₦airaland Forum

Nigerian fashion is diverse, unique and is renowned for reflecting the nuances of the many, varied ethnic groups, religions and cultures that call the African country home.

Fashion creators with channels on YouTube are constantly educating, inspiring or entertaining with their creativity, as is evident in the popularity of their videos. YouTube has proven to be an important platform for Nigerian fashion creators to get noticed, grow their brand and reach an audience far beyond what traditional channels would typically allow for.

Nigerians love incorporating traditional fashion elements into their everyday look. Whether it’s something simple or a piece that shouts Avante Garde, the fashion creations in these videos effortlessly reflect the nuances of a rich urban and social culture.

Both men and women can often be seen sporting pieces that incorporate ornaments, embellishments, patterns and bold colours. Classically geometric or eye-catching floral design, Nigerian street fashion oozes fantasy and creativity. Meet five Nigerian fashion creators who are producing content that shows users easy ways to create these iconic looks and fashion statements.

Bilikis Signatures

Bold, stylish and colourful, it’s easy to see what Bilikis Signatures’ 163K subscribers are drawn to. In just two-and-a-half years her content has been viewed more than 12 million times, proof that her videos are relevant, engaging and exactly what the audience wants. The channel is dedicated to sharing fashion video tutorials for enthusiasts and designers. Visitors on the channel can learn everything from “How to make a bustier top with cups” to “How to work with fraying lining”, “How to make a stylish kimono maxi dress” or “How to make an easily detachable peplum”, among other things. Whatever your style, Bilikis Signatures will inspire you if you love making women’s clothes.

Cynthia A.

Hair, beauty, DIY and more, Cynthia A’s 103K subscribers can’t get enough of the how-to content she shares. Since launching in July 2011, Cynthia’s videos have been viewed more than 7 million times. The comprehensive video tutorials demonstrate everything from “How to make a circle cape dress”, to “How to make a pencil skirt with Ankara fabric”, “How to make a princess draft blouse” and many others.

Debonke House of Fashion

In the three years that this channel has been active, it has attracted close to 80K subscribers. More significantly, Debonke House of Fashion’s content has been viewed more than 12 million times. The channel is a smorgasbord of dress ideas for both women and children in unique Ankara and Aso Ebi styles. It’s equally appealing to both designers and enthusiasts alike and is always focussed on giving users the best African dress ideas for style and confidence.

e-Fashion World

With 129K subscribers and close to 14 million video views e-Fashion World is one of Nigeria’s biggest fashion creator channels on YouTube. It’s an all-encompassing platform that offers content around beauty and health in addition to fashion.

Since joining the channel in November 2016, e-Fashion World has become one of the foremost online fashion hubs in the country with a major focus on African print designs. The channel’s mission is to promote the uniqueness of African design and fashion by showcasing the work of a variety of talented, highly creative designers and creators.

NaijaGlamWedding

Stylish, savvy and oozing creativity, NaijaGlamWedding is a digital wedding planning magazine and one of a kind in Nigeria. It’s for brides, grooms and anybody else looking for ideas and inspiration on how to best plan and design their own Nigerian wedding.

The NaijaGlamWedding YouTube channel, which has been around since September 2013, has close to 14K subscribers and the videos have been viewed more than 4 million times. Advice, tools, tips and more, this channel is all about helping viewers bring their wedding day dreams to life without having to reach too deeply into their pockets. In their own words, Nigerians love “loud and classy wedding events” and the content here helps users achieve that – the DIY way.

NaijaGlamWedding’s videos are as entertaining as they are educational and instructional, and certainly, work to make Nigerian fashion more accessible to the world.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/12/5-top-nigerian-fashion-creators-on-youtube/

Freshly released foreign trade statistics report showed that merchandise goods worth N8.30 trillion were traded in Q1 2020, 17.94% lower than N10.12 trillion recorded in Q4 2019 (but 0.80% higher than N8.24 trillion printed in Q1 2019).

Of the total goods traded, value of exports decreased quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) by 14.42% (and fell year-on-year, y-o-y, by 9.98%) to N4.08 trillion in Q1 2020, while the value of imports plunged q-o-q by 21.08% (but rose y-oy by 13.99%) to N4.22 trillion in Q1 2020, resulting in a trade deficit of N0.14 trillion in Q1 2020 (from an N0.83 trillion trade surplus in Q1 2019).

According to the report, crude oil exports which contracted q-o-q by 18.86% (and fell y-o-y by 12.80%) to N2.94 trillion, constituted 72.12% of total export value in Q1 2020. Also, non-crude oil exports decreased q-o-q by 0.27% (and moderated y-o-y by 1.75%) to N1.14 trillion in Q1 2020, constituting 27.88% of the total export value.

Further breakdown of the non-crude oil exports showed that manufactured goods registered a decline of 12.72% to N444.46 billion from N509.23 billion and N462.33 billion in Q4 2019 and Q1 2019 respectively.

On the import side, capital goods (machinery for the production of other goods and transport equipment) constituted 41.36% of the total imports in Q1 2020, down from 50.64% in Q4 2019 (but up from 40.66% in Q1 2019) while fuels & lubricants, Chemicals & related products, and Manufactured goods constituted 22.99% (up from 15.85% in Q4 2019 and 9.35% in Q1 2019), 9.44% (down from 10.73% in Q4 2019 and 10.89% in Q1 2019) and 7.29% (up from 6.20% in Q4 2019, but down from 22.73% in Q1 2019) respectively.

Europe and Asia continued to dominate Nigeria’s export destinations; although export value to Europe declined sharply by 20.28% to N1.57 trillion in Q1 2020 from N1.97 trillion in Q4 2019 (and from N1.83 trillion in Q1 2019), and exports to Asia moderated by 9.89% to N1.28 trillion in Q1 2020 from N1.42 trillion in Q4 2019 (and from N1.32 trillion in Q1 2019).

Of the total exports to Europe and Asia, Spain and India recorded the highest trades: exports to Spain and India were N0.42 trillion and N0.64 trillion respectively.

Meanwhile, value of exports to African countries increased to N0.99 trillion in Q1 2020, from N0.95 trillion in Q4 2019 (and from N0.94 trillion in Q1 2019) chiefly on exports of crude oil and manufactured goods.

In a related development, the United States crude oil input to refineries rose further week-on-week by 1.28% to 13.48 mb/d as at June 5, 2020 (but 26.55% lower than 17.06 MB/d as at June 7, 2019) while refinery capacity utilization continued to rise higher to 73.1% from 71.8% in the preceding week (but remained less than 93.2% as at June 7, 2019).

However, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) rose w-o-w by 1.07% to 538.07 million barrels (but rose by 10.83% from 485.47 million barrels as at June 7, 2019).

On a weekly basis, WTI crude moderated by 5.20% to USD36.13 a barrel; however, Brent crude rose by 6.22% to USD38.45 a barrel while Bonny Light crude rose further by 3.92% to USD39.77 a barrel as at Thursday, June 11, 2020.

The foreign trade deficit printed in Q1 2020, on the back of the decline in crude oil exports, was in line with our expectations. We noted in our Cowry Weekly Report dated Friday, March 13, 2020, that COVID-19 pandemic and oversupply of crude oil, both of which have negatively impacted on the demand for commodities, especially crude oil, would negatively impact foreign trade balance in Q1 2020.

In Q2 2020, we expect the value of exports to decline sharply given the lockdown in the country, especially in April and May 2020, and as FG pledges compliance with OPEC+ output cut by July. Hence, we note the high possibility of Nigeria recording trade deficit this quarter.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/12/nigeria-records-foreign-trade-deficit-of-n0-14-trillion-as-crude-oil-exports-decline-in-q1-2020/

Supported by positive government policies, Dangote Sugar Refinery posted a relatively stronger YoY topline growth. Previously, DSR had struggled to retain market share in the past few years, owing to the influx of unlicensed sugar by smugglers. These unlicensed products typically come into the market at a relatively low price (due to a low cost of production). The weak macroeconomic situation in the Nigerian economy makes it easier for the unlicensed products to find their way to consumers given the low-pricing points of the products.

The combination of a low household income, coupled with a weak consumer’s purchasing power resulted in a situation where consumers became price-sensitive to products in the markets. As a result, the market share of DSR suffered significantly, wherein an initial market share of 60% dipped to about 40%.

Furthermore, capacity expansion by major competitors in the sugar industry resulted in increased competition among industry players. We note the expansion of capacity by Flour Mills Plc (Sunti sugar factory) and increased investments by BUA. Therefore, the implication for these developments implied a decline in the earnings of DSR.

However, a border closure policy implemented by the Federal Government in the third quarter of 2019 meant that the influx of the smuggled unlicensed products had to decline materially, thus resulting in an increased market share for DSR and other major industry players. According to the earnings performance of DSR, revenue rebounded to growth since the announcement and implementation of the border closure policy by the FG.

In Q1’20, revenue grew by 25% year-on-year (YoY) from N38.15bn to N47.64bn. The growth in revenue was driven by both price and volume growth. Volume grew by 20% YoY from 158.82k tonnes to 189.72k tonnes. We estimated a price increase of 4% YoY. As earlier mentioned, the effective border closure policy afforded DSR to raise prices and grow volume simultaneously.

Currency Devaluation Exerts Cost Pressure
Cost of sales grew by 37% YoY, from N25.56bn in Q1’19 to N34.92bn in Q1’20. The spike in costs was due to the impact of Naira devaluation on imports of raw materials. Another major factor contributing to the increase in costs was the higher VAT rate of 7.5% against the previous rate of 5%. Consequently, gross margin compressed by 500 basis points from 33% in Q1’19 to 28% in Q1’20.

Operating expenses grew by 14% YoY from N1.76bn to N2.01bn, majorly driven by higher employee costs which grew by 21% YoY from N612.77mn to N746.68mn. However, the number of staff employed by the Group also increased by 12% YoY. The number of management staff grew by 50% YoY, while the number of senior and junior staff grew by 7% and 11%, respectively. Therefore, we attribute the increase in employee cost to the higher number of staff of the Group on a YoY basis.

Operating profit declined by 1% YoY from N10.86bn in Q1’19 to N10.75bn in Q1’20. As discussed above, the growth in revenue could not cover the increases in the cost of sales and operating expenses incurred during the period.

Profit before tax recorded a steeper decline of 11% YoY, owing to a combination of a lower finance income and a higher finance cost in Q1’20. Finance income declined by 61% YoY from N314.06mn to N124.05mn, attributed to a decline in yields in the fixed income markets and other short-term bank deposits. Finance cost, on the other hand, spiked by 3,166% YoY from N41.43mn to N1.35bn. The significant rise in finance cost resulted from a foreign exchange loss of N1.31bn incurred in Q1’20. The foreign exchange loss arose from the impact of a currency devaluation that became effective towards the end of Q1’20.

Profit after tax declined by 9% YoY from N7.00bn in Q1’19 to N6.37bn in Q1’20. The Group benefitted from a relatively lower effective tax rate in Q1’20 (33% in Q1’20 vs 35% in Q1’19).

FY’19 Performance
DSR reported a mixed performance in FY’19. In the first half of the year, revenue declined by 4% YoY, from N84.08bn in H1’18 to N80.36bn in H1’19. The decline in revenue was due to lower volume sold, and therefore gave rise to price discounts by the Group. However, the fortunes of the Group changed in H2’19, following the effective implementation of the border closure policy by the Federal Government (FG). The Group reported revenue growth of 22% YoY from N66.29bn in H2’18 to N80.72bn in H2’19. The strong double-digit topline growth in H2’19 reversed the revenue decline in H1’19, thus resulting in overall revenue growth of 7% YoY, from N150.37bn in FY’18 to N161.09bn in FY’19.

Cost margin rose by 200 basis points from 74% in FY’18 to 76% in FY’19. The increase in cost margin resulted from an increase in the import duty of raw sugar imports from 5% to 10%. Therefore, the cost of sales grew by 11% YoY from N110.69bn in FY’18 to N122.80bn in FY’19. Consequent to the higher costs incurred relative to revenue generated, gross profit declined by 4% YoY, from N39.69bn in FY’18 to N38.29bn in FY’19.

Operating expenses increased by 11% YoY from N7.77bn to N8.63bn, majorly due to a 424% spike in legal and professional fees from N413.56mn in FY’18 to N1.34bn in FY’19. Hence, operating profit dipped by 8% YoY, from N32.68bn to N29.30bn.

Owing to a decline in yields in the fixed income market, investment income nosedived by 72% YoY, from N2.54bn in FY’18 to N720.02mn in FY’19. The lower investment income earned weighed heavily on bottom-line growth, as profit before tax recorded a steeper decline of 14% YoY from N34.60bn in FY’18 to N29.82bn in FY’19.

However, the Group reported a 2% YoY growth in profit after tax due to a lower effective tax rate in FY’19 (25% in FY’19 vs 36% in FY’18).

Cash Generation
Cash flows generation of the Group was strong in FY’19, reflected in the 992% increase in cash generated from operating activities, from N3.51bn in FY’18 to N38.36bn in FY’19. The spike in operating cash flows was majorly driven by improved working capital.

The improvement in working capital resulted from an improved collection from debtors and delayed payments to creditors in FY’19. In addition, the Group paid a lower tax of N12.27bn in FY’19, relative to N17.69bn paid in the previous year.

Free Cash Flow (FCF) stood at a positive of N16.58bn in FY’19 relative to a negative FCF of N7.25bn in FY’18 (due to the lower operating cash flow during the year). Free Cash Flow to Equity (FCFE) was also positive at N15.51bn in FY’19. The FCFE conversion of the Group, which compares the FCFE to net income, stood at 0.69x in FY’19 (FY’18: Nil). The FCFE conversion gives an insight into how much of net income is backed by cash during a given period.

Dividend Information
The Group declared a dividend of N1.10 in FY’19 (FY’18: N1.10). The dividend information is stated below:
i. Closure of Register: June 22, 2020
ii. Qualification Date: June 19, 2020
iii. Payment Date: 48 hours after AGM
iv. Date of Annual General Meeting (AGM): July 9, 2020

Other Information
The Group announced that it will hold an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting on July 9, 2020, to consider an increase in the authorised share capital of the Group from N6.00bn to N7.50bn, by the creation of 3.00bn units of new ordinary shares of N0.50 each. The Group did not disclose the motive of this exercise.

Outlook and Valuation
We expect to see a sustained strong performance by DSR in the near to medium term due to our expectation that the border closure policy would be for a while. We also think that the increased market share and limited options by consumers could make it possible for  DSR to raise prices to cover higher costs – or at least recoup lost revenue due to prior price discounts. However, we also note the possibility of heightened competition among major industry players such as Flour Mills of Nigeria and BUA.

We forecast revenue growth of 31% YoY in the following nine months of the year, following a 25% YoY revenue growth in Q1’20. Our nine months revenue forecast is based on expected price and volume growth in the subsequent periods of the year. Meanwhile, we expect profit after tax to grow by 8% YoY to N24.13bn. We factored in expectations of higher operating expenses and foreign exchange losses in our estimates.

Our valuation of DSR was done using a blend of Discounted Cash Flow Model, the Dividend Discount Model, and the Residual Income Model. We discounted our projected free cash flow to equity, dividends, and residual income in our forecast years by our cost of equity estimate.

Overall, we arrived at a fair value of N9.81, a downgrade from our previous fair value estimate of N12.46. The major catalyst to the lower estimated fair value was the higher equity risk premium used in our valuation. We revised our equity risk premium from 6% as of November 2019 when we valued the Company last to 13% as of present. We arrived at our equity risk premium by using the Country Risk Premium approach, in which we believe gives a better assessment of the inherent risk involved in investing in the Nigerian equities markets. Therefore, our cost of equity estimate increased from 19% to 23%. Although we note that the required return of various investors varies, we yet believe that our cost of equity estimate is reflective of the opportunity costs associated with the investment.

At the current market price of N14.95, the stock trades at a 35% premium to our fair value estimate. Factoring the dividend yield of 8% (projected dividend: N1.20), the total return of the stock stands at -27%. Hence, we recommend a SELL.

Risks to Valuation
The major risks to our valuation include:

i. Reopening of the border: A key risk to our projections and valuation is the possibility of the FG reopening the borders. As it stands, the body language of the FG is skewed towards the continued closure of the border with no plans to reopen in the near to medium term. Should the borders be reopened, it might give rise to the influx of smuggled unlicensed products again, thus eroding the market share of DSR.

ii. Further devaluation of the Naira: A further devaluation of Naira could result in higher costs of raw material, which will have a negative impact on bottom-line growth.

iii. Significant rise in crude oil prices: A significant increase in crude oil prices could result in higher raw material cost due to major exporters’ preference for ethanol production during periods of higher crude oil prices, thus resulting in the limited supply of raw sugar.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/10/dangote-sugar-refinery-favourable-government-policies-drive-earnings-in-q1-2020/

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The Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Sedan represents the absolute pinnacle of luxury for the Mercedes-Maybach brand in the U.S. market, offering refined spaciousness, unparalleled comfort and effortless power to meet even the most discerning standards. Today Mercedes-Benz USA unveiled the highly exclusive new S 650 Maybach Night Edition featuring unique and distinctive black and carbon-fibre elements. Available for the 2020 model year, this stunning special edition is limited to just 15 units and is only available for the U.S. market.

Equipped with a handcrafted 6.0-litre V12 Biturbo engine producing 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, the Maybach S 650 is the most powerful in the Mercedes- Maybach sedan lineup and can rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds. The MAGIC BODY CONTROL® suspension features a camera that automatically scans the road ahead to proactively counteract bumps and dips for a supremely smooth ride, and it will even lean into curves like a slaloming skier for more dynamic handling. Key highlights that set the Night Edition apart include the exclusive interior carbon fibre trim in the front and rear of the vehicle, a carbon fibre rear spoiler, and shadow “smoked” 20” Maybach forged wheels. Finished with Obsidian Black exterior paint and Exclusive Nappa Leather upholstery in Porcelain and Black, this exclusive Edition is complemented by Night Edition leather floor mats and a trunk mat in black with porcelain edges, while Night Edition badges also adorn the front fenders and interior trim.

As a benchmark in the super-luxury segment, the Maybach S 650 sets new standards in its sumptuous interior with features such as two executive rear seats with a 43-degree recline angle and power calf rests, front and rear seats with a massage feature, a wood/leather steering wheel and leather-covered door sills and seat consoles, extended interior ambient lighting in the rear cabin and rear-seat entertainment.

Arriving now in U.S. showrooms, the 2020 S 650 Maybach Night Edition is priced at
$242,950.*

Mercedes-Maybach Sedan-Standard Equipment Highlights

* V12 radiator grille with MAYBACH lettering

* Executive seats in the rear with 43-degree recline angle and power calf rests

* 64-color ambient lighting and extended interior ambient lighting in the rear cabin

* Leather-covered door sills and seat consoles

* Wood/leather steering wheel

* Dual 12.3” high-resolution displays merged beneath the glass panel

* Front and rear seats with massage function

* Ambient lighting with 64 colours

* Head-Up Display

* LED Intelligent Light System with Ultra Wide Beam headlamps and Adaptive Highbeam Assist

* Smartphone Integration with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto

* Burmester® High-End 3D Surround Sound System

* Driver Assistance Package

* Night View Assist Plus

* AIRMATIC® semi-active air suspension

* MAGIC BODY CONTROL®

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/10/mercedes-benz-usa-announces-highly-exclusive-new-mercedes-maybach-s-650-night-edition/

Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo inaugurates (virtual) the 200,000 Capacity Yam Storage Facility for Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Benue State to boost agriculture.
The storage facility located in Zaki Biam, Ukum LGA, was built by the FG and donated to the State.
The shared facility project, an initiative of the National MSMEs Clinics, is aimed at providing for the needs of businesses under a production cluster arrangement.

Osinbajo who announced this on his Instagram page stated “The Zaki Biam international market is probably the biggest yam market in the world. It accounts for sales of possibly 70% of yams cultivated in the country. Over 200 trucks loading 2 million tubers of yams weekly.

However, the market has had very little storage capacity and its infrastructural facilities are way behind its capacity and the size of commerce that goes on there daily.

It was, therefore, my singular honour earlier today, to commission virtually a 200,000 capacity yam storage facility at Zaki Biam, Benue State, with additional features such as re-construction of 660 units of stalls/sheds, construction of a Police/ Market Administrative Building and the construction of 8 units of Public Toilets.

There is also the provision of a Solar-Powered Borehole with an overhead tank and the construction of internal roads with drainage and the installation of Solar Street lights”.

The facility will cater to the needs of smallholder farmers and MSMEs who hitherto lost huge revenues due to lack of access to adequate storage facilities. The initiative is seen as one of the ways the federal government is encouraging small business owners in the country.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/10/vice-president-virtually-commissions-a-200000-capacity-yam-storage-facility-in-benue-state-photos/

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has extended its technical support service towards fighting the coronavirus pandemic to Ivvyjustin Innovations Limited, manufacturers of alcohol-based hand sanitizers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

A team of inspectors from the FCT Operations office led by Mrs Ganiyat Oyapidan and accompanied by Mr. Sunday Igbabo conducted the inspection as part of SON’s quality assurance procedure to ensure that locally manufactured essential products required in containing the spread of the coronavirus conform to the requirements of relevant standards.

Receiving the SON Technical Team, Managing Director of Ivvyjustin Innovations, Dr. Mrs. Obire Ogonnaya stated that the company offers services in the production of hygienic products, industrial cleaning, pest control and fumigation, waste management and supply of water purification plants.

According to her, the inclusion of hand sanitizers to its available range of cleaning products was in response to the breakout of the coronavirus pandemic in the belief that most ailments, epidemics and diseases can be wiped out by observing proper hygienic practices.

The Managing Director commended SON’s efforts in helping to curtail the spread of the coronavirus through the prompt provision of relevant standards and other quality assurance procedures.

She stressed the company’s willingness to ensure that its products continually conform to the requirements of relevant standards which informed the submission of samples to SON through the Presidential COVID-19 Emergency Operation Centre in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) for assessment.

According to her, many non-governmental organizations have commissioned the company to produce the sanitizers for their use and distribution to the public.

The SON inspection team went round the factory from raw materials storage, water purification, through the production section to the packaging and the finished product storage sections where the production personnel explained in details the process, in-process quality checks and the finished products’ inspection usually carried out.

The on-the-spot test was conducted by the SON team, following which the company was advised to conduct a quality check on every batch of production as a demonstration of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and quality consciousness, while also maintaining records of such checks for reference purposes.

Commenting on the outcome of the inspection exercise, the SON Team Leader, Mrs. Oyapidan commended the company’s management for its swift action in the production of hand sanitizers to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus to meet the increasing demand for the product in the market.

She confirmed that the samples received through the COVID-19 Emergency Operation Centre – FMITI for assessment conformed to the requirements of ARS 1470:2019 – Hand Sanitizers (alcohol-based) – Specification and advised the company on the need to continually produce to requirements of the standard so as to give customers’ value for money and ensure that the product is fit for the intended purpose at all times.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/08/son-provides-technical-support-for-hand-sanitizer-manufacturer-in-abuja/

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has been commended for its efforts in providing nationwide technical support for manufacturers and institutions with focus on homegrown solutions in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro Ogun State, Architect Olusegun.O. Aluko gave the commendation during an inspection of the institution’s Mechanical Hand Sanitizer, Disinfectant Booth and Mechanical Ventilator by SON Inspectors from the Ogun State Office 1, Ota.

According to the Rector, the visit by the SON team is a great encouragement to the Institution’s management in its efforts to support the Federal Government in containing the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

He expressed the Institution’s preparedness to subject its various innovations to SON scrutiny with a view to getting them all certified under the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme for made in Nigeria products.

Architect Aluko called for greater support from the Federal Government and the organized private sector for mass production of the homegrown innovations and solutions to reduce the Nation’s dependency on imported products, pressure on hard-earned foreign exchange and promote relatively cheaper local alternatives.

According to him, the innovations by the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, other tertiary institutions and local manufacturers are coming at the right time as the world is facing a pandemic with the attendant need for ventilators, sanitizers and disinfectant booths among other essential materials. “The local manufacture of these products and materials if well supported would be more accessible and cheaper compared to imported one’s which are scarce, costly and would take longer to deliver”, he said.

Speaking on behalf of the Director-General, Osita Aboloma Esq. during the inspection exercise, SON Ogun State Office 1 Coordinator, Engr. Engr. Jerome Umoru reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to providing unrelenting technical support to all manufacturers of essential materials and equipment, including tertiary institutions, in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

He stated that the visit was to provide necessary support and encouragement to facilitate the conformance of the various innovations to applicable standards, given the urgent need for the containment of the Covid-19 pandemic with home-grown innovations and inventions.

According to him, “SON is ready to partner with all technical institutions especially those involved in the production of life-saving equipment’ and materials at this time so that their products will meet minimum requirements of the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) and undergo certification under the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) scheme”

ABOLOMA DISCLOSED THAT “UPON CERTIFICATION, WE WILL FROM TIME TO TIME VISIT THE INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATORS IN ORDER TO MONITOR AND ENSURE THAT THEY CONTINUALLY CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS. SHOULD THERE BE ANY CASE OF NON-CONFORMANCE; THE PRODUCTS WOULD BE PUT ON HOLD TILL CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE TAKEN, WHILE THE MANCAP CERTIFICATES MAY BE SUSPENDED OR WITHDRAWN”.

The SON Chief Executive, however, indicated that very soon, Nigerian Consumers would be empowered through a product authentication scheme to determine the quality and conformance of products at the point of purchase, stressing that those without necessary certifications would be rejected.

He commended the Rector and his team, for the efforts on the Mechanical Hand Sanitizer, Disinfectant Booth and the Mechanical Ventilator produced by the Institution which according to him will be subjected to the MANCAP procedure towards the necessary certifications.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/08/covid-19-ilaro-poly-rector-commend-son-for-technical-support-towards-home-grown-solutions/

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as part of its policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic, introduces the Healthcare Sector Research and Development Intervention Scheme (HSRDIS) to help strengthen the public healthcare system with innovative financing of research and development (R&) in new and improved drugs, vaccines and diagnostics of infectious diseases in Nigeria.

Specifically, the HSRDIS is designed to trigger intense national R& activities to develop a Nigerian vaccine, drugs and herbal medicines against the spread of COVID-19 and any other communicable or non-communicable diseases through the provision of grants to biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, institutions, researchers, and research institutes for the research and development of drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

The Scheme is intended to boost domestic manufacturing of critical drugs and vaccines to ensure their sustainable domestic supply and reduce the bulk manufacturing costs of the drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines in Nigeria. The Framework outlines the operational modalities for the Scheme.

Objectives of the Scheme

The broad objectives of Scheme include:

2.1 Providing grants for R& in new or revalidation of the drug molecule, phytomedicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in Nigeria;

2.2 Boosting domestic manufacturing of validated drugs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients or APIs), herbal medicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in Nigeria and reduce the nation’s dependence on other countries for these drugs and vaccines;

2.3 Improving the capacity of the biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, institutions, researchers, and research institutes in the development of approved Nigerian drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines for infectious diseases;

2.4 Supporting capacity of relevant health agencies towards attaining WHO Maturity Level 3, a prerequisite for manufacturing of vaccines in Nigeria;

2.5 Facilitating partnership between academia (researchers, research institutes and universities) and industry into the research and development of drugs, phytomedicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in Nigeria; and

2.6 Reduce dependence on imported drug products (synthetic and herbal) and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in Nigeria.

Eligible Research and Development Activities

Activities eligible for consideration under the Scheme shall include:

Research and development of candidate drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines validated by relevant health authorities for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases;Manufacturing of drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines validated by relevant health authorities for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases;

iii. Red biotechnological R& in new health technology for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases;

A research partnership between academia and industry into the development of drugs and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases;Research and development into validated phytomedicines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
NOTE: Candidate vaccines undergoing pre-clinical testing or trials shall not be eligible for consideration under this Scheme. However, candidate vaccines undergoing clinical testing or trials shall be eligible for consideration under the Scheme is considered to have high potential to cross the clinical trial stage and prospects of scale by the Body of Experts (BoE).

In applying for the grant, the applicant shall be required to have conducted preclinical testing of the candidate drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines, and obtained certification from relevant health authorities for further research and development.

Special consideration shall be given to candidate drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines with high scientific merit against emerging infections and contribute to the development of the Nigerian vaccine.

For this purpose, a BoE shall be constituted from the academia and industry to review validated research proposal submitted and recommend for financing, as appropriate. The BoE shall meet regularly to appraise the research and development project and submit progress reports to the CBN.

Funding

The Scheme shall be funded from the Developmental Component of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF).

Grant LimitResearch activities: Maximum of N50.0 million.Development/Manufacturing activities: Maximum of N500.0 million.

NOTE: Disbursement under the Scheme shall be made to beneficiaries in tranches subject to approved milestones achieved.

Research and Development TimeframeResearch activities: Not more than two (2) years from the date of release of fund.Development/Manufacturing activities: Not more than one (1) year from the date of release of fund.Body of Experts

The Body of Experts (BoE) shall be responsible for the review and evaluation of submitted research proposals, as well as recommendations for financing R& projects with high potential to contribute to the development of the Nigerian vaccines for infectious diseases. The composition of the BoE shall be as detailed below:

Two (2) independent research specialists appointed by the CBN;One (1) nominee from National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC);

iii.  One (1) nominee from Nigeria Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD);

One (1) nominee from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)One (1) nominee from Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and;One (1) nominee from the Federal Ministry of Health

NOTE: The Chair of the BoE shall be appointed by the CBN.

ModalitiesThe applicant(s) shall submit its application, with relevant documentation of validation from relevant health authorities, trial results, patent registration details (if any) and development timetable to the Body of Experts (BoE).The BoE shall evaluate applications and recommend to the CBN

iii. The CBN shall review for documentation adequacy and completeness;

Upon approval, the approved grant sum shall be released to the applicant’s account with any PFI of his/her choice.The beneficiary shall submit a periodic progress report on the project to the CBN.

NOTE: The CBN shall have proprietary right overall financed R& outcomes or products. Equally, licensing protocol for the mass manufacturing of developed drugs, phytomedicines and vaccines shall be defined by the BoE in accordance with the World Health Organisations current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).

Monitoring

Periodic joint monitoring of research and development activities shall be conducted by the BoE.

Amendments

The Framework shall be subject to review from time to time as may be deemed necessary by the CBN. 

Enquiries and Returns

All enquiries and returns should be addressed to:

Director,

Development Finance Department,

Central Bank of Nigeria,

Abuja

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/08/cbn-unveils-guidelines-on-healthcare-research-and-development-grant/

The inquisitive adventure leads to a lot of e-reading and research. It clarifies beliefs that are norms to things we use in our everyday lives through practicals and known possibilities. I enjoy learning about new things that interest me, This has led me to a journey of debunking general beliefs.

Let’s get started.

1. Supply from Generators is the same as electricity from Private Distributors

Ever wondered why your Phone battery charges well and last longer using electricity but drain faster and increase the chances of developing a fault using a Generator set?. Well, I hate to burst your bubble on this, Generators are like suppliers of inferior electricity.

A Generator transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy. When the generator operates, it causes electrons already present in the wires and circuit to flow from through the circuit. Think of it this way: A dispatch rider does not produce the goods, he only moves them from the warehouse to where it’s needed.

2. Using a Third-party Charger

I practically tried this, I use an apple charger for my android device and it works just fine and boosts faster. We usually hear that using another charger apart from your device charger damages your phone battery. Well, what matters is if the head has a port for inserting your USB cable and you are good to go. It also depends on the output of these chargers, some charge faster and others slower than the recommendation required for your device. But it’s not in any way harmful to your device or battery.

3. Charging your Phone Overnight

Technology has taken us to phase in our lives where the device does not require a lot of pampering and monitoring. They are self-sustaining to an extent. However, for those of you who still believe this is true, you’re sadly mistaken. They are called Smartphones for a reason.

Smartphones are able to slow down the rate of charging as it gets closer to 100% and once there it won’t get overloaded with too much energy like most people seem to believe. So, go ahead and put your phone on the charger for as long as you want, it won’t destroy your battery in the process.

4. Being close to a TV is harmful to viewing

Unlike back in the days of Tube glass TV that consumes a lot of electricity, generates heat and heavy in weight. A lot has transformed through technology. We now have LEDs, Smart TVs and so on. These new generation TVs consume less power, better picture quality and most importantly does not emit harmful x-rays like the old school ones. Have you placed your palm on an old TV after its turned off and hear a low-level sparkling sound?. That’s when sitting close to a TV is harmful because it’s packed with a lot more x-ray power. Don’t worry about sitting close to Smart TVs and the likes. It won’t bite, now move your seat closer.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/08/general-beliefs-on-everyday-things-we-use-that-are-not-true/

Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle has disclosed that the present administration is investing massively on information technology and online training for staff capacity development, just as the State Public Service is gaining global attention for sponsoring an employee towards the historic feat of becoming the first forensic dentist in the whole of West Africa.

The Commissioner disclosed this during the Year 2020 Ministerial Press briefing organised as part of activities to commemorate the first year in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the JJT Park, Alausa, on Wednesday.

She informed the gathering that the State Government decided to fully sponsor one of its staff from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to study a Masters in Legal Medicine and Forensic Dentistry outside the country in order to bridge an identified gap in the State Public Service.

“Once the staff completes his course of study, he will be the first forensic dentist in West Africa as a result of the massive investment in human capital development by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration”, Ponnle said.

Restating the government’s commitment to building a 21st Century workforce, Ponnle said a notable achievement under the present administration is the introduction of online learning programmes, starting with the Webinar series which ensured that the capacity of the entire workforce is developed, especially during the Statewide lockdown order.

The Commissioner said that within the short period of introducing the Webinar initiative, 11 different series had been held with 10 Generic and one job-specific programme for teachers, adding that there was also a Virtual Launch of the pilot of the Lagos State Learning Management System (LMS) with over 10,000 members of staff having access to over 500 training courses.

In her words: “The pilot Phase of Executive Coaching Programme for Executive Council Members was also launched with 30% of cabinet members enrolled. The initiative was in partnership with International Coaching Federation accredited coaches, whereby cabinet members are offered one on one coaching by accredited experts in sessions to support in developing their personal, professional and political aspirations”.

“The Launch of the Learning Management System and the various Webinar series was aimed at achieving a paradigm shift from learning, being an event to being a continuous process, thereby building a workforce that is equipped with relevant skills, knowledge and competencies to deliver the dividends of democracy to the teeming population of the State”, Ponnle said.

She explained that the Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Magodo, established primarily to train government officials has also keyed into the virtual training initiative as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown and suspension of physical training courses.

While maintaining that the Ministry has a stance of business continuity despite the pandemic, the Commissioner said PSSDC has also continued to engage its participants and other stakeholders through the placement of slides on its website, just as the Centre is also in the process of commencing its learning and development activities through alternative means.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/06/lagos-set-to-produce-first-forensic-dentist-in-west-africa-as-it-introduces-webinar-online-training-for-staff-capacity-development/

UNILAG was ranked alongside the University of Cape Town, South Africa, which took 1st place; Makerere University, Uganda, which came 2nd; University of Nairobi, Kenya, which came 4th and Stellenbosch University, South Africa, which took 5th place. The article further described the University of Lagos and the University of Nairobi as the “startup powerhouses of Nigeria and Kenya.”

The article, which was written by Meghan McCormick, CEO & Co-founder of OZÉ and contributor on FORBESWOMEN, analysed the importance of education in entrepreneurship in Africa. This was deduced from a research report titled, “Gender & Demographics in Africa’s Green & Digital Transformation”, by Briter Bridges, a data-driven research company.

Although the study population were tech entrepreneurs, it was established that having at least a bachelor’s degree is a significant factor for a startup to thrive in an African country. According to the research data, only 1% of tech entrepreneurs who participated in the study had no degree.

The University of Lagos is delighted about this feature and uses this opportunity to remind great Akokites of it’s the mandate to produce talented and creative thinkers who before graduation are fully equipped and poised for the world outside the University campus. Ultimately, UNILAG aims to produce employers of labour, innovators, inventors, creatives and world leaders.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/06/unilag-ranked-3rd-most-productive-school-in-africa-in-educating-entrepreneurs/

Pictures on How to back up using google drive via Whatsapp settings.

Currently, this is one of the most widely used applications in the World at the moment. You can rarely find an android device without a Whatsapp application.

Well, as useful as it seems, this app silently eats up space in your device, you may have freed other apps cache or data and yet to see expected result in your storage facilities. Look no further, we would be enlightening ourselves on how to get more free space using the Whatsapp folder.

Firstly, The Whatsapp folder can be located under “FILE MANAGER” on your Phone menu. We will be looking at two major folders inside the Whatsapp folder. The Databases Folder and Media Folder.

1. Databases Folders

It contains the backup of the previous days’ chat which is local backup is done. Basically it is a done at a fixed time. Whatsapp backup is done in two ways locally and by using google account. Local backup is done in the WhatsApp folder in the database in a zip file. Wonder why Whatsapp decided to force the folder into the device since another backup option is available under settings on the app where backup can be done using google drive.

Your chat history backup files are saved in your SD card or phone memory (if the memory card is absent).

To delete, Launch your File Manager. Tap the WhatsApp folder, a list of all WhatsApp sub-folders will appear. Tap and hold the Databases file. Select Delete.

Keeping the latest backup and deleting the rest doesn’t delete any chats. You can repeat this process once a month.

2. Media Folder

This is also a Sub-folder in the WhatsApp folder. The focus will be on the following folders under Media Folder. The Whatsapp Images, Videos, Voicenotes, Audio and Documents.

This is where it gets interesting, One way or the other we belong to one to several WhatsApp groups we share different media, We at times forward different kinds of media to our list and once its seen by the recipients, it does not go away it accumulates under “Sent Folder” under the above mentioned Media Folders. Let’s say you have a saved video file in your device and you decide to share it with a friend, it saves the copy sent in “Sent Folder” under “Whatsapp Videos File” and still keeps the original file in your device, thereby consuming more space by creating the extra file. Here is what you do, you open each sent folder of these media and delete all sent items in each folder to free up space.

There you have it, ‎You can check your storage and smile at your accomplishment.

I hope this has been useful.

Kindly like and share to friends to benefit from these tips.

Thank you.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/05/how-to-free-up-space-using-whatsapp-folder/

Telecoms company, 9mobile, has announced the appointment of seasoned telecoms expert, Alan Sinfield as the substantive Chief Executive Officer of the company.

He brings a wealth of global operational expertise having held leadership roles at numerous mobile, fixed-line and broadband data operators as well as retail, media, and wholesale distribution businesses across emerging markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Sinfield succeeds Stephane Beuvelet, who held the position in an acting capacity when the new board took over the company’s management in November 2018.

Sinfield has been a Chief Executive Officer since 2006. He brings extensive international and operational experience from wireless telecom, fintech, and banking sectors to his new role at 9mobile.

His global experience covers countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Iraq, Qatar, Myanmar, South Korea, Cambodia and Hong Kong. He was previously the Chief Executive Officer at Amara Communications Co. (Ananda), a 4G LTE mobile broadband operator in Myanmar, and before this, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Cadcomms (QB), in Cambodia.

Other earlier roles included being CEO at Ooredoo (Starlink), a subsidiary of the listed Qatari Telecommunications Group, operating in Qatar and regionally, and also as Chief Information Officer and Chief Customer Services Officer at Orascom Telecom (IraQna), a subsidiary of the listed Egyptian Telecommunications Group, operating the first mobile network in Baghdad and surrounding territories providing voice and nascent data and satellite services.

Sinfield began his career in the Banking sector at Bank of America, where he was fast-tracked through a Management Trainee programme, later becoming a Programmer and Business Analyst where his desire to work overseas allowed him to close out the IT systems at Bank of America in Frankfurt, Germany.

Afterwards, Sinfield joined Barclays Bank in South Africa and spent three years there as a Technical Manager. He also worked for various other Banks in Portugal, Slovakia, and Hong Kong before his first foray into the telecom industry in Korea with SK Telecom, which led to an M&A role with the merger of SK Telecom &Shinsaegi Telecom.

Commenting on the appointment, Chairman of 9mobile, HRH, Alhaji Nasir Bayero, said, “Alan’s wealth of experience of building high performance and high-growth organizations will play a pivotal role in strengthening 9mobile’s market position in the highly competitive telecommunications industry.

“He brings with him the vision, passion and years of experience from diverse environments, which will consolidate our priorities to provide superior customer experience and sustained network quality. He is expected to work closely with the Board of Directors and all stakeholders to define credible and achievable long-term business plans, through the introduction of solutions to address the evolving needs of the Nigerian telecommunication market.”

Also commenting, Sinfield said, “The Nigerian telecoms industry is characterized by strong competition, but it is also an industry that is important to people everywhere. Nigeria is rich in diversity and boasts of energetic, resilient, friendly and hardworking people. I am delighted to join the 9mobile family and I look forward to using my experience and unique value propositions to lead the company in the next exciting phase of its journey.

“The goal is to build on the existing strong foundation of the company to create value that will transform the Nigerian telecoms sector. I also look forward to embracing the people, the culture and the unique knowledge that Nigeria has to offer.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/05/9mobile-announces-alan-sinfield-new-ceo/

The Board of Directors of ABBEY MORTGAGE BANK PLC. hereby announces that MRS. ROSE ADA OKWECHIME has retired from the Bank with effect from 31st May 2020 and thus ceases to be the Managing Director/CEO of the Bank.

The Board wishes to express its profound gratitude to her for her 29 years of meritorious, peerless and exemplary leadership.

The Board is pleased to announce that MR. MADU HAMMAN has been appointed to replace her as Acting Managing Director/CEO in consonance with the Bank’s Succession Plan Policy. The appointment would become substantive when the Central Bank of Nigeria approves it.

Before his present role, MR. MADU HAMMAN was the Executive Director in charge of Finance and Administration a position he held for twelve years. He has over 35 years of banking experience spread across Commercial, Merchant and Mortgage Banking.

His competencies include strategic leadership, risk management, asset and liability management, credit administration and international finance. He is an alumnus of IMD Lausanne and holds a B.Sc. in Geography and an MBA in Technology and Strategy.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/04/abbey-mortgage-bank-plc-announces-the-retirement-and-appointment-of-acting-managing-director-ceo/

Taking time to observe the top 3 brands in the world, one would notice certain things common to them which to some extent can be said to be the reason why they have remained on the top of the list for several years.

This article identifies three crucial things common to the leading brands in the world and how the application of them can help businesses become better and secure a seat at the top in their field, and in the world at large.

THE TOP 3 BRANDS IN THE WORLD

According to Visual Capitalist and Statista, the top three brands in the world are Amazon, worth $220.791bn and founded by Jeff Bezos. Next up is Google. Valued at $159.722bn, founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The third brand is Apple, founded by Steve Jobs with a value of $140.524 bn.

These are the top three brands and they all have certain things at their core that serves as a foundation for all their actions, inactions and decisions and is largely responsible for maintaining their spot on the top leading brands in the world. Noting and applying these things will definitely make any business better and take it up the ladder

INNOVATION.

The best companies in the world are those who are able to foresee changes in reality, in their environment and recreate or develop themselves in line.

According to BCG in 2019, Google is the most innovative company, followed by Amazon, number 3 on the list is Apple. Up until 2019, Apple was the number one brand in the world, and beyond that, it was ranked as the most innovative company in the world in 2013 and 5 consecutive years after. As put by Forbes, this is because Apple is constantly “delivering the future”.

To build a great brand, you must recognize the changes and advancement in the world, and ensure you are not left behind. Apple creates needs.

Your business must constantly make innovations, build new things and set paces. One thing that cuts across every Apple product is that they have something that would be considered impossible. The very first iPhone, released January 9, 2007, was considered impossible to create due to its design, but it was referred to by Time magazine as the invention of the year. This innovative mentality continues to be seen in all the iPhones that came after that, up till the most recent iPhone 11 that serves as a great competition for cameras among other unique features. Apple is just one example; the extents of creation Google makes happen, to the possibilities created through Amazon are mind-blowing.

The fact that the top 3 leading brands are also the top 3 most innovative shows that innovation is not something to be toyed with for any business that wants to grow.

Businesses that want to stay at the top must be ready to move ahead of time and create impossibilities. The place of innovation in a long-lasting, top-charting business is irreplaceable.

CLARITY OF PURPOSE.

Every company on this list knows very clearly what they are created for, the needs they are meeting, the purpose they are serving and the exact things that make them stand out from their best competitors and every other person in their field. If your business is going to survive and grow, you must know the exact purpose it is created to serve and work towards it.

The mission/purpose of Google is to organize information and make it universally accessible and useful. This is the purpose they have created for themselves and it is reflected in almost everything that they do. There’s hardly any product or development that Google as a company puts out that isn’t in line with its goal. We see this in their internet search engine, which by the way is the most used in the world, also in their webmail, to their Gmail, a news aggregator, cloud storage, web browser, YouTube, Google books among others. Every single product highlighted above is in line with making information available in one click, through one media.

Having a clarity of purpose and then channelling everything about your business to fit in is very essential to any business. Build a niche for your brand in a line and top the chart in it. Basically, be a jack of one trade and best master in it. The purpose of your business should affect everything you do from the kind of products you create to your marketing strategies and so on. Know the purpose your brand or business is serving and factor in every other thing to that.

DIFFERENTIATION.

This refers to a company playing by its own rules. Not focusing on competition but rather, building innovative value. A great business is one that creates something different. It is more important to be focused on being the absolute best rather than simply wanting to be better than the next competitor. One fact to notice about the 3 leading brands is that they do not have any competitor on that list with them. This shows how much each brand has put themselves over their best competitors.

Amazon is the leading online retail or e-commerce store in the world with the largest revenue in the world. What makes them stand out so much is their ability to do retail sales and e-commerce differently.

Amazon goes beyond mere selling to ensuring needs are met and all solutions required are provided conveniently.  Now, it is the 3rd leading brand according to Forbes, the most loved brand in America and 2nd most trusted brand in America by Morning Consult 2020, the no 1 online store according to Forbes 2019. All these awards because Amazon works to create convenience in buying. Every system they have, the difference in the strategy, work effort, technology, sales and delivery systems, website outlook, to their wide options, is what makes Amazon stand out and that’s differentiation.

There must be something different about your business, something beyond your competitors, a value that your competitors do not deliver. Amazon does not just try to have more sales than Walmart, eBay or Target, rather they work on building their own company, ensuring a wide variety of options are available, ensuring customers are well attended to and their convenience is secure.

To build a successful brand, businesses must be aware of their competition, but not be so focused on it that all they work towards is to be above the brand. Like it is said, a runner doesn’t keep looking back in a race. There is only one thing on the runner’s mind and that’s making sure there’s no one ahead of him. You must be aware of the competition, but not be so focused on it. In the same way, if Amazon was only concerned with being better than the next retail store, they might not have created what they have now.

In conclusion, these three things can build, grow and establish any brand. Factor in all the other important aspects of your business, from your marketing to your organizational structure, to your staff and representatives to your business strategies to align with these three things, and your business will grow exponentially and top the charts.


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/04/make-your-business-better-what-to-learn-from-the-top-3-brands-in-the-world/

COVID-19 is in Yemen, where people are not only in the world’s worst crisis but also face having life-saving aid being cut back.

1. The humanitarian situation in Yemen, in its sixth year of conflict, is still the worst in the world.

Some 24 million people, which is 80 per cent of the country’s entire population, require some form of assistance or protection.

2. COVID-19 is now in Yemen, and we are running out of time.

As of 27 May, 260 COVID-19 cases have been recorded, including 54 deaths, and 10 recoveries. However, there are thousands of people in the country suffering from non-COVID-19 diseases, who are at risk of being deprioritized due to attention being diverted to the coronavirus.

The actual incidence of COVID-19 is almost certainly much higher. Tests remain in short supply. Aid agencies in Yemen are operating on the basis that community transmission is taking place across the country. Nearly 18 million people in Yemen do not have regular access to clean water, and the conflict has destroyed health-care facilities and left people with some of the lowest levels of immunity and highest levels of acute vulnerability in the world.

3. Major UN programmes in Yemen face reduction or closure, with a devastating impact on efforts to prepare for COVID-19.

Of the UN’s 41 major programmes in Yemen, 31 will start to close in the next few weeks if we do not secure additional funds. Up to 1 million displaced people will not be able to receive critical supplies – including hygiene items that help protect against diseases such as cholera and COVID-19. Nutrition programmes will also be cut, affecting 260,000 severely malnourished children and 2 million more children with moderate malnutrition. At least 80 per cent of health services provided through the response could stop at the end of April. This could mean disbanding local health teams that have been and would be essential in detecting COVID-19 and containing past disease outbreaks such as cholera.

4. Yemen’s currency could collapse as the global economy grapples with the impact of COVID-19.

Rapid, uncontrolled currency depreciation was a key factor in bringing Yemen to the brink of widespread famine 18 months ago. The price of oil, Yemen’s main source of revenue, has fallen, which will make it harder for the country to pay for salaries or for imports, which the country relies heavily on. Most Yemenis depend on remittances, which is estimated to bring in more than $3 billion a year. But economists predict that remittances could drop by as much as 70 per cent in the coming months as COVID-19 slows down economies.

5. Yemen’s health system is on the verge of collapse.

Nearly half of health facilities are non-functioning or partially functioning. Equipment and medical supplies are inadequate or obsolete, and health workers have gone without pay or received irregular pay for more than two years.

6. Malnutrition rates among women and children in Yemen remain among the highest in the world

More than 1 million women and 2 million children require treatment for acute malnutrition.

7. Civilians, mostly children, are bearing the brunt of the violence.

In the first quarter of this year, civilian casualties have risen every month, with more than 500 people killed or injured. One in every three civilian casualties has been a child. In Al Jawf – where hostilities escalated in mid-January – that rate is now one in two.

8. Humanitarian aid has been a lifeline for many Yemenis.

Every month, we help more than 13 million people across Yemen and provide food to nearly 12 million of those people. In 2019, humanitarian agencies supported 3,100 health facilities and conducted 17 million medical consultations. More than 11 million people were able to access clean water and sanitation and nearly 1 million acutely malnourished children were treated.

9. Only 70 cents per day can make a difference

On 2 June, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations will co-host a virtual pledging event to fund the humanitarian response in Yemen. UN agencies and partner organizations estimate they need about $2.41 billion to cover basic programmes, including the corona pandemic, until the end of this year. With that money we can help about 19 million people – that’s about 70 cents per person per day.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/04/nine-things-you-need-to-know-about-yemen-right-now/

5. I-Robot

In this movie, Will Smith really immersed himself in the character and deliver almost perfectly. He hated Robots and was highly motivated to cases involving them. Well, His investigation got deeper than expected and the rest is action-filled. The movie was a success in the box office. If you are yet to see it, just give it a try.

4. Cyborg

This film set in 1989 was my earliest days of watching robotic movies. The man of the moment back then in martial arts was Jean Claude Van Damme, one should expect lots of whooping and round kicks. The final fight was intriguing. After this instalment came the Cyborg 2 by Angelina Jolie and so on. To me, Nothing beats the first Cyborg. A word for it is, Classical.

3. Transformers

Transformers started as an 80’s toy franchise, Cartoons and then the Movie was produced. MichaelBay’s first Transformers movie was actually exciting, a peculiar mix of broad humour, badass fighting robot heroics and apocalyptic CGI. The plot posits an alien race of robots that have come to Earth and assumed the ability to turn into everyday vehicles and other machines to save the human race from one of their own rogues. There were sequels but this first one still holds up.

2. The Terminator (1984)

This particular movie has got to be one the best so far to depict robots in a unique way and set a new wave of awareness and interests to the world. The Terminator, a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101, is an efficient killing machine with a powerful metal endoskeleton and an external layer of living tissue that makes it appear human. The first one was suspense-filled and the sequel was even better unlike other movies in that era, where sequels are worse. From then on, The Terminator has produced six successful sequels and still hoping to do more. Who can do this better than Arnold Schwarzenegger?. I hope he appears for the next one. He is old, but not obsolete. I leave you with the legendary theme song as a close, Tell me you didn’t just play it with your mind.

1. Robocop (1987)

This classical movie set in 1987 has got to be my Number one. Set in a crime ravaged Detroit, Michigan.
RoboCop focused on police officer Alex Murphy who is murdered by a gang of criminals and subsequently brought to life by the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products as the superhuman cyborg law enforcer RoboCop. He goes around maintaining law and order as programmed and of course stumbled on his killers and the rest is firepower.
The first one was so captivating, maybe because of the storyline on how Robocop was created. It did make success and sequels made after this did not live up to expectations except for Robocop made in 2014. Try to see the Robocop 1987 model if you are yet to.

Thank you for reading.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/03/top-five-robot-movies/

In the previous day, the overall sentiment in the market for Nigeria’s Eurobond was upbeat, as investors locked in funds across all maturities available. Notably, the yield on all sovereign Eurobonds declined, bringing average yield to 8.4%, an 18bps decline from the preceding day.

Also, the corporate segment recorded a similar performance, as average yield declined by 21bps d/d, t o11.1%.

By all indications, the bullish performance was driven by the positivity emanating from the crude oil market.

Notably, the price of Brent crude surged as high as 3.2% to $39.5/b during the day, on the back of a possible one-month extension of the OPEC+’s current production cut, at 9.7mb/d.

With crude oil being Nigeria’s main source of forex and export earnings, investors dived into the Eurobond market.

Looking ahead, we expect the fortunes of the oil market to continue to bolster interest in the Eurobond market, as economies are gradually reopening – increasing the demand for crude oil –, and major oil producers are more inclined to keep prices at a profitable level.

However, the risk remains a potential fallout of the proposed elongated crude oil supply cuts, which could rescind the increase in oil prices, and in turn, dampen sentiments for Nigeria’s Eurobond.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/03/oil-market-fortunes-shine-on-the-performance-of-nigerias-eurobonds/

The coronavirus disease also referred to as COVID-19 was initially reported in Hubei Province, China on 31st December 2019.

By 30th January, a public health emergency of international concern was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 50,000 cases were reported globally. The virus was confirmed to be zoonotic, meaning it can be transferred between animals and humans with primary transfer through close contact, coughing or sneezing.

As a means to curb the global spread of this virus, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised against all travel to Hubei province and against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China. Recently, the WHO sent special delegates to china to speak with scientists as a measure to study, understand and tackle this outbreak. Among these delegates is the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control NCDC, Mr.Chikwe Ihekweazu.

While everyone is concerned about public health, insurance companies will also have to deal with another unique and direct impact of this outbreak. These include an increase in travel claims, business interruption claims and loss of revenue.

Travel Claims

In the light of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice, there has been an increase in restricted entry imposed by certain countries and cancellation of flights by some international airlines. The possible outcome of this is a corresponding decline in the number of trips booked or taken and ultimately a reduction and even cancellation of travel insurance policies.

Generally, the risks covered by travel Insurance policies are medical treatment, repatriation, trip cancellations and emergency medical treatment while abroad. However, the type of cover can vary depending on the type of policy purchased and the company providing the cover.

Now, the question is, If hundreds or thousands of customers report claims based on the cover provided in their policy, can the Insurance companies cope with the sharp increase in a number of travel claims?

According to Owolabi Salami, Executive Director, Allianz Nigeria, Insurance companies need to remind their clients either via SMS or Emails on their travel Insurance coverage; what is included and what is beyond the scope. The communication should also highlight how they can claim for a refund where applicable. He also mentioned that insurers can take it a step further by sharing tips to customers on how to stay safe in the face of this epidemic.

Business Interruption Claims
Another possible claim increase that the industry might face is that of business interruption. In a situation where the business supply chain falls within countries with restricted access, the company will most likely suffer business interruption issues. For example, they might be denied access to a country which could mean failure to deliver materials essential for production. There might also be an absence of key staff which might again interrupt usual business activities. It is, therefore, safe to assume that there will be a rise in the claim in this regard since business continuity is at risk of interruption.

Apart from the impact of coronavirus on many lives, businesses whose supply chain falls within the countries of restricted access may suffer business discontinuity. Business discontinuity arising from denial of access, failure to deliver parts or materials essential for production or absence of staff crucial in the supply chain. Consequently, Insurers may witness a rise in a claim for business continuity.

Revenue Loss
Another impact of the outbreak of this virus is the cancellation of sports, music or other social events. Countries are working towards reducing the influx of foreigners in their communities while local event organizers are wary about hosting people.

Similarly, citizens are beginning to get extra selective about where they go and events they attend. Last week, the Japanese sporting events were held without spectators. One game, in particular, featured one of Japan’s oldest and most popular team which usually attracts a crowd of people in a 55,000 seats capacity stadium in Tokyo. Unfortunately, no spectator showed up for this event.

Other large-scale events are being contained to hold within closed doors or locally and all of these translates to a loss in travel insurance revenue for the insurers added Owolabi Salami, Executive Director, Allianz Nigeria Insurance Plc.

It is therefore advisable for insurance companies to keep these in mind while creating strategies to mitigate possible effects of the coronavirus in Nigeria.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/01/possible-impact-of-coronavirus-epidemic-on-the-insurance-industry/

The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for May dropped to 42.4 from 51.1 points in March. This is the lowest since April 2017. The index measures monthly changes in business performance, based on surveys carried out by business executives across the country. An index below 50 indicates a contraction in the economy. Of all the 14 subsectors surveyed, only the electrical equipment sector recorded a growth figure.

The May 2020 PMI survey was conducted by the Statistics Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria during the period May 14-19, 2020. The respondents were purchasing and supply executives of manufacturing and non-manufacturing organizations in all 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Bank makes no representation regarding the individual companies, other than the information they have provided.

The data contained herein further provides input for policy decisions.

The Manufacturing PMI in the month of May stood at 42.4 index points, indicating contraction in the manufacturing sector for the first time after recording expansion for thirty-six consecutive months.

Of the 14 surveyed subsectors, only the electrical equipment sector reported growth (above 50% threshold) in the review month, while the remaining 13 subsectors reported declines in the following order cement; petroleum & coal products; printing & related support activities; furniture & related products; textile, apparel, leather and footwear; paper products; fabricated metal products; food, beverage & tobacco products; chemical & pharmaceutical products; transportation equipment; plastics & rubber products; nonmetallic mineral products; appliances and components and primary metal.

Production Level

At 44.5 points, the production level index for the manufacturing sector declined in May 2020 after thirty-seven consecutive months of recorded growth. One subsector recorded an increased production level, 4 remained unchanged, while nine subsectors recorded declines in production in May 2020.

New Orders

At 42.8 points, the new orders index declined after thirty-sixth consecutive months of growth, indicating declines in new orders in May 2020. Three subsectors reported growth, 2 remained unchanged while 9 recorded declines in the review month.

Supplier Delivery Time

The manufacturing supplier delivery time index stood at 65.2 points in May 2020, indicating growth in supplier delivery time. The index recorded growth from the contraction level of March 2020. Five of the 14 subsectors recorded improved suppliers’ delivery time, 4 subsectors reported no change while 5 recorded slower delivery time in March 2020.

Employment Level

The employment level index for May 2020 stood at 24.5 points, indicating a decline in employment level for the second month. Of the 14 subsectors, one subsector remains unchanged, while the remaining 13 subsectors recorded lower employment level in the review month.

Raw material Inventories

The manufacturing sector inventories index contracted for the second time in May 2020. At 37.4 points, the index further dipped when compared to its level in March 2020. All the 14 subsectors recorded reported lower raw material inventories in the review month.

Non-Manufacturing PMI Report

Business activity, new orders, employment level and inventories contracted in May 2020. The composite PMI for the non-manufacturing sector stood at 25.3 points in May 2020, indicating contraction in Nonmanufacturing PMI for the second consecutive month. The index declined below the turning point of 50 points in the review month.

All of the 17 subsectors surveyed subsectors recorded declines (below the 50% threshold) in the following order: construction; repair, maintenance/washing of motor vehicles…; electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply; educational services; agriculture; finance & insurance; information & communication; water supply, sewage & waste management; accommodation & food services; real estate, rental & leasing; professional, scientific, & technical services; wholesale trade; health care & social assistance; management of companies; transportation & warehousing; arts, entertainment & recreation; utilities.

Business Activity

At 19.5 points, the business activity index declined for the first time after recording growth for thirty-six consecutive months, indicating contraction in non-manufacturing business activity in May 2020. All the 17 surveyed subsectors recorded declines in business activity in the review month.

New Orders

At 19.6 points, the new orders index declined for the second time in May 2020. Of the 17 surveyed subsectors, 1 remained unchanged while 16 subsectors recorded declines in new orders during the review period.

Employment Level

The employment level Index for the non-manufacturing sector stood at 32.0 points, indicating a decrease in employment level in the review month. Of the 17 surveyed subsectors, 1 subsector recorded no change while 16 subsectors recorded declines in the employment level.

Non-manufacturing Inventory

At 30.1 points, non-manufacturing inventory index dipped for the second consecutive month. This indicates a decrease in inventories in the review period. From the surveyed subsectors, one of the 17 subsectors reported no change, while 16 subsectors recorded declines in inventories in the review period.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/06/01/nigeria-manufacturing-pmi-drops-to-42-4/

Oil prices have held onto the gains from the last few weeks, but the recent rally seems to have stalled as demand shows signs of not returning to normal any time soon. Meanwhile, U.S.-China tensions weighed heavily on financial and commodity markets this week.

U.S.-China tensions threaten $52 billion in energy sales. The Phase 1 trade deal between Washington and Beijing is at risk of falling apart. President Trump is set to make a major announcement on Friday regarding China, and amid escalating tension and China’s moves in Hong Kong, the actions will likely be punitive. China had previously pledged to make $52 billion in oil purchases over two years, a total that was always going to be hard to meet.

Oil executives get paid despite the downturn. A number of U.S. shale oil executives continue to receive hefty compensation despite consistently posting unimpressive returns. Part of the problem is the practice of basing compensation off of a company’s performance relative to its peers. Meanwhile, the oil majors continue to take on debt to pay dividends.



What will OPEC+ do next? Two conflicting reports surfaced this week, one claiming that Russia was considering extending the OPEC+ production cuts beyond June, while the other said the opposite – that Russia would push for loosening the cuts. Saudi Arabia appears ready to extend, but in Moscow, some Russian oil companies may find an extension difficult.

Refineries hit by overcapacity. A wave of refining capacity built over the past few years has squeezed margins, and the downturn in the oil market could push uncompetitive facilities offline permanently.

Alberta cut production by 1 MB/d. Alberta said that it has cut production by 1 mb/d, a quarter of the province’s output.

Bearish EIA data halts momentum. The EIA reported a jump in crude oil inventories this week, made worse by a surge in imports. At the same time, production dipped by another 100,000 bpd.

Big Oil loses key court case on climate. A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against oil companies, deciding that a public nuisance case brought by California cities could move forward in state courts. The case centres on damages inflicted a handful of oil majors – ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Chevron (NYSE: CVX), BP (NYSE: BP), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP). The companies sought to have the case tossed out, but the decision allows it to proceed. Still, it could be years before the case is heard by a jury.

Chevron lays off 10-15 percent of staff. Chevron (NYSE: CVX) said it would cut 10 to 15 percent of its global workforce, or between 4,500 and 6,750 jobs.

Clean energy stocks outperform oil. Clean energy stocks are performing better than oil during the global pandemic, according to a new study. U.S. clean energy stocks have increased 2.2 percent in the first four months of the year, even as the S&P 500 declined by 9.4 percent. “We found that renewable power had a bit of a protective property, and that is something we did not know before,” one of the report’s authors told the FT. “After this kind of shock [in the market], this portfolio has done so well. Moreover, between 2010 and 2019, renewable energy stocks returned 200 percent, while fossil fuels returned 97 percent.

Oil majors struggling with coronavirus infections. A wave of infections has hit numerous oil projects around the world. More than 900 workers have been infected at the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan, led by Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and a consortium of partners. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) said that seven workers at an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico have been infected. In recent weeks, other cases have hit ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Total (NYSE: TOT).

U.S. LNG exports weaken. Weak economics have already cut into U.S. LNG export volumes, even before accounting for cancelled June and July cargoes. U.S. LNG’s share of European imports has only averaged 15 percent so far in May, down from 23.6 percent in April.

U.S. oil imports jump on the arrival of Saudi “armada.” The widely-publicized “armada” of Saudi oil tankers finally arrived in the U.S., leading to a nearly 1-mb/d increase in oil imports in the latest EIA weekly data. “The optics for Saudi crude aren’t so great in Texas right now,” Bill Farren-Price, director at RS Energy Group, told the FT. “Despite their huge cuts, the April export surge has just started unloading, with yet another clue for Permian operators as to why US oil prices remain on the floor.”

Shale won’t bounce back until 2021. The chief executive of Precision Drilling (NYSE: PDS) said that shale drilling activity won’t begin to grow again for another year.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/30/oil-prices-slide-as-u-s-china-tensions-spike-report/

Bolt, a transportation company, raised $109 million in new funding round from London-based investment firm, Naya Capital Management. Bolt is now valued at $1.9 billion. It is investing the new capital into its ride-hailing, food delivery and e-scooter rental services as it looks to restore operations as lockdowns ease.

The Estonia-based company is announcing that it has picked up an additional €100 million ($109 million) in a convertible note. Bolt also confirmed that is now valued at €1.7 billion (or nearly $1.9 billion at today’s rates).

The money is coming from a single investor, Naya Capital Management, which was also a major backer of the company in its last round, a $67 million Series C in July 2019.

The funding is one more example of how investors are continuing to support their most promising, and/or most capitalised, portfolio companies as they face drastic losses of business during the COVID-19 pandemic, which can only be more complicated for a startup built on a business model that — even in the best of times — is very capital-intensive.

Bolt — which says it has 30 million users in over 35 countries globally — says that the worst of the lull in business was two months ago and that it’s been slowly recovering since.

Formerly known as Taxify, Bolt rebranded last year as it expanded beyond private car rides into other areas like electric scooters and food delivery — and the plan will be to use this funding to expand all three business areas in the coming months, along with newer product categories like Business Delivery in-city same-day courier services and Bolt Protect for people to continue to use its ride-hailing services by kitting out cars with plastic sheeting between driver and passenger seats.

Uber, Bolt’s publicly traded business rival, has laid bare just how painful the pandemic has been for business. The company, which had raised billions of dollars as a privately-backed startup, has laid off nearly 7,000 employees in recent weeks, and while we currently have little visibility of the impact this has had on the contractors Uber engages to move people, food and other items in its network, its next quarterly earnings (which will cover the full brunt of the pandemic) should more clearly spell out the drop-off in the overall business.

Bolt notes that so far, it hasn’t laid off any of its 1,500 employees as Uber and others have, although it has cut salaries between 20 percent and 30 percent across the board. The spokesperson said that it’s now slowly returning salaries to pre-COVID levels. While it doesn’t go into financial details, it does acknowledge that business is not business as usual.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/30/bolt-raises-%e2%82%a650-1-billion-to-restore-operations-as-cities-re-open/

The Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem Reunion show premieres Monday, 1st June 2020 and fans of the reality TV show should get ready to be treated to pure entertainment as always.

As we countdown to another BBNaija TV moment, here are 5 things we are sure will happen on the Pepper Dem Reunion show:

1.     The show ended with quite a few unresolved misunderstandings among the ex-housemates. The reunion hopes to bring closure to some of the drama fans were entertained to during the Pepper Dem Season and give answers to some burning questions, top on that list is the fan feud between #TeamLambo and #TeamTitans

2.     As seen from the promo clips, there will be emotional outbursts, big reveals and as we have come to know, the ladies will be bringing the much-needed drama. With looks as fierce as ever and no bars held, we are surely in for some epic entertainment.

3.     Fans get to know first-hand how far the ex-housemates have come since leaving the Big Brother Naija House. No more second-guessing or making assumptions, as we are sure to get updates directly from the ex-housemates.

4.     Viewers should get ready for 7 long weeks, Mondays to Thursdays of pure electrifying and controversial drama from the ex-housemates. If you think they brought the pepper during the show, fans should get prepared, the heat will be taken a notch higher!

5.     The reunion show will be hosted by the very witty and dapper Big Brother Naija host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu. We are all conversant with Ebuka’s line of questioning and this cannot be different, maybe with extra pepper.

The Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem Reunion will premiere Monday, 1 June and will air Mondays through to Thursdays on Africa Magic Urban at 10 pm WAT and Africa Magic Family at 10:30 pm WAT, available to customers on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Confam, Yanga and GOtv Max and Jolli. To not miss a moment of the drama, visit www.dstvafrica.com or www.gotvafrica.com and download MyDStv or MyGOtv Apps to pay your subscription or switch your package.

It’s two days left till the close of auditions for season 5. Interested participants can log on to www.africamagic.tv/BBAudition to fill out the online registration form and upload a 2-minute video of themselves stating why they should be picked to be a Housemate in the upcoming season. The online audition is free and open to interested male and female participants, who are of Nigerian nationality with a valid Nigerian passport, and must be 21 years of age by June 1, 2020.

Keep up to date with news and information on the Pepper Dem reunion show by following the Big Brother Naija social media fan pages on Twitter @bbnaija, Instagram @bigbronaija and Facebook www.facebook.com/bigbrothernaija, with the hashtag #BBNaija.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/29/5-things-to-expect-from-the-pepper-dem-reunion-show/#

* Seal of quality for outstanding corporate management

* Analysis of the areas of strategy, innovation, corporate culture and finance

* Comprehensive three-stage application process

 

RAVENSBURG, GERMANY – Media OutReach – May 29, 2020 – A look at vital figures makes it clear that Vetter is a very successful, globally active Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). Over the last ten years, the company has more than doubled its annual sales revenues to approximately 670 million euros while the number of staff members has grown to 5,000. Now, there is further proof. The family-owned company has been awarded the Axia Best Managed Companies Award. The consulting firm Deloitte, the prominent German business journal WirtschaftsWoche, Credit Suisse, and the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie BDI (Federation of German Industries) award the seal of quality annually to medium-sized companies that score points with a clear vision, innovative approaches, sustainable management culture and sound financial management. Due to the current situation, a small award ceremony took place at Vetter’s headquarters in Ravensburg.

 

In the past 70 years Vetter has developed from a local pharmacy into a leading pharmaceutical service provider in the field of injectable drugs. Today, the company, which is still family-owned, manufactures drugs for both large and small pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The medications are used for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis or severe rheumatoid arthritis and help enhance the quality of life for millions of patients worldwide. “Our success story is based on long-term corporate planning and strategy over the decades,” said Honorary Senator Udo J. Vetter, Chairman of the Advisory Board and member of the owner family. “This award goes to our employees.”

The application process for the Axia Best Managed Companies Award is extremely demanding and takes place in three-stages. A jury of experts made up of renowned representatives from business, science and the media had to be convinced in their selection. “Vetter combines strategic foresight with innovation, a sustainable management culture and solid corporate management. The exemplary management can be used as a role model for other medium-sized companies,” said Lutz Meyer, partner and head of Deloitte’s medium-sized company program.

Vetter’s guiding principle and top priority is to produce high-quality drugs for its customers and their patients. The CDMO is constantly working to further increase customer benefit and to optimize processes on a continuous base. The company was able to present convincing evidence in the evaluated award areas beginning with the systematically implemented strategy process Vetter Excellence 2025, a clear customer focus and well-implemented innovation management. The anchoring in everyday work is achieved through so called strategic initiatives, for example, Vetter 4.0, the aim of which is to simulate optimal man-machine processes in the ‘factory of the future’ and then put them into practice. Under the header, “Working in a digitalized pharmaceutical value chain,” the Vetter Phoenix digitization program bundles comprehensive projects such as the Electronic Batch Record.

For Vetter’s Managing Directors Thomas Otto and Peter Soelkner, winning the Axia Best Managed Companies Award is further proof that the company’s efforts have paid off. “Over the past number of years, we have continued to take advantage of new opportunities. The winning of this award motivates all of us to continue to do so.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/29/vetter-wins-axia-best-managed-companies-award/

Most of us are well into the working from home routine and have adjusted to different spaces, pets and children on work calls, and erratic wifi when the entire neighbourhood all tries to homeschool at once. Many people initially planned for a short term work from home routine, however, but it’s becoming obvious that it will need to be part of our regular operations for some time to come. If you need to ramp up your work from home skills to an expert level, these tips might be helpful.

1. Create a team alias to easily stay in touch. An email list that includes all your team members lets you quickly share information, and a chat room can be used for faster-moving discussions.

2. Check sharing permissions on important documents so collaborators can edit and comment as needed. You might even consider creating a shared drive where your team can store, search, and access files from any device.

3. Schedule meetings now so you can stay in contact later. Set up calendar invites, create an agenda ahead of time, and attach relevant docs to the invite. It’s also a good idea to make sure everyone is familiar with video conferencing.

4. Hold daily meetings to stay connected with your co-workers. Working at home can be isolating for some, and video conferencing is a great way to keep people engaged. Try to be visible on camera when appropriate, present relevant content, and ask questions to spark conversations. When time zones prevent everyone from joining a meeting, record it—after making sure that participants feel comfortable being recorded!

5. Share goals and updates regularly. Whether it’s through a chat group or in a shared document that everyone updates,  a record of what’s being accomplished is a great way to feel connected, keep everyone up to date, and follow-up on action items. You can also set up an internal site to consolidate important information and resources into a central hub for your team, or to share information with your organisation more broadly.

6. Continue to practice good workplace etiquette. Just because your team isn’t at the office doesn’t mean they’re not busy. Check calendars before scheduling meetings, and when you reach out via chat, start by asking if it’s a good time to talk. You can also proactively inform your co-workers of your own availability by setting up working hours in Calendar. That way, if a team member tries to schedule a meeting with you outside of your working hours, they’ll receive a warning notification.

7. Don’t spend all day on video. There are many tools at your disposal for staying in touch with your team, whether it’s a chat room, a shared document, a short survey, or a quick conference call. Pick what works best—especially if you’re sharing an internet connection.

8. Find the right set-up for you. You might need to try a few different configurations before you discover how to stay focused and not distract others. Here are six tips for better video calls including how to turn on live captioning so you can read a transcript of the meeting in real time.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/28/working-from-home-8-tips-for-getting-it-done/

Deloitte has been ranked No. 1 by revenue according to Gartner, the world’s leading information technology and advisory company, in its May 2020 report titled, Gartner Market Share Analysis: Consulting Services, Worldwide, 2019. This is the third consecutive year Deloitte has received the #1 ranking and the ninth year in total.

“To us, this reflects Deloitte’s commitment to helping clients adapt with speed and agility to achieve their boldest ambitions. We’re addressing their signature issues by bringing solutions, enabled by technology and data assets, that help them successfully execute the shifts they need to succeed and grow” says Sam Balaji, Deloitte Global Consulting Leader. “In the COVID-19 environment, clients need technology solutions to adapt quickly, pivot business models, reimagine work and serve their customers in a differentiated way. Teaming with our strategic alliance relationships, we will continue innovating to help clients evolve and thrive.”

According to the report, “the consulting services market grew to $199.1 billion in 2019, at an annual growth rate of 6.9% in U.S. dollars (9.6% in constant currency), with digital business a top priority on the executive agenda. To maintain growth, demonstrate the continued necessity for these project-based digital services.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/28/deloitte-ranked-no-1-consulting-service-provider-worldwide-by-revenue-according-to-gartner/

It’s three days left to the close of BBNaija auditions for season 5!

ICYMI, BBNaija is back with a brand-new season in July 2020. The famed reality TV show which changed the game of pop culture in Nigeria and by extension Africa announced auditions for its fifth season on Wednesday, May 20.

Usually, we would expect to see hundreds of people at the various audition venues with the hopes of securing a spot in Biggie’s house, but due to the current realities aka COVID-19, organizers have introduced an online audition process as there will be no provision for physical meetings.

So, thinking of making the jump? Here are a few things you should know:

Auditions opened Wednesday, May 20 and will close Saturday, May 30, 2020. That means you have three days left to the close of the auditionsIt’s free and open to interested male and female participants, who are of Nigerian nationality with a valid Nigerian passport, and must be 21 years of age by June 1, 2020Auditions are online! Again, auditions for season 5 of BBNaija are online at www.africamagic.tv/bbauditionsPotential contestants are expected to record a two-minute video of themselves stating why they should be picked to be a HousemateFinally, log on to the website to upload your video and fill the online registration form

Good luck!

Remember to follow Big Brother Naija social media fan pages for news and updates with #BBNaija on Twitter @bbnaija, Instagram @bigbronaija and Facebook www.facebook.com/bigbrothernaija and all verified social media pages of DStv, GOtv and Africa Magic.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/28/thinking-of-auditioning-for-bbnaija-heres-what-you-should-know/

The Federal Government will, on June 9, inaugurate the 200, 000 capacity yam storage facility for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Benue, the Presidency has said.

The Presidency in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja said the inauguration was part of the federal government’s determination to support the growth of small businesses across the country, through the provision of critical infrastructure.

The facility located at the Zaki Biam International Yam Market, is part of the National MSMEs Shared Facility Scheme, being implemented by the federal government under the National MSMEs Clinics.

The shared facility project, an initiative of the National MSMEs Clinics, is aimed at providing for the needs of businesses under a production cluster arrangement.

Johnson, who also heads the National MSMEs Clinics Secretariat, said that the 2020 edition (virtual) of the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) awards would be held in July.

According to him, the decision to hold a virtual edition of the awards is in line with the federal government’s directives on strict adherence to established protocols aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

He said award recipients and other participants would join the event via video-conference (zoom) from locations across the country.

Johnson added that the 2020 virtual edition of the awards would feature top innovative and outstanding MSMEs across the country that would be presented with top prizes in line with the objectives of the awards.

President Muhammadu Buhari will deliver a special message to MSMEs in the country while Osinbajo will deliver the keynote address.

State governors will join the event virtually from their respective states while other stakeholders will also participate via video-conference.

Several MSMEs across the country have won different prizes, including vehicles since 2018 when the inaugural event was held.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/05/28/fg-to-inaugurate-200000-capacity-yam-storage-facility-in-benue-on-june-9/