₦airaland Forum

The man aiming to wrest the Nigerian presidency from Muhammadu Buhari has built a career circling the summits of public life.

Atiku Abubakar has been a top civil servant, a vice-president, and a prominent businessman and philanthropist, making his fortune in the oil sector and giving some of it away to charity.

The highest office in the land has, however, eluded him. On three occasions, he has tried for the presidency and fallen short. On 16 February, the 72-year-old tries again, offering his credentials as a seasoned political operator and serial entrepreneur as the remedy for Nigeria’s ills.

If elected, Mr Abubakar will be confronted by soaring unemployment, chronic poverty, a legislature gridlocked by regional rivalries, and a sluggish economy heavily dependent on fluctuating oil revenues.

His campaign is exploiting the contrast between his image and that of an incumbent who has become a target for much of the frustration over the economy.


Mr Buhari’s critics say his personality – austere, aloof and inflexible – has proven ill-suited to the demands of governing Nigeria, even if it helped him win the last election, lending credibility to his pledge to fight corruption....



KINDLY READ THE REST AT https://www.makeitglobal.biz/atiku-abubakar-nigerias-political-operator-midas-touch/

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loveDcross:
Your site makes sense more than nairaland i will bookmark it on my pc.

Thank you very much. Please help refer to your family, friends, colleagues.

loveDcross:
Anyhow the mod that moved this to fp is a major cause of the setback we are having in nigeria. my days on nairaland are numbered

Couldn't agree less.


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The kind of sheet that makes FP these days, yet yáll blame the youths for turning up in thousands at BBNaija auditions. When they keep seeing trash like this, who would want to strive hard to achieve their dreams when they can make role models out of plastic creatures like this? It's really sad.



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Either she worked on her body, wore a waist clincher or manipulated the picture.



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Every entrepreneur knows that as soon as you’ve cleared a hurdle and are celebrating a success, a new challenge arises. My good friend and Okta CFO Bill Losch sounds like a broken record every January when he tells me: “Freddy, now this is going to be our most important year yet.”

He’s right, and he reinforces a message I’ve shared with entrepreneurs over the years: No matter the stage of your company, it’s always about what comes next. The roller-coaster of entrepreneurship begins with what we call the “a-ha moment”–when the light bulb comes on, there’s a clear market need for the product you’ve just dreamt up, and you envision multiple paths that lead to success. But no matter how the journey unfolds, the moments before, during, and after the ideation stage are never quite what you expect.
We asked a few common questions entrepreneurs face during this phase and shared stories on the highs and lows of bringing an idea to life.

1. “HOW CAN I MAKE MY IDEA EVEN BETTER?”
As an undergraduate engineering student at Stanford, entrepreneur and Jawbone founder Alex Asseily had a grand vision for wearable technology. Inspired by the mobile revolution, he envisioned an entire ecosystem of wearable communication tools. But over the next few months, he watched his idea whittle down from a full suite of products to just a headset, to eventually just the technology within the headset. Sure, the end product looked completely different from his initial vision, but staying open to change enabled him to establish legitimacy and close his first $1 million round of funding.

If you think you’ve dreamt up the “perfect” product on your first go, think again. Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey means accepting your brilliant idea will go through iterations. Ideas take on many forms before crystallizing into one that captures investors’ interest and customers’ demand, and it has to be durable if you want it to succeed in the long term.

2. “HOW LONG DOES THIS TAKE?”
Entrepreneurs tend to be optimists: We have grand ideas and want to make them happen as soon as possible. Most of us imagine things running smoothly and efficiently, with everything falling into place. And due to our passionate nature, we also often (and sometimes, drastically) underestimate when it comes to how long it takes to bring initial ideas to life.

According to Canva CEO Melanie Perkins, bringing a product to market often takes far longer than you expect. At the beginning of her journey, Perkins predicted that she’d design and build the entire publishing feature for Canva in the first 12 months. In reality, the process took much longer. Most companies, and especially enterprise tech companies, don’t find success overnight–so it’s helpful for entrepreneurs to recognize that they’re embarking on a marathon rather than a sprint, and prepare for unexpected circumstances to come up along the way.

3. “IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME?”
The success of an idea doesn’t just correlate to how brilliant it is–it also depends on experience, timing, and what’s going on in the market you want to enter. Fred Luddy started ServiceNow, a now multibillion-dollar enterprise software company, when he was 50. Because of his experience as a CTO, developer, and entrepreneur, he had in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of the enterprise marketplace as well as the customer needs, existing solutions, and competitive offerings.

As you’ll hear from Luddy’s story, while younger entrepreneurs often benefit from being close to the technology when starting consumer companies, those who want to launch enterprise businesses have the advantage of experience. In this market, more experience generally equates to a deeper understanding of the opportunities, risks, and the path to success.

4. “IDEAS ASIDE . . . DO I TRUST THIS TEAM?”
Sometimes, it’s not even about the idea at all: It’s about the people behind it. When Marc Benioff presented the concept of Salesforce.comto cofounder Parker Harris, Harris didn’t worry too much about the idea itself. His instinct told him that if it didn’t work out, Benioff and his team would find new opportunities on the road ahead.

Harris’s story shows us a great idea can hinge on the team or the person selling it to you. Rather than buying into a specific product or company, considering the team that will support it–and pivot with it as needed–is often just as important. You can’t build a business based on a great idea alone. You need to have others who are supportive of your vision, and are excited about executing it with you.

Credit: Frederic Kerrest


https://www.makeitglobal.biz/four-questions-for-entrepreneurs/

This would fetch some good money if auctioned




CLICK BELOW IF YOU ARE AN ENTREPRENEUR OR A BUDDING ONE.



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Entrepreneurship has been recognised by Government as a key driver of future economic growth in South Africa, yet the unfortunate reality is that many of today’s budding entrepreneurs rely on their own personal savings to start and build their businesses.
Referring to the 2018 Real State of Entrepreneurship Survey, which found that 88% of South African entrepreneurs are self-funded, Gugu Mjadu, Spokesperson for the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam, says that it is no wonder then that a lack of funding remains one of the primary barriers faced by young entrepreneurs.

“Despite there being various institutions with finance available for local entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs are often unsure of how to go about the application process or lack the collateral required to obtain adequate business financing.
In addition to this, Mjadu explains that even for those who do secure funding – there may come a time when you need to supplement it with personal funds.

Either way, this should not deter you as a young, hopeful entrepreneur, says Mjadu. She offers the following tips for self-funding your entrepreneurial dreams.

1. Create a detailed business plan

Just as you would be required to do if you were applying for external funding, Mjadu says that the first thing any hopeful self-funded entrepreneur should do is draw up a comprehensive and well-motivated business plan. “From a financing perspective, give specific attention to the risks and rewards associated with the total investment required. To do this, it helps to focus on four key areas, namely, the business itself, the management of the business (the entrepreneurs involved), the market in which the business operates, the financial plan and projections.”

2. Define realistic funding requirements

Once a detailed financial plan exists, Mjadu urges young entrepreneurs to set realistic funding requirements, based on the business’ needs. “Based on your business plan, you need to determine the level of funding the business requires at each stage of operation. These funding needs will vary depending on many reasons including the nature of the business and how much own capital the entrepreneur has, but should be kept as realistic as possible.”

This helps to put things into perspective, says Mjadu, as she points out that the funding needs of the entrepreneurs are often not as high as we may think. “The 2018 Real State of Entrepreneurship Survey revealed that 28% of entrepreneurs needed less than R10,000, while 30% needed less than R50,000.”

3. Separate and formalise your business savings

Right from the onset, Mjadu says that entrepreneurs should keep their business savings separate from their personal savings accounts and investments. “These funds you are saving for your business, should be geared for maximum growth. This could be a high yield, fixed term deposit account, a long-term investment product, or a dynamic and interest bearing savings account, through which you could save business profits to yield growth in interest,” says Mjadu. “The type of vehicle you choose to use depends on things like the time horizon you have to save, how risky you can afford to be and how quickly you may need to access the funds.”

4. Be consistent

While there are guaranteed to be some bumps in the road along the way, Mjadu says that consistency is key when it comes to saving money towards self-funding your business. “Just as you would for your retirement savings, you need to put away a set portion of money each month for your business dream. Setting up a debit order may be useful in this case to avoid the temptation of spending the money elsewhere.”

5. Seek professional advice

When starting a business, it is important to surround yourself with people in the know that can enhance your business. These range from an industry advisor who can be an experienced entrepreneur to show you the ropes within your industry, a financial advisor that can guide you on saving money, adhering to your financial plan and even provide guidance around applying for external finance. Having a mentor providing guidance and emotional support can also go a long way towards alleviating the loneliness of an entrepreneurial journey.

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/tips-self-funding-entrepreneurial-dreams/


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Agricultural entrepreneurs in north central Nigeria have asked the federal lawmakers to speed up the passage of the fertilizer control, seed council and warehouse receipt system bills ahead of the forthcoming elections.


The farmers made the call at a programme organised by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) with theme: Regional Sensitisation for Smallholder Farmers in North-Central in collaboration with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The famers came under the auspices of Association of Small-Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria, (ASSAPIN) and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).

The National Programme Coordinator for the small-scale agr producers, Yarima Charles, during his address complained about the delay in the passage of the bills by the National Assembly.

He said the bills when passed into law will boost agribusiness and food security in the country.

“You cannot do farming activities in Nigeria first without having access to improved seeds and without fertilizers. These two things are critical even though land is also one of the critical aspects of it.

“By the time you have improved seeds and access to fertiliser so that you would be able to engage in appropriate farming techniques and you embark on effective farm management it would increase yield to farmers per hectare, and when the yield increases, the farmers will have surplus in productivity and sell, also to take care of other issues concerning them and their families.

“When these three bills are passed into law, it has multi-sectoral impact, it would lead to improved quality of manpower in the agricultural sector, because it would lead to production of farm equipment, increased revenue generation instead of depending on borrowing and importation of these commodities that are not good for consumption.

“Part of what we are doing today is to equip the farmers with vital information to speak on the issues of the Fertilizer Control Bill, Seed Bill and many other bills so that after we have elected them into power and after May 2019, we will follow it up again to see what they can do to ensure that these bills are passed into law”, said Charles.

He asked NASS to speed up the passage of the bill before the inauguration of the ninth national assembly in June 2019.

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/agroprenurs-urge-nass-hasten-passage-fertilizer-bills-others/

These people are going to ruin Atiku's votes in the east.



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These ones, even if the government provides a trillion jobs, would still be looking for fast, easy and immoral ways to riches and fame. What most people do not realize is that these things do not last. LAZY YOOTS.




FOR ENTREPRENEURS
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I need the kind of Powers indulging this guy to support my career too.



FOR ENTREPRENEURS
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Heard he is tight fisted. it is normal for those with humble beginnings to not be wasteful. I believe it is only funds gotten through illegal means that are spent lavishly.


FOR ENTREPRENEURS


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Thousands of people dream of the day they can quit their jobs and escape the 9-to-5 life. In fact, Gallup found that 87 per cent of the employees it surveyed worldwide did not see themselves as engaged.

But quitting your job and starting your own business is only half the battle.

You need to prepare to be an entrepreneur. Besides getting your finances in order and having a plan in place, you also need to prepare your mind.

Your habits dictate your success, and if you’re still stuck in that 9-to-5 mindset, your endeavors will fail. You must adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and start thinking the way the world’s top leaders do.
Being an entrepreneur is very different than being an employee, and the way you envision it may be completely off base. Here are five changes you must make to your thinking in order to prepare yourself for the realities of being an entrepreneur.

1. Train your mind to think outside the box.
Once you leave your office job, you’re no longer confined by corporate life. That means you need to open your mind to new possibilities — possibilities that may not have been an option in your old life.

In an article for TIME magazine, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, said, “People will always try to stop you doing the right thing if it is unconventional.” In short, others may not see your vision, but you can’t let that stop you. You need to be creative with your business, offer something new and be different to be successful. Times, “A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.”

That new type of thinking needs to be focused on a strategic goal. You must have a vision for your company, an idea of where you’re going and how you’ll get there. As an entrepreneur, you are the leader of your company, and your team members are looking to you to show them the path to success.
What is your plan? You should be able to see the big picture as well as all of the steps it will take to reach your main goal. Then, you must communicate that vision to those on your team and ensure they each understand their individual roles in the plan.

3. Let it all fall on your shoulders.
Becoming an entrepreneur can be scary. Your success is now completely dependent on the work that you do. You can no longer fall back on a salary or benefits.
As an employee, if you had a bad day at work, you were still paid your salary, regardless. But as an entrepreneur, if your business isn’t successful, you won’t make any money. Plus, you now have others relying on you for their livelihood.
Ryan Farley is a typical example of corporate employee-turned-entrepreneur, quitting a fast-paced finance job to start lawn care marketplace LawnStarter Lawn Care. “I was used to working extremely long hours in the corporate finance world,” Farley told me. “I thought that would have conditioned me well, but nothing can prepare you for this amount of stress.

“It’s pretty common for founders to have the stress get so bad it affects your physical and mental health,” Farley continued. “But you have to press on, and you’re better off for it.” Prominent entrepreneurs like Brad Feld and Mark Suster, have expressed similar sentiments.
Working for yourself also means you need to be your own motivator. You no longer have a boss hounding you to get your work done. You need to stay organized and focused, and you’re going to have to be comfortable with hard work and long hours.

4. Get ready to be a jack of all trades.
As an entrepreneur, you can’t say “That’s not my job.” Every job is your job now. There’s no one else to pick up the slack but you. You need to make sure everything in your business continues to run on track, and that may mean doing work you aren’t used to doing. You may need to be the accounting department, IT, marketing and more in addition to leading your company.

Entrepreneurs wear many different hats and are constantly learning new skills and working hard. If you think becoming an entrepreneur means you get to sit back and kick your feet up, you’d better stick to your day job.

As entrepreneur, author and investor Robert Kiyosaki has written on Twitter, “Entrepreneurs don’t finish when we are tired. We finish when we are done.”

5. Be flexible, focused and positive
Attitude is everything in business. You can’t let challenges get in the way of your dream. Entrepreneurs need to be optimistic and stay focused on their goals. Your passion must drive you.

As Steve Jobs once said in an interview with the Smithsonian Institution, “Unless you have a lot of passion about this, you’re not going to survive. You’re going to give it up. So, you’ve got to have an idea, or a problem or a wrong that you want to right that you’re passionate about; otherwise you’re not going to have the perseverance to stick it through. I think that’s half the battle right there.



Credit: Entrepreneur.com

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/five-mindset-changes-must-make-going-employee-entrepreneur/

Normally, the ubiquitous touts of the motor parks and bus stops, in many parts of South West Nigeria, are seen as the dregs of the society. They are mostly loutish and uneducated people that the refined members of the society just manage to tolerate as necessary evil.

Decent people hope as they leave their homes in the morning not to have anything to do with them because of their philistine ways and their proclivity for violence. Many of them are willing instruments of violence in the hands of unscrupulous politicians during electioneering seasons. These often dishevelled looking citizens, are associated with mayhem in the society with its consequent maiming and killings. However, in what is obviously like sweet paradox, some of these touts or agberos as they are called in the local parlance, are standing out as owners of decent businesses and employers of labour.

Those among them who have become entrepreneurs are often revered by their lesser peers in their “domains” as well as other members of the society. but avoid them since they are the lords of motor park minors.

Otunba Fatai, alias ” Danger,” is a name that rings bell in Agbado station and Ope-ilu areas of Ogun State and Adiyan, a suburb of Lagos.

Certainly, he has not made a name for himself as a writer, singer or thespian, yet he is more idolised in the communities where he holds sway, than celebrities.

This reporter had an accidental encounter with him at a hotel he owns in Adiyan. As he walked up the long corridor, accompanied by bodyguards into the large expansive alfresco bar, a medley of people acknowledged him by deferential greetings.

He later started chatting with makeitglobal.biz after this reporter had identified himself as newsman.

Fatai whose wife and children are based in the US, said aside the hotel, he owns two standard primary schools and a thriving bakery, and two commercial vehicles plying Akure, Ondo State.

“The popular misconception that agberos are layabouts without any ambition is very prevalent in our society, but it is not true. Though, there are some that are not responsible, a lot of us are decent people, with families and businesses. We are not paupers. We are the new middle class, and a lot of us are better off than many graduates on regular employment. And if you must know, we have many graduates in our midst. We should not confuse our public perception with what we really are.”

Lateef Akanji, another “agbero” lives in a two bedroom flat in Ijaye, Ojokoro, a Lagos suburb. He is one of the boys saddled with the responsibility of collecting daily dues from commercial drivers. He told this e-newspaper that he goes home with an average of N7000 daily, owns a commercial bus, has a small block making business with three workers, and has a large retail shop being managed by his wife.

“My two children attend a private school where I pay N25,000 each as school fee. I also own a small block industry with a staff of three”, he said.

Mutiu Okanlawon is one of the officials of motorcycle riders’ association in Ijoko, Ogun State.”


My brother, I take home an average of N8,000 daily. I have five motorcycles on the road, and two hectares of cassava farms with three permanent staff. From the cassava farm, I make an average of three million annually. The manager of the farm is an HND holder. I pay him N25,000 monthly,” he said.

Continuing, Okanlawon declared that ” the people you press call touts or agberos are responsible people with businesses of their own.”

Falodun Ajao is a regular agbero in Boundary, Ajegunle. At 29, he has two wives and five children who are in private school.

“I have made the two wives comfortable by securing well stocked stores for them with different wares. And I have a commercial vehicle that makes money for me. My two brothers are in university, and I take care of them”, he blurted out with glee.

The perception of the society that touts are disreputable scum of society may soon change, as many of them are succeeding as owners of small and medium scale businesses.

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/touts-become-entrepreneurs/

10k can only be enough for only traders into sales of kolanuts, matches, cigarettes, biscuits, candies etc in little quantities. However, most of those condemning this initiative don't even have up to that in their accounts. Remember that this country is quite populous and the cursed sharks at the helm of power won't let the average man be great.




FOR ENTREPRENEURS


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Skills acquisitions are underrated in this country. You only see Nigerian yoots scuttling to learn a skill when they want to travel out of the country.


FOR ENTREPRENEURS



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A LONG BUT INTERESTING READ

Cyprian Ekwensi’s novel: Survive the Peace was premised, among others, on the disrupted family ties and social relations that emerged in Igboland, after the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us, who witnessed the war, albeit as kids, will confirm that things actually went awry: Brothers turned against brothers; most time, as they squabbled over resources that were, indeed, very scarce. Unfortunately, while in some cases, the enmity caused by the situation has petered out, in others, erstwhile harmonious relationships have been destroyed forever.

By some surprising amnesia, sadly, today, some of those who witnessed that low era, in Igboland, seem not to have properly digested the lessons of the period hence the stage is set for a repeat of that history. This time around, it is the countdown to the 2019 elections, a period that is, again, pregnant with unfathomable forebodings, as Igbo brothers squabble over the best strategy to confront what many regard, as an existential challenge.


From the current fireworks, ignited by the recent endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, over and above the incumbent President Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari of the All Peoples Congress Party, APC, it is obvious that, no matter the outcome of the elections, things will no longer be the same again. While the pro-Atiku groups do not see anything wrong with the Ohanaeze position, those in the pro-Buhari camp disagree vehemently with and, in fact, reject the endorsement. Those who want to dismiss the disagreement with a wave of the hand should be concerned that Barrister Uche Okwukwu, the secretary general of Ohanaeze, has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari, obviously conveying the lack of consensus on such a serious matter.

For those who do not know, Okwukwu is an unapologetic pro-Igbo Ikwerre man from Rivers State; he is one whose Igbo DNA has not undergone any mutation, even if you prefixed his first name “Uche” with an “R”, to read Ruche! It is against this background that the reported suspension of Okwukwu, last Friday, should be viewed as not just a dangerous escalation of a worrisome crisis but a questionable strategy for resolving an impasse that could have been averted, had Ohanaeze Ndigbo not been dragged into the murky waters of partisan politics.

Here again, history appears to be repeating itself, as this looks like a throwback to the situation just before the 1979 elections when the leadership of Ohanaeze, at the time, endorsed the Shagari-Ekwueme ticket. Predictably, Ohanaeze went comatose after that incident, only to be revived in 1983. Let us hope that the body is not being railroaded into another state of suspended animation! It is interesting to note that the great ZIK of Africa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, was on the ballot as the presidential candidate of the defunct Nigerian People’s Party, NPP, the same year Ohanaeze endorsed Shagari. This time around, by some poetic coincidence, Buhari was at Onitsha, Anambra State, commissioning the Zik Mausoleum, a project that had been abandoned for over 20 years, just as the Nnia Nwodo-led Ohanaeze leadership was publicly endorsing Atiku Abubakar. History!!!

Passions are understandably very high at the moment with each group posturing sanctimoniously, as the moral beacon of the Igbo society. This is particularly the case with those who support the Ohanaeze President, the erudite Dr. John Nnia Nwodo who, in turn, sees himself, not without justification, as the repository of the sovereign socio-cultural authority, of the Igbo nation. Curiously, that is the source of the problem: his authority is socio-cultural, not political. The Ohanaeze leadership was never intended to usurp the role, of political parties, to openly canvass for votes, in a purely partisan fashion. Those who take this line of argument have a strong point, for several reasons.

The first reason is that Ohanaeze is supposed to act as FATHER, to every Igbo person, no matter where the person lives or what interest group, the person belongs. That is why people of Igbo extraction, in the South-South, who share common geo-political and socio-economic affinity with other ethnic groups, also belong to Ohanaeze. However, given their dual identity, their political interests may not always converge with those of the core Igbo heartland. It is precisely for reasons such as this that, playing the role of FATHER demands a high level of dispassion, on the part of Ohanaeze leadership. Put bluntly, neutrality confers on the body, the moral authority to legitimately expect those in dispute to enthusiastically submit to the organisation’s adjudication. But when the body takes an overtly partisan posture as it has done, it subverts its own authority.

The second reason is that partisan politics exposes the actors to all sorts of indignities, given that politicians are not known to be too economical with disparaging language. To be in politics is akin to entering the boxing ring, for a fight: Once in, you cannot hide; you throw and take punches and your opponent may not respect your height or status. Could that be what is happening right now between the Ohanaeze President, Dr. Nnia Nwodo and Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra State? It is precisely for this reason that traditional institutions and socio-cultural organisations like Ohanaeze are advised to steer clear of partisan politics. At any rate, if one may ask, what makes it mandatory for Ohanaeze to make its support public? Are there no corridors for conveying the position of the group, in a manner that it still retains the confidence of all, without exposing some of its members to public ridicule or even danger?

We must face the fact: that is precisely what Ohanaeze has achieved. It has given the impression, which is wrong, that those who support other candidates, especially President Buhari, are less patriotic than others; that they do not have the interest of Igboland at heart. Yet we know that that is debatable. For crying out loud, it is preposterous for anybody to claim that every person, of South-East extraction, in the APC, is an Igbo hater. Furthermore, it will be dubious in the extreme, to suggest, let alone insist, that Igboland got to its present sorry state, just in the past four years.

Let’s face it: the poor infrastructure, absence of strategic national assets such as refineries, iron and steel complexes (in spite of the abundance of coal in the zone!), etc did not just start, four years ago. By some coincidence, many high-ranking members of the Imeobi, the apex decision making organ of Ohanaeze Ndigbo have held sway in Nigeria’s political scene as governors, ministers, special advisers, chief execs of strategic federal institutions or top party men, even as infrastructure in the south east deteriorated and sunk into complete disrepair. If one may ask, did the miserable state of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway just happen? It will be interesting to tell our people why that stretch of road has lingered in that condition since the restoration of democracy in 1999. What about the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri? Do we need a national referendum or United Nations supervised plebiscite, to provide the infrastructure required to achieve its designated status? Why have successive administrations before now not effectively tackled the indefensible underutilization of sea ports in the eastern corridor of the country? Did President Buhari or the APC stop any previous administration, from doing the needful? I think the time has come for us, Ndigbo, to be more honest with ourselves.

Another strong case that should discourage Ohanaeze, from overt political exposure, is the fact that, by its structure and role, it interfaces with similar bodies in other parts of Nigeria. Granted that other socio-cultural organisations necessarily have their political preferences, these are astutely masked by emphasizing matters that affect regional interests and programs, rather than endorsing individuals or political parties. One possible exception to this rule is the Afenifere which publicly supports any candidate or party. But they hedge their bets through what, some have argued, are public stunts, designed to obfuscate their overall strategy. While I do not necessarily agree with that position, the reality is that, head or tail, the Yoruba will always find a way of not losing out completely; it doesn’t matter if they scream to the top of their voices that the contrary is the case! I think they have mastered the art of not stacking all their (political) eggs in one basket! Are there lessons for the Igbo in this?

Political wisdom will dictate that institutions, like Ohanaeze, retain the credibility to act, on behalf of their groups, no matter the outcome of the elections. There are moments when people think that elections have been wrapped up, that the public mood, as expressed on social media or even dictated by opinion polls or public debates, have settled the outcome of elections. That is where false confidence can be disastrous. Let us hope that Ohanaeze does not become a victim of such over-confidence. Should Buhari/APC win, and going by the demographics and the peculiar primordial determinants of electoral behaviour in Nigeria, nothing so far suggests that the party will lose, it is hoped that Ohanaeze will retain the moral fiber to present itself as a credible voice of the Igbo, thereafter.

Besides, it needs to be stated that one way to avert a reenactment of the immediate post-civil war era calamity, where the Igbo found surviving the peace much more difficult than surviving the war, is to commence immediate fence-mending steps, to repair the damage already caused. Ohanaeze Ndigbo can borrow a leaf from President Buhari who, while campaigning in Owerri, advised voters in Imo State to vote for candidates of their choice, across party and not ethnic or religious lines.


Emma Agu, CEO of GAVINTA & ASSOCIATE LTD, a media consultancy, is a fellow of both the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/ohanaeze-ndigbo/

CC; MYND44 MYND44 MYND44

She's referring to those that can afford to do so, not girls that would be begging all over the place.


Be independent today.


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The Social media platform, Twitter has introduced a special emoji for 2019 general elections.

The emoji appears when using the hashtags #NigeriaDecides2019 and #NigeriaDecides.

The special emoji pictures a fingerprint in a square, reflecting the Nigerian fingerprint voting system, and it’s colour represents the green of the Nigerian national flag. This design encourages conversation while also serving as a piece of voter education.

The Nigerian election is less than two weeks away!

With the hashtags, it will be even easier to join the conversation on Twitter about the Nigerian elections. Users can find Tweets faster and it will be much easier for everyone to respond.

“Twitter is the place to follow elections. It’s where people come to be informed about news, politics, and the events that affect their lives. It’s also the place where citizens and politicians can share views and interact with each other. With this emoji, we want to help users engage in constructive civic conversation during this important time for Nigeria,” said Sinead McSweeney, VP Public Policy and Communications, EMEA.

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/twitter-introduces-special-emoji/

cc: mynd44

Ageless Beauty. Heard she has a chain of businesses and properties, yet so lowkey.

No shame in starting small.

FOR ENTREPRENEURS


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Such a pretty one. Not everyone would make it in music, talented or not. I believe it is a thing of luck.


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Such vile wastage. They could have taken them to IDP camps for God's sake.


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GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE APPLICANTS.

Meanwhile, NO employer can make you rich


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POLITICS REMAINS DIRTY TILL THE END OF TIME


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IPOBIANS should be at their various shops making money instead of all these.


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Use part of your 30Billion to invest in lazy Nigerian Yoots Davido.



FOR ENTRPRENEURS


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A mobile phone brand, Infinix, said it is prepared for the competition that will mark the mobile phone ecosystem this year.

In a statement, it said it has established itself as Africa’s biggest intelligent smartphone makers through a series of product sale campaigns and expertly executed user engagement activities.

“In a stiffly competitive market such as the smartphone industry that constantly witnesses a towering influx of new entrants, all claiming to have the best products with an undeniable IT factor that would shake up the market in their favour, it has almost become a case of everyone’s talking and the one who makes the most noise automatically becomes the one that amasses a larger consumer base,” it said.

Upon entry into the Nigerian smartphone market in 2012, it said it identified a severe lack within the system and proffered a sustainable solution, which was utilising a feedback system to understand the smartphone needs of its target audience and then craft smartphones that embodied a delicate fusion of futuristic technology and fashion to suit the lifestyle of young people.

Infinix smartphones have always symbolised optimum efficiency and technological acumen.

However, the era of the intelligent smartphone was officially ushered in by the launch of the “Beyond Intelligent” Note 5 smartphone in June 2018 that showcased the dexterity of Artificial Intelligence with its A.I camera that can automatically pick the best settings for high quality images with milliseconds.

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/infinix-prepares-for-mobile-competition/