ARM commences the ARM LABS INNOVATION PROGRAM

ARM Labs Innovation Programme

ARM Labs Innovation Programme

The ARM Group in partnership with Greentec Capital Partners announces the commencement of the ARM Labs Innovation program.

Formerly known as LABS by ARM Accelerator Program and recently changed to ARM Labs Innovation Program, the program is designed to support ARM’s mission to fund compelling Nigerian fintech startups in the incubation stage. These startups should be poised to solve key problems in innovative ways within the financial industry and introduce ideas that transform how users access and consume financial services.

Through this program, ARM will support the selected startups to commercialise and grow the distribution of products and services.

During this 7-week Innovation program, each FinTech startup will be engaged intensively in a series of activities including advisory and mentorship sessions amongst others, all aimed at exponentially advancing the growth of their companies within the short time frame.

The ARM Group will make an investment of $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars) for 6% equity to each of the 5 selected startups and provide them with office workspace as an additional benefit to assist with their business operations.

ARM Labs Innovation Programme

ARM Holding Company Ltd Renovates Onikan General Hospital’s COVID-19 Outpatient Clinic, Donates Medical Equipment

As part of our commitment to supporting the communities in which we conduct business, ARM Holding Company Limited, on the 4th of December 2020, delivered to the Lagos State Government a renovated COVID-19 Outpatient Clinic section at the Onikan General Hospital, along with state-of-the-art medical equipment.

The donation is in support of the Lagos State Government’s effort against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Part of the medical equipment donated by ARM includes the Mirasol Pathogen Reduction Technology System, which is said to be the first of its kind in West Africa.

The Mirasol Pathogen Reduction Technology System for platelets and plasma uses riboflavin and UV light to introduce irreparable lesions into nucleic acids, thereby inhibiting pathogen and white blood cell replication and reducing the load of infectious pathogens.

Present at the official handing over and commissioning ceremony of the renovated health centre was the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, CEO and Deputy CEO of ARM Holding Company Limited,  Ms Jumoke Ogundare and Mr Sadiq Muhammed, MD ARM Academy, Ms Uche Azubuike, Medical Director of Onikan General Hospital, Dr Biyi Kufo, and other staff of the hospital.

Speaking at the handing over and commissioning event, Group CEO of ARM Holding Company Limited, Ms Jumoke Ogundare emphasised the need for corporate organisations like ARM to stand with the Government in fighting the COVID-10 Pandemic.

She said, “This is an important initiative for us, and we are all aware of the havoc COVID 19 pandemic has caused, not only in Nigeria, but in other parts of the world, and therefore, it’s time for organisations like ARM to step up and do the right time in taking care of its community. So we are particularly pleased that we have been able to do this.

We hope this will make a big difference in ensuring that COVID-19 is completely eradicated in our community. Hopefully, going forward, this facility will be used for other things as well.”

In his keynote address, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, thanked ARM for its continuous contribution and support to the state. He said the Mirasol Pathogen Reduction Technology System donated by ARM has been on the top of the state’s Wishlist for a long time. He said the system is the first of its kind in West Africa.

He said, “This is a very valuable contribution in many ways, and the Lagos State Government on behalf of incident commander, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we are very grateful to the corporate social response of ARM in the Lagos state COVID-19 strategy. This will go a long way in ensuring Lagos State completely eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that our communities are safe for all of us”.

Riparian Farms Limited Gives Back to The Community

On the 31st of March, Riparian Farms Limited, a subsidiary of Asset & Resource Management Holding Company (ARM HoldCo.), officially handed over the CSR projects initiated to improve the learning environment for the Baptist School, Tibo, and Baptist School, Olorunda, both in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In 2020, Riparian Farms Limited (RFL), a subsidiary of ARM HoldCo, saw the need to embark on this initiative to provide a better toilet facility for the students and teachers at both schools in support of a more conducive and appealing learning environment and to improve the living standards for the community through the provision of potable water supply.

This initiative is part of ARM’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an organization committed to building communities and supporting youth empowerment.

The Director, Riparian Farms Limited, Ms Uche Azubuike thanked the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for their support in making this initiative a reality. She also added, “ We look forward to new opportunities to keep making a positive impact for as long as we operate within this region.”

Present at the official handing over and commissioning ceremony of the newly built restrooms and water supply system were H.R.H Oba Moses Adelani Adegboyega Olabode (RN, FWACN, MNI) Odunfa II, Omola of Imala-Land, Ogun State; Executive Director, Riparian Farms Limited, Mr. Theo Onadeko; Director, Riparian Farms Limited, Ms Uche Azubuike.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURES

“Labs by ARM” Accelerator Programme Concludes on Demo Day

ARM Labs

In November 2018, ARM partnered with Ventures Platform to launch an innovation programme, Labs by ARM, focused on supporting start-ups leveraging technology, applications, and services to solve specific problems, and unlock verticals and markets thereby changing how users access and consume financial services.

As part of the Labs by ARM innovation programme, a  12-week Accelerator programme was launched in February 2019, designed to help six early and growth stage Fintech start-up companies commercialise and  grow the distribution of products and services.  The teams participated in deep-dive sessions to ascertain the health status of the start-ups and were supported to create unique strategies for solving the challenges. Programme mentors and advisors, who are thought-leaders in their field, provided support around business growth, product-market fit, and distribution; helping the start-ups navigate specific challenges.

Within the 3 months, one of the companies went live with their mobile app, another start-up grew the number of onboarded customers from 6000+ to 10,000, further securing a partnership to onboard an additional 250,000 customers. The Demo Day, signalling the end of ARM’s corporate Accelerator programme was aimed at showcasing the progress made by the six start-ups. The event was held at Impact Hub on Tuesday, 30th April 2019.

The demo day event was attended by ARM executives and members of the board of Advisors for Labs by ARM including; Africa Partner for Alta Global Ventures, Victor Asemota, CEO, Jumoke Ogundare, Deputy CEO, Sadiq Mohammed, MD, ARM Academy Uche Azubuike and MD, ARM Financial Advisers, Henrietta Bankole-Olusina. and the  They spoke about why it was important for established companies to partner with start-ups. Financial institutions, Investors and press from across the continent were also in attendance.  

HERE ARE PICTURES FROM THE EVENT

The six start-ups who presented their innovations were:

  • TROVE www.troveapp.co : Trove is a self-directed trading mobile application that allows Africans to invest in financial securities in Africa (Government Bonds, Stocks) and also in international markets (US Exchange Traded Funds & Stocks of US companies) with the tap of a button.
  • ASUSU www.asusu.ng : ASUSU is building the infrastructure for informal micro-financial services by digitizing the financial activities of low income and daily earners through cooperatives, trade groups, and agent networks and partnerships.
  • PAYDAY INVESTOR www.paydayinvestor.ng : Payday Investor is a mobile and web application that allows users to invest in ARMs money market fund, one of the most secure mutual funds in Nigeria, promising higher returns than traditional savings along with capital preservation.
  • TSARON TECHNOLOGY www.tsaron.com : Tsaron offers group insurance in a ticket through vehicle monitoring, driver monitoring and through issued passenger tickets.
  • OGARANYA www.ogaranya.ng : Ogaranya is a platform for merchants to accept orders via SMS from their users and payment over USSD. They are bridging the online-offline commerce gap.
  • FINT www.fint.ng : FINT is a loan marketplace that connects Nigerians looking for affordable credit with Nigerians, whether institutions or individual, looking for attractive returns.

ARM

Established in 1994, ARM is an asset management firm, that offers wealth creation opportunities through a unique blend of traditional asset management and alternative investment services. ARM currently manages total assets of approximately N1.1 trillion (as at December 2018)

www.arm.com.ng

Ventures Platform Foundation

“The Foundation” is the non-profit arm of Ventures Platform. The Foundation is creating Inclusive and Sustainable wealth in Africa, by building the capacity of African Entrepreneurs and Innovators leveraging technology to create sustainable solutions to the most urgent problems on the continent. Ventures Platform also works with big corporates in driving innovation internally and in building lasting relationships with the startup ecosystem to help fuel business growth and achieve innovation goals.

www.venturesplatform.com

ARM gives back with DAAYTA 2019

The Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award (DAAYTA) by Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM) on Friday, April 12, 2019, in an event held at Four Points by Sheraton Hotels Victoria Island, Lagos announced Murtala Sani of WeSabi as the first place winner of the DAAYTA 2019 award.

A team of four distinguished judges played the pivotal role of choosing the DAAYTA 2019 award winner amongst whom are: Victor Asemota, the Africa Partner for Alta Global Ventures, a US-based venture capital company; Mitchell Elegbe, founder of Interswitch, Sadiq Mohammed, the Deputy Group CEO of ARM Group and Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, an Angel investor and Group Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer of Dangote Group.

Murtala Sani emerged the winner from among the 6 finalists with his business proposition WeSabi and received the award worth of ₦12,000,000 to fund and grow his business. Sani’s ₦12,000,000 (twelve million naira) funding will be disbursed over a period of one (1) year to develop his business plan, complete a 5-month entrepreneurial education at the Pan Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre in Lagos, Nigeria; and also to receive support for development of his venture WeSabi through an accelerator programme by a reputable entrepreneurial hub in Lagos, Nigeria.

According to Sani, the urge to make a system better drove him to start WeSabi, an initiative created to help households find reliable and pre-screened artisans in their neighbourhood through a website, mobile app and a USSD platform. It’s goal being to build Africa’s marketplace for the blue-collar sector.

In the fifth position was Oluwayomi Oyatoye of MechoMedics whose initiative aims to address the problem of poor adoption of the new Secondary School curriculum in Nigerian schools specifically in the area of implementing trade courses and entrepreneurship development.  Daniel Odediran of PrestPro came in fourth with his idea which aims to produce an energy-saving cooling system using clay for the preservation of freshly plucked tomatoes in order to extend their shelf life. Yusuf Shittu of “Jojolo” Neo Childcare bagged the third position after explaining that Neo Childcare as a mobile child health service provider seeks to provide top quality and affordable healthcare for children especially in low-income communities in Nigeria. Dare Odumade of Chekkit made the second position with his innovation which is an anti-counterfeiting, asset-tracking and consumer feedback analytics platform and tool aimed at addressing the problem of counterfeiting, pilferage and inefficient supply of products.

The DAAYTA programme which was inaugurated by ARM in honour of its founding CEO Mr Deji Alli in 2015 is part of the company’s CSR efforts to educate and empower the younger generation to make a meaningful socio-economic impact in their immediate environment and the nation at large.

DAAYTA 2019 opened for applications in November 2018 receiving over 500 applications from talented and optimistic young entrepreneurs with 20 standing out after the initial selection before the final selection of 6 candidates was made.

Speaking about the outcome of the event, Ms Uche Azubuike, the Managing Director of ARM Academy said “We are happy that this huge part of our firm’s corporate social responsibility has yet again yielded fruits by empowering a good start-up business which will have a positive impact in the environment. There is a lot going on in the ecosystem right now, a lot of support from experienced people and from technology as well. So I would advise the winners to take advantage of that and make an impact.

On behalf of ARM, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Murtala Sani, all finalists and applicants; and my appreciation to our esteemed judges and everyone in attendance for their time at DAAYTA 2019.”

Lauding the DAAYTA 2019 Awards ceremony, the Tech Strategy Advisor and Founder of TechnoVision Mr Tomi Davies says “I am glad the DAAYTA Awards event was different from the traditional pitch events as we went through a thorough process to get to this final stage.  The judges were amazing as their decisions were prompt and they were aligned and as one of them said, “Even our unconscious bias was also revealed in a subtle way!”  I especially like the fact that the finalists had worked with each other before the event and bonded enough to help each other. At the end of the day, each of the 5 finalists that participated was a winner and went home with a prize and we all agreed that Murtala Sani of Wesabi deserved the first prize.”

DAAYTA 2019 Awards was proudly supported by TechnoVision Communications Limited, a technology services company with speciality in advising clients on technology-led transformation and early-stage entrepreneurship in Africa.

About ARM

Established in 1994 as an asset management firm, Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM) has evolved into one of Nigeria’s most innovative and respected non-bank financial institutions with a focus on Traditional Asset Management and Specialized Funds. ARM is a leading investment management firm that provides a diverse range of asset management services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, foundations and charities, high net-worth individuals, and small savers. See arm.com.ng for more details.

About TechnoVision

TechnoVision is the brand name for TechnoVision Communications Limited a technology services company which advises clients on technology-led transformation and early-stage entrepreneurship in Africa. See tvcng.com for more details.

ARM Partners Lagos State Ministry of Education #CodeLagos Initiative

CODE-LAGOS-001

The Lagos State Ministry of education, in partnership with Asset & Resource Management Holding Company (ARM HoldCo) plans to create coding centres in public and private schools across the state under the #CodeLagos project.

CodeLagos is an initiative of the state government targeted at making coding education framework accessible to every student in Lagos and training 1 million Lagosians to code by year 2019. The programme is to be launched in April this year with about 300 coding centres of which ARM will equip 15 of the centres.

According to special adviser to the state governor on education, Mr Fela Bank-Olemoh, “ARM will be setting up 15 centres and these centres will be established in low Income schools in line with Governor Akinwumi Ambode’s commitment to promoting inclusive governance and qualitative education for all citizens.

L-R: Head of Marketing, ARM, Mr. Taiwo Adeleye; Group CEO , ARM, Jumoke Ogundare; Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh and Permanent Secretary, Office of the Special Adviser, Education, Dr. Samsudeen Allison during the launch of the CodeLagos Initiative at the Office of the Special Adviser, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, February 14, 2017.

 

Jumoke Ogundare, CEO of ARM, said the organisation was excited about the partnership with Lagos State on the CodeLagos initiative, saying the project was in line with the commitment of the firm towards improving access to quality education for all. Ogundare said over the years, ARM had demonstrated in clear terms its commitment to corporate social responsibility and given its track record, “it becomes easier to partner the state on the CodeLagos, believing that it will lead to improved digital knowledge and impact positively on job and wealth creation.”

The registration and screening of facilitators for CodeLagos started last week and is ongoing. At the end of the process, 1,500 facilitators would be selected and deployed to centres across the state.

Established in 1994 as an asset management firm, Asset & Resource Management Holding Company (ARM HoldCo) offers wealth creation opportunities through a unique blend of traditional asset management and alternative investment services. ARM currently manages total assets of circa N760 billion (as at January 2017), has an AA- rating from Agusto and Co. and was named Best Fund Manager, Nigeria 2013 by Capital Finance International. The Firm is regulated by the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). ARM is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria with offices across the country.