Gabonsky's Posts
Nairaland Forum › Gabonsky's Profile › Gabonsky's Posts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (of 37 pages)
 Business › 4 Critical Website Elements Most Businesses Are Missing by gabonsky(op): 5:12pm On Jan 31, 2017 |
When was the last time you visited a website only to leave after only a few seconds? If you are like me, chances are you did this several times just this morning. Great websites are key to attracting and retaining visitors, and these days entrepreneurs have numerous tools at their disposal -- Squarespace, Wix, Weebly -- for creating sharp, impressive and mobile-ready websites easily and quickly. The problem is that these great resources are also creating a big issue, namely how does one identify the most trusted, authoritative and reputable websites? In its second annual survey, the 2015 B2B Web Usability Report, Huff Industrial Marketing and KoMarketing sought to determine the website elements buyers really wanted from vendor websites, which were critical for retention and revisits and most likely to lead to conversions. The key takeaway: Buyers want authenticity in business websites, and the most effective way to create authenticity is to demonstrate trust and credibility. The report went on to find that most businesses are overlooking easy opportunities to improve their websites and create trust and credibility. Here are four key and surprisingly simple elements most companies are missing. 1. Contact information According to the report's findings, 51 percent of respondents indicated that "thorough contact information" was the key website element missing from most websites. An astonishing 98 percent of respondents said that "No Contact Information / Phone Number" would cause them to leave the website (44 percent) or be so annoyed that they might leave the website (54 percent). These days, buyers want and need to know that the site belongs to a real business with a real location. Including your physical address with your phone number and email address is the best way to do this. Visitors also need to find your contact information easily. Burying it in small print and camouflaged in superfluous content sends a bad message. Make it clear, bold and easy to find, with all your social media links, in the footer of each page. If you create a separate contact page, make it easy to find and navigate to. 2. About you Another important factor for creating trust and credibility is providing information about you, your team and your company. Fifty two percent of respondents indicated that "About / Company Information" was information visitors most wanted to see on your homepage and best established credibility (second only to "Contact Information"  .Spend time developing your company story and provide your visitors with detailed bios, backgrounds, histories and even relatable personal stories of each key team member. Include links to each of their professional websites, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as a clear, high resolution picture (you should consider hiring a photographer to take professional headshots). Another valuable element to establish credibility is to publish your client list and testimonials. This may not be possible in many cases and for many reasons, but nothing speaks to your value and credibility more than a long list of happy clients. 3. Appropriate content Many entrepreneurs believe that having an engaging social media presence and creating regular blog posts are the keys to converting clients. While these are useful strategies, the survey found that videos, social media activity and blog posts ranked lowest on "content assets that create credibility." Instead, focus your marketing efforts on creating white papers, case studies, research reports and articles that establish your credibility as an expert in your industry. Write often and leverage customer feedback to create fresh and relevant content they want. For this information to permeate organically, you should consider providing it for free without requiring personal information, as the survey found that more than 70 percent of respondents indicated they would not be willing to provide their information to receive yours. 4. Keep it simple While businesses continue to move to mobile-first strategies, especially given Google’s recent search engine update that prioritizes mobile-ready sites, the survey found that for now, at least with business-to-business companies, 61 percent of respondents indicated that a mobile-friendly website did not impact the buying decision. Clearly, companies should not abandon a mobile strategy, nor should they rush to abandon their website strategy. Instead, entrepreneurs should embrace an approach that pursues both with the same strategy: keep it simple. Resist the urge to load your site with content and limit it to only what your visitor needs. As websites improve and as more people consume content on mobile devices, we will all come to expect the same experience from our websites as we do from our mobile sites. Easy navigation and simple and responsive designs will not be enough, however, so businesses will need to rely more on creating and establishing authenticity to attract and convert visitors. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/4-critical-website-elements-most.html |
| Travel › Breaking News: H-1B Visa Reform Bill Introduced In US House Of Representatives by gabonsky(op): 4:46pm On Jan 31, 2017 |
H-1B Visa Reform Bill Introduced in US House of Representatives Soon after the news broke, Indian tech stocks, including that of the big four — Infosys, TCS, Wipro and Tech Mahindra — tanked as much as 9% wiping out Rs 44,000 crore from the markets. Washington: A legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives which among other things calls for more than doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $130,000, making it difficult for firms to use the programme to replace American employees with foreign workers, including from India. The High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017 introduced by California Congressman Zoe Lofgren prioritises market based allocation of visas to those companies willing to pay 200 per cent of a wage calculated by survey, eliminates the category of lowest pay, and raises the salary level at which H-1B dependent employer are exempt from non displacement and recruitment attestation requirements to greater than $130,000. Soon after the news broke out, Indian tech stocks - including that of the big four, Infosys, TCS, Wipro and Tech Mahindra - tanked as much as 9% wiping out Rs 44,000 crore from the markets. The new ceiling is more than double of the current H-1B minimum wage of $60,000 which was established in 1989 and since then has remained unchanged. "My legislation refocuses the H-1B programme to its original intent to seek out and find the best and brightest from around the world, and to supplement the US workforce with talented, highly-paid, and highly-skilled workers who help create jobs here in America, not replace them," said Lofgren. "It offers a market-based solution that gives priority to those companies willing to pay the most. This ensures American employers have access to the talent they need, while removing incentives for companies to undercut American wages and outsource jobs," he said. Lofgren said it removes the 'per country' cap for employment based immigrant visas so that all workers are treated more fairly and to move to a system where employers hire the most skilled workers without regard to national origin. It raises the salary level at which H-1B dependent employer are exempt from attestation requirements to a new required wage level of 35 percentile points above the median national annual wage for Computer and Mathematical Occupations published by the Department of Labour Occupational Employment Statistics (roughly $132,000), which would be adjusted in the future without the need for new legislation, and eliminates the Masters Degree exemption for dependent employers. The legislation sets aside 20 per cent of the annually allocated H-1B visas for small and start-up employers (50 or fewer employers) to ensure small businesses have an opportunity to compete for high-skilled workers, while still protecting against outsourcing. It among other things removes visa hurdles for students and other temporary visa holders by building a bridge from F-1 student status to Lawful Permanent Residence and removes paperwork burdens by streamlining H-1B filing requirements and reducing administrative costs. The legislation tightens employee protection by stipulating that employers may not reduce beneficiary wages, regardless of whether the deduction is in accordance with a voluntary authorisation by the employee. It makes exceptions for taxes, garnishments, and deductions that are reasonable and customary in the occupation. In related development, Senator Sherrod Brown has announced to introduce H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act in the Senate which he said would close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs and provide increased protections for both American workers and visa holders. "We need to crack down on the fraud and abuse that allows corporations to avoid paying Americans fair wages and exploit foreign workers," said Brown. "During his campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programs and reform starts with this bipartisan legislation to ensure that American businesses are giving American workers a fair shot at good-paying jobs," he said. The bill would require that employers first offer a vacant position to an equally or better qualified American worker before seeking an H-1B or L-1 visa holder. It would also establish wage requirements for L-1 workers and improve H-1B wage requirements to encourage companies to hire qualified American workers and prevent them from using foreign workers as a source of cheap labour. Under the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform, the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have additional oversight authority to investigate fraud and abuse as well as to increase penalties for companies that violate the bill's requirements. The bill also requires DOL and DHS to share information so that visa petitions are effectively scrutinised. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/h-1b-visa-reform-bill-introduced-in-us.html
|
| Business › The Number 1 Mistake Most Founders Make by gabonsky(op): 3:57pm On Jan 31, 2017 |
The Number 1 Mistake Most Founders Make You better be right if you are so confident your idea is perfect that you don't ask intended customers what they think. I’ve met hundreds of entrepreneurs. Through a historied background in business, and most recently at Science, I’ve worked with dozens of brilliant minds like Mike Dubin at Dollar Shave Club and Kyla Brennan at HelloSociety. In my 20 year-career, whether over casual coffee or formal business meetings, I’ve noticed one nearly universal mistake new founders most often make; they often believe their idea is perfect, and don’t take the time to really speak with customers to understand individual needs. Starting a business is hard, and I’ve made my fair share of missteps, but I’ve also learned a tremendous amount along the way. After seeing many startups both succeed and fail, my steadfast prescription is to spend time “sharpening your axe” by talking with your customers and validating your thesis prior to substantial time and capital investment into your product. Work to prove yourself right, not prove yourself wrong. Review the data. Science Inc. is thesis and information driven, and our main goal is to build and invest in technology businesses with founders we believe in. We follow the data we need to see what customers like and what products are resonating with their intended audience. We’ve had three exits this year, and each brand exemplified a structure that created authentic customer relationships and communications in ecommerce and media. We’re an incubator that thinks brand-customer conversations are crucial, because we’ve followed the data and seen great success with it. All brands should follow information first in order to ultimately conceive the right vision. Dollar Shave Club appealed to customers with a tongue-in-cheek vernacular that made sense to its audience. They’ve maintained that vision and expanded because they listened to their millennial demographic and collected data on how to approach them. HelloSociety did the same; the team was able to find a gap in the influencer space that brought online personalities and brands together by listening to the wants and needs of customers and the services they requested. Famebit is another example of a disruptive company that grew out of a need that founders David Kierzkowski and Agnes Kozera identified -- finding the right people to work with and scale influencer marketing programs. Identify these gaps, look at the numbers and start from there. Learn focus When I ask new entrepreneurs if they feel like what they’ve done in the last two weeks was enough, the resounding answer is always “no.” Founders are ambitious people by nature -- their drive is what made them founders in the first place -- but it’s how you allocate time that makes all the difference. The trick here is to learn focus -- think of a compelling book you recently picked up. More often than not, you might find a handful of great ideas covered in just a few paragraphs. It's time consuming for the reader and a waste of paper for the author. Founders should find the core parts of their mission that matter and weave out the things that don't Figure out precisely what you’re going to do for two weeks to be productive and change behaviors. By identifying existing strengths and targeting these pillars, founders can make a bigger impact in the appropriate areas. Albert Einstein said it best when he defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If you keep doing the same thing, don’t expect a different outcome. Focus on things that can add substantial growth opportunities to the business. The CEO should be focused on opportunities that can double the trajectory of the business while the core team drives more standard growth methods. Learn to say 'no.' We say "yes" because we want opportunity, and that three letter word begets a world of possibility. The trick here is to do one thing exceptionally instead of many things well. To do this, we need to step away and evaluate the opportunity presented and, in some cases, politely decline. This is what author Gary Keller meant in his book The One Thing. The entrepreneur-turned-author identifies that behind every successful person is one thing that influences the choices he or she makes and the generated result. Understanding this helps entrepreneurs move forward with unwavering purpose for increased productivity. It’s the 80/20 rule at play; multi-tasking isn’t impossible for humans, but it doesn’t help us much. No matter how much time you have we’re only human; our bandwidth is limited. I recommend practicing saying the word, because like everything, it becomes easier the more we do it. By saying no we can focus on what’s necessary to achieve greatness in one area, and we’ll find the freedom to behave in our brand’s best interest. Once you find what works for you, follow it relentlessly to own the opportunity until it shows declining yield. Influential leaders are effective because they understand where to aim their attention, and the more we focus on excelling at a specific focal point of business, the better we get at it. Founders aren’t born, but by cultivating skill sets, it’s possible to make great things happen. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/the-number-1-mistake-most-founders-make.html
|
| Jobs/Vacancies › Re: 11 Tips To Optimize Your Job Search by gabonsky(op): 7:44am On Jan 28, 2017 |
get the other tips at http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/11-tips-to-optimize-your-job-search.html
|
| Jobs/Vacancies › 11 Tips To Optimize Your Job Search by gabonsky(op): 7:42am On Jan 28, 2017 |
Here are 11 quick, easy tips and reminders for your job search: If you can follows these step strictly, you have already get yourself your desire dream jobs. For more info just click http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/11-tips-to-optimize-your-job-search.html
|
| Travel › 9 Ways To Travel The World For Free; Even Get Paid To Do It! by gabonsky(op): 7:31am On Jan 28, 2017 |
When I turned 18, I decided to move out of my parents’ home. I wanted to see the world, but I had no money at all. How could I travel the world when I was totally broke? But I also believe our dreams can come true when we set ourselves up for success. I found ways to move around despite my lack of money. I hope I can open your horizons a bit and inspire you to find creative ways of getting paid to travel, or at least to cover some (if not all) of your travel expenses. Work As An Au-pair An au-pair (literally meaning an extra pair of hands) is usually a young foreign person between 18 and 30 years old, who wants to travel the world, learn a new language, experience a new culture, and live new adventures. In exchange for that, they offer a maximum of 25 to 30 hours of help to a local family who provides food and accommodation, plus pocket money. The au-pair lives with a local family, usually helps with the children, and should be considered a member of the family and treated respectfully. When searching for a host family, make sure you are like-minded and have a lot of things in common. That’s the key to a great experience. Some families will offer some perks, like your airfare, a language course, a monthly transportation pass, etc. Check which family offers you the best perks, but always keeping in mind that compatibility, similar ethics and lifestyle is way more important than any “perk.” I´m now in Switzerland, doing a very short au-pair program. I have a wonderful host family, great children and I´m very glad I had this chance to live in Zurich, while experiencing the culture through the eyes of a local family. Work At Summer Camps Across the United States Summer camps can be a great opportunity for you to travel to the States and have all your expenses met. Every summer, hundreds of American summer camps fill up with children wanting to have a great time. You can travel to another state if you want a new experience as a camp counselor, and some of the camps also hire young foreigners who want to have a taste of America and meet people from all walks of life in exchange for daily activities with kids. You won’t make a fortune and you might not be able to save much, but you’ll be paid and have zero expenses. After the summer camps are over, you have the opportunity to travel all over the United States with the money you made. You’ll probably team up with other people you’ve met at the camp so you won’t be on your own. Teach English This is probably the most profitable work/travel opportunity out there. If you’re a native speaker, you can just take a short online course or even find countries which won’t require any certificate. If English is not your native language, you can still do it, but you should have decent English skills. Having actually completed an ESL course is a plus as well. Work on a Cruise Line This is hard work and you’ll be living with the people you work with, which is not always easy — especially if you don’t like or don’t get along with someone. But it’s a great opportunity to travel and making good money at the same time. Your ability to have time off when the ship arrives at a certain port depends on your type of job and duties. If you’re in the cleaning department, you might have to work, but if you’re working with other departments like entertainment, massage, hairdresser, etc, you might have time off. Every year many cruise lines around the world recruit people from all walks of life. If you want to sail across the world, get a CV ready and check for hiring dates. A quick Google search should tell you which cruise lines fit you better, which routes you’d like to do, and who’s recruiting. There are also forums where you can ask questions to people who work or have worked aboard cruises. Work as a Tour Guide Are you extrovert, communicative, and have patience to deal with people all day long? I believe being a tour guide or tour leader can be one of the best ways of exploring the world, get paid, and have no expenses. You might get to experience things you wouldn’t otherwise. You’ll meet people from all over the world and live a wonderful adventure. Some tour companies specialize in adventure travel, budget travel, spring break adventures. you’ll find something that relates to you if you search for it. Contracts usually last for a year or more, so you’ll have to be very available with no attachments, no pets, no and no significant other (unless you don’t want to see them more than once a year!). This is easy for the early 20s, but more complicated for the older folks. I think it’s a chance you could grab if you’re totally free. Get A Temporary Agriculture Job I’ve picked up grapes in France for 3 weeks and then had money to travel for a year — on a super low budget, not luxury traveling for sure! Usually, the money is great and the work is temporary. You’ll meet other people from all over the world, mainly travelers who are also gathering some cash together. You usually get a free place to stay and some wine for your efforts. Everyone I know and who did grape picking in France said the job was super easy, relaxed and fun. Australia and New Zealand usually welcome farm workers as well. Workaway You won’t be paid as a workawayer, but you should have all expenses covered, while volunteering. The Workaway website is a work/exchange volunteer type of program, with projects all over the world. I love the workaway concept of making your way around the world by volunteering and giving back to the community, while having the expenses paid and getting to know a new culture in depth. Workaway is perfect for people who want to stay a long time in a certain place for free or as a chance to learn a new language. Couchsurfing And BlaBlaCar I’ve met the most amazing people through the Couchsurfing community. People are usually very open-minded and generous. If you want to travel around and have a free place to sleep, this is the best option! Remember that hosts’ homes are not a free hotel, so treat them and their space with respect, offer to cook for them, and always keep in mind you’re being welcomed by a very generous person who hosted you out of kindness. If you want to connect with local people, hang out, make new friends, find company to do activities, check out the events page at the Couchsurfing website. There’s always something going on! If you have a car or a van and enjoy traveling by road, using BlaBlaCar or some other type of carpooling website will meet all of your travel expenses. On these carpooling/ride share websites, people share expenses and travel by land. You have to all be heading in the same general direction, but if you take a couple of people, you’re probably be able to cover 100% of the fuel costs. This is a win-win situation for all: carpoolers will have the convenience of going by car and not having to drive, and you’ll have your gas money covered. (Don’t have a car? Check it out anyway for a few outstanding cheap rides; you’ll save an incredible amount of money. Oftentimes, there are free rides because some people get really bored traveling long distances alone and are happy to just have company to chat while they’re driving.) Making Sure Your Food Expenses Are Covered I didn’t buy basically any food during those overland trips. I had no cash for that, so what did I do? Most bakeries, pizza shops, and restaurants throw away ALL the fresh food they didn’t sell during that day. So I took advantage of that. When I traveled around Italy, I ate pizza nonstop: they were free and healthy, and filled with veggies and good quality ingredients. In the evening, before the bakeries or pizzerias closed, I’d ask if they had any food they were about to throw away. I usually got more food than I could even carry, leaving me with dinner, breakfast and lunch for next day. People can be extremely generous and they have nothing to lose by offering the food. Be aware this WON’T work with big chains, just small family businesses! I also asked around in the markets. I remember in Venezia, I got so many fresh tomatoes that I had daily delicious sandwiches. I got lots of free fruits as well. In France, I got lots of veggie burgers and other 100% organic/bio products from health food stores. They gave me excellent products that were about to expire in a couple of days. Most market vendors will give you free vegetables and fruit, sometimes more than you can carry! If you have access to a kitchen, you can eat extremely well without spending a cent. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/9-ways-to-travel-world-for-free-even.html 2 Likes 1 Share
|
| Politics › 15 Official Vehicles Stolen From State Dept., Prosecutors Charge by gabonsky(op): 8:37am On Jan 27, 2017 |
A sign used as the backdrop for press briefings at the U.S. State Department, shown in a file photo from 2006. (Charles Dharapak/Associated Press). In a city dense with black Chevrolet Suburbans and other official vehicles equipped for security details, a set of 15 attracted extra attention. The 15 were stolen by what federal prosecutors say was a theft ring run out of the U.S. State Department’s protective equipment and armored vehicle division from 2011 until March. James Ratcliffe, a longtime licensed auto seller from Northern Virginia, pleaded guilty in D.C. federal court Thursday to working for five years with an unnamed State Department insider to steal 15 unarmored official vehicles, including the ubiquitous Suburban model favored by the U.S. Secret Service and a low-mileage 2004 Hummer H2. The vehicles were lost in the bureaucratic shuffle of the Diplomatic Security Service’s division, which in 2015 reported having more than 4,700 armored vehicles in use worldwide to protect missions and personnel, with another 783 awaiting shipment, repairs or assignment. [Diplomat security becomes major State Department expense] James Ratcliffe, 67, leaving federal court in the District on Thursday. ( Spencer S. Hsu/The Washington Post) All but two of the stolen vehicles — “essentially unused” 2013 Suburbans, a black one and a white one, together valued at $96,400 — were sold by Ratcliffe for a profit, along with truckloads of tires and wheels, prosecutors said in charging papers. Ratcliffe, of Fairfax Station, pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to defraud the government, punishable by a statutory maximum of five years in prison, although a plea agreement said federal guidelines would call for a sentence of 18 to 24 months. The scheme allegedly brought Ratcliffe $408,520. The vehicles were sold from a Springfield shop that did maintenance work for the department and where Ratcliffe was a manager and previous owner, prosecutors said. The vehicles were kept at the home where Ratcliffe, 67, and another unnamed conspirator who now owns the business live, court files state. They used the black Suburban with a dealer plate as their personal vehicle, prosecutors said. “Are you pleading guilty today because you are, in fact, guilty?” U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta asked in court. Ratcliffe answered, “Yes, sir.” Mehta set sentencing for May 3 and released Ratcliffe on condition that travel beyond Virginia, the District or Maryland be cleared through probation officials. Ratcliffe, whose plea deal requires him to return all proceeds, and his Bethesda attorney, Allen Orenberg, declined to comment afterward. Local Crime & Safety Alerts Breaking news about public safety in and around D.C. The repair shop’s owner did not return a telephone message left Wednesday with an employee. Ratcliffe managed the Springfield company and was sole proprietor of a second business for about 32 years, authorities said. Prosecutors charged that Ratcliffe obtained the vehicles from the department employee, titled them under his business’s name, told buyers they were bought through such legitimate means as auctions, then paid kickbacks of cash or vehicles to the employee. “The goal of the conspiracy was for the defendant, Person B, and others to enrich themselves by engaging in a conspiracy and a scheme to defraud in which they obtained property of the United States,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marston wrote, referring to the unnamed State Department employee responsible for buying, maintaining and keeping records of vehicles. [Diplomats’ commute: It’s not the traffic, it’s the danger]. The Washington post Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/15-official-vehicles-stolen-from-state.html
|
| Car Talk › Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Looks Sweet As A Roadster Too by gabonsky(op): 4:10pm On Jan 26, 2017 |
Now that the Bentayga is out on the road, Bentley can move on to its next project – which, we hope, will be the production version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept. And given the company's track record, it wouldn't be out of the question to project that the coupe will lead to a convertible version that'll probably look pretty close to what you see here. Bentley took the wraps off the Speed 6 concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, previewing a sportier counterpart to the Continental GT and a challenger to the luxury grand tourers coming from rival Aston Martin. Elements of its design – penned by Luc Donckerwolke who's since departed for Hyundai's Genesis brand – have since worked their way onto other models rolling out of the factory in Crewe, but we're still waiting for the sports car itself to be approved for production. Unfortunately the tightening of purse-strings at parent company Volkswagen in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal may mean it'll have to wait a while longer. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/bentley-exp-10-speed-6-looks-sweet-as.html In the meantime, we can dream of things to come thanks to this rendering from RC-Workchop, which not only virtually removes the roof from the EXP 10 but also gives it a sinister blacked-out look – save for the evidently F1-inspired modern take on whitewall tires.
|
| Science/Technology › Re: 'massive Photovoltaic Power Station Build On Fish Farm In Eastern China by gabonsky(op): 7:06am On Jan 26, 2017 |
[quote author=TANKDESTROYER post=53135864]I weep for this nation.....We have the ability and capacity to do something even better........but GREED, SELFISHNESS,AND BAD LEADERSHIP have stunted our growth individually and collectively. ....but their is hope...... it Its high time we the nigeria youth begn to think, acts and fight for the future of this great country , if not nigeria is doomed for life. There is no love, 1 Like |
| Science/Technology › Re: 'massive Photovoltaic Power Station Build On Fish Farm In Eastern China by gabonsky(op): 3:25am On Jan 26, 2017 |
Cletus77:What happened to our ideology and manpower? I dont believed that our brain are idle because we still have the best brain ever in the world,. Our major challenges here is five letter word which have sink into our DNA is GREED..................... |
| Politics › Re: Senate Accuses Fashola, BPP Of Contract Inflation by gabonsky(op): 3:21am On Jan 26, 2017 |
Cletus77:hmmm you are not smiling at all................... |
| Politics › Senate Accuses Fashola, BPP Of Contract Inflation by gabonsky(op): 2:50am On Jan 26, 2017 |
The Senate may probe the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, headed by Mr. Babatunde Fashola and the Bureau of Public Procurement over alleged inflation of the costs of some contracts awarded by his ministry. The lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, who raised a point of order during the plenary on Wednesday, alleged that the BPP conspicuously changed the contractors and costs of some projects applied for by the ministry. Melaye said, “The BPP got a letter from the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing for the award of two batches of contracts. The first is the award of the construction and rehabilitation of 10 roads and bridges under the 2016 budget in November, 2016. The second batch is the award of the construction of bridges and roads – 13 of them – in the 2016 budget. “The ministry sent a letter to the BPP, asking that 10 companies, who had undergone its (the ministry’s) internal due process and technical qualification, be issued Certificate of No Objection for the award of the contracts. “The BPP, after its diligence, wrote its first report, giving the ministry the nod. But somehow, a second letter came from the BPP, indicating ‘Revised Due Process Review.’ This is now a review of the first one. “What caught my attention is that while the first was in compliance with what the ministry recommended, in the second letter, they (BPP) completely changed the list of the contractors. “Not that the contractors were just changed, figures also varied. In the first batch of 10, a contract was given to new contractors, who were not assessed by the ministry. After awarding the contract to them, the initial contract awarded for the Muman-Jalingo Road in Adamawa State, was given to a new contractor at N12.8bn as against N11bn that was recommended by the ministry. “Another contractor was also given a new contract against the recommendation of N10bn; the contract was now awarded at N14bn.” The senator asked that he be allowed to present the matter as a motion to allow a detailed presentation and debate. Senate President Bukola Saraki, who presided over the plenary, however, said since Melaye came under Order 42, “by our rules, we will need the leave of this Senate, so that the matter can be brought as a motion.” The lawmakers granted the leave and Saraki proclaimed that the motion be moved on Thursday (today). Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/senate-accuses-fashola-bpp-of-contract.html
|
| Science/Technology › Re: 'massive Photovoltaic Power Station Build On Fish Farm In Eastern China by gabonsky(op): 2:37am On Jan 26, 2017 |
TANKDESTROYER:you better believe it, According to Sunny Okosun, which way Nigeria? |
| Science/Technology › 'massive Photovoltaic Power Station Build On Fish Farm In Eastern China by gabonsky(op): 2:22am On Jan 26, 2017 |
Difficult doesn't mean impossible...Massive photovoltaic power station built on a fish farm put into operation in Zhejiang. It covers an area of 300 hectares, with a total installed capacity of 200MW. Its average annual production capacity is expected to reach 220 million kilowatt-hours. The new mode of power generation features PV panels installed above the pond, which serve to provide shade and facilitate fish farming under the water. The station can meet the power demand of 100,000 households, potentially replacing 7.4 tons of coal. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/massive-photovoltaic-power-station.html
|
| Science/Technology › 100 Years Later, Scientists Conclude: Einstein Was Right! by gabonsky(op): 1:53pm On Jan 25, 2017 |
Have you ever felt as if you were ahead of your time? Einstein was, and recently scientists were able to prove a key part of his theory of relativity. IF A TREE FALLS IN A FOREST AND NO ONE IS AROUND TO HEAR IT, DOES IT MAKE A SOUND? That is a question pondered by many and often used as a thought experiment. Regardless of whether you look at that question from a philosophical or a scientific standpoint, it seems to be a matter of opinion that is still up for debate. If we were to rephrase that question to make it match portions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity, it might then be stated as “If two black holes collide in a binary system with solar masses, can we detect the resulting gravitational waves from space on earth?” Except that question is no longer up for debate. It has a definitive answer. YES. For the first time we were able to detect the echoes of an event that took place more than 1.3 billion years ago Recently scientists at two separate Laser Interferometer Gravitationalwave Observatorys (LIGOs) were not only able to detect these gravitational waves, which are essentially ripples in the very fabric of spacetime, but they were able to pinpoint the source of their impact as somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere as well. Black holes orbiting each other gradually lose energy while emitting these waves. As they lose this energy they are slowly and methodically drawn closer together over the course of billions of years. As the black holes continue to approach one another their speed builds as well and eventually reaches nearly half of the speed of light just before they collide and the two combine together to become one massive black hole. When the mass of these black holes is thrown together, it converts a portion of that mass into energy which is emitted throughout the universe in a burst of gravitational waves which themselves cause tiny disturbances that effect both space and time as they pass through earth. THE IMPLICATIONS OF FINALLY BEING ABLE TO DETECT THESE WAVES IS ASTOUNDING. Einstein predicted these events one hundred years ago in his theory of general relativity. Even though Einstein didn’t believe in black holes and thought that gravitational waves were too weak to detect, the idea alone that the man was so far ahead of his time that it took technology one hundred years to catch up and confirm his theory is amazing. Even more amazing is the knowledge we will gain from this and how it opens up untold possibilities for understanding the origins and workings of gravity itself. It’s uncharted territory really. Scientists will now be able to look at the universe from entirely different angles and explore the phenomenon of warped spacetime. The best part is that it will herald countless new scientific breakthroughs in both physics and astrophysics, which ironically means I can’t stress the gravity of this event enough. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/100-years-later-scientists-conclude.html
|
| Science/Technology › 100 Years Later, Scientists Conclude: Einstein Was Right! by gabonsky(op): 1:47pm On Jan 25, 2017 |
Have you ever felt as if you were ahead of your time? Einstein was, and recently scientists were able to prove a key part of his theory of relativity. IF A TREE FALLS IN A FOREST AND NO ONE IS AROUND TO HEAR IT, DOES IT MAKE A SOUND? That is a question pondered by many and often used as a thought experiment. Regardless of whether you look at that question from a philosophical or a scientific standpoint, it seems to be a matter of opinion that is still up for debate. If we were to rephrase that question to make it match portions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity, it might then be stated as “If two black holes collide in a binary system with solar masses, can we detect the resulting gravitational waves from space on earth?” Except that question is no longer up for debate. It has a definitive answer. YES. For the first time we were able to detect the echoes of an event that took place more than 1.3 billion years ago Recently scientists at two separate Laser Interferometer Gravitationalwave Observatorys (LIGOs) were not only able to detect these gravitational waves, which are essentially ripples in the very fabric of spacetime, but they were able to pinpoint the source of their impact as somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere as well. Black holes orbiting each other gradually lose energy while emitting these waves. As they lose this energy they are slowly and methodically drawn closer together over the course of billions of years. As the black holes continue to approach one another their speed builds as well and eventually reaches nearly half of the speed of light just before they collide and the two combine together to become one massive black hole. When the mass of these black holes is thrown together, it converts a portion of that mass into energy which is emitted throughout the universe in a burst of gravitational waves which themselves cause tiny disturbances that effect both space and time as they pass through earth. THE IMPLICATIONS OF FINALLY BEING ABLE TO DETECT THESE WAVES IS ASTOUNDING. Einstein predicted these events one hundred years ago in his theory of general relativity. Even though Einstein didn’t believe in black holes and thought that gravitational waves were too weak to detect, the idea alone that the man was so far ahead of his time that it took technology one hundred years to catch up and confirm his theory is amazing. Even more amazing is the knowledge we will gain from this and how it opens up untold possibilities for understanding the origins and workings of gravity itself. It’s uncharted territory really. Scientists will now be able to look at the universe from entirely different angles and explore the phenomenon of warped spacetime. The best part is that it will herald countless new scientific breakthroughs in both physics and astrophysics, which ironically means I can’t stress the gravity of this event enough. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/100-years-later-scientists-conclude.html 1 Like
|
| Science/Technology › 11 Types Of Employees You Meet At A Tech Company by gabonsky(op): 1:38pm On Jan 25, 2017 |
Ever wanted to know what it’s like working at a tech company? Consider this a beginner’s guide to tech employee stereotypes. A successful tech company needs to draw talented people from all kinds of different fields. Beyond writing the code, apps also need a paintjob and a presence (and somebody to crack the whip). We’ve put together this little infographic to give you a crash course of the types of people you can expect to meet when working for a tech company: If you haven’t had a lot of run-in’s with the startup crowd, take this with a (tiny) grain of salt. If you are a tech company employee, you’re probably sitting there, nodding and going “yup, yes.” By the way, if this looks like the sort of gang you would enjoy rubbing shoulders with, you’re in luck – Toggl’s got a few spare seats. Also, we hire globally, meaning you can work from anywhere in the world! Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/11-types-of-employees-you-meet-at-tech.html
|
| Food › Re: Types Of Foods To Avoid If You Have Stomach Ulcers by gabonsky(op): 6:52pm On Jan 24, 2017 |
Uh SFTW:Thank you for the comment and i am happy that your mummy is great again. Please take good of her and make sure she avoid those foods mention in the article. You can suggest any healthy topic, we will discuss on it and get me on gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng |
| Food › How Many Ways Does Smoking Harm You? by gabonsky(op): 3:07pm On Jan 24, 2017 |
Tobacco use is the single largest cause of preventable cause of death in the United States. On average people who smoke die about 10 years sooner than non-smokers. The New England Journal of Medicine. Smoking triples the risk for cataracts and is also a risk factor for macular degeneration and its response to treatment. Dr. Nicholas Volpe, Tarry Professor and Chairman Department of Opthalmology Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2014 about 224,000 new cases of lung cancer and 159,260 cancer deaths caused by tobacco use. The overall survival rate for those with lung cancer, sadly, remains at around 15%. You have less than one chance in six of surviving. We know a lot more than we used to about the dangers of tobacco smoke. “When you smoke, you inhale thousands of hazardous chemicals,” explains Dr. Michele Bloch, a tobacco control expert at NIH. “They travel all around inside your body and cause damage to numerous parts.” Cigarettes contain about 600 ingredients. When they burn, they generate more than 7,000 chemicals, according to the American Lung Association. Many of those chemicals are poisonous and at least 69 of them can cause cancer. Writing in this blog for nearly six years, one of the things I have learned irrevocably is that smoking cripples the body in more ways than I ever imagined. “‘While we were aware that smoking is a risk factor for respiratory disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, this study shows it also has a detrimental effect on cognitive aging and this is evident as early as 45 years,’ said Severine Sabia of University College London, who led the study and published it in the Archives of General Psychiatry Journal. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. Smoking causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general. Smoking causes death • The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States and cost the country a staggering $130 billion in health care costs and lost productivity. • More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined. • Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women. • An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease are caused by smoking. Each link is a blog post enumerating damage to the body from smoking besides lung cancer. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/how-many-ways-does-smoking-harm-you.html
|
| Politics › Re: Fuel Now Cost N155 Per Litre In Kano State by gabonsky(op): 3:35am On Jan 24, 2017 |
Q mykeljosef:Who is the bastard? |
| Politics › Fuel Now Cost N155 Per Litre In Kano State by gabonsky(op): 1:46am On Jan 24, 2017 |
A correspondent of NAN who went round the city of Kano on Monday, reports that while most of the filling stations remained closed, the few ones that were operating had long queues of vehicles. Following the development, socio-economic activities have been partially paralysed, especially in the state capital.Black marketers in the city had started exploiting the situation by increasing their prices from N750 per four litre gallon to between N850 and N900 for the same quantity. Commercial tricycle operators had also increased their fares from the usual N50 per drop to between N80 and N100 per, drop depending on the distance. NAN recalls that the ugly trend started on Friday when Kano residents found most of the filling stations closed.The marketers were said to have closed the filling stations in anticipation of fuel price increase which had since been denied by the Federal Government. The Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Alhaji Bashir Dan-Malam, could not be reached as his mobile phone was not going through. Paul Jehzi, spokesman of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Kano State, said a task force to check hoarding and sale of fuel above the approved price of N145 has been constituted. According to him, the task force had started going round the filling stations to checking the excesses of some of the marketers who are bent on causing artificial scarcity in the state. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/fuel-now-cost-n155-per-litre-in-kano.html
|
| Food › Re: Types Of Foods To Avoid If You Have Stomach Ulcers by gabonsky(op): 9:13pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
Cameleon72:if you want more healthy tips or any health topics you want me to talk about, just check me out on the links below:- Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/types-of-foods-to-avoid-if-you-have.html |
| Sports › Re: Lauritta Onye: "My Man Must Be Tall, Romantic, Caring, Dark, Cute, Have Swagger" by gabonsky(op): 8:54pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
maxibrainz02:who need her number should indicates now or remain silent in the court of tall man?  |
| Food › Types Of Foods To Avoid If You Have Stomach Ulcers by gabonsky(op): 8:49pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
Are you suffering from ulcers in stomach? Are you wondering what exactly the cause is for the discomfort that you are facing? Well, you are not alone. There are many people like you, who are suffering from this problem. Though it sounds like a minor ailment, it needs to be treated otherwise, it can lead to major repercussions. If you are not sure whether you have an ulcer or not, you can ask yourself these questions. Do you have constant pain in the stomach? Are you experiencing weight loss? Do you feel nauseated or have vomiting sensations? Does your stomach feel bloated? Do you have a burning sensation or heartburns in your chest, in between the meals? Do you feel the pain reducing when you eat or drink something or on taking antacids? If your answer is “Yes” to most of them, then, you are suffering from stomach ulcers. What are Stomach Ulcers? Stomach ulcers are blisters in the lining around the stomach, small intestine, and the Oesophagus. These sores could be anywhere around the digestive tracts, but small intestines are the most commonly affected. The stomach is protected with a thick covering of mucus. When this lining is reduced, it causes pain and ulcers. A lot of reasons are attributed to this problem, and it could be caused due to stress, diabetes, alcoholism, hereditary issues, aging, drug abuse, and use of steroids. There are two types of peptic ulcers: These include duodenal ulcers, which are found in the upper part of small intestine and the gastric ulcer, which occurs in the stomach. There are treatments available which can put your problems to rest, and you could take antacids which can lessen the acid and help in the healing process. But, you should also know whether the diet that you are following, has any impact on the ulcers. Won’t it be useful to find out the food items that you could avoid during ulcers in stomach so that you can minimize your discomfort? Foods to Avoid If You Have Ulcers in Stomach There are some food items that can aggravate the ulcer symptoms and these should be taken in reduced quantities or should be completely avoided, whenever possible. 1. Carbonated and Caffeinated Beverages Caffeine is actually a psychoactive drug, found in coffee, tea, and chocolates. It is a stimulant and people easily get addicted to it. For a coffee-drinker, the most challenging task is to let go of his favourite cup of coffee. The problem with caffeinated and carbonated drinks is that these can stimulate the production of acid in the body and can cause acidity and indigestion. Even harmless-looking peppermint or green tea can also worsen your ulcers. So, do stay away from them. Similarly, a carbonated drink like soda also needs to be avoided as it also aggravates the ulcers in stomach. 2. Milk Well, we all think that milk is the best food item available. Loaded with nutrients, it can act as a perfect substitute for any other food. Also, cold milk is so soothing for our tummies and provides temporary relief from the stomach irritations too. But, sadly, milk and other dairy products actually aggravate the ulcers in the stomach, by increasing the acid production, causing irritation. You never thought about that, right? So, do try to stay away from milk and other tempting dairy products till your ulcer is completely healed and cured. 3. Alcoholic Beverages For a person, who is suffering from a ulcers in stomach, alcohol is a strict “No”. It erodes the lining in the stomach and cause irritations, leading to inflammation and heavy bleeding. Alcohol increases dehydration and also the gastric acid in the body. 4. Spicy Foods Does the thought of spicy food tingle your taste buds and make your mouth water? Unfortunately, spicy foods should be completely avoided, too when you are suffering from ulcers in stomach. You will just have to forego those chilies, black pepper, and those tongue-tickling spicy sauces. These can increase the acidity and trigger the reflux of acids. 5. Salty Food High salt content in the food can also lead to aggravated ulcers. But, food without salt would be quite tasteless, right? So, how about choosing some low-sodium variant of salt which would enhance the taste without being dangerous? 6. Citric Acid Even though the tangy lemons and the juicy oranges look harmless, they are quite high in citric acid. So, you might have to start avoiding lemons and oranges, along with other high-citric-acid content fruits like pineapples and grapefruits. No, you should not even have these fruits in the juice format. Similarly, all those tomato products, like sauces, puree, and juices need to be avoided. Jellies and jams can also cause a lot of harm and should be avoided, as well. 7. Refined Food Refined food items should also be restricted. These include pasta, white bread, sugar and other processed foods. It is better to eat them in the whole grain form. Anything refined is not good for your body. 8. High-Fat Foods Even though you cannot resist those deep fried and high-fat items, you need to have control of your cravings. These food items are quite dangerous for your health. Not just in your stomach, but,these food items can actually cause a lot of damage to your body too if taken in huge quantities and on a regular basis. All those cheese-loaded pizzas, salami, sausages, ham and bacon taste yummy but you really need to stay away from these foods till you are completely recovered. 9. Red Meat This has a huge fat and protein content and is quite difficult to digest. As it remains in the stomach for a longer duration, it needs more of acid secretion, which can worsen the ulcer. Well, if you can avoid these above-mentioned food items, you would be able to save your body from further discomfort due to ulcers. Try to include more of green leafy vegetables in your diet, and make your diet rich in fiber. These can heal the ulcers in stomach and improve your digestive system. Divide your meals into smaller portions and lesser intervals.Lastly, don’t forget to drink 1 to 2 liters of water every day. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/types-of-foods-to-avoid-if-you-have.html 2 Likes
|
| Sports › Re: Lauritta Onye: "My Man Must Be Tall, Romantic, Caring, Dark, Cute, Have Swagger" by gabonsky(op): 3:43pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
pressplay411:you know say ur username na pressplay, if she handle you my bro, you go turn to pauseplay...... 19 Likes 1 Share |
| Sports › Re: Lauritta Onye: "My Man Must Be Tall, Romantic, Caring, Dark, Cute, Have Swagger" by gabonsky(op): 3:36pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
adonbilivit:hmmm, my bad nigggaaaa 1 Like |
| Sports › Re: Lauritta Onye: "My Man Must Be Tall, Romantic, Caring, Dark, Cute, Have Swagger" by gabonsky(op): 3:33pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
pressplay411:why are u running away from her? are you not a man...... 9 Likes |
| Sports › Re: Lauritta Onye: "My Man Must Be Tall, Romantic, Caring, Dark, Cute, Have Swagger" by gabonsky(op): 3:28pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
pressplay411: 6 Likes
|
| Sports › Lauritta Onye: "My Man Must Be Tall, Romantic, Caring, Dark, Cute, Have Swagger" by gabonsky(op): 3:23pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
Says ‘my man must care, look cute, dress well and have swagger’http://sunnewsonline.com/lauritta-onye-olympic-gold-medalist-i-love-sex/ 6 Likes 2 Shares
|
| Science/Technology › This Phone Has A Built-in Tricorder. Really by gabonsky(op): 2:43pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
The smartphone is often called the real-world version of the handheld communicators from the original Star Trek, a nod to how prescient the TV series was about personal technology. Well, another Star Trek gadget is on the verge of becoming common. The tricorder — the device that Spock and Dr. McCoy would use to analyze all kinds of objects and materials on the show — is becoming a real thing. And it's coming to smartphones. At CES 2017, Consumer Physics showed off the world's first smartphone with a built-in molecular scanner. The scanner itself is actually an even smaller version of the stand-alone handheld scanner, the SCiO, which the company revealed at last year's show (and went on to win a Mashable CES award). The phone is a Chinese model, the Changhong H2 — not exactly your average Samsung. But it's a real phone that's really going to be sold in China, not just a prototype or proof of concept. It's scheduled to go on sale in June with a price tag of roughly $435 US dollars. Looking at the back of the phone, you'd be forgiven for thinking the sensor is just the phone's camera. But that odd-looking dual lens is the scanner, basically the embedded version of the SCiO. It uses spectrometry to shine near-infrared light on objects — fruit, liquids, medicine, even your body — to analyze them. Say you're at at the supermarket and you want to check how fresh the tomatoes are. Instead of squeezing them, you'd just launch the SCiO app, hold the scanner up to the skin of the tomato, and it will tell you how fresh it is on a visual scale. Do the same thing to your body and you can check your body mass index (BMI). You need to specify the thing you're scanning at the outset, and the actually analysis is performed in the cloud, but the whole process is a matter of seconds, not minutes. Another application is verifying the authenticity of drugs. At a demo at CES, I saw the phone scan what I was told was a real Viagra pill and a knock-off. To the naked eye the pills looked identical, both light-blue diamond-shaped pills. But the H2's SCiO scanner recognized the impostor in seconds, calling it out with a bright orange screen. It's easy to see the great potential of putting this kind of tech into the hands of everyone with a smartphone. Consumers everywhere would be empowered to test food and medicine before they commit to buying or ingesting them. Hagai Heshes, head of product marketing for Consumer Physics, says adding the sensor to a phone doesn't increase cost much, and judging from the price of the Changhong H2, it appears he's right. The company also claims the phone is 20% more energy efficient than comparable smartphones. Will Consumer Physics' molecular sensor catch on with the major smartphone manufacturers? That would take some convincing (though Heshes says the company is talking to them), but it's easy to see a brand like Samsung, which has historically debuted phones with all kinds of unusual tech, taking a chance on the sensor or one of its models. And if that model catches on, who knows? Maybe we'll all be scanning our groceries and bodies with our phones five years from now with the same ease with which Dr. McCoy would diagnose a case of Romulan measles. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/this-phone-has-built-in-tricorder-really.html
|
| Jobs/Vacancies › Way Out Of Joblessness For 27 Million Citizens by gabonsky(op): 2:37pm On Jan 23, 2017 |
JOBLESSNESS is becoming a way of life in Nigeria. In its just-released report that covered the third quarter of 2016, the National Bureau of Statistics paints a grim picture: 27.1 million citizens are unemployed. Companies and manufacturing concerns are closing down; others are shedding jobs in an effort to stay afloat. To stem the ugly tide and put people back to work, government needs to implement radically creative measures that will enable businesses to reopen their shut gates. Really, the new figure from the NBS is not surprising. In Q3 alone, the economy – assailed by recession and three straight quarters of negative growth between January and October 2016 – destroyed 272,499 full-time jobs. Conversely, the NBS noted that 782,886 active people entered the labour force, but the economy generated only 187,226 jobs. This is frightening. Year-on-year, job losses amounted to 60.6 per cent. In reality, Nigeria had been recording what economic experts call a non-job growth during its oil boom period. Although it experienced high oil revenues earlier this decade, the government did not spend wisely on capital projects, or boost industry, agriculture and savings. It allowed infrastructure to deteriorate. Corruption and dependence on importation caused a severe bleeding of resources when the collapse of global crude prices started in mid-2014. The NBS says, “With the Nigerian labour force population rising by a five-year average of over 2.6 million annually, the economy needs to generate the same level of jobs annually just to hold the unemployment rate at the current level of 13.9 per cent.” But the 13.9 per cent does not give the comprehensive picture. This is because of a new method of calculation adopted in the last dispensation. It separates unemployment and under-employment (which currently stands at 19.7 per cent). The pragmatic rate comes when the two are merged: it gives 33.6 per cent. This is a national crisis. Notably, youths are affected the most. The NBS’s 2016 Q2 report says that there are 17.6 million unemployed/underemployed youths. Socially, this is dangerous. To fight unemployment, the three tiers of government need to roll out new policies that will spur growth. For now, it seems our economic managers are blind to the impact of unemployment and how to exit the recession. For example, in 2017, the Federal Government and 36 state governments have a total budget of N13.5 trillion. Out of this, recurrent expenditure is estimated to gulp N6.51 trillion. This is bad economics. It harms capital expenditure, which can boost job creation. Government blames the crash in oil prices for this, which has essentially caused the naira to crash to an all-time low against the US dollar. On Monday, it exchanged at N499 to $1 at the parallel market. Also, because of militant activities in the Niger Delta that have restricted oil output, Nigeria cannot meet its daily production quota of 2.2 million barrels. The effect is that government revenue has reduced seriously. Consequently, companies are closing down because they cannot access the forex they need to import raw materials. Because of low revenue, the public sector is not hiring. State governments are struggling to pay salaries and are not employing. To stop job destruction, it is critical for government to identify the constraints to job creation. Thus, government must free the economy from public control. It is killing it. Fortunately, policies that inhibit the economy can be reformed by adopting free market policies. The United Nations’ World Development Report 2013 stresses the role of the private sector-led growth in job creation. “Governments play a vital enabling role by creating a business environment that enhances the demand for labour,” says (former) World Bank Senior Economist, Kaushik Basu. This is wise counsel, and is also the key motto of World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim. He said, “It is critical that governments work well with the private sector, which accounts for 90 per cent of all jobs. We need to find the best ways to help small firms and farms grow.” There is a strong link between power, economic growth and job creation. A growing body of research has shown that energy use is either the cause or the facilitator of economic growth and that inadequate electricity provision is a binding constraint to growth and job creation. But the Buhari’s government efforts to get our power system back on track are stuck in a maze of confusion. There is strong evidence that economic growth is influenced by government’s economic policies. So far, Buhari government’s has not pursued policies that promote growth. The administration should loosen its control on the commanding heights of the economy, declare a national emergency in the power sector, fix the volatile forex market and work on the ease of doing business. This economy needs private capital to grow. Concentration should be on how to liberalise the sectors that can generate jobs. It should swiftly privatise the public refineries and get the Railway Act 1955 repealed to create room for foreign private investors. The refineries have been losing money for decades because they are not producing products for consumption. It is an anomaly to do business this way. An efficient railway network, apart from moving goods and people, is capable of generating high impact jobs. According to its Department of Transport, United Kingdom’s liberalised rail system employs more than 190,000 people and enables more than 1.3 billion-passenger journeys yearly. The government should go this route: rail privatisation. The Aliko Dangote Group is showcasing what private investors can do by proposing an investment of $100 million in a truck manufacturing company in Lagos. When operational, the firm will employ 3,000 people and produce 10,000 units per annum. However, economies that create jobs empower small-scale enterprises. SMEs employ a lot of workers, but Nigeria’s harsh business climate stunts their growth. NBS statistics note that it is the informal sector that creates most jobs in Nigeria. But the main impediments to their sustenance are lack of access to capital and poor electricity supply. Nigeria has an interest rate anchor of 14 per cent. This is a huge hindrance. The Bank of Japan, in comparison, has adopted an interest rate range of 0 per cent to -0.1 per cent. For an economy with a GDP of $481.07 billion, business must have electricity to drive growth. However, Nigeria is still struggling with less than 5,000 megawatts. Again, Buhari must adopt policies that will reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported goods, which sustains jobs in other countries, and diversify to agriculture, mining, industry and services as a way of producing staples for domestic consumption and boosting jobs and income. Source: http://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/01/way-out-of-joblessness-for-27-million.html |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (of 37 pages)