THE BLESSINGS AND CURSES OF MMM ET AL

This year 2016 has proven to be unarguably saturated with so many forms of online and offline communities of people helping people, multi-level marketing and Ponzi schemes viz; MMM, Icharity, Helping Hands International, ZarFund, Ultimate Cycler, Bits 2 Biz, Greenworld, GNLD, Fast Track and a host of others. Some of these platforms have been in existence for quite a long time now but happen to have gotten more publicity this year. Why so?

This is the part where so many of us will not like to hear of which I’ll just have to say nonetheless; it’s corruption.

All these schemes of course are legitimate sources of income, all you have to do to benefit from them is take a little risk, do some little work and afterwards smile a big smile, but I mention corruption because corruption has turned most Nigerians to becoming greedy.

Recall that before 2016, cash flowed generously in the country and so many persons literally had to do nothing to make cool bucks but right now, it’s no longer status quo. The standard of living of these persons have grown quite high and they need to keep up appearances, hence their current disposition to maximizing whatever opportunity that comes their way, which these schemes offer.

I’m in no way insinuating that all participants of these schemes are greedy. There are some who play by the rules and are moderate in their dealings which are absolutely commendable, but there are many much more that are ‘smart’ enough to play by their own rules, whose dealings threaten the sustainability of these schemes.

For example, why would the treasurer/executives of a cooperative union invest the entire cooperative funds in their possession? Why would a participant in MMM have up to twenty seven (27) accounts? Why would an individual invest his/her entire salary in any of these schemes? Why would parents invest their children’s school fees, shopkeepers their rents, students their fees? The list goes on and I’ll tell you why they do this. It’s greed.

A platform like MMM made it clear that one should invest only spare cash i.e. money not having any use for the time being which could be translated thus; whether or not you get your money back, it does not in any way affect your standard of living. If you invested any money that makes you feel uncomfortable, you’re definitely not doing it right.

More importantly though is the effect that these schemes are having in our lives as individuals and as a nation. Some are positive, others are negative. Let’s take a look at some of the positive benefits in summary:

1   Increase in standard of living.

Of course, that’s what more money in your pocket does.

2.  Increase in minimum wage/workers welfare

When people are faced with plenty of alternatives to make easy, cool and legit money, very few would be willing to scrub floors or take orders from anyone.

3. Pursuit of true passion

Lack of money and jobs have forced many to do things they ordinarily wouldn’t have signed up for —especially our secondary school teachers —. If there’s a way they can make more in investments than their monthly take home, they’ll most likely quit.

4. Improvement of banking policies

Since many people will no longer be willing to stash their money in the banks, bankers will be forced to think outside the box in other to ensure their survival. 

5. Reduction in unemployment

With so many people quitting their jobs and opening their businesses, there will be enough jobs to go round.

6.  Reduction in violence/crisis

With so much money in my pocket, I’ll be very quick to forgive any rough driver who dents my bumper. I’m always happy and hardly notice increment in the prices of goods and services.

Enough of the potential bright sides; how about checking out some negative impacts of these schemes:

1. Increment of government taxes

The profits from these schemes are not taxable, and with many people quitting their jobs and making this money, existing tax revenues will drop and non-participants of the schemes may be required to bridge that gap.

2. Inflation

Since so much money will be going round, prices of goods and services will definitely soar, thereby stabbing our already dying currency.

3.  Loss in national GDP

Many government and private workers already buried in the scheme focus more on multiplying their earnings rather than their job roles thus slowing down our growth as a nation.

4  Reduction in the nation’s workforce

Very few people will be willing to work.

5  A lazy people

There would be a colossal loss in productivity. Students will no longer see the need to study, workers may lose their drive etc. This is true though for those who define money as the ultimate.

6.  Unpatriotic Citizens

Many will tend to live carefree lives and may not be passionate enough to struggle in smoothening the nation’s rough plains.

And so much more…

I myself have been greedy and have my greedy tendencies too, but I will like to say this to all networking participants;

Never make the acquisition of money your drive in life. Money will definitely make you happy, but it gives no joy or fulfilment. You were created for a purpose, discover that, live it out passionately and you’ll find yourself on the pathway to greatness.

God Bless Nigeria.

English and Mathematics; Pre-requisite For Entry into Higher Institutions

We are all familiar with the “five credit passes, including English and Maths” that accompany the terms & conditions of admission that must be satisfied in virtually all the tertiary institutions in the country. This has been an age long tradition whose relevance in our country today ought to be re-examined. I have a brief example to share.

I took four SS1 students private lessons on science courses and one of these students happen to be very poor in arithmetic, so poor in anything involving numbers to the extent that ‘ten’ divided by ‘two’ has proven on several occasions to be an arduous challenge for him. Let’s not discuss how he managed to even get to SS1 in the first place, but this boy is very bright in other subjects and was capable of reasoning and thinking real wide. I know that he definitely would get better in arithmetic (he already is), but what about others out there who might be facing similar challenges?

English language is merely a type of language. The fundamental essence of every language is communication. Inasmuch as one is capable of reading, writing and speaking a language, the primary objective of studying that language has been accomplished —save for those who choose to advance their knowledge in the field — and every other thing that follows is secondary.  What we study in English in our schools is quite disorienting. 

Likewise maths, research and survey have shown that several people possess an inherent ‘phobia’ for mathematics and thus find it extremely difficult to cope in an ‘arithmetic weather’. Others on the other hand are naturally endowed with the ability to effortlessly tackle mathematical problems.

For the English, since it has been adopted as our official language, I’ll say that it will do well for everyone to master its use. For mathematics however, someone who has been gifted in painting or athletics ought not to be unnecessarily punished or denied the opportunity of advancing in his/her career simply because he/she is not good in maths.

It’s high time we begin to evaluate certain norms/laws that no longer yield desired results. For one not to credit maths and English does not mean such a person has nothing to offer — I think that those who benefit from such student’s failures are the examination bodies themselves — even though these subjects are believed to be functional skills.

By now, some of our higher institutions ought to have been converted to specialized vocational schools if we truly believe that SME’s have a role to play in contributing to the nation’s GDP and help alleviate the soaring rate of unemployment.

God bless Nigeria.

WAEC & NECO, A WASTEFUL EXERCISE

Before proceeding further, let me make some clarification here for readers not to be misguided by the topic.

WAEC and NECO which happens to be the common yardstick for the issuance of O’ level certificates to secondary school graduates is a satisfactory trend, but what I sense to be wrong is the period of registration of these examinations and the time interval in which they are being written.

In our secondary schools, WAEC registration and NECO registration do take place simultaneously which I beg to question. Is there any fundamental difference in the nature of the examinations? If there is none, why then are students indirectly coerced to register for both exams at the same time?

We know quite well that WAEC is normally written before NECO, and before the WAEC results is out, you must have written NECO, thus awaiting two different results of similar magnitude! A concept I find so difficult to comprehend. It’s more like needing a car and ordering for two.

At a time when there is dire need to improve the standard of living of Nigerians, it becomes absolutely necessary to x-ray every form of wasteful attitude. WAEC and NECO registration fee no longer comes cheap…

The justification we do tell ourselves back then was this “in case you no sure of one or two paper for WAEC, you fit make am for NECO, and the one wey you no make for NECO, you fit make for WAEC…” I tell you most solemnly, this school of thought simply conditions the mind to nurture mediocrity, or better still to accepting failure. Assuming this school of thought holds water, what then happens to those who pass both exams flawlessly? Remember they’ll need only one.

What I am insinuating in essence is that these examinations should be properly spaced; i.e. if a candidate registers for WAEC, the exam should be written and the results published before the commencement of the NECO registration or vice versa. A student who after sitting for his/her mock examinations and JAMB should be adequately equipped to pass either WAEC or NECO in a sitting.

Having a result you will never make use of is a waste of financial resources.

"HOW CAN AFRICA ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY FOR ALL BY 2030"

By Onyeanuforo Charles Ikechukwu

The world is on the verge of another industrial revolution and in order for this to happen, energy has a crucial role to play.

Energy drives economic development of nations and hence is important in filling the energy gap between Africa and the rest of the world. Accounting for 16% of the total population of the world and 53% of the world's population without energy, Africa is left with a lot to do to advance with the rest of the world towards the attainment of the United Nation's declaration of 2014-2024 as the 'Decade of Sustainable Energy'.

'How can Africa achieve energy from non-exhaustible resources such that it's use presently does not jeopardize the ability of future generations to meet their needs?', is the vital question and the answer lies in the abundant energy resources native to Africa namely natural gas, hydropower and biomass.

With various Energy Outlook projecting natural gas as supplying 40% of global demand for energy, Natural gas' versatility to meet electricity for commercial and residential use and also transportation demands has seen it emerge as a viable option to toxic energy sources.

With abundant deposit in Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania and recently Senegal it can be utilized on scale however it remains unexplored due to the large investments required; a figure estimated by the African Development Bank to be in the region of 50-70 billion dollars.

The unexplored hydropower resources in Central Africa, especially in Congo is a massive opportunity for power generation that has remained so due to political instability and insecurity in the region making it unhealthy for investment.

Successes in Ivory Coast, Nigeria and other coastal regions have seen power generation extended to countries further inland highlighting the dominant force that Congo can be with the right conditions.
The great amount of agricultural waste in farming operations presents a viable feedstock for alternative liquid fuel production for the transport sector.

Simultaneous development of land for food crops thereby boosting biofuels feedstock present a long term research and development option with present benefits hindered by unavailability of cost-effective processing techniques.

Despite these, African countries are increasingly coming together to create the necessary political and business framework to build her energy capacity.

The political will in terms of making policies to enhance the ease of doing business is gradually improving. Africa remains highly optimistic as she sees achievable steps to ensure her energy future.

Inter-regional co-operation on security, energy generation and supply as well as partnership with development partners in and out of Africa has seen investors' interest soar as evidenced by USAID's 'Power Africa' project, forecasting a bright future for Africa's energy.

FEMINY

Transcending the steeping heights
A lush of velvet green
Covering the mountains
A narrow valley in-between
A valley with no stream but dew
A support for life; these milking mountains.

Written by Osabo Jacob 

12-Year-Old Moziah Bridges Runs A $150, 000 Business

Moziah Bridges, CEO of Mo's Bows.

In the past three years, while his classmates were doing homework and playing sports, Moziah Bridges built himself a $150,000 business.

That's right--he started his business when he was 9 years old. Not yet a teenager, Bridges now has five staff members and has received a ton of media attention, from an appearance on the TV show Shark Tank to features in O magazine and Vogue.

"I like to wear bow ties, because they make me look good and feel good," Bridges writes on his website. "Designing a colorful bow tie is just part of my vision to make the world a fun and happier place."

Ever the fashionista, he's reveled in style from a young age. At four years old, Bridges wore a suit and tie whenever possible and insisted on dressing himself.

His business, Mo's Bows, was born of his love for bow ties and his dissatisfaction with the selection available for kids his age. Even worse than the poor color selection, they were all clip-ons--Bridges believed real men should tie their own ties. His grandmother taught him to sew by hand and to use a sewing machine, using scraps to create his favorite neckwear.

Within a few months, he had created his own collection of more than two dozen bow ties. Friends and family fell in love with his creations. Bridges upped his production, fashioning tidy bow ties from his grandmother's vintage fabrics in an array of floral and African prints, and even scraps of old taffeta dresses.

Word of mouth worked its magic, and soon Bridges was taking orders through Facebook and selling on his own Etsy store. As demand increased, his mother, grandmother, and other family members came on board to help with production.

Today, each bow tie is still sewn from scratch, though Bridges has expanded from vintage materials to tweeds and ginghams, with a formal line of satins and silk. His bow ties are available in his own webstore, on Etsy, and in boutiques throughout Texas, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

When asked who his role models are, he said he looks up to Daymond John, who became his mentor as a result of the Shark Tank appearance.

As if his early success in business weren't enough, Bridges has also become something of a young philanthropist. This summer, he donated $1,600 to send 10 children from his hometown of Memphis to Glenview Summer Camp.

In a post on his blog, Bridges wrote, "Memphis is ranked the highest of child hunger; most kids only get a meal when school is in session. At the community center, the kids get a meal and play time. Giving back to my community really helped me feel humble. It also makes me smile because I see other kids smiling and enjoying the camp."

What's next for this inspirational kidpreneur? In a recent interview, Bridges said he wants to go college and start a full clothing line by the time he's 20.

He's got it all figured out, folks; Moziah Bridges has a happy, colorful life filled with business successes, social good, work-school-life balance, and solid goals for the future. And he still gets to bed at 8:30 every night!

What's holding you back?

Source: Inc.

Nigerian Police To Begin 10,000 Workers Recruitment In April 1st.

The Nigeria Police Commission has announced the commencement of a recruitment exercise for 10,000 workers as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

The announcement was made in a statement Wednesday, Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission. According to the statement, Mike Okiro, Chairman of the commission, said there would be no shortcuts in the exercise.

The statement urged interested applicants to access the portal through the commission’s website: www.psc.gov.ng or that of the Nigeria Police Force: www.npf.gov.ng.

The portal would be opened on April 1. It said that no fee would be charged for the processing of the forms which would be filled on-line.

The statement said that the exercise would be in three entry points of Constable, Cadet Inspector and Cadet ASP, while there would also be recruitment into the Specialist cadre.

It said that applicants for Police Constables are expected to possess five credits including Mathematics and English Language at Senior School Certificate Examination in not more than two sittings.

It said that for Cadet Inspectors, in addition to having the requirements of Police Constables, candidates would be expected to have an Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Advanced Level (A level), National Certificate in Education (NCE) or their equivalents.

The statement said Candidates for Cadet ASP must possess a University degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND).
Source: Metro News

Mike Mlombwa; From Beggar To Billionaire

Mike Mlombwa is a Malawian businessman and a billionaire in the country’s local currency. He owns Countrywide Car Hire, a vehicle rental and chauffeuring service operating in major cities, airports and hotels across Malawi. He has also recently ventured into the hospitality business with the construction of hotels. Today he is considered one of the country’s business success stories and has given talks globally.

But Mlombwa’s story began in poverty – a fact he hopes will be a source of inspiration for others. He grew up in the southern border district of Mwanza and lived with various families who were able to pay for his primary education in exchange for odd jobs.

“My mom was very poor… So, in the village, I grew up with several people who paid my school fees,” he recalled.

“In the afternoon I would come back from school to work in gardens or look after cattle or whatever.”

But, after completing his primary schooling, he was unable to find anyone in his district that would fund his high school education. And so Mlombwa made a 60km journey – on foot – to the commercial capital Blantyre. With no income or place to live, he visited churches looking for assistance and eventually found part-time employment that allowed him to complete his secondary schooling.

“One family took me in as a servant. I was working… but I was going to school where I did my Form 1-4.”

Mlombwa then started selling stationary and used his earnings to buy a second-hand car so he could travel across borders to buy stock from wholesalers in Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa. He then managed to acquire a second vehicle, and then a third.

“But the business became flooded [by competitors], especially from India…  So I sat down and thought: ‘What should I do?’

“Then the idea of opening a care hire company came into my mind.”

In 1997, and at age 28, he began his service with three second-hand cars. “And little by little I started increasing my fleet. In 2005 I had about seven vehicles. Then in 2007 I had 15, but three quarters were second-hand vehicles. This is when I asked my friend to assist me with making my company a limited company.”

But it wasn’t long before he needed a loan to expand further and increase his fleet for a government tender for airport services. He approached banks, but with no luck.

“I didn’t have a very good education like a degree, so it wasn’t easy,” he explained. “I struggled… The banks were not giving me an opportunity.”

To expand his fleet and service, Mlombwa struck a deal with various car owners to use their vehicles for a 20% commission. “And that was how [my business] took off. I make very good money.”

He used the profits to buy new vehicles and, once his business started blossoming, was able to receive a bank loan. “When they saw I was doing fine, banks came to me and said: ‘Okay, we can assist you now’,” highlighted Mlombwa.

Today his company owns a fleet of 80 vehicles and can be found at airports and hotels across the country.

But Mlombwa believes there is still considerable room for his service to grow and is now seeking investment to double his fleet. He is also constructing a number of hotels, under the Countrywide brand, which are expected to be completed by December.

Proud of where he came from 

“I come from a very poor family. When I say poor, I mean the poorest family. That is where I came from. Today sometimes I have to ask if I am dead in heaven or still alive, because I can’t believe that God has sent me here – that I have got a name in the world, in Africa.”

While Mlombwa had always wanted the opportunity to pursue a degree in university, he has no regrets.

“I am happy to face challenges and I am happy I became an entrepreneur. And to be honest, I don’t see it as a regret that I did not finish my schooling, because now I can employ people with master’s degrees or whatever. They are assisting me here and there.”

He noted it is not easy to start a small business in Malawi and compete with large international players. Access to finance and information also remain key hurdles for SMEs, and Mlombwa said the high interest rates on loans can cripple a business. To help combat some of these challenges, he started the Indigenous Business Association of Malawi (IBAM) to support local entrepreneurs with identifying opportunities and growing their ventures.

According to Mlombwa, a major reason many young entrepreneurs fail in Malawi, and across Africa, is because they are impatient and want to achieve success too quickly.

“They rush. When they see their business is doing fine in the first year, they want to start living a luxury life. They want to drive a Porsche; they want a certain life.”

He advises others to start small and grow strong, sustainable businesses over time.

“Younger people are always in a hurry to do things. They want to become billionaires in two years, but in another two years, they collapse,” he continued.

“That is why I always advise business people that only time allows you to [get there]… Time is going to allow you.”

Source: How we made it in Africa

Recycle Carbon Emissions and win $20 Million

We are living in an age of innovation, an unprecedented era of technological progress and prosperity driven by energy. However, most of this energy comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas that account for a majority of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

We know that CO2 emissions are a leading contributor to climate change, and the world will need a portfolio of solutions to address this Grand Challenge.

The $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE will challenge the world to reimagine what we can do with CO2 emissions by incentivizing and accelerating the development of technologies that convert CO2 into valuable products.

These technologies have the potential to transform how the world approaches CO2 mitigation, and reduce the cost of managing CO2.

Read more at Xprize

Rice To Become Very Affordable By April - FG

The Federal Government said on Saturday that it would stabilise the price of rice from April to make it affordable to everybody in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made this known while declaring open the 2016 National wheat farmers field day in Alkamawa village in Bunkure Local Government of Kano state.

Ogbeh said that the stability of price would be very viable due to its demand and affordability to the people as from April.

He said the boosting of wheat production and other cereals had become necessary to reduce over dependence on importation.

The minister added that over 300, 000 hectares of land in wheat producing states would be dedicated to boost wheat production.

“The government will continue to support farmers to encourage agricultural activity, enhance food security and employment generation in the country,’’ he said.

According to him, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will diversify the economy with greater emphasis on agriculture.

Ogbeh urged Nigerians to embrace agriculture to enhance their welfare and enable them become self reliant.

In a remark, Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the senate would make legislation to remove obstacles being faced by wheat farmers in the country.

Source: Daily Post

NERC Says; "Nigerians, Know Your Rights!"

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is empowered by the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, 2005 to ensure an efficiently managed electricity supply industry that meets the yearnings of Nigerians for stable, adequate and safe electricity supply.

The Act mandates the Commission to ensure that electricity operators recover costs on prudent investment and provide quality service to customers.

To ensure quality service delivery, it is pertinent that electricity customers know their rights as follows:

1. All new electricity connections must be done strictly on the basis of metering before connection. That is, no new customer should be connected without a meter  first being installed.

2. A customer who elects to procure meter under the Credited Advanced Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) Scheme must be metered within 60 days, after which the electricity customer will neither be billed nor disconnected by the electricity distribution company.

3. It is your Right to transparent electricity billing. Unmetered customers should be issued with electricity bills strictly based on NERC's Estimated Billing Methodology.

4. It is your Right to contest any electricity bill. Any unmetered customer who is disputing his/her estimated bill has the Right not to pay the disputed bill, but pay only the last undisputed bill as the contested bill go through the dispute resolution process of NERC.

5. It is your Right to be notified in writing ahead of disconnection of electricity service by the electricity distribution company serving you in line with NERC guidelines.

6. It is your Right to prompt investigation of complaints arising from your electricity service disruption.

7. It is not the responsibility of electricity customer or community to buy, replace or repair electricity transformers, poles and related equipment used in the supply of electricity.

8. All complaints on your electricity supply and other billing issues are to be sent to your nearest Business Unit of the electricity company serving your premises.

If your complaint is not satisfactory addressed, you can forward your complaint to the NERC Forum Office within the coverage area of your electricity distribution company. Electricity customers also have the Right to appeal the decision of the Forum at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission's Headquarters, Abuja.

Source: The Nation Newspaper, 11th March 2016.