The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Business

  • Customer service as bridge to business accessibility 

    Customer service as bridge to business accessibility 

    • By Elvis Eromosele 

    As children, we were taught that communication is a two-way street. It is not just about talking, it’s also about listening. It’s not only about disseminating information but also about actively listening and engaging with others. Today, as adults, we find that many didn’t learn the same lesson or else didn’t take it to heart. 

    Experts argue that effective communication thrives on the exchange of ideas, feedback, and perspectives. When both parties actively participate in the conversation, it encourages transparency, trust, and collaboration. This two-way flow of communication helps in building stronger relationships, resolving issues more effectively, and fostering an environment conducive to growth and understanding. 

    In the digital age, the bridge between customers and businesses is increasingly built upon communication. The most important channels include the internet /website, phone calls and email. The essence of customer service contact stands as the pivotal gateway to fostering seamless accessibility. However, a disheartening trend persists – the unanswered calls and ignored emails by many businesses. This lack of responsiveness strikes a blow to the very foundation of customer experience, leaving patrons adrift in a sea of frustration and disenchantment.

    For instance, not long ago, I got a message via SMS from, supposedly, my pension fund administrator. 

    “Kindly submit consent for us to provide your bank details to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for FGN Palliative. Visit (link) to locate our Office Address and make a physical submission or click (link) for electronic submission, on or before 19 Dec 2023. Enquiries: 08059580002, 08032752888.”

    It didn’t smell right. 

    Ordinarily, I’ll ignore this sort of message. But this one came as part of the usual messages (chat) from the firm. My interest was pinged. I went online and got the pension firm’s phone number and email. I called several times, the lines were either busy or simply rang out. So, I sent an email and got an automated response. Five days later, nothing else from the firm.

    Why can’t companies answer their customer’s calls? 

    How long does it take to respond to an email? 

    How am I not to believe that the supposed fraudsters are working hand in hand with contacts within the firm?

    In recent times, several high-profile cases have spotlighted the detrimental impact of businesses failing to address customer inquiries promptly. 

    One poignant example is when a major airline faced a significant operational meltdown, resulting in countless passengers stranded and seeking assistance. Despite an influx of queries flooding their customer service lines, the airline struggled to cope, leaving many customers in a state of frustration due to unanswered calls and unacknowledged emails. This delay exacerbated the already stressful situation, souring the experience for countless travellers.

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    There are also instances where airlines cancel flights and yet take months of follow-up and sometimes begging to refund the customers. 

    Similarly, telecommunications giants have faced their fair share of scrutiny during service disruptions. Instances of network outages or technical glitches causing service disruptions often led to an inundation of customer inquiries. Sometimes, these disruptions are precipitated by fibre cable cuts during road construction. However, delayed or absent responses to these queries intensified customer dissatisfaction, eroding trust in the company’s ability to address concerns promptly. 

    The real issue is that when businesses fail to answer phone calls or respond to email messages, the repercussions reverberate through the customer experience landscape. It creates an insurmountable barrier, thwarting customers’ attempts at accessing information, seeking assistance, or providing feedback. Such negligence undermines trust and loyalty, casting a shadow on the perceived reliability and credibility of the business.

    Customers left in limbo often experience heightened frustration, leading to feelings of neglect or indifference. This negative experience significantly diminishes their inclination to engage further with the business, thereby impacting retention rates and tarnishing the business’s reputation in the market.

    Several factors contribute to this lack of responsiveness. Overwhelmed customer service departments, inadequate infrastructure, or even a lack of priority given to these communication channels can be prime culprits.

    By learning from these examples and acknowledging the ramifications of unresponsive customer service, businesses can strategically allocate resources, implement effective communication strategies, and build a customer-centric approach that not only resolves issues but also strengthens relationships and fosters loyalty.

    To remedy this issue, businesses must undertake a holistic approach.

    First, there must be an intentional investment in technology. This will involve adopting and integrating advanced communication technologies that can streamline and manage incoming queries efficiently. Implementing automated responses, chatbots, and CRM systems can significantly enhance responsiveness.

    Secondly, emphasis must be placed on training and empowerment. Firms must equip customer service representatives with comprehensive training, empowering them to handle diverse queries promptly and effectively. There is also a need to establish clear protocols and response times to ensure timely resolution.

    Moreover, organisations must prioritize communication channels. Firms have to acknowledge the significance of each communication channel and allocate resources accordingly. A proactive approach to responding to emails and answering calls can quickly solidify customer trust and satisfaction.

    Feedback has been described as the “breakfast of champions”. Companies need to regularly solicit customer feedback to gauge satisfaction levels. They can subsequently use this information to continually refine and improve communication strategies, ensuring they align with customer expectations.

    The essence of customer service contact as the conduit to business accessibility cannot be overstated. The failure to address customers’ queries through phone calls and emails erects barriers that impede accessibility and erode trust. 

    Businesses that recognize the pivotal role of prompt communication in addressing customer queries and concerns are better positioned to navigate challenges, build trust, and elevate the overall customer experience in today’s competitive landscape.

    By acknowledging the impact of unresponsiveness and implementing proactive measures, businesses can bridge this gap thus fostering a customer-centric approach that not only resolves issues but also cultivates loyalty and elevates the overall customer experience. Responsive and efficient communication stands as the cornerstone of a thriving business in today’s interconnected marketplace.

    • Eromosele, a corporate communication professional and public affairs analyst, wrote via: elviseroms@gmail.com
  • Dangling ade-risked business environment to woo investors

    Dangling ade-risked business environment to woo investors

    The Federal and State Governments are waving enabling operational and fiscal environment bait to local and foreign investors. Their re-energised drive to incentivise investors by easing stringent business policies that discourage investment may have rekindled enthusiasm, especially among foreign investors who now see strong prospects of Nigeria becoming an investment destination of choice. However, the investors’ growing enthusiasm may be short-lived amid fears that without first addressing pervasive insecurity and decrepit infrastructure forcing them to hold back, Nigeria may be putting the cart before the horse. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports

    After what may have gone down, from several critical perspectives, as Nigeria’s most depressing outing in international trade and diplomacy under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years administration, the country now looks good to reclaim its dominant position in global business, trade and investment. First, it took the recalibration of Nigeria’s global engagement strategy by the current administration of President Bola Tinubu to set the stage for what promises to restore and strengthen the country’s diminished image and influence in global trade and investment. The recalibration of the country’s global engagement strategy, The Nation learnt, was by way of a strategic rethink in favour of a free-market approach to rebuilding Nigeria’s weakened influence in continental and international trade and investment space, as opposed to Buhari’s protectionist approach to economic diplomacy. In line with President Tinubu’s strategic shift towards more intentional, dynamic and value-driven economic relations, he has, in the past six months of his inauguration as Nigeria’s new leader, been literarily crossing the oceans and climbing the mountains in search of countries and investors willing to do business with Nigeria.
    Already, the result of the intensified shuttle economic diplomacy by the President, who has since been joined by some state governors equally eager to market the huge but largely untapped investment opportunities in their domain, has been quite evident. For instance, there has been a deluge of business partnership deals, investment and trade collaborations among Nigeria and some foreign countries and investors willing to bring the much-needed investment cash into the country, beginning from Thursday, June 22, when Tinubu embarked on his first official trip to Paris, France. Although, he was in France to participate in the two-day summit for a “New Global Financing Pact,” the President was able to network with International Finance Corporations (IFCs), institutions, countries and would-be investors to open the floodgate of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into Nigeria. Since then, there has been a flurry of activities in the economic diplomacy front, with several other countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, South Africa, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America, among others coming under President Tinubu’s economic diplomacy radar to bolster greater trade and investment among Nigeria and those countries across key sectors including manufacturing, renewable energy, power generation, infrastructure, health, agriculture, transportation, mining, digital economy and much more.

    Waving a business-friendly environment wand

    In selling Nigeria to investors, particularly foreign investors, the President and some governors have been dangling the proverbial carrot in the form of enabling operational and fiscal environment to woo investors and significantly boost FDI, increase revenue and create more jobs for Nigerians. For Tinubu and, indeed, the state governors, who have, at various local and international forums declared that it is no longer business as usual about doing business in Nigeria. It is easy to see why throwing enabling business environment bait to investors has become a compelling proposition. Nigeria’s inclement business environment manifesting in unstable government fiscal and monetary policies, unbridled corruption, pervasive insecurity, decrepit infrastructure particularly epileptic electricity supply, policy somersault, multiple regulatory agencies, and asphyxiating tax regime, among others, has often been cited by local and foreign investors as a major reason for holding back. Many of them who could not cope with the prevailing unfriendly business environment in the country have either been forced to shut down their operations or relocate to neighbouring African countries where the operating environment is considered more conducive for their businesses to thrive and a mouth-watering Return on Investments (RoI) guaranteed. The former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga put the impact of the inclement business environment on Nigeria’s renewed push to boost the confidence of the global investment community in perspective when he said one of the biggest determinants of how much investment an economy attracts is the macroeconomic environment. He said: “An environment where inflation is at a record high level, and still rising, exchange rates are high and volatile, and a large percentage of national income is going towards servicing debts cannot foster the kind of stimulus our economy needs.
    “There is a need to design a macro-economic framework that will be supervised by a strong macro-economic management team within the economic management team that is accountable to the President.” Aganga, who was also Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Economic Management Team, spoke at the 3rd Adeola Odutola Lecture/Presidential Luncheon which was held in Lagos recently, with the theme “Setting the Agenda for Competitive Manufacturing under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA): What Nigeria Needs to do.” The former minister, at the lecture which was the last leg of activities that marked the 51st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), also emphasised the need for the current administration to pay more attention to the ease of doing business, particularly those areas that are not covered or adequately covered by the Ease of Doing Business Survey. While listing some of the areas to include poor implementation of government policies, multiple regulators with overlapping mandates, illegal roadblocks, levies and demands by local communities, and others however said local manufacturers and investors are in a better position to point the government in the right direction. Interestingly, Aganga and other experts’ push for a strong and stable macro-economic environment to woo investors appears to resonate with President Tinubu and the state governors, hence their decision to prioritise the removal of some of the aforementioned obstacles hindering the flow of investments into Nigeria. For instance, it was in a bid to resolve the issue of multiple taxations agitating the minds of businesses and local and foreign investors that President Tinubu established the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms to remove all barriers impeding business growth in Nigeria. The Committee, chaired by a tax expert at Price WaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Mr. Taiwo Oyedele comprises experts from both the private and public sectors. It will have responsibility for the various aspects of tax law reform, fiscal policy design and coordination, harmonisation of taxes and revenue administration.
    For the President, this and other reforms have become necessary if the administration must birth a more competitive economy capable of attracting foreign investors to the boundless opportunities in virtually all the sectors of the Nigerian economy both at national and sub-national levels. Tinubu underscored this thinking when, in Paris, France, he said ongoing reforms, starting with the removal of fuel subsidies and streamlining of the exchange rate, for instance, will be sustained for a more competitive economy to emerge. “We are ready for business, prepared to welcome investments,” he said. That was when Tinubu received the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim), Prof. Benedict Oramah and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud–Basso in separate meetings, on the sidelines of the Paris Summit for New Global Financing Pact. “Nigeria is ready for global business and our reform is total. We need reforms for national survival, and it would take boldness and courage to reposition the economy,” the President said, assuring the delegation of Afrexim Bank executives that the Federal Government will continue to stimulate the economy with policies that support investments in areas of Nigeria’s competitive advantage, particularly agriculture.
    Apart from the aggressive reform of Nigeria’s fiscal, monetary, regulatory and tax policy environment to de-risked the business environment, the federal and state governments are also dangling an incentive akin to a blank cheque to new investors, allowing them to seamlessly bring their money into the country free of worries about whether or not they can take their money out at any point in time. Nigeria’s active participation in the recently-concluded 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Washington, U.S.A. also underscored the country’s gradual reintegration into the global arena, with Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar hosting the Nigeria State Luncheon themed “Financing Nigeria’s Growth Agenda.” Also last week, the President, again, assured foreign ambassadors in Nigeria of his administration’s readiness to maintain open lines of communication and cooperation, with a focus on advancing mutually beneficial economic opportunities across sectors.

    That was when he received the Letters of Credence of the Ambassadors of Angola, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Norway, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Nigeria, Jose Bamoquine Zau, Pieter Leenknegt, Sevin Baera, and Albert Castelar, respectively. In separate meetings with the Ambassadors, Tinubu emphasised the importance of strong diplomatic relations and expressed his willingness to engage with the foreign missions. He told the Ambassadors that the Foreign Ministry and the Office of his Chief of Staff would always be available to interact with the foreign missions and address any matter of concern. “We will maintain an open-door policy. We are ready to do anything that will make your stay rewarding and our relationship strong. Do not hesitate to bring up any matter with the Foreign Minister or my Chief of Staff; they will bring it to my attention,” a statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Chief Ajuri Ngelale quoted the President as saying. The event, which took place on September 21 at The Madison Main Ballroom, The Lotte New York Palace was coordinated by Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun. The luncheon served as a platform for fostering dialogue between potential investors and Nigerian leaders, aimed at exploring investment opportunities for Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Before last week’s engagement with the envoys, there has been a barrage of bold, strategic and game-changing economic reforms and policies encapsulated in President Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope agenda aimed at resetting the economy for sustainable growth. Some of them include scrapping the obnoxious and corrupt-ridden fuel subsidy regime, ditching the fixed exchange rates to allow the naira trade freely at market-determined rates, tackling insecurity and implementing targeted social intervention programmes to cushion the difficult but transient impact of the administration’s essential policy reforms particular the removal of fuel subsidy. The Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia gave more insight into some of the irresistible incentives on offer to prospective investors particularly those interested in exploring the myriad of investment opportunities in Enugu State across key sectors such as energy, power and transport, ICT, agriculture, tourism and others. Prof. Onyia, who said the state government, is currently collaborating with the Indonesian Government to foster mutual prosperity, capital flows and diversification of Indonesian industries into the state said the administration of Governor Peter Mbah recognises private investment as a key driver of long-term economic growth and prosperity. The SSG, who spoke at a recent news conference in Lagos to herald the Nigerian Indonesian Investment and Trade Forum (NIITF) 2023 said the governor, being a product of the private sector, understands that investors need an enabling business environment to inject capital. Onyia said: “We know that ease of doing business; infrastructural availability and adequate security are critical to successful investments. We have thus created here in Enugu State a one-stop-shop for the registration of businesses. We intend to make a N2 trillion investment in infrastructure in our state in the next four years.” Continuing, Prof. Onyia said: “We have also begun tackling significant issues with the business enabling environment under the direction of the World Bank State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER). “We are also reviewing the state’s land administration and land investment processes, our Public Private Partnership (PPP) policy frameworks and services for investment promotion. “The state has also invested in a GIS platform, and we are currently streamlining the state’s tax and land administration systems. These will ensure that services for investment support are efficient. The NIITF was aimed at showcasing the best of Nigeria’s non-oil produce, driving FDI and increasing the trade balance between Nigeria and Indonesia. This year’s edition of the Forum themed “Rediscovering Business Potential in Nigeria” was held last month in October in Jakarta, Indonesia, after its inaugural edition last year. The President, of Nigeria Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), Ishmael Balogun said the Forum had a very robust lineup of participants both from the public and private sectors from Nigeria and Indonesia. According to him, areas of focus include but not limited to manufacturing, renewable energy, power generation, infrastructure development, health, agriculture, transportation, mining, digital economy and much more.
    The Enugu State Government was the headline sponsor for this year’s NIITF event, with Governor Mbah delivering the keynote address. “Our mission is to make Enugu the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism and living in Nigeria,” Prof. Onyia said, at the news conference that heralded the event. In an interview with The Nation, the Enugu State Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Adaora Chukwu, emphasized that the state’s partnership with the Indonesian Government was based on Governor Mbah’s initiative to raise the state’s GDP from $4.4 billion to $30 billion in the next eight years.
    Lagos State eyes Africa’s premier financial centre spot

    The Lagos State Government has raised the bar in the aggressive hunt for foreign investors, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu inaugurating the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC) Council, on Friday, September 3, to help drive the bold vision of bolstering the position of Lagos as Africa’s premier financial centre. The initiative is a ground-breaking public-private sector collaboration between the Lagos State Government and EnterpriseNGR, a not-for-profit private sector advocacy group that promotes the growth and development of Nigeria’s Financial and Professional Services (FPS) sector as a catalyst for economic development. The LIFC Council so established is charged with providing strategic oversight, guidance, and coordination towards transforming Lagos as Africa’s premier financial centre and investment destination of choice. Sanwo-Olu, who described the LIFC Council as “Transformational,” said it underscored his administration’s unwavering commitment to transform Lagos into a global economic and financial powerhouse that is safe and secure. Members of the LIFC Council are drawn from both the public and private sectors; the Council will collaborate with stakeholders across the federal, state and local government levels, alongside regulatory bodies, to actualise the state’s ambitious vision to become a global economic and financial hub. The Council’s mandate includes advising on measures to attract foreign investment, monitor progress, address identified challenges, and suggest improvements as needed. It has Sanwo-Olu as Chair, and EnterpriseNGR’s Chairman, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, as Co-Chair of the Council. Beyond inaugurating the LIFC Council with the aim of captivating global investors, unveiling the state’s huge potential as an investment destination of choice, and paving the way for a transformative era of economic prosperity, the governor also announced his administration’s plan to take its ‘Open for Business’ message to the Lord Mayor’s Show in London. The Lord Mayor’s Show is an annual event held in the City of London, United Kingdom, to celebrate the inauguration of the new Lord Mayor, Prof Michael Raymond Mainelli. Sanwo-Olu said the invitation extended to Lagos, the first African city to be so invited to participate at the Show, is a testament of the State’s growing global acceptance and visibility. “The invitation stands as a resounding endorsement of Lagos State’s commitment to excellence, as well as recognition of its increasing economic prominence. Lagos is not just going to London for the parade and pageantry; this visit has a more strategic purpose. This is a prime opportunity to showcase Lagos on a global platform,” he said.
    Insecurity may throw a spanner in the works
    On the strength of the Federal and State Governments’ focused commitment to reclaiming Nigeria’s once dominant position in international business, trade and investment by de-risking the business environment via reforms to woo investors, the confidence of the global investment community in Africa’s most populous country is gradually receiving a boost. The United Kingdom High Commissioner in Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, confirmed this heart-warming development, last week when he said Nigeria is fast becoming a regional and global powerhouse, attributing the feat to the various reforms and multi-sector re-organisations initiated by the Tinubu administration. The British envoy, who observed in a goodwill message at the 2023 Cabinet Retreat, organised for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries and top government functionaries, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, assured Nigeria of the UK’s continued support in the spirit of mutual respect and partnership. Dr. Montgomery, while recognizing Nigeria as a growing regional and global powerhouse, applauded your President Tinubu’s plans to stabilise the economy and put it on a higher growth path to prosperity on which so much else depends. The British envoy projected that Nigeria will likely become the third largest country in the world by 2050.,
    But as prospects of Nigeria becoming a choice destination for investment are, insecurity remains a big challenge. In fact, given the current pervasive insecurity across the country, business operators and experts fear that without tackling insecurity, the growing enthusiasm among the local business community and foreign investors may be cut short. Across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, insecurity is arguably, the biggest heartache for the authorities and Nigerians generally. And it is also clipping the wings of local and foreign investors, with many companies forced to flee conflict-prone areas.
    Geophysicist and Project Manager, Olufemi Adegbulugbe, did not mince words when he said without tackling insecurity that discourages both local and foreign investment and addressing unstable government fiscal and monetary policies, “Tinubu’s foreign trips to seek foreign investment is a case of putting the cart before the horse. It will only terminate in unfulfilled promises and lost hope.”

  • Business experts inspire sales professionals to break limits at Sales Pro Conference

    Business experts inspire sales professionals to break limits at Sales Pro Conference

    A rich collection of sales front liners and thought leaders have tasked sales professionals to never stop reaching for their targets, as their opportunities were limitless.

    The experts said this, among others, at the inaugural Sales Pro Conference in Lagos State, which brought together a diverse community of sales professionals who gathered to chart a new course for their professional growth through knowledge sharing.

    The conference, which was held recently in Alimosho, was a testament to the resilience of the sales community in Nigeria, hosting a hybrid attendance that recorded in-person and virtual participants of over 500 persons.

    The host of the event and co-founder of Pertinence Group, Dr Sunday Olorunsheyi, adjudged as a revered name in the world of sales, set the tone for the event by delivering a keynote address centred around his 5-Psprinciple, including Product, Planning, Promotion, Passion, and Positioning.

    He masterfully navigated through each element, leaving the audience with a strategic roadmap to close substantial deals and fuel their sales careers.

    He said in part: “Sales closing isn’t just about sealing the deal; it’s about opening the door to lasting relationships. Understanding the product you’re selling is a great start, having a passion for what you do and being willing to promote your product in every possible way by strategically positioning yourself, is your compass in the journey from sales to success.”

    Another speaker and a Television host, Mrs. Tope Mark-Odigie, weaved a tapestry of motivation and practical advice, introducing her 5 Vs, including Value, Visibility, Velocity, Volume, and Vibration, with palpable warmth and conviction.

    Attendees were captivated as she encouraged them to plant their seeds in the right environment; to sell not just a product but its intrinsic value; and to be visible to potential buyers. She left the audience with the energy of possibility, igniting sparks of hope and determination.

    She said: “Plant your seeds in fertile soil and watch them grow. In the world of sales, you’re not just selling a product; you’re selling value. Be visible, carry the energy of possibility, and watch your sales journey flourish.”

    The third keynote speaker, Mr. Samson Olatunde, a living testament to the power of value-driven sales, shared his remarkable journey that began as an undergraduate student. 

    Olatunde’s story was a reminder that anyone, regardless of their starting point, can make a profound impact in the world of sales.

    He made his message clear: “Success is born from rendering consistent value and building trust with customers.”

    The conference reached its pinnacle with Mrs Funke Kehinde, a luminary in the real estate industry, who delivered a masterclass on thriving in the sector. 

    She shared her insights on various facets of selling real estate, accompanied by her personal experiences as one of Nigeria’s top-selling realtors.

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    The conference, powered by Pertinence Group, also witnessed a fireside chat that brought four of its home-grown top-selling real estate and proptech practitioners on stage to discuss their experiences in the industry as it pertained to selling properties.

    As a giveaway from the event, the host Olorunsheyi announced a whopping 50% commission structure on 25 plots of land owned by Pertinence in specific locations. 

    He also announced a free mentorship programme that he and his business partner, Mr. Wisdom Ezekiel, would run in November for anyone interested in becoming a sales superstar.

    In all, the event successfully set the stage for sales professionals to rise to new heights, spurring their determination to navigate the evolving landscape of the profession with the unspoken promise of growth and success.

  • Experts seek policy relief as businesses face tough times

    Experts seek policy relief as businesses face tough times

    Economic experts are seeking immediate government’s relief for the private sector of the economy in the face of the current challenges encountered by business outfits.

    A cross section of experts told The Nation that most businesses were being threatened and in need of a bailout by government.

    Economist Muda Yusuf said small businesses were worse off.

    Asked for his opinion on how the private sector might meet the expectations of their employees following the recent approval of N35,000 provisional wage award  for low earning federal public servants, Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), said:”Some segments of the private sector have already taken some steps far above even what the government is offering, especially the big companies.

    “Many of them have doubled the transport allowances of their staff; many of them have even increased the remuneration of their staff generally in line with the prevailing economic situation, so quite a number of them have done it.”

    He said many of the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), which form the majority in the private sector, lack the financial capacity to do much.

    He said: “For most of them, they’re even struggling even to pay the current salaries for their staff because they have been experiencing a very serious shock as a result of the current economic situation.

    “Many of them are even running at a loss. So for a company that is struggling to remain afloat, how do you want them to review the salaries of their staff?

    “For many of the SMEs, they don’t have that room to do much for their staff because even the owners of the business are struggling to keep the businesses afloat.”

     On what measures can be taken, he would rather a holistic approach is adopted and not cosmetic solutions.

    “What I think should happen is for the government to put in place a systemic policy that would impact on the rest of the citizenry.

    Read Also: Fed Govt eyes infrastructure, non- oil export to drive economy

    “What I mean by systemic impact are policies that can bring down the cost generally for all the citizens.”

    Such policies, he stressed, “should be policies that can reduce the cost of food, cost of transportation, cost of energy, cost of healthcare, cost of education. So government should look at a broad range of tax and fiscal policies to see how they can come up with policy interventions that can mitigate the hardship that will impact everybody. And it can only do that through policy interventions.

    “So, that is the kind of thing that we expect the government to do that can have an intervention that is systemic in nature and that is very important.”

    According to the former Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, small businesses are in dire need of a lifeline because they form the bulk of the informal sector of the economy.

    “If you look at the total workforce of Nigeria, I’m not sure most of them are up to five per cent of them in the public sector. Most of them are working either on their own as self-employed or they’re working for SMEs. And this minimum wage award and all of that is not likely to reach them. So government should have other ways, which I have mentioned, so that the interventions or the benefits can be inclusive.”

    The Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, spoke along the same line.

    According to him, many  private sector operators have put in place some dynamic work structures to suit the times such that their workforce are not so negatively impacted by the economic downturn.

    While noting that the organised private sector operators are happy with the measures taken so far for its workers, he said manufacturers stand to benefit from the measure.

    His words: “From an enlightened self-interest as a manufacturer, the measure taken by the government is going to improve the lot of Nigerians and put more disposable income in the pockets of the average Nigerian.

    “It will reflate the economy, help us to improve our sales profile and help us reduce some planned inventory that we have been carrying about and generally allow us to expand production and plough back our profits for reinvestments purposes.”

    On his part, Prof Bongo Adi said usually when the government increases the wages of its workers it hardly considers private sector operators in the mix. “It’s somehow discriminatory but that’s how it is all over the world.”

    Adi, who is Professor of Economics, Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, said that for the most part, private sector players usually rue the fact that they are not part of the equation when the government announces wage increase. They are left to think up measures to improve the lot of their workforce.

    President Bola Tinubu in his Independence Day broadcast announced N25, 000 provincial wage increase for six months for low-grade workers.

    However the provisional wage increase was reviewed to N35000 following a meeting between the Labour union leaders and the Federal government.

  • ‘Continuity of business enhancement commendable’

    ‘Continuity of business enhancement commendable’

    Business and economy stakeholders have commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Dr. Jumoke Oduwole as Special Adviser to the President on Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Investment.

    Investors and experts who spoke yesterday said the appointment of Oduwole, who also served in similar role in the previous administration, signaled the new government’s commitment to continuity in enhancing the business environment in Nigeria.

    Oduwole, a senior lecturer in international law at the University of Lagos, is one of the aides whose appointments were announced earlier this week.

    Oduwole’s portfolio was expanded by Tinubu to include Investment, bringing her into the main focus of the market-economy administration. The new government had indicated that its focus would be on driving foreign and domestic investments to uplift the Nigerian economy.

    Oduwole will also continue to serve under the Office of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, including as Secretary of the PEBEC, which is chaired by the Vice President.

    She was recently appointed as a Senior Fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, USA. ). Subsequent to her reappointment, Oduwole has disengaged from her Harvard appointment to continue with the work of enhancing business environment and promoting investments.

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    Her appointment was hailed by investors, economic experts and other key stakeholders. A Kano-based investor, Mohammed Abdulahi, said the appointment showed Tinubu’s adherence to the principle of continuity considering Oduwole’s previous performance.

    “PEBEC was one of the shining lights of the previous administration. We all saw how active the Council was in addressing issues constraining business and investment in this country,” Abdulahi said.

    Another investor, Herbert Ibekwe, an importer, said Nigeria has become a better place for investment with state government and relevant agencies of the federal government competing to improve their activities.

    During Oduwole’s tenure, Nigeria moved up by 39 places in the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings and was twice recognised as a top 10 reformed economy in three years. This led to Nigeria significantly improving its position on the global enabling business environment index over the past eight years. PEBEC during the period also introduced innovative ideas that spurred states and other subnational entities improved their performances to make the Nigerian environment more business-friendly for local and local investors.

    In 2022, she was invited to serve as a Governance Advisor to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Gov/Lab Governance Innovation Initiative based on her proven track record as a champion of innovation in governance.

    Oduwole holds an LL. B from University of Lagos, following which she was called to the Nigeria Bar; an LL.M from Cambridge University; a JSM and JSD both from Stanford Law School. In 2013, she was appointed holder of the Prince Claus Chair, a Visiting Professorship in Development and Equity in honour of the late Prince Claus of The Netherlands. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), an Africa-wide think tank on governance and economic development. In addition, she is a member of the 6th cohort of the Africa Leadership Institute, West Africa (ALIWA), part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, and a member of the inaugural set of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s “Amujae Initiative” for African women leaders with high potential. She holds the national award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).

  • Olowu-Kuta, Oba Oyelude backs business queens

    Olowu-Kuta, Oba Oyelude backs business queens

    The paramount ruler of Kuta kingdom, Osun State, Oba Hammed Oyelude has been unveiled as the chairman at the launch of the first all women co-authored book titled: ‘The Ways of Business Queens.’

    The book will be launched in Ibadan on September 27, 2023 at the Mauve 21 Events Centre under the chairmanship of His Royal Majesty, Oba Oyelude, who affirmed his support for women development, empowerment and gender equality.

    The book coordinated by the Enterprising Women Awards Africa under the leadership of convener, Ayo George is co-written by 7 successful business women who tell their stories to serve as inspirations to many other women travelling across generations and races.

    Read Also: Multichoice Unveils New Package, Gotv Supa +

    The book has seven chapters, each written by one author with an essence to have relatable success stories told by various business women.

    Ayo George in a media chat in Lagos hinted that the authors were selected randomly from various sectors of the economy and their stories are meant to be studied by up and coming businesses, especially young ladies. He claims the book will promote womanhood, hard work, enterprise, education and gender equality.

    Written by Olamide Agbomeji, MD, GreenPlus Pharmacy; Funke Kehinde, CEO, Brilliant Concepts Realtors; Ebunoluwa Akinwale, CEO Nature Treats Café and Bistro; Olabisi Olaniran, the Managing Director, Intertrust Global Services Limited; Mariam Salawu, CEO Marisgold Boutique and Food Village; Florence Obioma, CEO Floral Designs and Floral Foams; and Adetoun Oshodi, convener, 3D Kids Talent Hunt and an alumni of the MTN Project Fame.

  • Edo investment summit targets education, business, healthcare, others

    By Ambrose Nnaji

    Edo State has become an investors’ delight in the last three years with reforms being spearheaded by Governor Godwin Obaseki. From November 8 to 12, Nigeria’s business community will converge on Benin City, for the third edition of the Alaghodaro Summit, which showcases the landmark achievements in education, primary healthcare, business and other sectors, being recorded in the state, writes Ambrose Nnaji

    When Governor Godwin Obaseki, during his inauguration on November, 12, 2016 identified agriculture, education and industrialisation as strong pillars on which the Edo state’s economic revolution would stand, many believed it was one of the plausible and chimerical chants sung by politicians, with little or no intention of fulfilling them.

    Justifiably, the belief may have held some water because since the advent of Nigeria’s democracy in 1999, most governors have been widely adjudged to have performed poorly, despite uninterruptedly completing their two-terms of eight years in office. While some were found to be somewhat power drunk, corrupt and without a strategy of implementation of policies, others chiefly think more about self, family and loyalists than the populace.  But in barely three years, Governor Obaseki is already rewriting history, bringing governance and its dividends to the doorsteps of Edo people.

    Unlike what was attained in the past, there is an exciting breath of fresh air in various sectors of the state including education; economy; infrastructural, human capacity and industrial development; agriculture and rural development. The governor has touched almost every nook and cranny in the state in terms of developmental projects that are visible for ‘any doubting Thomas’ to see.

    More so, apart from bringing panache and dignity to governance,  Obaseki through his populist and people-oriented reforms has elevated the face of leadership and redefined politics to be able to make government respond to the yearnings of the suffering masses, which ordinarily should be the penchant of any government in power.

    A visitor in Edo State will be astounded by the rate of massive industrial and infrastructural developments, as well as the strategic execution of laudable policies and reforms, which prescient observers say have repositioned the state to investor’s destination, tourism hub and construction site. With a pellucid vision, the Obaseki-led administration is pulling every string available to attract investors, build local capacity and create wealth for Edo State and its people.

    Alaghodaro: The Summit

    Right from the electioneering seasons, the governor has remained resilient and focused on his visions and aspirations to transform Edo State to a business destination haven. Almost on a daily basis, the ‘wake and see’ governor, unveils policies and strategies to break the ground in fast-tracking the state’s industrialisation and economic diversification.

    This is one of the reasons for the birth of the Alaghodaro Summit. With the theme, “Delivering to Our People, The Next Level”, the 2019 edition will create an avenue to evaluate how the Obaseki-led administration’s policies, programmes and initiatives have been able to transform the lives of ordinary Edo people and articulate aspirations for further achievements.

    Alaghodaro, meaning progress, started in 2017, bringing big ticket investors from all parts of the world, thereby exposing the state to more investors and expanding its economic space. Last year, it was a “People’s Summit” that brought all Edo people and residents together in one place, face-to-face with their governor to discuss on challenges confronting the state and identify peculiar and innovative ways to tackling them. But the 2019 edition of the summit will enable the government to assess the impact of the people-centred policies, programmes and projects of the governor on job creation, youth empowerment, basic and technical education, healthcare, food security, among others.

     

    Agriculture Revolution

    Already, impacts of the governor’s effort to unlock the state’s potentials are eminently felt in all sectors. One of Obaseki’s blueprint for development in the state is the harnessing of agriculture’s immense capacity to accommodate more hands. With a vision to create over 200,000 jobs after his first tenure at the helm of affairs of the state, he has gone all out to craft policies and initiatives to get more youths into agriculture through a value-chain driven agricultural development model designed to ensure smooth commodity-to-market flow.

    In Edo, the government is building a strong nexus linking youths, agriculture and jobs. The state government believes that tapping opportunities from its vast arable, loamy land to provide jobs for teeming youths would quell job crisis. The idea is hinged on the thinking that agriculture has a huge potential for job creation, which affords the people better life.

    Already, the farmers in Agenebode axis of the state have started reaping from the bouquet of policies of the Obaseki led administration, harvesting several metric tons of rice in farms cultivated in partnership with the state government, who provided inputs and technical support for the farming season.

    The farms were captured under the state’s Agriprenuer programme, which prioritises the cultivation of a number of crops, including maize, cassava and rice. Over 10,000 hectares of land in various locations across the state are being cultivated under the agripreneur programme. The state government intends to harvest 17,000 metric tons of rice by cultivating 4,000 hectares of land at the end of the planting season in 2019.

    The state government also boasts a Fertilizer Plant. Governor Obaseki said during the opening ceremony of the Edo Fertilizer Plant, that the plant was a key peg for engaging youths in the state, especially as it provided needed input to fast-track agricultural development. According to him, “This achievement is an open call to other investors to bring in new technology, create more jobs and expand our economic opportunities.

    Also, the industrialisation plan pursued by the Obaseki-led  Edo State Government is quite grand and encompasses a wide range of strategically connected projects which does not only targets to see the rise of the state as an economic hub, but as a cynosure of all those seeking to make an industrial city from a lowly civil-service state.

    The government has been committed to its grand plan to reincarnate the state as an industrial city serviced by gas-powered power plants, housing refineries, seaports, industrial clusters, innovation hubs, smart neighbourhoods and a number of other investments.

     

    Revamping Technical Education

    As Obaseki goes around courting investors, an extensive overhaul of the Government Science and Technical College, formerly known as Benin Technical College is still ongoing. The revamp is in order to train a new breed of technicians and scientists that will be absorbed by investors in the new companies expected to sprout from the Industrial Park and other projects that will be requiring technical manpower. The government has, in the same vein, been training youths in enterprise development and other critical skills required in the 21st century workplace through its EdoJobs platform.

    A critical sector that the state government has beamed light is the education sector, which is expected to supply the needed manpower for the lofty ideas of the government. Reforms in basic and technical education are ushering in a new breed of human resources to drive the state’s development efforts.

     

    Re-enacting basic education

    with Edo-BEST

    One specific reform in the sector that has continued to earn the governor accolades and recognitions is the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EDOBEST) programme spearheaded by the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

    Aimed at transforming the basic education sub-sector and consequently improving learning outcomes in schools, the project recently earned the governor a national honour by the Nigeria union of Teachers (NUT). The feat has attracted the international community as the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania have sent representatives at different times to Edo State to understudy the Edo-BEST initiative. Just recently, Lagos State Government adopted the Edo State Basic Education model after officials of the state came to learn how the programme works.

    So far, the programme has impacted 11,300 government teachers, reaching 918 schools and around 300,000 children. A recent study conducted in the state showed higher academic attainment among children in the project. Governor Godwin Obaseki, said the programme will, “develop a highly-skilled teaching workforce by training, supporting and motivating Edo State teachers to succeed in the classroom of tomorrow, empowering our children to compete effectively in the world of work. The programme will leapfrog the basic education delivery systems by leveraging technology to gather and utilise accurate and timely data to drive policy and planning decisions.”

    Guests on parade for Alaghodaro 2019

    All these and many more are part of the reasons the Alaghodaro Summit was put up, examine the success of the three years of project execution of the Obaseki-led administration and identify new paths to be explored in improving the lives of the Edo people. The events will bring together all Edo sons and daughters, home and abroad, as well as businessmen, investors across the globe.

    Some of prominent guests expected at this year’s Alaghodaro Summit are the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Osunbor; Executive Director, Dangote Group, Halima Dangote; Chairman, Nosak Group, Dr. Toni Ogunbor; Toni Adepoju of KPMG Nigeria, among others.

    According to Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, “In the last three years, Edo people have witnessed an incursion of businesses into the state to take advantage of the reforms being implemented by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government. One of the iconic things we have done for the business community is to ensure that that we respect the sanctity of contracts and also make doing business in the state seamless.”

    “The people know what this administration has done with the fight against human trafficking, through which our children are now free from the grip of human traffickers. Investors are coming to the state to harness prospects in projects such as the Benin River Port, the Edo Modular Refinery, Edo Innovation Hub, Edo Production Center, and the Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park.”

    Osagie continued: “The governor has continued to receive commendations on job creation with the opening of the Edo Production Centre, skills acquisition training programmes for youths which have benefitted over 150,000 persons, support to farmers to boost food security and other laudable initiatives to drive industrialisation, economic expansion and create wealth for Edo people.”

    “The interesting thing about the 2019 Alaghodaro Summit is the focus on how the Obaseki-led administration has continued to deliver dividends of democracy to Edo people and residents.”

  • Fresh momentum for ease of doing business

    The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) is leaving nothing to chance in its resolve to reform the business environment, attract investment and diversify the economy. The Council has turned attention to the maritime industry, where it hopes to eliminate the delays and restrictions to doing business in Nigeria by clearing the gridlock at Apapa, Lagos. If the intervention succeeds, it will brighten Nigeria’s chances of being among the top 100 on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index by next year and top 50 by 2025, Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

    The Secretary, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, is on the verge of making history. Oduwole, who is also Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, Office of the Vice President, has shifted the focus of the Council’s business environment reform to the maritime sector where she stands the chance of writing her name in gold if she succeeds in solving the intractable gridlock in Apapa, Lagos.

    For long, port users, local and foreign investors and residents of Apapa area of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, have been in the throes of a seemingly intractable traffic gridlock. The embarrassing gridlock caused by trucks entering and leaving the ports complex in Apapa, has been hurting port operations and other businesses, and blighting the business environment reform efforts of both the Federal and Lagos State Governments.

    It is easy to see why this is so. The Nigerian economy relies heavily on trade, with over 70 per cent of the country’s external trade routed through the Apapa habour. But the deplorable state of access roads to the habour, which is home to the two biggest seaports in the country, has grown into a national nightmare, with a paralysing effect on socio-economic life within Apapa, including the evacuation of cargoes from the Lagos and Tin Can Island ports.

    For Nigeria, which has never hidden her intension to become a maritime power house for the West and Central African regions, this was unacceptable. However, while the situation has put the Federal and Lagos State Governments under intense pressure, as stakeholders, including port users, investors and residents clamour for a lasting solution, it seems to have defied measures so far put in place to tackle the nightmare.

    It was against this backdrop that PEBEC’s decision to direct its on-going business environment reform efforts to the maritime sector, particularly the traffic gridlock appears to have rekindled hopes of a possible solution. For a start, the Council under Oduwole’s charge, met with public and private sector players in the maritime industry last week.

    The meeting was with a view to solving the perennial Apapa gridlock, which, arguably, is the darkest spot in the administration’s economic reform agenda. According to Oduwole, the Council recently hosted multiple stakeholders’ engagement events in Lagos and Kano states to ease doing business in Nigeria.

    “A technical session on Apapa gridlock and call-up system reforms were also organised in Lagos. The session served as a platform for discussions to deliver a gridlock-free Apapa, and enhance the ease of entry and exit into the ports in line with the Trading Across Borders focus area of the Council.

    “Following the last intervention by His Excellency the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) in November 2017, processes were agreed to address the persisting issue, but implementation remains a challenge.

    “Recording an impressive turnout with strong private and public sector representation, this session signalled a recommitment to ensuring the delivery of a workable resolution, as stakeholders across board engaged and agreed all agencies in the joint task force must be called to order and made to work together,” Oduwole said.

    Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment and PEBEC Vice Chairman, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, who spoke at the Lagos event, applauded the private sector for its cooperation and support towards driving the Ease of Doing Business reforms in the country. “The vision of this administration is to ensure a more conducive environment where small and big businesses are able to function effectively and with ease,” he said.

    Though not new to business environment reforms, having been the arrowhead of public sector-led reforms to attract investments and diversify the economy, Oduwole was largely instrumental to the recent inauguration of the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Mobile App, known as REPORTGOV.NG App, an official public service feedback and complaints platform to support business climate reforms.

    This revolutionary, web-based portal allows the PEBEC office resolve issues and complaints encountered by private sector operators with government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) within 72 hours of lodging such issues and complaints. This was to ensure a more business-friendly environment.

    The app was launched at the Regulatory Conversations (RC3.0) event with the theme: “Improving Transparency and Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria”. It was hosted by The Convention on Business Integrity/The Integrity Organisation in collaboration with ActionAid, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and BusinessDay Newspapers.

    Oduwole, who described the app as revolutionary, pointed out that Nigeria has never walked down this road before. “Collaboration has been the cornerstone of this initiative,” she said, adding that PEBEC engaged extensively with various stakeholders before coming out with the web-based portal.

    According to her, the initiative was aimed at ensuring that public and civil servants adhere to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with regards to making the business environment conducive. She also said the PEBEC spent a lot of time building capacity to ensure that feedbacks and complaints from the private sector were resolved within the 72 hours approved by the president.

    Enelamah said the launch of the app was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to being a business enabler and facilitator. “It’s about energising businesses and making the business environment conducive,” he said, adding that the app is already available on Google Play Store for download.

    The Minister also said it will soon be available on the iOS store to enable users give feedback or complaints that will drive continuous improvement in service delivery and public protection efforts.

    The Nation learnt that the app’s unveiling  and now the the maritime sector intervention  to resolve the lingering traffic gridlock in Apapa, were all aimed at consolidating on the reforms and gains so far made by the PEBEC.

    It will be recalled that further to its inauguration, the PEBEC’s Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) was set up in 2016 with the mandate to implement the PEBEC’s reform agenda, and in the process, move Nigeria several steps higher in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index.

    It was on the strength of the reforms by the PEBEC and the various Executive Orders that helped Nigeria to make some gains in its business environment reforms. For instance, the PEBEC, largely supported by Executive Order 001 (EO1) signed in 2017 to promote transparency and efficiency in the business environment, undertook to drive EO1’s six directives, which aimed to address specific limitations identified in the civil and public service systems.

    Some of them include starting a business, obtaining construction permits, obtaining credit, cost of export of goods, and obtaining visas/or work permits in Nigeria. But, Dr. Oduwole said a high level of success across several areas has so far been recorded, and MDAs have made significant improvements.

    “Many have taken up the challenge to deliver more transparent and efficient services to their customers in alignment with the EO1, with a number of notable milestones achieved,” she said, pointing out, for instance, that there has been an increase in the number of MDAs that have functional websites containing details about their services or statutory functions.

    The Nation also learnt that there has been greater awareness across all civil servant cadres in the MDAs on the need to be customer-centric in their service delivery. To date, over 60 per cent of MDAs are said to have implemented the Order, even as there is now better collaboration among MDAs as mandated by the EO1 “One Government” directive.

     

  • Mind your business

    I don’t know when and why the above popular phrase was coined, but I know that whoever coined it did not have our own Femi Falana in mind at the time. I also know that nothing comes off the Yoruba mouth without a reason. Falana gbo ti e, t’ara eni laa gbo is a popular saying among the Yoruba, which simply means ‘mind your own business.’

    I think that’s an apt advice for PDP’s Jimi Agbaje, the good customer, according to a lyric cut by Ola Williams, the Iron Lady that leads his opponent’s Sanwoolu’s female-dominated ‘orhestra’ in “Jimi Agbaje … customer daada,” because of his penchant to lose in all governorship elections he had previously taken part in, since he entered the gubernatorial fray in Lagos state years ago against Raji Fashola and Akin Ambode.

    I knew when he poked his nose in the Ambode-Assemly affair that he would come out with a ‘bloody nose’ of disgrace. It needs no telling to know that Bola Tinubu is rich in history to know that the Yoruba have this saying that the head of the house on whose head the cohesion of his household collapses is the most guilty.

    Will he allow the political house he has toiled to build collapse on his head? Will he not? I knew he would not go to bed when his “Rome” was burning that he and his GAC team of reputable, successful professionals and credible politicians would put up their thinking caps to put off the fire on the mountain arising from the face-off between the Lagos State Assembly men and women and Governor Ambode.

    It is debatable who would win in the event of the face-off running its full course. I was goddamn certain the governor could have been impeached in an easier manner than many thought, but what was not easily predictable was the aftermath of the impeachment. Tinubu, with his team, was conscious of the fact that Ba’le Ile ti le ba tu mo l’ori, lo j’ebi oro, and because he and his co-leaders were not prepared to lick fingers of regret later, waded into the little misunderstanding between their children and got it resolved, leaving the likes of Jimi Agbaje with their mouths agape in frustration.

    What next for those poised to reap from other people’s misfortune? They should go and find other things to do. And, like Ebenezer Obey sang:

    “E je lo wa’se se,

    Be o ba lo wa’se se,

    Ao f’ejo yin sun orisa oko

    Ni’le yi o, eeh…”

  • Mayor, business leaders to meet on tariff hike

    Mayor Herman Mashaba will be  meeting the business community to discuss the likely impact of a proposed 15 percent yearly tariff increase by state power utility Eskom over the next three years.

    The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) planned to picket, together with community organisations in the Soweto township to oppose Eskom’s request, made to the National Energy Regulator (Nersa).

    In a statement, Mashaba said the city wanted to incorporate the views of business people as part of its representations to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) in opposition of the hikes

    He said said years of mismanagement and corruption at the state enterprise had helped slow economic growth and increased the hardships faced by residents.

    In October, Eskom announced it had asked Nersa for a 15 percent tariff hike per year for the next three financial years in a bid to attain revenue of R219 billion in 2019/20, R252 billion in 2020/21 and R291 billion in 2021/22.

    Eskom is about R420 billion in the red.

    Nersa will kick off the last leg of public hearings on Eskom’s application in Gauteng province, which incorporates Johannesburg, on Friday.

    In a separate statement, union Numsa said it would make its own detailed submissions to the Nersa board at the hearings as to why Eskom should be denied the increase.

    “Granting Eskom a tariff hike would be disastrous for the economy and for the community at large,” Numsa said.