The episode, which aired on Thursday, May 11th 2023, focused on Nigeria’s Digital Economy and its potential for growth and development and featured an insightful conversation with Lanre Akomolafe, who shared his expertise and vision for Nigeria’s digital future. He shed light on various aspects of the country’s digital landscape, emphasizing the significance of digital transformation and the opportunities it presents for economic advancement. 

During the discussion, Lanre highlighted Nigeria’s immense potential in leveraging technology to drive innovation, economic diversification, and job creation, emphasizing the importance of nurturing a supportive ecosystem that encourages digital entrepreneurship and facilitates access to digital infrastructure and resources for all citizens. 

Outlining the key pillars necessary for a thriving digital economy, including robust broadband connectivity, cybersecurity measures, digital skills development, and a favorable policy environment, Lanre stressed the need for increased investment in digital infrastructure, such as broadband networks and data centers, to foster widespread digital inclusion across Nigeria.

Read Also: Emerging Trends in Mobile App Development: What You Need to Know

Closing on his additions, Lanre advised the incoming administration to continue from where the last administration left off by investing in infrastructures and putting the right regulations and policies in place. 

“To advise the incoming administration, to improve the digital economy within the country, I’ll say it’s simply regulations and policy. And I say regulations and policy because I believe if the right regulations and policies are in place within the country, almost every other thing will take care of itself. Where you have the right regulations, you’re going to see a lot of investment in different areas of the economy. If we have the right regulations and policies, around investment and around infrastructure, you’re going to see a lot of investment within the digital space.” 

The episode also explored the challenges and potential solutions to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation. Lanre emphasized the need for collaboration between the government, private sector, and civil society to address issues such as digital literacy, data privacy, and regulatory frameworks that facilitate innovation while ensuring consumer protection. 

To watch the full clip, click here.

As a business leader, your corporate website is a vital tool for attracting potential customers, partners, and employees. It serves as a platform to showcase your products and services, and it can be the first impression that visitors have of your brand. However, not all corporate websites are created equal, and some may require a redesign to ensure that they are effective in achieving business objectives.

In this article, we will focus on corporate website designs and explore five indicators that suggest the need for a design update.

1. Outdated Design:

Technology is being redefined every year, so the website’s age alone can be a convincing reason for a redesign. If your website has not had any major updates over the last three years, it is likely that the designs and copys are outdated and casts a shadow of a doubt on your brand when assessed by your potential partners.

A website that looks outdated can negatively impact your brand image, making it difficult to attract new customers and partners. By redesigning your website, you can create a modern, professional-looking site that reflects the quality of your products and services.

2. Poor User Experience:

A corporate website that is difficult to navigate, takes too long to load, or has broken links will create a poor user experience. This can frustrate your prospects, resulting in lost leads or sales. A redesign can help you create a user-friendly website that is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and provides visitors with the information they need.

3. Limited Functionality:

If your website does not offer the functionality that your business needs to achieve its objectives, it is time for a redesign. This could include adding an e-commerce platform, optimizing the checkout, creating a mobile-friendly version, or integrating with third-party software.

By redesigning your website, you can ensure that it has the necessary features to support your business and achieve set objectives.

4. Inconsistent Branding:

Your website is an extension of your brand, and it should reflect your brand identity consistently. If your website’s branding is inconsistent with your other marketing efforts, it can create confusion for visitors.

Your website should adapt to your business – not the other way round. A redesign can help you turn the tables and transform your website, aligning your website’s branding with your overall brand identity, creating a cohesive brand experience to execute your business strategy.

Read Also: Every Industry Needs Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Here’s Why

5. Low Conversion Rates:

If your website is not converting visitors into leads or sales, it may be time for a redesign. Your website is your main communication channel with potential employees, partners, and shareholders, so it should answer all the questions these people may have in mind during a visit.

If you keep getting emails with questions that your company can – but your website does not – answer, A redesign can help you optimize your website’s conversion rates by making changes to the design, content, or user experience.

Conclusion

Your corporate website is a critical tool for achieving your business objectives. By recognizing the signs that indicate your website needs a redesign, you can take the necessary steps to improve its effectiveness. Whether it’s updating the design, improving the user experience, or adding new functionality, a website redesign can help you achieve your business goals. At Prunedge, we specialize in creating custom corporate website redesigns that align with your business objectives.

Click on the “get in touch” button at the top right of this page to book a free 30-minute consultation to find out how we can help provide your business with a brand-compliant and fully responsive website.

The JCI 10 Outstanding Young Persons of Nigeria honors 10 outstanding young people under the age of 40 each year. These individuals exemplify the spirit of the JCI Mission, and they serve as stellar examples of entrepreneurial spirit and ethical leadership.

JCI’s 2022 elite list of TOYP has been carefully analyzed and selected from an initial 2,000 unique nominations pool of innovators, technopreneurs and various industry leaders. Joel’s interests and contributions to national digital transformation via numerous initiatives and programs helps in identifying and solving technological inadequacies, developing innovations to solve real life problems and tailoring skills that will significantly advance humanity and help people live better lives.

He has continuously left an invaluable mark as a technology powerhouse while driving partnerships and sustainability across a number of impact-oriented initiatives over the years. As a forerunner with long-term contributions to the African technology ecosystem, he seeks to build a sustainable structure that uses technology to solve Africa’s greatest problems.

With the help of his team at Prunedge where he currently serves as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, he demonstrates his ambition of developing and sustaining various successful and dynamic solutions for Government, MSMEs and enterprise businesses in Africa. Prunedge is an enterprise technology solutions company focused on using technology as a tool for solving some of the world’s greatest problems.

He has also founded other organizations such as; Emerging Communities Africa, a non-profit focused on catalyzing technology ecosystems in rural and suburban communities across Africa; GloEpid, a health non-profit focused on helping to prevent the world’s next epidemic and Tech4Dev, a non-profit social enterprise that creates access to decent work and entrepreneurship opportunities and platforms for Africans through digital skills empowerment and advocacy.

While accepting this Award, Joel said “This award is another platform to show determined young Africans, especially Nigerians that they have the tenacity and capability to do much more, when it comes to innovations in the global ecosystem. At Prunedge, we are committed to consistently providing innovative solutions that meet the needs of all our clients and utilizing technology to create endless possibilities.” Joel was recently accepted into the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and Technology Executives across the Globe.

As one of the inspiring TOYPs, Joel will serve as brand ambassador for JCI Nigeria. As he continues to overcome unique challenges, he will not only bring awareness to his own personal goals but shine a spotlight on the JCI mission as well which includes serving as a stellar example of entrepreneurial spirit, ethical leadership and providing development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.

In simple terms, market research is used to figure out what people want, and user research is used to figure out why they want what they want.  For user research, it is specific. It helps to find out how and why people use certain products so that you can focus on ones that more people will enjoy.  

However, with market research, you get information about a market and in turn figure out what people want and how to give it to them.  

The Big Question – User research or Market research ?  

The most important difference between market research and user research has to do with the results. If you only focus on what people want and need, you might miss important information that could have helped you meet a need that wasn’t being met and grow your business. In the same way, if you only watch how people interact with and use your products, you won’t be able to predict market demand or figure out how your competitors measure up.  

Based on this information, we can see that market research and user research will happen at different points in the development of a product or service.   

Market researchers are involved in the early stages of a product’s development. They look for ways to make money and give businesses information about the market’s needs, size, competition, and pricing. They use methods that focus on numbers. They look at large groups of samples to find out the average age of potential users, how much money they make, and other general facts.  

Also Read : Five Ways Market Research Can Improve Your Business

User researchers, on the other hand, work with the product teams to make features for a specific person. Often, qualitative research on users is done. They focus on a small group of people to find out more about them and what they want. With this information, the product team can fashion products and services that are just right for their users. They find out what each person thinks about a product that already exists and how it could be made better.  

When done right, market research and user research are used to reduce business risks and give stakeholders a clear plan for making successful products and services.  

Not to be a party pooper, but if you were looking forward to seeing a winner, there is none. Both types of research should be conducted by all businesses, even B2B businesses. This doesn’t mean you should start engaging in all kinds of research.   

Your goals will help you decide between market research and user research. But if you want to create a new product/service or make an existing one work better, you need to figure out what the market wants and make sure the right product is made for the right people in the right way. So, it’s likely that if you do both types of research, your results will be better. At Prunedge, our research teams have a lot of experience figuring out what questions to ask to get the information that your business needs.    

Read Here : Prunedge wins BIG at the BoICT 2022 Awards Night

Our strategy and research experts at Prunedge will help you use insights from market and user research in the various stages of product development and marketing. We study your customer’s behavior and identify their needs, from figuring out what your target audience needs and why they need them, to developing the product, to pre-sale, point-of-sale, and after-sale. Utilising that data to advise what features to create for your product to solve your customer’s pain points. 

Click on the “get in touch” button for a free 30-minute consultation to find out how we can help provide your business with a comprehensive study that guarantees you the best results. 

The ICT Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes ingenious entrepreneurs who are creating a world that is more equitable, sustainable, and profitable. Joel has demonstrated his ambition as a leader by developing and sustaining successful and dynamic business solutions in Africa. He is on a journey of transformation to create, innovate, grow, learn and build a better Africa.  Joel is a pacesetter with ambition for long-term contributions to the technology ecosystem. As a technology enthusiast, he seeks to build a sustainable structure that solves Africa’s greatest problems using technology.

An organization is only as good as its leadership; We recognize this as Prunedge also bagged two awards, as Software Company of the Year and ICT Services Implementation & Support Company.  For Joel, technology is a tool to deliver his dreams and aspirations around achieving development goals. He is the Founder and Director for Development at Tech4dev, a non-profit social enterprise that creates access to decent work and opportunities for Africans through digital skills empowerment and advocacy. He also co-founded and heads partnerships and sustainability across several impact-oriented initiatives like Emerging Communities Africa, a non-profit focused on catalysing technology ecosystems in rural and suburban communities across Africa, and GloEpid, a health non-profit focused on helping to prevent the world’s next epidemic. 

While receiving the award, Joel said “when we look at the world around us, it is easy to see that technology is changing at an exponential rate. The world economy is more connected than ever and the competition is just as high. We need to keep changing not only the culture inside our companies but also the culture in the social, commercial, and public sectors. We also need to encourage shared progress and equal opportunities for everyone” 

For more information, please contact;

Oluwafunso Omidiji: Oluwafunso.Omidiji@Prunedge.com 

The Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Awards is Nigeria’s topmost Technology/ICT awards and lecture event held yearly to appraise the Nigerian Information and Communication Technology space, as well as reward outstanding contributions to the growth of the sector. This year, the theme for the BoICT Lecture is “Impact of Blockchain Technology in a Digitalized Nigeria”.  

The award win is in recognition of Prunedge’s immense contributions to the development of the Information Communications and Technology sector. Prunedge’s Chief Executive Officer, Joel Ogunsola, also made the honorable list of 2022 winners as he was named the ICT Entrepreneur of the Year.   

Joel, who has a strong passion for sustainable development, is focused on helping emerging underserved communities have access to technology. By founding Prunedge, – an enterprise technology solutions company focused on delivering software, Data, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Mixed Reality, and IoT solutions for enterprise organizations across Africa. Prunedge is renowned for innovating and creating affordable technological solutions that solve day-to-day human problems by increasing the efficiency of systems and processes within the social, commercial, and public sector space.  

He has demonstrated that his extensive contributions as a technology enthusiast drives sustainable development. With the extensive technical knowledge and subject expertise of his team at Prunedge, he has assisted in the development of future-proof solutions to aid businesses in achieving their strategic objectives.

Upon receipt of the awards, Lanre Akomolafe, Prunedge’s Chief Product and Innovation Officer said ‘Prunedge’s recognition is largely attributable to the team’s persistence, dedication, and hard work.’   

In his words, ‘’Our work is based on real-world experience, lessons learned, and best practices in the industry empowered by key players in the technological space. Prunedge strives to set the benchmark for developing solutions to the world’s biggest problems.  Regardless of the nature of the problem or the area of concentration, our solutions are evaluated based on their impact, sustainability, and effectiveness. These awards are also a reflection of our clients’ support and trust, urging us to continue with our strong service–oriented culture around our solutions and services.’’ 

Prunedgers are excellent, mission-driven professionals with an innate mission to do meaningful work and utilize technology to make a difference in the world. Founded in 2015, Prunedge provides several organizations and businesses across various industries with innovative, effective, and sustainable technology solutions to enhance operations in order to deliver better service optimsation and delivery.  

For more information, kindly contact  

Andrew Lala; Andrew.lala@pruendge.com  

Why Market Research?  

Many business owners and entrepreneurs conduct research on the target market to figure out if a new business idea will make money. High-skilled and efficient analysts here at Prunedge do in-depth market research. They collect data, analyse it and turn it into actionable insights using innovative and ground-breaking software and technology like artificial intelligence (AI).    

With market research, you find out about a market’s size, type, and customers in order to make better decisions for your new or existing businesses. Market research methods include customer surveys, testing products, focus groups, and desk research. There are now more data sources than ever that companies can use to learn about the market.  

Any business owner who invests in the services of a professional market researcher is making a good business decision. Here are five ways market research can improve your business; 

1. It speaks to current problems. 

Sometimes, you might have difficulties in your business, such as, lack of brand awareness, new or unknown competitors, and many more. With market research, you are able to figure out what is happening, the cause, and how you can rectify it. 

Here at Prunedge, we create a strategic research approach and plan to learn what will impact successful leads and conversions. 

We create features for your product to solve your customer’s pain points. We also uncover new and actionable insights that will allow us to craft a long-term strategy for your business. 

Also Read: Mobile Security Testing: Why is it Important for Retail and Enterprise Businesses

2. It helps to know your market value 

Market research helps you to see how your target audience uses your services and those of your competitors. It can also help you show how your products can be better than those of your competitors. These details can help you find competitors who are doing better than you and ones you didn’t even know about. Thorough research can help you find the weaknesses in their strategies and campaigns. This will give you insight as to how to better position your business. 

3. It helps with foresight for business growth  

As a result of market research, you can make well-informed decisions about how you want your business to grow. This can include expanding into new marketing channels, changing the prices of your products or services, and adding or taking-away services to better suit your target audience.  

Sometimes, it may seem counter-productive, but reducing and focusing on a smaller set of specialised services may increase brand awareness in the long run. This is because you have more resources to put into a single, well-thought-out strategy. If there is room for growth, you will need the data from market research to figure out when and how to best start your new venture so that it makes the intended impression on your customers. 

4. It helps set achievable goals. 

Setting goals is very important for your business. Effective market research will help you figure out what goals are attainable for long-term growth. Market research will help you foresee when your business can achieve these goals and spot common mistakes that could cause a setback to your organisation. With proper market research, you can plan the best ways to achieve your goals without wasting time or money. 

By conducting good research, business owners can create an open line of communication with their customers. Once you know what your customers want, you’ll be able to tailor your business to meet their needs. 

Read This: E-procurement 101: Why you need an E-procurement tool in 2022

5. It helps you to understand your customers.  

Data analytics can provide transactional information, but it cannot tell you why people buy, why they choose you, or why they like your products. Learning how your target audience uses your product or services gives you insights into why they like your products and services, why they prefer you to your competitors, what made them decide to choose you and more.  

When you really understand your current target audience, you can expand and improve on the qualities that helped them choose you in the first place.   

You can ensure a reduction in the overall risks for your business by conducting market research, which will also make it possible for you to devise the most efficient and cost-effective approach feasible. There are no limits when it comes to doing market research.   

At Prunedge, we help you use the insights obtained from market research, as well as the public relations and marketing initiatives to implement strategies that are more effective and impactful.   

Click on the ‘Get in Touch’ box at the top right and we’ll let you know how you can get proper market research in a free 30-minute consultation. 

These apps have access to a lot of information about their users, some of which are sensitive and should not be shared with an untrusted source. Application security is important because businesses would do better if they know their apps are safe and cyber attackers can’t take advantage of bugs in the software they use.

Mobile application security testing can be seen as a pre-production check to make sure that an app’s security controls work as expected to prevent implementation mistakes. It helps the development team find edge cases that lead to security bugs that they might not have covered. The testing process looks at both code and configuration issues in an environment that is similar to production to make sure that any problems are found before going live.

Also Read: Why You Should Adopt IoT Into Your Business in 2022

Mobile application security looks at the software security of mobile apps on different platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. It involves evaluating applications for security issues in the context of the platforms they are meant to run on, the frameworks they are built with, and the users they are meant for. Mobile apps are an important part of a business’s online presence, and many businesses majorly use mobile apps to connect with customers all over the world.

KEY BENEFITS OF MOBILE SECURITY TESTING

Application security enhances the level of trust that exists between a company and its customers by improving the effectiveness of business processes, fulfilling compliance requirements, and reducing risks. Business owners are less inclined to use a company’s services if there has been a data breach that has been made public or if there has been a violation of the company’s policies. It’s a smart move to put money into application security that does its job.

Gaining the Trust of Customers

As a result of weak app security, you risk losing the trust of your customers. When a customer leaves a business because of a security breach, the company suffers because it is very difficult to convince that same person to come back and do business with you. This in turn influences the image of the brand and has a major negative impact on the confidence the customer has in the brand.

Information is Protected

If hackers are able to get their hands on important client information such as login passwords or account information, your company stands to lose clients and could even go out of business as a result of the breach. On the other hand, if you test your mobile app properly, you can be assured that your data will remain safe and secure.

Saves Cost

When there is no proper form of protection for your mobile app, it is easy for hackers to take possession of your card details and create transactions. If you run a financial or banking corporation, your company data could either be wiped out by one of these attacks or a ransom request could be made to restore data.
These flaws can also be exploited by attackers so that they can have access to premium services without really paying for them. By using the services of our cyber security experts at Prunedge, you can be sure that the right precautions will be taken and that your company’s data will be safe.

Read this: A Quality Assurance Guide on Test Reporting

At Prunedge, we find flaws in mobile apps by using our static and dynamic analysis tools that were made for the mobile environment, along with manual verification and analysis. These tools are constantly updated and checked against the latest versions of the underlying mobile platforms. This helps us find problems that could be caused by a combination of the code in the app and the version of the platform.
Our penetration methods of testing doesn’t just look for flaws in the app itself; we also look for problems in the back-end services that the app uses. By paying attention to both the app and its back-end services, we make sure that all parts of the app are tested.
Click on the ‘Get in Touch’ box at the top right and we’ll let you know how to guard your data in a free 30-minute consultation.

You should not worry about anything the world is adopting. Don’t be afraid to swim against the upstream, be afraid of being the same. Irrespective of what others may say, the pursuit of your dreams must be your major motivation. When we execute what we are interested in, we find ourselves hungry to do it with more dedication, perfection, and passion and that’s what makes our work stand out from the crowd.

According to Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder fondly referred to as the Thomas Edison of his time, revealed in a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 why he dropped out of college — and why he thought it was one of the best things he ever did; ‘’Stay hungry, stay foolish’’ means that one should never be content with what is, nor consider oneself an expert. There is always more to do/gain (“stay hungry” for knowledge) and more to learn (“stay foolish”, meaning never consider oneself an expert but a fool in order to learn more).

Our Chief Prunedger, Joel Ogunsola was featured on the Goodnews chat where he shared his journey into using technology for development. Read and enjoy the interview below;

What was the turning point for you in your life/career choice?

My career is in two parts. There is the technology part and the development part. The two had different turning points. When I was 13, I started volunteering for local initiatives in Akure. They were very focused on MDGs, and then later came the SDGs. So, we had a lot of community outreaches, events, and awards at the end of the year. I think that the community outreaches were the most impactful because they enabled me to see and learn firsthand what it means for people to have economic challenges and lack access to clinical health and education.

I grew up in Akure, went to a private school, and had access to a computer when I was young. Things were pretty easy to some extent. What still constantly blows my mind to date is the fact that when you look at the way communities are co-located. For example, when you come to Lagos, just somewhere close to the island where you have more than ¼ of Nigeria’s wealth, you have that small community like Makoko on the border, with a high poverty level and lack of access to health. It just keeps me pondering.

It would have made more change if young people in small communities like that had the same access to opportunities and life outcomes as people who live in large gatherings, and that is the development side of the work I do.

On the technology side of it, I studied as a mechanical engineer. Somewhere in between, I knew it was not something I enjoyed. I thought I would love it, so I got into school so excited. But along the way, I said to myself, ‘this is not practical’. I love technology just as a user. It was exciting for me to start to lay my hands on software development tools, mobile applications, etc. What was intriguing was that you could think about something, and you had the power to build that thing.

When I was 17 years old, some of my friends competed in the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition and went to New York. When they returned, they shared their experiences about what was possible with technology. And this was at the point where we were still battling 2G/3G in Nigeria. So, I got interested in how to use technology to build things. I asked myself, ‘how can I use technology to solve world problems?’ I was like, I can use technology to create solutions to problems in society.

I felt I was going to be in technology as a developer. But, after I left University, I went to work with Microsoft, and that changed. Since then, it has been an exciting journey, and I have gone from being part of a company that helps build solutions to solving problems across numerous sectors.

Where did technology and development align in your journey?

Development has always been a big side of me. So when I found technology, my question was ‘what do I use the technology to do?’

We decided to use technology to solve problems. My friends and I competed in the Microsoft Imagine Cup in my final year. We built a maternal-child healthcare solution. Later on, we started our business and built a school element solution. When I decided that I was going to focus on technology, I had already been keenly involved in equitable development in multiple communities. For me, technology then became that vehicle to deliver on my dreams and aspirations around achieving development goals.

What was that one piece of advice that changed your life? 

The one piece of advice is that there is nothing impossible. Nothing. I used to have a boss, he is the country manager for Microsoft, and he would say

‘Think about it, and it is done.

Technology then makes it more accessible. You think about food, then go online and order (from a user perspective). We can think about anything we want to do, and the fact that we can think about it means that we have the innate ability to do it. This has been my most potent driving force. Every day I wake up, I know that all my ideas are valid. Whether it is the best idea to pursue at this particular point is a different conversation entirely. But, knowing that my ideas are valid is a strong driving force every day.

How do you deal with setbacks?

One piece of advice I got from an older friend, the day I lost something and I was really sad was ‘in life, you win some, you lose some.

I did not understand it back then, but I have grown to know that it is just the ordinary course of life. You will win some, and you will lose some.

Now, beyond just realizing that I will lose some, it is about creating a process to understand why we lost some. At every point we lose, I ask myself why did we lose? That helps to ensure that we don’t lose again when faced with that type of challenge next time.

Dealing with setbacks is knowing that there will always be different outcomes for different efforts that we put in. Losing does not mean it is not a good idea or it is impossible. Maybe we didn’t put in the correct type of effort, or we didn’t have the right amount of resources. You know that you don’t always win in life, but it is essential to learn from not winning.

What good news/thing in the world is being overlooked?

As young people, I think the Internet we have is one of the most resourceful tools ever. I have seen the world over the Internet from the comfort of my room. I remember that the most important video I had ever watched was a TED talk that my cousin who had gone to India shared with me. It was a talk about the Sixth Sense. That topic to date blows my mind. As humans, we have five senses. He proved that we have a sixth sense, and that won’t have been possible without technology. 

Way before I started to travel, I had seen everywhere worldwide, learned about culture, and watched documentaries. I have noticed that the Internet is that leveling tool that allows a young person from California and a young person from Ekiti State to access equal opportunities. You can almost learn the same thing if you commit to it and focus on it. 

Would you say that we have harnessed that well enough? 

Yes and No. There’s been a lot of negative sides to it, which is why we have a terrible reputation as a country. At the same time, there are many great things that people have done with the Internet and technology. A perfect example is the entire startup ecosystem we are seeing right now is all off the back of the Internet. So, essentially, I will say that we have accessed and utilized it. But, there continue to be barriers like equitable access. Does everyone have access to the Internet? And similar questions like that. 

What are three things you have done over the years that have made a big difference?

1. I stopped worrying: I think about the issue, and I try to get it done. I think that has helped greatly. 
2. I try to surround myself with a lot of the smartest people: I ensure that my colleagues are brilliant and they know what they are doing, they know that one thing that they do better than I do.
3. I have learned ‘Just Do it. You will never know whether it is the best time or not until you do it. Some innovations are said to have come ahead of their time. Some, they say, arrived at the right time. So, you never know until you do. Just get on with it and do it, and then you will know. 

What’s something that makes you feel hopeful for the future right now?

I am hopeful that young people across different types of communities, regardless of their social standards, have equal access opportunities and similar life outcomes. I am optimistic that in my life, I will be able to see that a child that grows up in Akure has access to similar life outcomes just as a child that grew up in Lagos.

What is the one piece of advice you will give to someone just starting (in your space?)

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

I think those were Steve Jobs’s words. You have to spend every day doubling down on what you have done. There is no foolish idea. Execution of the idea makes the difference. 

What are you reading or listening to currently?

These days I listen to Christian music. I am not very good with podcasts or audiobooks. I read a lot more physical books. I am currently reading Leadership @ Infosys. I am watching a documentary about Micheal Jordan. I love to learn about the stories of successful people across different industries, like Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, etc. I think that the common denominator is that these people worked hard to build their careers. I believe that learning is a lifelong process. At each level of success, you think you have achieved, some people have done it better.

You have to ensure that you are not living in the shadow of your previous success.

There are some people I consider their success to be a phenomenon, and I want to learn about their journey.

• Culled from All for Development Blog 

Lagos, 2022. Valentine’s day to many is a season to show and express love to spouses, family members, and generally close acquaintances. Against the norms, IT/Tech solutions startup – Prunedge, and social enterprise organization – Tech4Dev partnered to go the extra mile by expressing love to the society instead. The Love Act troupe gave scholarships, Paid bus fares, shared raw food items, etc. to orphanages, street hawkers, school students, law enforcement officers, road sanitation operatives, and more.

Both organizations teamed up on Thursday, February 17th and Monday, February 21st to organize gift-sharing and direct encounters with selected members of society; preaching the goodwill message of love, inclusion, and admonishing them to be the best they can be as we all do our part in ensuring we build a better society for us all.

Teammates from both companies were categorized into 13 groups with each group centered on certain pre-identified sects ranging from LAWMA Officials, BRT Bus Parks, Orphanage homes, Secondary Schools, Market Women, Security Guards, LASTMA Officials, Street Hawkers, Keke Napep Drivers, Petty Traders, Teachers, Petty Traders (Abuja), and Security Guards (Akure).

Each group made donations to corresponding sects, granting scholarship opportunities and offers to secondary students, paying transport fares for random individuals on the BRT, giving food items, and toiletries to Orphanages, LAWMA Officials, and Security Guards. Cash prizes was also shared to street hawkers, Petty traders, market women, teachers and keke drivers.

Executive Director at Tech4Dev, Diwura Oladepo, said ‘’The initiative is aimed at reaching out to the cadre of society that generally ‘don’t have. it’s our way of giving back to society, especially at a time when love is mostly preached and practiced. We also use the medium to admonish and appreciate them for all they do because they are an essential part of our community.’’

Also speaking, The Chief Executive Officer at Prunedge, Joel Ogunsola said, ‘’We want to ensure that we’re all included and love is not restricted to a particular sect of society alone. Reaching out to these communities over the years has shown that there’s some level of neglect shown to these people and we can’t continue to act like they’re not essential constructs of our society because they may not be financially buoyant to express love in the capacity they want to. We have taken this up to ensure we do better than our efforts in yesteryears and keep engaging them, supporting them and be that extra listening ear and shoulder they can lean on.’’

The Love Act 2.0 troupe redefined love by filling the bellies, putting smiles and laughter on many unexpecting faces from Lagos to Akure and Abuja preaching goodwill and encouraging all to be better citizens in whatever capacity they can.

For further information contact;

Andrew Lala; Andrew.lala@prunedge.com  

W: www.prunedge.com

Chigozie Paul; Chigozie.paul@tech4dev.com   

W: www.tech4dev.com 

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