The Nation Newspaper

Tag: challenges

  • Nigeria’s start-up system: Challenges, opportunities

    Nigeria’s start-up system: Challenges, opportunities

    The Nigerian start-up ecosystem has seen tremendous growth with the emergence of business incubators and technology hubs. DANIEL ESSIET looks at its “achievements and challenges.

    Technically-grounded entrepreneurs are transforming lives. Whether in the fields of e-commerce, virtual reality, or fintech, tech-entrepreneurs have disrupted the way Nigerians communicate, make purchases, order food and commute. Most of these changes are for the better.

    When award-winning social entrepreneurs,  Seun Onigbinde and Joseph Agunbiade,  birthed  BudgIT, a civic  organisation  in  2011, they disrupted the way Nigerians  communicated with the nation’s budget. As  tech entrepreneurs they knew how to harness technology to solve societal problems.

    BudgIT employed a wide range of technology-based tools to simplify the  budget and public expenditure for citizens, consequently raising standards of transparency and accountability in  government.

    Nigerians were enlightened on their rights to access and understand public budgets and demand that budgets be efficiently implemented for the good of the people.

    To support this, they developed Tracka, a  project-tracking tool that allows citizens monitor developmental projects in their communities. Since BudgIT online platform came into existence, the change has been for the better.

    But the exciting journey started in Yaba, Lagos State, at Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) Nigeria’s  first Tech-In Governance competition, when  an open call was made for Nigerians to submit creative ideas that had potential to transform citizen participation in governance.

    At the time, co-founder of BudgIT, Onigbinde, worked as a strategy analyst at First Bank Nigeria. He made a last minute decision to enter the competition with an idea to transform public sector data, especially the budget, to a more engaging format.

    Onigbinde met and was paired with his co-founder, Joseph Agunbiade, at the competition. After a brief pause following the Tech-in Governance competition, Onigbinde and Agunbiade set to work on the first iteration of the platform to showcase at CcHUB’s launch in September 2011.

    Onigbinde recalled that “it was a funny black website with just three circles and a bit shameful, but they were encouraged by the CcHUB team that it was good enough to start”.

    BudgIT joined CcHUB’s pre-incubation programme and officially launched in September 2011, with a press launch set up for them by CcHUB.

    BudgIT’s growth skyrocketed during the Occupy Nigeria movement in January 2012. It was a time that saw Nigerians interested in government spending. It was a key opportunity that BudgIT seized by creating the “Budget cut” application.

    According to Onigbinde, the CcHUB community played a big role in the app’s creation. “We leveraged the CcHub community because we did not have a tech team to build the app,” said Onigbinde. The application attracted 4,000 users in 60hours and BudgIT’s followership grew in large numbers within a short time. They became the fact checker of Nigeria’s budget on social media and the success of the app remains one of BudgIT’s key achievements.

    In the course of its three years of operation,     the BudgIT website recorded one million hits with over 250,000 unique visitors in 2014.     More than 4,000 data requests from online visitors were processed in 2014.    BudgIT has gone on to raise over $500,000 from various foundations/organisations such as Indigo Trust, OSIWA, MacArthur Foundation, United States Department, amongst others. It recently received a $400,000 investment from Omidyar Network.

    Staff numbers increased from the original two co-founders to 14 as at December 2014. In addition, an Advisory board has been set up consisting of six members, including co-founder, CcHUB, Bosun Tijani. BudgIT is now independently located on the 3rd Floor, 13 Hughes Street, Alagomeji Junction, Yaba, Lagos.

    They have graduated from CC hub’s incubation programme. It is one of the numerous success stories of business incubation movement. Onigbinde is one of hundreds of tech entrepreneurs getting a boost to change the social scene  with entrepreneurial support.

    In five years, more than 10 business incubators have emerged all over the country to help entrepreneurs develop entrepreneurial skills and provide tailored support for early-stage, high-growth businesses and ideas.  These include  Fate Foundation incubator, Enspire Hub,  Blue Hub,  StoneBricks Hub, CoLab, nHub, Ventures Platform, Civic Innovation Lab, BD Hub, Tangent Eco-Innovation Hub, Founders Hub,  Start Innovation Hub, Roothub, OlotuSquare, Delta State Innovation Hub, Focus Hub, Strategic Hub, ROAR Nigeria Hub, Wennovation Hub, iDEA Hub, ,Leadpath, Passion incubator, Impact Hub Lagos, Hebron Startup Labs and Project Enable Africa Hub.

    As a result of their activities, Nigeria is among the top five startup communities in Africa.  The number of startups they are nurturing is increasing year on year.

    From mobile applications to e-commerce platforms, tech entrepreneurs are looking to digitise traditional business operations. These success stories were  not possible without two important skill sets — entrepreneurial business acumen and technical expertise. These are what business incubators provide incubates.

    CC hub is among incubators and technology hubs creating a healthy startup ecosystem. It is Nigeria’s first open living lab and pre-incubation space designed to be a multi-functional, multi-purpose space where work to catalyse creative social tech ventures take place.

    Co-founder and Chief Executive of Co-Creation Hub Nigeria (CcHUB), ‘Bosun Tijani, said the hub is a place for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies, impact investors and hackers in and around Lagos to co-create new solutions to the many social problems.

    Incubates at CC HUB and other business incubators across the country bring in plenty of raw business ideas. While in the incubators, they are accorded opportunities to share their plans and gain insight on how those ideas can be turned into commercial ventures.

    There, they are connected with business people, where they are guided in the stages of starting a real business, as opposed to learning about it from a textbook.

    In the course, incubates identify problems and explore solutions in relation to business. Most of the incubators provide acceleration, incubation, mentoring, meet up, entrepreneur cafés, pitch contests and demo day.

    One incubator making waves is Start Innovation Hub based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital. Its Founder/CEO, Hanson Johnson, said business incubation centres provide environment where startups are nurtured, ideas are developed and helped to get to market faster.

    His words: “They provide a real sense of community, allowing companies in the same or relevant fields to cluster, network and even collaborate. Incubators provide access to mentorship, funds, education and training resources in various technology and business field of interest.

    “A successful entrepreneur never stops learning and an incubation centre offers access to learning opportunities through workshops, bootcamps, hackathons and conferences. You also have access to a network of industry leaders and business experts that you may not have access to as a startup founder working alone. These industry leaders may offer one-on-one coaching and mentorship that can prove invaluable to brand new startup founders dealing with the rigours of business startup and ownership for the first time.

    “Joining an incubation centre gives you an opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs, share ideas and collaborate on similar projects. It also provides a platform to learn from each other’s mistakes and achievements for a better future.”

    He said through the incubator, aspiring entrepreneurs and tech startups are given an opportunity to present their business ideas or solutions to the management, which can help them to pilot their solutions and ready them for market commercialisation.

    Niger State Industrial Parks Development Agency Director-General, Dr. Abdulmalik Ndagi, whose agency is solely responsible for the development of industrial park and industrial clusters in the state, said clustering entrepreneurs  within an incubator creates an entrepreneurial ecosystem of networks and ready pool of technically-grounded talents.

    An expert on business incubation, Ndagi, said   full-service incubators provide their clients flexible space and affordable rents, shared business services, business development training and coaching, financial assistance, and the opportunity to network with peers.

    According to him, incubators are responsible for providing support across a startup’s life cycle, while accelerators are focused more on growth and acceleration of the startup.

    Particularly, for those entrepreneurs staying within government technology incubators, Ndagi said incubates benefit from governmental support for innovation.

    According to Ndagi, the value of local entrepreneurs and young start-ups is also well-recognised by enterprises. That is why a lot of big corporates  are setting up funds to nurture entrepreneurs.

    West African startup specialist, Rich Tanksley, said business incubation centres are having impact on the digital innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Nigeria. He said: “They are helping to build an ecosystem and enabling environment, but it’s up to the individual entrepreneurs still to grow their businesses.”

    For Co-ordinator, Business and Alumni Support Services, Fate Foundation, Fatai Olayemi, the logic behind incubators is to help inexperienced entrepreneurs by providing mentoring, business advice, networking opportunities, facilities and funding they need to get their businesses off the ground.

    According to him, most incubators use funding as a success metric, which is a somewhat flawed criterion.  He explained that the challenge of most startups is not funding, but management skills, adding that the goal of incubation should be   to build organically grown and self-sustaining businesses without so much emphasis on financing.

     

    Services of business incubators and technology  hubs

    In Nigeria, business incubators and  technology hubs  take a variety of forms and provide different types and levels of support.

    On the whole, they can be great places to help an entrepreneur establish and grow an emerging business. While majority of them are basically incubators providing support resources and services to businesses just getting off the ground including coaching, shared services and facilities, free or subsidised space and networking opportunities, there is a new group known as  accelerators,  which  focus on supporting the rapid growth of early-stage businesses through capital, coaching, networking and other support.

     

    Shared business services

    According to experts, what a full-service incubator offers is a collection of shared business services, which represents the kind of resource pooling that makes incubators a unique and effective business creation tool. They generally include reception and telephone answering; access to a copy machine, facilities for conferences and meetings; security.

     

    Business development assistance

    All the functioning incubators offer seminars and workshops at little or no cost that include training in skills or core competencies necessary for successful entrepreneurship: bookkeeping, marketing, strategy, computer information systems, legal considerations, and human resources management.   Business development assistance is also provided via mentoring and coaching.

    CC hub supports incubate entrepreneurs with top-quality programmes based on evidence-based entrepreneurship. Their programmes are designed to help entrepreneurs develop a scalable business model and accelerate growth in the marketplace.

     

    Financial assistance

    Most of the incubators help new businesses develop a business plan attractive to traditional lenders and coach them on how to present it. Beyond this, they promote privately managed funds focused on providing emerging companies the capital, mentoring and connections to help them grow.

     

    Networking

    Perhaps the simplest and most beneficial form of networking is the exchange of neighbourly advice and the sharing of information and knowledge among incubator tenants.

     

    Mentoring

    Most people, who run incubators have never started or run a business, so having a mentor is very important in creating perspective, inspiration and raw guidance. Incubators nurture aspiring entrepreneurs and start-up businesses by providing collaborative advisory, mentoring and technical assistance.

     

    Skills Development

    The mission of business incubators is to inspire entrepreneurs and help them turn their big ideas into innovative businesses. Inside such  facilities are  collaborative workspace for knowledge-sharing, and learning. The majority of incubators have a speaker series to support this. While there are skills development events, incubates learn new skills naturally.

     

    World Bank

    The World infoDev helps innovative ventures and facilitates a global network of business innovation centres that assist early-stage entrepreneurs—offering mentoring, facilities, and seed funding in the mobile innovation, climate technology and agribusiness sectors.

    The Acting  Head of Department, Business Administration, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Dr.  Abdulwaheed Salihu, said World Bank InfoDev  training for would-be incubation managers, which  held in Minna, Niger State,  will  enhance the skills of business incubation practitioners.

     

    Challenges

    Most business incubators face a number of challenges. Although tasked with developing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), business incubators often lack the necessary skills to contribute fully to the development of SMEs.

    Given that most of the management staff in business incubators may not come from an entrepreneurial background, they seldom possess the ability to meet the skills requirement of their clients.

    According to Ndagi, an  international certified  trainer in business incubation, there was  need for specialised incubator management training to expose new entrants to best practices in incubation management.

    According to him, the training will enhance managers’ understanding of business incubator models, how to finance an incubator, monitoring and evaluation of startups, mentoring programmes and more.

    According to Johnson, the major challenges are power and internet. In Nigeria, he noted that  cost of doing business is higher because of lack of basic infrastructure such as  power, good roads and the internet. “This is where business incubation centres are filling the gap by providing a collaboration platform for entrepreneurs to share resources,”he added.

    He explained that talent is scarce. “For me, the best way to solve a problem is to face it. We need to keep on training and employing the right skill sets. Entrepreneurs alone will not be able to address the lack of right skill sets to manage business incubation centres. Government should update their curriculum to reflect what is needed in the field as at today and also support the activities of business incubation centres,”he said.

    Addressing a forum in Lagos, Co-founder of Lagos-based startup incubator/accelerator, Passion Incubator, Olufunbi Falayi, observed that the model most incubators operate on is fundamentally flawed. He explained that incubators fail to do the up-front diligence in assessing the market potential of ideas that entrepreneurs bring to them, meaning the vast majority of companies that enter incubators are doomed to failure and won’t make it through the “valley of death”.

    He explained that his incubator is taking a much different approach to admitting startups. According to him, the model is to find an idea, assess it, build it quickly and see it through the pre-incubation process.

    On the issue of the right skills set to manage emerging business incubation centres and technology hubs, Tanksley counseled that “existing centres should focus on training other centres instead of just training entrepreneurs. “A deep understanding of the journey of a product from concept to sales and the challenges each entrepreneur faces on the way. Each entrepreneur has a different challenge and brings a different skill set to the table. The incubator manager should be able to help them fill in the gaps,”he said.

    Tanksley stressed the need for new business incubation managers to join AfriLabs, the  largest network of over 50 technology and innovation hubs across Africa.

    According to Dr Salihu, Nigeria  is a good example of a dynamic economic ecosystem, which presently needs to organise and interconnect all innovation stakeholders.  This is to enable them to more proficiently face all the challenges and opportunities that may arise in the future.

    Without doubt, he said, human resources represent an essential component of an innovation ecosystem and a clear driving factor for entrepreneurship and economic growth.

    According to him, Nigeria enjoys a majority of young, dynamic potential entrepreneurs with no fear of falling and, on the contrary, ready and prepared to stand up again.

     

    Real estate entities just offering

    executive suite

    Sadly, some firms have decided to become incubators. Many incubators assume that cheap real estate, co-working spaces, used furniture, plus a phone and Internet connection equate business incubation. To experts, many of these incubators are not more than a real estate entities offering executive suite services.

    To watchers, effective incubators should provide funding, business counseling and management assistance to incubates. These business services, according to them, differentiate functional incubators  from real estate services.

     

    Prospect

    Over the last five years, there have been many advances in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation, mainly because of the strong institutional commitment and the collaborative actions among the private sector, academia and the government, all of which have combined to make Nigeria a successful entrepreneurship example.

    Recent years have seen the rise of special incubators designed to support the development of micro industries. They bring together companies that are in the same business, but are not necessarily competitors.

    Salihu said the growth of business incubators is going to enhance the potential of the innovation ecosystem with stimulating ideas and a strong innovative mindset.

    According to him, the government, as well as private sector needs to support local entrepreneurs to play an essential role in this evolution to make Nigeria ready for future economic challenges.

     

    Govt’s Technology

     Incubation Centres

    There are 27 Federal Government-owned  incubation centres in the country. At the government’s technology incubation centres,  new businesses are given free accommodation  for three years.

    During this period, the businesses are exempted from taxation. At the centre, equipped with fabrication and testing facilities, young tech entrepreneurs can be mentored.

    For instance, at the Lagos Centre in Agege,  many young Nigerians have benefited from the centre, graduating in beads production, anti-bacterial hand wash, starch, multipurpose liquid soap, leather shoes, air fresheners, herbal bathing soap and body cream making, among others. They are also ex-participants, who are involved in the production of unripe plantain flour, bean flour, soya flour, spices, packaged pure honey and fruit juice production.

    At the centres, access to experts across all engineering and management disciplines  is easy. Businesses in the incubator fall within some stages – conception, where a first-cut assessment of the strategic environment is made, to development, where feasibility and go-to-market strategies are explored and ultimately commercialised, where profitable market opportunities are exploited and the focus is on growing the venture.

     

  • Alaafin challenges intellectuals on restructuring

    Alaafin challenges intellectuals on restructuring

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has urged intellectuals to be pro-active in finding solutions to the‘ socio-economic and political problems in the country .

    Oba Adeyemi said that scholars should not concede leadership to indolent politicians and self-appointed opinion leaders who have nothing to offer.

    His words: “Scholars should lead other stakeholders and segment of society to provide intellectual response to restructuring the Nigerian Federation. The African academia and intelligentsia should not conceded leadership in this enterprise to indolent politicians and self- appointed opinion leaders whose stock in trade is soapbox grandstanding and parliamentary rhetoric.

    The Alaafin spoke at a conference on “African Knowledge and Alternative Futures” held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital,  in honour of Professor Toyin Falola of the University of Texas, Austin,  United States of America. Falola, a professor of African History, clocked 65 on January 1.

    He emphasised the importance of education for Nigeria and other African countries to overcome myriad of socio-economic and political challenges retarding their progress. He said: “Our claim to bring back education will be meaningful if we acquire knowledge, internalise its values and appropriate wisdom therefrom for finding solutions to the twin problems of under-development and state collapse.”

    The permanent Chairman of Oyo State Council of Obas stressed that the Nigerian case calls for the intellectual input of the Yoruba to redefine the nature and pattern of relationship among the diverse and seemingly disparate ethnic groups or nations in Nigeria.

    The monarch paid tribute to the first Premier of the old Western Nigeria, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who transformed the region. He mentioned that Awo built the first television station in Nigeria and the first dualised road from Mokola to the Secretariat, Ibadan.

    Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola regrets that Nigeria depends solely on rent. “We are rent seekers; we are joking on development; people must work to produce surplus for government and government must provide enabling environment for the people through infrastructural development. It is a self-sustaining circle that must not be broken.

    He attributed the economic recession in the country to a drop in oil price in the world. According to him when the rent goes up (oil price) our GDP rises, when it goes down the GDP also come down. Government capacity to sustain itself is in jeopardy if people fail in their own responsibility by contributing to the economy.

    The governor said: “Nigeria must not only exist but it must be strong and must be able to lead the continent to achieve its manifest, and historic destiny.”

    Oba Adeyemi decried the killing by herdsmen in various parts of the country and urged security agencies to end the menace. He said: “The taking of human lives, especially of unarmed innocent people, who are not in state of war, is unjustifiable, cruel and should not be tolerated in any civilised society.

    “As a people, we need to tread carefully on the killings by the herdsmen across the country. As bad and reprehensible they as they are, they are not as deadly as the Nigerian Civil War we fought between 1967 and 1970.

    “The cardinal duty of the government is the protection of lives and properties. Every life is sacred and government should keep it so. Those who engaged in the barbarous act should be apprehended and face the full wrath of the law.

    “If there is no peace, the country cannot make progress, peace must be protected throughout the country.

    “All of us must reflect on this issue and not just pretend as if it doesn’t matter.”

  • Africa and development challenge

    Our continent is rising despite its numerous challenges.  Africa is home to many great and deeply admired people. I am an African and proudly so. This is not to say we in Africa are averse to public opinion or criticisms, or that Africa does not have serious issues – far from it.   We are open to constructive criticisms, constructive engagement and constructive suggestions.  We cherish and uphold the values of democracy and free speech, but naturally, we shudder and push back on collective denigration or criminalization of Africa.

    While President Trump’s recent  expletive comments –   referring to Africa as shithole countries – on supposedly world’s poorest countries which includes most in Africa, is derogatory and worrisome, as a student of philosophy, I see his remarks as a clarion call for reflection and re-examination for African citizens, and their leaders, especially on how to build a better future for their people.

    It is noteworthy that such negative comments are no longer being directed at Asian countries as they continue to improve. And to elucidate the situation further, it will be necessary at this stage to compare the situation in Africa to China. My reason for using China as a comparison, is that “much has been made of China’s influence in Africa”, but China-Africa relations present some instructive lessons for us to draw on.

    Comparatively, the population in China was twice the population of Nigeria in 1980 and to date, remains about 200 million more populated than Africa (In 2015, China’s population was 1.371 billion while Africa’s population was 1.186 billion). In 1980, China, with a population of 981 million, recorded a GDP of USD341 billion, translating to a GDP per Capita of USD347, while Africa, with a population of 478 million, recorded a GDP of USD556 billion, which translated to a GDP per Capita of USD1,168.

    Now let me illustrate why Africa must see her negative situations or negative comments directed at her as a call to quick action.  In the Year 2000, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which consist of eight benchmark goals with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world’s poorest people, over 15 years (2000-2015), was established. In partnership with the United Nation’s system office in China, China committed to integrating the MDGs goals fully into their national development strategies from the national to local government levels.

    China ensured effective and coordinated planning and managing their economic growth. China’s successful integration of MDGs into its national development planning helped it achieve an unprecedented transformative result. Example, using goals number 1 and 2 are mind-boggling and are as follows: (a) China lifted 439 million people out of poverty. (b) China achieved universal primary education ahead of schedule, achieving nine-year compulsory education and elimination of illiteracy among adolescence in local government units covering 100% of population. They achieved 98% enrolment rate among primary school age. (c)  China recorded tremendous improvement in healthcare of women and children in control and prevention of diseases. And you can go on and on.

    Specifically, by lifting 439 million people out of poverty during the period of the MDGs, China’s achievement in MDG goal 1, singularly helped the U.N. to achieve her goal of halving the number of extremely poor population by 2015. Such success would have been impossible without China achieving its goals.

    Within this period, what did Africa achieve?  Evaluation reports show clearly that the African continent was off-track. Sub-Saharan Africa for example became the only region in the world where poverty rose from 290 million in 1990 to 414 million in 2010; undernourished children rose from 27 million in 1990 to 32 million in 2012; and children affected by stunting rose from 44 million 1990 to 58 million in 2012.

    Africa’s greatest achievement during the MDG days, which was in the area education where male enrolment increased from under 60% to about 70% still fell  short of the over 90% achieved in China. Presently, over 60% of out-of-school children globally reside in Africa (with over 10 million living, in Nigeria). The task before us now is to find ways of turning adversities and challenges confronting Africa into positive gains.

    With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), its set of 17 Global Goals with 169 targets, we aim at transforming our world in 2030.  SDG is a universal call to action that will end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity (2015-2030). It is a follow-up on the MDG – the only differences is while the MDG is demand-driven, SDG is supply-driven. China has made great efforts in its implementation, linking the 2030 Agenda with its domestic mid-and-long term development strategies. The domestic coordination mechanism for the implementation, comprised of 43 government departments, has been established to guarantee the implementation. Great efforts has been made to publicize the 2030 Agenda nationwide in order to mobilize domestic resources, raise public awareness, and create favourable social environment for the implementation. China will also strengthen inter-sectoral policy coordination, review and revise relevant laws and regulations to provide policy and legislative guarantee for the implementation.

    In the next five years, China is determined to lift all the 56 million rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty, and to double its GDP and people’s per capital income of 2010. Meanwhile, in Africa, the SDGs have not been mainstreamed into the development agenda of various countries’ or domesticated at regional and local government levels, as in China. Consequently, there are no set out goals that are measurable and achievable even in key areas like increase in education, lifting people out of poverty, growth in the economy.

    Why this difference? The reasons are simple. In China, we witnessed visionary and committed leadership. Chinese government integrated measurable and achievable goals into development planning from national to local government levels. Diversification of the Chinese economy towards export-driven agricultural and manufactured products added value.

    On the contrary, in Africa, we observed lack of visionary and committed leadership across the continent. No African country has integrated the goals within development planning across Africa – in fact in most countries, SDG only exists in name. There is no coordinated planning from national to local government levels.

    Africans need to act in concert or toward a commonly define objective by ensuring the emergence of a focused and committed leadership that will be transformational rather than transactional. Like China, Africa states can make tremendous progress if they can collectively focus on building viable and growth-oriented economies, managing their resources, investments and infrastructure more efficiently, while expanding their productive sectors, and   investing hugely in education.  Greater introspection is called for.

    Despite the much touted dividends of democracy and globalization, today, very few African countries meet the U.N. recommended budgetary threshold for funding education.  Yet we know that the more a country invests in education, the greater its developmental stride.  Now that we in Africa are shifting away from baggage economy and embracing knowledge economy, investment in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has become critical and fundamental. After all, this is a sector waiting to be explored as the world is going to have over a shortage of 25 million STEM workforces by the year 2020.

    So, Africa has come of age, but despite vast global aid and contrived altruism, Africa’s sustenance and its unfettered development must now be based on its introspective approach and assessment of what is best for Africa.  True enough, in this post- globalization era, Africa and her people must still contend and survive in an interdependent world. However, the freedom to choose must be theirs—so too what models of development to choose.  And if the Chinese people-oriented development model works best for Africa, so be it.

     

    • Excerpts from the remarks by Peter Obi at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut on January 24.

  • NDIC challenges IoD on corporate governance

    The Institute of Directors (IoD) has a role to play in addressing the poor corporate governance practices in the banking sector, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Umaru Ibrahim, has said.

    Ibrahim stated this during a visit by IoD Governing Council members led by its Chairman/President, Rufai Ahmed Mohammed.

    He said corporate governance was central to banking since the 2009 banking crisis when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and NDIC Joint Special Examination of the 24 banks identified the issue as one of the flaws of banking.

    Ibrahim stressed the need for the IoD to step up efforts towards developing a more transparent and rigorous selection for independent directors in banks and strengthening their capacity through continuous training focused on international best practices, excellence in management and service delivery, environmental sustainability and inclusive growth.

    He added that this would not only contribute towards better quality of corporate governance, but also build a solid foundation of businesses.

    Ibrahim assured the IoD of the corporation’s readiness to partner the institute. He advised the institute to collaborate with the CBN, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), the Society for Corporate Governance (SCG), and the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) in promoting capacity building for independent directors, especially of banks.

    He expressed the desire to also collaborate with the institute in building capacity of the corporation’s management most of who were engaged in bank examination to appreciate the dynamics of board performance.

    Mohammed said the visit was part of the council’s initiative to promote collaboration with key institutions through effective interaction and advocacy. He congratulated the NDIC on its contribution to the stability of the banking system.

  • Evacuation of Nigerians from Libya: The facts, challenges, realities

    Evacuation of Nigerians from Libya: The facts, challenges, realities

    On January 7, the Federal Government’s fact-finding delegation began the evacuation of over 5,000 trapped Nigerians in Libya. NORTHERN OPERATION MANAGING EDITOR YUSUF ALLI, who was in Tripoli, reports the details of the exercise and the countenances of the returnees before their departure.

    For five days, Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama was in Libya. He led a Federal Government’s fact-finding team to the North African country on a rescue mission for the over 40,000 Nigerians who were trapped in the Arab country. The Nigerians were mostly in Tripoli, Sabha (the deadly entry point to Libya and transit track to Europe); Benghazi and Misrata.

    It was a diplomatic shuttle with a difference, being the first time the Federal Government decided to confront the hydra-headed migrant challenge headlong.

    Hitherto, the Federal Government had collaborated with the International Organization for Migrants (IOM) for isolated evacuation of Nigerians from Libya.

    To underscore its seriousness, the government raised a team comprising Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs & the Diaspora,  Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa;  Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammed Babadende; Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Maihaja, Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah Donli; Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons,  Hajiya Saddiya Umar Farouq; a representative of the National Security Adviser, Mr. Abba Ibrahim;  Director-General National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

    Besides the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who were on the entourage, a technical team, including the Head of Chancery and staff of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Libya, took part in the arrangement.

    The Onyeama-led delegation, which has NEMA as its coordination centre, had a clear mandate. It was fact-finding and possible negotiation with relevant authorities

    Its primary assignment was to liaise with the IOM for the identification of camps and all the groups needed to negotiate the release of Nigerians and to negotiate with all groups that have in custody Nigerians and ensure their release in safe and dignified manner.

    A knotty shuttle

    On the surface, the mission to Libya looked simple and achievable. But, it has been a marathon, emotional-laden and a knotty technical shuttle for members of the delegation, who have been working round the clock to carry out the mandate given to them by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The teams’ initial hurdles include: the high number of illegal Nigerians in Libya who are not captured under any guise; the deliberate refusal of the migrants to relate with Nigerian Embassy in Tripoli for useful data;  the  existence of many slavery, trafficking and prostitution cartels and  syndicates under the control of Nigerian ringleaders and Libyan accomplices; the unfavourable geography of Libya; the internecine wars in the Arab nation between the central government and some militia/rebels and the huge budget implication.

    Although the Federal Government gave a 37-day deadline to the delegation, the project may take many months to achieve. It is however better late than never for the Federal Government which has laid a foundation for a sustainable migrant policy for the future.

    The NEMA’s director-general was undaunted on the task as he said: “We are working round the clock to ensure the success of the first phase of this exercise. This will serve as a template for the future.

    “We already have a technical team on ground to work with the Nigerian Embassy in Libya on how to identify these Nigerians and the modalities of returning them home. We should be hopeful that this exercise will succeed.”

    Gains of the fact-finding mission

    The mission to Libya is an eye-opener for the Federal Government, which has discovered among others: an incontestable fact that more Nigerians were trapped than estimated; the complicated nature of crimes linked with Nigerians like slavery, prostitution, robbery and so on; the inhuman condition of the stranded Nigerians in detention camps; the difficulty in evacuating the young Nigerians who are mostly illegal migrants and the reality that not all Nigerians in the Arab country can be immediately returned home because they are in inaccessible and rebel-controlled areas.

    Other discoveries are: the need to explore shrewd diplomacy to prevail on Libya to concede to the release of 5,037 trapped Nigerians and the stark reality that legally, Nigerians resident in Libya are not in a hurry to leave because they make much money from the Libyan petroleum sector, Information Technology (IT) and health services.

    The shuttle also gave the Libyan authorities the opportunity to gauge the Federal Government’s readiness to repatriate its citizens who have constituted nuisance to their country.

    It is on record that the Federal Government protested against the maltreatment of Nigerians in various detention centres and prisons in Libya.

    The President’s Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and the Dispora said: “We got reports of extortion, beating, and outright killing in anger, violation of rights and all forms of inhuman treatment. The delegation protested to the Libyan Government.”

    With the frank talks and the rapprochement between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Libyan Justice & Foreign Affairs Ministers, a new diplomatic vista has been opened by the two countries.

    For the first time, the Libyan Government allowed Nigerian fact-finding team to have access to four detention camps in Tripoli to meet with the trapped Nigerians.

    The camps are: Tajoura Detention Centre, Trig al Matar Detention Centre, Trig al Seka Detention Centre and Zilten Detention Centre.

    A member of the delegation said: “In one of the centres, our records showed that there were about 367 returnees but we actually met with over 600.”

    Onyeama and members of his team were upset by the appalling conditions of Nigerians in the detention centres.

    The minister said: “We went to Libya; we discussed with the government; we saw all of you young children; young boys and young girls; and we negotiated to ensure you came back.

    “There were a lot of challenges that we faced. But, we were ready to overcome them and bring you here and you are the first batch that has arrived.

    “We saw the very difficult conditions in which you were held, we felt for you for the very traumatic experience you went through and our hearts really went out to you and I must say that each and every one of us on that delegation really felt so proud of you.

    As young children, notwithstanding everything that you went through, you maintained your dignity,  your composure, your respect and you stood up when we came and sang the national Anthem,  the national pledge with pride, we are extremely proud of you; extremely proud of the way you comported yourself notwithstanding the condition, the most inhuman condition that you were found yourself during this stay.

    “We hope that one thing you have learnt is that your lives matter to Nigerians. Your lives matter to Mr. President. There is no other place in this world that can be dearer than being with your brothers, your sisters and your parents here in Nigeria.

    “We know that many if you were trafficked many of you taken against your better judgment, you have come home and you will not be abandoned.  There are provisions in place to provide for an extensive rehabilitation for you to enable you to get education, skills and development to equip you to get jobs.”

    Why government can’t stop illegal migration

    The Federal Government’s major challenge is the inability to check the exodus of Nigerian youths to Libya via Niger Republic. Apart from its porous borders, the ECOWAS Protocol allows free movement of Nigerians all over West Africa, irrespective of their missions. The Immigration chief told The Nation in Tripoli: “I want you to know that regional migration in West Africa is  ECOWAS-based.  The border of Nigeria in reality is in Niger, not in Nigeria. What we are saying is that any Nigerian who wants to go to Niger, do not need a visa. All they need is a cross travel certificate and you have no right to stop them.

    Babandede said: “But cooperation with Niger Republic is fundamental in migration. This we have done in June 2017 when we invited the heads of immigration services of the whole ECOWAS region to stop them and make sure that Niger provides that border control for us.

    “Anybody can take a travel certificate and go to Niger without a visa. As a citizen, you can go to Ghana, Benin Republic.  All we can do is to stop people we suspect and they have the right to protest if they have the right to travel.

    “We have common mobility with Niger. We are working with Niger. In 2017 alone we have returned almost 500 people through the support of Niger Republic. Some, we have stopped because they do not have documents at all. What you see as this large number of Nigerians in Libya is not a cause of today; it is a gradual process and they are trapped in Libya because of the crisis there.

    “Some of them have even joined rebel groups. That is why some take the risk and go through the sea. We need to make our borders effective. We think we can do it with technology. We are committed to that and to reduce the number of people who are travelling because the border is our big challenge.

    “Next month, we are going to launch a border training programme where our officers can work simultaneously with the ones in Niger Republic so that once they see anyone in that kind of position, they can turn him back and we can take action.

    “Our intervention in Libya is not only for illegal migrants. The Minister of Foreign Affairs had the opportunity to chat with some Nigerians who are living legally and doing business.

    “We want to showcase to Libyans that every Nigerian living in Libya is not a bad guy or drug pusher. The minister met them and this is why we sent intervention to review their passport.  There are people who are working in oil companies, factories or running their businesses as citizens of ECOWAS. We need to support them.”

    What next for government, returnees?

    The immediate task of the government is to liberate many Nigerians held hostage in rebel-held areas in Libya.  The 5,037 Nigerians being evacuated at present were mostly those trapped in Tripoli which is under UN-backed government.

    More Nigerians have been stranded in rebel-controlled areas like Misrata, Sirte, Benghazi and Tobruk. These areas are inaccessible to the government delegation.

    Beyond the evacuation, the government has mapped out a reintegration, rehabilitation, and sensitisation programme for the returnees.

    Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said: “The Federal Government under the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs & the Diaspora has concluded arrangements to provide skill development programmes for the returnees.

    “The short-term training includes: basic sewing/dress making; baking and confectionery; bag making; bead and fabric stoning; soap making; deodorant; bleach and disinfectant; hair fixing; braiding and weaving; tie & dye and batik; manicure; pedicure and nail fixing; food preparation and small chops; make-up; gele (headgear) tying and event decoration.

    “The skills under the long-term includes: welding; plumbing; aluminum fabrication; hair dressing/barbing; woodwork/carpentry; and catering/hotel management.”

    On sensitization, Onyeama tasked the returnees: “After all you have been through in Libya, we want you to go out there as advocate to tell other young boys and girls in the country your experiences in Libya  so that they will not make the same mistakes; so that they will not be in the same condition to be exploited and be deceived into embarking on this hazardous journey.”

    Will returnees go back to Libya/Italy?

    As the Max Air Boeing Jet was hovering over the airspace of Port Harcourt, there was no sign that all the returnees have learnt their lessons. The federal and the states would have to live up to the promise of given the returnees a new lease of life.

  • Power supply: Challenges and remedy

    Power supply: Challenges and remedy

    Stakeholders in the power sector believe that only steady electricity can guarantee economic growth and stimulate industrialisation. In this analysis, Kingsley Okoye of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) writes on the efforts being made by the government and key sector players to boost distribution.

    WITHOUT steady power supply through effective electricity generation, transmission and distribution networks, turning the industrialisation plan of the Federal Government into reality may remain mirage for a very long time.

    Reason: the three chains of generation, transmission and distribution have always posed serious challenges from the outset.

    Observers note that long before the privatisation of the sector by the government, the challenges have lingered from the era of power managements under the defunct Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN), the National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Plc.

    In a move to tackle the challenges head-on, President Muhammadu Buhari set an agenda for the sector’s development with a road map for achieving uninterrupted power.

    As of the last count, the Buhari administration has provided N701 billion payment assurance guarantee to operators to stimulate investment in the sector. The vote is among other interventions made by the government to reposition the sector.

    According to the government, the fund has brought confidence to the production side of the power business. The Presidency explained that the intervention is partly responsible for the increased power production to 7,000 megawatts.

    Available records also show that government’s action in transmission service expansion through Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has also increased transmission capacity to more than 5,000 megawatts to make power relatively steady.

    Critics, nonetheless, observe that the feat recorded in power generation and transmission has not been fully replicated in the distribution chain.

    The critics described as unfortunate that 2,000 megawatts of the power been generated are not being distributed due to inadequacy of distribution networks.

    But, the Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Babatunde Fashola, insists that the incidents of total and partial grid collapse have reduced, preparing grounds for effective distribution.

    He said: “The fact that we can produce more than 7,000 megawatts and put more than 5,000 megawatts on the grid means that we have 2,000 megawatts of unused power left.

    “This is a new problem that we must resolve; we must get those 2,000 megawatts out to the people who need power.

    “More power generation is coming in 2018 from power projects such as Gbarain Generation Company Ltd; 115 megawatts, Kashimbilla in Taraba; 40 megawatts, Afam III in Rivers; 240 megawatts, Gurara in Niger; 30 megawatts, Dadin Kowa in Gombe State; 29 megawatts and Kaduna; 215 megawatts, among others.

    “All of these do not include mini-grids and solar systems that are in various stages of development.’’

    The minister spoke of plans to ensure the distribution of the remaining 2,000 megawatts of power to industrial customers.

    He said: “If we can produce 7,000 megawatts and we can only distribute about 5,000 megawatts, the problem has changed from lack of power to locating where the need is.

    “It involves designing a solution that takes the balance of 2,000 megawatts to those who need it and can pay.

    “We must act to build the bridge that connects this gulf of supply and demand; that bridge is a bridge of data and information about finding the location of the businesses and industries that need power and getting the 2,000 megawatts waiting for deployment.’’

    Fashola’s explanation notwithstanding, analysts identify deficiency in distribution infrastructure, poor utilisation of existing distribution networks and inadequate power evacuation at newly completed Independent Power Projects (IPP) as reasons for the unutilsed 2,000 megawatts.

    Read Also: Power: NNPC plans 4,600mw plants in FCT, Kaduna, Kano

    However, the Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) says it will help to improve distribution of electricity to consumers by embarking on the construction of distribution networks.

    The NDPHC Managing Director, Chiedu Ugbo, said the company was developing 296 distribution projects across the country.

    Ugbo said: “We also have to work with the government for the minister to make sure that we complete a number of our distribution projects.

    “We have completed more than 20 distribution projects to improve the ability of distribution companies to take more power to the people.

    “We have seven distribution infrastructures in Kogi and these are completed projects yet to be taken over by the distribution companies.

    “We can’t leave this projects idle, the projects are being vandalised, some of the parts have been stolen, we need companies to start using this project to supply electricity to communities.’’

    Besides the efforts by government agencies, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANEDS) has been working to boost the electricity distribution network.

    Despites, the various interventions, stakeholders in the electricity sector, are pushing for more efforts to further expand distribution infrastructure and make use of the unused energy.

    They call on relevant agencies to give adequate attention to power generation, transmission and distribution to ensure steady power supply.

  • TrustBond records impressive performance despite challenges

    TrustBond Mortgage Bank Plc recorded impressive performance during its financial year, which ended on December 31, 2016.

    The bank’s Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr. Etigwe Uwa, made this known during the bank’s 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, during the week.

    Uwa noted that 2016 will be remembered for a long time as a difficult year when oil price dropped considerably and inflation rose to the highest point.

    “The control of macro-economic variables became very challenging in 2016, making it the worst recorded since the crash of oil prices in the mid-2014,” he said.

    The bank’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Adeniyi Akinlusi,  said the delay in the signing and implementation of the budget, the widening disparity between the official and parallel exchange market rates and rising inflation signalled the start of a difficult year.

    “By the second  quarter of the year, the economy slid into a recession while Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by about 1.6 per cent by year end in contrast to 2.7 per cent growth in 2015,”he noted.

    Akinlusi said the continuous depreciation of the naira and increasing inflation eroded the gains of business growth significantly, adding that the harsh operating conditions impacted negatively on the operating cost of businesses.

    He, however, said despite all these, TrustBond was able to perform well in its financials during that year, as its customer deposits grew by 10 per cent to N2, 319 billion, up from N2, 108 billion recorded in 2015.

    The bank’s total assets also rose significantly to N12, 416 billion, representing 19 per cent increase over the previous year’s figure of N10, 022 billion, while its gross earnings rose by 24 per cent to N1, 412.76 billion, up from N1, 141.69 billion recorded in 2015.

    Akinlusi also said the bank’s Profit after Tax and other comprehensive income for 2016 stood at N143.6 million, showing an increase of 446 per cent over N26.28 million recorded in 2015.

    He attributed the impressive performance to the commitment of members of staff and the support of the board of directors. He added that financial advisory also impacted positively on their overall performance.

    “This compensated for the loss of income from real estate activities. All these were achieved in a period the economy slid into recession and within a challenging macro-economic environment,” Akinlusi said.

    According to him, the bank’s greatest competitive edge was its people. “We appreciate the work that they do as well as the passion and commitment they bring into the workplace,”Akinlusi said.

    He said the bank looks forward to a better performance in 2017. “Nigeria is already out of recession and the economy is already on slow, but steady journey to recovery from the impact of the recession,” he added.

    The shareholders commended the bank’s management for its impressive performance, but lamented its inability to pay dividends.

    Akinlusi blamed this on the financial restructuring, which the bank was undergoing, and yet to be completed.

  • Healthcare service delivery in Kuje Area Council: The challenges and hope

    The residents of Kuje have, on many occasions, expressed concern about what they describe as poor healthcare system that has been the residents’ major challenge.

    Most of them call on stakeholders in health sector to raise the hope of the residents in 2018 by ensuring robust healthcare service delivery.

    They identified poor access road network, under equipped primary healthcare centres and overstretching of medical equipment at hospitals located in the community as some of the challenges hindering proper healthcare services.

    Others explained that the community dwellers mostly travelled long distances just to access basic healthcare services at better equipped hospitals located in other neighbouring communities.

    Some residents, health workers and ante-natal patients, also called for improvement in the healthcare delivery in the community.

    They, nonetheless, commended the intervention of non-governmental organisations that they claimed to have been providing free medical services and training for health workers in the community.

    Mr Abraham Isa, a resident of the community, observed that Rije community that is five-kilometre distance from the council headquarters had a dilapidated primary healthcare centre.

    He blamed the government for neglecting the facilities in the healthcare centre for so long a time.

    “The journey to Kuje General Hospital is dangerous and the road is so bad that during the rainy season they are almost unusable.

    “The issue of healthcare centres has been bordering us in this community for a very long time. I am pleading with the council to come to our aid and improve the primary health centre in the area,’’ he said.

    Recently, Mr Haruna Agwai, the Health Care Coordinator of the Council, said inadequate vaccines, bad roads even affected immunisation in the area.

    He said in spite of the challenges, the health workers vaccinated children of zero month to 59 months against oral polio vaccines and children from one year to 29 years against meningitis.

    He also said more than 7,763 children were immunised against these diseases out of more than 17,000 children population in the area council.

    “We area vaccinating the children and taking precautions against the outbreak of meningitis in some parts of the country as well.

    In spite of these challenges, the health workers vaccinated children against meningitis and oral polio vaccines,’’ Agwai said.

    He urged the government to collaborate with the private sectors on funding to improve the healthcare system in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    He said the private sector had a major role to play in driving and improving healthcare services in FCT.

    Mrs AJara Sani, an ante-natal patient in Kuje General Hospital, said high cost of child’s delivery and attitude of health personnel were some of the challenges facing healthcare delivery.

    “The cost of child’s delivery and access to drugs is very high, especially when you are to be operated to be delivered of a baby.

    “Some women even give birth on their way before they get to the general hospital due to bad road,’’ she said, calling the government to subsidise the cost of healthcare services in the area.

    To address some of the challenges, Women Friendly Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, said it had recently trained health workers for comprehensive sexual reproductive health services in the area.

    Dr Francis Eremutha, Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, said the training was aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in the area.

    According to him, it will also check life-threatening complications arising from pregnancy.

    He said the training emphasised, among others, the benefits of contraception, ante-natal attendance, supervised delivery, infection prevention and immunisation services for mother and child.

    “Women and girls face enormous challenges in accessing services, especially in relation to sexual and reproductive health for fear of condemnation.

    “They also face stigmatisation by the society and the negative attitude of some health workers, ’’ he observed.

    He also said the training would help in deepening and sustaining community health-provider’s adherence to guidelines and standards of practice.

    Apart from this, he said the training would facilitate supervision and routine monitoring of trained providers and health facilities.

    “We aim to strengthen local institutions, structures and entities that enhance communities’ health. We are also building the capacity of health service providers for quality comprehensive sexual reproductive health services,’’ he said.

    He, therefore, called on ministries of health and relevant bodies to equip primary health centres with medical equipment.

    However, Mr Abdullahi Galadima, Chairman, Kuje Area Council, said the challenges of healthcare delivery were inherited by his administration but promised that measures had been put in place to tackle them.

    “We are aware that most of the primary healthcare centres are dilapidated and some are out of drugs. I want to assure the people of Kuje Area Council that we are moving on and certainly, will be paying attention to health facilities,’’ he promised.

    Galadima further called on residents to be patient as efforts were ongoing to resolve some of the problems facing the healthcare system in the community.

    All in all, residents of the community insist that concerned authorities ought to make pragmatic efforts at making healthcare delivery service worthwhile in all its 10 electoral wards to ease their sufferings on health issues.

    • Tadanyigbe is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

  • Africa’s youths must solve the continent’s challenges

    The role of the youth in any society is crucial to its development, peace and progress. Historically, young people everywhere have been the driving force behind industrial boom, economic stability and progress.

    However, in recent times, the number of employed youth globally has been steadily decreasing, with an exception being sub-Saharan Africa, which has recorded a 1.1% increase. Also, sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in recent times to record 0% change in its youth labour force participation, while other regions have experienced a steady decline. These trends have been closely linked to increasing trends in educational enrollment in the region. Based on these statistics our continent is at an advantage. However, the fact remains that 18 of the 20 poorest countries in the world are in Africa.

    What is responsible for this? We can attribute it to decades of political instability, war and famine that have traversed the length and breadth of our continent. Nevertheless, a more pertinent question ought to be asked: who is responsible? Jesus Christ once said that defilement starts from within; I concur and submit that every one of us must learn to accept responsibility for the situation we have found ourselves today.

    China was once a relatively poor nation, with a huge population that was mainly illiterate and tremendous reserves of untapped resources. But they improved their fortunes through reforms in their education sector and an intentional organisation of rural populations who were brought to cities to turn raw materials into finished goods.

    Thus was the birth of the entrepreneurial boom in China, which has played a central role in China being one of the most credit worthy nations in the world today. If you look at the devices or products in your homes, they are likely to have the words “Made in China”. Isn’t it ironic, that the world we live in today is dominated by products made in a once poor country?

    What could this mean for African nations? Is it possible for us to replicate the results of the Chinese success story? I certainly believe we can. We are a continent blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources, yet in some of our nations, we lack the capital needed to exploit these resources. Foreign commentators have sentenced us to a future of aid and assistance from the West. I say; pave way for the Young African Entrepreneur, who shall be tasked with the duty of articulating our primary motivation for starting our businesses, then learning the compromises associated with our goals and choosing to consistently pursue it.

    If we can maintain this structure, our developmental decisions would support our goal rather than threaten it in the long run. What is our goal? I believe it is creating an enabling environment where innovation and economic development can thrive.

    Entrepreneurship by definition is the capacity and willingness to develop, organise and manage a business venture, along with any risks involved, in order to make a profit, whilst providing a solution to a social problem.

    In Africa, we most certainly have the capacity, as the statistics on youth labour participation shows, but our young people must be willing to develop unique and innovative ways to solve our own society’s problems, in power, health care, education and transportation. In order for us to attain our goal, we must come together to identify our common problems and create platforms where sustainable solutions can be proffered and executed.

    A discussion on the realities of entrepreneurship in Africa would be incomplete, if we do not highlight our success stories. Africa as a continent has proven to be an enterprising and promising economy, with great young entrepreneurs, like Tanzania’s Patrick Ngwoi, who started off by selling Chinese-made phones at age 19 and later went on to start his company, Helvetic Solar Contractors, with operations in Tanzania and other East African countries, where they have installed over 6,000 small rooftop solar systems and contributed to reducing the power deficit in those areas.

    At this stage, we must begin to consider what we must do differently. In my humble opinion, we must have an intentional focus on developing our human resources and paying our labourers what is due to them. We must create conducive work environments, implement and maintain best practices in all our endeavours. We must learn to view both our successes and failures as value-neutral, so long as the risk was taken wisely. Our young people must also take the necessary steps to actualise the vision for a thriving African economy, by learning to think outside the box responsibly, as everything that is good is not profitable and all that is profitable is not good. Our governments must facilitate this vision and create policies that ensure that our mission critical work is not outsourced to other countries, but rather create necessary means of training our own people to fill these critical roles.

    Let me sum up by saying this; I am privileged to have the unique opportunity to closely watch and follow topmost leadership in my country’s government. Friends, from my observation, it requires discipline, consistency, resilience and, most importantly, the grace of God to build any nation. I pray our generation will possess a greater dose of these essential ingredients so that, God willing, we would be able to steer this great continent we share and love, to a place we can all be proud to call home.

    Inactivity is the greatest enemy of entrepreneurship. To this end, let us all commit to continuous self-development to nurture positive creativity and to remain determined to manage the challenges and risks we would face on the way. I look forward to a more prosperous Africa very soon!

     

    By Laolu Osinbajo

    Abuja

  • Cellgevity, Senior Citizens and their peculiar challenges (2)

    As reported in the first part of this series, CELLGEVITY is inching its way to the centre-stage of Senior Citizen medicine. There, like the foundation cream of a woman’s multi-level facial make-up, it would be the foundation medicine in the treatment of virtually all diseases. The reason is clear…diseases occur because the immune system is weaker than the germs or other intruders which confront it; the master antioxidant, GLUTATHIONE, which should empower the immune system and destroy the attackers, has lost steam or is not available for defence in the right quantum; so far, Cellgevity would appear to be the only nutritional supplement or conventional medicine which enables the body to produce vast amounts of Glutathione, strengthen the immune system, protect all the cells against germs and their other enemies, guarantee a reservoir of energy in the cells and keep them youthful for longer than they would otherwise have kept at lower levels of glutathione supply.

    To understand these scenarios, an understanding of the perennial “wars” going on in our bodies is necessary.

    The stage for these wars is set when, the body becomes acidic from the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink, when we undergo more stress than we can stand, when our emotions are negative, when we are exposed to dangerous chemicals, when we cannot sleep well, when we are psychologically disturbed, when we are depressed…Inside our cells, live micro-organisms called microzymas. In acidosis, they devolve into bacteria and other germs, yeast, fungi and mold. If the liver and the cells produce enough glutathione, these germs are destroyed, and we do not know any “war” has taken place. Glutathione also helps us to “disarm” heavy metals such as lead and cadmium which poison the cells and organs, when they accumulate without serious checks.

    Glutathione is considered the master antioxidant because, of the antioxidants, it is the most abundant and most effective in the body, and, besides, it is about the only antioxidant which recycles itself and other antioxidants.

    In the first part of the series, it was shown that glutathione tissue levels drop as we age and that stress, microbial overload, insomnia, disease and other factors which engage glutathione in multiple “wars” may deplete its stocks to the point that a shortage may arise which may cause the body’s defences to be overrun by its “attackers”. Mother Nature provides not only that glutathione be recycleable but to also be manufactured from three of the amino acids…Glycine, Glutamic acid and Cysteine. Of the three, Cysteine would appear to be the most critical because it is easily affected by stomach acid and may not reach its destination in the liver and cells “unharmed”.

    So, since the discovery of glutathione in 1889 by British biochemist Sir Fredrick Gowland Hopkins (1861-1947), researchers have not been able to satisfactorily solve this problem. Nor even since about 30 years ago when scientists gained more understanding of the functions of glutathione has a solution been found, even with the emergence in 1968 of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which the World Health Organisation (WHO) places on its Essential Medicines List. By 2012, for example, no fewer than 100, 775 medical articles on glutathione had been published. A summary of these is attempted by www.immunehealthscience.com when it answers the question…what does glutathione do in BODIES system? It says: “GSH is at the heart of all immune functions and low GSH levels are seen in many diseases such as AIDS, advanced diabetes and cancers. Raising and maintaining GSH levels can help minimise the risk of diseases.

    “Glutathione exists in reduced (GSH) and oxidised (GSSG) states. In healthy cells and tissues, more than 90 percent of the total glutathione is in the reduced form (GSH) and less than 10 percent exists in the oxidised form (GSSG). An increase GSSG-to-GSH ratio is considered indicative of oxidative stress. The ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidised glutathione within cells is often used scientifically as a measure of cellular toxicity.”

     

    Acetaminophen

    This is the professional or chemical name of popular pain killer in Nigeria, which goes by many brand names such as Panadol, Paracetamol, Tylenol, Mapap. There are many analgesics which contain Acetaminophen. Ever since I learned that Acetaminophen may accumulate in the liver and cause havoc there, especially when it is abused as many people do in Nigeria when they experience one type of pain or the other, I turned my back on it. In this regard, a study by the University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand, is interesting. It sought to determine the glutathione (GSH) blood, plasma and red blood levels of elderly patients over 70 years old who took Paracetamol repeatedly for pain. According to the website clinicaltrials.gov: “Paracetamol is one of the most widely used analgesics in the world, especially for chronic pains in the elderly. The metabolism of paracetamol occurs in the liver and involves the Glutamly, Cysteinly and Glycine. (Glutathione (GSH)) medications such as Paracetamol, may reduce the reserves of GSH because it is used for detoxification and elimination. It is well known that the concentration of GSH decrease after the administration of paracetamol in humans and animals. Aging is associated with decreased concentration of GSH in cells and tissues. In the elderly, a decrease of GSH in plasma or red blood cells is associated with decreased physical and mental health. We wish here to determine in subjects aged over 70years, the blood concentration of glutathione (GSH) and urinary loss of cysteine in the detoxification of Paracetamol when taking Paracetamol treatment repeatedly.”

    With such a finding, by not only this hospital but by several others, it is surprising that hospital patients in Nigeria who take Paracetamol repeatedly are not advised about the implications to their health, or helped to replenish their Glutathione blood, cell and tissue levels, by adding, for example N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to their prescriptions. It is common knowledge abroad among medical people that NAC taken intravenously, inhaled as vapour or taken by mouth as a dietary supplement is used to raise glutathione levels under panadol poisoning and to detoxify panadol toxins.

     

    The brain

    Although it is only about two percent of the body’s weight, the adult human brain may consume as much as 20 percent of the body’s oxygen expenditure. It is not surprising, therefore, that the brain generates a high rate of oxygen free radicals, in particular Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) and Super Oxide (SO) which require large amounts of glutathione to destroy. Compared with the kidneys and the liver, the brain is under more assault from free radicals because it is a fatty organ and fats are easily damaged in the absence of antioxidant protection for them. This may account for why people under severe stress suffer from brain fogging and why the elderly, sometimes with shrunken brains and/or lost brain neurons, suffer from memory loss or dementia as lost adult brain cells are irreplaceable. The evidence of a compromised Glutathione system in the brain is probably Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s or other neurological problems. The foregoing underscores the need to build up the Glutathione stores in the body, so that every part of it is well protected against those factors which challenge its health and well-being.

     

    Energy

    Many people tire easily. Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or its more biologically available variant, UBIQUINOL, has been shown to help. The answer to an energy crisis lies in the mitochondria. These are sites or structures inside every cell where energy is produced. It is like an electricity generator. The more CoQ10 or Ubiquinol a person consumes in the diet or as a food supplement, the more the chances of more mitochondria springing up in the cell to produce more energy. But in the process of producing energy in the cell, more free radicals are generated which may damage the mitochondria and its DNA. Not only that, other components of the cell such as proteins and fats may be damaged as well. In the cell, Glutathione is made, as stated, from Glutamate, Cysteine and Glycine. Glutathione, as Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) binds glutathione to Xenobiotics, that is cancer-causing agents, drugs, pollutants, pesticides, hydrocarbons and food additives. Once bound, these can be excreted from the cell and the body. Apart from making the work environment conducive for the cell to make energy, Glutathione makes energy which can be stored as Adinosinetriphosphate (ATP) and for use when needed. Low energy levels correlate with low Glutathione levels.

     

    The eye healer?

    Many studies suggest that high Glutathione levels in the eye support the prevention of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and blindness caused by diabetes. It should be of interest to glaucoma patients that glutathione has been found to detoxify the inner chambers of the eye, the Vitreous humor, and promote fluid outflow from the front chamber, the Aqueous humor. Glutathione is plentiful in the lens of the eye to maintain its transparency in conjunction with other factors working for this and other common purposes. Sulphur rich foods promote glutathione levels. These include, but are not limited to, garlic, onion, asparagus, and glutathione-rich foods such as broccoli, grapefruit, potato, watermelon and raw vegetables such as spinach and kale. Sulphur-rich food supplements such as Alpha Lipoic Acid and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) also help to boost glutathione levels. Vitamin C helps to regenerate glutathione levels in all tissues. But many people take far too little of it even in food supplements.

     

    Mildred Frank’s story

    According to www.chiro.org:

    “Many people with deteriorating vision are seeing nutritional therapy as a successful alternative to conventional medicine or surgery. An example is Mildred Frank of Ormond Beach, Fla., who experienced a dramatic improvement in her vision that was not the result of lasers or lens implants.Her vision improvement began with a can of kale.

    “Frank had two retinal disorders: macular degeneration, which is the loss of central vision, and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which initially manifests as night blindness and progresses to a permanently constricted field of vision. Frank’s friend said kale might help resolve her eye troubles, so she began eating a can of cooked kale a day. Within weeks she noticed some improvement in her vision.

    “Although anecdotal, Frank’s success with nutritional therapy isn’t unprecedented. The journal Optometry recently reported on 16 night-blind patients with retinitis pigmentosa who took 40 mg/day lutein for nine weeks and 20 mg/day for 17 additional weeks. Ten of the participants also took 500 mg/day docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential component of retinal light-receptor cells, along with a vitamin B complex and digestive enzymes for the entire 26-week study. Although the research was a preliminary pilot study, with no placebo controls, improvements reportedly began two to four weeks after supplementation started and plateaued at six to 14 weeks. Visual acuity gains were four times greater in blue-eyed people compared to those with dark eyes.

    “Vision researchers recognise that lutein and zeaxanthin—plant pigments plentiful in collards, kale, mustard greens and spinach—play important roles in maintaining a healthy visual system. Lutein supplements have been available since 1995; commercially, it is extracted from marigold flower petals. A February 2001 study between Johns Hopkins University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong indicates a new rich source of zeaxanthin with traces of lutein is an extract of the berry of Fructus Lycii (Lycium barbarum).

    “Lutein and zeaxanthin work because they act like sunglass filters to protect the retina. The retina, about the size of a postage stamp, contains millions of light receptor cells. Normal, healthy retinas exhibit a yellow spot in their visual centre, the macula. Lutein and zeaxanthin are concentrated in the central retina, overlying the macula, a pinpoint-wide zone where colour vision and central vision is produced. Yellow pigmentation of the central retina of animals disappears when lutein and zeaxanthin pigments are removed from the diet.

    “Both types of carotenoids—the carotenes such as beta-carotene and the xanthophylls such as lutein and zeaxanthin—are essential to maintain human vision. Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in the liver and then travels to the retina where it is converted into rhodopsin, the night-vision chemical. Intense sunlight exposure can bleach out rhodopsin from the night-vision cells (called rods) during the day and prolong visual adaptation at dusk.

    “Foods such as cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potato, yams and yellow squash are rich in beta-carotene but provide no lutein. Dark-green leafy vegetables such as collards, kale, mustard greens and spinach are rich sources of beta-carotene as well as lutein and zeaxanthin. Blue-eyed individuals need more lutein and zeaxanthin because they have less of these protective pigments in their retinas.

    “Although kale therapy is far from mainstream, researchers are observing connections between nutrition and macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.”

     

    Dr. Gutman

    Dr. Jimmy Gutman tells us in www.immunehealthscience.com:

    “To be more specific about the articles I have researched to date, raising GSH has been CLINICALLY proven to be beneficial to people afflicted with AIDS, Alzheimer’s, asthma, burns, all CANCERS, cataract, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, auto-immune disorders, diseases of liver, kidneys, lungs, heart and digestive system, flukes, fibromyalgia, glaucoma (open angles only, close angles not affected), hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, physical trauma, skin disorders, seizures, tumours and more. To state something is beneficial to your health is one thing, but to prove it clinically is to give it validity. Do not under appreciate the profound meaning of this statement…raising your GSH level is CLINICALLY PROVEN TO BE BENEFICIAL for a wide range of health concerns. The research continues at an amazing pace. If you want to know what research has been done for your particular condition, go to PubMed and simply type in your condition. It would list the abstract of related articles. If you want to know what influence GSH plays in your condition, type in “glutathione and your condition” then hit search. I was amazed at what has been researched.”

     

    Foundation medicine

    It is such a description of the functions of Glutathione as these which recommends it to me as a foundation medicine when the doctor prescribes an antibiotic or an analgesic or even a steroidal drug. We know the prescription is a double-edged sword. It will not only perform the task for which it is employed besides, it would leave the body more toxic than it found it. This would drain body of its Glutathione store. Thus, a regular user of these drugs is more likely to see his or her doctor on a regular basis, as a possible Glutathione deficiency may be sparking off one trouble after another. Wouldn’t it be better, then, to prescribe a Glutathione formula along with every prescription? I believe it would.

     

    A long search

    Between 1889 and 2017 is a whopping 128 years. In this period, so much was learned about Glutathione, but so little about how to make the body produce it abundantly. The Glutathione food supplements sold world-wide until the emergence of NAC 50 years ago hardly did the job. Some of the ones sold today contain inorganic substances or were pharmaceutical caricatures of the living substances which make up the Glutathione magic matrix. The stumbling block of many of these efforts was CYSTEINE. Stomach acid always altered its form so that, by the time it arrived in the cell along with Glutamic acid and Glycine, it was no longer CYSTEINE perse and therefore, was inert in the tripartite chain. But the mountain was not insurmountable.

     

    Enter Cellgevity

    One of the efforts to subdue this mountain bore fruit a few years ago in dietary supplement CELLGEVITY. As mentioned in the first part of this series, this name comes from CELL and LONGEVITY. It was developed over 45 years by Professor Herbert T. Nagasawa, Ph.D., Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Toxicology at the University of Minnesota and marketed by MAX INTERNATIONAL, three of whose products are currently selling in Nigeria.

    Cellgevity, the star product, is based on what MAX INTERNATIONAL calls RIBOCEINE technology. Again, Riboceine comes from RIBOS and CYSTEINE. Since Cysteine in the Glutamate – Cysteine – Glycine matrix is transformable before its absorption, it has to be dressed up, figuratively speaking, like an astronaut on the moon whose apparel protects him from cosmic rays. The apparel for CYSTEINE in this case is RIBOS. So, Ribos takes the Glutamate – Cysteine – Glycine matrix through the digestive tract and delivers it into the bloodstream. From there, the tripartite amino acid molecule finds its way to the liver and to the cells. Ribos is not lost. It goes into the cell to participate in the production of energy. And this is why Cellgevity is at the same time a glutathione booster and an energy producer which Max International says is three hundred times more effective at raising Glutathione levels than N-acetylcysteine (NAC).