Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has partnered Blackstone Group LP and Carlyle Group LP, the world’s two biggest private-equity firms, to invest in energy infrastructure in Nigeria and Africa. “They want to invest heavily,” Dangote said in an interview with Bloomberg news. “They couldn’t really find a local partner to work with and you are not going to move down here and sit here and make sure it is done, because you are doing business all over the world,” he said.
Updated 5 Years ago

College graduates today are the most tech-savvy generation to ever enter the workforce. While knowledge of the latest and greatest devices can be a tremendous asset to landing a job, it’s also proving to be a hindrance. Graduates today too often use technology as a replacement for essential communication skills that are still coveted by employers. The Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania conducts an annual survey to evaluate the status of professionalism in America. Most recent data from college and university career development offices noted a troubling trend. Respondents believe professionalism has decreased in the past five years. They attributed that drop to a loss of communication and interpersonal skills due to technology.
Updated 5 Years ago

Everyone invariably fails in life somewhere along the way. But very few events will cause as much emotional and financial pain as failing at startup or business. My most recent startup, Autotax.me, failed and I lost about $80,000. But I was able to use those losses to generate $11,619 in cash. Every entrepreneur needs to know that the time, money and heart put over the years always has tangible value -- whether successful or otherwise.
Updated 5 Years ago

With social media use by business ownerscontinuing to grow and the number of platforms exploding, entrepreneurs are asking themselves, How many social-media platforms should I use? All things being equal, more is better than less. The more times social-media content is seen or heard, the greater the odds of converting a person into a customer. According to a 2012 study conducted by Market Force, a business intelligence company, 78 percent of consumers are influenced by posts by vendors when it comes to a purchasing decision.
Updated 5 Years ago

Mary Ekah writes about a charity that is helping the less privileged and victims of Boko Haram insurgency to overcome their challenges Tochukwu Ikenna, a middle-aged man from Awka in Anambra State had left home some eight years ago to do business in one of the Northern states. He was full of joy for the business opportunity. In just two years he had established a flourishing auto spare parts company in the city centre. But last year, after eight years of his sojourn, he lost everything and had to return home.
Updated 5 Years ago

The nation’s economy was dealt a devastating blow yesterday when the aggrieved people of Biseni clan in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State shut down five oil wells in Idu Oil Field operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company. The wells were said to be producing over 15,000 barrels of oil per day. THISDAY gathered that the oil wells 3,6,8,11 and 12 were forcibly shut down by angry youths of the communities who were protesting against an alleged neglect by the oil company, a subsidiary of the Italian oil giant, ENI SPA.
Updated 5 Years ago

The Federal Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has confirmed that a nurse who was one of the caregivers that treated the Liberian diplomat, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, has died from the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Briefing reporters Wednesday in Abuja, the minister added that Nigeria has recorded seven confirmed cases of Ebola. With the nurse’s death, she is the first Nigerian to have died from the virus.
Updated 5 Years ago

Less than four days to the isolated governorship election in Osun State, the Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that Governor Babatunde Fashola and the other governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are facilitating the movement of people from various parts of Nigeria to the state to cast votes for Governor Rauf Aregbesola. The PDP specifically accused Fashola of supporting Aregbesola’s re-election bid with Lagos State resources.
Updated 5 Years ago

Tinubu, Oshiomhole, Oyinlola, others urge Osun electorate not to vote for prisoner as governor PDP mocks mega rally, says it’s a colossal failure DSS: We will not be involved in politicking Chuks Okocha and Adebiyi Adedapo and Yinka Kolawole The National Chairman of the All Progressives Party (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, yesterday in Osogbo Osun State, promised that the party will set up a parallel government if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempts to steal peoples’ mandate during the 2015 presidential election.
Updated 5 Years ago

The Nigerian equities market closed on a positive note yesterday after three days of losses. The market had witnessed a downward trend since last week as investors reacted negatively to half year results of some companies. However, the negative trend was reversed yesterday as the benchmark gauge of the market, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 1.18 per cent, the highest daily gain since May 2014, to close at 42,292.93.
Updated 5 Years ago