Young Global Leaders and World Economic Forum DISCUSS

Africa is known for underdevelopment (5% average annual growth) as regards essential infrastructures, food security, poverty, war, crime, fund management, governance and job availability amongst many others. Between 50-60% of the total African population live below poverty line. The average African employee is either underpaid or totally unemployed which leads the youth to fraudulent means of livelihood to survive, out of which cyber-crime is rampant.

Are the current models of development and transformation in Africa viable? Is government contributing their quota to the economic development and well-being of the African population? These are some of the ever rising questions that have been addressed and re-addressed severally without any viable solution.

Dr. Ashifi Gogo, one of the 2014 class of young global leaders, a group of young people chosen across Africa that have proven over time to have contributed to the growth and development of their immediate community, thereby influencing the growth of Africa at large, addressed these issues in an exclusive interview session with pulse.ng. He shared his personal contribution to economic growth and also made suggestions to the World Economic Forum Meeting scheduled to hold in May 7-9, 2014 in Abuja with top world leaders in attendance to proffer solutions to Africa's challenges under the theme: "Forging Inclusive Growth and Creating Jobs." The major points to be addressed at the World Economic Forum are food security, skills, infrastructure, job availability and environment.

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Sproxil CEO & Founder Dr. Ashifi Gogo speaks on his personal contribution to the economy and shares his concern for Africa

How has Sproxil contributed to the lives of youth and the economy at large?

Through our MPA solution, we empower people to actively avoid counterfeit products and contribute to global anti-counterfeiting efforts. We help people invest their time and money in legitimate products such as life-saving anti-malarial drugs or high quality auto parts, whose fake counterparts can have harmful or even deadly effects on users.

By avoiding harmful fake products, people can avoid unnecessary trips to resource-strained health care centres, which in many emerging markets may be partially or wholly government funded. This helps them avoid potentially expensive treatment and allows health care centres to focus their care and resources on other patients. Ill patients can also put a strain on family life, childcare, job attendance, and other life obligations. Through our solution, we can help all people become more productive, more trusting members of society.

Additionally, we are committed to sharing our experience and passion with others. Ashifi Gogo, has lectured at various academic institutions, including Boston College, University of Michigan, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been participating in Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), a forum that engages college students to take action on global problems, since 2009. Through his work and experience as a successful entrepreneur, he engages and inspires young people to pursue and develop ideas that have positive impact on society.

What are the achievements so far?

While we can tout our recognition globally through various awards and publications, we must emphasize that we consistently record the highest number of product verifications for a solution of our kind. We have processed about 8.5 million products to date and continue to see increasing engagement from consumers. Brand owners recognize the benefits of our solution and have helped us expand the reach of our solution to protect more products across more than 10 industries. This means that we do not only protect patients who need medicine, but consumers who purchase beauty products, automotive parts, electrical goods, and agricultural products, to name a few.

We have offices in India, Ghana (serving West Africa), Kenya (serving East Africa), Nigeria, and the U.S. (serving the Americas and Europe), with the ability to execute projects on all six major continents.

Has Sproxil been able to develop any mobile technology to combat counterfeiting?

Sproxil’s flagship Mobile Product Authentication™ (MPA™) solution allows consumers to verify that the product they are buying is genuine simply by using a mobile phone and a free text message. The solution utilizes a scratch card method, similar to that used for replenishing cellular talk-time, to allow users to reveal a unique, one-time use code on products. Consumers can then text the code to Sproxil’s secure phone number and almost instantly receive an SMS response indicating whether the product is genuine or potentially fake or stolen.

Sproxil’s MPA solution has three other main components:

CONSUMER SUPPORT DESK (CSD)

When consumers receive an SMS response indicating that their product is potentially fake or stolen, they are encouraged to call Sproxil’s 24/7 Consumer Support Desk (CSD) to provide anonymous information regarding the counterfeit product. The agents can also provide assistance during the verification process, dispense certain medical information, or answer questions pertaining to the product or brand. The CSD provides support in all local languages.

PROPRIETARY CLIENT WEB PORTAL

The MPA solution produces a constant flow of valuable market data that can be harnessed by brand owners to customize their marketing programs, target consumers based on purchasing habits, and monitor any instances of counterfeiting. Sproxil's Proprietary Client Web Portal features enhanced, easy to understand charts and analytics that provide clients the market intelligence they would not otherwise capture from cash-based societies.

STOLEN PRODUCT INVESTIGATOR™ (SPI™)

While MPA effectively prevents consumers from purchasing fake or stolen products, Stolen Product Investigator™ (SPI™) is a unique feature that allows consumers to actively collaborate with Sproxil to locate and identify counterfeiters. When SPI is activated, all verifications indicating a stolen product instruct the consumer to call and provide information to Sproxil’s CSD. Using these anonymous tip-offs, the SPI can localize sale and distribution ranges of stolen goods, and even help clients recover products and prosecute counterfeiters.

Has Government been supportive?

Yes, we have received support from multiple regulatory bodies. In fact, we are endorsed by Nigeria's Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC, Nigeria's FDA counterpart) and Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB, Kenya's FDA counterpart). We also won the US Patent and Trademark Office Patents for Humanity award for our MPA solution.

How will being one of the Social Entrepreneurs 2014 contribute to achieving your set out goals?

Part of our goal includes consumer awareness and increasing brand recognition. Winning such a prestigious honor has put Sproxil in the forefront of peoples' minds and further validates all of our hard work. This recognition of our work increases interest and use of our solutions around the globe, which translates into furthering our protective reach to more consumers across more industries and markets.

What question will you like World Economic Forum to address?

Creating sustainable growth within Africa should include focusing efforts on educating youth and young people and encouraging them to address social challenges through innovative solutions.  How are we allocating resources, educating, and inspiring younger generations to engage in fostering sustainable growth in Africa?