₦airaland Forum

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Abuja Hotels have a reputation for being unnecessarily expensive judging by the quality of service they render. But in Abuja, Hotels have classes and some Abuja Hotels stand out from the rest. If you are intending on staying in Abuja for short stay and need a hotel if you can’t afford these Abuja hotels, it pays to take note of them - for navigational purposes at least.

Transcorp Hilton Hotel

This is Abuja’s most prestigious Hotel in fact it’s safe to say the most prestigious hotel in Nigeria. Located in Maitama District, it’s a beehive of activities come rain or shine even on Sundays and public holidays as the hotel never seems to run short of guests or events. You’ll easily recognize it from Aguiyi Ironsi way opposite the NCC headquarters or PHCN headquarters. It has everything you can think of in a 5 Star hotel but the rates per night are very expensive.

Sheraton Hotel and Towers

This hotel in zone 4 area of Wuse is Abuja’s second largest hotel. It too is a 5 star hotel offering world class services with everything you expect a 5 star hotel to have. It’s very popular for hosting major events including book launches, fund raising events and award nights and is patronized mostly by business folk, diplomats, politicians and high society.

Chelsea Hotel

In the Central Area district of Abuja one hotel stands tall above others and it’s the upscale Chelsea hotel which may not be as prestigious as Sheraton or Transcorp but is the heartbeat of hospitality in Central Area of Abuja. It boasts of first class facilities and services and is a major delight for many guests hungry for top class hospitality service but want to avoid the more expensive hotels of note in Abuja.

Agura Hotel

While this hotel in Area 10 of Garki District might not be your idea of a 5 star hotel, it remains a ‘veteran’ among big hotels in Abuja. It was one of the major hotels in Abuja the 1990’s before the massive explosion in the hospitality industry in Abuja. Agura hotel still stands tall among the over 120 hotels operating in Abuja.

Nicon Luxury Hotels

The Nicon group of companies that’s threatening to buy up everything in any industry they set their eyes on identified one essential need by hospitality seekers in Abuja – luxury. They decided to become champions of that niche in Abuja although the Area 11 in Garki based Hotel still has some catching up to do if it hopes to displace Transcorp Hilton or Sheraton Hotel and towers which it has some striking semblance with.

http://www.abujafood.com/news-digest/hotels-a-hospitality/827-5-abuja-hotels-you-must-know.html

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Abuja Events are never complete without photos to capture key moments. Anyone can snap a picture of those unforgettable moments but not everyone can do a perfect job to precisely capture the unique atmosphere of that momment in time.

Here are some simple tips to help you in your search for an Abuja based professional photographer to do not only a good job but a great job job capturing your event:

Can you find them online?

In this day and age you should be able to find professional photographers online. The digital world was built for the visual arts, so there's no reason why any serious photographer would choose to remain offline. Professional photographer's website or blog should be visually pleasing and describe who they are and what they do. So when searching for a great photographer, ask yourself, have they got a website?

Browse through their Portfolio

An online gallery of sample works by the photographer is a strong marketing statement that shows just what they’re capable of achieving with their lense. You can decide on the spot if you would like their services or not. So ask your potential photographer in a cool voice "May I see your Portfolio?"

Who are their existing clientele?

No serious professional photographer lacks current or past clientele or else they would be an amateur in the industry. Ask them for some of their existing customers that would give you an idea of their capacity and competence. Big corporate clients are very demanding and a professional photographer with some experience in their back pocket is obviously what you would call a seasoned professional.

Do they operate a licensed business?

For the sake of credibility and professionalism, no professional photographer operates a service that is not recognized by law or registered. If they follow due process to be registered and licensed then there’s a good chance that they’ll be credible and professional

http://abujafood..com/2013/07/how-to-pick-reliable-professional.html

It's even good the price was too high, they saved my Nigerians from developing high BP, Imagine Nigeria losing 3 - 0 to Ethiopia, that would be suicidal for many fans!

Pepper soup is a much sought after soup apart from its delicious taste provides warmth on a cold or rainy day or offer soothing relief when recuperating from an illness. It’s easy to prepare and is often eaten with the following side dishes; rice, pounded yam boiled yam, boiled plantain. We simply have to call it Pepperlicious!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

Mackerel Fish (dressed cut) or Kote, Croaker 6 pices
Dry pepper (ground)/2 tablespoons
African nutmeg 9roasted ground/3 tablespoons
Uyawak (stalk peeled and ground)/1 small piece
Uda (roasted and pounded, seeds removed)/2 pots
Effirin/scent leaves/Utazi leaves (washed and shredded)/8 leaves
Uziza (shredded)/6 leaves
Crayfish (ground)/4 tablespoons
MAGGI Crayfish/2 tablets
MAGGI Cube/1 cube
Water/11/2 liters
Salt to taste
Directions

Step 1

In a clean pot, pour water, add the ground spices, dry pepper, crayfish and cook for 10 minutes

Step 2

Add Fish, Maggi and taste before you add salt. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Give the pot a little shake, stir gently to prevent the cooked fish from flaking and taste.

Step 3

Add Chopped effirin, Uziza and turn off the heat.

Step 4

Serve hot with rice, pounded yam, boiled yam or boiled plantain

http://www.abujafood.com/food-matters/the-recipe-book/1091-the-recipe-book-pepperlicious-soup.html

BRB!

Brand_new: You should only keep it as if you're putting on exceptional content like Linda Ikeji. Besides that, you will hardly get credible traffic except you make it a dot com.

Actually we are a dot com business as in Abujafood.com

Garki is one of the main districts in Abuja Phase 1, the main City or what many of us call the city center. It is one of the most developed parts of Abuja, also known for its huge vehicular traffic. Like Wuse, Garki is divided into Areas. They include Areas; 1,2,3,7,10 and 11. Don’t get confused over this as there is no Area 4, 5, 8 or 9. The most popular part of this town is Area 1 specifically the bus stop Area which is a major transit point from Garki to other Areas such as Apo, Lugbe, Wuse and Central Area. Garki also has an extension called Garki 2 which is slightly better developed than the main Garki.

Land Marks

Popular land marks in this part of Abuja include; the Area 1 shopping Mall, National Library at Area 2, Ship house in Area 10, the Area 11 Shopping Mall, Garki International Market, Abuja Municipal Area Council headquarters, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, the Radio House and International conference.

Living Tips

The Garki District is largely a residential area with posh and moderately built homes that appeal to mostly middle class and upper middle class folks. Rent in this place is very high just as expensive as living in Wuse. Crime rate is low but traffic congestion on certain days of the week is pronounced especially on Friday afternoons when Muslims go for Friday prayers or parents go to pick their kids from schools. Since the streets and roads are narrow, densely populated areas with little car parking space adds to the traffic situation. If you earn a moderate salary or live on a tight budget, better to live on the outskirts of the city.

Social Life

Social life is upbeat in Garki as there are some interesting gardens and parks where tasty local dishes are served and people can just hang out with family and friends. A number of eateries can also be found especially in Area 3, 8 and Garki 2. The popular market in Area 10 also called UTC is a major place to find almost anything for household use but not as sophisticated as Wuse Market.

Businesses

Businesses that thrive in Garki are mostly those that trade in consumables or provide commercial services for small businesses or individuals. You’ll find business centers, food courts, petty trading, transport businesses (cabs, buses and interstate), electronic shops etc.

http://www.abujafood.info/2013/12/garki-distict-abuja-intro.html

There's this idea that African women are comfortable being "curvy". That they love being Fat and that weight is the last of their worries. In reality, African women are very weight conscious. When it comes to shedding the pounds many of us think of joining the gym and doing strenuous exercises or paying weight loss instructors quite high fees to help us lose weight.

Weight loss is not a complex science, especially if you make the choice to eat well and do light exercises says Tina Nathaniel CEO of Succo Naturale, a company that promotes healthy living and make 100% pure natural fruit juice. Recently I had the honour of speaking with her to understand what weight loss really entails.

According to her certain food and lifestyle choice are responsible for being overweight and making a concious effort to change bad habits and replace them with good habits that will help shed weight. “Many people don’t know that they can lose weight naturally with a proper fruit and vegetable diet I try to let them know that natural fruit and vegetable juices can help meet their dietary needs and promote healthy weight loss”.

Tina who added a lot of weight after having a baby made a decision to lose weight in early 2012 after which she embarked on a weight loss program that started in mid February and ended late march – 5 weeks to be precise. The outcome is an astonishing weight shed of 9kg from 83kg to 74kg. Even her friends were astonished to learn about her sudden weight drop which was both inexpensive and had no side effects whatsoever.

A peep into the life of this young graduate of Agric science from the University of Calabar reveals some ordinary things about her person. She loves to cook like many women, loves reading Christian literature, she also enjoys meeting people and loves fruits and vegetables. This certified Events planner also runs Zalitude an events company that handles venue design and special effects.

So I put it to her that there must be some magic formula in her weight loss program that brought her the kind of results she has achieved or maybe there is something about food that she knows better than most people. Actually all she did was focus on a well researched diet she prepared herself consisting of natural fruits and vegetables, no processed foods e.g pastries and confectioneries, no meat especially and a strict light exercise program which she followed dutifully.

On a parting note I asked for a few words of weight loss advice for Abuja residents, here’s what she had to say “parents should encourage their kids to drink and eat healthy to avoid obesity because it could get worse as the children grow older, a simple meal with your 5 a day (a variety of 5 fruits and vegetables) should be part of our minimum daily dietary requirement to stay healthy. Also people should take more vegetables than fruits because fruits are acidic and can either cause or aggravate ulcers whereas vegetables contain alkaline which our bodies need more. We take in a lot of acids in meat and other foods we eat daily so more vegetable especially carrots, cabbage, garden egg and so on is good for the body”. On what composition of fruits and vegetables, “85% vegetables and 15% fruits but also exercise is important”.

http://www.abujafood.com/lifestyle/health-a-fitness/655-how-i-lost-9kg-in-5-weeks-tina-nathaniel.html

What website fits the description as the most authoritative source of relevant, city guide information about Abuja? That website is Abujafood.com which is also a lifestyle magazine and interactive business directory.

The website has since April 2012 been recording significant increases in web traffic averaging over 30% monthly increases in web traffic and page views.

Life Style and Abuja City Guide Information

By web content, Abujafood.com also has a significant amount of web pages that talk about a whole lot of interesting things happening in Abuja. What you get on abujafood.com is not only useful city guide information but also usable information as the information published on the website is practical coming from well researched, tried and tested tips that yield results for our readers.

Abuja Business Directory

The website is also a business directory consisting of a segment that lists businesses into various categories with priority given to premium listings called featured directory business pages. These pages contain detailed information about businesses in Abuja including a detailed but brief write-up containing the attractive selling points about your business which is designed to convince potential clients to contact you and patronize you.

Content Marketing Website

Abujafood.com is also a content marketing website that synergizes the lifestyle and city guide articles with the directory pages. Most of the lifestyle and city guide articles are designed in such a way that they rank high for specific keywords people will find using search engines. These pages then point to the directory/business pages from where new leads can make contact with your based Abuja business.

Abuja Online Community

We also have people who sign up with us to be part of our mailing list. These people have signified interest in what we do by wanting to learn more about us, Abuja or other useful lifestyle issues which they’ll get via email or logging on to our website.

What businesses stand to gain?

With these features, Abuja’s number 1 website offers Abuja based businesses an inexpensive yet highly effective marketing solution for their business needs. Instead of spending thousands on fliers that yield little results that aren’t readily measurable how about signing up for a business page or content marketing service from which you get real and well defined results?

www.Abujafood.com helps businesses in Abuja find targeted leads and potential customers through effective content and social media marketing. Sign up today so Abuja people can find your business online. Call: 0818 083 1826 or email: info@abujafood.com.

Source: http://abujafoodangel..com/2013/01/the-leading-abuja-website-blog-online.html

991: 11 ---- Always visit Nairaland to read funny threads and comments.

That should be Number 12, I've taken number 11 already!

OP you forgot to add Number 11 (Read Articles on Abujafood.com)

4 - 3 - 3 Formation with Enyeama as goal keeper!

If we're lucky we may reach the semi finals!

Why we no go dey there? Despite being a poor country we are number 10 in the world although I think it's due to population size not necessarily a sign of technological or economic development!

1. Children 12 and below no longer allowed in front seat of cars

2. Seat belt fines now N5000

3. Phone Calls while driving could lead to your licence being seized plus fine

4. Always put child in car sticker for parents with 0 - 12 year olds

5. Right hand cars banned from Nigerian roads. Fines N5000

6. Over speeding now attracts a fine of N10,000

There are many more rules, dear motorists watch it!

Source Federal Road Safety Corps (FCT command)

Even when making love it must always be under a blanket, when are we ever going to know what making love really looks like in Nigeria?

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Are you as excited about the The 2nd Edition of the Abuja Young Entrepreneurs Awards as we are? Ofcourse you are! The AYE Awards which is organized by Fusion Lifestyle Ltd is taking place this April is a unique event celebrating Youg business owners who are breaking the mold of what it means to be young and successful.

Busness owners like Umma Mohammed of Cupcake Cutie, a popular Abuja cake brand are nominated next to Ameerah Abraham CEO of The Nail bar, Abuja's luxurious health and beauty centre.The event is expected to be as interesting but more successful than the maiden edition in 2012. Here’s the full list of nominees. Make sure you vote!

Full List of AYE Awards 2013 NOMINEES;

FASHION AND DESIGN:

-Ogwa Iweze and Ofure Adive (Dzyn Couture)

-Fati Aliyu-Garba (House of Farrah)

-Tessy Uyah (Serendipity)

-Jennifer Adhigije (House of Silk)

-Hudayyah Fadul (Hudayyah Couture)

FASHION ACCESSORIES:

-Ibok Offiong (Verche L’Art Cessoire)

-Nneamaka Nwosisi (Maknisy collections)

-Elizabeth Eminue-Abasiekong (Add Ons Accessories)

-Fatima Maida (Fati Maida)

-Tinu Oluleye (JamesLully)

FOOD AND DRINK

-Dayo Obasanjo (café 24)

-Umma Mohammed (Cupcake cutie)

-Muna Okam (Chloe’s cupcake heaven)

-Ameena and Zara Indimi (Tulip foods)

-Hadeeza Remawa (Suhjuiced)

-Jumoke and Lilly Abayomi (Ketchup Café)

MEDIA AND ARTS:

-Matilda Duncan

-Aisha Augie-Kuta

-Rahima Gambo (Abujafood.com)

-Ejike Emmanuel (Steezz.com)

-Brite Saiki (New Africa magazine)

HOSPITALITY AND EVENT MANAGEMENT:

-Ufuoma Bozimo (Red Diamond events)

-Lilly Abayomi (Lilly’s concept)

-Hauwa Alfa (Alfa showers)

-Christine Ogbeh (The Wedding Guru/Q box)

-Jefferson Okoroafor (The PR company)

HEALTH AND FITNESS:

-Helen Nji (Zumba Fitness)

- Mimi marwa and Rahama Babangida (Deva Petals)

-Nanaye Ogoina ( Ultimate Fitness Bootcamp)

-Mima Angulu (Krump dance studios)

BEAUTY:

-Jide Okerayi (St Ola makeovers)

-Fatima Mamza (Mamza beauty)

-Ameerah Abraham (The Nail bar)

-Omolola Fakeye (POPS concept/The Make Up fair series)

-Mimi Marwa and Rahama Babangida ( Deva Petals)

EDUCATION:

-Barakah Saleh (Oakland School)

-Bright Jaja(REDANCE Africa)

-Mosun Jegede (Cradle 2 Crayon/ Springhall British school)

-Ayima Lott (Aduvie Montessori)

-Aisha Gumel (Playhouse daycare)

ENTERTAINMENT:

-Onoja Delphino (Delphino entertainment)

-Fred Bright

-Chioma Omeruah (Chigurl)

-Mohammed Jamal (White Nigerian)

-The Runway team

SPECIALIZED SERVICES:

-Hauwa Alfa (Alfa showers)

-Godfrey Ibeakanma (GI model agency)

-Halima Gidado-mijindadi (Brides and babies)

-Lola Akogun and Comfort Booth-Osigbemeh (Scentsual)

-Titi Iman Idris-Kutigi (Bel Afrique)

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

-Aisha Aliyu (Design by Digo)

-Owuno Ogbeh (Dangerfield studios)

-Femi Alade (Pliris Mobile

-Okeke Nicky Jonas ( Fortec investment)

PHILANTHROPY:

-Water support charity organization (JDL)

- Adaora Nwodo (Miss Dee for sickle cell)

-Nkechi Azinge and Jake Okechukwu (Sickle cell aid foundation)

-Amina Danyaro (Help the north)

-Muslimah Global Foundation.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR:

-Wanger Ayu (Designer’s market place)

-Christine Ogbeh (The wedding guru/Qbox)

-Jefferson Okoroafor (The PR company)

-Muna Okam (Chloe’s cupcake heaven)

-Ameerah Abraham (The Nail bar)

http://www.abujafood.com/abuja-events/dawn/1097-aye-awards-2013-the-lucky-nominees.html

OK!

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On January 15, 2013, Facebook announced to the whole world the launch of its Social Network, database driven search engine which they call graph search that enables facebook users to search for specific targeted information which enables users to search for information about people, photos, places and other interests such as Restaurants, bars, schools and other “likes” of friends or people users are following on facebook.

What this implies is that a Nigerian Facebook user resident in Port Harcourt in search of information about hotels in Abuja can easily access relevant information from Abuja residents who are active on Facebook. In other words you can actually search for recommendations on places to go, or even events and so on based on people’s local interests.

A few things to note about Graph Search:

Local Searches

The new search features is likely to impact heavily on local and highly targeted searches since searches would likely be based on people's local experiences. So if I had an experience at a local bar in Wuse 2 for instance, I could go to my Facebook time line to talk about it. Meanwhile the Facebook graph search captures my data and stores it in a database. So tomorrow a friend or friend of a friend is searching for where to have a drink in Wuse 2, the graph search returns various results with my Wuse 2 bar experience as a possible search result.

Marketing Potential

Already marketing analysts have started making predictions about the marketing potential this presents advertisers and local businesses with a highly effective marketing medium to showcase their businesses to local people on facebook searching for various interests relating to their businesses.

Compared to google Search

By his own admission, Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges that this search feature is not web based since Facebook users who want to search the web for information outside Facebook would still have to consult bing which is the search engine developed by Microsoft in partnership with Facebook. So although Facebook has officially dethroned Google as the number one website in the world, Google remains the undisputed king of web search, so graph search is no where near being a strong web search engine.

Privacy fears

Facebook were quick to dispel fears of threats to people’s privacy saying that in as much as many people’s personal details are on Facebook the new system works efficiently to protect people’s privacy.

We’re watching to see if this new search engine would deliver the high value Facebook believes they’re offering or if this will be another flash in the pan mean. While the service is still undergoing development as Facebook’s CEO puts it “ it’s still at its earliest stages of development”. As a Nigerian who uses Facebook daily, this is exciting stuff!

http://www.abujafood.com/lifestyle/gadgets-a-tech/1095-facebooks-new-search-engine-graph-search-means-for-nigerian-users.html

Deadline is January 30th 2013! Interview comes up the following day!

Hey peeps,

I have a confession to make, while growing up I was a good boy for most of my childhood except for a few times when I did some really naughty things like damaging my Neighbours Radio Cassette player because he was always playing some annoying music I really hated hearing.

One of my childhood friends pooed on the Principal's car while he was in boarding school as pay back for inflicting back injuries from whip lashes he got.

Those were the years life was fun and adventurous. What about you peeps? Were you all good boys and girls while growing up? If not what were some of those naughty things you did while growing up?

Vanity or variety?

kristikat: they should not know themselves,
until the time is right........
babies are usually ADULT SPIRITS coming from heaven to live here,
and experience this reality,
if they see themselves too soon,
they may fail in accomplishing what it is they came to do here,
since they must first come here on a clean slate,
or think this life is the only life there is to live,
knowledge of them coming from some place else,
may totally confuse them,
and maybe make them forget why they came here...
since they come here with a specific mission erasing all other memories,
only with the purpose in mind.....

HOGWASH raised to the power 100

Brand_new: Mine was a long time ago. Can't remember the specific year but it would be around 2005 when i was on board a government agency vehicle and it broke down around Oshodi. Other passengers simply took to their heels when the area boys approached us but i was too naive to know what was about to happen. They simply mobbed me and took all the money i had on me. It was a shocking experience and i even had to beg them for my freedom.
I somehow found my way home with help from an Okada man who gave me a free ride.

Your case sounds like the proverbial JJC who lands in trouble for being in Rome but not acting like the Romans!

Applicants are expected to be resident in Abuja or willing to relocate to Abuja!

Hi Peeps,

Just wanted to hear your experiences with Area boys whether in Lagos or elsewhere. Mine was in 2007, one silly guy had the guts to dip his hands into my pocket and threatened to get boys to beat me up if I didn't surrender my phone to him. Unfortunately he had no back up and I happened to be stronger than him, he was lucky to have escaped without being beaten up.

Another experience I had was in 2009 at computer village, one guy removed a diary from my pocket and said the only way I could get it back is if I paid him N500. To avoid trouble and since I had some important info in the diary, I quietly paid him and got it back.

What have been your experiences so far?

Food Poisoning? Better watch what you eat when you're out socializing with peeps. Heard of a guy who was poisoned at a club another who attended a wedding reception died a few days later of food poisoning!

I think what he did was Okay but may be he should have considered his in-laws and the trouble they went through, they probably would have condemned their daughter for what she did to him.

But for the cheaters they deserve whatever embarrassment they got from him.

Please Note vacancy only open to females based in Abuja

Opening date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Introduction

Vacancies exist for the position of marketing / customers’ relation officers in a reputable training and consulting organization in Abuja. This firm is known for empowering people through the transfer of knowledge, which they do by VARIOUS TRAINING PROGRAMS. They are seeking for two (2) talented and skilled FEMALE graduates that will work using online and offlinemedia to secure leads.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Interested candidate should be graduate (B.Sc / HND) of marketing, business administration, general management, etc. Knowing how to use the computer system and internet is required*. The core competencies required to perform the duties of this position include outstanding leadership1, effective communication skills2, interpersonal3 and customer service skills4, sales5, marketing and strategic planning skills6. Flare for marketing / customers’ service is crucial7. Experience in similar work is an added advantage.

Remuneration

Attractive monthly Basic Salary1 + Commission2 + Quarterly Bonus3.

Method of Application

Interested Female candidate should submit their Resume / C.V to openingjob4me@gmail.com, not later than the closing date. Selected candidates shall be interviewed on Thursday, January 31, 2013.

Closing date: Wednesday, January 30, 2013

http://www.abujafood.com/news-digest/abuja-job-vacancy/1094-vacancy-for-female-marketingcustomer-relations-officers.html

This is the inspiring story of how Charly boy set the pace for many young Nigerian mavericks to find greatness through their own dreams. Enjoy!

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The path of self-discovery and originality from cradle to greatness is less traveled by sojourners because it is long, dusty, and turbulent with no shortcuts to the preferred destination. Great men like CHARLY BOY are not necessarily perfect. They only stand out from the crowd with a mark of distinction while daring to be who they truly are. Thus, they see, think and act above the level of events. They do not speak the language of the immediate generation and are rarely understood by contemporaries because they are future-based and in some cases stigmatized as controversial until their perspectives and actions, for which they were stigmatized become obvious to the wondering society in retrospect.

Early in life, CHARLY BOY, like the Legendary Afro-beat King, FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI, was tossed between upholding his aristocratic status as a son of the renowned JUSTICE CHUKWUDIFU OPUTA, and establishing his originality on the sands of time by heeding the call of destiny to make a difference in his generation. He rebelled against parental interference in his career path with a determination to deliver himself as a gift to his generation. A decision he paid dearly for.

Consistent with his aristocratic background, CHARLY BOY attended the prestigious Harvard University; a world-class University in the USA with a track record of producing great world leaders including President BARAK OBAMA. He also studied Communications at Emerson University also in the USA.

Upon completion of his University education, CHARLY BOY returned to Nigeria, but against the high hopes of his father, he opted for the streets instead of accepting the plum job at Mobil Oil and Gas that was already secured for him ahead of his arrival by his influential father. At this point, the AREA FADA as he will be called by the area boys, incurred the wrath of his Parents who withdrew all their support for him describing him as a big rascal, and the black - sheep of the family.

Coping with the grim ordeals of his fluctuating fortune after his parent jettisoned him was not an easy task, but with the prospect of a glorious future in mind, CHARLY BOY doggedly faced the situation headlong and rose above the storms that threaten his self-actualization.

Read the rest of this story here: http://www.abujafood.com/people/be-inspired/1092-charlyboy-how-doggedness-and-tenacity-shaped-his-life.html

Social Media Marketing is the use of interactions that normally happen in online communities to spread messages that will lead others to take a certain predetermined action. Nigerians have taken to Social Media like fish to water and this comes with many opportunities and risks to those trying to sell products and services. Social Media Marketing is all about forming an online community, producing interesting content, and sharing marketing messages with members of that community in order to draw attention to a product or service to the online audience. The skys the limit for Nigerians who use the online medium to market their products. However the art and skill of marketing through this medium is something that takes creativity, patience and strategy. Below we look at some pros and cons of this new age marketing style.

[size=20pt]Benefits of Social Media Marketing[/size]

#1 It’s an affordable way to market your products and services

Let's assume you have 3,000 friends on Facebook and you're into sale of blackberry phones, would it not be cheaper for you to simply broadcast your message to your Facebook friends than printing 3000 fliers to distribute for people to know about your products?

#2 Broad Reach

What I mean by that is you don't have to move from Ketu to Mushin for people to know about you when from Facebook alone all your friends who live in far away places can simply log on to their time lines and see your post. Mind you, Facebook is not the only social media you can use for marketing. There is also Twitter, various Blogs like , tumblr and Wordpress, even your Smart phone can be used for marketing.

#3 Easier to respond to enquiries and communicate with potential customers

I can make a broadcast on my Blackberry smart phone to my contacts about a product for sale from the comfort of my bed. You can't beat the convenience of social media marketing especially from your smart mobile device.

#4 Social media marketing is a viral medium

For instance, the 'Gangnam style' song by a relatively unknown Korean rapper called Psy was spread all over the world in less than 48 hours from one initial post. Psy uploaded the post on Youtube and shared the link on various Social Media Platforms and before we could say 'Gangnam style' it had gone viral. The same approach can also be used as a marketing tool in getting thousands of people who are not part of our community to hear our messages when our friends share our posts or retweet or re-broadcast our messages. But the key to going viral is the quality and "like-ability" of the content you share. There's no formula dor producing great online content, but the key is publishing content regularly and keeping an eye on online trends.

#5 Brand Positioning

Have you noticed that many celebrities have Facebook pages? E.g Goldie, P-Square, Uti Nwachukwu even brands like The Beat FM and MTN have Facebook pages. These brands also have a presence on Twitter, Google plus and some of them have blogs from which they project a more personable image for their brands. You can position your brand quite strongly on Social Media by the type of content you publish and share.

With social media I can create an image and send a message I feel will drive home my marketing goals. For example, MTN wants to be seen as the choice network, they make sure they incorporate this message in all the content published on social media platforms.

[size=20pt]Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing[/size]

#1 Your audience has to be very targeted.

Social Media Marketing can only be effective if you attract the right audience. Not all your friends might be interested in what you do. If for instance I'm all about selling Designer perfumes then I'll have to set up an online community of people likely to be interested in designer perfumes. If your defined community is too genralised you may attract the wrong audience, which will make marketing to them very difficult. So focus on building the right audience for your online community and this is not easy to achieve.

Social media marketing is also essentially about engagement with your community. You can't simply set up your Facebook Page and assume that your work is done. You need to consistently create one on one interaction between you the person administering the community and the members of the community!

#2 You need a large audience to have a serious impact!

For instance 1000 dedicated and loyal fans in an online community will likely result in a few dozen sales per month for you but the problem is not with making the sales, it's with building your initial community which is not a day's job. You'll need to work hard daily to reach a strong enough audience!

# 3 You need to have a reputation as an authority in your field

To command the kind of trust and respect to succeed, you need to be either an expert in your field of business or have a good reputation as a n authority in your field. That means you must have a proven track record. Now how will you achieve a proven track record if you're just starting a business you want to promote? This is where authenticity comes in, people can usually smell out a 'fake' very easily online.

#4 Social Media Marketing is a relatively new concept in Nigeria

Many Nigerians are not keen on paying for goods online especially from someone they can’t see with their two eyes. So you are limited to mostly marketing (creating awareness about what you do) but actual sales (payment for goods) has to be in real time at least so far here in Nigeria!

http://www.abujafood.com/news-digest/abuja-business-advice/1089-social-media-marketing-in-nigeria.html

When it comes to renting flats in Abuja the real impediment is not from scarcity but price which defies market logic. With increased demand one would expect prices to rise but not so with Abuja flats as they seem to be based on prestige and social significance rather than availability.

In the city center don’t hope to find flats to rent easily not because you’d have a hard time finding them but that even when you do, they’re usually too expensive. Here are the kind of flats in Abuja you’ll likely find for rent:

Self Contained

Usually comprising of a single room with a toilet and bathroom and no kitchen, these kind of apartments are not really flats in the real sense of the word since often times they’re part of another person’s apartment such as a room in a bungalow or boys quarters of a duplex. In the city center itself Self-contained apartments start from N350’000 per annum but on the outskirts and satellite towns these dwellings are much cheaper.

1 bedroom Flats

A single room consisting of a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, en suite bathroom and if your lucky a balcony. Prices for this type of flat goes for N500’000 or more depending on which area of the city. In Wuse, Garki or Maitama these apartments may go for as high as N1 million or more per annum.

2 bedroom Flats

These flats provide a living room with 2 bedrooms and 1 or 2 bathrooms with Kitchen and a balcony. Price starts from N1.2 million in most Abuja districts but could go for less in the outskirts in places like Lugbe, Kubwa or Lokogoma to mention a few.

3 bedroom Flats

These flats also have a iving room with 3 bedrooms and at least 2 toilets/bathrooms with kitchen and a balcony. Price starts from N1.3 million in places like Wuse and Garki and for as high as N2 million in Maitama, or more in Asokoro. In less prestigious parts of Abuja it goes for as little as N800’000 per annum.

Whatever your choice of location or flats/apartments, the deciding factor will be your budget in Abuja. Good luck in your search for your Abuja Flats.

http://www.abujafood.com/news-digest/housing-and-real-estate/1088-flats-and-apartments-for-rent-in-abuja.html