Dreebieee:


You didn't include Becoming Nigerian by Elnathan John?
Sigh

That was not a deliberate omission
I have read that book and it speaks so much of the kind of material Nigeria is woven in.

However, there are many book that talks about Nigeria but I just wanted to write about only 5.

theenchanter:
u see that emboldened? It's very apt.

For Nigeria, as long as that continues, so many ethnic groups will stand no chance of winning elections.

Nice tactics! His record will have it that he got Nigeria into the Guinness Book of record

When is Guinness going to add Nigeria as a failed country? That would complete it.

If only we can let go of the personal gains we stand to earn and think of the collective good. If only we can realize that we stand to gain more when the country is better than when it is in ruins. Then we can make effort to make Nigeria better.

.

Nigeria is our country and we are responsible for her. What we could not do in the past, we posses the potential to do for the future. With the knowledge of the past, let's strive to make the future better.

Happy Independence Nigeria!
Keep the hope Alive!!

5. Contemporary Nigerian Politics: Competition in a Time of Transition and Terror
This book by A. Carl Levan is one that examines the Nigerian 2015 election, writing on the idea that African elections are always about big men mobilizing their own ethnic groups and never about voters thinking through issues for themselves.

LeVan also crucially examines the four critical barriers to Nigeria's democratic consolidation as well as the defeat of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

4. There was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra
This is a memoir by Chinua Achebe giving his account of the Nigerian Civil War. This "factual history", as some have called it, is the narration of how the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Biafran War) began, what caused it, etc. Hence, giving a clear view of what has been left out in the curriculum of Nigerian schools.

3. Nigeria: What Everyone Needs to Know
This book written by John Campbell and
Matthew T. Page gives an overview of the issue of Boko Haram and insurgency in Nigeria, unrest in the Niger delta, ethnicity, culture, religion (the half Christian and half Muslim situation), history, and politics of the people.

The authors highlight the corruption and rigging that permeate elections while also bringing forth the country’s positive achievements and milestones.

2. Half of a Yellow Sun
This fiction by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is based on the event of the Nigerian Civil war that broke out partly because of the numerous attempts of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria to secede and form the Republic of Biafra. It's a story of how the war affected families, individuals, careers, communities, and relationships.

The effect of the war is shown through the relationships of five major characters: the twins (Olanna and Kainene), a professor (Odenigbo), a British expat (Richard), and a Nigerian houseboy(Ugwu).

1. Soldiers of Fortune: A history of Nigeria 1963 - 1993
Written by the Nigerian historian Max Siollun, Soldiers of Fortune is an analysis of the major events of the Buhari and Babangida era. It reveals the true story behind past controversies between 1983 - 1993 in Nigeria.

Max Siollun has also authored other books that look further into the Nigerian military and how it has affected (and still affecting) the socio-political trajectory of the country.

Nigeria @61 ����
Happy Independence Nigeria!!

Even as things are not as we want them to be, the change we desire can be made by us. From knowing the past, we can create a better future.

As we celebrate our independence, here are some books that will help you understand the country better.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdRnsEfB2w

Being well to do doesn't end at having a well-paying job that you think you can rely on. The fact is if you are living on 10,000 naira income at the moment; that is if your current pay is 10,000 naira, and it is solving all your needs. If you get a raise of 50,000, all your problems are going to rise to a 50,000 margin. If you have no technique of planning out your expenses and saving, you will always remain at the same level which is BROKE. And you are likely to be broke whenever your paycheck delays for just a bit.

To many, being wealthy is measured by the amount of money the individual can and is willing to spend. Some spend above their means, some even spend all they can afford just to make a good impression. Do we count those of them as being wealthy too?

Building wealth is more about how much you can keep. There are ways in which you can manage your money that can take you from the BROKE side to the WEALTH side. The first is...

1. TRACK YOUR INCOME AND EXPENSES.
The quickest way to become broke is to be an impulsive spender; buying at will anything you feel that you should have.
You have to take charge of your finances! More like being the CFO of your finances. To achieve that, you have to do the job of a CFO. Take note of where all your money goes to. Find out how much you spend on transport, utilities, clothes, holidays, food, etc. Find out ones that aren't necessary and the extravagant ones. Get a book, note them down. After taking this first step, the second is

2. MAKE BETTER FINANCIAL DECISIONS LIKE BUDGETING.
Allocate a different percentage of your income to different aspects of your life including savings.
When going about a budget, keep it simple.
This is how one of the characters of The Smart Money Woman by Arese Ugwu handle her budget:

"I divide my money into three different accounts—one for bills, another for long-term savings, and an account for when spoiling myself with a new bag or trip. As soon as my salary is paid, I transfer the money to each account accordingly. To be honest, it's become a habit, I don't think about it anymore. It just makes things easier.”

Start to make wise financial decisions like what percentage of your income goes to savings. As they say, "You don't save what is left after spending, you spend what is left after saving". That way emergencies won't hit on you without a cushion to fall on.
Know also that in budget making, miscellaneous is an item.

3. MAKE YOUR MONEY WORK FOR YOU.
Being broke can come as a result of being a low-income earner or having bad money management skills. The first sign to know that you are on the road to being broke is when you have no assets to your name. No land, no stocks, no investments. Just your regular
income.
How you can make your money work for you is by investing. There are so many ways to invest. you can invest in real estate, mutual bonds, treasury bills, stocks, agriculture etcetera.
That way your money makes more money for you.

In making investments, do not invest in anything that you know nothing about. Before you buy stocks or shares or invest in real estate, make sure you do your own research. Carry out some research on the company and the kind of business they do. Be sure you know enough about the company before you buy their shares. To be safer, you should consider going through investment firms.

Ensure you always ask questions. Ask the investment firms questions on what you do not understand about the investments they are advising you to make. Ask about How long your money will be locked up for, the risk involved, how much access you have to the money invested, the investment strategy, etc.

Also know that you do not invest money that you need to solve a need in the near future. Like money for school fees or rent. At least do not invest them in high-risk investment plans. Use your savings that you are keeping for the long term to invest.

To find out the right investment that will suit your money, you should have an investment goal. This goal will determine what kind of investments you make. Make sure your investments are in line with your goals; short-term saving for short-term investments and long-term saving for long-term investments.

4. GET MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME.
To rise above being broke, one should be able to have a passive income that supports the active income. To make multiple streams of income, you could buy assets that can appreciate over the years. When trying to buy assets, ensure to spend less money on depreciating assets like cars. It is good to own a car quite alright, but a wrong or expensive car, especially a personal one, might end up taking all your income.

Buy assets like a shop or land that you can lease and collect rent. Anything that yields income, because what you need is multiple streams of income that will make sure that you do not go broke.

5. HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND
An EMERGENCY FUND, just as the name implies, is money that you put out for emergencies. This fund should be in a high-interest savings account. It should not be used to invest in risky assets like stocks or cryptos. This is because the aim of an emergency fund is availability, safety, and liquidity. You need to be able to liquidize it in emergencies.

It is good to have an emergency fund because it will act as a financial cushion that protects your long-term investments from short-term unexpected expenses. It will help you in severe and unforeseen situations that would have led to you selling your assets such as fire outbreaks, sudden ailment, flood, a broken-down car, etc.

6. BUILD A FINANCIAL NETWORK.
Networking is an important part of human development and finance building. When you connect with like minds, you are always pushed above your comfort zone. Also, the importance of mentorship cannot be overestimated. You need someone or people who are more experienced in your field. One who has passed your level and seen life the way you see it. It might look like you can handle it, but it is always easier when there is a network of people to help you reach your target point.

In her aforementioned book, Arese Ugwu said: "You want a mentor who is invested in your growth and genuinely wants you to succeed. This is more likely when you have built a relationship and they become genuine friends as opposed to a transactional relationship that feels obligatory."

Apart from mentors, you need an accountability partner; probably a friend who calls to remind you that you are supposed to do this at so so time. it should be someone with whom you can share your goals and career.

In conclusion, to have gained financial freedom is to have a passive income that exceeds your expenses. Know what you want out of life. Break out of the cycle of wanting to "work hard, get promoted, earn more money, and the rest will work itself out." They never really do. You have to consciously make your decisions. Know what you want out of life. Know what you want the money you earn to do for you.

It is always easier to start with clear-cut-out goals of what one needs to achieve in a year. It can be narrowed down to what you want to achieve in a month with clear manageable steps on actions to take to achieve the monthly or yearly goals.
Things are more likely to be done in a new year, a new month, or a new week because a fresh start feels motivating.

I hope you will be applying the money management tips you just learned. Let's say YES to a broke-free life!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0tLEkNejK0

In the recent past, women were seen as golddiggers that would hang out with any man that can give her money. Some men still see women as that, while some have seen the recent trend.

Some women, though, are still stalling in the past. A lot of things have been changing and women have started breaking through. If you are one of those, or maybe you didn't get the memo, here it is.

Here are 5 reasons why you Should be making your own money as a woman or wife:

1. DEPENDENCY IS MORE EXPENSIVE
It's exhausting to have to always ask for money before you can buy that hair that you love. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to spoil yourself sometimes without asking or be told that there is no money at the moment? Financially independent people are capable of making their own decisions. You want to be the decision maker of your life? Start making money.

Another side of dependency being expensive is that you have to tolerate a lot of things.
No one should have to tolerate domestic violence or abuse, because they’re financially dependent on their partners. Therefore, it is extremely important that every woman becomes financially independent so that they never have to feel helpless in life.

2. TRYOUT FREEDOM
You can carry out your various projects both big and small with fewer restrictions.
Many women from conservative backgrounds with dreams and aspirations depend on their partners for their fulfillment. Being financially independent will enable you to self-sufficiently fulfill your wishes - enhance your skill-sets, go for a trip with friends, or even buy things that you want and so on. It gives you an edge in trying out various things like new recipes, new fashion sense, new businesses, etc because you do not have to ask anyone to finance it.

3. ROLE MODELING
A financially free woman carries a kind of air and grace that a non-financially free woman does not carry. She commands respect and has self-confidence.
A woman who can support the needs of the family financially, socially, emotionally, and so on is a role model for her children. The way she handles things shows them that gender bias is created by society and doesn’t mean anything when a woman is strong, confident, and sure of herself. The children learn from what they see. If a girl child sees that her mother is financially independent, she will understand the value of money and be inspired to be self-sufficient in life when she grows up.

4. MEN LIKE TO BE SPOILT TOO
The same way you like to be surprised and showered with gifts, men like that too. Men like to be gifted stuff. They like to be surprised and showered with gifts. It would be lovely if you could make some money on your own to show your husband some love. Or would you prefer asking him for money to get him gifts?
They may not say it, but men like it when women do these things for them.

5. SUPPORT IS KING
Things are not always smooth in the family and it would be lovely to support your spouse when his business is not going so well. Believe me, he will appreciate and love you more. Financially independent women can not only contribute to the everyday expenses of the household but also help to meet the family's financial goals.

Every family needs to be prepared for contingencies. Layoffs are frequent, jobs are not super secure and neither is life. If the husband is the sole bread earner, with the wife and kids being dependent on him, then there is reason to worry for the family.

In addition to that, everyone should be goal-oriented, whether male or female. And it is highly unwise to depend on another individual's pocket to finance your goals. You should be able to have some financial strategies to tackle and achieve them.

You might ask, what about men who want their spouses to be housewives? Those who prefer that their wives stay and take care of the kids and the home?

Well, some men are a little old-fashioned but have nothing to do with you as a woman making your own money to support your family. It is because of this old fashion taste in men that has led to the increase in the number of women who work from home.
There are so many online businesses that women have started or become involved in.
Even that taste in men is becoming obsolete. No man wants a leech for a wife. Besides, you earn respect for your spouse when you earn your own money.

Everyone should be able to have the value that they are bringing to their marriage. As the man is the head of the family, women as neck should do their work to support the head in all areas including finance. Every man will appreciate and value a woman who brings intellectual and financial support.
Have your money, be happy and everyone is happy.

There is this notion that women, especially African women have about marriage and financial freedom and this has to do with the unique way they see money and Marriage as well as the way the society associates a woman, money, and marriage.

Some books, like The Smart Money Woman, delves into the lives of ideal African women and how they handle finances as well as the way forward and how such a glitch can be corrected.

The first relationship that these 3 have i.e women, money, and Marriage is RICH HUSBAND = FINANCIAL FREEDOM.
Rich husbands and financial freedom are seen as mutually inclusive by women. The daydream is usually "I'm going to marry a rich husband that can take care of me". You know, Women like to be taken care of. They like to carry expensive bags and wear designers, snap pictures with studio quality and they need good phones for that. They love to cruise in a good car which should be attributed to their husbands and spend money to show off their husband's wealth.

It's a thing of pride to be married as well as to be in wealth. Hence, one has to marry a rich husband to take care of those needs, their financial needs.

The second relationship between women, money, and Marriage is ANTI- DEBIT ALERTS
It is more fun to spend another person's money, you know, have fun and not feel the weight of it. This is true no matter who the other person is. Her friend, her brother, her parents, her husband. It is just more fun when women get those designers and what not and that debit alert is not from their account.

The third relationship between women, money, and Marriage is ACCESSIBILITY TO HUSBANDS:
It is harder to find a husband when you are rich: Men tend to feel intimidated by a successful woman. That is true. This is most of the time frustrating for women and it comes to be like being Financial Independence is a plague. For this reason, hardworking and successful single women sometimes tend to downplay their wealth in order to make husbands accessible to them (or rather make themselves accessible to husbands.) The belief is that a wealthy single woman will make any man insecure and hence, decrease her chances of finding a husband.

The fourth relationship between women, money, and Marriage is FINANCIAL FREEDOM = FREEDOM FROM MEN
There is this cliche sometimes discussed on social media that you might be familiar with. It says that " When a man makes money, he realizes that he needs a woman. But when a woman makes money, she realizes that she needs no man." Personally, I like to blame it on a feminist misconception, which matches financial freedom With freedom from men's dominance (but that is a story for another day).

You see, there has to be money for a woman to need a man. Each of the major characters in THE SMART MONEY WOMAN displayed one or more of these traits one way or the other. A lot has been changing and many women have taken up careers and started loving to make their own money. However, these traits are still lurking and women, money, and marriage are still entwined in a kind of romance.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bp-p_AHHg4

He worked hard and it paid.

Nigeria has a lot of re-strategizing to do.
Does it mean that at 59 Nigeria has no emergency measures to prevent this fire from escalating??

It's pitiful!
I weep for my county.

RIP

When do we start seeing the effects of this poverty being fought?

Happy birthday Simi's hubby