Tfhost: Small business owners must create a working website.
By Punarimam Fehintola
Nigeria have always have issues of unemployment as over 70% of Nigerians are unemployed . This issue has become so worrisome as a nation with such unemployed population should be able to have a working plan for the youths who are the majority in the society and who have the vibrancy to work to enhance development in any given society.
Small and medium enterprise is another factor to channel unemployment but is also faced with lack of capital and infrastructure to help these businesses grow in the fastest way possible.
The united bank for Africa through its foundation and global partnership organised a forum known as UBA market place that brings in over 100 small businesses in Africa to create more contacts for more business opportunities and make sales to grow their business opportunities.
The market place was created for free both online and physical presence of business owners and prospective buyers to help boost the Nigerian economy .
The Group Managing Director of UBA Kenneth Uzoka said it is important for Nigerians to understand that capital is key but it is no longer taking premonition because technology is now making things easier for businesses.
“You can boost your market without having to pay rent before it not possible. UBA is trying to bridge the gab by bringing business owners together to enhance growth and also boost the economy”
“We have an SME desk in the banks now to see how we can support SMEs”
” we are bringing financial learning to the foe which is a huge gap for young business owners, they must be able to understand real profit and gross profit so that their business can grow and be a global brand”
Tfhost is a division of Trefoil Networks LTD that provides hosting and web related services, ranging from hosting, domain names registration, SSL certificate and lots more. It’s leading domain name registrar and hosting company in accredited Registrar for .NG domains and was recently recognized by NiRA as the best hosting company.
Trefoil Networks LTD is a full service data communication, e-solution, media and broadcast service provider. Incorporated in Nigeria and licensed by the NCC and NBC, with over 15years of operational experience which has provided reliable uninterrupted satellite, wireless, fibre, internet service, web, multimedia and network service and solution for individual, institutions, Organization, Government, Business industries and domestic users across every state in Nigeria, west and central Africa. It has five division. Tfnet, Tfmediacast, OurTv, TFhost, and Tes respectively.
Tfhost provides the best Enterprise web hosting services, with service and storage solution of the highest quality in an exceptional environment. It further offers shared hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated hosting based in Abuja the Federal Capital and “hosted locally which is one of the edges we have over every other hosting company in Nigeria,” as stated by the end Advisor Tfhost Mr. Rotimi Onifade.
He further said, “you rarely find a hosting company that hosts their own hosting data in Nigeria.
“Hosting a website in Nigeria is a big task and a challenge in the sense that we work with constant electricity and internet. The reason we resolved to do this is because we want websites to deliver and be responsive to Nigerians like where one is using a Nigeria internet telecommunication like MTN, spectranet, etc. your websites can deliver to you speedily unlike those who host outside the country, their files travels globally before it can be delivered to their website and all this is where printing stop. Nigerian businesses will need to take over the online business because online communities grow by-the-minute, which we as a nation will need to take advantage of these opportunities to expand which will add to our branding,” he added.
“We have been recognised because of the accolade we got in the industry. For instance, we got the best hosting company in 2018 and in 2019 got it back-to-back which very limited companies can enjoy these privileges. Patronage has been excellently good and we have been on a free promo where all you need is a free domain and the rest is history,” Onifade said.
According to the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo charged young Africans to strive to turn around the continent’s fortune through entrepreneurship development.
The theme of the 2019 forum: ‘Empowering African Entrepreneurs’ was apt considering the urgent need for African youths to conquer their economic and environmental challenges through startup entrepreneurships capitals.
While lauding the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) for assisting Africans, he said that, “the TEF, arguably the largest gathering of entrepreneurs, policymakers, and business leaders across the continent has over the years, empowered thousands of African entrepreneurs who receive annually $5,000 non-refundable seed capital through its $100 million Entrepreneurship Programme.
At the event, Osinbajo charged African leaders on the urgent need to provide an opportunity for young entrepreneurs in the continent, so that they can as private sector, continued to enhance the transformation of power that modern technology has provided.
He said, “Multitudes of young Africans who have refused to wallow in self-pity and frustration have realized that conquering of the challenges of the environments is the milestone to outstanding success.
“Although, our continent has continued to be defined by the unsavory and an unwholesome story which do not often accurately represent the realities of life and opportunities abound.
“We should be mindful of the fact that the challenge to create an enabling environment for all of these young entrepreneurs to thrive rest on our shoulders as leaders,” Osinbajo added.
The vice president went on to describe the present generation of African youths as the “Smartest that has ever lived”
Speaking, the President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said, “Africa cannot keep postponing her liabilities into the future, saying the continent “has risen”.
“About 12 to 13 million people enter the market every year and cannot find jobs. Worst still, by 2050, Africa will have about 800 young people and a billion people by 2060.
“In view of this, I think it’s time for African leaders to create youth entrepreneurship and investment banks for African youths so that we can begin to change from youth empowerment to youth investment,” he stated.
Earlier, the founder TEF, Mr Tony Elumelu said that the private sector holds the key to unlocking Africa’s economic potential.
He therefore tasked young Africans, saying that the stage is set for them to take.
The Head, Retail Banking UBA Mr. Jude Anele described entrepreneur as one who starts a business and takes it into the commercial market with the mindset to create a market. Adding that, “the major key problem they have is to access capital or finance. For me, if you commence in creating a business then you will succeed in accessing funds to start off.
“An entrepreneur must be innovative because putting a good technology and access to infrastructure challenges are in disguise opportunities for them.”
He disclosed, “we have the women foundation scheme online, 25% below the market scale. We create space for where entrepreneurs can work to have an enabling environment to access the market.
“UBA is seen as an African bank, the entrepreneur finance scheme is across the whole branches in Africa. Adding, he said entrepreneurship is about business and creative work where investors will seek one out. For instance, TEF is offering grants to entrepreneurs while UBA grants on the loan side. The scheme concentrates on young entrepreneurs in the area of ICT, Creative industry, fashion, etc. giving a 10year loan at just 5%.”
While on the other hand, the CEO wakanow Mr. Obinna Okezie encouraged entrepreneurs by sharing his early years of struggles and challenges to achieve the heights he has to this present day.
“Creating solutions is as important as making money because as a former staff working with UBA, I took the advantage of the loops in the economy to start, in order to be able to create jobs and expand the business across the shores of Nigeria.”
Okezie charged every entrepreneur to be truthful to the reality of situation around them and to also be persistent.
The occasion was also graced by invited Presidents: Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC, Uganda vice president, Dr. Ruhakano Ruganda and Group Managing Director of the United Bank for Africa, Kennedy Uzoka,
The governors of Kwara, Ekiti, Kebbi and Niger states were also in attendance.
