The Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills For The Next 10 Years

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The Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills For The Next 10 Years

Want to make yourself indispensable to future employers?

It’s not just technical skills you need to develop. As we head towards the new industrial revolution and the pace of change is accelerating, the skills you need to develop in the workplace are changing too.

Top 10 most in-demand skills for the next 10 years

1. Digital Literacy

Digital literacy encompasses the skills to learn, work and navigate everyday life in our digital world. These skills involve the ability to use devices, software, and apps safely and with confidence. People with strong digital literacy skills can communicate and collaborate easily using digital tools, and they keep on top of new technologies and understand how they might impact their job and their business.

2. Data Literacy

For most companies, data is now one of their most important and valuable business assets, which means organizations will want to employ people that are able to take data and use it effectively. In the average business context, data literacy means being able to access appropriate data and work with it confidently. To cultivate data literacy, working on extracting meaning from data and communicating data-based insights to others. With data literacy, you’ll also be able to question the integrity and validity of any data you are working with rather than just blindly following the information you are given.

3. Critical Thinking

In this era of fake news, social media bubbles, and information overload, critical thinking is at the top of the list of the most vital skills to cultivate for success. Thinking critically means analyzing issues and situations based on evidence rather than hearsay, personal opinions, or biases. When you are practicing critical thinking, you can question the validity of evidence and figure out what’s true and what’s not in a variety of situations.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to express and control our emotions. An emotionally intelligent person is aware of how their emotions influence their own behaviors and impact others around them and can manage those emotions accordingly. I believe empathy – the ability to see the world from someone else’s perspective – is a key component of emotional intelligence.

5. Creativity

Have you ever wondered what creativity really is? One way to define it is “the act of turning imaginative ideas into reality.” Creativity will be one of the most desirable skills in the future workplace, especially as we hand more and more routine tasks over to machines. Creative thinking, like coming up with new ideas, problem-solving, imagining beyond the status quo, and implementing ideas to fix issues and make things better, will be critical in the workplace of the future.

6. Collaboration

The nature of collaboration and teamwork is changing as teams evolve to include hybrid workers, fully remote workers, contractors, and other employees who flow between projects and teams. In this changing workplace, you will need to be able to effectively collaborate and communicate with a variety of colleagues and coworkers.

7. Flexibility

Are you open to change? In the workplace of the future, change is going to be even more of a driving factor than it is today. We’ll have to continually contend with new technologies, rising automation, the rapidly evolving pace of work, and vast business disruptions. We must all develop the mental resilience to thrive in times of constant change. Adaptability – the ability to adjust to new conditions – is key to developing flexibility. Adaptable people are open-minded, curious, and willing to learn new things because they focus on opportunities, not obstacles.

8. Leadership Skills

Good leadership is about bringing the best out of other people and making sure they can thrive. And if you think leadership skills are only necessary for those at the top of the ladder, think again. Factors like distributed teams, increasing diversity, the gig economy, and more fluid organizational structures mean that leadership skills will be important for every individual throughout the company – whether they are leading a project, a team, or an entire department.

9. Time Management

Whether you work from home, work full-time in an office, run your own business, or work for an organization, the ability to manage your time effectively is essential for your workplace performance. Remember that time management is about working smarter rather than harder. Putting in extra hours isn’t necessary for people who are great at managing their time. They know when they are most productive and use this time wisely, reserving their less productive hours for other tasks.

Cultivating effective time management skills is also important for your mental health. When you can manage your time effectively, you create a better work/life balance to ensure you have room in your life for the things that are most important to you.

10. Curiosity and Continuous Learning

If I were to pick just one skill that I think everyone must cultivate, it would be curiosity. Whatever your age or industry, adopting a mindset of continuous learning is critical to thriving in tomorrow’s workplace. Curiosity and continual learning will help you stay flexible and embrace change, as well as help you keep your skills sharp so you can keep up with the major changes taking place today. Want to stay relevant to employers and give yourself the best chance at building a successful, fulfilling life? Adopt a growth mindset and spark your desire to learn.

Zenith Bank Posts N111.41 Billion Profit For H1 2022

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Zenith Bank Posts N111.41 Billion Profit For H1 2022

A notable increase across the key income streams of Zenith Bank in the year to June could not boost its bottom line as much as it did revenue, its audited financials issued on Tuesday shows, echoing the notion that growth in the time of persistent inflation does not always help profit.

The financial institution, currently Nigeria’s biggest lender by market value, posted a 17.1 per cent jump in revenue to N404.8 billion compared to the same period of last year.

More than half of that was contributed by interest and similar income, which improved by 18.5 per cent, while earnings from fees and commission jumped to N64.4 billion, accelerating by 35.2 per cent.

Zenith Bank realised N25.9 billion more from trading gains than the N59.3 billion reported a year ago as banks turn to lower-yielding but less risky assets like bonds and treasury to soften the impact of impaired credit on earnings.

But its impairment charge still surged by nearly one-third, and that was one out of many pressure points for income. South West Nigeria accounted for 87.6 per cent of the bank’s impaired loans during the period.

Operating expenses climbed to N130 billion compared to N117.1 billion in the same period, no thanks to Nigeria’s implacable inflation, which last month soared to a level last seen almost seventeen years ago.

Spending on information technology, fuel & maintenance as well as the statutory payment made by banks to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria contributed most to this cost category.

Profit before tax stood at N130 billion, 11.1 per cent higher than last year’s, while after-tax profit rose only by 5 per cent.

In a separate document, Zenith Bank stated it would pay shareholders whose names appear on its register of members an interim dividend of N0.30 per share. That is equivalent to a payout of N9.4 billion.

Shares in Zenith Bank added 0.68 per cent at N22 per unit in Lagos on Tuesday.

Naira Collapses Massively At Parallel Market, See New Exchange Rate

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Naira Collapses Massively At Parallel Market, See New Exchange Rate

Naira has collapsed massively at Parallel Market, See New Exchange Rate below.

Brand Spur Nigeria reports that the Nigeria’s legal tender, naira, on Tuesday, continued its free fall, collapsing to N692 at the parallel market against the US dollar, amid the lingering scarcity of the greenback.

This online newspaper understands that the figure signifies a depreciation of N9 or 1.3 percent compared to the N683 it traded last week.

Bureaux De Change operators (BDCs) told NewsOnline Nigeria that they purchase the greenback at N685/$, make a gain of N7 and then sell at N692.

According to the traders, the persistent naira depreciation is due to increased demand by customers and the scarcity of the dollar.

At the official market, the naira also depreciated by 0.09 percent to close at N429.43/$ on Monday, according to information obtained from FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange — a platform that oversees official foreign exchange (FX) trading.

To reduce the persistent FX pressures in the country, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have advised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to unify exchange rates.

Nigeria is facing a forex exchange crisis, and this has affected the price of goods and services, including local and international flights.

Recently, the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) said foreign airlines’ funds being withheld in Nigeria increased from $450 million in May to $464 million in July.

Due to the inability to repatriate its funds, Emirates Airlines, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said it would halt flights to Nigeria from next month.

Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited, to introduce Hoi Tung Trading Company Limited as major shareholder

Media Outreach
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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 24 August 2022 – Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited (“Best Mart 360” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; stock code: 2360.HK), a leisure food retailer in Hong Kong, announced that Mr. Lin Tsz Fung and Ms. Hui Ngai Fan entered into a memorandum of understanding ( the “MOU”) with China Merchants Hoi Tung Trading Company Limited (the “ China Merchants Hoi Tung Trading”), in relation to the possible sale and purchase of the Shares. Pursuant to the MOU, China Merchants Hoi Tung Trading intends to purchase 490,000,000 Shares in aggregate, representing 49% of the total issued Shares.

China Merchants Hoi Tung Trading is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Group Limited and is a comprehensive trading company covering food, transportation, and commodity, with subsidiaries in 10 cities in China and 7 branches overseas.

Hashtag: #BestMart360

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited

Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited operates chain retail stores under the brand “Best Mart 360˚”, offering wide selection of imported and pre-packaged leisure foods and other grocery products principally from overseas. It is the Group’s business objective to offer “Best Quality” and “Best Price” products to customers through continuous efforts on global procurement with a mission to provide comfortable shopping environment and pleasurable shopping experience to customers. As at 31 March 2022, the Group operated a total of 138 chain retail stores, spanning strategic locations with heavy pedestrian flow in Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen. Among the chain retail stores, the global gourmet brand “FoodVille” launched in September 2021 is also included, targeting the medium-to-high-end-market.

Why The End-To-End Journey Matters To Customers

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Why The End-To-End Journey Matters To Customers

Gone are the days when the customer purchasing journey was a simple, neat linear one from point A to B. Indeed, the process between these two points has become a great deal more complex with the wide array of technologies and purchasing channels available to modern customers. 

 

Think about it. If you want to buy a household appliance like a washing machine, for example, or book a service online, how likely is it that you’ll head straight to the nearest appliance store, or book the very first service you come across while online?

 

Chances are you’ll start with a search and compare reviews and prices across multiple sites. You might even check customer reviews to see what other people have to say about a service or product, before deciding whether or not it’s worth paying for.

 

In between becoming aware of a service or a product and deciding to pay for it, a customer can go on several searches, make mistakes, abandon the process before picking it up again, and switch channels. It’s still a journey, but more of a complicated path with twists, turns and detours.

 

The importance of a customer’s end-to-end journey is well-established in a number of industries, particularly those in the services space. These businesses know that, once they’ve landed a customer, they have to work hard to attract and retain them.

 

In a world where online is taking an increasingly large slice of the retail pie (data shows that e-commerce spending in Nigeria is growing so rapidly that it’s expected to outperform the global average), companies that understand that the customer journey starts long before they decide to buy something and ends a long time after they’ve paid for the product or service, will be rewarded.

 

“The key is to constantly look at how to offer real customer value, with a special focus on being there if and when a customer needs you,” says Awazi Angbalaga, Country Manager for SweepSouth, an online home services company through which customers are able to book domestic workers to clean their homes.

 

“Being able to quickly find a reliable and efficient domestic worker has long been a problem for many people. SweepSouth offers a quick and convenient way to book a trustworthy, thoroughly vetted and excellent cleaner for a time and day that best suits you.” says Angbalaga.

“Clients love the fact that not only do we provide good service, we provide them accountability that was otherwise lacking in other working arrangements they have had in the past to solve for their home cleaning needs. Customers can give SweepStars (the workers on the SweepSouth platform) ratings for other clients to see. We also have a support team on standby if a problem occurs.

 

Angbalaga adds that the company is well aware that customers are also more likely to recommend brands that have given them a good customer experience to friends and family, making it a crucial way of growing the customer base and revenue.”

The rewards for ensuring that customers have the best possible experience at every point in their journey are significant. Research shows that not only are customers willing to pay more for a great customer experience but that they’ll remain loyal too. That’s crucial, given that up to 65% of a company’s business can come from existing customers.

 

Companies can reap those rewards if they put in the effort to ensure that the customer has the best possible experience throughout their journey and beyond. And in a world where customers have an array of choices available to them, providing those kinds of experiences isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s an imperative.

Downward Trajectory Persists In The Local Bourse

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Downward Trajectory Persists In The Local Bourse

The Nigerian All Share Index extended its bearish sentiment at the end of yesterday’s trading session, falling further by 1.60% to close at 48,554.76 points.

The performance was due to selling pressures in bellwether stocks such as SEPLAT (-8.44%) and DANGCEM (-5.33%). Consequently, the YTD return decreased to 13.67% as market capitalisation declined by ₦426.07 billion to close at ₦26.19 trillion.

The sectoral performance significantly weakened as four of the five indices under coverage declined while the Insurance index, the only gainer, improved by 1.82% on NEM (+10.00%). The Oil & Gas index, the biggest loser, fell by 4.94% on SEPLAT (-8.44%). The Industrial, Consumer Goods and Banking indices followed suit, declining by 4.62%, 3.13% and 0.07% on DANGCEM (-5.33%), BUAFOODS (-9.92%) and GTCO (-0.25%) respectively.

Investors’ sentiment weakened as the market breadth decreased to 0.45x from 0.47x. This was illustrated by the advance of 9 stocks, led by NEM (+10.00%) and FTNCOCOA (+10.00%) and the decline of 20 stocks, led by BUAFOODS (-9.92%) and NNFM (-9.88%). Activity level strengthened as the total volume and value improved by 66.34% and 144.64% respectively, as investors exchanged about 204.15mn units of shares worth over ₦3.18bn.

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

 Fixed Income

There was mixed sentiment across the bond yield curve as two of the four bond yields under coverage compressed while the yields on the FGN-JAN-2026 and FGN-JUL-2030 bonds closed flat. The yields on the FGN-APR-2023 and FGN-MAR-2024 bonds compressed by 5bps and 1bp respectively.

The Treasury bill yields for the 91, 182 and 364-day papers closed flat at 3.93%, 10.49% and 6.80% respectively.

 We expect market activity to be influenced by the liquidity levels in the financial system.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

  • Downward Trajectory Persists in the Local Bourse, NGX ASI Loses 160bps
  • Mixed Sentiment across the Bond Yield Curve
  • Negative Performance in Global Stocks
  • Commodities Market Closes in Green
  • Negative Performance in African Stocks

Savvy Publishes Its 2022 Impact Assessment Report

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Savvy Publishes Its 2022 Impact Assessment Report

It’s been exactly two years since the launch of the Savvy Global Fellowship Program for Aspiring and Early-Stage Entrepreneurs. So far, the program has accepted, trained, and supported over 7,500 Fellows from 156 countries.

These Fellows were selected from over 90,000 applications and according to a post shared by the organization, “[they] have demonstrated their zeal to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems using innovative and sustainable models.”

The organization noted that it measures its impact every year and publishes an impact report on how it equips young entrepreneurs to address local problems in their communities. Today, Savvy has become a community of over 8,500 changemakers, which includes the 1,041 members of the Savvy mentorship team, who according to Savvy, “are experienced entrepreneurs with post-revenue businesses — volunteering with Savvy because they want to put their fingers on the pulse of the younger generation of entrepreneurs.”

Available in 111 languages, the Savvy program has helped 7,511 passionate young individuals start 2,513 innovative and sustainable impact-driven businesses by providing them with the knowledge, skills, tools, resources, support, and community to do so. These businesses now employ over 4,000 more individuals, and the organization believes that it is “mitigating global unemployment, which has been broadened by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

An announcement by the organization on its LinkedIn page reads:

“In this second year of operation, we moved the Savvy e-learning platform from shared hosting to a high-powered dedicated server to improve its stability and up-time. We’ve provided data bundles to 28 Savvy Fellows from low-income communities. These data bundles helped them to participate in and complete the Savvy program. And through the Savvy Prize, we provided equity-free funding and support worth $4,450 to 4 Savvy participants with the most innovative business ideas and execution strategies.

Finally, we expanded our 22-week entrepreneurial training curriculum to include 10 Product Design modules — taking the entire learning duration on Savvy to 32 weeks. These were possible using funding from the Roddenberry Foundation, the International Telecommunications Union, and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.

Now, we are focused on achieving more milestones. We are working to secure a partnership with a state-owned organization in Africa, to help at least 300 young individuals build sustainable businesses. We will also be facilitating weekly online classes via Zoom, to be given by renowned entrepreneurs from diverse regions, who will volunteer to teach our Fellows from their vast experience.”

The Savvy 2022 Impact Assessment Report can be found here.

Backed by the Roddenberry Foundation, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, and the International Telecommunication Union, Savvy was founded by Chidi Nwaogu to help at least 100,000 unemployed professionals around the world transition into entrepreneurship by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, tools, resources, support network, and community to build sustainable, innovative, and profitable impact-driven businesses, as a way to reduce global unemployment that has been broadened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

Vertiv Names Cheryl Lim Chief Human Resources Officer

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Vertiv Names Cheryl Lim Chief Human Resources Officer

Vertiv , a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, has named Cheryl Lim the company’s new Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). Lim will report directly to CEO Rob Johnson and lead the development and execution of HR strategy in support of Vertiv’s business goals.

Lim brings more than two decades of experience leading human resources teams, supporting organizational transformation, and supplying data-driven insights for global HR operations in the manufacturing space. Prior to joining Vertiv, Lim spent more than 20 years holding various HR leadership positions at Honeywell and was most recently the vice president of Human Resources at ITT Inc.

“Cheryl is an accomplished leader with extensive experience developing and executing high-level HR vision, strategy and results,” Johnson said. “Her tremendous knowledge, backed by a successful track record of leading teams, acquiring talent and managing change across large global companies, will support the high-performing culture that is Vertiv’s backbone.”

“Vertiv’s leaders have a vision for employee growth and well-being that aligns perfectly with the philosophy I followed during my more than 20 years in HR leadership,” Lim said. “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with a team of forward-thinking individuals and to implement strategies to help Vertiv support the organization.”

Lim earned a joint bachelor’s degree in German and management studies from the University of Leeds and a master’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

Over 200 Young Nigerians Receive European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Postgraduate Scholarships

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Over 200 Young Nigerians Receive European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Postgraduate Scholarships

The European Union has offered postgraduate scholarships to over 200 young Nigerians in top European universities, under its flagship educational programme, Erasmus+.

The figure represents a steep increase from the number of Nigerians that benefited from the initiative last year. It also places Nigeria second among countries with the highest number of students selected for the prestigious programme in 2022 – coming only after Pakistan.

Each scholarship awardee will, on successful completion of the programme, receive a masters degree to be jointly awarded by a consortium of universities, in the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters programme – a key component of Erasmus+. The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are high-level and integrated study programmes at master level, delivered by an international partnership of higher education institutions.

The studies will run for 12-24 months, and will see each beneficiary studying in universities in at least three different universities in as many countries during the duration of the programme. At least two of the countries where each student will study are EU Member States. Many of the scholarship awardees have already departed for Europe to commence their studies. The beneficiaries were selected through a rigorous, highly competitive process and from various academic disciplines.

The number of Nigerians selected for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree Scholarships has quadrupled in the last four years, rising from 44 awardees in 2019; 93 in 2020; 133 in 2021 to the record number of over 200 awardees in 2022. From ninth position in 2020 and sixth in 2021, the country now has the second highest number of beneficiaries globally, leaving behind countries like Bangladesh, Brazil, India and Mexico in the top bracket of countries with most awardees globally. Over 730 Nigerians have benefitted from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree since 2004.

Announcing the latest scholarships at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi, said the steep rise in the number of Nigerians benefiting from the programme in recent years reflects the premium the EU places on its partnership with the country. It also reaffirms the EU’s commitment to ramping up programmes and activities targeting Nigeria’s vibrant young people.

“The Erasmus+ programme is an example of the great cooperation we have with Nigeria, and reflects the EU’s commitment to widening the space and increasing opportunities for young Nigerians to actualise their dreams and play their role in contributing to the development of their country,” Ambassador Isopi said. According to her, the gesture exemplifies regular migration opportunities for ordinary Nigerians to travel abroad based on their capacity, their merit and abilities in their respective fields.

This year, the scholarship beneficiaries will traverse 20 different European countries. While the minimum number of counties of mobility for each student is three, some of the courses will take the beneficiaries to as many as six different countries. The Erasmus programme will enable the awardees to interact and exchange ideas with other students from different countries across the world.

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree is a life-changing experience, boosting opportunities for young Nigerians in within the country and abroad. The programme is built on the belief that the cultural exchange and education of youth is fundamental for the socio-economic development of societies as a whole. Besides the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, Erasmus+ also provides opportunities for mobility and cooperation with partner countries beyond Europe.

The Erasmus programme supports cooperation projects and policy development activities where organisations and higher education institutions can gain experience in international cooperation, strengthen their capacities, produce innovative approaches, exchange good practices and network.

“With the increased number of opportunities, I hope that in the coming years, even more Nigerian students and Higher Education Institutions can benefit from this programme,” Ambassador Isopi stated. The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Programme is open to applicants worldwide, and scholarships are offered to the best-ranked applicants from all over the world.

Motorola Solutions Acquires Barrett Communications

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Motorola Solutions Acquires Barrett Communications

 Motorola Solutions today announced it has acquired Barrett Communications, a global provider of specialized radio communications trusted by customers in civil security, border security, coast guard and additional government and private sectors. The company is based in Perth, Western Australia.

Barrett Communications designs high frequency (HF) and very high frequency (VHF) mission-critical radio communications, complementary to Motorola Solutions’ existing radio portfolio. This technology is designed to enable critical communications in any location without the need for infrastructure, making it ideal for supporting security and peacekeeping operations, as well as humanitarian response efforts during natural disasters.

“Motorola Solutions and Barrett Communications are united in their purpose of delivering the vital communications that organizations around the world depend on to help further safety,” said Mark Schmidl, senior vice president, International Sales, Motorola Solutions. “Barrett brings us a new portfolio of communications capabilities beyond traditional land mobile radio, allowing us to support highly specialized operations.”

The acquisition reaffirms Motorola Solutions’ commitment to innovation and leadership in mission-critical communications, expanding its portfolio and extending its reach in international markets.

“We are excited to join the Motorola Solutions team,” said Andrew Burt, CEO, Barrett Communications. “We look forward to building upon Motorola Solutions’ industry-leading portfolio, extending critical voice communications to support essential operations, humanitarian work and disaster response and recovery.”

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