Edo State In 2017: A new Governor, A New Oba and A New People?

              

This year the people of Edo State witnessed an election that saw the Governorship candidate of the All Progressive congress becoming the Governor of Edo State. The election results aroused mixed feelings amongst the people of Edo State. Trusted followers and supporters of the All Progressive Congress celebrated the election results while some on the side of the opposition have denounced the result of the election and have made several claims of election rigging, although there are still no substantial evidence to back these claims.

          Despite these misgivings, The facts remains that those protesting the results of the election that brought in Godwin Obaseki as the Governor of Edo State, must at one point put their political differences aside and settle down to work for the betterment of Edo people. Why? Because if we waste the next few years in “vexatious” sentiments rather than coming together to create for ourselves and our children, a better Edo state, then we may live to regret it.

     As a people we must rise up and stand by the man who was chosen not only by an election but by God himself. Edo State or any other State can never get a “best man for the job” as a Governor but there will always be a man for the Job and if we join and work together with that man, we may be able to get the best results.

         The 2017 budget for Edo State have been presented and this would mark Godwin’s first budget as a Governor in Edo State or as a Governor anywhere that we know of, so considering the economic realities of this country at this time. We must begin to accept the fact that working for the Government at this time may demand some amount of sacrifice and selflessness. Some salaries may be delayed; bonuses left unpaid and even when they get paid the rising cost of living and inflation would make it very difficult for many to fulfil their various financial obligations. This is a challenge for Edo people to begin to look beyond personal or political issues and begin to work with others irrespective of your political differences, to create a better Edo State and Happier Edo people.

         As for those that would be contracted to carry out constructions and to render other services to Edo state and Edo people, the people of Edo State are not asking for too much, other than prompt and quality service delivery. Do this for us and you have rendered us a service, but anything short of this becomes a disservice.

        The Year 2017 would see Edo people walking into a new year with a new Oba and a  new Governor. This is the best time to put back all the mistakes of the past and start all over again with a new resolve to work together as a people to overcome our collective problems and challenges, whatever we achieve in 2017 would be seen as the result of a joint effort between the people of Edo State and their new Governor. Never again will the people of Edo State allow a single Governor to keep them in backwardness and under development.

      In 2017 the people of Edo State should be carried along, the people should know why things are being done and why they are not being done, and the people should be able to call the government attention to areas of concern that needs intervention. The Government on the other hand should be able to continuously release statements on issues or incidents that have affected or will affect the lives of Edo people with no bias to the region affected or the number of people affected.

         We as a people in Edo State should begin to realise that no government can help us achieve our dreams completely in Edo State, Doing that would require a change of mindset and a change in attitude from the people. It would take a government with a strong will to try to force a change of mindset and attitude in a people, to accommodate development and civility; such a government may end up losing public support. That is one reason why few government would have the guts to stop the widespread display of wares and foodstuff along Edo roads most especially those roads around popular markets, this is unsafe for the traders sitting along the road to sell his or her  products and also for the buyers who would have to stand in the way of motorists and commercial bus drivers as they try to make their purchase, The Government of the day may not be willing to address this issue to avoid a backlash from the various trade unions who have done nothing to caution their members against this unsafe selling practice. The dumping of refuse into public drainage systems is also one of the embarrassing habits of some of us that we must not carry with us to 2017, because if we continue to do things the same way we will continue to get the same results.

   As we welcome the year 2017. We welcome its challenges and its blessings. We can make it a better year for ourselves if we work together as a team against our collective problems as a State. 2017 will no doubt be a remarkable year for Edo State, but only the people of Edo State will be able to decide if those remarks are going to be positive or negative. 

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Why Nigeria must not support a Military Intervention in Gambia.

This December Gambia, a tiny West African Nation, surrounded by Senegal to its North, South and East, held its first presidential election. This led to the emergence of Adama Barrow of the United Democratic Party (UDP) as the President elect.
       
                Prior to the election Gambians and the International Community in general shared the fear that Yahaya Jammeh The Incumbent President of Gambia would not relinquish his seat as the President of the Gambia, but to the initial surprise of his people and the international community, President Yahaya Jammeh came out to concede defeat to Adamma Barrow the candidate of the UDP,  many who celebrated the initial triumph of democracy in Gambia, called it a good season for democracy in West Africa applauding the successful elections in Ghana and Nigeria where opposition candidates emerged as President elects with the incumbent President in both cases conceding defeat, were disappointed when Jammeh rose up later to challenge the election results, President Jammeh described the election process and results as “influenced” by foreign actors.

                    The fear of a political crisis in Gambia have forced leaders of the ECOWAS sub-region to hold talks with President Jammeh in Gambia, with the President of Nigeria named the Chief Mediator. The President of the West African Commision Alain Souza have since suggested that military options are not off the table if President Jammeh still refuses to honour the results of the election even the mediation efforts by ECOWAS fails to stop Jammeh from holding on to power.

                        Addressing the issue of the Gambian Presidential election, ECOWAS should thread with caution as the claims by Jammeh that the election was influenced should be taken seriously. The commission should investigate these claims made by a sitting Head of State, that, the election conducted by the electoral body under his Government may have been compromised. If Jammeh is able to provide reasonable evidence to back such claims as he is making ,  if Jammeh can provide enough evidence to substantiate the facts that a foreign power somewhere have in one way or the other influenced the just concluded election, If Jammeh as the Gambian Head of State have reasons to believe that the election conducted under his government was not free, fair or credible enough as to warrant his handing over office to the candidate produced by the election, then the ECOWAS Commission should be concerned about the capacity of electoral bodies in West Africa to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
ECOWAS, if provided with reasonable evidence of foul play in the just concluded Gambian elections, instead of supporting the idea of a military intervention, ECOWAS should form a committee to put things in place for the conduct of a re-run election in Gambia, to be conducted by a neutral and independent electoral body to be created and supervised by ECOWAS. If the Gambians do not want Jammeh as their President in the first election, I am quite sure their opinion won’t change in the second election.  The mistake of using military force to remove sitting Presidents in Africa is becoming a popular “fail” that we must begin to reconsider. If Jammeh claims are true that a foreign power is influencing election results in West Africa, then leaders of the West African region should be very concerned, if this is a problem for Gambia today, it may become a problem for another West African Nation tomorrow.

                        While Alain Souza, the President of the ECOWAS commission is mulling the idea of a Senegal led intervention into Gambia, we should all know this one thing about the Armed Forces of Senegal especially their Army which is regularly being trained and equipped by the United States in its claimed anti terror efforts in Africa. The  irony of this is, while the United States is frustrating the Counter terrorism efforts of Nigeria which have been battling attacks from Islamic terrorism for the past few years, by blocking Nigeria from purchasing the much needed western military hardware needed for her anti-terror efforts. The United State have been training and funding the Armed forces of Senegal in a claimed Counter Terrorist effort even though Senegal is not directly threatened by any of the known Islamic Terror groups.  One could easily guess that terrorism is not the primary reason why the United States is training and funding a country not affected by terrorism for a war against terror, while those fighting the true war against terror are being abandoned by this same Foreign Power. The proximity of Senegal to Gambia being that they share major land borders is reason enough for any Foreign Power that is claiming to be “championing Democracy” to want to use the Senegalese Military as a tool to remove their long time rival and Dictator even if it takes influencing elections or going against the wishes of the Gambian people , or using military force either directly or indirectly.

                    We watched the same thing happen in Libya, where Terrorists posing as anti-government Rebels where assisted to topple a sitting Government, without having an effective master plan in place to prevent an escalation of the already volatile situation in that country. Africa, especially some North and Western African States have been facing terror attacks from terrorist that were radicalised, trained and equipped in Libya. What we see now as terrorism and insurgency in North and West Africa is the aftermath of the failed state situation that Libya was thrown into after the foreign backed removal of Gadaffi from power, which saw terrorist groups gaining access to Government owned heavy stock pile of weapons in the ensuing anarchy, these terrorists later used these weapons to wage a destructive Jihad in North and West Africa. These are the weapons we now see in use by Terrorists groups such as Boko Haram, Al Ansaru and other Dangerous terror groups that are presently operating in West Africa.

                      Democracy is more democratic if the election process to back it up is fairly and credibly conducted by a non bias and Independent electoral commission. The question ECOWAS should be asking at this point is; where these the conditions under which the just concluded Gambian Presidential election was conducted? If not, then we should look towards conducting a re-run election with a credible, neutral and independent electoral body. We should not be too quick to turn Gambia into another Libya. The competence of an electoral body created by ECOWAS to conduct elections in Gambia can be found in Article 12, page 9-10 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

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How to Survive On Your Little Income during This Recession.

Let us not deceive ourselves and think that it would be easy for any low income earner to survive this recession without extra effort and without making some very important changes and adjustments in our Spending habits, these are some of the adjustments and changes that we just have to make to ensure that we are able to survive this Recession even with our little income but even with all the plenty advice only the wise will survive.

         Do not even think you are the only one that sit up at night wondering how you would manage to survive the next few weeks in the month before your next pay, I have been there too and with my years of experience I have drawn up the perfect formula that will help you survive this economic hardship in the country no matter what you earn, just read and watch me show you the way like I have always done.  some of you have made target to save so so and so amount before the end of the year, for some it is to buy a brand new TV or Mattress, well the year is almost gone but some of you can still achieve your Goals but if you don't then don't blame yourself it was a very hard Year.

Step 1. Accept and praise Baba God for your condition. Whatever you think is too little there is someone out there with less or nothing, whatever you think is too small for you, there are people out there wishing for half of it. so be contented because that is the first step to self sufficiency.

Step 2. Start making serious changes and adjustments to your Spending habits. The next time the thought of buying something you don’t really need cross your mind try to first of all calculate the better things that you can use that money for, e.g. food, transport and other things that you know you can't do without. You can do without eating fresh banana on your way back from work, or other snacks that normally takes your small changes that you could have used for transport to the office the next day or to buy tomatoes and pepper to cook a proper stew that would last you for between 2-3 Days. So don’t spend money on what you want, spend it on what you need that is the secret to surviving this recession.

Step 3. Have a spending plan (Budget). Draft out a list of things that you need and you know you can't do without. It should look like this:

 Food,

Accommodation,

Transportation,

Medications,

Hygiene products

(soaps, creams e.t.c) add other basic necessities that applies to your own situation as everybody's life is unique and different, but try to make the list as short as possible remove anything you know you can do without. Then try to calculate the amount of money that these things would cost you in a month, after calculating it you will realize that there is little money remaining to do any other thing, yes.

 That is because these are the main things that should be taking your money and there is even hardly enough money for them so if you now take the money you should be using for these things to buy recharge card to be calling that girl you met in a bus while coming from work or to be discussing about yesterday's football match on the phone with your friend, then expect to go broke(run out of money) before the month ends and that would end up with you asking your Boss for an advance on your salary before the end of the month. ask yourself you couldn’t even finish one month with full salary what would happen to next month if you take an advance on your salary and spend half of it this month? So focus on spending on the things in your budget if there is extra money after spending on the important things on your budget then you can use them for other things.

Step 4. Hate and avoid wreck less spending. I decided to add hate to it because that is the best way to avoid it. When you hate something you won't want to do it. After I started hating wreck less spending, I was in a bus one day when a young university guy was paying bus fair for some pretty girls in the bus and I wasn’t impressed I just hated seeing a young man waste the money that his parents are sweating for, I told myself that I was sure his father and mother that gave him the money won't pay the bus fair of strangers just because they want to look cool. Humility is the key. You are going to a dinner and you know it would cost you more to take a Date (partner) then try to go alone (that is if you must go) take a bus to the venue don’t take cabs there is nobody to impress this days even the rich are suffering from the recession, so just take a bus and save your money. Don’t try to impress people with your hard earned money because it is impossible to impress people, if you buy a 24 inch TV they will tell you that their friend has a 32 inch TV get a 32 inch TV if you want to keep buying to keep up with their mouth, very soon they will tell you their friend owns a cinema house, funny thing is that the people that behave like that hardly ever have their own it is always somebody's own that they are boasting about, so forget them and just live your life.

 Always negotiate(price) properly before buying anything to ensure that you do not end up paying more for less, as a student or a worker, you owe yourself the duty of verifying the correct price of anything you want to buy and negotiating till you are sure you are paying the right price for whatever it is you are buying

 Step 5. Try to avoid spending when you can. Don’t be too quick to bring out your wallet or put your hands inside your pocket when you go out with friends or you are at an event. Allow those that want to "show-off" to do all the payment, good for  them nor even let am border you. Try to hardly use the words "keep the change." sometimes people use this to show that they have too much, avoid it. In this present Nigeria nobody have too much even the President is looking for money to borrow, all those young men you see in clubs popping Champaign and ace and whatever drinks they drink this days leave them, if they have too much money then good for them, only tomorrow can tell, but one thing that is sure is that even if you give billions to a wasteful person that person will waste all the money and start saying " I used to be rich", so avoid wasteful people.

Don't spend your necessary cash on useless things
otherwise, things like this will happen.

  There are places that you can walk down to instead of wasting money on transport, do that anytime you have the energy and strength to; especially during the evening period when the sun is less harsh you will be surprised at the amount of money you would save at the end of the month from doing this.

   Instead of spending money on food from a restaurant or on snacks for lunch at the office, try waking up early to cook and place it in a good food flask and take to the office, thank me later, that would save you a lot of money that should have been spent on buying roadside food and junks like snacks and soft drinks.

That’s  it oh my people, you live your life like this and at the end of the month people earning better than you will be asking you for money.

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Do you know you can enjoy safe sex with condoms? see how.

I have received so many complaints from people about the use of condoms during sex and these complaints are most times coming from men, but the thing that we men do not know is that we are not the only one's that hate condoms, women do too and they even hate it more, it is just that they are very shy to complain about it most times. But these are some of the complaints that you may get from a lady that does not like condoms:

 "it makes sex less intimate and real, we have tried almost all of them and they all limit the sensual sensation"

“Condoms feel less intimate. I love the way the smooth, hard penis skin feels against my skin, but I can't feel that with a condom. We use them anyway, though, because I don't like the pill, and the intercourse still feels good.” 

“I lose a lot of pleasure when we use condoms (and so does he). It
just feels weird and almost like a waste of time. I want to feel my
husband and for him to feel me. Sometimes condoms can actually cause
pain if I'm not wet enough.”

These are the complaints from the Female folks, what about the Men? what are they saying about condoms
 well it seem like the men have more complaints than the women about this "NAFDAC approved papa's cap."  These are the problems that some men get from using condoms and their solutions.

Putting condoms on
Some men find rolling a condom over their erection is uncomfortable. If using a larger and wider size condom doesn't help, one solution might be unrolling the condom a little first, then putting it over the erect penis the same way you would put a sock over a foot, being careful not to get air trapped under the condom or tear it.

Condoms and loss of sensation
If you are worried about loss of sensation opt for a very thin or light condom.The thinner the condom, the better the sensation; the right size is also important.Some condoms are available with ribbed, raised and shaped surfaces designed to increase sensation to both partners.An advantage of Femidoms (female condoms) is the way they don’t reduce sensation for the man in the way male condoms can do.

Keeping the erection
If putting on a condom interferes with your erection, try gripping the base of your penis before you put it on - this traps the blood, helping to keep your penis hard.
A cock ring has the same effect but it lasts longer. Asking a partner to put the condom on can also help.
A larger brand of condom (such as Magnum,Durex Comfort XL) might also be less restrictive to your erection. Larger brands should still stay on as the ring at the base is not any larger that other types of condom. Femidoms (female condoms)  may also be a solution if you find condoms restrictive.

looking for a picture to show you how female condoms look like i came across this man's head, almost the same shape.   

  Dealing with a natural dislike for latex: Believe it or not some men are allergic to latex (it makes their skin red or itchy), both male and female condoms are available that are made from non-latex materials and you can get them from selected stores in Lagos and Abuja( so i should go to Lagos just to buy condoms? don't go now but you will still go there later to buy HIV drugs or Baby cloths, buy the condom and save yourself the stress)
These materials also don’t have a latex smell.


Condoms and interruptions
Having to stop during sex to look for a condom can be a passion killer.
Have them in places where they’ll be easy to get hold of. Keeping condoms in your wallet, handbag or by the bedside shows you’re taking responsibility for yourself and your sexual partner.


Asking a partner to use a condom 
You may have condoms but find it difficult to use them (or to ask someone else to use them). It can be tricky introducing a condom into the situation, which is why it’s always better to bring the subject up long before sex starts. A partner may be relieved that you’ve mentioned it.What if your partner says:
'Asking for a condom means you think I’ve got an infection or can’t be trusted'?
Tell them that you’d like to use a condom to protect their health as well as yours, as it’s possible either of you could have an infection without knowing. If someone says that because you want to use condoms it must mean you have an infection, remind them that carrying and using condoms is a sign that a person is taking responsibility for their own health and their partner’s. No one has the right to make you have sex without a condom if you don’t want to. If you feel pressured in any way to have sex you don’t want, tell your partner to stop or ask them to leave.

If she keep getting dry during sex: one disadvantage of condom is that it prevents the natural lubrication of the male organ also known as pre-cum from acting as a lubricant during sex, but you can save yourself the stress and your partner the pain by using lubricants such as liquid medical paraffin which I highly recommend for such cases you can get it in any Chemist just don't tell them I was the one that told you about it. cus i bet you even the chemist guy wont know what you want to use it for, it is the best lubricant in the market Doctors even use it to lubricate pregnant ladies( i am not saying you should start feeling like a Doctor when you are applying it oh.)

What to do when condoms break?
If you're having rougher or longer sex it could be that a condom might split. Obviously this could put you or your partner at risk of unwanted pregnancy, HIV or another sexually transmitted infection. at this stage the right thing to do is to come down from the bed, chair or table or anywhere you both chose to dance the "Kerewawa dance" kneel down by the side of your bed, close your eyes and pray, because you will need the prayers in a month or two when the both of you will be going for HIV or Pregnancy test. or optionally just buy her a good contraceptive pill and leave your own case for time to decide if you caught anything or not because an HIV test is not effective from one to two weeks after infection.

NB: The Informations in this post where sourced from the opinions of Professionals in respective fields but should not be a guide for making medical decisions

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How to send and recieve money using the Facebook Messenger application.

Remember when Facebook Messenger broke out of Facebook proper? A lot of users, including yours truly, were seriously irked. Why did we have to switch to entire different app just to chat with a Facebook friend?

Turns out Facebook had bigger plans for Messenger, including voice calls, chat bots, chess games and -- who knew? -- mobile payments.

It's true: You can use the Facebook Messenger app to send and receive money, PayPal-style.

Well, not quite -- Messenger payments require a debit card on both ends of the transaction. But there's no cost to use the service, which offers PIN-based protection and "industry-leading security," according to Facebook. Here's how to get started:


Step one: Add your debit card. In the Messenger app for Android, tap the Profile icon, then scroll down and tap Payments. In the iOS app, tap Settings, then Payments. Tap Add New Debit Card and complete that process.

.Step two: Open a chat with the person you want to send money to or from whom you want to request money. Tap the little "more" icon in the toolbar; it's the one with three dots in a rectangular box.

Step three: Tap Payments, then Next to bypass the info screen. By default, you'll be in the Pay screen; enter an amount you want to pay that person and a note indicating what the payment is for. Then tap Pay and you're done!

Remember when Facebook Messenger broke out of Facebook proper? A lot of users, including yours truly, were seriously irked. Why did we have to switch to entire different app just to chat with a Facebook friend?

Turns out Facebook had bigger plans for Messenger, including voice calls, chat bots, chess games and -- who knew? -- mobile payments.

It's true: You can use the Facebook Messenger app to send and receive money, PayPal-style.

Well, not quite -- Messenger payments require a debit card on both ends of the transaction. But there's no cost to use the service, which offers PIN-based protection and "industry-leading security," according to Facebook. Here's how to get started:


Add a debit card to Facebook Messenger so you can send and receive money.

Step one: Add your debit card. In the Messenger app for Android, tap the Profile icon, then scroll down and tap Payments. In the iOS app, tap Settings, then Payments. Tap Add New Debit Card and complete that process.


Tap here to access the Payments option in Facebook Messenger.


Step two: Open a chat with the person you want to send money to or from whom you want to request money. Tap the little "more" icon in the toolbar; it's the one with three dots in a rectangular box.



Step three: Tap Payments, then Next to bypass the info screen. By default, you'll be in the Pay screen; enter an amount you want to pay that person and a note indicating what the payment is for. Then tap Pay and you're done!


I need a lot of money for donuts.


Step four: If you want to request money instead, tap Request at the top of the screen, enter the amount and reason, then tap the Request button to complete the process.

With either action, the transaction will appear as embedded item right inline with your existing chat. From there the recipient can either accept or deny just by tapping.


And that's it! Assuming you and the people you know use debit cards, this is an awfully easy way to perform electronic transactions on the go. Awfully free, too.

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Five Quick Questions That Will Show If You Will Be A Successful Businessman In Future.

Do you know how to lie? lets face the fact most successful business owners are successful liars even from childhood some parents start teaching their children to lie about products they sell.

 i was in search of fresh bread one day and i went to Mama Blessing's store to get one. when i got there i saw that Mama Blessing had gone to the market but luckily for me Blessing was around so i selected a loaf of bread and asked her if the bread was fresh and she quickly replied," yes! they just brought it in" so i took the bread despite my doubts but as i was about leaving the shop i saw that the bread truck was just coming to supply them bread for that day. 

meaning the bread she asked me to take was from yesterday's stock, Now what really surprised me about this particular case was the fact that, Blessing even at her early age already knew that being too honest is not good for business and so she have mastered the practice of lie and can now lie without looking back. she will no doubt make a successful businesswoman in future. So the question still stands, Can you lie?

Are You a talkative? Yes being a good talker is good for business, in business you should be able to convince your customers to buy your products and you should also be able to engage your customers in small discussions about their family,life and politics, for example a customer asking for a reduction in price for a particular product you could reply him or her by saying "HABA OGA! for this Buhari Economy, you no hear say everything dun cost, even fowl self dun increase the price of their eggs" in that way you are telling the customer that things are now expensive and that the price is fair.

Do you have an attractive personality and outlook? most customers are looking for people they can trust and as human being they will trust the business man that looks responsible and inviting, no customer will go to somebody that looks suspicious or that is looking angry or sad because nobody want wahala.  I was trying to get a Bus one day and i decided to get recharge card before entering the bus, so i went to the side of the road where some recharge card sellers were seated, immediately they saw me coming they started shouting " recharge card, oga come buy card" as if i did not already know that that was what they were selling, but among them was this young boy who did not even border to raise his voice or stand up to invite me to come and buy, he just sat under his umbrella and was smiling at me as i approached and when i got near enough he shouted " how much own you want buy?" and that was how i bought from him.

How good are you with money? Earlier in life, when i got my first job as a sales representative in a small supermarket in Benin i was always getting overwhelmed by all the money i had to handle, sometimes i sit down for hours counting and recounting bundles of money, while my other more matured co-worker had little issue with handling cash, he could count up to 200,000 naira in 500 notes within seconds and not even bother recounting it because he is sure he is always very careful in counting and he is good at it. Being good with money also means have good financial management skills and you are not a wasteful spender who will eventually bankrupt his or her own business.

Are you married? stay that way. are you single? stay that way. Your relationship status could either positively or negatively affect your business.

 you have no business planning for marriage if you have just started the business on whose growth your source of income depends on as a man, as a woman getting married comes with a lot of changes which may include you needing to move to a different location far from your place of business and you needing to make certain changes in your life that may not go well for your business.

 So giving your business some time to grow and mature before talking about marriage is my advised step to take. as for those that are already married congrats and happy married life but you should know that as a married business person there are challenges that you are bound to face because you now have responsibilities, that is why most businesses on which families depend on rarely expand because you continue taking away from the business and hardly adding to, and owners of such business rarely talk of expansion or attempt to take risks which are good for business, because of the fear of losing their families source of living. 

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See how you can make millions producing eggs under the NEGPRO scheme.

So the federal government signed a deal with TUNS FARMS NIGERIA LTD on egg production, this is to ensure the provision of jobs and the increase in out national egg production capacity.  from what I have read and heard about the program from reliable sources it seems like already established farms and new farms can register under this scheme,  for me I think this should be a good opportunity for those that have since been considering the idea of going into the poultry business as the NEGPRO scheme was designed in such a way that you will always find buyers for your eggs.

what is this NEGPRO scheme and how can I benefit?

the Federal Government and TUNS Farms Nigeria Limited in Osun state signed a N25 billion agreement on the National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO). The National Egg Production (NEGPRO) scheme is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria designed to create jobs for Nigerians, remove hunger and alleviate poverty.

To attain its goal, NEGPRO will provide eligible Nigerians the opportunity to participate in profitable poultry businesses where continuous production of table egg takes place all year round. The scheme is also aimed at increasing the output of egg production in the country to 50 million table eggs daily by 2018 and a create one million jobs

So how do I benefit

Eggs produced from NEGPRO will service the following:

a. The National School Feeding Program,
b. Structured open market
c. Egg powder processors across the nation

Under the NEGPRO scheme, accredited layer farmers produce eggs with input supplied by entrepreneurs/stakeholder in the state. The entrepreneur/stakeholder will, in turn, off-take the eggs that are produced.

In general, the scheme workflow involves the following:

Accredited farmers set up structure and cage for layer birds.
Entrepreneurs/Stakeholders in feeds and day old chicks (DOC) approved for the NEGPRO scheme take up the provision of basic inputs to participating farmers
Following the approval of individual farmers and verification and certification of their layer farm pen/structures for stocking by NEGPRO officialsof the state, NEGPRO farmers become eligible to collect DOCs, feeds and some stipend to run the farm from Entrepreneur/Stakeholder as a loan. With the input, the farmers commence poultry farming
Farmers return on weekly basis such that eggs produced from their individual farms are taken up by the approved entrepreneur/stakeholders
Entrepreneurs shall balance the account of individual farmers and share profit accordingly.
You can participate in any of these three categories,

1. NEGPRO National Input producers/ suppliers
2. NEGPRO Entrepreneur
3. NEGPRO Farmers

Funding: The sum of N25 billion is to be provided through the Bank of Industry (BOI) under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers scheme.

The following are eligible to access the fund:

a. National Input producers/ suppliers
b. State entrepreneurs

It is expected that each eligible entrepreneur would have one year moratorium bearing in mind that the production would not start until the seventh month.

keep following mylaskobo.com as we will keep you updated on relevant news related to this update.  including registration info and requirements.  share the message on to a friend. 

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Central Bank Launches Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Program.

Earlier this year I told you guys that the Central Bank would be coming up with a program to reduce unemployment and to create more jobs and I also warned you guys that you may have to submit some original documents of your credentials well,  in line with my earlier news,  the central Bank have just launched the  Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP) in partnership with Heritage bank. 

 The programme is aimed at harnessing the latent entrepreneurial spirit in the teeming youth by providing them timely and affordable loans to implement their business ideas. It further provides a sustainable mechanism to stimulate employment, contribute to the nation’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and address the challenge of youth restiveness.
The following youth, aged 18 – 35, are eligible under this scheme:

I. Serving National Youth Corps members 
II. Non-NYSC members (not more than five years post National Youth Service)

Qualified Business Sectors:
1. Agro - Allied
2. Food Processing / Preservation
3. Arts & Crafts
4. Manufacturing / Cottage Industry
5. Information & Communication Technology (ICT)
6. Construction Support
7. Power & Energy
8. Education & Financial Inclusion
9. Film & Photography
10. Automobile
11. Others

Transaction Dynamics:
• Eligible youth can apply for the loan through this portalhttp://www.yiedp-hbng.com/ using his/her NYSC State Code

• Applications can be made as an individual or as a group of 3-5 applicants with similar business interests
• A single applicant can access up to a facility limit of N3million while group projects jointly owned by 3-5 qualified beneficiaries can access up to a facility limit of N10million

• Applicants can also track application status via the same portal
• Applications will be processed centrally from the Head Office Annex
• Security: Graduate entrepreneurs will use their tertiary institution(s) certificate(s) and their NYSC discharge certificate. Serving Corp members will pledge their NYSC discharge certificate and their tertiary institution(s) certificates(s). Also, legal ownership of assets financed by the bank and 3rd party guarantors will be requested as additional collateral from all entrepreneurs

• Successful candidates will be assigned to ECs close to the intended business locations.
click here to visit the official site and get more info on this program.

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list of required documents for registering in the Bank Of Industry YES loan program

Micro Credit

SME/Large Enterprise

1. Formal Letter of Application 2. Photocopy of Certificate of Registration 3. Constitution and Bye-laws of Cooperative Society (only for Cooperative Societies) 4. Business Plan 5. Four (4) passport photographs of the Promoter (business owner) 6. Photocopy of the Current Tax Clearance Certificate of the Business Enterprise and the Promoter. 7. Photocopy of International Passport or Driver’s License or National Identity Card of the Promoter. 8. Bank Statement of the Business Enterprise for a period of one (1) year (for existing business). 9. Sales record for six (6) months and operating expenses. 10. Evidence of availability of Collateral Security (e.g. landed property, Individual Guarantor, etc.).

1. Formal Letter of Application 2. Photocopies of Certificate of Incorporation and Certified True Copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company. 3. Photocopies of the Certified True Copy of Forms C02 and C07. 4. Business Plan. 5. Photocopy of title documents to project site (Statutory Certificate of Occupancy or Deed of Assignment). 6. Photocopy of Title Documents (Statutory Certificate of Occupancy or Deed of Assignment) to the Collateral Security. (This must be a landed property in an urban center). 7. Approved Building Plan (If new building). 8. Bill of Quantities or Contractor’s Estimate of Cost to be incurred on Factory Building. 9. Valuation Reports on Factory Building(s) (for existing projects) and property offered as Collateral Security. 10. Quotations for items of plant and machinery (at least 3 quotations from different sources). 11. Three (3) years most recent Audited Accounts of the company (for existing company). 12. Three (3) years most recent Tax Clearance Certificate for the Company and two (2) Directors. 13. Four (4) recent passport photographs of each of the two Directors and the Company Secretary. 14. Evidence of appointment of a Company

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list of SME product clusters that Bank of Industry supports in its YES program.

1. Adire (Tie and Dye)/Aso Oke
2. Animal Feeds
3. Aquaculture
4. Bakery
5. Blocks and Interlocking Stones
6. Bottled Water
7. Ceramics & Tiles
8. Chemicals and Paints
9. Cosmetics/Hair Products
10. Dairy
11. Digital Printing/Multimedia Publishing
12. Doors and Window Frames
13. E-Commerce/Information & Communications Technology (ICT)
14. Fashion/Garmenting
15. Fish Smoking/Drying
16. Food Processing (comprising processing of agricultural products)
17. Foundries/Metal Fabrication/3-D Printing
18. Fruit Juice
19. Furniture/Wood Processing
20. Gemstones
21. Greenhouses
22. Laundry and Dry Cleaning
23. Leather/Footwear
24. Liquefied Petroleum Gas/Compressed Natural Gas
25. Meat Processing
26. Mechatronics
27. Health Care (Medical Diagnostics)
28. Laboratory/Orthodontist/Ophthalmology/Physiotherapy)
29. Movie Production (Nollywood)
30. Plastics
31. Quick Service Restaurants
32. Quarries
33. Recycling
34. Roofing Sheets
35. Soaps and Detergents
36. Solar (off grid)
37. Technical/Vocational Schools (Offering City & Guild Certificate)
38. Theme Parks
39. Water Transportation Riverine
40. Light Manufacturing (Paper, Roofing Sheets, lube blending, Paints etc)
41. Grocery packaging

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Bank of Industry (BOI) The Youth Entrepreneurship Support (YES) programme is here.

The YES-Programme entails building the capacity of the youths by equipping them with the requisite entrepreneurial knowledge and skills as well as funding their business plans, which would enable them to be self-employed and manage their businesses.
participants would be drawn from young aspiring entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 years, with innovative ideas who must have a minimum educational qualification of an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or its equivalent.
10,000 online applications would be solicited nationwide, out of which 2,000 would be selected for the online component of the YES-Programme.

Eight (8) things you should know before you commence your application on this platform

1. Mandate
The bank of industry targets businesses that engage in manufacturing and processing activities. Target sub-sectors include Agro-processing, Solid Minerals, Information Technology, Oil and Gas and Creative Industry. Please click to see list of SME product clusters that BOI supports. If your product is not listed here and you think it should, please provide information on your product for review by our technical team.
2. Entities that BOI Finances
Bank of industry only finances enterprises or companies and not an individual person or group of persons. The company / enterprise must be duly registered and you will be required to provide the registration number for a Limited Liability Company or business name for an enterprise before you can proceed with your application.
3. Items that BOI can finance
The bank is principally set up to finance industrial equipment used in manufacturing. The Bank does not finance land and building which are expected to be financed from equity. You can also access your working capital requirements from any of the ten (10) SME friendly banks that Bank of Industry partners with at Monetary Policy Rate plus 6 percent.
4. Mode of disbursement
The bank does not disburse the loan to the borrower in cash but to the vendors and suppliers of the equipment that the loan application is for.
5. Amount that can be financed by BOI
BOI’s loan support to the SME starts from N5 million. However, loan below N5 million are provided on our matching fund platform which is operated in collaboration with various state governments and on our Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) scheme which is operated through MicroFinance Banks.
6. Collateral requirements
As part of the fiduciary responsibility in managing funds under its care, Bank of industry requires that you pledge some assets to secure you loan. However, the Bank also accepts other forms of security subject to adequate coverage of the loan being provided to you. Types of security the Bank accepts include:

• Legal mortgage on a landed property. The property must be duly registered with a Certificate of Occupancy
• Debenture on assets of the company
• Bank Guarantee
• External Guarantors with Notarized statement of Networth for loans below N10 million.

Please note that the Bank is willing to share assets previously pledged to other lenders provided the Bank’s loan is adequately covered in the arrangement. Also note that the Bank is willing to accept third party collateral. 7. Startup businesses
While the Bank under its general risk acceptance criteria requires a prospective borrower to have at least three years acceptable performance track record, it can also lend to start-ups at its discretion and on a case-by-case basis. A startup would need to provide proof of cognate experience in its business area and would need to have a highly qualified management and operational team with sound management structure.
8. You need to support your application with some documents
Please click to see the list of the documents you should be prepared to upload while you apply on this platform

                                  culled from the BOI website.

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Registration for Unilever idea trophy to end soon

The Unilever idea Trophy is an innovative idea competition for college students from five African countries Kenya, Ghana, South Africa,Nigeria and Zimbabwe. according to the project website registration would close for the project on the midnight of July 3rd.
 this is the competition website and i would advice that those interested should go there to run their registration before the deadline.

unileverafricaideatrophy

As Africa’s top employer, our search for young talent is never-ending. It’s how we discover big business ideas that help us grow sustainably. And grow we do! So make your move by downloading the UAIT brief, read it and get your advert idea ready for submission. It could be your first step towards your life at Unilever. (You have the option of entering on your own, or as a team of 3.

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See 5 Reasons why you should start your online business like Jumia and Konga now.

We have seen how successful Jumia and Konga is today as we all love to purchase phones, tablets, laptops and cloths from them.  we are impressed by the fact that all you need to do is go online and you will find thousands of things to buy online,  I mean I am impressed too but,  it is no big deal,  really.

what if I tell you that you too can have your own e-commerce business like Jumia and Konga?  what if I tell you that it would even be cheaper than you renting a store in a place like Abuja or portharcourt?  yes.  it is easier to set up an online business than to set up an offline one.  and best of all it is the future of business.  in the next few years almost anything will be sold online including matches and toothpick (that is if they are not already been sold online.)  and fortunately for us we live in Nigeria one of the world's biggest market with 170 something million people who are just waiting to pay you money if you have the right ideas.

1     What if I don't get Customers?   Jumia got customers when they sold phones online,  Konga came and sold phones online and they also got customers,  Kaymu came sold the same phone and got customer,  dealdey, friimarket and a host of others they all sold the same thing and made it so why would you be different?(I am not suggesting you go into phone sales business oh!)
even if 1million Nigerians buy from Jumia today there will still be another about 169 million people looking for somewhere else to buy.  that is how big the Nigerian market is,  it is like the sky it is wide enough for any e-commerce bird to fly. you could choose to sell anything online and still get customers because the idea of e-commerce in Nigeria is still new and people are troop in into it.

2. But what if I am a craft person like a tailor or a bead maker or a make up artist do I still need e-commerce to grow? 
 Yes even as a tailor or a bead maker you can still take your business online and receive great turnover on patronage from customers online. there are many online fashion houses that sell their cloths online and people even place order for particular design online.  as a bead maker you can put your beads online and people can buy from there and also place order,  so yes you need to go online. cmon!  na, 2016  we dey na.

3. What if I don't have  much money to buy ware house and fleet of cars for delivery like jumia and Konga?  
that Is the good part you don't need all that for a start all you need is to set up you e-commerce site and you could be running the delivery yourself. I remember when Mr Eborka of friimarket started some years ago he was running his delivery himself and now he is the proud owner of one of the largest online e-commerce shop in Benin City.  start small.

4. How do I get people to buy my products when I finally start my business online I have studied some of the successful e-commerce business out there for some years now and I have noticed one thing about them " good use of social network for marketing"  you too can do that.  start by promoting your products to people around you and later you can continue with those afar. Facebook, Twitter, instagram, watsapp, BBM, this are places where you can sell you products online to people with good quality images of your products.

5.  So,  how do I set up my online business  this is a very important stage.  now that you are willing to do business online what you need is a good business plan, a good Web designer.  you need a business plan for the business and a Web designer to design the online shop or website.  mylaskobo.com offers Web design services and we also help people with our experience to design their business idea.
you can call or watsapp me on: 08100661236

the whole idea of doing business online is to make thing easy for people so when designing your business plan please bear this in mind.

thanku for reading.

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LEARN HOW TO BUILD A STANDARD WEBSITE WITHIN TWO HOURS WITH THIS EBOOK

the book "A-Z of web design" is meant for those who are interested in web design as a profession, website owners who are interested in improving their website management skills, online marketers who are in need of a website to sell their products, those who are interested in blogging, small business owners who are interested in building a website for their business and anybody that is interested in building a website or getting the knowledge of webdesign

the book "A-Z of web design" contains instruction on how to set up your website or blog from start to finish even if you are not a tech person you will be able to use this ebook to build your website.
it contains information of some of the best host service providers, how to choose a good domain name, how to host your website on your host space and how to design and customize your website to your taste.


HOW TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF THIS EBOOK
the price of this ebook is 1000 NAIRA.
make your payment to this account:
   FIRST BANK, NIGERIA
  IDAHOSA AZUKA
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After payment send the name you wrote on your deposit slip, your deposit slip number and your active email address to this number:  08100661236.
i will send the ebook to you via email within 6hours of confirmed payment.
do not miss this opportunity. this ebook is a product of mylastkobo.com

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Why Nigeria must not Consider signing the European trade agreement deal and how it would affect your small business.

The European trade agreement deal with west African nations is one in which when it is rectified by any nation would grant European manufacturers complete and unrestricted access to sell their product in any west African nation that signs the deal. So far some west African nations have signed it  and by the statement of the Vice President Yomi Osinbajo at the 49th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS in Dakar. He said, Nigeria could not be committed to such an agreement without wide consultations.

: “There are ongoing negotiations on it. We are discussing with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, and some other key economic players about it." We would recall that Goodluck Jonathan during his time as President refused to sign the trade agreement, but the fact that this new administration under Buhari is bringing it up again it shows that the federal Government may be interested in signing this agreement.

How will the EPA deal affect you as a local manufacturer either small scale or large scale?

1. European industries and companies produce in very large quantity and according to the economic of scale production in large quantity is cheaper, meaning if Nigeria rectifies the EPA deal imported produce will be cheaper and of better quality than those manufactured by our small scale Nigerian manufacturers. So take for example you are thinking f going into small scale detergent production, dried food packaging or even the production of footwears. If the cost of production of your product grosses at 100,000 Naira for producing a thousand sachet detergent and your European competitor who produce in bulk produces 15000 sachets of detergent at the production cost of 500,000 Naira then you can see that your local detergent will not be able to compete with that of the European manufacturer and as such you may have to fold up your business because the European manufacturer that have been in business for years will have a better quality product, better packaging, better marketing strategy and cheaper but quality products which means your own local produce may not even catch anybody's attention in the market.

2. European industries have the production capacity all they want is the raw materials because there is nothing that we can produce here in Nigeria that they cannot produce better and at a cheaper cost, so the agreement will take Nigeria backward to the days of exporting unprocessed raw materials and minerals instead of finished goods that would have boost the nations economy. Take for example we will export 2kg ore of iron for 50naira per kg and the European industry will use it to produce expensive products like phone accessories, jewels, security locks, zippers and automobile spare parts that Nigerians will now in turn buy for large amounts of money.

3. Nigeria remains the main target of the European industries in this new European partnership agreement. We have a large market, the largest in Africa and the European industries want to get a share of that. They know we import so much from China and they also want to compete taking advantage of our high dependence on importation. The European trade agreement would not improve our economy but rather it would make us completely reliant on imported goods as it would kill our local industries.

4. The EPA agreement will bring about mass unemployment in Nigeria as local industries that can't compete will fold up and their employees will lose their jobs, Small scale Businesses that are into product manufacturing like liquid soap, bleach and izal will go out of business and this would create more unemployment in the country.

5. It would reduce the need for foreign direct investment. why would I build industries in your country when I can produce and import into your country even at a cheaper rate? That would be the mindset of European investors that would have been interested in doing business with us.

6. It would further reduce the value of the Naira. With Nigeria spending more Naira on importing European products and getting little in return as foreign exchange as we may have little to export to Europeans to complement our imports, it would put more pressure on the Naira and further reduce its value.

7. Nigerian industries may have nothing to export to Europe in terms of finished goods. There was a similar trade agreement deal with America at one time and African countries were unable to export anything outside because even some of the raw materials they export could not meet the standard set by the custom and other import inspection bodies of the foreign country. Who is to say that products exported from Nigeria will meet European standards for them to accept it, just recently Nigeria was banned from exporting beans to a European nation because it did not meet their standards. Who is to say that even with the EPA agreement that this cases would not repeat itself.

8. It would not encourage creativity amongst our youths and younger generation who are already enjoying the luxury of watching others produce things for them in a Nigerian import dependent economy.

9. Corruption continues, the corruption question cannot be exempted from this issue. Will corrupt importers or third parties and middle men not use this to take advantage of Nigerians?

10. Diversification of the Economy. Importing everything including toothbrush is not going to help us in our drive to diversify the nations economy.

What should can we do to stop Nigeria from signing this agreement? Well this is just Steve Azuka of <a href="http://www.mylastkobo.com"> mylastkobo.com<a>opinion on the EPA deal there are others that think it is the best option at this time. But my advice to you is to resist and protest the signing of this agreement as it would spell great Negative consequences for us as a nation and for the future generation.

Follow <a href="http://www.mylastkobo.com"> mylastkobo.com<a>for other great business updates.

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Aso Villa Entrepreneurial Demo to attract and sponsor new business ideas

Ok this is something we must surely  be interested in.

The president who is very concerned about the fact that some of us do not have a job and as such have enough free time to criticise him on Facebook and Twitter have finally decided to solve this problem( nor fear he is not banning Twitter and facebook) he have finally decided that some of us get good business ideas and as such he would like to sponsor some of this ideas.

The news went like this:

   "As part of the Federal Government’s agenda to diversify the economy and create jobs by stimulating the tech start-up space, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will be hosting the Aso Villa Demo Day 2016 (AVDD2016); an initiative of the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria set to celebrate the best of Nigerian technology, creativity and entrepreneurship,as well as showcase Nigeria’s innovative spirit to a global audience. The event scheduled to hold on June 23, 2016 in Lagos and July 28, 2016 in Abuja brings together the brightest start-ups from across the country as they pitch to an audience of Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, key decision makers and other influential businesspersons"

This is part of the many entrepreneurial schemes that I hinted last year will be coming on board this year under this new government  in some of this posts,
Central Bank of Nigeria floats loan for Small Business.
CBN to focus on policies to develope small scale businesses in Nigeria.
SMEDAN promise to seek for loan for brilliant business ideas.
Will Buhari's Government favour Nigeria's Small Businesses?
Right  now, the people in charge of things, the powers that be are now looking for different ways to get you occupied with something doing so that you will have less time to go Facebook and Twitter to complain about their actions or inactions ( e make sense abi?) everybody get to win in this case. 

"Interested persons or teams with grand ideas and prototypes, as well as investors seeking the next opportunity can be a part of this to contribute in writing the next chapter of Nigeria’s economic revolution, as this event presents the rare opportunity of partnering with the Presidency in driving the innovation agenda and setting the stage for the creation of what would become Africa’s future."

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Can you be an entrepreneur?

There are people who are happy with being a worker till they retire, and there are some who likes to be their own chairperson and starts up a business. Though, it does not mean that one person trumps the other, there are lots of personality differences between the two. Really, there are personality tests available online that one can take to identify their personality characteristics and learn whether or not you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

Though lots of entrepreneurs differ in their style and perspective, there are some common traits that make one a successful businessman.

1. Hard working

this is a characteristic that every entrepreneur should have. Having non-stop energy to do a large amount of work and multitasking while a pile tasks here and there should be done to achieve your goals. If it suggests, work double time? Then, do work double time!

2. Positive attitude

it isn't assured that when you are into a business you'll always be good and no Problems will come, there will be issues and complications and these things are the ones that are going to shape you up to be a successful entrepreneur. Being pessimistic? There's no room for that! You want to know the way to deal with even the darkest times of your life for it would occur again.

3. Sense of commitment

Whatever you do, you should be committed to doing the absolute best you can and achieve what is predicted of you and for the business. It is tantamount to sense of professionalism, which is quite significant when you go to the outside world.

4. Goal-oriented

what good a business is, if there are no goals to live from? It is as if going out in battle without knowing what to do next. Setting up goals for your business is crucial since all of the activities revolved around the goals.

5. Passionate about reaching such goals

what good goals are if not achieved? Be sure that when you set targets, it's realistic and doable. You need be obsessed about what you do and have a thrust to keep you pushing forward to reach your goals.

6. Perseverance

Business includes lots of challenges. It's very likely that you're going to fail first time, even 2nd time, and sometimes even third time. Perseverance is the key to success here. Successful entrepreneurs try to benefit from their mistakes and never give up. Learn from PMB's struggle to be the president of Nigeria. 

To be an entrepreneur you also must have a business idea, a clear appreciation of a difficulty you are trying to solve and some system in mind how you'll take it to the market. Just having above discussed traits doesn't guarantee that you are going to be a successful entrepreneur but certainly sets you aside from others, help you face difficult challenges, and save you from falling down on your face.

Is entrepreneurship for you? I don't know. You've got to answer that for yourself. Ask yourself whether you some who likes to follow or who likes to guide, whether you like to do things your way or you mostly need guidance, whether you want to be managed or you are self-motivated. There are many such self-evaluations you can do yourself. But definitely, if you're a sort of person who likes new challenges each day, can fly in thin air, and lead without any direction; then you've a greater chance of succeeding as an entrepreneur. If you've got a business idea lurking deep within you, it's high time to try it out because that's the first thing an entrepreneur would say lets try it, let's do it.

Culled from here:http://www.nairaland.com/3116423/entrepreneurship-it

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Bank Of Industry to Provide loan for more Graduate under its YES program.

Following the turnout of applicants for its N10 billion facility earmarked for on-lending to small businesses under the Youth Entrepreneurship Support (YES) programme, the Bank of Industry (BoI) has concluded plans to expand the fund size as well as accommodate more candidates under the scheme.

Specifically, the bank noted that due to the high rate of applications received for the YES initiative, it would increase the size of the fund from the initial N10 billion, while considering an increase in the number of would-be loan beneficiaries from 1,200 yearly to 4,000 candidates.

Speaking at the assessment exercise of the initiative and inauguration of a seven-man panel to serve on the application screening committee in Lagos, BoI’s Acting Managing Director, Waheed Olagunju, noted that out of the 40,000 applications received, 15,000 or 37.5 per cent were properly completed and thus qualify for consideration for the first segment of the entrepreneurship capacity building programme which is the eight weeks online training component.

“This programme was launched in response to the alarming unemployment problem among Nigerian youths. Having noticed the huge volume of registration on the online portal of 40,000 which has far outstripped the 10,000 entries earlier envisaged by 300 per cent over the six-week period, we have come to the realisation that Nigerian youths have enormous entrepreneurial appetite waiting to be unleashed on the nation’s economy in a positive sense.

“We have therefore come to the conclusion that we should provide more opportunities for the youth by increasing the number of would-be loan beneficiaries from 1200 to 4000. Efforts would be made to ensure a fair distribution of the beneficiaries in consonance with the proportion of entries received from the six geopolitical zones”, Olagunju added.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu E. Enelamah, while inaugurating the committee, commended the bank for the initiative, saying, “I am quite satisfied with the implementation of the YES-Programme thus far, considering the calibre and quality of the facilitating institutions. The candidates’ screening and evaluation process are transparent, merit-based and in line with global best practices.

“The synergy created by the consultants working in concert with BoI’s in-house team, will undoubtedly manifest in the quality of young entrepreneurs that will be produced under the programme.

“The import of the overwhelming response by our youths to the YES-Progammes is a manifestation of their desire to take control of their destinies via the entrepreneurial route by being self –employed. It is therefore apparent that the earlier envisaged 1,200 would-be loan beneficiaries would fall far short of the yearnings of the aspiring young entrepreneurs.

“I would like to assure our youths of Federal Government’s absolute commitment to its financial inclusion programme. Government will endeavour to meet the aspirations of youths by providing the support needed by BoI to successfully implement the YES-programmes”.

Members of the application screening committee include the Acting Managing Director, Waheed Olagunju, Executive Director, Financial Inclusion, Mrs. Toyin Adeniji, Divisional Head, SME (North), Abdul-Ganiyu Mohammed, Divisional Head, SME (South), Umar Shekarau, and three other eminent members made up of successful entrepreneurs, professionals, retired bankers, SME consultants.

We talked about this YES program when it was launched last year, I believe this of us that have applied for it are now happy to know that it would accommodate more beneficiaries 

Bank of Industry launches loan program for small businesses

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Nigerian Graduates will have to sacrifice their certificates to get access to CBN small Business loan.

Good news! the central bank of Nigeria have just come up with a loan program for those interested in setting up small and medium businesses in Nigeria, the news is a welcomed one but it has its conditions which is, only those who are in possession of some form of certificate from recognized Nigerian tertiary institutions and those who have a "O" level certificate can benefit from this program.

these are the conditions for getting the Loan as stated by CBN:

The central bank recently came up with a Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises fund to allow for new businesses to borrow from the fund as start-ups in a bid to create new jobs and curb unemployment.

"this is a new and recent development as it is targeted at the teeming number of unemployed young Nigerians, in the past to get access to such a loan you would need to already have an existing business but however the new guideline released by the Nigerian apex bank CBN have removed this limitation.


   “PFIs are expected to accept charge on fixed and floating assets of the financed projects as collateral for start-ups. Collateral requirement from start-ups by PFIs (DMBs and DFIs) shall be educational certificates such as SSCE, National Diploma (ND), National Certificate of Education (NCE), National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), Higher National Diploma (HND), University degree (NYSC Certificate where applicable) and a guarantor. "


“The start-ups to access the MSMEDF must present their Bank Verification Number (BVN). Venture Capital Firms (VCFs) that wish to finance start-ups in form of equity participation shall be eligible to access the MSMEDF at 2.0 percent for investment in start-up projects. The collateral for such facility to the VCF shall be bank guarantee. “Incentive shall be offered to PFIs that repay loans as at when due. a) Start-Ups (i) DMBs/DFIs playing in this space, shall access MSMEDF facility at zero percent interest for on-lending at 9.0 percent (all-inclusive) to start-ups. (ii) The PFIs shall qualify for a 50 percent risk shared on the net outstanding balance in the case of default. b) Other Incentives Microfinance Banks with PAR of 10 percent and below shall be exempted from providing financial assets as collateral to access facility under the MSMEDF.”


you ask me steve what do you think? should i use my Certificate as a collateral for a loan? what if my business idea does not work?

well what i think is, if you cannot responsibly manage your business and repay the loan given to you for start up then you have no business looking for a job in another man's Business.

we actually announced last year that the CBN governor was saying something about small business loan during the 7th annual bankers retreat, well this is the much awaited program it is a very attractive loan scheme if you ask me but na only few die hard enterpreneurs like me go fit get mind drop certificate for ground use carry loan enter business.

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