Do you just sit there and complain? Or do you take the initiative and act? The truth is that what you see around you today is product of the decision you made yesterday and the actions you took. The question now is “will you watch things around you to decay while you continue your membership of the complainers’ club?” Will stand up to act and be the change agent that we all look forward to? The choice is yours. And you need to make up your mind now which club you will belong.

Your complaints thus far has not changed anything. If you have witnessed any change, it is because some people have decided to act. Some people have taken it upon themselves to pay the price. Your complaint does not do any good to you except creating a negative magnetic field around you. And the result? You will keep attracting negative people and circumstances toward you. Our focus should be on working to create the environment that has only remained in our dream till now.  It can be done but it places a demand on you and I.

If you are really ready to create the change, stop complaining. Join the crusade. A life of complaining is the ultimate guarantee for failure.  Things will not remain as this if we act now. It will not definitely come easy, but it is achievable.  If you are ready act, signify your intention by clicking on “the future started yesterday” and “State of our nation“. Will you create the change we so desired?

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This is Kayode Muyibi and Emmanuel Oluwatosin. We are the administrators of the new Nigerian Intellectual Forum with the name “Think Nigeria?”. We are also the administrators behind Nigerian Bloggers, a Nigerian Blog aggregator providing Feeds from Nigerian blogs in real-time.

We are using this opportunity to invite you to join our New Forum. We do perfectly understand if you are struck with a sudden hesitance or rather shock on the idea of a “New Nigerian Forum”, but the fact is we do need one that accommodates both freedom of speech and expression without censorship and of course with you as a contributing member.

So here we are taking the opportunity to invite you to join Think Nigeria – an intellectual forum that accommodates both the freedom of speech and expression without the least amount of prejudice from the administrators.

You might ask, “why should you join Think Nigeria?”

We invite you to join Think Nigeria because we believe that you constantly fight for the emergence of a new Nigeria – the Nigeria that presents everyone the opportunities to achieve their dreams. We also believe that it high time Nigerians take their place in the global market and at the same time be heard properly, accurately and appropriately. The news does not speak for who we are, nor thus censored information around the net. We would speak for ourselves through debating what has being supposedly delivered to represent us.

What do we need from you?

We need Contribution by participation through objectivity and un-biasness in discussing and debating your interest(s). We also do need you in correcting information that only is inaccurate but biased.

What amount of your time it would take?

What we need from you is simply a helpful contributory visit based on convenience and probably an input in thread entries and helping new members in guidance. With this amount of responsibility, we do think that it would only take 15-20 minutes of your daily online time. If this is too much to ask of you, you could cut the time by half or even a once in a week visit.

Out target is to establish Think Nigeria as an information hub that would be used to project the image of Nigeria to the world at large. As such, we need your un-biased contribution(s). As long as we need you to achieve our aim, you are not obliged to accept this invite. But always have in mind that whatever you do today would have direct and positive impact to Nigeria’s Image to the whole world.

How do you become a member of Think Nigeria?

Simply visit http://thinknigeria.com/index.php?action=register and fill the form to register. Log in at anytime that would be of convenience to you.

If you do have any further enquiries relating to Think Nigeria, feel free to reply this e-mail and we do hope you give us the chance in establishing a proper frontier of accurate uncensored information from Nigerians.

Regards,

Administrators

ThinkNigeria.com

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Technorati Tags: Think Nigeria, Nigerian Bloggers, Nigerian Forum, Nigeria, Nigeria’s Image

2. You are required to submit your source file (e.g psd if photoshop used), and also png, jpg and gif format of the design

3.We also would encourage that a transparent background should be used, so as to blend with any background scheme.

4. Please send your entries to competition@nairahost.com .

5. Your name, your mobile phone number and your address is required with your submission.

Rules

1. Only one submission per designer or team is allowed, so we encourage you to take your time to design the logo.

2. Your submission should reach us before the closing date, which is on the 30th June 2006.

3. Please forward your enquiries to competition@nairahost.com .

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This seminar will hold on May 1, 2006. At Etal Hotels and Halls, Oregun (Opposite First Bank, behind Oando station). It’s happening 3 times in the day – 9am/Noon/3pm. You will have an opportunity to get gainfully engaged within the next 7 days!

How will this work?
Simple, go to Generis Solutions and register for the timeslot that suits you. Date is Monday, May 1, 2006 and time slots are 9am, 12 noon or 3pm. A maximum of 1,200 slots will be allowed per session. Prepare to attend a two-hour seminar will set you moving in the right course.

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The bank’s Managing Director, Mr Emeka Onwuka said Diamond Bank Mini is designed to enhance customers’ access to the bank’s existing service channels. Mr Onwuka said the underlying aim is to make the banking transactions short and pleasant as well as providing customers with those basic services without hassels of a big bank branch.

He pointed out that Diamond Bank mini is a whole delivery channel for the bank’s technologically driven products, targeted at optimizing customers’ satisfaction. He said other areas of concentration include Ikota Shopping Complex, Victoria Garden City, Tejuosho and Ago palace way, Okota and many more outlets to be rolled out around the country in phases.

The bank’s managing director said the mini is equipped with an internet station, a bulk country room, a personal banking suite and an interswitch connected Automated Teller Machine (ATM) which provides both customers and non-customers of the bank unhindered access to their accounts.

Consequently, with a fully equipped internet station within the mini, a customer can easily walk into the bank and perform free online banking transactions without interfacing with bank operatives. Other products channels available to customers through the mini are internet and mobile banking, cash deposit and withdrawal from the counters and ATM facility for unaided access to cash

With shareholders’ funds in excess of N33 billion and total credit exposure of $70 million within the International Finance Corporation, the bank is well positioned to play a key role in Nigeria’s ongoing banking and economic reforms.

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This is its part of Nairahost’s continuous upgrade to satisfy the huge demand and the needs of customers and customers to be.

To pay by e-gold, all you need to do is follow the normal ordering process and choose e-gold as a method of payment and the billing system is integrated to redirect, it is totally automatic.

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A young Yoruba man walked into a bank in New York City and asked for the loan officer. He told the loan officer that he was going to Lagos on a vacation, for two weeks, and needed to borrow $5,000. The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan, so the Yoruba man handed over the keys to a new brand BMW 6 series. The car was parked on the street in front of the bank. The Yoruba man produced the title and everything checked out.

The loan officer agreed to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank’s president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the yoruba man, for using an $80,000 BMW as collateral against a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then drove the BMW into the bank’s underground garage and parked it there.

Two weeks later, the yoruba man returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest, which came to $15.41. The loan officer said, “Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a successful business man. What puzzles us is,why would you bother to borrow $5,000?”

The Yoruba man replied: “Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks, and pay only $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return?” The bank employees watched as he pulled out of the garage, windows down and sunroof open. Juju music blasting from his car, as he pulled away .

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The CBN, in its consolidation guidelines, had asked successor banks arising from mergers and acquisitions, to register them with CAC. The CBN had on January 2, 2006, cleared 25 mega banks to operate in the country having met the December 31, 2005 deadline for consolidation either individually or through mergers or acquisition.

Details of the findings at the CAC showed that the commission on December 21, approved new registration numbers for PlatinumHabib Bank Plc, First Inland Bank Plc and Skye Bank Plc.

The CAC also approved a new registration number (RC) 125478 for PlatinumHabib Bank, which is a fusion of Platinum Bank and Habib Bank, while the First Inland Bank, comprising First Atlantic Bank, Inland Bank, NUB International Bank and IMB, is to operate with registration number 112876.

The Skye Bank, which arose from the merger of Prudent Bank, Cooperative Bank, EIB International Bank, Bond Bank and Reliance Bank, was assigned registration number of 142191.

Besides, the CAC on January 5, approved the registration of Sterling Bank Plc (RC 2392), while on January 18 and 20, 2006 registered Spring Bank Plc (RC 143186) and IBTC Chartered Bank Plc (RC 125352), respectively.

The commission also confirmed that the merger of United Bank for Africa Plc and Standard Trust Bank is still being processed.

The CBN had required the banks to provide certificate of incorporation of the successor bank and that the banks should submit Certified True Copy of CAC Form 2.5- return of allotment.

The banks were also required to provide particulars of directors, location of principal place of business and evidence of de-registration of the relinquent banks by the CAC.

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His repertoire of goals and tricks is vast and has brought him success at club level, including Dutch championship medals and a Champions League winners medal. Though Kanu is featuring in his 3rd nations cup for Nigeria, he is yet to score a goal. How I wished he had scored the goal he narrowly missed in the game against Senegal. Some players would have allowed this to affect their game but Kanu remains focused. He continually put the interest of the team above his personal interest. This is definitely the reason why Kanu remains the most unselfish Nigerian player till date.

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Many of such would-be transactions originated by Nigerians through these cards have resulted in still births. In many cases, the cold shoulders have not been because the card issuers cannot back them up with cash, but because “the card owners are located in Nigeria.”

The office of the Nigerian Cybercrime Working Group (NCWG) is currently inundated with letters from many merchants giving details of their reasons for rejecting e-commerce transactions with Nigeria-based persons and organisations: “Because you live in a high fraud area, we cannot process your order.”

The rejections, which cut across different business strata are also because the cards were issued by Nigerian banks in Nigeria.

The merchants alleged that even Nigerian correspondent banks abroad had also not helped matters. “Most of them have not been able to issue guarantee for these Nigerian-originated mastercards and other cards for the purpose of online payments to merchants abroad,” according to a European merchant.

If the trend continues, master-cards and other e-cards used as instrument for payments and commercial transactions may suffer a major setback. Most affected for now are telecommunications and technology-based customers. A major telecommunications company, which placed order for switches and base station transceivers may look for other means to actualise the transactions as its online merchant has repeatedly turned down its offer of payments through electronics means.

NCWG co-ordinator, Mr. Basil Udotai, confirmed at the weekend that the situation was very serious. Once the merchant sees the billing address of its potential customers as Nigeria, the transaction is aborted.

He added: “Some of these online merchants have actually programmed their processing systems with an alert on Nigeria and once they notice the billing address as Nigeria, the system automatically rejects the card and end the transaction immediately.”

The Guardian also noted that even when the billing address is not Nigeria, transactions have been rejected on these cards when the shipping addresses indicate the country.

What this shows is that some smart Nigerians in anticipation that there might be problems with Nigerian billing addresses, opt for international addresses of friends or relations in their card applications.

“This has helped a lot of customers because so long as Nigeria is not included in any of the forms filed, the merchants would have no problems accepting the cards,” Udotai explained.

“But that is not all. If shipment address is Nigeria, some merchants also reject the transactions. “This is the dilemma now,” Udotai lamented.

The problems are not only those of the Nigerian Mastercard carriers but the banks too. Some of the issuing banks are said to be in a state of frenzy and have therefore opened dedicated units where their staff attend to such problems, to ameliorate the pains and frustrations of their customers.

One bank official at the weekend told The Guardian: “It is a serious issue and we are putting everything in place to cushion the pains of customers so that they do not cancel their cards in droves“.

Udotai equally confirmed that the NCWG and the banks had been holding series of consultations on the subject. He, however, said that while some banks thought that they could resolve the issue at once, others believed that it required more tactics and diligence.

Statistics of rejected cards are huge. “I don’t think this is something the banks need to be shy about because it is a matter that affects the entire Mastercard franchise in Nigeria and is not specific to any one bank. The problem is also not specific to Mastercard alone but other credit card franchises located in Nigeria,” Udotai explained.

Although Mastercard and other cards are rated highly at international market, their problems are that they were issued in Nigeria.

“This is also the problem of migrating services online, be it personal, government or business. I wonder why these banks expected merchants who have allegedly been cheated of their goods, monies and services in the past by Nigerians to simply shrug off those experiences and launch into processing Nigerian credit cards or ship goods to Nigeria based on credit cards issued in Nigeria,” he added.

The NCWG boss explained that the problem was not really with Mastercard as a company but the perception of Nigerians by the international community.

“The same thing would happen if the cards were issued by American Express Visa or Discovery,” one bank official explained.

NCWG was set up in 2004 by President Olusegun Obasanjo to create a legal and institutional framework for the security of compiler systems and networks in the country and the protection of critical information infrastructure.

Mastercard came into Nigeria through Cards Technology Limited (CTL) and currently being issued by First Bank, Zenith Bank, Diamond Bank, among others. Its commercial launch took place six months ago and it is used for both local and international transactions.

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Newsprint, a major raw material for the production of newspapers and magazines, has its duty reduced from 15 percent to zero, while printing ink (black and others) has its duty slashed from 35 per cent to 20, a 42.9-percent reduction. Similarly, “paper and paperboard of a kind used as a base for photosensitive, heat-sensitive or electro-sensitive paper or paperboard” like carbonising base paper or wallpaper base now attract five per cent duty as against the 15 percent, a decrease of 66.7 percent.

Also, import duty on items like registers, accounts books, notebooks, other books, receipt books, letter pad, not prohibited in the country, has been pegged at 20 per cent down from the 30 percent it was before October 1, 2005. Perhaps in the spirit of housing for all, some building and construction materials had their duty also reduced in the new tariff structure in line with the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), adopted by all countries of the sub-region.

Those affected include iron and non-alloy steel products and rectangular cross-section width measuring less than twice the thickness, which duty has been slashed by 66.7 per cent, as their duty is now five percent instead of 15 percent. Also flat-rolled products of iron and iron in coils not further worked than hot-rolled with pattern in relief have their duty cut from same 15 percent to five.

On the other hand, consumers of confectioneries and products with sugar elements may have to pay more now as the duty on raw sugar either cane, beet or any other, has been increased by as much as 233 percent as the import duty has gone up from15 percent to 50 percent.

The government decided to adopt the CET to stem the high and unwieldy state of the nation’s tariff, a development that has scared importers to other ports of the sub-region. One of the countries that has maintained a business-friendly tariff structure is Nigeria’s immediate neighbour, the Republic of Benin, which through her two ports in Cotonou and Port Novo, Nigerian-bound goods find their way into the country through unapproved routes.

Apart from the high tariff in the nation’s seaports and border posts importers also contend with a multiplicity charges and levies, all of which add up to render the cost of goods very high and above the reach of the common man.

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We left Lagos with Bellview 6.50am flight to Abuja and then proceeded on the 5-hour adventure-packed journey to Kano. This was not my first time in Kano but definitely the first time I would be going to that acient city on road. I spoke with my host in Kano immediately I got to Abuja and I was duly informed of what lied ahead. At this point, I wished I had taken a camera along ‘cos that would have been a great opportunity for me to keep track of my trip. Anyway, I will ensure I take a camera along anytime I am embarking on such journey in the future. The journey, though tiring, lasted approximately 5 hours.

The green vegetation on the highway is one thing that caught my attention. I had to marvel at quality of the irrigation system put in place by the farmers in this region to ensure that their farmland receive constant supply of water all year long. This is definitely a good sign that if Nigerians decide to do something, it will be done. With this, I believe that Nigerians should be able to, if we want to, produce enough food items to cater for the need of the nation and even the neighbouring West Africa countries. So, the question now is “what are we waiting for?”

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The funniest thing is that some employers who themselves went to Polytechnics has not only refused to employ Polytechnic graduates but they have successfully made those set of Nigerians to feel inferior. There was a situation recently where a former bank MD – a Polytechnic graduate himself – refused to employ Polytechnic graduates. Was he feeling ashamed that he went to Polytechnic? Maybe he is not proud that he graduated from a polytechnic (He definitely must have wished he went to a university )? I really don’t understand the reason behind his action. The impact of this on these polytechnic graduates has been enormous. For instance, my elder sister had to go back to school for a degree and that was even after she had been working for 2 years. It suddenly dawned on her that she would not rise beyond a certain level if she fails to pick up a degree certificate. So, she is back to school. Thank God, she would graduate from one of the state universities this year .

I can even say that she was lucky to have picked up a good employment in the first instance. Most of her mates only managed to secure job placements whose renumeration are nothing to write home about. At the same time, their employers would want them to work like Jackal. Should we then say that Nigerian youths should desist from going to Polytechnic since they are likely to be treated as inferior candidates in the labour market? Maybe YES. As for me, I would definitely not allow any of my people to go to Polytechnic until this issue of discrimination is sorted out. What is the use of spending so much money to earn HND whose value the society doesn’t appreciate?

Most of the so-called Polytechnic graduates are even better when it comes to handling responsibilities at work. They are more skilled. The polytechnic education is thorough and involves a lot of practicals unlike the universities where a computer student can graduate without even touching a computer. I just hope all stakeholders would put all hands on desk soon to address this issue. The implication is that many Nigerian companies would furthermore be denied access to the skills and expertise of these graduates. And this translates to loosing a billion of dollars yearly. Nigeria’s economy is surely loosing from this act and only God knows for how long this loss would be.

Anyway, I see hope. I believe something would be done pretty soon. President Olusegun Obasanjo has just pledged to remove the dichotomy between graduates of universities and polytechnics in the labour market, especially in the public sector. The present Federal Government policy restricts holders of the Higher National Diploma (HND) from rising above level 14 in the civil service. Obasanjo thus seeks to end the discrimination of HND holders because he was convinced that they could also be more useful to the nation without the level 14 restriction placed on them.

The president believes that so many HND holders have contributed or are contributing very meaningfully to the development of Nigeria but the discrimination that is put on them that if you reach level 14, you cannot go any further than that, places some kind of disadvantage not only to the holders but on the country as well. These people ordinarily should have much more contributed to our development and we feel that the Federal Government should review this policy and the president accepted, the president said.

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Technorati Tags: science of getting rich

This is the biggest sales season of the year. Shops prepare all year for this moment. To boost sales, some shops in victoria island, ikoyi and ikeja offer some tantalizing price reductions, 30% off, buy one get one free etc. Woolworths is doing a clearance sales of 50% to 70% off.

They work on your psyche until you give up the fight, switch your brains off and give in fully to your emotions. There is a nice sounding word for this victory: consumer confidence. In plain english – Buy now, regret later.

You must buy new clothes for every member of the household, especially the kids, take them to see ‘father Xmas’, send gifts/hampers/cards to relatives, friends and foes. You must decorate your living room with lighting effects even if only for the 30 minutes NEPA will afford you electricity, renew or upgrade your cable subscription, spend on more cooking, kill a chicken, turkey or goat depending on your purse etc.

You must let the village folks know that your foray into the city paid off after all. It is the law. If you break the law, your reputation is gone. Shame the devil by splashing out for those in the village.

WHAT OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE?
How do you withstand this massive onslaught against your fragile purse strings…… this war against the soul of your finances?

Simple, befriend your budget. Run back home and make friends with your budget. Period. The standard moneywise advice is, “Make a budget and stick to it”.

A key advantage with budgets is that it lets you know where you stand. So how do you give joy to the world without digging your own financial grave?

AVOIDING THE TRAP AND STILL GET IN THE GROOVE
If your pocket is looking a little bit bare this holiday season, I would advice you plan to make your gifts all by your self and tag it “personally made for you,” You end up giving a great gift – spending less and discovering skills you never thought you had.

According to Bunmi Tukuru, she has been teaching her sisters to limit their expenses during Christmas by improvising on greeting cards and Christmas gifts by recycling old calendars, especially those with pictures of scenic spots.

For personalized Christmas cards, she said one can use his or her photo. It could be pasted on a bondpaper and with some designs, the finished work could serve as a personalized postcard.

As for Christmas gifts, used but still presentable clothings or things could pass as presents.

OTHER IDEAS TO HELP CUT THAT BILL
Homemade cakes, cookies and pies for those that know how to bake would save you a lot of money. The ingredients to make a medium sized cake cost about N600.00 and if you want to make it rich with mixed fruits or special coco-nut or apple cake, an extra N200.00 would just be okay. Buying it off the shelf goes for between N2, 500.00 and N4, 000.00.

NB: Do not expose yourself to ridicule if you are not good in the kitchen. This one is not for trial cooks.

Personalised hampers might just be the place for you to show your talents. The difference between ‘Gbekere’ and plantain chips is in the packaging…. So also are the hampers displayed in the shops. Interested? Good! You can get the baskets in the market, buy the various items you can afford, place everything in the basket (well arranged), decorate the basket with red and green satin ribbons and your hamper is ready.

For the discerning lady, this is your opportunity to keep it real, home made and send the right message. Simply get a small cute basket and fill it up with cute gifts like designed handkerchief, male roll-on, shaving cream, boxers, cufflinks, tie, and his favorite musicals all recorded in one CD would not be a bad idea for your loved one. The key is to make everything in the basket blue and personalized.

The result – a completely won-over man swept off his feet by the industry of his woman. He would be thankful that you took notice of his hurting wardrobe. This you achieved without emptying your pocket. For the gentlemen, same goes, make everything pink, feminine and personalized. She will love you for life.

For me, I am set on doing something very creative and good with my hands. I intend to string very beautiful beads for my aunties and sisters. For those interested in this, one advise though – try and get the colour combination right.

PASSING SHOT
The whole idea is to encourage you to participate in the season blues, spread some love, and enjoy yourself without being in the red and green with envy!

While, at it remember that it is wise to know that your November salary is for December expenses and your December salary is for January expenses. It is so easy to forget this in the midst of the battle for your emotional attachment towards the season, especially as some employers pay December salary mid month. If you mix it up, you will join the bandwagon of people that believe that January is the longest month in the year.

Merry christmas and my best wishes to you for a prosperous 2006.

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Although the official opening ceremony of The Palms, expected to be performed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, is slated for March 2006, the two stores are among the anchor tenants of the shopping mall which has 20,000 square metres of let-able space.

The Palms Mall, when completed would become the biggest shopping mall in Africa and it is being built by Mr. Rob Ray, a South African who built substantial part of Sandton, the commercial nerve centre of Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to the leasing agent of the mall, Mr. Ladi Adegbite, while Shoprite has taken 4000 square metres of space, Game is taking 6600 square metre and the third anchor tenant which are being used as a test run prior to official opening, Nu Metro, a cinema operator with six screens, has taken a space for 1200 seats.

Speaking on the mall which is owned by a Nigerian entrepreneur, Mr. Tayo Amusan, Adegbite disclosed that “it has been a long journey as work on the mall started about six years ago.”

He disclosed that the mall would provide an alternative avenue for Nigerian shoppers who would not have to travel abroad to shop, expressing satisfaction at the opening of Shoprite and Game.

Shoprite is Africa’s largest food retailer which operates 780 corporate outlets in 17 countries across Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and southern Asia, and reported turnover of R29,813 billion in its 2004/2005 financial year.

The company’s head quarters is situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa and it is a public company listed on the JSE Securities Exchange, with secondary listings on both the Namibian and Zambian Stock Exchanges.

Game Stores is a subsidiary of the listed holding company Massmart and was established as Game Discount World in Durban in 1970, where it opened its first store in cramped premises in Smith Street in the city’s CBD and rang up sales of R78,000 in its first month of trading.

Game was born out of the belief by its founders that shopping had become a tedious and boring pastime and they conceptualised retailing as a game and then pooled their limited savings to turn the concept into reality by creating a fun environment for shoppers, who were attended by staff in shocking pink, a corporate colour which has prevailed to this day.

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