Brands/Products
Canon, WISCAR Train Female Content Creators, Others in Lagos
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
For about a month, about 15 women in the print and imaging sectors underwent a training programme facilitated by Canon in collaboration with Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) in Lagos.
The workshop tagged Women Who Empower closed with an exclusive media event on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at the Radisson Blu, Lagos and had in attendance industry leaders and senior executives from Canon and WISCAR.
The occasion was used by the beneficiaries to showcase their creativity in an exhibition after being tutored by a notable cinematographer and director, Mr Daniel Ehimen; and a lifestyle photographer and Canon ambassador, Mr Emmanuel Oyeleke.
The training comprised three modules: printing, photography, and content creation, each designed to equip the participants with valuable skills and knowledge.
Two of the beneficiaries Ms Joy Ngwolo and Ms Obianuju Lilian Ikegbune, received special recognition for their exceptional dedication, creativity, and progress.
“Before Women Who Empower photography classes, my camera skills were limited by a basic understanding. The programme’s comprehensive training has been transformative, equipping me with a solid grasp of photographic techniques and the science behind them.
“The resulting improvement in my image quality is remarkable. I highly recommend these classes to anyone seeking to elevate their photography to the next level. I’m incredibly grateful to Canon & WISCAR for this invaluable experience,” Ms Ngwolo, a PR professional and photographer, said.
On her part, Ms Ikegbune, a Public Relations and Marketing Communications Strategist, said, “I was drawn to the Canon x WISCAR Women Who Empower programme for its focus on empowering women in the thriving creative industry.
“I gained valuable knowledge on storytelling techniques like the rule of thirds, camera handling fundamentals, and key considerations for brand storytelling, which will undoubtedly set me apart in the professional arena.
“I am incredibly grateful to Canon and WISCAR for offering this program, the chance to learn from industry leaders like Emmanuel and Ehimen, and the opportunity to connect with a network of fellow creatives.”
Speaking on the initiative, the founder of WISCAR, Mrs Amina Oyagbola, said, “Our partnership with Canon has been a resounding success, empowering women in the print and imaging industries.
“We look forward to continuing this important work, creating a ripple effect of positive change that resonates throughout the industry and beyond.”
The Managing Director of Canon for Central and North Africa, Somesh Adukia,, said, “We believe in creating an environment where everyone can thrive, and collaborating with partners like WISCAR reinforces this commitment. Together, we are shaping a more inclusive and groundbreaking future in the imaging industry.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An institutional investor, First Ally Capital, has strengthened a leading Nigerian financial technology company, Mathesis Analytics, to scale its proprietary credit decisioning infrastructure.
It made this possible by injecting fresh capital into the firm, which specialises in AI-powered credit decisioning infrastructure, an action that will directly support the growth and scaling of Mathesis’ core mission of providing the intelligence and infrastructure needed to bridge the credit gap for millions of unscored or underscored individuals across Nigeria.
With this investment, Mathesis will enable financial institutions to confidently assess and extend credit to borrowers who lack a formal credit history by leveraging an expanded pool of alternative behavioural and transactional data.
To date, Mathesis’ systems have supported more than 8 million loans for over 2 million unique borrowers in Nigeria, and the company is actively deploying its infrastructure to establish a growing pan-African footprint.
With the investment from First Ally Capital, Mathesis is well positioned to transform how the credit ecosystem operates, driving financial inclusion in partnership with lenders across the continent.
A significant barrier to credit access in Nigeria, which prides itself on being Africa’s largest economy, is data fragmentation. Borrowers frequently build positive financial behaviours across multiple digital platforms by repaying microfinance loans, saving through fintech wallets, or servicing Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) facilities.
However, under traditional credit infrastructure, these achievements remain invisible to new lenders.
Mathesis addresses this challenge through the concept of Personal Equity—the quantified expression of an individual’s financial behaviour aggregated across every institution with which they have transacted.
By translating these disparate signals into a precise, portable measure of creditworthiness, Mathesis creates a comprehensive credit identity that reflects the full breadth of a person’s financial life.
“True financial inclusion cannot be achieved in a vacuum; it requires structural collaboration in which lenders and fintech companies work as partners within the ecosystem.
“This investment from First Ally Capital validates our approach to reshaping credit infrastructure. By quantifying Personal Equity, we empower lenders to safely look beyond the constraints of formal credit histories and recognise a borrower’s true creditworthiness. This capital enables us to accelerate our pan-African expansion while maintaining the robust, institutional-grade infrastructure our partners rely on,” the chief executive of Mathesis Analytics, Winston Osuchukwu, stated.
On his part, the chief executive of First Ally Capital, Mr Ebenezer Olufowose, said, “At First Ally Capital, we pride ourselves on being a one-stop destination for financial solutions, offering a diverse portfolio of services ranging from investment banking and asset management to trusteeship, inclusive banking, and real estate.
“Our investment in Mathesis Analytics reflects our strong belief in the company’s vision and our commitment to supporting forward-thinking enterprises that deliver excellence.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Canal+ Africa, Mr David Mignot, has disclosed that MultiChoice is now fully integrated into the media group.
Mr Mignot disclosed this via a statement issued on Thursday, noting that this development marks a new phase in the evolution of one of Africa’s leading pay television operators.
He noted that the integration positions MultiChoice within a global media organisation with an extensive international footprint.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries. The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mr Mignot said.
The statement underscores the scale of the combined business, highlighting Canal+’s global reach alongside its significant investments across Africa.
The completion of the transaction is expected to strengthen MultiChoice’s position in the African media and entertainment market by giving it access to the broader resources, expertise and international capabilities of the Canal+ Group, while reinforcing the group’s commitment to the continent.
MultiChoice operates across sub-Saharan Africa through platforms including DStv and GOtv, serving millions of subscribers with entertainment, sports and news content.
By Adedapo Adesanya
FoodCourt, a Nigerian cloud kitchen startup backed by Y Combinator, has suspended operations after months of unpaid salaries and mounting debts to vendors triggered a staff strike and forced the company to halt customer orders, according to a report by TechCabal.
The publication reported that customers first noticed on March 4 that they could no longer place orders through the FoodCourt app after the company disabled ordering as kitchen workers, delivery personnel and branch staff embarked on strike over unpaid wages. The company also owed outstanding payments to vendors.
By April 19, FoodCourt had temporarily shut its last operating branch after suspending activities across its Lagos and Abuja locations while seeking fresh funding and restructuring the business, according to the report.
The company’s chief executive, Mr Henry Nneji, said the decision to pause operations was not caused by a single issue but by a combination of operational, organisational and working-capital challenges.
“It’s important to clarify that the decision to pause operations wasn’t driven by one single issue. We reached a point where it became clear that continuing to patch those issues while operating wasn’t the right long-term decision,” he said.
“The objective is to build a stronger business than the one that existed before the suspension. We fully intend to bring FoodCourt back,” he added in an emailed response.
The company acknowledged outstanding obligations to employees, vendors, riders and service providers, but declined to disclose the number of affected workers or the total amount owed. It said efforts were underway to resolve the liabilities as part of its restructuring process.
It was also reported that the startup’s financial difficulties worsened after expansion into additional locations increased operating costs, while its cloud kitchen model came under pressure from rising labour, logistics, food and marketing expenses.
Despite the shutdown, Mr Nneji said FoodCourt intends to relaunch after completing its restructuring, adding that the company believes demand for its products remains strong.
Founded in 2021 by Henry Nneji and Paul Adokiye Iruene, FoodCourt operates cloud kitchens under multiple virtual restaurant brands through its consumer app. According to TechCabal, the startup had previously disclosed raising $1.7 million, delivering more than one million meals and reaching $4.3 million in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2024.
