UNICEF Set To Restore Water To People In Goma Cut Off Due To Volcano Damage

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UNICEF Set To Restore Water To People In Goma Cut Off Due To Volcano Damage

UNICEF is urgently working to restore water supply to 200,000 people including at least 100,000 children in the city of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the volcanic eruption last month melted principal water pipes and damaged a huge 5000m³ reservoir.

Without access to safe water and sanitation, children and families are at increased risk of waterborne diseases, with concern especially growing at the threat of a cholera outbreak.

“Cholera is particularly dangerous for the very young, the very old and the undernourished, so an outbreak could have disastrous consequences for children,” said In Hye Sung, UNICEF emergency specialist. “Children under age 5 have the highest incidence of cholera and are more likely to die from it, so it’s critical we ensure that families have access to safe water as soon as possible.”

Many of Goma’s inhabitants have been forced either to flee to nearby towns because their homes have been destroyed by lava or because they were advised by the government to leave due to the possibility of another eruption and the emission of noxious gasses.

UNICEF is working with domestic and international partners to address the issue, including supporting Regideso, the state-owned water company, to redirect and protect a by-pass piping system that will immediately send water from the pumping station next to Lake Kivu into part of the water supply system.

The number of districts without water in the city a fortnight after the eruption has now been reduced from 12 to four because of the by-pass installation. When the work on a second bypass is completed – hopefully by the end of the week – only two districts in the city should be without water.

In the past, cholera epidemics have started when residents of Goma collected dirty contaminated water from Lake Kivu to drink or wash pans.

UNICEF has installed 15 emergency station chlorination points close to the lake where staff are putting chlorination solution in jerry cans for people collecting water from the lake. The chlorinated water is much safer to drink.

During the eruption of 22 May, a fissure burst in the side of Nyiragongo volcano, sending a torrent of molten lava towards Goma. Districts in the northern part of Goma were destroyed and 30 people were killed.

Some 3,500 residents of Goma lost their houses. The main reservoir that supplies the northern section of the city with water was engulfed in lava.

The impact of the water shortages is clearly illustrated in Buhene, a district that was flattened by lava.

The district has seen hundreds of people queue up with yellow plastic jerrycans while a truck is hooked up to a pump that supplies them with water as a temporary measure until a new pipe can be fitted.

UNICEF, along with its partners Caritas and AVUDS was one of the first agencies to truck water to tens of thousands of people displaced by the eruption in the nearby towns of Sake, Rutshuru and Minova – and is now doing the same in Goma.

The trucking operation has been scaled up day-by-day, aimed at providing emergency water supplies to some 200,000 people.

The trucking operation will be scaled down once Goma’s water network is partly functional again – an estimated 60,000 displaced people returning to the city will initially rely on trucked water.

A task force coordinated by Regideso and consisting of CICR, Mercy Corps and UNICEF is supporting Virunga Energy to install 1,500 meters of pipe on top of the lava to replace pipework that melted.

They will reconnect the pumping station to distribution reservoirs that were not damaged during the eruption and are located in the hills above Goma.

In addition, UNICEF is supporting Regideso to implement an expert evaluation on how best to repair the 5000 m3 reservoir that was damaged by the lava.

On 27 May the acting governor of North Kivu province, Lieutenant General Constant Ndima, ordered hundreds of thousands of people living in Goma city centre to evacuate, warning that another eruption on the ground or under the lake could not be ruled out.

Most of those who fled to the nearby town from Goma are enduring miserable conditions – with people sleeping without blankets or mattresses on the floors of unfinished buildings.

Many displaced people are scared to return and will be even more reluctant to do so unless they can be sure of receiving safe water.

Nestlé Develops New Packaging Innovations For Vittel® Natural Mineral Water Bottles

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Nestlé Develops New Packaging Innovations For Vittel® Natural Mineral Water Bottles

Nestlé has developed two new packaging innovations for its Vittel® natural mineral water bottles.

The novel water bottles are designed to function just like traditional plastic bottles but with much less plastic.

The first innovation is the Vittel® GO system which consists of a reusable hard protective case designed to hold 50cl refills of Vittel® natural mineral water that are made with 40% less plastic than a traditional 50cl Vittel® bottle. Because the bottles are made with as little recycled plastic as possible, they are very flexible and light, which means they must be used with the reusable protective case to make it easy to drink the water.

The second packaging innovation is a 100% recyclable 1-liter Vittel® Hybrid bottle that is made from two types of materials. It opens up new possibilities for the development of the next generation of water bottles.

The first material is an ultra-thin plastic bottle made entirely from recycled content. It uses two times less plastic than a classic 1L bottle. The plastic layer is surrounded by a fiber-based material made from 100% recycled cardboard and old newspapers. Proprietary technologies enable the plastic and fiber-based layers to be locked together to create a functional, sturdy water bottle that can be easily used without any damage.

Nestlé packaging experts are currently developing a tearing system which allows consumers to easily separate the paper and plastic components for recycling when the hybrid bottle is empty.

The new packaging innovations were developed by experts at Nestlé’s research and development center for Waters in Vittel, France who received special funding from Nestlé’s internal R&D ‘Shark-Tank’ initiative. To develop the hybrid bottle, the experts worked in collaboration with Ecologic Powered by Jabil, a Californian start-up that specializes in eco-design of packaging.

Both the Vittel® GO and Vittel® Hybrid water bottles will be available for consumer testing in France in July. These two innovations are part of the company’s continuous efforts to introduce novel packaging materials to help Nestlé reduce its use of virgin plastics by one third by 2025.

Global eSIM Module Shipments To Reach 822 Million By 2025, See Why

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Global eSIM Module Shipments To Reach 822 Million By 2025, See Why

A new Juniper Research study found that the number of global eSIM module shipments will increase from 430 million in 2020 to 822 million in 2025; representing a growth of 90%.

The research identified the public sector as the fastest-growing area, with shipments of eSIM-enabled public sector sensors expected to increase by 500% over the next four years, as smart city services benefit from the flexibility of the growing eSIM ecosystem.

The new research, eSIMs: Sector Analysis, Emerging Opportunities & Market Forecasts 2021-2025, found that smart street lighting sensors will account for 88% of eSIM shipments within the public sector by 2025. The report predicts that smart city providers will leverage cellular networks, underpinned by eSIMs, as gateways to low-power connections for the monitoring and management of smart city services.

For more insights, download our free whitepaper: Unlocking the Potential of Consumer eSIMs or view our free video whitepaper: The Future of eSIMs.

Smart Cities in North America to Establish Global Standards

The report predicts that the US will remain the largest market for public sector eSIM adoption; accounting for 30% of eSIMs installed in devices by 2025. It highlighted that operators in North America have led the development and roll-out of 5G networks, which has enabled new levels of city-wide automation and information sharing in smart cities. Government authorities in other regions must follow the example set by smart cities in North America to ensure the smooth transition from legacy technology to smart sensors underpinned by robust eSIM technology.

Standalone 5G Networks Key for Future Smart Cities

The study urges eSIM vendors to develop 5G-capable modules to capitalise on the growth of next-generation 5G standalone networks, which enable the deployment of 5G-enabled eSIMs within smart cities.

Research author Scarlett Woodford noted: ‘To support smart city initiatives, eSIM vendors must invest in the development of 5G-enabled form factors. By combining flexible network connectivity with high bandwidth transmission and reduced latency, 5G-capable modules will enable local authorities to monitor connected sensors in real-time and allocate resources accordingly.’

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

Import Of Vehicles: How Nigeria Lost 50% Duties In 5 years

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Import Of Vehicles: How Nigeria Lost 50% Duties In 5 years

For five consecutive years, the federal government has lost half of its revenue accruing from duties paid on imported vehicles as 50 per cent of vehicles in Nigeria come in illegally through the closed borders and seaports without payment of duties to the government treasury, investigations by Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) has revealed.

The economic sabotage, which gained traction in the first quarter of 2016, when the land borders were shut by President Mohammadu Buhari regime, is perpetrated by influential people/dealers who hand out signed documents to the Customs or bribe their way to clear the vehicles without due process.

In connivance with unscrupulous government officials, some dealers are treated as sacred cows and they are quick to get away with anything at the ports.

NAJA checks revealed that the illegal business does not stop at sea ports alone; similar dealings have been reported in major land borders across the country, including: Kpobe (Ogun State), Ijowu (Ogun State), Seme (Lagos State), Idiroko (Ogun State), Shaki (Oyo State), Daura (Katsina State), Baga (Borno State) etc.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had in September 2019 raided some top car marts in Lagos.

The comptroller general’s Strike Force and officers attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja stormed Berger along Apapa-Oshodi Express Road and other premises across the state.

Many of them were closed on the orders of the CG Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), for allegedly retailing smuggled vehicles in the shops.

Major car dealers including Affordable Cars Limited, Carlink Limited, Ineh Mic Autos, Globe, Coscharis, Skymit, Arrowhead Motors, Wonder Wheels, Auto Point, among others were raided. Showrooms in other states, including, Sokoto, Katsina were equally affected.

The second hand vehicles dealers were not spared as most of their showrooms were equally closed too due to reasons that have to do with documentation.

Commenting, Remi Olaofe, the executive secretary, Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association, (NAMA) said “you can’t say there is no smuggling in Nigeria; our borders are porous and we have done everything we needed to do to improve it, by shutting down the borders, but they are still porous.

Olaofe said it is a fallacy to say for every vehicle coming into the country, appropriate duties are being paid.

Stating that NAMA has proffered solution to the menace, Olaofe said that with their portal and that of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC, it will be 100 per cent impossible for anybody to import a vehicle and not properly register in Nigeria because the portal will indicate that the appropriate amount of money is not paid.

“It is just as simple as that, but for the reason best known to the operators and the players in that market, they have refused to allow that portal to work”, he said.

Advising that vehicles must be registered for them to be driven on the road, Olaofe added that “You can’t be driving a vehicle that is not registered. To know this, they should go to the licensing office because the licensing office can not license a vehicle without first clarifying from the portal and that clears the vehicle. If that is not there, we have what is called the BIN number, will throw up a red flag”.

Explaining further, Olaofe said “I don’t represent the (FBU) Fully-Built Vehicle, mine advocacy is for us to shut our doors against the FBUs. Assembling of vehicles in Nigeria is what I represent” .

Confirming that the duty waiver for vehicles have been adjusted, but there is no difference in the rate of vehicles, the executive secretary said “We are saying that it is not duty that is affecting the rate we are paying as transportation fare, but the factors are the cost of fuel, infrastructure, security on the road, wear and tear, replacement of these spare parts and the conditions of the vehicles. They bring a lot of junks into this country”.

“Africa Bilateral Free Trade Agreement has taken off, where is Nigeria in the scheme of things? Assembly plants are now moved to Ghana, what do we stand to benefit? Toyota, Hyundai and co are being assembled in Ghana, are those for Ghana economy? They are for Nigeria economy”, Olaofe added.

Kunle Jaiyesimi, Deputy Managing Director, Massilia Motors, dealers of Mitsubishi brand of vehicles said most car dealers, including Masillia Motors are still selling their old stock and that his company had stocked up to December for the 2021 business.

According to him, car market has really shrunk and that dealers have not really made major decisions in 2021 in terms of vehicle imports.

Jaiyesimi said “to the assemblers, they are not happy with the Finance Act; it’s making the locally assembled vehicles uncompetitive compared to the Fully Built Units. For instance, Fuso and Canter (Mitsubishi) that we are assembling, it is cheaper to bring them in as FBU than locally assembling them. And that has affected our production lines.

Jaiyesimi who is also the Chairman, Auto Group of the LCCI proffered solutions, saying that “the only way for us have some gain on the assembly line is for govt to remove the import duty or reduce it. If they cannot remove it, they can bring it down to five per cent” .

The DMD said that, for now, they are charging 40 per cent (35 per cent import duty and five per cent for levy) on passenger cars for FBU; 10 per cent on (Semi Knocked Down (SKD) and 10 per cent on FBU buses.

He argued that whatever duty reduction the government has put in place for them to enjoy is being wiped off by the exchange rate fluctuations,stressing that the CBN is not supporting vehicle importers at SKD or FBU level.

Rather, he informed that stakeholders rely on the black market to pay their suppliers.

” Once you are getting your FX from the black market, whatever gain that is coming from the import duty reduction is lost in the over 25 per cent increase in the FX rate”, Jaiyesimi added.

Further investigations however, show that both new vehicle dealers and second hand vehicles merchants are deeply involved in this business of short-changing the government.

A key member of the United Bergers Motor Dealer Association (UBMDA), Chike Ejogu who spoke to this paper, said that dealers evade Apapa ports because of the high duties paid to clear the vehicles there.

According to him, that is the major reason why dealers resort to smuggle in vehicles at cheap rates,in order to make big gains.

Ejiogu said “the whole thing worsened in early 2016 when the land borders were closed. Before the closure we used to pay N74, 000 and N96, 000 for small cars while we were paying about N170, 000″ for big vehicles like SUVs”.

Ejiogu revealed that about 5,000 vehicles are smuggled through the Idiroko land border every month.

Chairman, Allen B Motors Nig Limited, Lawal Azeez told NAJA that car smuggling has caused the government a fortune.

According to the auto dealer, reduction of duties paid to the government will help to discourage smugglers from their illegal operation.

Meanwhile, efforts made to get statistics of imported vehicles from various auto companies proved abortive.

Figures from Kia were not available as of the time of filing this report. Although, Coscharis was also approached for the statistics but the auto firm is yet to respond as at the time of filing this report.

The story is basically the same at West Star Associates Nigeria Limited, sole distributor of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Nigeria.

While different regions of the world make available sales statistics on a regular basis, Mercedes-Benz representatives in Nigeria always turn down request for sales statistics.

When contacted, a source promised to make necessary contacts within the company and get back. The source did not get back as at press time at the weekend.

However, for the first quarter of 2021, despite the challenges associated with Covid-19, Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 590,999 passenger cars across the world driven by China and United States retail sales as well as strong demand for plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles

One of the implications of vehicle smuggling or duty evasion, NAJA checks revealed is that the vehicles of these illegal auto dealers are sold easily at cheap prices because they never pay the right duty to get them into the country. Consequently, the genuine dealers are left to suffer the outcome as they cannot sell vehicles lower than the actual cost of bringing them to the showrooms.

Auditor-General Inaugurates Forensic Lab, Pledges Improved Auditing

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Auditor-General Inaugurates Forensic Lab, Pledges Improved Auditing

The Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF), Mr Adolphus Aghughu,  has assured that public accounting will experience improved auditing with the effective deployment of forensic auditing techniques.

Aghughu gave the assurance in Abuja on Monday while inaugurating a newly-equipped forensic laboratory and presentation of certificates to 21 newly-trained forensic auditors.

He said that forensic auditing, when effectively deployed, could be used to gather evidence that could help in diligent prosecution of corruption cases in the courts.

The auditor-general gave an assurance that the trained and certified forensic auditors would be immediately deployed to the field to carry out forensic audits in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

He said that his office would ensure that the newly-trained forensic auditors were effectively deployed to improve the public accounting system.

“We are not just having a forensic laboratory, we have trained 21 forensic auditors that will be on the field in the next one week to carry out a minimum five forensic audits.

“For public accounting, forensic auditing is unique because, when you want an answer with evidence that could be used for prosecution in court, forensic auditing is integral, ” he said.

Aghughu urged the forensic auditors to work with zeal and determination to create a difference, saying that the country needed auditors to wake up and be more effective in their mandate.

Earlier, Dr Jimson Olufuye, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Consultant in the Office of the Auditor-General (OAuGF), commended Aghughu for delivering the laboratory and providing support for the training of the initial 21 forensic auditors.

Olufuye also commended the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) for partnering with the Auditor-General’s office for the training.

Prof. Peter Olayiwola, Facilitator of the training, gave an assurance that the new forensic auditors from the auditor-general’s office had been trained to carry out auditing systems that would ensure probity and accountability.

“All the 21 participants that were trained can expertly examine, question documents and carry out handwriting analysis, ” he said.

iPhones To Capture 40% Of Smartphone Market Value In 2022

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iPhones To Capture 40% Of Smartphone Market Value In 2022

A new report from Juniper Research has found that sales of iPhones will bring in over $200 billion in 2022; nearly 40% of the total smartphone hardware market, despite representing less than 20% of devices sold that year.

The new research, Smartphone Market: Device Innovation, Regional Analysis & Market Share Forecasts 2021-2026, notes that although smartphone purchase cycles are lengthening, Apple has managed to consistently convince users to purchase higher-priced models through curation of a strong hardware and software ecosystem, which other vendors have only limited opportunities to do in the current market.

As a result, Apple’s average selling price will rise in the coming years, while Android devices will decline, unless they can leverage new technologies like 5G or bring new design features, such as foldable phones, into the market.

Differentiation Needs More than Features, as Newer Vendors Gain Ground

Juniper Research believes that Android vendors will struggle to compete on the basis of a feature in future. The research shows how vendors that focus on a particular segment and investing in premium features, such as high-end audio and advances in camera technology, will not appeal widely enough to compete at scale in the smartphone market.

‘Feature diversification alone is not enough for lasting success in the crowded smartphone market,’ remarked research co-author Nick Hunt. ‘Apple and Samsung have succeeded in fostering brand loyalty, which smaller vendors have struggled with, despite many introducing new capabilities. These players need to pair strong features with strong branding to have sustained success.’

The research also notes that the decline in Huawei’s fortunes, thanks to the US trade ban, will not restore older brands to prominence, but allow other Chinese brands to expand. We expect BBK, the manufacturer of Oppo, Vivo, Realme, iQOO and OnePlus smartphones, will have over 200 million smartphones shipped in 2022; making it the third-largest player that year.

In the meantime, Huawei’s market share will decline to just over 9% in 2022, from 11% in 2019.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

Sanofi Launches Its New Global Employee Share Ownership Plan

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Sanofi Launches Its New Global Employee Share Ownership Plan

Sanofi has launched Action 2021, its global employee share ownership plan, open to 92,000 employees in 73 countries.

The program, similar to programs carried out since 2013, clearly demonstrates the ongoing commitment of Sanofi and its Board of Directors to involve all employees, across all its territories, in the future development and results of the company.

“The record level of employee participation in last year’s share plan demonstrated our employee’s commitment to the company and our long-term strategy and growth. With the continued support of the Board of Directors, we want our employees to have these opportunities to be increasingly involved in Sanofi’s success by sharing in its performance,” said Paul Hudson, Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi.

As of today, the shares will be offered at a subscription price of 69,38€, which is equal to a 20% discount off the average of the 20 opening prices of Sanofi shares from May 6 to June 2, 2021. In addition, for every five shares subscribed, employees will be able to receive one free share (up to a maximum of four free shares per employee).

And finally, each employee will be able to purchase up to 1,500 Sanofi shares within the legal limit of a maximum payment amount that does not exceed 25% of their gross annual salary, minus any voluntary deductions already made under employee savings schemes (Group Savings Plan and/or Group Retirement Savings Plan) during the year 2021.

In 2020, the employee share ownership plan, open to around 90,000 employees in 72 countries, saw its overall uptake rate exceed 36%. More than 33,000 Sanofi employees chose to invest in the company.

Today, nearly 90,000 current or former employees of the company are direct or indirect shareholders of Sanofi, and hold approximately 2.8% of its capital.

NSE ASI Closed In Green WoW By 1.23% After Closing In Bullish Form

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NSE ASI Closed In Green WoW By 1.23% After Closing In Bullish Form

The NSE ASI closed in green WoW by 1.23% after closing in the bullish form in 4 of the 5 trading sessions during the week. At 38,726.10, the equities market’s Year-to-Date return is -3.84% while the market capitalization is N20.18 trillion.

Market breadth (a measure of investors’ sentiment) weakened last week, declining from 1.07x to 1.00x as the number of gainers and losers are the same at 33 (thirty-three). UPL and MORISON topped the market gainers with 43.59% and 20.21% WoW respectively, while CWG and ROYALEX topped the losers’ chart with declines of 26.09% and 11.11% WoW respectively.

The volume and value of stocks traded on the exchange this week improved by 4.34% and 0.81% respectively. A total turnover of 1.082 billion shares worth N9.548bn in 17,933 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of the Exchange.

Trading in the top three equities by volume was SOVRENINS, ZENITHBANK and VERITASKAP. They accounted for 235.953 million shares worth N1.82 billion in 1,654 deals; contributing 21.80% and 19.07% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Outlook for the week

We expect a bullish momentum in the coming week as the equities market still presents decent opportunities for investors chasing positive real return on investments.

Bearish Sentiment In Equities Market, NSE ASI Sheds 10bps

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Bearish Sentiment In Equities Market, NSE ASI Sheds 10bps

The equities market closed in red at the end of today’s trading session as the benchmark index declined by 0.10% to close at 38,686.40 points.

The market capitalization decreased by  ₦20.69 billion to close at  ₦20.16 trillion.

Four of the five sectoral indices under coverage weakened. The  Insurance goods index, the biggest loser, declined by 1.91%, followed by Banking (-0.86%), Consumer goods (-0.09%) and Industrial goods (-0.09%) indices respectively. Conversely, the Oil & Gas index was the only gainer, improved by 0.31%.

Investors’ sentiment weakened in today’s trading session, as market breadth decreased to 0.46x from 2.2x. This was illustrated by the advance of 13 stocks, led by  MORISON (9.73%) and CONOIL (9.63%), and the decline of 28 stocks, led by JULI (-9.93%) and CWG (-9.80%). In terms of activity levels, it was mixed as total volume improved by 5.87% while total value declined by 5.66% compared to the previous, as investors exchanged about 210.75million units of shares worth over N1.50billion.

Fixed Income

There was inactivity across the bond yield curve as all the 4 bond yields under coverage remained constant. FGN-APR-2023, FGN-APR-2024, FGN-JAN-2026 and FGN-JUL-2030 remained constant at 11.42%, 11.68%, 12.16% and 12.94% respectively.

Treasury bill yields for 90, 180, and 365-day papers closed at 4.44%, 6.19% and 9.49%.

We expect a return to bullish momentum in the next trading session as the equities market still presents decent opportunities for investors chasing positive real return on investments.

 MARKET SNAPSHOT

  • Bearish Sentiment in Equities Market, NSE ASI Sheds 10bps
  • Inactivity Across Bond Yield Curve as all the 4 tenors remained constant.
  • Mixed Sentiment in Global Stocks
  • Parallel Market Exchange Rate Reports at N502.00/$
  • Two of the Three Tenors of Treasury Yields remained constant.

Honoris United Universities Announces Adaptive Learning Partnership

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Honoris United Universities Announces Adaptive Learning Partnership

As part of its ongoing commitment to educate and prepare future leaders and professionals in Africa with 21st-century skills, Honoris United Universities the first and largest pan-African network of private higher education institutions has announced a new partnership with Area9 Lyceum a world-renowned leader in personalized and adaptive learning platforms.

The addition of adaptive learning, which recreates at scale personalized learning with the benefits of a one-to-one personal tutor, to the Honoris curricula reflects the network’s emphasis on academic innovation by providing students with access to advanced learning technologies. Greatly differing from traditional models of education, adaptive learning cuts training time to focus on creating higher proficiency in learners, improving outcomes and uncovering unconscious incompetence.

Personalized learning to improve skills acquisition

Adaptive learning uses proven data analytics and technologies that deeply understand the learning patterns of every unique individual through algorithms from billions of learning experiences, automatically adjusting to the needs of each learner.

It gives institutions the opportunity to continuously tailor-make learning according to the needs of each student, delivering an optimal experience that puts the outcomes of the learner at the center which is aligned with Honoris’ student-centric approach to education. Capitalizing on Area9’s proven experience in the health science sector, Honoris has introduced the platform in the strategic verticals of Health in Tunisia and Business in South Africa.

Commenting on the partnership, Laura Kakon, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer, Honoris United Universities, explains how, “Higher education is undergoing a fundamental reorganization, with a pivot towards new learning systems that accelerate and improve skills acquisition. We are delighted to partner with the Area9 Lyceum’s Rhapsode™ adaptive learning platform to create a personalized learning approach that is critical for improving the outcomes of our students. At Honoris, we are committed to continuously investing in academic innovation and exploring new methods of delivery with a strong focus on student success. 21st century skills development requires 21st century teaching and learning approaches.”

Developed with 25 years of scientific cognitive research and having served over 30 million learners globally, the Area9 Adaptive Learning Platform – Rhapsode™ – guides learners step-by-step using continuous adaptive learning technology whilst eliminating boredom and frustration. The platform can cut the time to proficiency by as much as 50%, with the potential for 100% competency achieved by all.

Dr. Khurram Jamil, President – Strategic Initiatives, Area9 Lyceum, added, “Honoris is the first higher education organization in Africa to bring Rhapsode™  adaptive learning technology to students in higher education in the continent. As we continue to examine the seismic impact that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is having on the needs of the future workforce, we are glad to provide this transformative, data-backed, 21st-century training approach to Honoris students and support the provision of the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the technology-enabled workplace.”

Honoris is committed to creating transformative impact in education across Africa by remaining at the forefront of academic innovation, leveraging adaptive learning, AI, AR and VR, simulation, and alternative academic models such as coding bootcamps and more to prepare world-class African talent that is competitive in today’s fast-paced, demanding and increasingly digitized labor and start-up markets.

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