Many of the challenges outlined in Dennis Ndonga's seminal paper on eCommerce in Africa written in 2012 still exist today. African States are yet to reap the full benefits of eCommerce, as it has not penetrated the continent to the extent experienced by Western countries. The lack of adequate ICT infrastructure, lack of basic ICT knowledge, and the threat of cyber crimes have created a significant barrier to the adoption and growth of eCommerce in many African countries.

Most of these challenges can be solved with the use of modern technologies and adoption strategies, but how do micro commerce businesses access, implement and benefit from these technologies and ideas? At The Future of Commerce in Africa, we will discuss how anyone can implement some of these tools and technologies. 

Other topics to be discussed: 

• What is omni-commerce? How does it benefit an average merchant?
• How do we make export easy for micro-businesses?
• How do people with great products access financing without traditional bank loans?

                                       This session is hosted by WetFire

Today the African diaspora is basically a resource for financing the needs of family back home - rarely considered beyond their ability to contribute dollars.

Yet, there is a narrative that is slowly emerging. One that sees the diaspora for its capacity to shape Africa’s future and destiny.

To refine and define what this new role of the African diaspora can be, this session will open up a conversation directly with the diaspora, as it should be.

                                                This session is hosted by Fleri 

This session is focused on discussing the Future of Work and explores pathways to careers in the Digital Age.

According to US-based management consulting firm Korn Ferry, there will be a global shortage of more than 85 million tech workers, representing $8.5 trillion in lost annual revenue. The research further shows that  the United States and Russia are expected to be short of 6 million workers each, while China could face a deficit of 12 million workers. Other economies expected to be hit hardest are Brazil, Indonesia, and Japan, facing shortages of up to 18 million workers apiece.
 
This shortage is expected to become more acute in the coming years as technology continues to play a pivotal role across industries and every aspect of business. The demand for highly-skilled tech workers would keep increasing as there continues to be a deficit in supply.  

How can young Africans tap into these opportunities of the Future of Work and how can they unlock a path to prosperity for themselves?

Our panel will deep dive into:
[1] Exploring opportunities across sectors and industries in the Digital Age
[2] Tips and tricks to choosing a career path
[3] The role of transferable skills in your chosen career path.
Charting your learning pathway.
[4] Finding tools and resources to learn online
[5] Taking advantage of Tech-focused student Loans to Upskill

                                         This session is hosted by SkillUp Africa 

Africa has a target to meet Sustainable Development Goal 1 – Eradicate Poverty by 2030. In 2021, the rate of poverty in Africa climbed from 489 million in 2019, to 490 million in 2021 with a total population of 1.38 billion people. This means that Africa is not on track to meet its target.

Nigeria is part of the top 10 poorest countries on the continent and with the highest population also.

For this panel, we have gathered industry experts across pivotal sectors in the economy; ranging from AgriTech, FinTech, HealthTech and EduTech to discuss the roles that their sectors play in empowering the people to be independent.

                                This session is hosted by Agnes Health Limited

Throughout history, seasons of great crisis have fueled periods of accelerated growth and innovation driven by a collective desire to create a better world.
The bubonic plague birthed the Renaissance period, an era of enlightenment in art, music, and creativity.
The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 ushered in the “Roaring 20s” which saw the mass production of automobiles, telephones, film, radio, and electronics in the Western world.
Today, as the world emerges from the throes of COVID-19, advancements in metaverse activity, cryptocurrency and NFTs are already defining the post-pandemic era. Even as our continent continues to grapple with worsening economic conditions, political instability, human capital flight and more, Africans are poised to leapfrog into a more prosperous future by leveraging technological tools such as Blockchain, Robotics & AI, and more.
If history is a reliable predictor of the future, we may be entering the golden age of our time. Those who will win must have resilience, foresight, agility, innovation hardcoded into their DNA. In this session, we will discuss how Union Bank, now in its 105th year, has cracked the resilience code, and what emerging entrepreneurs and forward-looking organisations should do now to prepare for success in the future.

How has technology helped to improve work and how work will be done in the health sector?
What is the contribution of social media to this?
What is the impact on the new changes to work on mental health?
How can we manage the impact of social media exposure on mental health?

                  This Session is Hosted by Medbury Medical Services 

Nationwide school closures in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to millions of children staying at home with little or no access to ongoing learning opportunities.

Protecting and prioritizing foundational learning is key to reducing the potential damage that widespread school closures will have on children as these skills are critical to developing children’s competencies and subsequent lifelong learning opportunities.
The impact of not learning at an early age is far more devastating than you can imagine- the consequences of not being able to read or write affect our health and well-being, employment and economic growth opportunities and our lifespan. According to Global Citizen, this is true for 9 out of 10 children in Sub-Saharan Africa, who find themselves left behind early on, and cannot catch up without targeted interventions.

Our panel will provide insights on ways to reduce the real possibility of learning declines occurring for children through targeted interventions and solutions that will ensure children learn properly and attain foundational literacy and numeracy skills. We will explore the use of targeted SMS learning activities from customized syllabi as well as supplementary instructional books to help children improve their literacy and numeracy skills. In addition, we will also examine ways to improve the capacity of parents/caregivers to support their children’s learning using low tech options at home.
Our panelists will also share best practices on how to address learning disparities and decline in children who are receiving the necessary educational support.  Attendees will leave the session realizing that the learning issues that exist in the Nigerian education system are not insurmountable, they are fixable.

              This session is hosted by The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre 

As the energy industry balances a traditional focus with emerging technologies and solutions during its transition into a digital ecosystem, many companies are evaluating which approach to take into the future. Oil and gas companies are employing a range of enablers, ranging from increased automation, integration, and remote monitoring to newly emerging technologies.

Digital transformation in the Oil and Gas industry could unlock approximately $1.6 trillion of value for the industry, its customers and wider society.

In recent years the oil and gas industry has recovered from a downturn. There are a few new technologies that will make conditions safer in the oil and gas industry. These technologies include drones, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and electronic monitoring.

This session will expose the participants to the new frontiers in emerging technologies in Africa and will spur innovative ideas in participants.

                           This session is hosted by Lonadek Global Services 

According to a report from NonFungible.com, the sales of digital Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) soared to more than $2 billion in the first quarter of 2021- more than 20 times the volume of the previous quarter. This total excludes the sales of NBA Top Shots – the NBA video highlights are being turned into NFTs with sales exceeding $470 million in Q1 2021 and the NFT sold by Beeple for $69 million in the same quarter.

This year, the NBA Top Shot NFT has generated $200M in gross sales while spending very little on marketing. It’s grown so efficiently because users have felt like owners and part of something bigger than themselves. NFTs have created a platform that enables true peer-to-peer marketing, fueled by community, excitement, and ownership. This decentralized platform goes beyond art and film to memes, memorabilia, and music- the list goes on. In February 2022, Snoop Dog announced that Death Row Records would be an ‘NFT Label,’ making it the first NFT label on that scale to operate in the metaverse. This follows news of Snoop Dog releasing his latest album on the blockchain on February 11, 2022, and selling over $44 million worth of NFTs in five days. In August 2021, Tory Lanez, a Canadian rapper released an NFT album and sold a million copies in 57 seconds, generating more than $400,000 in initial gross sales and resales through NFTs.

Increasingly, technology is changing how people create music and consume music. Nowadays, songwriters can record and release albums without landing a record deal. The panel will highlight how African creators can capitalize on Web3 and the emergence of NFTs to make a significant positive impact in the African music industry and create sustainable wealth for creators. The panel also aims to proffer a sustainable alternative to incumbent social media platforms that have locked creators into a bundle of distribution and monetization- where creators do not get paid the value of their work. 

                                  This Session is Hosted by Nandi

Looking at the world and different ecosystems, it is clear that no real change or value is driven or achieved by individuals alone, but instead, through teams, communities and smart collaboration. A change in mindset towards collaboration amongst businesses, government agencies and civil society in Africa is therefore essential in reimagining our approach to innovation.
 
Our panelists will share insights from their experiences on the fears surrounding collaboration among companies, startups, investors etc. in Africa and how they can be overcome. As stakeholders in the Startup space our discussions will touch upon the challenges and possible solutions from our informed and varied viewpoints. The session will also highlight the importance of and procedure for mergers and collaborations amongst innovators on the continent.

                                   This session is hosted by Jackson, Etti & Edu 

The 4th Industrial Revolution is taking over the world, altering lives, work and human-machine interaction. Unlike anything, the transformation is expanding, creating opportunities and improving lives in its wake. However, a substantial digital divide limits the potential of Africans to maximize these opportunities. According to CIPESA, only about 1% of all indigenous African languages are available digitally. According to the 2021 Mo Ibrahim Forum Report, 82% of Sub-Saharan Africans, the majority of youth and rural populations, have limited internet access to effectively learn, interact, and create digitally, compared to their contemporaries across the world.

Our panel will offer insights into the potential benefits of localized digital platforms to African citizens and businesses, from startups to large corporations, especially in the creative, healthcare, financial and agricultural sectors.
 
We will also utilize a multi-dimensional approach to explore the potentials of digitized local languages to amplify opportunities within Africa in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Furthermore, the panel will discuss why Nigeria's localized language policy is due.

Our panelists understand that diversity fosters innovation. Therefore, we will also share best practices on how young women and men can stand out and utilize their variety to stand out in the constantly expanding digital ecosystem.

                                 This Session is Hosted by CDIAL

The importance of skills development in African growth cannot be overemphasized. More particularly, digital skills have been a driver of economic growth and development all over the world. While advanced economies have used their education system to champion digital skills development, African schools appear to be playing little or no active role in the development of their future workforce. For example, a report by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) shows that several countries in Africa have no active policy or plan to implement science, technology, and innovation into the education system.

With the COVID-19 epidemic, there has been an immediate and urgent demand for new skills, notably digital skills, in order to maintain and improve education delivery in Africa. A recent report by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Nigeria showed that in the country’s public primary schools, more than 60% of instructors lack the digital literacy needed to work effectively in an e-learning setting.

It has become crystal clear that educational technology would ultimately shape the skills development deficit we have in Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the World. This session will be a solution-focused discussion on how we can collectively tackle the challenges before us.

While a range of paths is possible, we cannot forget that we already have the tools & technology to make social change happen... Let's Explore!

Topics/Questions To Be Explored:
[1] A retrospective approach on how learning environments have been challenged in the past 2 years.
[2] Teaching and learning disruptions affected the plans of education institutions and highlighted the importance of comprehensive digital strategies. How did schools, colleges and universities fare?
[3] What lessons should be learned from the lockdowns – in relation to connectivity, device access and online/virtual learning?
[4] With a view to the post-pandemic scenario, how can we craft and implement better digital skills development strategies?
[5] How can educational institutions ensure that technology is inclusive for everyone- educators and learners?
[6] How can we guarantee adequate up-skilling of the future workforce in a digital age?
[7] How do we make sure that the digital training contents offered are current and relevant?
[8] What are the hidden impacts of digital technology, how do we better understand, improve, and sustain them?

                                        This session is hosted by OnlineHubNG 

Digital commerce is a catalyst for an extraordinary new era of growth for brands and businesses.

Unsurprisingly, the internet has become a more vibrant and bustling marketplace. It became busier in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdowns and social distancing creating an increasingly virtual world. Getting products and services to the right target online audience in a virtual sea of sellers and suppliers needs an actual know-how and some tenacity.

Most recently, the dynamics of buying and selling has advanced with innovations like the Metaverse, Web3.0 and NFTs, and it is important for brands to start engaging in these conversations and start securing their spots in the near future.

In this brief session hosted by contemporary furniture & lifestyle company, taeillo, we have a chat with industry leaders from Bamboo and Zikoko, and Creative entrepreneurs who have built digital products/services about the opportunities that exist for Africans and trends to look out for in this new era of digital commerce.

                                   This is Session is Hosted by Taeillo

This is a carefully curated masterclass that will feature a two-part session focused on the gig economy for gig providers and freelancers. 

                     This Session is Hosted by Union Bank of Nigeria

The average customer in Africa today has ‘almost’ unrestricted access to the world’s best in class products, services and experiences. This often means that their feedback on what their experience should be is geography-agnostic as well as ‘world-class’ oriented. We believe that businesses from Africa with access to over 600m+ possible customer connections can take advantage of this huge opportunity to become world class businesses. But how?

It is no longer speculative to say that the African business community, especially the startup scene which has seen over $12B in venture capital since 2017  is growing exponentially, with more products and services springing up, however, scaling customer experiences that matter is an area that many businesses continue to struggle with. The complexities of a customer base with access to world class products will continue to overwhelm them, even worse is their inability to efficiently collect and manage usable customer feedback, uncovering them into useful insights that can drive action to deliver better product and customer experiences.

Some of the unending cardinal questions new and existing businesses will continue to ask throughout their existence are; 'Who are our customers?', 'What do they want?', 'How might we build products that they will love?' To answer these questions, this panel session will examine some of the most important issues with feedback and feedback management in Africa. Our panelists will dive into the problems; 'Feedback is scattered everywhere', 'Poor feedback culture', 'Process barriers to managing feedback' ‘Understanding customer pain points and complexities’ etc., while also exploring the opportunities for new market entrants to help build products that will solve these problems.

We will also be discussing how businesses across multifaceted industries and sectors in the world can use product and customer feedback as its most important growth ingredient to deliver world class products, services and customer experiences. We will also explore how businesses and startups particularly in the SSA region can lead the change for Africa.

                                              This session is hosted by Spire

African businesses and industry leaders face daunting tasks to navigate a post-covid economic environment that is continuously being shaped by accelerating digitization, rising hybrid workplace, diversity, globalization and Artificial intelligence. To do nothing is dangerous to businesses and the prosperity of the African continent.

We will provide deep insights on the “Future of Work” paradigm by exploring emerging trends and drivers of the “Future of Work” and distill potential impacts on critical industries across Africa.

Our panellists will contextualize and map how critical enablers of the fourth and fifth industrial revolution will profoundly drive transformation across industries and redefine the Future of Work. The African economy can forge a different pathway from the rest of the World - if opportunities in the emerging “Future of Work” are harnessed correctly by businesses and industry leaders.

Finally panelists will share best practices and offer industry-focused considerations on how business leaders need to rethink their business models and strategies to best position themselves to leverage emerging opportunities.

                    This session is hosted by Phillips Consulting Limited (pcl.)

There are various pillars of Digital Economy Readiness - Infrastructure - Enabling Policies - Supporting Legal Frameworks and of course a sustainable Technology Talent Value Chain.

With a growing youth population and unemployment rates over 30% in many countries across the continent the question that should be top of the mind is - are we as Africans sufficiently investing in the future of our human capital on the continent?

Global research data shows that 60% of children under 12 today, will grow up to work in jobs that don’t exist yet. Furthermore an extensive new Korn Ferry report finds that by 2030, more than 85 million jobs globally could go unfilled because there aren’t enough skilled people to take them - this presents an $8.5Trn opportunity for the taking.

Governments and organizations across the continent must make talent development strategies a key priority and take steps to educate, train, and upskill the youth in order to tap into the human capital opportunities of the Digital Economy and drive socio economic development and growth.

This panel will look at how we can close the skills gap, while building a globally accessible pool of talent and ensuring that the continent can fully participate in the Digital Economy. We will also explore opportunities and sustainable models of building and expanding the African Technology Talent Value Chain

                  This session is hosted by Future Software Resources Limited  

Dyslexia is a neurological condition, that according to the Yale Dyslexia and Creativity Center, puts 1 in every 5 children at risk of becoming illiterate. Furthermore, research from the Amina Dyslexia Center found that 98% of teachers in Northern Nigeria are unaware of this condition and its impact on learning. Statistics such as these make apparent the importance of developing new approaches to ensure children with dyslexia in Nigeria and across Africa are engaged and provided the necessary support systems to ensure the success of their educational journey. Technology has an important role to play in this regard.

Our panel will offer insights on how to identify dyslexia and ways parents and teachers can bridge the learning gap for their children who have the condition, in order for them to conquer this
difficulty and gain access to quality education. We will explore the role of parents, teachers, civil society organizations, and government agencies in creating awareness about dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions. With a focus on technology, our panelists will also outline opportunities for collaboration, where stakeholders can work together to create an enabling environment, where children who have dyslexia can thrive and use their unique creativity to solve personal and community challenges.

We will close out our discussion by sharing best practices and providing a tech toolkit to help struggling readers. Outlining ways to leverage key technology solutions; specifically audiobooks, speech-to-text and text-to-speech apps, extensions that customize user’s web browsing experience, and study skills apps.

Attendees will leave informed, empowered and better positioned to work collectively to ensure the success of all children with dyslexia.

Largely across Africa inclusivity is not a priority, often entire communities are marginalized and discriminated against based on their tribe, gender, disability, age, and economic status. Today, the world has realised the importance of inclusion in the workplace and the community at large. However, Africa is still lagging behind in inclusive practices. The panel discussion will look at the use of technology to close the gap.

Our discussion will focus on:
[1] The use of technology in the workplace to ensure that everyone has carried along especially the disability community
[2] The use of digital tools in education to reach a larger number of unschooled children and aid learning for students with disability
[3] The use of digital tools to tell inclusive African stories to foster an inclusive community

At the end of the discussion:
[1] CEOs and Human Resources Managers will discover different digital tools to foster inclusion in the work place.
[2] Technology innovators will see opportunities in creating digital tools to promote inclusive learning.
[3] Creatives will understand the importance and benefits of telling inclusive stories.

                                  This session is hosted by P4:13 Foundation

In a report by the World Bank and UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics “Learning Poverty” is measured by the number of 10-year old children who cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school. In low- and middle-income countries “learning poverty” stands at 53%, while for the poorest countries, this is 80% on average.

Our discussion will focus on how we collaboratively can develop approaches to address "Learning Poverty." Panelist will discuss the challenges and opportunities of creating scalable, affordable digital learning environments and also provide insights on effective digital learning tools that solve real-world problems.

We will explore the strategies that ensure we take advantage of the right collaborations so as to close the digital divides in Education and leverage the power of technology to accelerate learning, reduce learning poverty, and support skills development

We also plan to provide insights into the role of public, private, youth partnerships in driving innovation in education for the next generation to ensure we build a more resilient and equitable future

Rebranding: From Start To Becoming The Next Global Brand
The startup world anywhere across the globe has always focused laser-like on the solutions themselves. Whether you are trying to remove the barriers of transactions or simplifying public transport, founders have always cared solely to directly solve these problems while trusting that sustains the "brand". As startups become scale-ups, they eventually see the need to be intentional about how they present their imaging and storytelling, while building on the layer of great service.

in this masterclass, we will discuss the importance of branding and how to successfully rebrand. We will take a deep dive into storytelling and also look at successful rebranding efforts as case studies.

A Great Day in Gidi’ is a gathering of Lagos most innovative minds in the tech, media & creative space. From Industry Stakeholders to Digital Activists to Award-winning artists, ‘A Great Day In Gidi’ is a snapshot, of the individuals who collectively are re-defining Lagos and Africa in general. It's a celebration ... and some say “the most epic day party EVER!”

Beats Courtesy of Teck-Zilla
Photo Ops Courtesy of AfricaNXT

                                         This session is hosted by AfricaNXT