Confidence levels remain high among the majority of executives interviewed for the 2018 edition of the Business Barometer: Nigeria CEO Survey carried out by Oxford Business Group (OBG), although accessing credit continues to present problems for many entrepreneurs and risks hampering the country’s efforts to diversify its economy away from a reliance on oil.

As part of its survey on the economy, the global research and consultancy firm asked 124 C-suite executives from across Nigeria’s industries a wide-ranging series of questions on a face-to-face basis aimed at gauging business sentiment. The results are now available to view in full on OBG’s Editors’ Blog at: https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/blog/souhir-mzali/obg-business-barometer/nigerian-growth-back-track-can-it-diversify-beyond. When asked, 85% of respondents said they had positive or very positive expectations of local business conditions for the coming 12 months, up marginally from 84% in OBG’s first survey on Nigeria, which was carried out in 2017.

However, 90% of business leaders interviewed – the same proportion as in 2017’s survey –described the ease of access to credit in the country as difficult or very difficult, indicating that borrowing remains a major hurdle for many, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for around 60% of the economy. Executives were more divided about what they felt to be the biggest challenge to doing business in Nigeria, with equal numbers (31%) citing access to capital and corruption as the main obstacles to smooth-running entrepreneurial activity.

OBG’s survey also highlighted the dominant role that oil continues to play in the economy, despite Nigeria’s diversification plans. More than four-fifths (82%) of interviewees said they regarded a rise in oil prices as the top external event that could impact the national economy in the short to medium term, perhaps indicating that the recession of 2016, caused by the oil price shock, remains fresh in the minds of many.
However, most business leaders were upbeat about Nigeria’s immediate growth prospects. Some 69% of respondents said they expected the economy to expand by between 1% and 3% over the next 12 months, broadly in line with OBG’s forecasts and those of the IMF, which has predicted growth of 2%.

Commenting on the results in her blog, Souhir Mzali, OBG’s regional editor for Africa, said that while Nigeria’s economy grew by 0.8% in 2017, compared to a contraction of 1.6% in 2016, the fact remained that its recovery was driven largely by higher international oil prices and increased domestic output of the commodity. ““Nigeria’s return to positive growth in 2017 is certainly reassuring for both the domestic and international business community, and puts the economy on a surer footing,” she commented. “These improved economic fortunes have brought with them a number of positive developments. However, more remains to be done to achieve economic diversification.”

Mzali added that even though the country possesses several competitive advantages and has announced a record budget of N9.12trn ($25.2bn) for 2018 in a bid to stimulate growth, transforming the structure of its economy will be no easy task. “Despite attempts to diversify the nation’s revenue base, the non-oil sector grew by a mere 0.8% in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the oil sector’s 14.8%,” she said.

Growth is likely to continue to be driven by oil and subject to potential price fluctuations in the near term, Mzali noted, while medium- to long-term plans to provide for a more diverse economy firm up. Mzali’s in-depth evaluation of the survey’s results can be found on OBG’s Editor’s Blog, titled ‘Next Frontier’. All four of OBG’s regional managing editors use the platform to share their expert analysis of the latest developments taking place across the sectors of the 30+ high-growth markets covered by the company’s research.
The OBG Business Barometer: CEO Surveys features in the Group’s extensive portfolio of research tools. The full results of the survey on Nigeria will be made available online and in print. Similar studies are also under way in the other markets in which OBG operates.

Oxford Business Group (OBG) is celebrating 10 years of covering the Nigerian economy in 2018 and is partnering once again with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and this year for the first time with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

The LCCI has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with OBG for its forthcoming publication. Under the MoU, the chamber will contribute to the research for The Report: Nigeria 2018. This partnership will help OBG analyse the sustainability of the Nigeria’s economic recovery and assess the results of economic diversification efforts so far. The Report will also include a strong focus on some of the emerging sectors, such as recent developments in ICT, as well as analyse the factors that are holding back growth in certain sectors, such as mining and manufacturing.

The Report will also shine a spotlight on developments affecting the broad-based economic development of the country, covering a number of sectoral groups, including those that the LCCI represents, such as agriculture, construction, education and financial services. Similarly, OBG’s publication will consider the challenges facing Nigeria’s investment opportunities, especially as the country emerges from a recession and heads into a protracted election period.

Babatunde Paul Ruwase, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he was excited to be teaming up with OBG and contributing to its forthcoming report on the country’s investment opportunities. “Nigeria has made considerable progress with regard to economic diversification; however, greater information is needed if we are to tackle challenges with manufacturing, as well as transport and logistics,” he said. “Oxford Business Group has played a major role in addressing this issue by filling key information gaps, providing its readers with comprehensive coverage on a broad range of issues – from regulatory changes to macroeconomic developments. I look forward to working with them on their publication, which I know will be a valuable resource for our members.”

Diana Rus, OBG’s country director in Nigeria, agreed that the country presented openings and challenges for investors in equal measure.

“Our analysis points to an emerging and evolving market with tremendous potential, but one in which infrastructure gaps continue to cause some concern,” she said. “Creating synergies and sharing information with local partners like the LCCI is a crucial part of ensuring that our reports provide investors with the business intelligence they need when weighing their decisions. I’m delighted that our team, and ultimately our readers, will once again benefit from the chamber’s input.”

The Report: Nigeria 2018 will be a vital guide to the many facets of the country, including its macroeconomics, infrastructure, banking and other sectoral developments. The publication will also contain contributions from leading representatives. It will be available in print and online.

Grand Cereals Limited, an integrated food company with leading brands in the cereals, vegetable oil and animal feeds category has launched one of its products, Binggo Dog Food in new attractive packaging into the Nigerian market. This was unveiled during the recent Dog Breeders’ Forum organized by the company in Jos, Abuja and Lagos. The brand which was introduced in the last quarter of 2014 has become a household name among the dog breeding community in Nigeria.

Delivering his key note address at the event Mukhtar Yakasai, Deputy Managing Director of the company reaffirmed its commitment to continuous product innovation and improvement to meet and surpass the breeders’ expectations at all times. He further stated that the enviable position Binggo is currently enjoying could not have been possible without the collaboration of the breeders who opened up their Kennel to Binggo Dog Food. Since introduction, Grand Cereals Limited (GCL) has engaged in continuous research and innovation to deliver a world class brand that is comparable to leading dog food brands internationally.
In recognition of the progress made with the brand, The Nigeria Police Force Animal Branch (FAB) adopted Binggo as the official dog food of the Nigeria Police Dogs due to its ability to sustain dogs through the rigorous training and day to day policing functions. This fact was corroborated by the Commisioner of Police, Department of Operations, Force Animal Branch, Aishatu Abubakar, who was ably represented b SP Julius Samuel at the event in Abuja.

Also speaking at the event in Jos, Victor Chinonso; President, Jos kennel Club also known as Champion Breeders, stated that “breeders need a dog food that is well formulated to bring out the breed’s conformation and performance of their dogs”. He stated further
“Binggo Dog Food has proven to fit into this role perfectly since it is hygienically produced, has all the nutrients in balanced proportion, and is readily and freshly available unlike the imported brands that stay up to 4 months on the sea before arriving the shores of Nigeria”
The hallmark of the events was the unveiling of the new packaging for Binggo Dog Food across all its pack sizes as well as the improved formulation for its puppy food which is produced from 100% animal protein and rice as the main energy source.
During the knowledge-sharing session at the Lagos leg of the event, Dr. Bala Mohammed, Medical Director, Blueblood Veterinary services and Vetworld services who spoke on “The impact of nutrition on the productivity of our dogs” stated that Binggo Dog Food has all the necessary nutrients that every dog needs to develop healthily. He further endorsed the product by noting that “Binggo Dog Food is produced putting into consideration every aspect of productivity in dogs irrespective of its breed. The essential nutrients contained in the product ensures good growth and effective development for dogs”

The General Manager Sales & Marketing GCL, Bukola Adelabu during his vote of thanks appreciated the breeders for turning out in their numbers and equally assured them of GCL’s unalloyed support and more innovations targeted at supporting and revolutionizing the breeding community in Nigeria including value added services such as vet consultancy and periodic capacity building workshops to enhance productivity and profit of Dog Breeders in Nigeria.
The General Manager also reiterated the goal of the company which is to be the preferred provider of human and animal nutrition in West Africa through innovation, high quality products, exceptional and value added service deliveries via our other products among which are; Grand Pure Soya Oil, Grand Cornflakes, Grand Maize Brabusco , Vital Feed and Ruminant Feed for sheep ,goat and cattle.

In a bid to promote innovation, encourage home grown solutions and improve the quality of life for the common man through meaningful collaborative relationships across communities, Mbari Uno, a platform that educates, promotes engagement, develop sustainable solutions and establish a Sub- Saharan African design industry has launched in Lagos.

Mbari Uno, was borne out of the need to create a platform that would engender collaborations among designers, design enthusiasts, sponsors, manufacturers, industries and the general public.
Building on the pillars of design research, education and development, Mbari Uno will teach and showcase design, profile designers and chronicle design firms. The platform will also create great design work, establish and promote the design industry as well as document the design discipline in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the absence of a holistic directory for the design industry in Nigeria with little local reference or examples to benchmark its design practice, the visionaries Chuma Anagbado and Obinali Okoli birthed Mbari Uno which literally translates to a ‘House of Collaboration’ to share ideas and develop indigenous solutions among design aficionados, government and stakeholders.
Speaking at the launch, Co-founder Mbari Uno, Chuma Anagbado said that, “ Mbari Uno is set to attract design patrons, consultant and investors to help emerging designers gain access to innovative spaces, trainings, professional assistance, and any other service that will fast track them to success.”

He noted that “the idea is to continually chronicle and publish the profiles of both formal and informal trained design professionals, firms, publications, events, schools, designs clusters and routinely publish insights, views, opinions, solutions, to position among others on design-based issues using the media. “We want to conceive, design and develop frameworks that will promote the culture of probing, innovation, collaboration and sustainable engagements that seek to improve the quality of life of the common man.”
Mbari Uno is poised to become a ‘go-to hub’ for all things design, a platform that will drive visible human capital development and position Nigeria as a leading design nation in Africa as well as build an increase in the number of successful design startups originating from Sub-Saharan Africa.

The vision of Mbari Uno is to establish a framework for the creation of design hubs across various cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, where host communities will engage in prototyping ideas and designing solutions that will benefit them.
For more information, visit www.mbariuno.com

Population control is one of the major issues facing many developing countries of the world. Overpopulation has numerous adverse effects; these include pressure on natural resources, unemployment and the challenge of providing more food for consumption, which invariably leads to exploitation of renewable and non-renewable resources. Overpopulation is a challenge especially for economies that are yet to achieve their full potential and attain development.
African countries along with China, India and some Latin countries are faced with extreme population growth rates. According to worldmeters.info, Nigeria ranks seventh among countries and dependencies by population. Population can be controlled in many ways, ranging from legislative actions, poverty eradication, effective family planning, to accessibility of contraceptives among others.
Since population increase requires sexual activity among couples, it is important that efforts on population control should stem from it and about time we broadened the discussion about population and family planning to include sex. Couples need to be enlightened on the need to create a long lasting relationship through good sexual experience. Sexual satisfaction is a critical success factor in every marriage and can reduce the need for a spouse to seek extramarital affairs or a second marriage.
With the growing spate of infidelity in marriages in Nigeria, there is urgent need for spouses to ensure that they do all they can to satisfy their spouse and maintain a healthy marital relationship. When couples are sexually satisfied, they tend to be emotionally stable, more productive at work, and the home becomes more suitable to raise children and strong families for the society.
To promote this, experts believe that the use of sex lubricant is effective. According to Mr. Peter Inekwe, the Chief Operating Officer of Greenmeans Healthcare Limited, distributors of Moist personal multipurpose lubricant, “Moist is a water based non-irritating and safe lube used to reduce friction and aid penetration during intercourse. It is also used for certain medical procedures like catheter insertion and gynecological examination”.
He stated that “while men are mostly ready to engage in sexual intercourse, women may experience dryness, pain and difficulty in penetration due to a lack of secretion of vaginal fluid which can be caused by various factors like hormonal changes, antihistamine medications, anxiety, and insufficient arousal among others”.
*Mr. Inekwe advised,though there is no justification for cheating, spouse should play their cards positively by using Moist lubricant to enhance a deep feeling of satisfaction for each other rather than denying one another as a result of discomfort associated with dryness. It has been proven that the more spouses are sexually happy and satisfied in marriage the less likely they are to engage in extramarital affairs which may lead to having children outside the legal marriage, an impediment to overpopulation. *
This way, population can be controlled because the couple will be satisfied with the children they planned to have and birth-control is more effective among responsible married couples. In the words of Alan Atkisson, “we maintain the taboo around sexual pleasure to our peril. Population control isn’t just about making contraception available. It’s about making love, in all senses of the term”. He noted that, “if we do not want to reproduce ourselves to death, we must be willing to expose – with joy, as well as sensitivity – the sex at the heart of life”.
Moist Lubricant eliminates pain and dryness during intercourse thereby ensuring that intimate moments between couples are pleasurable and guarantees sexual satisfaction among couples as well as a vital way to aid population control.

To further promote financial inclusion in Nigeria, Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) a financial development organization funded by DFID and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation organized a FinTech Breakfast forum at Eko Hotel and suites
on the 14th of June, 2018.

Through its Innovation Fund, EFInA targets the economically deprived population.Launched in 2009, the fund shares risks with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) byproviding grant subsidies through the Technical Assistance Grant and the Innovation Grant tothe amountof $250,000 and $2,000,000 respectively. The focus areas include agentnetworks, electronic payment, financial inclusive products and services especiallyacross Northern Nigeria, women and financial literacy projects.

EFInA’s Board Chair, Mr. Segun Akerele said that the “essence of the forum is to request information from FinTechs on how EFInA can stimulate innovation targeted at the financially excluded through its grants, advocacy, research and capacity building” she addressed over 40 different FinTech companies, regulators and digital financial service consultants that attended the forum. Mr Akerele also appealed to the forum to see the financially excluded as partners and an asset in our bid to boost economic growth and increase GDP.

Presenting on “Potentials For Driving Financial Inclusion Uptake through FinTechs”, Folasade Agbejule, EFInA’s Programme Specialists – Payments, stated that “According to the EFInA Access to financials survey of 2016 which covers about 23,000 respondents across Nigeria, 41.6% of adults are financially excluded even though they have access to mobile phones. Also, these adults do not have access to formal and informal financial services. The digital financial service system has a role to play in this situation to reach low income earners and people in the rural areas.

Topsy Kola Oyeneyin, Associate Principal at Mckinsey and Company during herpresentation on “Opportunities in Digital Financial Inclusion”, stated that “thereis huge potential for digital involvement in Nigeria's financial services but thiscan only be attained if the three required building blocks are put in place. These building blocks are:widespread digital infrastructure, dynamic financial services market and the development of products people prefer to existing alternatives”.

The event involved a panel session where panelists including Segun Akerele, Tunde Kehinde; Co-Founder Lidya, Ngozi Dozie; Co-founder Paylater/OneFi, Jude Njugo; Beyond Credit CEO and NonnyMerenu; Unilever Sustainability Manager discussed issues relating to: the current state of financial inclusion in Nigeria, the FinTech landscape, the role of the Central Bank of Nigeria in driving financial inclusion in Nigeria as well as the barriers and challenges of the low income population to access financial services.

The panel, moderated by Tunji Elesho; CcHub Growth Capital fund and Suzanne Adeoye; EFInA Grants Manager identified the regulatory landscape, the availability of credible data as very important factors in the development of digital financial services.

The FinTechs that attended the forum generally agreed that there was a need for constant dialogue between all stakeholders so that the current obstacles to financial inclusion can be removed and the FinTechs can play an important role in the development of our economy and the promotion of financial inclusion in Nigeria. Some of the FinTechs that attended the forum include Flutterwave, Lidya, Paga, International Finance Corporation, Paylater, E-settlement, Sanwo, OyaPay, Spacpointe, Amplify, Afarapartners, Capricon Digi, Cassava and many others.

Building a healthy relationship begins with love. It develops into a bond that enhances long term commitment between couples. Having a healthy relationship also requires communication. When there is good communication between couples, they have a romantic fulfillment that enables them to be effective in other areas of life.
A basic approach to having a good relationship stems from discussion on how couples want the family to co-exist otherwise petty issues will bring up unnecessary arguments. For instance, there should be a schedule on who will take care of the child and at what time during the child’s infancy period. This will go a long way in showing the kind of responsibility each spouse is to take and how they cope in years to come. The process of building a family with a disciplinary approach is not just between the spouses but with the children as well.
The discussion between couples should also be extended to having a financial plan. According to a poll in 2004 reported by Health Magazine on couple relationships; money was figured to be the major reason that couples fight because relationships tend to suffer from poor economies. This poor economic growth is as a result of little productivity which is affected by unhealthy relationship among couples. Couples should thus have discussions on financial rules that will guide their spending. Furthermore, to keep a relationship healthy, there should be a feeling of romance between the couple. Couples should talk about everything that involves them including how they can sexually satisfy each other. When there is bond between spouses, it becomes a good way to help the individuals focus on productivity on their jobs.
Making sex a priority is also akin to having a healthy relationship. According to health.com, the average married couple has sex 58 times per year or slightly more than once a week. What is most important however is the happiness of the couple. Couples who reported marital intimacy such as holding hands also exhibited lower level of hormones produced by stress. By living a stress free life, it becomes easier to improve productivity.
In the process of love making however, some spouse do complain about arousal especially the female. The male partner gets aroused due to attraction but it might not be the same for the female. In situations like this, Moist lubricant comes in handy. It is recommended for personal lubrication when vaginal dryness causes discomfort. Apart from being used to enhance pleasurable sex among couples, it is also an excellent lubricant for the insertion of tampons, rectal thermometers and similar types of nozzles. It is water soluble, a greaseless clear gel, non staining and non irritating. With the kind of intimacy gotten from the use of lubricants like Moist, spouses can have a healthy relationship which will enhance their all-round productivity in other areas of life and improve the economy.
Marriage as an institution helps spouses to think more than just their own welfare but also the welfare of the family and the nation. It drives more responsibility towards long term goals in line with what they can benefit from the relationship and in their business engagements. It paves way for good planning due to the expected long term nature of marriage. With a good sexual relationship that leads to birth of children, seven sectors of the economy are also likely to benefit from it and they include child care, health care, food, life and personal insurance, pets and toys, household products and services. The economy of a country depends on strong families due to its futuristic nature. The families help to provide a future customer base for the sectors producing products useful for families which in turn helps with productivity and economic development.

After raising $47.5m from the Rise Fund, a global impact investing fund managed by growth equity platform TPG Growth, Cellulant, says the investment will help scale its blockchain-based platform Agrikore.
Agrikore is a mobile blockchain-based platform that has served more than 7 million farmers across the continent, better connecting them to the market and helping them sell their goods to a diverse range of buyers more easily.
The platform also expands access to government subsidy programs to help reduce costs for farmers, increase their yields, and raise incomes.
Agrikore also known as eWallet system provides a comprehensive system consisting of the technology, business processes, and a systematic organization for players in Agriculture in Africa to help them de-risk and increase investor participation on a large scale.
According to the company, normally, a potential Agriculture financier is unable to incentivize production and processing and marketing but the platform enables them to provide the needed liquidity either as a loan or grant then give them access and ability to monitor, and ensure the application of the financial input.
“With Agrikore, the financier is insulated from the intricate system consisting of farmers, aggregators, offtakers, agro-dealers, insurers, and commodity buyers that create value in the form of produce etc from agricultural inputs because the technology provides the transparency , integrity & immutability that grows the confidence of remote actors in the system,” the firm announced.
A farmers produce therefore serves as its own collateral, and a set system of insurance and inspection ensures that the flow of inputs and its conversion to produce is seriously de-risked compared to farmers without such a platform. Cellulant says the Agrikore is built and operated on the Agrikore blockchain platform facilitating transparency of all transactions, safety of records and confidentiality of all transactions and traders over smart contracts.
Agrikore facilitates loan disbursement, administration, and repayment, produce delivery, storage contracts, and ware-housing, and grants and subsidy distribution among others.
“With this new capital and as part of our scaling up strategy, we are leveraging on the growing mobile penetration trend in Africa to broaden our reach and extend our payments ecosystem across the continent. We are scaling up our existing payments products in the agriculture sector, digital banking and internet payments; as well as introducing consumer-focused products to complement the enterprise products we already have. This will allow us to increase access to payments for the millions of Africans who are still unbanked, despite the financial inclusion revolution,” added Bolaji Akinboro, Cellulant co-founder and CEO of Cellulant Nigeria.
Present across 11 African markets, including: Zambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, and Liberia, Cellulant occupies a unique position in the fintech ecosystem in Africa, with the potential to offer increased access, savings, and income to tens of millions of users across the continent, according to Yemi Lalude, Managing Partner for TPG in Africa.

The launch edition of the Business Barometer: Africa CEO Survey carried out by Oxford Business Group (OBG) indicates high levels of confidence among executives, buoyed by a gradual recovery in commodity prices and strongly performing tertiary sector.

An agreement signed in March by more than 40 African leaders to create a framework for a single market for Africa’s goods and services, known as the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), is likely to provide business sentiment with a further boost, although its implementation will present challenges and the benefits of such a deal will take time to trickle down.

A new project for OBG, the survey sees the global research and consultancy firm add to its growing portfolio of country-wide business barometers with a first-time regional study.

As part of the research for its Africa survey, OBG asked around 1000 C-suite executives from nine countries a wide-ranging series of questions on a face-to-face basis. As a result, OBG was able to gauge and analyse regional investor confidence, while also noting varying national perceptions within the continent.

The largest number of responses were taken from Morocco, followed by Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, with the smallest share of answers collected from Tanzania, Tunisia and Algeria. The results are now available to view in full on OBG’s Editors’ Blog at: https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/blog/souhir-mzali/obg-business-barometer/business-barometer-obg-africa-ceo-survey

Almost three-quarters (74%) of executives surveyed told OBG that their business was likely or very likely to make a significant capital investment in the coming 12 months.

An even higher share (84%) of respondents described their expectations for local business conditions as positive or very positive, in views that echoed the UN’s predictions for regional growth of 3.5% in 2018. Some executives interviewed were even more bullish in their projections for their own market; around 19% told OBG they thought full-year GDP growth would reach 4-5%, with a further 18% forecasting the domestic economy to expand by 6%.

Asked which external event they thought would weigh most heavily on growth in the short to medium term, the largest share of business leaders (34%) cited a rise in oil prices, while 31% chose increased instability in neighbouring countries.

OBG also surveyed executives on which skills they felt were most in need in the workplace – a topical issue, given Africa’s growing young population and evolving economy. Almost one-third (32%) cited leadership skills as in greatest demand, well ahead of R& and engineering, each of which garnered a 16% share.

Commenting on the results in her blog, Souhir Mzali, OBG’s regional editor for Africa, said that while the CFTA agreement signalled a commitment among the 44 signatories to establishing a single market that would allow the free movement of businesspeople and investments across the continent, questions were already being asked about whether Africa was ready for such a deal, while the decision of Nigeria to remain outside of the bloc could not be overlooked.

“Opinions about how successful the CFTA will be have mostly diverged between those who see it as a crucial move to fostering regional economic integration, and those who deem African markets unprepared for heightened levels of competition,” she noted.

One line of thought, Mzali added, was that Africa needed to address key issues, including its infrastructural gaps, poor transportation networks, red tape and corruption, to significantly improve intra-regional trade. She also acknowledged, however, that the continent had experienced solid economic expansion since the turn of the century, despite facing these and other hurdles.

“As the continent’s middle- and high-income groups continue to expand, services are poised to develop further. Household spending is expected to rise in a range of areas, particularly in ICT, transportation, education and housing,” she said. “In the longer run, generating employment for the continent’s ever-growing youth population will be key to ensuring social and economic prosperity.”

Mzali’s in-depth evaluation of the survey’s results can be found on OBG’s Editor’s Blog,
titled “Next Frontier”. All four of OBG’s regional managing editors use the platform to share their expert analysis of the latest developments taking place across the sectors of the 30+ high-growth markets covered by the company’s research.

The OBG Business Barometer: CEO Surveys features in the Group’s extensive portfolio of research tools. The full results of the Africa survey will be made available online and in print. Similar studies are also under way in the other markets in which OBG operates.

Nutritionists agree that soya bean is one of the most consumed legumes in the world. The reason for this is not farfetched as it has many essential nutrients that maintain and improves human health. Soya bean is highly revered as a good meal source for people who are on diet. Its protein content enhances metabolic functions in the body and thus helps to improve human health, ensuring that human cells are well repaired. It also helps with weight reduction and protects people from diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Soya bean also contains vitamins like; vitamin c, vitamin k, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B6 and thiamin. Potassium, calcium, copper, phosphorous, manganese, selenium and zinc are some of the other minerals that can be derived from soya beans. Regular intake of soya beans helps in the prevention of cancer due to its high level of antioxidants. Its protein content makes it a choice meal that spreads around various markets across Nigeria.

Its high vitamin and mineral content ensures healthy bones even during old age. Another benefit of soya beans is its effectiveness in aiding the functioning of the heart by lowering the total cholesterol level in the body thus preventing heart attack or stroke. With its fibre content, soya beans also help in boosting digestion and aids metabolism. Soya bean seed can be used in making different foods; including soy milk, textured vegetable protein and soya bean oil.

Since oil is a staple ingredient for the preparation of meals, it is advisable to cook with oils made from soya bean for the prevention of heart disease and for low cholesterol intake. Grand Pure Soya oil from the stables of Grand Cereals Limited is made from carefully selected soya beans seeds. It does not contain cholesterol and it is the first cooking oil to be endorsed by the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN).

Grand Pure Soya Oil is obviously the foremost brand of soya oil in Nigeria and remains one of the leading brands across the country. Grand Pure Soya Oil is available in 0.75 litres, 2.75 litres, 3.75 litre PET bottles and 4 litres, 10 litres and 18 litres jerry-cans. It is available in supermarkets, online shopping malls and open markets across the country.

The photography business is not for the faint-hearted. You need to ask start-ups and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises living around you. Apart from the issue epileptic power supply, lack of capital, cut-throat competition, multiple taxes and levies, government bureaucracy, lack of accessible roads and other social amenities have also hindered the growth of SMEs in this line of business.

More so, the influx of smart phones and wearable technology has also put a spanner in the works for professional photographers in Nigeria. Today, more talented hands in this hitherto lucrative business venture are already looking elsewhere for healthier sources of livelihood. Mrs. Bolakumi Adetutu Odejayi, a Bsc holder in Marketing and CEO, Beautiful & Fabulous, a photography outfit that specializes in video, graphic design for individuals, family and corporate individuals, couldn’t agree more.

According to her, ‘‘the finance needed to start a photography outfit is huge. The funds needed to acquire camera, lenses, lights and photography props can be very expensive. You need nothing less than 1.5 million naira to start a proper photography business in Nigeria today. However, start-ups looking to making photography a source of livelihood can start small and move on to do greater things.’’
She stated that ‘‘fashion photography is one of the most fun aspect of photography business. This is because it doesn’t just focus on the person but includes other elements such as cloths, beauty and make up. In shooting fashion photography, location must be in-synch with the location. The models must be confident and bustling with loads of charisma. Too much editing can loose some of essence of the photographs’’.

Bolakunmi was initiated into the escapist world of Photography at renowned photography outfit, Ando Shutterbug studio. ‘‘After my apprenticeship, I worked hard on my own and improved with experience. Then there was no University offering Photography as a stand-alone Degree level course in Nigeria. I was awed by the sheer creativity that comes with the art of photography. As a child, I loved taking pictures. Immediately after my secondary school education, I learnt a trade. It was my mother that encouraged me to try photography since I loved it so much. I took her advice and it has been the best thing that happened to me’’.

The boom of mobile internet technology has increased the speed and reach of information across the globe. Undoubtedly, the world is witnessing the era of IoT at an even faster speed than we thought. However, the digital divide noticeable across countries is hard to ignore due to historic, political and economic reasons. Nigeria is one of the emerging markets, where the internet has seen rapid growth. However, the information access is a major challenge with Nigeria when compared to developed countries.

The CEO and founder of APUS, renowned technology company, Tao Li, believes that tech companies in emerging markets need to confront the issue of the digital divide. ‘‘Some companies are already beginning to do so in innovative ways. They are already combining technology and innovative business approaches to diminish the gap, ensuring everyone in the world is able to access information, knowledge, services and entertainment to help improve their lives. According to the UN’s The State of Broadband 2017 report, by the end of 2017, 52 per cent of the world's population (3.9 billion) had no access to the internet. No internet products or services, no internet users or no internet investment funds, the "complete internet-less phenomenon" are some prevailing setbacks in many emerging countries and regions. For instance, only 21.8 per cent of people in Africa were internet users at the end of 2017.

Clearly, there is a digital divide which not only leaves undeveloped regions unable to share the digital dividend brought by the internet, but also accentuates the imbalance of the global distribution of resources and increases the gap between the rich and the poor. Information sharing is essential to our life. Connections are the essence of the future world and making a difference in the world through technology or business model innovation is the dream of every entrepreneur.

APUS is one of the companies around the world that is leveraging technology to help people gain access to information and diminish the digital divide. APUS products are created for fresh Smartphone users who largely come from the emerging market. It provides the simpler operation system, long battery duration and all in one solution for users to manipulate their Smartphone devices. Also, the renowned tech-innovative company is working on making a tailored browser and cameras to catering for Nigeria market needs. The emergence of the digital divide lies first in the differences in technology and equipment. Here is a simple example: for those who can only access a 2G network or their mobile phones have limited memory.

Despite web services experience being very limited, Li believes that technology initiators need to minimize the price of devices enabling users access to the internet. ‘‘As someone who has been involved in the internet industry since 1998, not only have I witnessed the historic turning points and speed at which technology helped to change China and the rest of the world, but also have seen the unbalanced development of global internet technology. For the 3 billion people in emerging countries who do not yet have access to the internet, mobile devices will be their first gateway to internet. That means smart phones will not only reshape their work and lifestyle, but also become providers of services including social, information, entertainment, shopping, healthcare and finance’’.
In other words, the Smartphone is far more than a tool, but a connector that links people to the world, from online to offline. In the developed world we have been slowly experiencing the shift away from desktops and onto mobile for more than a decade. In countries with less legacy infrastructure to replace this shift has been much more rapid. One example is Indonesia: the number of internet users in 2017 reached 132.7 million, an increase of 51 per cent from the previous year's 881 million, of which 69 per cent come from mobile devices. Meanwhile, the opportunity to create services which are native to mobile is much greater. Today, the first batch of mobile services, such as online shopping, banking, travel and e-commerce, have been launched in these emerging markets. There are also food distribution companies like Swiggy and Zomato, and movie ticketing platform BookMyShow emerging in India.

We have witnessed many ways that mobile technology has empowered people in developing countries with SMS technology. The mobile industry has a huge responsibility to ensure that as the next 3 billion migrate to smart devices, we can help to further empower communities and lives. This often means coming together to deliver the infrastructure and services that people need.

To improve the interactive learning process in schools using the aid of technology, Pengage Technologies Limited, a dynamic information and communications company is organizing digital training sessions to empower teachers with the required skills to promote education in secondary schools. The e-learning program known as e4engage creates an audio visual experience for teachers in all subjects taught in secondary schools.
According to Simeon Ogunnubi Nofa, Head Business Operations of Pengage Technologies, “Digital Technology provides numerous tools that teachers can use in and out of classrooms to enhance student learning. The major challenge however is the lack of digital skills by the teachers and the inability to utilize the tools for maximum improvement on their jobs. This training will empower teachers in finding creative ways to integrate digital technology in their classes”
Participating schools will have their teachers taken through a digital course module that includes Wordpress, Microsoft office 365, Articulate 360 (e-learning), Canva and the use of Adobe Illustrator. Participants will also have access to free wifi to use online tools, free software installation and digital manuals.
The Wordpress, enables teachers to organize resources that students need in class such as creating syllabus, assignments, online quizzes, grading tools and a means for discussion and document sharing. The e-learning platform will also help students learn at will to individualize their educational programme. While the use of interactive board will enable the students use high resolution photographs, diagrams and videos to augment text and verbal lecture contents.
The training will further promote teaching ideals in line with twenty first century learning and interaction process. To participate in the training; intending schools are to send a mail to info@pengagegroup.com
“Teaching and learning should be exciting. That is what we intend to inculcate with this training ensuring that teachers find it easier to teach while the students find it easier to learn. With many students owning mobile phones, it provides them access to the resources they need to grow and develop with good mental capacity.” Ogunnubi Concluded
Pengage is an innovative company with core competence in web/mobile application, development, deployment and implementation.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued an approval in principle to Cellulant Nigeria Limited to operate as a Payment Solution Service Provider in Nigeria having satisfied the stringent requirements of the CBN.
This approval makes Cellulant one of the Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSP) in Nigeria. PSSPs are the companies that make up the underlying e-Payment infrastructure in Nigeria. Banks, Online Merchants, payment processors, merchants, state-governments and consumers connect to PSSPs to meet their electronic payment needs.
Cellulant is the provider of the Tingg Payment Service & AgriKore Customer Relationship Management (CRM) service that is used by Governments, private sector companies, farmers, merchants in Nigeria & the rest of Africa, Asia to ensure end to end electronic payments in Agriculture and other consumer facing value chains. Cellulant's payment solution is underpinned by highest global security standards. The solution is ISO/IEC 27001& PCIDSS certified and all records are backed up on a blockchain ledger which ensures that accounts cannot be hacked, and records cannot be changed.
The co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cellulant Nigeria, Mr. Bolaji Akinboro, stated that this approval will enable the company to extend its payment solutions across all spectrum of Nigeria’s payment system ecosystem.
According to him, ‘‘Cellulant is a critical component of Nigeria Payments system and a key actor in delivering the payments systems vision 2020 especially as it pertains to digitising payments within Agriculture and adjacent payment verticals such as transport & logistics; We want to assure CBN and all Nigerians that we will not disappoint them’’.
Akinboro further stated that ‘‘this approval sets Cellulant into a select group of less than 7 companies that operate as PSSPs in Nigeria and will help add millions of economically active but financially excluded Nigerians into the digital payment ecosystem’’.
Cellulant is a financial technology company that provides the e-payment solution known “Tingg” and the developer of the world acclaimed e-wallet system that has transformed Agriculture in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. The Cellulant Tingg payment service solution connects everyone to everything, every day. Businesses, Banks and government agencies leverage on the Tingg solution to perform the last mile payment for farmers and the unbanked in the rural.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today announced the addition of a second daily direct flight from its Abu Dhabi hub to Rome, effective 25 March 2018.

The new service will take the total number of Etihad Airways’ flights on the route to 14 a week. The additional frequencies will be introduced in phases, beginning 25 March 2018, with five extra weekly flights, rising to a twice-a-day service from 1 May 2018.
The double-daily schedule will provide greater choice to local passengers travelling between the capital cities of the UAE and Italy, and further increase connectivity to and from both countries.

The new early morning departure from Abu Dhabi and midday return service from Rome will offer links to popular cities across Australia, China, Japan and Korea. With the additional service, Etihad Airways’ frequency between Abu Dhabi and its two Italian gateways of Rome and Milan will increase from two flights to three flights a day.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: “Ensuring our guests have greater flexibility and more travel options is a focus for Etihad Airways. Since we launched the Abu Dhabi – Rome route in 2014, it has become one of our most popular services for business and leisure travellers. We are therefore delighted to further develop the route with additional services.”

Etihad Airways’ codeshare partner Alitalia has announced that it will discontinue the operation of its daily flight between Rome and Abu Dhabi from 25 March 2018. Alitalia will however continue to codeshare with Etihad and will also place its code on the new Etihad flights. Guests holding reservations on Alitalia flights between Rome and Abu Dhabi and beyond will be re-accommodated on services operated by Etihad Airways.

Flight schedule between Abu Dhabi and Rome from 25 March 2018:
Flight No. Origin Departs Destination Arrives Frequency Aircraft
EY 83 Abu Dhabi 08:45 Rome 13:00 Daily Boeing 777-300
EY 84 Rome 22:00 Abu Dhabi 05:50 +1 Daily Boeing 777-300
EY 85 Abu Dhabi 02:35 Rome 07:05 Daily* Airbus A330-200
EY 86 Rome 11:15 Abu Dhabi 19:20 Daily* Airbus A330-200

Note: All departures and arrivals are listed in local time.
+ denotes next day

*Tuesday and Thursday services will operate from 1 May 2018

In line with its resolve to inspire confidence and promote a financially secure future among Nigerians, PAL Pensions has unveiled a new campaign tagged ‘Retire with a Smile’ to encourage more individuals to save towards retirement. The campaign was launched on the 6th of February, 2018 at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki. Internet sensation, Nosa Afolabi popularly known as Lasisielenu was in attendance to show his support and join in the drive to encourage pensions savings.

The campaign also saw the launch of a new TV Commercial which was warmly accepted as it sparked up positive conversations among media correspondents on the giant stride embarked on by PAL Pensions. The TV Commercial shows an exciting musical that depicts PAL Pensions’ clients smiling from their active working days to old age. It is expected to run on major TV stations and digital platforms across the country.
Addressing the media during the unveiling of the campaign, Managing Director, Pal Pensions, Morohunke Bammeke, reiterated that the mission of the organization is to secure and deliver retirement benefits with ease. ‘‘Our vision is to be the leading Pension Fund Administrator in Nigeria creating value. At Pal Pensions, we are constantly focused on creating value and delivering superior customer service to our clients. We are driven by the passion to be the leader in attracting new clients and retaining old ones. For us, it is crucial that every time our clients interact with us, they can be assured of the highest quality of service delivery. The Pal Pensions brand exudes empathy, warmth, partnership and integrity. “We are driven by the passion to make things easier for our clients’’.

Similarly, the Head, Brand Management & Corporate Communications PAL Pensions, Mrs. Sunmisola Mark-Okoma stated that ‘‘At the core of this campaign is the need to encourage the younger demography to secure their future by adopting a retirement savings plan. We also emphasize on the importance of the Contributory Pensions Scheme. According to a 2017 report by the National Bureau of Statistics, only 10.93 percent of Nigeria’s total working population have retirement savings accounts! This implies that more than 89 percent of Nigeria’s workforce do not have retirement savings accounts. With the campaign launch, we want to underscore the need to choose a credible, customer-focused Pensions Fund Administrator, that would ensure the security and growth of their retirement savings. Our desire is to assure Nigerians that PAL Pensions delivers pensions services and retirement benefits with a smile.”

Furthermore, Sunmisola also enumerated some packages open to existing and new customers. ‘‘PAL Pensions is a company that offers performance, service and trust to its teeming customers. We are committed to providing seamless internal and external synergy to achieve quality services, safe investments and capital growth. Our customers can enjoy the triple benefits of the 'Retire with a Smile' campaign. Retire with a Smile, anchored on our capacity to deliver our promise at the maturation of the pension scheme; Service with a Smile, speaks volumes about our excellent customer service models and Deliver with a Smile, is an internal mechanism ensuring that people who register with PAL Pensions can smile at every interaction with the brand. “Our customers are also guaranteed access to 25% of their funds before attaining age 50, in the event that they are out of job for a minimum of 4 months’’, she added.

There was also a demonstration of PAL Pensions’ App at the event as guests were taught how to navigate the app, highlighting the benefits of the app and the simplicity of the user interface. Head, ICT, Oladimeji Kazeem stated that “We are aware that in this digital age, everyone wants to get a product/service on-the-go, thus the PAL Pensions app provides you with all the necessary information needed at your convenience wherever you are”. Customers can easily access their retirement savings account and obtain updates on happenings in the Pensions Industry by downloading the app from the Google PlayStore.
Pensions Alliance Limited is a joint venture between First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH) (now known as FSDH Merchant Bank) and African Alliance Insurance Company Limited. They are a licensed pension fund administrator with over 10 years of professional experience in Pension Funds Administration. PAL Pensions was incorporated in April 14, 2005 to manage and administer retirement savings contributions of employees in Nigeria in line with the Pension Reform Act of 2004.

Experts have identified the real estate sector as one of the potential revenue drivers for the Nigerian economy in 2018. This is based on the sector’s performance so far in the year as well as outlook for the rest of the year. Although the economy was in recession at the beginning of the previous year, the exit from recession in the second quarter of 2017, creates an opportunity for rekindled activity andsubsequent recovery in real estate.
At the third edition of the West Africa Property Investment (WAPI) Summit which held late last year, Broll CEO, Bolaji Edu reiteratedon the huge investment potential that exists in the Nigerian real estate sector. He noted that Nigeria as a power house in West Africa has the capability to attract investors. He urged that the diversification of the economy should be extended to the sector noting that “the fund managers and asset managers with the property skill sets are able to drive excess returns. The market is creating good quality grade A Stock developed by local investors and international private equity firms, as well as completed assets generating stabilized returns, which investors in West Africa are targeting”.He noted also that the capital base of real estate is to keep growing due to investments in Grade A commercial office and retail sectors. To cater for the needs of the domestic occupier market however, there has to be development of good quality Grade B or Grade B+ investment.
There has also been a rise in demand for space from sectors such as finance, oil and gas, professional services and tech, propelling a larger market for real estate investment in the country. Unlike in the past, when most of the available rental spaces were taken up by businesses predominantly in oil and gas, demand enquiries are now more diversified. The market however, remains a tenants’ market as demand and supply remain in disequilibrium due to the existing and anticipated supply in the market. This stalls the scope of rental growth in the market.
In its Occupier Service Snapshot Report for 2017, Broll Nigeria’s Head of Corporate Real Services and Research Nnenna Alintah noted that the rental trend “endured a consistent decline in the past three years due to the simultaneous increase in building stock and contraction in economic activities”.
With bullish expectations for the Nigerian economy in 2018, it is expected that Nigerian commercial real estate will mirror this development although not immediately. In the short term, as the economy improves moving towards 2019, ‘greenshoots’ of rental growth should return.The sector is expected to also attract more investors during the year due to its long term investment benefits.

Following the success of the first two editions of its Corporate Communications Pitch Competition (CCPC); Sesema Public Relations, a leading Public Relations and Marketing Communications firm in Nigeria is calling for entries for the third edition of its competition.
In line with the second edition, this year’s competition will be in two different categories; Public Relations and IT/graphics design. The grand Prize is Six (6) months paid internship which may lead to full employment and a cash prize which increased this year to the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150, 000) for each category.
As part of the selection process, applicants for the PR/COMMUNICATIONS CATEGORY are requested to write an essay on “What PR tactics can be used to change the negative perception of a government administration willing to run for second term” while applicants for the IT/GRAPHICS DESIGN CATEGORY will be required to “Redesign the logo of an existing telecommunications company in Nigeria”.
Previous editions of the competition have produced winners who are doing exploits in the Corporate Communications industry.
The Corporate Communications Pitch Competition is supported by Guardian, Jobberman, BellaNaija, Information Nigeria and BrandArena.
PR CATEGORY INSTRUCTIONS
• Essay should be between 500-1000 words.
• Name, course of study and essay topic must be clearly inscribed at the top right hand corner of the document.
Formatting
• Documentation must be in MS word
• Font type – Segoe UI Light
• Font size – 11
• Paragraph spacing – single
• Page number- bottom of the page and centralized
To be eligible for participation, PR Applicants must:
• Be between 20 -26 years old
• Possess a minimum of second class lower degree in Mass Communication, Public Relations, English language, Communications and Media Studies, Advertising or any other related field.
• Must have completed or about to complete the National Youth Service Corp programme
IT/GRAPHICS DESIGN CATEGORY INSTRUCTIONS
• Design size must not be larger than 2MB
• Design should be saved in JPEG or PNG format
To be eligible for participation, IT/graphics design Applicants must;
• Be between 20 -26 years old
• Have a background in Computer Science, Information Technology or any other related Field.
• Must have completed or about to complete the National Youth Service Corp programme
NOTE
Participants are required to submit copies of the following documents along with their entry;
• University statement of result or certificate
• A valid identification card
• NYSC card or Discharge Certificate

Entries to be submitted on this link: http://sesema.com/careers/
The call for entries will run from Monday 22nd January till Monday 12th February, 2018
Shortlisting of candidates for the final competition: 5th March, 2018
Final pitch presentation and prize-giving: 3rd April, 2018
Any application submitted outside the specified time frame will not be accepted.
For more information, follow @sesema_pr on all social media platforms or visit website: sesema.com

N.B: Winners of the competition must be available for the six months internship program