US midterm – The Democrats are trying to hold on to control of the Senate, the upper chamber of Congress. Before Tuesday’s election the Senate was split 50-50 but the Democrats had control through the casting vote of the vice-president Kamala Harris.

With only a few seats left to call the Democrats have taken Pennsylvania, John Fetterman beating Trump-endorsed candidate Mehmet Oz. They have also held onto New Hampshire where the Republican candidate had been polling well.

In Georgia, one of three remaining states that could decide which party controls the Senate, along with Nevada and Arizona, 97% of votes have been counted. With neither party hitting 50%, Georgia will be decided by a run-off election on 6 December.

Here’s how the Democrats flipped Pennsylvania in the Senate.

The House is leaning Republican

The House of Representatives is leaning towards the Republicans, according to projections from CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the US.

The Republicans need to increase their number of seats by five to take control of it. If the Democrats lose the House, this will make it difficult for President Joe Biden to pass laws during the next two years of his term of office.

Florida has been a tight race in the past, but the Republicans held onto seats there without much problem and managed to flip three.

Ron De Santis won the governorship in Florida – he is tipped as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024. His party colleague Marco Rubio held onto his Senate seat.

While, in turn, the Democrats took control of the governor’s mansion from the Republicans in both Massachusetts and Maryland.

What drove the vote?

Rising prices and abortion were the two issues top of voters’ minds as they cast their ballots, according to the national exit poll.

Almost a third of people surveyed said inflation was the issue that mattered most in deciding how they voted. A large majority of voters also said it had caused them hardship in the past year.

But abortion was another top issue, with 27% of people saying it was their deciding factor, after the Supreme Court overturned a ruling which had given nationwide protection for abortion rights.

That said, voters were sharply divided along party lines – inflation was by far the biggest issue for Republicans, while for Democrats, abortion was top.

The exit poll is conducted as people leave polling places across the country. Voters are asked to fill in a confidential questionnaire with demographic information and their views on candidates, parties and a range of topics.

Those topics include the election process itself. More than two-thirds of voters said they thought that democracy in the US was somewhat or very threatened. Only 9% said it was very secure.

Abortion votes

Five states voted on changes to abortion rules.

Vermont, California and Michigan all voted in favour of including the right to reproductive freedom in the state constitution.

In Kentucky, however, the question is the opposite – whether or not to specifically exclude the right to abortion in the state constitution. The measure was rejected by a narrow margin.

In Montana, voters have not been asked about abortion directly. Instead they are being asked to decide on a so-called “born alive” measure that would guarantee any newborn infant, even those born as a result of abortion, the right to medical care that will preserve life.

Voter numbers are high

Midterm elections usually have a relatively low turnout, but over 116 million people went out to vote this year, according to early figures from the US Elections Project.

This is one of the highest turnout figures in decades.

Read Also – Russian horrific claims of sexual violence uncovered

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NECSEF’s aspiration is to be the one stop organisation and preferred gateway for conducting business in Nigeria by Egyptians, providing trust and the ability to engage with highly influential people who can provide access and market intelligence into every aspect of the Nigerian market.

NECSEF organised its first conference in collaboration with Nigeria Embassy in Cairo, and strategic partners Egyptian African Businessmen’s Association (EABA) on the 10^th – 12^th October 2022 to a roaring success.

The conference titled Nigeria – Egypt Trade Conference & B2B Meeting attracted over 300 high level business leaders and government officials. The event took place at the conference halls of the stunning St. Regis hotel Almasa, in the new federal capital territory, Cairo Egypt.

The idea for the conference according to Mr. Mahmood Ahmadu, chairman of NECSEF and OIS, the main organisers, was to strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two largest African economies, Nigeria and Egypt with the aspiration to boost trade from the current of circa $180 million US.

The NECSEF chairman Mr Ahmadu and Dr Yousry El Sharkawi EABA chairman made a joint announcement that an agreement of $30 million dollars was signed during the conference as part of strengthening bilateral relations.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with over 225 million people, and Egypt is the third most populous country in Africa with over 104 million people. Egypt enjoys a mixed economy strong in tourism, agriculture, construction, fossil fuels with an emerging ICT sector.

Nigeria on the other hand has a mixed economy focused upon petroleum, and a growing agriculture sector, it also has an emerging market with expanding technology, service, financial and communications sectors.

There is great demand in Nigeria for Egyptian products and it’s really a promising market for Egyptian investments with some great Egyptian companies already operating in Nigeria.

A great percentage of Nigeria’s exports to Egypt are petroleum and gas products followed by agricultural commodities.

The objectives of the conference in part was to reach a new and viable vision with a view of mobilizing the private sector, civil society and business community of both countries to increase trade and actively participate in African development.

The well attended event was spaced out over three days; with the first day being the main conference with many high level speakers, attended by government leaders, senior members of several diplomatic missions, and leaders from the business sector.

The second day was a highly interactive B2B session, matchmaking several sectors with hundreds of the delegates where Nigerian and Egyptian business people participated in pitching and introducing their various businesses.

The third day was all about tours and external visits to some of Egypt’s most iconic centers. Delegates chose from one of two tour options, either a visit to the world famous Suez Canal Economic Zone, an innovative and self-sustaining industrial development and commercial hub, or the world class International Medical Center, a military hospital that is one of the largest in the Middle East.

The dignitaries who graced the event included Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu, Minister of State Works and Housing, Minister of State Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, H.E Nura Abba Rimi, Nigerian Ambassor in Egypt, Mr Anthony Nwachukwu, Vice President of Innovate 1 Pay, Mr Babatunde Irukera, CEO Federal Competition & Consumer Protection, Mr Khalifa Abdullahi, Chairman KK Kingdom Group, Dr Kassim Gidado from Nigeria Arab Gulf Chamber of Commerce.

Read Also – Crypto industry spends millions on U.S. midterm election

Also in attendance was Dr Yousry El-Sharkawi, chairman Egyptian African Businessmen’s Association (EABA) Walid Gamal El Din, Chairman of the General Authority Economic Zone, Suez Canal, Dr Sherif El-Gabaly, chairman African Affairs, Egyptian House of Representatives, Eng. Ahmed Sameer,

El-Gabaly, chairman African Affairs, Egyptian House of Representatives, Eng. Ahmed Sameer,

Egyptian Ministry of Trade & Industry, Mr Walid Jamal Eldin, chairman of the Egyptian Nigeria Business Council among many others.

There were senior representatives from Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Export & Import Bank (Afreximbank), PWC, AFDB and others.

Source – https://www.vanguardngr.com/

Source –

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The event featured senior government ministers from the ministries of Power, Water resources and the Federal Capital Territory, showcasing unique investment opportunities to the global audience. The Hon. Minister of Water Resources H.E ENGR. Suleiman Adamu presented the attractive investment opportunities in the water sector, H.E Muhammad Musa Bello, Hon. Minister Federal Capital Territory (FCT) delivered a compelling and comprehensive presentation unveiling powerful opportunities in the FCT, and the ministerial segment was rounded up with a presentation by H.E Goddy Jedy Agba Hon Minister of State for Power.

The panel discussions focused on Renewable Energy and African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) opportunities featuring senior directors from the Ministry of Water Resources, Power and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission alongside many other experts.

The Expo 2020 Dubai has over 190 countries participating and driven by a vision to “Connect Minds, and Create the Future” with a mission to offer a global platform for “cross-pollination” between different cultures from around the world. The expo as of February last month had recorded over 13.5 million unique visitors. It combines innovation, technology, art and culture to offer a superior experience with different countries showcasing their very best ideas to the world.

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu and Robert Jreissati Signs MOU to Boost Trade Opportunities Between Nigeria and Poland

It will be recalled that the NAGCC in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission hosted its first and hugely successful Nigerian Trade & Investment Forum as part of the Expo on the 4^th of December 2021 with a Presidential Dinner on the 3^rd. His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was the special guest of honour at that event, and in his speech he wooed investors informing them that Nigeria remains the viable and most attractive investment destination in Africa. 

There were no less than 16 senior ministers and Governors from Nigeria along with high-level Emirati delegates led by – His Excellency Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE who also attended that event with the President all making powerful cases for investment in Nigeria to the global audience.

Chairman of the organizing committee of the NAGCC Mahmood Ahmadu in his final remarks spoke of his excitement at the success of the event, he further added how elated and encouraged he is by the growing confidence that investors and businesses from the UAE and the Gulf region are entrusting to the NAGCC as the primary gateway into the huge Nigerian market.

About the NAGCC

The Nigerian– Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce (NAGCC) is a model bilateral trade association dedicated to the development of prosperous business relationships and economic contacts between Nigeria and all the Arabian Gulf countries (Saudi-Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait & Oman). Its board and members are leading entrepreneurs and companies who enjoy excellent business relations in Nigeria and the Arabian Gulf Countries.

The objectives of the Chamber are to promote its members in Nigeria and the Arabian Gulf States, to facilitate the economic relations between Nigerian and Arabian Gulf companies, and to provide trade information and business consultancy services to its members and other potential partners. NAGCC’s primary focus is to act works as a platform for global business leaders.

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The event was themed – Road To A Prosperous Africa! The keynote addresses were delivered by Indian born Swiss businessman and billionaire Prakash Hinduja CEO of the Hindujah Group, one of Europe’s most successful businesses and H.E Ahmed Elmetwally, CEO, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Ahmed Bin Hamadan Al Nahyan.

Mrs Yinka Fayomi publisher of FIN magazine, who is a specialist in cross border investment, Entrepreneurship, Youthpreneur, financing of projects and promotion of local contents in FDI projects, said she was truly elated at the calibre of people that graced the event. She also said she was deeply encouraged by the success of the event and the financial commitment from powerful investors to Africa.

The event itself began with a Trade & Investment round table and panel discussion, followed by a Ministerial roundtable with several African government ministers participating. The highly acclaimed FIN Awards rounded up the day featuring several high profile recipients spanning from industry, business, arts, philanthropy and government.
Here is the list of awardees:

• PRAKASH HINDUJAH, Billionaire Chairman of the Hindujah Group – Lifetime Achievement Award
• MR DATO YURO TY, CEO, Tri-T Platinum Builders Gold Trading LLC – Outstanding Entrepreneur Award
• MAHMOOD AHMADU OON, Founder & Executive Chairman Online Integrated Solutions Ltd (OIS) – Visionary Leader Award
• AMB DAVID BALONDEMU, Chairman of Kampala district land board – Award of Distinction
• DR. ROZIOUS SIATWAMBO, CEO of the Great North Road Group of Companies
• DR. AHMED SALAWUDEEN – FIIN, FCIB, FCALM, PhD, ACII (London) Chairman of Signature Global Real Estate, and CEO of Standard Insurance Consultants Limited – Business Icon Award
• VIKAS BHARGAVA, Advertising supremo – Outstanding Leader in Art & Media Award

Read Also – President Buhari, Governors, Senior Ministers and Business Leaders grace The Nigerian Trade & Investment Forum at the Dubai Expo 2020

Some of the previous distinguished recipients of the FIN Awards include the following:

• Chief Olusegun Obasanjo – former President of Nigeria
• Alhaji Aliko Dangote – Chairman Dangote Group
• Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala – former Finance Minister of Nigeria and now Head of WTO
• Vincente Fox – former President of Mexico
• Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina – President African Development Bank
• Dr Mohammed Bakindo – OPEC Secretary-General

About Mahmood Ahmadu:

Mahmood Ahmadu is a leading African entrepreneur and renowned philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of online Integrated Solutions Ltd (OIS). OIS is a specialist visa application agency that provides online passport, visa processing and technical support services for Governments.
Mahmood is also the life President of the Nigerian Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce (NAGCC). The chamber’s aspiration is to become the largest business organization in Nigeria and the Arabian Gulf; representing businesses across all sectors, working at local, national and international levels to support businesses from sole traders to multinational corporations.

Mahmood’s other significant business interests span the following sectors; Mining, Real Estate, Construction, Agriculture, Bottling Water, E-education, E-healthcare, and Fintech spread across 53 countries in 5 continents. His philanthropic activities have made it possible for hundreds of students to afford good quality education both locally in Africa and abroad. He is the recipient of the Nigerian National Honour of the ‘Officer of the Order of the Niger’ (OON), he is also a two time Forbes award recipient among other significant awards and recognition globally.

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The World Expo is holding for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It is the largest event ever staged in the Arab World Participants is expected from over 192 countries.

More than 25 million visitors are expected in the six months of the Expo

Put together by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment & Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. In collaboration with the Nigerian Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce.

Explore and Experience Nigeria – Forums offer:

• Innovations
• Networking
• New Business Opportunities
• Sessions on FDI

Invest in Nigeria Forums

• Roundtable Sessions
•  Workshops
• Networking Receptions
• Film Demo on Nigeria’s Investment Climate, etc

Benefits

• Participate in High Net Worth Networking & Investment Forums
• Engage Nigerian Business Leaders
• Meet Top Government Delegates & Business Visitors

ARE YOU IN ANY OF THESE SECTORS/INDUSTRIES?

Agriculture. Agritech. Fintech. Education. ICT. Aviation. Rail.  Maritime. Automobile. Energy. Renewable Energy. Petroleum & Gas. Manufacturing. Construction. eHealth. Telecommunications.

Expo 2020 – The Largest International Exhibitions Holds in Dubai

The World Expo is the largest international exhibition on the planet that takes place every five years. In 2021, the event will be held in Dubai, UAE from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.

The World Expo is holding for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It is the largest event ever staged in the Arab World Participants is expected from over 192 countries.

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu Wins Big in Forbes 2021 Awards

More than 25 million visitors are expected in the six months of the Expo

Put together by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment & Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. In collaboration with the Nigerian Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce.

Explore and Experience Nigeria – Forums offer:

• Innovations
• Networking
• New Business Opportunities
• Sessions on FDI

Invest in Nigeria Forums

• Roundtable Sessions
•  Workshops
• Networking Receptions
• Film Demo on Nigeria’s Investment Climate, etc

Benefits

• Participate in High Net Worth Networking & Investment Forums
• Engage Nigerian Business Leaders
• Meet Top Government Delegates & Business Visitors

ARE YOU IN ANY OF THESE SECTORS/INDUSTRIES?

Agriculture. Agritech. Fintech. Education. ICT. Aviation. Rail.  Maritime. Automobile. Energy. Renewable Energy. Petroleum & Gas. Manufacturing. Construction. eHealth. Telecommunications.

Source – dailytrust.com

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The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), who will be addressed by the Minister of Trade and Investment Otunba Niyi Adebayo, will convey the altruism message during the occasion.

“The awards are coming following quite a while of exceptional examination and intensive check practice by FIN and FORBES and will be introduced by in all honesty Mr Mark Furlong, President of Customs Solutions at Forbes.”

The FIN – Forbes Best of Africa Award is normally given every year regarding the Best of Africa occasion held in New York City around the United Nations General Award (UNGA) gatherings to feature business characters with a record of making and building extraordinary worldwide businesses that have made sweeping and positive commitments to the improvement of Africa.

WINNERS LIST AND PROFILES

PAUL ADEFARASIN

Paul Adefarasin is a Christian Minister, Author, Coach, Philanthropist, Motivator, Speaker and Television Broadcaster of ‘Something Is About To Happen’, which airs in millions of homes across Africa and Europe for over 20 years.

He is also the convener of “The Experience” -the largest musical event in Africa, and Founder and Metropolitan Senior Pastor of the burgeoning House On The Rock, a multiracial, multi-tribal, and multifaceted Church with several daughter Churches and ministries across Africa and Europe.

Paul is a trained architect, and Founder and President of The Rock Foundation, a charity which undertakes significant social responsibility initiatives across the education, healthcare, prison welfare and reform space alongside empowerment, to mention a few.

With over three decades of pastoral and visionary leadership, he mentors CEOs
and entrepreneurs, and seeks to influence public policy for good. He works as
the bridge builder facilitating the exchange of ideas with critical stakeholders,
foreign and domestic

MAHMOOD AHMADU OON, MIOD

Mahmood Ahmadu is a leading African entrepreneur and renown philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of online Integrated Solutions Ltd (OIS). OIS is a specialist visa application agency that provides online passport, visa processing and technical support services for Governments.

Mahmood’s other significant business interests spans the following sectors; Mining, Real Estate, Construction, Agriculture, Bottling Water, E-education, E-healthcare, and Fintech spread across 53 countries in 5 continents.

Mahmood’s philanthropic activities have made it possible for hundreds of students to afford good quality education both locally in Africa and abroad.

Mahmood Ahmadu is the a recipient of the Nigerian National Honour of the ‘Officer of the Order of the Niger’ (OON) 

He is also past recipient of Forbes Best of Africa (Outstanding Leader award) 2020 

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu: The Man Forbes Best of Africa Cap Fits

NANA KWAME BEDIAKO 

VISIONARY, PHILANTHROPIST AND INDUSTRALIST, Nana Kwame Bediako is the C.E.O. of the Kwarleyz Group, which comprises 5 companies: Wonda World Estates,Petronia City Development, New Africa Construction, Belfast City& Property Management and New Africa Foundation.

He has been a successful developer in the Ghanaian real-estate space for over 15 years, and has developed over 500 residential and retail units. He hopes to change the face of Real Estate in Ghana by investing in Landmark buildings including No.1Oxford Street and Kwarleyz Residence.

Nana’s growing appetite for seeing his continent and country develop birthed Petronia City. Petronia City, one of the group most prominent subsidiaries is a multi-billion-dollar project which is a self-sustaining, master-planned, integrated city over 2000-acres including Residential, Offices, Commercial, Leisure and Hospitality.

In addition to his role as President and CEO of  Kwarleyz Group, Wonda World Estates and Petronia City Development, Nana Kwame Bediako is also the founder of The New Africa Foundation, a non- profit organization aimed at empoweringa new generation of African leaders.

LEONARD NNAMDI STANLEY EKEH

Leo Stan Ekeh, Africa’s leading serial tech entrepreneur and Founder/Chairman of the

Zinox Group, is a most distinguished African ICT personality with numerous awards and recognitions to his credit.

He pioneered Desktop Publishing and Computer Graphics, Biometric Revolution for elections, WIMAX, Critical IT Solutions and e-Commerce, among others in Africa. For his incisive entrepreneurship and as a pride to modern Nigeria, he has been honoured by two Nigerian Presidents, namely with the ICON OF HOPE award in 2001 and the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2003 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as the National Productivity Merit Award by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 for his sustained leadership in the ICT sector. 

A first-rate Indian trained economist and Risk Management expert with more than 57 awards and over four Doctorate degrees (Honorary), Mr. Ekeh has remained in the forefront of enthroning digital democracy, promoting gender empowerment in Nigeria and beyond, while also touching many lives through the Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation.

WENDY ACKERMAN 

Wendy Ackerman was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and schooled at the University of Witwatersrand. She joined her husband, Raymond, at Pick n Pay when he acquired the company in 1967, and was the first woman director of a retail chain in South Africa. Her focus at the company was on the Group’s overall development, employee benefits and welfare. She retired from the Board in 2010 and is now Honorary Life President.

She and Raymond played an important role in rejecting apartheid-era legislation, both by promoting staff, and through arranging adequate housing for black employees.

Wendy is a Trustee of the Ackerman Family Educational Trust Fund, assisting students from all over the country with bursaries for tertiary education.

Wendy is Founding Trustee of the Duet Endowment Trust, a joint endowment trust for the advancement and preservation of Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Cape Town Opera.

Wendy is also very involved in environmental issues and has been recognised by the SA Nature Foundation for outstanding achievement. 

Wendy received the All Africa Philanthropist of the Year for 2015 at the All Africa Business Leaders Awards.

SAM MATEKANE

Sam Matekane is an entrepreneur and leading business magnet in Lesotho. He established Matekane Group of Companies in 1986 as Matekane Transport and Plant Hire. It evolved into a multi-sector corporation embodying aviation, property development, mining, logistics supply chain, hospitality, farming and aviation.  Matekane popularly known as ‘brave Mosotho man” is Lesotho’s strongest competitor in the business world. 

Like most successful businessmen, Sam Matekane invested sweat and tears to create a legacy that will improve and flourish the Lesotho nation through employment, Infrastructure, CSI/CSR programs and economic growth. His resilience, tenacity and pride for his nation has made him the successful leader he is today across various industries.

He is the founder of Maluti Sky airline which offers scheduled and charter flights. The airline was founded in 2009 as MGC Airlines, becoming the first privately owned airline in Lesotho. 

The Group is internationally recognized as experts in architecture, engineering, project management, and investment and utilizes state of the art technologies that have allowed temto emerge as visionaries of the new Africa. The group has given to the people of Lesotho more than his government during this pandemic

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“This whole talk about split in the Republican Party, there is no split: It’s 99-1,” Morris told Saturday’s “The Count” about Cheney’s lack of support within the House GOP. “The Republican Party is solidly behind Trump, and the Democratic and liberal media efforts to portray a split, is ridiculous.”

Cheney is going to lose her House leadership position not just because of her “animus” against former President Donald Trump, but because she just is no longer a part of the GOP “coalition,” Morris and Schlapp told host Heather Childers.

“There’s this real popular uprising across the country, because Washington has failed them,” Schlapp told Childers. “So, consistently, except for the short tenure of Donald Trump as president, the thing about congresswoman Cheney is she will be kicked out of her leadership position. I think that’s a fait accompli that she almost wants to happen.

“When you’re in leadership in the house, part of being in leadership is you go along with the message and the agenda of that majority, and she’s had a very independent streak.”

Most notably, according to both Morris or Schlapp, is Cheney’s “animus” against Trump has left her with no support among the GOP. “She is not a fan of Donald Trump,” Schlapp continued. “She’s never been a fan of Donald Trump. She has a different world view than his desire to pull back our troops overseas, and she’s got every right to have that point of view. It’s just not very popular in the conference or with other Republicans.”

Read Also – SHE IS NOT INTO YOU – 10 PROVEN WAYS TO KNOW

Schlapp does admit Cheney has had a more conservative voting record than Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. – a potential replacement for Cheney as the House Republican Conference chair – but that is a function of the districts and constituents they serve in 2 vastly different states Wyoming and New York.

“This is one of those cases where you could actually have a more conservative voting record like Liz Cheney has but failed to understand the most important part of this coalition was, which is staying close to President Trump and his policies, which are overwhelmingly popular,” Schlapp added, noting Stefanik started “defending Donald Trump during the second impeachment and actually both impeachments and she won a lot of hearts and minds.”

Source – https://www.newsmax.com/

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It is on record that Mahmood was one of the early pioneers of the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) for digital mobile phone use in Northern Nigeria. His business activities and operations span 53 countries and five continents.

Born on the 9th of September 1966 in Nigeria, Mahmood Ahmadu graduated from the Nasarawa State University earning a UK accredited MBA.

His further education came in the form of management, IT and communication industry courses, where he utilized these skills to start small businesses that traded products and services

In the early 1990s, Mahmood was able to raise some capital which he used to invest in his very first company known as A2A International Limited. The company made him known amongst the earlier pioneer in the field of trading in GSM in Northern.

He further leveraged his business over the next several years and expanded his venture both locally and internationally. He has also raised awareness of the importance of education and has also enhanced the quality of education through scholarship programs.

In recognition of his philanthropic contributions and impact, Mahmood Ahmadu, alongside Idahosa Wells Okinbo and Adesola Kazeem Adedutan was honoured with the Forbe’s Best of Africa award. The awards were presented on September 11, 2020, during a virtual event in conjunction with the Foreign Investment Network (FIN).

Read Also – Vaccine – Ghana experts assure the public of safety

As a multiple award winner, Mahmood Ahmadu was also honoured and recognized as a Leading Personality on Humanitarian Response to Covid-19 Crisis by an International Strategic Communication Consultancy, Euroknowledge.

Read Also – Mena – learning from the African experience in fintech

For those who should know, Mahmood Ahmadu is a name synonym for a sincere, hardworking and striving businessman in the northern states of Nigeria. Mahmood further expanded his business import/export to neighbouring regions which subsequently made him a motivated businessman.

In recognition of his work and developing innovative technological solutions, as one of the most popular and successful Nigerian Entrepreneurs in UAE, was presented with the Nigerian Economic Development Award on the 5th of April 2016 in London.

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Mena – Mahmood Ahmadu is the chairman of Innovate 1 Pay, a Nigerian financial technology (fintech) company established in 2012, providing online payment solutions for retail and wholesale mobile remittances, mobile money and currency card payments. The largest domestic service provider of this nature in its home country, the company has since spread its operations to 24 different nations.

A great advantage that emerging economies have, when they adopt breakthrough technologies, is the ability to pivot rapidly, and expand capabilities without having to worry about high volumes of existing systems and infrastructure becoming redundant. With game changing digital innovations entering the fray in recent years, it has become possible for such nations to leapfrog several generations in technology. And perhaps the best example of such exponential transformation can be seen in the African fintech industry.

In the past few years, Africa has witnessed the rise of a dynamic startup ecosystem, which is attracting huge amounts of venture capital. Tech hubs, with multiple new companies making a name for themselves with innovative solutions, have emerged in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, with nations like Tanzania, Ghana and Senegal close behind. In the case of fintech, the boom is also related to the sector filling a gap in services that traditional banking had not been able to address. In addition to delivering effective alternatives that have transformed the state of financial inclusion in the continent, a surge in internet and mobile penetration in Africa, has lent further momentum to the industry.

An appropriate solution meets an unusual ecosystem

The Global Findex Database 2017, the most recent version of the report which is the world’s most comprehensive record of payments, savings, borrowing and risk management, found that Africa was home to the largest unbanked and underbanked population in the world. Naturally, these circumstances present the ideal opportunity for fintech solution providers, to turn a challenge into an opportunity.

At the same time, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that Africa has the largest informal economy of all continents. With so much commercial activity unreached by formal investment, lending and insurance services, the sheer scale of the opportunity should be obvious. The amount of venture capital available to African startups exceeded the $1 billion mark for the first time in 2018, and the bulk of these funds were captured by fintech companies. Nigeria, which is the both the most populated nation in Africa with 206 million inhabitants, as well as its largest economy, has been attracting – and generating – the largest amount of venture capital on the continent. In fact, many African fintech companies, both Nigerian and from other nations, have taken to making their mark in the Nigerian market, before they proceed to scale up operations elsewhere. 

What do these developments mean for Mena?

Markets like Africa, India and Brazil have had digital wallets and payment platforms operating successfully for well over a decade. So what does this tell us about the possibilities that fintech can unlock within the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region? Well, the answer to that is a bit complex, given the cross section of economies that fall within the category.

For one thing, 2020 proved the contribution that fintech made to providing much needed resilience, as an alternative to traditional banking during a global crisis. African migrant workers, and those cut off from loved ones during lockdowns, used digital wallets and payment platforms extensively, to ensure that money got to their dependents. The large number of similar expatriate workers in the Mena region present a similar opportunity, given the huge volume of remittances that such individuals send to their home countries. For those in higher income brackets, services such as e-commerce and online insurance facilities – and many more emerging financial services – present an equally vibrant market, for entrepreneurs to address. 

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu Shares Lessons Learnt In 2020

But, perhaps the most significant lesson to be learnt from the success of fintech in Africa, is that end users have overcome any reluctance they might have had to transfer money online – especially with regards to security concerns. According to a 2019 IMF policy paper on fintech in Sub-Saharan Africa, fintech is emerging as a major technological enabler in the region. It has transformed financial inclusion indices, and is serving as a catalyst for innovation in sectors as varied as agriculture and infrastructure.

Despite a huge subset of the mobile phones in this region being ‘feature phones’ – as opposed to smartphones – Sub-Saharan Africa now has in excess of 400 million registered mobile money accounts. One of the lessons to be learned here is that even those sections of humanity who live in the lesser developed regions of the world have overcome any security related reticence. But the truly impressive feat that operators within the Mena region can emulate is, the creativity involved in delivering services within technological limitations imposed by handsets that much of the world would now consider archaic. Fintech companies within the Mena region, with significantly more tech-endowed customers to target, can learn a lot from the resourcefulness with which fintech in Africa has developed solutions that can deliver services, even if the user does not have access to a device that can host apps.

Taking inspiration from a solution driven mindset

We often limit the scope of the term ‘financial inclusion’. It should not be seen solely in terms of bringing financial services to the unbanked. On the contrary, the perspective we need to adopt should be about reaching the ‘unreached’, in more sophisticated categories of financial services. Can developers in Mena expand the reach of wealth management, online trading, travel insurance, and dozens of other specialised services, using app based platforms? Nearly all of these services have debuted as app interfaces, but often with limited options. Can fintech in Mena take inspiration from its African counterparts, and develop true functionality and convenience, in high end financial services – especially given their market has, on average, more advanced devices to leverage? The answer to that rhetorical question is an obvious and resounding yes!

Source – https://www.wamda.com/

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“The United States Capitol Police Department is aware of and prepared for any potential threats towards members of Congress or towards the Capitol complex,” they said in a statement Wednesday. “We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4.”

The Capitol Police said that they “have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers.”

Police said it is working with “local, state and federal partners to stop any threats to the Capitol.”

“We are taking the intelligence seriously,” they said in a statement. “Due to the sensitive nature of this information, we cannot provide additional details at this time.”

The warning comes as law enforcement agencies around Washington, D.C., are increasing security ahead of March 4.

Read Also – Mena – learning from the African experience in fintech

In a memo to lawmakers, obtained by Fox News, Acting House Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett on Monday said that officials are continuing to monitor “potential protests and activity surrounding what some have described as the ‘true Inauguration Day.’”

March 4 is the original day on which the U.S. inaugurated presidents.

President Biden took office at noon on Jan. 20, as prescribed by the 20th Amendment, ratified in 1933.

The warning comes less than two months after pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, during a joint session of Congress to certify the electoral college results in favor of Biden. The Jan. 6 Capitol riot left five people dead, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer.

Source – https://www.foxnews.com/

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