Tag Archives: User Research

AMA

TECA Heat Action Wave Launches in Nigeria to Tackle Growing Threat from Extreme Heat

MaraviPost

The new TECA Heat Action Wave (THAW) will back 12 early-stage ventures in Nigeria with capital and venture-building support to protect heat-vulnerable communities.

NAIROBI, Kenya, 27th August 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-TECA Heat Action Wave (THAW), a new initiative to address Nigeria’s escalating extreme heat crisis, was launched today by BFA Global, FSD Africa, ClimateWorks Foundation, and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Nigeria. Together, the coalition has committed $1.1 million to support 12 early-stage ventures developing innovative solutions to protect climate-vulnerable communities from the growing impacts of extreme and chronic heat.

Extreme heat events are now at least ten times more likely in West Africa due to human-caused global warming. In Nigeria, millions of jobs and livelihoods are already at risk, with more than 60% of the population regularly exposed to dangerous heatwaves. Urban settlements like Lagos, Kano, and Abuja now experience heat indices above 50°C during peak months.

“Extreme heat represents perhaps the most overlooked consequence of climate change affecting Africa today,” said Juliet Munro, Early-Stage Finance Director at FSD Africa. “It’s not only a public health emergency, but a threat to livelihoods, productivity, and long-term economic resilience. Through this initiative, we’re making a strategic investment in African-led innovation, supporting scalable, context-specific solutions that deliver real impact where it’s needed most.”

THAW will support 12 early-stage ventures developing market-driven early warning tools, innovative financial instruments such as parametric heat insurance, emergency-centric finance tech, and ecosystem enablers and builders — tools and services that help individuals and small businesses operate more safely and efficiently in rising heat, preferably integrating early warning systems or fintech solutions.

Selected entrepreneurs will receive seed capital, venture-building support, and expert-led sprints on user research, product design, business modeling, and fundraising. Each startup will be matched with an embedded venture builder who will join their team to accelerate execution and strategy. Entrepreneurs will also gain access to a suite of technical specialists, female-focused mentorship, and local consultants to support prototyping and market testing. 

“Addressing the impacts of extreme heat requires bold, market-led innovation, and that’s exactly what this initiative delivers. By supporting local entrepreneurs to develop viable, scalable solutions, we’re strengthening the role of the private sector in driving climate resilience. FCDO is proud to back this partnership, which puts Nigerian-led innovation at the centre of solving one of the region’s most pressing climate adaptation challenges,” said Temi Akinrinade, Private Sector Development Advisor at FCDO Nigeria.

“Extreme heat is silently eroding lives, productivity, and economic opportunity,” said Tyler Ferdinand, TECA Director at BFA Global. “Through TECA, we’re not only funding ventures, we’re embedding the strategic support, networks, and capital they need to transform survival into resilience.”

“The world is racing against a closing window of time for investing in the ability of communities to withstand and recover from climate shocks. Adaptation is not only a response, but also a strategy for economic security, market stability, and shared prosperity in a warming world,” said Jessica Brown, Senior Director of Adaptation and Resilience at ClimateWorks Foundation.

The program will run through mid-2026, culminating in demo days and investor events. High-performing ventures may qualify for reinvestment and tailored follow-on support through 2027.

Implemented by BFA Global in partnership with FSD Africa, TECA is a venture-building program designed to spark exponential climate action by sourcing and accelerating bold, locally grounded solutions to emerging climate threats. This new heat-focused initiative reinforces TECA’s commitment to inclusive entrepreneurship, gender-intentional design, and transformational funding, positioning Nigeria as a hub for scalable, investable climate innovations. Entrepreneurs are invited to apply to join the Heat Action Wave.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of BFA Global

About BFA Global

BFA Global is an impact innovation firm that combines research, advisory, venture building, and investment expertise to build a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient future for underserved people and the planet. We partner with leading public, private and philanthropic organizations, global and local, to catalyze innovation ecosystems for impact across emerging markets. Since 2006, we have completed 646 projects completed in over 104 countries, supported 118+ ventures in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, who have collectively raised $815M+ in follow-on funding, and have a survival rate above 80% (global average is ~20%), and built a network of 100+ global and African investors, innovators, and funders focused on climate resilience. Learn more at https://bfaglobal.com/ 

About FSD Africa 

FSD Africa is a specialist development agency funded through UK Development operating in more than 30 countries working to help make finance work for Africa’s future. Based in Nairobi, FSD Africa’s team of financial sector experts work alongside governments, business leaders, regulators, and policymakers to achieve policy and regulatory reform, capacity strengthening, and improving financial infrastructure, to address systemic challenges in Africa’s financial markets. Since 2017, the organisation’s strategy has evolved to prioritise solutions to Africa’s most critical challenges: economic, social, and environmental. The organisation has worked to promote investment into the continent’s green economy, as well as its rates of financial inclusion and gender equality. FSD Africa – previously known as Financial Sector Deepening Africa – was founded in 2012 and is based in Nairobi, Kenya. For more information, please visit: https://www.fsdafrica.org  

About ClimateWorks Foundation 

ClimateWorks Foundation is a catalyst for accelerating climate progress, driving bold solutions that benefit people and the planet. We connect funders and implementing partners worldwide to co-create and scale transformative solutions across sectors and geographies, achieving faster, greater impact together. Since 2008, ClimateWorks has granted over $2 billion to 850+ partners in more than 50 countries and in collaboration with 80+ funders.

Media Contact:

Carmen Merab cmerab@bfaglobal.com

The post TECA Heat Action Wave Launches in Nigeria to Tackle Growing Threat from Extreme Heat appeared first on African Media Agency.

Technology

3 Best Practices for User Research

Maravi Post Reporter

What is UX Research? It is a practice of understanding users’ requirements, behaviors, and motivation by employing valuable observation strategies, conducting task analysis, and making use of feedback methodologies.Adobe experts even describe it as “ understanding user behavior and needs through various techniques such as direct observation, surveys, and task analysis.”User research in UX is a systematic way of evaluation to gain useful insights before finalizing a website or product. It does not have to be a strict interactive process. The core purpose of user research is to understand how users attempt to perform tasks. To reap the best rewards, you must conduct user research right at the beginning and while deciding on the concrete goals. You need to remember that ‘user research never stops.’ If you are wondering what are the probable practices for an ideal user research, then read this article as I’m going to discuss a few best practices.

Test Risky Ideologies

It is recommended to check on all the risky concepts iteratively and beforehand. Perhaps, you already know that field experts, researchers, and consistent UX designers prefer to run the tests early and more frequently. As a result, they can gain better insights and feedback during the developmental stage of a project. Therefore, if you have got any fears while conducting your research, you can directly ask relevant and interesting questions from your research participants during the process. This way, you will get to learn;

  • What are the probable things that your users get to hate with what you have created?
  • What do they desire from the developers in order to improve the performance of a task?
  • How can you efficiently and effectively enhance the experience of your product or website?

You don’t have to start over. The idea is to persistently work on things to fix current problems, deliver the best, and fully serve your audience. Also, you can gain control over risky factors at a very early stage. You are providing yourself a chance to make things right for your audience.

Look for the Unexplained

While conducting user research, it must be your priority to look for the unexpected and unexplained. It is wrong on researchers’ end to just focus on problems that are in front of them. In addition, they need to consider what their users have to say before they get to write down a conclusion of users’ behavior. Thus, it is essential for your research not to avoid visible and invisible barriers. As a result, the creators, producers, or developers can come up with convenient solutions. Look for every little detail of analytics. Figure out why something is happening? You need to learn as much as you can about your participants’ behavior. This will help you devise better solutions.

Focus on the Positive Attributes of User Research

When you are conducting qualitative user research, you need to focus on the positive attributes. This way, you are in a superior position to fulfill the core research objective. To make the most out of this practice, you need to;

  • Be Open-Minded & Unbiased: It is mandatory when you happen to meet participants and when you examine the data.
  • Be Well-Aware: You must be well-informed of your presumptions.
  • Discuss Your Interpretation of Data: It is sensible to discuss interpretations and acquire external or internal help with data analysis.
  • Confirm Your Interpretation: You can validate your interpretations with research participants during or after the research.  
  • Choose the Accurate Method: It is fundamental to employ the most appropriate method for the subject which you aim to investigate in the short-run.

Conclusion

These are the finest practices, but it doesn’t mean everyone must employ the same while conducting qualitative user research. The practices get to vary under different circumstances. Hence, it is imperative to decide on the ultimate goal of your study and limitation to employing the most suitable research technique. Besides, it helps you acquire scientific facts, conduct research in reality, and ramp up the chances that your research ends up engaging real-world participants.