By Dr. B. B USMAN

The business side of the Pandemic? Covid-19 is transforming itself from the ‘Bad, the Ugly and the Good’ – into the Business-of Things. This is within the background of the arrival of several types of Covid-19 Vaccines around the world, many weeks ago. Indeed, the epicentre of global challenges and business opportunities has moved from the ugly pandemic scenario of 2019-2020 to the commercial business of Covid-19 vaccine implementation ecosystem. All over the world, business leaders and policymakers leverage on condensed real-time data and information to achieve trustworthy entrepreneurial business opportunities, values, and equitable corporate governance for sustainable trade and business assurances – going forward to Covid-19 version 2.0.

Emerging research outcome from the analysis of content and thought-process of vision-bearers, investors, innovative people, business analysts is fostering a new evidence-based and real-time business model. This model is energized by Covid-19 version 2.0, with a different type of condensed challenges. The new challenge is returning the world to the routine of normal way of life.

Therefore, what do we do when the vaccines arrive in Nigeria?

Implementing a national vaccination rollout plan is not a child’s play. It demands a colossal high-level logistics know-how and high-end professional skillsets at all levels of the rollout spectrum.

When will the pandemic end? Seriously speaking, no one knows. Some forecast estimated 2023, 2026 and some beyond those dates. The focus of this piece is to ensure that Africa is not left out of the big-pie and disconnected from the post-pandemic business network. Rather, African businesses should explore and gain real time business insights, benefits and profitability assurances from the value chains of the vaccine-propelled global commerce. The challenges in implementing the Vaccine-to-the-Arm project comes with its complexities of risk factors and requires seamlessly connected business-chain logistics and distribution networks for effective delivery. Some call it e-Commerce task systems, others call it superlative e-platform. Anticipating the challenges which the COVID-19 vaccine distribution pose to Nigeria and Africa means we seriously need experienced organisations to deliver our vaccine. Luckily, research shows that Nigeria has reliable inter-connected combinations of all the above.

One out of the mega-pack is the Konga Group.

Effective implementation model has shown that, no one company has the capacity and capabilities to effectively implement the COVID-19 vaccination challenge. The most effective working model is what is classified as ‘Collaborative Resilience’. A common operating model of COVID-19-vaccine delivery, shown in the interactive graphics from McKinsey and Co, below, clearly demonstrates the complexity of the task at hand. Essentially, the interactive is a qualitative risk map, showing the many stages of vaccine deployment and highlighting areas of potential failure as one party interacts with another. A breakdown at any point in the deployment process can set off a cascade, shutting down the entire operation!

Today, Konga has become one of the acclaimed global digital brand in a class of its own – navigating the mega-business world at 360 degrees. I found this truth after many months of conventional e-business research – with particular focus on Nigeria and Africa e-Commerce space. Konga commands the nationwide reach with its own quality infrastructure, digital logistics and tracking technologies for last mile delivery.

When the COVID-19 vaccine comes, how will it be put into the arms of an estimated 170 million Nigerians who need it? How will the logistics be provided and who will manage the implementation logistics? Who has the best infrastructure and experienced manpower to secure and deliver the best result, similar to the INEC electioneering challenges and experiences of 2014 and 2009?

Lessons learned suggest that the Corona-19 pandemic has become the greatest challenge faced by humanity in the last 100 years to date. It reveals that many nations are still deficient in developing and managing critical information and logistic infrastructures (CILI) at real-time levels. This is primarily due to our collective ignorance in understanding the work-around of the digital connectedness of our world, the imperatives of networked data efficiency, infrastructure and information systems. In effect, many millions of the world’s citizens have been sent to their untimely death. Regrettably, many citizens will still die if the arrival, distribution, and vaccination of the vaccines is ignorantly managed by inexperienced entities, poor infrastructure and logistics. Truth is, there would be points of failure and our primary goal is to reduce the points of failure.

Here is my take: First, the bad news:- COVID-19 pandemic has hit semiconductor chips manufacturing industry very hard. This situation is expected to worsen as companies battle for supplies of the critical parts. According to AlixPartners, the shortage will cut $60.6 billion in revenue from the global automotive and associated industries this year. The broader implication is that most business survival is evolving collaborative model of survival. Considering the fact that, the world will need to deliver about 6 x 2 billion doses of vaccine into the arms of the targeted six billion of the global human population of 7.3billion people, and that Nigeria’s share of the task would require her to deliver about 160 x 2million (or 320million vaccines to the arms of 160 million eligible Nigerians), we must be on top of the game.

Point-to-point Data communications efficiency is not only imperative but mandatory to augment efficiency. The biggest challenge in responding to the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccines resides in its logistics know-how, storage, distribution systems safety, communications logistics and security know-how. The Federal Government is therefore advised, apart from landing the vaccines and related operational apparatus into the country, to draw up a national rollout strategic plan, commission experienced logistics e-Commerce company like Konga.com group, with its own nationwide quality infrastructure, digital logistics and tracking technologies with performance assurances to ensure that the expected collateral damages are eliminated and/or reduced to the barest minimum.

Vaccine delivery, storage and distribution come with high-end safety and logistic issues. Reliable data analysis reveals that the Covid-19 vaccine procurement and distribution assignment should be classified as a national emergency challenge. The assignment is required to be handled with care and professional ability. Therefore, before the anticipated COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Nigeria, indigenous experienced logistic companies with track records similar to/or better than that applied to deliver the 2014 and 2010 INEC national election mission should be consulted and signed on to ensure quality performance.

Konga remains our best indigenous e-Commerce logistics company, comparable in facility management, infrastructure and top-skill professional project management. Not only that, amongst others:

They possess the cognate experience and ingenuity for success
With our climatic conditions, Konga Group has the capability and can in few days create vaccine storage capacity and commensurate transportation logistics to deliver the strategic imperatives
Records shows that Konga has digital 360 Blockchain-enabled warehouses with 24/7 uninterrupted power supply and Interstate Tier 3 Level security monitoring/tracking system
Also, her AI-controlled warehousing inventory systems should be prioritized in the decision-making process. Fake vaccine and syringes control monitoring system is essential
Internet of Things (IoT) alarm-based embedded time clock would be installed in all vaccine delivery packages to monitor date of expiration of each vaccine pack and syringes

After exploring the Oracle side-of-things, I have become deeply aware of the fact that the nation is really fighting a war with an invisible enemy. Alarmed on the above challenges and how to conquer them, I turned to the grapevine for the most efficient smart and dependable solutions providers. From all the nooks and crannies, the consensus is that the most experienced tech platforms accredited with high-breed global standard performance should be listed to handle and deliver the required services. Especially those who were responsible for delivering superlative end-to-end services to INEC, during the elections, when procurement, logistic and delivery were the hallmark of success.

With this, the vaccine implementation experience in Nigeria will undoubtedly benefit the rest of Africa.

Dr. B. B Usman is a Business Analyst.

Update news