Emplug

Unemployment is currently at a crisis level in developing economies and this has resulted in different economic challenges and  vices. This includes a growing informal economy and a proliferation of job sites that exploit the unemployed and informal sector workers.

Emplug solves the problem of access to jobs and opportunities, for the unemployed, informal sector workers and micro businesses. This is done by creating access to real-time information and services on our platform. Members can access benefits via the internet or through SMS/USSD. Compared to similar solutions that rely mainly on the internet and charge as much as $24/Annum, Emplug uniquely provides a hybrid online and offline solution and cost as low as $1/Annum which makes it best for the target population and poor resource regions

Emplug creates seamless and efficient access to opportunities for these underserved groups, if scaled, millions of livelihood and quality of life will be enhanced.

The Nigerian government stated that “it is projected that its unemployment rate will reach 33.5% by 2020”. This is in a country of approximately 180 million people. The enormous Nigerian population can be transformed to a huge market and moved from a liability to an asset if opportunities and efficient systems are institutionalized.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) stated that – Two billion people – more than 61% of the world’s employed population – make their living in the informal economy. Furthermore this report showed that in Africa, 85.8% of employment is informal. The proportion is 68.2% in Asia and the Pacific, 68.6% in the Arab States, 40.0% in the Americas and 25.1% in Europe and Central Asia.

86.9 million Nigerians now live in extreme poverty, representing nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million population. In addition, the IMF states that 60% of Nigerian economy is in the informal sector, indicating that majority of this workers live in extreme poverty. This enormous sector provides critical economic opportunities for the underserved members of the society. Given the importance of this critical sector, Emplug designed a holistic two pronged approach to improve the economic prospect of the sector while reducing unemployment.

Emplug is working with the following population to democratize access to opportunities especially in poor resource regions.

Recruiters: Emplug work with recruiters registered on the Emplug platform by providing them with unlimited access to talents and an innovative Employer centre.

Jobseekers & Service Providers: Emplug help Jobseekers, Informal sector workers, artisans and other service providers registered on the platform by connecting them to people that need their services in their location. Jobseekers can also apply for jobs and connected to employers.

Service Users and Employers: Through the Emplug platform registered employers and service users are connected to certified service providers.

Small and micro business owners: Registered entrepreneurs and micro businesses are empowered to initiate affordable full scale ecommerce transactions by sending multiple adverts via sms to our web platform even without an internet connection as well as engage in several other value added services on the platform.

Problem: In Nigeria and many developing countries, digital solutions designed to help improve the livelihood of the poor informal sector workers and the unemployed are largely inadequate and are designed without taking into consideration the unique environment and realities of the target beneficiaries. Most of the existing solutions are not accessible and unaffordable to the target population they were meant to serve. Most of these beneficiaries cannot afford the luxury of a monthly internet subscription or an internet enabled phone with their less than 1$ per day income. In Nigeria (Emplug Home country) 86.9 million are in this category of Extreme poverty which represents close to 50% of its estimated 180 million people and majority of this people are unemployed or in the informal sector which is 60% of Nigerian economy.

Solution: Emplug solves the problem of access to jobs and opportunities, for the unemployed, informal sector workers and micro businesses. This is done by creating access to real-time information and services on our platform. Registered members can access benefits via the internet or through SMS or USSD codes. Below are Emplug’s major features.

• Jobseekers, Informal sector workers, artisans and other service providers register on the platform and upload their details through SMS and USSD code. The system automatically connects them to people that need their services in their location. Jobseekers can also apply for jobs that are posted on the platform online by employers. This service cost 1$/annum.
• Service Users and Employers can register their details on the platform via a USSD code or SMS which will enable the system to connect them to Informal sector workers, artisans and other service providers when needed.
• Small and micro business owners can register their details on the platform via a USSD code or SMS which will enable them initiate full scale ecommerce transactions by sending multiple adverts via sms to our web platform even without an internet connection as well as engage in several other value added services on the platform all in real time.

Emplug is unlocking the incredible yet untapped possibilities of the informal sector. Our vision is to connect the unemployed and underserved informal sector workers to opportunities and jobs that will improve their livelihood leveraging technology to create this access and overcoming the challenges of poverty and limited resources.

Emplug is a hybrid platform consisting of an online and an offline solution, designed to connect the informal sector workers, jobseekers and micro businesses to jobs and customers especially in regions with limited resources and low internet penetration. Poverty (Resource scarcity) and limited internet access are major hindrances to existing platforms providing similar services. Taking these hindrances into consideration in poor resource areas, Emplug provides not only an accessible solution but an affordable and effective solution in these regions.

In addition, Emplug can be accessed seamlessly with or without a smart phone or Internet using text messaging or USSD codes. This allows the informal sector worker to secure jobs by advertising his/her services, employers can gain access to jobseekers or request for service providers, micro business owners can initiate full scale ecommerce transactions by sending multiple adverts via sms to our web platform even without an internet connection as well as engage in several other value added services on the platform all in real time.

Cloud Computing, : Use of Kubernetes cluster for deployment and scaling of our solution.

Containerize Application : Development using Docker-hub image for environment & concept.

Micro-Services: Architecture used in logic development.

Server Side Tools: PHP, NodeJS

Client Side Tools: Javascript, Html & CSS

Database & Model: Oracle MySQL & PostgresSQL OS: Ubuntu Linux Desktop & Ubuntu Linux Server

Traditional low-tech solutions for connecting services and finding jobs persist in Nigeria; however, these processes are protracted, inaccessible, expensive and highly ineffective. The uses of job websites are limited to a minor segment of the employment market (a few large firms which use recruitment agencies). This excludes the thousands of small and micro businesses which constitute the largest employers of labor in the country and the millions in the informal economy providing essential services in the economy.

On the Emplug platform, the unemployed can connect to employers directly; informal sector workers and micro businesses connect to customers that require their services or products through the online information system or the SMS/USSD codes. Given the resource constraints in some of these regions, these services can be accessed by just about any type of phone with or without an Internet connection. Compared to similar services from Telcos and other online platforms that rely mainly on the internet and charge as much as $24/Annum, Services via Emplug will cost informal sector workers and job-seekers a paltry $1/Annum, $2/Annum for the Employer/service seeker and $4/Annum for the micro business advertiser and all accessible with or without internet or a smart phone.

Given the capability of the Emplug platform to address the challenges of the target beneficiaries (Jobseekers, low income informal sector workers and micro businesses) in accessing opportunities, we are convinced that the elimination of these hindrances will make the platform more acceptable for the prospective beneficiaries to use the platform.

Currently the platform has 370 registered members after going live in June 29, 2019 without any advert or market entry drive which will start when we finish testing the platform by end of July. At the moment we are still gathering feedback from the pioneer users. 

In 1 year we should have over 2 million registered members across the 36 States of Nigeria

And over 10 million registered users in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria within 5 years

• Reach: Grow our registered membership to reach over 2 million registered members within 1 year across Nigeria and scale up to reach more than 10 million registered members in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria within the next 5 years 
• Cross Sector Collaborations: Build strategic cross sector collaborations with critical non-profit players, corporate organizations and Government agencies in the countries where we will be operating. This will help us overcome some of the barriers that may affect our operations and give us leverage and better access to scale in these regions 
• Research and Development: Intentionally develop a research and development team and culture which will fuel our ability to innovate and increase our customer experience and offerings. This team will become an independent department within 1 year of our launch and a research and development policy will be made for the organization and reviewed annually.
• Business Offerings and Market: Grow our market share annually through the introduction of innovative offerings, strategic partnerships and improved brand awareness

Financial: Inadequate access to finance needed for our operations.

Technical: Limited technical resources and human resources

Legal: Government bureaucracies and legal huddles within and outside Nigeria.

Cultural: Another challenging barrier is cultural perceptions and the set mindset and customs in the traditional informal economy within our region.

Market: Proliferation of job sites and high suspicion for players in the sector at the moment may affect our market entry.  

Financial: We are currently reaching out to organizations, Institutions and Individuals who can provide the needed financial resources with agreeable terms. We are also applying to programmes that can provide us with sources for adequate finance.

Technical: We are currently reaching out to stakeholders in the tech industry to support us with technical resources and learning and development for our team members.

Legal: We are currently engaging government agencies and regulators in our planning process to eliminate the possibilities of legal roadblocks as we launch our services. By July 20th we secured a government approval to recruit 5,000 staff nationwide for a government agency in Nigeria. We intend to build strategic partnerships with governments everywhere we have our operations

Cultural: Will reach out to stakeholders such as community influencers and leaders in the informal sector as we communicate the benefits of the Emplug platform and the expected outcomes for its beneficiaries.

Market: Emplug will create a niche for itself and will drive clear price differentiation strategies with unique and innovative products to enhance and differentiate the Emplug brand.  

Full time staff are - 9

Part time Staff are - 3

Contractors are - 4

Total 16

We have a multi-disciplinary team that is highly motivated and skilled. With a cumulative team experience of well over 100 years, we have coalesced some of the best minds from various sectors whose passion can be felt even on the Emplug platform. From business Analysts, programmers, UI/UX professionals and security people, we pride ourselves as the best team for this project.

The Emplug team is made up of committed and passionate professionals who are not only inspired by their work quality but also by the opportunity to add value and improve the lives of others.

Emplug has established partnerships with the following organizations;

Infobip: We are in partnership with Infobip who support our messaging and USSD code structure for sign ups and other business communications

We are in partnership with Zenith Bank a National bank in Nigeria who is our physical outlet for some financial transactions that will be done offline given the status of some customers in the informal sector.

Our business model is B2B and B2C model and our services are available
to job seekers, underserved informal sector workers, small and micro business owners, recruiters, and everyone who desire to use a service or socialize through the Emplug platform. 

Emplug's financial sustainability is multifaceted and drawn from the
informal sector (non-Internet) users and the web and mobile HR resources as
well as advertising on the platform. It is our belief that the concept of
involving the untapped informal sector economy, we could create dominance and become the defacto point of reference for everything jobs, services and
economic opportunities for this population.

 In addition, we have other solutions which are part of the Emplug eco-system which will create more value and contribute to our sustainability.

Our annual membership subscriptions for job seekers and service providers is
$0.83 per year, annual membership subscription for service users is $1.38 per
year and our annual membership subscription for advertisements is $2.77 per
year.

Applying to solve will give us the opportunity to connect with a dynamic network that possesses the necessary capacity to support our work as we leverage the experience of amazing professionals in the solve network. Specifically, our induction into the solve community will give us access to the support we need to develop a world class fundraising strategy for our operations. In addition, the solve community has the network and experience we need to refine our business strategy and business model which we believe if perfected can guide most of our critical business decisions and set us up for success.