Friday, December 31, 2010

Le progrès, c'est chic

What is currently wrong with Nigeria and my thoughts on possible effective solution(s) to address the problem. December 31, 2010 update. By Tosin Otitoju.

The people of Nigeria have prioritized three action areas for our leadership to pursue:
1. Electric Power
The current administration aims to attract foreign investment to the power sector. The plan is laudable, but the reform should be led by an expert at deregulation, who is wholly committed to fairness (hint: Ndukwe over Nnaji). Also, the insistence on a transmission monopoly is wrongheaded; please liberalize everything.
2. Better Government
At the national level, Nigeria needs a technocracy – leadership by those with know-how. At the local and state level too, the quality of candidates must rise. Good people (such as yourself) must offer themselves for service.
To destroy the corrupt culture, known looters must be punished. We must commit to anti-fraud practices, such as service automation, forensic accounting, and public oversight.
3. Job creation
To create jobs, we need more risk-takers over job-seekers. They must be provided with capital, often micro-capital. We need access to overseas markets, and better transport and communication networks for local trade. Our education must give effective preparation.

My 2008 essay highlighted some problem areas. Since that time, many programs sprouted to train youth for leadership and entrepreneurship, and Lagos State Government massively improved that city. On the other hand, corruption remains an issue, and religion remains a source of deadly conflict. The arts flower tentatively, with recent successes in film, music, festival, and literary production. Civil society is awakening; citizens stage the occasional protest, only to find that their voices DO count.

As black people, we will continue to define success on our terms: rooted in universal principles, founded on a sense of our history, and in harmony with other cultures. Our quest for a better society will find us copying success stories, for example, an African Union patterned after the European Union; Institutes like the IITs that produced the high-tech workforce of India; press freedom and open government as in Scandinavia; and sovereign wealth management as in the Arabian Gulf. At other times we will walk our own path, for example: doctors favoring homeopathy, legislators working part-time, engineers for reforestation, agricultural chic, and Imams for Jesus.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Think Global, Be Global

It’s another year end, just less than 2 weeks to a new one. And this is wishing everyone great compliments of the season. I know it’s been an eventful year for all with its ups and downs, the high times and the low, but I know more assuredly that it has endowed us all with lessons and discoveries like no other year. Let me use this opportunity to ask any who is willing to share any of theirs to please send me a mail (bukolaogunfayo@gmail.com) and we can have others read and keep to guide and to encourage.

It is a good time in the year to reflect, to review goals, especially in anticipation of other opportunities in the New Year. It is an appropriate time to be grateful too, thankful to the One beyond man who has kept and preserved. I’m sure if we think well, we’ll have a number of things to give thanks for, starting with the gift of life.

For me, 2010 has been quite eventful. For instance, I was able to share regularly on FOOTSTEPS (this means a lot to me), I took a bow to paid employment, I got certified & inducted as an HR Professional and on another extreme, took on a skill in fashion. I can imagine what awaits me in 2011. However, I’m going to take my plans from a different angle this time around, which I believe some would need as well.

Sometime in November, I attended a conference in Lagos. I am very keen on personal development; in fact, I do plan to contribute significantly to the Education Sector sometime in the nearest future, which is what drove me to sit at the Syndicate session on Education. Amongst other things shared, one thing I took away from this meeting was a comment by the Speaker – Mrs. Susan Oyemade, “…you have to be a global teacher, you have to be a global pupil, you have to be a global housewife...” In other words, whatever you have decided to pursue, you need to do it with the world at large in mind, you need to think beyond the local environment, and you need to set a global standard (“world-class", as used in many circles) for yourself.

For a teacher, that’s an easy one. The delivery styles and the contents of the course material for instance need to be worked on, but one would wonder, how can a housewife be global? Well, what recipes is she working on in her food lab (kitchen), the same old ones with the same styles and the same ingredients? What looks does she have on the few times she’s out of the house for a school function or an outing with her husband? While one ponders on this, one has to agree there is room for everyone to think global and to be global.

As we come to another season where we strategize for another year of our lives, we need to ask ourselves what our peers on the global scene are doing better. What are they using to make their work different that we can acquire; what skill have they gained that we can learn, who have they connected with to help them be all they are now, that we need to consider networking with as well (for this we could get their peers in our vicinity). Whichever way, something new and/or something different needs to be worked into our norm to position us globally.

A few, may just actually be ahead of their peers globally already. In Performance Management we refer to them as operating on the Exceed Expectation rating. These ones need to up the stakes, look at their superiors, whose standard they now need to work towards.

I don’t know what we all may have in mind for 2011, but as I challenge myself, I leave this challenge with you, position yourself to become GLOBAL.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Part-time legislature

We need a cheaper, more inclusive legislature. Here is one: http://upnaira.blogspot.com/p/simple-chat.html

Should Siasia (coach of the Super Eagles football team) be the highest-paid Nigerian staff? What is David Mark (Senate President) doing that is more vital to Nigeria than Siasia's mandate? Should Siasia's wage become the maximum wage in Nigeria?
How come the law gave the Senators one paycheck and then they get paid many times more than that? Shouldn't they pay back the balance to the treasury? What are your thoughts? You're the legislators today, so join the "debate" here

[youth development in Nigeria] apply: Desplay Africa Season 6

YOUNGSTARS FOUNDATION
presents
DESPLAY AFRICA   Season 6
Africa's No. 1 youth program for deepening youth understanding of democracy and good governance and breeding
next generation African leaders.

Democracy Series Participatory Learning and Active Youth (DESPLAY Africa), the foremost and consistent annual youth democracy academy in West Africa since 2005 is accepting applications from interested youth. In the past 5 years, DESPLAY Africa admitted youth from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Cameroon, who were educated on different broad based democracy and governance issues.  For DESPLAY Africa Season 6, about 40 youths from Nigeria and other African countries shall come together under a unique learning platform to deepen their knowledge about democracy and also foster youth participation in governance processes in Africa. This program is for young people that are concerned about Africa's growth and development. It is for those youth who desire to be part of the region's emerging transformational leaders. It is also for those who believe that as youth we can begin to foster positive change in our continent within our space. It has been professed that Africa is the continent of the new millennium, to achieve this potential, new entrepreneurial and transformational actors must emerge to drive the processes. But most critically is the fact that these emerging new actors require unique platforms for interaction, capacity building, knowledge-sharing, and networking among others in preparation for the huge task of leap-frogging Africa's development. It is on this background that we offer DESPLAY Africa Season 6 and invite all those who share in this aspiration to participate therein.


DESPLAY SEASON 6 OFFERS:
v  Three different workshop/semesters of 4 days each.
Each workshop shall hold in a different city of Nigeria after 3 months interval. This allows participants better appreciate our national diversities and re-enforce the spirit of peaceful co-habitation among people of different socio-religious backgrounds.
v  About 40 different sessions and activities offered.
Each Semester lasts for 4 days and each contain atleast 4 different interactive sessions and activities, including breakout sessions, film shows, debates, panel session, reading class among others. A team of well experienced facilitators ensure quality interactive experiences.
v   Win the "I Debate" Campus debate award.
10 participants of DESPLAY Africa Season 6 shall have the opportunity to each conduct students debate in a higer institution in their state of residence using a template format to ensure uniformity. Finalist from each campus based debate shall be invited to the grand finale during DESPLAY Semester 3 to compete for the "I Debate Prize".
v  Participate in our maiden " Young Champion for Democracy Challenge"
Knowledge, passion, advocacy etc without Action is like wishing to drive a car but not able to actually drive a car. DESPLAY Season 6 shall offer participants the chance to compete in the "Young Champions for Democracy Challenge". It is a component that encourages participants to identify a key issue in our democracy and to implement a project to address that challenge. All projects must be completed 4 weeks before semester to qualify for the award.
v  Opportunity to vie for President of DESPLAY Republic for season 6.
Every season of DESPLAY offers any interested participant the chance to become the DESPLAY Republic President during an election to be conducted in semester 2 by the participants themselves. The current DESPLAY President is Femi……..
v  Gain visibility through Youth Power Weekly Radio Show on Highland FM Jos.
All participants shall enjoy the benefit of featuring on our new weekly radio show Youth Power to contribute to related discussion, give visibility to their projects as well as bring to visibility issues of concern among the youth demography.
v  Participate in a self funded Learning Visit to a Democracy in Africa.
Since 2007 every year, a team of DESPLAY participant raise funds and travel to a democracy in West Africa for a 2 weeks learning visit during which they interact with a cross section of the society including lawmakers, youth leaders, NGOs, students etc. DESPLAY Season also offers this unique learning experience after Semester 2 for those who can afford to raise the required funds. 
v  Become a DESPLAY Fellow and get a DESPLAY Certificate of Participation among others.
From DESPLAY Africa Season 6, all participants who complete the program shall graduate as DESPLAY Fellows! Moreso, 5 participants shall emerge as Senior Fellows with unique benefits attached to the Senior Fellows status!!
Moreso, DESPLAY allows you meet with youths from different African countries as well as gives you the rare opportunity to join a robust community of young and emerging leaders united in their passion for democracy and good governance in the Africa region.
ELIGIBILITY
Young people from Nigeria and African countries aged between 18 - 35 years.

SPONSORSHIP AND REGISTRATION FEE
Ø  30 persons shall enjoy full scholarship covering feeding, accommodation, conference materials and travel subsidy on paying N5, 000 registration fees per semester/workshop.

Ø  While 10 persons shall enjoy  partial scholarship covering feeding, accommodation and conference materials on paying N20, 000 registration fees per semester/workshop.

Payment are only made after you have been finally selected and officially informed of your selection.

APPLICATION FORM IS AVAILABLE ON: 

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE:
December 17th 2010.

FOR ENQUIRIES CALL:  
Bola                             +234, 806547981707072000256
Emma                         +234 7039634873
Nandak                       +234 8065353382



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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 12/15/2010 01:24:00 AM

Saturday, December 11, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: Ninth Annual Global Social Benefit Incu...

The GSBI, the signature program of Santa Clara University's Center for Science, Technology and Society, is designed to help leaders of social-benefit enterprises create sustainable and scalable business plans that maximize social impact. The 20 selected entrepreneurs receive four months of on-line mentoring and assignments, culminating in their attendance at a motivating two-week in-residence program Aug. 7 – 19, 2011, at Santa Clara University.
It's not just the 20 chosen social entrepreneurs who benefit: Applicants who fulfill all of the Social Edge application process requirements receive constructive feedback from Silicon Valley mentors and other experts on their application and business plans.
The Global Social Benefit Incubator application process starts December 7th on Social Edge, the online community for social entrepreneurs and a program of the Skoll Foundation.

For more details, click here

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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 12/11/2010 12:12:00 AM

Friday, December 10, 2010

Dad is running


Watch Video: OFS Otitoju for Senate 2011

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: Sustainable Thinking Platform multimedi...

The Sustainable Thinking Platform has launched the second round of its multimedia competition aimed at people aged 18-30 years old from all around the world. Participants are allowed to submit a maximum of 1 essay, 3 pictures and 1 video.
This edition will run from 1 September until 31 December and all entries must address the following question "With an ever-increasing population, how can we maximise resource efficiency to meet our growing needs?"

For more details, click here

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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 12/09/2010 11:41:00 PM

Thursday, December 09, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: H.J. Heinz Company Foundation Fellowship

The Heinz Fellowship was established in 1982 by an endowment from the H. J. Heinz Company Foundation to the University of Pittsburgh's University Center for International Studies. The fellowship is managed by the Global Studies Center at the University Center for International Studies, and is offered annually providing one year of practical, professional, and non-degree educational experiences through the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, USA. The University of Pittsburgh is one of the leading research universities in the United States and includes 16 professional schools, 28 departments in the arts, social and natural sciences, 3,400 faculty members, 27,000 students, and library holdings of over 4.7 million volumes. Pitt is located in an urban center of cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity.
Heinz Fellowships are granted to individuals from developing countries who demonstrate potential as future leaders in the public, government, non-profit, or private sectors. The goal is to improve, early in a career, the fellows' capacity to contribute to the development of their country and to enhance their understanding of the United States. This is accomplished through a year of sitting in on selected courses and participating in practical professional activities while based in Pittsburgh. Upon acceptance of their final report, fellows will receive a program certificate from the University Center for International Studies. This is non-degree program. Courses are observed on an informal basis, and do not earn credit towards any academic degree.
Fellows will receive a living stipend of $18,000 (paid in monthly installments), mandatory health insurance, round-trip transportation to and from Pittsburgh, and a $2,000 program and professional activities fund. Please note that, if the fellow comes from a country which does not have a tax treaty with the U.S., the fellow must pay U.S. taxes amounting to 14% of the stipend. No transportation costs, living allowances, or insurance funds are provided for dependents. The fellowship does not include allowances or services for dependents, whether or not they accompany the fellow. As a condition of the grant, applicants will be required to submit a statement of their ability to finance the transportation and maintenance expenses for any accompanying dependents. Please note that U.S. government visa restrictions make employment opportunities for dependents rare.

For more details, please click here


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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 12/09/2010 05:12:00 AM

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: OECD 50th Anniversary video Competition

To celebrate the OECD's 50th Anniversary, young people worldwide are invited to create a short video describing their vision of Progress.

» Who is Eligible
The competition is open to young people (18-25 years) in every country worldwide.

» How to Enter
Submit your video before MIDNIGHT (Paris time) - 1 March 2011 by responding to the OECD competition video on YouTube. You must also complete and submit the online registration form by this date. Any short films received after this time will not be considered.

» The Prize
  • An all expenses paid trip to Paris, France.
  • Screening of the winning films at an international forum.
  • An opportunity to meet government, civil society and media from around the world.
For more details click here

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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 12/09/2010 02:07:00 AM

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: 2011 unreasonable institute fellow

Apply to be one of the 25. 2011 Unreasonable institute fellows. The second annual unreasonable institute will unite 25 exceptional, young entrepreneurs for 6 weeks in the summer of 2011 in Colorado, United States.

During that time, they will live and work with 60 world-class mentors, pitch their ventures to hundreds of investors, obtain free legal advice and design consulting, form relationships with up to 30 impact investment funds and prepare to launch financially, self sustaining, globally scalable ventures that can serve the needs of at least 1million people.

For more details, click here

Application closes December 15, 2010

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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 12/08/2010 05:11:00 AM

Monday, December 06, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: the Struggle for health Workshop for yo...

The International People's Health University (IPHU) of the People's Health Movement (PHM) jointly with Human Action for Integrated Development in Senegal (AHDIS) and Forum des Alternatives Maroc (FMAS) announce "THE STRUGGLE FOR HEALTH" a short training course for young health activists from 30 January to 11 February 2011 in Dakar, Senegal - including participation in the World Social Forum (WSF), 6-11 Feb. 2011.

Objectives

The IPHU short courses are to enable younger health activists to make new connections, share experiences and study together. They aim at strengthening the growing activism of the People's Health Movement.

Who is the course planned for?

  • Young health activists and practitioners working on the issues of health, gender and human rights and particularly including those involved or wish to be involved in the People's Health Movement (PHM).
  • Applicants should have a university degree or equivalent.
  • Priority, with respect to enrolment, will be given to
    • Younger people motivated to get involved in PHM and have endorsed the People's Charter for Health;
    • Primary health care and public health practitioners;
    • People with a track record as health activists within the PHM, in particular, people who have been actively involved in organizations which are part of the PHM.
  • A total of 50 participants is expected.
  • The enrolment policy aims to achieve:
    • geographical mix
    • gender balance
    • diversity of involvements: community based organizations, health care agencies, NGOs, universities, government officials, etc; and
    • diversity of skills, records of activism, interests, experience, and educational backgrounds
    • For more details, click here


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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 12/06/2010 08:00:00 AM

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Straight from Wikileaks.nl/about.html

"...a more inquiring media can make a difference in the world

3.1 The Malaria Case Study: the antidote is good governance born from a strong media

Malaria is a case study in why good governance not just good science is the solution to so much human suffering. This year, the mosquito borne disease will kill over one million people. More than 80% of these will be children. Great Britain used to have malaria. In North America, malaria was epidemic and there are still a handful of infections each year. In Africa malaria kills over 100 people per hour. In Russia, amidst the corruption of the 1990s, malaria re-established itself. What is the difference between these cases?

Why does Malaria kill so many people in one place but barely take hold in another? Why has malaria been allowed to gain a foothold in places like Russia where it was previously eradicated? We know how to prevent malaria epidemics. The science is universal. The difference is good governance.

Put another way, unresponsive or corrupt government, through malaria alone, causes a children's "9/11" every day. [1]

It is only when the people know the true plans and behaviour of their governments that they can meaningfully choose to support or reject them. Historically, the most resilient forms of open government are those where publication and revelation are protected. Where that protection does not exist, it is our mission to provide it through an energetic and watchful media.

In Kenya, malaria was estimated to cause 20% of all deaths in children under five. Before the Dec 2007 national elections, WikiLeaks exposed $3 billion of Kenyan corruption, which swung the vote by 10%. This led to changes in the constitution and the establishment of a more open government. It is too soon to know if it will contribute to a change in the human cost of malaria in Kenya but in the long term we believe it may. It is one of many reforms catalyzed by WikiLeaks unvarnished reporting.3.2 The importance of principled leaking to journalism, good government and a healthy society" Read the rest

Some comments:
1. Scandinavia, not America, is where to look for models of participatory democracy.
2. Nigeria, with the egregious abuses of cliquish access to money via elected office, will innovate and come to lead the world in practising decentralized democracy.
3. Because we are not even under military rule, the amount of freedom we possess is enormous. It is only fear that holds us back. Pity.
4. Did you know that all formal activities of the Nigerian (federal) legislature are currently on their official website? A few state legislatures have limited sites as well, with phones/emails of state assembly members, and record of legislation passed. This is commendable and should allow a watchful citizenry to observe and comment on their government.

Next I'll post links to the websites of a few (Nigerian) state houses of assembly and expect your comments on what transparency improvements you want to see.

Speaking of transparency, buy Sunday next Newpaper today. At =N=200, it's the deal in Sunday newspapers. I just read mine, and it's worth it for the editorial column alone.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Falling prices for phone calls and internet

Very exciting how competition improved service and pricing in telecommunication in Nigeria.
Who's switching to Airtel?
BusinessDay reports that "In the coming weeks, Nigeria’s highly competitive telecommunications market will witness sweeping squeeze in call-rate prices following Airtel Nigeria’s move to crash prices of mobile phone talk-time to as low as N9 per minute from the current industry rate averaging N35 to N42 per minute across networks...

Analysts view Airtel’s move as strategic for market share as it intends to invite new subscribers on to its network and wrestle existing ones from competing networks. This, of course, will boost revenue in the long run as Airtel will enjoy better economies of scale through reduced cost per unit of delivering services as volume increases.
..

[meanwhile] The internet download price slash has forced prices down to as low as N3,000 from N10,000 in less than three months with MTN leading the slash race. Industry experts believe the price will in no time drop to levels comparable to UK charges which is currently about N1,250 or 5 UK pounds sterling
"

On the other hand,
I wonder how much competition is planned in Nigeria Electric Power: not as much as one would like. Instead we have excuses about how inefficient it would be to duplicate distribution and transmission systems. This means that while there might be multiple players in power generation, we would try again and see if a government transmission company would replenish its infrastructure and give reasonable performance. No way. If we want decent electric power, we must duplicate first, harmonize later. It may seem wrong, but it's going to be right.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Friday, November 19, 2010

Useless Bank of Africa

I'm so tired. Why am I tired? Ah yes, it's because I'm hungry. Why am I hungry? Because I've been roaming around trying to get internet to do some "work" (such as type this blog, hehehe)
Why can't I get internet at the office in spite of having sacrificed a workweek and my good health to get authenticated for the new Unilag internet? Because it's switched off but the room it's in is locked and the internet office can't fix it and I'm not willing to sacrifice another day and my health...
The business news in Nigeria is very good. Let me explain: Bandwidth. Let me show you:
Competition forces telcos to reduce tariff on data services
•Internet users in for good times

Going by the increasing number of undersea cables coming into Nigeria, both finance and market watchers say the nation’s highly competitive telecommunications market appears poised for a tariff war.

Speaking on the development, which they already estimate will spur exciting times for internet users in the country, they told BusinessDay that most operators are spurred by the prospect of boosting revenue from internet services as voice tariffs continue to fall. To this effect, data services has now emerged as the new ‘competition war front’ for telecoms firms.

Since the liberalisation of the telecoms sector in 2001, internet access market has remained untapped while voice services thrived. For years, and until the last few weeks, the only cable system serving Nigeria’s internet needs was the South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable - a submarine communications cable linking Portugal and Spain to South Africa, with connections to several West African countries along the route. MainOne cable and Glo-1 have already commenced commercial services.

Equally, the West African Cable System (WACS) - an initiative of nine countries (including Nigeria’s MTN Group), which comes with a high capacity submarine cable system linking Europe, West Africa and South Africa is, at the moment, under construction.

Analysts who spoke with BusinessDay confirmed that some telcos are already taking advantage of the enormous bandwidth on offer from these new cable systems to lower internet tariffs, strengthen existing services and produce new solutions that promise to transform the economy.

Leading the pack in the area of pricing, meanwhile, is MTN Nigeria which has reduced its monthly Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) tariffs from N5, 000 to N3, 000. This thus rates it as the cheapest in Nigeria currently.

According to Kenneth Omeruo, an internet analyst, for other telcos to stay competitive, they will have to lower their respective BIS tariffs. This, he noted, will translate into more Nigerians getting connected to the internet at international broadband speeds and at more affordable prices.

However, in a swift response, second national operator, Globacom, which has its own self-feeding submarine cable - ‘the Glo-1’, has also reduced the price of its 3G internet service by 25 percent. Now, Globacom’s internet subscribers can enjoy data limits of 6GB on its ‘Always Max Package’ for only N7, 500 from the previous price of N10, 000. Moreover, insider sources disclose that Zain is also making plans to introduce a new promotional package that would see BIS tariffs fall to as low as N1, 500 monthly.

Some GSM operators have also introduced new bundled product offering, with the pay- off being free internet service. Only recently, Etisalat and Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a new smart device that allows users to enjoy PC (Personal Computer) like web browsing, e-mail-on-the-go with an optimised user interface. The Tab comes with an Etisalat SIM card which offers 25 minutes of free voice calls, 25 free SMS and more importantly, 250 MB of free internet access every month for one year.

Similarly, Globacom and leading technology solutions provider, Hewlett-Packard (HP), have introduced an innovative offering that enables Nigerians to own top-end internet-equipped netbooks. Under the special bundling offer, customers can get Glo 3G powered HP netbook for N34, 000.

Without doubt, data services have become the next frontier in Nigeria’s telecoms industry even as the voice segment reaches saturation point, analysts have submitted. They added that telcos would however have to pay keen attention to data services as a new revenue generating stream.

The analysts believe that even as telcos focus more on internet services due to the proliferation of submarine cables, the cost of internet access will continue to drop significantly as more bandwidth capacity becomes readily available to the market.

Lanre Ajayi, president, Nigerian Internet Group (NIG), who spoke with BusinessDay at the weekend, said: “Telecoms operators are increasingly paying attention to the internet. The reason for this is that voice services is reaching saturation point. They are looking at data as a new revenue generating stream. This is also why they have rolled out their 3G and GPRS services to their customers.

What we are seeing today is not surprising to me. We are witnessing the effect of having more than one submarine cable in the country. With three cables fully active in the country, there is an abundance of bandwidth capacity available to telecoms operators. They have no options but to offer innovative data services to their subscribers at lower costs. The trend will continue and we hope when other cables berth on the country’s shores, the cost of internet access will become even more affordable and improve Nigeria’s digital index and internet penetration rate,” the NIG boss noted further.

So now, though very belatedly, Nigerians will have access to internet phone, video phone, reasonable Internet speed, better prices, studying online instead of bothering with antique educational institutions (I'm not saying Nigeria is horrible, I'm just saying the world is changing so fast that school may be too behind-the-times for some kids.)
The other reason I haven't had breakfast really is that I needed to send someone a little money. Remembering that I can't do this electronically - there is a lot you can not do in the banks - I decided to use the ATM to withdraw the cash from near my bank branch office after which I would take a =N=20 ride to the person's bank branch office to deposit the money and then start my day. As you might have guessed, even this didn't go so smoothly. "Issuer or Switch Inoperative" was the message from the machine. If you live in Naija you know that means no juice.
So I thought again, why is UBA (United Bank for Africa) fighting with their service provider (Interswitch?) Or why would they shut down service three days (so far) in one week?) Is it because they want all their customers to revert to other banks? Unlike on Sunday when I was stranded on Lagos Island - that day, I was supposed to take a friend out to lunch and theater: nothing - and on Tuesday - also a holiday, banks closed for Eid, and I was going to take mum out for her birthday but SHE ended up giving me money hehehehe - today I was right by an open bank branch.
The friendly lady in the bank told me of the customer service phone number at the back of the card. Lesson learned: next time something goes wrong, call customer service like you would do in yankee/jand/wherever. Assuming you have money for phonecalls (which will become cheaper soon yippee) and the phone network is up you have "service" and ... She said it might soon be fixed.
Since I didn't want to line up inside the bank for an over-the-counter withdrawal (one hour of my life, plus when it reached my turn they would ask "did you bring your withdrawal booklet?" and I would actually laugh out loud because they always have a test question to deprive the undeserving of their world-class service), I waited at the ATM enclosure, a small house with maybe six machine with one or two "dispensing" on usual days while one or two let you "check your balance." Today no UBA customer would experience the thrill of checking balance. Only Issuer or Switch Inoperative.
I watched a bunch of people come and leave with no juice, and I saved a few people the effort by announcing the machines don't work. As they left, more than one of them muttered Useless Bank of Africa! Now that's the way to deal with these things, with wit and humour, while Americanas like me go lodging complaints and action-planning.
I was reading my newspaper (of course somebody asked to borrow one) when I got bounced by a security guy who suggested I wait elsewhere but not in the shade of his useless ATM house. Then decided to go home - the sun has been firing on an cylinders these days so, not fun - to get a few notes I had kept there, then I went to the other person's bank to make the deposit of little over 50 dollars.
Mission almost accomplished. After a few quarrels with the musical security-check robot hallway - go back, try without the keys, try without the bag, lift up your cell phone then walk slo-owly, no, walk briskly (walk "sharply", as we say) - I finally got into First Bank, listened to some guy complain about how he needed some service that was (of course) impossible for the bank to perform, probably a withdrawal, and then made the deposit.
Yeah, so am I planning to do any research today? Dude, let me get breakfast first.

The newspaper has more good news: the handling of the banks' crisis in Nigeria yielded a plea-bargain and jail-term, which is more than any other country can boast, so we're teaching the Americans. With this kind of good PR and a united financial team, that good investment money is on its way in. Al hamdulillah. Please just celebrate: don't spoil it by saying that Ibru is actually not in jail but nursing her heart in the rich-man-hospital.
In other news, Basel III exists, although many countries haven't even got through the first set of regulations yet.
The newspapers were fun. Philip Isakpa and Funke Adetutu (I'm not ready to change her surname even if she is) and Victor Ehikhamenor (and - one week later - how could I leave out Dayo Elusakin) keep up the tradition of the humour that makes all things bearable. I love you Naija.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The top 0.001% and the remaining 99.999%

I recently returned from a legislative internship programme in a State House of Assembly in Nigeria. This experience reminded me that
1. the work of government legislature is nothing but a little commonsense discussion, such that with phones and communication technology, anybody can do it and
2. the work of government legislature is not being done in Nigeria - how many people know, let alone trust, their representatives?
I do not think the representatives spent 1hour in the entire month of October working for the people of their state. But the state has given them enough money to become fine yuppies with SUVs, phones, and polo shirts?
Instead of paying for poor government, why don't we just debate things ourselves and buy something good with the money we save:
- electricity at =N=150billion naira (that is, 500 individuals' pay) per 1000MW
- education at =N=100 thousand per month per teacher and =N=100 thousand per year per child
- health care
- electoral reform

As it stands, Nigeria's Lawmakers have the highest pay in the world. I think we can get better service much cheaper. I think we need to fire them all and use our computer. (Yeah, talk in rhyme all the time)

Some may say we need to canvass for not only a minimum wage, but a maximum wage as well. One could set the maximum wage at 10 or 20 times the minimum wage. As it stands now, that ratio is about 10,000 (the highest wage of hundreds of millions per year divided by the lowest wage of tens of thousands per year)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Stretch

Saturday 30th October, 2010 - Up by 2 am, worked in the studio till about 7am when I took a break for breakfast and a nap before getting into the regular Saturday routine.

Sunday 31st October 2010 - Up by 5am, worked in the studio till about 9am then I took a break to get ready for Church with the family and the rest of the regular Sunday schedule.

Monday 1st November 2010 – Up by 1am, worked till 4am, took a short nap before starting the week.

And on and on, a peep into my diary in recent times. Even today, I worked from 3am till day break. Stretching, to meet deadline, to perfect my skill, to be better at what I do.

Thinking back though, for the first few weeks after leaving paid employment, I felt one of the things I needed to enjoy was a little more rest, like a nap in the afternoonor longer hours at night. But then I pondered on the routine of some popular/successful people.

Tiger woods

6:00 Weight workout (90 minutes)

7:30 Breakfast ; 8:00 Practice tee (2 hours); 10:00 Putting green

10:30 Play 9 holes; 12:00 Lunch; 1:00 Practice tee (2 hours)

3:00 Short game work; 4:00 Play 9 holes; 5:00 Putting green

5:30 Home

Even though he has played since he was two years old and has a very unique gift for the sport of golf, Tiger focuses on a detailed (and deliberate) practice routine each and every day. Deliberate practice makes Tiger a great golfer. (CrossHairs Trader)

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart rises before the sun, well-rested and ultra-perky at 3:30 am. But, the fact is that no one has ever seen Martha Stewart sleep ... (Martha Stewart Everyway)

President Obama

He reads several papers, eats breakfast with his family and helps pack his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, off to school before making the 30-second commute downstairs — a definite perk for a man trying to balance work and family life. He eats dinner with his family, then often returns to work; aides have seen him in the Oval Office as late as 10 p.m., reading briefing papers for the next day. (New York Times, January 2009)

John Grisham

When he first started writing, Grisham says, he had "these little rituals that were silly and brutal but very important."

"The alarm clock would go off at 5, and I'd jump in the shower. My office was 5 minutes away. And I had to be at my desk, at my office, with the first cup of coffee, a legal pad and write the first word at 5:30, five days a week."

His goal: to write a page every day. Sometimes that would take 10 minutes, sometimes an hour; ofttimes he would write for two hours before he had to turn to his job as a lawyer, which he never especially enjoyed. In the Mississippi Legislature, there were "enormous amounts of wasted time" that would give him the opportunity to write.

"So I was very disciplined about it," he says… (San Francisco Chronicle, Februay 2008)

What we see usually is the result of their stretches. I have learnt that what got them there and keeps them there is a lifestyle of consistency in giving more than what is common.

It didn’t take time for it to dawn on me that, if I also wanted to be different, then I couldn’t continue to do what the regular person did. I needed to stretch. Truth is, I need to put in extra to get into the extra-ordinary. I would only get out of life what others who sleep and wake at the common time get.

How spot on the words of this quote – The Heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in a sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night - It regularly filled my mind when I was tempted to become laissez faire with my routine.

So now I stretch. For others it may take another format, but definitely to master that skill or ability, you need to give it more- maybe time, maybe attention. You may need to study more, make more cold calls for that sale or even practice more.

Looking t the end goal usually helps to stay on track with stretching. Even the Bible says…for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross (referring to Jesus Christ).

Remember you can’t get what others are not getting if you give just what they are giving. Keep that target in mind, thenssstttrrreeetttccchhh.

Monday, November 08, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] the $1million Wilberforce award for young people

The Wilberforce Award

It has become obvious to me that my generation has over exploited our wonderful world – and it's younger people who will pay the price. Like many people my age, I've benefited from a long period of constant economic and population growth – we are addicted to it. But sooner or later this consumption growth will have an end. We appear to be already bumping against the limits of what our planet can sustain and the evidence is everywhere to see.
Right now I believe we could be sleepwalking to catastrophe because we are failing to both acknowledge that there are limits to growth in a finite world and to prepare for a more sustainable way of organising our economy. In the 19th Century, empires were built on the labour of slaves, and it was believed economies would collapse if slavery was abolished. But brave people like William Wilberforce fought to end the slave trade – and economies still flourished. We need brave people like Wilberforce today, and I want to encourage a new generation of clear-thinking and inspiring young leaders.
So today I am announcing Dick Smith's Wilberforce Award – $1 million to go to a young person under 30 who can impress me by becoming famous through his or her ability to show leadership in communicating an alternative to our population and consumption growth-obsessed economy. I will be looking for candidates whose actions over the next year show that they have what it takes to be among the next generation of leaders our incredible planet so badly needs.
Candidates will need to have a firm belief that we can have a viable and strong world economy that is no longer obsessed with growth for its own sake, but instead encourages both a stable population and sustainable consumption of energy and resources. They must be able to communicate that we cannot continue to squander the resources that will be needed by future generations, and they must also be able to communicate a plan that offers an alternative to our growth addiction.
Like the Nobel Prize, you will not apply for the Wilberforce Award. Over the next twelve months I will be following the media throughout the world to see who is the most outstanding individual in not only making a significant contribution to this important issue, but who also becomes famous through his or her contribution to the debate.
One year from now I will announce the winner of the $1 Million Wilberforce Award. The Award will go towards advancing the momentum the winner will have already achieved.

for more information click here


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Posted By Blogger to youth development in Nigeria at 11/07/2010 10:35:00 PM

Monday, November 01, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: Institute for Venture Design Fellowship

Prospective Applicants

We are seeking energetic, entrepreneurial people, with engineering, IT, management or applied art backgrounds, to join together in learning how to create solutions to real world problems, and in starting new businesses.

We look for applicants who can't get through a day without noticing all the things that could be better in their environment; those who can't wait to spend their free time developing ideas and solutions to the problems they see around them. We look for applicants who work well in a team in which everybody shares leadership.

Generally, we seek candidates with the following skills and attributes:


  • 1. B.Sc or HND, preferably in science, engineering, social science, architecture or art.
  • 2. Minimum of 1 year post NYSC work experience in manufacturing, construction, food processing, consulting, banking, retail business, or the arts
  • 3. Demonstrable values of integrity, honesty and hard work
  • 4. Reflective about the self and with a strong desire for self-improvement.
  • 5. Creative
  • 6. Passionate about problem solving
  • 7. Enjoys working with other people
  • 8. Willing to commit minimum of 2 years to the program

Program fees for the January cycle of the IVD Fellowship will be sponsored by the Ford Foundation.


Admitted applicants will work in teams on real and pressing problems to design new products and business ventures. At the same time, fellows will gain personal knowledge and an experiential mastery of principles of design, engineering, business, finance and collaboration that lead to the creation of a sustainable capital formation system.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please click on the link below and complete the online application form.
www.the-ivd.org/applicationform
After you have submitted your application, please deposit the application fee at your nearest GT Bank Branch, and send an email with the following format:

To: recruitment@the-ivd.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Subject: Application fee paid
Body: Full name and the payment slip number from the Bank.

BANK DETAILS FOR PAYMENT
Bank: Guaranty Trust Bank
Application Fee: ₦5000
Account name: FATE Foundation
Account Number: 201/110752/115

Applicants that have challenges submitting this fee should please contact us at recruitment@the-ivd.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with the subject: Application fee issues

Applications are open until November 2nd 2010. Eligible applicants will be invited for an aptitude test and interviews. All unsuccessful applicants are free to reapply for future sessions.

NOMINATIONS
If you are interested in nominating a candidate for this program, please send us an email at recruitment@the-ivd.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the following items:
  • 1. Subject: Nomination (last name, First name)
  • 2. Candidate's Resume attached
  • 3. Statement of recommendation in the body of the email
KEY DATES:

Applications for our first cycle of participants are open until November 2nd, 2010
Cycle 1 Start Date : Jan.14th
Cycle 1 End Date: Jun.14th
Cycle 2 Start Date: Information coming soon!

For any additional questions or comments, please contact us at info@the-ivd.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 11/01/2010 04:57:00 AM

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: Researc Grant Program For Young African...

The H.F. Guggenheim Foundation makes grants for scholarly research into problems of aggression and violence. One program is reserved for African Scholars under the age of 35, educated and living on the African continent. Selected applicants will attend a methods workshop to refine and improve their research plans in Accra, Ghana, in March 2011, and after submitting revised plans, will receive grants of $2000 each to support their fieldwork. In 2012 they will be funded to attend a professional conference to present their findings and will receive assistance in finding a publisher for their work.

RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM FOR YOUNG AFRICAN SCHOLARS

The H.F. Guggenheim Foundation makes grants for scholarly research into problems of aggression and violence. One program is reserved for African Scholars under the age of 35, educated and living on the African continent. Selected applicants will attend a methods workshop to refine and improve their research plans in Accra, Ghana, in March 2011, and after submitting revised plans, will receive grants of $2000 each to support their fieldwork. In 2012 they will be funded to attend a professional conference to present their findings and will receive assistance in finding a publisher for their work.

Applications are due by December 1, 2010 for the 2011-2012 awards. Awardees will be announced before the end of the year.

This year's theme is "Spirituality and Violence." Proposals are invited to investigate how aspects of religion, ideologies, and traditional cultures and beliefs work either to mitigate conflict (conflict resolution and reconciliation, personal values, community and family strength, etc.) or to encourage conflicts (religious conflicts, subjugation of women, sorcery killings, bias against sexual and other minorities, etc.)

Proposals should be around ten pages in length, include a description of the problem to be investigated, specific research questions and plans to pursue the answers to those questions, and a c.v. for the applicant including proof of age and residence.

Send them to Karen Colvard, Program Director, as email attachments to kjcolvard@aol.com, or by mail to her at the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, 25 West 53rd St. New York, NY 10019, USA.

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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 11/01/2010 04:24:00 AM

Friday, October 29, 2010

All you single ladies...

The next (third) meeting of The Interface is slated for 9am-ish Saturday November 13 at TerraKulture on Tiamiyu Savage Street (near Bar Beach) in Victoria Island Lagos. I'm jes' saying, the guy:girl ratio is Caltech-high. The odds are good; while the goods are not even odd.
What is The Interface?

Money for Innovators

If you're in Science / Technology in a Nigerian University, please visit the website of STEP-B for more information on how to access funding for research and development projects.

Innovator grants of up to US$20,000 to individual S&T graduates (Bachelor, Masters and PhD) from PBEIs in their final year to encourage “Nigerian innovators of tomorrow”. (2% of total credit; US$4M)

It appears that this year, Innovators of Tomorrow Awards may go to 538 students in 228 Departments in 34 higher education institutions in Nigeria.

STEP-B is a Nigerian Science Technology and Education (Post-Basic) improvement programme.
IOT is their Innovators of Tomorrow segment, as STEP-B funds other categories, such as academic staff and universities as well as university students.
PBEI = Post-Basic Educational Institution.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program

Named in honor of the two principal founders of NED, former president Ronald Reagan and the late congressman Dante Fascell, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program enables democracy activists, practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change.
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows maintain full-time residence at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, NED's research arm located in Washington, D.C. The Forum hosts 16 to 20 Reagan-Fascell Fellows per year for periods ranging from five to ten months.

For more details click here

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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 10/23/2010 03:46:00 PM

Thursday, October 07, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: essay competition for young people on D...

Submit your essay on democracy, and win an opportunity to attend one of the largest global gatherings of democracy leaders!
The World Youth Movement for Democracy (www.wymdonline.org), a youth network of the World Movement for Democracy (www.wmd.org), is pleased to announce the launch of its Global Essay Contest. Fifteen semi-finalists (3 in each region: Asia, Central/Eastern Europe & Eurasia, Middle East & North Africa, Latin America & Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa) will be announced on Human Rights Day, December 10, and will have their essays published on the WYMD Web site. Two global winners will be invited to participate in the upcoming Community of Democracies Ministerial Meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July 2011. (www.community-democracies.org)

Questions

Democracy has been practiced in different ways and in different contexts. We believe there are core universal democratic values and aspirations that we all share, which transcend our differences, even though we live in different cultures, speak different languages, and eat different food. The purpose of this essay contest is to highlight personal engagement in democracy by promoting critical thinking about the role of young people in democracy and to connect youth with broader democracy movements. The questions posed below for this essay contest aim to challenge youth to write about their perspectives on democracy and their understanding of democracy activism, particularly their own.
Essays are required to address one or more of the following questions:
1. In what ways have young people contributed to democratic participation in your community? Highlighting some of the strategies and tools they have used, what difference have their efforts made?
2. New media and social networking are increasingly becoming popular tools for community organizing. In what ways have you and/or your organization been using new media for democracy promotion? How effective has it been and what challenges have you faced in using these tools?
3. What practices, do you think exemplify human rights activist protection or violation in your country that is not openly recognized? What do you think are the justifications for this and how can it be either replicated, in the case of a good example or stopped, in the case of a bad example?
4. What new factors can youth activists bring to longstanding human rights issues in your country? How have these issues been addressed in the past?

For more information, please follow the link

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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 10/07/2010 02:18:00 AM

Thursday, September 30, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: Mary Robinson Award for Young Women's L...

If you are a young woman, under the age of 30, involved in Human Rights
work - Please nominate yourself for the Mary Robinson Award for Young
Women's Leadership in Human Rights.

The deadline for submission of the reviewed nomination is October 31,
2010. Download the Nomination form at
http://www.worldywcacouncil.org/Mary-Robinson-Award or find attached.
Email the completed form to maryrobinsonaward@worldywca.org

The World YWCA established the Mary Robinson Award for Young Women's
Leadership in Human Rights to recognise young women leaders and human
rights activists. The first recipients of the award will be honoured and
celebrated during the International Women's Summit in Zurich,
Switzerland from July 12 - 13, 2011.

The award recognises:

1.      A young YWCA human rights activist
2.      A young woman human rights activist from the broader community
of partners working on human rights
3.      A member association that demonstrates exemplary support and
promotion of young women's leadership in the field of human rights.

Mary Robinson is a renowned human rights activist and a trailblazer for
women's rights and leadership, was the first woman President of Ireland
(1990-1997) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(1997-2002). She has spent most of her life as a human rights advocate.
As an academic (Trinity College Law Faculty 1968-90), legislator
(Senator 1969-89) and barrister (1967-90, Senior Counsel 1980, English
Bar 1973) she has always sought to use law as an instrument for social
change, arguing landmark cases before the European Court of Human
Rights, the Irish courts and the European Court in Luxemburg. Mary
Robinson served as Chair for the Council of Women World Leaders and is
presently leading Realising Rights: the Ethical Globalisation
Initiative.

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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 9/30/2010 06:04:00 AM

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: ICRC Young Reporter Competition - Deadl...

Participate in the ICRC Young Reporter Competition and get an inside look at the ICRC's humanitarian action, in collaboration with national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The five best entries will win a one-week mission to ICRC delegations in Senegal, Georgia, Lebanon, Liberia and the Philippines. You will get to interview young people affected by armed conflict or other situations of violence and have a chance to report back to your peers, using your own words and creative talents. With the guidance and coaching of an ICRC communication specialist, selected candidates will produce a news report on their mission—in print or film—to be published and/or shown in a variety of media outlets. The finished products will be presented during a ceremony held in Geneva, Switzerland, around May 8, 2011.

To see all entry requirements, see their website:



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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 9/30/2010 12:28:00 AM

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

[youth development in Nigeria] Apply: Crossing Borders, Global studies

The Crossing Borders Global Studies is a unique programme designed for
internationally-minded and socially-committed applicants from around
the world. The programme focuses on current institutional, cultural,
environmental, conflict and citizenship dimensions of globalization,
including the UN 2015 Millennium Development Goals. The programme
includes introduction to Danish society and culture and study tours
around Denmark.

What does the scholarship cover?

The scholarship covers full tuition, food, accommodation in double
room during the semester period 9 January to 11 June 2011, including 2
week study tour around Denmark.

Who is the scholarship for?
To be considered, scholarship applicants must be
• from Muslim countries
• aged between 20 and 30 years old
• active in youth, grassroots or civil society organisations in their countries
• interested in contributing to the peaceful development of their communities
• eager to contribute with articles and/or other media production
about their countries
• willing to share experience, knowledge and exchange ideas with
fellow youth from different cultures.


How to apply
• Fill out the online application form:
http://krogerup.dk/Application-Form-in-English
• Send by email a motivation letter of 250-300 words to
garba@krogerup.dk together with 2 recommendation letters from two
different youth, public or civil society organisations and an update
CV.

Application deadline
Application deadline is 15 October 2010

For more information on:
Visit: http://krogerup.dk/Crossing-Borders-Global-Studies,175 and
www.crossing-borders.org
For more information on the Foundation, visit:
http://www.davidmus.dk/en/information.

For further information, contact

Garba Diallo
garba@krogerup.dk
tel. +45 49213371 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +45 49213371      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Krogerupvej 9, 3050 Humlebaek, Denmark

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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 9/29/2010 09:06:00 AM

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Y! Empire :)

young. nigerian. It's called Y!
I think you'll love it. Look what I found on the site, for example:

Fight Poverty
Posted by Y! Magazine Online in The Money Maestro,
Glory Enyinnaya

Biola Johnson was an upwardly mobile engineer climbing the career ladder steadily. One day his company became the victim of a hostile take-over and the next day, he was tossed out on his ear. Ijeoma Nwosu was a British-trained beautician ready to take the world of cosmetology by storm. When she was diagnosed with leukemia, her dreams came crashing down. Halima Abdul was a starry-eyed lady looking forward to relocating to the United States after wedding her heartthrob, Yusuf. When Yusuf lost his job in the stock-market crisis, the wedding had to be put on hold indefinitely.

What causes poverty? Only the naïve and insensitive think the only cause of poverty is laziness. In these days of stock market crashes, downsizing and bank failures, poverty strikes high-powered professionals, CEOs and other hard workers. The recent recession brought about by the subprime mortgage crisis in the U.S. impoverished many. How can you poverty-proof yourself so that when the tide of ‘’sudden disaster’’ comes in, you’re safe and sound?

There are a few tried-and-true habits which I’ll share with you this week.

* Pay Yourself First:

Since the ax can fall on anyone – illness, disability and layoffs – it’s best to be prepared rather than live in a bubble of invincibility. Before you cut a check for your transportation, dining or utilities, set aside 10% of your income in a savings account. The funds in this savings account should be kept frozen. This way, when tragedy falls, you’ll be cushioned from the huge blow.

* Release Yourself from Your Creditors:

What most people don’t know is that by paying the minimum monthly installments on your debts, you’re almost guaranteed to remain in debt for ages. Cut down on your indulgences and look for ways to write off huge chunks of your outstanding balance. Be proactive and find ways –even if it means calling your creditors and scheduling a meeting to discuss a rate reduction. Getting out of the debt noose is worth it.

* Think ‘’Multiple Streams of Income’’:

Having a primary source of income that pays all your living expenses and then some is a luxury few people are able to enjoy. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have a business on the side. Job security is a joke, and there’s no loyalty in the corporate world. You can be your bosses’ right hand man today, and out on the streets tomorrow. Don’t let them get the last laugh.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Access to Capital: It's slowly increasing.

Source
ALF SIGNS TRAINEES LOAN AGREEMENT WITH NERFUND
The Africa Leadership Forum (ALF) April 7, 2010 in Abuja, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) to provide single digit interest loans to trainees of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, Lagos.

The disbursement of the loan will be monitored by both NERFUND and the ALF to ensure that beneficiaries merit and have produced bankable business plans approved by the Business Development unit of the EDC, Lagos. Each loan has a maximum tenure of three years with a six to nine months moratorium. All the trainees with business in productive sector can benefit from the scheme. First batch of business plan submitted for risk analysis and assessment. Disbursement will follow as soon as this exercise is completed.

According to the MOU selected beneficiaries must established their businesses under the supervision of ALF-EDC and NERFUND and they must be graduates of the EDC, Lagos whose businesses are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. Each of the beneficiaries would be required to provide 10 percent of value of the proposed business and also provide copies of their EDC training certificate and business plan endorsed by the Centre.
The terms are further clarified that small enterprises are the primary focus “with the possibility to cover small and medium enterprises later”. Such enterprises are also expected to engage in direct production of goods and services “with not less than sixty percent (60%) local content”.

It is also meant for starting new businesses as well as business expansion for those trained under the EDC scheme. The MOU was signed on behalf of ALF by Mr. Ayodele Aderinwale, its Executive Director, while the Managing Director of NERFUND, Mr. Baba Maina Gimba endorsed the agreement for the Fund. Also present were the Project Director, EDC, Lagos, Dr. Olumide Ajayi; NERFUND Project Legal Adviser, Mrs. I. Ike.
Other government agencies that signed similar MOU with NERFUND include National Centre for Women’s Development, National Directorate for Employment (NDE) and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agencies (SMEDAN).

The EDC Lagos, operated by the Africa Leadership Forum, is the implementing Agency (IA) for the South West geopolitical zone of the CBN Entreprenuership Development Project. It has trained 7,881 and counseled 8,501 clients since inception in April 2008. Furthermore, the Centre has trained thousands of clients of the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA). Currently, the Centre is working with Ekiti State Government and to date, 97 graduates of Ekiti State origin have undergone a three- month training programme, while the second phase of 103 graduates is due to commence shortly. In similar vein, EDC is partnering with the Foundation for Skills Development (FSD), Lift Above Poverty (LAPO), New Life Empowerment Initiative and other non-governmental organizations in the execution of its mandate.

Previously on UpNaira

 

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