Sir, kindly throw more light on the role digitalization will play in this new normal or post covid-19?
We must pay serious attention to digital economy, if we want to eliminate leakages, inequalities, and corruption. Tech to Scale COVID-19 Food Parcel and Voucher Delivery in Nigeria For example. Those involved on the ground with food parcel deployment across Nigeria during #covid19. It’s clear that the volume of food supply during COVID-19 is not the only problem. But matching aggregate food supply to a quantifiable, and growing demand in our communities, is. Organizations are operating in the same communities, with separate beneficiary lists mostly on Excel. There is very little data aggregation and intelligence we can see, which leaves multiple gaps. This is resulting in thousands of families getting an oversupply of food/vouchers, whilst others not receiving anything. We must repurpose FinTech and Mobile technology to impact these issues. So, if you are involved with any initiative delivering food parcels/vouchers, you just have to manage/aggregate your efforts. Below are the steps to take. You can:
1. Load all your beneficiaries / households into the system, track food parcels and manage them digitally.
2. Measure the actual food need in a community at any point in time.
3. Aggregate your beneficiary data with other organizations working in the same community to get a complete map.
4. Create, disburse & reconcile food vouchers or remittances If you see the level at which enterprises have been digitalized, you will wonder if those businesses have big edifices across Lagos and Abuja.
People don’t have to visit abattoirs to buy any kind of meats, you can do multiple shares and it will be delivered on your house without stress while payment is made through transfers and USSD. You can also subscribe to different Agric ventures across all products and get good returns on investment for as much as 40% over a 6 months period. Enterprises can start digitalization by doing the following:
1. Register such business with CAC. This will give some credence to your business, and also, enable you the opportunity to access loans and grants at any point in time.
2. Create a visible website where people can interact with your business. Upload previous and current projects and any interventions on the site.
3. Create business pages on Facebook, Instagram, twitter and attend many webinars of interest with speakers spread across GEJ globe. This will give enough visibilities and opportunities.
4. Provide many services pro bono. Don’t always ask for money whenever services are offered. Some services will give you unimaginable opportunities when done pro bono, especially for a foreign partner.
Sir, how do you think churches can become more relevant to the society? What do you think the church should do that she’s not doing yet? Also, people are tired of reading tracts…. We’ve been so used to it.
Churches should be more involved with social enterprise and welfarism. The level of poverty in our nation is ineffable and require a radical intervention. Until people begin to see churches as house of God where solutions are; people will gradually lose their interests in going to church, especially post COVID, except the Holy Spirit helps. Churches abroad gives more of souvenirs than tracks. Inside the pack, are several items including tracks containing short but powerful messages. If you have handed Udeme with a pack of souvenir, she wouldn’t have rejected it, even though she may not know it contains track.
Sir, in a church where almost everyone is poor. Only a few average people. How does the Church engage in social Enterprise? What do you think about the church starting a business or a venture? Like… Church starting a transport business… Do you think Churches should engage in business?
The church is not meant to be poor. It’s called the house of surplus and solution. If a such is poor to the point of been unable to support her members in the most little way, the pastor in charge must seek the face of God for divine intervention. Churches shouldn’t engage in business, but their leaders can. The pastors and leaders can have such business and discount for members.
Where do you classify schools owned by the Church? For instance, Covenant University… Our church primary and secondary schools… Also, Pure water factories… Are you saying that the church should not have ventured into these things?
Most of the schools, if not all, aren’t owned by the churches. If you have the opportunity to see the CAC docs and other approvals; you will understand the schools are owned by individuals with a small percentage for the church to support the growth. The schools only bear names similar to the churches to give them some visibility and associate them with the church.
On issues of starting a business, how do one deal with union charges and tasks? I heard even onion sellers have union. And most of the leaders of the unions are not marketers. Not to talk of taxi drivers’ union. Even after registering your business, with CAC. Is there a way to avoid these set of people or unions? Or we should learn to accept it the way it is.
The issue of Union is a bit dicey. It depends on the type of business you’re doing. Uber is doing well without much interference from unions. Union is meant to strengthen network of enterprises and not to bring speed breakers to the way of upcoming entrepreneurs. One way to eliminate unionism is to get upgraded through technology. As a fashion designer, you don’t necessarily need to have a physical shop before making millions of naira online. I believe this is applicable to every business… let unionism continue creating speed breakers while you keep innovating new ideas and making cool money.
I heard someone said that in Isanlu, they must not see you sewing with your own sewing machine in the front of your house because you will be arrested by the tailor’s union. (If you don’t belong to their union) There was a time Carpenters too were troubling people who are just trying to make a garden around their house because they are not registered Carpenters.
Even a carpenter can showcase his skills through technology. Create a blog, websites, and social media pages; people will call for your services at the comfort or their homes without any physical shop.
