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Quite interesting and intelligent Article By Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Jr.
Son of the Great OJUKWU..

IGBOS BE CAREFUL! -

The whole Nigeria is aggrieved,Igbos are tactically getting set up again to lead the pack for expressing the grievances......IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

Only few people remembered that the first Nigeria coup led by Nzeogwu,which is fraudulently tagged "igbo coupe" comprised of young chaps from practically all the regions in Nigeria and was a response to the chaos in the WEST as a result of the aftermath of 1965 elections, the active participants in that chaos later aligned with federal government to churn out deadly policies on you.....IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

If Nigerians are really tired of this non-working structure we have run for almost half a century,they should collectively come together and renegotiate the union, no body should make you the senior prefect of that agitation again. The last time you led and demanded for such restructuring, the whole nation fought against you to keep their "dear Nigeria" the way it is. I can bet they will do it again. I over heard some of your next door neighbours asking, "why are they really protesting".....IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

Under a renegotiated Nigeria,you are the most advantaged, you will have the whole nation as your field to express your ingenuity, you have invested, blood, personal structures, money and spread into the project called Nigeria more than those who JUST "mouth-ically" parrot their love for Nigeria........while you do the the practical of ONE NIGERIA, most others only talk about it .........IGBOS BE CAREFUL.

From United nations, NASA, Microsoft, CNN, Hollywood, Nollywood, Manchester city,ARSENAL,Chelsea, House of lords, house of commons, white house to major hospitals in US and UK and anywhere solution is needed,you have proved that where ever humans are gathered and brain is the requirement,your head can never be bowed. Therefore, you have nothing actually to prove to anyone......IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

The whole nation is groaning under the current structure we run. When the groan has gotten to a boiling point, we all will demand collectively for renegotiation of this abusive relationship we are having in the name of nationhood. Dare not lead this call. The last time you did, other people chose to mend fences and made a scape goat out of you.......IGBOS BE CAREFUL.

The same way your businesses thrive in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Chad, under a restructured or fragmented Nigeria, your business can still thrive anywhere.....IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

Your prestigious sons and daughters championed the course of six geo-political zones, championed the course of 13% derivation for the benefit of your neighbours and still champions the course of resource control and fiscal federalism, but I have seen you also struggle so much to explain to both neighbours and outsiders that you are not interested in their resources but rather interested in being allowed to explore your rich human capital and ingenuity without any orchestrated hindrances........IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

I have seen how some igbo sons and daughters struggles to sound patriotic even if it means sounding silly and their kits and kin in neighbouring states begs not to be identified with their igbo roots because it will save them some "special treatment" reserved for igbos---it never does anyways. Don't let another set back happen.....IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

Our major need now is an emergence of a leader figure with the courage of Ojukwu,wisdom of M.I okpara and the sagacity of Chuba okadigbo yet endowed with tamed emotions to steer our pride and productivity into a common force and also lead us into demanding redress for perceived injustice.....IGBOS BE CAREFUL!

I REPEAT, if Nigeria is tired, when Nigeria is tired of running an unprofitable structure, we shall be ready for the way forward; we shall be ready for renegotiation.

BUT NEVER AGAIN will your blood be used as a specimen to test how "united" Nigeria can be in fighting her "enemy".
Igbos be careful.

Favorite opinions on restructuring Nigeria:

1) New Federal/State revenue relationship: Let all natural resources in every state be owned by the states; who will exercise full rights of ownership and exploitation with 50% of derivable revenue being paid to the federal government. Company tax to be split into two: between Federal and State governments. All VAT collected by each state to be expended by the state, etc.

2) Local Governments should completely be state affairs.

3) State Police: Sate police should be created with checks and balances under the authority of a federal police.

4) Rotate the Presidency: The Presidency should be rotated among the 6 geopolitical zones in a robust constitutional framework. Every region of the country has the human resources to provide credible candidates for the presidency and this should not be hampered by overpopulated regions that out vote every other region – giving minorities and every person time and opportunity to express federal leadership potential.

5) Rotate the FCT: We could make do with our federal capital city also rotated among the geopolitical zones every 30years. Taking the benchmark of full federal presence everywhere. Countries like South Africa make do with three capitals, we could do this differently.

6) Limit Federal character principle in the civil service and give a clear mandate for merit and professional development. However, the federal character principle should still be properly enforced in certain Federal appointments of ministers and security service chiefs. Also spelled out is how this will affect a very transparent recruitment into the national security apparatus – military, federal police, etc.

7) An equitable number of states should be created and finalized across the geopolitical zones.

. . . .

What are the most popular re-structuring solution??

. . . .

Starting from recommendations of previous national conferences, we need more workable solutions on the table.

Emir Sanusi's statement reads:

The Igbo people of Nigeria have made a mark in the history of this nation. They led the first successful military coup which eliminated the Military and Political leaders of other regions while letting off Igbo leaders. Nwafor Orizu, then Senate President, in consultation with President Azikiwe, subverted the constitution and handed over power to Aguiyi-Ironsi.

Subsequent developments, including attempts at humiliating other peoples, led to the counter-coup and later the civil war. The Igbos themselves must acknowledge that they have a large part of the blame for shattering the unity of this country.

Having said that, this nation must realise that Igbos have more than paid for their foolishness. They have been defeated in war, rendered paupers by monetary policy fiat, their properties declared abandoned and confiscated, kept out of strategic public sector appointments and deprived of public services. The rest of the country forced them to remain in Nigeria and has continued to deny them equity.

The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have conspired to keep the Igbo out of the scheme of things. In the recent transition when the Igbo solidly supported the PDP in the hope of an Ekwueme presidency, the North and South- West treated this as a Biafra agenda. Every rule set for the primaries, every gentleman´s agreement was set aside to ensure that Obasanjo, not Ekwueme emerged as the candidate. Things went as far as getting the Federal Government to hurriedly gazette a pardon. Now, with this government, the marginalistion of the Igbo is more complete than ever before. The Igbos have taken all these quietly because, they reason, they brought it upon themselves. But the nation is sitting on a time-bomb.

After the First World War, the victors treated Germany with the same contempt Nigeria is treating Igbos. Two decades later, there was a Second World War, far costlier than the first.

Germany was again defeated, but this time, they won a more honourable peace. Our present political leaders have no sense of History. There is a new Igbo man, who was not born in 1966 and neither knows nor cares about Nzeogwu and Ojukwu.

There are Igbo men on the street who were never Biafrans. They were born Nigerians, are Nigerians, but suffer because of actions of earlier generations. They will soon decide that it is better to fight their own war, and may be find an honourable peace, than to remain in this contemptible state in perpetuity.

The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have exacted their pound of flesh from the Igbos. For one Sardauna, one Tafawa Balewa, one Akintola and one Okotie- Eboh, hundreds of thousands have died and suffered.

If this issue is not addressed immediately, no conference will solve Nigeria´s problems.

32 stupid and weird business ideas that eventually made millions

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/08/32-stupid-and-weird-business-ideas-that-made-millions/

Stupid, crazy, weird business ideas, no matter what you choose to call them, they just have this "out of the box" screaming all over them. This is of course when they find huge commercial success.

They ride on gut feeling fads of the times in ways that are not expected as they rake in millions. Here are just about 32 mostly American stories that remind us that profits and riches are lying around in some of the weird thoughts that come to mind.

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Ashoka: American Express Leadership Academy Emerging Innovators Bootcamps 2017

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/09/american-express-leadership-academy-emerging-innovators-bootcamps/

The American Express Leadership Academy Emerging Innovators Bootcamps gather 100 changemakers around the globe who are positively transforming communities and revolutionizing healthcare, education, food security and more.

Apply for one of 100 spots at our leadership Bootcamps, which will be held in five locations around the world this fall.

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Ramadan Photo Competition (Fully Funded to Saudi Arabia)

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/09/ramadan-photo-competition-fully-funded-saudi-arabia/

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is pleased to announce the second edition of its Ramadan Social Media Photo Competition.

The entry pictures for the competitions should depict social, economic, political and cultural aspect of the theme of the competition: The Human Face of Ramadan.

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Nokia Open Innovation Challenge 2017

Nokia has launched its Open Innovation Challenge for the fifth year running, focusing now on the Internet of Things (IoT) for smart cities, mobility, safety and security, and connected industries. The challenge is being organized in partnership with private venture firm Nokia Growth Partners.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/09/nokia-open-innovation-challenge-2017/

The Nokia Open Innovation Challenge is calling for startups and innovators who are working on the next big ideas in IoT to improve people lives and able to demonstrate a working prototype for their idea.

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Tech Crunch - Startup Battlefield Africa 2017 ($25,000)

TechCrunch is bringing its experience with Startup Battlefield, one of the world’s premier startup competitions, to Sub-Saharan Africa to discover great early stage companies that have created technology to solve problems and develop the ecosystem within the region.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/09/tech-crunch-startup-battlefield-africa-2017-25000/

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Open International grants, funds & competitions (wk23 roundup)

Here is a weekly roundup of open international grants, funds, special scholarships, competitions, fellowships and conferences open in different parts of the world. These opportunities open doors for participants as they enjoy completely empowering new experiences and grow a valuable international network.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/07/open-international-grants-funds-competitions/

The list is organised in three sections - Grants, Business Funding and Other Open Invitations.

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Enter - AdamStart Entrepreneurial Challenge 2017

The AdamStart Entrepreneurship Challenge is an annual initiative organized by 24-year-old social entrepreneur Adam Bradford.


The challenge itself is open to young people aged 18-29 years old who have a new business idea they would like to launch.


See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/02/adamstart-entrepreneurial-challenge-2017/

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Agility Africa Photo Competition ($4,000) – Capturing Modern Africa

The story of today’s Africa – young, growing, urbanizing, and tech-savvy – needs to be told. As a company committed to supporting local capacity in Africa, Agility wants to capture the hope, aspirations, and confidence of a new generation of Africans and the continent that they are rapidly reshaping.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/06/06/agility-africa-photo-competition-4000-capturing-modern-africa/

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Best skills and businesses for online Freelance

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/03/08/the-best-skills-and-businesses-for-online-freelance-services/

The Freelance Economy is huge and is growing fast. What skills are businesses turning online to find, as they try to overcome the talent crunch and find the specific skills they need?

According to UpWorks - Development skills account for one-third of the Top 20 fastest-growing skills. Content marketing skills such as proofreading, SEO writing, animation and video editing all saw rapid growth as well. Start-up entrepreneurs should seriously consider developing competence in these skills and business as they give them access to markets far beyond their immediate location.

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WISE Accelerator Program for Education Tech Projects 2017

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/25/wise-accelerator-program-for-education-tech-projects-2017/

The WISE Accelerator is designed to support the development of innovative education initiatives with high potential for scalability and positive impact. Selected projects receive the guidance and expertise of qualified mentors and partners who provide effective strategies and practical support for their further development.

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Unique GLOBAL Address System - A UK company ensuring that you never get lost

We are using postcodes and address systems designed decades ago. The UN estimates that about 4 billion people lack a reliable way to address their homes and, as such, are denied access to basic social and civic services. Globally, poor addressing is frustrating and costs businesses billions in logistic errors and adjustments.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/04/18/never-get-lost-uk-company-selling-an-absolutely-unique-global-address-system/

Precise and consistent location referencing would not only improve global addressing, it could also connect people and businesses to untapped customer bases and new industry sectors.

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Johnson & Johnson One Young World Scholarship 2017

This year the Johnson & Johnson Global Community Impact Group is collaborating with One Young World to offer scholarships to eight inspiring young leaders to attend the One Young World Summit 2017 in Bogotá, Colombia.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/25/johnson-johnson-one-young-world-scholarship-2017/

If you work for or are involved with a non-governmental organization, social enterprise, community-based organization, or you are an individual making an impact on health or caregiving, then this scholarship is for you.

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AGRICTECH system unifying rural farmers and urban sponsors for profits

Skilled farmers and millions of hectares of underutilized arable land are wasting away in many parts of emerging markets, while on the other hand, the demand for high-quality organic agricultural food is increasing globally.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/04/10/popular-agrictech-system-unifying-rural-farmers-and-urban-sponsors-for-profits/

Even Here in Nigeria, Digitally empowered, Agrictech entrepreneurs are leveraging this disconnect to build platforms that make it possible for people to invest in local farming.

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LAGOS - Apply for Young Enterprise Scale-up (YES) Bootcamp

The YES Bootcamp is a FREE intensive 2-day workshop in Lagos, Nigeria where SME co-founders are trained on the practical ingredients for scaling their businesses.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/22/apply-young-enterprise-scale-up-yes-bootcamp/

The YES Boot Camp is organized by HYBR in partnership with THNK School of Creative Leadership (www.thnk.org) in Amsterdam and Scale Up Nation Netherlands (www.scaleupnation.com).

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Free finances - App today that make your savings automatic and super easy

There are so many kinds of personal finance apps in the market today. With most designed to help users create budgets, better understand their finances, and make informed decisions with their money. However, some of these apps stand out in the way they address simple money needs seamlessly. When it comes to saving money, one of such is the Digit app.

- http://transenergize.com/2017/05/23/app-that-make-your-savings-automatic-and-easy/

Apps that help people save/invest money seamlessly is going hot!

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Unilever Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2017 ($50,000)

If you’ve got an initiative, product or service already in action that’s tackling a sustainability problem, or you know someone else whose brilliant work deserves recognition, we want to hear from you.

See - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/22/unilever-young-entrepreneurs-awards-2017-50000/

This year, the Awards will recognize initiatives in four key areas.

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RFI Africa Challenge App 2017 - Innovative Solutions on Girls’ Education

The RFI Challenge App Africa, which is in its second edition, is a competition to support the development of digital applications in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for girls’ education.

- http://transenergize.com/2017/05/18/rfi-africa-challenge-app-innovative-solutions-girls-education/

The competition aims to encourage and support innovation by stimulating and supporting African start-ups and developers and to promote the integration of ICT in the world of education.

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Apply - Global Good Fund 2018

The Global Good Fund Fellowship is a 12-month program supporting the leadership development of young social entrepreneurs across the globe.

See more - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/18/apply-global-good-fund/

In order to be considered for the fellowship, candidates must meet some minimum requirements - including the enterprise that the candidate leads is at least one-year old

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Apply - UNICEF Innovation Fund ($50,000 - $90,000)

The UNICEF's Innovation (Venture) Fund is a newly established, non-thematic, pooled fund which has been specifically designed to finance early stage, open-source technology that can benefit children.

See more - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/18/enter-unicef-innovation-fund/

Strong Financial and technological support from UNICEF’s Venture Fund is available for companies that can show a strong founding team and a clear path to improving the lives of children.

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Apply - UNICEF Innovation Fund ($50,000 - $90,000)

The UNICEF's Innovation (Venture) Fund is a newly established, non-thematic, pooled fund which has been specifically designed to finance early stage, open-source technology that can benefit children.

See more - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/18/enter-unicef-innovation-fund/

Strong Financial and technological support from UNICEF’s Venture Fund is available for companies that can show a strong founding team and a clear path to improving the lives of children.

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Super Savings - An Israeli company cutting your cost of air-ticket to bare minimum

The Aviation industry is known for the extreme volatility of ticket prices. There is no one way to book a flight at the best bargain. Even if you book on special offers or check a hundred travel sites for the best deal, you cannot guarantee the price of the ticket won’t drop further. The perception that prices may only increase is faulty as in reality, prices continually fluctuate until the flight takes off.

An Israeli tech company uses an innovative proprietary technology that continuously and automatically monitors ticket prices. If the price of a flight ticket drops, the customer is alerted right away, the best way to save time, effort and money.

FaiFly - http://transenergize.com/2017/04/17/maximum-savings-on-flight-tickets-an-israeli-company-with-technology-to-do-exactly-that/

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ITTO Fellowship Programme – Japan ($10,000 award)

ITTO offers fellowships through the Freezailah Fellowship Fund to promote human resource development and to strengthen professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry and related disciplines.

The maximum amount for a fellowship is 10,000 USD . . . http://transenergize.com/2017/05/12/itto-fellowship-programme-japan-10000-award/

The goal is to promote the sustainable management of tropical forests, the efficient use and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information about the international trade in tropical timber.

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Apply - CoCreation Hub Diaspora Challenge 2017

Unleashing Africa’s Secret Weapon - The Co-Creation Hub is mobilizing the Diaspora community to build scalable business solutions to social challenges in Africa. They are seeking ideas that impact three key sectors.

Education

FinTech

Energy

. . . http://transenergize.com/2017/05/11/co-creation-hub-diaspora-challenge-2017/

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Apply - Seedstars World Startup Competition 2017

Do you have a young startup project? This could take you further

. . . http://transenergize.com/2017/05/09/apply-seedstars-world-startup-competition-2017/

Seedstars World is a Switzerland-based startup competition that takes place in emerging markets . . . There are four different aspects being looked for in an application: The Startup must have been launched within the last 2 years; If the Startup has received external funding, it can only be up to US$ 500k; The Startup must have a demonstrable product or service (Minimum Viable Product, MVP); And finally the Startup needs to be scalable or have the potential to reach the scalability.

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Apply - UNDP Open Innovation Challenge 2017

UNDP has created an incredible online resource YAS! - Youth for Africa and SDGs

If implemented innovatively, this online portal can be at the very center of facilitating the much-needed contribution by African youth towards SDG attainment – but UNDP does not have the financial resources or the expertise to directly implement this portal, ensuring that it is sustainable and remains relevant over time.

The challenge: How to sustainably implement YAS! in the very long run - Have you designed and implemented a successful online portal before? Or Do you think you can implement an online portal in a sustainable manner, keeping it relevant in the very long run?

Join . . . http://transenergize.com/2017/05/08/undp-open-innovation-challenge-2017/

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Smartphones that can Detect Cancer and other Diseases from your Breath

Smartphones, integrated with add-ons and apps are capable of improving our well-being. With the newest models being able to detect changes in things such as temperature, humidity, hand gestures or light, we are seeing a generation of sensors designed to do much more. But there is one thing these smartphones can now do, that is getting us all so fired up - They can perform accurate and immediate clinical diagnosis using breath analysis technology. This has far-reaching implications for healthcare delivery.

http://transenergize.com/2017/05/09/smartphones-that-sniff-cancer-and-other-diseases-from-your-breath/

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INDOOR VERTICAL FARMS - 100 times more productive than field farming

Vertical farming is a way of growing crops in beds stacked vertically inside a controlled enclosure. This is done usually without soil or natural light. This opens up possibilities in stark contrast to traditional outdoor farming

. . . http://transenergize.com/2017/05/05/indoor-vertical-farms-100times-productive-field-farming/


Look up for more information, development and collaboration opportunities

All over the world, croplands face degradation and agricultural runoff causes major pollution in the oceans. Outdoor farming is known to also consumes about 70% of the world's freshwater. On the other hand, innovative vertical farms use a very small amount of water for production. They produce no runoffs and can reduce the pressure on arable lands. However, these vertical farms have had to deal with many challenges in its development. Innovators and many forward-thinking entrepreneurs are working on making it a useful technology today.

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APPLY - Young Champions of the Earth, UNEP 2017

If you have a big idea to protect or restore the environment; if you have a vision for a more sustainable future; if you have a strong track record of instigating change . . . you just might have what it takes to become a Young Champion of the Earth.

Organised by UNEP - http://transenergize.com/2017/05/03/apply-young-champions-earth-unep-2017/

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