₦airaland Forum

ollyruffy: With the way things are set up in Nigeria today, bring all the UK residents to leave in nigeria and take Nigerians to the UK, all you listed above will still continue to happen. So, it is still the government to be blamed.

Yes,government should be blamed for the level of indiscipline;but who do you blame for your personal indiscipline?

nedu2000: I disagree,overloading affects the vehicle it carries & not the road, the road is (should be)designed to cater for such excesses,besides relevant bodies should sanction vehicles that are over-loaded instead of collecting bribe. We should also practice closed drainages,d drainages are strictly for rainwater(run-off)waste paper baskets at random points do help

I'd simply use one example here;in the case of truck overloading,imagine using a 4x2 truck to haul good ought to be transported using a 6x4 truck 2things happens:1)the truck suffers due to poor weight distribution and excess load which exceeds the design limit 2) the weight which ideally should be carried by the suspension is transferred to the tires and the ROAD suffers.This explains some asphalt depths on Lagos-Ibadan express!I hope this helps.

With all certainty I will at this point say that Nigerians should prepare for fuel price increment and full subsidy removal.Firstly it was some crappy NOI report on uneven pricing of fuel products across the nation;now its this.Just pull the trigger all ready!

It’s always very easy and maybe fun filled to throw all the blame on the Nigerian government when it comes to the state of Nigerian roads even when we share part of the blame as well. Most roads are built to last for 25years or slightly more depending on the quality of materials used and the accompanying road attributes like adequate drainage and basic design. It’s a known fact that Nigerian roads are over-utilized, like here in Lagos, according to LAMATA, there are 222 vehicles to every kilometre which is in excess of the national average pinned at 11 vehicles to every kilometre of pliable road .

So with these figures and daunting reality, does it make any sense to put even the slightest blame on Nigerians for the poor state of Nigerian roads? I think we do share part of the blame and here is why:

Overload: The F.R.S.C (federal road safety corps) trucks and policemen on the road never seems to be enough to curb the menace of vehicle overload by motorists. The same Nigerians that complain about bad road conditions are ones that overload their vehicles without a thought of the damaging effects their vehicles will have on the road.

Road managers & Waste disposal vans: Some of the so-called ‘road managers’ responsible for sweeping roads and keeping these surfaces tidy channel dirt and sand to drainage ways; a typical example of the resultant effect of this is the Maryland bridge in Lagos which gets flooded owing to clogged drainage ways. As for the disposal vans that have to navigate tight streets and even major highways, these special trucks destroy road surfaces overtime and even re-distribute transported solid and liquid waste on these road surfaces.

Incessant dumping: however this time by individuals like you and me; the ripple effect of dumping gala wraps and pure water sachets indiscriminately is the subsequent blocking of drainage ways like gutters and canals and when this happens water has nowhere to go but to stay on the asphalt surface.

Avoidable accidents: which can come about as a result over-speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, defiance of road traffic laws and impatience.

Driving on road shoulders: nothing exposes asphalt base and layers more than depletion of road shoulders. Road shoulders are minimally paved to prevent quick degradation of the main asphalt edges and surfaces, not to accommodate vehicle traffic during tight road congestions. Simply put, for every car or truck that plies a road shoulder surface, the main road is endangered.

So when next you want to evade the slightest road congestion, have a quick re-think!
http://autobaseafrica.com/how-nigerians-are-responsible-for-road-damages/

From all indications it should be under 1.5million naira

In the 21st century, searching and subsequently buying cars from online car vendors is by far the most convenient method of acquiring the car or vehicles of your choice. As opposed to going from one showroom to the other, online shopping affords you the flexibility of researching and adequately assessing several vendors before any meaningful cash commitment.

The beauty of online car shopping is the unlimited freedom to get as much information about a range of cars or a specific car you might have in mind and all you will ever need to get this to happen is just a few hours on your mobile phone or pc. However, like every other aspect of life with clear advantages, the disadvantages of going the online way are inevitable. Extra care must be taken to make sure you don’t get ripped off in the process; hence to ensure you maximize the advantages of online car shopping, you will need a few nuggets to guide you. Below are a few of these pointers garnered from years of online car shopping and prospecting.

Be patient: as there are thousands of deals out there on several websites in Nigeria and before paying, physically assess the car!

Discover the price trend: different websites or different online forums have an almost definite price trend which you have to uncover through informed comparisons. On some websites you might find car deals with a minimum of #200,000 mark-up and some might even be extra exorbitant, so you need to study websites independently before you decide to start negotiations. These price trends come about as a result of the pioneer advertisers’ pricing attitude online which forces other newer advertisers to mark-up as well to compete.

Middlemen are almost inevitable: the main reason behind this is because most car dealers are hardly internet-savvy and dedicated online marketers get these deals circulated for the main car dealers, when these cars are finally sold via their efforts they must get a cut. It’s now left for you to negotiate accordingly without getting cheated.

Search for cars close to you: if the geographical location of a nice deal isn't fairly within your proximity, don’t be tempted by how cheap it might be. Scammers lure lots of victims with low prices and if you are lucky not to get ripped off your hard-earned car savings, you will end up losing precious time and maybe put your life at risk.

Use foreign websites: especially from the country of origin of the particular car you want to buy. Why this is advisable is because through these websites you can get real user experience and the real selling price of such used car deal over there. If this car in question has reliability issues in its country of origin, such is very likely not to change when it gets to Nigeria. As for the price, the difference (Nigeria selling price minus origin country’s selling price) should be slightly higher than the cost of clearing and shipping. However take note varying specifications of even the same model range and year.

Some good deals come from dealers without car stands: from experience I have wrapped-up deals in remote areas like Ejigbo, Lagos with honest dealers with no car stands by the road. As for Nigeria-used deals, you will hardly find deals in car stands, so don’t always be in a hurry to back off because there is no car stand.

Pay attention to posted pictures: because if what the poster claims deviates even a tiny fragment from what you see you should immediately suspect foul-play. Take note of where these pictures are taken and how they are taken; an example is where there are no interior pictures or when the views of the pictures seem taken in a hurry.

Avoid deals too good to be true: some of these are false custom-seized deals, fake auctions, personal cars, cars claimed to be ‘used by women’, etc. Research properly before trusting these market leads.
http://autobaseafrica.com/the-ultimate-online-car-purchase-guide/

Everyday a new business gets listed..............take advantage of this new directory

After 27years of hibernation, the DATSUN marque is back with a ‘GO’. Nissan Motor Company’s CEO Carlos Ghosn unveiled this compact hatchback at a showcase event in India. According to Nissan global, the all-new GO, will go on sale in India from early 2014 for as low as $6,700(approximately a million Naira).

The small hatch comes with impressive qualities like a 5-seat capacity with a great body design. As the size and compact orientation of the GO suggests, this might be the most economical Nissan production vehicle specifically created for optimal fuel efficiency.

As clearly stated in the official re-launch of the DATSUN brand last year, DATSUN vehicles will target emerging markets like India, Indonesia, Russia and Africa. In line with this strategy, the new Datsun GO will debut in Indonesia, Russia and South Africa by the end of next year.

According to Nissan,’the new model’s name was inspired by the first Datsun, the DAT-GO, launched almost a century ago in Japan.’
For more images visit: http://autobaseafrica.com/datsun-is-back-with-a-go/

Its fresh and its for real;log on today

What are you waiting for? Get listed today :kindly follow this link: http://autobaseafrica.com/service-reviews/

kindly follow this link: http://autobaseafrica.com/service-reviews/ and enlist your business on Nigeria's first categorized Automobile Directory.

Don't miss out,be among the first to get listed and rated for FREE!

Join the making of Nigeria’s most comprehensive automobile directory!!!

List your business and find out what your customers think about your business........

Fhemmmy: Nice site but a process for registration might be a good idea . . .

Before businesses get listed officially, they first get approved at our back-end and we have our verification processes.Thanks for the insight.

Get listed for FREE; its very straight-forward and easy!

Autobase Africa introduces Nigeria’s first categorized automobile directory. The categories include: Automobile dealerships, automobile financing firms, automobile insurance firms, automobile rental firms, car spare-parts and accessories dealers, driving schools , filling stations, fleet management companies , Government regulatory agencies , independent mechanic workshops, transport, haulage and logistics firms, etc.
Interested businesses can get listed for FREE and take advantage of yet another avenue to improve visibility in an organized platform. Another feature of this directory is the ability for visitors and consumers to rate businesses and share their experiences.

Autobase Africa plans to consolidate on this and create Nigeria’s most comprehensive automobile directory.
To list your business or view listed businesses, kindly follow this link: http://autobaseafrica.com/service-reviews/

Quite a number of arguments surround the actual safe distance from the steering wheel whilst driving, but at the same time factors like the driver’s height, level of driving experience and vehicle cock-pit orientation dictate the distance drivers keep from the steering. However, in the middle of all these considerations, is there any generally acceptable limit for the ideal distance drivers should keep from the steering? Yes there is, and that figure is 10 inches (25 cm) from your driver’s breast-bone to the steering wheel, so the question here is why is this safe-distance necessary?

Resultant force of triggered airbags: It’s a generally accepted rule that children under 12years shouldn’t be allowed on either the front seats, and the reason behind this is the fact that triggered frontal airbags can suffocate and kill children in the process of doing its intended job of saving lives during accidents. This should give you an idea of the kind of force these bags come along with; hence the further you are from the steering wheel while on driver seat, the more the likelihood of the resultant cushioning effect of airbags as desired.

Safe distance for braking: Pre-tensioned seat belts help keep passengers in place even during adverse braking, but even these fastened seat belts can’t help you if you are too close to the steering as you risk getting knocked out if you forcefully strike your head on the steering wheel.

Ease of gear changing: Especially for manual transmission cars with gears sticks which have to be shifted every now and then. Seating too close to steering wheels gives your right arm (as it applies here in Nigeria and countries with left-hand drives) very little allowance which makes you stress your muscles and arms a little more to effect gear changes. This overtime can even induce avoidable fatigue which can dampen your mental alertness behind the wheel. Give or take drivers with liberty around the driver seat maintain a psychological edge and even feel more in control, besides staying too close to the steering wheel doesn’t guarantee optimum road clarity.

However short drivers should consider reclining their seats accordingly which ensures adequate leg distance from foot pedals and a substantial margin of safety from the steering wheel.
http://autobaseafrica.com/how-close-is-too-close-to-the-steering/

Driving on land isn’t enough; at least not for the recently unveiled Panther which is produced by American company named WaterCar. The concept of amphibious vehicles isn’t new but what is thrilling about this particular dual-purpose vehicle is its speed both on land and water with top-speed of 80 mph on land and up to 44 mph on water; making it the fastest amphibious vehicle. In addition to that, this vehicle make up combines a Honda-sourced 24-valve 3.7-liter V6 engine (which dishes out 305 horsepower and 274 lb-ft. of torque) with the option of either a Volkswagen-sourced four-speed transmission or a jet-drive designed in-house.

The overall weight of the vehicle is 3,000 pounds (1361kg) which is firmly held in place by a tubular chassis crafted out of chromoly steel which supports the carbon fiber body. With more emphasis on maintaining low weight levels and improving buoyancy, this vehicle’s body is filled with closed-cell Styrofoam.
In spite of the inherent design complexities, the Panther manages to come with very stylish looks as an open-top SUV with room for up to four passengers. The interior boosts of premium upholstery, analog gauges, a roll bar and a 3-spoke steering wheel.

The Panther starts at $76,000 for a rolling chassis whilst the range-topping model goes for $135,000 and is delivered with no assembly required.
http://autobaseafrica.com/worlds-fastest-amphibious-vehicle/

Bump

2007 Toyota Avalon in Cotonou going for 4million Naira
http://autobaseafrica.com/automobile-center-buy-sell/show-ad/26/2007-toyota-avalon/cotonou/benin/saloons/
Foreign Used 1996 VOLVO FL 6 Truck going for 2.85m
http://autobaseafrica.com/automobile-center-buy-sell/show-ad/24/foreign-used-1996-volvo-fl-6-truck/lagos/ogudu/nigeria/trucks/
2013 Toyota Hiace going for 4.3m
http://autobaseafrica.com/automobile-center-buy-sell/show-ad/23/toyota-hiace/lagos/anthony-village/nigeria/buses-vans/
2013 Toyota Hilux 4x2 going for 2.6m
http://autobaseafrica.com/automobile-center-buy-sell/show-ad/22/toyota-hilux/lagos/anthony-village/nigeria/pick-ups/
2012 Toyota Camry
http://autobaseafrica.com/automobile-center-buy-sell/show-ad/14/2012-toyota-camry/cotonou/benin/saloons/
2005 Toyota Matrix XL
http://autobaseafrica.com/automobile-center-buy-sell/show-ad/11/2005-toyota-matrix-xl/cotonou/benin/hatchbacks/
FOR MORE DEALS VISIT: www.autobaseafrica.com

Call in today and make your offer

Need a great truck that will last?Call now for the best offer: call 08155136509 OR Send an email to blasty42003@yahoo.com

Very neat truck and its ready to go!

This used Volvo truck is ideal for businesses that require a truck for conveying goods within the city or for short inter-state trips.
-Engine power: 220hp,6-cylinder turbocharged intercooled diesel engine
-Final drive configuration: 4x2 with Rigid chassis mounted REFRIGERATED CARGO BOX.
-Hydraulic lifted boot
-GOOD CONDITION FROM EUROPE
-Asking price for immediate sale: 2.85million Naira
call 08155136509 OR Send an email to blasty42003@yahoo.com

Buying a car could be as simple as going to a dealer’s car-lot, selecting the car of your choice, negotiating and finally paying the agreed amount before zooming off with your newest acquisition. However, buying the ‘right’ car is never easy, especially for a first time car buyer. The interesting thing about purchasing a car is exploring boundless liberty in selecting and also having to deal with limitations imposed by several factors like pricing, market preferences and season.

On the other hand, several rational and irrational considerations cloud people’s judgement when it comes to the kinds of cars they buy. Top of the list here in Nigeria is the need to drive the popular car without any well grounded reason other than the aforementioned or maybe ‘safety in numbers’and this accounts for our lopsided pricing system.

I have managed to distinguish just buying a car from buying the ‘right’ car and I will go further to elaborate on the key considerations in making the ‘right’ buy. The underlying aim of this article is to guard against[b] poor financial decisions when it comes to buying a car.[/b]

Consider the 1/10th rule: this rule which is however based on ideal terms was created by ‘the financial samurai’ to serve as an ultimate guide for car purchasing decisions. This rule simply urges spending only 10% of your annual gross income on your car! This means that if your annual salary before tax is #4m naira for instance, you should purchase a #400k vehicle. The reasons behind this line of argument are the reoccurring maintenance and running cost, opportunity cost (using the money for something else at the time of purchase), mental stress associated with parting ways with large sums and psychological reasons like wanting more car accessories and ‘feeling stupid’. The exception to this rule however is when you save over a period (2 years and above) to buy the car of your choice. For instance being patient enough to buy a brand new car will guarantee lower maintenance cost and relatively higher re-sale value.

Evaluate the cost of not owning a car: the cost of not owning a car is the cumulative cost of little considerations like frequency of laundry, stress/convenience (which has several health implications), road/commuting conditions, how much you spend on public transport and taxis etc. If the cost of not owning a car is way below the regular running cost of owning a car, then you know you could wait just a little more time before committing funds into procuring a car. Asides helping you decide when to buy a car; this will equally help in choosing the right vehicle when you decide to buy.

Your needs vs. manufacturer’s intended application: Imagine a single lady driving a Nissan Armanda with full-time 4WD? Without a doubt, if she spent less on a crossover SUV, that will guarantee more savings, lower running cost and eventually more fancy bags and shoes to stuff all around the car. The unavoidable truth here is that if your core motoring needs don’t align with the manufacturer’s intended application of your car, you are bound to incur extra expenses in running your car in comparison with other car users that buy cars that meet their core needs.

Individual flaws vs. key running requirements: whenever I am asked to suggest a car for an individual, I first try to find out the individual’s budget and then go further in considering the individual. Some of us might be very forgetful, maybe more careless than usual and even in some cases very greedy. Before spending a dime on an automobile, you should be very truthful to yourself and don’t try fooling everyone, because you know yourself more than anyone else. As observed overtime, most cases of poor maintenance attitudes are not connected one’s financial status. Even though it might seem difficult to isolate one’s finances from their willingness to spend, it won’t be wrong to say that the value people place on cars affects their perception about cars. Some might see a car as their haven which they depend on to safely commute from one spot to the other, while others might see cars as a fuel consuming and pocket unfriendly machine. Bottom-line, first consider your personality, willingness to spend and personal flaws before buying a car.

In conclusion, a more detailed approach in purchasing the right car best suited for you will begin by first gathering the necessary data about your needs before proceeding to research cars within your budget and requirement range; then you can finally proceed to compare offers and negotiate extensively.
http://autobaseafrica.com/car-money-series-1-buying-the-right-way/

Establishing the premise:

An average Nigerian isn’t maintenance conscious when it comes to the affairs of the cars they own, they make up excuses like high cost of maintaining these cars, the lack of time to carry out maintenance procedures and unavailability of good and trustworthy mechanics. This might actually be true in some cases, but another reason behind the apparent dip in our vehicle-maintenance attitude can be partially traced to the proliferation of second-hand cars popularly referred to as ‘tokunbo’, which most car owners procure (more than 90% of Nigeria’s total car population according to Businessday, 2010).

The main problem isn’t the procurement of these classes of cars, but the attitude and perception; as some perceive their current cars as temporal while in wait for more expensive brand new cars or as already old cars not worth spending on. Either way, they place very low value on cars which are comparatively cheaper to buy (with brand new cars in view) hence; they tend to avoid spending on such cars from day one and even intentionally refrain from providing the proper care required.

So here is a point-blank scenario to further explain the poor car maintenance attitude; a typical Nigerian will head to his mechanic workshop only when his/her worn out tyre induces anomalies like high fuel consumption and handling issues; but maintaining proper inflation pressure of the tyres could have prevented such. Another one is over-heating issues; they might be ready to invest in double-cell radiators instead of switching bad thermostats and maintaining proper levels of coolant and water in their stock car radiators, the list is endless.

The market: A fairly experienced amateur car technician can get paid by effectively handling day-to-day maintenance and car documentation ought to be performed by the car owners themselves, however on a prompt basis that will ultimately reduce the car owners’ trips to actual mechanics for larger spending (which can be avoided).

Scope: the areas that can be carried along; routine tyre checks, a/c filter, radiator coolant, waxing, battery charging (voltage checks), basic preventive maintenance, vacuum cleaning, car washing. Avoid core technical activities that might conflict with what their trusted mechanics perform with specialized tools and very specific expertise.

Modus-Operandi: get the skills first, establish the brands you deal on, standardize/structure your services with fixed or flexible payment system and then proceed to establish your network by building trust [pick your neighbourhood due to proximity and familiarity].

Real-life barriers: before you can handle other people’s car you need to have spent quite some time to truly understand how cars work so you make a fool of yourself. Consider apprenticeship and mentoring.

Marketing and promotion: consider witty posters and flyers; but the most effective means of making headway is face to face interaction with actual car owners and prospective clients. Remember your major selling points should be ‘convenience’ and ‘prompt’ basic routine checks which should be carried out by car owners themselves.

Challenges to expect: Nigerians are overly practical; hence they only part ways with their money if you solve a problem they might be encountering. Most might perceive your services as unnecessary but it’s up to you to convince them otherwise. What this means is that you have to stay firm and focus in making your services to be perceived as being convenient and being a sure way to avoid preventable breakdowns. Don’t hesitate to offer free demonstrations. The key to succeeding is consistency and fairly stable rates.

Get empowered now!
Source: http://autobaseafrica.com/making-money-as-a-neighborhood-mechanic/

Autobase Africa offers career opportunities for entrepreneurial-minded individuals seeking financial freedom and utmost utilization of their skill-set. Here you can get empowered and get paid by simply tapping into our wide range of offerings on a complete motoring platform. Below are career options you can kick-start and get the necessary support from us:

Independent Car Marketer

The role of an independent car marketer is quite simple. He/she serves as a third-party agent for several car dealers and gets paid for every successful transaction facilitated by him/her. Most car dealers reserve a flat rate of #20,000 for every car sold, however, you could negotiate for a higher amount or even a percentage commission (of the final purchase price) depending on the vehicle in question and the surrounding conditions. To make sure your efforts are not in vain, it’s advisable to input your details for every car advertised or posted on the automobile centre. By registering as an independent car marketer and staying active, you get numerous benefits like special periodic training, key market insight, free favourable advert slots and real career advancement



Logistic Liaison Officer

A registered LLO bridges the information gap between haulage firms or drivers and online activities of the logistics forum. This job on a basic level simply involves selling information to parties that need the information and helping drivers/managers of trucking companies to get their trucks loaded especially on return trips. You get paid per transaction which could involve linking an individual or another haulage company (with goods to be transported) with a haulage firm or driver (or driver-cum-manager as the case may be) and vice-versa. Your commission depends on your ability to organize these transactions and your level of involvement in building and maintaining an active network with your client base. All haulage firms registered have verifiable addresses and we advise all transactions to hold at these verified offices. We offer support like special training and offline marketing/strategy assistance.

Independent Spare-parts Marketer

This is similar to the role of an independent car marketer; however in this case, your focus should be on spare-parts. The key element of success lies in your ability to organize the inventory f spare parts dealers and marketing these products in an orderly manner. By tapping into key markets like Ladipo (Mushin, Lagos), Trinity (Apapa, Lagos) etc; you could easily your increase your scope of clients. Register now and get your free marketing kit.

Affiliate agents

Affiliate agents serve as a liaison between SME service providers and www.autobaseafrica.com; as the name implies, they get paid for selling premium products of www.autobaseafrica.com. By becoming an accredited affiliate agent, you get a flat rate of 5% commission for each successful transaction. But it doesn’t end there as your auxiliary role is managing these accounts and ensuring your clients derive value from purchasing products of Autobase Africa. Affiliate agents have to go through a compulsory training prior to the commencement of work. To register for free enrolment, send a mail to info@autobaseafrica.com; attach your resume or CV to indicate interest.

Freelance Writer

If you consider yourself highly creative, observant and fun-seeking, you could make #500-#3750 per article published. The types of write-ups expected are witty jokes, real life or fictional driving/motoring stories, documented road-trips, special stories and factual findings. Get started today by sending articles to entrepreneurship@autobaseafrica.com.

Visit www.autobaseafrica.com

Akwa-Ibom Ayaiya!!!

Thank Goodness;another millions pumped into another economy. I wish she could have been treated and gotten back 'glowing' here in Nigeria.

Nice track I must say....this goes to prove that Dbanj's next hit will be produced by DonJazzy.No Jazzy,no hits!nuff said