Feature/OPED
Engage, Advocate, Inspire and Empower – Using Photography as a Driver of Sustainability

Let’s answer the million-dollar question – Why is photography important?
Because it speaks, it communicates, it educates and it cultivates change. I am often asked this question and my answer remains the same always.
Photography is not just a tool for artistic expression or documentation, it is a lot more than that. Photography has the power to raise awareness, to change the narrative thus inspiring people to take action, for instance, my work around ‘Water Life’ from 2018 addressed the plight of water access and its impact not only on society but also on women in rural regions, especially so in Ethiopia but also across Africa.
In reality, it is a tool to spread education not only inside our own regions and countries but also beyond our borders to be able to draw attention, start a conversation and bring people together.
So for me, photography does not really fit in any one description box, but rather it moulds into something that you want to project out to the world.
Similar to the art of Cinema, photography can be used to entertain, educate, ask questions, and throw light on our history or all of the above. It is really what you make out of it and that’s why it is vital for our society, educational institutions and governments today to encourage and empower photographers and to truly appreciate the art of photography.
Power of the Image – Forming Perceptions, Driving Change
As the founder and director of the Addis Foto Fest (AFF), the first international photography festival in East Africa hosted since 2010 in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I can vouch for the fact that photography has the potential to become a force that drives change.
Of course, great power comes with great responsibility and that is exactly what budding photographers today need to be made aware of.
Competitions such as ‘Moments that Matter’ reflect light on the pressing issues that we as a species and as a planet are facing together and these grave issues need to be conveyed to as many people as possible without making them despondent. That’s where the theme of sustainability fits in so well to showcase this ever-going cycle of today and tomorrow and its direct co-relation with each other.
Everything that we do today shapes our future for tomorrow, this is the encapsulating theme that photographers need to bear in mind whilst sending their submissions.
We live in this day and age of rapid consumption and according to Statista’s 2021 report on ‘Mobile Usage’, there are currently 6.4 billion smartphone users worldwide. As unbelievable as this figure is, one can only imagine the number of images consumed by each of these people, and images have the inherent ability to form perceptions and perspectives.
Hence, it is even more vital today to use this technology of smartphones and social media to direct messages of progress towards people to drive that sentiment that leads them to take action and make meaningful changes.
Canon’s initiative on empowering photographers to capture moments in the sustainability spectrum through categories that speak about economic, human, environmental and social progress is truly the pressing priority for all of us.
However, the beauty of the competition lies in the spirit of sustainability that rekindles the flame of hope in our hearts and gives us a reason to look forward to the future. It is this challenge that participating photographers need to understand and convey in their images, to show us the problem but also to shed light on its solutions.
As a practising advocate of change through photography, I am extremely keen to see the submissions that come through allowing us to look at the world through someone else’s eye, to experience their vision and see what change others are aspiring to create not only in their own country but for the whole wide world.
Take, for instance, my very own continent of Africa where more often than not, the portrayal of poverty or other issues is depicted through photography which often lacks the balanced perspective in which also it is an indigenous view and not only through the foreign gaze or visual arts.
But today, this narrative is changing as we see a new generation of photographers who overcome great challenges to be the visual storytellers of a changing Africa in which they offer a new perspective that offers our humanity and humility. This is the power of an image and through this medium to show the world the enormous amount of talent, culture, capabilities as well as the scope for a better future and this other side of Africa that is often hidden or lost in pictures.
Photography as a Means of Advocacy – Help to Heal
In a world as diverse and complex as ours, there are various issues that need to be brought to the surface to evoke a conversation leading us to solutions. This responsibility needs to be collectively shared not just by creative industries but all industries out there, even those that are impacting the narrative of our communities, nations and continents. Even in the global discourse as it relates to our environment and planet, the power of the image and our connections through technologies offer us many opportunities for change. One person may be able to plant a tree but together we can plant an entire forest and that is the power of helping and empowerment…in helping others we also help and heal ourselves.
This is the main reason why my work outside of being in museums or fine art has been a reflection of advocacy…. advocating the need to make a change. As globalization has taken centre stage in the last few decades, we must realize this responsibility that we all now share – to really empower each other as people and then to empower our planet to prosper.
Finding solutions together is key to unlocking the potential for tomorrow. Photography is an excellent instrument to advocate the cause that you believe in, for me personally I have been passionate about environmental issues which are depicted through my images. Photographers participating in ‘Moments that Matter’ must look at engaging their art forms to advocate and inspire others thus leveraging their visual language to become the hope for tomorrow.
No Pain, No Gain – Pursue Your Passion to Find Greatness
Creativity is the birth of innovation and as daunting as it may seem to showcase a new angle or perspective through your images…that is where the true challenge of this visual art-form lies.
Authenticity is the key that unlocks the great power of photography. Photographers that understand this as the basic foundation of their work usually go a long way in their professional paths. In the beginning, however, it may seem like an impossible feat to achieve but it is the part of our journey that we need to embrace in order to become visible in this competitive and challenging creative world.
In the past, I have been through phases of disappointment as a young photographer when I struggled to prove my point to people but perseverance, patience and practice can take you anywhere as I have learned from my journey. I was inspired by photographer, Chester Higgins who taught me the tricks of the trade – to never stop believing in yourself, your work and to always remain authentic. That advice has led me to become who I am today. I stuck to black and white photography as my core niche even though the world was booming with innovations in coloured photography. It is crucial to reflect your own individual point of view in your work without getting overwhelmed by trends or fads. That remains my advice for all budding photographers who dream to make their mark in the world…be authentic, remain consistent and believe in yourself!
Submit your entries here: https://canon.sm/3mYsyLF
Feature/OPED
Strategies for Launching Your Real Estate Tech Startup Successfully

By Dalip Jaggi
Launching a real estate tech startup requires a lot of focus. But at its core, the primary goal is to eliminate pain points commonly seen in the industry.
Unfortunately, the process of buying, selling, and managing a property is rarely straightforward in real estate deals. For one, there tends to be endless paperwork to complete, regular back and forth between agents and clients, and long drawn-out closing periods.
If you can create a real estate company that actively eliminates these challenges, it can be transformative for both agents and clients alike. However, getting to this stage takes a lot of work in terms of strategy and vision.
This guide will outline key strategies you can implement to help you launch your real estate tech startup.
Address a Specific Industry Need
The foundation of a successful real estate company rests on its ability to solve a specific, ongoing problem. Overly general solutions usually don’t resonate in the market, but a focused approach can build a loyal customer base over time.
To begin, you need to carefully analyze the market, looking for consistent challenges. This is more than just a surface-level skimming of the market. It means finding overlooked areas or specific pain points that significantly impact a particular group of users.
Try to focus on problems that might be solvable with new technology or unique market approaches. This ensures that your startup’s efforts are directed toward creating solutions that people genuinely want and are willing to use.
Clearly Articulate Your Brand Value
After finding a relevant market need, you need to clearly define what makes your new company different from existing competitors. This is your unique value proposition.
A strong value proposition requires more than just listing your product or service’s features. It should also explain the real, tangible benefits users can expect to experience. Articulate precisely how your offering solves the problems in your target market, and highlight the specific ways it stands out from other options available.
Create a Proof of Concept
Most startup companies that develop software will start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). An MVP has the fundamental features that software will have, but won’t include more sophisticated components that the customer may expect in a complete product. This keeps costs down while trying to develop a full-functioning platform or service.
The main goal of an MVP is user testing. They help capture a user’s first impressions of how the software performs in real-life scenarios. To gather meaningful feedback from your MVP users, you’ll want to ensure that only the most essential functions are present. Over time, feedback from MVP users helps you to prioritize relevant product additions.
In the iterative process leading to a fully launched marketable product, ensure that you try to incorporate any mission-critical improvements before launch. This will help to avoid major setbacks post-launch that might impact brand perception.
Gain Enough Financial Support
To move from a simple prototype to running an actual real estate technology company, you will need the right level of funding. There are different ways to obtain this capital, each having its own benefits.
At the outset, self-funding can help you continue to maintain control of the venture, although you may be a bit more limited in terms of initial growth opportunities. Working with a private investor, on the other hand, can lead to a sizeable cash injection in the business along with experienced mentorship to help you through the initial growth stages of your business. Unfortunately, though, this will likely come at the expense of giving away equity in the company.
Build a High-Performing Team
A successful real estate company needs a strong team. It’s important to try to source new individuals with a wide range of professional experiences. Among other skills, you should be looking for employees with strong real estate knowledge, a technical background, and a good understanding of sales and marketing principles.
Aim to source candidates who not only master these skills but are also passionate about the company’s goals. This helps build a sense of ownership and responsibility with all your team members, keeping everyone focused on ensuring the startup’s success.
Consider Integrating Helpful Renovation Tools
Homeowners and property managers are always looking for ways to increase a property’s value by completing various types of home renovation projects. By integrating helpful renovation tools into your software, you can help your new real estate technology quickly stand out in a crowded market.
Adding helpful features that let users estimate the costs of their renovation, plan different elements of a bathroom remodel, or track the statuses of their home projects can add significantly more value to your solution.
Put Together a Digital Marketing Strategy
Having a solid digital marketing presence is critical for new businesses to attract clients and expand their user base. This includes the use of SEO, paid advertising, and content marketing to increase brand visibility and create more touchpoints between businesses and potential clients.
Social media is equally important for helping to raise brand awareness. This helps you connect with clients directly and network with other industry professionals. By partnering with other real estate organizations, agencies, and commercial businesses, you’ll further help your brand’s visibility and credibility as you start launching new services.
Focus on Customer Engagement
Building lasting relationships with customers all rests on being able to provide excellent support. Earning their trust requires consistent dedication. This means responding quickly to questions and concerns that come up and keeping your focus on ensuring their satisfaction.
Actively soliciting user feedback, through surveys and reviews, allows you to take the necessary steps to improve their experience. It’s also important to keep users informed with regular updates and offer additional support to show them that they are a top priority. All of these initiatives add a personal touch to your brand, helping you stand out from others.
Give Your Startup the Best Chance for Success
Starting a successful business in real estate comes with its own set of challenges that need to be tackled. However, by following the strategies discussed, you’ll be sure to stand out in the industry better while introducing high-value solutions to your user base.
Dalip Jaggi is an entrepreneur, technologist, and passionate business leader sum up the core of Dalip Jaggi, co-founder of Revive Real Estate, a PropTech company to democratize house flipping. Since its 2020 inception, Revive has become the smartest solution for homeowners to maximize their home’s sales value across the nation.
Feature/OPED
Sunusi Bature: Time to Take the Podium

By Ahmad Dambazau
The National Assembly is a constitutional locomotive for any purposeful democratic government, it provides checks to the government of the day and a legal basis for the system in general .This basically accounts for the high respect usually accorded and, of course, the attendant high expectation placed on it. The legislative arm of government like any other is saddled with the responsibility enshrined in the constitution and among such major functions includes representation, oversight and law making in addition to many other numerous functions.
Be that as it may, it has been a genuine cause for worry for Nigerians that, despite our series of experimentation with democracy, our legislators have performed below expectation. Their handling of national issues has especially remained without constitutional decorum and political experience required of people of their exalted status. Part 2, Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, vests the legislative powers of the federation on the National Assembly which comprises the Senate and House of Representatives.
Dawakin Tofa ,Tofa and Rimin Gado Federal constituency is one of the few constituencies in Nigeria represented by the same legislator for 18 years(2007-2005) despite poor representation .
As the federal constituency searches for the best man to represent them for this serious legislative task. One name keeping ringing bell is Hon Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa ,Media and Communication Expert and Director General of Media and Publicity to Kano State Governor.Sunusi has earlier served as the Chief Press Seceretary to the Governor in the early days of the administration .
Mallam Sunusi is a seasoned PR guru, development communication and stakeholder engagement expert with 21 years working experience in both international development, private sector and the Media in Nigeria.
He is a winner of the Cambridge education award on investigative journalism in 2008, Bature has worked at different capacities in various national, International and Bilateral organizations such as the British Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), the United State Agency for Internal Development (USAID), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Save the Children International, Discovery Learning Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation.
He held several positions which include General Manager Corporate Services at Dantata Foods and Allied Products Limited (DFAP), Director Stakeholder Engagement at YieldWise Project, Country Program Manager at Girl Rising (ENGAGE) Project funded by the US Government, State Project Coordinator for MNCH Campaign Project of the BMGF, Deputy Director Operations at Discovery Learning Alliance, State Program Officer, Policy Advocacy and Media Development, Communication and Knowledge Management Specialist among other positions.
Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (B.A. Hons.) in Mass Communication from University of Maiduguri, Sanusi holds a National Diploma in Mass communication from Kaduna Polytechnic, a Higher National Diploma (HND) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Education and Promotion.He also bagged MSc. in Social Work with specialization in Community Development from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH) Ogbomosho, Oyo State and another master’s degree in Public Relations (MPR) from the prestigious Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. He participated in the MSc program on Project Management at Robert Kennedy College, Zurich, Switzerland.Until his appointment, Sunusi Bature served as the Vice President, Nigeria operations for a UK based firm, Kingston Organic PLC.
Hon Dawakin Tofa has opened yet another vista of debate among electorates on the value of quality representation with vigour,expertise and experience of having a wider constituency responsibility and coverage .He has vindicated his mettle among his constituents that even as an appointee of the Governor his eloquent consistent and fearless voice always seeking the improvement of lives of his constituents accountability among representatives of the people.
He is truly a representative of the people though unelected going by the amount of work he was able to do for the overall benefit of his people. In fact, it is worth elucidating that this PR guru was able to touch the lives of the people in his stewardship in the private and public sectors. So far he has proved to be one of the few politicians that attracts government presence to his community. No matter what anyone would say, the amount of dividends of democracy that this community leader was able to bring to the door step of the people is unmatched.
Sunusi Bature’s development credentials and landmarks speaks volumes. The highlights of which were stellar achievements of re-positioning the educational sector in the more definitive ,radically ,progressive and futuristic manner , not to mention the capacity building, empowerment and educational scholarship for his people ,all shone brightly for both his admirers and detractors to access.
The Director General of Media and Publicity to the Governor of Kano State, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, has been honoured with the prestigious Most Outstanding Spokesperson Award by the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information. Dawakin Tofa was selected for this esteemed award in recognition of his instrumental role in promoting not only the positive image of the Kano State Governor and his giant strides also for effectively showcasing the only NNPP ruling state in Nigeria.
In the award citation, Mallam Sunusi was hailed as an unwavering proponent of non-violent communication, renowned for his extensive network and adept delivery of practices with clarity in objectives, and strategic framing of engagements with his audience.His profound impact and effectiveness in perception and reputation management are highly commendable.
In whatever one indulges in there are always people to observe and give their verdict .It is a well- known fact that there is nothing stronger than the people’s verdict.it shows a collective desire which inevitably is the voice of reason. The momentum of Hon Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa legislative bid is gathering amongst all strata of the constituency is enough testimony that experienced count in the race for the parliamentary seat.
Dambazau wrote in from Kano
Feature/OPED
Nigeria’s Mining Reforms: Unlocking Investment and Growth

Over the past two years, Nigeria has implemented key policies and reforms to revitalize its mining industry, attract investment and strengthen the sector’s contribution to GDP.
Recent government-led initiatives have streamlined licensing processes, removed bottlenecks and simplified market entry for international investors, enhancing production across the country’s 44 solid mineral types.
As Africa’s premier mining investment event, African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 will convene Nigerian and African stakeholders with global investors and industry leaders to drive deal-making and accelerate sector growth.
Launch of Mineral Resources Decision Support System
In May 2024, the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency unveiled the Mineral Resources Decision Support System to provide global investors with easy access to geological and policy data.
The platform markets Nigeria’s vast mineral resources and critical infrastructure, assisting investors in making informed decisions about the country’s mining sector. By enhancing data transparency and accessibility, the system aims to streamline investment processes and boost investor confidence in Nigeria’s mining industry.
Restructuring of Ministry
To improve efficiency, Nigeria restructured the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in August 2023, creating two separate entities. The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development focuses on upstream activities and investment facilitation, while the Ministry of Steel Development oversees the development of steel and metallic resources to drive industrial growth. This restructuring aims to enhance sector-specific governance, attract targeted investments and accelerate the country’s mineral and steel value chain development.
Approval of Nigerian Minerals & Mining Bill
Approved in April 2023 and currently under public review, the Nigerian Minerals & Mining Bill aims to introduce incentives for foreign investors while strengthening local content requirements. Once enacted, it will become the sector’s primary legal framework, enhancing transparency and investor confidence.
The bill is also expected to modernize regulatory oversight, ensuring sustainable resource management and aligning Nigeria’s mining sector with global best practices.
Implementation of Nigeria Mineral Value Chain Regulations
Implemented in July 2021, the Nigeria Mineral Value Chain Regulations mandates local processing of raw minerals such as gold and lithium, encouraging downstream investment.
Following this policy, China’s Avatar Energy Materials Company launched a 4,000-ton-per-annum lithium processing facility in Nasarawa State in May 2024, while Ming Xin Mineral Separation Nig Ltd. is developing a lithium processing plant in Kaduna State to support EV e battery production.
These investments mark a significant step toward positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global critical minerals supply chain. Against this backdrop, AMW 2025 will provide a platform for industry leaders to explore Nigeria’s evolving mining landscape and engage with global investors.
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