Feature/OPED
How Can Businesses Use Low-Code to Enable and Empower Teams?

By Hyther Nizam
Most entrepreneurs understand how important it is to innovate and build new products constantly, but doing that the traditional way can be incredibly time and resource intensive. Even if you have the investment and funding needed for a team of developers, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get new applications out at the speed you need to remain competitive.
It also doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the best possible applications for your wants and needs. After all, with traditional app development, you’re relying only on developers to understand input from various teams within the organization and turn them into viable products. If your business is still in its early phases and people are still getting used to working with each other, that’s not always a given.
With low-code platforms, employees are better equipped to execute their day-to-day tasks while solving their specialized difficulties and driving extra value from their current toolset without putting the organization or its security at risk. Fortunately, thanks to the rise of low-code platforms, this is increasingly feasible.
Understanding low-code
Civilians and professional developers can use low-code platforms. Basic low-code platforms allow business users with little coding experience to build apps to suit their business needs. The potential benefits of this might be obvious, but in case they aren’t, here’s a short breakdown of the benefits of using low-code platforms.
For the average startup developer team, it can eliminate a lot of heavy lifting. Since low-code platforms provide standard components such as forms, report templates, and ready-to-use code snippets, they immediately eliminate many of the repetitive tasks that make up the bulk of application development. The most progressive low-code development platforms have a full heap of capacities expected for making enterprise applications. Additionally, they can help eliminate errors, further taking time out of the development process. When utilized properly, they can help organizations build applications months faster than they would otherwise be able to.
Professional developers can also use low-code platforms that support developer-centric features, such as a full-fledged developer environment to hard code features to write functions that extend beyond low-code capabilities. Low-code platforms with additional capabilities allow users to build and scale complex business applications, too. This allows speedier delivery of custom solutions and better synergy between the business and the IT teams. With those benefits, it should hardly be surprising that, according to Statista, low-code development platforms will be worth US$65 billion by 2027.
Enabling and empowering
Knowing what the potential low-code platforms offer is one thing, but using them to enable and empower people across the organization to build applications is another. To get to the ideal position with low-code platforms, you should start with knowing what to look for in a low-code platform.
As well as the visual modelling and drag-and-drop interfaces which make low-code platforms easier to use, the platform should be secure. It should offer features to make your apps safer. No matter how appealing an app is, users are unlikely to embrace it if they feel unsafe using it. Having built-in security is even more important if sensitive data is involved at any step in the process. The last thing any business wants is to risk using a tool which potentially opens up a gateway to hackers.
Low-code platforms should additionally allow for multi-device deployment (meaning that an app only has to be created once accessible on any device) and facilitate scalability. More specifically, any applications created by an organization should allow it to add more users as the organization grows. This is especially critical for startup organizations, which have the chance to grow silo free and foster a habit of cross-organizational collaboration from the start.
It’s in this kind of environment that people feel free to experiment and try things, regardless of whether or not they have any development experience. Most low-code platforms provide end-to-end application lifecycle management as well, so application quality is never compromised.
Accelerating serendipity
For startups especially, quick turnarounds can only be a good thing. At the very least, it means the startup will achieve its goals quicker than it would otherwise have done. It might also accelerate serendipitous developments that allow startups to pivot and achieve bigger and better things than if they’d stayed on their original paths.
The history of startups is littered with these developments. Flickr and Slack, for example, both started as internal tools for a massively multiplayer online game. Suppose multiple people across the organization are building tools that have the potential to be useful internally. In that case, there’s a better chance that one of them will be useful for other people too.
A trusted companion to traditional development
Ultimately, every organization should want its employees to be as empowered as possible. The best way to ensure that is to get it right from the start. Low-code platforms can be incredibly powerful to ensure this is the case. While it will not replace traditional development, it can be a trusted companion, helping to reduce the load on professional developers and improving the efficiency of custom apps. As such, it can be a differentiator for businesses wanting to stand out in a competitive environment.
Hyther Nizam is the President MEA at Zoho Corporation
Feature/OPED
South West Appointment and Projects Favouritism: Fact or Fiction?

By Abba Dukawa
“It is utterly insensitive for Northern Nigeria’s elite to accuse President Tinubu’s administration of favoring the South-West geopolitical zone. Alleging favoritism towards the South-West, demonstrate a striking lack of sensitivity.
Where were these critics when former President Buhari’s administration faced controversy over alleged favoritism towards the North in appointments? Why they not accused PMB of violating the Federal Character Principle, which ensures balanced representation across regions.
Let’s set the record straight: According to BusinessDay, 81 out of 100 appointees since 2015 were Northerners, including key positions like Chief of Army Staff (Borno, North-East), Chief of Air Staff (North-East), National Security Adviser (North-East), Accountant General (Kano, North-West), and Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (North-East).
SGF (North East) Aviation (North West) AGF (North West) GMD NNPC(North East ) Minister of finance( North West). According to another reports, appointments by geopolitical zone are as follows: North West (51), North Central (47), North East (45), South East (41), South West (45), and South South (45). These figures are currently inconsequential.
Regarding the Northern elite’s claims about imbalance in President Tinubu’s appointments, the issue appears overstated. Instead, the more pressing question is whether they’re diverting attention from the North’s own developmental shortcomings. The region’s progress warrants scrutiny.”
The previous administration, despite having two consecutive terms, left key infrastructure projects unfinished in the north. Notable examples include the Kano-Kaduna-Abuja highway, a crucial North-South link,.
Kano-Maiduguri road project, vital for North West-North East connectivity. Moreover, Aminu Kano International Airport, a major Northern hub, significantly declined under the Northern Minister of Aviation’s supervision, rendering it nearly defunct.
The claim that President Tinubu’s administration favors the South-West in appointments appears baseless, particularly given the North’s experience under previous administrations.
Notably, Tinubu’s administration has appointed 71 individuals from the North and 63 from the South. A breakdown of Southern appointees reveals: South-West (26), South-South (21), and South-East (16). I’m still unclear about the issue – it seems like fiction.
For those overnight champions of Northern interests, have forgotten the unfinished infrastructure projects started by the previous regime, such as the Abuja-Kaduna-kano (AKK) gas project, Mambilla Power Project.
What about the Baro Port project was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 19, 2019: Despite its commissioning, the project has remained idle due to a lack of supporting infrastructure, such as access roads and rail connectivity.
The Kano, Daura, and Maradi rail projects, though unfinished under previous administrations, are being continued by the current government. Numerous others projects across the North, left incomplete despite 8 years in power?
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has approved several major projects in Northern Nigeria. Some notable ones include Kolmani Integrated Development Project, continuation of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Kaduna-Kano Rail Line, Kano-Maiduguri Dual Carriageway.
Agriculture Value Chain Initiative to boost agricultural productivity and economic growth. ACReSAL Program a World Bank-funded project aimed at restoring one million hectares of degraded land in the North.Healthcare Projects
Federal Medical Centers*: upgrades and expansions are underway at major facilities, including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, and Federal Medical Centre, Nguru.
A multimillion dollars oil exploration project located between Bauchi and Gombe states, expected to boost oil production and contribute to national economic growth. The project involves drilling activities, construction of a gas pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kano, and establishment of a Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy.
All these projects demonstrate President Tinubu’s commitment to improving infrastructure, energy, healthcare, and economic development in Northern Nigeria.
Despite numerous appointments and projects in Northern Nigeria, some self-proclaimed regional advocates remain driven by self-interest, claiming underrepresentation. Meanwhile, the appointments have sparked debate, with proponents citing merit and critics alleging their fuel ethnic and regional tensions.”
Dukawa write it from Abuja can be reached at abbahydukawa@gmail.com
Feature/OPED
Local Supply Chain Support – From Seed to Sip

By Abiola Laseinde
From the soil of Northern Nigeria from where grains are sourced, to the bubbling breweries in the South that bottle joy, and finally to your glass, beer is more than just a beverage. It is a cultural artefact, a celebration of local entrepreneurship, and it is a sustainable force of development. As the world observes International Beer Day, what better time to spotlight the engine room of this golden industry: Nigeria’s local beer supply chain
The Nigerian beer industry is one of the most dynamic in Africa, and caters to over 200 million consumers. Yet, beyond the stream of iconic labels and festival commercials, lives a vibrant ecosystem that adds value. Farmers, transportation engineers, marketers, bar owners, recyclers, and innovators, are reliant on beer production and delivery for gainful employment.
Sourcing fresh grains from Nigerian farmers makes beer companies contributors to rural economic development, supporters of agronomic innovation and diversification, and a means of reducing import dependency. Local sourcing alleviates food security and supports the building blocks of industrial self-reliance. Opening a bottle of beer in essence, is a silent salute to the thousands of farmers working across the rich, fertile lands of Nigeria
Beer binds cultures together, whether being toasted at a naming ceremony in Abeokuta or downed at the end of a long day in Jos, beer has become a nexus of community across tribes, religions, and class. Beer unifies people, encourages conversations, and often plays a backseat role in defining moments in one’s life.
Beyond that, beer tells an indigenous Nigerian story. From the packaging that pays tribute to our heritage, to advertisements that mirror our humor, odds, and wins, beer serves as a lens into our identity. In many ways, when people engage with beer, they are not merely consuming it; they are experiencing it.
This layered value chain is also a training ground. Often, breweries will up skill employees with technical skills training, workplace safety protocols, and environmental sustainability, which means they are producing a skilled national workforce. It is an ecosystem where blue-collar and white-collar roles intersect, providing a balanced socio-economic impact.
Beer production today is being managed with the environment in mind. Increasingly Nigerian beer companies are looking to use renewable energy; treat wastewater; and implement circular packaging. Grains can be repurposed to animal feed, glass bottles recycled, and even introducing new technologies such as lighter-weight cans to mitigate carbon emissions. These actions are more than just corporate responsibility; they are commitments to Nigeria’s future.
As we raise our glasses high this International Beer Day, we must recognize the leg of the journey from seed to sip. Beer is more than a drink; it is an industry that provides families with food and shelter, builds communities, shapes culture, and now, takes into account its footprint on the planet. The local supply chain is not only strong but also strategic!
In celebrating and supporting this industry, we do not just celebrate a product, we celebrate potential, resilience, and the Nigerian spirit of enterprise.
Mrs Abiola Laseinde is the Executive Director of the Beer Sectoral Group (BSG)
Feature/OPED
7 Delicious Ways to Enjoy More Fresh Vegetables Daily

By Diana Tenebe
Vegetables are such a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. They play a vital role in maintaining good health as they are low in calories and fat; contributing to various aspects of well-being, including improved digestion, reduced risk in chronic diseases, and better weight management.
Eating enough fresh vegetables is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, and it can actually be tastier than you think, especially with Nigeria’s abundant fresh produce. Here are 7 delicious ways you can incorporate more vibrant, wholesome goodness into your daily menus.
1. Elevate Your Soups and Stews: This is the usual way you know to add vegetables to your meals. But beyond the usual, you can add extra leafy greens like ugu (fluted pumpkin), shoko, efo, or even a handful of chopped spinach or kale to your egusi, ogbono, or even light soup. Don’t forget bell peppers, carrots, and spring onions for extra flavor and nutrients. Nigerian soups are already vegetable-heavy; simply upping the quantity and variety makes a significant difference without altering the core dish.
2. Boost Your Rice and Pasta Dishes: You can turn your Jollof rice, fried rice, or even a simple white rice accompaniment into a veggie powerhouse. Sauté a medley of diced carrots, green beans, sweet corn, peas, and bell peppers, then stir them in. For pasta, add zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms to your sauce. These additions provide texture, color, and a nutrient punch, making familiar dishes more exciting and wholesome.
3. Reinvent Your Breakfast Eggs: Whether you’re making scrambled eggs, an omelette, or egg sauce, load it with finely chopped tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, spinach, or even shredded cabbage. This is a quick and easy way to start your day with a serving of vegetables, adding freshness and flavor to a breakfast staple.
4. Make More Salad a Main Event (or a Strong Side): Go beyond the basic coleslaw. Combine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Add some boiled eggs, grilled chicken or fish, or even boli (roasted plantain) for a more filling meal. Drizzle with a light vinaigrette or a homemade dressing. Salads offer raw, unadulterated nutrients and can be incredibly refreshing, especially in Nigeria’s climate.
5. Snack Smart with Veggie Sticks and Dips: Cut carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers (various colours), and even garden eggs into easy-to-munch sticks. Pair them with a healthy dip like groundnut paste thinned with a little water and spices, or a simple homemade avocado dip. It’s a convenient and crunchy alternative to processed snacks, providing fiber and vitamins. Perfect for mid-day cravings.
6. Incorporate Them into Your Swallows (Eba, Fufu, Amala): While your soup already has vegetables, consider side dishes. A small bowl of lightly steamed or sautéed greens like tete or ugwu can accompany your main soup and swallow. Or, finely grate vegetables like carrots into your amala flour before preparation for a subtle addition. This method subtly increases your vegetable intake with dishes that are central to Nigerian cuisine.
7. Grill or Roast Them for a Flavorful Side: Slice eggplant, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and even large mushrooms. Toss them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favourite Nigerian spices (like a touch of yaji for a kick), then grill or roast until tender and slightly caramelized. Grilling or roasting brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables, creating a delicious and satisfying side dish for grilled fish, chicken, or even rice.
By trying these simple yet effective methods, you can easily and deliciously boost your daily vegetable intake, leading to a healthier and more vibrant lifestyle!
Diana Tenebe is the Chief Operating Officer of Foodstuff Store
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