₦airaland Forum

Free Wi-Fi can sometimes be an extremely delightful blessing, but it can also be a curse when the safety of your data is concerned. However, there are safety tips to consider when using public Wi-Fi to help protect your data better. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 safety tips for using public Wi-Fi.

Before Connecting Turn Off File Sharing

When using public Wi-Fi it is best to turn off all file sharing and restrict access to your computer by disabling remote login from other computers in your network. This is to prevent easy access to your data and keep your data protected. You can also turn off network discovery to prevent others from seeing your device on the network. All these can be done through the control panel (for Windows) or system preferences (Mac) of your computer.

Turn Off Wi-Fi When not in Use

One of the basic rules of using untrusted networks is to switch it off when you’re done using it. It’s a great security habits that also helps save your battery. You can make things easier for yourself by downloading the offline version of whatever it is you’re working on so you don’t have to stay online for long periods on an untrusted network.

Keep Your Antivirus and Antimalware Up to Date

If you know you are inclined to using public Wi-Fi networks on your device, it is best to ensure your device is running on a good and up to date antimalware utility and antivirus utility. Whatever antimalware or antivirus you choose to use just ensure it’s a good one, it’s up to date and you keep it running especially when using public Wi-Fi.

Install Privacy-Protecting Browser Extensions

Privacy-protecting browser extensions are tools that will help to fortify your browser. These privacy-protecting browser extensions gives you more control over your browsing experience and helps you lock out anything you need to, in addition to protecting you from network attacks like session hijacking and clickjacking.

Use Your Own Wi-Fi Instead

Your best protection from the dangers of public Wi-Fi is to simply not use it. Whether you’re using mobile hotspot or tethering the network from your smartphone, using your personal Wi-Fi offers you the safest browsing experience – much safer than the use of public Wi-Fi. However, there are unavoidable times when public Wi-Fi will be needed and in those times you can take necessary measures (like the one’s listed above) to protect your data.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-safety-tips-using-public-wi-fi/

A major reason why many people avoid the beach is because of the fear of drowning. But the truth is that there is nothing like a peaceful getaway at the beach. However, this can, unfortunately, turn to tragedy the minute when someone is in danger of drowning. This is why it’s essential to have these beach safety tips shared by Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, at your fingertips whenever you go to the beach.

Learn to swim
Learning how to swim can significantly reduce the risk of drowning. It will be nice to take swimming lessons before you go to the beach. It’s better not to swim if you don’t know how to swim.

Avoid drinking alcohol
Alcohol can make you tipsy and you can easily lose concentration. So, avoid downing alcohol before or during swimming, kayaking or boating.

Obey flag warnings
The flag warnings are not placed there for advert purposes. It signifies the depth of the water and also tells you the limit you can swim. Hence, going beyond that limit can be dangerous. By the way, do not just assume the meaning of the flag warning because their meanings may vary from one beach to another.

Don’t swim alone
It is advisable you do not swim alone. Swimming together makes it possible to keep an eye out for each other.

Don’t hyperventilate
Hyperventilate means to breathe at an abnormally rapid rate, so increasing the rate of loss of carbon dioxide. This said, if you want to swim, you should never hyperventilate before swimming or try to hold your breath for long periods of time. This can cause you to black out and drown.

Visit beaches that have lifeguards
Make it a point of duty to only visit beaches that have lifeguards whenever possible.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/6-must-know-beach-safety-tips/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

In the past, travelling individually, with friends or family members is usually a logistical mess. It comes with a lot of challenges that discourage quite a number of people from travelling. Fast-forward to today and with the intensity technology has been embraced in the travel industry, Nigerians can now travel with little or no logistical nightmare. Hence, there is no doubt that technology has definitely changed the face of travel. We share take a look at how technology has changed travel over the years.

Deciding your destination

Before the arrival of the internet, travelers have to go through holiday brochures at a travel agent’s office, buy guidebooks or taking a friend’s recommendation when it came to deciding where to go. Today, it very easy to decide as you can simply visit a well know travel blog, social media handle, or even your friend’s Facebook posts to choose where to go.

Booking a hotel

Then you have to saunter around to search for a hotel to lodge. This is very stressful and time-consuming. This is past tense as you can now book a hotel from the comfort of your room. Even if you find yourself stranded in the middle of the night, you can still call Jumia Travel to book a room in any of your favourite hotels. If you are in this kind of situation then, you are simply on your own.

Staying in touch

While travelling, you can send postcards, write letters and occasionally make a long-distance phone call from the hotel reception, or a local phone booth. Thus, staying in touch certainly wasn’t easy and most people at home don’t expect to hear from you unless it is an emergency. With your internet savvy phone, you can have real-time conversations with family members, girlfriend, friends, and wife via messaging platforms. Hence, no one needs to worry much about you when you travel.

Recording travel memories

You need the services of a camera man to take photos and videos of your wanderlust. As such, there is a limit to which you can take pictures and videos. But with your phone camera, you can take as many photos and videos as you so desire. You just keep clicking. You can share the pictures on social media and upload to your cloud. It will be there forever and you can access it anytime you like. Travel memories made easy!

Learning local languages

There are so many places you cannot visit because you do not understand their language. You have to look for an interpreter or a local. Today, all you need is a smartphone and you install Google Translate or iTranslate. With these apps, you can learn the basics of any language and it will help you communicate with the locals with ease.

You will spend less

The result of all of the above is that you don’t need to break the bank to travel unlike in the past. Armed with the right technology tools, you will definitely travel cheaply.

Source: www.opinions.ng/6-interesting-ways-technology-transformed-travel/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Years back, interview used to be the sole criteria used by employers to assess candidates’ suitability for employment. Today, more and more companies are using Assessment Center. Shell was arguably the first to start using it in Nigeria through their globally famous Shell Recruitment Day (SRD – which has now been dropped by them too). Organizations like KPMG, PwC, First Bank, Oando, NLNG amongst others have also joined the fray of Assessment Center as a tool to test candidate.


Now, why are companies no longer relying on interview only?

1, Talk is cheap: Some candidates can talk very well but when it comes to real work. Oral communication ability, while it is very good, doesn’t necessarily make one a star performer. Candidates with privileged background that attended good schools are usually good talkers, and may easily bamboozle (or bobo) the interviewer to awe. Interview is just one of the tools of assessment center. It sees how they perform in other areas too.

2, Multiple Tools Can’t Be Wrong: Assessment center involves in addition to interview other tools like group discussion or group task, case study, oral presentation, role play (in others), and sometimes written essay. Interview only tests your oral communication, it doesn’t test your presentational skills, it doesn’t test your written communication skills, it doesn’t test team work or leadership skill. So, for you to have passed an assessment center, you must have done well in these multiple assessment tools. They can’t be wrong



3, Interview Can Be Too Mechanical: Interview is becoming too boring and predictable these days that companies don’t think it is sufficient enough to test a candidate’s ability. There are millions of articles on the internet on interview, hundred of thousands of standard questions with standard answers. Candidates have access to so much information on interview that companies now think performance at interview should be taken with a pinch of salt. Assessment center is relatively new, with questions not so structured and predictable, or at least much room for nuances.

Although most companies in Nigeria still use interview-only approach to testing candidates, Assessment center will continue to gain momentum.

Whether interview or Assessment center, you are home and dry with JarusHub Coaching Service, which has helped over 200 candidates from Nigeria and abroad smash the selection hurdles.


source: http://www.jarushub.com/3-reasons-companies-are-dumping-interview-for-assessment-center/

There is no denying that Lagosians are huge on fitness and dieting. It is hard to go past a district without finding at least one gym or a health shop. While these gyms vary in size, type of equipment and staff strength, one thing they have in common are the kind of people that visit the facilities. If you have ever been to a Lagos gym, you probably know what we at Jumia Travel are talking about and if you haven’t, here are the types of people at the gym you will usually see.

The confused newbie

This person is just new to gyming and still has all the enthusiasm of a fresher. He or she is well equipped and has the complete outfit, from head bank to sneakers. Unfortunately, he still does not know how to use all the machines properly but would rather break an ankle on the treadmill than ask for help. Believe it or not but oftentimes you may find the most clueless people attempting to work out at the gym in Lagos.

The Irritating Uncle

Basically a creep, the “ Irritating Uncle” is at the gym to look at chicks and seize opportunities to cup a feel. They are actually registered and have the right apparels on, but they would rather just stand around making small talk and offering to help unsuspecting ladies or just pick up chicks than actually work out.

The Babe

This is the kind of girl who would probably say something like : “I don’t sweat, I sparkle.” She comes to the gym wearing the most attractive and tight gym clothes, as well as the kind of makeup you’d wear on your wedding day. Her hair is freshly done and her clothes are perfumed. She hydrates and uses her phones more than she actually works out.

The Selfie addict

You are absolutely guaranteed to find the “Selfie addicts” plastered to the nearest mirror having a photo-shoot with their smart phones. This person is not at the gym to work out; he is much more interested in making short videos for Instagram and snapchat and taking selfies than exerting themselves. They take poses and present a highly orchestrated image on social media.

The “look at me” gym show-offs

This one has the perfect gym body and can easily maneuver any machine in the gym, but them, he likes to show-off. He refuses to work out while putting a shirt on, literally giving everyone else body dysmorphia. He also likes to share tips and offer remedies that have helped him in the past to tackle several issues that may come up.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-types-people-likely-meet-lagos-gym/

Gone are the days when most Nigerians relied on cables for internet access. With the introduction of Wifi, internet access is seemingly easier, faster and much more convenient. Although the almighty Wifi is one of the most useful and important aspects of using a computer, it can also be frustrating as sometimes the Wifi network can be sluggish, defective, and insecure. If you are plagued with bad reception, slow speeds, and other issues, Jumia Travel, Africa’s No. 1 online hotel booking portal presents 5 ways you can power up the Wi-Fi and improve your network speeds.

Find the Optimal spot

Wifi is channeled via a router, and while these routers might not always blend into your interior décor, it is important that you place them in the optimal position to get the best signal. You need to place them out in the open, free of any walls or obstructions. A central position high off the floor is the best option to get the optimal coverage possible in your home or office. Also note that Wifi signals do not work well with water, metal, or glass as all these materials can impede the signal.

Adjust the antennas

Most routers come with small antennas with Omni-directional capabilities situated at the back. These antennas broadcast signals in all directions which can be useful if you need connection throughout your house, but the range is quite short Ensure the antennas are well screwed in and pointed vertically. If your router has directional/adjustable antennas, changing their angle can redirect the signal and cover dead spots. If you have the new 802.11ac router, you probably won’t need this. The 802.11ac router uses a technique calledbeamforming to focus the signal toward devices on the edge of your network.

Reboot your Router

If you have run some tests and are certain the problem with the network slack is not as result of heat, old firmware or excessive downloads, you should try to reboot the router. This simply implies putting it off, then putting it back on again after some minutes. To avoid having to reboot your router every so often, you can set just set it to reboot automatically once a day or so. You can do this with DD-WRT or just a regular old outlet timer.

Control Interference from Other Appliances

Most time, the network from a router can be affected by networks from other routers. This, however, is not the only thing that can cause interference. Other electronic devices such as TVs, mobile phones that generate electromagnetic signals can muck up your signal as well. It is, therefore, important to place the router in such a way that this kind of appliances do not interfere with it. A dual band router can also help with the interference.

Try changing the channel

If your router’s default settings work fine, but your wireless signal seems flaky, the best step to improve the network is to go into your router’s web control panel to change the channel. Wireless routers can operate on different channels. Most routers can use 11 channels (specific radio frequencies) and are set to channel 1, 6, or 11 by default because these frequencies don’t overlap with one another. Naturally, you would want yours on a channel with as little intrusion as possible. Tools like Wi-Fi Stumbler or Wi-Fi Analyzer can be used to find the perfect channel in your house.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-helpful-tips-nigerians-use-wifi/

Your smartphone is hot as if it is on fire. If you don’t do something about it may damage your phone or your battery will run out within seconds. This can be likened to a baby running temperature. When this happens, you have to take action immediately. If you don’t know what to do to cool off your hot smartphone, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares some tips to stop your phone from melting down.

Update your apps

Updating your phone apps are not just there for fun. It is to ensure that you get the current version of your apps as well as help address the bugs or problems with the previous version. If it has been a while you updated your apps, don’t be surprised when it becomes hot.

Fan your phone

This may be crude but it works. You can fan your phone with a hand fan or you blow it with your mouth. Do this until it cools off. What you should never do is to put your phone in a freezer or fridge to cool off.

Separate from other devices

The habit of stacking up all your devices like laptop, iPad, tablet, and camera in a bag will make overheating highly possible. This is because there is no space for the devices to breathe. So, desist from packing all your gadgets together.

Remove unused apps

Don’t allow apps you don’t use very often to take up much-needed space. If your phone is overheating, get rid of unused apps so that there can be space in your phone. It is difficult for a phone that has enough space to get hot.

Stop battery consuming games from running in the background

This is for those who use their phones for playing games. If your phone is hot, especially while playing the game, it may be time to delete it. However, if you don’t want to, ensure that the game is not running in the background. Always kill it.

Coolify

Coolify is an app for cooling off your hot smartphone. It ensures that your phone temperature is at a balanced and it also helps shut down background apps.

Stop surfing your phone in the sun

You are walking to your hotel room at Eko Hotel and Suites in the hot sun and at the same time, you are surfing your phone in the sun. The sun may affect your sun, thus making it hot. So, stop using your phone while going about your business on a sunny day.


source: http://www.opinions.ng/7-ways-cool-off-hot-smartphone/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Watch Video of Nigerian Boy Barking Like a Dog after Getting Rabies
http://www.opinions.ng/watch-video-nigerian-boy-barking-like-dog-getting-rabies/

It is important to start preparing for retirement early to avoid being tragically unprepared when the time comes. In the process of retirement preparation, it is also important to note the retirement mistakes most commonly made. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 common retirement mistakes people make.

Relocating Without Knowing the Place

Most people decide to move to a more rural setting when they retire, because they consider it quieter and more relaxed than the city life they’ve had. Some also do it to be closer to their families. However, the mistake most people make is not knowing the area they are moving too well, so what was intended to be a relaxing getaway becomes a stressful experience that defeats the point of relocating. Rather than relocating immediately to a new place, first rent an apartment in the area and get a feel of the place for at least a year. If you are satisfied with your experience then you can consider buying property there and relocating completely.

Not Knowing What to Do With Your Time

A lot of people spend time trying to figure out what to do with their money after retirement, but few people think of what to do with their time. If you don’t have a plan on how to spend your time after retirement, it can make the process a bit more difficult, because you might find yourself feeling useless and even depressed about it at some point. Try to find a hobby or side job that you enjoy, that won’t be too stressful or place too much of a demand on you, and use it to occupy yourself after retirement. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you will automatically be happier after retirement, because boredom and the feeling of uselessness can easily taint that happiness. Most times, retirement is not what people actually want, even though they spend all their time dreaming of it, they actually just want to finally do something they can enjoy and have more control over.

Falling Into The Temptation of ‘Post-Retirement Spending Hike’

Though many retirees intend to spend less after retirement, they actually end up spending more in their first few years of retirement. This is mainly because of the excitement of finally ‘being free!’. You, therefore, see these retirees begin to do things they’ve always been ‘dying to do’ without really minding the cost. It is important for people to take note of this possible spending hike and use a budget to efficiently plan for it. You must stick to the budget and agree to let go of anything you know you won’t be able to realistically afford. It’s better to be responsible with your money and avoid regrets later.

Keeping Too Many Cars

At some point, you need to ask yourself what exactly you are doing with four cars as a retiree. If you don’t have a good reason for keeping so many cars, you should sell the extra cars, hire someone to use the car for a cab business for you, or give them out to your children, grand children, friends etc. You should also consider that as you get older, walking instead of driving has added health and fitness benefits for you.

Underestimating Future Cost of Living

This is why you should always have a retirement plan laid down. Typically, people underestimate the money they would need to comfortably live on after retirement. This is mainly because they don’t plan for retirement according to their spending habits; they instead plan with the belief that their spending habits would have been reformed by the time they retire, only to find out that is not the case. The general rule of retirement is to set aside 65 to 70% of your current household budget, then factor in every likely and possible expense you would ever incur, even if they seem far-fetched. You need to plan realistically and consider contingencies and unexpected costs.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-common-retirement-mistakes-people-make/

cc: lalasticlala

The importance of knowing what to do in times of uncertainty or emergency can never be overemphasized. Therefore, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 safety tips that could save your life.

Save Emergency Numbers

Especially when traveling to new places or environments, you must always know what the local emergency numbers are and have them saved on your phone (have them on speed dial, if possible). Additionally, if you’re traveling overseas, research the phone numbers and address of embassies or consulates you can run to in case of an emergency. Be sure to also review the escape routes of wherever you are at all times. Also, never joke with your security and if you notice any suspicious movement wherever you are, raise an alarm or try to get away from the place to a more public place. Avoid brushing it off as nothing, until you’re absolutely sure it’s nothing.

Ensure You Have Remote Wipe Capabilities Set For Your Smart Devices

This should be especially important to you when traveling because that can be considered a vulnerable period for you. You should ensure remote wipe capabilities are set up for your smartphones, smart devices and even car electronics (if you’re using a private car that has one) so that you can easily erase their contents if they are stolen.

If You Have a Physical Car Key, Carry it in Your Hand When Walking in a Parking Lot

This is to reduce the amount of time it takes to get into your car and start it when in the parking lot, to reduce exposure to car theft or even kidnapping. It should mainly be done at night. In addition, you should not dangle the car key in your hand so someone doesn’t just snatch them from you; you should hold them in your palm and make a fist with them, with some part of the key maybe protruding between your knuckles. Aside keeping your key safe, this can serve as a makeshift weapon for you in case of an attack or emergency.

Always Hang Up and Call Back at a Pre-Known Number, Any Call Asking For Private Information or For You To Take Risky Action

If you receive a call that claims to be from your bank about a potential fraud on your account, you should immediately hang-up and call the bank’s known customer care number to confirm the claims are true. Also, if you’re lodged in a hotel and you receive a call to your room from a hotel staff about a problem with your account or about your room needing repairs or something, you should always hang-up and call the known front-desk number to confirm if this is actually true. Don’t just oblige any request for you to provide private information or make yourself available without first confirming from a pre-known and definitely authentic number, if that is actually the case.

Block People’s View of Your Hand When Entering PIN Numbers, Alarm Codes etc.

You might think this is being paranoid, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. It’s funny that people do not realize that in the age of smartphones and other advanced technology, people can be surreptitiously recording them. People can also purposely pay close attention to the movement of your hand so they can later track you, steal your card (if it’s a debit card PIN number you’re entering) and get access to your account through their mastery of the movement of your hand while entering your PIN. In addition, you should also check the card reader of ATM machines and if they appear to have been tampered with, find another machine to use.

source: www.opinions.ng/5-safety-tips-save-life/

By Tony Ogunlowo

It’s good to show mercy so that mercy can be shown on to you.

“The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes”

So goes the immortal words of Portia in William Shakespeare acclaimed ‘Merchant of Venice’. In the play Shylock, one of the characters, is asked to show mercy to the Merchant of Venice who owes him money, but refuses. But when the tables are turned on him he becomes the one begging for mercy – a plea that is rejected.

The phrase ‘the quality of mercy is not strained’ is used to reinforce the belief that mercy must be given freely – it can’t be forced.

Being merciful covers a wide range of things from forgiving; showing kindness and compassion to helping others less fortunate and is the component of all religious beliefs.

We live in a country where few are merciful; we have the power to forgive and forget but won’t! We want to show that we have ‘power’ over somebody! We want to punish them to the fullest. We want to play God with their lives because we can. And what happens when it all backfires on us? Like a house of cards your entire life will come tumbling down!

Why is it so difficult to be merciful towards your fellow human being? What could they possibly have done that you can’t forgive them or show them mercy? But yet again you pray to God for mercy and forgiveness for all the things you’ve done wrong – isn’t that called ‘double-standards’?

It’s good to be merciful as God is merciful towards us for all our sins and transgressions because when the shoe is on the other foot…

Look at how colonel Gadhafi died; when he was president of Libya he showed no mercy and killed thousands of people. When he was disposed and apprehended by his people they showed him no mercy and literally beat him to death!

In our everyday people wrong us; they do terrible things to us, they make our lives hell because they can. They show us no mercy, but what happens when the tables are turned?

For those who are in the position of showing mercy, show it and let bygones be bygones. Don’t think because you’re Mister-High-and-Mighty and you can do whatever you want, you can deny somebody mercy.

Some people think they are too ‘big’ to show mercy; they hold a person’s life – and perhaps destiny – in their hands and they think they can do as they please. Perhaps, but what happens when the tables are turned?

Life can sometimes be a terrible teacher; because you failed to show mercy to someone a long time ago it’ll come back and haunt you when you need mercy or help the most. Only then it’ll be too late like it was for Shylock and Gadhafi and many others.

The Lord God shows everybody mercy regardless of whatever we’ve done in this earthly world and so why can’t you? If mercy is due give it; the sun shines on the righteous and the bad; rain falls on the good and the evil, God gives everyone a fair chance.

So when someone begs you for mercy, think twice! You never know when you will need mercy yourself!

source: http://www.opinions.ng/the-quality-of-mercy/

cc: lalalsticlala mynd44

Winning a scholarship isn’t as hard as you might think, there are certain tips that can help you maximize the process and achieve your goal of winning a study scholarship. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 8 helpful tips for getting a study scholarship.

Start Your Search as Soon as Possible

When trying to get a study scholarship, you need to start your search as soon as possible because if you wait till the last minute you will miss half the deadlines. There are many scholarship schemes out there for you to take advantage of, you just need to start your search as soon as possible, even before your final year if possible. Be sure to consider scholarships from private foundations and government bodies, in addition to those of the universities you intend to apply to. Even company scholarship schemes, should be considered as long as you’re eligible.

Apply to Every Scholarship to Which You are Eligible

This is one of the best strategies to ensure you win at least one scholarship. If you work hard and are able to win more than one, you will have options to choose from. In addition, some of these scholarships are in form of monetary grants, and if you are able to win enough of these scholarships, the money can add up into what can sustain you as a full scholarship.

Ensure You Have a Professional Online Profile

This is more of a precautionary move, in case your online profile is considered during the screening of your application. Ensure you use a professional email address on your applications and clean up the content of your social media accounts, removing inappropriate and immature material.

Be Weary of Scholarship Scams

There is nothing like a ‘guaranteed scholarship’ and you don’t pay an application fee for a scholarship. Don’t be too eager or desperate when searching for scholarships, so you don’t fall into the trap of fraudsters. Ensure you confirm the credibility of whatever private foundation or government body you intend to apply to, before going forward with the application. This is because there are some fraudsters out there posing as ‘scholarship companies’ to take your money and disappear. You, therefore, have to be smart about your scholarship search.

Keep A Good Record of All Documents

You shouldn’t be looking to get the necessary application documents together at the last minute, instead you should ensure that all documents that are likely to be required are ready or you at least have a way to easily get them ready when needed. You shouldn’t try to get needed documents together at the last minute to avoid making mistakes with your application and missing important deadlines.

Consider Scholarships With Smaller Awards

Scholarships with smaller awards are usually less competitive and easier to win, so you can consider applying for these. To maximize this option, you can apply for as many of such smaller scholarship awards that you’re eligible for, and work hard to win as many of them as you can. Eventually, the awards can add up to something significant enough to help you with most of your study goals, if not all.

Make Sure Your Application is Good

Try to figure out what is expected of you on the application and be authentic with your delivery of this. Brush up your essay writing skills and refine them to excellence so this can help boost the strength of your application in the essay writing category. Basically, do your research well, and ensure you give all it takes to submit an outstanding application by all standards.

Don’t Be Deterred By Failure

Yes, you might get a few negative responses on your scholarship applications but it’s not the end of the world. Don’t give up. Even if you don’t win a scholarship on entry into higher institution, you can still continue to apply for some available to you while you’re studying. Eventually, you will get one because like most things in life, the most successful scholarship winners are the ones that keep trying. Don’t let failure stop you, let it be a stepping stone to your success story.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/getting-study-scholarship/

Rochelle Ceira

It is true that there are increasingly more and more female-owned business ventures. However, there are still more men involved in the business and entrepreneurship game than women.
The question remains, though; who would be a better entrepreneur? Does the presence of men really implicitly make them better at starting up new ventures?
As the title of this article suggests, this is certainly not the case. On the contrary, we have compiled a list of factors pinpointing exactly why it is women who probably rule the world of startups. Read on below to find out what they are:

1. They Run The Higher Management of Many Leading Organizations
According to statistics, while women are more likely to quit a venture when it starts to flag and they fail to reach their financial goals, men are more likely to dust themselves off and try again. This could be one reason why there are significantly more men owning businesses than women.
Gender bias is probably another reason why female-owned businesses attract less investment and thus perform weakly in comparison with male-owned businesses.
On a promising note for women, companies owned and run by females at the top management are statistically less likely to fail. The reasons leading to this fact are many which you will find in the rest of this article.

2. They Have A Better Sense of Reality
It may be argued that women have a better sense of the potential risks than men which in turn help them in decision-making process. Additionally, studies and reports have also proved that men are more likely to assume or claim that their venture is succeeding, whereas women abstain from such claims unless this is truly the case.
Statistically, women actually get a higher profit at the end of the day. This could be because where they can see the risks and they see a chance to do better and get ahead. Men usually don’t work in this manner.

3. They Have An Accommodating Style of Leadership
Women are more likely to use a transformational approach when it comes to heading projects. They can use diplomacy and generally create an environment of inclusion for the workers which is a common attribute of men. This obviously would lead to a happier workforce and hence a better workflow within the venture itself.

4. They Know The Art Of Multitasking
Many women are famous for their ability to manage several tasks at a time. They can juggle as a housewife, mother as well as a working woman. Thus, they are better suited to work as a full-time businesswoman as they can handle multiple tasks at the same time.

5. They Value Relationships
Most women know the value of life outside business and profit-making. They prioritize family and personal time over the money. Men, on the other hand, tend to take these things for granted and end up accumulating wealth and losing relationships.
Entrepreneurship is quite a hectic job and it can make you prone to burnout. Since women have the knack of keeping the relationships, they have a strong support system that helps her bounce back even when the chips are down.

Final Thoughts
Women have the skills and abilities to run any business successfully which is particularly beneficial for the economy of any country. A successful businesswoman can contribute in progress of a society and she is also an inspiration for the many other women to follow her path.
So all you gals dreaming of launching their startup, we will leave on this famous quote by Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx:
“Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”

source: http://www.jarushub.com/5-undeniable-reasons-that-prove-that-women-are-better-entrepreneurs/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Building a career can be exciting, it can also be stressful and sometimes frustrating. Having the knowledge of what to do right when building a career can help to significantly ease the whole process. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 6 useful career building tips for graduates.

Start Building Your Network Early

Remember the age old saying, ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know’. While this doesn’t prove true every time, there is a still a truckload of truth in it. As a young graduate, it’s important to start building your professional network early. Make connections with people, whether physically or on social media, get their contacts, relate with them and see where it leads you. Also, be willing to reciprocate any help you intend to receive from these people, so you won’t seen as self-serving.



Build Your Career on What You’re Passionate About

The honest truth is that your interest in whatever you’re not passionate about will fizzle out sooner than you expect. Yes, initially the business might be bring in money and keep you satisfied for a period, but soon after you’ll become tired, restless and eventually go in search of career fulfillment. So why don’t you just start early? Find what you’re passionate about doing and learning, figure out how to monetize it and build your career around it. But if it’s money that you’re passionate about, then by all means, you’re free to go after it. The crux of the matter is for you to build your career around whatever you’re passionate about.



Find The Right Company

It’s a well known fact that because of the employment situation in Nigeria, trying to be patient enough to search for the right company to work for might be impractical, but you should try as much as can to do so. This is because finding the right company to work for, goes a long way in helping to build your career in the corporate world, especially if you don’t intend to become an entrepreneur. You don’t want to end up working for a company that will waste the best years of your corporate life without impacting your life, helping you grow or expand your opportunities in any way. Making the mistake of working for such a company can unfortunately end up being irredeemable, so you need to be careful to find and choose the right company to work for.


Don’t Let Failure Devastate You

You just shouldn’t. This is because as you build your career many doors will be shut against you before one opens, and this doesn’t mean you’re not good enough or you’re a failure, it just means that you should learn from your mistakes, get better and keep trying until you breakthrough (and you’ll learn that eventually, you will breakthrough). As long as you keep trying, no matter how many doors are closed against you, not all doors will; if you don’t give up, a door will eventually be opened to you. It’s just a simple fact of life. So, perseverance, grit, determination and commitment are very vital to building a successful career.



Have a Plan

How can you build something without a plan? That question sums it all up. Even though things might not or most likely will not work out exactly according to your plan, have one nonetheless to guide you. You can make adjustments to the plan as life happens, but don’t abandon having one. There is no way to successfully build a career without a plan.

Have a Support System

Whether family or friends, have trusted loved ones that will make up a support system to help encourage you when things inevitably get tough. This will go along way in helping you keep your footing, continue moving forward and successfully build your career even when things get tough. If you’re not good at discerning those you can trust, then hire a career coach or psychologist to help you with this. You can also consider seeking help from religious support systems, if you’re comfortable with it.

source: http://www.jarushub.com/amazing-career-building-tips-for-graduates/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

An addiction is basically when a thing begins to control your life and interferes with your daily activities, work and relationships. When your phone starts to do that to you, it has become an addiction you need to immediately break. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 effective ways to break a phone addiction.

The First Few Minutes of Your Day

The first way to break a phone addiction is to dedicate the first 10 to 30 minutes of your day, at least, to planning and creating a good start to your day, rather than unlocking your phone to browse various internet or social media platforms.

Create No-Phone Periods

You have to be strict with this one because this can significantly decrease your productivity and efficiency once you are unable to carry it out. If you find yourself constantly being distracted by your phone, it is necessary to create a no-phone period, where for a specific number of minutes or hours you close off your phone and stay completely dedicated to your work.

Don’t Lose Sleep Over Your Phone

Set limits. You should never allow your phone deprive you of your sleep. Be disciplined and set limits. The moment you stop putting energy into caring for your basic needs and start putting all your time and energy into your phone, you are allowing your phone dictate your health and well-being. Please stop that, your phone is not worth your health.

Customize Your Notifications

The fact is the lesser notifications you receive, the less likely you are to get distracted by your smartphone and constantly check your smartphone. Therefore, customize your smartphone notifications by turning off notifications for the apps that distract you the most.

Work on Building Real Life Relationships

Rather than spending hours building virtual relationships, try to get real and work to develop real world relationships. Real world relationships are more physically and emotionally gratifying than virtual relationships, so try to move your relationships with people from your phone to a real world platform. Instead of chatting, try to meet up somewhere next time (but be careful with this however and take this step with people you are without a doubt sure you can trust. The key phrase here is ‘without a doubt’.)

source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-effective-ways-break-phone-addiction/

Building relationships in the workplace can sometimes be tricky; however there are some mistakes you might be making in the process that you should try to avoid. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 biggest mistakes you’re making with work relationships.

Seeing Relationship Building as Unnecessary and as Playing Office Politics

Some people have a negative perception of the art of building work relationships. They believe that they’re above it all and that their knowledge and skills are all they need to excel in the workplace. However, what they fail to understand is that collaboration and large-scale group projects contributes significantly to an organization’s success. That’s why most organizations are largely ‘team-centric’.

Limiting Your Work Circle

Try not to build work relationships with only people in your peer group or people you are similar to. This can be very limiting to you on your career path. Try to develop relationships with people who are not like you – like those in another department, those in different peer groups or those with a skill set different from yours. It doesn’t have to be such a deep relationship, but just something cordial and light-hearted enough to secure yourself a place in their conscious mind.

Forgetting the Place of Performance

Avoid using the relationship card to justify laziness and low performance at work. The point of cultivating good relationships is to better accomplish your goals, not to abandon them all together. A good work relationship can’t make up for a lack of knowledge or skills, and can hardly protect you from being let go if your work performance is disappointingly low. Good work relationships shouldn’t undermine performance.

Making Your Self-Interest Obvious

If in a work relationship, the other person senses you keep doing things because you want something in return, that can end the relationship. Though, self-interest might ultimately be the goal of most work relationships, the point is not to be so blatant with it that it becomes offensive. Keep the needs of the other person in mind and try to give as much as you can with no immediate expectation of return in mind. Make deposits in the person’s emotional bank account so you can draw from it during the inevitable rough times.

Being Opportunistic in Your Relationships

Avoid being too status conscious when building work relationships. Try to build good relationships with your subordinates and people you consider to be ‘low on the food chain’, avoid doing so with only your peers and superiors. Consider the example of a head of department in a business organization, who only got along with his peers and superiors. All his direct reports either feared or genuinely disliked him. The management noticed this and this limited his effectiveness and growth in the organization, because a leader is only as good as the people he’s leading.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-biggest-mistakes-youre-making-work-relationships/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

There are a number of extremely important factors to consider before a business investment, to protect your resources from the sometimes uncertain elements of an investment environment. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 things to consider before a business investment.

The Business

This is an obvious one. An investor needs to understand the business in which he/she is investing. Like Peter Lynch’s investment maxim says ‘Invest in what you know’. It will be difficult to be cheated in an investment, if you understand the rubrics of that business. Before investing in a business, study the business; the more you understand the business, the more confident you’ll feel about the investment. Additionally, talking to an expert – someone who knows the industry that interests you – can also help.

The Growth

In addition to understanding the business, it’s important to understand the growth of a business. Consider how the venture is growing – is its growth organic or does it have more of a buying growth? Also, consider how the company will grow. To help with this, an investor will need to dig into the key financial statements of the venture like the balance sheets, income statements and cash-flow statements.

The Exit Strategy

Understand and know the exit scenarios for the industry that will be best for you. As a responsible investor, it’s best to always be prepared and have an exit plan laid out either for when the venture reaches the ideal scale intended or when the venture doesn’t seem to be yielding the returns you expected. Either way, always have an exit strategy of some kind for every business investment.

Legal Counsel

A good number of investors overlook this very important factor, and end up running from pillar to post seeking legal counsel when things go wrong. Be sure to seek legal counsel on all crucial steps of the investment and be sure that every legal document associated with the investment is shown to a trusted lawyer for feedback. Prevention will always be better than cure, and in legal matters, ignorance or oversights is not an excuse. So avoid the avoidable by seeking legal counsel; you don’t have to agree with all your lawyer’s points, but you should at least understand them and make your decision based on that understanding.

Your Comfort Zone on Risk Taking

All investments have some form of risk associated with it, so it’s therefore important to understand the risks of a business investment and first decide if the risks are what you can bear. If you can’t bear the worst case scenario and have no plan B to help deal with the worst case scenario, then it’s advisable to refrain from such investment. You must always consider your propensity for risk before putting your resources in a business investment.

Circumstances that Can Lead to Fraud

This is one of the most important factors on this list. There are a lot of scam artists out there looking to lure potential investors into their trap by making their ‘opportunity’ sound legitimate. But there is a limit to how well they can do this, and if you’re careful and vigilant enough you’ll be able to see through their facade. As a responsible investor, ensure you do your research well beforehand, ask questions and check out the answers with unbiased sources before you invest. Also, never rush into an investment. In fact, any investment that puts pressure on you or tries to rush you into it, is a fishy one. You should tread carefully. Always take your time and talk to trusted family and friends before investing. Never for any reason rush into an investment, regardless of the pressure.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-consider-business-investment/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

There is nothing better than working in a good company, that will not only give you a chance to grow but help you attain career fulfillment. There are some signs to look out for when searching for such a good company. This list isn’t exhaustive but contained here are some of those signs. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 of them.

Calm and Productive Atmosphere

It’s easier to be productive and get work done in the workplace environment, when the atmosphere is calm and productive, and there are virtually no visible signs of fear, domination, harassment or intimidation. In a good workplace, the right of every employee is respected and there is space and a conducive environment to work as efficiently as you can, with all the resources you need adequately provided.

There is Flexibility

There is flexibility, when the company is ready to accept change and work towards positive changes. The management understands that ‘change is the only constant thing’, and works with that to improve their practices and keep the organization relevant. The company has programmes to help accommodate new trends and technology, and also promote the incorporation of new skills. Employees constantly have opportunities to learn, improve on their existing skills and better themselves.

There is Positive Reinforcement

The company understands the place of corporate gestures of acknowledgment, appreciation and gratitude in motivating employees. They offer genuine compliments, rewards, bonuses, raises, promotions and certificates of achievement to help employees feel appreciated and continue to be motivated to keep up the good work.

Importance is Placed on Health and Family

A standard health insurance plan is offered to employees, and in cases of requests for sick leaves, employees aren’t given such a hard time and it’s not such an uphill task. In addition, the company also values family, gives time for and considerations to family-related issues like maternity leaves, family emergencies, vacations etc.

Low Turnover
This factor is very important in judging how much of a good workplace a company is. If you notice that a sizeable number of people that work for the company hardly stay for long and leave unexpectedly after a short period of time, it might signal that such a workplace is not good one. On the flip side, if people tend to stay for a reasonably long period of time before eventually either moving up the management ladder or moving on to other ventures, then it’s probably a company with a good working culture and practices.

Source: http://www.jarushub.com/5-signs-of-a-good-workplace/

To get the best of salary negotiations, it is vital to have the knowledge of some helpful tips to guide your future salary negotiations, so that you can get the best out of it and be satisfied with the results. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 helpful tips for salary negotiations.

Know What Benchmarking Is
You should understand how employers decide their salary levels and use that information to guide your salary negotiations. Companies don’t just use arbitrary salary ranges for employees, they use a variety of benchmarking tools for this. They typically compare pay rates with the average pay of other companies in their industry, average pay of professionals with your level of experience and education, and the average pay of professionals in your field in their area of the country. You should try as much as possible to know the ‘salary norm’ in the industry of your job search and negotiate effectively within that range.

Do Your Research
To successfully negotiate your salary, you need to have some basic and very necessary knowledge to guide your negotiations. Research is the most important way, if not the only way, to get this knowledge. Asking questions, talking to recruiters, people you know and professionals in your field and on your professional level, can you help you get the needed information for salary negotiations. Even if you don’t get an exact figure, you will at least get a range.

Pick The Top Range
After doing your research well, you would most likely get a range of what an employee in your industry and at your professional level should be earning. It might be tempting to start your negotiations at the middle of the range (to appear modest) but don’t. It’s better to start from the top of the range because firstly, you should believe you deserve top pay, and secondly, the employer will almost certainly negotiate down. So, starting your negotiations from the top of the range will give you some breathing room and a better chance to end up with a salary you will be satisfied with.

Practice For It
Practicing for a prospective salary negotiation scenario is one of the best ways to prepare for it and to eventually get the results you desire. A career coach can help with this. However, if you are unable to find one, you can ask a friend or relative with experience in salary negotiations for help. Practicing for salary negotiations helps you to develop the confidence to negotiate and talk about money without being so scared of making a mistake and messing it all up.

source: http://www.jarushub.com/4-helpful-tips-for-salary-negotiation/

My Name is Love

I have acknowledged

My strength

I am that book that is

Worth reading.

I am that life that is

Worth knowing.

I am that sea that is

Worth exploring

I still give a shoulder

To who needs it.

I still give a hug

To the broken.

I still give a smile

To the sad one

My name is care.

My name is happy.

My name is love.




This Pain…

This pain I feel

This pain I have accepted

This pain I understand

This pain I can handle

This pain will soon leave

This pain knows I am strong

This pain knows I have inner strength

This pain I will soon laugh at

This pain will soon be a story to tell

This pain will make me a stronger me.

© Odion Izegwire




You Stabbed Me Where I am Bleeding

As the stabber stabbed again and again

On that spot where I’m already bleeding

As I get another stab to the bone on my ribs

As I get another stab with a syringe

Repeated in my left eye

I say to me,

Do not weep.

I have been stabbed just enough to

Break the skin more often,

That slow pressure

Until there is no blood

Really hurts,

But I say to me,

Do not weep.

Even when that knife is

Plunged into me,

Even when the blood

Refuses to stop gushing,

Even when I get that

Very hard punch,

I still say to me,

Do not weep

I understand this storm

Is mine,

And I am brave enough

To enter it.

I am strong enough to wrap the

Size of my waves in my palms.

I am brave enough to still

Give the stabber a smile.





She is Her Own Hero

This heart of hers

Will never hate you,

No matter how much

You hurt it.

She has got so much

Love to give,

So much light

To shine.

She thanks her Lord

For the grace that is

Making her remain kind.

She thanks her Lord

For the heart that is

Making her remain calm.

Her walk,

Full of grace.

Her smiles,

Full of sweetness.

Her life

Full of purpose.

She is always in

Love with her soul

She is thunder

Not the kind you hide from

But the kind you run to

She is blind towards

Hatred and negativity.

She is the light, radiant,

And her heart like

The full moon brimming

On an inclement night.


source: http://www.opinions.ng/name-love-poems-odion/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Feeling adventurous and have seven days to spare? Why not travel around Nigeria?! From the north, east, west to the south, the country is engorged with beautiful and remarkable cities (some untouched by democracy, scandal or progress), rich history, ancient art, enthralling and age-caressed landscapes, delicious food, delightful cultures and generally, fascinating, friendly people; all certain to make your trip a life changing one.

Nigeria may be referred to as the giant of Africa, however, its geographical size is far from being regarded as the largest in the continent. Traveling the entire country in those few days can be a breeze, especially with the help of all the technology that is now available to us in this jet age. All you need is careful planning andw Jumia Travel, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking portal has tips to help you achieve this daring feat that sure to be bring life-long memories.

Consider the Timing

Before you set out on your trip, you need to ensure the timing is perfect for the selected areas. While different destination in the country have varied weather conditions, they usually all experience the two seasons: the dry and the wet season. The dry season usually spans from September to March while the rainy or wet season stars from late March and ends early September. Dry season would be the best time to embark on this trip as there is a very slim chance of being delayed by unfavorable weather. Also, most of the festivals around the country are held during the dry season, so you can seize the opportunity and experience them as well.

Select Key Areas to Visit

It is impossible to visit every nook in the country, even if you have more than seven days. Before you set out on the journey, make a list of all the prominent sites within the country, the different cultures and settlements and research on them .Afterward select the most the options that seem feasible and make your plans around them. While selecting key areas to visit, check your budget and consider accessibility: are there mapped out roads? Is there free entry? Try not to cramp your list as doing so will probably just leave you stressed out and largely unsatisfied as you might not cover everything on the list in seven days as intended.

Save Time with Flights

While Nigeria is not as large as some other countries in Africa, it is still a large expanse and you will be covering quite a distance. It is best to use flights rather than land transport options as they will cut out the extra time on the road. Find out the cities on your list that have airports and plan your transportation schedule in such a way that you can accommodate more flights than bus rides. A perk of flying is that you get to enjoy the aerial view of a city before you touch down. For instance, you cannot really understand why Ibadan is called the red roof city until you have enjoyed an aerial view.

Research the Best Routes

Like they say, there are many ways to kill a rat, and likewise, there are many routes to which you can connect to the different municipalities in Nigeria. It is important to research the best routes to navigate the country and to do that, you need to put certain things into consideration. Where would be your starting point? What landmarks and iconic attractions around the country are you essentially determined to explore? How accessible are the different locations pinned down on your list? Where are the short cuts? Answering these question gives you a better idea on how to plan. It is also important to study the layout of the country as well as the destinations you intend to tour.

Sleep in Transit

You have only got seven days and a lot of places to cover, you certainly do not have the luxury of sleeping in or whiling away time in a hotel. Manage your time effectively and catch up on sleep while in transit, either on the flight or on the bus. In order not to miss certain exciting sights on the way or essential stops, it may be advisable to time your movements or at best, ask a traveling companion to wake you up at intervals. Adventurous travelers understand the thrill that come with times explorations and usually enjoy this kind of trips the most.

Stay Optimistic

The best way to enjoy traveling Nigeria in seven days is by staying optimistic. Optimism boosts a good state of mind and usually ensure that everything becomes an adventure! Be prepared for eventualities, and tackle every challenge with glee. Ask for advice from locals where needed and keep an open mind while experiencing the different cultures.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/travel-nigeria-7-days/

cc: lalasticlala

It’s important to know basic facts about the human body for health reasons, because ignorance can be costly. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 basic facts you should know about the human body.

Stomach Acid Can Dissolve Metal

Yes, your stomach acid is in fact that acidic. The only reason the acid in your stomach doesn’t eat right through your body is because your stomach cells are renewed faster than they are destroyed.

Weight Affects Ability to Conceive

Being malnourished can negatively affect ovulation, because a minimum of 22 percent body fat is necessary for ovulation and reproductive competence. On the other hand, being overweight can also alter hormone chemistry and negatively affect ovulation. Not only does weight affect fertility, it also affects pregnancy. Thankfully, weight-related fertility issues can easily be remedied by shedding or gaining the required weight. So, if you are of an ideal or reasonable weight (a BMI between 19 and 25), you shouldn’t be going on crash diet or unnecessarily trying to lose weight.

Men Also Have a Biological Clock

Age can affect a man’s ability to conceive, it might not be as profound an effect like with women, but it’s an effect to consider nonetheless. Recently, researchers at Bristol and Brunel universities evaluated 8,500 couples to determine the impact of age on the length of time it takes to conceive. They discovered that while only 8 percent of the men failed to impregnate their partner after a year of trying, the number grew to 15 percent after age 35. Considering factors like the fact that a man’s sexual drive drops with age causing the frequency of sexual intercourse to drop, the study suggests that paternal age can also affect a couple’s ability to conceive.

After Eating Too Much, Your Hearing is Less Sharp

Surprising right? Another reason why you should avoid eating too much.

Birth Control Choices Have Fertility Implications

The method of contraception a woman has used can affect her fertility and impact conception. Therefore, it’s important for a woman to consult her doctor on the best birth control choices for her body. She should, in other words, carefully consider birth control choices before she decides she wants to get pregnant.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-basic-facts-know-human-body/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

andergirl:
Jarushub is a good platform for preparation for this accessment center,for you guys having yours next week,u could try them on Thursday prior to your date,their coaching helped me today in my assessment center.

Thanks Andergirl, training you was loads of fun. We hope you weren't doing the samba dance though.

You can also sue some people to set an example for some mindless trolls to learn from.

You do not have to be a celebrity before tantrums are thrown at you on social media. Very few people care whether you are right or wrong, they just criticise. Before you know it, you are at the top of the trends on Twitter. Ironically, what you said may not be as a result of a tweet or Instagram post but an interview. A good example of this is the backlash Falz faced after he chastised some musicians for glorifying Yahoo Yahoo (Internet Fraud) in their songs. Another example is the case of Kemen in Big Brother Nigeria who trended for days because of the encounter he had with Tboss. The impact of these backlashes can be between mild or severe depending on the individual. Hence, if poorly handled, it can escalate into something you never imagined. In line with this, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares ways to deal with social media backlash.

Delete offending materials

If you tweeted or shared a post that is causing quite a controversy, you should delete it immediately. Do not try to be defensive or justify it unless you want it to spiral out of control. Even when it does, you should still delete it. Regardless, trust social media trolls, they would screen grabbed it. Do not mind this. The important thing is that the post should not be found on your handle or page.

Have friends around you

For individuals who face social media criticisms, they should have their friends and family members around them. The fact is they cannot go through this on their own. When the backlash gets to them, all sorts of thoughts begin to get into their head including committing suicide. That is the extent it can push some people. With trusted friends around, you will feel loved despite the shots you are getting on social media.

Leave social media for a few days

There are uncountable trolls on social media who just want to make you feel bad. They reign abuses and curses on you. If you are still with your phone, you may be tempted to reply. You do not need to. Just abandon your social media for a few days and return when everything has died down.

Apologise if you are wrong

To err is human to forgive is divine. In this case, you should not concern yourself about whether you will be forgiven or not, just apologise and move on. Some will even come at you for your apologising.

Ignore

You can give it the silent treatment and continue with your life. You are getting attention notwithstanding if it is negative or positive. This is easier for celebrities.

See a psychologist

You can also see a psychologist especially if the person’s self-esteem has been battered and shattered.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-ways-deal-social-media-backlash/

Nigeria’s economy may be in a difficult period, but with digitalisation at the core of the national banking strategy, financial inclusion has been given room to grow.

“There are so many people in Africa that are outside the banking system”, said Segun Agbaje, Managing Director and CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), one of the continent’s leading financial institutions. “For you to be part of organised society, financial inclusion is a must.”

Slowly but surely, financial inclusion in Africa is improving. In fact, the Central Bank of Nigeria predicts that, by 2020, the number of aduItNigerians with access to payment services will increase to around 70 percent (see Fig 1). “It’s not as superfast as we would like it to be, but there are marked improvements, and this is steadily increasing”, said Agbaje, speaking to World Finance. “Just 10 years ago, data on financial inclusion was hard to come by. Now we know just how much better we must do in order to expand access to financial services.”

Access to savings, credit, insurance and pensions is also growing rapidly.

“Encouraging as these projections are, we know that there’s a lot more to be done. This is why, at GTBank, we are keen to leverage digital technology to expand the reach of our products and services. Mobile has become very, very big and we have begun to see people doing a lot using their mobile phones.”

Agbaje points to the example of Kenya’s M-Pesa, a mobile-based money transfer and finance platform that is now used by more than two thirds of the country’s aduItpopulation. The mobile app serves as a channel for approximately 25 percent of Kenya’s GNP. “When I look at our mobile technology compared to a lot of developed economies, I think we’re a lot further ahead. You know, I actually think that the African banking sector is very much ahead in terms of mobile banking. And I think African banks are probably embracing disruptive technologies a lot quicker, because we don’t have as many legacies.”

Making banking more mobile
This readiness to embrace new technologies has helped a large proportion of the African population skip whole stages of traditional digital development altogether. Indeed, for many, a smartphone is their first computer. Agbaje said: “From experience, we know that the major reasons for financial exclusion include the lack of physical access to financial institutions, inadequate understanding of financial institutions and their products, general distrust in the system, and the affordability of products as a result of minimum opening balance requirements.”

Despite these hurdles, technology is helping forward-thinking institutions tackle such challenges head on, prompting financial inclusion to leap forward on the African continent. Agbaje explained:

“The world is changing around us and the future of banking is digital. To protect our traditional business and maintain our social relevance, we are incorporating another model, which involves mobile phones, use of data, partnerships and collaborations. Simply put, we are creating a platform to support our traditional business model by leveraging digital solutions.”

GTBank’s Bank 737 provides banking services to millions of Nigerian mobile phone owners, and does not require internet access to perform basic banking services. Anyone with a phone registered in Nigeria can open an account, transfer money, buy airtime or check their balance by dialling *737#. The convenience of Bank 737 lies in the fact that all of its services can be accessed through a customer’s mobile phone, at the dial of *737#. And because stable internet access is still not ubiquitous in Africa, Bank 737, being USSD-powered, side steps the need for an internet connection.

“Through this service, which makes banking simpler, cheaper and faster, we continue to pull into the banking stream many of those who have long been excluded from the country’s financial framework”, said Agbaje. “Since its introduction, we have recorded an uptake of over three million customers and over NGN 1trn [$3.1bn] in transactions via the platform.

The reception of Bank 737 has been phenomenal, with it gaining recognition as Product of the Year in Africa from The Asian Banker and Best Digital Bank in Africa from Euromoney. The bank was also the recipient of six awards at the 2017 Electronic Payment Incentive Scheme Awards, which was organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria in conjunction with the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System to recognise financial institutions, merchants and other stakeholders at the forefront of driving electronic payments in Nigeria.”

Digitally minded
“Core to our digital strategy is both our understanding that the future of banking is digital, and our determination to lead that future”, Agbaje said. “We know, because digital technologies have dissolved the boundaries between industry sectors, that our competition is no longer just banks. It now includes fintechs, telcos and tech companies that can provide speed and flexibility to customers as we can. This creates tough challenges for the banking sector, but it also creates ample opportunities to extend our footprint.”

A readiness to embrace new technologies has helped large portions of the African population skip whole stages of traditional digital development altogether

For example, the bank’s SME MarketHub is an e-commerce platform that allows business owners to create online stores. Agbaje told World Finance: “Our strategy is to take advantage of the new opportunities born from the digital revolution by moving beyond our traditional role as enablers of financial transactions and providers of financial products, to playing a deeper role in the digital and commercial lives of our customers. In pursuit of this strategy we have created our own in-house fintech division, while also actively seeking partnerships and collaborations with other fintechs.

“Our immediate focus is three-pronged; to digitalise our key processes, build a robust data-gathering infrastructure, and create a well designed, segmented and integrated customer experience, rather than a one-size-fits-all distribution. In the long run, our goal is to build a digital bank that consistently delivers faster, cheaper and better solutions for the constantly evolving needs of our customers.”

The lack of digital and electrical infrastructure, as well as lower levels of wealth than those found in more developed markets, means that there are some barriers to the full adoption of digital banking that are particular to Africa. “Another obvious challenge is the little focus given to innovation in the banking industry.

African banks, like most banks across the world, tend to innovate in bite sizes, and generally around products, rather than service delivery. It was almost as though banks believed that ownership of the customer was their right, as long as they had the branch network to support customer footfall. Now, facing the real threat of losing relevance, banks are waking up to this need to innovate – not just out of dire necessity, but as a strategic objective.”

Agbaje also pointed out that, while GTBank has made significant gains in getting customers to accept digital banking as a viable alternative to traditional forms, there is still more to be done. That said, he is hopeful that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ‘Cash-less Nigeria’ policy, which discourages the use of cash, will drive greater migration to e-banking platforms.

“We are also tackling the innovation challenge. We now operate an open innovation policy, through which we invest significantly in building our in-house digital capabilities. At the same time, we are seeking effective partnerships and alliances to drive operational efficiency and boost our competitive advantage.

“We want to become a fully digital bank that offers everyday banking services outside of traditional bank walls, but more than that, we want to create digital touch points that ensure we are constantly interacting and playing a deep role in the lives our customers. This of course requires a sustained commitment, and we have repositioned our business structures in such a way that makes us very confident in our continued leadership of Africa’s digital frontier.”

Gaining interest
Despite the difficult business environment in 2016, GTBank enjoyed “a fairly decent year”, according to Agbaje. The bank overcame these challenges by growing its retail business and leveraging technology to deliver superior payment solutions to make banking simpler, faster and better. Gross earnings for the period grew by 37 percent to NGN 414.62bn ($1.3bn), from NGN 301.85bn ($959m) in December 2015 (see Fig 2).



This was driven primarily by growth in interest income, as well as foreign exchange income. Profit before tax stood at NGN 165.14bn ($524.7m), representing a growth of 37 percent since December 2015. The bank’s loan book also grew 16 percent, from the NGN 1.37trn ($4.4bn) recorded in December 2015 to NGN 1.59trn ($5.1bn) in December 2016, with corresponding growth in total deposits increasing 29 percent, to NGN 2.11trn ($6.7bn).

Likewise, the bank’s balance sheet remained strong with a 19.7 percent growth in total assets and contingents, reaching NGN 3.70trn ($11.8bn) at the end of December 2016, while shareholders’ funds reached NGN 504.9bn ($1.6bn). The bank’s non-performing loans remained low at 3.29 percent – below the regulatory threshold of 3.66 percent, with adequate coverage of 131.79 percent. Against the backdrop of this result, return on equity (ROE) and return on assets closed at 35.96 percent and 5.85 percent respectively.

According to Agbaje: “The vision of the bank is to build an oasis in a country that was not necessarily known for doing things properly, so we focused on ethics and integrity. And once you build anything on that type of foundation – because even though things change, values never change – and bring in very young people who imbibe this culture along with a healthy attitude towards work, you have a workforce that’s very young and dynamic, possessing all the right values to enable you to build a successful organisation.”

Pan-African
GTBank is building on its successes both at home and abroad through its ‘Pan-African’ growth strategy. Apart from its home market in Nigeria, the bank enjoys a presence in three countries in east Africa (Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda), five in the west (Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone) and has plans to have another in Tanzania by the end of the year.“Our strategy has always been to go into a country and take the high end of the middle market, and then as we grow, enter into the corporate markets.

“We are building a high-end type retail business because the middle class is emerging in most countries in Africa, and where you have an emerging middle class, you have a lot of banking opportunities. So far, we have been fairly successful, delivering an ROE after tax of over 25 percent.”

The bank’s expansion strategy has enjoyed remarkable success, with businesses outside Nigeria now accounting for 15 percent of total deposits, 11 percent of its loans and around 8.2 percent of its profit. Over the next three years, Agbaje expects subsidiary contribution to grow further, to approximately 20 percent.

He told World Finance: “I’m pretty excited about the fact that the profit of the bank has grown by over 300 percent in the last five years. Our customer base has grown from around two million to over 10 million, and we have built a very strong e-business as well.

“We are driven by a vision to create a great African institution; an institution that can compete anywhere in the world in terms of good corporate governance culture and performance. We are driven by the desire to be, in terms of best practices, as good as any institution in the world. As a bank, we always want to do better than 25 percent ROE, and if we have the corporate governance that you’d find anywhere else in the world, then we’ll always be an attractive destination for discerning international investors.”


source: http://www.opinions.ng/digital-banking-holds-key-financial-inclusion-nigeria-segun-agbaje/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

It is very easy to borrow money. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The problem is just to pay back. Many people will tell you that you should only give out the amount you can forego. Regardless, even trusted and reliable friends will refuse to pay back. Meanwhile, for those who borrow them this money, there are certain things that happen that they can relate with. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, outline some of them.

I do not have money to pay

Some of them can be ruthless and tell you point blank, that they do not have money to pay you. What will you do? You have two options- you have to forgo the money or be patient as patient as a dog.

Nigeria is even owing debts so who are you?

According to the debt management office, Nigeria’s total debt profile is $57.39bn. Wow! That is huge. The debtor may even quote this for you when you demand your debt. They will tell you since Nigeria can owe debts, who are you that cannot be owed? Hopefully, it is an amount you can forgo.

I am on my way to the bank

You call them, they say they will send the money to your account pretty soon. Hours later, you call them again, they tell you that they are on their way to the bank. They lie to cover up another lie. If you call them again, they may just say that there is no network at the bank.

They are never at home

The typical debtor will never say that they are home unless they do not have shame. The only way you can get them is to pay them an early morning surprise visit.

They rain curses on you

Sorry, some of the debtors can be nasty. They throw friendship to the wind and rain abuses on you. How much did you borrow me that you are disturbing my life? Their strategy is for both of you to become enemies so that you will stop calling them for your money.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-hilarious-things-nigerians-loan-friends-money-can-relate/

Students and football lovers in Ogun State defied the torrential rainfall as they trouped out enmass for the semi-final fixtures of the GTBank Ogun State Principals Cup at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.

Makun High school, Sagamu and Muslim high school, Isolu kicked off the female fixtures and remained inseparable after extra-time before Muslim High school narrowly secured their ticket to the finals by winning 3-4 on penalties

In the second game of the female fixtures, Iko Gateway Grammar School, Idiroko secured the only goal of the tie in the 19th minute. Hannah Adeyanju’s moment of brilliance was enough to send her side to the finals and eliminate Our Lady of Apostles, Ijebu Ode.

As expected, the male category had it all – from hard tackles to great saves and spectacular goals – to leave spectators excited. Pakoto High School, Ifo locked horns with Anglican Grammar School. Goal scoring machine; Toheeb Olalekan of Pakoto High scored in the 10th and 27th minute to put his side 2-0 up and on course for victory. Anglican Grammar School, Ota rallied but were only able to reply one of the goals in the 32nd minute.

The day came to a climatic finish with a 2-0 humbling of Ijebu Ode Grammar School, Ijebu Ode by Ipara Community High School, Ipara.

The much anticipated finals will now see Muslim High school go against Iko Gateway Grammar School in the female category while Pakoto High School will square up against Ipara Community High School in the male category.



source: http://www.opinions.ng/gtbank-ogun-state-principals-cup-season-5-semi-finals-june-2017/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44