The Federal Government of Nigeria's (FGN) domestic debt at the end of June this year now stands at N7.42 trillion or $46.1 billion, equivalent to 9.2 per cent of the rebased 2013 gross domestic products (GDP), the quarterly data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) has revealed. Analysis of the numbers shows an increase of N240 billion in the second quarter out of which new issuance of FGN bonds by the DMO accounting for N200 billion.
Updated 5 Years ago

Canada will donate a small quantity of an experimental Ebola vaccine developed in its government lab to the World Health Organization for use in Africa, the country's health minister said on Tuesday. The decision to donate the vaccine came after the WHO said on Tuesday that it was ethical to offer untested drugs to people infected by the virus.
Updated 5 Years ago

Can you take a vacation without a laptop or tablet? If you answered no to this question then you might be facing one or two of the following scenarios: You believe that your role is to make all the important decisions and solve the all significant problems. And you don’t have the right team in place to keep the business on course in your absence.
Updated 5 Years ago

While the debate rages on as to whether entrepreneurs are born or made, one thing can’t be disputed: polishing certain skills can help you be abetter entrepreneur. Whether you’re already great at the following skills or could use a few pointers, these are the areas you should focus on for success. 1. Communication. When you’re a solopreneur, you may think communication is less of an issue, since you don’t have staff to interact with. But you’ve still got to maintain clear lines of communication with your customers via email and phone, as well as ensure that the message you send through your website and social-media profiles is the one you want.
Updated 5 Years ago

Michael Lewis, a former business executive and financial blogger, does not sugar coat things when he says, “owners who cannot efficiently manage their cash flow are almost certain to fail.” Every day new entrants throw their hat into the ring of entrepreneurship. And every day several die off. Many of these entrepreneurs, after spending considerable time fine-tuning their business plan, find themselves scratching their head, wondering why their company, with its innovative product or service, suffered such a fate.
Updated 5 Years ago

Brigham Young said, "Silence may be golden, but can you think of a better way to entertain someone than to listen to him?" Sometimes at the bridge table, silence is golden. If your side is going to be outbid, you often do best to pass throughout, because every call gives information to the opposing declarer. But, of course, sometimes you will not know that you are going to be outbid. And aggressive competition might push your opponents into the wrong contract.
Updated 5 Years ago

Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), managers of the nation’s sovereign fund, told BusinessDay that it will release the fund for the construction of the second River Niger Bridge. This fund serves as part of NSIA equity stake in the construction of the bridge. “We are about to pay Julius Berger for the early works of the bridge,” Managing Director NSIA, Uche Orji told BusinessDay.
Updated 5 Years ago

Kenya Airways (KQ) is poised to expand its business portfolio to incorporate a telecom business as it prepares to launch its mobile phone service. This will boost connectivity for its passengers looking for affordable roaming service. “We are optimistic that our guest will soon start enjoying a service that will give them an affordable call rate in Kenya or roaming within the network,” Kenya Airways Boss, Titus Naikuni said.
Updated 5 Years ago

Kenyan commercial bank, Jamii Bora Bank is giving a Sh28 million ($318,000) loan to Shanzu Teachers Training College for the construction of new hostels, as the lender continues funding student housing facilities. Sam Kimani, MD of the bank, calls the funding a new area of interest for the bank. The new loan facility is the second of such the bank would give out since June, raising its total contribution to this niche to $11.7 million.
Updated 5 Years ago

Santam, South Africa’s biggest short-term insurer, posted a profit explosion in the six months to June this year, bolstered by the significant improvements in underwriting and investment results. Santam, which is majority-owned by Sanlam, South Africa’s second biggest life insurer, said headline earnings a share for the period under review were likely to be 115 percent to 125 percent higher than the previous comparable period.
Updated 5 Years ago