Yesterday, after John Iruaga had finished his Twitter learning session, I went out to the February networking event of the British African Federation (BAF). Topics included:investments; Business Safari Missions; low-cost migrant remittances, micro-finance, micro-savings and currency exchange; business match-making and mentoring; a new weapon against mosquitos (and cockroaches); tractors and a trade mission. As a result there are introductions to make and activities I would like to see happen.
BAF
David Smith (BAF chairman) started off by reviewing the objectives of the British African Federation. It is still a very young organsiation so I can't direct you to a website. However the presentation he showed us could serve as a useful online introduction. I didn't think to ask if he has published it yet as a Google presentation or similar. Perhaps I will be able to edit it in here later as a live link. Alternatively you can find out more by visiting BAF on Facebook or BAF on LinkedIn
Investment
David illustrated BAF's objectives by telling us about some successful initiatives that have already happened. For a start he has been able to link up some businesses with some investors. He wants to do more of this. My mind immediately went to Marcus Simmons and projects needing investment that he wrote about after coming back from Nigeria a couple of months ago.
Zipp Card
David is head of marketing for Zipp Card Solutions Ltd, whose mission statement is: To make Zipp the inclusive and preferred medium globally for low-cost migrant remittances, micro-finance, micro-savings and currency exchange.
It would be much cheaper and more convenient than present solutions, so I look forward to being able to use it between UK and Nigeria as soon as it is established there.
Business Safaris
David spoke about BAF's Business Safari Missions. He described the plight of British business men in African hotels killing time at weekends etc, with no opportunity to connect with the local community and learn about the realities of the country.
I thought about John Dada and the team in Kafanchan (AKA Fantsuam) only two hours drive from Abuja, and the rich social mix of people I have met through my visits to Fantsuam, the many places I have visited, and how much I have learned about how things really are in Nigeria. I wondered if we could extend the BAF Business Safaris to Abuja-Kafanchan.
Skills Venture in Kenya
Will Snell described Skills Venture which runs and manages a complementary prgoramme - a business match-making and mentoring programme in Kenya. It give Uk business people a chance to visit Kenya for a few weeks, and pair up with business people there - to pool knowledge and experience and help the local business to move on.
I thought of my various friends and contacts in Kenya, and immediately remembered a chat with Samwel Kongere about his plans to develop his land at Rusinga Island and his questions about the possibility of getting a VSO volunteer to help him (which proved to be impractical).Skills Venture looks like a possible alternative.
Nigerian business development
Then Will's colleague Rob Breare (who has a marketing background) described his experiences mentoring a small food processing business in Kenya, and acting as a sounding board for the owner. She was full of excellent creative ideas for expansion but lacked knowledge of working with supermarkets (her desired next step) something where Rob has pelnty of experience.
I thought of some of the businesses (and business ideas) that I know of at Fantsuam . I imagined how the people concerned there might benefit from a similar opportunity to share ideas and make detailed plans for operating at a new level of success. I wondered if Skills Venture has any plans to extend into Nigeria. Will and I plan to meet to explore areas of overlapping interest.
Mozzi-Mort
Another follow up I want to do from last night's meeting is Mozzi-Mort. This is a liquid to paint on internal walls - and if mosquitoes walk over the walls then they are killed. Even more impressive to someone like me who is a total wimp about creepy crawlies, if you paint it on the floor then it will kill the cockroaches. It is for homes, businesses, clinics and so on and is expected to last for two years or more. - but if it really works I'll be hoping for a spray can version for travellers' use. In my imagination, in every new dubious location, I would surround my bed with a moat of the stuff before settling down to sleep.
It is still early days for this product so it has yet to be widley distributed. However it has been tested at the London School of Hygeine and tropical Medicine, so comes well recommended. Philip Amoah of Biotech International was telling us about it and we started to discuss the possibility of getting samples to try out in demonstration locations in Nigeria. It seems possible - worth exploring with him in more detail and mentioning to the team on the ground.
Tractors and trade mission
The other two items covered at the meeting were The Massey Furgusson Agricultural Development Initiative (Tractors) and a Trade Mission to Uganda, 23rd to 28th May. I was interested to learn more about Uganda, as I know people there, but have never visited. The tractor initiative was of possible relevance as it could point the way to cheaper tractors - I know John would like a tractor - but I am not sure how big teh gap remains between "cheaper" and "affordable".
Country representatives and more diaspora links
David usually mentions country representatives and more diaspora links at some point, and yesterday my thoughts went to Femi Longe and also to the people who have attended his New Ideas for Africa meetings in London. Femi is currently working in Nigeria but perhaps he will be interested when he gets back. I'm not expecting to see him online much while he is working there, unless he goes up to Kaduna state and fits in a visit to Fantusam (Though, it si a small world - to my surprise, at February First Thursday I picked up news of him from my friend Florence, who works in Lagos).
At some point we should get the word out about BAF to the people who attended New Ideas for Africa.
Next meeting
Next BAF meeting will probably be in March - last Thursday of the month again - but these details have yet to be confirmed. I definitely hope to be there.