Inaugural Brand Africa 100 awards ceremony was held Thursday, 29 September 2011 by Brand South Africa, and Brand Leadership Academy in South Africa.

Brand Africa 100, according to the organisers, is based on a multi-tier methodology that incorporates qualitative, quantitative and secondary research. Developed by the Brand Leadership Academy in partnership with TNS and Brand Finance plc, this seminal research has set the standard for brand evaluation on the continent.

The valuation also takes into consideration how brands are evaluated by both consumers and investors, taking into consideration how consumer affinity for brands translates into value for the investors. It was conducted across Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The results of the Brand Africa 100 awards proved that African brands are gradually making a headway representing 33.7% of all the brands nominated, whilst international brands had 66.3%. A further breakdown of the African results indicate that South African brands represent 24% of the share, Nigerian brands represent 9% with Kenyan brands representing the remaining 1%.

Chairman and Founder of Brand Africa, Thebe Ikalafeng said “one of the primary drivers of Africa’s growth lies in stimulating and growing thriving African and global businesses and brands in Africa”. He added that the inaugural Brand Africa 100 “will signal which brands are getting it right on the continent.”

Oliver Schmitz, managing director of Brand Finance South Africa said that “Brand Africa 100 acknowledges Africa’s most admired and valued brands amongst their world leading global peers. For the first time, African brands are recognised for the brand value they have created on the African continent by embracing and leveraging African values”, adding that “it’s inspiring to see African brands finally taking their place on the world stage and setting a benchmark for the rest of Africa.”

Brands that made the top 10 include  Glo, MTN, Absa, NNPC, Eskom, Shoprite, Dangote, Woolsworths, Pick n Pay and Vodacom while GTB, UBA and First Bank made the top 20.

Today, Fasmicro and Imo State Government through ISIPA (Nigeria) had a joint press conference where the two institutions entertained questions from newsmen on some very important strategic partnerships for the good of the state. Imo State team was led by the Director General/CEO  of ISIPA, Chinedu Okpareke, B.Eng.(FUTO), MBA (Wharton) while Victor Dike (Msc IMSU, EU Fellow) and Agu Chux (BEng ESUTH, JCE) anchored Fasmicro delegation.  Other notable companies also participated including Power House Energy Africa management (www.powerhouseenergy.net), a California energy giant that is visiting the state for investment opportunities.

Please visit Fasmicro for the full photos taken in this event (uploading…). Some of the newsmen in attendance are Senator Onyekwere –Statesman Newspapers,  Immaculat Amadi- Horn Newspapers, Emmanuel Iheaka- Newspoint Newspapers, Goddy Nwachukwu-Announcer Express, among others.

Owerri, Nigeria, October 6, 2011: First Atlantic Semiconductors & Microelectronics (FASMICRO) and Imo State Government through Imo State Investment Promotion Agency (ISIPA) in September, 2011 executed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together and facilitate the penetration of emerging technologies in Imo State and Nigeria in general.  Through this partnership, FASMICRO will provide technical leadership and advisory services on some key strategic projects for the state that will help transform it into a technology hub of Eastern Nigeria in line with the Rescue Mission project of the new administration. ISIPA on its part will drive the entrepreneurship framework making sure that any technology plan is well executed to be sustainable, profitable and rewarding to the citizens.

As a respected hi-tech company that was recently commended by the Nigerian government through the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, in a letter dated August 8, 2011, FASMICRO treasures the effort of the state government to extend the hands of partnership with a local company towards developing sustainable technology capability. The experience garnered over the years will be made available in many projects which FASMICRO has already started working with ISIPA. ISIPA will continue to look for new opportunities and investment instruments that will help build a business-friendly ecosystem which will attract more innovative companies to the state. Together, these two institutions are working to help shape an ambitious technology project that will alter, for good, the destiny of this state.

Also, through this partnership, Imo State will be implementing structures that will make the state attractive for global technology companies to relocate and do business in the state.  Most especially, FASMICRO will help in manpower development as it works with ISIPA in creating an environment where young graduates from Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State University, Alvan Ikoku College of Education, and indeed all the major institutions in the state stay in Imo State upon graduations.

The relationship is already yielding promising results and the Director General of ISIPA, Imo State (Nigeria) Chinedu Okpareke, B.Eng.(FUTO), MBA (Wharton) cannot be happier as he commented: “I have found no investment in Imo State, so masterfully established like FASMICRO, their business is tailored to enhance human effectiveness in our technology-driven world, I am very proud to lead the Government team that is promoting this investment. We will continue to assist FASMICRO and other innovative companies in Imo State, helping them with support and advisory services, as Imo State is transformed into a hi-tech pillar of Nigeria. It is a group of young people, working hard not just to sell products and services, but to also assist in capacity building in the most intensive areas of technology. The Government will continue to work hard to assist any business that wants to make Imo State home to find that opportunity here”

On the part of the technical company, FASMICRO, the firm is committed to collaborate with institutions, both public and private as we all work hard to build Imo. The Business Development Manager, Mr. Victor Dike (MSc, IMSU), noted that “FASMICRO is a company of its type, offering services and solutions, that few companies in Africa could offer. FASMICRO remains the only African company with a broad mobile app store and the only IC IP design house in sub-Saharan Africa with global networks. From software, app, embedded systems and website design and hosting for both local and international organizations, FASMICRO has created products which are used not just in top Nigerian banks, but also the Nigerian Presidency and seat of Nigerian military power. Our Ovim tablet is the tablet of choice by our leaders and we are honored to have developed Nigeria-centric mobile apps that delight them. Everyone loves the Constitution in our Ovim. Recently, Clam Magazine & Films, a Paris based company, awarded us the job of structuring their digital assets – films and video. We have created a new business segment in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions through our Lab Outsource and other solutions that not just meet the needs of our clients, but exceed their expectations. We sincerely commend ISIPA for their vision as we look forward to working with the team to make IMO the best.”

In coming months, you will be hearing more from us as we work together to make Rescue Mission a reality. We remain optimistic that more technology companies will move to Owerri and take advantage of concentration of universities, nearby airports, well educated society, and indeed a supportive administration that wants to make IMO a tech giant.

About FASMICRO

FASMICRO is a fully incorporated knowledge company with Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission. It has a team of engineers, policy experts and economists who are poised to use emerging technology diffusion to create the next future in Africa, starting from Nigeria. It does design, advisory, research, training in microelectronics, embedded systems, apps, web and software. FASMICRO has business offices in London, Boston, Owerri and Lagos with representatives in almost all major cities in Nigeria. For more about FASMICRO, visit www.fasmicro.com

About ISIPA

ISIPA proactively markets Imo State, internationally, regionally and locally as an attractive investment “heartland” that offers an array of investment opportunities. The investment promotion efforts of the agency are geared towards attracting the right type of investors that will positively contribute to the long term development of Imo State. ISIPA seeks to generate investments that will diversify the economic base of Imo State, in line with its mission statement and enabling law. For more about ISIPA, visit http://www.investinimo.com/

Photo (top): Mr. Chinedu Okpareke, B.Eng.(FUTO), MBA (Wharton) , the DG/ISIPA chats  with newsmen.

Phone (2nd top):  Photo with some of the participants. Fasmicro Agu Chux is 2nd Left while Fasmicro Victor Dike is first Right. Mr. Opkareke is 3rd Left.

We report that the Press Conference went very well.  Photos and the official press release will be posted on Tekedia very soon. We are still speaking with some journalists and the professional camera man that covered the event. Also we are very lucky that some investors are in the state looking at some opportunities. They made time to attend this program.

First Atlantic Semiconductors and Microelectronics (Fasmicro ), our parent company, will hold a joint press conference with Imo State Government, Nigeria on Thursday, October 6, 2011 in Owerri, tomorrow.

On  Sept 9, 2011, Fasmicro signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the state. More than 18 journalists are coming and Fasmicro and the state will unveil a new partnership where the government is using a Nigerian company to build the state.

Venue: Fasmicro Design Center, 124a Okigwe Rd, Owerri, Nigeria

Time: 10am

No invitation is necessary, this is an open press conference.