Walmart formally launched its Walmart Advertising Partners
program in January, looking to compete more closely with Amazon’s
ad business, which has grown to be one of the e-commerce giant’s
fastest-growing categories. Amazon is now broadly
considered part of a digital advertising “triopoly” that
also includes Google and Facebook. While the latter two companies
comprise a significantly larger share of the market, Amazon is
forecast to start closing that gap in the coming
years.

But Walmart has quickly built out its own advertising
division, including by adding an omnichannel analytics
suite in July. The retailer has the benefit of having a more
substantial physical retail footprint than Amazon, one that allows
it to leverage first-party shopper data that brands in categories
like packaged goods put a high premium on. At the same time,
Walmart is readying the launch of Walmart+, a subscription-based
e-commerce service that will directly compete with Amazon
Prime.

Walmart has a somewhat spotty track record in the e-commerce
space — it recently discontinued Jet.com, and last fall sold
the apparel and accessories retailer Modcloth — but sales on the
channel have boomed under the coronavirus pandemic, giving it
greater prominence. Acquisition struggles have also been apparent
in digital media. The retailer acquired the streaming
video-on-demand service Vudu in 2010, but sold it to Fandango
earlier this year as it looked to recenter on core business
areas.

Buying into Microsoft’s TikTok bid shows how Walmart could
better fortify its digital advertising offer to complement online
sales, while gleaning access to valuable user data. TikTok has
exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly with young
cohorts that marketers find elusive elsewhere. Like rival social
media apps, including Instagram, TikTok is experimenting with more
shoppable features that allow users to directly purchase products
they see creators share in videos. TikTok this week hosted
its first shoppable livestream in a collaboration with Ntwrk,
a home shopping network targeted at Gen Z.

“With a third-party marketplace and potential launch of
Walmart+, a relationship with TikTok should increase Walmart’s
ability to extract marketing dollars from CPG partners,” Bill Kirk,
senior research analyst at MKM Partners, wrote in a client note
shared via email. “As Walmart shifts from a transaction-based model
toward a subscription-based model, the value of a captive audience
increases. Depending on price paid, a TikTok relationship should
help Walmart build its own ecosystem and expedite the shift of
power away from manufacturers and towards Walmart.”

In teaming with Microsoft, Walmart also has an open ear with one
of the biggest technology players in areas like cloud-computing,
which provides the backbone for much of online advertising and
e-commerce. Like Walmart, Microsoft has made moves to get an edge
on Amazon as well. Last fall, it introduced a product suite called
Dynamics 365 Commerce that helps retailers manage their online
operations.

Microsoft remains the top suitor for TikTok, and could see that
lead bolstered with a major U.S.-based partner like Walmart. Oracle
has held discussions to buy the business and received support from
President Trump, who is well connected with the enterprise
solutions provider’s CEO, Larry Ellison. Twitter has also
reportedly held talks about merging with TikTok’s U.S. operations,
though its financial resources would not be able to match other
bidders and it is viewed as an unlikely candidate.

ByteDance is selling TikTok as the app faces an uncertain future
in the U.S. Earlier this month, President Trump issued an executive
order banning U.S. entities from conducting transactions with
TikTok or other ByteDance properties starting Sept. 20. A week
later, the president signed a separate executive order that demands
ByteDance divest TikTok’s U.S. operations and any data on U.S.
users by Nov. 12, giving ByteDance a longer timeline to find a
buyer.

Amid a flurry of developments, the close of a deal for TikTok
appears imminent. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer announced his
resignation Wednesday after just under three months leading
the company. In a letter to employees, Mayer wrote that “we expect
to reach a resolution very soon” in regards to TikTok’s path
forward in the states.

After Arewa Agenda Report, Kano Govt Plans to Build 127
Girls Secondary Schools

Following a story published by Arewa Agenda about an eroded Kano
Village where no single girl ever attended secondary school, the
Kano State Government have disclosed its plans to build 127 Girls’
Secondary School.

The Kano State Commissioner of Educatrion, Hon. Muhammad Sunusi
Kiru who made the disclosure in audience with Arewa Agenda press
crew, said the the project would comprises of 72 Junior and 55
Senior Secondary Schools.

The Commissioner further revealed that the State Government is
also in the process of renovating dilapidated schools across the
State and employing more teachers to meet demand especially with
the State’s policy on free and compulsory education from primary to
secondary schools.

“As I am talking to you, a committee of works under the
leadership of Dr. Danlami Gwarzo is leading this initiative, they
are visiting all primary and secondary schools in the state that
are in a dilapidated state and engineers are doing the needed
evaluations. Right now, we are constructing seats for primary
school pupils and we have initiated a new programme where about
10,000 girls in primary school will benefit from a scholarship
scheme.

“We have even opened accounts, issued ATM cards forv direct
payments to the beneficiaries. We will monitor the scholarship
closely to ensure funds are not diverted, we are going to seek
partnership with the State’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption
Commission, PCACC, under the leadership of Barrister Muhuyi Magaji
Rimin Gado.” He said.

With about 1,600 secondary schools in Kano State, the
Commissioner said the government is giving priority to girl child
education and partnering with international bodies including the
world bank for support of the project.

He said currently, the government initiated Girl-Child buses for
affordable transportation for pupils and students in the state.

“There are factors affecting the girl child education one of
which is economic factor, some people cannot afford the cost of
transport to school for their children, so we provided the girl
child buses where we subsidized it, a distance that cost NGN500 for
example, we take NGN100, you can see the buses.

“We have also agreed to build new Junior secondary schools
because primary schools are mostly close to homes. As you may be
aware parents are sometimes apprehensive about sending a girl child
far off. In fact some do not allow their female children to go to
boarding schools because of distance. We are providing solution
that will directly impact on communities,” he explained

While appreciating the team of from Arewa Agenda for its
investigative reports towards a better society, the Commissioner
assured them of his support and cooperation in their journalistic
endeavours.

Recall that Arewa Agenda had reported that a Kano village with a
population of about 5,000, had no no single girl that ever obtained
a secondary school certificate while the boys that managed to
graduate from tertiary institutions are less than 20 in year.

Situated in Dan Yashi village, Karofin Yashi Ward, Rimin Gado
Local Government of Kano State within the geographical coordinates
11° 52′ 55″ North, 8° 20′ 37″ East, Dan Yashi is largely affected
by erosion and the town has only two canoes used to cross the
stream as the only means for residents to enter their village
through Rafin Dan Shayi.

By PRNigeria^[1]