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MarkHack 1.0: LiveBIc Clinches First Prize, as Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group call for Technological Innovation to Disrupt Marketing Landscape

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MarkHack 1.0: LiveBIc Clinches First Prize, as Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group call for Technological Innovation to Disrupt Marketing Landscape

 

MarkHack 1.0: LiveBIc Clinches First Prize, as Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group call for Technological Innovation to Disrupt Marketing Landscape

In what has proven to be game changing and a first-of-its-kind in the Nigerian media and marketing space, winning innovations have emerged at the grand finale of the maiden edition of Nigeria’s first marketing and media Hackathon tagged ‘MarkHack 1.0’ organized by the Eko Innovation Centre in collaboration with GDM Group.

LiveBIc, which comprised Shadrach Akao and Ernest Ogbanefe emerged the overall winners from a list of 10 finalists involved in the pitch at the finals of the hackathon. LiveBIc won the star prize of $10,000 for developing a new platform for content creators to market and deliver their content.

Sprayme clinched the second position and $4,000 prize money for innovating a new way for social gifting and content monetization; Reelbuzz emerged the third winner with $3,000 for creating an intuitive platform that helps brands connect and command higher brand loyalty; Innovatoras took the fourth position as well as $2,000 prize money for directing the leads for businesses and turning them to paying customers and Monify Cookies, fifth position with $1,000 for developing a browser tool that provides its users the ability to block all unsolicited ads and earn money from allowed ads.

The winners and runners-up will also get working space at Eko Innovation Centre, while all ten (10) finalists will have access to join the EIC accelerator program and GITEX Global pitch event in Dubai.

Recall, that the best 10 teams with the most viable concepts went head-to-head at the finale for the $20,000 prize pool and an acceleration programme with up to $50K equity investment to get their products ready for the market among other benefits.

Speaking on the initiative and what inspired it, Victor Afolabi, Founder, of Eko Innovation Centre, and Curator MarkHack 1.0 said, MarkHack 1.0 is a gathering of innovators, entrepreneurs, Policymakers, and Marketing Professionals, to create solutions to real-life Marketing challenges in an intense period of time. Using creativity, technology, and mentoring, resulting in prototypes, fresh new concepts, and innovative usages of tech for Marketing and Media.

He added that “Seeing how technology has disrupted global industries all over the world, we perceived that the marketing and media industry was ripe for disruption.

However, they are two things, it is either we collaborate with stakeholders in the industry to create the disruption we anticipate or we allow disruption to happen to us, and we choose to do the former.”

“The former involves working with over 100 organisations and representatives from the various organisations to co-create together and disrupt that which we anticipate. That co-creation gave birth to what we call MarkHack. We brought together experts in the industry across sectorial groups from clients, agencies, professionals, technology experts, venture capitalists, policymakers, regulators and we all came together to come to create the MarkHack,” he said.

On his part, Hakeem Popoola Fahm, Commissioner of Science and Technology, Lagos State applauded the organizers for the laudable initiative and stated that it is a testament to the success of Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to making Lagos a smart city by digitalizing its operations and providing an enabling environment for technology innovations to be given birth to.

He added that MarkHack 1.0 has shown that Marketers and media practitioners can digitalize operations and the state government would continue to support the ecosystem.

Similarly, the Special Adviser, Innovation and Technology to the Governor of Lagos State, Tubosun Alake said the government has been supporting various research works through Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) across multiple industries including the marketing industry and it won’t rest on its oars in actualizing the smart city agenda of the present administration.

Earlier in the programme, the President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Idorenyen Enang while delivering his keynote address at the event urged marketers to continue to innovate, and know how to use their channels effectively.

He had also emphasized that marketing is not merely about integrated marketing communication, adding that innovators require to follow laid-down principles of marketing.

Similarly, in a fireside chat, Franklin Ozekhome, CEO & Head of Growth, Identiture Africa; Seyi Tinubu, CEO/Chairman, Loatsad Promomedia; and Muyiwa Aleshinloye, Head of Marketing, Wakanow called on marketers to take advantage of technology to grow their brands as Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, and others are being deployed to ease business operations.

The organizers of the event, Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group revealed that over 500 individuals registered to participate in the hackathon from 72 locations, 5 countries (which includes Nigeria, California- USA, Kenya, Pakistan, and London), and 3 continents (Africa, Europe, and North America).

The participants were split into teams of 5 and were required to work together for 3 weeks, brainstorm, and come up with new concepts based on their areas of focus.

They were also sub-grouped into 8 focus areas which include consumer experience, media consumption, consumer recruitment & interaction, trade & retail engagement, analytics and metrics, events marketing, media monetization, and content creation.

Each team pitched their ideas to a respected Jury of experts in the subject matter, and the best 10 teams were picked by the Jurors before only five emerged winners at the grand finale. Overall, the hackathon had 21 Mentors, 30 Selection Jurors, 8 Speakers, and 8 Final Jurors who partook in the event and are the industry’s best with decades of experience in marketing, media, technology, and business management, and others.

The winners were judged by professionals which include Steve Babaeko, CEO/Chief Creative Officer, X3M Ideas & President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria; Iquo Ukoh, Director, Board of Directors, Letshego Microfinance Bank Ltd; Uwem Uwemakpan, Cofounder of Ingressive Capital; Tolulope Tomori Adedeji, Marketing Director, Anheuser-Busch InBev; and Debola Williams, Group CEO at Red Africa.

Others are Joseph Agunbiade, Cofounder, BudgIt; Kayode Oladapo, Assistant Regional Manager for Zone AOA (Africa, Oceania, and Asia), Nestle; and Jide Sipe, Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Ecobank Nigeria.

 

MarkHack 1.0: LiveBIc Clinches First Prize, as Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group call for Technological Innovation to Disrupt Marketing Landscape

Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com

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GTCO vs. Very Dark Man: Why Nigerians Must Stop the Judgment of Emotions

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*GTCO vs. Very Dark Man: Why Nigerians Must Stop the Judgment of Emotions*

By Osho Oluwatosin

The internet has literally been on ‘fire’ since Friday following the arrest of self-acclaimed Nigerian activist, Martins Vincent, also known as Very Dark Man. He was reportedly picked up by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for reasons yet unknown.

While it’s not the first time VeryDarkMan or any prominent Nigerian would be arrested by the EFCC — a government agency not under the authority of any private organization — it seems some Nigerians are passionately trying to push a narrative that his arrest was orchestrated by one of Nigeria’s biggest financial institutions, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO).

Although this narrative isn’t far-fetched — VDM had criticized the bank due to ‘mysterious’ deductions from his mother’s bank account for unjustifiable reasons. He approached the bank’s branch in Abuja to make an official complaint and, afterwards, he was picked up by the EFCC. But what many Nigerians have failed to realize is GTCO may not even be involved in his arrest.

VeryDarkMan was seen in the bank, quite alright, but in a CCTV released by the bank, he was seen moving out of the bank when he finished. He even had a celebrity moment with some of his followers who took pictures with him before he was arrested. So I’m wondering, what has GTB got to do with his arrest? That someone got knocked down by a vehicle after leaving church, does it mean the church orchestrated the accident? That someone got attacked after leaving a lecture room, does it mean the lecturer orchestrated it? That someone even got attacked in a courtroom, does it mean the judge orchestrated it? Absolutely not.

Although it would have been better if the EFCC had come out to clear the air regarding the reason for VDM’s arrest, because in the absence of information, rumours are bound to thrive. In fact, the commission should have actually released a statement regarding these rumours, not to vindicate GTB, but to keep Nigerians informed.

Let’s even think about it logically: what can warrant GTCO to order VDM’s arrest by the EFCC? Did he defraud GTCO? Did he steal from a GTB customer? Did he launder money through a GTB account? These are questions that should be asked before passing judgments. But Nigerians are always emotional when it comes to issues like this, and that’s why people who are culpable in serious crimes get away with anything as long as they get involved in charity or activism.

GTCO has been a very friendly organization, and in 2024 alone, the bank paid a record dividend of N8 per share. The bank is happy, shareholders are happy, customers are happy — who is Very Dark Man?

Osho Oluwatosin is a Nigerian journalist and writes from Lagos.

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Can We Have More Bankers Like Victoria Mulero? An epitome of ‘omoluabi’

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Can We Have More Bankers Like Victoria Mulero? An epitome of ‘omoluabi’

In February of this year, I needed to open a new bank account for salary purposes, as required by the management of the new company I had just joined.

I considered First Bank, Access Bank, and Sterling Bank. After some thought, I chose Sterling Bank—not because I found them superior—but because I believed they had fewer customers, which I hoped would save me from long queues and unnecessary delays.

I visited the Sterling Bank branch at Akowonjo to open the account. Unfortunately, the staff member who attended to me didn’t inspire confidence. She appeared distracted—smiling at her phone, clearly engrossed in a private chat—far from the level of professionalism one would expect in a bank setting. I had a feeling this would lead to problems down the line.

 

When my first salary was paid into the account, my suspicion was confirmed. Sterling Bank restricted access to my funds—I couldn’t transfer money or make withdrawals at the counter. I visited their Fatai Atere branch at Ladipo, Mushin to complain, where I was informed that the account opened for me was a “Kaikai” account—a type I had never heard of. Apparently, this account type is meant for individuals who lack the required documents during account creation. But I had submitted all necessary documents, so why was such an account opened for me?

Can We Have More Bankers Like Victoria Mulero? An epitome of 'omoluabi'

At the Fatai Atere branch, I was attended to by a remarkable banker named Victoria Mulero. She requested my NIN, which I didn’t have on me at the time. Rather than send me back home, she asked if I had a digital copy. I did, and she graciously gave me her email address so I could forward it to her. With that, she resolved the issue promptly and professionally.

However, the following month, in March, the same restriction happened again. I returned to the Fatai Atere branch, and once again, Victoria Mulero handled my complaint with efficiency and kindness, resolving it without delay.

I hoped the matter was finally settled, but when my April salary arrived, the restriction was imposed yet again. This time, I was beyond frustrated and ready to replace Sterling Bank as my salary account. Still, I visited the Fatai Atere branch one last time. Once more, Victoria Mulero resolved the issue with grace and determination.

This write-up is a tribute to Victoria Mulero of Sterling Bank, Fatai Atere branch. She is a rare gem—respectful, diligent, and genuinely customer-focused. She went above and beyond, following up with the Akowonjo branch through calls and emails until the matter was fully resolved. She handled every situation with patience and empathy, treating the job as if the bank belonged to her family.

To be honest, I’ve had unpleasant experiences with many bankers, especially female staff. Too often, they carry personal frustrations into the banking hall and take it out on customers. But Victoria is different. She exemplifies what true customer service should be.

We may not all be the same, but treating people with respect and kindness is a skill that can be learned—and Victoria clearly has. Let’s celebrate her for being a model professional and a beacon of hope in an industry that too often lacks empathy.

Without any fear of contradiction, I say boldly that Victoria Mulero is a good ambassador of Sterling Bank and her parents too deserve encomium for raising a well trained daughter and impacting an attitude of ‘ omoluabi’ in her. We need more of Victoria Mulero in our banking industry.

Seun Jacob Ogunbiyi
Known as Olùkọ́, the therapeutic writer and Lagos based journalist

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Air Peace Airlines’ failure to adhere to scheduled departure times results in prolonged delays …causing undue hardship for Nigerians on board

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Air Peace Airlines' failure to adhere to scheduled departure times results in prolonged delays ...causing undue hardship for Nigerians on board ~Oluwaseun Fabiyi

Air Peace Airlines’ failure to adhere to scheduled departure times results in prolonged delays
…causing undue hardship for Nigerians on board

~Oluwaseun Fabiyi

Traveling is undoubtedly the most effective form of education, enabling individuals to observe human quirks from diverse perspectives

On Saturday, 3rd May 2025, an Air Peace Airlines flight from Akure Airport was delayed, causing undue inconvenience to a Nigerian traveller and a prominent Nigerian man of God, an unfortunate incident that befell the nation’s citizens

Does Nigerian law consider it a criminal offense for travelers to book flights with Air Peace, a leading Nigerian airline, instead of other airlines that fail to depart on schedule, such as remaining at 10am instead of departing at 10am? Certainly, some Nigerian citizens may opt to travel with airlines like Arik, Aero, Dana, rather than Air Peace.

Air Peace Airlines' failure to adhere to scheduled departure times results in prolonged delays
...causing undue hardship for Nigerians on board
~Oluwaseun Fabiyi

It is evident that many Nigerians actually believe Air Peace airline came to rescue Nigerians from the subpar fly-and-die experience of other airlines, such as Dana, which is why many have fallen in love with Air Peace Airlines’ domestic operations

 

Air Peace Airlines’ decision to reschedule a 12:00 flight from Akure in Ondo State to 3:00 on Saturday, 3rd May 2025, has been met with disappointment from some affected Nigerian passengers, who deem this change unreasonable and unjustified.

Nigeria is hindered by self-imposed challenges that impede our collective advancement. I remain optimistic that future leadership will emerge, focusing on nuanced details that cumulatively enhance the lives of citizens, including access to housing, affordable food, petrol, quality healthcare, and a decent standard of living. The fact that we produce rice, only to have its price inflated by some, thereby rendering it unaffordable, is a pressing concern

It is baffling to me why some people or airlines deliberately provide poor services, causing undue hardship for their passengers, without taking the courtesy to apologize

How can passengers ensure they arrive at Akure Airport by 10 a.m. to catch a 12 p.m. flight from Akure to Lagos and complete check-in as usual

Only for them to fall victim to an extremely harrowing experience. The first indication was the outrage of a passenger at the Nigeria Air Peace counters. He yelled at the ticketing officials that his time had been wasted by three hours and demanded to be refunded his money, as his business was equally affected.

The scene was remarkably congested, and indeed there was an exceedingly large number of passengers traveling to Lagos on this particular Air Peace flight.Which none of them can comprehend what could cause a delay from 12 O’clock to 3:15 pm, without considering individuals with an assignment or occasion in Lagos, is so crazy and devastating.

*How Passengers suffer through endless delays waiting for Air Peace aircraft.*

Accordingly, they embarked on an extended wait after Air Peace notified them that the flight had been postponed by an hour. Ultimately, the delay proved to be three hours, with the flight arriving at 3:30 pm, followed by the commencement of boarding procedures

On a final note the Nigerian aviation industry, including airlines, can certainly improve their treatment of fellow Nigerians

Onboard passengers display concern and raise eyebrows.

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