goods are intact irrespective of the temperature or weather”, says Yinka Olayanju, Chief Operating Officer of Kwik Delivery. “Now you can send much more things with a Kwikster, be it frozen goods or a hot dish, the carrying capacity just got bigger.”

Since its launch in 2019, Kwik Delivery has firmly established itself as an enabler of digital transformation for merchants in Nigeria, creating strong value-added SaaS services critical to the deployment and growth of e-commerce.

Kwik Delivery is the trading name of Africa Delivery Technologies SAS and the Kwik Delivery mobile app is available on iOS (https://bit.ly/3haIHdl) and Android (https://bit.ly/3haIHdl).

Virtual Card Transaction Values To Increase By 370% Globally In 5 Years

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Virtual Card Transaction Values To Increase By 370% Globally In 5 Years

A new study by Juniper Research has found that the global value of virtual card transactions will reach $6.8 trillion in 2026, from $1.9 trillion in 2021.

Virtual cards, secure digital cards with randomly generated details, will show strong growth as they are increasingly used for B2B payments.

The research identified that businesses will value the simplicity of virtual cards, compared to the expensive and slow methods still being used, such as cheque payments, which remain popular in the US.

The new research, Virtual Cards: B2B and B2C Applications, Competitive Analysis & Market Forecasts 2021-2026, predicts that outside of the dynamic B2B market, the added security from virtual cards will also appeal to the consumer market. To capitalise on virtual card opportunities, vendors must identify which segment they are targeting and emphasise the most important value-added features, such as ERP integrations or consumer brand partnerships.

For more insights, download the free whitepaper: Virtual Cards ~ The Future B2B Solution

B2B Payments Dominating Transaction Value

The report found that B2B payments will continue to account for the majority of virtual cards transaction value; amounting to 71% of the total value in 2026. While B2B sales occur less frequently, yielding under 1% of transaction volume in 2026, average transaction values are much higher in the B2B segment. This means that vendors must ensure that security features and automation are emphasised to facilitate large payments as efficiently as possible.

Indian Subcontinent Seeing Strongest Growth

The research forecasts that the Indian Subcontinent will be the fastest-growing region over the next five years, with transaction volumes increasing more than tenfold. India, in particular, will present enormous potential for vendors.

This growth will be underpinned by the presence of major vendors in the region, such as SBI and Oxigen Wallet. The high adoption of virtual cards in the buoyant mobile wallets sector will drive eCommerce usage. Additionally, the report identified the requirement by the RBI from October 2020 for users to have control over card use to prevent fraud as a major growth driver.

British And Irish Lions Roar Off To South Africa With British Airways

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British And Irish Lions Roar Off To South Africa With British Airways

British Airways welcomed the 37-strong British & Irish Lions squad on board a special charter flight today, as they traveled from Edinburgh to Johannesburg for the start of their eagerly-awaited South African Tour.

Following their clash against Japan for The Vodafone Lions 1888 Cup at BT Murrayfield Stadium yesterday, they were greeted with warm words of encouragement by the crew of flight BA9111, including their pilot Captain Richard Allen-Williams, British Airways’ Chief Pilot, Training.

Enjoying the safety and comfort of a British Airways’ 777-300, the players were served with a selection of hot meals and snacks during the 11-hour 30-minute flight to ensure they arrive match fit and ready to take on all-comers.

British And Irish Lions Roar Off To South Africa With British Airways-Brand Spur Nigeria
British And Irish Lions Roar Off To South Africa With British Airways-Brand Spur Nigeria

The eight-game tour of South Africa will see the best players from the UK & Ireland pitted against the World Champions, the Springboks, during three Tests. The Lions and Springboks squads will both be carried across the country during the Tour by British Airways’ franchise partner, Comair.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “We are honoured to be flying The British & Irish Lions to South Africa ahead of their Tour. After a difficult year, we look forward to uniting the nation through sport and cheering them on. From everyone at British Airways, we wish them the best of luck and hope to carry them home as champions.”

Ben Calveley, Managing Director for The British & Irish Lions, said: “We are delighted to be flying with British Airways for the 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series. We know the squad and management will receive a warm welcome from British Airways staff and enjoy a safe, comfortable journey to South Africa, landing in Johannesburg ready to take on the world champions.”

British Airways is also reinforcing its commitment to sport as the airline is currently the Principal Partner to Twickenham Stadium, Official Airline Partner to England Rugby and has been the Official Airline Partner to Team GB and Paralympics GB since 2008.

Shoppers Delighted As Konga Crashes Prices For 9th Anniversary Sale

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Shoppers Delighted As Konga Crashes Prices For 9th Anniversary Sale

Excitement has trailed the commencement of composite e-Commerce giant, Konga’s 9th Anniversary promotion, with shoppers expressing their delight at the mouth-watering prices and deals on offer.

The Konga 9th Anniversary sale, which kicked off on Friday, June 25, will end on Monday, July 5, 2021.

Already, the promotion, which commenced last week, has witnessed significant traffic online at www.konga.com and in various Konga retail stores across Nigeria. As expected, thousands of early bird shoppers had thronged both platforms, looking to be among the first to grab the juicy offers put together by the foremost e-Commerce brand.

Investigations reveal that while many had opted to go online to take advantage of the early deals, others had chosen to target the stores.

In Kano, Aminu Muhammed, a business owner, disclosed that he had waited with eager anticipation for the commencement of the sale, adding that he had been among the first persons to visit the Konga store along Post Office road.

‘‘As a bulk trader, I usually look out for special deals and offers. So, when I learnt of the anniversary sale on social media, I had decided to visit the Konga store once it commenced. Usually, a lot of traffic is recorded online as more people prefer to shop that way because of convenience. But my strategy has always been to go to the store and as usual, I was able to get some very good deals.

‘‘I am a regular customer of Konga. You cannot beat their prices for genuine products and most importantly, I have the assurance of buying only authentic products,’’ Muhammed disclosed.

In Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Enugu, Owerri, Asaba, among others and, especially in Lagos –  where many defied the light showers early on Friday to visit the various Konga stores spread across the state –  the story was the same.

At Festac, a Lagos suburb, Patience Mark, a student, revealed that she was able to conclude her back-to-school shopping on Friday when the sale commenced.

‘‘I have been delaying my return to school because I needed a new laptop and a few other items which I wanted to shop on Konga. In fact, I had ordered a few of them online but chose to wait for the anniversary promo to get the laptop and others.

‘‘It turned out to be a wise decision as I bought everything in the Festac store on Friday. Only one item was not available and I returned there on Saturday to pick it up. The prices were really good and I am happy,’’ she said.

On social media, feelers indicate that many satisfied shoppers also benefitted from the early bird deals.

On Instagram and Facebook, Konga had received quite a few hits and shout-outs from shoppers who participated in the treasure hunt and flash sales which heralded the 9th Anniversary sale.

Another factor that left many shoppers thrilled was the fact that prices had been heavily discounted for the 9th Anniversary promotion, which Co-CEO, Konga Group, Nick Imudia, had disclosed will situate the company’s landmark achievements in the e-Commerce ecosystem while affording it the opportunity to reward its loyal customers with mega deals.

The anniversary sale is currently running across the entire suite of Konga’s massive bouquet including Mobile Phones, Electronics, Home & Kitchen, Computing & Accessories, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Fashion, Power, Fashion, Baby, Kids & Toys (BKT), Beauty and much more.

Also, a number of freebies and giveaways are on offer for Konga customers.

In addition to the treasure hunts and flash sales, there is a chance for shoppers to sing and win amazing prizes via the Konga Karaoke. Furthermore, two lucky Nigerians will get a chance to win shopping vouchers daily on live radio for nine days.

This is in addition to other incentive such as free shipping, app-only deals, as well as a special 9th Anniversary live auction (Konga Last Price) which will hold on Monday, July 5.

Nigeria’s Palm Kernel Oil Production to Grow 33% in 2021/22 – Report

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Nigeria’s Palm Kernel Oil Production to Grow 33% in 2021/22 – Report

Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Lagos forecasts Nigeria’s palm kernel oil production in MY 2021/22 at 440,000 metric tons MT, up over 33 percent or some 110,000 metric MT above the USDA official MY 2020/21 estimate of 330,000 metric tons (MT).

Post forecasts Nigeria’s palm kernel crush in MY 2021/22 at 900,000 metric tons MT, up 23 percent or some 170,000 MT from the USDA official MY 2020/21 estimate of 730,000 metric tons.

The extraction rate in MY 2021/22 will increase more than 8 percent to 0.488, compared to the MY 2020/21 extraction rate of 0.452 per metric ton. This is attributable to private sector investors improving oil extraction efficiency by upgrading to more modern crushing and extraction equipment and machinery.

The increased flow of investment is leading to greater utilization of modern harvesting tools and farm equipment – to boost harvesting efficiency. Post sees average yields in MY 2021/22 of 0.3 MT/hectare, largely due to maturing of a new variety of oil palm that is replacing the wild groves, but the effect is marginal due to the presence of high wild groves variety.

Okomu Oil Palm kernel oilseed - The year of the Rubber Brandspurng1

The demand for palm kernel oil has risen over the years following its diverse use in manufacturing artificial cream filings, soap, cosmetic and personal care products. Food processors are increasing the use of palm kernel oil.

To ensure ready, affordable supplies of palm kernel, manufacturers like DUFIL (a leading cooking oil refiner, and a major noodle maker), and PZ Wilmar (Singapore-based palm oil producer), partner with local growers forming massive palm kernel plantations in Nigeria’s Edo and Cross River State.

CONSUMPTION

FAS Lagos forecasts Nigeria’s palm kernel oil consumption in MY 2021/22 at 440,000 metric tons (MT), up almost 29 percent or some 100,000 metric tons MT compared to the USDA official 2020/21 estimate of 340,000 metric tons.

Food use consumption is approximately 320,000 MT, up almost 28 percent compared to the previous marketing year’s volume of 250,000 metric tons. About a third of the production will go towards industrial use, where it serves as a fuel for biomass plants.

Nigeria is increasing its production of consumer-oriented processed food products by utilizing palm kernel component for both domestic consumption and for export. Reportedly rising income levels in Asian countries is resulting in increased demand for packaged foods with high palm and palm kernel oil content. Nigerian traders of manufactured food products are increasing exports to markets in Asia and neighbouring countries.

Food Price Index rises for 9th consecutive month in February - FAO Brandspurng
Palm oil for sale in Sierra Leone.

Nigeria’s population and income level have a significant impact on palm kernel consumption. Nigeria’s population accounts for nearly half of West Africa’s population. More than half of the country’s population live in urban areas (urbanization is growing at a rate of 4.23 percent annually).

Currently, half of Nigeria’s population is under 19 years. Fast-food consumption and snacks occupy a critical part of their diet.

Gree AC Announces Stephanie Linus as Brand Ambassador

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Gree AC Announces Stephanie Linus as Brand Ambassador

Choice International Group (CIG), manufacturers of Gree Air conditioner (Gree AC) and a leading home appliances brand has introduced Stephanie Linus as its brand ambassador in Nigeria

The event was graced by investors and the brand’s business partners from Nigeria and China, who were delighted to witness the spectacular beginning of a new phase. Speaking at the unveiling, the country manager, sale and marketing, Chibuzor Ogunka, said the brand in the last five years has made giant strides with a lot of reference projects.

Gree AC
L-R: GREE Brand Ambassador, Award Winning Nollywood Actress, Stephanie Linus and Chairman, Choice International Group (CIG), Chief Diana Chen at the official unveiling of Gree Air Conditioner’s Brand Ambassador at its Head Office, Victoria Island, Lagos recently | Brand Spur Nigeria
Gree AC
L-R: GREE Brand Ambassador, Award Winning Nollywood Actress, Mrs Stephanie Linus and Chairman, Choice International Group (CIG), Chief Diana Chen at the official unveiling of Gree Air Conditioner’s Brand Ambassador at its Head Office, Victoria Island, Lagos recently. | Brand Spur Nigeria

According to him, “Today, we have a lot of reference projects in Nigeria as Gree Air Conditioner has powered key projects such as the Dangote refinery and the Nigerian Railway Cooperation project. We have decided to continuously ensure that our Nigerian consumers are better engaged and catered for.”

“We believe that bringing our new brand ambassador on board will help us deliver better value to the consumers as Stephanie Linus is a global Icon and will take Gree AC brand to the number spot in Nigeria,”.

Gree AC
GREE Brand Ambassador, Award Winning Nollywood Actress, Mrs Stephanie Linus at the official unveiling of Gree Air Conditioner’s Brand Ambassador at its Head Office, Victoria Island, Lagos recently. | Brand Spur Nigeria
Gree AC
L-R: Country Manager, Sale and Marketing, Chibuzor Ogunka, GREE Brand Ambassador, Award Winning Nollywood Actress, Mrs Stephanie Linus and Chairman, Choice International Group (CIG), Chief Diana Chen at the official unveiling of Gree Air Conditioner’s Brand Ambassador at its Head Office, Victoria Island, Lagos recently. | Brand Spur Nigeria

During her speech, Stephanie Linus expressed her delight, narrating her personal experience with Gree ACs over the last few years and testifying to the brand’s safety and durability.

In her words, “My experience with Gree is different. It circulates effectively, it’s health-friendly, and it cools like winter. I am also thrilled at how much the company pays attention to aesthetics.”

As a United Nations Population Fund Regional Ambassador for West and Central Africa, the newly-signed brand ambassador shared how she is particular about the environmental safety that Gree AC assures its users. She also showed her commitment to creating more awareness for the brand and enabling more people to understand the quality of Gree ACs.

Gree ACs have consistently been consumers’ choice, owing to their low power consumption, quiet operation, and eco-friendliness. These qualities, among others, have undoubtedly made them the Nigerian-friendly brand.

Chief Diana Chen, Chairman of Choice International Group, the sole distributor of Gree AC, elated about the development, said that the new ambassador, beyond matching the brand’s standards, will take it to greater heights, to compete fairly at the international level. She also commended Nigeria for its great potential and revealed that her brand is focused on augmenting these potentials through capacity-building and massive empowerment projects.

While discussing the company’s plans for CSR, Chief Chen said,

“We will be launching a technician training program which will onboard 22,000 technicians who will be well-trained, equipped and remunerated. Also, in two years, we plan to supply a million ACs in Nigeria with world-class installation, as we are passionate about user experience.”

The memorable event is the first step towards more extraordinary achievements for the brand and creating innumerable opportunities for countless Nigerians who are beneficiaries of Gree’s nation-building and environment-friendly goals.

Coca-Cola Nigeria Unit Triples E-commerce Sales Despite Pandemic

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Coca-Cola Nigeria Unit Triples E-commerce Sales Despite Pandemic

Coca-Cola Nigeria unit said it has seen a threefold increase in e-commerce sales this year after virus-induced lockdowns inspired a change in the country’s consumer habits. The rise is attributed to a change in consumer habits after the pandemic forced lockdowns in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy.

Brand Spur reports that the sales boom can also be traced to the embrace of thriving e-Commerce platforms such as Konga, Jumia etc, which had listed Coca-Cola products and helped deliver the items seamlessly to consumers who were at home as a result of the lockdown.

Coca-Cola Nigeria
Alfred Olajide, Vice President and Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria | www.brandspurng.com

Alfred Olajide, Chief Executive Officer, told Bloomberg that,

“The first one month of Covid-19 was the pivot point. We have more than tripled the e-commerce business that we have in our portfolio,”.

The beverage company is partnering with online shopping firms including Jumia Technologies AG, a Berlin-based e-commerce platform that provides services in Lagos to push its products in the country, according to Olajide.

“Right now e-commerce orders as a proportion of sales are still in the single-digit but the ambition for us is to scale it to double-digit and make it a very big significant channel of choice for our consumers. We are partnering to help the trend grow and you will see more of that coming through in our strategy.”

While high inflation rate and unemployment have eroded disposable income, the company is starting to see sales return in 2021 and probably match the pre-covid period as the economy improves, Olajide said.

Furthermore, he has expressed optimism that sales figures will rebound to match pre-COVID-19 highs; in spite of the spiralling inflation rate and reduced disposable income due to the unemployment rate.

In addition, Olajide revealed that Coca-Cola has adjusted prices; while also rolling out smaller, more value-based pack sizes to cater for consumers that have low disposable income. He noted that this strategy has seen sales recover this year after they took a knock in 2020.

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