GRTech
Over 70% of Nigerian Startups Experienced Funding Challenges Due To Global Crisis


Endeavor, the global high-impact entrepreneurship network, has published a white paper in partnership with leading Nigerian data collection company Stears Data entitled “Protecting Nigeria’s Entrepreneurial Future”.
The white paper outlines a number of proposals for Nigeria’s government policymakers and the business community, as local startups and scaleups navigate the repercussions of the global pandemic. These include financial and non-financial support programs, as well as investment opportunities to boost existing funding efforts.
The Nigerian technology startup ecosystem recorded over $700 million in VC funding in 2019. According to the paper, 84% of startups have reported disruptions to their fundraising efforts, with 79% of startups having less than a six month buffer and only 6% have cash runway of 13 – 25 months.
Alongside the drastic impact on the local funding environment, startups have experienced significant declines in sales and revenue, disruption of business operations as a result of lockdown and the implementation of strategic staffing decisions by companies. It is now known that Nigeria’s GDP contracted by 6.1% in the second quarter of 2020.
The white paper highlights rapid intervention from policymakers and cashflow support as the most urgent startup needs, closely followed by bespoke interventions, tailored to the high-growth, innovation business model.
The need for startups, scaleups and investors to maintain flexibility to operate in ways that promote the growth of the innovation ecosystem, was also addressed as a focal point.
Endeavor is a mission-oriented organisation that is leading the global movement for high-impact entrepreneurship. Endeavor selects, mentors and accelerates the best high-impact entrepreneurs growth and underserved ecosystems, supporting them to scale their companies and drive local and regional economic growth. Its growing local network of 10 high-growth, scaleup companies in Nigeria includes Paga, Kobo360, Carbon, Migo and Flutterwave.
Speaking on the launch of the white paper, Eloho Omame, Managing Director and CEO of Endeavor in Nigeria says, “At Endeavor, we believe firmly that the innovation ecosystem — the transformational startups and scaleups, and their founders, who are building sustainable growth models in Nigeria — are fundamental to economic growth and the fabric of our future economy.
This white paper shares our in-house perspective on proactive solutions that can be taken to minimise the negative impact on businesses and the economy and improve its prospects for the long term.”
Findings in the white paper were synthesised using real-time data collection from reports on startups in Nigeria and in other countries.
An analysis of proposed mediations and policy measures by the Nigerian government mirrored against comparable responses in other countries worldwide was also done. Data was gathered from impact surveys measuring the severity of the pandemic on 171 startups and scaleups in Nigeria, at different stages of growth in a variety of sectors.
Michael Famoroti, Chief Economist at Stears adds,”The global crisis could already be the definitive economic event of this new decade, and we still have the opportunity to ensure the policy response is of a similar proportion.
The white paper recommendations should be the start of a broader conversation about how to get the best out of Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem—naturally, that means figuring about the role that governments should play.”
Omame concludes, “It is paramount that the survival of our startups and scaleups during this economic downturn is prioritised with the implementation of solutions tailored to their specific needs.
Our post-crisis recovery as a country depends on it. We hope to see a more united effort from government and policymakers that ultimately benefits startups and scaleups as our economy navigates the road to recovery”.
GRTech
The Economics of Product Decisions: Applying Behavioural Economics and Game Theory in PM


Product managers often need to make a clear-cut decision: what should we build next? But the decisions which hold real importance go beyond adding features.
It’s about getting what makes people tick.
It goes way beyond what you would expect, getting into how people behave and using game theory.
These areas give insight into how users decide and how a product’s design can improve growth and keep people interested.
This is what Amarachi Nnochiri excels at. She is a senior product manager that knows how to use economics and psychology in her job.
She goes beyond simply managing product tasks; she develops whole product systems based on how users think, feel, and use a service. Her background shows how understanding human psychology and behaviour can give you a significant advantage in the competition.
One idea Amarachi uses is “loss aversion.” In this scenario, people feel worse about losing something than they feel good about gaining something of equal value.
She uses this when designing her products, mostly when it comes to pricing and getting people to try new strategies. For example, instead of giving a free trial, she might use a freemium setup where users get some stuff for free but could lose it if they don’t buy an upgrade. This pushes them to pay.
She might also use progress bars or streak counters, since losing progress gets people to keep using the product.
Amarachi also uses ideas from “game theory” to get how users act and change their behavior. She realizes that users are doing more than operating a product, but are playing a game with other users or with the product itself. She designs things that use ideas like “Nash equilibrium,” where nobody can do better by changing what they’re doing. For a social product, this could mean creating a system where doing something good for yourself (like inviting friends) also helps everyone else. This makes the whole thing stable and positive.
Her know-how in game theory also applies to making strong “network effects.” This means making stuff that gets better as more people use it.
A good example is a social network where each new user makes the product more helpful for everyone else. Amarachi endeavours to make things go viral on purpose, not just by luck.
She might use “commitment devices,” which are things that make a user stick with a behaviour by making them depend on it socially or functionally. For example, inviting team members to a tool makes the user stick with the platform and makes the product’s network stronger.
This way of thinking is better than just following the usual steps. By using these economic and psychological tricks, Amarachi develops competitive advantages which are difficult to replicate.
She knows that a company’s best thing is not just a simple interface, but a product that’s designed to sync with how people behave.
Her product choices aren’t just about the needs of users, but equally focus on motivating them to like the product, use it, and stick with it.
In her work, choosing a subscription price isn’t just a business thing; it’s about behaviour. Designing a social feed isn’t just about the content; it’s about balancing what people want and watching how they interact. Amarachi knows extensively about the economics of product decisions. This makes her products innovative and appealing to human behaviour, which leads to more use, keeps people around, and helps the product grow. She’s a leader in product management, where identifying customer desires is backed by understanding human motivation.


Technology Company, Globacom, has announced significant reductions in its International Direct Dialing (IDD) rates, making international calls more affordable for its existing and new customers across Nigeria.
Effective August 10, the new rates began applying to over 15 popular international destinations, including United States which will has moved to ₦30 per minute, down from ₦35, United Kingdom is now N350 from ₦400, while India also moved down to ₦40 from N45.
The rates for China, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon however recorded major reduction moving to N75, N300 and ₦700 respectively.
The reduction was also extended to African countries including Benin Republic which goes for ₦650 per minute, Niger Republic ₦750, Ghana ₦500, and Togo ₦650. United Arab Emirates also moved from ₦450 to ₦325, Germany to ₦550, Côte d’Ivoire ₦700, Libya ₦700, while calls to Malawi is now N1,100 from ₦1,200.
Glo aims to provide more value for its customers through these revised rates, encouraging them to make Glo their preferred network for international calls. New IDD bundles will also be introduced, offering frequent international callers even more attractive deals.
Globacom, which remained optimistic that frequent international callers will benefit immensely from the reductions in IDD bundles, enjoined customers to take advantage of the new rates to stay connected with friends and business associates across the globe.
GRTech
Oil subsidy removal freed up resources for infrastructure – Enugu Governor
By Orji Israel, South East Correspondent


The Executive Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has attributed the financing of numerous infrastructure projects embarked by the state government to the oil subsidy removal policy of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
He made this declaration at the Govermment House, Enugu, during a courtesy visit by a delegation of federal government led by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as part of activities lined up for the 2-day Citizens’ Engagement Series in the South East geo-political zone.
“For us in Enugu, we are able to accomplish all we promised our people during the campaign, thanks to the bold decision taken by President Bola Tinubu, which has freed up resources needed to execute humongous capital projects,” said Governor, while listing ongoing projects in the state, which include the construction of 7,000 classrooms, 3,300 hospital beds and 2,000-hectare of 260 farm estates across the 260 wards of the state.
Governor Mbah also pledged more support for the policies of the federal government, saying they are in the best interest of the people of the state.
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