sbucareer:


raldsfield, you narrated the issue with accurate precision. Mazi, where have you gone to? We need your insight to this discussion. Nuclear Energy is not the way for any African Nation yet and Never. Science and Technology is changing and we should abreast the good ones not the bad ones that has serve his master with total mismere.

Why should we Africans eat what is left over by other countries?

You are right, the last thing western countries will do to africans is to use neauclear power on us. They help us and we abrace the help to come up. I see a future in the world were every nation will be able to meet the needs of its people

the problem of nigeria is neither the problem of investments nor that of utilities. Our major problem is the people of Nigeria. We need re-orientation. We need to be branded and branding starts from inside before the results are seen outside. We have an "I dont care" attitude. We feel we have no business doing with improving the country. Corruption has eaten really deep into us. We think of just ourselves. We also lack maintenence culture. For instance, NEPA was crippled due to maintenance culture.
We need to start loving our country. I love Nigeria.

hi, sbucareer u refered to nigeria as a project. I don't think so. A project is TEMPORARY, that is, before one is LEGENDARY. Well if u wanna see it that way, then u're probably right. Nigeria should have never been. The britons made an experiment out of nigeria. They are still carrying out 'fiscal' experiments till date. The sad thing is that the masses is always the guinea pig.

Well, about biz in naija that can be done, ehhhhh , let me think , You heard of transcorp right? Well who is transcorp? I''ll tell u. The are those goons who've always been there , cascading our (masses) money in the form of various 'corporate escapades'. Good!. Now u they recently 'bought' nitel, even the SAT1, i can only imagine. Who's money are they gonna use? Of course again its that of the masses. So in summary, they are buying our corporate heritage from us, with our own money. That's what i call 'trading masses' or 'covert stealth buy-out'. Imagine walking into a convinience store and buying a pack of indomie by paying the cashier with money from the cash registry. In brooklyn, that may be called a 'hold up', in harlem that may be called a 'stake out', but here in naija, it's called 'business as usual'. Sounds funny , huh but that's as good as it gets.

My point is that u can make a living from hoodwinking the masses in the name of 'corporate guile'. It's being done and nobody's talking and everybody is watching. Na so we see am.

"I CAN ONLY IMAGINE."


(This piece is dedicated to my "I CAN ONLY IMAGINE" fans).

This a a very interesting topic but im lost!

Are you a venture capitalist looking for Investment opportunities that will change people's lives in Nigeria?

If yes, then you need to look more at the Communications, Power, Education and Solid Minerals Sector.

I have worked on several investment opportunities in this sector but where are the funds?

For instance, market research reports from leading International researchers have revealed that to bridge the digital divide in Nigeria-which will lead to great economic empowerment of the people- the internet penetration in the country must be greatly increased.

Taking this issue up, myself and a group of young Nigerians had formed a company and over the last 4 years studied which technologies can bring cheap internet services to all Nigerians, especially the man on the street. We have acquired licenses and spectrum for this and planning for a nationwide rol-out especially to unreached and underserved markets. Of course, this is for a profit but the underlying principle is puting smile on the lips of Nigerians. This will open up economic activities and improve communication between Nigerians in towns and villages and in diaspora thereby opeing up their economic activities to the whole world. not only that, young people will become empowered by acquring IT skills and exporting them to the world.

Now i can go on and on and on about the economic impact of each of these projects(just gave hint on 1 of them above). However, where are the funds? We hear that there are funds for Emerging Markets bu apart from the established GSM operators, which novel projects have been invested in?

The power sector is the next boom to happen with 10 licenses been issued some days from now. The mining sector where we have hundreds of thousands of artisans supporting millions of people is also about to explode. But where are the funds?

Nigerians have outstanding creative abillities and attractive entreprenurial skills. formal and informal. But no sound government policy or financial backing that will enable them explore and release these abilities!!

so if you have funds for developmental commercial projects, lots abound in Nigeria. With me alone, i can expound on 10!

I have really enjoyed the postings of Mazi and others. You all have your points, albeit from different perspectives. How I wish we'll have more of these brainstorming in Aso Rock - we all would be better for it.

Now my own two cents - we really need to look into the area of power generation and food security. These are the bedrock of any meaningful development within a country.

POWER GENERATION /SECTOR

This is really capital intensive and individuals might not be able to come in - unless buying generators. The Govt can encourage - I love what they are doing in granting licenses to private companies to build and operate power stations. However, they should also look into the area of safeguarding the investment of these companies and put enabling laws into place to protect the consumers.

For one, the power generation and distribution should be decentralized. For example, in Germany, to an electrical engineer, the whole country is made up of "lines and circles". Cities and regions are in circles while inter cities are lines. Lagos for example should have many stations generating power - not just Egbin and should supply Lagos alone. Should the power not be enough, they can "import" from a station in Ogun State at peak periods. The issue of generating in Kainji and transfering it to Oshogbo first before being sent back to the North is wasteful.

FOOD SECURITY.

Govt should enter into aggressive food production - not just the staple foods. For example, millions or Dollars are spent every year importing Apple from South Africa. We can start a massive apple orchard and other fruits (same goes for other crops). The Nigerian govt should revisit the Michael Okpara Agricultural policies in the 60s (farm settlement schemes) to see if they are applicable in present day Nigeria, but with more emphasis on empowering individual to go into food production on a large scale.

while we are talking about security for the office and country, lets not forget about securing our homes because that where are loved ones are most vulnerable. see diy-home-security-cctv.50webs.com for more details.

We're talking about business areas, not government areas, but there's he government can do much to help. A legal system that actually works would be really helpful, so business disputes can be settled. (However, even in this case, the development of network of private arbitrators can be much more efficient and helpful.)

Wapa Apparels has been actively invovled in clothing and outer garment production for over 18months.We produce dress shirts and casual shirts,skirts,pants,jackets,work wear overalls,military and para-military uniforms e.t.c. for both sex and kids.Fabrics used include;wool,cotton,linen,khaki,polyester,rayon,corduroy, jeans,oxford cotton e.t.c.

Our expansion drive neccessitates that partners must come in to invest in the purchase of assorted fabrics,power generating sets,industrial sewing and over-locking machines,website,office space on the Island,marketing van and car, digital camera and lightning, tailoring accessories to mention a few.

Our vison is to be the dominant clothing brand for the New generation of Nigerians and gradually take on the world.Our few customers have been dazzled with our cut, garment construction and details, fabric quality and quality of stitches and fit.

Presently, the Creative Director is ably assisted by 2 professional tailor at the studio at Ogba in Lagos.The C.D. holds a diploma in accounting and a B.S.c in Business Administration.He also holds a diploma in dressmaking from Nobel Afrik.

We need 10 investors with a minimum stake of N250,000:00 or $2,000.the business plan reveals a Return on Capital Employed of 52.5%.Kindly, forward your questions and enquiries to request for the business plan for the firm:

The Creative Director
Wapa Apparel
16 bolaji Tiwalade close
off yaya abatan by Maternity Bus stop
wapaapparels@yahoo.com
0802 329 2279

Wow, we should go ahead and run Nigeria - we have enough brain power here to do it. I fully understand what this thread is asking but you cannot do the thread justice without touching on a lot of the points neticash made. There is no need to keep recycling the old political heads who have grown up to believe that the only way to make a living is to get kick backs and embezzle public funds - to hell with the future of our youth, as long as they can send their kids to study in those countries where they have stashed away our money.

Ok, enough of that. Here is an area nobody seems to think about - Private security -for banks, schools, residential areas, hospitals, roads, neighborhoods, private businesses, etc. I am not talking about the hungry-looking souls you see at fast food joints that hold the door open for you to get in. Look at how much business Black Water Security is doing in Iraq. When it comes to Naija, we need serious outfits like that with the training, discipline and fire power to combat the armed robbers that operate brazenly in day light. Without security foreign direct investment will suffer. Even if you build the best business and you cannot move around Nigeria safely, then what good is it. Banks are robbed almost on a monthly basis and some of these banks have not thought about investing in trained private security forces.

Without security great minds will be lost to the hands of hoodlums. Without security one cannot even enjoy the fruits of their labor. Try changing your ride to something too sharp and see if you will be comfortable driving at all hours of the night. Security is a good investment. It will protect the most precious thing we have, which is life, and create a lot of jobs for the masses. The government can offer incentives to individuals that want to open trained private security forces by guaranteeing loans needed to set up these types of outfits.

Steve.

Larger 20

Is this topic still on.

We need a MITTAL steel venture capitalist in Nigeria.

Let me know And I will explain further why you should come to Olokola and Operate side by side with OK LNG.

Our youths need to be trained. In the area of stock which is a fast growing business now in Nigeria. Everyone is interested but so many people still do not have the knowledge of it.
Our youths need advice, help on our to procure and invest in shares.

Also there are professional programs in which we need to be trained. so many opportunities abound, but if we continue to wait on the government, we are not going to get to that place we aim. Private organizations should help in the aspiration of the youths cause we are the leaders of tomorrow.

I became a computer literate because i had a scholarship through a private organization, so we are calling on private companies to come out and organize seminars, lectures and train us.

With these developments many people will learn to be independent.

I work in the housing sector in the UK.  It is amazing that the Nigerian govt is still ignoring social housing, there must be a welfare state, I believe one of the reasons why people turn to crime is that there is no fall back position.

If the govt would build properties and rent it to people at a very reduced rental rate, there may be a reduction in crime. For instance, if someone is given a home and told that if they are caught engaging in illegal activities, their family will be dispossessed of the property. I think people will think twice about their actions.

If someone has a roof over their head( Not the type where the rent is high and the landlord wants 3 years rent), half of their problem is solved. They can then focus on resolving other problematic areas of their life.

The govt can build estates, using unemployed people, therby creating jobs. They learn on the job thereby creating new skills.

What about creating a welfare state, where people can get benefits. But there must be a caveat, you cannot be on it for longer than a certain number of years without exceptional reasons, lest generations live off it, like in the UK.

Hi from Finland. I have reed your forum and its very interesting. Let me tell about business. I know everybody want to get lot off business,thats god. But, have you think how to get it? We are an Finnish company who have start to export Trucks, Information technology and etc. If you are interested work with us, take contact? We are coming to invest lot of money to Nigeria. Your salary is coming to be first 6 month nearly 500Euro, also 92500 naira in month. Thats mean you must be trustworthy and you must these kind of business.Your job is to find out wholesalers,companies,dealers etc. who are ready to buy. More information, take contact!!

E-mail: tantta82@hotmail.com

Please how to I put a post in this forum? I am not seeing any place like "new Post"

Cheers

Patrick

This post has been taken so off-point.
What we want are honest,intelligent contribututions on business areas we think need investment in Nigeria.
Well, i want to take this post back to the base. The ffg are areas that need investment in Nigeria.

1. Food security and Agriculture
2. Power and Alternative power sources
3. Textiles

Lets keep this post alive,

of all the ideas one can come up with the most important is job creation. It is not enough to have all these business in place without people being able to pay for it. What gain would there be implementing renewable energy if there is nobody to buy it. Entrepreaneurs succeed in America and other develop nations because they have people to buy there product. Job creation should be the number one endeavour because poverty is the bain of society.


www.Myafriplace.com

I believe that the nation has all it takes to be where she should be. However, we need the right people,
the right knowledge and the right attitude. It is past the time to be looking at the government for help all the time, we
need to also focus on the private sector and well meaning Nigerian intellectuals.

i was watching the m.k.o abiola documentary on ait the other day and i realised that,most of the nigerian media dont have an up to date library of past,present events in nigeri,for instance theres no where you can go to find out the specific number of people that died during the abiola riots
or if you wanted to go back to see which of the present politicians have contradicted themselves in the past e.t.c
an example is the gambari man calling ken saro wiwa a common criminal, which if it had not being documented would probably have been lost today
i think a good business will be compiling a library of all events especially past in nigeria,getting old pictures,documents,electric and print ,old newspapers,magazines,books e.t.c
a lot of students who need them for research will pay to rent books,videos,re mastered videos to cd,newspaper articles e.t.c
authors will pay to rent
even the media practitioners will pay and u will have a rich source of reference,just my 2 cents

Thanks a lot for this opinion of your but strongly I believe the very first thing they should find a lasting solution to is POWER.How can we as the giant of Africa cope with epileptic power supply?This is a question that requires an urgent answer but come to think of it,if there is constant electricity,the nation will experience astronomical progress and small scale business will survive very well.people will live happily and all other sectors of the economy,such as good roads,health care system will all do well.
I sincerely believe that the power sector should be giving serious attention.

I agreed with the author of this topic. We need a new direction in Nigeria which do not revovled around crude oil. Nigeria immensily full of good ideas and skills but the problems in the country for  more than a decade as tranformed all these ideas and skills to criminal purport.

Renewable Power
In Nigeria we are so bless because of our weather, so I think one the great area we can quickly work on is renewable energy. As we all know power is a problem in Nigeria and if our government or individual can exploit this avenue in order to stabilise our power. To improve our economy with or without oil we definetely need power and this will surely assist us.

Agriculture
Is time we go back to our proper basic, which was farming. Recently, there have been lots stories about shortage of food around the world but the story is quiet different in Nigeria. I watched a documentary on cnn about food shortage in other part of africa and the rest of the world, it was pointed out that Nigeria has been blessed for having variety kind of food. In a nutshell, we should focus on growing our agriculture sector. I believe if people are well feed, corruption will be less and amount of influences money or corrupted politicians have all poor people will be lessen.

Makes sense. But there appears to be a negative connotation to 'Farmer' and all but a few are shying away from it. Our dependence on oil is tragic. Our economy was doing so well without it. Why couldn't it do well with it? We've a history of lacklustre, unimaginative leadership without a sense of focus or a cohesive vision.

your question is good

I think we need more investment in human capital development. Empowering the youth to spearhead the drive in the ICT revolution. Also we need to raise awareness on the need of less dependence on white collar jobs and encourage creativity.
Does any body share my point of view.
Thanks

Hi guys; sbucareer, mazi, larger20, neticash and others. We are all entitled to our own opinion. What we need is a way forward. I must confess, i appreciate the comments of you guys .these are things from the inside, but we must all remember that the only way a man (nation) can predict his future is to create it’’.

I’m not here to write about economy sector’s opportunities but to tell all Nigeria youth we are the future. Our parent generation has failed us but we must not fail ourselves. There own fathers and mothers are mostly farmers but the country was filled with opportunities then. Most of them got free international scholarship free of charge

enough of the western economic slavery theories
the way forward
The time now is for us to mind our own business. The nation’s leaders need to be smarter than their western, Asian and other counterparts. I must tell you, the world is naturally built with only one rule: survival of the fittest (the more Nigeria comes out of the undeveloped nation’s rat race, the worst it is for those developed countries feeding on our wealth e.g. uk & us). For real development to occur, we must rule the country with simple needs-wants rule.

We don’t need Prof. Soludo to tell us this. What is making this country difficult to live is simply because we over rely on westerns rule of the game. The rules are design for us to remain underdeveloped. Let me show u one of it. Why on earth should a theory propound by one white man (e.g Keynesian theory) determine how Nigerian banks learn Nigerian’s money? @ 18% interest rate. Its craziness!!! Loan capital to invest in any sectors you guys have been talking about is simply a suicide. We know what our people want why can’t give it to them. Please don’t mistake this comment for individual financial freedom. It more of nation issues ok.

They claim there is a relationship between interest rate and inflation rate. See forget those education theory jargons. My brothers and sisters, if our govt can put this rate to 3-5%, more people will have access to this fund. Forget about micro finance bank issues, it’s just a renaming of bank simply another name for community bank. The interest rate is still the same. If you don’t believe me. I like to ask if you have ever applied the law of cross elasticity of demand to your small phone call business. It will not work. Simply someone’s logical thinking. To hedge out your competitors. You just need to shine your eyes!!!

The east is living on Islamic banking or call it free interest banking. They are doing well. So @ 3-5 interest nothing do us!!! We this individuals and companies will finance facilities development… only govt can not provide facilities all they just need is create a conducive economic environment.

The Asians tigers are the first to realize this. We know where they are today. Why did us has a secret units, it means they have a lot of things they are hiding from the world. No man will give you the secret of his success but will introduce you to the game. We must start to think for ourselves. I admire western education system, off course that what train us all but those who always perform better in class mostly think outside the box.

We have what the world need, so the country is born as a major player not a follower. This write-up may lack enough examples but i don’t want to waste your time. They are every where. Let do it our way.



I think i have to stop here. The country is still learning but some of us know the best way to learn is from the master not it pupils. “Nature’’ is the master. Forces of it support the law of demand and supply not the law that is working but the force behind it. Economist themselves confirm this and called it the invisible hand of demand and supply.

poor2rich

Your post would have been better off in the Politics section.

@The enlightened minds only,
I’ve been searching for a job with a degree cert. for years and I’m sick and tired, cos I’m now old. No employer want to even imagine me work for them anymore as they keep telling me my age is on the high side. I’ve sworn affidavits times without numbers but that still not help matters I kept adjusting my age every now and then till the court officials recognized my punctuality. Till now I’m still at home managing survival. But my point is this, while in school I used to be very passionate about speaking or addressing my class which my course mates liked me for, whenever my class rep need to talk with the class he thus consult me for assistance, so till date, I still have passions whenever I see microphone in any gathering, I always wish if they could invite me over for any speech. Haven said all these, it means I have keen passion for public speaking, although I’m not as funny as those comedians, but I do have sense of humor.
Please is there any public speaking study site online or school in Nigeria that I can attend to get myself well equipped to become more refined? Any of your suggestion on how to make money from this my idea will be welcome.

hi richobi are u here?

richard chidike go to reply and type everything i need to do as first step, then click       reply(click one then wait)

jude11:

hi richobi are u here?

yes i am here so tell me what to do next they said i should insert a password

its a long issue to talk about.

but for me its just opting out of the rate race and take time to think first.
most of us act without thinking.

then we have to go for TECHNICAL learning coz our studies in schools aint efficient enough.
also we have to learn about time in investments