What is a cryptocurrency?

• Simply put, a cryptocurrency is virtual money that people can use just like real money to buy things or send to other people.
The 'crypto' in crytocurrency comes from the complicated cryptography (encrypted codes) used to create it and record
transactions.

• Crytocurrencies aim to cut out the middlemen, such as credit card companies or banks, making it cheaper to transfer
money from one virtual wallet to another. Cryptocurrencies also aren't controlled by any central authority, which
theoretically protects them from any interference by governments.

• Bitcoin — the original and by far the most popular form of cryptocurrency — was created in 2008 by an unknown person or
group of people under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Since then, more than 6,000 other types of cryptocurrency have
been created, including popular options like Ethereum and Litecoin.
• As we talk now, the crypto market is valued at over USD 2.5 trillion, numbers more than 12,000 crypto projects, and it's
expected to be only the beginning of the growth that’s ahead of us.

• The industry has moved on from whitepapers to real-life applications with hundreds of pilot and commercial projects
currently being run by world institutions and top private companies

e.g. El Salvador's adoption of Bitcoin (The Bitcoin Law was passed by the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador on 8 June 2021,
giving the cryptocurrency bitcoin the status of legal tender within El Salvador after 7 September 2021)

Institutional investors are increasingly buying up Bitcoin, Several major firms, among them Tesla, Square and Coinbase, have
collectively purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the cryptocurrency. In the US Today ar least 27 publicly traded
companies hold bitcoin including MicroStrategy alone makes up for more than half of this amount, holding 121,000 Bitcoin,
equal to $3.5 billion.

• On the funding side, the venture capital industry has poured a record USD 25 bn into crypto investments as of 2021
according to The Block, which is more than the total amount raised in all previous years combined.

• Today, more and more governments, investment funds and corporates are formulating their crypto economy strategy and
making investments to ensure they are well positioned for the future.
Nigeria has the second-largest cryptocurrency market in the world by trading 60,214+ worth of bitcoin. And also the
largest in P2P thus, peer-to-peer trading. Based on published statistics, most cryptocurrency exchanges and transactions
in Nigeria are undergone through P2P trades.

It is difficult to overstate the immense value that lies in the perpetuation of trusted global, internet native protocol(s)
for money and its accessibility to a continent with a fast growing population of young, Internet natives.

• It is useful for the African business that needs to move money around the world.
• It is useful for the African investor with a global outlook trying to move money to AngelList.
• It is useful for the diasporan trying to pay his tailor in Nigeria ahead of his wedding.
• Cryptocurrency is also a big win for remittances-Africa's growing diaspora has also jumped on the cryptocurrency
bandwagon to send remittances across borders more cheaply.
• It is useful for the remote UI/UX designer or music producer trying to get paid for their work by international clients.

And so on & so forth. These aren’t just fictional user profiles — they are real users that interact with our products every
single day.
Nigeria’s youthful demographics are in a golden opportunity for transformation. With 43% of the population being age 14 and
under, we are set to have an abundant working-age population for decades to come. In Africa’s most populated country,
nearly a third of the 70-million workforce is unemployed, and the majority of those are younger than 35 years old.

4 key impact areas:

• The use of cryptocurrency has enabled the unemployed in the Sub-Saharan economy to sell merchandise as well as boycott
conventional e-commerce systems, which often require a user account with a conventional bank, and thus several fees.

• With interest growing among young people pursuing careers in cryptocurrency, companies-Hiring for crypto and blockchain
jobs is exploding! A recent LinkedIn analysis has found that positions with “bitcoin,” “ethereum,” “blockchain” and
“cryptocurrency” roles grew 395% in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021. Some of the most common titles included blockchain
developers and engineers, LinkedIn said. And most of the job postings were in software and finance related positions. But
crypto-related job postings were also within several sectors like accounting and consulting.

• Wealth Creation-Buying and selling crypto is one of the simplest ways one can use to make money from cryptocurrencies.
People are making money from buying and staking their cypto, free air drops, commissions from P2P Trading…etc

• Startups solving real world problems-Developers can build applications and protocols on top of Ethereum to innovate in the
areas of payment, financial services, lending, and borrowing.
Ark Investment Management (Ark Invest) has predicted that the
price of bitcoin could surpass $1 million per coin by 2030. “Our
research suggests that bitcoin has the potential to transform
monetary history by providing financial freedom and
empowerment in a fair, global, and distributed way,” Ark’s analyst
added.

Bitcoin’s $1 Million Prediction by Ark Invest

In Ark Invest’s “Big Ideas 2022” report published last week, the
firm’s analyst Yassine Elmandjra explained that “As bitcoin’s
market capitalization hit an all-time high in 2021, Ark’s research
indicated that its network fundamentals remained healthy.”

Noting that “Bitcoin’s market capitalization still represents a

fraction of global assets and is likely to scale as nation-states adopt
[it] as legal tender,” the analyst detailed:
NFT stands for non-fungible token. Collins dictionary – which picked the phrase as its word of the year for 2021 – defines an NFT as “a
unique digital certificate, registered in a blockchain, that is used to record ownership of an asset such as an artwork or collectible.”

digital art, music, a piece of clothing or item to wear in a game, the keys to a virtual reality house – potentially anything that someone might
want to be unique. For this reason, NFTs are suitable for representing digital goods such as works of art or music, and also physical goods such
as land, machines or cars. An NFT is, at heart, a way to claim ownership of a digital item like a JPG or a GIF via a unique address on the
blockchain

NFTs transform digital works of art and other collectibles into one-of-a-kind, verifiable assets that are easy to trade on the blockchain.Although
it may still be far from simple to a lot of people, the payoff has been huge for many artists, musicians, influencers, and the like, with investors
spending top dollar to own NFT versions of digital images. For example, Jack Dorsey’s first tweet sold for $2.9 million, a video clip of a LeBron
James slam dunk sold for over $200,000, and a decade-old “Nyan Cat” GIF went for $600,000.

2021 was the year of the NFT. Nearly $41B was spent on the NFT IN 2021— and that’s just counting NFTs minted on the Ethereum
blockchain. In comparison, global art market sales reached an estimated $50.1B in 2020. NFT marketplaces like OpenSea — which raised
$300M at a $13.3B valuation earlier this week just 4 years after founding — also saw a staggering flow of capital in 2021.

One of the reasons NFTs are so popular is the fact they can take countless forms — from digital works of art to trading cards, such as video clips
of NBA plays. All kinds of digital objects – images, videos, music, text, animations, memorabilia, and even tweets – can be bought and sold as
NFTs.
Popular NFT use cases
Use cases for NFTs abound, and the creator economy has rapidly embraced this method of securing digital provenance.
Here are some popular examples:

Digital art: This category has enjoyed some of the highest selling prices and also represents the first NFT use case, which
can be traced back to Kevin McCoy’s “Quantum” (minted in 2014). Many platforms now exist to allow anyone to mint an
NFT of their digital art.
Sports collectibles: Collectibles as NFTs represent the digital analogue of, say, traditional baseball cards and other sports
memorabilia. NBA Top Shot, a platform for officially licensed and NFTized NBA collectibles, has enabled millions of
dollars of sales and engendered a new generation of enthusiasts.
Game assets. In-game assets (such as digital land, skins, and characters) are a perfect match for NFTs, having the highest
sales volume of any other segment under the umbrella of digital collectibles.
Music. Artists can now tokenize their music for direct distribution to fans. In many cases, fans can receive exclusive content
and artwork that can’t be found anywhere else. In February of 2021, DJ and producer 3LAU famously sold $12 million of
NFTs. The offerings included a custom song, access to never-before-heard music, custom artwork, and new versions of
existing songs.
Memes. Old popular memes, such as Disaster Girl, Nylon Cat, and Overly Attached Girlfriend, have now been NFTized
and sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
1. Upselling into the digital world
For consumer goods in particular, presence in the digital world is crucial. Today’s Instagram, TikTok, etc. will in the future
be virtual worlds in which companies are present with their products. NFTs can be used to map the virtual counterparts of
real products (e.g., sneakers). The owner of a real sneaker thus also has the right to let his avatar wear it.

Facebook and Instagram are reportedly exploring plans to make, showcase, and sell NFTs. If the company launches such
tools, it would be the biggest show of mainstream support for NFTs to date, and help solidify the controversial assets’ place
in the digital world.

As per the FT, the plans are “at an early stage and could yet change.” The publication says teams at Facebook and
Instagram are “readying” a feature that will let users display NFTs as their profile pictures, as well as working on a prototype
to let users mint new NFTs. Others at Meta are reportedly discussing “launching a marketplace for users to buy and sell
NFTs.”

2. NFTs and Fashion

n the fashion industry, NFTs now bring a new level of exclusivity and an opportunity to turn digital designs and collections
into highly scarce, valuable, luxurious, and unique collector pieces.
This is what Daniel Benson, a.k.a. Buju, is doing with his music. Last week, the Nigerian musician released some info about his
NFT project, "HeadsbyBuju".

"HeadsbyBuju" is a collection of 10,001 unique NFTs of Buju's face. Holders of these NFTs will get perks like access to physical and
virtual concerts hosted by Buju, merch items, and a part of the revenue the musician makes from specific music projects.

It is, perhaps, the first time any African musician will use crypto technology to establish a connection with fans and reward them.

Will fans want these rewards?

The project, scheduled for release this year, is divided into three quarters.

In the first, the “HeadsByBuju” project will be minted publicly and pre-sale will start. Holders of these will get perks like access to
special events and interactions with Buju, AR filters on Instagram and Snapchat, and even access to PlaySpace.

In the second quarter, holders will get special access to Buju’s concerts, events, and studio sessions. Future releases will also see
holders getting real-life perks like discounts to restaurants, clubs, hotels, and health centres.
How Can You Get Started?
Essentially, any digital image can be purchased as an NFT. But there are a few things to consider when buying one,
especially if you’re not overly tech savvy. You’ll need to decide what marketplace to buy from, what type of digital
wallet is required to store it and what kind of cryptocurrency you’ll need to complete the sale.

First things first, you’ll need a crypto wallet. There are many Ethereum wallets out there. But by far, the most popular
is MetaMask (which is funded by Ethereum incubator ConsenSys). Once it’s installed, it lets you store Ethereum and
Ethereum-based tokens.

You’ll need to fund your new crypto wallet but unfortunately, you currently can’t buy tokens with Naira cards because
of banking regulations but you can use a dollar or pound denominated Master/Visa card.
There is also the option of P2P (peer to peer) – where you send naira to a peer (or trader) and they send the equivalent
of tokens to your wallet

Then you need to explore the marketplace. Some of the most common NFT marketplaces include OpenSea, Mintable,
Nifty Gateway and Rarible. There are also niche marketplaces for more specific types of NFTs, too, such as NBA Top
Shot for basketball video highlights or Valuables for auctioning tweets such as Dorsey’s.

If you’re a creator, you can also sell your digital masterpiece. NFTs are also sold on marketplaces and the process can
vary from platform to platform. You’ll essentially upload your content to a marketplace and then follow the
instructions to turn it into an NFT. You’ll be able to include specifics such as a description of the work and suggested
pricing. Most NFTs are purchased using Ethereum but can also be bought with other ERC-20 tokens such as WAX
and Flow.
10 NFT marketplaces
To get an idea of the NFT landscape, check out the following marketplaces:
•OpenSea (https://opensea.io/), the first and largest peer-to-peer platform for crypto-collectibles
•Axie Marketplace (https://marketplace.axieinfinity.com/), where Axie Infinity game assets can be bought and
sold
•CryptoPunks Marketplace (www.larvalabs.com/cryptopunks/forsale), where unique 24-x-24 pixelated punks
are listed for sale
•NBA Top Shot (https://nbatopshot.com/), a marketplace for officially licensed NBA moments
•Rarible (https://rarible.com/), a marketplace that allows you to quickly create and list your own NFTs
•SuperRare (https://superrare.com/), a selective marketplace where artists must be invited to list
•Alcor (https://alcor.exchange/nft-market), a decentralized exchange where NFTs can be bought and sold
•Binance NFT Marketplace (www.binance.com/en/nft/), a general NFT marketplace operating on the Binance
Smart Chain (but also supports NFTs on the Ethereum network)
•Foundation (https://foundation.app/), a platform where creators can mint and auction their digital artworks
•Crypto.com NFT (https://crypto.com/nft/marketplace), an NFT auction site that allows you to list existing NFTs
or mint new ones to list
Lets start by understanding what climate change is

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through
variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due
to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s
heat and raising temperatures.

And emissions continue to rise. As a result, the Earth is now about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s. The last
decade (2011-2020) was the warmest on record. Many people think climate change mainly means warmer temperatures. But
temperature rise is only the beginning of the story. Because the Earth is a system, where everything is connected, changes in
one area can influence changes in all others.

The consequences of climate change now include, among others, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels,
flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.

Climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work. Some of us are already more vulnerable
to climate impacts, such as people living in small island nations and other developing countries.
Facebook's announcement in October that it was further embracing the metaverse and rebranding itself as Meta set off a
firestorm. While experts say the metaverse is still many years away, the explosion of the term has many asking, what is the
metaverse?

The metaverse aims to innovate the way people interact with each other on the internet, interacting in a way previously only
thought possible in science fiction.

"The metaverse is essentially a massive, interconnected network of virtual spaces "In theory, we'll be able to move from one
virtual world to another in the metaverse, but we'll be wearing virtual reality goggles or maybe augmented reality."

Technologies like virtual reality, a computer-generated simulation of a 3D image or environment, and augmented reality,
superimposing a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, will play a significant role in bringing the
metaverse to life.

=A SOCIAL 3-D VISUAL SPACE.

Global investments banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have predicted that the metaverse could be an $8
trillion opportunity.
"When you're in the metaverse, when you're in a virtual reality headset, you will feel like you're actually sitting in a room
with someone else who can see you, who can see all of your nonverbal gestures, who you can respond to and mimic,"
Ratan said.

Immersive worlds and creating online avatars is nothing new, as games like Grand Theft Auto Online, Minecraft and
Roblox have already created virtual universes. Meta's announcement last October aims to go beyond entertainment, and
create virtual workspaces, homes and experiences for all ages.

"What's happening now is the metaverse for social media without gaming," Ratan said. "The new metaverse is designed
to support any type of social interaction, whether that's hanging out with your friends or having a business meeting."

Walmart announced earlier this month it would step into the virtual world, providing currency and allowing customers
to buy and sell NFTs.

"Over the next five years, you're going to see Metaverse technology become real, concrete and sampleable,"
 "

It’s still unclear how the metaverse will evolve. Will it be dominated by big tech companies like
Meta (formerly Facebook, now busily hiring for 10,000 metaverse roles in Europe) or Microsoft, which just bought game
company Activision Blizzard for $70bn in order to bolster its metaverse strategy? Or will it be a more decentralised place
with people dipping into multiple environments hosted in places like The Sandbox or Decentraland and accessed via
NFTs or other crypto-linked instruments?

Sneaker and athletic apparel maker Nike (NKE) - Get NIKE, Inc. Class B Report is building its metaverse team and
hiring for key roles as the latest buzzword in the tech world stirs up talent wars.
Climate change in Nigeria has led to seasons of drought and excess flood, which affected agricultural activities and caused a
loss of shelter.

• In 2019, the National Emergency Management Agency revealed floods had displaced approximately 1.9 million
Nigerians.

• Low crop yield-In Nigeria, crop production depends on location and climatic conditions. Crops that need rainfall to
grow are abundant in the south, while those that don’t need rainfall grow more in the north. Excess rain and drought
associated with climate change affects this natural distribution of crops in Nigeria and reduces their production in large
quantities to meet the population’s demand. For instance, climate change may cause stunted growth of crops grown in
Northern Nigeria because these crops don’t thrive in soils flooded with water from excess rain. Likewise, some crops
cultivated in southern Nigeria may wither during prolonged drought periods because these crops need rainfall to grow.

Food shortage
Food scarcity is a consequence of low crop yield, which is characterized by inferior quality and quantity of food crops
because of harsh climate conditions. Therefore, food crops are poorly distributed to other geopolitical zones where such
crops don’t grow.
For instance, tomatoes are produced in large quantities in the north and if this declines due to unfavourable climatic
conditions, other locations in Nigeria will experience reduced supply.
Reduced livestock production
Livestock animals like goats and cows feed on grass to grow, and their products such as beef or milk are affected when
these animals don’t feed well. Irregular climatic conditions destroy farmlands these animals graze on. Also, flooding
promotes the growth of pests that attack these farm animals and further depreciate their overall commercial value.
Loss of income
Agriculture is one of the major contributors to the Nigerian economy and source of income for some Nigerians. These
individuals are either rural dwellers who are full-time farmers or urban dwellers who are part-time farmers. Climate
change destroys farmlands and hinders income generation from agriculture and livestock farming at national and personal
levels.
Public health crisis
Climate change increases the burden of diseases in Nigeria, especially malaria. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant waters and
they spread to cause malaria. Life-threatening malaria complications are common among the extremes of age individuals-
young and old people. This can put a strain on areas such as public health and nursing.
Also, wildfires and dust storms occur during drought, and these environmental hazards cause respiratory illnesses in some
individuals. Climate change increases the number of diseases and causes preventable deaths among Nigerians if left
unchecked.
Decreased hydroelectric power supply
Nigeria generates a significant amount of power from its hydroelectric dam- Kainji Dam. Climate change causes
unpredictable rainfall and drought patterns that reduce the water level in Kainji Dam and other smaller ones.
Consequently, the amount of hydroelectric power generated declines and affects power distribution nationwide. This
affects industrial activities which depend on constant power supply to run their plants.
Climate change impacts affect markets and adaptation as a response creates new business opportunities.

on specific opportunities from climate change adaptation in the following sectors. They have been chosen because this
is where significant economic opportunities are likely to exist within the next 10 years:

the built environment (covering new construction and the retro-fitting of existing
buildings as well as adaptation measures that could enhance urban areas);
water (covering management of water resources, distribution, treatment and
drainage, primarily from a public water service provider perspective but also for
private water abstractors and users);
energy (covering its generation, distribution and related energy efficiency
measures);
transport (covering road and rail infrastructure);
the agri-food chain (covering production, distribution, retail); and,
insurance services (covering the wide range of lenders, reinsurance).
Data collection and Analysis
on specific opportunities from climate change adaptation in the following sectors. They have been chosen because this
is where significant economic opportunities are likely to exist within the next 10 years:

the built environment (covering new construction and the retro-fitting of existing
buildings as well as adaptation measures that could enhance urban areas);
water (covering management of water resources, distribution, treatment and
drainage, primarily from a public water service provider perspective but also for
private water abstractors and users);
energy (covering its generation, distribution and related energy efficiency
measures);
transport (covering road and rail infrastructure);
the agri-food chain (covering production, distribution, retail); and,
insurance services (covering the wide range of lenders, reinsurance).
Data collection and Analysis

There’s a growing need for sustainable innovation in the fight against climate change. This is where clean technology, or
cleantech, comes in. The purpose of cleantech is to create environmentally friendly products, processes, and services,
which include everything from energy-efficient batteries to electric cars and solar panels. As well as being a vital figure in
the fight against climate change, the sector has huge market potential. The worldwide market for cleantech activity is
forecast to reach more than $2.5 trillion in 2022.
The problem of climate change is such as a major threat, that is a whole new area of finance dedicated to it-Climate
finance refers to local, national or transnational financing—drawn from public, private and alternative sources of
financing—that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.

Funding opportunities

Africa Climate Change Fund

The ACCF was established by the African Development Bank in April 2014 with an initial contribution of € 4.725
million from the Government of Germany to support African countries, to build their resilience to the negative impacts
of climate change and in transitioning to sustainable low-carbon growth.

A few weeks ago, Bill Gates climate fund plans to mobilize $15 billion into clean tech-Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, a
private-public fund backed by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, is planning to help invest up to $15 billion into clean
tech projects across the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union.
Climate diagnostic businesses – collect/use climate change and weather data to support companies and governments in
decision-making processes or business-as-usual activities. Typical businesses in this area could be news agencies, specialized
consulting companies, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers.

Resilience solution businesses – offer solutions to prevent abrupt shock or provide compensation for the adverse impacts
caused by climate change. As climate and weather data are required inputs for this business domain, businesses in this
category include insurance, security, and disaster response as well as those that fall under climate diagnostic.

Climate response businesses – address new needs or opportunities generated as a result of climate change. This could refer
to new goods and services, new revenue structures, or even new disruptive business models.
Is the eNaira same as Cryptocurrency? No, it isn't. The eNaira is simply a digital currency issued and backed by the authority
of the Nigerian government and is a legal tender equivalent to the physical cash. It is quite unlike Bitcoin and other
cryptocurrencies that have no backing of established authorities. On October 25, Nigeria became the first country in Africa
to introduce a digital currency, with the launch of the eNaira.
As digital transformation sweeps the globe, it’s to be expected that digital threats will intensify. These threats can cost
corporations millions to remedy, which explains why the growing cybersecurity sector is such a sought-after area for businesses
to invest in.

By 2022, the global information security market was forecast to reach $170.4 billion in valuation. With more remote
workforces and interconnected devices, online protection is ripe for growth.

The growth of the cybersecurity industry will see companies implementing new disruptive technologies like artificial
intelligence (AI) and machine learning to ensure they’re poised to defend against the potent viruses designed by hackers.

Business as we now know it is set to look radically different in the future. These emerging industries are paving the way for
innovative new business models and creating an array of fast-paced careers suited to challenge-hungry business school
graduates.