The Nation Newspaper

Tag: success

  • Ilerika, Messi and success

    Ilerika, Messi and success

    No one epitomises this era of soccer like the Argentine with fleet foot. He is a throwback to a Nigerian hero and maestro of the 1970’s. Like the late Haruna Ilerika, Lionel Messi gives us a diminutive frame, a celerity of dribble runs, an omen of the left foot, the rhythmic tear through any defence, precision passes, imaginative free kicks and an entertainment at once envied and feared by the opponent. Ilerika and Messi are kin in bravura and charisma, even though alien in generation and continent.

    These two stars should concentrate our minds in this season of the World Cup. The Nigerian team, the Super Eagles, crashed out in the second round, and stopped the heart of many Nigerians who thought the team could fly. Some hoped for a quarter-final berth, a few, semi-final. Some very audacious fantasists even dreamed of a Nigerian team hoisting the trophy after slaying a world giant like Brazil, Germany, or Argentina.

    That is the lazy optimism of the average Nigerian of this generation. We want to reap where we did not sow. It is the story that pervades every sector of our lives, whether it is the politician who wants to win an election on false popularity or rigging, or the student who romps from a miracle centre, or the contractor who inflates a job and does not deliver even after reviewing the same contract, or the pastor who flatters a flock with a phantom miracle, or the under 17 player who had started juggling the ball when his counterpart from Belgium or England was slobbering over his mother’s breast.

    Both Ilerika and Messi worked for their genius. Genius is a long patience, or to quote Michael Angelo, “eternal patience.” What did we put in place as a system in soccer that we expect to best France or tackle Argentina and bask in glory afterwards? These countries have developed a strong tradition of hard work and organisation for their soccer. They have a great farm system. Players bloom from childhood, not out of accident. They have a structure that eyes and nurtures the talent from childhood and they naturally develop self-confidence and institutional support as they grow. Messi went through that path. He burst on the scene at the same time with Mikel Obi, in the junior category.

    When Messi won the prime prize of the tournament, some described it as judgment of racial prejudice. They may be right. But Messi is an enduring genius today. Even though still young, Mikel is fading early. He slides while Messi shines. That is the story of Nigeria. Messi has exercised all the discipline and exposure necessary to sustain his glory. Mikel is going the other way.

    Ilerika though was not like that. He played at a time of conscious appreciation of talent and development. He played in what used to be called the Principal’s Cup in Lagos. It was a special thrill for the locals at that time. Ilerika played for lowbrow secondary schools, but he displayed share dexterity with his left foot. He was recruited by the Stationery Stores, and became the best forward we ever had. In an era of global television and Internet, Ilerika would have enjoyed comparable plaudits with Messi today.

    But that was a Nigeria, in spite of its imperfections, that worked. Today, we do not have a thriving secondary school system. In Lagos, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola gave us an example with the revival of the Principal’s Cup. Though still in infancy, its products won the male and female categories in the National Sports Festival in 2012. It needs to grow, not only in Lagos but nationwide. We live in a country where we learn of most of our players when they dazzle Europe.

    If we lack a cohesive high school policy, our league is a shadow of the past where the Enugu Rangers, IICC Shooting Stars, Bendel Insurance, Mighty Jets of Jos turned the green turf into a carnival of talent and contention for glory. Globalisation has a role in this, but it does not explain it all. Can we not take advantage of globalisation to showcase our league and talent? But what is there to display? England has not won the World Cup since it hosted it in 1966. However, its league is the best in the world both in thrill and profit. But the country is now complaining that the league is its albatross. It solders foreign talents but smothers local ‘latents.’ It is a challenge it has identified and is foraging for formula out of the quagmire. They gave the world the game, but it is shame every four years.

    In Nigeria, we think we can just finagle our way into top glory. What sometimes lures us to hope is the circle of individual stars like Onyeama, Babatunde, Musa. That helps us in the younger stage when not system or pattern or strategy is important, but raw energy. One of our all-time greats and our best ever right winger, Segun Odegbami, has repeatedly made this point. But the big stage calls for big thinking, big organising and big system. We only decide to pick the big talent from abroad with a sprinkling of local names, and poise for the world. We want short-cuts to glory. We also think we can solve anything simply by throwing money at it.

    It is the same challenge of values that stalks our every step as a nation. In the past few weeks, the word infrastructure has fallen into infamy. We need infrastructure to develop. All the countries shining in the World Cup are thriving on soccer infrastructure built over generations. Every nation’s success is predicated on the efficiencies of its infrastructure from education, to power, to business, to roads. The new fad called stomach infrastructure hinges on the same sort of fairy tale faith that the Super Eagles would soar. You cannot soar without wings. Infrastructure is the wing of success.

    We must note that the people are not all that foolish. Sometimes when they cavil at the infrastructure of the stomach, it is because of two things. One, they believe that infrastructure is a stylised form of money laundering and corruption. The bigger the contract, the bigger the kickbacks. While the politicians and contractors gloat over their loots, the people groan in their roosts. Before, Nigerians used to say, “leave am make e chop, at least e dey work. See all the roads and bridges.” Now, with poverty deepening in the land, patience belongs to another time. They want to impregnate a woman today and deliver the child next week. Our political elite must be careful to communicate and connect, so that this sort of cynicism does not make sinner of a saint of infrastructure. The danger is that leaders may inherit the popular cynicism and decide not to work but bribe the people to popularity and sweep to electoral fortune.

    Two, the people do not value infrastructure as in the past. That is why people say “I no come here to look bridge or fine road.”

    This calls for a great introspection by our political class. The poorer the people, the more cynical they are, and the more disconnected from the idea of government.

    Doubt is the major crime of this generation. We do not believe anything, anyone, any move. We only believe in miracles. We think everyone else is out to con us. The job of leadership today is first to keep faith, then the people can believe.

  • Making success of job interview

    Making success of job interview

    The interview is one of the most important elements in the job search process. When an employer invites you to an interview, he/she is indicating an interest in bringing you on board. The interview gives both of you the opportunity to exchange enough information to determine if you are a good “fit” for each other. Think of an interview as a highly focused professional conversation. You should use the limited amount of time you have to learn about an employer’s needs and discuss the ways you can meet these needs. In many cases, you will interview at least twice before being hired for a position. Once in a brief screening interview and at least once again in a more serious meeting when you may also speak with many of your potential coworkers.

    The job interview is a strategic conversation with a purpose. Your goal is to show the employer that you have the skills, background, and ability to do the job and that you can successfully fit into the organisation and its culture. The interview is also your opportunity to gather information about the job, the organisation, and future career opportunities to figure out if the position and work environment are right for you.

    Most employers do not hire people based on merit alone. Personality, confidence, enthusiasm, a positive outlook, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills count heavily in the selection process.

    After your cover letter and résumé, the interview is your best opportunity to wow the employer-regardless of your background and experience. To do this, use every possible strategy to develop effective interviewing skills. The best way is to prepare a selective presentation of your background, thoughtful answers to potential interview questions, well-researched questions about the organisation, and an effective strategy to market yourself. Also consider your career goals and what the available job offers so that you can discuss both of these topics with employers. Interviewing is a skill that improves and becomes easier with practice. Check with your school career centre or your local Employment Service office to see if it offers workshops and individual videotaped mock interviews for practice.

     

    Research

    It is to your advantage to carefully research the job and the organisation. There are many ways to do this. You can request printed materials from the employer, such as annual reports and job descriptions. This is an entirely appropriate request, so don’t hesitate to make it. Use your library and career center resources. Ask colleagues, friends, and faculty about the organisation, and about any personal contacts at the organisation they might have. Look at the organisation’s home page. Knowing about the job will help you prepare a list of your qualifications so that you can show, point by point, why you are the best candidate.

     

    Practice, practice, practice

    Prepare a succinct, clear answer to each of the questions in the interview questions section. Practice answering questions with a friend, or in front of a mirror. Ask your friend to give you constructive criticism on your speaking style, mannerisms, and poise. As you practice, avoid colloquialisms, such as “like” and “you know.” Make sure you don’t script all your answers-you’ll sound as though you’re reading cue cards! It’s important to prepare yourself for talking with complete strangers.

     

    Find out logistics of interview

    The more you know, the more focused your answers will be. Find out when the interview is scheduled, what to expect during it, and how long you will be there. Also find out if you will be talking to just one person, or to several.

     

    Be prompt and professional

    Always arrive early. If you don’t know where the organisation is located, call for exact directions in advance. Leave some extra time for any traffic, parking, or unpredictable events. If you are running late, call right away and let someone know. The best time to arrive is about 10 minutes early. Give yourself the time to read your résumé one more time, to catch your breath, and to be ready for the interview. Once you’re at the office, treat everyone you encounter with respect. Be pleasant to everyone as soon as you walk in the door.

     

    Dress for success

    Wear a professional business suit. This point cannot be emphasised enough. First impressions are extremely important in the interview process. Women should avoid wearing too much jewelry or make up. Men should avoid flashy suits or wearing too much cologne. It is also important that you feel comfortable. While a suit is the standard interview attire in a business environment, if you think it is an informal environment, call before and ask. Regardless, you can never be overdressed if you are wearing a tailored suit.

     

    Be organised

    Carry a portfolio notepad or at the very least a manila file folder labeled with the employer’s name. Bring extra résumés and have the names, addresses and phone numbers of references, in case the employer asks. Also, bring a list of questions for the employer. You may refer to your list of questions to be sure you’ve gathered the information you need to make a decision. Do not be preoccupied with taking notes during the interview.

     

    Know yourself

    You will make the interview process easier for the employer if you volunteer relevant information about yourself. Think about how you want to present your strengths, experiences, education, work style, skills, and goals. Be prepared to supplement all your answers with examples that support the statements you make. It is also a good idea to review your résumé with a critical eye and identify areas that an employer might see as limitations or want further information. Think about how you can answer difficult questions accurately and positively, while keeping each answer brief.

     

    Be honest

    An interview gives the employer a chance to get to know you. While you do want to market yourself to the employer, answer each question with an honest response.

     

    Be positive

    Never say anything negative about past experiences, employers, or courses and professors. Always think of something positive about an experience and talk about that. You should also be enthusiastic. If you are genuinely interested in the job, let the interviewer know that.

     

     

  • Quality service key to our success, says firm

    The founder of Paga Mobile Payment Limited, Mr Eyitayo Oviosu,  has said quality services have made Paga a top brand in the mobile payment market.

    Speaking at the fifth anniversary of Paga,Oviosu said the mobile payment market has grown with banks also venturing into the business hence making the competition more deeper for companies which provide payment solutions for retail payment.

    He noted that despite the competition, the industry has continued to grow as all licensed mobile money firms are working towards efficient service delivery to their customers.

    “There are many companies in the mobile payment industry and I think we are all going towards same business, which is how we can deliver mobile payment to Nigerians whether in your business or individuals,” he said.

    Also, the firm’s Head of Agent Network  Sales, Jay Alabraba, noted that Paga is working hard to create awareness for users.

    “Paga is becoming a brand. For many people, we are an established brand because of the trust we have created through consistency and quality offering. This makes a product to become a brand. So, our ability to innovate and remain consistence in our transaction. So, for the fact that we want to ease payment challenges for customers, we created values that will enhance convenience for the customers. So, those key things have made us a brand … It’s about giving consistent service and high quality service. So, our unique selling point is offering convenience,” he added.

    Developed on the premise that simple and easily accessible payment solutions would endear shoppers, businesses to reduce customer’s frustration of dealing with cash and other inadequate payment channels, Oviosu, however, said through innovative product offerings, a strategic agent network and sheer determination, Paga has become the market leader in the mobile payments industry in Nigeria.”

  • Business success and potency of personality

    Business success and potency of personality

    Personality is one thing that is very critical to success. Personality refers one’s character or behaviour. Research confirms that people who engage in a business that aligns with their true personality tend to achieve tremendous success and fulfilment. In short, every personality type has the potential to grow a successful business. What you just need is to determine the right opportunity. Self-awareness makes us easily bridge the gap between the type of person we are and the right business for us.

     

    Risk-taking

    Peter Drucker, an international business-management expert says entrepreneurship is about taking risk and the behaviour of an entrepreneur reflects a kind of person willing to put his career and financial security on the line and take risks in the name of an idea, spending much time as well as capital on an uncertain venture. There is definitely an entrepreneurial personality. That is why some people can struggle through to entrepreneurial success, while others cannot. Entrepreneurial personality type explains why some entrepreneurs fail in one venture only to succeed in another venture which tallies with their character.

     

    Coincidence

    For the simple fact that founding and running a successful company is a long-term process, an entrepreneur needs to be careful in the course of choosing a venture by choosing one which tallies with his or her natural personality. “Rather than swimming upstream with the currents running against your potential success, why not focus on the types of situations and businesses in which you can thrive?” says Bill Wagner, co-founder of Accord Management Systems, a California-based behavioural consultancy. The essence of identifying a business that matches your own personality is that you can leverage your strengths and improve your weaknesses.

     

    Entrepreneurial categories

    As regards personality and entrepreneurship, different types of entrepreneurs have been identified by business management experts. These are personal achievers, super salespeople, real managers and expert idea generators, etc. Let us examine these different categories.

     

    Individual achievers

    Personal achievers, according to Professor John Miner, a business management expert and author of “The 4 Routes to Entrepreneurial Success”, are classic entrepreneurs, bringing tremendous energy to their performance. They like to plan, including setting goals for future achievements. They have a lot of initiative and a strong commitment to their organisations. Personal achievers believe that they control their lives through their own actions rather than being controlled by circumstances and are most likely to succeed if they pursue the achieving route by constantly putting out fires and dealing with crises.

     

    Great salespeople

    Super salespeople constitute another class. These people possess a great deal of feeling for other people and want to help in any way possible. They use a soft-sell approach, and receive sales from their customers’ desire to give something back. Relationships are very important to them. Therefore, they like social situations and groups. According to Miner, these people consider selling to be essential to their companies and to succeed as entrepreneurs, super salespeople need to use the selling route by spending as much time as possible selling and getting someone else to manage the business.

     

    Effective managers

    Real managers are another group of entrepreneurs. They like to take charge, and they do well in corporate leadership positions. They are competitive, decisive and positively disposed to those with authority. They enjoy power and acting a part. Miner educates that as entrepreneurs, they frequently become effective marketers, partly by managing the marketing process but often by being good salespeople. The ideal path to success for real managers is the managing route, which is by finding or starting a business large enough to need their managerial talents.

     

    Idea masters

    The expert idea generators invent new products, find new niches, develop new processes, and generally find a way to out-think the competition. These are innovators in the true entrepreneurial sense, and are strongly drawn to the world of ideas. Miner says yet, these people can get carried away by their enthusiasm and fail to take sufficiently-calculated risks; and to mitigate the risks of unwarranted enthusiasm, a degree of cautiousness helps here.

     

    Additional classification

    Another research work classifies entrepreneurs into two. That is, generalists and specialists. Generalists are strategic thinkers. They are big-picture-oriented, prefer environments where they can use their results-driven nature, enjoy autonomy and independence, and are stronger risk-takers. This is the source of their need to win and their belief that they are always right. They are therefore self-confident.

    However, specialists are tactically oriented, prefer operating within their areas of expertise, are more detail-oriented, and prefer environments that provide both security and stability. Specialists are typically more risk-averse, unless they are working within their areas of expertise. Therefore, doing things by the book by following rules, policies and procedures is more important to the specialists.

     

    Parting shot

    The most important factor that distinguishes entrepreneurs who barely make it from those who are super-rich is personality and the ability to harness it, use it and learn from it. Successful entrepreneurs know that the greatest knowledge is self-knowledge. Therefore, pursue business engagements that match your personality today because your personality is critical to business or career success.

    Till we meet on Wednesday.

  • Success story of a Ugandan teenage entrepreneur

    Youth Entrepreneurial Link Investments (YELI), Uganda’s first registered paper bag production firm, started out with just $14 seed capita. Twenty-one-year-old Andrew Mupuya is the brain behind the firm, which has grown into a thriving enterprise with staff strength of 16, producing about 20,000 paper bags a week.

    Mupuya was just 16 when he decided to take on the world by setting up the business. That was in 2008 when his parents lost their jobs and could barely afford his school fees. “I had to meet my basic needs by myself. I decided to face the world alone,” the Ugandan entrepreneur recalled.

    As providence would have it, the government of Uganda came up with a policy that aligned with Mupuya’s goal. The Government of Uganda had attempted to ban plastic bags in a bid to deal with its acute waste management problem and promote environmental conservation. Mupuya, who was still in secondary school, immediately saw this as an opportunity to launch a paper bag production company.

    Hear him: “I conducted a feasibility study and market research around retail shops, kiosks, and supermarkets around Kampala, the Ugandan capital and discovered there is need and potential market for paper bags.”

    To start out his small operation, Mupuya needed a capital of 36,000 Ugandan shillings ($14). He raised the first $11 from selling 70 kilos of used plastic bottles he’d collected over one week. He then borrowed the remaining $3 from his school teacher and embarked on his entrepreneurial journey, producing paper bags on a small scale.

    Since then, the business has grown extensively and today, at 21, Mupuya is the owner of Youth Entrepreneurial Link Investments (YELI), the first registered Ugandan firm to make paper bags. The company’s long list of clients includes restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, medical centers, as well as multinational companies, such as Samsung.

    YELI has made about 1,000 niche bags for the local stores of the electronics company. “Right now, I have 72 clients,” says Mupuya, adding: “Ninety per cent of our clients always come back.”

    Mupuya’s remarkable achievements and shrewd business skills have been recognised with a number of accolades in recent years. In 2012, for instance, Mupuya was the winner of the $30,000 Anzisha Prize, a major award given to young African entrepreneurial leaders who take the initiative to address critical needs in their communities. “The awards I have won give me courage to push on with my business,” says the young entrepreneur.

    Continuing, he said, “It shows to me how I am doing the right thing and it helps me define the impact I am creating.” Despite Uganda’s attempts to ban plastic bags to deal with its acute waste management problem and promote environmental conservation, they are still used in Kampala and often block drainage systems or collect in heaps on the side of the road. Mupuya, however, believes Ugandans will eventually choose paper over plastic and he even plans to build a recycling operation. “A paper bag is eco-friendly, it can easily decompose,” he says. “But plastic bags take too long, so that is the difference.”

    For now, Mupuya sources his paper from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. His business is housed in Kasokoso, a slum just outside Kampala’s bustling city center. Here, everything is done by hand and with precision. YELI employees turn out thousands of bags daily, cutting the paper manually and then folding it and gluing it appropriately.

    But this takes time and as the number of customer increase, the team is having difficulties keeping up with orders. Mupuya says one of the biggest challenges for his startup right now is supply and demand. “It needs time to produce the right quality and quantity to all clients, because it’s run manually,” he says, adding, “It’s quite hard to catch up with some clients who are used to cheap plastic bags. My next step is to get a machine because I am only able to supply five per cent of the demands I have.”

    He said his dream is to have a big plant to enable him supply paper bags all over Africa.

    Yet, Mupuya says this is a problem that most clients understand, pushing him to keep thinking big and press ahead with his plans to promote environmental conservation.

    “My vision is to have a cleaner Africa by eradicating use of plastic bags and emphasis on paper recycling,” he said.

     

    •Culled from cnn.com

  • The secret of our success in business, by INDORAMA

    Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (IEPL) has said the secret of its success in business is its serious concern about its reputation.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the Managing Director of IEPL, Mr Jossy Nkwocha, who disclosed this in a lecture he gave to Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Students Association (NIPRSA) of the University of Port Harcourt, said: “Reputation is everything to all the staff of our company.”

    In the lecture titled “Leading By Reputation” which Nkwocha gave to the students who were on facility visit to IEPL, he told them how effective management of their reputation has brought industrial harmony to the company.

    Nkwocha who is also Head of Corporate Communications of IEPL said that his department was given the mandate to amongst others build and manage a solid image reputation for the company through various programmes in collaboration with other departments.

    They also manage the public perception of the company; manage the Indorama-Nigeria brand and provide strategic brand as well as “projecting the image and reputation of the company through reputation drivers.”

    This effective management of the company’s reputation has won them many accolades such as being voted as “Nigeria’s best success story on privatisation” by the Bureau on Public Enterprises and Senate Committee on Privatisation.

    Since 2006, the company has done three major Turn Around Maintenance (TAMs) and is also the first Nigerian company to win Triple IMS/ISO certification.

    Another wonderful strategy that has brought tremendous progress to the company is the way it has carried its shareholders along.

    As explained by Nkwocha, while the owners of the company have 65percent of shares, the host communities in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State have 7.5 percent. Rivers State Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) have 10 percent each. The Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) and the employees of IEPL have 5percent and 2.5 percent respectively.

    Before Nkwocha’s lecture, members of NIPRSA were taken round the IEPL plant to see the production process of resin by the Plant Supervisor of the company, Engr. Martins Chigbu during which he informed them that the organisation is building a $1.3 billion fertiliser plant which will be the biggest in West Africa.

    In his own speech, the Staff Adviser to the students, Mr Austine Sado commended the IEPL’s management for letting the students into the plant to have an insight into the workings of the place.

    Sado who was impressed with the sharing formula of the profits of the company which also caters for the members of its host communities urged other companies to emulate the IEPL style to make for harmony between the people and the companies operating in their lands.

    In another development, Nkwocha, a former General Editor of Newswatch magazine, was honoured by the Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) with an award of Professional Excellence in Public Relations practice.

    Giving the award to Nkwocha, the Chairman of the chapter, Mr. Samuel Toby, said it was in recognition of “Nkwocha’s immense contributions to the chapter especially his chairmanship of the Professional Development Committee, which has continued to enrich younger members with thorough knowledge of what public relations is all about through regular professional presentations.”

    Nkwocha, a Fellow of NIPR said he was humbled by the award and would continue to play active roles at state and at the national level to enhance public relations practice in Nigeria.

    Other members of the chapter who were also honoured include Fellow Frank Tamuno Koko, chairman of the Board of Fellows; Fellow Casca Ogosu, immediate past Council member; Fellow Medline Tador, General Manager of the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation; and Fellow Karibi George, immediate past Chairman of the chapter.

     

     

  • Emmanuel Emenike: Team play key to Fenerbahce’s success

    Emmanuel Emenike: Team play key to Fenerbahce’s success

    Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike believes the success recorded by Fenerbahce in the first half of the 2013/14 Super Lig season is as a result of team play.

    The Yellow Canaries finished the first half of the Super Lig season in top spot, seven points clear off second placed Kasimpasa.

    Emenike in an interview with the club’s TV channel revealed that the collective performance of his team-mates including himself has been instrumental to the club’s impressive run so far in the league.

    “The foundation of success is team play. So it is not correct to say that it is just my success instead its a team success. I think we have done an important job in the first half of the season. Fenerbahce is a great team and the important thing is that we always aim to prevail in every game,” Emenike stated.

    The Nigerian international ,who has had an impressive 2013 year, helping Nigeria to the Nations Cup triumph in South Africa earlier in the year, has been a massive addition to the Ersun Yanal led Fenerbahce side since joining the club for Russian side Spartak Moscow in the summer.

    The powerful and prolific forward has made 10 starts from 15 appearances for the Turkish side and has found the back of the net in seven occasions

    Fenerbahce finished the first half of the 2013/14 season with 38 points from 16 league games, recording 12 victories, two draws and two losses while scoring 38 times and conceding 18.

  • ‘Experience not vital to success‘

    ‘Experience not vital to success‘

    Opeyemi Awoyemi is one of the founders of Jobberman, the nation’s biggest online job search  firm. He was selected by Business Impact Limited to speak at an entrepreneur forum, as part of activities marking the birthday of its Chief Executive, Samson Olatunde, in Lagos. Daniel Essiet was there.

    AS success anything to do with experience? No, say some experts.

    The story of Opeyemi Awoyemi, and, who started Jobberman, an online job search firm, shows one can achieve anything one dreams, experience not withstanding.

    The trio are among best and brightest young entrepreneurs who have been making waves even before graduation.

    Their lives led credence to the fact that inexperience shouldn’t hold anyone back from being an entrepreneur.

    With hard work, good ideas and strong determination, anyone can turn his business dream into a reality.

    Combining class work in order to keep good grades is a load some young people cannot carry.

    Awoyemi, who was  selected by Business Impact Limited to feature at an Entrepreneur Forum, where he offered advice to would be entrepreneurs, give tips on success.

    The event  was  organised to mark the birthday of Business Impact’s Chief Executive, Samson Olatunde.

    It featured successful business men and women who shared how they made their mark so that people in their undulating world of business.

    Awoyemi provided an inside account of how Jobberman.com became one of the leading online recruitment firms, including his journey into becoming an entrepreneur, the pitfalls to watch out for, deciding when to sell and to whom and the importance of effective marketing and branding.

    He said the idea of Jobberman came to him in his third  year at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). A friend suggested the name and he played around with it for a while.

    In 2009, Deji Adewunmi and Lekan came on board as co-founders. He had to combine school and business.

    Like Mark Zuckerberg, founder of  facebook, who developed the successful network while in Harvard University, United States, Awoyemi has become a household name. The firm boasts of over one million users. He  has  his office at Lekki, Lagos. He has more than 100 clients. He has  been able to expand his business across the country.

    He graduated from OAU with a Second Class Upper degree. His  idealogy is that young people should set their lifestyle. “Be clear on how to achieve your goal. Trust God to make things happen, he advised.

    Awoyemi is determined. He hopes to inspire budding entrepreneurs to start up their own businesses.

    He was not the only one who spoke at the event. Chief Executive, Inspiro Consulting, Olujime Tewe, said he is a big believer in supporting up and coming entrepreneurs, noting that they help to shape the economy of the future. He had always aspired to be an entrepreneur, but the timing never seemed right.

    A pastor with Kingsword Ministries International, he studied Agricultural Economics, he wanted to study Medicine because he had a his uncle, who lived abroad is a medical doctor. Besides, he was rich.

    He was motivated to take after him. But this was not to be. He later changed his mind when he had a cousin living with them. He was studious, even when she was not preparing for a test or exam, he would read.

    On graduation, he  joined Restral, where he honed his skills in  management consulting and human resource.

    He later joined Accenture as an analyst and worked in the different fields of human resource. He was in the Human Performance Workstream.

    He left for UBA, where he became a manager. He worked the longest – two years and four months – at he bank. He got tired of the environment and moved on to Bank PHB as Head, Recruitment. He worked for a year and three months before quitting to start his own business.

    According to him, achieving his life dream. He said he didn’t change jobs because of money but  he needed to fulfill his heart desire.

    Having worked for about eight and half years in four firms, he said it was time to go.

    He said he set up Inspiro Consulting to  help people become aware of who they are and how they can match that with what their ambition.

    “We are focusing on certain target markets and tailoring programmes and solutions to meet their needs,” he said.

    According to him, young people greatest assignment in life is to discover who they  are and to become what they  are meant to be. Discovery, according to him, is not an event, it’s a process.

    He  said there are many journeys to success, and numerous life stories to prove it.

     

  • Dickson attributes success to God

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has attributed the success of his restoration government to his dependence on God.

    He spoke at a rally, tagged: “The Restoration We Need,” organised by The Redeemed Christian Church of God, in collaboration with the Bayelsa State government, in Yenagoa.

    Recalling when he was elected into office, the governor said a key aspect of the restoration government was to give God a place in the affairs of the state.

    This, he noted, had yielded positive result, as the governorship poll in the state last year was held peacefully.

    According to Governor Dickson, it was on this premise that the state government legalised November 2 every year as the Thanksgiving Day to thank God for the honour and blessings showered on the state.

    Dickson, who also expressed appreciation to God for his election as governor, said it was an act of God “since He gives power to whosoever He chooses and takes it back whenever He wishes.”

    He told youths and those interested in power that being the best and wealthiest candidate was not a guarantee for success.

    Delivering a message with the theme: “The Restoration We need,” the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, urged the people to cultivate the habit of thanking God to get more blessings.

    He listed the benefits of establishing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as, enjoying total restoration in all spheres of life, good health, freedom from demonic forces, peace and joy.

  • College offers students success tips

    Nigerian students studying abroad have advised parents to seek assistance for their children to ensure their success in institutions of higher learning.

    The students who are alumni of Bellerbys College in the UK said at a forum that quality teaching and small class sizes help students achieve outstanding results that will ultimately impact on Nigeria’s education system and the economy at large.

    Representative of the Bellerbys Alumni, Aishat Abodunrin, said Bellerbys has adopted strategy which makes Nigerian students easily blend.

    The Nigeria Office Manager for Study Group, which is UK’s largest independent supplier of students, Mrs. Yetunde Pereira, said Bellerbys College is a renowned independent higher education preparatory college that prepares over 1,250 international students for university entry every year. “It is famous for being the most experienced international college in the UK and has been around for over 50 years.”

    She said the college is the UK’s number one ranked exclusive international school which last year recorded 50per cent of A-Level students gaining admission into the top 15 universities in the UK including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and London School of Economics.

    She said: “With a long-standing reputation for academic achievement, and consistently achieving higher results than the British average, it is no wonder that in 2012, 57per cent of all A Levels taken by Bellerbys students were graded A* or A, compared to just half that figure across the rest of the UK.”

    According to her, there are other programmes like the Bellerbys Foundation which has such fields as Arts & Design, Business, Finance & Management, Engineering, Humanities, Law, Management & Computing Systems, Media and Science & Pharmacy, with contents suited for Nigeria’s educational needs.