METRO EXPRESS: LAGOS –IBADAN RAILWAY PROJECT SET TO BEGIN

METRO EXPRESS: LAGOS –IBADAN RAILWAY PROJECT SET TO BEGIN

The Federal Government assured Nigerians that the contractor handling the construction of Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge double rail track would soon commence actions on the projects. Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar who disclosed in Abuja while inaugurating the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, said the government is equally working to ensure that the rehabilitation of the Railway line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri will be completed this year.

If the intervention funds for various capital projects in this government are judiciously used and accounted for, it will automatically lead to a chain reaction in the socio economic development of the Nigerian Economy. New Channels should be opened which will further promote trade and commerce in our country. A laudable project indeed.

Taiwo Ashaolu wrote in from Lagos , Nigeria. He is an Healthcare / Insurance Practitioner.

SPECIAL FEATURE : CORPORATE CULTURE ON THE LIPS OF CEO’S & ENTREPRENEURS AT THE LEAP AFRICA FORUM

SPECIAL FEATURE : CORPORATE CULTURE ON THE LIPS OF CEO’S & ENTREPRENEURS AT THE LEAP AFRICA FORUM

The eighth CEO’s forum organised by Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa engaged chief executive officers and entrepreneurs on the impact of corporate culture as a tool that supports organisation in achieving its long-term goals.

The CEO’s forum and book launch held in Lagos, had the theme: Make or Break Your Company’s Future: Corporate Culture. Stressing the significant influence of leadership on culture, the forum exposed entrepreneurs to the dynamics of leadership and how a company’s values are shaped by its founders or its management team.

The forum also availed top CEOs and entrepreneurs a platform to discuss corporate culture from different perspectives including strategy, human resource (HR) management, leadership and business growth.
Yemisi Ayeni, LEAP’s board chair, and managing director, Shell Nigeria Pension Fund, in her opening remark, said “the LEAP’s Business Leadership Programme has inspired, empowered and equipped about 4,500 entrepreneurs with the skills and tools for building sustainable businesses.” She saw the forum as a platform that would help influence the outlook of smaller businesses and assist in solving similar challenges faced by CEOs across sectors in Nigeria. This will help entrepreneurs and ceo’s alike to increase the operational performance , human capital capacity and the company’s value which are shaped by its founders or its management team.

In my submission the poor attitude of most companies towards its corporate culture in a bid to expand its scope and provide the necessary infrastructure for the smooth running of business, is the reason why companies are failing.

Taiwo Ashaolu wrote in from Lagos , Nigeria. He is an healthcare / insurance practitioner.

Sources : Business Day Online & Harvard Business Review

BUSINESS PERSONALITY OF THE DAY: CHIEF ERNEST SHONEKAN

BUSINESS PERSONALITY OF THE DAY: CHIEF ERNEST SHONEKAN

Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan (born 9 May 1936 in Lagos, south-west Nigeria) is a British-trained Nigerian lawyer, industrialist, politician and traditional chieftain. Prior to his political career, Shonekan was the Chief executive of United African Company of Nigeria PLC (UAC), a large Nigerian conglomerate. Shonekan was born and raised in Lagos, the former Nigerian capital (now Abuja). The son of an Abeokuta-born civil servant, he was one of six children born into the family. Shonekan was educated at C.M.S grammar school. He also attended and received a law degree from the University of London and was later called to the bar. He joined U.A.C in 1964, who would later send him to Harvard Business School. At U.A.C, he pursued a legal path; a few years after joining the company, he was promoted to the position of assistant legal adviser. He became a deputy adviser two years later, and soon joined the board.

In 1980, he was made chairman and Chief Executive of U.A.C. As head of U.A.C, he was the Chief Executive of the largest African-controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

He was appointed as interim president of Nigeria by General Ibrahim Babangida on 26 August 1993. Babangida resigned under pressure to cede control to a democratic government. Shonekan's transitional administration only lasted three months, as a palace coup led by General Sani Abacha forcefully dismantled the remaining democratic institutions and brought the government back under military control on 17 November 1993.

SIGNS THAT YOU ARE HIS BACK – UP LADY

SIGNS THAT YOU ARE HIS BACK – UP LADY
Ladies, at one point or another, we’ve all had that “back up guy” on deck in case we needed a quick date or some male company. You know the type: he’s more than a friend but nowhere near anyone we claim as our man. But have you ever wondered if you were someone else’s back up lady? In matters of the heart, lines can get blurred and many things can get lost in translation when you’re ignoring signs or being deceived, so here are some ways to tell if the guy you’re into is into you back, or if you’re simply his back up chick.

 

If he is not happy to introduce you in public: Some men will call you his “lady” in private, but never claim you in public. By this he never introduce you to friends or family, you both don’t need to have a social media presence in order to be official, but if he doesn’t want anyone to know you exist and says it’s because he’s “private” and doesn’t want anyone all up in his business, what he’s REALLY saying is “I want to keep my options open.” You’re not the one… just keep it moving cos you are in for the shock of your life.

When you notice this crack in your walls , determine to move ahead with life without including him in your future plans , bet you things will get better with time.

Professor Chinua Achebe Goes Home Today

Professor Chinua  Achebe Goes Home Today
Today, Nigeria’s legendary icon , Chinua Achebe  will be buried . All roads lead to Ogidi in Anambra State , Nigeria the home town of the late icon for the sage’s final burial.

People from all walks of life will be heading to Ogidi to mourn the one they loved so much, the former life president of Ogidi Town Union, Professor of Letters, Leader, Thinker, Humanist, Author of Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, The Trouble With Nigeria, There Was A Country, Man of The People, No Longer At Ease, etc. Ugonabo Chinua Achebe, the pride of Igboland, Nigeria and Africa died as an accomplished man, accomplished author, accomplished father, accomplished teacher and an accomplished family man.
Wishing him eternal rest in glory

BARACK OBAMA HONOURS THE LIVING LEGEND CAROLE KING

BARACK OBAMA HONOURS  THE LIVING LEGEND CAROLE KING
It was a day of reckoning for Carole King has she was recognized by the President of United States, Barack Obama for her contribution to Arts and Music .

                                                 Pix : Courtesy of Billboard.com
President Barack Obama, saluting Carole King's five decades as an award-winning singer-songwriter, said Wednesday that music often is a place where people seek comfort and inspiration during trying times.

Two days after much of Moore, Okla., was flattened by a powerful tornado that killed 24 people, Obama pledged anew that the nation will assist with the town's recovery and rebuilding for as long as it takes.

"Eventually, life will go on and new memories will be made. New laughter will come. New songs will be sung," he said during a tribute concert for King in the East Room of the White House.

"And that's often why we turn to music during trying times, for comfort and for inspiration, and sometimes just for a good diversion."

Calling her a "living legend," Obama presented King with this year's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, an award given by the Library of Congress. She is the first woman so honored and joins a list of recipients that includes Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon

BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE : IN SEARCH OF A NEW HELSMAN AT CBN?

IN SEARCH OF A NEW HELSMAN AT CBN? THE BATTLE IS ON
Array Of Likely Candidates

Going by the recent happenings in the financial sector , the CBN , the chief regulator of this sector is gradually gearing up for the winding up of the tenure of the sitting governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and the emergence of a new helmsman.
Definitely, there are financial and economic experts that meet these criteria, inside and outside the apex bank. Thus another issue that should be considered is whether the next governor should be an outsider or an insider.

Should the government decide to choose an outsider; there is an array of bank chief executives and top economist to choose from. These include, Mr, Bisi Onasanya, MD/CEO of First Bank, Mr. Segun Agbaje, MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank, Dr Alex Otti, MD/CEO of Diamond Bank Plc and Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhoude, MD/CEO of Acess Bank. Among them,  will be the  supposed anointed  and widely speculated would be appointed candidate which is the Access Bank CEO.

Should the government decide to choose an insider from the board of the apex bank; the likes of Mr. Tunde Lemo, former chief executive officer of Wema Bank, who was appointed in 2004 would come to mind. Another likely candidate is Dr (Mrs.) Sarah Alade, the second female deputy governor of the CBN. Time will tell as events continue to unfold on the likely candidate which will be appointed by the President.
Taiwo Ashaolu wrote in from Lagos, Nigeria . He is an healthcare/insurance practitioner

Troubled Times For Two Cabin Crew Members

Troubled Times For Two Cabin Crew Members.

Indeed these are not the best of times for Arik Air , as two of their cabin crew members are still in detention for offences relating to possession of substances suspected to be cocaine.
The arrest of the suspects who are cabin crew members, will make it the second time in 18 months that staff of the airline have been arrested in London for drugs-related offences.

The suspects, Temitayo Olubunmi Daramola and Delita Abibimgbi were arrested for being in possession of 6kg of cocaine and 60 packets of cigarettes respectively.

Very disturbing indeed

NIGERIA’S FINANCE MINISTER CHATS WITH CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR

Business Chat : NIGERIA’S FINANCE MINISTER CHATS WITH CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR

Its no longer news that Nigeria’s finance minister, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was invited for a business chat with one of the world’s famous female broadcasters , christiane amanpour , worthy of note are discussions bordering on the economic well being of the west African country. This is what she had to say. 
Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, is full of promise. But fulfilling that promise is often a struggle.

 

Plagued by corruption and mismanagement, the resource-rich country has a poverty rate of over 50%.
Maternal mortality is shockingly high and more than half of Nigerians don’t have access to electricity, according to the World Bank.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the country’s finance minister and the former World Bank official has been lauded as the reformer Nigeria needs.
But she too isn’t immune from Nigeria’s problems – her own mother was kidnapped for a terrifying five days before being released.
President Goodluck Jonathan promised to address corruption in the country. Nevertheless, a former governor – an ally of Jonathan – has been convicted of embezzling million in public funds and has since been pardoned.
“Nigeria does have a problem with corruption and so do many other countries,” Okonjo-Iweala told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview that aired Tuesday. “I don’t like the fact that when people mention the name Nigeria the next thing they mention is corruption.”

Source: Excerpts from CNN Mobile

JUST CANT LEAVE WITHOUT HIM

JUST  CANT LEAVE WITHOUT HIM : SHOULD YOU REMAIN FRIENDS WITH YOUR EX ?

The best part of being in a relationship for most people is the friendship you’ve built with your partner. While passion, chemistry and great sex make up a large part of attraction, friendship and mutual respect are what keeps a relationship growing and strong. But what happens when that relationship ends…for whatever reason? Can (or should) exes remain friends? Personally, I think exes can be great friends, but it may take some finesse…and time. After all, if you started off as friends, you should be able to maintain the friendship right? Sometimes the friendship was the best part of the relationship, and just because you don’t make it down the aisle doesn’t mean all is lost. After all, you’ve shared memories, made each other laugh, confided in each other and know each other’s deep dark secrets.

But some may say that this is exactly why you CANNOT be just friends. You’ve shared memories, made each other laugh, confided in each other and know each other’s deep dark secrets, so this is my question to your guys and ladies out there should a guy or a lady remain friends with their former boyfriend or girlfriend ?

Culled from madam noire.com

WILL IT BE MOURINHO'S DAY?

WILL IT BE MOURINHO'S DAY?

Whether this will be Mourinho's last big game in Real Madrid's bench or not, everyone should be focused on beating Atlético Madrid. That's what Sergio Ramos said in today's pre-match press conference. Mourinho decided not to speak to the press, but he'll probably speak about his future after this Copa del Rey Final.

With Varane's meniscus injury, the Portuguese coach will be forced to play with Pepe or Albiol alongside Sergio Ramos. Pepe's recent comments about Mourinho will probably keep him out of the lineup, so Real Madrid could form with Arbeloa, Albiol, Ramos and Coentrao in the defensive line up.  Sami Ikhedira and Xabi Alonso have been resting for this match in the last few weeks, but Luka Modri's recent performances could earn him a spot in the lineup as well. The Croatian player has made an impact as of late and could be an option for Mourinho to control the tempo of the game effectively. Khedira and Alonso are very valuable for him though, so it would be a surprise not to see these two players pairing up in the team's midfield.

Hoping today will be a good day for the madrid giant

Good luck Real Madrid

Special Feature : Demystifying Extreme Poverty In Nigeria

 

Demystifying Extreme Poverty In Nigeria

A survey has it that Nigerian youths constitute more than 50 percent of the nation’s population, and over 70 percent of this population are unemployed. Going by this survey, any scheme geared towards empowering the youths cannot be overemphasized since the active labour force in the country are the youths.

 

 

We have learned that output declines caused by economic crises are the biggest source of long-lasting welfare losses among developing countries. For this reason, the first best contribution that the government can make to reducing poverty is to help avoid crises.On average, it takes 6-12 years for countries to return to pre-crisis per capita GDP levels after an initial output drop.

In my submission the only panacea to peace and unity in the country is for leaders in the country to pursue programmes that would empower the youths and eradicate poverty.

Taiwo Ashaolu is an Healthcare / Insurance Practitioner From Lagos
Sources : Bretton Woods Journal , BusinessDay Online

Metro Express : Woman Sets Lover Ablaze

Woman Sets Lover Ablaze

A soldier attached to the Ndiolumbe, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State Forward Operation Base (FOB) of the 245 Battalion in Nigeria was at the weekend burnt to death by his girl friend. Trouble started when after a while, the soldier allegedly got his lover impregnated and instead of standing on his promise to marry her, he rejected the plan.

Signs That You Are In A One Sided Relationship

Signs That You Are In A One Sided Relationship

1.You're always the first to bring up an issue
If there’s a problem between the two of you, you’re clearly unhappy and bumping heads, you always have to be the one to bring it up. In other words, you’re the only one who cares enough about the relationship to want to resolve problems
2. He gets annoyed when you raise up an issue.
When he immediately rolls his eyes, or makes you feel that you're burdening him when you want to talk about an issue , in order words he is tired of you , which is sure sign that you're in a one sided relationship

Culled from madam noire.com

What If Alhaji Asari – Dokubo Is Arrested?

Going by the precarious situation the country has found itself, I think this is the time we all have to come together as a country and chart a common course for national growth and development for our dear country.
No tribe , No race , No single individual can hold the entire country to ransom, going by the antecedents of asari – dokubo , a man I really respect giving his past records of bravery and fight for resource control.

 Nigeria belongs to every one of us and as a result our common values , ideologies , national views and governance of our country must be respected and should be the responsibility of every legitimate Nigerian to ensure the peace and unity in diversity of our country.
I was reading the full text of the self acclaimed freedom fighter in one of the national dailies and I was confronted with a question , what if Alhaji Asari-Dokubo is arrested again?

A man cannot threaten the institution which made him , he cannot threaten the whole country at large , that he even made a statement that his kinsman , in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan , if not re-elected in the 2015 elections , the country will become ungovernable. This is unacceptable , this is tantamount to treason.

Social Media As An Instrument For Wealth Creation And Youth Empowerment

For people who do not know, there is a huge opportunity for you as a young person to promote your talents and be found online. This was the view of Mr Jim Ovia , founding chairman of Visafone Communication at the Youth ICT Empowerment Day organized by Zenith Bank as the banks corporate social responsibility towards the younger generation.

• An avenue to wealth: Social Media is also a platform to earn, when you add real value to your followers. Did you know some celebrities earn thousands of dollars to tweet for organizations? Gidi Traffic, the twitter handle that reports Lagos traffic, also earns a lot of money to promote companies on their twitter handle. Other success stories include Bella Naija and Linda Ikeji, both multi million naira websites.

Today, there are more opportunities for you to take advantage of and succeed in any field of your choice. All the tools you require, are truly just a click away.

Hoping more of our youths can begin to massively imbibe the positive values of the social media , so that our economy can produce another generation of self-made social media millionaires, see you soon for more updates

City Business : The New Dangote Refinery

Nigeria on the brink of collapse given the operational inefficiencies in the nations oil and gas industry. The persistent fuel crisis is a calamity waiting to consume the country , for how long will the state continue to import refined fuel given its status as the ninth largest producer of crude oil in the world. In my submission , the government of the day has continued to treat this sensitive issue with kid gloves which should be given a serious attention . The announcement by business mogul in the person of Alhaji Aliko Dangote to establish a new refinery has brought mixed reactions in the country, with some quarters thinking the industry will be monopolized to favor Alhaji Aliko Dangote , while some believe aggressive development will be achieved under his watch.  

 

This new refinery to be built by business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the 400,000-barrels-a day capacity refinery will come on stream in late 2016. Dangote, who disclosed this to Reuters said it was a matter of time, the infrastructure we now have would no longer be to able to receive the amount of fuel the country imports.
The refinery, when operational, will be a big relief in a country that is a major producer of crude oil, but still imports about 80 percent of its domestic fuel needs. It is also a relief in that when operational, Dangote would have succeeded in the petroleum downstream sector where many companies that had got licenses to establish refineries have failed years after.
Nigeria presently has four refineries with a combined capacity of about 450,000 barrels per day. Unfortunately, they are all operating at far below capacity, due to decades of mismanagement and corruption which successive governments have not been able to address. Rather, they have chosen the option of importation to augment local supplies, to the detriment of the country’s economy.
With fuel subsidy running into the trillion naira mark, importation of the commodity and subsequent subsidy payments on it have become an industry menace from which some people are feeding fat and are therefore unwilling to let go of the subsidy regime that has sustained them for decades.
In my submission , I think the entry of Alhaji Aliko Dangote into downstream sector of the oil and gas industry will bring good fortunes to the country and subsequently other new refineries will come on stream to increase the country’s refining capacity

5 Don’ts Women Make In Their Relationship

You know women are very much alike and similar in all respect, and tend to have certain justifications for their actions , in my submission , women should look beyond the now when in any relationship , which is why this is coming out to the woman.
Don’ts 1: Trying To Change Your Partner
This is a societal problem, even men themselves get married thinking they can change their partner, this is so wrong. Nowadays, we have wife beaters, at the slightest provocation will beat their wives every now and then, this is what the society as turned to. For the women, they just choose to ignore all the handwritings on the wall, because of love. But when the problem starts, love will not be enough to sustain the relationship or the marriage.
Women say to themselves "If they love me enough, they'll change to please me." So many believe that they can and will change their partner. It's only a matter of time. They say, "If he loves me enough, he'll change that small thing to please me." But to your partner, that "small thing" isn't so small. Even if they do try to change to please you, very often they become resentful. "You don't love me for myself, but for the person you want me to be," they say. And it's true. When you try to change them they feel you don't really love them. You just want to turn them into someone to fill your needs.

Don’ts 2: Feeling Like You're A Failure In Relationships

When some people see that things aren't working they become depressed. They start to feel as though they're not loveable, that destiny is against them or that they will always be a failure in love. The truth is that you're not a failure. You simple have not yet been taught important truths about relationships. Once you learn and practice new ideas and methods, you'll be able to handle your life in a way you may have never thought possible.

Don’ts 3: Believing You Have To Be "Good Enough" To Keep Their Love
Many feel they're not "good enough". They feel they have to turn into a man/ woman pleaser to keep their partner's love. Recently a woman came to me and said, "I finally found a wonderful man but I'm miserable in the relationship. Every day I worry that he'll find out who I really am and leave." This woman not only expected rejection, she actually did little things to bring it about. Soon she began to sabotage the relationship, finding fault with him at every turn. Although she didn't realize it, she did this to feel better about herself. The truth is we can never earn another person's love. The more we try the worse we feel. We must simply understand that who we truly are is entirely loveable. We must learn to make friends with ourselves. Woman love yourself

Finally a woman must know what it is they want, and to ask for it clearly (without producing guilt).

Apparels And Accessories For Men

I know you are probably sitted there wondering about Nigerian fashion and why we dress the way we do or perhaps you are married to a Nigerian man.

Nigerian men are generally stylish and arguably the most noted for high fashion appeal, the male apparels come in different types and shapes. A corporate man always likes to be dressed with a nicely cut suite with a matching tie and a pocket square . The colour preferences are very much put in consideration when dressing for an occasion or going out for a corporate engagement.

This is just the beginning , i will be right back

Should I Marry Her?

How do people end up in unhealthy relationships despite warning signs that their partner was bad news to begin with?
Answer: we’re blinded by love.

Often times the “feelings of love lead to a suppression of activity in the areas of the brain controlling critical thought. It seems that once we get close to a person, the brain decides the need to assess their character and personality is reduced.”
Not only does romantic love suppress our critical thinking, but feel-good chemicals and hormones like oxytocin and dopamine cloud our judgment even more. Love truly gives us a drug-like “high,” and it feels so good that we simply ignore the red flags waving right before us. If by chance you do take notice of a gal’s negative behavior or attitude, you’re likely to minimize it, writing it off as a cute quirk, or telling yourself, “Oh, it’s not that bad. Besides, maybe I can be the guy to help her improve.”

Don’t fool yourself. You can’t force your partner to change; the change has to come from within. Also, problems that you notice at the beginning of a relationship tend to amplify themselves as the relationship deepens.

Its important not to miss the obvious red flags while dating, she thinks she is doing you a favour , she thinks you owe her , only her family members are welcomed in your soon to be home , these are enough warning signals. Anyway a man has to be a man anyway , he should use his basic instincts in choosing wisely , and after this has been done , he has to build his home.

MSME Model For Job Creation

The contribution of the MSMEs to the economic growth of a nation is well recognised. In developed economies, they are used as an instrument for solving unemployment problems. Same is also thought of their contribution to employment generation in developing countries, including nurturing entrepreneurship.

Because MSMEs have a propensity to employ more labour-intensive production processes than large enterprises, they contribute significantly to the provision of productive employment opportunities, the generation of income and, eventually, the reduction of poverty.

According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), for developing countries, integration into the global economy through economic liberalisation and deregulation, is seen as the paramount way to triumph over poverty and inequality. Important to this process is the development of an animated private sector, in which SMEs can play a central role.

Statistics show that in industrialised countries, MSMEs are major contributors to private sector employment. Empirical studies also found out that SMEs contribute to over 55 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and over 65 percent of total employment in high income countries.

A recent data undertaken by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put micro, small and medium businesses across Nigeria in the region of 17.3 million with total employment in the sector put at about 32 million, contributing about 45 percent to the GDP.

“We have a market with 167 million people... if only half of the 17.3 million SMEs create a job each every year, that is about 8 million. If a quarter of them create a job each every year, that is about a 4 million jobs,’’ Olusegun Aganga, minister of industry, trade and investment, was quoted as saying in 2012, during the Lagos edition of Market Access Nigeria - an initiative by Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) and Etisalat Nigeria, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Investment and the SMEDAN.

The only hope for our youths is to get them gainfully employed , which will definitely stem the tide of insecurity and kidnapping in our nation . Through the MSMES , a new generation of leaders can be developed which also will impact on the GDP of our economy .

All Hail The Kings Of Spanish Football

Just when we all thought it was over for the two german teams in the semi final of ucl, we got the shocking of our lives. Real madrid one of the most formidable side in the spanish league , is now left to fight for the copa del rey cup against Athetico madrid , having already lost the ucl and league challenge respectively . In the mean time , we hope the spanish giant will live up to expectation and clinch the copa del rey cup , all hail the kings of spanish football.