The Nation Newspaper

Category: Brand week

  • Fed Govt, GEMS partner on empowering women

    Fed Govt, GEMS partner on empowering women

    The ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in partnership with Growth and Employment in States, GEMS 3 is set to empower women across the country by developing and supporting thousands of women especially in rural areas with access to market and finance.

    The GEMS 3 is planned to be implemented in seven states of the federation. They are Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ebonyi, Abia, Niger and Kaduna states. They will serve as the launching platform for the pilot scheme.

    The Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar said it is imperative for women to reach their potential and be critical elements for the attainment of inclusive growth and sustainable development.

    The minister who spoke at the launch of the Women in Investment and Enterprise (WINIE) project in Abuja, added that this is to provide a platform for the aspiration of next generation of women and girls.

    She said: “Women own about 30 per cent of the registered small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria and the average growth rate of these businesses is far lower than businesses run by men. Female entrepreneurs account for 43.22per cent in the ownership structure of microenterprises as against 22.76 per cent in SMEs and only about 10 per cent havecaccess to the finance needed.

    “This 10 per cent is to assist them launch a new venture or grow their existing businesses, most women obtain their initial startup investment and working capital from internal sources such as savings and contributions from family and friends.

    “This restricts them from being ambitious about their enterprise and seeking advice from business support providers for proper legal and corporate structures. The government is consciously making effort to diversify the economy from being majorly dependent on oil.

    “Government’s policy direction is strategically being geared towards creating wealth and employment through the facilitation of an enabling environment for SMEs to thrive in Nigeria.

  • It’s time to innovate

    It’s time to innovate

    Its 2017 and the world is not where it used to be. Our world has moved, edging closer to the dreaded 22nd century. It’s the freaking digital age and disruption is happening all over the world. The world’s biggest taxi company owns no single cab. World’s biggest media creates no content. The world’s largest music company signed no artiste. World’s largest telephoning company has no telco infrastructure.
    The world’s largest video company owns no camera. The world’s biggest marketplace has no merchandise of its own. The world’s largest library don’t write book. The world’s largest software companies don’t write apps. The world’s largest movie house owns no cinemas! Of course, we know Uber, Facebook, iTunes, Skype, YouTube, Amazon, Google, Apple and Netflix. I wonder what lurks ahead for humanity as we approach the next century. The future is gonna be mad!
    These thoughts ruled my mind as I drove towards Lagos after the wild Christmas break. My mind wandered about in quest of culinary trends in our ‘green and white’ nation. I started with ‘mixology trend’. Nigerians are getting more health-conscious and getting careful of what goes into their system. They also want to enjoy their bitter liquor though with an enhanced taste. The eating your cake and having it stuff. These and other social concerns ushered in the concept of ‘mixology’; and Coca Cola, being the always-smart-brand tapped into the trend and encouraged liquor consumers to mix, but only with Coke.
    I chuckled at this thought and shared with my wife as we rode, moving closer to Lagos. Conversation ensued and shifted to smoothies, cocktails and salad; and how pundits have innovatively sold the concepts to Nigerians, leveraging the growing health consciousness.
    I aired my concern on how staple ball foods have remained the same ever since and that was the trigger needed to activate something in my wife. She lectured me on a new trend in the kitchens of the young Nigerian mums; it is called ‘pecadomo’ meaning Peak Can Do More! Wow!
    She said the young mums have embraced the use of Peak Milk beyond the traditional bread and tea, and Peak Milk can now be used to prepare traditional foods like eba, semo, amala, pounded yam, etal.
    They are usually busy mums between ages 25-45. They are health-conscious, upwardly-mobile, and since they know that a family’s health is the mother’s scorecard, they do everything to keep their family healthy and happy.
    ‘Pecadomo is a great strategy of meeting the nutritional needs of every family member as critical nutrients are situated at every gastronomic touchpoints’.
     ‘Really?!’ I questioned
    ‘Yeah. Its about being a good mother to my kids and great wife to my hubby. Its the right thing to do in this age where we hardly have time for decent meals’. She nailed it.
    I was impressed at the innovation and the quality of thinking behind pecadomo. This means that innovation is not only about creating apps or inventing drones, but also adding values to little things that matter in our lives. However to innovate, there is need for stronger body and sharper mind; and Peak Milk comes to rescue in enhancing the mental and physical performances of consumers.
    So either you’re an app developer, a creative writer, recipe mixer, or content producer, always know that Peak Can Do More for you.  #pecadomo
  • 2017: Another chance to get it right

    2017: Another chance to get it right

    It was 31st of December and the time to celebrate the end of a challenging year, and maybe set a new goal for the next 365 days. Tito sat, drunk in a Surulere bar with his jolly friends, their tables filled with different kinds of alcoholic beverages. Each, narrating the challenges the year had brought and how they survived it. The conversation drifted to making plans for the incoming year. Part of the plans for Tito was to drop-down his alcoholic consumption which had consistently drained his pocket. And bla bla bla.
    New resolutions have been made, with plans to embrace new attitudes. The key challenge is following the resolutions to the end. About 60% of New Year resolutions are abandoned after 1-2 months, and another 20% after 3 months. Only a meagre percentage follow through to the end of the year. The key problem is our refusal or rather ignorance to create a solid roadmap on how to actualize the resolutions. Tito and friends never did that and there are possibilities that their resolutions might fail. They might just hit the bar again the following weekend.
    However, Funke, my friend had an intriguing resolution; she wants a healthier lifestyle for herself and her family. Wow! As simple as it sounds; it requires a high level of hard work. That means sound body and sound mental health which would eventually trigger long life and prosperity.
    ‘Interesting! So what’s your strategy?’ I asked
    ‘My key strategy is pecadomo’.
    ‘Peca what?’
    ‘Pecadomo’ meaning Peak Can Do More!
    pecadomia7Funke is a busy mum between 25-45; health-conscious, upwardly-mobile. She knows that ‘the family’s health is the mother’s scorecard’, and will do everything to keep her family healthy and happy. Funke lectured me that young and trendy mums all over the country are embracing the use of Peak Milk beyond the traditional bread and tea, and Peak Milk is now used to prepare traditional foods like eba, semo, amala, pounded yam, et al.
    ‘So why Peak and not other milk brands?’ I quizzed
    ‘Peak is an iconic brand of great quality and pedigree, nurturing generations since 1954 and produced under strict hygiene, the company adhering strictly by international policies’
    ‘Really?!’ I was impressed.

    ‘Yes’. Funke preached on. ‘And Pecadomo is a great strategy of meeting the nutritional needs of every family member as critical nutrients are situated at key gastronomic touchpoints. Its the right thing to do in this age when we hardly have time for decent meals’. She nailed it.
    It’s a new year and another chance to get it right. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery.
    For me, I have decided to innovate. Trying new things, learning, living, pushing myself, changing myself, changing our world; however to do that, there is need for stronger body and sharper mind; and Peak Milk is equipped to enhance my mental and physical performances; giving me sound mind and sound body.
    A wholesome health for innovation!
    ‘A toast to a healthier 2017’. I raised my glass of Peak smoothie to Funke.
    ‘Its always in you’ she replied, smiling, and clicking my cup.
  • Airtel, LASG sensitise residents on HIV/AIDS prevention, control

    Airtel, LASG sensitise residents on HIV/AIDS prevention, control

    Lagos state government with the support of telecommunication company, Airtel Nigeria has sensitized some residents of the state on Human Immuno Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrom.

    The outreach was recently taking to Ilaje community in Costain area of Lagos state (a sub-surb area) in partnership with the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) to embark on a community-wide awareness campaign targeted

    They went on the sensitization outreach with free testing and counselling opportunities they as well as distributed medications and relief materials to members of the community.

    During the outreach over 80 testers and counsellors were on hand to attend to the community, just as the turned out from the community was en masse to benefit from this awareness campaign which is aimed at preserving the lives of members of the community.

    The residents were grateful and they gave Airtel commendations

    Lanre Babalola, a resident of Ilaje community hailed the smartphone network for remembering his community. “I am very happy that Airtel is in our community today because it feels good to be giving service to a community that is less serviced.

    Things like this rarely happen for us here and today Airtel has put a smile on our faces”.

    Another resident Bishop Okoro said “I love Airtel because they have remembered little people like us who live in this area. We at Ilaje are usually forgotten but today a large corporate organisation like Airtel Nigeria has remembered us”.

    Also speaking at the event, the Baale of Ilaje community, Chief Oladipupo Arowojolu noted that the community has a health challenge and Airtel in partnership with LSACA have come to their aid. Arowojolu said “Health is wealth and with this HIV/AIDS awareness we are given a chance at a better and healthier life. With Airtel’s help, Ilaje and Otubara community will pursue good health in order to preserve the lives of members of our community”.

    As a reputable corporate organisation, Airtel Nigeria is committed to improving the lives of Nigerians by creating a better, healthier and more prosperous society, where everyone will be treated equally as well as respected irrespective of their status, social class and location.

  • Tension as marketing institute ‘rightsizes’

    When a former Senior Strategy Manager at Nigerian Breweries Plc Tony Agenmonmen became President of the Nigerian Institute of Marketing Nigeria (NIMN)last month, the workers were happy.

    Reason: They thought he was the messiah they were waiting for. One, they were being owed many months of salaries and allowances.

    However, rather than get good news from the president, the workers got a’special yuletide package’. The members of staff of NIMN were on Wednesday, last week told that they had been disengaged with a caveat that those still interested to work with institute should re-apply by January 6, next year.

    Expectedly, the 32-workforce, excluding the Registrar, expressed shock on the development.  Their expectations that the new executive would improve their well-being, especially in clearing the backlog of their unpaid salaries, were dashed.

    A source at the meeting said the workers were miffed by  the development, saying it was contrary to the promises earlier made by Agenmonmen, when he met with the staff of the institute, shortly after being elected.

    One of such promises, the source said, was that the Council would sort out the backlog of salaries being owed the staff and embark on capacity development for them to equip them for the challenges ahead.

    “Everybody was surprised at the announcement. Nobody expected it. We were thinking it was going to be one of such meetings where the new president would announce some of those ‘goodies’ he had for the staff, “ he said.

    It was gathered further that the board has already instructed the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) to help it handle the recruitment.

    Confirming the development, a member of the institute, who would not want his name in print, said he had seen a memo, informing members of the development and the decision of the board to source for new employees from within and outside the institute’s workforce.

    Meanwhile, the new president reportedly denied the disengagement story saying: “I’m not aware that any staff of the institute has been disengaged for now. All I know is that staff are on vacation, and they are expected to resume first week in January, next year.”

  • Book on shared economy unveiled

    A book “Future is Shared” has been launched in Lagos.

    Written by Bayo Adekanmbi, an with Executive of MTN, the book reveals the new business frontier, particularly from an emerging market perspective.

    The book style explores the transformational leverage of connected abundance,  made possible by crowd-based socio-capitalism concepts, such as crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, access economy, on-demand economy and collaborative economy.

    “The correlation is that the success of this business model is inextricably linked to the richness and broadness of data,” said the author, adding that the book focuses on ‘dataconomy’ businesses, such as Uber, and Airbnb.

    Adekambi said: “Data is the oil that fuels the sharing economy.’’

    He said the book also reveals how they rely on the use of data to profile, incentivise, match-make, predict risk, quantify value and distribute opportunities on a real-time basis.

    The book reviewer, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives, who recommending the book said: “I have read The Future is Shared by this prolific intellectual and I recommend it to all entrepreneurs, leaders, thinkers and pioneers. Reading this book will equip several interest groups to come to terms with an ever changing business environment that is finally channelling its focus to a concept that has been in existence for a long time, the concept of sharing!”

    The People Who Share founder and one of the top three global authorities on Sharing Economy, Benita Matofska, said: ”This is an important and comprehensive book that examines the opportunities and potential of the Sharing Economy to transform, not only Africa, but the developing world at large. Bayo, I’m sure, will be seen as a leading light, inspiring and enabling the Sharing Economy in Africa.”

  • Etisalat adopts Anambra school

    Etisalat adopts Anambra school

    Etisalat Nigeria has adopted Oraukwu Community Secondary School in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State under its Adopt-a-School Programme.

    The scheme avails pupils in government primary and secondary schools access to qualitative education.

    Regulatory and Corporate Social Responsibility Director, Etisalat Nigeria, Ikenna Ikeme, said the telecoms firm was glad to add a new school to the growing list of schools under its Adopt-a-School Programme.

    He commended the education authorities in the state for partnering the company for the development of the younger generation through access to qualitative education.

    Ikeme added that the initiative was borne out of the company’s commitment to leverage the potential of quality education to drive the sustainable development programme of the nation.

  • BUA Cement rewards distributors with N100m

    BUA Cement has set aside about N100 million to reward distributors who surpassed sales target in the year.

    BUA Group Executive Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, said at the company’s yearly Distributors’ Forum and Awards, explained that through an expansion drive that would span across its production plants, the firm would double its production capacity.

    He said distributors who performed well would be rewarded with cash, cars and other prizes, adding that the group planned to increase its market share and penetration through efficient service delivery and operational framework.

    Defending the price of the commodity, Rabiu explained that the price of the commodity is cheap when compared with other African countries, especially with the declining value of Naira, adding that cement production is a challenging business.

    He, however, noted that despite the harsh operating environment, the company would continue to meet the aspirations of its stakeholders.

    He said: “We have embarked on an expansion drive and this will be completed in 2018. Cement business is a very challenging one, because it is a capital intensive business; but I want to assure you that our expansion project will be completed by the end of next year or at the beginning of 2018.”

    Presenting the gifts to the distributors, Rabiu said: “This award is our little way of celebrating you as you have been with us constantly throughout the year. Your loyalty to the brand has helped us to grow and we will continue to celebrate customers who have been there in this period of economic crisis.”

  • e-commerce firm Ninbiz launched

    An online e-commerce platform, Ninbiz, has been launched to offer ideal online market where customers’ needs are met.

    Ninbiz is a fusion of social network and the traditional e-commerce.

    At the unveiling in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer, Ninbiz e-commerce, Oboye Olutoni Olutobi, said the platform provides an avenue where buyers and sellers can actively interact and get better product delivery rate.

    According to him, “The Ninbiz idea came about the need to create ideal e-commerce environment that will actually make business grow, and not just help Nigerians sell their products online, but to completely redefine what is previously known about e-commerce, because it is a fusion of social networking and traditional e-commerce.”

    He said: “Buyers and sellers don’t have to be big before they are seen on the platform. It is designed in such a way that buyers and sellers will always come up on the top search results when customers around your store location are searching for their products and services.

    “The registration to Ninbiz is free; what this means is that you can create your store on the platform, sell, make profit and get your business to grow and get to know without having to pay.

    “A businessman on Ninbiz can create poll, send notification to customers, have a discussion forum to relate with customers, advertise events, send invites and its business page is seamlessly integrated with other social networking sites,” he added.

  • Edelman appoints Chain Reactions as exclusive affiliate

    Edelman, a leading global communications marketing firm, has signed on Chain Reactions Nigeria, one of Nigeria’s most vibrant Public Relations (PR) firms, as its exclusive affiliate.

    The affiliation further expands Edelman’s operation outside its Johannesburg, South African office.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Edelman South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Robert Holdheim, said:“Our decision to partner exclusively with Chain Reactions Nigeria was informed by the team’s unique understanding of the market, the richness of the strategic thinking and the creativity behind their work.

    “The addition of Chain Reactions Nigeria into Edelman’s network of exclusive affiliates further enhances our ability to provide seamless, strategic communications marketing support across the African continent.”

    Chain Reactions Nigeria, Israel Opayemi, Managing Director/Chief Strategist, said: “Our admission into Edelman’s affiliate network is an important milestone in our growth trajectory. It is the kind of best-of-breed partnership we have always desired. Our current and prospective clients can anticipate a balance of best-in-class services backed by Edelman’s international reach and expertise. Our affiliation with Edelman will continue to raise the bar of creativity and excellence in all that we do. Edelman’s global resources will propel us to do more of the creative work we have been known for in Nigeria.”