Grooming apps developers into entrepreneurs

To help the Nigerian economy by providing self employment for tech-savvy individuals, Verve International, Microsoft, Nokia and Mobile Monday Nigeria have partnered to breed many new sets of IT entrepreneurs.

This is being done as a contest centred around the use of the new Verve Payment SDK with Nigerian apps on Nokia phones to enhance in-app payment. Though the submission of entries has just closed in the current round of competition, tech-savvy individuals are encouraged to continue developing apps they could submit in subsequent contests as the competition would be held regularly. Winners of the contest would be provided marketing support so they can generate income from the apps, establish fully as apps development firms and create employment for others.

Shina Oyetosho, developer and platform evangelism director, Anglophone West Africa, Microsoft, weekend in Lagos, at a breakfast meeting sponsored by Verve International, called on other developers who did not submit entries in this round of competition to avail themselves of the opportunity in future competitions.

Oyetosho said: “We would be able to monetise the impulsive buyer,” explaining that oftentimes, when potential customers see products online that they wanted, the lack of a prompt and effective means of making that purchase usually led to no purchase as the desire of the impulsive buyer for the item might not be as strong afterwards. Therefore, the ability to make purchases would ensure that the apps developer and the organisation(s) they have developed the apps for would make more money as a result.

Oremeyi Akah, country director, Verve International, said at the meeting that the payment solution developed by Verve International was made in Africa for Africa and aimed at filling the gap in online payment solution for Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. She said: “It is to empower entrepreneurs. We are enabling the Nigerian developer to build apps. We are very proud that something great is coming out of Nigeria.”

Tomi Davies, chairman, Mobile Monday Nigeria, said the four companies were encouraging apps developers to bring commercially viable applications to the market so they could start to monetise their apps. “It is the first of its kind in Africa, a payment structure that developers can take advantage of. We should celebrate ourselves when we are innovative,” said Davies.

Some of the apps developed by these tech-savvy individuals with payment systems to be powered by Verve and available only in the Windows Phone Store for Nokia phone include Cinemas – an apps that allows one to know about the movies showing now and films premiering soon in theatres around Nigeria. Dice-shooter – is a money gambling app. It is more of a modal game play. Mobile OES – Mobile Online Exams Simulation is a complete student management system providing e-tutorial/e-coaching system, etc. It brings transparency into education. Arik Air – it provides the ease and convenience of searching, selecting and booking flights anywhere, any time so as to end the waiting to buy air tickets.

MSHOP – this can be used to find things near the person doing the search. Ask the Lawyer – this provides users ability to interact with a vast database of legal content in Nigeria. It provides access to contents from records of court judgement in Nigeria, legislations, rules of court, case summaries, etc.

StackedMarket – it connects sellers and buyers of goods and services in a safe, secured and effective manner. Trivia Monkey – this is the biggest and best trivia game on the windows phone store with over 1,000 questions. Naija Store – allows users to download e-books and listen to audio messages from top pastors in Nigeria on mobile, get the Sunday and special event audio sermons, etc. Save A Life – is crowd-funding platform for life threatening medical cases involving indigent patients.

OLUYINKA ALAWODE