FIVE YOUNG CANDIDATES WHO WANT BUHARI’S JOB IN 2019

Here are the 5 young candidates who want to unseat Buhari in 2019.

They are in their ‘50s and ‘40s, they have just declared they want to be president of Nigeria and they have told anyone who cares to listen that Muhammadu Buhari's time as president is nearing an end.

We run the rule on the young and the fearless presidential contenders ahead of the 2019 vote….

Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu

He is a 55-year-old former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He is a lawyer by training and a political economist by profession. Moghalu also served in the United Nations.

“It is the turn of any competent Nigerian to aspire for the post of presidency because career politicians have failed Nigeria,’’ Moghalu announced on the day he made it clear he will be running for president.

“The future of Nigeria rests in technocratic interventions. We need thinking people that will take Nigeria from the politics of stomach infrastructure to politics of mental infrastructure’’ he added.

Omoyele Sowore

The founder and publisher of online news platform Sahara Reporters, hosted activists, journalists and young Nigerians at 13a Isaac John Street, GRA Ikeja for a town hall on Sunday, February 25, 2018, and left no one in doubt he will be running for president.

“In my first day as a president, I'll turn Nigeria into a construction site. I have created jobs before. Since Buhari became president, his cows haven't multiplied. He has had 150 cows since.

"If you ask Nigerians about the economic plans of Buhari, they'll point to the British accent of the finance minister. How does accent create jobs?”, Sowore asked incredulously.

It was an afternoon in which Sowore took on all past and present older generation of political leaders and made the case for why he’s the answer to Nigeria’s problems.

Ayodele Fayose

This 57-year-old Governor of Ekiti State has been a Buhari critic before the 2015 general elections.

He’s unabashedly crude and rude in his methods; and has anointed himself the voice of the nation’s biggest opposition party. Fayose has an opinion on practically everything that happens in Nigeria.

the day he declared for president, Fayose told haters that they’ll watch him saunter into Aso Rock in 2019.

“To the down trodden and those of you who go to bed hungry on a daily basis, I assure you that help is on the way," he said.

“To my haters, I want to tell them that they will watch me enter the Villa in 2019 because I’m Nigeria’s president in waiting.

“If you have not seen any miracle, this is your opportunity because I am a miracle.

“This calling of mine is without repentance and God will not apologize to anyone  making me president come 2019,” he added.

Donald Duke

56-year-old Donald Duke has been making the case for a young president since forever.

Duke was one of Nigeria’s better Governors when he oversaw affairs of the serene Cross River State from 1999 to 2007

He’s suave, urbane and cosmopolitan.

"I am entitled to run for the presidency of this country. Only on right circumstances I will aspire for it. I don't shy away from responsibility, I will aspire for presidency of this country. I have what it takes to be president of this country.

"It is high time Nigerians begun to project people with the technical know-how to take the country to the Promised Land”, Duke said in January.

Fela Durotoye

This 46-year-old motivational speaker hurled his hat into the presidential ring last week and he’s managed to stir some serious online debate on the chances of a newcomer.

"It is my hope that as I step unto the political scene, many more of our brightest and best will arise to heed our nation's clarion call to contest for elective offices, win the elections, and most importantly collectively deliver good governance to our nation.

"Therefore, to be clear, I am aspiring to contest as a presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections," Durotoye announced.

SOURCE: pulseng

THE 8 MOST IMPORTANT STEPS TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS

Starting your own enterprise is one of the best ways of improving your income. A well-established enterprise has the ability to compete favorably with other enterprises in the same market. To start your own successful enterprise, there are 8 important steps you need to follow.  Starting with number 1 below!

Create a Business Idea

This first step will determine the success or failure of your enterprise. You need to come up with a viable idea that will stand the test of time. A simple way to form a good idea is to conduct a market research in the area where you want to establish the enterprise. Identify a commodity or service that is on high demand yet scarcely supplied. It is possible that you may not be able to create a completely new idea. If you want to sell what already exists in the market, check how other players in the same industry deliver their services.

You need to think on how to deliver the same services in a better way to win customers. Also, assess the strengths and weaknesses of your idea to determine its feasibility.

Draw a Business Plan

Even if you are setting up the enterprise alone, having the plan helps you to address important issues that determine your success in the industry. The plan will help you to:

• Know your potential clients

• Understand the purpose of your enterprise

• Know your competitors

• Set prices for your products or services

• Set your enterprise in the most appropriate location

• Project the financial position of your enterprise

• Know the cost of setting up the enterprise

Select a Suitable Tax Model

An enterprise model is important because it determines the amount of tax you pay. You need to learn the advantages and disadvantages of each model before choosing appropriately. Common models include limited liability companies, partnerships, and sole-proprietorships.

Get Money & Obtain Funds

The first source of funds for your enterprise is your own savings. If your savings are not enough for your start-up budget, you can look for funds from banks, investors, well-wishers, friends, and relatives. Look for banks that fund start-ups in your locality. Some investors may demand a stake in the business. Be sure to understand the terms of the agreement clearly.

Build Your Infrastructure and Team

Your new enterprise needs equipment and structures to run. If you planned to rent or hire the structures and equipment, do as planned. Additionally, running your enterprise alone is not possible in most cases. You will need a competent team. The size of the team may depend on various factors, including the model and size of the enterprise. For proper operation, divide your team into various departments. Important departments for start-ups may include marketing, operations, finance, and procurement.

Complete Necessary Paperwork And Obtain Licenses

You will need to register your start-up and obtain a license to ensure its existence is legal. Registration and licensing requirements may vary by state. Be sure to know the requirements in your state.

Get Insurance For Your Business

Obtaining a suitable insurance for your start-up ensures the enterprise is protected from possible losses in future. You need to compare various insurance companies to ensure you select one that suits your enterprise.

Build Your Customer Base

The size of your client base will determine your sales. To build a large and stable client base, you need to properly market your enterprise. You can achieve this through the following ways:

• Advertisement on social media platforms

• Telling your friends, relatives, neighbours, and other potential customers about your newly established enterprise

• Advertisement in your local media including, T.Vs and newspapers

• Sending out your marketing team to move around and notify people about your new enterprise

• Hiring a marketing firm to market the enterprise

Source: boredarticles

10 THINGS WE LEARNT FROM DANGOTE’S BLOOMBERG INTERVIEW

In a 2017 interview with Bloomberg, the chief executive officer of Dangote Group shared his business ideals and the next step for his business empire.

Here are 10 key topics he touched on.

REFINERY IN 2017

Dangote says his refinery, which would refine 650,000 barrels a day, would be among the largest in the world.

“We didn’t really realize that we were going to need almost 70 million cubic meters of sand. But we are catching up, and I’m sure we’ll be able to deliver it by the last quarter of 2017.

“We have actually never failed in delivering any project. We always deliver our projects on time and at cost. If we hadn’t delivered our projects on time, that would be something. We will definitely deliver, by the grace of God.”

LIFETIME PROJECT

To Dangote, the refinery is his lifetime project and he is backing it up with his own life to make sure it is delivered.

“We are using our own money. This is my lifetime project. I have to back it up with my own life to make sure it is delivered. I know that, yes, it’s true, a lot of people have tried to deliver on refineries in the past, mostly governments. They couldn’t.”

HE DOESN’T DO SMALL THINGS

By 2025, Dangote says he would have investments worth $50 billion in the US and Europe.

“Beginning in 2020, 60% of our future investments will be outside Africa, so we can have a balance. We are looking at petrochemicals but can also invest in other companies.

“Let’s say that by 2025, I’m looking at between $20 billion and $50 billion. Mind you, we don’t do small things.”

LEARNT FROM THE MEN WHO BUILT AMERICA

“I never worry about being too bold. In business it’s good to be aggressive, but with a human face.

“I thought at first I was really aggressive until I watched this show, The Men Who Built America. I realized that actually they were much bolder than us. Someone like Vanderbilt, he built 50,000 miles of rail! That is a very bold move. That’s why anything we do, we don’t do it small. If there’s any human being who has done this equally, I am equal to the task to do the same. I actually have a sign on my desk that says, ‘Nothing is impossible’.”

NO INTEREST IN TELECOMS

Aliko Dangote says he has no interest in the telecoms industry, his reason being that he is late to the party.

“When I look at telecom, for instance, I think that would be very tough for us. We are a little late. Some players have been in this market for 17 years already. There’s no way you can go and jump over somebody after 17 years of their hard work. So I think we would pass when it comes to telecom today.”

HE WISHES HE INVESTED IN TECHNOLOGY

Dangote says he’d have loved to invest in tech, especially because companies in that industry get bigger valuations than industries like agribusiness.

“Look at the US, the way the tech companies are getting massive. And it’s still nothing compared to the GEs, yet those don’t get that kind of valuation. I wish that we’d entered tech, but our concentration has always been in Africa.”

ARSENAL ON THE WISH-LIST

Another thing on the wish-list of the 60-year-old businessman is to buy Arsenal football club.

“I don’t want to go after Arsenal until I deliver the refinery. Once I deliver, I will go after Arsenal.

“I don’t change clubs. Even when Arsenal isn’t doing well I still stick by them. It’s a great team, well-run. It could be run better, so I will be there. I will wait. Even if things change I will take it and make the difference going forward.”

NOT INTERESTED IN POLITICS

Dangote says he has no desire to go into politics because he loves his freedom too much to lose it.

“I’m not interested. There’s quite a lot we can do from the business side. I enjoy a lot of what I am doing, and I also love my freedom—and I don’t have too much. The little I have, politics would take away. I am not ready to give that up. There are businessmen who are interested in politics. I’m not one of them.”

INTEGRITY IS HARD TO COME BY

When asked of the human flaw that frustrates him the most in business, Dangote says it’s integrity.

“In Africa, you normally need to know who you’re dealing with. You have to make sure you’re dealing with very honest people who have integrity—that’s why we have so few partnerships. Dangote itself has plenty of headaches to take care of.”

PREFERS MAKING MONEY TO SPENDING IT

In Dangote’s words, he doesn’t like to throw away money and has no home outside Nigeria. He likes a simple and quiet life.

“I’m not a person who just likes to throw away money. I spend more money on charitable things than myself. I actually don’t have any home outside Nigeria. I stay in hotels. Quiet. Simple. My life is not very lavish, and I actually get very embarrassed if I try to show that I have money.

“In Lagos, I drive myself around on weekends. I ask my driver to go rest, and then I drive myself around. I still visit my normal friends I grew up with. My house is open 24 hours a day for them. I mingle with everybody. That’s the only way to get to know what’s going on.”

TEN MINUTES WITH BRUNO

A well-known and respected name in the Nigerian beauty lexicon, Bruno’s Place gradually shot-up from obscurity to prominence. Since its establishment a little over four ago, the unisex hair salon has grown from just one outlet to several in Lagos and Abuja. The brain behind the outfit is Bruno Oaikhinan; an ex-banker and one that could be described as the “Spirit of Courage” for his resilience and tenacity towards entrepreneurship when forced to resign from Skye Bank.

In this brief chat with Splendid!, he revealed the secret of his success, obstacles he surmounted during his formative years and his vision for the future.

By contemporary Nigerian standards, you are a successful businessman. What have you done differently from other Hairdressers?

We are the first to operate a salon in a Mall in Nigeria. Ours is a one stop shop. It's trending and very expensive. My kind of customers value SAFETY first, CONVENIENCE before TRANSFORMATION. We offer these through the mall.

Looking back what were the major obstacles you came across?

Paying our rent in dollar equivalent. Our rent is not fixed. It keeps increasing. So, we keep innovating and coming up with new strategies. By God's grace we have spent over 4 years so far and we are surviving and pushing ahead.

Do you sometimes regret not starting Bruno’s Place much earlier?

I knew earlier that God's time is always the best. No regrets.

Tertiary Education vs Vocational Studies, would you consider tertiary studies a waste of time?

They work together. Though they are independent, they are dependent on each other. But tertiary education first before vocational education.

Please, tell us about current challenges faced with your kind of business?

The ability to manage people is a key success factor in this business. You need to have relationship skills to succeed and be successful in salon business.

Despite challenges faced, Bruno’s Place is still waxing stronger. What is the secret?

We cannot rule out the God factor in business. The grace, mercy and favour of God has been our portion.

Where do you see Bruno’s Place in another 5 years?

In different countries USA, Canada, UK and Ghana etc.

How do you think the problem of youth unemployment could be resolved?

Encourage small scale businesses. This is the heart beat of any economy. As small as Bruno's Place, we have over 80 staff.

Obviously, Hairdressing has been profitable. What other area(s) are you venturing into?

We are building a brand. A Brand once formed can be expressed through several platforms. People are already asking for out t-shirts, tea cups and our shoes because it has our logo on it.

Would you encourage your kids to take after you?

Why not? I'm taking ordinary business and making it extraordinary. It's not really about the business but who is behind the business. I'm a brand.

What’s your advice to upcoming talents?

Discover your story. Your story is not what happened to you but what you make out of what happened to you. I was asked to resign from the bank but today I'm giving jobs to people. The sack from the bank was a blessing in disguise.

VETERAN ACTRESS, JOKE SILVA SHARES STORY BEING AN ADOPTED CHILD

Speaking at the August occasion of the Annual Conference of Heritage Adoption Support and Advocacy Group (HASAAG), which had the Vice President’s wife, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo in attendance, veteran actress, Joke Silva-Jacobs disclosed that she was an adopted child.

According to kemiashefonlovehaven, Joke was living in a foster home of the Red Cross in Yaba, Lagos, and she recalled that her foster parent was Mrs. Desalu.

She said;

“Everybody would be calling me whenever my adopted mum (Dr. Silva) came with cakes and a lot of things during her visit. I went to YWCA Nursery, which was not too far from the Silva’s home in Yaba. I also have memories of moving in with them when they moved to Glover Road in Ikoyi.

“I remember reading newspapers to my Dad in our sitting room and pronouncing Brig-General Aguiyi Ironsi, the then Nigeria Head Of State, Agolo Iresi! My father could not stop laughing at my hilarious interpretation of the newspaper.

“Also I remember making them proud, when performing at St. Saviour School. My parents would be standing and were congratulated by other parent too for my acting skills. My parents were so excited that this child was incredibly talented.”

She continued:
“I have memories of going to Holy Child College Lagos because my parents insisted on me going to Holy Child because that is where Julie Coker, Pearce Olusola and Ibidun Allison went and they believed with all my performing talent skills, that is the kind of school I should go to too.

“I remembered going out with my cousin and we met a big cousin She introduced me as ‘my cousin’s daughter and this is Dr Silva’s daughter.’ Then, the older cousin was like, ‘Dr. Silva ke? Se Doctor Silva bimo ni? (meaning does Dr. Silva have a child?) . Did Dr Silva ever has a child?”

“I was so confused and when I got home I told my mum, ‘I met this lady that says you never had a child.’ My mum froze and she said, ‘don’t mind them, they are used to rubbish talk.’

“But I got to know years later when I wanted to travel and was looking for my passport where my mum kept it. Since she was not around, I opened the box in her absence and I saw my adoption papers. I never discussed it with my mum because I felt it was something that would hurt her, that was why, it was kept secret from me.”

Speaking about her foster mum, Dr Silva, she said:

“Amazing Parents But I had incredible memories of my amazing parents for allowing me to do my A Level in England and going to one of the best schools in Bournemouth (a seaside resort on the southern coast of England) coming back after my A level with two of them having an argument on what I was going to do because I had failed my A level having done it for the third time then.

“I had done it thrice because I changed from science to Arts— I didn’t do well at all.
My father said, ‘Joke, go back and do your A levels again and my Mom said, let this girl go and do the drama.’ They came into middle ground, and as you can see I am still in drama today.”

-Vanguard

HOW I OVERCAME SEXUAL HARASSMENT FROM WOMEN – COMIC ACTOR, SAKA

Popular Nigerian comic actor, Afeez Oyetoro, popularly known as Saka, has recounted how some of his female fans sexually harassed him.

The Theatre Arts lecturer cum comedian said although the pressure was much, he was able to overcome the temptation.

In a chat with The Punch, the MTN ambassador said, “Suddenly I can no longer go anywhere without people rushing to greet and hug me. I used to go to the market to do some shopping a few years ago.

“I can’t do that again because I don’t want to be mobbed by admirers. I don’t feel free to mix with the crowd anymore.

“If you are a celebrity, women will always come to you.

“Most of the time, their intention is to seduce you. Well, in 2016, some of them tried to seduce me and to make me do certain things that I had sworn never to do when I got married.

“But, I thank God that I was able to resist them. It was not by my power; God gave me the grace to resist them.”

Speaking further, Saka swore he had never had an extra-marital affair since he got married.

He said, “Why should I? My wife is young and very pretty. Besides, it is not in my character to be chasing women around,” he said.

“The fact that I teach Theatre Arts, which involves a lot of practical work, also gives me an advantage to be a comic actor. I practice what I teach and I am not exactly an extrovert.

“I am so busy that I don’t have a social life any longer,” the ‘Oko Ashewo’ actor added.

MEET MARIA, THE AMAZING ENTREPRENEUR WHO IS EMPOWERING A GENERATION AND BAKING HER WAY TO THE TOP

Everybody loves cake.

Except you’re avoiding the tasty treat for health or religious reasons, you’re almost certainly a freak. How can any living, breathing human not love cake?

We gift and expect cakes to celebrate birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduation, promotion, retirement and dozens of other special moments. In fact, cakes almost always show up whenever there’s a reason to celebrate.

With the rise of Africa’s middle class and the growing influence of Western tastes and culture on the continent, the baking industry in Africa is expected to experience significant growth to meet the rising consumption and demand.

It’s no surprise the baking industry is attracting hundreds of young entrepreneurs who are looking to learn the science, art and skills of baking so they can start their own business, build a brand, and earn a fulfilling income.

 Maria Makanjuola is a pioneer who has built a thriving baking school on the internet. Yes, on the internet!

Unlike the traditional face-to-face style of tutoring, she has created an online baking school that allows her to share her talent and skills with thousands of aspiring baking entrepreneurs within Africa, and across the world.

The value of the global e-learning market is estimated to reach $243.8 billion by 2022. Using the omnipresence of the internet, online learning is significantly disrupting the education industry such that anybody can learn anything, wherever they are, as long as they have access to the internet – via their mobile phone, laptop or TV.

In this interesting interview, Maria shares the inside story about how she stumbled on this business idea, her successes, challenges, and aspirations in building a truly African global brand for cake bakers across the world.

Let’s meet her:

Tell me about yourself. How did you end up in the cake business?

My name is Maria Makanjuola and I live in London with my family. Often I say that I am British-born, but Nigerian-made!

My background is in the life sciences, engineering and food science. My journey into cakes started 8 years ago when I needed a birthday cake for my first son who has multiple food allergies and intolerances which includes eggs and dairy.

I needed a birthday cake for him and there was no local baker that could make the type of cake I needed for him so I decided to research about alternative ingredients and give it a go myself.

I enjoyed the creative process so much that I carried on baking and experimenting with all sorts of recipes and techniques and I would take my tempting creations to church with me on Sundays and other members started to request that I make cakes for them. Both traditional cakes, with eggs and dairy, as well as allergy-free cakes. Gradually, the orders started to come in and I started a cake business.

What exactly do you do at Sweet Cake TV School, and how did you come up with the name?

Sweet Cake TV School is a baking and business school. It is an online learning platform where students, also referred to as “sweet cakers”, log in to access video courses on professional baking and cake decorating, and also cake business management-focused courses that are delivered via video, podcasts, e-books and worksheets.

 In the school, we also have a chat community and a Facebook group where members interact with and help each other with their baking or cake decorating problems on a daily basis.

As part of joining the school, sweet cakers have access to on-demand business mentoring/coaching to help aid their business growth. We do not only teach how to make professional cakes for all types of occasions, we also teach sweet cakers about business management, marketing, customer service, social media marketing, food safety and hygiene, digital marketing, financial management and bookkeeping and ways to diversify their business so they can generate passive income streams.

It may sound surprising, but I saw the name ‘Sweet Cake’ in a dream and I saw myself being called out to teach a cake decorating class full of people. I guess you can call it my calling, but more than that I am very passionate about helping other women succeed, I am business-minded and I like the creativity I express when I decorate cakes so it’s a perfect marriage of my interests, passions and skills.

How did you move from ‘idea’ to ‘action’ with the business?

I started a Facebook group, called Cake Business Club, in April 2015 which quickly turned into a community of 25,000 members within a year. I knew that I wanted to help cake decorators in Africa and also in the diaspora to be more skilled and also more business-minded and strategic in how they run their cake businesses.

Cake decorators are notorious for undercharging for their services and skills. Most do not make enough money to foster any kind of personal financial freedom because many fall into running a cake business accidentally without prior preparation or knowledge of how to run a cake business. As a result, many do not see much profitability in running their business, which leads to a lot of frustration and disappointment.

I started the Facebook group to help educate other bakers about the business side of the industry and how to maximise their skills for maximum monetary gain. I shared information within the group, every single day, through articles for several months for free and the community grew organically, members referring their friends to the group so they can learn together.

There are hundreds of people in the baking business. How did you know the market would be receptive to Sweet Cake TV School?

It was the time I spent interacting with the members of the Cake Business Club that helped me to get a great level of understanding of the cake industry in Nigeria, Kenya and other countries in Africa.

By conducting weekly group Q&A sessions whereby members can ask me questions and get answers to their most pressing problems, I learned about the challenges in the industry and thought of ways to provide solutions to those problems.

One of the major problems is access to world-class tuition which I knew I could solve by creating an online school (www.sweetcaketvschool.com) where they can easily access baking and business development/management courses. I knew they’d be receptive because they requested that I teach them formally and they stipulated that they would be receptive to online learning because of the convenience and lower cost of getting excellent quality education.

What were the main challenges you faced (or are facing) with operating and growing the business?

The main challenge that I am facing is inadequate awareness about the nature of online learning. Many people still think that higher-cost live classes are better. And that’s because they do not understand the convenience and cost-effectiveness of learning online from your phone, tablet or laptop from anywhere in the world.

Another challenge, from the customers perspective, is high internet data charges. However, when they calculate the cost of joining an excellence-minded school and internet usage charges and compare it to the cost of undertaking sub-standard training locally which is at a higher cost, they soon see the advantages.

Furthermore, the added bonus of business mentoring, which no other school in the whole world offers within the cake industry, is invaluable.

What are the top 3 things customers are saying about your product/service?

The sweet cakers are saying that the courses are comprehensive and fully loaded. They are saying that they appreciate that I do not withhold valuable information from them and I give my knowledge freely. Lastly, they say that they like the international perspective that I bring to the table.

Where do you see yourself and Sweet Cake TV School in the next 10 years?

I see myself at the helm of a global brand that originated out of Africa, which is not a common occurrence!

Sweet Cake TV School as a brand is already extending this year into Sweet Cake TV (a free-view online channel for cake hobbyists and mums who want to see how to make quick healthier meals and treats for their kids which will also be featuring allergy free food preparation), Sweet Cake Magazine ( a bi-annual digital dessert, cakes and pastries magazine fusing both African and world culinary influences), and Sweet Cake Publishing which will be focused on getting more African cake decorators and chefs to publish their work to a global audience and bring much needed authentic African influences to world cuisine.

 It’s common belief that entrepreneurs are restless people. Tell us about the next big idea in your pipeline.

Yes, I am restless! Still within the same cake industry, I am working on launching the African Cake Artists Network (www.africancakeartistsnetwork.com) which will be an association/network for all African cake decorators/artists to learn, grow and also promote their skills and talents to the world. It will also exist to set high standards of excellence in the African cake industry.

We launched with the largest cake collaboration between African cake decorators on this year’s Africa day on the 25 May 2017. This was a virtual collaboration where pictures and live videos of artists and their cakes were shared across social media. It’s the third collaboration that Sweet Cake TV School has sponsored since inception, but it was the largest.

What’s your single most important advice to entrepreneurs who want to start a business?

Research your market and target audience thoroughly before investing significant funds into any business. Get inside the mind of your target customers. Discover their problems, then conjure up solutions and think how to monetize those solutions.

Lastly, be passionate about what you do. You will need it to help you get through the long days, sleepless nights and more.

How can prospective customers and partners reach you?

You can reach me through the Sweet Cake TV School (www.sweetcaketvschool.com) or email me at hello@sweetcaketv.com.

- SmallStarters