Ace industrialist, Dr. Micheal Odunayo Ajayi, has swelled the ranks of entrepreneurial monarchs in the country, particularly from Yoruba descent. Ajayi, the new Elerinmo of Erinmo-Ijesha, Osun state, is emulating the feat already achieved by successful entrepreneurs occupying traditional stools, like the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwaje; the Alake of Egba, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; the Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Obateru Akinruntan; and a few others.
Updated 6 Years ago

Funke Olaode writes on her recent experience in Lusaka, Zambia where the Graca Machel Trust hosted the first Women in Media Roundtable It is not often that African men accord women their right of place when it comes to intellectual fare. However, one of the African women who has been leading an enduring crusade to get African men to think differently is Mrs. Graca Machel, wife of former South African President, Dr. Nelson Mandela. She has developed a multi-pronged approach to this crusade. She is a founding member of the African Women’s Foresight, a platform for advocacy for African women and children. For Machel, empowerment for African women is not only a developmental issue, but an economic issue. Convinced that more can be done in this direction, she established Multiplying Faces Amplifying Voices which she said is committed to the empowerment of African women across sectors such as finance, agriculture, media and science.
Updated 6 Years ago

The National Chairman of United Progressives Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, at the weekend said the South-east leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “are not politically vibrant enough to win their constituencies in the 2015 general election.” Okorie expressed the view shortly after inaugurating the new Anambra State Executive Committee of the party at its state secretariat in Awka, saying the PDP leaders in the zone had failed. He said the UPP would field a candidate for the presidential election next year from the zone as a policy, adding that even if it did not control the national assembly, it was poised to win the presidency.
Updated 6 Years ago

The decision to go ahead with the merger is coming against the backdrop of the opposition by stakeholders in the industry. In May this year, government issued a notice that it would merge the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) to become the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA), so as to reduce the high cost of managing the agencies.
Updated 6 Years ago

Following the successful conduct of the Osun State election, a Pro-Jonathan campaign organisation, Goodluck Initiative for Transformation (GIFT 2015), has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for committing to his promise and resolve to deliver free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria. Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, after the election results were announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Coordinator of the organisation, Chinedu Okpalanma, said the preparation and conduct of the election, that saw the incumbent Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, re-elected, “clearly shows the sincerity and commitment of President Jonathan towards moving Nigeria forward through sincere transformation initiatives.”
Updated 6 Years ago

Nigeria and the United States have commenced plans to leverage on US President Barack Obama’s $14bn investment pledge in Africa, for an effective financing structure for infrastructure in Nigeria. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, and the US Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, agreed during a bilateral meeting at the just-concluded US-Africa Summit that increased investment in the area of infrastructure would further improve the Nigerian business environment, noting that Obama’s focus on power was particularly encouraging.
Updated 6 Years ago

Forte Oil PLC (formerly AP Plc) Friday in Lagos announced its audited results for the half-year ended June 20, 2014, showing sustained growth across its bottom-lines. Analysis of the results released by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed that its profit before income tax increased 152 per cent to N4.19 billion compared to N1.66 billion recorded in H1 2013.
Updated 6 Years ago

Diamond Bank Plc has advised operators of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) to list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and take advantage of the opportunities inherent in the capital market. The bank specifically stressed the need for the operators to grow their small scale businesses to a level where they can be listed on the stock exchange.
Updated 6 Years ago

What is it about the word sales that makes some of us so uncomfortable? As entrepreneurs, especially in startup mode, you’re going to need to get a handle on selling. The truth is you’re constantly selling yourself and your business, so it’s better to improve this skill and refine it then avoid it altogether. Aside from professional coaching or seminars, there are some simple steps you can take to improve your sales -- starting with a few good books on the subject.
Updated 6 Years ago

Raking in $102,824 on Indiegogo in a campaign that ended July 3, the start-up Ambronite, maker of a drinkable organic "supermeal," achieved a goal that most crowdfunders would envy: It exceeded its $50,000 target by more than 100 percent. "It was really exciting to see so many people around the world fund our product," said CEO Simo Suoheimo, one of five co-founders at the start-up, which has offices in San Francisco and in Helsinki, Finland, where the young entrepreneurs developed the natural food product in a business accelerator.
Updated 6 Years ago