YoungExec:


I'm please you did your background work on this, Agriculture is definitely looking good now that oil has tanked. Some things came to mind that may be worth your consideration:
- as an incentive to your prospective Swiss buyer, research NEXIM bank's export promotion incentives.
- when dealing with State govt, wash your eyes with hypo .
- try to engage and key into the federal govt's program. You can achieve this by also looking for ways to support existing cocoa famers. Hence you transcend to processing cocoa from not just your plantation but also buy product from other farmers (thus encouraging them). This will really attract support to you because the multiplier effect of your business is felt through direct and numerous indirect jobs.

Yes boss!!!

But na wa 4 u o!!! Your business acumen cuts across all field. I didn't mention the NEXIM export incentives cuz I felt its an icing on the cake for latter days. Thanks for the heads-up as per carrying along other farmers. And concerning "shinning my eyes when dealing with state govt.. ..there're some things I can't say hereon.

Like the adage goes; they don't tell a blind man its about to rain.....I was into sales and supply of mud fluids (drilling chemicals) to oil & gas exploration companies. I was lucky to opt out early enough when I started noticing downward pricing of products and incessant delay of my receivables by my employers. I quickly moved into contract. Federal(NDDC) and state (Rivers). I completed a solar-powered water scheme for NDDC since June last year and as we speak I'm yet to get my payment. What am I saying? Agriculture is the way right now - if one gets it right tho'.

netotse:

You should make sure you insure your crops are insured, http://www.naic.gov.ng/home since you aren't a new comer I guess there's no need to tell you to choose your pesticides wisely so you don't enter one chance.

We contacted an independent researcher @ International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan who's trying to match the pesticides that best suite the particular hybrid seedlings.

As per insurance- see one of the reasons why one needs to share? An associate was with me yesterday and he wasn't comfortable with me sharing a project in the pipeline on a public forum. Now come to think of it! I never looked at the angle of insurance. God bless you for the info sir

YoungExec:
Feel free to drop your likely investing route for 2016. Let's share ideas.
So far:
1. Importation: Not attractive due to exchange rate and Forex restrictions
2. T.Bills: Unnattractive due to very low ROI
3. FD: Unnattractive, Banks are doing low single digits
4. Manufacturing: Unattractive as old issues (no power, high interest rates) joined new issues (Forex restrictions, low income per capita, inflation)
5. Stocks: I already took a hammering in 2015, watched my portfolio lose 20% value across board both blue chip and no chip
6. corporate debt: Unnattractive due to current economic headwinds, plus govt policy uncertainty.
7. Oil & Gas: Unnattractive, stocks down due to ever falling oil prices (plus Iran is about to ramp up production and add to the wahala) plus uncertain govt oil and gas policy.

Brothers & Sisters in the Lord I am beginning to look at Entertainment (Africa wide consumption) and Agriculture (Processing for export). But sadly, most coys in these fields don't have solid investable structures.

My ogas, let us look into 2016 and proffer solution for at least 15% ROI. I can't be the only one seeing this bleak outlook.

Followed you here boss!


Well 2016, for me, i intend to kick start a 100-hectare cocoa plantation project I've been nurturing since 2013. Estimated period of harvesting is 18months. With 100 hectares hybrid cocoa plantation, we would churn out an average of 250 metric tons of dried cocoa beans per annum (exportable quantity) @ current rate of $3,325/ton. The demand for chocolate is ever increasing and with the diminishing number of coca farmers we do not anticipate the price reducing unlike that of crude oil. The plantation will be the single largest cocoa farm in Nigeria. It will also ramp up Nigeria output marginally in the global market, create over 100 job opportunities and increase our FX earnings.

I was raised by a cocoa farmer in Ondo State. So nothing is new. We have approached the state government and processes are underway for land allocation. Our feasibility study is being studied by Bank of Agriculture for financial assistance as we project a capital outlay of N100m. We are also discussing with Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) for free seedlings and fertilizers. We are equally discussing with Nestle and a merchant (buyer) in Switzerland.

YoungExec:


Thanks and God Bless you too.

In conclusion,
Make sure in pursuing this, you don't liquidate yourself entirely. Make sure your Savings (S) cushions the effect of the cost of the trip until you balance your finances again.

Goodluck!!

Thank you boss.

Wow! Wow!! Wow!!!

Standing ovation for YoungExec. God bless you and yours. Blessings come in different dimensions. For me, your write up is a blessing and an excellent way to start the year.

Having read your write-up, i've classified my entire fund into WIRES (opened two additional bank accounts yesterday and moved the funds respectively). However, I've been at cross road and i need your candid opinion......To lay a solid foundation for our children and also considering other benefits attached to being a US citizen, my wife and I have decided to birth our 2nd child in the US as we did the 1st child a couple of years ago. To be sincere, this really put my working capital under intense pressure then. I, infact , went borrowing to remain in business. I was able to stabilize my finances late 2014. I'd have been far ahead of my present status if I'd found this hidden treasure (W.I.R.E.S) few years back.

Now my question are;
1. Which part of WIRES do I categorise the funding/cost of birthing my child in the US this time around? Investment - right?

2. Ok if investment and you are to choose between spending about N3.5m - N4m on birthing your child in the US and using the same amount to complete a 4 blocks of 2-bedroom flats in a capital city, I pray, which would you go for?

hellomosquito:



Please someone should help answer this.

This was discussed in Part . I and a coupla dads had similar issue... 'guess it was wiped off by the data-loss tsunami that hit NL in 2013.

Technically your DH's company is seen as a different entity from him. But if he's the sole director/proprietor of his company and, of course, the sole signatory to the company account, then you are good! No need for board resolution.No need moving funds into his personal account or yours. He's the boss he takes all the decisions. Have a little knowledge of what the company does and go to the embassy with his certificate of incorporation, the company's statement of account and other CAC registration docs. However, a sumptuous balance must be maintained in the company account to convince the VO that the cost of childbirth in the US will not put the company's working-capital under pressure.

On the other hand, if your hubby is not the only director of the company then you need his company's board resolution stating the willingness to sponsor a director's child birth to back up his statement of account. Still with reasonable balance in the account, it is advisable he moves the estimated amount into your own personal account. You can always explain the purpose if asked reason for the sudden lodgement at the embassy.

@ Uchetobi 'been a while. 'sure you have put to bed. Hope you and baby are doing great

*steps into the forum. Looks right. Looks left. Can't find any of the oldtimers- Uchetobi, FinanceFitness, Stepedie, Olu of El-Paso, Phema etc***

Well! Well!! Well!!! It feels good to be here again. Congrats to the new visa receivers , freshest mums and the new babies in the house.@ Justwise nice job! The thread's grown from grace to grace. Raising a child is a thing of joy, but it's unspeakable when he/she is an american citizen.

My son clocked one last month. 'couple of weeks after wifey declared she has "chop belleful" again. As a result of the "missionary activities" we had engaged in, we are now gearing up for the 2nd missionary journey. However, we are leaning towards Atlanta, GA this time.........To ATL 2015/16 class captain! Present Ma!!! Lols

@ Nogen congrats...I envy ur DH. Lols...pls could u share d details of the doctor u used in El-Paso? Pls u can also send to tonye_briggs0007@yahoo.com in case it'd be tagged as an advert hereon. Thanks and God bless ur LO's

From WIFEY......with LOVE

1. Invictus by Paco Robanne
2. Citizen 18k Gold Wristwatch

ifax:


With a US passport, your son doesn't heed a visa

justwise:

If that is the case and its the govt policy to encourage small businesses then explain that in the form.
Moving money around now will look suspicious, its always good to have savings or current account separate from business account.
You need to take your time to explain to the ECO how you run your business and for the fact that you have only one account which happens to be your business account as well.
Use your son's US passport.
Make a mini-budget of the trip and attach it to your visa application package and outline places you tend to visit with your family while in the UK.

Thanks @ justwise and Ifax.........I'll postpone the application so I can remit a substantial amount monthly(3 months) into our joint account in form of savings/income. I'll keep u posted. Thanks

justwise:


Are you not supposed to pay tax from your company earnings after one year?

Noted!!!!!! Though my company (An enterprise) "actively" started operations in May last year. Its books are still being prepeared. Besides, it enjoys tax holiday for the 1st 3years of operations in its sector.

Pls could you help run through the other docs? Should i move funds planned for the trip into our personal joint account? Do i present my son's US or Naija passport? What other docs would you suggest? Thanks

Good day all...

I've read through the thread, it's been quite informative but i have a peculiar case here; i would like to go to the UK come next february with my family. I've been denied UK visa twice in the past; 2012 and 2013. Reason being cash logments and inadequate cash respectively. I was a banker then and i was still single. However, my status has considerably changed; i'm married now with a child and i'm now running my own company. Pls i need your advise on the following;
A. My son was born in the US. Thanks to NL( https://www.nairaland.com/617280/give-birth-usa-cost-procedure). Pls do i use my son's US or Naija passport to apply for his UK visa.

B. What other document would you advise i attach apart from the underlisted

1. Marriage certs (Ikoyi registry and church's), wedding programme and pictures
2. Wife's passport with my surname and valid 2yrs visa -do we still attach change of name?
3. Our birth certs including son's own from the US and receipts of his hospital bills in the US
4. My company CAC registration docs
5. LPO's and contract award letters
6. Statement of accounts
7. C-of-O's of landed properties
8. Letter of resignation from my former employer (A leading bank in Naija) and their acknowledgement - i had applied as a banker twice in the past
9. My tax clearance while i was still in the banking industry. I have not obtained my company's TC as it's barely 2yrs old
10. Hotel reservation
11. Excel spreadsheet itemising our spending; flight ticket, hotel bill, shopping, feeding, transportation etc

Pls what other document do we attach? Pls note i do not pay myself salary (i take what i need from my company's acct) so pls how do i handle the income portion? How do i prove it and convince the VO? Thanks

It is also bullet-proof bcus of incessant threats and attacks by Niger Delta ex-militants and touts parading the NDDC's vicinity

.........unto the next one!

*Spreads mat*

Justwissy i see u!

A very sad day in world history........RIP to the departed

God bless the United States of America

@ Oawele....congratulations on the safe arrival of ur bundle of joy

@ Damsell, Tvegas, Fowopere, Nightnegeria1.......congratulations on ur succesful visa interviews.

I wish all expectant mamas smooth experiences at their various POE and safe delivery.......

musicwriter: This type of thread may encourage racism and ignorance.

America is one country that was formed by visitors.

America do not belong to any racial group cause every US citizen was once a visitor including Christopher Columbus.

The red Indians are known to be the only original inhabitants of then ''the new world''.

So, to answer your question; blacks in America are not Africans so they cannot have any other culture other than American culture. They're the lost tribes of Africa in same way caucasians are the lost tribes of Europe and they're both gone forever. Again, blacks are pure Americans and they have American culture.

If I may, I can go as far as saying the term ''African American'' itself need to be questioned cause I don't get to hear caucasians being addressed as ''European Americans''.

Just a little bit emotional about this topic cause last week I happen to write this powerful song called ''the lost tribes''.

That's a very insightful submission

Nice

Phema:

Bros, I dey everywhere ooo

Preparation dey on top gear. We hope everything goes as planned. Abeg, holla wifey and bobo.

Things will definitely go as planned IJN.... I'll sure send ur regards to wifey and bobo.

justwise: @P0rtHarc0urtB0y


Though you edited your post but the reason why I allowed this thread to stand is to warn others who might want to contact him to buy the book as well. I really hope that people reading this thread will stay far away from him.

Lols....not funny though. Very painful. But let me not cry more than the bereaved b4 i earn myself a ban

Phema: ^^^^^

So u dey reach other thread?

How d prep?

i was gonna say Wimpy/Rumuolumeni axis. Same thing u see. when u go to Rumuodaolu, R-D Road(Rumuodara-Rumuokwurushi-Okporo Link). It's such an appalling situation. But let us also note that the surface soil of the terrain comes very soft which makes it easier for water to penetrate the asphalt layover. U can only get a road that will stand the test of time by excavating the surface soil and replace/sandfill it with freshwater white sand. This is what u now see construction companies do e.g Okporo/Artillery/Rumuodara, Odili Road, Garrison-Woji Road, Airforce-Eliozu-Airport/Omagwa Road. We cannot totally blame Rotimi for the pitiable state of the roads in PH. He ensures quality control on the roads constructed during his tenure.


NB: Pls I'm non-partisian. I do not support PDP or APC. Infact, i do not have a voter's card. Thank you

Pheeeeeeeeemaa


Congrats......

donbusky: Congrats @P0rtHarc0urtB0y. May God grant mother and baby good health and safe journey back.

Please what was your wife's itinerary to El Paso? As per, what airline and P.O.E did she use? Also did she book directly to El Paso from Nigeria, or did she have to get the flight to El Paso herself after landing and how was the experience vis a vis cost?

My wife will be travelling in a couple of months to El Paso as well and we are considering options.

Thanks as you reply.

Thanks @ all......


She flew Airfrance from PHC @ 36th week. We bought tickect for N513,000 - 'was really on the high side cuz of summer. The initial itinery was PHC -Paris -Amsterdam - Dallas. However, we were told @ the airport that she couldn't enter (stop-overs o) two EU countries without schengen visa. One can only do one stop-over - we were learners! lols. So they had to re-schedule her itinery to PHC-Paris-Detroit-Dallas and we were made to pay another $200. Detroit was her POE and it was "over smooth". I really doubt if there's a direct flight to El Paso. From Dallas she had the option of flying United Airline to El Paso for $320 with flight duration of 1hr30mins or Delta for $170 with duartion of 6hrs. She opted for United cuz she couldn't sit for another 6hrs after she had already done 16hrs from naija

With our hearts filled with joy and our mouths filled wth laughter,we give God all the glory for the arrival of our new bouncing baby boy last night @ El Paso, Texas. United States of America.


Speial thanks to @ Miri7b5N for staying with my wife during labor....may the good God always rise to your occassion.....i'm very grateful....i'd ve suffered cardiac arrest yesterday if not for your updates......thanks! thanks!! and thanks!!!

trav: Please I will appreciate needed info on how to go about signing the consent letter at the USA embassy. Does it require any payments and what time do they attend to people? Thanks

Pls find attached copy of DS-3053 form. Also click the link below to schedule appointment for notarial services and service hours in Lagos or Abuja. And, it does not require any payment.

nigeria.usembassy.gov/mobile//service.html

Regards

miri7b5N: Hi all, its been a while since I posted here, actually its been since the attack. Well, now im back.

Well I arrived in Dallas Texas on Thursday,
Its past 1am now and I need to go sleep. If I remember any other thing, I'll post it later.

Cheers,

Dolapo.

Congrats @ miri7b5n

dinawe:

What do you mean by difficult? Try using www.wakanow.com, it gives you all the options and different flight rate.
I will be travelling from PH to Philadelphia thru FRA, will spend a couple of days in phil before moving to el paso.

Hi, pls when r u leaving PH and what airline r u flying - lufthansa or airfrance? My wife's itineray and yours look almost d same.

jugzy: Hello guys,

My family and i had our visa interview in lagos today and we were granted the visas. the interview lasted for about 3 mins and the only document that the VO checked was the budget spreadsheet, and that was because i stretched it to him. May i also add that there were about three pregnant women that i noticed today, and we were all given. Please find below the interview transcript;

VO: Good morning
Us: Good morning, how are you today?
VO: im fine , thank you
Vo: I can see you are travelling to El paso,
US; Yes
VO: What for
Hubby: We are travelling there to have our baby
VO: How did u know about El paso
Hubby: We researched online
VO: Hmmmmm, by online do u mean Nairaland
me: OOh Yes! so u know about Nairaland? Wao!
VO: Smiling, yes i do

lols....That was a funny one there! Congrats. Say the truth and the truth shall let u free.'guess they r begining to realise most Nigerians heading El Paso or Atlanta belong to this forum / NL and r honest people.

stepedie: Hello People,
To God be the Glory has I landed JFK New York safe and sound with my wife and my beautiful Americana to be on Tuesday evening yankie time. Flight take off and landing was smooth just that Emirate carry us waka reach dubai and Milan.

Congrats @ Stepedie

egariyi: @Leekytribe, many congratulations and kisses to the lil man. @PHboy, congrats. Pls ask wifey to join our bbm group for El Paso bound momas July-Oct. Send a mail with your pin and we will add her.

@Impish, congrats. Thats was really owesome and detailed. God bless you.

Oh!!!! Ma'am i'm just seeing this! Thanks. That would b very helpful o! Although we r both not BB lovers...lols.....but she'll download it on her iOs or get a small BB......I can't imagine how boring it'd v bn aside d risk of a preggy being alone and d nearest relative is in New Jersey. Pls whats the email addy? She'd b going by mid July.

diddy11: Good day to all the in house gurus on the subject matter............Answers on the issue will most gratefully be appreciated.

Not too late. The tsunami that hit NL is quite unfortunate. Answers to ur questions were somewhere between pages 98-135. However, u simply need to fill out another DS-160 form and select B1/B2 Medical Tourist and then replace the new confirmation code in ur appointment schedule. The new DS160 form automatically replaces the initial one and there's no penalty for changing it. What i'm not really sure about is if the appointment confirmation is "editable". if not u may have to cancel the initial appointment and schedule another one. i'm certain u can cancel it up to 2times. Also, quickly decide on the hospital u'd like to use and get correspondences - very important! Print the correspondence along for the interview. 9 out of 10 cases, the VOs always ask for it and read through it. Also do ur own projected cost analysis (in excel showing hospital bill, accomodation, flight ticket fee, living cost, miscellaneous etc) for the "mission" - it boosts ur chance and it shows u r well prepeared. Ultimately pray for God's favor. Hope this helps. But let's still wait for the gurus. Me i still b learner!

Phema: PortHarcourtBoy!!! Yeeeeyyyyy!!! Congratulations! I was thinking about you the other day. Remembered you said you will be applying early July.

After you don use your weighty statement of account blindfold them, why dem no go give you visa sharp sharp? Lol

Thank God for his mercies. Safe trip and delivery to wifey.

lols @ "blindfold"........u ehn? u can worry o! lols

abcv657: @portharcourtboy she should prob go back there think it's a mix up

Thanks!!! she went back and they collected it!!!