By Funmilayo Adeyemi

Nigerian leaders and chief executive officers have been urged to make maximum use of their remote workforce to achieve greater productivity in 2024.

The call was made by Caroline Lucas, Director Special Projects of the British leadership development organisation, TEXEM UK on the organisation’s website www.texem.co.uk.

Lucas said towards this end, TEXEM would organize a hybrid programme for the leaders both in Nigeria and the UK.

“The programme tagged “Effective Leadership in a Distributed World: Pioneering Enduring Legacies” will equip organisations for effective remote leadership in a changing work landscape.

“The programme emphasises building trust, enhancing productivity, and optimising leadership communication to boost morale and optimise performance.

“This programme inspires leaders in better ways on how to help their organisations gain a competitive edge by optimising their remote workforce,” she explained.

Lucas said that through improved competence on how to enhance remote leadership, the programme would help spur better employee retention and save costs for organisations.

She added that the programme from March 25 to March 27, will improve organisational resilience, ensuring lasting success and sustainability.

Faculty expected to deliver papers at the programme include Prof. Roger Delves,
Professor of Practice in Leadership, and Associate Dean Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School.

Roger Delves is an Oxford trained Professor. He became a board leader at age 30 and has helped hundreds of organisations to optimise their leadership quotient.

Prof. Paul Griffith is also expected, another Professor of Practice and the Senior Vice President of Products at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School.

Griffith is a business leader responsible for developing and implementing international strategies to deliver significant profit and revenue growth wit extensive experience in leading culture change to deliver new service capabilities and business innovation.

Another prominent faculty is Amb. Charles Crawford, the founding partner of The Ambassador Partnership LLP, a communication and negotiation specialist and public speaking expert.

A qualified barrister and mediator, Crawford draws on 28 years of experience in the UK diplomatic service, much of it spent in former communist central and Eastern Europe.

“This isn’t just a programme; it’s your voyage of self-discovery, collaboration, and transformation. Embrace the future of learning, where knowledge is lived and experienced. Welcome to a world of endless exploration and growth.

“This programme also offers a unique hybrid option, combining virtual sessions with a three-day UK immersion experience. Participants would enjoy a day of tourist visits and two days of immersive training.

“TEXEM’s tested and proven methodology comprising of case studies will be deployed during the programme to encourage participants to enhance their cognitive skills, improve their analytical rigour, evaluation skills, and assist them in managing ambiguity better,” Lucas said.

The director stated that benefits of the programme to stakeholders, customers, local communities, suppliers and others are numerous.

“They will benefit from enhanced collaboration as virtual engagement fosters collaboration among stakeholders, leading to improved decision-making.

“There is also cost savings, as reduced travel and operational costs contribute to financial efficiency for both bottom and top lines.

“Increased productivity will be recorded because virtual interactions often lead to more focused and efficient meetings, boosting overall productivity,” she said.

Lucas said there is the global reach advantage as virtual engagement allows for participation from stakeholders worldwide, expanding market opportunities.

“Quick response to market changes becomes possible through virtual collaboration, aiding adaptability in challenging times.

“Remote engagement can enhance job satisfaction, contributing to employee retention and reducing turnover costs.

“Flexible scheduling is made possible because virtual interactions accommodate diverse time zones, promoting flexibility and accessibility for all stakeholders,” she said.

The TEXEM director said that virtual platforms can stimulate creative thinking and innovation among stakeholders.

On environmental impact, Lucas said that reduced travel translates to a smaller carbon footprint, aligning with sustainability goals.

“Virtual engagement enables organizations to scale operations without significant infrastructure investments.

“Data-driven decisions could be made as virtual tools provide data analytics, facilitating informed decision-making for both bottom and top lines.

“Virtual interactions enhance customer relationships, fostering loyalty and revenue growth,” she said.

Lucas listed other benefits as crisis resilience, enhancement of brand reputation, accessibility and adaptability.

At the end of the programme, delegates are expected to develop excellent skills that will help them better understand and manage human resources in their organisation in a more distributed work environment.

Some past delegates from Nigeria gave testimonials on similar programmes organized by TEXEM.

“I like the way the programme was structured, more often most programme would have had the guided tour on the last day which more often than not does not allow for full participation.

“But this one came on the first day and was an eye opener with the lecturer that was organised with it and allowed full participation of the participants and it eventually allowed for better bonding going into the programme.

“In the world of business uncertainty, the theme of the programme was very apt which was sustainability and resilience, and it is important for a company to continue to be a growing concern because those are the key issues that we need to look at.

“There were a lot of exposures from the faculties that came to give us an overview, and it was participatory, it was something that gave us the opportunity to provide the solutions ourselves and not given to us,” Shobo Ademoye, Director, LASACO Assurance PLC said.

“I’m not surprised because I know the pedigree of TEXEM. The beautiful thing about TEXEM is that they adapt their training courses to take into cognisance the Environment in which they operate,” Kolade Aiyelabola, Associate Director, Oak Pensions, said.

“Highly interactive and very practical. High profile speakers with an excellent pedigree and track record of professional achievements. Provided networking among participants,” Dayo Babatunde, Senior Partner, Ernst and Young said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Razak Owolabi

Nigerians have been increasingly using cryptocurrency in recent years. As reported by Punch, one of the main reasons for rapid crypto adoption growth within the country is due to peer-to-peer transactions, which streamlines the transfer of assets without needing a middleman. This has also increased the appeal of crypto for Nigerian residents, with crypto use increasing up to 21% in the past year and 27% of locals owning crypto by 2022.

However, it is important to note that the significant rise in the use of crypto is also spurred by different factors that have led to continuous growth into Q4 of 2023. Read on to learn more about Nigerian crypto use and what the country’s relationship with digital currencies may look like moving forward.

Nigeria’s relationship with crypto

Cryptocurrency became popular in Nigeria for a number of reasons. Despite being Africa’s biggest economy, the country has seen consistent inflation that peaked at 26.72%, and people are struggling to keep up. These economic and social challenges in the country prompted some people to turn towards crypto investments, which offer more inclusive opportunities to thrive financially.

In fact, an article from ZAWYA shows that a lack of access to more traditional forms of finance thus encouraged a number of Nigerians to use less conventional transaction options. For most locals, it is easier to access cryptocurrencies and start trading rather than going to the bank to open a fiat account. One only needs access to the internet to invest or trade in crypto as a hedge against inflation and to create promising gains that can sustain their needs and lifestyle.

Increased access to reliable trading tools is also a significant factor behind the country’s thriving crypto market, as Nigerians can rely on these to successfully execute their transactions. Take MetaTrader 4 (MT4), a popular tool available on most trading platforms. Its automatic trading features make it easier to track analytical operations on the financial markets and maximise opportunities. Meanwhile, sites like CoinmarketCap are great resources for those who need to know the real-time values of various cryptocurrencies. Since tools like these are easily accessible via smartphone, Nigerians can more effectively navigate the crypto market—and that may be encouraging more widespread crypto use.

Even the national government now recognises that crypto has vast potential as a financial asset. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) introduced a taxation on crypto use in 2022, effectively treating it like any other security available that residents can trade or invest in. This recognition has only bolstered crypto use in the country, with Nigeria’s crypto market growing in 2023. It’s now the largest cryptocurrency economy within Sub-Saharan Africa.

Future of Nigeria’s crypto use

In addition to crypto, the relationship between Nigeria and other digital currencies continues to flourish. Our previous post discussing the use of eNaira mentions that the government is continuously working to promote greater financial inclusion across the board and help make digital currencies evolve amid economic challenges and fluctuations. Additionally, the government also hopes that the use of digital currencies and assets can help residents improve their financial literacy, which can also enhance the nature of trading within Nigeria.

Furthermore, the presence of crypto startups like Coinzaner helps empower individuals and businesses by giving them cost-effective access to crypto and blockchain technology. In line with this, reports from blockchain firm EMURGO Africa are predicting that Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria are leading the adoption of blockchain and Web 3.0 technologies that can bolster investment opportunities in digital currencies within the country and other parts of Africa.

The promising growth of crypto in Nigeria is also prompting foreign companies like WhiteBIT to expand operations by establishing reliable blockchain technology platforms that can further revolutionise the crypto landscape in the country. With this, one can expect interesting crypto developments in Nigeria for the rest of 2023 and into 2024.