Make haste while your fertility sun shines

Written by Oladapo Ashiru - Nigeria.

Oladapo Ashiru

This article underscores the recent experiences of Dr. Lateef Akinola, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru and their team, regarding the proportion of women delaying childbirth until they are in their late 30s and early 40s, a trend that is on the increase. Such women often delay childbirth for career development and economic empowerment while searching for the ‘right’ men. 

Though all of these are laudable and worth the sweat, they can lead to age-related infertility which has been coined as “voluntary infertility”.

Infertility is defined as failure to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected vaginal sexual intercourse. This affects about 10 to 15 per cent of couples. It is spread equally among the male and female population. Causes of infertility in males can include low sperm count, poor sperm motility, abnormally-shaped sperm, spermatic duct blockage, impotence and ‘undescended’ testes.

Volcanic eruptions and climate change!

Written by Kayode Adeoye, an oil and gas expert.

A volcanic eruption occurs when hot materials like lava, rocks, dust ash and gas escape from the earth's crust through vents to the lithosphere. Some derisively refer to volcanic eruptions as Mother Nature's way of farting! Due to the seriousness of the matter, the effects of climate change on the environment have been analyzed over the last two DrillBytes' columns. In a report conducted by a team of geophysicists of the University of Geneva and released 31 August, 2015 (Estimates of volcanic-induced cooling in the Northern Hemisphere over the last 1,500 years), the analysis of the impact of volcanic eruptions over the climate was eruditely explained. This impact, which is the focus of the column this week, concludes DrillBytes' trilogy on climate change.

Large volcanic eruptions inject considerable amounts of sulphure in the stratosphere which, once converted into aerosols, block sun rays and tend to cool the surface of the earth down for several years. An international team of researchers has just developed a method, published in Nature Geoscience, to accurately measure and simulate the induced drop in temperature. Considered the most important volcanic event of the 20th century, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo (June 1991) injected 29 million tons of sulphure dioxide in the stratosphere and provoked a global cooling of 0.40C on average.

To quantify the temporary cooling induced by the largest eruptions over the last 1,500 years, whose magnitude exceeded Mount Pinatubo's, scientists usually adopt two approaches: Dendroclimatology which relies on the analysis of tree-ring based proxies and climate model simulations in response to the volcanic particles effect. But until now, these two approaches delivered results that were quite contradictory, and this prevented scientist from accurately assessing the impact of major volcanic eruptions on climate. Simulations showed greater (between two and four times higher) and longer cooling than dendroclimatic reconstructions. This gap even led some geophysicists to doubt the capacity of tree-ring based proxies to measure the impact of past major volcanic events in climate and to question the models' ability in simulating precisely the climate response to strong volcanic impacts.

Reconstruction of observational proxy and model evidence Today, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, IRD, the French Alternative Energy Commission (CEA) and the national center for scientific research (CNRS), France have managed to reconcile the two approaches and developed a method to evaluate accurately the consequence of future high-magnitude eruptions on climate to better anticipate their impact on our societies.

Nigeria’s Freeman Osonuga named among 3 finalists for space trip

Written by Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale - Vanguard, Nigeria. 

LAGOS-As the global contest for Kruger Cowne Rising Star space trip competition deepens, Nigeria's Freeman Osonuga has been selected among the three finalists for the influential Rising Star programme. His selection among the three finalists is one step closer for a Nigerian to travel to space for the first time in history.

Launched last year at the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland, the programme consisted of a year-long search to find one inspiring individual, who will become the voice of the next generation, culminating in the chosen champion being catapulted onto the world stage and into space.

Flying beyond the 100km mark by XCOR Aerospace'sLynx® Spacecraft, the champion will be presented with the opportunity to view the world from an entirely new perspective.Also through the unique experience, if chosen Rising Star will provide new insight into global discussions on some of the world's most pressing issues.

Freeman Osonuga 

Osonuga who hail from Ogun State was selected based on the tremendous social media engagement, candidate profiles on the Rising Star website, video content among others.Speaking during a courtesy visit to Vanguard Corporate Head Office in Lagos, Osonuga explained that he was selected following his efforts to garner support from the entire country including the government.

"I was also selected for my efforts to use both national and international press to inform an international audience of his journey, from Ebola suit to spacesuit and how his mission to change the world continues."

Elated Osonuga is up against Keren Jackson of Ireland and Hussain Manawer of the United Kingdom. These three finalists will be flown to Bangkok next month where they will attend the One Young World Summit and also deliver a keynote speech on their topic of choice to the thousands of delegates present as well as a panel of global business leaders after which the winner of a space trip will be announced.

Mobiles might boost your love life but can also help you catch that love rat!

~Vanguard, Nigeria. 

Sending erotic messages from one cell phone to another has become liberating to the average enthusiast today. It is no longer news that a lot of mobile users now dabble in typed foreplay and sizzling erotic messages that make the mind boggle! The devil, they say, makes work for idle hands (thumbs?), so why not keep them busy by texting?

When the texting bug first bit, everybody thought it was a teenage craze but it looks like anybody that can master the technique of their mobile instantly becomes hooked! Only these days, there are some texting etiquette to follow, to make sure you get it right to a T! With testing going through the roof especially during festive periods, readers need a few tips.

"Before texting became popular, you had to make solid arrangement to see someone before you left the house," commented a top mobile sales executive. "Now we're a lot more flexible and spontaneous – you can be walking down the road, fancy a drink at your favourite spot, and text your mates to join you. We can also keep in touch with a lot moire people, even if we don't speak to them that much, they become text friends." But texting has also changed our lives – and not always for the better. A lot of affairs are constantly being discovered when a suspicious partner decides to investigate his or her other half's phone. These discoveries have given rise to the number of love-rats, making partners more suspicious than ever before.

"But think of the boost and freedom the mobile has given to our love lives!" enthused Muni, a 35-year-old businesswoman. 'Thanks to the mobile, spicing up your sex life doesn't have to involve elaborate new mattress moves. All you need to do, wherever and whenever the bug bites you, is pick up the phone. If you want to turn your man on like never, first send a couple of erotic texts to him, then seek a private spot to use your mobile – it could even be in the loo!

The entrepreneur next door and mental health

Written by Babatunde Fajimi - Nigeria

Babatunde Fajimi 

When tomorrow comes, the world will observe October 10 on the United Nation's calendar as World Mental Health Day. We will spare some thoughts today for the entrepreneur next door. The entrepreneur next door is a metaphor for every Doe who owns a business venture but has mental health condition whether symptomatic or not.

Between entrepreneurs and mental health

Recently, experts established a correlation between entrepreneurship and mental health. Michael Freeman, a clinical professor of psychiatry and Sheri Johnson, professor of psychology conducted a scientific study on 242 entrepreneurs who founded or co-founded businesses across America. 72% of these entrepreneurs had mental health conditions.

Iconic entrepreneurs are humans

We love and envy iconic entrepreneurs. We rank them creators, innovators, makers and designers of civilizations, cultures, comfort and economic sustenance. At the height of recession in America in 2007, entrepreneurs generated 8 million new jobs. Developing countries survive because of the economic contributions of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Ironically, the iconic entrepreneurs are humans. They are the entrepreneurs next door. And, there is a dark side to entrepreneurship beyond the glitz and glamour. This makes the entrepreneurs next door vulnerable to mental health conditions than other people.

"Dignity in mental health"

The World Health Organisation has selected "Dignity in Mental Health" as the theme for this year's World Mental Health Day. Stakeholders have yet another opportunity to gather and create awareness about issues relating to mental health care to deconstruct myths and misconceptions about 'madness' among people of culture and religion as well as bridge the gaps between practice and reality.

U.S higher education enrolment: Nigeria rated 1st in Africa, 18th in the world

Written by Laide Akinboade – Oriere.

ABUJA – Nigeria was rated first in Sub-Saharan Africa and eighteenth in the World for International U.S higher education enrolment.The U.S Education Advisory Supervisor, Folashade Adebayo made this known in Abuja during the 16th Annual College and Career fair organised by the U.S mission in Nigeria.

Mrs Adebayo also said that for the 2015/2016 Academic year, the Education USA members recieved financial aids of over four million U.S dollars as scholarships for Nigeria students.She said, “According to Institute of International Education`s Open door, Nigeria Students’ enrolment in the U.S has increased with more than 25 percent in the past 5 years.

“Nigeria is declared 1st in Sub saharan Africa and 18th in the World for International U.S higher education enrolment following Nigeria in enrolment rate is Kenya with about 5000 margin”.Mrs Adebayo added that the U.S Embassy College fair has contributed hugely to the increase of Nigeria students studying in the United States.

“in the 2015/2016 academic year, Education USA members received over 4 million Dollars in financial aid and scholarship for Nigerian students”

She disclosed that 8000 Nigeria Students are currently studying in the U.S adding that the increasing enrolment figure is gainful to the future of Nigeria and its economy.

The EducationUSA officer identified limited access and the challenge of research system in Nigeria as major reasons why some Nigerians prefer to study in the U.S.Folashade also stated that the college fair provides opportunities to bet current information on studying in the States.

“The College fair has direct contributions to the increase in the numbers of Nigerian applicants as well s provide information on available financial aids for the less privileged of the society”

Also speaking on the career fair, the U.S Cultural affairs Officer, Bob Kerr said Studying in the higher institutions in the United States provides International advantage to Nigerians.Mr Kerr stressed that Nigerian Students in the U.S will be provided opportunities to give back practical knowledge to the development of Nigeria`s economy and Africa Continent as a whole.

How I wasted 35 years of my life in America -Nigerian returnee from the US

Written by Azuka Jebose Molokwu - Nigeria

~ JEBOSE BOULEVARD, Punch Nigeria. 

In the United States, over 3.5 million people experience homelessness every year. The homeless include people from all ethnic backgrounds and discipline. This number includes 35 per cent of the homeless population families with children. In recent years, the number of homeless immigrants, documented or undocumented, has doubled as America continues to experience immigration challenges.

John Atari (not real name.) was once an undocumented immigrant in the US. He was also homeless and an alcoholic. He left Nigeria in the early 1980s in search of better life. After more than 30 years in America,with no home and dependent on substance abuse and alcohol, John, few years ago, returned to Nigeria, somewhere near Port Harcourt. He agreed to share his story, on two conditions: we must change his last name and not use his photographs. "I hope people would learn from my experience. That's why I agreed to share this story."

This is a compelling narrative:

"I left Port Harcourt more than 35 years ago. I missed the sights and sounds of the Garden City; the intrigues of dusty roads and the smells of combusted market places, filled with everyday people hustling to survive through the day. I missed those days, when plantain sellers hawked by the roadside. I thought I might never see these parts of my life again. I retained faded memory of childhood, the path that led me to, in some strange ways, where I am today, back to this peaceful place called home. I used to sit in shopping mall parking lots, in the cold weather of the US, waiting endlessly for sunset.

"A lot happened to me, I have advanced type two diabetes. I am also suffering from a cardiovascular disease. I am living on borrowed time, supported by several medications. I don't have a wife or family except my sister and the church that rescued me when I returned two years ago, after living in America for nearly 35 years, as a homeless alcoholic. I didn't have Green Card to find a decent job. Even if I did get a job, I was not sober enough most days to keep my job. I hustled for odd jobs to maintain my passion for alcoholic beverages. It didn't have to be that way. I occasionally engaged as a gypsy taxicab driver in the city. I lived beyond minimum wage as I began to hang around other homeless Americans in that city. 

During winter time, I would ride in the city's mass transit bus all day, just to get warm and during severe weather conditions, I checked into the Salvation Army or Rescue Mission shelter homes to get warmth, food and shelter. I had been homeless until one Nigerian asked me to come and drive cab for his company. I drove with no licence, no cab permit.

The rise of smart mobile messaging

Written by Adeola Kayode - Nigeria

The rapid spread of smart phones is expanding the possibilities for digital technology across the world. There is a significant shift in mobile communication, as smartphones ensure that people can now go beyond the traditional phone calls to other Internet-enabled functionalities, including emailing, browsing, using social media and using mobile payments. Most of these functionalities are being powered, using various applications.

In an Ericsson Mobility report earlier in June, it was asserted that the number of global smart phone subscriptions would double by 2020. The report also said that 70 per cent of the world's population would have smart phones by that date.

Is this possible? Certainly. This is because Africa, which has the lowest Internet penetration, has emerged as one of the fastest growing continent when it comes to digital and mobile technology. Africa's population is largely youthful - many of its teeming population are already getting used to living with phone technology.

How are brands and businesses positioning for this global reality? Take the example of Facebook. Before apps became a trend, Facebook had keyed into opportunities in mobile apps. In early 2014, Facebook made waves in the tech world by acquiring WhatsApp for an astounding $19bn. About 18 months later, it bought another photo, messaging app for $1bn. While so many people had debated the rationale behind the huge transactions, current market performances confirm Facebook's decision.

Facebook own four of the top 10 mobile, messaging apps downloaded across the world. As the focus on the screens across the world moves to laptops, tablets and mobile phones, there is the need for brands and businesses to pay close attention to online and apps.

It is interesting to note that as mobile apps have continued to increase, smart phone users are moving from social networking to mobile messaging. In fact, someone described social networking as someone attempting to communicate with friends by pinning a messaging on their doors and hoping that they will see it somehow.

Tech companies battle for Africa

Written by Tayo Elegbede - Nigeria

Tayo Elegbede

Facebook has released a report on its African market stating that over 120 million Africans are now active users of its platform. Not long ago,Twitter announced the extension of its self-service advertising platform to about 35 Africans countries while a Google, recently inaugurated a non-profit initiative on the continent.

If Facebook were a nation in Africa, it would be the second most populous country with a population of 120 million, following Nigeria.

Google and its many products are a daily essential for many global citizens, including Africans, who are online. Twitter is also spreading its wings over the continent's online populace.

Unarguably, this is the biggest season of digital and social media-oriented innovation and statistics in Africa. Thankfully too, social networking giant companies are taking advantage of the season.

In rhythm with the Africa rising phenomenon, Facebook, Twitter, Google and other social platforms are seeking to plant their steps on the continent. The interest is strong; the investments are getting bigger while commitments are looking valuable.

The jostle for a share of Africa's social media goldmine seems to be more dynamic than ever before due to the continent population, positioning and people factor which has translated into value and possibilities for social networking companies. It is interesting to note the advancing interest, investment and credentials of social networking platforms in Africa.

Africa has a population of over 1.1 billion people, representing 15 per cent of the world's population. According to the United Nations, it will rise to 4.2 billion by 2100.

By economic and social political positioning, Africa has a comparative advantage over other regions, as the continent has witnessed growth in its Gross Domestic Product in the last five years.

By 2025, the Internet space may likely contribute about $300bn to the continent's annual GDP, depicting the intrinsic value and prospect of social media on the continent.

These factors, among others, justify the jostle for Africa's social media territory by leading global networking platforms led by Facebook, Twitter and Google.

How to get unclaimed dividends and process e-dividend in Nigeria

Written by Ugodre Obi-Chukwu - Nigeria

Website: www.nairametrics.com 

Twitter: @ugodre

Ugodre Obi-Chukwu

As an investor in shares it is very likely that you may have come across incidences of unpaid dividends either due to the dividend warrants getting expired or the dividend warrants never even getting to you at all. Recently, I embarked on a mission to get back some of my unclaimed dividends from yesteryears as well as ensure I never again miss out on my return on investments, otherwise called dividends. Here is a step by step guide of how I did it.

Get a list of all your shares: The first thing I did was to visit my stockbroker requesting for an updated list of all the stocks that I own in the Central Securities Clearing System. You can actually get this printed online yourself if you register with the CSCS. I also took a list of all the share certificates I have just to be sure my entire portfolio is accounted for.

Obtain a list of the respective registrar's for the stocks you own: Every company listed on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange has a unique registrar that manages their outstanding shares on their behalf. The registrars are mandated to manage all shareholder issues such as dividends, public offers, share certificates, bonus issues etc. on behalf of companies. Therefore if you are to get back your dividends you will have to know who your registrars are.

Sign a share transfer form: The stockbroker will give you a share transfer form for each of the shares you own. The form basically mandates the stockbroker to act as your agent, thus giving them the powers to process your unpaid dividends with your respective registrars.

This service typically requires a token fee depending on the stockbroker. The fees can be a flat amount or percentage of the dividends you are expecting. These all depends on the value of your dividends. The alternative will be for you to approach the registrars one by one by yourself just to get your unpaid dividends sorted out. This can be time consuming if you do not have the luxury of time for this. However, it does save you some fees which you would have paid to your stockbroker. This process can last within a month or more depending on the efficiency of the registrar and the commitment of your stockbroker. You will also need to follow them up very often to ensure that you get your dividends on time.

African union, Huawei sign pact to connect Africa

Written by Olabisi Olaleye - Nigeria

African union, Huawei sign pact 

Huawei, an information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, has collaborated with the African union to accelerate better connectivity.

This partnership deal was sealed recently in in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Huawei Senior Vice President, Charles Ding met with Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union, Dr. Elham Ibrahim at the African Union specialized technical committee on Communication and Information Technologies (CCICT), to chart way forward.

During the conference, Ibrahim said "Recently in January, Huawei has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the African Union to jointly enhance Information and Communication Technology literacy and capability and ICT infrastructure development. This would further speed up the realization of the lofty set goals of Africa's Agenda 2063 and also we are very grateful of Huawei’s goodwill to offer ICT training for 25 employees of AU in China in the near future.

A new dawn: as American govt. partners Nollywood

Written by Benjamin Njoku - Nigeria

There are indications that the government of United States of America (USA) is set to partner the Nigerian film industry, popularly called Nollywood, particularly in the areas of co-production treaties, protection of Intellectual Property rights and distribution, among others.

The US Assistant Secretary of State on Economic and Business Affairs, Ambassador Charles Rivkin, dropped this hint when he and his team met with a high-powered 6-man delegation of Nollywood on Wednesday, at The George Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, to discuss the challenges and economic prospects of Nollywood and how the US government can begin to officially partner the third largest film-making nation in the world.

According to Rivkin who was a former US Ambassador to France, his visit is to find a common ground between Nigeria and the USA in various sectors, including Nollywood, pointing out that the US was very much concerned about the issue of piracy and Intellectual Property protection in the sector.

"My visit today is one of a long line of engagements with U.S. in coming years and there will be other opportunities to collaborate on mutual interests. We will look at the issue of co-production treaties between our countries, getting your country to ratify and domesticate relevant World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaties for the protection of Intellectual Properties especially online;

getting big US production studios to invest in Nollywood particularly in the areas of cinemas and other forms of distribution in conjunction with bodies like Netflix among other symbiotic relationship," Rivkin stated.

The Nollywood delegation included Alex Eyengho (President, Association of Nollywood Producers, ANCOP, and Vice President of the International Federation of Film Producers' Associations, FIAPF), Zik Zulu Okafor (President, Association of Movie Producers, AMP), Adeyinka Oduniyi (Vice President, Independent Television Producers Association, ITPAN), Gab Okoye, alias Igwe Gabosky (President, Motion Picture Distributors of Nigeria, MOPIDON), Andy Amenechi (President, Directors Guild of Nigeria, DGN) and Nobert Ajaegbu (Leader, Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, FVPMAN).

Ejike Asiegbu who was to represent the Actors' Guild of Nigeria (AGN) missed his flight from Abuja to Lagos.Ambassador Rivkin who was in Nigeria for a 3-day State visit had earlier met with the Presidency, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Trademark, Patents and Designs Registry (TPDR), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Rivkin is a friend to the film industry and has a background in the business (as an executive with Jim Henson's production company - i.e the Muppets).

Finding courage to start your dream

Written by Babatunde Fajimi - Nigeria

Babatunde Fajimi 

Entrepreneurs require a wealth of courage to start when they are confronted with challenges posed by the difficulties of finding ideal locations for their dream start-ups. Entrepreneurs are wealthy because they are audacious and would-be entrepreneur should have ideas and courage in abundance.

The poor don't do business

Poor people neither venture into business nor have the temerity to do so. Our portrait of the poor is not that of individuals who do not have millions of money in their bank accounts. Money may not be enough, time may not be favourable and ideal locations may be far-fetched but if you have an inexhaustible wealth of courage, that is all you need to creatively jumpstart your dream venture.

Neither do cowards

First of all, you have to overcome your cowardice.

Rachael confided in her counselor. "I have my fears," she said. "Everything is set for my new venture. The business plan is ready. My seed capital is available. The nagging headache I have now is that my real estate agent cannot find me an ideal location. What he got was too expensive than I could not afford it. I want a budget office space in the ideal location and may have to suspend my dreams until I am able to accumulate enough funds," she concluded with dejection on her face.

The courage to start is what separates entrepreneurs from other people. The former launched out with audacity but the latter got intimidated by the environment and post-pone their dreams.

Recover your dreams from inertia

People who postpone their dream ventures can recover them from their inertia and resuscitate your business ideas again.

HIV prevention pill records 100% success rate • Nigeria to begin study on pre-exposure prophylaxis in Nnewi, Calabar, Jos

• NACA roundtable calls for nationwide introduction of novel drug

Truvada.. in this study, 100 percent of the participants remained HIV-free. That's right, not a single person in the study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, became infected while on the drug during the study period that included 2.5 years of observation.

A new study has found that 100 per cent of participants taking Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevention pill remained infection free.

The study conducted at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, United States (U.S.) involved more than 600 high-risk individuals, most of whom were men who have sex with men. These individuals were healthy at the time of enrollment and were put on a daily regimen of a blue pill called Truvada as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Lead author Jonathan Volk, a physician and epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, described the study as "the first to extend the understanding of the use of PrEP in a real-world setting and suggests that the treatment may prevent new HIV infections even in a high-risk setting."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92 percent when taken consistently but is much less effective when taken inconsistently. In one key study, called PROUD that included men who have sex with men in Britain, the risk was reduced by 86 percent.

In this study, 100 percent of the participants remained HIV-free. That's right, not a single person in the study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, became infected while on the drug during the study period that included 2.5 years of observation.

"Tremendously good news," University of California-San Francisco researchers Kimberly A. Koester and Robert M. Grant (one of Time's most influential people of 2012 for his work in AIDS) said of the results in a commentary accompanying the publication of the study.

Not long after the Food and Drug Administration first approved the drug for preventive HIV use in 2012, the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation derided it as a "party drug" and warned that high-risk individuals would use it instead of condoms - raising the risk of transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases. #Truvadawhore went viral. But as more studies have come out showing how well it appears to protect against HIV, many of those critics appear to be turning around.

Koester and Grant emphasized that despite the promising findings in the Kaiser study many questions still remain, a number of them practical in nature.

"What proportion of the population vulnerable to HIV will take a pill a day to prevent it? How will costs of the medication and clinic visits be paid for?" they asked. "Assuming people are willing to use PrEP and can access PrEP, will they take the medication as directed? Will uptake and use be higher or lower among those at higher risk? Will people place themselves at higher risk or HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as a consequence of using PrEP?"

The pair said it wasn't clear from the study if the reported rate of sexually transmitted infections in the study is an increase or not and that further investigation is needed. They recommended that Truvada be combined with a parallel plan to prevent other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), which may include the use of condoms, more frequent testing and discussions with prospective partners.

Meanwhile, Nigeria is in a process of commencing a study on PrEP and Treatment as Prevention (TasP).

Starting a business in Nigeria

By Yinka Kolawole - Nigeria. 

There are successful stories of Nigerians who pursued their entrepreneurship dream,and their businesses are doing well despite the economic downturn.

The success stories of these entrepreneurs show that starting a business in Nigeria is do-able.

Cosmas Maduka is Chairman of Choscharis Group. He started his business journey from a humble beginning. After seven years of apprenticeship in selling motorcycle spare parts, his uncle gave him a token of N200 to start his own business in 1975. Today, he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

Another creative successful business owner is Cosmos Okoli, who has proven that starting a business in Nigeria and achieving success is do-able.

At the age of four and half years he had polio. He lost his limbs to the disease. He is making money by creating tools that help disabled people live a convenient life.

He is the chairman of Mobility Aids and Appliances Research and Development Centre (MAARDEC) and the chief executive of Cosokoli Ventures Nigeria Limited and Omokas Nigeria Limited.

Starting a business

Prince Samuel Adedoyin is the chairman/chief executive officer of Doyin Group of companies. He is another testimony to buttress that starting a business in Nigeria and succeeding is achievable. He started petty trading at age 14 with an initial capital of 48 pounds. With that token amount, his business grew to conglomerate of businesses which includes manufacturing, motor vehicle sales, real property investment, general merchandising, etc.

Scientists validate local plants for cancer treatment.

Written by CHUKWUMA MUANYA - Nigeria

Mucuna pruriens Piper guineense

Chinese and Nigerian researchers have validated the use of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), Gongronema latifolium (utazi in Ibo, arokeke in Yoruba), West African Black Pepper or Ashanti pepper (Piper guineense, uziza in Igbo and ata iyere in Yoruba), sesame (Sesamum indicum), and Cowhage also called Velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens, agbala or agbaloko in Ibo and werepe in Yoruba) in the treatment of cancers. 

A very recent study on anti-cancer and free radical scavenging activity of some Nigerian food plants shows that regular intake of local spices and vegetables such as bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), Gongronema latifolium (utazi in Ibo, arokeke in Yoruba), West African Black Pepper or Ashanti pepper (Piper guineense, uziza in Igbo and ata iyere in Yoruba), sesame (Sesamum indicum), and Cowhage also called Velvet bean (agbala or agbaloko in Ibo and werepe in Yoruba) could provide the elusive cure for cancers.

The study was published in February 25, 2015 edition of the International Journal of Cancer Research.

Can you afford to educate your children abroad?

Written by 'Nimi Akinkugbe - Nigeria

Email: info@moneymatterswithnimi

Website: www.moneymatterswithnimi.com

Twitter/ Instagram: @MMWITHNIMI

Facebook: MoneyMatterswithNimi

Nimi Akinkugbe has extensive experience in private wealth management. She seeks to empower people regarding their finances and offers frank, practical insights to create a greater awareness and understanding of personal finance.

For thousands of Africans studying abroad as well as the thousands aspiring to join them, the devaluation of the currencies is a major setback and will inevitably force parents to reconsider their children's overseas education plans. Here are a few ideas to consider as you navigate the challenges of the increased education costs.

The key to successfully educating children is preparation and planning from their earliest years. Many parents do not plan for this huge expense until the bills are almost due. Putting in place an educational savings plan with direct debits from your current account to an appropriate investment vehicle will help keep plans on track.

By some estimates, annual increases in education costs can be as high as 10% to 15%. An education-planning calculator helps you to visualise various scenarios assuming savings over a period of time. It will help you to determine how much to put into the education fund on a regular basis in order to meet a particular goal. You can create different scenarios by entering different data as appropriate. Remember to factor in exchange rate changes if your children are to be educated abroad.

Are all your savings and investments in local currency? Exposure to a diversified currency portfolio typically reduces exchange rate risk. It is important, particularly if you have obligations in foreign exchange to hold some foreign currency in your domiciliary account, or in a diversified portfolio consisting of bank deposits, bonds, mutual funds and real estate.

Remittances for school fees, student maintenance allowances, Business Travel Allowance (BTA), and Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), are among the eligible requests for foreign exchange that shall be fully met by The Central Bank at the official/interbank exchange rate.

Scholarships and grants are often overlooked by parents. From your children's earliest years you may have identified a unique skill or talent, sporting, artistic or academic, making them eligible to compete for scholarships. Scholarships may be tied to a particular field of study or may require that a certain standard of performance be maintained throughout the student's enrollment. They may not cover the entire school fees bill but will certainly offset some of the expenses.

In Lagos, Abuja, P'Harcourt cars now compete with shops

Written by Eric Dumo - Punch, Nigeria

Okoye attending to a customer

Parking his car at a corner of the busy road, Oluwaseun Akinyele was soon besieged by a flurry of customers - mostly women - just as soon as he started displaying the different collections at the roof and bonnet of his vehicle. One after the other, the ladies checked out shoes, clothes and bags, turning to one another for advice on which items to settle for from the vast array on display. Before long, the men also joined the party; scanning through available shoes, jackets, shirts and trousers ahead of making a choice. As the minutes ticked away, so also did the number of customers that stopped by Akinyele's 'mobile shop' swell. But even with such impressive patronage, the father of four cannot afford to rent a shop in Lagos capital - Ikeja - where he drives to everyday to service his teeming customers. Displaying goods in his car became his only response to the challenge.

Akinyele displaying his wares in his car

"I can't afford to rent a shop in Ikeja where most of my customers are located," he said. "I tried renting a shop around Allen Avenue sometime back and I was asked to pay N5m for two years. There was nowhere I could get such money from. So, this idea came to my mind. I felt that if I could get a car for around N800, 000 and then get the items I want to sell for about N1million, I could move around the city with the goods and make reasonable sales and profits. Since I started, things have been fair," Akinyele said.

A former bank employee, the young businessman lost his job a few years ago during a massive retrenchment exercise that greeted the industry at the time. With employment opportunities proving hard to come by and five mouths to feed - four children and a wife - Akinyele knew he had to look for a way out.

"I graduated from the university in 1999, I have four kids to cater for and I can't afford to beg or sit without doing anything. I used to work in a bank before a lot of us were laid off. A lot of my friends in the United Kingdom were hawking drugs on the streets but since I cannot do such, I decided to look for a decent means to earn a living here no matter how difficult it could be. That was how I got into using my car as a mobile shop," he said.