The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 2016

  • Online shopping to more than double by 2016

    Online shopping to more than double by 2016

    Online shopping by urban consumers will more than double over the next two years in the country to 14 per cent from six per cent last year, says a Boston Consultancy Group report.

    According to the BCG digital influence study 2013-14, online shopping is expected to rise to 14 percent by 2016 from six per cent last year. It also said already 25 per cent of travel and tourism-related sales are digitally driven in the country currently.

    Digital influence is rapidly expanding to small urban towns and rural areas, as the number of mobile users have increased. More than 34 per cent of total Internet users in the country are from small towns, while 25 per cent are from rural areas.

    Of the total urban Internet users, around 57 per cent are of 25 and above, and 45 per cent use only their mobile devices to access the Internet.

    The study also said by 2016, the urban Internet user base would rise to 47 per cent from 28 per cent last year.

    According to the report, discounts are not the only driving force for people to switch to online shopping, as was previously thought, but factors like convenience and access to wider assortment is also largely influencing shopping decisions.

    Giving a snapshot of the key sectors driving online shopping, the report said the airline ticketing led the chart with 25 percent of sales being completed online last year, while the same stood at six per cent in regard to cars, though 32 per cent searched online before buying. However, only eight per cent of the mobile/PC sales were online during the same period.

  • Don calls for early preparations

    Don calls for early preparations

    A don, Olutunji Makanjuola, on Wednesday said Nigeria must be proactive in its preparations for major competitions to boost its chances of winning laurels.

    Makanjuola, who is a professor of psychology in the University of Lagos(UNILAG), made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. He noted that Nigeria had not fully imbibed the culture of early preparations for competitions, and said this attitude must change.

    “Let’s take for an example, the Rio 2016 Olympics, it is around the corner and many other countries have started preparations and we have not. Nigeria at the present is reaping from the measure of its investment in sports.

    “ If we continue the way we have been doing things, we should not expect a positive result. Our performance in major international events we attended was the reflection of our level of preparation and investment. You do not plant beans and expect to reap rice,’’ he said.

    Makanjuola, who is also the chairman of the Lagos State Athletics Association, noted that the way the nation had prepared for the 2012 Olympics, was repeating itself. He said funds for the competition ought to have been released by now, to ensure intense preparations.

    “To me if the money is not released on time, then it means that the money was not meant for Nigeria to prepare for the Games; but to participate, and in a jamboree. Nigeria recorded the highest number of government officials at the Games, even more than the number of athletes, which makes it a jamboree, he said.

    The don listed other factors militating against Nigeria’s sports development to include poor facilities, incentives for athletes, lack of exposure, inadequate attention to sports at the grassroots and poor administration.

  • ‘President, NSC rewards tonic for 2016 Paralympics’

    ‘President, NSC rewards tonic for 2016 Paralympics’

    MONDAY Emoghavwe, the President, Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, has predicted that the country would win more medals at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

    Emoghavwe made the prediction while reacting to the honour bestowed on the athletes who won Gold at the 2012 London Paralympic Games by President Goodluck Jonathan. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the gesture was adequate from what happened in the past.

    “The disabled sports has never had it so good and the non-recognition of disabled athletes by Nigeria’s past leaders was enough to dampen one’s spirit towards participating in sports in the country,’’ he said.

    Emoghavwe said that following Mr President’s gesture the committee would have no option than to surpass the London achievements in the 2016 games.

    “To whom much is given, much is expected. I remember vividly when a former president said we should come and receive a golden handshake, when our counterpart in China we performed better than, were given $10 million, and a house each.

    “Then, we came back and many Nigerians did not even know that we travelled for the Paralympic games.

    “We are so happy that President Jonathan rewarded us, and he made us proud when he said that we were worthy of emulation,’’ Emoghavwe said.

    The three-time paralympic gold medalist said that apart from the presidential awards, the cash reward by the National Sports Commission (NSC) was another source of motivation for the athletes ahead of the Rio games.

    NAN recalls that earlier, the NSC had given each paralympic gold medalist, $7,500; silver medalist $5,000, while each bronze medalist received $2,500.

    Emoghavwe commended the NSC leadership for its support, saying that it would ginger them to do more.

    “It was only in 2000 Commonwealth Games in Manchester that we were selected to be given winning bonuses and currently, the minister has extended it. There were loads of challenges in terms of finance and technical input, but I just thank God that our travelling to South Korea for a training tour boosted our performance.

    “You get a better result when you move an athlete out of his country to where he will focus very well and we were able to manage the challenges with the help of the minister who deemed it fit to send us on a training tour,” he added.

    NAN reports that Emoghavwe has won gold for the country in power-lifting in three paralympic games.

    His first attempt was at the 1992 Barcelona games when he lifted 48kg. He also finished top of the 60kg and 67.5kg categories at the 1996Atlanta Olympics and 2000 Sydney games respectively.