Royruky:
I am yet to recover from the mistake of buying a car without this type of search.

The car ended and is still ending a disaster.

I bought a seemingly clean Camry 09 model in 2014 and a regretted not doing proper checking. The whole chassis was rusted,the side that holds the back shocks were pulling off until my panel guy went under and showed me what he saw,it was heartbreaking. I never bought any car since then without involving mechanic,electrician and panel beater.

nurey:


if all checks well, its a good buy, shares engine and parts with other smaller nissan cars

oh okay Sir. I'm very grateful

nurey:
Nigerian used or tokunbo?

nigerian used but bought brand new

Good morning car gurus and lovers,
Please if you are using Nissan Tiida, kindly tell me your experience in the area of maintenance, fuel consumption, availability of parts etc. I want to purchase one and I have only driven Toyota cars so far. Thanks

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN , on Tuesday, announced that it is retaining the Monetary Policy Rate at 14%

The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele who announced the decision of the committee at the end of a two-day meeting held at the apex bank’s headquarters in Abuja explained that the members of the committee agreed to maintain the current monetary policy stance.

Apart from the MPR which was retained at 14 percent, the governor said the committee also voted to retain the Cash Reserves Ratio at 22.5 per cent.

Also retained are the Liquidity Ratio which was left at 30 percent; and the Asymmetric Window which was left at +200 and -500 basis points around the MPR.
Source:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/23/cbn-retains-monetary-policy-rate-at-14/

About N138 billion Naira was deducted by top ten banks in the country as electronic payment charges in 2016. This is an increase of 26 per cent against the N109.1 billion Naira paid to the banks in 2015.
The charges, as stipulated in the Guide to Bank Charges of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) include: ATM card issuance, replacement and renewal charges; Hardware token and soft token issuance charges; ATM withdrawal charges; Funds transfer charges; bulk payments such as salary; and SMS alerts.

The banking industry enjoyed boom in epayment business in 2016. Statistics from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the volume and value of epayment transactions in 2016 shot up by 132 per cent and 82 per cent respectively, to 942 million transactions worth N71 trillion. As a result the top ten banks were able to increase income from charges paid by customers on the e-payment transactions by 26 per cent to N137.9 billion in 2016, from N109.1 billion in 2015. The banks are Access Bank, Diamond Bank, FCMB, FBN Holdings, Fidelity Bank, GTBank, Stanbic IBTC, UBA, Union Bank and Zenith Bank. Analysis of the 2016 financial statements of the banks show that the e-payment income recorded by the banks accounted for 30 per cent of their total income from fees and commission of N467.4 billion in 2016.
source:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/22/nigerian-banks-deducted-n138-billion-naira-from-customers-for-alerts-others-in-2016/

Multiple sources have confirmed the sack of Mark Fields, CEO, of Ford Motors. The company board is expected to officially announce his ousting today.

Former Steelcase CEO Jim Hackett, head of the company’s “mobility” division and a favourite of Ford executive chairman Bill Ford Jr., will become CEO, according to a report first published in Forbes and then in the New York Times.

The shakeup comes after the board grew impatient at the company’s lagging stock price.

Even a round of global layoffs of 1,400 salaried workers announced last week failed to boost shares.

The company representatives did not respond to multiple requests for confirmation late Sunday night.

But the company said a brief statement that “we are staying focused on our plan for creating value and profitable growth” and “we do not comment on speculation or rumours.”

The move puts an abrupt end to a nearly three-year tenure at the top for Fields, who got the job after celebrated CEO Alan Mulally retired from full-time corporate leadership.

Source:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/22/ford-fires-ceo-mark-fields/

The Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Oando Plc, Femi Adeyemi has revealed that the Federal Government of Nigeria spent approximately 9 trillion Naira on oil subsidy in the last 10 years.

He described this as needless and therefore advise the Government to drop oil subsidy so as to enhance infrastructural development and economic growth. He stressed that the amount the Federal Government spent on oil subsidy on an annual basis was more than the last annual budget of Lagos State estimated at N662bn.

Seventy per cent of the benefits of oil subsidy, according to him, accrues to only a few Nigerians.

“We are not looking at kerosene subsidy that actually impacts the poor. The price of kerosene has increased by about 300 per cent in the last 18 months,” he added.

Source:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/22/oil-subsidy-gulped-n9tn-in-10-years-says-oando-executive-director/

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered Ethiopian Airlines to stop forthwith the collection of unauthorised charges on travelers, which the airline referred to as “Refundable Deportation Fee” of $75 to $150 per passenger.

NCAA said in a statement that Nigerians who are traveling to South Africa with the airline were compelled to pay the amount before boarding their flight.

The agency said it had been inundated with several complaints from passengers who were forced to pay the money.

According to investigation by NCAA, all outbound passengers to South Africa from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, transiting through Addis Ababa, were liable to pay $75.

“However, if your transiting time is 24 hours or beyond, the passenger will pay $150.

“While passengers are not given prior notice concerning these charges before arriving at the airports, some were made to sign undertaken to be responsible for all expenses incurred if deported.

“Consequent upon this, the Ethiopian Airlines’ country management were summoned by NCAA, where they claimed the fees were always refunded when a passenger was not deported.

“The regulatory authority has found this unacceptable and viewed it as a violation of the Authority’s extant regulations,” NCA said.

The agency noted that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) Part 18.4.1(iii) stipulates that “all air carriers should obtain approval from the authority to introduce or increase add-on charges or surcharges prior to implementation.

“Till date, the authority has not received any request for fare increase, tariff or add-ons from the airline,” NCAA said.

In reaction to this infraction, NCAA said Ethiopian Airlines had been ordered to stop with immediate effect, these charges and noted that the airline could take advantage of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CAR) and obtain necessary approvals from the authority if it has genuine grounds to increase fares or obtain tariffs.

The agency therefore directed that subsequently, all operating airlines must endeavour to adhere to the regulations in all facets of their operations.
Source :http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/22/ncaa-orders-ethiopia-airlines-to-stop-arbitrary-charges-on-nigerian-passengers/

The budget office has stated that FGN plans to raise $3.5 billion (c.1.068 trillion) and $4 billion (c.1.220 trillion) to fund the 2017 budget deficit of 2.21 trillion (c.2.2% of GDP).

Analysis of the planned borrowing includes $2bn which will come from concessionary loans with $1.5 billion balance that would be funded through Eurobonds.

Nigeria raised $1.5bn in Eurobonds in Q1’17 at a weighted average yield of 7.75% amidst strong investor interest (6.8x oversubscribed).

Source: http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/21/nigeria-government-sets-to-borrow-3-5bn-foreign-loans-to-fund-budget/

The world bank has warned that Nigeria faces fragile economic recovery this year against the confidence being touted by the Federal Government of Nigeria to its citizens.

The global financial organization however noted that the country could build on its oil-driven economic recovery anticipated for it in 2017 by strengthening its macroeconomic policy framework and implementing the structural reforms needed to diversify the economy and break out of a boom and bust cycle.

This was contained in the World Bank’s newly-released Nigeria Bi-annual Economic Update.

In 2016, Nigeria plunged into full recession for the first time in 25 years . The situation was further made worse by the sharp drop in the global oil prices which adversely affected the country’s GDP.

Although the oil sector represented only 8.4 per cent of GDP in 2016, lower foreign exchange earnings from oil exports had spillover effects on non-oil sectors (industry and services) dependent on imports of inputs and raw materials, and overall real GDP contracted by 1.5 per cent, the report noted.

While it made positive forecast for the country in 2017, largely due to recovery in the oil sector, the financial institution warned that such growth was fraught with fragility and risks.

“Given the risks associated with the oil sector, recovery is fraught with a high degree of fragility and risks; notably from future shocks to the oil price or further unrest in the Niger Delta, which is not yet fully stabilised, as well as from the incomplete implementation of new JV cash call arrangements,” it said.
Check source for more:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/21/nigeria-economic-recovery-cosmetic-says-world-bank/

Genco in Nigeria will be free to generate and sell electricity directly to end users across the country with a very little interference from the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) , the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has declared.

The declaration, which was signed by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola was made known to newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

Tagged as the ‘eligible customers’ regime, the declaration, NERC said in a statement on Friday in Abuja, was signed off by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

The statement announcing this was signed by NERC’s Head of Public Affairs, Dr. Usman Arabi. It said its declaration was legally backed by the provisions of Section 27 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 (EPSRA), adding that it represented a major policy directive which now grants electricity consumers under this category the right to buy power directly from Gencos almost unhindered.

NERC stated that under the regime, Fashola signed off four categories of eligible customers to become operative in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

The first category of eligible customers, it noted, comprises a group of end-users registered with the NERC and whose consumption is not less than two megawatts (MW) and connected to a metered 11kV or 33kV delivery point on the distribution network. This group would however be subjected to a distribution use of system agreement for the delivery of electrical energy.

More from source:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/20/nerc-grants-gencos-right-to-sell-electricity-directly-to-consumers/

Airlines operators are currently afraid of possible delay in flight operations due to the Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo a fortnight ago .

African airlines lost about $2.3billion to flight cancellations and black listing of some destinations in West and Central Africa following the outbreak of Ebola in 2014.

Although there is strong hope that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has taken pre-emptive actions in collaborating with countries in the region to control the spread of the disease, but airlines are somewhat apprehensive that there would be panic if the disease spreads beyond Congo.

The operator fear that there might be repetition of what happened in 2014 outbreak which forced The Gambia national carrier, Gambia Bird, out of business while Asky, a Togo based airline, which operates largely in West and Central Africa was threatened with bankruptcy when it cut back most of its flights due to the spread of Ebola. The airline would have gone under but for the lifeline it received from Ecobank.

Also many international carriers cut back their operations to most of West and Central Africa destinations, but the most adversely affected were African carriers like Ethiopia Airlines, Arik Air, Kenya Airways, Asky, Air Coted’Ivoire, South Africa Airways and others which did not only cancel most flights to some destinations in the sub-region but some of them were not allowed to operate to European and US airports.

For more , check source: http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/19/ebola-outbreak-in-drc-african-airlines-in-panic-mode/

People in disatster zone need not to worry about connecting to the world through internet as google has come to their relief by introducing Project Loon. The project, which is a baby of Google parent company, Alphabet has successfully connected tens of thousands of people in Peru for the last seven weeks, where flooding has destroyed homes and roads

Project Loon is a part of X, Alphabet’s “Moonshot Factory.” Giant balloons float high in the stratosphere and beam internet connectivity down to Earth. The project launched in 2013 (at the time with Google branding), but the Peru efforts are the first time the company provided internet for so many people.

Project Loon had been testing in Peru with telecom company Telefonica for months. So when flooding and mudslides ravaged Peru this spring, the infrastructure was already in place to provide emergency internet for those affected. The company announced its successful Peru efforts on Wednesday.

The balloons, which are still in place, provide internet to people in flood zones around Lima, Chimbote, and Piura. At least 72 people died in the mudslides and flooding.

According to Alphabet (GOOGL, Tech30), the balloons provided 160GB of data to tens of thousands of users, or enough data to send and receive 30 million WhatsApp messages, or two million emails.

Project Loon puts Alphabet one step ahead of Facebook (FB, Tech30) in bringing internet to underserved parts of the world. In April, Facebook announced it built a prototype helicopter antenna that could provide internet to areas during disasters. It had not yet been tested in real life scenarios.
Source:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/18/google-project-loon-brings-internet-to-people-in-disaster-zone/

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, is in the final stage of signing $6 billion deal with local and international traders to exchange about 330,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil for imported petrol and diesel.

The deals, which were previously referred to as offshore crude oil processing agreements (OPAs) and crude-for-products exchange arrangements, are now known as Direct Sale-Direct Purchase Agreements (DSDP).

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had said the DSDP was adopted to replace the oil swaps and the offshore processing contracts so as to entrench transparency into the crude oil-for-product transactions and save the country $1 billion.

The signing of the deals earlier scheduled to take off by April, it was learn, was delayed for three months to allow the NNPC and the oil traders negotiate the fuel specifications, among other issues.

This year’s beneficiaries also exceeded those of last year by three consortiums, indicating the country’s increased dependence on the NNPC for fuel importation.

Kachikwu had stated in Lagos on Wednesday that with the rise of crude oil price above $52 per barrel, the country finds itself reverting to the position it found itself in, in the first and second quarters of 2016 when NNPC was the sole importer of petrol.

Some of the companies that benefited in 2016 also made this year’s list, including Varo Energy, Societe Ivorienne de Raffinage (SIR), Total and Cepsa.
For more click here:http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/19/nnpc-sets-to-sign-6-billion-oil-swaps-deal-with-local-and-international-traders/

Facebook is coming out with new policies, backed by artificial intelligence algorithms that will sniff out and remove from its users’ news feeds links to sites with annoying and misleading ads. Facebook says it has always prevented advertisers with “low-quality web page experiences” from buying ads, but it will expand the ban to spammers who post organically so their links show in news feeds.

“Starting today, we’re rolling out an update so people see fewer posts and ads in News Feed that link to these low-quality web page experiences,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Similar to the work we’re already doing to stop misinformation, this update will help reduce the economic incentives of financially motivated spammers.”

The new spamming tool has two components which is-a database of hundreds of thousands of web pages that contain “disruptive, shocking or malicious” ads and little substantive content. These are the same type of websites Google punishes in its search results rankings.

The second component is an AI algorithm that scans new posts on Facebook to determine if they match the types of spam in Facebook’s database. If the algorithm detects a high match for a specific post, it will push the content lower down in people’s News Feeds. If it detects a high match for an ad, that advertiser may be banned.

“We hear from our community that they’re disappointed when they click on a link that leads to a web page containing little substantive content and that is covered in disruptive, shocking or malicious ads,” Facebook wrote. “People expect their experience after clicking on a post to be straightforward.”

This new policy will be implemented gradually according to Facebook.

Source: http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/16/facebook-introduces-new-policies-to-remove-misleading-adverts/

Facebook is coming out with new policies, backed by artificial intelligence algorithms that will sniff out and remove from its users’ news feeds links to sites with annoying and misleading ads. Facebook says it has always prevented advertisers with “low-quality web page experiences” from buying ads, but it will expand the ban to spammers who post organically so their links show in news feeds.

“Starting today, we’re rolling out an update so people see fewer posts and ads in News Feed that link to these low-quality web page experiences,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Similar to the work we’re already doing to stop misinformation, this update will help reduce the economic incentives of financially motivated spammers.”

The new spamming tool has two components which is-a database of hundreds of thousands of web pages that contain “disruptive, shocking or malicious” ads and little substantive content. These are the same type of websites Google punishes in its search results rankings.

The second component is an AI algorithm that scans new posts on Facebook to determine if they match the types of spam in Facebook’s database. If the algorithm detects a high match for a specific post, it will push the content lower down in people’s News Feeds. If it detects a high match for an ad, that advertiser may be banned.

“We hear from our community that they’re disappointed when they click on a link that leads to a web page containing little substantive content and that is covered in disruptive, shocking or malicious ads,” Facebook wrote. “People expect their experience after clicking on a post to be straightforward.”

This new policy will be implemented gradually according to Facebook.

Source: http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/16/facebook-introduces-new-policies-to-remove-misleading-adverts/

Importation business is not as difficult as many people think. Do you know you can start importation business in Nigeria without leaving your room and the goods will be shipped to you in your provided address? It is so easy. I have imported a number of things including vehicles to this country without traveling anywhere. It does not end there; you can also go into partnership with anyone in China to produce products of your choice from the same room. In this case, all you need to do is design a sample and send it by mail and they will produce it amass at very cheap rate and export to you within 30 days.

A friend of mine has made a lot of money from this venture; in his case, he goes about collecting souvenir contracts from companies and churches: wrist band, key holders etc. He designs them graphically and send to china for production. He has so far done such jobs for ExxonMobil Nigeria and many multinational companies without leaving Nigeria.

I know you will ask how you get the contact in China without traveling; it is very simple and easy. If you go to sites like Alibaba or Alixpress, there are contacts of manufacturers who are looking for such deals every day. Just send a mail or call them, they will definitely respond.

Also, importing things from China, using channels like Alixpress is very easy and cheap. If you want to make more profit, go for the free shipping options while buying. There are merchants who offer free shipping for certain products across board; hence you can take advantage of that. It is also important to know that you don’t need dollars to transact business; you can pay with your Naira Master or Visa cards. Read:How to start Distribution Business In Nigeria With Ease

Another great importation opportunity to Nigeria is auction export site. This is a site where you import both savaged and repossessed cars, motorcycles, bikes/bicycles. All items sold on this site can only be used outside the country where you buy them, hence the name auction export. I have bought about two cars on this site before and I must say they are very affordable and quite easy to buy. There are people who will help you with the importation which is calculated with the price of these cars.
More details here...http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/15/how-to-start-importation-business-in-nigeria-without-leaving-your-room/

Many employed individuals are the back bones of the organisations where they work, what they fail to realise is the fact that they are actually the driver of such companies. Let me break it down for you; CEOs of companies often do not execute projects, they merely get the contracts, put the terms in a file and drop it on your table to rack your brain and find solutions to whatever he has promised the client. Some are magnanimous enough to join the strategy session while some merely perform what I call advisory or quality control functions. In a nutshell, their job is to sign the contract and provide a platform for you as an employee to execute.
Who says you cannot provide the platform for yourself if you are good at what you are doing?. What is holding you back is FEAR of the unknown which in most cases are false. Fear will continue to put you on an average scale while boldness will move you swiftly to the next big-level.
For example, I have a friend who is a news reporter with a popular online platform in Lagos, Nigeria, he was practically writing and reporting all the articles for the platform and they are doing really good. Despite all his contributions, he was not well paid, his welfare was not being looked into and the work condition was below average. It was until I spoke to him about he being the sole administrator of the online platform that he realised that. I told him that online space is very wide, that he can run his site from his home and the only time he will be hitting the traffic is when he is going out to interview a subject. He took the bold step, built his site, as I am writing this article; he has grown so much that advertisers book up front to get a slot on his site.
You can be an entrepreneur, the only thing you need to do is “MURDER” your FEARS, your CEO is not better than you, he only took a bold step and provided a platform where you are executing his dream rather than yours.
Finally, please don’t let lack of finance discourage you from realising or at least starting your dream. There are many ways to raise interest-free loan for your business or at most a loan with minimum interests. If you an engineer for example, you can do big jobs outside your 9 to 5 for your personal clients without biting into your office time. A friend of mine who is an engineer with a firm in Lagos is doing this and he is doing really well. His official salary is so little that it can barely take him half the month. He established a relationship with some clients he has worked with on behalf of his company, those clients have friends who are into the same line of business, they introduced my friend to them. That is how his journey to financial freedom started. He has built his house, drives a Lexus SUV and goes on vacation wherever he wants; he is still earning his meagre salary from the company that provided him a platform to exercise his expertise. Please, build RELATIONSHIPS while you are working, it is the surest way to be independent.
Click the source for more details
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2016/12/23/if-you-can-execute-those-projects-you-can-own-it/

No one understands entrepreneurship than Ibukun Awosika. This is due to the fact that she is not just an observer rather; she has always played big in the entrepreneurship world. Born as Bilikisu Abiodun Moturayo in December 24, 1962 in Ibadan, South West of Nigeria. Ibukun Awosika is a Nigerian business magnate, author and motivational speaker. She is the first female Chairman of one of the biggest banks in Nigeria, First Bank Nigeria PLC.
She is an authority in business and entrepreneurship generally whose business advice should be taken serious by entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs across the globe based on her business acumen. Below are some of the fundamental questions she says must be answered if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur.
What business do you want to do?
Do you even know the business?
Have you empowered yourself to make the right decisions?
Have you done due diligence…and this is not about asking your friends for their opinion.
After selling your products to family and friends, how can your business idea become commercially viable?
What pricing and evaluation models can work for your business?

As you go along in your business, it is foolish to not understand the numbers.

Invest in yourself.

There is nothing wrong with not knowing, but you have to have the courage to ask someone to teach you.

Go to Business School: If you can’t afford it, attend business workshops and trainings.

You might think you are smart, but really, what do you know? ,We are all smart, but we don’t know everything. If you think about how many different topics exist, you will realize that you don’t know a lot.

I’m always in school, I spend what people use to buy houses to go to school.

If everybody is deceiving you, do not deceive yourself, nobody knows where you are going but you. You owe it to yourself to invest in yourself.
After you invest in yourself, the knowledge is yours, and you will find yourself in places you don’t feel you are qualified for.

What am I doing on the board of a bank? I am a Carpenter. My first degree was in Chemistry.

It is your responsibility to empower yourself with information that can help you.

Be honest with yourself and identify what your gaps are.

Invest in yourself.

This is what will separate you from the crowd.

Another thing you should note, is that it is important to treat people right. This is how I have gone so far without bribery. I treat people with kindness, such that they do things for me out of love instead of “a cut”.

Everybody from the gateman, to the house keeper, to the driver, to the secretary to the oga…everybody. It is the gateman you are nice to, that will open the gate for you and find parking for you when you are late to a meeting. It is because I have help at home, that is why I can be here today.

I have delegated some responsibilities, and hence I can have time to focus on what I know how to do best.

If I did not delegate these tasks to other people, and if I did not treat the people who were helping me out well, I would have to do everything by myself.

Human beings in your life are very valuable.

Read more from source here...http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2016/12/20/are-you-an-entrepreneur-or-intending-to-be-one-follow-business-advice-by-ibukun-awosika-first-female-chair-person-of-first-bank-nigeria-plc/

Entrepreneurship is not a venture for geniuses as many people erroneously allocate. It sometimes requires identifying the goods and services your friends, neighbours, colleagues and loved ones consistently spend money on, especially those items that are unavoidable necessities. You can then research and find out how you can start supplying, producing or rendering these products or services to these people.

At the corporate level, you need to identify the direction of the budget of companies, organization, Government agencies where your loved ones or friends have considerable level of influence and power. You can research on the value they are currently getting their budgeted items for/or the price they are planning to pay for it. Once you are able to either get the same or better quality of such products at competitive rate, you stand a better chance of winning the contract for that job.

More from source
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/12/utilise-the-financial-potentials-of-your-relationship-to-become-an-entrepreneur/

Knowledge acquired is a waste if not applied to life activities. The same thing applies to school certificates. There are thousands of Doctorate Degree holders out-there who are living in penury while many dropouts are living in opulence. In Nigeria for example, Aliko Dangote, one of the richest men in the world was a billionaire before he even attempted school,being economically savvy does not require you going to seat in four-walls for a degree, rather, it requires consistent doing and practice of business that you want. School will only point out how it is or was done in a book, it now depends on you to test what you are being taught in school which are in most cases what I call hypothesis or mere assertions because the world keeps changing so are practices- profession, ways of doing things etc. These you will only realise in practice not depending on some authors’ experience written in a book. These experiences are most times fictions or obsolete because they are largely theorized.
Going to college sometimes is a distraction to creative minds, people like Bill-gates, Steve Jobs, Zukerbergs and many more were able to realise this on time and they backed out of what is generally accepted as necessary routine to focus on what they want. Today we are all enjoying their innovations,, imagin if they were coerced to stay within the four-walls of school? . Unfortunately, many people focus so much on their grades which are theory based rather than practical and less on their passion or what their mind is telling them to do.
China’s economy is now one of the most powerful in the world not because they have the most certificates but they have been able to tailor their talents and refocused the mentality of the populace to seek practical knowledge rather than theory as being taught in universities all over the world today.
I am an advocate of being original at all times because it is what you are created to be. However, China has been able to prove otherwise by being master “replicator” in their innovations and it is working for them. There is no technology that China cannot replicate, it will interest you to know that every brand of technology you use has a touch of China because they have the technical know-how to mass-produce for export due to their level of technological capabilities hinged on practical, therefore, big brands don’t have options than to make them produce their accessories.
Read more from source
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/01/20/why-education-is-not-enough-to-give-you-what-you-want-in-life/

The production of banners is a very good business; it is also very profitable and cost effective as one can engage the services of a good graphic artist for the production of the visuals before the final production.

As brands continue to engage with customers through various communication strategies,- public relations in form of press conferences, advertising, exhibition and all forms of online engagements, the need for banners will continue to be on the rise year in year out.

As a Public Relations practitioner with years of experience, I know the amount my organization spends on banner production for each event we organized. We always and regularly contract banner production contract to individual who don’t necessarily have the money to pay for the production because we pay upfront before they deliver to us. You too can take advantage of this lucrative venture. All you need to do is have a good graphic artist: this singular factor can attract good patronage from good companies and individuals and can also scare people away from you. What you need to do to start is create a contact card or call card as they call it here, start talking to organisations like Public relations agencies, event management companies, advertising agencies , churches, political parties and other organisations and individuals that regularly make use of banners.

Although it might be tough for you to get someone who will pay all the money for the job before delivery at the beginning , you will sure get advance payment from almost all your customers because that is the custom. As time progresses after building trust through quality deliveries, customers will begin to give you all the money before production, hence you don’t need to invest a dime before making money.

The materials needed are painting brush, different colours of paints, quality cloth materials, cardboard paper, and sharp knife for spreading the cloth material. Note, the materials I mentioned above are only needed by those who want to produce the banners themselves. You don’t need them if all you do is get the contract, give it out and get paid.
Find out more from source
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/11/how-to-start-banner-production-business-without-investing-money-and-office/

Running petrol station business is very lucrative in Nigeria. Some factors like the Nigeria population which is over 180 million as at 2017 according to estimate, the epileptic power supply in the country left citizens with no options than depend on fuel/diesel to power their generators at home and in their offices. Kerosene and gas are also essential commodities in the country as many homes use them to cook meal at home and for commercial purposes in restaurants etc.
It is a business where sincerity and accuracy can take you to a great height. Many filling stations in Nigeria are known for fraud of accuracy. By this I mean under dispensing of products through manipulations of meters. Although there are few filling stations that are sincere with their metering like Oando, NNPC and a few other mega stations. These few sincere ones have more patronage than the others that are not.
Factors that determine your turn over rate include your location, sincerity and accuracy of meters. Location plays a great role in the level of sales. A petrol station established by the express way has the possibility of having a lot of patronage than the ones in a corner of a street. So it is imperative to take into consideration the importance of location influence on sales before you establish your stations.
If you have interest in this business, below are the guidelines on how you can obtain your permit from the regulatory body known as Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) as stipulated in the act that established DPR.
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Guidelines for Approval to Construct and Operate Petroleum Products Filling Station

Procedure and conditions for granting approval for the construction and operation of Petrol Station; these guidelines are in compliance with Petroleum (Amendment decree no. 37 of 1977 safety rules and regulations).

SUITABILITY INSPECTION

The intending Marketer should submit an application to DPR for site suitability inspection. The inspection shall among others issues report on the following basic requirements:-

(i) Size of the proposed land site.

(ii) The site does not lie within pipeline or PHCN high tension cable Right Of

Way (ROW).

(iii) The distance from the edge of the road to the nearest pump will not be less than 15 meters.

(iv) Total number of petrol stations within 2km stretch of the site on both sides of the road will not be more than four including the one under consideration.

(v) The distance between an existing station and the proposed one will not be less than 400 (four hundred) meters.

(vi) The drainage from the site will not go into a stream or river.

(vii) In some instances where site is along Federal Highway, a letter of consent from the Federal Highway is required.

(viii) DPR guided/supervised EIA study of the site by DPR accredited consultant.
Read the rest here
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/09/how-to-establish-petrol-station-and-make-millions-in-nigeria/

Mobile phones have taken over the internet space across the world. Online shoppers depend more on mobile devices because of their busy nature. Mobile phones enable on-the go tasks. This has paved way to more users migrating to smartphones, tablets and other micro devices for information.

Therefore, mobile marketing which used to be an option has become an aspect of marketing that a brand cannot afford to neglect except such a brand does not want growth. Mobile marketing is the fastest way to build consumer relationship right now.

The following tips will help your mobile marketing strategy;

1.Your site must be mobile friendly: This is not the era of limiting your site to desktop view, many people don’t use their computer until they get to the office and before then, they do most of their transactions on the go on their mobile devices. You must ensure that your site load very fast because mobile users are less patient. A slow loading site is a turnoff to mobile users. Also, mobile users don’t really like going through the difficulties of login and log out, hence you have to take advantage of social media to reduce such challenges. In a nutshell, your site must be hassle free, must be easily navigated with clear text.

2.Give incentives: Online shoppers love freebies. Incentivize your mobile audience and increase revenue by adding coupon codes to the mix. Make customers aware of your latest deals by utilizing text and email push-notifications. Promotions that are sent when a customer is close to a store, or has just visited a site have a greater chance of being redeemed.

On-The-Go Payment: What makes e-commerce interesting is the ability to pay for purchases without restrictions. People prefer convenient transactions and brands are now keying into this need by making available online payment options for shoppers.
Tap into Online Mobile Apps: The truth is that having a social media presence on apps like SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook and Periscope is very crucial to mobile marketing strategy in this century. Brands have to ensure they keep their audience using different apps. Marketers should start by establishing their brand’s message across all channels: A sharp understanding of the differing app features and the audiences that use them will be key. This will enable a targeted messaging to a particular audience.
More from source
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/04/29/tips-for-mobile-marketing-effectiveness/

I was in Kokori, Ethiope East local Government area of Delta State for an event after about four years of visit. The town which became like a ghost city due to the crisis that engulfed the place in 2013 is now back to life, normalcy has returned, people who ran away have returned home and the popular Kokori market is booming again.
One thing that is popular in the state is the fact that women prefer to ride motorcycle unlike in the past when they used to ride on bicycle to anywhere they want. They use motorcycle for various functions like hawking, going to farm, running errands and any movement they want. Okada (commercial motorcycle riding) is very popular in the small town, most of the youths ride okada for a living. One thing I noticed is the low patronage of okada riders by the people. Most people who engage the services of commercial bike riding are visitors like me who came to town for one event or the other.
This is the real essence of this article. My research has revealed to me that women in other states in Nigeria patronize okada riders more than the men. This is because women unlike like men don’t like to walk or trek as the case may be. A man can walk much distance and will never breakdown while some women who dare do same may end up in the hospital. In Kokori, the people who should patronize the okada riders have their own, they ride across town themselves on their own motorcycle, hence the low okada patronage in the town.
In a nutshell, operating as a commercial bike rider in the town is a waste of energy especially if the individual cannot ride inter-region i.e, taking passengers from one region of the state to the other which is a lot of distance and more risky too. It is important to understand gender patronage before setting up a business as I said earlier. A makeup artiste in such a place will have a very limited patronage.
As the town is coming back o life in a steady but a speedy way, a lot of rebuilding is going on . That is why I applaud the people who are currently selling building materials, cement and other building accessories. They are currently in harvest period; they make a lot of money from the unlimited patronage they get daily. There are other profitable ventures in the town like running a bakery, fixing motorcycles, running a construction company, selling of food and farming.
Visit source to read more...
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/07/understanding-gender-patronage-can-save-you-from-financial-mess-as-entrepreneur/

In the whole of Africa, there are only three major companies that are producing these toilets, two of which are based in South Africa while other one is base in Nigeria. The population of Nigeria is about 180 million and Lagos has over 18 to 20 million people as at 2017. In the same vein, Kano,Auja, Portharcourt and other major cities in Nigeria also have a lot of population. To this end, this business is bound to succeed as the number of public toilet available cannot serve the populace.
People love to party in Nigeria. We love celebration. With celebrations comes the need to eat a lot, after eating comes the need to visit toilets. When nature calls, it does not care where you are at the time or who you are. You must visit the toilet either to pea or to pass feces. There are few mobile toilet providers in this regard. Moreover, wherever they do exist, majority of them are always very filthy and not functional. Also read:How To Start Printing Business In Nigeria Without Owning an office and Printing Press .

All you need to do is either work out an arrangement with the existing manufacturer of the mobile toilets in Nigeria or just come up with your own design that is cost effective in production and services. Also read:How To start a car wash business in style and make profits In Nigeria.

Target location or events attracting large crowds and mount one there at a much reduced price; areas such as social occasions, market place, crusades , political parties, conventions among others. Also, look out for places that are crowded on a regular basis yet lacking in the provision of clean and functional toilet facilities.
Read more from source
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/06/operating-mobile-toilet-can-make-you-a-millionaire/

I remember when my uncle’s friend told him to buy a plot of land in Ajah area of Lagos few years ago, he said he cannot because that place according to him, was a bush. At the time, a plot of land was less than two hundred thousand Naira and my uncle could afford 10 plots or more if he wanted to, he never did. A plot of land in Ajah as I’m writing this article is in millions. Imagine if my uncle had bought just one plot for less than two hundred thousand Naira at the time, he would be rolling in millions today because of an investment of two hundred thousand Naira which was mere change to him at that time.

The same principle has not changed; it is still the same and will remain so for a very long time, the place you tagged “BUSH” today is the city of tomorrow. Do you know that when you buy a land today in a place, the next person coming to that area will be in your back? That is the cycle. As a human being, you must be foresighted to become rich anywhere. Land is the only asset which value never goes down. It is a recession proof and don’t depreciate at any time.

In buying a land, you need to do a proper check to avoid being defrauded by the popular touts in Nigeria known as land grabbers. They are real nuisance to the sales of lands and properties in urban centers. The menace is so much in Lagos state Nigeria and that is why they have been banned by the state government. Despite the law banning these criminals, they still continue with their activities in many parts of the state. They grab your land and sell to other persons. They can sell the same plot of land to over 10 people at the same time, leaving you with nothing.

There are strategies you must follow to avoid land grabbers’ (Omonile) trap. See them below;

Check with the Ministry of Land/Planning: This ministry has all the map of land in the state. They know the ones that belong to government and the ones that are reserved for other purposes like agriculture, recreation etc. Before paying money to that agent threatening you that someone else will come and pay etc etc, make sure you confirm first. Land agents will want to harass you to pay on time so that someone else don’t pay, please be weary of these kind of agents. They are mostly fake and criminals. If someone else wanted to pay, the person could have done that before you signified interest in the land. Please don’t be pushed by their antics.
Engage property lawyer: Engaging property lawyers will save you from imminent troubles. These lawyers will help with the background check of the property, its history and why the person might be selling it other than the reasons he must have told you which might be lie. Lawyers know what to do in this case. By the way, they are not as expensive as many Nigerians are made to believe.
Surveyor– Make sure you engage a qualified firm to do the survey of the land for you immediately.
Meet with the whole family of the land owner at the same time: Land in Nigeria is mostly owns by family and not individual. That is why one person cannot sell land to you without the consent of other family members. It is important you get the family receipts plus the receipts of the land and your payment.
Don’t pay with cash: Please get a bank draft or a cheque and pay them with that. These cheques or draft will be documented for evidence purposes in the future.
Fence the land immediately: Don’t buy the land without having a little budget for the fencing and gate because the land can be resold by the person who you bought it from or another person (land grabbers) can sell it off again.

Read more
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/05/02/how-to-buy-land-and-make-over-400-return-on-investment-roi-in-nigeria/

There is always a notion of “I’m too old to start a business” by many people. However, this notion has been successfully debunked by entrepreneurs who started very late in life and are very successful today.

We bring the list of some of them to you so that you can be encouraged to take that bold step no matter how old or young you think you are .

Here is the list;

1 Ray Kroc

The founder of McDonald, Ray Kroc started the business at the age of 52 after selling milks shake mixer until he was 52.

2 Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash, the owner of popular Mary Kay cosmetic was 45 when the thought to start came up for her after selling books and home décor from door to door until she was 45 years of age.

3 Harland Sanders(KFC)

Harland Sanders failed about 1009 times. He was fired from dozens of jobs before starting his restaurant, and then failed at that when he went out of business and found himself broke at the age of 65. H e got his turn around when he sold his first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in 1952 .Today , KFC is in almost all the country in the world.
more here
http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/04/27/think-youre-too-old-to-be-an-entrepreneur-think-again/

One big challenge aspiring entrepreneurs face is funding. Bu it will interest you to know that you can start a successful business without having any money on you. All you need is knowledge and that is all.

So, these are the types of businesses/sector you can start without cash or with a limited amount of money.

Consulting

This is purely a professional thing. You can do consultation from anywhere as long as you have the knowledge on the industry or subject. For example, if you have been working in the agricultural sector for a long time or you have the knowledge, people who want to venture into the sector will gladly pay you to teach them how they can start. You can consult on anything from advertising, Public Relations, Book writing, event planning/management etc. This sector is very lucrative. All you need is to have the knowledge and people are ready to pay you to share with them.

Home services

This kind of business does not require any single cash apart from your transport fare or gas money. This is because you don’t need an office to start. For example, babysitting, gardening, cleaning services, car washing in homes etc.
Read the rest in the source link http://naijaentrepreneur.com/2017/04/27/5-types-of-businesses-you-can-start-without-money/