BusinessDay Weekender Magazine 12 Edition

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

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EDITION 12 I 17, OCTOBER 2020

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POWER TO THE PEOPLE Lead Story

Interview

Power to the people: Nigerian youths trigger a wind of change in the battle against police brutality

BudgIT Nigeria soaring higher as it opens more doors for transparency through Businessday.ng data availability @Businessdayng personalized

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Contents

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C O N T E N T S

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#ENDSARS PROTEST How to protest if you cannot be there physically

How police brutality poses threat to Nigeria’s tech industry, foreign exchange

INTERVIEW BudgIT Nigeria soaring higher as it opens more doors for transparency through personalized data availability

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CULINARY DELIGHTS The Benefits of a Mood Board

HEALTH TODAY Questions you need to ask your doctor to ensure you are getting the best care

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INTERVIEW Invest in your passion and your call to service

SKILLS Acquiring soft skills in entrepreneurship

RECIPE Baked Salmon with Herbs and Lemon recipe

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP Necessity driven entrepreneurship - A pathway to life changing opportunities

MENTAL HEALTH Taking care of your mental health

SPORTS Liverpool and Everton brace up for classic Merseyside derby

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Editorial

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SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF 2020 Frank Aigbogun MANAGING DIRECTOR Ogho Okiti

Editor’s Note SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER 2020

Dear Weekender readers,

hope you are keeping safe and respecting the physical distancing measures in this ongoing global pandemic, which is intensifying in some parts of the world.

The #endsars protests currently ongoing in the country has been a very emotional yet inspiring time for many. I have to say that the Nigerian youth are some of the most inspiring individuals on this planet.

Witnessing the protests and sheer determination of the youth has inspired many Nigerians to share their own stories, thus revealing the magnitude of the problem and encouraging the authorities to take overdue action. I am always encouraged and inspired by Nigeria’s youth and I am forever inspired by this month of October 2020, the month when the Nigerian youth showed the world the power of their united voice.

Our cover story last week, which highlighted the ongoing protests, was a sigh of relief for some readers but was also confusing for others. The Weekender is BusinessDay’s Saturday publication, and we strive to be an intersection between business, lifestyle and living. Whether we realize it or not, we take into account our environment with every decision and action we take. Police brutality affects our ability to use our ingenuity to run and operate businesses freely, it prohibits some from living their dream ‘lifestyle’ and it disrupts wholesome lives because of the innocent lives lost at the hand of police.

While the Weekender will continue to be a much-needed Saturday light stories such as the origin of the Chapman and things to do for your birthday, we will continue to shed light on a myriad of socio-economic issues that affect us all. The times we are in are not business as usual and it is our responsibility, as a media house, to take a principled position and duly exercise our fourth estate duty.

In this edition of the Weekender, our focus is on the #endsars protests. We give you an up to date and comprehensive look of what has been achieved so far and what is left to be done in the fight to end SARS/SWAT in Nigeria. Throughout the week, one of the trending pictures was of a woman wearing a hijab, with a bag hung across her chest, standing with her legs apart and throwing a fist in the air as a symbol of defiance and resolve. In case you are wondering who she is, her name is Aisha Yesufu and she is a Nigerian socio-political activist and co-convener of the ‘Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement. We tell you a little more about her work as an activist.

We also highlight how to take care of your mental health during the protests, how police brutality poses a threat to Nigeria’s tech industry and foreign exchange and you will also find an interesting piece on what ignited the protests.

As always enjoy a comprehensive news round up and content on photography, sports, art, entrepreneurship, mental health and much more.

Do have a great weekend. Stay safe. Utilise your voice and your power. BD

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

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EDITOR BUSINESSDAY Patrick Atuanya EDITOR BUSINESSDAY SATURDAY Lehlé Balde EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STRATEGY, INNOVATION & PARTNERSHIPS Oghenevwoke Ighure MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso CalibriMANAGER, ADVERTS Ijeoma Ude COPY SALES MANAGER Florence Kadiri DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Linda Ochugbua HEAD OF DIGITAL SERVICES Onyinyechi Eze HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCES Adeola Obisesan DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Orasopee Communications Ltd. CONTRIBUTORS Endurance Okafor Goziem Okubor Art X Lagos Mercy Ayodele Osse Sinare Anjola Awosika Favour Olanrewaju Victor Odiba Oluwafadekemi Areo Oyinkansola Alabi EC Okoigun Oluwamayomikun Deji-Omotayo Titilade Oyemade Monisola Adanijo FMCP Elizabeth Osho Weyinmi Eribo Toju Akpa Asuquo Anthony Nlebem Anth Hill Olajide Ajayi Ehis Urubusi Ifebusola Shotunde PHOTO CREDIT Freepik, Google Images ENQUIRIES lehle.balde@businessday.ng samuel.anyanwu@businessday.ng ADVERTS Ijeoma Ude +2348033225506 PUBLISHED BY BusinessDay Media Limited The Brook, 6 Point Road, GRA, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria.

01-2799100 www.businessday.ng LEGAL ADVISERS The Law Union

News Roundup

OCTOBER 2020 SATURDAY 17,

The Federal Government has banned SARS but Nigerians are not backing down on protest.

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MERCY AYODELE

he Inspector General of Police (IGP) announced on 11th of October, the ban of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in response to popular demands to end the squad but Nigerians remain unfazed and protests have even gotten more vicious. Nigerians have flooded the streets and intensified demonstrations against police brutality and calling on total reform of the unit as they have made five demands from the government that if not met, protest will not cease.

The Federal Government in a reform attempt enacted a new team called New Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team that will fill the gaps left from the

J.P. Clark dies at 85

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igerian renowned poet and playwright, John Pepper Clark-Bekerderomo whose literary works has been studied far and wide died on 13th October 2020 at 85 years. J.P Clark was born in Kiagbodo, Delta Nigeria and he had his first degree in English at the University of Ibadan. Clark is noted for several quality dramatic works including a Decade of Tongues and “Abiku” which refers to a child who must dies and repeatedly be reborn again and again.

dissolution of Sars but Nigerian have presented a united front and rejected it.

Nigerians are tweeting massively, providing food and water for protesters and have even carried out communal activities like cleaning up the street after protest; it is nothing like we have ever seen in the country.

#EndSARS packs 30 million tweets in just two days surpassing Black Life Matter (BLW) tweets.

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ocial media has gone wild with protesters trending the #EndSARS hashtag so much that they began to attract a lot of international audience. In two days, tweets calling for the end of SARS hit 30 million surpassing the black life matter (BLM) tweets, which received only 3.7 million tweets per day at its peak in June 2020.

Nigerian’s end SARS tweet was also in the number 1 spot on Twitter trends on October 10.

Celebrities all around the world joined in the protest by posting the end SARS and end police brutality hash tags on

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Nigerian youths raise over 62 Million in 7 days in the end SARS movement

N their feeds and lending their voice to the Nigerian government for a total reform of the police force. Some of the celebrities are Trey Songz, Drake, twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey and many others.

igerian youth are setting the pace and reminding Nigerian leader that we can have a better country where everyone can be accountable for the resources entrusted in his or her hand. It is not only impressive that the movement has been able to raised over N62.6million to sustain the protests across Nigeria in just seven days but it is also commendable that ever naira is accounted for and reported. These donations have been received by Nigerians and others, at home and outside the country.

The money has come in various forms too, through foreign currency, naira, through payment channels, and even bitcoin.

International Hackers Infiltrate the Nigerian police database issuing a 72-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian President to meet the demand of citizens

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his past week was not the easiest for the Federal Government as they have been struggling to meet the demand of angry Nigerian protesters. In the midst of this, the Federal Government received a threat on Thursday from a Decentralised international ‘hacktivist’ group called

Anonymous, giving a 72-hour ultimatum to the President to meet the demand of citizens. To prove that they were not bluffing, the group compromised the official website of the Nigeria Police Force, making it inaccessible.

The group, known for hacking repressive governments’ websites has claimed

to have hacked several government databases, including one which contains names and contact of operatives of the now-defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS). The group had carried out similar coordinated attacks in the United States, Israel, Tunisia, Uganda and other countries.

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News Roundup

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SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Nigerian Migrant Workers burned alive in Libya

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ibya has continued to be a hostile environment for migrants and refugees, many of whom pass through the country in an attempt to reach safer shores in Europe.

Recently, three men stormed a factory in Tripoli, Libya drenched an unarmed Nigeria worker in petrol and set him on fire. The reasons behind the attack have not being uncovered but the suspects have been detained.

Nigerian teens bag award for creating an app to help dementia patients

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hree Nigerian-Irish teenagers Rachael Akano (16), Margaret Akano (17) and Joy Njekwe (17) have emerged champions in the annual international competition hosted by Technovation, a non-profit organization which empowers girls to become leaders in the male-dominated tech industry. The young women created a

heart-warming app called “memory Haven” which helps dementia patients, people living with a condition of memory loss, store their memories or remember them. The app has six features including photo albums, music, outreach, face and voice recognition, memory games and reminders. The girls beat more than 1,500 submissions from 62 countries to emerge winners.

Stripes Acquires Nigeria’s Paystack for over $200 Million

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ayStack, a Nigerian fintech start-up, has been acquired by global fintech giant Stripe. That makes this the biggest start-up acquisition to date to come out of Nigeria, as well as Stripe's

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biggest acquisition to date anywhere. Paystack was founded in 2016 by Ezra Olubi and Shola Akinlade. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed but sources close to it confirmed that it's over $200 million.

#EndSARS protesters are being attacked by thugs

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rotesters who have been working hard to demand justice have had some challenges, one of which is the invasion of thugs on protest sites.

There have been reports where thugs attacked protesters and destroyed their cars in the past week. In the early hours of Friday, a video making the rounds on social media also shows the moment peaceful protesters at Lekki-Toll Gate ran for their lives as an irate truck driver rammed into and crushed some cars of the protesters. Social media users have reported that the truck had a PHCN logo on it which led to many believing the attack was deliberate and sponsored. Although no life was lost, a number of vehicles were damaged.

Lead Story

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POWER TO THE PEOPLE Nigerian youths trigger a wind of change in the battle against police brutality

#EndSARS, #EndSWAT OLUWAFADEKEMI AREO

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Lead Story

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very active and inactive partaker of the protests against police brutality and the absolute end of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad-FSARS/SARS can join me to testify that we have achieved a great feat in just one week, a feat that breeds hope for us now and generations to come.

A young man was shot dead by SARS officials in Delta state on the 3rd of October 2020 and the moment videos of the incident surfaced on social media, the battle to put an end to SARS was resurrected.

Most would have thought it was business as usual, but as of today, the Nigerian youths have literally gotten the world’s attention and even our own government now knows that the youths have had enough of the silence code, the gimmicks, empty promises, and a failed system that has only succeeded in making us more miserable.

The Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) public announcement of the ban of SARS and other tactical unit of the force was taken with a pinch of salt and rejected as another foul play from the books of the government and so the protests to put a total end to SARS and ultimately, police brutality commenced on the 8th of October 2020 .

In the words of the American writer and civil rights activist, Audre Lorde, “I see protest as a genuine means of encouraging someone to feel the inconsistencies, the horror, of the lives we are living. Social protest is to say that we do not have to live this way.”

Nigerian youths have taken their future into their hands and have embraced Nelson Mandela’s words that say “sometimes it falls on a generation to be great, you can be that generation.”

The protests are peaceful and aim for five things, namely: immediate release of all arrested protesters; justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for Businessday.ng

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their families; setting up an independent body to oversee investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct within 10 days; confirmation by an independent body of the psychological evaluation and retraining of disbanded SARS officers; increase of police salary to ensure that they are adequately compensated for protecting lives.

A peek into the journey so far…

After almost a week of non-stop anger and outcry on social media against police brutality as more videos and stories of harassments and extortions by SARS and other members of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) kept pouring out, Nigerian youths took to the streets to make their voices heard.

October 8th In my opinion, many Nigerian youths woke up last week Thursday with one goal in mind, we are going to get heard, and if we don’t, we will keep protesting until we are heard and something urgent is done.

In Lagos alone, hundreds of youths and some popular celebrities converged at the Lekki tollgate and different locations on the mainland to protest against SARS and police brutality.

In fact, many of the protesters in Lagos slept outside government houses and planned to continue doing so until their voices were heard.

Obinna, a young Biochemist said, “I have been beaten twice

by SARS officers, at least I did not die in the process, but for my brothers and sisters who have died, I will keep protesting until we see a complete change.”

“I have a friend who has lost two siblings to police brutality, trust me, it hurts more when you have had first hand experiences of this thing, so if they think we would stop talking, they do not

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SARS probing, protection of protesters by the police, halting of all youth molestations, enquiry on extra-judicial killings by the Senate president, and the replacement of SARS with a new unit.

One of the downsides, however, was that in Ogun state, 15 protesters were arrested and three were even charged with murder, but at the end of the day, all of them were released after series of interventions.

know what is coming,” Tolu said.

The first achievement of the first day of the protests was the provocation of responses from some sides of the government.

October 9th By the second day of the protest, there were over 2.4 million tweets with the hashtag #EndSARS from various locations across the world and the protests had attracted reactions from international celebrities like Cardi B, Kanye West, Trey songz, Big Sean, Jidenna, John Boyega, Didi, Mesut Ozil and Marcus Rashford.

Youths in Abuja marched to the police headquarters to air their case and protest for a change, but sadly, this was met with the spraying of tear gas and firing of gunshots into the air to scare them away.

Protesters across Nigeria stood their ground, held their placards high and continued shouting in unison ‘EndSARS’, ‘we do not want reforms’.

Philantropists, celebrities, young and old Nigerians who were not necessarily active protesters went to the spots were protests were ongoing to share food, drinks and water as a way of encouraging this army of trailblazers.

Sadly, the police public relations officer, Frank Mba took to social media to respond and emphatically say that there would be no disbandment of SARS. Nonetheless, the Deputy Governor of Lagos state, Femi Hamzat addressed the protesters and agreed with the youths that police officers do not have the right to trample on the rights of law-abiding citizens in the name of they have laptops, own Iphones or drive expensive cars.

Another good side was that an emergency parliamentary sitting was held by the Lagos state House of Assembly on the same Friday which gave birth to a 7-point resolution summarised as

October 10th On the third day of the protests against SARS, I woke up to some more goodnews, hashtag #EndSARS was trending at number one globally.

For the first time in the history of Nigeria, unity of purpose on the part of the youths who have once been called lazy by our president has resulted in a global trend, causing the whole world to listen to our cry and watch the government either shame themselves or do the needful.

The third day of the protests garnered more crowds than ever in different protest locations across the country and the message was still the same, ‘End SARS’.

The day however turned almost black when news of the death of young boy in Oyo state, Jimoh Isiaka, by a stray bullet from police men went round.

Isiaka was just standing and observing the protests as some policemen fired shots to scare protesters away and met his untimely death that day, causing his father so many uncontrollable tears as the news was broken to him.

Protests in Delta state also became chaotic when hoodlums joined in, lead to a traffic gridlock and sadly the death a protester and a police man being.

In Abuja, the protest continued and was led by the Co-convener of the Bring Back our Girls (BBOG), Aisha Yesufu, but some members of the police force continued trying to disperse the youths with tear gas and bottles of water.

By the evening of this day, President Muhammadu Buhari who had been silent and had even lost at least 100 thousand of his twitter followers in less than 24 hours tweeted a photo of his meeting with the IGP and Vice President.

The President claimed that he had asked the IGP to address the issues and lead a police reform, further clamouring for calm and patience from Nigerians even as they peacefully make their voices heard.

Nigerians at large however maintained their grounds and put out word that they cannot be fooled; stating that they will only know the president is serious when he comes out to address the whole nation.

October 11th Sunday marked the fourth day of the protests against SARS across Nigeria and even Nigerians in Diaspora.

While many were still protesting both online and on ground, the IGP announced in the afternoon that SARS had been disbanded across all the 36 states in Nigeria as well as the nation’s capital, with immediate effect.

He, however, made the announcement very tasteless by adding that the disbanded officers would be redeployed and human rights groups will help in building a replacement for the squad and a guiding a probe into past issues.

In as much as this was some form of good news, Nigerians refused to back down from the protests as series of police brutality were still evident and also on the grounds that rolling of these men that were no longer wanted back into other units would only worsen the case.

To this effect, five demands by the Nigerian protesters of the Businessday.ng Businessday.ng

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government were signed and released by the youths.

Protests on this day saw more supportive hands and voices like popular musician Davido who joined the protesters in Abuja and took to his twitter to express his anger at the arrest of protesters in the nation’s capital. He however did not stop there but made sure that all arrested persons were released.

Nigerians in London were not left out of the protests on Sunday as Wizkid and many other Nigerians led a protest in support of the EndSARS movement at the Nigerian High Commission, Thai square, London.

In Dublin and New York also, Nigerian protesters took their voices to the Nigerian embassy in Dublin and the Nigerian Consulate General in Canada to express support for the total disbandment of SARS so that young Nigerians can be allowed to move freely.

Sadly however, 3 more protesters in Oyo state were reported dead, making the death of protesters in the state a total of four in just two days.

October 12 The fifth day of the protests against SARS pulled more crowds across Nigeria and Lagos in particular was trending as protesters shutdown the Lekki tollgate, Muritala Mohammed Airport, Alausa, Ikorodu and Yaba road, causing a traffic gridlock, as they continued to demand the complete dissolution of SARS. The Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu came out to say to the youths that they should end the protests and believe that the government has really disbanded SARS. The Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike followed the stance of the Lagos state governor and announced to his people that all forms of protests where disallowed in the state.

Interestingly, the people of Rivers state responded that they were not backing down from the protests and took their protests to the front of the police headquarters in Rivers state, showing more than ever the determination of Nigerian youths to bring change.

On a flip side, the early hours of Monday saw some pro-SARS sympathisers in Abuja marching and stating that they were in full support of the unit and that they are choosing reforms over disbandment.

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Nonetheless, protests against SARS continued in Abuja at the Berger round about, causing a gridlock and drawing attention to the demands of these peaceful protesters.

Sadly, however, then was pandemonium in Lagos, particularly around Surulere, where policemen were beating protesters and shooting at them.

This foul act resulted in more casualties as a protester was shot dead while four others were badly injured and others arrested.

October 13

By Tuesday, news got out that the presidential panel on police reforms had agreed to meet all the five demands of the Nigerian youths and all protesters.

The same public relations officer of the police force who said there would be no disbandment of SARS came up to announce that a replacement of the unit has been put in place and it would be called the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT).

In my opinion, a name that is already emphasising weapon would only mean that the first go to option of this team would be their arms and ammunition.

Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and employment, who is meant to be more humanity driven, stated his belief that the protest was turning into a mob action.

In response to the fifth demand of the protesters that salaries of police men be increased, Keyamo told protesters that Buhari cannot increase the salaries of Policemen because this had been done 2 years ago and that the increase in minimum wage last year had been accounted for.

Protests therefore continued on Tuesday as the protesters could see beyond the tactics of the government in trying to silence them.

The downside, however was that at the end of Tuesday, the number of dead protesters had climbed to 10 persons.

October 14 October 14th 2020 marked the 7th day of the protest against police brutality and SARS officials, and by this time, the eyes of many had been opened to the urgency surrounding the sustain-

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The attacks left vehicles of protesters destroyed, and several protesters with bad injuries.

able resolution of the issues.

One of the leading NGOs showing support to this fight, Feminist Coalition, announced that they had raised N37 million in crowdfunding aimed at supporting protesters within four days.

This is asides other funding and support schemes of millions of naira already in place to help protesters across the country.

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), which is the umbrella of all registered political parties and associations in Nigeria addressed Buhari in a statement signed by its SecretaryGeneral, Chief Willy Ezugwu, telling him to address Nigerians immediately as his silence is not golden.

In fact, Ezugwu made it clear to the president that his address will go a long way in giving reassurance and cool tension among protesters who are being peaceful in their protests but being killed by security operatives, which casts doubt on the concern of the current administration to Nigerians sufferings.

Another flip side was recorded on Wednesday when the Borno state Governor, Babagana Zulum called out to the Federal Government to deploy SARS to his state in fighting Boko Haram as he asserted that SARS has been remarkable in that regard.

Protests across Lagos and Abuja were however disrupted when armed thugs from nowhere attacked the peaceful protesters one hour after they convened.

October 15 Thugs came out of Lagos state buses and started attacking peaceful protesters in Lagos, but this did not stop protests across Nigeria, with many more powerful persons lending their voices to the cause.

Popular Clergyman and overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) added his voice in support of the ongoing #EndSARS protests via his Twitter account by saying “Our daughters will not be able to prophesy and young men will not see visions if we don’t keep them alive.

I support the youths in this peaceful protest as they “speak up” to #EndPoliceBrutality, #EndSARS, #ENDSWAT”.

The Muslim side was not left out as the Imam of Peace blasted President Buhari on Twitter over the negligence of SARS and new police unit -SWAT in addition to freeing Boko Haram terrorists from prison, rehabilitating terrorists and allowing genocide in some Northern states.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s CEO also showed his support in the #EndSARS protest and used his handle to ask people to donate funds for this cause through bitcoin.

Things even got more interesting on Thursday when the international twitter hackers #Anonymous supported #End SARS by infiltrating the database of the Nigerian police force, making NPF’s website to go offline. 72 hours after they gave their peaceful warning to which the government did not adhere, #Anymous released the names and contacts of operatives within the SARS. In conclusion A wind of change is blowing in Nigeria and in my opinion, it cannot be stopped. Nigerian youths have shown the government and the world at large that they are peaceful, that they are accountable and transparent, that they are clean, that they can provide first aid, be responsible enough to take the injured to the hospital and most importantly that they will not back down until all of their demands are met.

The protests against police brutality in Nigeria have shown us that the people are more powerful than they think when they channel their energy to right things.

Although, the National House of Assembly has announced that all protests across the country should cease, Nigerian youths have said they are backing down and they have garnered moral, physical, financial and even spiritual support across the world.

My heart rests with the families of all fallen soldiers in this battle and even the ones whose deaths served as an intense reason to fight in the place.

We can only hope that their deaths would not be in vain and the wind of change which is blowing from Nigerian youths will see to the end of police brutality in Nigeria. BD Businessday.ng Businessday.ng

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Art of the week

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Nike Okundaye, The cradle of affection, 2002. Acrylic on canvas, 49 x 25 inches Image courtesy of Nike Art Gallery and ART X Lagos - West Africa’s Premier International Art Fair. Learn more at www.artxlagos.com Businessday.ng

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The iconic picture of Aisha Yesufu that tells a thousand words OLUWAFADEKEMI AREO

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hroughout the week, one of the trending pictures was of a woman wearing a hijab with a bag hung across her chest, standing with her legs apart and throwing a fist in the air as a symbol of defiance and resolve.

In case you are wondering who she is, her name is Aisha Yesufu and she is a Nigerian socio-political activist and coconvener of the ‘Bring Back Our Girls - BBOG movement.

On the 10th of October 2020, 45 year old Aisha beat all odds, tear gas and police harassment to lead the EndSARS protest in Abuja and has remained at the forefront of the movement.

She took to twitter to narrate her experience that day, in which she said “I am okay. I refused to run. I walked with my fist high up and @PoliceNG were all shooting at me as I walked away. I came out of the fence they cowardly built around themselves and about 4 of them came at me at the junction throwing bottled water this time."

"One of them had pushed me and the raised hand might be what some saw as a slap. No, I wasn't slapped and I refused to cower and I turned and gave them a piece of what I thought of their pathetic selves and if I am going to die, it would be with my fist high up and my mouth open," Yesufu said.

Her pictures and strong activism from the protests have

earned her the respect of many Nigerians and many have tagged her pictures as ‘the Nigerian statue of liberty’.

Who is Aisha Yesufu?

Yesufu was born in December 1974 and she hails from Agbede in Etsako West of Edo state. Nonetheless, she was born and raised in Kano state, Nigeria.

From age 11, she has always been known in her family to speak against things that do not go down well her and though this earned her the ‘stubborn’ tag, it also propelled her towards her journey to becoming an Activist.

She however describes herself as lazy when it comes to house chores and in her words, “I set systems in place to work for me and I hire and pay people to work for me.”

In 1991, she had a desire to enrol in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), but this was cut short because the academy rejected her based on her gender.

She is a graduate of Microbiology from the prestigious Bayero University in Kano; where she graduated with a second class upper and went on to bag a Masters degree in Pharmaceutical Microbiology from Ahamdu Bello University, Zaria.

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Yesufu defied all talks around her not finding a man to marry because of her supposed stubborn nature and laziness and got married to her husband Aliu in 1996 and they are blessed with two children.

Interestingly she said “as soon as I laid eyes on my husband, I fell over heels in love with him and went after him.”

In describing how supportive and amazing her husband is she said during an interview with Guardian newspaper that “being brought up to expect that a man is the one to take care of you, it was my husband that taught me to be financially independent so that I can have control over my voice and not be dependent.”

Yesufu is a business owner who has never worked for anyone and does not intend to do so. Currently, she is the founder of Citizens Hub, a non for profit organization that seeks to build a solution driven and dynamic approach to building a financially independent, active and responsible citizenry.

Although, she says that if she did not take up activism, she would have been a singer and dancer, living life to the fullest, travelling and acting goofy.

Yesufu’s passion Aisha decided to give back to her society in 2014 and the protest at the Nigerian National Assembly in Abuja on 30th April 2014 was just her starting point.

The protest gave birth to the advocacy group that brought back attention to the 219 Chibok girls between ages 15 and 18 that were abducted from a secondary school on the 14th of April 2014.

Ever since, Yesufu has organised and led over a hundred protest marches in Nigeria, demanding social justice, respect for the rule of law, respect for democratic norms and Nigeria's constitution, an end to endemic corruption and political persecution of dissidents.

She has endured persecution by security agents and other government agencies for these actions, but she believes that Nigeria is worth fighting for.

In her words, "I would never give up on Nigeria no matter what it throws at me. I owe it to unborn generations on their way to Nigeria and I will continue to fight for Nigeria just as I wished others had fought for me before I came to be Nigerian."

Yesufu’s utmost desire is to see Nigeria become a country

where ‘’the son of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody’’.

When asked about her opinion on being able to lend her voice to issues around the country, she had this to say, “Is the opportunity worth it? Maybe it is because I have no attachment to anything, even life itself. What I am never ready to lose is my worth, dignity, integrity, and character. If I lose everything and have to sell pure water, I will carry it on my head with dignity, and character intact.”

She also said, “I want a level playing ground for everybody where the woman who sells groundnuts or is frying akara or the motorcyclists that are working hard to send their children to school should be able to get jobs based on their capacity and ability and not on who they know.”

Yesufu won the award for humanitarian services during her Nigerian Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 1999 and she also emerged as Guardian newspaper’s voice of humanity in 2019.

Aisha’s bravery and courage in the war against SARS and police brutality would not be forgotten anytime soon and her story would be told to the next generation and generations after that.

In fact, a twitter user said “Aisha is a national treasure, a super hero and the Queen Ameena of our time.” BD Businessday.ng

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#EndSARS Protests

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How to protest if you cannot be there physically MERCY AYODELE

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he last few days in Nigeria will not be forgotten in a while. All over the country we have witnessed a massive display of activism by Nigerians calling for the ban of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a squad that has ended the lives of many innocent Nigerians. Thousands of Nigerians have taken to the streets to join this protest, abandoning all else, this is a noble and important thing to be a part of as we strive for change.

However, not all of us are able to go out and protest, no matter how much we may believe in the cause. Some of us are not physically able to participate in protests so if you are feeling like you should be doing something, here is a list of ways you can help if you are unable to go out and protest.

Spread Information through social media Even if you cannot be there physically, you can share resources and information that you think can be useful to protesters on your Instagram story, feeds and group chats. For instance, you can send in videos of police brutality that you can see online or that are sent to you by protesters. This is a way to join the protest but you must proceed with caution as it is important to make sure your fact-checking is accurate and not wrong information.

Shelter protesters from danger There have been situations in the past week when protesters are suddenly attacked by the police or other groups. If your home

is nearby a protest route, you can put up a sign in front of your home letting protesters know they can seek shelter in home when in danger. You should also encourage your neighbours to partake in this practice.

Another thing you could do is having supplies in your home that protesters might need during protests.

Offer to be an Emergency Contact If you know anyone going for a physical protest, you can ask them if they need an emergency contact. Ask for their full name and date of birth and check in on them so you are aware of their whereabouts. In case they call in for help, do all you can to provide the help they need.

Buy supplies for protesters Many Nigerians have done well in this aspect over the past week and you can join them. Protesters will be in need of food and snacks, water bottles, hand sanitizers, face masks, water bottles and first aid equipment. You can pick any of these items or any other thoughtful idea you have and provide for protesters, this will make a huge impact.

Donate to bail funds Protesters are at the risk of being arrested and put in jail during protests.

You can offer to pay bail for arrested protesters. There are many bail funds accepting donations, you can find credible donation platforms on social media and donate to this cause. This act will

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help someone who cannot afford bail.

Also, if you are a lawyer by profession, you might want to consider representing arrested protesters.

Sign Petitions Yes, signing a petition makes a difference.

A petition is signed online usually through a website. You can sign the petition by adding your details such as name and address.

Typically, when there are enough signatories, the letter may be delivered to the subject of the petition. The beauty of this is that when we sign petitions, our information becomes visible to others, including organizers and people who might sign later. The signature list becomes a database of potential recruits for activists. There are a ton of petitions regarding police reforms in Nigeria right now, you should find one and sign it. If you can not find a petition, create one and tag people to sign it.

Contact government officials Search online for the numbers and emails of government officials and demand reform and justice. Use your social media effectively, tag them on posts, write them open letters, hold government representatives accountable. They might not reply, they might not see it or they might but keep doing it.

In the long run, don’t stop speaking out against injustice and for police media to educate co-workers and friends. Don’t stay silent just because you can’t physically attend protest. You must be a part of the change that is happening in any way you can. BD Businessday.ng

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How police brutality poses threat to Nigeria’s tech industry, foreign exchange ENDURANCE OKAFOR

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hile Nigeria is fast becoming a prime spot for technology start-ups and investment, police brutality on players of the young but growing industry makes ease of doing business difficult and thus poses threat to the growth of the sector. The continuous harassment of Nigerian professionals who are riding on technology to make ends meet, either as software developers, content creators, podcasters, and online marketers could mean that Africa’s largest economy could be losing millions in salaries and investments.

“I lost an opportunity to raise funding for my tech company because I was illegally detained by SARs for almost one week,” a Lagos-based tech CEO lamented to BusinessDay at one of the protest centres in Lagos.

“They stopped me, went through my laptop and they didn’t understand most of the things on it. They were only able to establish the fact that I have had email conversations with foreigners and so I was asked to pay some ridiculous amount of money, I was detained when I refused to pay, as a result, I lost the deal,” the tech entrepreneur who simply identified himself as Peter said.

Just like the Silicon Valley in the southern San Francisco Bay Area of California, home to companies like Apple, Facebook and Google, Nigeria is said to have almost a replica in Lagos, home to the largest tech hub ecosystem in Africa.

Located in the suburb of Lagos is the Yabacon Valley, the high-tech innovation hub, which started life in 2010 with one building earmarked as an incubator for talent and has since spread across different parts of the city and states.

Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world are moving to a service-driven digital economy, and Nigeria is not left behind as the obvious rise in unemployment in Africa’s most populous nation has pushed more young people into finding innovative ways to generate revenue while leveraging technology for remote work.

From trading cryptocurrencies, running online advertisements, making comedy skits, copywriting, content creation, graphic designs, to working remotely as software developers, a geopolitical intelligence platform, SB Morgen (SBM) says young Nigerians have created a service economy that appears independent of government patronage.

Isa Ibrahim, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy believe Nigeria’s tech industry which currently contributes about 13.8 percent to the nation’s GDP will in the next two to three years, double the 8.8 percent contribution of the oil and gas sector.

“The recent statistics by NBS shows that the future is indeed in ICT. This is a clear indication that at the pace ICT is growing in Nigeria, most probably in the next two or three years, the contribution of the ICT to the GDP will at least double that of the oil sector,” Ibrahim.

But, according to industry players, the incessant harassment from the police and especially the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit is one of the reasons why the sector is yet to attain its full potential.

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“In many reported cases, persons found with laptops or “expensive phones” are arrested and bogus charges slapped on them even after they show their ID cards and proof of legitimate sources of income. They are often forced to enter unmarked vehicles, are driven to unknown locations, have their phones seized, and are given no opportunity to call friends or family for help,” SB Morgen said, adding that “these are scare tactics and continuous police brutality undermines this service economy currently being championed by young Nigerians.”

While the reported cases of some young Nigerians who are involved in cybercrime and internet fraud cannot be swept under the carpet, the police brutality of the few professionals in Nigeria’s technology industry is bringing a huge loss to Nigeria in form of foreign earnings.

Narrating his ordeal with SARS, Yele Bademosi Founder Bundle, a social payment app for cash or crypto said he was kidnapped by SARS on October 2019, at a location that was less than 2 minutes from his home.

“They took my phones, wallet, house key, my Apple Watch, didn’t care about my ID cards and claimed I was a Yahoo Boy because I had messages on telegram with foreigners. They demanded N1m from me, made a “fake” phone call to their commander, and said I would sleep in prison,” he lamented.

Whereas Nigeria’s unemployment rate is at a record high of 27.1 percent in the second quarter of 2020, tech companies have continuously lamented over the scarcity of IT professionals and lack of graduate that fit today’s job roles which require a high level of soft skills, a problem resulting from Nigerian universities teaching students how to use a computer on the blackboard.

Jessica Akano, recruiting manager for Africa at Andela, a company that offers software engineering as a service, says one of the major challenges of her role has been “scarcity of very solid talent due to pay competition and multiple opportunities at home and abroad for software engineers. There’s always another company willing to pay more or do more.”

Instead of relying on the export of crude oil for over 90 percent of Nigeria’s foreign earnings, industry analysts have advised that Nigeria should train most of its young population for IT export and in exchange, attract more foreign earnings and investments. BD

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Interview

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BudgIT Nigeria soaring higher as it opens more doors for transparency through personalized data availability FAVOUR

OLAREWAJU

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he BudgIT foundation, Nigeria’s civic technological organization has once again raised the bars for standards of transparency and accountability within just 9 years of its establishment in areas of public finance as it recently launched a personalized data portal that provides the exact breakdown of monthly allocations to the Federal, State and Local Governments. This new personalized data platform allows each individual to access statistics on government budgets and ongoing projects according to distinct localities.

BudgIT Foundation BudgIT Foundation is a Nigerian, Lagosbased not-for-profit, private and civic organization that utilizes technology for citizen engagement alongside institutional improvement to trigger societal advocacy and changes.

The beginnings of BudgIT Co-founded by Oluseun Onigbinde (Director) and Joseph Agunbiade (Chief Technology Officer) at their headquarters in Yaba, Lagos state, Nigeria, the idea behind BudgIT was birthed in March 2011 but officially launched in September of that year. Gabriel Okeowo is the Principal Lead of BudgIT. March 2011 was when Oluseun and Joseph met and worked together at a hackathon competition organized by CoCreations Hub (CCHub) to solve governance-related issues using technology, specifically themed ‘Tech-In-Governance, where they emerged as runner up winners.

Prior to March 2011, Oluseun worked in research & strategy at First Bank while Joseph had long been into technology and soft wares as an entrepreneur. Oluseun’s job gave him experience about the data gathering process and rigors involved, which already sparked the idea of making data openly available for Nigerians for the purpose of accountability for government. This was especially since most national finance and expenditure issues surrounded the budget.

Before then, the national budget was a bulky PDF file which was uninteresting as well as difficult for Nigerians to

access and comprehend. However, converting the PDF data to excel sheet was a lot of work for us and ate up a huge chunk of our time. So, the next step was to eventually turn it into a database and infographics. This was done using three key approaches: having the literates who can easily work with excel; literates who find excel uninteresting and prefer database to easily search for key information; and visual persons who preferred infographics. These 3 tools helped us to gain the attention of the citizens, for which engagement with citizens was not only initiated but sustained over time through conscious and deliberate decisions to appeal to the various literate spectrums.

Excerpts from the interview with co-founder Joseph Agunbiade.

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Interview

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How has BudgIT been able to access data given the issues of data unavailability which has plagued Nigeria and many African countries for so many years? ost data have always been available in a public space but is hidden and we have never tried to use illegal means such as hacking people’s database contrary to what some people think. The worst-case scenario is to find contacts inside the concerned organisation to help us get the data needed and we have started partnering with states and government bodies by including pushing OPEN alliance and Open Treasury Portal (OTP) with them. Lagos is one of the most recent partnerships and it has been forward thinking but quite difficult to partner with until Sanwo-Olu, the current Lagos state governor came into the picture and shocked us by reaching out to us for partnership in desiring to make the state’s data fully public. Currently, we now work with the Lagos State Ministry of Budget and Planning.

Enugu state is one state that has done tremendously well over the years and Lagos state is recently doing well.

These collaborations go a long way in giving us privileged first-hand access to data. Putting the data together requires a lot of research such as using the Freedom of Information Act 2011 (FOI) bill to request for data.

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How do you get funding for your numerous activities and projects in Nigeria and across the world?

Well, that’s quite tricky but funding is never guaranteed for us. The fact that we get funding from a particular sponsor this year does not guarantee funding from the same sponsor next year so we have to lobby on a yearly basis. Every now and then, these donors choose different thematic areas of focus, for instance corruption, so BudgIT aligns their own strategic objective for that year to fit this focus area. And because finance is something that impacts almost every thematic area, it is easier for us than if we decide to pick the thematic area ourselves, say health which is quite different from corruption in this scenario. So, finance opens us up to lots of possibilities.

The second strategy for funding is that we do our possible best to be fully Businessday.ng

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accountable and transparent since as a not-for-profit company, it’s very easy to decide to siphon the company’s funds. So, individually, we have our own businesses, and Seun has gotten a lot of fellowships and so our eyes are not on BudgIT’s money. Moreover, we are disciplined enough with a very solid account unit to ensure that project funds are actually spent on the right projects with well-paid personnel via our developed sustainability model. For instance, most donors give funds for two years and tell us to hire workers for that particular job as we deem fit. After the two years, it is not the donors concern if those workers are retained or not. So, using our sustainability model, we ensure that we do not always have to fire people but keep employees with fully paid quar-

terly, half-year and end of year bonus salaries.

This is in addition to sending staff on training to institutions like Harvard and INSEAD Business School (Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires/ European Institute of Business Administration) because we have locally developed our strength and capacity through our own secret recipe. Often times, when donors come in and see our capacity, they are often impressed and feel very confident to commit to funding BudgIT for the second time. A practical example of more-than-one-time sponsors are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Omidyar Network now called Luminate, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), United Nations (UN) support, Ministry of Defence

Interview

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Have you encountered any form of roadblocks from government since you’re exposing cats in the bag?

Well, government is a rather blanket statement and on the contrary, the political elites have been more forthcoming in partnering with us as against the private individuals in form of civil servants and those working in the ministry. Of course, this does not mean that everyone in the civil service tries to sabotage BudgIT, just a few ones with ulterior motives who benefit from the people’s ignorance, have tried to oppose the BudgIT process due to selfish personal reasons. Ultimately, we have had a lot of handshakes but we have also had a few threats.

I remember one of our field officers in Niger state who tracked some things in that state and the politician involved traced the guy to Kaduna and used the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to catch him. We had to quickly contact some few people in power even governor Nasir El-Rufai and before the governor could say Jack Robinson, the rogue guys had moved our field officer to police headquarters in Abuja. So, we had to engage the Senate President, Bukola Saraki who had been promising us his unwavering support for citizen engagement and that event was time to prove his words, which he did and under 24 hours, we got the person’s freedom.

Also, look at when the Lagos state governor went in yesterday to secure the freedom of people that had been previously captured by the police force. So, for public office holders, lots of eyes are

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There is much more accountability to be demanded in health, police, justice and even transportation sectors of the country

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Art Collection (MODAC) and the British subsidiary of DFID for which we have done consultancy projects for DFID. This is because sometimes, our funding comes from directly working for these people, especially the international donors as we do not work for government.

Four years ago, we created a business for profit company called FITILA for data journalism to provide infographics such as when we worked for Nestle for two years in helping them with their annual report. BudgIT has also created an accelerator program called Civic Hive which empowers people that have ideas which are similar to BudgIT. From the brilliant minds of people who accelerate ideas, we have gotten Amplify and Gavle who are the main guys providing the legal drive for #EndSARS.

on them and people are able to demand accountability as the civil service persons seem to be the ones frustrating the system the most compared to singular politicians who might want to initiate some things but will be unable to if persons at the ministry say no.

We have also had the support of a King who visited our office and we were elated to have such support. Overall, BudgIT has had more applauds and relatively fewer threats than expected when we publish some information about certain politicians. This means that people including some of the politicians silently love and appreciate our works and this tells us that we can do more especially with more activists and related agencies playing in that space.

The issue of extravagant salaries and allowance of members of the House of representatives has been heard of but data availability has handicapped a lot of Nigerians from really delving into this. Does BudgIT have access to such data?

We got some data when Saraki was in power, just before he left, following our campaign on #OpenSARS but this kind of information is not always available, so there is no update on this data yet.

Nonetheless, the figures of earnings for these House of Reps is ridiculous. The reason why it looks like BudgIT has not succeeded in this regard is because of the various forms of allowance such as sitting allowance and the likes because one of the ways to evade attack is by using the term

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‘allowance’, which makes it a bit difficult for the people to fight/oppose it.

Given the experience so far, what would you say moving forward given the current realities?

For us, our story is centred around creating more engagement by citizens to know that public service holders are their employees and by being consistently active without relenting and like the Arab Spring, we can maintain this to create a change. There is much more accountability to be demanded in health, police, justice and even transportation sectors of the country. Gavle is doing a whole lot in supporting the #EndSARS protest and I’m privileged to be on their board. For instance, imagine the people come out and protest with the same effort that why should Danfo buses still be plying the Nigerian roads by demanding for better and effective transportation system as people are tired of being complacent.

BudgIT is committed to accelerating and actively engaging people who have creative ideas over those who are satisfied with peanuts and inadvertently mortgaging their future. For us, this can go as far as engaging activism among people in their dialects including the Hausas until victory and success is certain in a sustainable manner. This will encourage doing things the right way and restructuring such that the government does not just make decisions randomly and without considering the people. Although Northern Nigeria is aligned with the British who put them in power, we need a more liberal North and the entire country as well where the people can say what they actually what. The west, east, south and even the north should be able to freely control and manage their own resources. In fact, clamoring for Biafra and the likes will reduce if the regions know that they are managing themselves and their resources with an agreed portion, say 10 or 20 percent given to the Federal government. There might be small issues but it will be easier to deal with. Besides classifying the North as one does not fully encompass the North West, North Central/Middle Belt and North East and these regions are abundantly endowed with resources. So, more active engagements help people to better realise who they are and make the best demands from government for a better society. BD Businessday.ng

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Photo Splash

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Moments from the End SARS protests in Nigeria, captured by Ifebusola Shotunde

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SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Photo Splash

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Culinary Delights

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SATURDAY SATURDAY17, 17,OCTOBER OCTOBER2020 2020

THE BENEFITS OF A MOOD BOARD ANJOLA AWOSIKA

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reating a mood board is one of my favorite activities during my food photography process. It gets my creative juices flowing whenever I’m about to begin a food shoot, as well as a clearer visual idea of what I have decided to photograph. In today’s write up, I will discuss the benefits of mood board in food photography.

The tool I use to create my mood board for food photography is Pinterest. There are so many photo ideas on Pinterest and I will highly recommend it to anyone.

Pinterest gives everyone an opportunity to source for ideas and tailors the search for specific results. All you need to do on Pinterest is input the intended dish to photograph in the search section and add the word/phrase “photography or food photography” to the side. The results would be an extensive display of images that will be used for inspiration.

Mood board helps you achieve specific photography and food styling goals. For instance, lighting. If I’m concerned about the lighting technique to get the perfect pizza photo, looking through images in my mood board allows me to pay more attention to the lighting technique in these photos. Sometimes, I analyze images for food styling tips and composition. The goal behind every food image will be achieved when you pay more attention to your mood board.

I have discovered that clients have specific ideas in mind, but they aren’t sure how to communicate them. A mood board will Businessday.ng

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serve as a tool to connect any miscommunication gap during a food shoot between the client and the food photographer for the reason that there is a creative material that the client and food photographer looks at for the food photographer to achieve the client’s goal through his or her eyes. The mood board is a visual reference for the clients and the photographer, and it helps set the tone for creative direction.

It is common for food photographers to execute one or two ideas they’ve had for the shoot, and most times, they go-ahead to execute those ideas. A food photographer can experience a creative block during a shoot, and here’s where the mood board comes in. The mood board will have various options the food photographer can explore for the benefits of the project.

This process is quite exciting, and I’d say that for anyone trying out food photography, having a mood board would be a great place to start. BD 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.

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Book Review

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Book Title: The Villager: How Africans Consume Brands Author: Feyi Olubodun Published by: Cognix by Ouida Books Year of Publication: 2018 Number of pages: 146 Category: Business

Understanding the African consumer – A Review of Feyi Olubodun’s The Villager: How Africans Consume Brands TITILADE OYEMADE

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frica has a lot of business opportunities. However, breaking into the African market is a herculean task.

The challenges to doing business in Africa are not new but why do brands—global and local—so often fail to connect with the African consumer? This question and many more prompted former data analyst and market researcher Feyi Olubodun to write the book The Villager.

This detailed, eye-opening book provides an insightful overview for marketers who are interested in learning and understanding the psychology of Africans. As explained in the subtitle, “How Africans Consume Brands”, the book is heavily focused on the African consumer and aimed at inspiring investors to make the best decisions about conquering new markets in Africa.

The author is introduced in the book as the CEO of a leading advertising agency in Nigeria, alumnus of Duke University Fuqua School of Business Global Executive MBA programme, graduate of psychology, an acute observer of human behaviour, brands, businesses, and African institutions. This combination of various skills likely helped the author to produce a body of work that is readable and useful at the same time.

Straightforward prose, organised chapters and real-life examples converge in a work that should prove useful to brand enthusiasts, marketers and investors.The book’s 146 pages is exactly what it claims to be: to share with you some lenses that you must use if you want to win in Africa. More specifically, it provides a general framework for understanding the African consumer.

Olubodun goes into detail defining what makes the villager African and speaks on innovation in an African context, cultural leadership, strategy and its implementation across several platforms and business schools in the book’s twelve chapters.

While it is difficult to understand the beautiful work

of art on the book cover, Olubodun writes predominantly from a marketing point of view sharing his profound knowledge which he acquired over several years of experience on behavioural patterns of Africans and how it can profitably affect a global brand or a local one. Black-andwhite images, numerous charts and illustrations, break up its text well and energise its discussions.

The first chapter would be very useful for investors looking to invest in Africa, the next chapter talks about the issues of global brands. The other chapters of the book are devoted to examining the critical lenses that an investor or marketer needs to see the consumers as they truly are, also providing hands-on advice and information on how it will result in better-targeted campaigns delivering customers a brand experience they want and need. Olubodun is succinct and to the point in the final chapter on how Africans consume brands.

The Villager will teach you the reasons behind the behavioural patterns of Africans and you will discover a unique insight into global audiences and not just the African ones.

All in all, The Villager is an information-rich book for any investor, brand owner, marketer, who wishes to engage, explore, or sell anything in the fastest growing and most profitable region in the world today. BD oyemade is a business execute in a leading organisation and holds a degree

in Russian Language. She’s the convener of the Hangoutwithtee Ladies Event and the publisher of Hangoutwithtee magazine. She spends her weekends attending women conferences, events and book readings. She loves to have fun and to help other women have the same in their lives.

Email: titi.oyemade@gmail.com Social: @tiipree

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Health Today

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SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Questions you need to ask your doctor to ensure you are getting the best care DR MONISOLA ADANIJO

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n my experience, I have noticed that often times, patients are not aware about many things regarding their health. They don’t know their diagnosis, they don’t bother to know the name of their doctor, and what they are being treated for and of course, details of their daily medications. Doctors are also treating conditions that should be referred to specialists.

Medicine has evolved from one doctor treating all the medical conditions from gynecology to brain matters, to one where there are specific specialists for specific illnesses.

1. What exactly is my diagnosis?

This is the most important question you can ask while with the doctor. Your doctor must be able to tell you your diagnosis and explain what the problem is to you in simple terms you can understand. If you don’t understand the explanation, kindly ask them to explain again. If your doctor gets offended or is reluctant to explain the diagnosis to you, you are better off seeking a second opinion. If the doctor is not sure of the diagnosis, and is awaiting test results to be sure, he/she should be able to say so.

2. What is your specialty?

There are a diverse number of medical specialties, with doctors becoming experts in specific field of medicine. Your general practitioner (GP) is usually the first point of contact with the medical system. They have a broad knowledge of most medical conditions and can help you reach a diagnosis.

Sometimes the GP can treat your illness and you won’t need a referral. Other times you need to see a specialist. Either way, when you are with your doctor, it’s important to know what his/her specialty is to ensure you are seeing the right doctor.

when you get home and you start going to the toilet more often, you won’t be alarmed.

5. What are the side effects?

Drugs have multiple side effects, some are major, some are minor.

Your doctor should tell you the major side effect of any drug he is prescribing. Although the pitfall of this is that some patients, once they learn the side effects of medication, the attribute all their problems following the use of the drug to “side effects”.

6. Do I need to see a specialist?

This is a very important question. There are many illnesses that are outside the scope of your regular doctor. Even specialists refer to other specialists. Sometimes, patients don’t understand why they have to see another specialist after seeing me, but I have to explain to them… I am a heart doctor, I have minimal knowledge of pediatrics, gynecology, prostate issues, brain or kidney... the list is endless!

7. What are these tests supposed to show?

When you are sent for investigations, please ask about what he doctor hopes to find in the results, that will also help you understand your illness better.

I hope these tips were useful, please remember you are responsible for your health, always ask questions. BD

3. What is the name of the drug are you giving me?

It important you know exactly what drug is being prescribed by your doctor. This will help if you are seeing another medical practitioner or if problems like side effects or allergies occur.

Nobody should be taking medicine they don’t know the name. Will you put any random oil inside your car? (palm oil, vegetable oil… after all they are all oil!)

4. How does it work?

After you have been told the name of the drug, it’s important to know how it works. Example some hypertension drugs work by making you urinate a lot. It important you ask so dr adanijo fmcp a Cardiologist and the Medical Director at Naveen Healthcare.

With experience spanning over 20 years, she built her pathway in medicine and cardiology working in reputable medical centres such as Mecure Healthcare Limited, Barnes Hospital, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Chevron Hospital, Lagos to mention but a few. Her passion for preventive cardiology led her to convene the Naveen Healthcare 10,000 Hearts Project, in order to help individuals detect, protect and correct cardiovascular diseases. Skilled in cardiovascular diagnostic procedures and treatment, a fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, a member of Nigerian Cardiac Society, American College of Physicians, Hypertension society of Nigeria and an international associate of the American College of Cardiology. She also has a Diploma in Leadership and Management from the University of Washington, USA. As a Continuous Medical Education (CME) provider, she has worked with the likes of Trigen Healthcare Solutions, Pfizer GP Academy, Diamond Helix Medical Assistance, Pfizer Pharmacy Academy, Global Health Project and Resources, Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria, Novartis Nigeria and Servier International. She has helped build capacity in Electrocardiogram interpretation, preventive cardiovascular diseases, management of heart failure, patient education and more. She launched the first TeleElectrocardiogram project in Nigeria and West Africa and does her part in contributing to good health and wellbeing, a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG3) of the United Nations. moni.adanijo@naveenhealthcare.com I www.naveenhealthcare.com I Instagram: https://Instagram.com/moni_adanijo I https://Instagram.com/naveenhealthcare I Linkedin: Monisola Adanijo

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SATURDAY SATURDAY17, 17,OCTOBER OCTOBER2020 2020

Interview

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Invest in your passion and your call to service ELIZABETH OSHO We know you to be a tenacious young man, please introduce yourself? y name is Orondaam Otto and I am a social entrepreneur. I am the founder of Slum2School Africa and also very involved in several other developmental organizations. I have been a community organizer and development consultant working with thousands of young people across the private sector, public sector and civil society for over 15 years. I am passionate about improving education quality, access and outcomes, as well as human capital development policies to eliminate socio-economic inequalities and achieve sustainable economic growth.

Was it an experience or an epiphany, why did you leave your remunerative job to birth Slum2School?

I have always had a passion for education and leadership right from childhood which encouraged and made me engage in various developmental projects within and outside Nigeria. Taking the lead on several developmental initiatives shouldered me with the responsibility of being a president of a leading international leadership organization in the university, I was also the class Governor at my NYSC and also a member of the Millennium Development Goal Community Service group which enabled me understand the realities facing children in slums and hard-to-reach communities. Seeing the terrible reality and challenges in these areas made me heartbroken and com-

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Interview

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mitted to doing something about it.

As at the time I was still serving during my NYSC and I worked at the bank which was really time consuming. After months working with the children I had met in the communities, I realized I couldn't give focus to this passion and commitment to support the children so I had to make a tough decision of resigning from my job at the bank and seeking the collaborations that eventually ensured that 114 children were enrolled into schools in 2012 and had access to quality education, good health care, and happier families.

Tell us what motivated you to start Slum2School?

The firm belief in the rights of every child; especially their right to education and our ability to come together to build the country and continent of our dreams. One where there was hope for everyone and every young person is able to fully maximize their potential.

It must have been tedious, what are some of the negative/ not-so-pleasing experiences you have faced since the start of Slum2School?

Every place of service and transformation comes with its share of challenges especially for Organizations like ours. There are numerous challenges from communities, government and even families. Of course there are stereotypes about the true intentions of our operations as some people think we do it for political goals or personal gains, but through the years, our commitment and transparent processes, the immense impact stories from beneficiaries and communities, have shown stakeholders the realities of our core values of accountability and transformation.

Slum2School was founded in 2012, it’s been over 8 years what has been your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement is the collective impact we are able to create as an Organization. We have an incredible Governing Board, thousands of volunteers across 35 countries, community leaders, hundreds of partners, numerous supporters, an incredible team of passionate and talented staff and most importantly incredibly successful beneficiaries across primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, who continue to drive our mission to ensure hope for every child through access to quality education and necessary education policy reform.

Congratulations on the Prudential Zenith Award Grant, well-deserved. How has the grant improved the Virtual Learning Program?

Thank you. The Prudential Zenith award grant of $100,000 was a very good pat on our back as we had put in so much effort during the Covid-19 lockdown ensuring that our learners were not idle but continuously learning. We went above and beyond importing digital devices and also building the first Virtual Learning Classroom/Studio in Africa, so this grant came at the very right time and has emphasized the power of impact and partnership. Through it we have been able to provide educational tablets, data subscriptions for the beneficiaries. We are also reaching more beneficiaries and communities and we are much closer to our goal of 10,000 beneficiaries.

Tell us more about Slum2School Virtual Learning Studio?

The Slum2School Virtual Learning Studio is a state- of-the-art facility that enables hundreds of learners stay connected and Businessday.ng

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to be taught by their tutors, mentors, counsellors, etc. Using high end 21st century technology. Despite the lockdown, beneficiaries in underserved communities continued learning. Even after the lockdown, it is still very useful in ways that kids can still learn both in and out of school.

Thanks to our partners at ESPN, Athletia Captial, Eat’N’Go, Microsoft, Prudential Zenith and more, we have been able to provide educational tablets and laptops for beneficiaries of the program. They are able to learn subjects from the traditional curriculum and advanced science and art courses as well. Having on boarded 1050 beneficiaries to the platform, our goal is to on board 10,000 children who are still out of school through our Virtual Learning Classroom and Cluster Learning Program.

What are your future projections for Slum2School Africa?

Slum2School Africa would expand geographically within Nigeria, outside Nigeria to Africa and to address the challenge of education policies and access to quality education for every child. We would have more volunteer engagements, improve on our modes of operation so that there are more Slum2School replications around the world. We would also be able to touch more lives around the world. We hope to see a time where Slum2School would have evolved to something bigger because together, we would have successfully tackled the challenge of out-of-school-children in Nigeria and Africa.

Nigeria’s Educational sector is experiencing gradual improvement, what are some of the changes you have noticed?

Some of the improvements I have noticed are: The government of some states are more committed and involved in the educational sector in recent years by appointing the right individuals and initiating important policies; more policy makers, NGOs, private individuals, corporate organizations are investing in education; technology is beginning to take a front seat in delivery of education and more states are getting involved; improved policy/reforms towards education; and strengthened private-public partnerships.

But in all these we need to do much more as we are just harnessing less than 20% of our potential as a nation.

What does being Nigerian mean to you?

Being a Nigerian means being a part of one of the world’s greatest human resources. We are going to be a positive force for the world to reckon with and our generation will make that happen.

A word of advice to young aspiring educators like you?

Invest in your passion and your call to service. Seek and promote collaborative partnerships. Do not stop believing in Nigeria even as we face our fears and are continually led by our convictions.

Love one another equally without prejudice based on tribe, gender or religion, and in all you do, never give up. BD

osho is a detailed strategist and a communications expert. She is the founder

of So.MeSolutions, a communications company that has helped a significant number of brands boost their possibilities including Sterling Bank, South African Tourism, MasterCard Foundation, Unilever, Filmhouse Cinemas, Sweetkiwi to name a few. Liz has been recorded among the100 most inspiring women in Nigeria (2017). She was likewise interviewed by CNN where she spearheaded one of the most insightful events on Digital marketing tagged Dedicated to Digital.

Skills

SATURDAY SATURDAY17, 17,OCTOBER OCTOBER2020 2020

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ACQUIRING SOFT SKILLS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP GLORY ENYINNAYA The four soft skills every entrepreneur should master include: • Keeping abreast of innovative trends and ideas • Setting and achieving goals • Effective communication • Negotiation and interpersonal relations Keep abreast of innovative ideas and new trends “If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.

— John D. Rockefeller, industrialist, cofounder of Standard Oil Co., and philanthropist” I was looking through the brochure of a prestigious European business school when I spied the phrase. "The more you know, the more you dare.’’

You need to develop an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a curiosity about the latest developments in science, technology, economics and business. Breakthrough ideas are often to be found between the pages of business books, magazines and in business schools.

Subscribe to books, magazines and websites that will keep you abreast of developments in technology, economics and business practice Commit to attending one executive education course or conference every year. Join a professional association.

Attend breakfast meetings, webinars or learning events organized by your alma mater.

As an entrepreneur, you should always be on the hunt for the next pearl of wisdom that could transform your business model and your fortunes.

Create a goal setting system and train yourself to keep score “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.

—Andrew Carnegie, steel industrialist” Successful entrepreneurs are characterized by a high need for achievement. You can’t afford to be complacent and passive if you want to make a success of any entrepreneurial venture.

Craft a vision and mission for your life. Develop a life plan. Create a five-year plan. Decide which milestones you can reach this year. Break these down into monthly targets.

Use this monthly plan to plan your week. Use your weekly plan to plan your day. Schedule your priorities. Set reminders. Get things done. Track your progress.

You may use a notebook, Microsoft Office template or app to set goals and track their achievement.

Whatever your preferred method, you need to exercise your muscles of initiative, drive, self-direction and grit in order to Businessday.ng

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28 Skills

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

thrive as an entrepreneur.

Take a course on communication skills “In business, sir, one has no friends, only correspondents.

—Alexandre Dumas, writer” As an entrepreneur, you are always communicating. Hence, you need to improve your ability to speak, write and understand English in professional settings.

A good management communications course will teach you how to: • Communicate in social and professional interactions.

• Apply these skills to business negotiations, telephone conversations, written reports and emails and professional presentations.

• Socialize, network and interact with business contacts in person, on the phone, or over mail in a professional way.

• Present relevant information about yourself or your company in a discussion forum.

• Arrange, participate in and conclude on-site meetings and teleconferences.

• Prepare to write a proposal as an outcome of a meeting.

• Present information in an organized and engaging way.

• Share data in charts and graphs.

• Use persuasive language in a presentation.

Take a course in negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution “In business, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you Businessday.ng

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negotiate.

—Chester L. Karrass, negotiations expert and author” Negotiation is key to business success. No business can survive without profitable contracts. As a business owner you will need to go beyond intuition and acquire proven tools to help you achieve greater success in negotiation. You will also need to develop better cross-cultural anticipation and flexibility when you face a negotiation - both key skills in an international environment. Finally you will need to choose and lead a mediation process. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of workplace and international conflict resolution.

A good negotiation course will teach you how to: • Plan your negotiation strategy.

• Use power during negotiations.

• Use psychological tools during negotiations.

• Create a binding contract.

• Perform and evaluate your agreement.

• Implement dispute resolution processes – especially media-

tion and arbitration.

BD

is an international business consultant and corporate change agent who has consulted for a diverse range of blue-chip companies, including Accenture, Nigeria LNG, British-American Tobacco, Access Bank, FCMB and MTN. She has also advised over 200 entrepreneurs for clients such as the Centre for Global Enterprise (New York), the Entrepreneur Scan (Netherlands) and the International Business Accelerator (United States). glory

Entrepreneurship

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Necessity driven entrepreneurship - A pathway to life changing opportunities WEYINMI ERIBO

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everal entrepreneurs go into business for economic survival usually due to push factors such as lack of jobs, lack of education, low skills, discrimination and sometimes due to absence of or unsatisfactory opportunities. A research

by InfoDev, supported by world bank, identifies a person who engages in entrepreneurial activity chiefly as a means of providing subsistence income to himself/herself as a subsistence/necessity entrepreneur. Necessity entrepreneurs typically do not aspire to grow the business to the point of creating employment opportunities for workers outside of their immediate family. These kinds of entrepreneurs or business people are usually prevalent in retail and personal care sectors and are typically one person operations, generally range from street hawkers to educated hopefuls with limited access to formal employment.

As would be expected, these category of people lack basic entrepreneurial skills, managerial skills, have poor book keeping skill sets and are not constantly looking for ways to improve their offerings because they are just trying to make enough money for the next meal. Due to the poor economic situation of the country, there continues to be an alarming rise in the number of entrepreneurs being produced out of necessity.

Where there are extensive necessity entrepreneurship endeavors taking place in the form of micro, small and other forms of business undertaking, improving the competence

of the business owners will contribute positively to the survival rate of these necessity driven businesses to ensure that they realize the powerful economic potential they inherently possess. Most necessity driven entrepreneurs have sparse capital, education, skills, and knowledge, thus are unable to develop innovative products and services. Some of the issues of unemployment, gender inequality and inclusiveness can be solved, or at least can be reduced, by expanding entrepreneurship. While most entrepreneurs may be quick to say funding is a major problem, education and entrepreneurial training have proven to be important for the success of any venture. Higher education increases the probability of being pulled by opportunity rather than being pushed by necessity into the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Most businesses created out of necessity either crash or plateau for years. Mama Mariah, your favorite fish selling customer in the market has remained in that tiny kiosk for 16 years, selling the same products. This is however not always the case, there are a number of outliers who find opportunities within their micro businesses to expand to begin to solve real needs.

A typical example is Ijeoma Ndukwe, the CEO of bubez pap, a food processing company currently processing, and packaging raw pap fortified with vitamins and minerals in different variants, who started out selling pap from her house. While running her business,

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she identified the existing challenges of time involved in its preparation from scratch, poor hygiene concerns from purchasing from an open market, and especially monotony in taste. Today she has over 10 variants in the market and exports to the UK and US. This did not happen overnight; she took steps to improve not just her business acumen but developed herself as a person and as an entrepreneur. She is one out of many as there are now women who were motivated by necessity when they started their enterprise but are now taking advantage of the various opportunities for growth available that are targeted at the specific needs and rights of female entrepreneurs and access to financial opportunities.

Necessity entrepreneurship will create jobs and meagre income which may be seen to curb social problems associated with unemployment in the short term, but it will not advance personal growth or national economic growth in the long run but the unsatisfaction from hand-to-mouth entrepreneurship will result in quick exit from their business ventures. With a lot of the inequality faced by women in the corporate world, entrepreneurship can provide a level playing field for anyone to succeed. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as we still experience less women navigating and succeeding in their ventures.

It is one thing however to provide training for these female entrepreneurs but it also important to have follow up and feedback mechanisms, support and hand holding opportunities where necessary. This is also a call for the successful heforshe entrepreneurs to intentionally mentor women in business. A female mentor will help navigate through the hurdles that she has gone through as a woman or may understand but a man can help understand the other parts that we may be missing as women. BD is a development expert with special focus on Gender, Financial Inclusion and Enterprise Development.

She has over 8 years working experience across several sectors – oil and gas, extractive sector, not for profit management, leadership, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is the founder of Wevvo Nigeria, a resource and community-based platform that supports single female breadwinners. weyinmie

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Investment Cartoon

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

An Illustrator and an animator with a passion for financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

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Mental Health

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Taking care of your mental health

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he nationwide protests against police brutality and injustice in the country mark a difficult time for Nigerians. The likes of Mentally Aware Nigeria and the Emotions Doctor, Oyinkansola Alabi are here to tell you that you do not have to fight yourself even as you fight the system. Take care of your mind and emotions and how you react to everything going on. It is okay not to be okay with all of it and seek ways to address the issues.

Navigating mental health issues during the nationwide protests: Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) Whether you are out protesting or protesting online or simply observing from the sidelines and sympathetic to the cause, there is no denying that it can all get very overwhelming and fast. Here are some of the mental health related issues you or those around you might be faced with at this time: • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), especially for those who have been previously brutalized by the police or other law enforcement agents. They are prone to flashes of their past ordeals and forced to relive such experiences.

• Panic Attacks; the heavy presence of armed policemen during these protests and frequent reports of people getting shot at or killed doing the protests can trigger panic attacks.

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• Anxiety attacks when going out.

These are some of the common issues people might be faced with at this time, howvever the list is not exhaustive.

What are some of the things you can do to take care of your mental health and manage your responses in these difficult times?

• Ensure that you get enough sleep everyday. The importance of at least 8 hours of sleep every night cannot be overemphasized. As difficult as this may be to do, especially for those living in major cities, it is essential to maintain a good balance mentally.

• Limit your time on social media and reduce your news intake. Try as much as possible to cut off sources of trigger news. Frequent news updates about the protests and killings could trigger panic attacks and make you more nervous or anxious.

• Reduce caffeine intake. Excess caffeine can trigger your ‘fight or flight’ mode and make you jumpy.

• Reach out to verified mental health care professionals and organizations. There are many mental health organizations offering free mental health counselling. Mentally Aware Nigeria initiative is also offering some free services. It is important to talk to someone when you are feeling overwhelmed.

• If you are currently coping with a mental illness, try as much as possible to avoid your triggers this period and safeguard your mental health.

• If you are a protester on protest grounds; you can use the nearest available “Panic Cart” currently being moved out to protest grounds by Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative. These carts are to give support to those who may experience panic attacks on protest grounds and educate others on how to help others who may be having panic attacks. Carts encouraging people to sleep right will also follow shortly.

• It is not only protesters having a hard time this period, Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative is offering a special program called ‘Daily Support’ for those who need someone to talk to at the end of a stressful day. BD You can reach Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative: Hotline: 0809-111-MANI (0809 111 6264) Website: project-covid.ng Social media: @mentallyawareng

Emotions City/Emotions Doctor – Oyinkansola Alabi While speaking on tackling mental health and Nigeria Oyinkansola Alabi, popularly referred to as the Emotions Doctor; the lead researcher and facilitator at Emotions City, a leading emotional intelligence centre, she said “Nigeria is a stressful country and we are trying to be emotionally stable in an unstable country. So it is a tall order.” She went on to speak on the nationwide protests against police brutality and the other issues the country is faced with, saying, “At every point in time, it looks like there are things attempting to eliminate your joy and peace and happiness, so an average human being would react. I just think that if we had a better environment, we will all respond better. But if we’re going through this level of pain, there’s no way people will not experience stress, anxiety, depression and too many things put together. That’s the whole perspective from the person to the environment.”

“Emotions City is the centre for emotional intelligence in Africa. What that means is that we’re a behavioural change Academy, we focus on emotional intelligence training, certifications, therapy, employee assistance, family consulting, marital consulting, adolescents, youth, as long as you're a human being, we know that you need to be emotionally stable. So we are the bridge between emotional instability and stability. Emotion City works and functions from Ikoyi, Lagos, and Texas in the US. And everything that we do revolves around behavioural change and mental health, we just want people to be emotionally stable, we move them from a position of instability to stability. Yes, that's our vision. That's our mission is to preserve what it is to be human. Because clearly, this movement that all of us are involved in right now is just trying to call people's attention to the fact that you need to be human again, you have become insensitive, you have become lacking in empathy and as long as you do that, you are moving from being human into being an animal, you are transiting from building a nation to a jungle. We are not animals; we need to be treated as human beings. That's what this exact an entire movement is about. So for us, the bottom line is to preserve what it is to be human and help people as much as possible to be emotionally stable.”

Emotions City is supporting the movement by providing over 200 free therapy slots for protesters.

You can reach Emotions City: Phone numbers: 0701450923 I 08125723042 I 08029437778 I 08186152063 I 08094372355, 08035860849 Website: www.emotionscity.com I Social media: @emotionscity I @emotionsdoctor

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SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

The class of 2020 finds its voice GOZIEM OKUBOR

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or over 10 days now, young Nigerians have peacefully marched streets across the country, contesting alleged violent treatment at the hands of tactical units of the Nigerian Police Force, calling for justice for victims, sustainable reform and accountability. This moment is unique due to the emphasis on its ‘leaderless’ nature, the real time use of technology to crowdfund, organize supplies and even provide rapid-response legal aid to protesters. The administrative competence and diversity of this movement is acting as a sort of national introduction to Generation Z, a connected and hyper-aware generation, uniquely committed and equipped to driving social change across the world.

The trends that have led up to this moment are clear in retrospect. Covid-19 lockdowns have led to job losses and anxiety but reinforced a sense of online community. The global black lives matter conversation and activism has been incubated on social media platforms which Nigerian youth feature prominently on. This is a generation of vibrant women, challenging status quo and organizing around pertinent issues such as gender-based violence and free expression. This generation sees the rise of creative industries and technology ecosystems as a viable path for economic opportunity and a measure of economic independence from the constraints of the Nigerian system.

Unfortunately, this is also the same generation of young Nigerians who have been stuck at home for over six months due to another ASUU strike, suffering through a 35% youth unemployment rate in a system seemingly designed to stifle creativity and dreams. The same young tech workers capable of building $200million companies like Paystack are profiled and harassed by officers of the law for the crime of having a laptop and dreadlocks.

Being young in Nigeria today can feel like having the whole world in the palms of your hands, but having to negotiate with an regressive system that not only fails to provide access to opportunity but looks to inflict pain, punish and extort whenever it can.

There are two responses to this reality. The first, a mass migration and a hollowing out of the youth of this country has been ongoing for a while. The number of young Nigerians issued Canadian permanent resident permits has tripled since 2015, and our black bodies are scattered across Libyan deserts and the Mediterranean Sea. BD Businessday.ng

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Photo of the Week

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Gran Melia Osse Sinare Content Creator | Youtuber | Photographer | www.ossegrecasinare.com Businessday.ng

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Recipe

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

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Baked Salmon with Herbs and Lemon recipe Ingredients • salmon fillet, skin on (or 6 ounces per person) • 1 small shallot, finely chopped (about 1 heaped tablespoon) • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley • 2 tablespoons chopped basil (or other herb of your choice) • 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh) • Finely grated zest of a lemon (1 loosely packed tablespoon) • 1 tablespoon of olive oil or enough to moisten the herbs • A generous pinch of flaky sea salt Instructions 1. A half-hour before you start: Remove the salmon from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and let it sit on the counter to come to room temperature. Place a pan 1/2 full of water (I use a 8" round cake tin) in the oven on the lower rack and preheat to 250°F. 2. Prep the herb paste: Finely chop the shallot, parsley, basil, and other herbs. Zest the lemon (I find a Microplane is the best way to go.) Mix the shallot, herbs, and lemon zest in a bowl, and moisten with the olive oil to form a rough paste.

3. Prepare the baking tray: Lightly oil the rack and place it over the tray. Place the salmon fillet skin-side down on the rack.

4. Coat the salmon with the herbs: Pat the herbs on top of the salmon, forming a thick layer. I haven't had much luck coating the sides (the herbs usually fall off), but you can certainly give it a try.

5. Bake the salmon 25 to 30 minutes: Place the salmon in the oven on the middle rack and close the door immediately. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. A thicker fillet will usually need a little longer time. Check for doneness at 20 minutes: Remove the tray of salmon from the oven and close the oven door. (Since the oven is at such a

low heat, you want to keep the door closed as much as possible.)

Place a knife tip in the thickest part of the salmon and gently pry it open. If the salmon separates into flakes, it's done. If not, return it to the oven for another five minutes.

6. Garnish and serve: When the salmon is done, transfer it to a cutting board and cut into two pieces. To remove the skin (optional) work the edge of the spatula between the skin and the flesh. By gently wiggling, you should be able to lift the fillet clear of the skin. Sprinkle each fillet with the salt and serve. BD Businessday.ng

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Laughter in the Mirror

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SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

Sports

SATURDAY 17, 17, OCTOBER OCTOBER 2020 2020 SATURDAY

37 37

ANTHONY NLEBEM

Liverpool and Everton brace up for classic Merseyside derby

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lub football action returns this weekend after the international break. Premier League action opens with a potential thriller between Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park. Both the Toffees and the Reds have enjoyed excellent starts to the 2020-21 season, with Carlo Ancelotti’s tutored Everton side feeling they could challenge Jurgen Klopp’s champions in this clash and perhaps pull off a first league win over their cross-town rivals since October 2010.

Liverpool have been handed a health boost as Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara are back in training after quarantining for contacting coronavirus.

Liverpool are coming off of a massive defeat to Aston Villa, while crosstown rivals are sitting at the top of the table.

The return of Mane and Alcantara should provide a significant boost for Liverpool. Diogo Jota did a solid job filling in for Mane, but he does not have the same psychic connection with his strike partners Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah just yet, Mane will likely slot back into his starting role.

“Everton is a massive club, the reality hit with a lot of the players that we’ve got a world class manager and, as players, if we’re not delivering then they can bring someone else in who can do a job,” said defender Michael Keane.

Everton go into the game on a remarkable run of four successive victories in the Premier League, a tally which jumps up to seven when you throw in their progress in the Carabao Cup. Reds boss, Jurgen Klopp, will be plotting changes to his

line-up after studying what he now calls a "useful" defeat Liverpool will be able to welcome back the likes of Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane after they all missed the trip to Villa Park.

Goalkeeper Alisson is still not fit though, meaning the underfire Adrian will continue in goal.

The match falls on the 10th anniversary of Everton's last win in a Merseyside derby, and although Owen believes the new-look Blues will run Liverpool close, he thinks their sorry set of results in the fixture will continue.

"This is the most anticipated Merseyside Derby in many a year," says Owen in his blog for BetVictor.

"Who would’ve predicted out of the two sides that it would be Everton that go into the match with a 100% record?

"They have had some start, while Liverpool have had two weeks to lick their wounds after their 7-2 loss to Aston Villa. Will we see reaction? I think so.

"This could be a classic, and I’m taking the Reds to edge it in a close run match."

Goodison title-winner Adrian Heath believes it’s now or never for Everton to show Liverpool that they are finally a team to take seriously.

The blue half of Merseyside are in dreamland with Everton sitting on top of the Premier league table after a faultless start to the new season.

And with the countdown on to Saturday’s crunch date with Businessday.ng

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Sports Today Health

the arch-enemy, Everton fans are believing derby glory is on the horizon.

The fixture will mark exactly 10 years to the day since Everton, then managed

by David Moyes, last beat Liverpool, with goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta.

Since then, Everton have failed to taste derby glory in 22 attempts.

“If this group of players want to show Evertonians they’re a team with a different mind-set to what’s gone before, then this is the game to do it,” said Heath. “You can lose a derby game at any time – I lost a few in my early days at Everton – but there is a way to lose and I think a couple have been really tame.

“Look at the FA Cup earlier this year, Liverpool virtually had their reserves out and still won. So this is a big game for many reasons.

“Ancelotti has shown that if he’s got the team he can win games,” Heath said.

“I always thought this was going to be one of the most important transfer windows in Everton’s history if they got it right.

“And it’s not just that they’ve won the games, it’s the quality of the football and movement that’s impressed me. It’s been outstanding.

“James Rodriguez was always going to bring quality, Allan and Doucoure know how to play their positions in midfield, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is scoring goals for fun – it looks a potent combination.

“Now they have to maintain that start.

If they can keep their core of top players fit and get Richarlison scoring 15 goals, who knows where they could finish?

In the last 30 years, Liverpool have gone into Merseyside derbies as favourites, so it is ironic that now they are finally crossing Stanley Park as Premier League champions they are having to deal with Everton getting most of the pre-match attention.

We know enough about Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s perfect start, not just four league wins out of four but seven victories out of seven in all competitions. We know about Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goals, James Rodríguez’s unlikely rehabilitation and Jordan Pickford’s erratic displays. But what can be expected of Liverpool based on their season so far?

Saturday features another mouth-watering clash with the meeting of Manchester City and Arsenal in the early-evening kick-off. Once again, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta will pit his wits against former boss Pep Guardiola and look to continue his growth as a leader of a major club. BD Businessday.ng

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SATURDAY SATURDAY 17, 17, OCTOBER OCTOBER 2020 2020 10,

Covid-19 ravages football earnings as Juventus report €89.7m loss

I

talian football giant Juventus are beginning to feel the impact of coronavirus after the club recorded €89.7m loss for the financial year to June 30, the Italian league champions announced.

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli chaired the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting in Turin through video conference because of the coronavirus pandemic. The nine-time reigning Serie A champions' loss had been €39.9m the previous financial year.

"The Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting approved the financial statements as of 30 June 2020, reporting a loss of €89.7 million (compared to a loss of €39.9 million in 2018/2019), which was covered by using the share premium reserve," Juventus said in a statement.

Juventus also announced a new organisational structure with Federico

Cherubini taking over as new football director.

Juventus' "new organisational structure envisages the concentration of the club’s activities in two macro-structures: the Football Area and the Business Area".

"Federico Cherubini assumes the role of Football Director, directly reporting to Fabio Paratici, who maintains the direct responsibility of the First Team," the team added.

Italy sports minister says Ronaldo violated Covid-19 rules

the previous week, which local health authorities said breached virus protocols after two Juventus staff members tested positive.

"I think that, at the moment, the protocols in force for the sports championships, both for Serie A football and for the sports associations and clubs are valid as long as they are respected," said Spadafora.

"And if there is someone who does not respect them, then the cases that we read in the news are created.

"If they are respected, and if the general situation of the country allows it, I hope that leagues at all levels can continue in the best possible way in the interest of the players, staff, but also all sports fans in Italy."

C

ristiano Ronaldo could have violated Italian coronavirus measures by returning to Turin from Portugal after testing positive, Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora said.

"Yes, I think so, if there were no specific authorisations from the health authority," Spadafora told Radio Uno when asked whether the 35-year-old Portuguese star's return had breached COVID-19 rules.

Ronaldo left the Portuguese team camp near Lisbon on Wednesday to fly back to Northern Italy on his private jet.

"Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Italy with a medical flight authorised by the competent health authorities at the request of the player and will continue his isolation at his home," Juventus said.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was "asymptomatic" after testing positive on Monday, the day after Portugal drew 0-0 with France in Paris.

However, the incident renewed controversy over his departure from Turin

SATURDAY 17, OCTOBER 2020

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