BusinessDay Weekender 7th Edition

EDITION 7

|

12 SEPTEMBER 2020

CINEMAS REOPEN ACROSS NIGERIA

with the exception of Lagos and Cross River states

CULINARY DELIGHTS

ENERGY ROUNDUP

Tips on How to Get Started in Food Photography

Service-reflective tariffs mean for Nigeria’s electricity market

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Frank Aigbogun

Editorial

MANAGING DIRECTOR Ogho Okiti EDITOR BUSINESSDAY Patrick Atuanya EDITOR BUSINESSDAY SATURDAY Lehlé Balde EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha

Editor’s Note

By Lehlé Balde | SEPT 2020

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hope you are all doing well and staying as safe as you possibly can. Is it just me or do the days of the week just fly by? The word of the week for me is contentment, and that’s probably because my birthday is next week and I tend to get in a very reflective mood this time of the year. I believe that birthdays are personal new year’s and I can only be content at this particular time of year. Happy birthday to all the September born readers. Next week’s edition will showcase birthday celebratory ideas for the uncertain times we find ourselves in ☺

I am grateful for many things including you the readers, who turn the pages of the Weekender. We appreciate the support and feedback. Our aim is to be a pleasant informative Saturday read for Africa’s smartest dynamic young professionals.

This week was one of those weeks where the news cycle got the best of me, even as a media professional. As you know stories break by the hour and this week we had prepared to showcase the re-opening of the movie industry and on Thursday BusinessDay was informed that Lagos and Cross River state cinemas would still remain shut. We had to expand the story and also recommend some online content for our Lagos and Rivers State readers. The story was being updated live as the information came in, throughout the end of the work week just in time for the weekend. We hope if you go to the cinema this weekend, you enjoy it and more importantly stay safe. You can catch the weekly news round up on the next page.

This week I am delighted to introduce an exciting Nigerian history column which will tell the unknown stories of Nigeria’s fascinating rich history. This week we take you on a journey on the MV Aureol, known as the white swan of the Lagos sea. As always discover refreshing content including an interview with Odunayo Eweniyi the co-founder of PiggyVest. Ever wondered how to become a food photographer?

Well you can read all about how to get started inside. We also have tips on how to kickstart your savings by the end of the year. TigerFye Rose who writes our mompreneur column takes us behind the scenes of a production as working mother.

There’s been a bit of debate around the terminology ‘mom-preneur’ what are your thoughts? There also a piece of relationship financial planning, we celebrate International literacy day with online and offline places to get books for your child.

Have a restful weekend and Happy September. Thank you for reading.

With gratitude,

Lehlé Balde

Lehlé Balde is the Editor of Business Day Weekender email: lehle.balde@businesssday.ng | social: @lehlelalumiere

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STRATEGY, INNOVATION & PARTNERSHIPS Oghenevwoke Ighure MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso MANAGER, ADVERTS Ijeoma Ude COPY SALES MANAGER Florence Kadiri DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Linda Ochugbua HEAD OF DIGITAL SERVICES Onyinye Eze HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCES Adeola Obisesan Creative Lead Doyin Philip Design and Art Direction iSixty Contributors Anthony Nlebem Stephen Ikechukwu Onyekwelu Favour Olarewaju Mercy Ayodele Oluwamayomikun Deji Omotayo Mercy Ayodele Art X Lagos Titi Adewusi Ujunwa Ojemeni Anjola Anwosika Oge Funlola Modie Art X Lagos Oge Modie Fikayo Babatunde Adedoyin Jaiyesimi Imasuan Okungbowa TigerFyreRose Tamunotonye Ekine Jimmi Ise Chef Gregory Enquiries lehle.balde@businessday.ng Adverts Ijeoma Ude +2348033225506 http://www.businessday.ng/ The Brook, 6 Point Road, GRA, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria.

01-2799100 Legal Advisers The Law Union

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News Roundup

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By Favour Olarewaju

vorian Charlette N’Guessan, a 26-year-old Cote D’Ivorian tech entrepreneur sets record as the first woman to win Africa Prize for Royal Academy’s Engineering Innovation since 2014 inception.

N’Guessan’s team developed a software to detect the prevalent problem of identity fraud and cyber-crime in Ghana for which they were awarded £25,000. This customer identification problem has cost Ghanaian financial institutions about $400 million yearly.

the non-traditional flooding.

Specifically, 21 people’s lives were claimed in mud houses while 4 others drowned in the rivers, and still counting. Also, this sudden rain has destroyed no fewer than 51,000 houses.

The Governor added that the Federal Government’s ecological fund has helped to provide some sort of relief to the state.

British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Plc.

Nigerian Aisha Rasheem was the runner up for developing Farmz2U, a digital platform to enhance food nutrition and prevent food wastage among families and farmers, granting her £10,000 prize as runner up. Victor Boyle-Komolafe (developer of Garbage In Value Out -GIVO for digitizing recyclable materials) also made it to the top list.

Nigerian students, workers, Discos and civil groups protest against hike in electricity tariff and fuel prices in Oyo, Ondo, Ogun and Osun states. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D organised this protest as students gathered in hundreds at different states capital such as Ibadan of Oyo and Osogbo of Osun.

look like quarantine units.

Other shortlisted Africans include Jack Oyugi, Richard Arwa, Samuel Rigu, Tracy Kimathi from Kenya, Catherine Tasankha Chaima (Malawi), Adrian Padt (South Africa), Timothy Kayondo (Uganda), Bernice Dapaah, Isaac Sesi and Josephine Godwyll from Ghana.

Kazeem Israel, the students’ association spokesperson strongly believes that this increase in prices is against the people’s best interest. The Secretary and National Co-ordinator of the Yoruba militant organisation, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) see this price hike as suppressive and provoking to Nigerians.

These groups insist on Buhari’s resignation if deregulation of oil sector continues alongside non-reversal of electricity tariff and petrol price to N97.

Instant rain claims at least 25 lives in Jigawa. Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar announced on Tuesday September 8, 2020 that 25 or more people might have died due to

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Senegal’s success in tackling Covid-19 is not being trumpeted loud enough. The trending issue is that Covid-19 vaccine race has been slowe d down due to a p erson developing an unexplained illness. This occurred during vaccine trials of a

However, what is not being praised is that Senegal, a West African country has successfully tackled Covid by de veloping innovative low-cost ventilators, test results that come out within 24 hours and hotels that now

Despite its fragile health system, inadequate hospital beds, about seven doctors per 100,000 people, Senegal with 16 million people has surpassed the response of many developed economies through its quiet but swift, scientific and coordinated progress in overcoming the corona virus.

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Trudeau acknowledges that this new initiative is a national effort to address racism. The Minister states that the Covid-19 pandemic has made more evident “inequalities that disproportionately hurt Black Canadians” and “underscored the need to restart our economy in a way that allows all Canadians an equal chance to succeed.

Finally! Nigerian Cinemas Reopen on September 11, except Lagos and Port Harcourt. As we all know, the coronavirus pandemic led to a 6-month lockdown beginning in March and recent gradual easing of lockdown measures. Couple d with so cial distancing, Covid-19 caused lots of boredom and restrictions in outing events to eateries, clubs, parks and cinemas as these fun places were considered danger zones due to the spread of the virus.

Given that tertiary institutions are set to reopen, it appears that the film industry is ready to get back in the game as evidenced in the announcement by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria that Nigerian cinemas will reopen on September 11, 2020.

So, there is lot of excitement in the air as family, friends and lovers alike look forward to some glamour and spending quality time together outside of the home. Sadly, the highly populated states of Lagos and Port Harcourt are left out, possibly to prevent any rapid escalation of the virus.

Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau Announces $221 million aid program for Black Entrepreneurs.

She has joined forces with Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of the Vice President of Nigeria to train women and youths in de coration, emb ellishment and tailoring in Minna. Raise foundation skill acquisition centre has also been established with 1,735 youths and women trained in variety of skills.

She has hosted many Vesico Vaginal Fistula camps where 326 patients have had free treatment and return to normalcy in society. Also, over 16,212 people across Niger state have been treated of various ailments for free during her outreaches with other more complicated health issues referred to her foundation who paid their bills.

As a consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with masters’ in public health, an advocate for reproductive health rights of women and a member of several medical associations such as Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), S o c i e t y o f G y n a e c o l o g i st s a n d Obstetricians of Nigeria (SOGON) among others, she is doing quite well in impacting the lives of Nigerian women.

Nigerians are relentlessly fighting against the Death sentence of Musician Yahaya Aminu-Sharif.

Recall that after being accused of blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed, the Sharia court in Kano state sentenced the musician to death.

Many Nigerians have petitioned in one way or the other to ensure the overturn of the death sentence for Yahaya. Even the Nigerian Bar Association has offered to defend the singer and a twoman-fact-finding committee sent to visit him. Also, leaders of the music and entertainment industry sent a letter to Abdullahi Ganduje (OFR), the executive governor of Kano state, protesting against the singers’ death.

Legit reports that the US government faulted the death sentence as well.

The First Lady of Niger State collaborates with Amina Abubakar Bello to empower women and solve major health concerns.

Amina Abubakar Bello is the founder of RAiSE foundation, an NGO who actively supports women with diverse reproductive issues such as obstetric fistula, cervical and breast cancer.

Nigerian primary and secondary schools to commence either shift or day interval academic system because schools lack required infrastructure.

Academic school programme is slated to begin on September 21, 2020.

H o w e v e r, r e p o r t s g a t h e r e d b y BusinessDay shows that many schools lack essential classroom and communication amenities to accommodate the large number of 600-140 students per class. Regardless, schools without large number of students would not need to choose between the options of shift or day intervals

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Energy Roundup

By Ujunwa Ojemeni

Social versus commercial good: what service-reflective tariffs mean for Nigeria’s electricity market Ujunnwa Ojemeni and Ikechukwu Onyekwelu SEPT 2020

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leven days ago, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission approved that electricity distribution companies begin the process of negotiating with customers for service reflective electricity tariffs.

This means customers in Nigeria will begin to pay for electricity based on how long they receive power daily. To this effect, customers have been divided into five (A – E) bands so that payments can reflect the quality of services offered, based on a minimum average hours of supply and other metrics.

Customers that receive an average of less than 12-hours of supply per day over one month are not subject to the tariff reviews until January 2021. The lifeline tariff of N4 /kWh shall be maintained for customers consuming less than 50kWHrs of energy per month as a safeguard for the less privileged members of society.

The reviewed service reflective electricity tariffs have now been adjusted for key macroeconomic parameters such as the inflation rates in Nigeria and the United States of America, and the Naira to United States Dollar exchange rate.

This is the first time in Nigeria that electricity distribution companies (Discos) will have to charge for electricity supplied according to the quality of service delivered. A practice that has been in place in a country such as Peru, a South American country, which started power sector reforms at the same time as Nigeria in the late 1990s.

In Nigeria, the concept that electricity should be cheap because it is a ‘social good’ has kept the sector inefficient and the government has continued to subsidise electric power consumption.

The electricity market subsidy goes entirely to two tariff classes, the R1 class which is paying and continues to pay N4 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This is N50 below the average

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range of N53 – N55 per kWh to deliver electricity. Nobody is complaining because the Discos have systematically moved many of these consumers to R2, which pays more.

The second bit of the subsidy and the overwhelming bulk goes to the R2 class. This is the class where everybody from the president to the middle-class population living in the urban areas belongs. The average tariff is between N25 – N26 per kWh. The remaining N27 – N28 is paid by the Federal Government.

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Other features of the new tari order include the fact that the ‘premium’ segment of the population is expected to bear most of the tari increase. While it is assumed that a servicebased tari system provides more equity and drives improvement in service for all citizens, this shift raises concerns that electricity supply will only improve for ‘premium customers.’ One uncertain aspect is that the compensation mechanisms to reimburse customers where the Discos do not meet the set targets for that band of customers based on reviews expected to be conducted every 60 days remains unclear. It is not clear if such customers will be moved to a lower tari class based on the previous 2 months of non-reective service.

We know that a tari increase is no magic wand for the sector, but it is a signiďŹ cant step for the commercial viability of the sector. Other important steps such as a holistic integrated planning approach to ensure alignment between electricity demand, supply and the development of required electricity assets. Time will tell whether the objective of this service reective tari will be met.

Despite the subsidies, which presents electricity as a social good, providers consider electricity as a market commodity just like any other product or service where (in general) the higher the amount you pay, the higher the likelihood that you will receive better quality of that product or service. This is why the recent increase in electricity taris has been welcomed as a milestone, although, this is ďŹ ve years late in coming. The new service reective taris took eect on September 1, 2020, according to James Momoh, chairman & CEO of NERC. The new taris are as much as N60 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) compared to around an average of N30 kWh. NERC has explained that customers expressed willingness to pay costreective tari if they received acceptable quality of service.

Service quality regulation has been an integral part of the electricity market in countries such as Peru. In Peru, for instance, service quality regulations are outlined in the Law of Electric Concessions and the Service Quality Regulation.

Compensations due to electric power interruptions are deďŹ ned in the Electric Concession Act (Decree-Law No. 25844) and its Regulations (Supreme Decree No. 009-93EM) and the Technical Regulation for the Quality of Electric Services (NTCSE, after its name in Spanish) (Supreme Decree No. 020-97-EM) and amendments, from which some general extracts read as follows.

Article 86 of the Electric Concession Act provides that “if the power supply suers total or partial interruption for more than four consecutive hours the concessionaire will compensate the users for the cost of the power and the energy not supplied, following the conditions established by the law, except in the cases of which they were due to a cause attributable to the aected user.â€?

The NTCSE speciďŹ es that the suppliers must compensate their customers for power supply whose quality of service has not met the tolerance levels established according to their voltage.

One of the beneďŹ ts of the service reective taris implementation is that it will reduce the unsustainable electricity subsidy in Nigeria. The Discos are now expected to increase remittances to the Central Bank and other players across the value chain. This should ideally improve the liquidity within the sector and boost investors’ conďŹ dence.

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Customers have expressed concern about whether they will be placed in the correct band based on their current supply.

NERC mentioned during their stakeholder webinar on 11th September that customers would be able to check the speciďŹ ed band for their location from Monday 14th September when this is published on the NERC website and escalate to the regulator if they have been assigned to the wrong band. It is also expected that customers will be moved to the relevant band based on the actual supply they receive for the preceding 60-day period following review.

NERC also mentioned that an IT application (App) will be launched soon to help monitor service delivery. It remains uncertain how eectively these will be enforced.

Ujunwa Ojemeni is an energy expert, a development finance executive and gender inclusion advocate in the energy sector with an aim to help Africa achieve SDG 7 by 2030. At the Office of the Honourable Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources Lagos State, she drives policies, investments opportunities and implementation strategies to deliver reliable energy to the citizens of the State. She is also an Advisor with the Private Finance Advisory Network (PFAN) and has coordinated several gas and power development opportunities as well as energy funds worth over $400 Million. She was selected as one of 60 young African Clean Energy Leaders by Enel Foundation, and a finalist at the IFC Sustainability Exchange Contest in 2019. Ujunwa is the founder of African Women in Energy Development Initiative (AWEDI Network).

She has spoken on several regional and international platforms and her articles have been published both locally and internationally by Forbes, Devex and Business Day.Â

Stephen Ikechukwu Onyekwelu is the energy reporter at BusinessDay Media (Nigeria) Limited. He finds good stories and transforms them into great ones. He is a data-driven and an insightful journalist who is passionate about growing teams and dreams. His joy is in telling impactful stories that give citizens a voice; highlight business, finance and economy trends; and interrogate governance structures both in businesses and economies.When he is not sniffing out great stories to be told, he is out with family and friends on the beaches of Lagos, Nigeria đ&#x;‡łđ&#x;‡Ź playing monopoly, or having a great time with his wife. He also review great philosophical classics and simply imagine the best possible world. I enjoy sipping good wine too: red or white.

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Adaptation over death: The future of the social scene …

Oluwamayomikun Deji-Omotayo SEPT 2020

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ith the number of confirmed coronavirus cases over the 55,000 mark and over 1,000 deaths but Nigeria has entered the next phase of relaxation of the lockdown measures. Domestic and international flights have recommenced, workplaces have resumed, places of worship have been re-opened, social centres are up and running, restaurants are now open for dine-in service, some students are back in school for exams and the curfew has been extended to 12am to last till 4 am.

The great outdoors is open. Is it safe to say it’s time to socialise?

Nigeria is currently in the 6 month of the lockdown of her major cities since the lockdown took effect since March 30th at 11 pm. The first relaxation of the complete lockdown commenced on the 4th of May with certain precautionary guidelines stated, including wearing of facemasks. There was no denying the economic impact of the lockdown and its implications for the populace, which strengthened the argument for partial ease, however, the medical sector termed this a premature action. It appears that the economic, social, and psychological tolls of prolonged isolation have remained pivotal in these decisions to reopen the economy.

Efforts to test and approve a COVID-19 vaccine for worldwide distribution still extend into 2021. There is no 2020 coronavirus expiration date in sight. At this point, considerations about the future of the social scene have worked their way into the conversation.

People are going out and interacting. Especially in highly populated metropolitan cities like some of the major states in Nigeria, Lagos and Abuja; which remain the epicentres for the spread of the virus, ensuring that people are conducting themselves in a socially responsible manner under COVID-19 conditions are vital. It is quite literally, a matter of life or death.

There are many concerns about if the country is prepared for re-opening the social scene on this scale, especially with the seeming nonchalance of a lot of people in the country towards safety measures. Public spaces and worship centres are making efforts to conform the safety guidelines for operation stipulated by the authorities, with “no mask, no entry” policies, handwashing units, temperature checks, capacity controls, etc.

However, it is important to note that ensuring safety in social centres: restaurants, events, sport centres, etc., is a more complex terrain to navigate. Social distancing in these spaces cannot be overemphasized.

When asked about her social experience so far, Morenike, a resident in Lagos said “I think people just tend to get carried away, especially when they see their friends. They just do away with the rules.” She also narrated her shopping experience in a major market in Lagos, stating that “people are acting like the virus is gone”, she mentioned that some shoppers were cautious and wore face masks, however, there were “no face masks in sight” with the sellers.

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Governments around the world recognize that stricter lockdown measures and limiting social interactions outside own homes are more effective in curbing the spread of the virus but they also recognize that there are limits to which people can comfortably bear the wide-ranging impact of such isolation and restrictions.

Studies are emerging with results that call for a potential social network restructuring to improve how people can socialize rather than efforts to reduce how much they socialize.

Belgium, Scotland, New Zealand and a few other countries are exploring the option of “social bubbles” which allows interaction with up to 10 people per bubble provided that only those same 10 people interact with each other.

In expanding the bubble up to its maximum capacity, it is imperative to ensure the exclusivity of the bubble remains uncompromised. It could be applied on a geographical base for ease. It makes for an easier system to track and contain the spread of the virus. However, the success of this idea is heavily dependent on trust amongst members of the bubble that the exclusivity and guidelines are adhered to and no one breaks the rules, thereby putting the health and safety of themselves and others at risk.

Although the idea of social bubbles is in the works, the risks of further spread of the virus are quite high and in countries with limited testing capacity and inadequate health facilities, which are challenges Nigeria faces, a second wave of the virus must be avoided at all costs.

The need for social distancing is not going away anytime soon.

For the entertainment industry in Nigeria, there has been no definite chatter about the resumption of in-person concerts; arenas and cinemas will be forced to adapt to the “new normal”. Taking a cue from the UK’s first socially distanced concert in Newcastle in August, separate viewing platforms for groups of five were set-up, allowing the arena to accommodate up to 2,500 fans at the show. This is possibly the future of live music shows with a safe, practical and comfortable provision for attendees.

Drive-in cinemas are making a comeback; offering viewers a film screening without having to leave the comfort of their own vehicles; completely eradicating the need for excessive contact with others.

The social scene is fast evolving and one thing that is certain is that this is the time for businesses to adapt or be left behind. Innovation and dynamism are such invaluable tools at this time. There has to be a blend between safety, practicality and enjoyment.

Always remember, safety first.

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Tips to kickstart your savings before the year ends Mercy Ayodele SEPT 2020

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here is something worse than being unemployed and broke, it is being employed and broke. Mostly, this is due to a poor saving culture especially among young people. A 2017 GoBankingRates survey found that a growing percentage of millennials (people aged 27-37) have absolutely nothing saved. Tony, a Nigerian millennial was utterly disappointed as he gave his bank statement for August a cursory gaze. Tony could not remember buying anything extravagant recently but somehow, he does not seem to know where the money was going. Tony had made a commitment in January 2020 to save a minimum of N1 million, but except something miraculous happens, there is no way he will meet this commitment, he thought to himself. Tony was smart enough to set a goal at the begin of the year but he did not have a saving plan. Truly, Tony had not been a bad spender, he even conquered the pressure to buy the latest PES 2020, a football simulation video game that most of his friends got this year but he was a poor planner. The coronavirus worsened by other economic uncertainties have pushed prices up, so Tony has had to pay almost twice for some of the things he bought at a lesser price last year.

Saving is a necessary financial habit. The only problem is the discipline required to actually save. Many people need help to find the balance between necessary expenditure and putting away money for the rainy day Most people used to believe they need to make more money to be able to save more but this is not necessarily so, it is more about discipline. A savings account has its role to play in your finances and you’ll be doing yourself a great disservice if you spend all of your money without making any savings. A savings account can help me you meet short term financial needs. Savings however requires a lot of commitment and self-control. This is something very difficult especially in the face of the insatiable needs of humans. There will always be a new I-phone, cloth, shoes and so on. As difficult as it is coupled with the uncertainties in the economy, it is still very possible to save.

If you are like Tony, here are things you can do to enable you to save more.

Set SMART goals The first thing you need to do is to set a SMART goal.

SMART is a specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time framed. A goal like “I want to buy a land” is too vague. A better goal sounds like, “I want to save N500,000 to buy a plot of land by December”. It is very unlikely you achieve a goal by saying “I want to spend less on mobile data weekly”.

A SMART goal will be, “I want to cut my spending on mobile data weekly by N2,000. It is important to also set a goal that is attainable. Take a look at your budget to know what you can realistically save on a regular basis.

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Record your expenses It is important to keep track of your money habits by taking inventory of all of your expenses. This requires huge discipline as every expense needs to be captured. This will help you keep track of impulse spending or other unnecessary expenses and spend only on necessities.

Use saving apps There are several saving apps in Nigeria that can help you save more. This apps are useful because most of them remind you of your saving commitments by debiting your account according to your pre-set option.

Piggybank This is probably the most popular saving apps in Nigeria at the moment. It is designed to help you avoid spending temptations and ensure that you save without excuses as it faithfully debits your account to the tune of whatever amount you have chosen to set aside periodically. To save better you can use the save lock option, this enables you to lock part or all of your money for a selected period of time.

The longer your money stays in the save lock, the higher interest you get. Piggybank is also famous for imposing penalties for savers who withdraw money before the set day.

Kolopay This is modelled after the traditional “Kolo”. It helps you save towards specific goals. You can download the app and select one of two savings options; ‘easysave’ or ‘autosave’. It is best to pick the autosave option, if you struggle to be consistent.

Cowrywise CowryWise is another app to save money in Nigeria. It was launched in 2017 and it operates by sending you prompts or directly debiting your account according to your pre-set saving option. It offers three savings options; periodic, fixed, and one-time savings with favourable interest rates at no cost. It also offers amazing interest rates on the funds you lock in. Their unique recipe has amassed over 100,000 users in a few short years, 70% of whom are still active with Cowrywise two years later.

Sparkle Sparkle is a lifestyle and financial ecosystem that helps you fulfil your potential – mobile, simple, personalised. Sparkle gives you a breakdown of how you spend your money and where you spent them. A fun and creative way of saving for different goals at the same time. Sparkle has inventory management, invoicing and tax calculation and remittance for your business. There is also a friendly chatbot as your personal financial advisor and lifestyle concierge.

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Culinary Delights

Tips on How to Get Started in Food Photography Anjola Awosika SEPT 2020

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ack in 2016, I had a food blog where I documented all my dining experiences in Lagos. It was so much fun because I got on the PR list for some of my favorite restaurants and that meant I received free food occasionally.

I used a smart phone to take food photos and uploaded them to my blog. My friends would commend me on how “mad” my photos were looking but I knew it was nothing compare to what I saw on Pinterest. Google would always recommend more eye-catching images to my feed so one day I clicked on them and saw more mouthwatering images.

I became curious and thirsty for answers when a voice from within made me research food photography. I discovered a whole industry online and that is how I started my journey.

2. You don’t need an expensive gear to start

In this writeup, I give 6 most important tips on how to get started in food photography.

For beginners, embrace natural light. One of the best lighting techniques in food photography is side light. Basic definition of side light is when your light source is coming from the side and bouncing on your subject to highlight its elements.

For example, a window or door that has a great amount of light can be your light source. Place your subject beside your light source and watch it make your food photo eyecatching.

1. Know Food I am sure you’re wondering why. As cliché as this might seem, it is one of the most important drivers in food photography. Understanding the cooking method of a dish, color, texture including shapes and size would help you approach photographing them better. There are different types of themes and moods that work for different dishes.

For example, some Nigerian soups are very dark in color. It is essential to note that dark and moody theme would not work for this category of Nigerian soups. It is best to approach it from a bright and airy perspective so as to accentuate the elements in the dish.

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This was the most important advice I ever received from my guardian in food photography. Starting with your smart phone or an entry level digital camera will give you room for an extensive growth in food photography. I started shooting food with my smart phone and by the time I gradually upgraded from an entry level camera to a full frame digital camera, I was super confident to approach food photography from a professional point of view. I knew what angles I needed my camera to be at and many other information.

3. Lighting

4. Know your angles Mathematics was a huge bomber for me in high school but I cherished the knowledge I acquired from shapes, sizes and angles. Angles will help you see food from a different perspective. Straight on, 45 degree and overhead/flat lays are the three most important angles to help you tell your food story. Make sure you try them out today.

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4. You need beautiful props and background to tell your food story When you dish food onto a beautiful looking plate, it pops. When you place the dish on a background, it tells a better story. Start with neutral colored props and backdrops, they always work. Don’t focus too much on acquiring vintage props because if you don’t know how to use them, you can’t tell an exciting story.

5. Practice Consistently There’s so much power in consistent practice because you discover new things on the go and you reapply it to your food photography. It will make you a genius.

Apply these six things today and watch yourself become a better food photographer. If you need more clarification, you can reach out to me via Instagram @pastryboystudios.

Hi! I am Anjola Awosika and I love food. My love for food birth the idea to photograph it. I am self-taught, a graduate of YouTube. I started shooting food professionally in 2018. Since then, I have shot hundreds of dishes. Currently, I work as the official photographer for Livvy’s Twist Cake Company. Also, I have worked with notable chefs in Nigeria like Chef Fregz including SMEs in the food industry. Storytelling and creative innovation are my forte. I am passionate about the food industry in Africa and I want to be among the game changers. I live in Lagos, Nigeria.

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Interview

The Co-Founder Of PiggyVest, Odunayo Eweniyi Speaks On Scaling Through the Odds of Being An Entrepreneur Lehlé Balde SEPT 2020

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dunayo Eweniyi is the co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of Piggyvest - a fin-tech platform that helps in saving. She is a first-class graduate of Computer Engineering from Covenant University with five years of experience in Business Analysis and Operations. She is the cofounder of one of Africa's largest job sites; pushcv.com’ with a large database of prescreened candidates.

In an interview by Lehlé Balde on Scaling through the Crisis - A Youtube series that features inspiring entrepreneurs as they meet the challenge head-on. High-impact entrepreneurs are now innovating their businesses in real-time, leading with exceptional courage and contributing to the national crisis response in meaningful ways. You can watch the episode here: https://bit.ly/ 35mSKrj Excerpts from the Interview Tell us about PiggyVest.

PiggyVest is an automated service and micro-investment platform set to help young Nigerians put aside a given amount of money daily, weekly, or monthly towards a target with lesser barriers and having a competitive interest. We are into savings, micro-investment, and dollar opportunities. However, we are looking forward to creating another financial uplift plans.

How did you start PiggyVest?

Piggy Vest started with an interesting story that went viral on twitter. It was on the 31st of December 2015, when a certain lady tweeted that she had saved the sum of #365,000 at the end of that year by saving #1000 daily. Those singular actions made people think of their New Year's resolutions and all. Anyways, the response of people and that particular act gave my co-founder Joshua the idea of having digital sustainable savings. He sent the tweet to our group chat and it became an acceptable idea. We launched piggy as an experimental work in January which fully went through April 2016.

Could you share with us the success story of Piggyvest?

Yes. The good thing about our success story is that we have a site that showcases the testimonials of PiggyVest users on piggyvest.com/stories, that saved up for masters, some for chemotherapy, rents, etc. We have the story of Yewande that saved 1million naira in 2016 to get a car at a period we thought we needed to give the Piggyvest a break. That success stories led to others because now piggy vest is four years and counting and we have taught and are still teaching people the aspect of financial freedom, how they can relate with money and responsibilities. Through the savings, we’ve had testimonies of 1.2million users that saved up.

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What is your take on the Financial Inclusion world bank goal for 80% inclusion by the year 2020?

Well, what I am about to say is totally my opinion, as much as I believe so much in the digital help for the financial exclusion, we also have to consider their needs in order to avoid the scenario of carving out needs to solution created.

What I mean is that solutions are to be created because of the needs of the people. I would advise we redefine our approach to financial exclusion and consider the needs and reasons for the financially excluded.

As the COO of Piggy Vest, how have you coped with the pandemic both from a personal and professional perspective?

Professionally speaking, we know how COVID-19 made everyone work remotely giving no chance to the norm.

However, working remotely isn't as new for Piggy Vest business as our job is a technological base platform. We carry out most of our activities online. As a leader, I have come to understand that leadership is a learning curve and certain situations can influence your style or approach in business.

We call to check up on one another, give out care boxes once in a month, try paying up salaries early to enable stock, etc.

leads to the second point of surviving. You must be willing to question your entrepreneurial decisions. Would your company survive the decisions you are making today? Build your company on survival and transparency.

How have you survived as a female entrepreneur in technology?

I must say it has not been easy. However, we have experienced a rapid change in this time more than ever, as more women are doing amazing work in different fields.

Surviving may not be easy, especially when women have to fight to gain respect in their field in certain areas. The room to make mistakes isn't given to you. The little mistakes the male folks make could be overlooked but not with the females.

For the users, we try to look into the availability of money once demanded. We know very well how tight the country is due to the pandemic which in a way could discourage savings, but so far, people are still saving, which is amazing. That pure act shows trust in the system and it would only be wise to make liquidity available to give out the money when needed.

In summary, we do what we do to secure the mental health of both the users and those of the employees.

What advice would you give to leaders in your shoes trying to survive through this pandemic?

Transparency and Survival mechanism. Be open enough to seek help from those ahead of you, where and when necessary, and be strong enough to survive tough times. Here is what I and my co-founders decided we would use in scaling through the pandemic. Transparency to the workers. This is to make your employees know the state of things in the company and the level of the company. Make them the first to know the things that concern them and the company which

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“In summary, we do what we do to secure the mental health of both the users and those of the employees.”

More women, however, are encouraged to go into their field, but with a tough skin. Nevertheless, I appreciate my cofounders for believing in both the male and female expertise and giving the ground on a 50-50 gender base level.

Do you have any advice for young women who want to go into the tech industry?

“Aim very high, work very hard, and care deeply.” Those were the words my dad told me often as a young girl who was sometimes afraid. Those words encompass everything and aside from them, I would add that you intentionally focus on your dreams because it is very easy to get distracted. You need to be self-aware and have an understanding of your why – Why are you doing what you are doing? Now, I don't think you have one 'why' as I see it as an ongoing discovery process.

The endpoint to why you do what you are doing doesn't change, but the reasons you are doing what you do now should be known. Now, my aim is to help and give solutions. I was tired of looking for a job in 2016 when piggy vest came in; I went into it and gave it my best, while I have continued to do the things that would help the company grow because the main point is to help. That's why I go into other things apart from piggy vest because the major aim is to help. You learn on the field. Experience is a great teacher. Funnily enough, I once doubted that theory, but now I see it is a teacher.

How did you position piggy vest to receive external financing?

The accelerator program by village committal, January 2017, taught us how to position ourselves to secure funds. Now we bootstrap Piggyvest for 18 months and I can tell you that getting funds is a bit difficult. Fundraising requires storytelling and the ability to elicit the emotions of people. There are keynotes for you to pay attention to – Target audience: who are you telling the story? What is your unique selling point?

What is your attraction? Seeking solutions from start-up businesses can help boost your business and may even help you generate funds.

How can people interested in Piggy Vest save on your platform?

You could just visit the platform at piggyvest.com and sign up choosing from the varieties of plans that we have. You can also visit the FAQ session of the platform where we have detailed answers to different wallets. If you encounter any difficulties, just reach out to us on IG and twitter at piggybank.ng and we would be delighted to put you through.

How did you develop the ethics and skills for your operations in business?

I must say my mum played a huge role in this. She is very business savvy and I guess her influence has helped me in no small ways. With the right instructions and questions, my parents have helped shape how I attend to diverse situations in life, business inclusive.

At what point did you realize that piggy vest was successful?

(Smiles) I think we are yet to get there but we are grateful for where we are. We have 1 million users for now and there are about 200 million people or more to reach. So, there is still more ground to cover.

How do you react to competition, especially with the very big competitors?

We just do what we need to do. We care less about the competition and more about our users and meeting their needs.

What is your greatest challenge in the world of fintech?

Hmm, Trust!

How have you developed trust with your customers?

Trust is fragile. So, it is necessary for us to cultivate a transparent relationship with our users, such that every naira is accounted for. We are clear about who we are investing with and do not take a risk with our user funds to maintain their trust in Fintech and Piggy vest. We also assure them that whatever problem they have, Piggy Vest can help them solve it.

Any last words...?

The biggest quality of humanity is resilience.

Transcribed by Pennminds

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Inspire Oge Funlola Modie SEPT 2020

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e all want to be inspired, simply because it motivates us to be more and do more. We all like an inspirational story, one that makes us believe in good and hope for the best. As much as we want to be inspired let us also aspire to become a source of inspiration to others, this is because in the process of inspiring others, you also get inspired. It is in teaching others that you learn, and in strengthening others that you become strengthened.

The word INSPIRE as defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary means “to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it”. To get the best out of your team, friends, families, colleagues and out of life, you must INSPIRE. To inspire, build on the following qualities: Integrity Nurturing attitude Show and be an example Possibilities mind-set Intelligence Respect Excellence Integrity: Integrity; “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles” as described by dictionary.com is also seen as doing the right thing when nobody is looking. A person of integrity is an honest individual, with unquestionable character, they are the go-to person for reliable assessments of matters and/or an objective view in a decision-making process. Integrity is borne from a foundation of strong moral values and principles. Integrity is an action; your words and actions are aligned to strong morals and principles, you are believable. Today inspire by being a person of integrity.

Nurturing: Inspire by being nurturing. Nurturing simply means “the act of encouraging, nourishing and caring for someone or something”. Nurture people; talents, strengths, weaknesses and their individualities so they grow into mature stable people of value to society. It’s often said women are natural nurturers; however, everyone has the innate ability to nurture, as long as the primary desire is to create better individuals. The most important qualities in nurturing is patience and understanding.

Pay keen attention to people and their growth patterns, everyone has a different pace for learning; there is a time to be gentle and a time to push harder. Nurturing encourages people to be their very best.

Show and be an example: Be what you say you are! If you say you are truthful and honest, then you must exhibit such character. You can’t inspire by saying “do what I say, not what I do”. To inspire, you must be a leader of self foremost before leading others! Being an example always inspires others to better behavior and accountability.

Possibilities mindset: Having a possibility mindset means having a can-do attitude, very infectious when positively pushed in the team environment or beyond. In a world full of critics and pessimists, having a possibility mindset can become draining as you battle the tide of doubt, however, one must stay focused and keep striving to achieve, this always inspires others. Remember, “Nothing is impossible.

The word itself says I’m possible! – (Audrey Hepburn) Intelligence: To inspire is to be intelligent. Two ways to inspire; Knowledge (improving your IQ): Expand your knowledge base. Improve on your knowledge of global and national matters. I use the PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors) framework in learning about global and national matters.

Improve your knowledge of music, art and culture too.

Pe o p l e m a n a g e m e n t ( E m o t i o n a l I n t e l l i g e n c e ) : Emotional intelligence is critical in inspiring others. You must be self-aware and people aware. Encouraging others and speaking positive words tend to work better on building morale.

Respect: Respect is very vital in inspiring people. Showing respect to everyone no matter their standing in society is an act that inspires people. This builds trust across divides and establishes love. No matter where society or an income bracket places a person, show and be respectful.

Excellence: - To inspire, you must show excellence in all you do; your words, your actions etc. Excellence is Possessing outstanding quality or superior merit. To inspire others, you must show that you are passionate about making things work, about making things excellent, and about putting your best foot forward.

Start to inspire by building on these qualities I have shared.

As you inspire others, you will get inspired too. Remember the saying, “He who sharpens others will also be sharpened.”

Best of luck!

Oge is a published author, writer and speaker. She is the Editor and writer of GetFearlessly AunthenticTM Newsletter, a personal leadership newsletter that chronicles her life as a professional. She is involved in causes for women, young people and the vulnerable. She loves to read comics, watch comedy flicks, listen to music and play golf. Shares her love threefold- Love for God, Love for People, Love for Country. ogemodie.com

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MV Aureol: The White Swan Of The Lagos Sea Imasuan Okungbowa SEPT 2020

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he MV Aureol was a unique and remarkable vessel in the maritime history of Nigeria. My interest in her was sparked by a story I was told by my friend's father, about how as an adventurous teenager, he stowed away in her hold with dreams of making a new life for himself in Britain. Fortunately for us, he was discovered at the port of Takoradi; and like the other pieces of cargo, was discharged for onward transportation to his initial exit port.

The Aureol nicknamed the “White Swan” was the largest member of the Elder Dempster Lines West Africa Services fleet. Named after a mountain in Sierra Leone, she made the fortnightly passage from the port of Apapa to Britain, calling at Takoradi, Freetown, Las Palmas and Liverpool (later Southampton). In March 1949, Elder Dempster Lines placed an order with Steven and Sons Ltd to construct what would be their third and final passenger vessel (the other two being Apapa and Accra). She departed Liverpool on her maiden voyage on the third of November, 1951 under the command of Captain J.J. Smith with a full complement of passengers and a crew of 145. The crew was a mix of African and British seamen, with Africans generally below deck, whilst the roles ranging from the catering staff and above were the preserve of British and Irish nationals.

The passengers were segregated, not by the incidence of race, but by status and expedience. The first class cabins were dominated by expatriates and well to do Africans.

Cabin class tended to be the preserve of missionaries and Nigerian traders taking advantage of the generous baggage allowances afforded them and deck passengers who were picked up along the West African coast between Freetown and Lagos, were accommodated in the steerage area.

By the mid 1960s the profitability of the West Africa passenger service was greatly impacted by the growth of the aviation industry and rising maintenance costs; forcing Elder Dempster Lines to re-strategize. In 1968 the Aureol was converted to a single class liner and was marketed as a cruise ship offering a 30 day voyage to West Africa. Said voyage included a stay of 7 days at the Continental Hotel at Accra and 5 days at the Ikoyi Hotel at Lagos. Unfortunately, West Africa had lost its appeal as a holiday destination amongst pleasure seekers. On 16th of March 1972 the Aureol made the final West African passenger voyage sailing out of Liverpool, as a sign of the times she was replaced by an express cargo service.

Following this voyage she began operating out of Southampton and was sadly laid up on the 21st of October 1974; following the completion of over 200 voyages to the West African coast; bringing an end to a passenger service that began in the 1860s.

I am pleased to say that the good lady still had some life in her. She was sold to the Greek oil tycoon Mr. John Lastis, sailed using her own engines to the port of Piraeus in Greece for a full refit and renamed `Mariana VI`. Following her refit, she sailed to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, whilst at Jeddah, she played host to many special guests including former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and a great number of diplomats drawn to her new luxurious cabins.

In 1979 she was once more was overhauled and refitted, only this time to serve as an office at Rabigh for nine years.

Following her stint at Rabigh, she sailed once more; powered by her original engines to Piraeus where she was sadly laid up until the year 2001 when she was sold to ship breakers to be scrapped.

On her final voyage, the now old lady would not be denied her final hurrah. In March of 2001, her engines were warmed, her anchor heaved up and not to be undone, she was underway; via the Suez Canal to India. Powered by the very engine that propelled her on her maiden voyage to Apapa.

She was broken up, sold as scrap and the curtain was drawn on the life of the MV Aureol; the largest and last passenger vessel in her fleet. The final liner to sail to West Africa from the port of Liverpool and the White Swan of the Lagos Sea. She remains a footnote in our history.

MV Aureol 1951 - 2001

Imasuan is lawyer, writer a member of the Nigerian history group.

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Mompreneur JUST DO IT! TigerFIreRose SEPT 2020

Just do it

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ne thing I have always taken for granted is my strength and ability to execute. I just always assumed that everybody operated at that same level of when the planning is done, action time! It just seems like the natural order of things. It took a couple of conversations with my friends to realize not everyone has execution power. Planning is great but the actual bringing to life of those plans is what makes the dream a reality. I can plan to be the biggest movie producer the world has ever known but if I do not actually act on it, I am a giant in my brain alone, not even my family will feel the impact of my dreams if I do not do it.

When you have a dream, you never have the full scope of it at once. It is during the execution process that you are opened up to various shapes and forms your dream holds.

Planning helps to give a path and structure to your dream but if the plans remain plans... That is all the dream stays - A plan. Execution gives your plans room to breathe and grow.

It is when you execute that you realize the parts of your plan that do not work for your dream and the parts that need to be built upon.

Dreams are wonderful. Dreams are amazing. Dreams fire up the passion and the drive but taking action and doing it is what fuels the dream and gives it room to grow bigger and larger in scope and vision. For example, if your dream is to own an apple, and you just keep planning and dreaming towards it without actually doing anything about it, your dream would just remain owning an apple till forever because it has not been done. But imagine you go out there and get the cost of an apple across different markets, research and get the kind of apple best suited to you then, eventually get an apple at a great discount and probably with a lot of sleepless nights. When you get the apple and maybe eat it or juice it or whatever it is you wanted it for, that is when you realize that.... Wait, I could actually just own an apple orchard... There are seeds here in this apple of mine. I could plant them and use the seeds from the fruits I get to plant more and supply the type of apples I dream about. Same dream, bigger scope.

I know a lot of times execution gets tied by Capital. I am entrepreneur, I understand this but I also realized that when I need a new dress or want to eat a a fancy restaurant, I somehow get the capital for that so why not channel that energy into raising capital for my dreams? Since the day I started channeling that energy towards my dreams, I have been able to grow my vision to a point that even scares me but it makes sense because now I am constantly doing. Am I a Giant of industry yet? NO... But am I getting closer?

Everyday! And not just on my vision board, I can see the results because I am DOING. I am not distracted by the farce of attaining perfection before I move. I am of the belief that you do it as excellently as you can with the resources you have and allow for growth along the way. I have been able to produce and direct based on this and my writing always hits the mark because the vision is clearer before me because I am DOING it.

I am doing it afraid, I am doing it with a baby on my arm, I am just doing it. I am not giving myself any room to make excuses. I just finished production on a web series I wrote, produced and directed and It was not easy but I did it. Half the time, my baby was either strapped to my back, my leg or any part of my body should could latch on to but I did not allow myself to use that as an excuse to drop my pace. I adjusted to that situation and continued doing. The production would not halt because I had no one to babysit and my child will not stop demanding my love and attention because I am building my dream. The 2 realities needed me legitimately and it was left to me to blend them without anyone getting less of me.

My takeaway from all of this is simple... JUST DO IT! Do it afraid, do it broke, just make sure you after you dream it, you plan it and then you do it!

TigerFireRose is the Chief Executive Officer of TigerFireRose Media. She has cut her teeth in the Visual Content Production industry, having spent time learning and running projects for various production houses commissioned by Africa Magic. Her versatility and creativity has taken her swiftly across the media space, rising in ranks and positions in a short amount of time from Content writer, to Associate Producer, to Production Manager and eventually Executive Producing her own content. She is a born leader who inspires her team to be all they can be, no holds barred!

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VISION 2020:

The year of Albums Tamunotonye Ekine and Jimmi Ise SEPT 2020

2020. What a year.

This year came with a lot of happenings. From the COVID-19 outbreak that altered normalcy as we know it and claimed a lot of lives, to African Americans fighting for their civil rights. 2020 has been a constant struggle in many areas and for many people, surviving it is a feat worthy to be celebrated.

For music, Nigerian music in especial, 2020 has earmarked the emergence of exciting new artists with musicians such as Chike, The Cavemen, and The Ignis Brothers releasing debut albums. For other established artists, 2020 was expected to cement the global appeal Afrobeats has accrued over the years with a special focus on penetrating the American music market and in turn the world at large.

In August 2020, with cases of COVID-19 reclining; restaurants, country borders, beaches and cinemas opening back and the submission date for eligibility at the 2020 Grammys approaching its deadline, Nigerian artists flooded the markets with albums. Artists such as Burna Boy, Fireboy DML, Tiwa Savage, Patoranking, Adekunle Gold and DJ Cuppy all released studio albums within the thirty days. An unusual event in a Nigerian market that is characteristically known for singles and at best EP’s. Tonye believes these artists are putting out albums not because of the Grammys but because of the grander picture, breaking into the international market “A lot of Nigerian artists are not trying to chase Grammys, they would want that but I think what they are trying to do is get more international viability because albums have always been standard. It is what shows your strength as an artist” Tonye Ekine Another conversation that needs to be had is the reception of albums in Nigeria. Burna Boy and Fireboy DML have both released two studio albums within twelve months with Davido expected to follow suit with his third studio album, A Better Time, scheduled for release sometime in November.

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Both Burna Boy and Fireboy DML released albums that embodied a particular, the former preaching the gospel of embracing your black origins while the latter proclaiming himself a god of music and exploring different sounds than he was previously known for. Do Nigerians appreciate themed albums? Do they appreciate the cohesive seamlessness albums are expected to have? The transitions?

The one good thing artists releasing albums within the same timespan have presented us is the ability to gauge the impact and weight of these artists. As at the time of writing, seven tracks of Burna Boy’s Diddy-produced Twice As Tall occupies seven out of the top ten spots on top 100 songs in the country curated by Nigeria’s most reliable data-backed metric, Apple Music. Over the past twelve months, Burna Boy has ascended into Afrobeats royalty complemented by a Grammy nod, his ceaseless international press runs, and his latest effort, Twice As Tall which many believe should earn him another Grammy nomination. Regardless of the strength of these artists and the reception of the music, the famed December rush is soon yet upon us again. Tonye says this might be another factor that influenced the need to drop albums “I think everyone has their individual intentions for releasing albums, not just the Grammys but the main thing is the international credibility. In Nigeria, December is a hotspot. Everybody is trying to get songs out so their songs are still in the minds of people, and believe me, there would be a lot of thanksgiving, party-throwing at the end of this year” - Tonye Ekine Given the recent wave of albums and with more Nigerian artists signing international record deals, should we expect more albums from our artists? Do Nigerians appreciate the albums as much as they appreciate singles especially at a time wherein there is new music every other week? What really is the shelf life of these albums?

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Cover Story

Cinemas have re-opened across Nigeria, except in Lagos and Cross River State Oluwafadekemi Areo and Lehlé Balde SEPT 2020

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ne of the industries that gravely suffered during the COVID-19 lockdown was the entertainment industry. The lively hoods/revenues of those in was the entertainment industry were put on hold as the world tried to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. Cinemas, clubs, restaurants and live shows were put on hold until further notice. Cinemas were shut down for 6 months, and on August 11th as Nigeria announced the reopening of restaurants, cinema goers wondered how long will the government keep cinemas closed? This is a question that has been on the minds of many, including actors, cinema houses and movie-loving Nigerians.

Going to cinema and film houses is one of ways Nigerians love to relax and have fun, but this option was taken away in March when a total lockdown of the economy was imposed and cinemas had to be shutdown to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

As refreshing as it is to hear that cinemas re-opened on the 11th of September 2020, Lagosians and Rivers state’ residents were, however, not as excited as the cinemas in those states will remain closed till further notice. This was disclosed by the Chairman of Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), Mr. Patrick Lee, who further expressed high optimism around how soon an agreement will be reached.

In an interview with Business Day Media, Co-CEO, JORG Technologies Ltd/ Nairabox, Tokunbo Adetona mentioned that “cinema-goers in other states have been welcomed back since Friday 11th as government validated safety protocols have been implemented and online ticketing through Nairabox had commenced”.

No specific reason has been given by the Lagos state government since they took to their Twitter handle to say that the restrictions on the opening of bars, restaurants, lounges and cinemas despite the relaxation of the curfew by the presidential task force. This is coming less than a month after the trending hashtag #saveourcinemas, which saw many Nigerian celebrities take to their social media accounts to appeal to the Federal government of Nigeria to re-open cinemas. Popular actress Omotola Jalade Ekehinde on the 17th of August 2020 took to her Instagram page to appeal to the government to reopen cinemas. Her Instagram post read “I believe cinemas are easier to monitor and regulate. If indoor places are open, why not the cinemas?

Temp checks, masks, distancing e.t.c. We need to work together to ensure safer ways to the Arts going. Many livelihoods depend on it”.

Ama, a 25 year old young lady who loves to go to the cinema, every Friday night with her fiancé has said “not being able to go to the movies in the last six months has turned my fiancé and me to Ludo lovers, as this game has stolen our Friday cinema ritual”.

Some other film lovers when asked how the cinema closure experience has been pointed that NETFLIX became the new normal for them and by the end of April; the majority said that they had literally seen all the movies showing on the platform.

In Adetona’s opinion, “Lagos State has excelled in its efforts towards curbing the spread of the pandemic in the state but honestly, I believe at this point the benefits of opening now outweigh the challenges considering all the safety measures have already been put in place”.

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“The safety measures implemented by cinemas varies but we see most operating at only 50 percent capacity, maintaining social distancing for queues and seating, more online ticketing to encourage contactless payment, use of face masks and gloves by staff, sanitization of the screens and a redefined concession stand”, Adetona mentioned.

Nigeria’s film industry is the second largest in the world with respect to the number of films released annually and this sector contributes about 2-3 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), from its annual revenue of over N200 billion. BusinessDay can therefore say that for the 6 months cinemas were closed, a minimum of N102 billion has been lost as far as revenue is concerned. The film industry is also a large employer of labour and has been estimated by the World Bank to provide as much as one million jobs to Nigerians.

In the face of the lockdown, it, therefore, means that many had been made jobless since the job opportunities provided in this industry was halted.

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The shutdown of cinemas has also negatively affected the intense multi-million dollar investments made in cinemas in the form of MX4D, IMAX & 4DX theatre halls, as investors have pulled out while the others are pushing to get their money back.

Nairabox like many other movie ticket seller was deeply affected by the closure of cinemas in Nigeria.

In the words of Adetona, “the closure of cinemas was a bummer for us at Naira Box. Food delivery became our saving grace during the lockdown as online food delivery became a lot more in demand by restaurant owners and customers alike. Luckily we were able to pivot to that quite fast, redirecting our resources towards Nairabox food”.

We can only hope that all cinemas in Nigeria are open when deemed fit, as over sixty countries around the world with more severe statistics on COVID-19 have re-opened their cinemas.

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4 Movies you should watch on Netflix this weekend

By Linda Ochugbua

Love, guaranteed

Black Rose

Work it Blood and Water

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I’m ready to pitch myself for opportunities; how do I start?

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi SEPT 2020

I

n my last BD Weekender article, I shared the backstory of the first time my work was published on a media platform. It was the result of a persistent push from my colleague, but over the years, I have been able to successfully pitch myself and my executive clients to be featured on several media platforms and for speaking engagement opportunities.

One of the top questions I received from last week’s article is “How do I start?” This simple guide will help you to pitch yourself for any opportunity, even if you have never done it before. Are you ready?

Do your research. The last thing you want to do is to send a generic pitch to 10 media platforms, hoping one of them will say yes. That approach is not the best, especially if you want to be strategic about building your personal brand. You need to do your research to find out the media platforms that are available and the ones that align with your values. This research phase will allow you to streamline the ones that you need to reach out to.

1. Prioritize value above popularity. I know it’s great for your article to be featured on Forbes Africa but I’d encourage you not to despise smaller platforms. When you are building your digital footprint, it’s better to have a strong body of work and links. You will get this by having your content featured on several platforms. That way, when you pitch to the very popular ones and they check you out online, your body of work will speak for you.

When I started out, I wrote consistently for Y! Africa, Connect Nigeria, BR Magazine, amongst others and this helped me to secure bigger features.

2. Prepare your pitch. From your research, you’d be able to have more information about the platform you want to pitch to. Understand their vision, the kind of content they feature, editorial guidelines and their target audience. In your pitch, you should also highlight your passion and expertise and demonstrate that you are an avid follower or reader of that media platform.

3. Send your pitch. This is usually daunting part. What if they say no? My question back to you is, what if they say yes? When I research a media platform, I like to check their website for information about being a Contributor.

For some, you will see a section where you can put your details or an email where you can send your articles to.

For others, you would need to do a pitch directly to the Editor. In this case, try to personalize your email. Instead of Dear Editor or Dear BD Weekender Team, try to use the Editor’s name. If you cannot find the Editor’s name for whatever reason, then use Dear Editor. On my website (adedoyinjaiyesimi.com), you can download a sample email pitch template. Remember that your pitch must be centered around the value that will be added to the platform. It’s really about them and their target audience and not you. Let also add that social media is also great to find opportunities to send out your pitch. Follow the right people and please follow the platforms where you’d like to be featured, including the people that work there.

4. Stay positive. The period between when you send off your pitch and when you get a response (if you do get one) can be frustrating, especially if this is your first time.

Do not overthink this part. It is important to have a positive attitude. If you don’t hear anything after one week, you may want to send a follow up email but I don’t advise sending more than one follow up email. If they never respond don’t take it personal or let that dampen your spirit. There are many platforms that never responded to me and that’s fine. Continue to send out pitches strategically and be confident that you will get a yes.

5. Don’t neglect your digital footprint. In a workshop I had recently, I shared with the participants an email pitch I had sent to a magazine in 2015. In that pitch, I included links to posts on my blog that were relevant to that platform. As you work towards getting your content featured on other platforms, I encourage you to start with yours. Use LinkedIn to share native articles. Start a blog or even a Medium page where you share articles consistently. All of these do count when you send out pitches to media platforms.

6. My final tip is this – believe in your genius. I cannot begin to tell you how things shifted for me when I became more confident in my ability as a communications professional. I do hope you will use the tips in this article to send out your first pitch. Sooner rather than later, I hope!

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi is the Chief Communications Consultant at The Comms Avenue, a capacity building and knowledge exchange platform for leading and innovative communications professionals across the world. She has vast experience consulting for international organizations and top corporate executives and specializes in providing strategic communications consulting for development, philanthropic and corporate organizations. Adedoyin has successfully executed projects for the W Community, Women in Business, Management and Public Service (WIMBIZ), Leading Ladies Africa, Heritage Bank, African Philanthropy Forum amongst others.

She has been profiled on She Leads Africa, Leadership Newspaper and Lionesses of Africa. She was also featured as one of The Spark’s Visionary Women in 2019.

Instagram - @adedoyinjaiyesimi | Email – adedoyin@thecommsavenue.com

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Would you make a financial plan… in a relationship/ marriage?

Toyosi Lawal SEPT 2020

I recently took a poll in my Instagram Stories asking if people ‘would make a plan in their relationship/ marriage’. I was surprised at the level of interaction I received on a topic that is perceived by most people as stuffy. Looking at the demography of the responses that I got, it ranged from single, coupled, newly married. In the poll, I shared a snapshot of my personal financial plan. I freely shared my template with friends as they requested for it, but knew I was on to something as the requests for my financial planning template grew.

And so, a question that I have been pondering is ‘How can people have financial planning conversations in relationships/ marriage without….the stuffiness that comes with these types of topics?’

As a preface, when making a financial plan as a couple, it is less about how wealthy each partner is, or they are together…

But more so…

About the lifestyle vision for the Unit/ Partnership/ Family… and whether or not you and your partner are aligned in expectations and habits.

Most people subconsciously have a lifestyle threshold that they are comfortable with, but most do not have a deliberate conversation about this with their significant others when in a meaningful relationship, so that they don’t come off as materialistic. Also, what’s even more critical, is subconsciously having a lifestyle threshold and getting frustrated when expectations are not met by yourself or your partner. And yes, you should be included in the plan to meet your personal expectations as well.

When you feel comfortable having this conversation with your partner, I would suggest a warm, free, and cosy setting to lighten the mood over an already hard to discuss conversation. To begin, you would each need to focus less on the numbers/ budgeting side of things and more on the softer side of things. I’d compare it to setting the vision and mission statements for an organisation before coming up with a 3-year budget with numbers. Some great questions to ask before building the plan include:

What kind of lifestyle do we desire and am I aligned with my partner’s lifestyle choices?

I’ve heard of stories where a newly married wife was genuinely surprised by her husband’s indifference to aspiring for a better standard of living like a choice of the children’s education or where to live. Having these conversations early, in the categories that you care about most, could help you determine if you can build the kind of life you desire in the long term with your partner. The categories should range from basic needs (food, housing, transport, education) to other types of needs (vacations, Asset Purchases etc.).

Am I willing and able to jointly contribute to our agreed lifestyle?

Once you have agreed on the kind of life you would like to live with your partner, it is important to have honest conversations about how you will both achieve your lifestyle goals. This part of the conversation has to be as clear as asking your partner how they would like you to contribute to your jointly defined lifestyle needs, financially and nonfinancially. Would each partner be required to contribute to a joint account for instance and in what proportion? For a lot of young couples, they can eliminate the frustrations they get from unmet expectations, by knowing exactly what they need to do, to support the vision for the unit.

How flexible will I be in an unforeseen circumstance (illness, job loss, decreased earnings, etc.)?

At this point of the conversation, I hope both parties have agreed on the last two points. If they have, then having an approach to this topic is equally as critical. Would they both feel more comfortable having an insurance policy in place or will they say to each other ‘I’ll fill in, in an unforeseen circumstance’.

Financial planning in relationships when done considerably and right can be magic. Looking forward to bringing you more content that can help people take the pressure off their relationships in this aspect.

Toyosi is a Strategy & Corporate Development Professional with over 8 years of experience in the Financial Services industry. She has spent the last 3 years working at FBNQuest Asset Management. She is passionate about sharing personal finance advice to help others build strong wealth habits.

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Saturday, 12 September 2020

WEEKENDER

Art of the Week

Moufouli Bello, Monjinsola, 2018 Image Courtesy of SMO Contemporary Art and ART X Lagos - West Africa’s Premier International Art Fair. Learn more at www.artxlagos.com

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Saturday, 12 September 2020

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INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY: 6 ONLINE AND OFFLINE PLACES TO GET BOOKS FOR YOUR CHILD Titi Adewusi SEPT 2020

W

hen I was younger, I had lots of imaginary friends thanks to books by Enid Blyton which pushed my imagination to overdrive. There was no limit to what my mind could conceive. One moment I was a detective courtesy of “Famous Five” and “Secret Seven” and another moment something completely different. I was never a Lawyer or Engineer or Doctor as these were not exciting roles in the books I read.

Homer (www.learnwithhomer.com): 200+ interactive animated stories for ages 2-8, with a section for favorite Sesame Street characters. FREE for Educators and 30 days trials for others.

Reading books like Wole Soyinka “Trials of Brother Jero” and Chinua Achebe’s “Arrows of God” and “Things Fall Apart” opened my eyes to the richness of my heritage and to the exciting world within the walls of my own country.

Reading Prep Comprehension: Is an app (on app store only) that provides comprehension stories with questions like what children ages 7-10 get in school. It has hundreds of stories with thousands of questions

Reading foreign books made me crave for marshmallows, liquorice, strawberries and caviar as these were things we didn’t have. When I later travelled, these were on my bucket lit of things to experience. Before the advent of the internet and cable TV, reading took me to a world where I visited so many places, learnt so many things about different things, discovered new heroes and heroines without leaving my house. This quote by Dr Seuss sums it up.

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited: This app has a vast library of thousands of books, videos, and games for kids 12 years.

Subscription required.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go, - Dr. Seuss Many experts agree that the earlier in life children are exposed to books and to different vocabulary, the better they learn new words, and the more they benefit from everyday experiences. To achieve this sort of result, you need to expose your children to a broad range of books not just the ones prescribed by their schools. Expand your child’s world by selecting a range of books that are the right level for your child’s mental development, social relationships and life experiences.

The 10-time Grammy winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift said, "I wouldn't be a songwriter if it wasn't for books that I loved as a kid. I think that when you can escape into a book it trains your imagination to think big and to think that more can exist than what you see.

It’s time to get your child reading, what are you waiting for?

I recommend the following 6 digital libraries and reading apps to get started: Epic (www.getepic.com): A large collection of books and videos on a wide variety of topics for children 12 years and under. Free for 30 days for parent but totally FREE for Educators.

Vooks (www.vooks.com): Offers 200+ interactive and animated stories/songs covering topics for all interest areas for ages 3-7. 30 days FREE trial

Google’s Read Along: This Google app offers 200+ interactive and animated stories/songs covering topics for all interest areas And if you love good old fashion paper back, here are six (6) bookshops in Lagos to get books for your children.

Laterna Ventures LTD: 13 Oko Awo St, Victoria Island, Lagos Chelis Bookazine Ltd: Plot 12 Johnson St, Surulere, Lagos & 28 Onikepo Akande St, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos Book City: 23 Alh. Tokan St, Alaka Estate Surulere, Lagos, Lagos Patabah Books Limited: B18, Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall, Surulere, Lagos Glendora: Ikeja City Mall, Lagos The Hub: The Palms Lekki Lagos Even if you haven’t started, it’s not too late. Get your child reading. Let your child conquer the world – one book at a time. I will end with an apt quote by former US President.

“Literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy “ – Barack Obama

Titi Adewusi is Co-Founder, 9ijakidsS; an EdTech company - a fun learning company. that has developed over 250 educational fun interactive games to help children ages 3-13 years understand and retain knowledge as well as excel in school. She is mother to two boys 9 and 12 years and is always looking for fun places to take her children. She believes children learn best through play. mail: titi@9ijakids.com | social: @titilopeadewusi | linkedin: titilopeadewusi

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Saturday, 12 September 2020

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Sports

By Anthony Nlebem

Title race kicks off as Premier League and La Liga return The Premier League is back. Barely a month and half after the 2019-20 season wrapped up, England’s top-flight clubs are back in action and set for another marathon campaign, which is set to squeeze a full season into a schedule.

The coming season is a full month shorter than usual.

participation in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League’s recent ‘mini-tournaments’. Despite the ‘heavy hitters’ being absent, there remains some great football to be played over the weekend, with the pick of matches coming from the ‘Derby del Turia’ between Valencia and Levante at Estadio de Mestalla.

The action gets underway early on Saturday afternoon with newly promoted Fulham welcoming London rivals Arsenal to Craven Cottage. The Gunners ended 2019-20 on a high by winning the FA Cup, and began 2020-21 in a similar vein, defeating Liverpool on penalties to claim the Community Shield title. Despite these successes, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he wants to see his side improve even more – starting with their clash against the Cottagers.

The hosts, who boast Central African Republic midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, will be playing their first competitive match under new manager Javi Gracia. Danish player Daniel Wass has praised the influence of the former Watford manager: “He has good ideas, he wants us to play with a lot of intensity and that's good for us, we also train like that, and I like it a lot.”

“I believe we are closing the gap, but one thing is to do it in a short period of time, and another is to be able to sustain it for 10 months,” Arteta said. “We know this league, how competitive and challenging it is. We are in the right direction.”

Elsewhere, Nigerian fans will be glued to the screens for the clash of Villarreal and newly-promoted Huesca. The Yellow The submarine will be hoping for another strong campaign from Super Eagles star Samuel Chukwueze, who played such a key role in powering the team up the log after last season’s ‘restart’.

English champions Liverpool will be in action in a potential thriller in a late game on Saturday when they welcome newlypromoted Leeds United back to the Premier League. The Whites are playing a top-flight match for the first time in more than 16 years.

“I said to the lads when the fixtures came out that it doesn’t get any better,” said Leeds captain Liam Cooper. “You want to go and test yourselves against the best and the Premier League champions is one way to go about it. We will be prepared like we always are; nothing will come as a shock to us.”

In Spain, the 2020-21 LaLiga season will open with a shortened round which sees the absence of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla due to their

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Huesca themselves boast a Nigerian star in the shape of Kelechi Nwakali. The 22-year-old, who was the player of the tournament at the U-17 World Cup in 2015, spent three years at Arsenal but failed to make a single competitive appearance before moving away from North London last year.

Now in his second season at Huesca and poised to make his LaLiga debut, Nwakali is being backed to succeed by Nigerian football legend Emmanuel Amuneke: “I believe he has realised the mistakes he made. And now that his team have been promoted to La Liga, it is his big chance to get back to top reckoning.”

Saturday, 12 September 2020

WEEKENDER

Premier League fixtures 12-14 September 2020

LaLiga fixtures 12-14 September 2020

Saturday 12 September

Saturday 12 September

12:30pm: Fulham v Arsenal

3:00pm: Eibar v Celta Vigo

3:00pm: Crystal Palace v Southampton

8:00pm: Cadiz v Osasuna

3:00pm: West Ham United v Newcastle United

5:30pm: Liverpool v Leeds United

Sunday 13 September

3:00pm: Real Valladolid v Real Sociedad

Sunday 13 September

5:30pm: Villarreal v Huesca

2:00pm: West Bromwich Albion v Leicester City

8:00pm: Valencia v Levante

4:30pm: Tottenham Hotspur v Everton

Monday 14 September

Monday 14 September

8:00pm: Deportivo Alaves v Real Betis

8:00pm: Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea 8:00pm: Sheffield United v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Covid-19: European football faces €3.6bn revenue shortfall Europe’s leading football clubs are facing a €3.6bn shortfall in revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the sport confronting an unprecedented “cash crisis” as it heads into a new season, one of the industry’s top executives has warned.

Andrea Agnelli, president of Italy’s Juventus and chairman of the powerful European Club Association, on Tuesday, painted a a bleak picture of the damage the crisis has inflicted on the industry’s finances.

A combination of lost match-day income because of empty stadiums, as well as discounts demanded by broadcasters and sponsors to compensate for the lack of games during the lockdown, will result in a revenue shortfall of €3.6bn over the next two years, Agnelli warned.

The Juventus president also revealed that Uefa, European football’s governing body has agreed to a €575m rebate with broadcasters of its competitions, such as the Champions League. Those tournaments were completed in August, but only after reducing the number of matches played in their latter stages.

Other domestic football competitions have also agreed to rebates to compensate for lost action during the lockdown, with the English Premier League returning £330m to its television partners.

Addressing a virtual meeting of the ECA, which represents more than 200 leading sides across the continent, Agnelli warned of “a dramatic erosion of EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation] that will turn out to be a cash crisis for most clubs”.

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He said the price of players in the sport’s multibillion transfer window has fallen between 20-30 percent — a hit for smaller clubs that are more reliant on selling their best players each season to balance their books.

Many top leagues, such as the Premier League and Germany’s Bundesliga is in negotiations with local governments to allow the partial reopening of stadiums in the coming weeks, but there is little expectation of full stadiums before the end of the year.

There are also signs that Pay-TV broadcasters, which have agreed on huge screening deals that have powered the financial growth of Europe’s biggest leagues, are beginning to cut back on sports rights spending.

In June, the Bundesliga announced Sky and online service DAZN would pay €4.4bn to show matches in its home market between 2021 and 2025 — a fall of €200m from its previous domestic TV rights deal.

Last week, the Premier League abruptly terminated a threeyear $700m deal with Chinese digital broadcaster PPTV, owned by the Jiangsu-based online retailer Suning, in a dispute over payments withheld owing to the pandemic.

A person close to the Chinese broadcaster's leadership said: “Of course they would like to keep the same price and condition as pre-COVID-19, but it’s impossible.”

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Diary of the BusinessDay Newsroom

By Lehlé Balde

commissioner of information Lagos to assist their release.

That is something I’ve had to deal with.

What apps do you use the most on your phone?

Whatsapp and then my banking apps i.e. GTBank, First Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, and UBA, those are my top banking apps.

What is the first thing you do in the morning when you wake up?

I wake up at 4.45 am, and the first thing I do is reach for my phone, as a news person I need to know what’s going on, and then check my laptop to check and send out emails and then I prepare for the day. I’m not used to having breakfast in the morning.

At the end of the long day, what do you typically crave?

Patrick Atuanya Editor, BusinessDay Media Limited

At the end of a long day, sometimes I just create a quiet atmosphere with a friend, buy a bottle of Heineken and just relax. Other times I just want to go straight home, quite in my room, just watching some Bloomberg TV, round off for the day and plan for what to expect for the next day, and just enjoy the peace and quiet, after the long day.

Which song is currently in your head?

atrick Atuanya is an MBA educated economist who is intrigued by global finance, stock bonds, securisation and the flow of money. Patrick started out at BusinessDay as an analyst and rose to the position of Chief Economist and in January 2019 he was appointed editor of BusinessDay Media Limited and currently leads one of the youngest and largest newsrooms in West Africa.

I grew up as most generation of Nigerians, grew up on the ’90s 2000’s hip-hop, and lately, I’ve been a little bit jaded about the whole new school hip-hop especially in the west. I think Burna Boy’s new album is there, also Nas has a new album, but it’s in my top playlist.

What was the last thing you did that required some courage?

I am from Anambra state, and anytime I go to the village, it’s refreshing being around people that speak your language and the natural environment and the music is what you get exposed to. So, before most of the popular highlife songs gets to Lagos, it’s already circulating and being played on rotation in the east. I began to really get into the highlife music like the Flavours, Mobiligos. Every time I go, I feel like I don’t want to come back to Lagos, but when I listen to the songs, it makes me feel like I’m still in the East. The music passes across very strong messaging, usually around morality, how to behave, and good strong messaging that we used to get from our forefathers, that sadly these days doesn’t get reinforced. It just keeps me grounded in the craziness of Lagos.

P

In my line of work, you do things every day that require courage, and if I look back at 10 years, it will be hopping up and leaving the US to move back to Nigeria in 2011. I had been out of the country for about 8 years that was in 2004.

Obviously, over that time period, there had been a lot of changes happening in the country, it was a young democracy when I left but by the time I came back, a lot of things had changed, we had a bigger private sector and there was still a lot of uncertainty. It could have been easier to have stayed back in a relative certainty of living in the west. So far so good, coming back has been quite an experience and it’s something I’m very glad I did.

I know about your love highlife music, care to share with our readers as well?

What have you done recently for the first time?

Is there anything that you wish you understand more about, and what is it?

As a leader, the pandemic experience was a first for a lot of people, it was something that nobody really expected to go this far. I remember in January this year, I was traveling freely, I went to Abia state and met with the Governor and that seems like a lifetime ago. So, I guess managing people during this pandemic/lockdown period, especially being an essential worker as defined by the government. Managing people and my home was quite challenging. It was something that we had to come up with a working solution almost on the fly, finding a way to get our staff to work effectively, finding a way to get them to be productive working at home, and just the uncertainty about the curfew.

I remember having to be called numerous times in the first week of the lockdown, of policemen harassing/ arresting some of our staff and trying to reach the IG of Police and the

The universe, the nature of reality, the meaning of life, I guess we all think of that. But the universe is particularly interesting to me, the future of humanity, where will we be 100 or a 1000 years from now and could our species survive if we don’t become a specie that doesn’t inhabit more than one planet. I’m very keen on travel to Mars, the exploration of space , and the projection that by 10 years from now, there should be a colony in Mars, I’m quite excited about that and I follow that judiciously. How humanity is so small in the grand scheme of things and is it possible that we are the only living species in the universe, if that is, then we are really special, that means we should be careful about war and killing each other. I’m really curious about exploration and hopefully, if they ever build ships that would take us to Mars, I would volunteer.

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How do you define Success?

I think, first of all, success is HARDWORK, and also being able to enjoy what you do at any point in time. When you are enjoying what you do in your career or business, it brings you joy, you are solving problems for people, I think that is the height of success. I have always enjoyed writing, I have always enjoyed expressing myself, it has always been something that came naturally that I do, so finding myself at the top of my career, it was just natural that it would happen because I actually enjoy what I do. It is a little bit more difficult when people don’t enjoy what they do, it would be more difficult to find success, even if you are a politician or an investor like Warren Buffett or a pioneer like Elon Musk, you will find out they actually enjoy what they are doing, and they wouldn’t really be doing anything else. Once you enjoy what you do, you will find success along the way.

Are there any Ideas in your head that you can’t really seem to shake off?

I was an early skeptic of the cryptocurrency world, now I’m becoming more of a believer, after this COVID-19 and just the way the world is just moving rapidly. Something that always keeps coming to my head we will probably wake up 10 years from now and bitcoin is $500,000 or $1,000,000 or it would have a much bigger role in the global economy.

Bitcoin market cap today is about less than Hundred Billion Dollars and it is still a very small part of the Global Asset classes. Lately, it’s been something like the cryptocurrency will probably be something in everybody’s life come 10 – 20 years from now and I think people should prepare for that.

Aside those, I also always wish that the asset classes that Nigerians have available to them is a little bit deeper like it had more depth and it had more people interested in them because that’s the only way you can build long term wealth and long-term capital. A lot are looking around for places where they can invest and something I always think about is how can we make investment (for lack of a better word)

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sexy. If a million people are tuning into Big Brother or Bet9ja, how do you get more people excited about buying a particular stock or invest at that same excitement level and at that scale, and I don’t know how we can crack that. It seems like people are more excited about raising money for someone that has a bad attitude, than the stocks.

What’s worth paying for?

I think KNOWLEDGE is worth paying for because the world today is a knowledge-based world and the only way to excel is to know as much as possible about what is important to corporations, potential employers, even as a person, things you need to learn, if it’s coding, it is learning about how money works, just invest in your knowledge. I have been lucky that I have been able to impact one or two people who I have mentored, and I have tried to push them in the right path, to know what to focus on. A lot of people don’t know, so you’ll see someone that finished University 2-3 years ago, and finds out that the degree is obsolete by the time you want to work, with the way the world is evolving, so, identifying what other certifications your need to get, in addition to the course you are studying. I am able to show a few of my cousins and friends to get other certification in addition to what you have, but some of those things cost money and people should be willing to invest in themselves.

Knowledge is something worth investing in.

To whom did you address your last handwritten letter or note?

I will go back to almost 15 years ago; I had written a letter to a friend, she was actually living in the US, from Germany.

She had written me a letter and I actually replied and wrote a letter back and gave it to her as I was dropping her at the airport in Philadelphia, and that was the last time. I think I still have the one she wrote me somewhere in my files.

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Saturday, 12 September 2020

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business day

UNLOCKING NIGERIA'S IMPACT INVESTING POTENTIAL

LEHLÉ BALDE Anchor

MARIA GLOVER

Project Lead, Impact Investors Foundation of Nigeria Co-Anchor

COMING THIS SEPTEMBER ON NIGERIA INFO 99.3 FM

Airing live on www.businessday.ng and

POWERED

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BY

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WEEKENDER

Saturday, 12 September 2020

Opportunities

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Saturday,12 September 2020

WEEKENDER

Bean muffin: a tasty savory snack Chef Gregory (Seyene Otu) SEPT 2020

Introduction

Method

I

1. Pour beans flour into a bowl, add seasoning, pepper, and crayfish

t seems outside the box but it is actually a very creative and innovative way of making a beanbased meal. I think it is important if you can to learn how to make variations of your favourite meals both for the sake of practicality and to ensure you get all your nutrients. Deciding what to make for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time day after day is not easy. It can honestly be very stressful especially if you are busy and on the go, so I hope this recipe will be an added bonus in your culinary journey.

2. Add hot water, stir, leave to sit for 10 minutes 3. Mash overripe plantain and pour into beans mixture 4. Add oil, stir till properly incorporated 5. Line muffin tray, pour beans mixture into the tray 6. Bake on medium heat, till it sets. Brush with egg, let it bake for 5 more minutes. (Insert a wooden stick to be sure it is properly dry) 7. Allow to cool, serve

INGREDIENTS 1 overripe plantain, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 Maggi cube 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon of crayfish, 1/4 cup Groundnut oil (or any oil of choice), 1 cup hot water, 1 fresh egg beaten

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There you have it; your bean muffins are ready! Please try it at home and let us know how it goes! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @bdculinarydelights and @maggi_nigeria and use the hashtags #magginigeria #myculinaryrecipe to show us your bean muffins and stand a chance to win some special prizes.

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