BUSINESS MY WAY

 

Getting a well paid job in a developing sub-Saharan country has always being a Gordian knot leaving several youths resorting to starting up their businesses.  A small scale businessman is what you get if you tramp the trail in several of Africa’s sub-Saharan urban cities. But very few of these entrepreneurs put their best foot forward; many go into small scale business without carefully considering the cost of going solo

So what would you consider as a hindrance to setting-out? The number one prerogative would be the right amount of capital. Without sufficient capital many of Africa’s upstarts are left in a tailspin, in a jiffy  many who were euphoric of being their own bosses are left in the lurch; debt-ridden and bankrupt, sometimes as early as year one. Another group of young businessmen are handicapped due to poor government policies; no one is sure when the musical chairs will begin the next spin.

So where does that leave the rest of us? The answer unanimously lies with the banks; several banks in Nigeria had emerged three years ago with great hope, promising different loan schemes, but like renegade politicians have reversed their plans for more investor- friendly interest rates. A number of young businessmen learnt the hard way. Most of these loans given out attract astronomical interest rates and the banks are usually not patient enough for the long haul. They grant to you the credit facility on the one hand and on the other hand like shylock demand for a quick return even before you say Jack Robinson.

But then getting the loan, capital and a good government policy isn’t everything, many businesses have closed shop in Nigeria because of abysmal power supply. Nigeria has a legendary power sector where even a change of name failed to bring succour to investors. It is even jocularly said to foreign investors nowadays BYOI; bring your own infrastructure. Almost every genuine businessman now uses a generator as fixed power supply and public power supply as an alternative just to break even; but then are a number of smart alecs who are still doing fairly well…but that’s a story for another day

Emmanuel.F, CONNECTAFRICA

TWO WOMEN, TWO PURSUITS

Even as Senator Ekaette Eme-Ufot is keeping herself busy with trivial and mundane issues such as the nudity bill which she incidentally sponsored, some innocent Nigerian children who are yet to attain puberty are suffering at the hands of scoundrels whose primary vocation is human trafficking

 The Executive Secretary, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Carol Ndaguba decided to take on matters which our dear senator appears oblivious to. It is heart wrenching that in some parts of Nigeria, babies are being sold by some unscrupulous fellows who own hospitals (or should I say hellholes?). Reports of the ungodly acts; child and sexual abuse and rape of infants are flooding the human trafficking intervention body. According to Ndaguba, the rape of infants has become so rampant that the agency is seeking new ways to deal with the issue.

Where is our dear senator Ekaette? Has she heard of these issues? Has she been informed that in an unnamed hospital in Aba, Abia state, it was recently discovered that over 200 babies were sold in the last one year? Does she pretend to be blind to the fact that child abuse and trafficking is gradually attaining pandemic levels?  I wonder how the nudity bill is going to save these children.

There are a million and one issues facing Nigerian women and children; female genital mutilation remains rampant in several parts of West Africa including Nigeria. Young people are being sold into slavery (and I mean slavery); these are just a handful of the front burner matters. I ask myself this question, ‘how come these issues have not gotten the attention of the people elected into office to fight the cause of the common man?’ Even as I write, I am still trying to comprehend the motive behind the nudity bill.

However, one thing is evident; the senator and the executive secretary, though women, both view things differently. While the former has chosen to major on the minor issues, the latter has chosen to major on the major. Did I hear somebody say the latter shall be greater than the former?

Fadekemi, CONNECTAFRICA

YOUR LIFE FOR A JOB

A somber Nigerian immigration boss told a press gathering yesterday that 45 job applicants had died following an employment screening exercise into the immigration service early this month. This staggering figure is even four times higher than original reports. The only consolation in this saga was that there was no cover up by the top echelon of the Nigerian immigration service; in any case the authorities ordered an investigation be carried out to uncover the direct and remote causes of the deaths.  While waiting for the final white paper, it is important to muse over certain things we need not a white paper to uncover. The screening exercise took place in the 6 geo political zones of the country; accounts by participants in the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria reflected in opinion polls on newspapers, blogs and the television are unsettling. It is disheartening to note that the immigration service which ought to be a signpost and bulwark in convincing the drove of Nigerians fleeing the country’s shores in the search of the Golden Fleece could be embroiled in this fiasco. The unemployment situation in Nigeria goes beyond bland rhetoric in radio and television jingles. The immigration service has a logical question to answer; how do you allow over 100, 000 people apply for a little over 1000 job slots? The examiners I conclude must have the Wisdom of biblical king Solomon to arrive at their picks in less than two hours or how do you explain applicants scheduled for an examination at 7am stood up until 2p.m and then made to do an endurance trek for 4km; how inhumane can one be to his fellow man. What could be more enduring than an eight-hour hold-up without a breakfast and then tell me its routine procedure. This a white paper would not suffice, heads have to roll right away

Today it’s the immigration yesterday it was the banks, the only difference was that there were no loss of lives. One employment exercise in the southwestern part of Nigeria nearly turned in a fiasco when 150, 000 graduates showed up for 700 job slots. The situation got out of hand and the police quelled the bedlam with batons and tear-gas canisters. Many left the examination venues with bruises and worse-off; their dignity had been rubbished. The national directorate of employment must look critically at this anomaly where universities are churning out graduates by the thousand to meet insufficient employment slots. First things first let’s get the skilled sector up and running and then tell me about any white paper.

Jennifer,CONNECTAFRICA

CLEANER WATERS

I once took a trip along the wide of the coastline of the Lagos Lagoon. Lagos state is popularly referred to as the centre of excellence and aquatic splendor. But in all truth its waterways are one of the most unutilized worldwide, till date there is no effective water transport system in the state. If you want a good view of the blue seas that run the state, then you must have your boat or get an exclusive ticket for a boat cruise. Nonetheless my grouse today isn’t with the paucity of boats or cruise liners for a seaside voyage; it is with the volume of waste being deposited in the water. What should be an aesthetic sight has been turned to a monstrosity, which is not nature’s accident but rather the practice of unsafe disposal practices by people like you and me.  Everywhere square shaped sachets of pure water dotted surface of the lagoon and on its banks heaps of commercial and domestic waste lined the shoreline leaving me wondering what sort of people did such things.

It is a rather weak argument to say that there isn’t a proper waste disposal system on ground justifying the use of any available space for the disposal of waste. Well if we decide to continue trudging the path of indiscipline, then we must be prepared to bear the cost of a poorly managed environment; poor sanitation, blocked drains and a greater exposure to life threatening water-borne diseases. The lessons of the past are clear; we actually shoot ourselves in the feet if we fail to protect our waters. The state government and the private sector must begin to think more seriously about recycling waste rather the unorthodox method of dumping and burying waste. Come to think of it, some European countries now pay their waste contributors a token; maybe the Lagos state government could borrow a leaf.     

The factories are not left out in this waste palaver, particularly those that utilize toxic chemicals in production; they are also responsible for poisoning the water and decimating aquatic lives. There are better ways of disposing the toxic chemicals and not endangering our aquatic lives. We might think that disposing this waste is a relief but it is a temporary, let us not be hasty to forget that a healthy environment begat healthy people

Yemi, CONNECTAFRICA

HELL CHASERS OR LIFE-SAVERS?

There was no ambiguity in the reason for the establishment of Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) when the former governor of Lagos state inaugurated the traffic body eight years ago. LASTMA was authorized to manage, control and coordinate the convoluted transportation network in the Lagos metropolis. Eight years after not many are sure if that’s exactly what they are up to. Local television stations are crammed with images of LASTMA officials fleeing for dear lives after being accused by angry mobs for contributing to a number of road accidents. I think the problem with this body lies largely in the educational background of most of its workers; with little or no functional educational background, every tom, dick and harry now wears the cream and wine outfit. But then there have been allegations in the past that most of the body’s members were ex- social miscreants paid off with LASTMA jobs for supporting the state government in elections.

    The truth is the public’s confidence in its LASTMA’s role is at an all time low. A lot has to do with the body’s abysmal public relations performance. Almost everyone has a story tale to tell of the men of LASTMA. It is almost as if the men of the transport body derive some sadistic joy from a traffic offender caught in its traffic traps. Well I have no problem with being flagged down and stopped, but why go to such extremes like breaking a vehicle’s side-mirror or chasing an errant driver like one of hell’s angels

  As an eye witness of today’s gory road accident at the core of Alausa secretariat- the seat of Lagos government, I watched with mixed feelings as an official of the transport body was nearly lynched by a very angry crowd who had watched him chase- to-hell a commercial bus to an avoidable accident-several of the buses’ commuters sustained serious  injuries. He was rescued from the fury of the protesters only by a group of stern military men

Now this isn’t the first time this has happened, many lives have been lost and several others have their damaged limbs suspended from slings at the orthopedic hospital in yaba- a museum for the city’s accident victims. The time to act is now, LASTMA ought to save lives and not exacerbate an already worrisome situation

Gloria, CONNECTAFRICA

SAND IN MY CLOTHES

Lagos state is the economic hub and nerve centre of Nigeria; its moniker is the centre of excellence, it is Nigeria’s dream city all because Lagos appears to possess everything the roving traveler or dweller seeks after. For many it’s a land of plenty; jobs, fun, money, people, and anything else that the mind can conjure up. One striking thing about Lagos however, is that it is situated along the vast Atlantic Ocean.

The ocean does indeed add more colour to the city as it creates a good number of leisure spots. One of these is the suntan beach in Badagry (a part of Lagos that is proximate to the republic of Benin). The size of the white sandy beach is awe-inspiring.  Just watching the great grayish undulating waves build up and tumble down in a gargantuan splash over and over again is always a reviving experience.

Every visit to the suntan beach brings me in close communion to unraveling the mystery of creation. With the sun beating down mildly upon my forehead, I can make out in the horizon the slant of the bluish grey sky meeting the crest of the Atlantic Ocean, purely breathtaking. A typical day at suntan beach is an assortment of revelers; young and old, skilled and unskilled swimmers, white and black, there, everyone soaking in the fun without pride and prejudice.

The swimmers usually won the grudge match; coordinating and managing affairs at sea, diving and doing the medley. Not feeling left out in anyway, upstarts like me looked for sea-shells, conches and built sand-castles near-by. Whatever stance we took, it was okay, the grand lesson was we were all having a ball.

Last time around I decide to get a little more adventurous by getting a few meters to the shoreline, I beat a fast retreat as I tried to outrun a rapidly receding wave-the feeling was absolutely sublime. Aha one thing you’ve got to be prepared for is the fine sand in your clothes, it’s like some souvenir you’d always get; want it or not. But it doesn’t stop most of us, visitors, from just sitting and lying down in the light mousy colored sandy beach listening to languid playing Caribbean songs

Whatever one decides to do on the beach, either sitting, riding horses (there are a few for hire) or swimming (or pretend to swim as the case may be), the suntan beach is one of the places that makes Lagos tick. So, if you ever visit Lagos and want to relax, the suntan beach may just be a good stop-over. Don’t forget to take a dip, but whatever you do, ensure you close your mouth while in the ocean because you don’t want to gulp some of that VERY SALTY water! Have fun guys!   

Fadekemi, CONNECTAFRICA

WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER?

The societal problems are not always the fault of government authorities, take for example; the growing army of child beggars in several of Africa’s major cities. Many of these children aren’t orphans but have been reluctantly drafted into the trade more often than not by lazy, mendacious guardians. Yes the blame is on Parents who tend to ignore the right ways to provide for their children, especially mothers who are not handicapped. It now a common sight to see several mothers seating not far away, watching their toddlers provide the family its daily bread. How shameful and disgusting particularly for an African woman, this I consider as the last abominable act. I hear some ask what about their fathers, that’s a no-issue because many were never there in the first instance

In Nigeria today, the main offenders are the south westerns and northerners, were certain religious and cultural patterns have helped to enforce child-begging. Only last week on the streets of Lagos, as I walked to a function,  a young child, not more than five years, tugged hard at me soliciting for alms. I looked around for her roguish mother and to my consternation she waved at me.  I cast a steely glance in her direction, at the end I refused to part with my hard earned cash.  Lagos is  home for many of these destitute mothers, without a source of livelihood many have continued to  play parent  to the detriment of our society’s social structure, albeit increased campaigns by NGO’s and religious organizations have failed to yield much going by the increasing numbers of destitute mothers and street kids

It’s a dog- eat -dog life on the streets of several African cities where survival is game of wits. Many of these women are exposed to violence, rape, STD’s and AIDS and possible death. The fate of their wards is imagined than experienced; with little or no formal education they are more than willing volunteers to a swelling crime and violence industry

I know a number of people would argue the government has its own fair in the blame game, but isn’t there something fundamentally wrong in system that allows children solicit funds from strangers. So please next time before you pull the notes out of the wallet ask the toddler,’ where is your mother?’

 

Juliet, CONNECTAFRICA

THE INVESTOR’S LAST STAND

                             

      In 2005, the governor of the central bank of Nigeria, Professor Charles Soludo caused a stir when he announced the minimum capital base for every bank in the country would be 25 billion naira which is approximately 211 million dollars. At the end of the consolidation exercise the number of banks in Nigeria stood at 25, pruned down from a princely one hundred and five. The purpose of the recapitalization exercise according to Prof. Soludo was to shore up the banks financially against liquidation and to help provide long term credit facilities to investors and perhaps provide the momentum for the renaissance of Nigeria’s small and medium enterprises industry and consequently the economy. So three years after has the Nigerian economy really been strengthened, I believe merely cosmetic, after all every banking year-end casual readers like me are stunned by the jumbo and rather astronomic profit reports several of these banks announce in non and audited reports. I do not argue with the growth of the banks; many have indeed outgrown their 2005 figures, even tripling their capital, no thanks to immoderate trading in the Nigerian stock market. In the same strength the federal government claims the triple A rating it has received from notable international financial institutions in the past four years is an indication of the brewing confidence international investors have in the Nigerian economy. Nigeria’s economic growth is inching closer to double digit figures but the haunting question is why has all the goodwill not translated to Eldorado for the man on the street. The answer is obvious; with a weak and failing small and medium enterprise sector, Nigeria remains precariously an almost import driven economic platform. Former president olusegun obasanjo had once joked tooth- picks were now being imported from china. The recent attention being given to micro-finance institutions is creditable; the commercial banks had either out rightly refused to give loans to small investors or scared the bold ones who dare come forward with outlandish requirements and discomforting interest rates. Even when the CBN governor tried to influence the banks to soft-pedal on the interest rates issue, the banks’ bosses only paid full lip service, now we are back to square one. I support the micro-finance institutions demand for a regulatory body different from the central bank for Nigeria evidently the CBN is pre-occupied with the commercials and many doubt if they possess the stuff necessary to liberate the small and medium scale sector. The real test for the newly approved micro finance institutions is to stick to plan A which is conscientiously supporting the small and medium enterprises and not repeat the grave mistakes of the past where many of such banks gravitated into commercial banks; the fairy tale ended for them when most of them were liquidated

 

Yemi, CONNECTAFRICA

 

 

WHAT MANNER OF ELECTRICITY!

A few months back the power situation in Nigeria reached an all-time low, less than 900MW was being generated for the entire country. well the situation is a lot better now, at a little over 2000MW, that’s if the power holding company of Nigeria isn’t being economical with the truth. worst hit have been the small-scale business and industrial sector. CONNECTAFRICA was out on the streets of nigeria’s commercial hub to feel the sector’s pulse..

fadekemi, CONNECTAFRICA

ANOTHER DEATH MARCH

Today David Idowu’s family led a march of 300 friends, family and neighbours to 10 Downing Street. Another Nigerian lost to a knife crime on the streets of London echoing the loss of Damilola Taylor. But a 14-year old? Top of his class David was due to give an anti-crime related speech only days before he was brutally knived. It seems these days, not a day goes by when some teenager or pre-teen is stabbed or shot on the streets of London. Youths killing youths and though politicians dwell forever on it, no solution has been found yet. It’s epidemic.What makes even less sense in this particular case was that David was killed because he was wearing his uniform.

So why was I so affected by David’s death? Perhaps because he is the cousin of a close friend of mine.I cannot even begin to think of the pain and horror he must have faced in his 2-week battle to live after he had been stabbed. I do not want to try to imagine how his young heart felt as it took the plunge of the cold metal. But I’m sure it didn’t feel like a day at Legoland.

Everyone knows these cases are peculiar to the black community in London. There are whispers everywhere that this is what immigration brings to a society. Even though I know many blacks are honest, decent people, slowly, I’m beginning to agree.

Jean, Guest author