The Nation Newspaper

Tag: survival

  • RTEAN partners NATA on survival, growth of automotive industry

    RTEAN partners NATA on survival, growth of automotive industry

    The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, in partnership with Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association, NATA, have agreed to support the federal government in ensuring the survival and growth of the nation’s automotive industry.

    The national president, RTEAN, Alhaji Shehu Musa Isiwele, assured that such partnership will enhance the industry’s contribution to the national economy, especially in the area of transportation.

    Isiwele disclosed this during a visit by delegates of NATA in Abuja, stating that this would not only add value to both organisations, but also help the government in creating enabling environment for the manufacturing of local vehicles and spare parts in the country.

    He said, “RTEAN and NATA would through the partnership ease the pains of Nigerians in transporting their goods and services, especially now that the federal government has launched the national automotive policy aimed at making the nation self reliant in the manufacturing of Nigerian-made vehicles.

    “The success of road transport business is hinged on the availability of professional skills of your members and the services provided as auto-engineers which is cardinal to maintaining vehicles on the road.

    “RTEAN’s robust nature and national spread with over 16million membership across the country stand us out as a viable and dependable destination fodder investments in road transportation business in Nigeria.

    “More than any other association, either in the public or private sphere of our socio-political and economic development, RTEAN has promoted issues of affordable, quality, durable and sustainable road transport system.

    “Today, it is not surprising that the association is adjudged as the Best Trade Union in Nigeria in the recent performance rating of trade unions in Nigeria,” he stressed.

    The RTEAN boss, however, commended President Jonathan for the automotive policy and the improvement in road network across the country, saying improvement on national highways had improved road transportation and reduced accidents in the country.

    Speaking, NATA president, Michael Ajayi Omoniyi, said the association sought partnership with RTEAN on National Strategic Stakeholders Dialogue on Nigeria Automotive Industry to support the policy for the benefit of both sand the general public.

    Adding that the partnership would enhance the implementation of National Vehicle Emissions Control programme scheduled to begin in January 2015 by the National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, across the country.

    The programme is to ensure that all vehicles plying Nigerian roads have installed emission reduction technology, adding that it would also improve the quality of vehicles and life of Nigerians.

    He disclosed that NATA had started to train its members in the repair and maintenance of auto-mechanic and electronic vehicles that would be plying the nation’s roads.

     

  • ‘Belief in yourself crucial to survival in business’

    ‘Belief in yourself crucial to survival in business’

    A young entrepreneur who entered the  cosmetics market with the will to succeed is reaping the fruits of his patience. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Rising to the top in business does not come easy. And for the Chief Executive Officer of ICN Industries, Ifeanyi Daniel, his story is a testimony on how to develop and nurture a business.

    A “can-do it attitude,” and taking advantage of opportunities    describe Ifeanyi’s road to entrepreneurship. He started his business  in 2002. Then, he tried his hands on anything that came his way.  Initially, he went into trading, and by 2011, the idea of going into production of small scale body cream emerged.

    First, he received training on how to do the business. At the end of which, he took off with N3,000.

    In the beginning, he partnered a manufacturer to help him produce his body cream until he was able to acquire facilities.

    Daniel is in a market that is changing daily. In it, there is a preponderance of start up entrepreneurs; what is more, new brands are getting coming in.

    He also faced the dilemma of producing skin care and acne treatment products or those that promise to reverse signs of aging. There are also products with a dermatologic origin in the market. Besides, the preference for imported cosmetics  remains a challenge for indigenous products.

    Notwithstanding these, Daniel is convinced of breaking into the market, believing it has a space for him.

    For now, his is a one-man show in which he is the only worker and  salesman.

    Daniel would introduce his products to prospective customers, try to convince them that his unpopular body cream is as good as the established brands.

    He is lucky. The results are gradually showing – his products are  gaining ground. Now, he hopes to be a major player.

    The secret of his market penetration, he explained, is right pricing and ability to supply customers with quality products at relatively lower prices.

    Also instrumental to this success is his ability to maintain steady and increasing contact with top buyers.

    Though he sees his product competing favourably with established brands in the nearest future, there are challenges that may hinder this dream.

    One of these is the difficulty in accessing finance – a reality that forced him to plough back most of the profits in the business. Also, is grappling with high energy costs.

    Beside these are regulatory issues. But, he has been able to take care of the one by the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control   (NAFDAC).

  • El Kanemi Chairman Premier league survival, our priority

    El Kanemi Chairman Premier league survival, our priority

    • Implores journalists against negative publicity on Maiduguri
    • Says situation not as worse as being reported

    El Kanemi Warriors’ Chairman, Zanna Malla has disclosed that they would target another three points against Enugu Rangers.

    Zanna in a brief chat with SportingLife noted that the point gained at Katsina Ala has given them additional motivation to come all out in search of the available points against the Flying Antelopes.

    The former player of the Maiduguri side said that all hands are on deck to ensure that they pick all the points necessary to stay in the elite division this season and then make a statement of intent in the league next season.

    “We have told the technical crew that the mandate is to try and stabilise in the premier league this season and then next year we shall be ready to take the league by the storm. It is our priority for now to remain in the elite division this season and we shall work towards that.”

    The El Kanemi GM however charged journalists to always to a cross check of their reports before going to the press.

    Zanna told SportingLife that what journalists write about happenings in Maiduguri are not a true reflection of what the situation in the city.

    The club chairman who confirmed that the club will play all its home matches in Maiduguri without any reported case of problem wondered why some people are bent on seeing to it that El Kanemi is banished away from the El Kanemi Stadium to alternative venue outside Maiduguri.

    “They (journalists) are writing too much negative reports of what is not the true reflection of what is happening in Maiduguri. Other sectors like education, commerce and the rest are working and so why is it that people want El Kanemi out of Maiduguri?” Zanna asked.

    El Kanemi are 16th on the league table with 22 points from 17 games while their foes, Rangers are 9th with 24 points from 15 games.

  • Their struggle for survival

    Their struggle for survival

    They are preparing for life after school so that they won’t have to search for non-existing jobs after graduation. They are combining their academic pursuit with low-income vocations to pay their bills. There are many of such students at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    To them, there is no compromise in the struggle for survival. On campus, they are merchants. Their colleagues and lecturers patronise them. In most cases, their products are cheap and they are appreciated for their expertise and quick delivery.

    Often times, their roommates and classmates help them to serve their customers. For the traders among them, they always pray for lecture-free periods to enable them trade. When they are not attending lectures, they are busy attending to their customers.

    For those engaged in craftwork, their weekends are busy. They go to the market to buy materials to carry out their job. Often times, these students face threats of ejection by the hall management because they use their hostels as business centres.

    Busayo Idowu is in her final year in the Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Education. She is gradually becoming popular on campus as a tailor. One of her customers told CAMPUSLIFE she “is blessed with a huge sense of fashion”.

    Though her shop is not on the campus, Busayo, the manager of Treasure House Couture, cuts and designs clothes in her average-sized room in Mayfair area of Ile-Ife, the university’s host community.

    Busayo said she learnt the trade while seeking admission into higher institution.

    “When I did not gain admission on time, I decided to learn tailoring. I didn’t want to just sit down at home doing nothing. I was trained not to depend on others for survival but to create wealth and put smiles on the faces of people,” she said.

    She added that since she started her business, she has relieved her parents of the burden of paying her school fees.

    On her tricks, Busayo said studying the environment, knowing what the people wanted was the zeal that made her business to grow.

    She said: “I have always loved dresses, and, as much as I could, I appreciate people who wear appropriate combination and have a good dress sense. I see the campus as a community, a market, a breeding ground and a starting point to showcase my expertise.

    “Making clothes for my colleagues, who are my customers, has its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes, some of them will praise me and even add extra on the charges. Others make insulting remarks because I simply know how to sew. I have taken every one of them as a customer because I don’t want to lose their patronage.”

    Despite his tight schedule as a paramedical student, Bosun Fadeyibi, a final year student of Medical Rehabilitation, is a barber. He started his business in 2009 when he was admitted into the school. Later, he ventured into laundry services to increase his customer base.

    Bosun said he learnt the trade from a secondary school mate and a retired soldier.

    At the time the businesses started taking more of his time, his younger brother, Tolulope, gained admission to study Demography and Social Statistics in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Tolulope joined his brother in managing the enterprise.

    He told CAMPUSLIFE: “I have been learning how to do business since my childhood days. My dad entrusted over 500 poultry birds in my care. He told me that there is dignity in labour, and this gives me the passion to continue to struggle to make a living through my handiwork.”

    Bosun, who runs his businesses from Fajuyi Hall, said none of his customers had made any derogatory remark about him, he stated.

    He said: “As people see my business as menial, it sustains me and I have achieved something tangible through it. I don’t feel embarrassed cutting hair and washing the clothes of my fellow students. I am always happy when I see my work on people.”

    Bosun admitted that combining business with academics had been an Herculean task, but he said it was a burden he must bear because he is looking beyond the campus.

    Mending shoes and bags for students sustains Ayodeji Obisesan. The 300-Level Economics Education student, who operates in Awolowo Hall, started his shoe-making business in his first year. He is patronised by students and members of the staff.

    Does he feel embarrassed when his colleagues call him a cobbler? Ayodeji answered: “How can I feel embarrassed when I need their ‘insults’ to grow my business? I am a business man who needs money. I don’t trouble my parents for stipends and school fees. I am making some money by sewing leather materials for students and staff. But this does not affect my studies.”

    Will he look for a white-collar job after graduation, Ayodeji said he was planning to grow his business and be self-reliant.

     

     

  • Affair survival: Tips for dating a married man by Kristen Houghton

    Affair survival: Tips for dating a married man by Kristen Houghton

    Perhaps the best advice you can give someone about having a relationship with a married man is telling her not to even start. However, that may not be practical for all women. As my friend Jenna* told me, “You can’t help who you fall in love with. The love of your life just might be a married man.”

    Being part of any couple can be challenging and unpredictable, as we all know. But when the man with whom you’re involved is part of another couple, someone else’s husband, then the challenge and unpredictability can make your life a messy, unhappy waiting game that you will rarely win.

    The woman who is in love with a married man lives a life that, for the most part, is shrouded in secrecy. Her close circle of friends might know about her affair, but she really cannot let anyone else, such as colleagues or her family, know. She is alone most of the time and spends it waiting: waiting for her married lover to call, to come meet her, to share some precious time together. She is not his wife, she is not mother to his children, she is not his parents’ daughter-in-law. Her chance for happiness hinges on a future that is highly uncertain, to say the least.

    Your own survival is crucial, and if you do happen to fall in love with a married man, there are several hard truths you need to know.

    1. The needs of the many (namely, his family) will always outweigh your needs.

    His family will always come first, and that includes his wife. Simply because he talks in a negative way about his marriage doesn’t mean that his obligations to his wife are any less important to him. Whether or not they have children is a moot point; he will always feel as if he has to be a husband to her and take care of the marriage, whether he truly loves her or not. Their life together includes friendships and a social network that is shared and comfortable for him. He won’t risk losing that.

    2. His life with you is secret and always will be.

    No matter how much you may want to walk in the sunshine with him and have him openly acknowledge his love for you, it won’t happen. While he is more than willing to be your lover and to bring you gifts, he is not about to have you meet his friends and risk having his family find out about you.

    3. No matter how nice a guy he is, you are a temporary diversion for him.

    This is not an easy statement to comprehend. It’s emotionally painful. Unfortunately it is true. The beginning of an affair is romantic and naughty at the same time. Planning to be together becomes a fascinating game and is thrilling to say the least. Stealing hours from work or home to have sex is exciting, and you may mistake his libido-driven passion for undying love. Don’t. The game soon becomes a chore for him, and romantic interludes are just one more thing he “has to do.”

    4. He will not leave his wife.

    Less than 5 percent of men leave their wives for the woman with whom they are having an affair. Whether it is because of all the legal and financial problems attached to divorce, religious beliefs or the fact that they have become comfortable with their marriage the way it is — or even because they still have a certain affection for their wives, men rarely end up with the other woman. Even Katharine Hepburn knew, and accepted, this fact during her long affair with Spencer Tracy. And don’t ever kid yourself on this important point: He is still having sex with his wife, no matter what you may want to believe.

    5. Legally, financially and emotionally, you have no claim.

    You may realize that you have no claim legally or financially, but you would think there’d be an emotional attachment or bond between you and your lover. In fact there usually isn’t after the affair is over. Here’s why. Even though he has a deep feeling of love for you, he is able to process it in an unemotional way. He’s not a bad guy, he may be a wonderfully kind person, but he is also a practical one. He knows that holding on to emotions that can only cause problems for his family is something he cannot and will not do. When it’s over, he will move on.

    To safeguard yourself from too much emotional pain, you need to understand that he can only be a small part of your life and will never be more than that no matter how many promises are made. You need to have a life that works and that is full enough to withstand the pain of the eventual breakup. He has one and you need one, too.

    A solid circle of friends and a social life separate from your hidden life with him is a necessity. Let your friends know that you still want to go out with them regularly. Don’t always be so ready to cancel plans you have made with others to accommodate him. Casual dating with male friends helps, too. It allows you to see yourself through the eyes of another man who finds you interesting and attractive. It is up to you where it might lead. It helps to remember that the man with whom you are intimately involved in “your other life” is not living as a monk with his wife.

    Being involved in an affair with someone else’s husband is an almost surefire trip from ecstatic highs at the beginning to a depressing abyss at the end. Understand the basics of exactly what you are getting into, and what your status is.

    You need to step back and identify the priorities — your priorities — in a relationship with a married man. Think with your head and not with your heart. Ensuring you have a life distinct from his that is your safe haven can make being the other woman, if not a secure, permanent position, at least one that is a bit more tolerable.

    Kristen Houghton is the author of the hilarious new book, No Woman Diets Alone – There’s Always a Man Behind Her Eating a Doughnut

     

  • Japan boosts child survival in Nigeria

    The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has received a grant of about N443 million for the prevention of infectious child diseases in Nigeria. Donated by the Government of Japan, the grant was meant to strengthen routine immunisation, including the cold chain system.

    Although Nigeria is making progress in reducing high child mortality rates, persisting challenges need to be addressed if Nigeria is to achieve the health-related MDGs. Childhood killer diseases are still rampant, though preventable. The level of child mortality can be reduced with simple interventions such as immunisation and other child survival interventions delivered in an integrated manner.

    This year’s contribution from the Government of Japan will be used to procure cold chain equipment such as solar refrigerators to fill existing gaps. This will boost routine immunisation efforts as well as the drive toward polio eradication, especially in the context of introduction of new vaccines.

    In addition, the grant will support the operational cost of strategies to reduce the number of un-immunised children. A strong routine immunisation system is a major foundation for polio eradication and must be on the agenda of all development partners.

    “Japan’s grant to Nigeria to combat infectious diseases in children has been a significant contribution to Nigeria’s efforts to reduce child mortality. This included the expansion of the cold chain system to the health facility level; malaria control programmes; as well as a final push to stop the transmission of the wild poliovirus in Nigeria.

    The support from Japan remains a most valuable contribution to our joint efforts to give every Nigerian child a fighting chance to survive,” said Mr. Jacques Boyer, Deputy Representative and Officer in Charge, UNICEF Nigeria.

    Since 2000, the Government of Japan has been a major donor in support of child survival interventions in general and infectious diseases prevention in children in Nigeria in particular, through the UNICEF/Federal Government of Nigeria Programme of Cooperation.

    “The people of Japan remain committed to the welfare of Nigerian children,” Mr Ryuichi Shoji Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Nigeria said.

    Continuing, he said: “Over 13 years, we have worked with Nigeria and supported the country’s efforts to achieve the MDGs. We will continue to take actions to help Nigeria consolidate and sustain gains made in child survival.”