DiscoveryMan (2nd Edition) by Discovery4Men Ministry

D iscoveryMan Published by Discovery For Men Ministry

June/July 2013 Vol. 1 No. 2

Digest

Music Sports Travel Art Gallery

Someone Needs You 5 Areas Social Media can affect your relationship Integrity: Key To Business Success

Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa

Founding President/CEO Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc, Former Chairman Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG)

Walking the Talk

Nigeria: NGN 1,000 / Ghana: 13 / South Africa: R59 / Kenya: KES 540 / US: $7 / UK: £5 / EU: €5

Contents

Credits Publishers

Pastors Taiwo & Nomthi Odukoya

I worry that people do not recognize corruption any more, or that they take it as a way of life – a Nigerian system. —Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa

Contributors Dennis Etiwe Muktar Mohammed Taiwo Akinlami Pastor Kunle Soriyan Biodun Ogunjobi Oliver Nnona Yele Okeremi Niran Adedokun David King Bankole Bernard Ron Mgbatogu

Editorial Pastor Kunle Soriyan Sylvester Ojenagbon Niran Adedokun Ron Mgbatogu Biodun Ogunjobi

Discovery for Men Directors

Someone Needs You

If I leave comedy, I would be a Pastor or Clothier—Teju Babyface

Discover Seychelles

Mr. Adebajo, Bolaji Mr. Ali-Balogun, Mahmood Mr. Awosika, Biodun Pastor Babatunde, Ladipo Mr. Balogun, Biodun Mr. Maduneme, Lawrence Mr. Mgbatogu, Ron Mr. Nnona, Oliver Mr. Olawuni, Akinlabi Mr. Ososami, Bolaji Mr. Shonibare, Dapo Mr. Soyebo, Jimi

Adverts

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Someone Needs You 5 Areas Social Media can affect your relationship

When a Father Fails…Conversation with an Angry Teenager

Strategic Planning—Your Roadmap For Business Development Success

Bible Business Basic Integrity: Key To Business Success (Part one)

What to expect this year

Tunde Shado

Nigeria’s Democracy Without Democrats

34 38 45 46 48 50

Photography Femi Aderenle Femi Adegboye

Design Tonye Edet

Prostate Cancer

Arts to Watch out for Books, Music, Movie » Nigeria and the Force of Soccer

All comments, opinions, enquiries and advert requests should please be directed to: The Editor, DiscoveryMan Digest, 12 Industrial Estate Road, Off Town Planning Way, Ilupeju, Lagos.

Dare to be Different!

Tel: +234-802-303-1724, 802-336-7878

E-mail: editor@discoveryformen.org

You Are A Brand

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Tools & Ideas EA Sports MVP Carbon by Monster gaming headphones fter honing its audio expertise with Beats by Dre, Monster is venturing into new territory, this time teaming up with EA Sports for these gaming cans that will help your orders come out nice and clear. Set to be the first headphones to benefit from Monster HDHS (High Definition Headphone Surround) technology, gamers will enjoy high definition audio performance and an immersive sound experience that is said to go beyond 5.1 surround sound. The on ear ‘phones which will be compatible with most consoles and PCs have a ‘super comfortable’ headband and breathable materials which should make them perfect for all-nighter sessions.

OlloClip Camera lens for Iphone he OlloClip consists of three lenses – a wide-angle, fisheye and macro. These lenses can completely change the kind of photos your iPhone can take, literally taking them to another level. The fish-eye gives you an approximate 180-degree field of view. It’s actually so wide that sometimes your fingers which are holding the iPhone can end up in the pics. The wide-angle gives you double the field of view you’d achieve with the standard camera. The macro gives you 10x magnification and allows you to get super close to your subject – you have to unscrew the wide-angle to get to the macro. The quality of the OlloClip is superb. Even though it’s mostly made from plastic it’s very rigid and has a lovely finish – depending on the colour you choose. It comes with a little carrying pouch which doubles as a micro-fibre cleaning cloth, so you can clean your lenses if needed from fingerprints and dust.

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 dding fuel to the Kindle fire by way of an 8.9-inch tablet upgrade, Amazon is

now almost matching Samsung for screen size choices. Spec essentials include a 1920x1200 resolution, ten-hour battery and a 1.8GHz dualcore with SGX544 graphics chip. Amazon’s slick content delivery system and hefty media catalogue continue to be the main reasons to buy, with 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, apps, games, books and mags to plunder.

Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 15 and BeoLab 16 ant the audio quality of big, statement speakers, but live in a shoe box? Danish audio show-off, B&O has created the BeoLab 15 and 16 speakers just for you. Housed in anodised aluminium discs, they’re designed to be mounted in your walls. Just get the kango out, stuff ’em in your brickwork, then the six internal amps and tiltable speaker cabinet do the rest. Crank them up and literally bring the house down.

Asus WL-330NUL USB

LG Pocket Photo Smart ike whippet racing and pipe smoking, printing photos is no longer the commonplace pastime it was. Even so, there’ll always be a need for physical images that you can pin to your wall and admire or throw darts at, as you see fit. This pocket-sized printer connects to Android or iOS devices via Bluetooth or NFC and uses “inkless” ZINC technology. This works by heating special paper containing colour-forming molecules packed into layers that, once melted, form your everlasting images.

roclaimed “the world’s smallest router” and clocking in at roughly the size of a packet of Extra chewing gum, this pocket rocket connects to your laptop via USB and to the web via ethernet and also has Wi-Fi up to 150Mbps. Thus, ownership means you become a walking wireless access point for all laptops and portable devices in the local area when the crappy B&B your work checked you into for the away-day has ethernet but not Wi-Fi.

Toshiba 9 Series TV he pixel arms race is in full swing, with the A-bomb of hi-def being supplanted by the H-bomb of 4K/ultra HD. Toshiba’s very own Manhattan Project has produced this 84-inch box with 3840x2160, ultra-HD resolution. Alongside some of the best visuals you’ll clap eyes on this season are a web browser and Toshiba’s Cloud TV service, which it hopes – a tad optimistically, some might say – will supplant Netfl ix, iPlayer and YouTube in your affections. Expect it to be pricey, but passive 3D tech will at least mean cheap specs for everyone.

Sony Xperia Z efreshing its flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z is an Android handset with serious power under the hood. With a dust and water resistant 5-inch Reality display and Sony’s BRAVIA engine 2 on board, the Z is capable of full 1080p HD quality resolution while a Qualcomm quadcore Snapdragon S4 Pro chip takes care of multitasking and keeping things running smoothly. It comes as no surprise that there’s an impressive 13-Megapixel rear-facing camera capable of full 1080p video and a 2-Megapixel frontfacing camera that can shoot 720p video. Throw in 4G LTE support and Sony have another beast of a smartphone.

Game Golf ambox and Ouya designer Yves Béhar, unofficial king of the crowdfunded tech project, is back and this time has the ear of pro green-stealers Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood. Just clip the little red box to your belt, attach the cufflink-like sensors to your clubs and go about your 18 holes like any other Sunday as Game Golf tracks you via GPS, motion sensors and NFC. You can then review your round on any iOS device, sharing it with friends and the golfing world at large. It’ll help you improve in time for that invitation to Augusta National.

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Contributors

Pastor Taiwo Odukoya

is the President, Discovery for Men and Senior Pastor, The Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached at president@discoveryformen.org

Yele Okeremi

is the founding and incumbent Managing Director of Precise Financial Systems Ltd. He is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science (With Economics) from the Obafemi Awolowo University and a Masters in Business Administration. He is an alumnus of the Wits Business School, Johannesburg South Africa and currently undergoing the Owner/ President Management Program (OPM) at the prestigious Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Ron Mgbatogu

is a communications expert with long and deep experience in broadcasting and advertising. He is a Director of Discovery for Men. He can be reached on ronmgbatogu@yahoo.co.uk

Olakunle Soriyan

is the Principal Transformation Strategist of THE OLAKUNLE SORIYAN COMPANY, a Total Life Management (TLM) and Nation-Building Training, Coaching and Consulting Firm. The company works with leaders of various Arms of Government and NGO’s as well as a Business and Institutional leaders at all levels, using original, home-grown research and principle-based methodologies. Olakunle Soriyan can be reached on pts@olakunlesoriyan.com

Muktar Mohammed

is an investment analyst and portfolio manager. He has appeared on several international and local television and radio station e.g CNBC Africa (Open exchange closing bell) CNN (Market place Africa), TVC International (Business), e.t.c He is the MD/C.E.O of Asher Dynamic solutions, located in Ikoyi, Lagos Nigeria. He is married with children.

Dennis Etiwe

is a Media Content Developer with training and experience in research, PR/Protocol, administration and business development. He is passionate about adding value to people, groups and organisations he represents and can be depended upon to be the man that facilitates the progress of teams and individuals he connects with. He works with Discovery for Men.

Mr. Bankole Bernard Dr. Davis King

is a practicing medical doctor in Lagos, Nigeria. He has a passion to educate people and create awareness for healthy living. He gives health talks from time to time. He is an entrepreneur as well. He is married to Marian. They have a son, Brandon. Davis loves music and he is also a recording gospel artiste.

is the managing director FCm travel solutions Nigeria, a travel management company with a global network of experts, partners and coordinated systems in place to provide clients with world class service. He served in the banking industry for a period spanning over sixteen years and has proven to be an invaluable asset in propelling FCm Nigeria unto zenith heights amongst TMCs in Nigeria and Western Africa.

Taiwo Akinlami, Principal, Taiwo Akinlami INSPIRES Oliver Nnona

Niran Adedokun

is a Public Relations Consultant, Lawyer and Journalist. He has working experience in the private, public and non for profit sectors and currently runs his private outfit in Lagos

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is the Principal consultant at Profiliant, Miller Heiman’s (www. millerheiman.com/) practice partners in Middle East & Africa. An experienced business leader and strategist who has worked in major organisations including Microsoft and Hewlett Packard, he leads consulting engagements for a prestigious client list that includes Fortune 500 clients.

DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

is a Child Protection Specialist, Consultant to UNICEF on Child Protection, Independent Legal and Social Regulatory Expert on Child’s Rights and Responsibilities Issues, Legal Enlightenment & Development Enthusiast and an accredited facilitator of the British Council School Leadership Program.

From the Editor

hen the President of Discovery for Men, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya shared the idea of the need for a men’s magazine, I felt it was doable, not because I saw how it was going to turn out, but because I was simply able to put all my fears aside and embrace the confidence inspired by the President when he casted the vision. I must confess at the outset that the force inside me was so weak that I had to abandon conventional business wisdom and instead hold on to the faith I heard in his voice. I acted solely on my faith-instincts in the result-energy of a leader I have followed for close to two decades even when it didn’t make sense. It is humbling to note that the maiden edition was a great success by all standards. The cover story with Mr. Gamaliel Onosode provided a kind of inspiration and encouragement for a lot of readers. Pastor Taiwo’s article on the reason for individual existence was instructive; so much that comments and testimonials are still pouring in. It’s working! The magazine was strategically marketed and distributed amongst discerning men and even women across the nation. Captains of industry and power-centers all over reached out for copies. Men from different walks of life and of different denominations felt a voice men can keep in their cars and on their shelves and executive tables is now emerging with a clear potential to get better. We had hoped to be able to raise the bar and increase the momentum in the next edition. Here we are; an inspiring interview with Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, a man of great strength and courage, brings the message closer home: That anyone with a mind and a commitment to win under God can do the impossible regardless; that men can live the best life possible and fly the flag of their faith there. Pastor Taiwo’s article underscores a critical definition of our greatest strength in God is tied to our exchange with other human beings. Priceless. We have also found new tools and ideas men can work with. We shared a key insight about the Social Media, we focused on the noble place of fatherhood, sound wisdom in strategic planning, how integrity works for the peculiarity of our business terrain, and CNBC analyst, Muktar Mohammed gave clear signals about the direction of investments in 2013. We accepted a queer thought about our nascent democracy, and humor came in with Teju Babyface in the same segment where travel lovers will see the holiday destination, sychelles. Inspiration is available for men’s fashion and Tosan Jemide revealed the amazing feat God is achieving in the life’s of his children globally. The sports segment is a must read as it reveals a challenge everyone must consider. You are in for an amazing time with this issue. This magazine intends to awaken and explore many of the thoughts that should drive men, as well as specific recommendations unlike those found in any other magazine. Our editors have searched round the world to find the thoughts you need, making every effort possible to turn you on. DiscoveryMan Digest may not be read by every man. But we do dream about creating a very special magazine for the individual who wants the very most out of life. If you share that desire, welcome. This magazine is for you. Enjoy. Thank you Pastor Taiwo Odukoya for birthing this. Men are grateful.

This magazine intends to awaken and explore many of the thoughts that should drive men…DiscoveryMan Digest may not be read by every man. But we do dream about creating a very special magazine for the individual who wants the very most out of life. If you share that desire, welcome.

This magazine is for you.

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The Word

Someone Needs You By Pastor Taiwo Odukoya

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. —Proverbs 27:17

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The Word

elationship forms the most central factor of our very existence as human beings. We spend our lives in a veritable network of relationships and, cut off from them, we die. With very little difficulty the average person could identify a dozen to twenty different types of relationship in which he participates in the course of a single day. Yet, most of our problems stem from difficulties in relationships. We find that marital and family problems; vocational, business and societal problems; religious, racial and industrial strife, political and international tensions, all have to do with relationships that are not working. A good understanding of this all-important phenomenon can therefore not be over-emphasized. Disagreement

According to one research paper from the Stanford Research Institute, the money you make in an endeavour is determined only 12.5% by knowledge and 87.5% by your ability to deal with people.

or conflict with someone is simply a matter of not experiencing each other the way each wants to. Come to think of it, in every relationship we go into we desire to experience the other person in a way that brings us satisfaction and pleasure. Someone has said that people are frustrating sometimes – they are not always predictable, you cannot get along with them and yet you cannot do without them. Little wonder employers of labour look for two things in employees – skills for the job and the ability to work with others. According to one research paper from the Stanford Research Institute, the money you make in an endeavour is determined only 12.5% by knowledge and 87.5% by your ability to deal with people. The Scripture says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment” (Proverbs 18:1). The signpost in front of a business concern gave the following as “Reasons why customers quit.” 1% die 3% move away 5% other friendships 9% competitive reasons (price) 14% product dissatisfaction But 68% loss of customers will occur due to relational problems. It was John Rockefeller who said, “I would pay more for the ability to deal with people than any other ability under the sun.” This is actually the underlying principle in creation. In the beginning God said: “Let us make man in our image and after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Why would God make man in His image and after His likeness? For mutual relationship! And somewhere else the Bible states: “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him’” (Genesis 2:18). This shows that God created us not just for relationship with Himself but also with one another. You will agree with me that no man is self-made; we are all important in this network of life. We are all products of relationships and influences. In the words of Mike Murdock, “Someone is hungry and thirsty for your presence. Someone will perish unless you enter his life. Someone is literally dying emotionally, mentally, or spiritually waiting for you to come to his rescue.” In my dealings with people I have found out that the deepest and most sincere relationships are often with those who simply lift our spirits and make us feel positive about life. That was precisely the story of William Wilberforce as told by Richard Exley. In 1791 Wilberforce was facing yet another discouraging defeat in his attempt to abolish slave trade in the

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The Word

British Empire when he received a letter from his friend John Wesley. That now famous letter would prove to be a continuing source of strength for the rest of his life. It read: “Dear Sir, “Unless the divine power has raised you up, I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprises in opposing that execrable villainy, which is the scandal of religion, of England and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you would be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But, if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? Oh! Be not weary in well doing. Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall

Rather than the benefits we anticipate in relationships, Paul’s teaching imposes a catalogue of responsibilities on us. Another point of interest in his list is the need to be prayerful. When your relationship with God is healthy, then your relationship with people will be good. 10

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vanish away before it. That He who has guided you from your youth may continue to strengthen you in this and all things is the prayer of, Your affectionate servant, John Wesley” Four days after writing that letter, Wesley was dead and, once again, Wilberforce was defeated when the vote was taken in Parliament. He would ultimately prevail in his just and holy cause. During the intervening years, however, he faced innumerable disappointments and was tempted to give up the fight more than once. He was vilified in published articles and victimised in viscous whispering campaigns. His opponents arranged for him to be challenged to a duel and even attempted to kill him, but he would not be deterred. And every time he became discouraged, he turned to Wesley’s letter. Each time he read it, it was like the first time. Never did it fail to strengthen and encourage him. Finally in 1806, after working tirelessly for twenty years, Wilberforce succeeded in getting a bill passed that abolished slave trade. Twenty-eight years later, on July 31, 1831, slavery itself was outlawed throughout the British Empire, freeing approximately 800,000 slaves. Although he did not live to see the realisation of his dream, having died on August 5, 1833, no one was more responsible than William Wilberforce for the demise of slavery in the British Empire. Wilberforce died one of the most esteemed men of his day and was buried in the famed Westminster Abbey. He had devoted his entire life and political career to a cause that had fundamental implications for the wellbeing of the entire humanity. Yet, he might not have prevailed had it not been the encouragement of his friend that strengthened him in the Lord. Apostle Paul in the 12th chapter of his letter to the Romans enumerated what makes for a meaningful relationship. Here are the highlights: Be kind to one another Let there be mutual respect Be prayerful Commit to hospitality Bless those who wrong you Be sympathetic to others Do not seek revenge Do your best to live at peace with others Overcome evil with good Rather than the benefits we anticipate in relationships, Paul’s teaching imposes a catalogue of responsibilities on us. Another point of interest in his list is the need to be prayerful. When your relationship with God is healthy, then your relationship with people will be good. As the Bible says, “When the ways of a man are pleasing to God even his enemies will be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).

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Special Interview

I worry that people do not recognize corruption any more, or that they take it as a way of life – a Nigerian system. —Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa Interview by Ron Mgbatogu, Biodun Ogunjobi and Dennis Etiwe

am Ohuabunwa needs no introduction within the corporate and entrepreneurial circles that he has traversed; as a pharmacist, entrepreneur, lay minister, and author. He is famous for leading what has been described as Nigeria’s first major Management Buyout (MBO) of a multinational, when Pfizer Inc. divested from its Nigerian subsidiary in 1997 and Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc was born. On his voluntary retirement in 2011, Neimeth had become a company independent enough to research, develop and manage its own portfolio of indigenous products and brands. Mazi Sam, as he is popularly called, speaks to DiscoveryMan Digest on walking the path to success with personal integrity and a strong value system.

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Special Interview

Please name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader. Why and how did this person impact your life so strongly? Without wanting to sound religious, I always say that my hero is Jesus Christ. However, there are three people that I have always admired and regarded as mentors. First is somebody whom I learnt community-consciousness from. He showed me that God had a reason for creating us and placing us in a community, and that we needed to impart that community for good. He is Chief Chris Ukpabi, from my town – Arochukwu, Abia State. I have always looked at him as a mentor when it comes to being relevant in a community. Professionally, I started out as a pharmacist even though people argue whether I am a pharmacist or business man. In pharmacy, Julius Adelusi Adeluyi, popularly called ‘Juli’, has mirrored to me what it is to be a professional to the core and what it means to stand up for the ethos of the profession and also stand out by using the pharmaceutical profession to improve society. In the corporate world, I have always looked up to Mr. Felix Ohiwerei as a man that showed me what it is to rise to corporate heights and be able to stay there. He showed me how to walk the ‘narrow paths’ of corporate social responsibility, maintaining corporate ethics, and the ability to run things and finish well. I look up to these three people as my mentors in the different areas of my life. What particular experiences have influenced your devotion to God? First, is that I saw myself enjoying what I call extraordinary grace. As a child, I did all that my mates did, good and bad, but I found out that I led my class every term from primary school to secondary school, three terms a year. I didn’t think I read more than they did because I played as hard as my mates, sometimes I even played worse. But I still managed to do well and that began to worry me. I went through the Nigeria/Biafra war and thought that I was not going to survive. I passed through very terrible experiences and several scenes where I had counted myself dead but I came out alive. Those things began to touch my mind and make me realise that there must be somebody behind all these. I remember after coming out of a particular experience during the war, people were saying this boy has been ‘cooked’ but I knew that nobody cooked me. Someone had placed extraordinary grace on my life. Those experiences seasoned me and to make me think about God. Later in life, it also wasn’t easy trying to please this God but at some point, I made up my mind that if I was going to continue enjoying this grace, I had to respond to this God in the way He has been asking me: through ministrations in the church, and at various events where people were asked to give their lives to Christ as we could not run our lives. At some point, I surrendered and found out that of a truth, this God loves me. When I began to love Him back, He began to show me even greater grace.

Corruption is a major matter in Nigeria; do you really believe that it is the bane of our development? I think I do and I have a book titled Nigeria at 50: Time for the Evolution of a New Nation. In it, I tried to squarely put our underdevelopment on two canals. First is the military intervention and secondly corruption. These two factors have really caused our underdevelopment and chronic under-performance. I am also disturbed that the level of corruption is endemic and so much inbuilt into our fabric to the extent that I worry that people do not recognize corruption any more, or they take it as a way of life – a Nigerian system. I will give a recent example. I ministered somewhere and at the end of the ministration, somebody introduced himself as working for a government agency. He wanted me to pray for him and his wife. I asked him what I should pray for and he said that he needed money. He went on to say that in the course of discharging his duties he assists people who promise to come back and they don’t. Cheeky! I replied that I would pray for him but not in the way he wanted, because, I explained, “when you do things for people in your official capacity, don’t expect them to come back. If they do come back, fine. If you put your hope on that, you will never know when you will cross the line. Are you doing your job because it is right for you to do it or for them to come back?” This was a Christian making that kind of request and it showed me that many people do not know what corruption is. Corruption is so endemic that people don’t quite understand all its ramifications. Sometimes we are looking at the leadership. Rightly so. But we should not look at just the topmost leadership; we should look at leadership at all strata. We may start with individuals designing a value system that says I cannot go beyond this point. I also tell a story of somewhere I supplied goods when I was wearing my CEO hat at Neimeth. A guy who was not around when the contract was awarded had come in and said I should come and see him. When I got there he says “Mazi, I have been wanting to see you. What is the arrangement for this contract?” I said the arrangement was that we had to bid, we were considered as the best bid and given a commission to supply. I was also told that we were going to be paid within four weeks after we supplied, but it was then eight weeks and we hadn’t been paid. He said “I mean what was the ‘arrangement’ or ‘discussion’?” I said there was not much discussion. We followed the set rules and with some guidance and prayer, we overcame. He said “I am here to make sure I know what goes in and what comes in.” I said our job only involved taking in things as we were not asked to take them out or remove anything. He went on and on and I was playing along until I said “Sir, I hope you are not talking about money? If you are talking about money, you are talking to the wrong guy. First is, I am a Christian and I don’t discuss money. Secondly, I am a law-abiding citizen, and I work for a law-abiding

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know ourselves and what we are best suited for. Just like this Discovery magazine, people should discover who they are and where their competencies or talents lie and be able exploit those talents, as they, in turn, will lead you to your profession or business. Thirdly, you must play according to the rules because every game has rules. If you want to succeed in any game, you must learn the rules and play by them. Business has rules; you don’t just jump in and hope to succeed by trial and error. You will lose time, money and resources. Be prepared. If you want to run a business, prepare yourself for it. If you want to be a professional, get yourself equipped, get all the information and then when preparation meets opportunity, some call it luck, but I think that is when you can make a success.

company. We don’t discuss money with people who give us work because the law of the country is against it. So if this is where you are going, please change that line. I don’t go that way. As a business man, my bible tells me that if anyone is nice to me and I feel like being nice to the person, it is my own decision. But when people begin to demand it, I am not in the same line with them.” He was shocked but eventually he turned around. I even went up to report to his boss because there was a way he brought his boss into the discussion as if he assigned him that responsibility. I asked his boss, “Is this what you asked this guy to do? It will get you in trouble and ruin your name.” What I am saying in essence is that everyone must make a decision on how far they would go and what boundaries they would not cross. I am sure that with my experience, the guy won’t call somebody else and raise those issues the same way. The decisions men make really make the difference between how they turn out. And now that your NGO is helping to groom young people to follow the path of rectitude in their business, if you were to advise such young people now, using this forum, what three major advice would you give to them regarding making choices? First is for them to know what the bible says: that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them (Philippians 4:13). I would advise that they trust that God can enable them to be whatever they want to be. Let nothing be off the table. Don’t let your dreams be moderated by your little or present circumstances. You should be free to dream big if you are the child of a big God. And trust in what He says, that His thoughts towards us are thoughts of good not thoughts of evil and that He desires to take us to a future with a good end (Jeremiah 29:11). It is important to know who you believe because that sets your stage. The second advice is that people should do what they are happy with. We all are a bundle of talents and we should

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

The country is going through a very rough patch regarding terrorism and all the instability it has engendered. What is the way forward? I want to say that three things again will help us to navigate the current problems that we have. One, we should enthrone an enlightened leadership. A visionary leadership that knows where it is going, is prepared to go where it said it would go, is prepared to make the sacrifice required to go where it wants to go and has the courage. Second to this is the ability to sell this vision to the rest of us. Selling the vision is not making pronouncements, news talk, or newspaper headlines. There must be a method whereby you communicate your vision and make yourself believable. Having done this, the next step is to live by your words. Walk your talk! By the time you set a proper vision and you show that you are going towards it, and you have sold it to the people and you have owned it, then we will follow you. The current leadership in our country today – I am not talking about one man, because there are political, economic, cultural and community leaderships – have not indicated appropriately that they know where they are going and that is the basis on which they can sell the vision. Maybe they know where they are going, but they haven’t been able to sell it. This is why there is a disparity of views. At the beginning of any exercise, there will be disparity of views and variations. But the leader’s job is to build a consensus, where the majority of us will see where he wants to go and he should be able to convince us that this is the best route to take, one that will be the best for the greater number of people. I believe that people, including Nigerians, are rational – they reason and know when something is in their interest. The moment we have people feeling that leadership is acting in their interest, they are more willing to follow. And when they begin to follow, then you apply the rules that will ensure that there is reward for those who are performing and there is punishment or lack of reward for those who are not performing. We must differentiate those who are doing well and those who are not doing well and that will occur by having stable policies and allowing everything

Special Interview

“My advice to our youth is that I know we have been traumatized and many have become cynical, doubting everything, including the sincerity of government, but I think they should have a much more open mind than what they have now.”

to be played on a level, transparent playing ground. Then people will know if they are doing well or not because the performer gets the reward for doing well without having to cry or look for who knows what. The moment we agree that whoever does well gets rewarded, anyone who does well whether tall, short, white or blue, the rewards are theirs. If we structure society like this, I believe that the extremities we have seen may be difficult to occur. I know the devil will always cause trouble, no matter what you do, but then we would be united in fighting devil. I always feel that we should not justify any criminal tendency. I don’t. But I believe that we can, from a sociological point of view, understand the motivators for criminal action. Most of the time, it is when people are excluded, ignored, maginalised, that they become instruments for causing pain to society. If a person is made to feel a part of the country and he receives his adequate reward or portion of the benefits of the resources without having to look for someone he knows who knows someone else, he won’t need to jump the queue, he knows that his turn will come and then he patiently waits. I think the work has to be ordering the society and it requires a different frame of leadership; one that understands the dynamics of managing a country, business, state, next day, he reminds people again that left is still the way and that is what we should be looking and praying for. Until and he is seen to be going left. He is not saying go in one that happens, everything else is disjointed because if I am direction and while he is heading in a different direction. appealing to Mr. A and he begins to move to the left, then he meets a mass of people moving to the right. He begins You recently left executive position in Neimeth on retireto wonder whether moving to the left is the right place to ment, openly professing to be a Christian. How can a man go any more. And since nobody is bothering those who are succeed in business in an environment like ours being a moving to the right and it is the shortest cut, something Christian? People say it is impossible. What is your view? will tell him that he would be crazy not to join the crowd! It is difficult but not impossible. I remember at one point But if everybody is moving in the same direction; the leader my business wasn’t doing very well. People came to me should wake up in the morning to announce that left is the and said, Sam, what is going on? This and that company way to go in spite of what seems good on the right and the are doing well, why are you not doing well? I told them I know I am not doing as well as I ought to because the environment is not that conducive for me to do as well as I wish. They said, but others are doing so and so. I said my bible tells me that it does not profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul (Mark 8:36). I told them I did not want to achieve those kinds of results by all means because I am not going to be comfortable with it. Some thought I was taking religious things or Christianity too far and they left me, hoping to come and see when I would have been completely down. But somehow they found that I may not have reached the top or be on the cutting edge of profitability or volume growth, yet my business maintained stability. I ran my business for eighteen years and I was able to hand it over. I knew some people who were not able to finish their terms as CEO. They were removed or forced to go. I know those whose businesses did so well but are doing so poorly now. I believe that it is difficult because you are operating in a competitive environment and people are not willing to buy your story or excuses for not doing as well as others. Even in those periods when I had challenges, I sat

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Special Interview

before shareholders–including the overly critical ones–and explained the situation to them, what I was doing, why I was not where they think I ought to be. I found also that many were willing to reason with me especially when they saw that there was no guile, posturing or mere excuses. During the difficult years that I had at work, I had many friendly and understanding shareholders on my side. At AGMs, they would make beautiful statements that didn’t even reflect the results. So I came to the conclusion that there are values that are enduring and if an organization

“Business has rules; you don’t just jump in and hope to succeed by trial and error.You will lose time, money and resources. Be prepared. If you want to run a business, prepare yourself for it.” 16

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

must survive, you must keep to most of them. I quite accept that you can’t survive in an environment where you are completely different, the environment will reject you. But you must set the bounds of what you are able and unable to do. There may be some level of ‘compromise’ or adaptation necessary to navigate an environment but I tell people that in that navigation, there must be lines you will not cross and standards that you will not let go of. Like I said earlier, the first major thing is to know yourself. I am very sensitive to too many things and when I walk into a place, I like people to evaluate me based on who I am and not because of other things I have done or not done. I like to be able to come and go with freedom and clear conscience. Like I said again, it is not easy but it is doable. When I look at people like Mr. Felix Ohiwerei, Mr. Onosode, and Dr. Chris Kolade who have been corporate titans and have come out successfully, I pray to God to help me walk in their steps so that I too can finish well. God heard my prayers. What one mistake do you think makes many leaders derail so badly? The first thing I think makes leaders derail is selfishness and self-centeredness. Leadership is about service, not to yourself but to your community, shareholders, employees, church members etc. Any leadership position is an opportunity for service. The moment you shift the focus to yourself, you start to do things that please you, make you look good and extraordinary. Then you begin to derail. Leadership should be about sacrifice and external relationships with those you are supposed to be serving. Leaders that have failed have lost their focus on the people they are leading. The second thing is the need to impress. You want your company to be regarded as the best, you want awards like Man of the Year, of the Century, of the Continent, to be called a Wizkid or Wizard. There is nothing wrong with being all that if you can achieve them through a consistent application of the talents that God has given you. The ambition to be the best comes with a challenge. The bible says that men who want to be rich in this world pierce themselves with darts (1Timothy 6:9-10). Some leaders in business want to be seen to be on top and, therefore, do whatever it takes to get there. Peer pressure, inordinate ambition, selfishness and self-centeredness derail leaders. Leaders who change their focus, leaders who do three or more accounts, cheat, take assets that belong to the group and make them personal assets are coming from either a point of selfishness or the need to impress. What are the resources you think a good leader would require? First, he needs to have a belief system that moderates and directs his life. If I was looking for the applause of people, maybe I would not be here and you probably wouldn’t have had a colossus like Mr. Ohiwerei asking you to call me or

Special Interview

calling me himself to grant this interview. Your belief system anchors your life and that’s why leaders join all kinds of things. Some time in my trajectory, I was encouraged to join one secret society or the other. Again, that will be like standing on a shaky foundation. Have a belief system that you can always resort to. When things are not happening the way I want them to, I go back to my closet; I take my bible, meet my wife and we hold hands. I call my guys in the company and we hold a vigil to ask God to help us. If we didn’t have that belief system, we would go for self-help and when it comes to self-help, anything goes. Because of our belief systems we could go back to God and that helped to steady us. He said when we pass through the waters, and fire He will go with us (Isaiah 43:2). With these kinds of assurances, you are willing to absorb temporary pain, knowing that you will eventually emerge victorious. So that’s the first resource. Without it, any road can lead to your destination. The second is that you must be well informed on the subject matter. As a leader, you must be conversant with what you are leading so that you can be confident. Lack of confidence creates crisis in the leader which in turn leads to issues of esteem and the need to prove that he knows, when he is actually ignorant. The easiest way to having self-confidence is to get relevant information about the subject matter you are dealing with. The moment you are well informed, you have a higher level of confidence. Leaders ought to be well informed either by reading, listening, talking, by getting people who can give them information when they don’t have it. Without an informed resource, leaders fail. The selection of a support system of people is a very critical job of a leader. The moment he chooses good lieutenants, a leader can succeed and his job would now be that of a cheerleader.

and he has come this far. Key positions in the company are held by people who have been in the company, though we brought in a few people from outside. In my company, there are people who have stayed for 30 years in the business, people who didn’t leave despite the challenges and when we were not the best paying. They must have felt that there was something positive being added to their lives. Every human being wants to go to work and be happy there. From my days in Pfizer, we do succession planning every three years. We kept upgrading and putting people through education and experiences to get them ready. Also by the nature of who I am, juggling many balls in the air, the only I way I can keep up is to have people I can delegate certain things to do so that I can do others.

Finally, a word to the younger people. Nigeria is at the moment going through a phase and we are critical about our leadership. The people who are most critical now and whose lives will be affected more are the very young people. What advice would you give them Mazi? My advice to our youth is that I know we have been traumatized and many have become cynical, doubting everything, including the sincerity of government, but I think they should have a much more open mind than what they have. They shouldn’t allow their minds to be clogged by false propaganda and some literature that portrays Nigeria as going nowhere. This country is not only moving, it is going somewhere. By my exposure and opportunities to lead in the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA), and my relationship involving Vision 2010, Vision 2020 and all other things, I think this country is going somewhere. I was in the United States recently and everyone I met thinks this country Talking about lieutenants, what are you doing and how is doing well. And if you look at the mid-term report of the are you ensuring that there are voices like yours to suc- president, it is not all woes. There are areas we are making ceed you? progress: the economy is growing, GDP is growing, inflation First, I like to think that I am a servant-leader and that is low and there is macroeconomic stability. Dependence on means that I spend a lot of effort modeling, mentoring and oil has declined from over 80% to about 69% placing noninvesting in my subordinates and those who work with me. oil on 31%. I want the young people to have hope. Don’t I see people being more useful beyond just being employees. buy the stories of those who are negative about the country. I like to give people the opportunity to do well. If you are I don’t think it is good politics. This country has a future not, I will train you, find out what the problems is with you in every ramification that you can see. We know we have a and if you are still not doing well, I look for where you can challenge of leadership, cohesion and commonality of views fit in. It is when I can’t find where you fit that I shove you as I said earlier. It could even be one of the young people out. My first response is not to throw you out. Some people or group of young people that will turn us in that direction. see that as a weakness but that is a character you need to Young people should be hopeful and prepare for leadership build up. Some people have their bad days but everybody and for the future. Don’t be dismissive; don’t think things has somewhere they can excel. If you find that place and put just happen. We have to be deliberate in preparing for the the person there, you will be surprised that someone who future. Even with all that is happening, people are getting has been written off suddenly comes alive. Human beings employed, being promoted in their jobs, building houses are more than what they give on the seat where they are and buying cars in this economy without stealing. There employed. For example, I left Neimeth and was succeeded are people who are doing well by hard work and hard work by Mr. Emmanuel Ekunno, someone I employed as a rep will always pay.

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Family

5 Areas Social Media can affect your relationship By Dennis Etiwe

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Family

here may not be a straight forward definition for social media but there is a level of agreement on its relevance as a ‘tool’ of communication. Social media platforms are basically websites and applications that provide you information and multiple avenues for interaction with the site and other subscribers/visitors. As much as we like to focus on the positives of social media, its power to also negatively colour relationships including marital, has become a topic of several analysis and surveys. What has facebook, twitter, and BlackBerry Messenger got to do with your romance? Well, social media is most likely to impact your relationships in these areas: Intimacy It is safe to say that relationships are prone to imperfections because of the individuals involved. There is however a perturbing development showing that instead of dealing with the imperfections of their relationships together, estranged partners are sharing more – through social media channels – With outsiders that seem to ‘get’ them more than the person they are with. Divorce Online, a web based service for couples seeking divorce announced that a third of all divorce filings they received in 2011 contained the word “Facebook.” This is closely related to the increasing practice of starting new relationships or re-igniting old intimate affairs online to the detriment of existing relationships. The longer attention is turned away from spouse, the deeper the conflicts experienced.

Time shared One of the biggest challenges married couples are facing now is finding quality time to spend with each other. Research has shown that people are spending too much time on social outlets and not enough time working on areas of their marriage that may be suffering from neglect and in need of attention. Counselors and relationship experts are speaking of the rise of an alarming trend where most don’t seem to have too much trouble spending time online and have very little time to spare for their spouses. The real strength of a relationship can be measured by the quality of time invested and this is more than just being in close proximities with your partner. It is so interesting to note that new and social media can be fun, easy and very addictive time-wasters right at your fingertips. Before you know it, the day is gone and you suddenly realize that you just didn’t quite find the time to focus on each other as partners for at least a few minutes. Mutual satisfaction After testing more than 24,000 people in marital relationships, using 10 media channels on the theory of media

As much as we like to focus on the positives of social media, its power to also negatively colour relationships, including marital, has become a topic of several analysis and surveys.What has facebook, twitter, and BlackBerry Messenger got to do with your romance? multiplexity*, Bernie Hogan and his colleagues at Oxford Internet Institute of the University of Oxford in England revealed that too much social media activity may indeed be detrimental to even strong relationships. Results indicated there is a clear link between the number of media channels used to communicate, the frequency with which they are used, and the strength of relationship ties. The result was not pretty at all because couples reported that their increased use of social media led to decreased marital satisfaction. The unresolved question for estranged lovers and couples remains: “Where has the love gone?” Sanctity of relationships While it’s great to connect with long lost friends and family members especially on facebook, care must taken to ensure that couples do not put out too much information that will generate the wrong kind of public interest in the most important relationship in their lives. Except one of the partners is a desperate attention-seeker with deeply unresolved self-esteem issues, it is really not appropriate to post your grievances and disappointments about your relationship on facebook or as your status update on BlackBerry messenger. Commitment Marriage takes dedication and hard work by both parties. The couple must together focus on fulfilling the commitment they made to honor and cherish each other at all times, not just when it is convenient for them or as soon as the internet permits. Couples that may be experiencing commitment and intimacy problems with their marriage or find that they are constantly discussing their activities on social media outlets are seriously advised to take out time to evaluate and reflect about how social media might be causing problems in their marriages. *Media Multiplexity – the ability to communicate via several communications channels, a theory developed in 2005.

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Family

When a Father Fails… Conversation with an Angry Teenager By Taiwo Akinlami

abawale is a very angry 16-year old. He is determined not be appeased. He demonstrates his anger with an energetic commitment to reject every advice and plan of his parents, particularly his father. He has lost confidence in his father’s dedication to his life and progress. He sees his parents as enemies and regrets he ever knew his father. His only anger with his mother is that she decided to marry an ‘irresponsible’ man like his father. The father on the other hand is not sober. He brings all kinds of agitation to the table against his son. He does not see any reason why he should take responsibility for the way his only son has turned out. He declares the child is simply, ‘beyond parental control’ and must be made to face the music of his ‘stubbornness.’

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

The heat is too much for the family to bear. A friend, who knows about the crisis intervenes and advises the parents to allow me have audience with the teenager. My first meeting with Babawale is well planned and he is not allowed to know that I have any link with his parents. He is a bit stiff at our first meeting but by the second meeting, he begins to open up. He expresses his utmost disappointment at his father. He tells me in plain language that he loves his father only because God commanded us to love. I am heartbroken when he tells me his greatest aspiration in life is to not be like his father. Amazed, I remind him of his father’s intimidating corporate and social credentials: a renowned CEO and celebrated captain of industry in the country, a respected philanthropist, a socialite of no mean reputation and a Christian. I anger Babawale with my attempt to defend his father’s credentials. His response is simply, “how have I benefitted from all you reeled out in terms of love, which to me means acceptance and attention?” “You call them credentials of my father’s success, I call them distractions to the love I deserved from a father,” says Babawale as tears stream down his face. “If I will gain all these and become the kind of man my father is to me, I do not think it makes sense to me at all,” he further says. Babawale is the only son of his father and the only child of his mother. His father has two other children from another woman. Babawale was born after almost 15 years of marriage. While the family was waiting, the father, without the knowledge of his mother, had two children from another woman. His mother later found out. Babawale says his father is not trustworthy and committed to his mother. With an emotion-laden voice, he says, “I can never read that course that my father wants me read. I do not trust him. Someone, who cheated on his wife and did not have the integrity or dignity to wait and the conscience to even inform my mother of his plan to have children from another woman, cannot be trusted.” He continues in anger, “I feel so much for my

Family

mother. I do not know why she keeps sticking it out with this man. This is a man, who abandoned her when she had very serious health issues. To the public, he is a philanthropist, to me, he is a lie. My eyes are opened and I cannot be deceived anymore. This is a father, who has never sat down to have any father to son discussion with me.” “I wonder why people keep talking to me. I wonder why I am now getting the kind of attention I have not gotten in 16 years. I wonder why all of a sudden my father claims to be worried about me. Hmmm, is it because for the first time I decided to take my destiny into my hands and refuse to give him the pleasure of directing my life? I am surprised that they cannot read the simple hand writing on the wall that I will not bow to the desires of my father. The most painful part is that my mother is on his side. Please, I do not see any basis for any discussion. I am not fighting them. I am just saying, whether they allow it or not, I have taken my destiny into my hands. If I fail or if I succeed, let it be my own decision. I am not ready to give in, not at all,” he emphatically concludes. As I speak to Babawale, I see a child, who represents the acute ignorance of his parents, particularly the father. It dawns on me that this is a child, whose father has woefully failed to inspire. Trust, which is built by love, has never existed between them. Love is established by acceptance and attention; the father never understood nor gave them. I see a child who has been provoked by the father, contrary to the admonition of the Holy Writ not to provoke our children. It has been established that one of the ways we provoke our children is to say one thing and do another. When a man cannot keep his marriage vows to his wife because, they do not have children early in their marriage, he passes a simple message to his children that he cannot be trusted. I see a child whose father does not understand that the home front is the primary place to lead by example and demonstrate fidelity, integrity, character and humanity. As John C. Maxwell puts it, if it is not working at home, there is no point exporting it to the world. I see a child, whose father does not understand that the greatest heritage and legacy a father could bless the world with is a child properly trained. I see a child, whose father does not understand that a child, who is not trained, will squander the estate he took time and resources to build. I see a child, whose father does not understand that he has the inevitable responsibility of mentoring, modelling and moulding his wife and children. I see a child, whose father does not understand that raising children demands knowledge, skills and attitude. In summation I see a father, who does not understand that the psychology of a child is determined by his sociology. After my meetings with Babawale, I seek audience with his father for a heart-to-heart talk. He welcomes me into a spacious and well-decorated sitting room in his palatial

After listening to him, I look him straight in the face and tell him he needs to take responsibility for the present state of his son.The crisis with his son is nothing but his failure to play his role as father. I tell him that he must not only take responsibility, he must also humble himself to open a discussion with his son. home. My meeting with him is very brief. He thanks me for my efforts and laments the crisis he has with his teenage child. He blames everyone and everything but himself for the crisis he is having with his child. As far as he was concerned, he had done his best as a father. He registered his son in the best private school in the country. He sends him abroad for holidays and shops for him regularly. After listening to him, I look him straight in the face and tell him he needs to take responsibility for the present state of his son. The crisis with his son is nothing but his failure to play his role as father. I tell him that he must not only take responsibility, he must also humble himself to open a discussion with his son. I make the father see the fact that at this point, the child is not the one making any move for peace and he is the one. If he wants to win the heart of his son, he must be humble enough to lead an undignified peace talk. I tell him he must at this point abandon force as his means of getting his child to do his own bidding. He should be more interested in winning the heart of his son than winning his will. If he wins his will without winning his heart, he has still lost his son. I tell him that at this point he does not need parenting skills but damage control skills and in damage control, facing the reality of the situation is fundamental to achieving any level of result. I tell him that until the child knows he (the father) cares, he (the child) does not care how much he desires. I ask him to be full of prayers because the impact of wrong upbringing is eternal except there is divine intervention. I end my admonition to the troubled but now sober father by asking him to be patient with Babawale because it has taken him 16 years to raise the son he has in his hand now and he will not have another son overnight. He must understand that it will take time: Time to care… Time to win the child’s confidence…Time to reunite… Time to learn the lessons of his failures as a father and become better…Time…Time…Time.

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Business

Strategic Planning—

Your Roadmap For Business Development Success By Oliver Nnona

t is now officially mid-year! It’s that time of the year when most business stop and do the half-time evaluations and attendant course corrections, a common practice for business leaders and executives who typically use June or July to review every goal or objective, then plan for the 2nd half. Most strategic plans start with good intentions, but the outcomes often leave a lot of room for improvement. The gap is usually seen in execution. In our numerous consulting engagements, we often encounter what we can the paradox of execution. The paradox of execution occurs when two organisations have made similar plans to take advantage of the same market opportunities, sometimes virtually oblivious of what each has done, but allocating similar amount of resources, however with different outcomes. The main lesson is that Strategic

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Plans in Sales & Business development are virtually useless without proper implementation. Achieving solid results depends on a plan that is attainable and fact-based. As you cross the half-time line for this year and head into the 2nd half, the following checklist will help you avoid some common traps that come back to haunt business leaders over the course of each year. 1. Know Your External, Market-Driven Factors If you have aspirations of growing — by going after new market segments or launching products, for example — you must firmly establish business objectives and align the sales force with those objectives. Establish a clear baseline and identify the gaps in alignment.

Business

New vs. Existing Regions ÎÎ What is the revenue potential in these existing and new regions? ÎÎ Based on our competition, how much market share can we achieve and how quickly? New vs. Existing Accounts ÎÎ What is the revenue potential in these existing and prospective accounts? ÎÎ How much carryover business do we have already booked and are there any multi-year contribution effects? ÎÎ What is our risk of losing a strategic account to a challenger? New vs. Existing Products ÎÎ What is the market potential for existing and new products? ÎÎ Based on our competition, how much market share can we achieve and how quickly? ÎÎ What marketing support do we need to be successful? 2. Know Your Internal, Organization-Driven Factors Even if the market potential exists, you need to have the people and organization in place to execute the plan. Overall, in terms of recruiting and development, you should use metrics as benchmarks – whether that’s for attrition rate, or the length of time it takes to fill a sales position or ramp up a new hire to full productivity to base your implementation plans on solid facts. Current Production: How much does the typical rep sell in a year? How does this production vary across regions, products and key accounts? Sales Rep Attrition: What is our voluntary, involuntary and total turnover rate? What is the opportunity cost of an open territory? Are we at risk of losing a top producer? Why have we lost top producers in the past? Time to Recruit: How long does it take us to fill an empty position? What investments can we make to shorten recruitment time without compromising quality? Time to Ramp-up: How long does it take to bring a new rep to full productivity? What is the rep’s productivity during the ramp-up period? What investments can we make to shorten time to full productivity? Time for Excellence: What capabilities do our reps need to be truly successful? What skills do they have today and what are the gaps? 3. Align the Organization to Execute the Plan Once there is a clear understanding of the external and internal factors, then the next step is to build

The paradox of execution occurs when two organisations have made similar plans to take advantage of the same market opportunities, sometime virtually oblivious of what each has done, but allocating similar amount of resources, however with different outcomes. alignment to support successful execution. Coverage: Based on our growth plans and the talent-related factors, how many reps do we need to hire? Based on ramp-up time and productivity, how much can we except new hires to contribute in the new fiscal year? Penetration: Based on the risk and opportunities in our strategic accounts, what focus investments are needed to protect and grow these accounts, and when can we expect a return on these investments? Specialization: Based on new markets and new products, does the existing sales force have the capability and motivation to realize the potential, or do we need to develop specialists? Alignment: Even if the market potential exists and we can hire and deploy a sales force, can we create sufficient awareness, fulfil demand and satisfy our customers? Some Final Thoughts... Gauge your present situation and make sure you have the right information to set accurate and attainable objectives. Involve department leaders to ensure buy-in across the company, and to demonstrate to all employees that the company intends to follow the plan and effect change. Then, keep checking your progress against the plan, for a map to guide your company to change and growth. If you are stretched and pressed for time seek external help. For a reasonable fee you can get a team of experts to help you with this plan. This applies also to those who do not know how to go about preparing a strategic sales & business development plan. Please send comments to oliver@profiliant.com

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Business

B ible Business Basic

Integrity:

Key To Business Success

(Part one)

By Yele Okeremi

ne of the most common questions that Christian businessmen get asked in Nigeria is how they are able to maintain integrity in a largely corrupt society as Nigeria. It is largely believed that only businessmen that master the art of compromise are able to thrive in such an unorganized and unethical environment. This situation has discouraged a lot of people from delving into the world of business and sometimes stops some who are already in business from continuing in it. It is, however, important to note that if Christians shy away from businesses, to whom do we entrust the economic power base of the nation? Or do Christians also need to join the corrupt and unethical system if they are unable to beat it? The thrust of this write-up is to show Christian businessmen how to maintain integrity in their business towards all parties including their customers, business partners, employees, the state and the society at large even in a seemingly decadent society. Integrity defined The word “integrity” in the dictionary is described using some words among which are honest, upright, competent, truthful, consistent, whole, reliable and honorable. Of all the words that were used to describe integrity, the most catching and fundamental ones to me are truthful and honest because if we removed these words from the definition, it could suggest that a situation of consistent crookedness translates to integrity. We are, therefore, careful to be sure that we construe integrity in the proper meaning of the word and in accordance to the will of God. Having put the meaning of integrity in the proper perspective, we may proceed to discuss some steps that will help a Christian maintain integrity while running his business successfully. Define your business properly One problem a lot of people face in starting up businesses

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Business

is their inability to properly define the business they intend to go into in specific terms. The fact is that without a clearly defined and stated goal, integrity will be difficult to measure. While not being myopic in the definition of one’s business, it is necessary to know one’s areas of strength and weaknesses and ensure that the business amplifies the areas of strength and protects the areas of weaknesses. Indeed, it is required that every business defines its mission statement. Defining mission statements however need not be very complex, contrary to many people’s expectations. A mission statement may be very simple and completely devoid of buzz words. It is just a statement of what the business intends to achieve and how it intends to achieve it. A lot of people only begin to see challenges, which were hitherto not obvious at the time they attempt to put the mission down in writing. Experience shows that many ideas look great until an attempt is made to articulate it in detail by committing to writing. The mission statement must clearly state the goal of the business, which must be appropriate, attainable and measurable. Set the bounds After defining your mission, it becomes very easy to determine the activities that will be required to achieve the stated goals. One may need to identify activities, which are critical, important and desired. The critical activities must be done first, while the important ones come next followed by the desired activities then all other activities. After going through this stage, one is able to know in clear terms what activities may be considered time-wasters or undesirable. It is good practice to determine what activities the business will never engage in. This process sets the bounds for the business. There may be a set of activities or practices that the business will never engage in as a matter of principle or by virtue of its defined scope of operations. It is good practice for every business to define in specific terms those things it will not engage in right from the onset. It is pertinent to note that as we define external boundaries between the company and external bodies, it is also necessary to set internal bounds within the organization. It is essential to define proper procedures for handling things and ensure that these procedures are consistent and can be tested for compliance from time to time. For example, every business should have contracts of employment with its staff and a staff handbook no matter how primitive it may be. Identify the right human resource requirements Contrary to the general belief that finance is the limiting factor to running business, it has been identified in recent times that once the notion of a business has been defined and identified to be viable, the two greatest challenges the business will face are leadership and people challenges. Any organization able to identify its human requirements and able to match required skills to positions within the

It is pertinent to note that as we define external boundaries between the company and external bodies, it is also necessary to set internal bounds within the organization. It is essential to define proper procedures for handling things and ensure that these procedures are consistent and can be tested for compliance from time to time. organization has already gone a very long way in getting its resource requirements in place. Today’s businesses are not limited by brick and mortar constraints but by ideas and ideas are generated by people. It is therefore important to get the right people in the business. Worthy of note also is the fact that not all human resources need be internal to the organization. Organizations may need to consider outsourcing when the need arises. A quick hint in getting the right material here may be to hire for attitude and train for skill. As much as possible, invest in your people. Maintain complete records of financial and other transactions One thing many small businesses find difficult to achieve is maintaining proper books of accounts and separating the business entity from the owner or manager. This practice has sent a lot of otherwise buoyant business into debt, premature insolvency and ultimately closedown. One golden advice to every business owner is to have an accountant either on payroll if it can immediately afford to do so or get an accountant on a contract basis to help set up its financial structures and maintain its books of accounts. Before any business can be considered to have integrity, it must be able to demonstrate financial propriety. There is no better way to determine the strength or otherwise of a business operationally than an examination of its books of accounts. It is also required that correspondences, both inwards and outwards, contracts and information relating to external parties be properly filed and kept for easy retrieval for future references. Remember, it is difficult to have all the information in the head. To be continued in next edition

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Business

What to expect this year By Muktar Mohammed

he Nigeria equities market recorded a growth of 19 percent for the first quarter (Q1) of 2013, showing a significant improvement on the 0.38 percent negative performance recorded in Q1 of 2012. Specifically, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-share index (ASI), which measures the aggregate growth of prices on the bourse, appreciated by 19% in the first three months. This signifies a rise from 28,078.81 it started with at the beginning of the year to close of work on the last trading day of the first quarter. Market capitalization added 1.759 trillion, appreciating from 8.974 trillion to 10.733 trillion. Year on year, the ASI has recorded growth of 62%, rising from 20,652.47 recorded at the end of March 2012 to 33,536.36. The market which recorded its best

performance since 2008 last year started 2013 positively on investor bullish sentiment. Factors that will make the market bullish this year are as follows: The Central Bank of Nigeria’s efforts to achieve single digit inflation and lower monetary policy rate (MPR) as well as the impressive 2012 financial result should have a positive impact on the equities market. The introduction of new products will help deepen and broaden the market and ensure continued inflow of funds into the capital market. New listings especially by telcos, power, transportation and other infrastructure companies will undoubtedly boost market performance of the market this year. Enhanced market liquidity through the injection of long term funds arising from the review of investment guidelines by Pension Fund Administrators, Sovereign Wealth Fund, Market Marker and the ongoing reforms in the insurance industry will also help. Other factors likely to impact and help the market are the numerous market developmental initiatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), our efforts at market making (stock and bond), securities lending and short-selling, among others. The market can be further encouraged by regulators’ continued demonstration of zero tolerance for market infraction. These actions have resonated positively with improved confidence and increased participation by local institutional investor and foreign institutional investor. My top stock picks for the year are: UBA, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Presco, Okomu Oil, National Salt, Dangote Cement and UACN Looking ahead I believe the market will perform better this year. Till we meet again, keep investing for a bright future.

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State of the Nation

Nigeria’s Democracy Without Democrats By Niran Adedokun

et me be clear from the outset, I love democracy and I believe that it remains the best form of government. What I am not certain of is how much of democratic attributes exist in the average Nigerian. Let me explain. Most of us grew up under very undemocratic conditions. Our fathers were the all in all at home and the only time that our mothers had a voice was when daddy was away. It goes to say that daddy’s absence was the only time that the child could hope to whisper one or two things to mum. So most of us grew up in homes where we could not express ourselves, where we could not choose the people that we associated with. Even after we grew up and brought forth our own children, we mostly continued in the tradition, by passing restrictions unto our children as a way of life. As this happened, we already would have missed out on the opportunity to teach them some fundamental attributes of democracy—freedom of expression, freedom of association and tolerance, as the case may be. It is just difficult for us to concede the rights of other people to hold a different opinion. A man writes an article or a book and we pour invectives on him and his generations. So the best of our politicians go into public life with those baggages. No matter what education they acquired or progressive credentials they profess, they just cannot divorce themselves from these hang-ups. They must win elections at all cost. Every candidate must bow to godfathership. The electorate cannot have any say in the way they govern and so and so forth. Worse still, they see nothing wrong in any of these. The raw use of power is just what they understand. But we also are a largely passive citizenry. Apparently this is a fall-out of our culture and the prolonged years of military rule. For democracy to grow, however, leadership and followership alike must understand, imbibe and demonstrate some democratic attributes. It is important for every citizen to grasp these democratic demands because every leader emerges from the citizenry. This is where my worry lies. What democratic

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

credentials do our politicians acquire as ordinary citizens before they take on the responsibility of governance? As I pondered on this subject, I stumbled on a 2008 survey in The Afrobarometer, a publication coordinated by the Centre for Democratic Development in Ghana, the Institute for Democracy in South Africa and the Institute for Empirical Research in Political Economy in Benin Republic. The survey, in seeing whether democrats are emerging to enable democracy to thrive in Africa, focussed on three major questions – Do Africans hold democratic attitudes and values? Do they demonstrate political knowledge and

State of the Nation

engagement? Do they exhibit democratic behaviours via civic participation? It concluded that democratic citizenship is weak in Africa. Although Nigerians say that they prefer democracy over military rule, it is also true that so many of us see government more like a parent. We hold it in reverence rather see it as made of those elected and paid by us. Most of us do not believe that we should hold elected officials accountable. So our governments remain unaccountable. The Afrobarometer report showed that while a majority of Africans are both interested in politics and discuss politics with friends and family on a regular basis– which is a good sign–less than half of the people on the continent–19 countries were sampled–have high levels of political knowledge. It discovered that majority of Africans do not know the names of their members of parliament. As a result, a lot of these discussions are based on inadequate information and sometimes, the imagination of some of the discussants. What about civic participation, a factor in the sustenance of the democratic process which enables citizens to learn about politics and to influence political and policy decisions? How many Nigerians attend community meetings where issues affecting the community are discussed with the likely result of raising those issues with the authorities? How many of us have ever thought of the idea of joining a demonstration or mass protest to lend our voice to a cause that could affect our lives? Gone are the days when the reactions of student and professional bodies to anti-people policies were spontaneous. You wonder today if we still actually have a National Association of Nigerian Students among others. All we get are occasional rented crowds. Pathetic. It is also a fact that many of us would rather belong to religious and social groups than consider the membership of voluntary and civil society organisations which could improve our understanding of how government is run and give us platforms for effective participation in the affairs of our country. I have also noticed that when things go wrong in our communities, the first port of call for most us would be our religious or traditional leader or some rich man in the community. We never think of mobilizing to approach the man that we voted into the local government council, state or federal legislative house. We fail to realise that when constituents do not put their elected officials to task, we are to blame for granting them the liberty to run riot. What about the issue of tax compliance. As painful as the payment of taxes may be, it has been described as the key mechanism by which a people could develop a sense of right and ownership of their government. It is the same way that the colonial masters pursued our greatgrand fathers to pay taxes that government still pursues us today. And I do not mean people who do not have the

I am of the opinion that we should introduce key elements of civic responsibility into our school curriculum while practical steps should also be taken to prepare pupils for the challenges of democracy. wherewithal to pay taxes here. I am talking about those who have the resources to pay income tax, property tax and local government licences but will wait until they need something from a government office and must fulfil the demand to present a tax clearance certificate before they pay up. So why wait until you are forced? Ironically, all these are some of the factors that have shaped those western societies that we all love to talk about. These attributes are lubricants for the democratic machinery. But I think there is a future for us in democracy. Since we love democracy, there is an urgent need for every Nigerian to work towards being an active part of the democratic citizenry. Democracy is an organic system in which every part must do its bit for the chance of a proper growth. Thankfully, there is a lot of liberalism in many homes these days. Children are given the opportunity to express themselves. This should hopefully translate into a future inhabited by uninhibited citizens. Outside of the home, however, Nigerian children should begin to have a feel of the demands of a democratic society. Democracy is not an event, it is episodic. It is a process which takes years to build and we need to start making conscious efforts towards that. I am of the opinion that we should introduce key elements of civic responsibility into our school curriculum while practical steps should also be taken to prepare pupils for the challenges of democracy. It is possible for instance, to introduce a process of elections, rather than selection in the appointment of class representatives and school prefects. They should be encouraged to prepare manifestoes and organise campaigns to convince their school mates on why they should be elected. They should develop the sportsman’s spirit so they don’t grow up to be adults who think they must win every time. Yet we cannot give up on the adults. Government and civil society organisations should consider building democratic citizenship as a necessary contribution to the entrenchment of democracy in the country by opening up opportunities for Nigerians to get active in governance. The future will justify all such investments into the making of a free Nigeria.

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Lifestyle

If I leave comedy, I would be a Pastor or Clothier… —Teju Babyface Mention Teju Jacobs Oyelakin and the name may not ring a bell but admiration will surely come naturally when you hear that he is the one and only Teju Babyface. After making a name for himself doing stand-up comedy for several years, he is poised to change the face of the Nigerian entertainment industry with the launch of his unique personality TV show called Teju Babyface Show in 2010. As one of the achievers in the Nigerian comedy/entertainment industry, he speaks to DiscoveryMan Digest about his faith and new venture.

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Lifestyle

How has your faith impacted your work? It has, especially during difficult periods and times that have compelled me to go back and find out a direction from where the vision came. For example, it was while listening in church that I got the leading in my spirit to go in the direction that I have taken for my television programme. Therefore, my work is not always too far from my faith and whenever I have problems or need to take decisions, I always go back and ask of God what the next thing to do is – at every point in time. What particular experience has influenced your devotion to God? My devotion basically seems like I have no choice. My life has just panned out in such a way that I am almost sure that I am supposed to serve God whether or not I agree and I have no say in the matter. I like to tell people that I am one of those people that seem to have an ‘X’ factor on them – a ‘chosen’ one so to speak. This is the feeling I have gotten as far as God is concerned. But there are certain specific things that have also happened: I remember that a day before my wedding, I had so many bills to pay and I didn’t have any more money. Just at about 3:30 pm – before banks closed – I was called to come collect a cheque for a payment of over N2 million. We had been owed that money for almost two years. Are there jobs you have turned down because of your faith? If I get you correctly, you mean a job where they ask me to do something against the law. None that I can remember now, because I have not been approached with such offers. You are an extremely handsome man. How do you cope with the pressure from your female fans? Ah, I don’t know about that. I just know I am not too bad looking. Firstly, I am always buried in my work. As a matter of fact, when I do recordings, I don’t notice most of the faces that attend. It is during editing that I then see, and say “Oh! This beautiful lady was in attendance.” Secondly, I really don’t go out. And

“…it was while listening in church that I got the leading in my spirit to go in the direction that I have taken for my television programme.Therefore, my work is not always too far from my faith and whenever I have problems or need to take decisions, I always go back and ask of God what the next thing to do is – at every point in time.”

when I do go out, I am mostly with my wife. So there is really no room for temptation. How do you balance work and family life? We don’t have children yet and when I am not working, I am spending quality time with my wife. So what I may miss in quantity, I compensate for in quality. If you were to leave comedy today, what other thing will you do for a living? There are two things that I know I most likely will do if I am not doing comedy, I will either become a pastor or clothier, especially of suits and corporate wears. These are the only two things I see myself doing if I leave comedy. What should your fans be expecting next from Teju Babyface? We are always working on new projects and generating great ideas. So they can keep expecting nothing less from me.

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Sights from Discovery

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Rally, March 2013

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Health

Prostate Cancer T

he prostate is a gland and it helps make semen, the fluid that contains sperm. The prostate surrounds the tube that carries urine away from the bladder and out of the body. A young man’s prostate is about the size of a walnut. It slowly grows larger with age and if it gets too large, it can cause problems. This is very common after age 50. The older men get, the more likely they are to have prostate trouble. Prostate cancer is however a common cancer that responds best to treatment when detected early. Your chance of getting prostate cancer may be affected by your: Age: Men age 50 and older run a greater risk. Race: Prostate cancer is most common among AfricanAmerican men. Family history: If your father or brother has had prostate cancer, you are more likely to have it too. Diet: Eating high-fat food with few fruits and vegetables may raise your risk.

By Dr. Davis King

Your doctor may also do a blood test to check the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. PSA levels can be high in men with an enlarged prostate gland or with prostate cancer. whole prostate and some nearby tissue. As with any surgery, there are risks. Talk to your doctor about problems that may result from surgery. Radiation Therapy: This treatment uses radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The radiation may come from an x-ray machine or from tiny radioactive seeds placed inside or near the tumor. Talk with your doctor about possible side effects. Hormone Therapy: Men having other treatments like radiation therapy may also be treated with drugs to stop the body from making testosterone. This is done if it seems likely that the cancer will come back. Hormone therapy can also be used for prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate.

Diagnosing prostate cancer At the start, prostate cancer does not cause symptoms. But as the cancer grows, you may have trouble urinating. Some men need to urinate often, especially at night. Others have pain or burning sensations during urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, and painful ejaculation. To find out if these symptoms are caused by prostate cancer, your doctor will ask about your past medical problems and your family’s medical history. He or she will perform a physical PSA Testing exam. During the exam, your doctor will put a gloved finger Some doctors think that men younger than 75 should have into your rectum to feel your prostate for hard or lumpy areas. yearly PSA tests; others do not. Not all prostate cancers are lifeYour doctor may also do a blood test to check the prostate- threatening, and treatments can cause side effects. Sometimes specific antigen (PSA) level. PSA levels can be high in men with high PSA levels can be caused by infections, BPH, or small an enlarged prostate gland or with prostate cancer. You may cancers that may not grow or spread. Your doctor may prealso need an ultrasound exam that takes computer pictures fer “watchful waiting” until there are signs that treatment is of the prostate. If tests show that you might have cancer, your needed. Researchers are studying ways to improve the PSA test doctor will want to confirm this with a biopsy which entails so that it detects only cancers that need treatment. taking out tiny pieces of the prostate to look for cancer cells. Protecting yourself Treatment for prostate cancer Remember that the following can be signs of a prostate This depends on whether cancer is in part or the entire prostate problem: or if it has spread to other parts of the body. It also depends on Frequent urge to urinate your age and overall health. Talk with your doctor about the Need to get up many times during the night to urinate best treatment choice for you. You may want to ask another Blood in urine or semen doctor for a second opinion. For cancer that has not spread Painful or burning urination from the prostate to other parts of the body, your doctor may Not being able to urinate suggest: Painful ejaculation Watchful Waiting or Active Surveillance: If the cancer is Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips, pelvic or growing slowly and not causing problems, you may decide rectal area, or upper thighs not to treat it right away. Instead, your doctor will check Dribbling of urine regularly for changes in your condition. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right Surgery: The most common type of surgery removes the away.

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

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» Travel » Style » Books » Music » Movies » Sports » Food

40 June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Travel

Discover Seychelles By Bankole Bernard Overview Seychelles is simply unique. It has been aptly described as the world’s ultimate tropical paradise because it is home to the world’s only granite islands in mid-ocean, the largest raised coral atoll and a host of other attractions. Internationally renowned for their exceptional beauty and carefully preserved flora and fauna, the Seychelles archipelago lies north-east of the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles islands are actually made up of 115 granitic and coralline islands, covering a total land mass of 455 square kilometres scattered across an Exclusive Economic Zone of more than 1.3 million square kilometres lying between 4° and 10° south of the equator. This republic that is some 1,500 kilometres east of mainland Africa has a population of nearly 80,000 people living mostly on three main islands: Mahé, Praslin and La Digue and each of the islands has a distinct character and attraction of its own.

to live for more than 200 years. Home also to Vallée de Mai, an imposing 45-acre valley that was baptised as the Garden of Eden by General Gordon of Khartoum. It takes approximately two and a half hours to reach by schooner, one hour by fast ferry or

15 minutes by air from Mahé. Huge rocks alternate with beaches all around the island in very picturesque manner that will appeal to nature lovers.

Mahé Mahé is the largest island: 32 kilometres by 8 kilometres and is the most populated with 90% of the Seychelles population living there. It is home to the capital, Victoria, the main port and La Digue the International Airport. This spectacular island is dominated La Digue, the third largest in terms of population, is ideal for a by huge mountains (Morne Seychellois reaches a height of 905 tranquil and relaxed get-away, with its heavenly fine white sand metres) and is covered by lush tropical vegetation. Seventy five beaches simply out of this world. Transport here is mainly by beaches with beautiful soft sand are scattered around the island. ox-cart or bicycle.The island is accessible in thirty minutes by boat from Praslin.

Praslin Praslin, the second largest island, is the only place on earth where one can find the intriguing Coco-de-Mer palm, which is known

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Other Islands Most islands are coralline and spread towards the south and south east. About 40 islands are however granitic and found within a radius of 50 kilometres from Mahé. Among the islands

Travel

which are easily accessible are St.Anne, Ile Aux Cerfs, Bird, Moyenne, Round, Cousin, Silhouette, Denis, Aride, Aldabra, Alphonse, Desroches. Geography and Geology The Seychelles islands are not just the only granite islands in the world; they are also the oldest islands of any ocean. For all but the tiniest fraction of their history, they lay forgotten and untouched. Now they may be visited and appropriated by the world for what they are, a unique paradise. In addition, a string of perfect islands and coral atolls lie beyond the granitic group and form part of Seychelles. These include Aldabra, a world apart, whose reptiles are still the dominant land animal and thousands of turtles come ashore to nest in safety. There is nowhere else to compare with Seychelles. Climate Unlike its Indian Ocean neighbours, Seychelles lies beyond the cyclone belt. The tropical climate is generally humid with an average temperature of 29°C and is influenced by trade winds: from May to September, south-east trade winds bring lower humidity and pleasant temperatures between 24° and 32°C; from October to April, temperatures may be slightly higher with humidity and rainfall also higher. Flora and Fauna Over the millions of years that Seychelles lay isolated and undiscovered, a unique flora and fauna has evolved. Birds and plants found nowhere else on earth have survived to the modern age and continue to thrive thanks to enlightened attitudes which have resulted in more than 40% of the land mass being set aside as nature reserves, National Parks and protected areas. Seventyfive plants are found in the granite islands and nowhere else on earth with a further forty-two endemic plants confined to the Aldabra Group. The unique land birds also include many found only in Seychelles including the last flightless bird of the Indian Ocean, the Aldabra Rail and the enigmatic Seychelles Scops Owl, found only on Mahé. Reptiles include by far the world’s largest population of Giant Tortoises. Pristine reefs host a huge range of fish (over 1,000 species recorded), corals and other marine life forms. Seychelles is the ultimate wildlife paradise. History Though the islands may have been known to Arab traders, they lay undiscovered until chartered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century. The first recorded landing was by the British East India Company in 1608, but it was the French who first lay claim to the islands in 1756 and settled in 1770. At the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars, Mauritius was ceded to Britain together with its dependencies including Seychelles. In 1903, Seychelles became a separate crown colony, achieving independence in 1976. It has a democratic constitution, and the current Head of State is President James Alix Michel.

Practical information Immigration/Visas There are no visa requirements. A visitor’s permit valid for four weeks is issued on arrival. Extensions to this may be given by the immigration authority from the Immigration and Civil Status Division Health Seychelles is currently free from malaria and tropical diseases. No vaccinations are required except in the case of yellow fever where a vaccination is required for those travelers who have come from or who have passed through Africa and South America. Language English and French are widely spoken in Seychelles. Creole is the native language. Clothing Light clothing are worn all year around. Long sleeves clothes are only required for the air journey. It is advisable to wear a hat, sunglasses and sun cream under the tropical sun. Men are requested by most hotels and restaurants to wear long trousers in the evening. Seychelles money The Seychelles Rupee is divided into 100 cents. Exchange rates are published regularly in local paper. There is a bureau de change and agencies of local banks at the airport, which are open when there are incoming and outbound flights. Visitors have to pay for most tourism services provided in Seychelles in foreign currency (mostly in USD or EURO). Food Most hotels and restaurants serve traditional Seychellois food as well as international dishes. Time Seychelles time is at GMT + 4 Hours. Electricity Local supply is under 240 Volts a.c, 50 Hz. The standard outlet is a 3-pin electrical socket.

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Art Gallery

Arts to Watch out for DiscoveryMan Digest speaks with Uche Joel Chima about his art. What inspires you to begin your work... or what inspired you to become an artist? I started drawing and painting from my early childhood days. Back then, illustrations in Story books and Children bible fascinated me a lot. I drew the pictures that I saw in those books, and that I guess was the beginning of my journey as an artist. I was also inspired by some older kids that I saw drawing in school. As I grew up, I had the opportunity of meeting practicing artists that encouraged me to pursue the course. I also remember some songs we sing in those childhood days ‘All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful The Lord God made them all. These lyrics left me pondering how “He made them all”. And till date, these thoughts still linger. Seeing our planet as a work of art and the artist as the emissary of God; seeing artworks both visual and literal, not just as a channel of communication, but also as a way of tending God’s garden (earth) – which is our assignment and with the time given to everyone of us, each day becomes a precious gift. What inspires your works? My environment is majorly what inspires my work. I have noticed that the atmosphere around me at a given time contributes a lot to the kind of work that I create. And as such, my work focuses on societal and environmental issues.

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Which of your pieces is your favorite? That will be too difficult the answer. I value and treasure every work I create and can’t say that one is better than the other. Each of them has a different message and feel. Are there other artists you relate with? Sure! I related with lots of artists both old and young. No man can survive alone. We are all products of influences. We all need to learn and draw strength from one another. How would you describe your style? I am a contemporary artist. I combine various found objects, including strings, sand, wax, with paint and other mediums in an aesthetic that informs my oeuvre. Alongside my mixed-media practice, I have been developing a body of work using video since 2008. I focus on creating thought provoking works, which address the realities around us whilst employing a mixture of conventional and unconventional approaches in my explorations.

Did you ever feel like giving up? Of course, many times! It has been God’s grace that not only kept me going, but has also helped me to attain the height that I have found myself today in this field. How long have you been painting/ drawing/etc? I have been on this journey all my life. I discovered my talent early, and I ran with it. What’s the best thing about being an artist? In one word, I will say creating something out of the ordinary! It is really thrilling. What’s the worst thing about being an artist? Running out of ideas can be draining for an artist. But an artist with an original concept will go places. How do you feel when people interpret your artwork differently? It is okay when people interpret artworks differently. The fact is that art is in the question and not just in the

Art Gallery

answer. An extra-ordinary art is thought provoking. What advice do you have for aspiring artists? My advice to aspiring artists is focus on what they want to be. Once you discover your talent, do your best to get your skills sharpened. What will you say the appreciation of art in Nigeria? Appreciation of art grows like a baby. It comes with age and maturity and not just the economy. Art appreciation in Nigeria was not what it was years back. It is becoming better. There are now art auction houses in Nigeria which is a good sign that there are better days ahead.

Title: Replenish V

Title: Arise! Size: 61" x 104" Medium: Mixed Media

Title: Global Agenda Year: 2011 Medium: Mixed Media

Title: My turn to Dance

Title: Scroll V Medium: Mixed Media

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Men’s Style

Courtesy: Yomi Casual

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Men’s Style

Courtesy: Yomi Casual

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Men’s Style

Courtesy: Yomi Casual

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Men’s Style

Courtesy: Yomi Casual

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Books » 121 Days of Blessings By Pastor Taiwo Odukoya

121

Days of Blessings picks up from the first volume of the epic devotional series, 120 Days of Victory. The book provides a practical guide to walking in the blessings of God, drawing from a wide range of topics including: Destiny, Ability, Power, Parenting, Increase and so much more. It combines riveting anecdotes with powerful insight to give you a resource tool for appropriating the blessings of God all year round.

Music »

The Fatherhood Principle By Dr. Myles Munroe ll men are fathers. The inherent purpose of all men is fatherhood. Whether a man is married or single, and whether or not he has children, he is designed by God to fulfill the role of father in the lives of those around him. It is his calling to reflect the creative and cultivating nature of God. In The Fatherhood Principle, Dr. Myles Munroe explains that although every man is called to be a father, knowing how to live in this purpose is not automatic. We must understand the characteristics and master the skills of fatherhood. Fulfilling the position and role you were created for means exhibiting qualities of leadership, integrity, responsibility, and obedience to the ultimate Father of fathers! Our Father God in heaven.

Called to Worship—25 Years with Bob Fitts years ago one of my great dreams became reality when I recorded for the first time, an “Album” (hmmmmm.....what’s that) with the title song “Take My Healing To The Nations”. From that time until now it has been an honor to take part in approximately 30 different recording projects with most of them centered on bringing attention to God’s great love for us, and His passionate desire to bring healing, wholeness, life and yes fulfilled dreams to all who reach out in faith and receive His free gift of abundant life. My earthly father (he says he’s the “real” Bob Fitts and is pictured on the C.D. cover throwing me in the air at 2 years of age) recently told me that when I was just a toddler, I would run around the yard with my hands in the air. His comment way back then was, “I wonder if he is worshiping Jesus”. Wow, God puts His dreams in us, and loves to fulfill them! I pray that this project will remind you of His desire to toss you in the air with joy, as you celebrate living the life He so dearly paid for. THANK YOU JESUS FOR THE HONOR OF DECLARING YOUR LOVE IN SONG THIS PAST QUARTER OF A CENTURY!! LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT!!

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Something the Lord Made omething the Lord Made tells the story of the 34-year partnership that begins in Depression Era Nashville in 1930 when Blalock (Alan Rickman) hires Thomas (Mos Def) as an assistant in his Vanderbilt University lab, expecting him to perform janitorial work. But Thomas’ remarkable manual dexterity and intellectual acumen confound Blalock’s expectations, and Thomas rapidly becomes indispensable as a research partner to Blalock in his forays into heart surgery. Helen Taussig (Mary Stuart Masterson), the pediatrician/cardiologist at Johns Hopkins, challenges Blalock to come up with a surgical solution for her Blue Babies. She needs a new ductus for them to oxygenate their blood. The film dramatizes Blalock’s and Thomas’ fight to save the dying Blue Babies. Blalock praises Thomas’ surgical skill as being “like something the Lord made” and insists that Thomas coach him through the first Blue Baby surgery over the protests of Hopkins administrators. After Blalock’s death, Thomas continued his work at Johns Hopkins training surgeons.

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Sports

Nigeria and the Force of Soccer by Pastor Olakunle Soriyan

occer is an incredible force in Nigeria. Our and rewarded for our points of difference. Our difference is blessed country somehow receives inspiration and our critical success, relevance and greatness factor. Soccer, succour from the victories soccer creates; and it above many, overwhelms our difference as a people. It works works in a way every Nigerian can connect with. for us in a way few things do. It works for us in a way sociSomeone remarked that on the day the Super Eagles defeated ety has been grateful for over 50 years. This great force has Cote d’ivoire at the 2013 African Nations Cup, there was not been fairly treated. It has delivered so much value to the great rejoicing everywhere including wherever the Boko nation more than what any government policy or legislation Haram camp was. Soccer is that powerful. Despite the daunt- or social critic can provide. The best of our sense of empathy ing socio-economic and political challenges our people daily and a critical part of our genius in communicating love and face, the corporate soul of our people is able to connect to togetherness emerges each time victories comes to our nation the kind of joy that football provides in a way that almost from this soccer force. It is time for well meaning people totally suspends our pain and defines new trajectories of hope of spirit to take a second look and begin to ask questions and strength. For the Nigerian, it is nature! Though always about how investments in this can make a difference for our short-lived, but after major victories like winning the African socio-economic realities. The government will not be able Nations Cup, the nation Nigeria is able to experience a unity to do much, they can only try. And beyond profits, we need that transcends the limits of the factors that divide us. Ethnic philanthropists of all kinds to consider decent investments in diversity and religious inclinations, the two most lethal tools this direction. that define our weakness are completely evaporated when Now, the old adage in North America goes something like Nigeria is on a winning streak in sports, and soccer in particu- this: How do you become a soccer millionaire? Start with lar. Our prejudices and pride melts in the face of this amazing $10 million. In San Antonio, Gordon Hartman, a former real blessing. No other sentiment has been able to generate the estate developer who retired at 41, is a millionaire many times kind of hope, euphoria and flame of unity that this force of over. But for him, soccer is not merely about trying to put soccer provides. It seems like God’s way of embarrassing our more money in his pocket. Hartman sees the sport as part highest commitment to being divisive is by using a seemingly of a larger mission he calls Soccer for a Cause. “I had the simple tool like soccer to generate such high level collabora- potential to get involved in so many businesses but chose tion and love in a country of over 160 million minds. special needs because of my daughter Morgan,” Hartman said If such ‘natural’ resource exists within our bothers, we in a telephone interview. “It’s my view that soccer can help.” must respect it as a great gift. As a matter of fact, we must Hartman’s vision began with the construction and opencelebrate it as a highly profitable one. And whatever is profit- ing of Morgan’s Wonderland, an amusement park that cost able, calls for business-mindedness. We should invest in sports. $32.5 million to build and is spread over 25 acres designed We should find the kind of humility, courage and character to to accommodate children and adults with special cognitive accept that every nation possesses critical components that and physical needs. It opened in April 2010 and has attracted define their comparative advantage. In life, we are not rec- visitors from all 50 states and abroad. Special-needs visitors ognized or rewarded for our similarities; we are recognized are admitted free. It works; and we have countless Nigerians with the financial muscle to make this happen in every local government in Nigeria. Success now has a new meaning folks! No matter how much money you have, if you are an African, shame on you if society cannot be grateful for the impact of such success. Benevolence is now a duty. The next step for Hartman was the development of the STAR (South Texas Area Regional) Soccer Complex, an array of 13 grass fields built in the former Longhorn Quarry across the street from the 11,000-seat Heroes Stadium, an American football facility used by a local public school district. With only 25 percent of the cost of admission to the amusement park covered by fees, Hartman hit on the idea to use the profits from the soccer complex to finance the park. Two years later, more than 300,000 people, young and older, have paid to play games under the lights at

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Sports

the complex. The next step, which seemed obvious to Hartman, was professional soccer. This year, he became the owner of the expansion San Antonio Scorpions, the eighth team in the North American Soccer League, which plays one rung below Major League Soccer. In their debut season, the Scorpions (8-2-4) are in first place, drawing an average of 8,000 fans a game to Heroes Stadium while Hartman’s privately financed soccer facility is being built next to Morgan’s Wonderland. The team trains at the complex. And as with the soccer complex, any profits from team operations above overhead costs go to support the amusement park. “There had been studies done by the city that said soccer could not survive,” Hartman said. “But look at the numbers. We’re in a football facility, we don’t sell alcohol and we’re still getting double the numbers that even we projected. Because of that, I really see the power of soccer in San Antonio. There’s a desire for soccer in this region, and people love wrapping their heads around the whole Soccer for a Cause idea because the money is not going into an owner’s pocket.” The new stadium, which will be ready for the 2013 N.A.S.L. season, will be built in four phases: about 7,000 seats and 16 suites; expanded to 8,000, then 12,000 (with 32 suites) and finally to 18,500 “if the support is there from the fans,” Hartman said. In addition, Scorpions players are involved in community outreach as the club develops programs in the Paralympics and Special Olympics, Wounded Warriors Project, and for wheelchair and powerchair players. “We have to see where the fan base is; we’ve only been in the league and in business for three months,” he said. “We’re halfway through the season. It’s way too early to make predictions. But based on the buzz in the community, the Scorpions represent pent-up demand for soccer.” It makes sense. And soccer deserves this level of attention from every one with capacity at the level we have described. The media and the entire corporate Nigeria should think in this direction as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) even. It will work. Individuals with the financial muscle should see it as Personal Social Responsibility (PSR). It will work as well. And if we think only profits, discerning investors should wear their thinking cap and consider what will happen if just 10% of our population stay off TV and go to the stadiums all across the nation. That’s big money for merchandizing, endorsements, sponsorships and all. The potential is amazing. And the greatest confidence that it can happen here is guaranteed by: (1) The huge deposit of love for

the game existing in over 80% of 160 million people. That’s potential followership and purchasing power anywhere. (2) That anything with potential done well and long enough will deliver great value. (3) That the love energy existing here is nature and God-given; meaning nature works because God created it and sustains it. There’s great instruction and power in anything natural. (4) That what has happened anywhere is proof it can happen anywhere else. That’s nature as well. With this four, individuals have built empires. This are the Top Ten (10) Richest Football Clubs in the World according to Forbes’ 2013 List: (10) Liverpool–Value: $651 million. In 10th position is Liverpool, whose worldwide popularity keeps the Merseyside club a dominant force in world football in terms of wealth. A human being, John Henry, the Reds’ owner, will be pleased to see his club still in the top 10 of world football. (9) Manchester City–Value: $689 million. (8) Juventus–Value: $694 million. Owned by another human family, the Agnelli family. (7) Chelsea–Value: $901 million. Chelsea is owned by another human being, Roman Abramovich. (6) AC Milan–Value: $945 million. Italy’s richest club is still owned by a human being, former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, whose company. ‘Mediaset’, own the television rights to all Italian football. (5) Bayern Munich–Value: $1.32 billion. (4) Arsenal–Value: $1.33 billion. It is owned by human beings like major shareholders, Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov. (3) Barcelona–Value: $2.6 billion. Barcelona is owned by human club members. (2) Manchester United–Value: $3.16 billion. United is owned by a human family, the Glazer family. (1) Real Madrid–Value: $3.3 billion. Real Madrid are officially the world’s richest football club after seeing an increase in their value over the past year. Despite an economic downturn in Spain, Real Madrid consistently deliver the highest revenues of any football team. Audacious individuals with empires in their minds have made these happen. Human beings like you and I. We don’t just want our richest men to buy the jerseys of the big clubs and go watch the games; we want them to buy the clubs and own new ones at home. It has been done again and again all over the world and our entrepreneurs can make it happen here. It will come to pass.

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Food

Dare to be Different!

Tosan Jemide; Cake Maestro and Creator of the Tallest Cake in Africa

akes are surely one of man’s greatest inventions; they can be chocolatey, creamy, carroty, fruity, wheaty, crusty, crumbly, spongy…frankly a cake can be anything you want it to be. They are the centerpiece of most African celebration/ gatherings and here is a man who has made a name – and a living – by crafting some of the most deliciously, outstanding cakes in Africa. His name is Tosan Jemide, founder of the Cakes by Tosan Group, comprising Cakes by Tosan (A Luxury brand for Sugar Craft Master Pieces), Celebrations by Tosan (A Commercial Cake outfit), Topcrust Bakery (A Commercial Bread Bakery), and Cupcakes by Tosan. The graduate of Sociology from the University of Ibadan grew up in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria, where his first cake lessons occurred in his late mother’s kitchen. His aptitude was tested when he was ‘commandeered’ to make his older brother’s wedding cake as far back as 1983. We assume that it was not a total miss, as Tosan decided to delve into full-time baking upon his graduation from the University of Ibadan. In his words, “It occurred to me that I could dare to be unique and different. So, I decided to delve into cake-making which was at the time an “awkward” trade for a man.” Realising his need for further expertise in his chosen field, Tosan set out to the United Kingdom where he attended training courses and worked for some of the biggest cake shops including Gloriette Patisserie in Knightsbridge for over four years. When as the Bible says, “He had been tried and come out as gold,” he returned to Nigeria and established Cakes by Tosan in 2001. 13 years down the line he is

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

Food

Photographs courtesy of Alakija Studios

bigger, better, and continues to be a pacesetter. Some of the guiding principles for the continued growth and diversity of his enterprise is the willingness to learn from mistakes, commitment to building an Institution and, most importantly, re-inventing. On the heels of a re-engineering drive for his company, Tosan embarked on the very ambitious project of building the tallest cake in Africa in May 2013. The cake which was estimated at 28ft was on display at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos from the 16th to the 20th of May, 2013. Tosan speaks of his inspiration: “the love for arts and crafts, my passion for Nigeria, my desire to blaze the trail, thinking not only outside the box but without the box and my understanding of the focus on Africa…as we advance towards the emergence of African economies, it is imperative for businesses within the region to invent means by which they can strategically position in the scheme of affairs.” Proceeds from the event will be used to renovate facilities and boost the quality of learning and skill acquisition at the home economics laboratory of Eko Akete Senior Grammar school, Lagos Island. Tosan also works with the FATE Foundation, LEAP Africa and other stakeholders in undertaking corporate social responsibility initiatives such as facilitating training sessions for young bakers-in-the-making. Moral of the story: will more men like Tosan DARE to Deviate!!! Culled with permission from www.konnectafrica.net

June/July 2013 - DiscoveryMan Digest

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Legacy

You Are A Brand By Ron Mgbatogu

arlier in my second career, all the leading lights in the practice of marketing in Nigeria taught that a brand is a bundle of benefits – that was the most simple of their definitions. They practiced their vocation in notable houses like Lever Brothers – now Unilever, Guinness, Nigerian Breweries, Cadbury’s, PZ and many more. The companies developed household brands that many a housewife swore by. These brands were predictable in their behavior, trustworthy in their performance, reliable in the delivery of the promises their makers made to customers or consumers and identifiable in their colors and garbs. These leading lights – Mike Agbakoba, Joseph Adediran, Felix Ohiwerei, Fred Okunola, Ranti Odubogun, Martin Akpoveta etc. – expended enormous energy to drum into the minds of their subordinates that the success of the companies depended on how the market perceived those brands. How were those brands born? To save space and keep this simple, let us just say that a brand is born when a company studies an environment intently and discovers that there is a need for something that can serve a purpose for which people are willing to pay a profitable sum. They then go on to produce this product or service, give it a name, dress it appropriately, show it about and let people who should use it know what to expect from it always in terms of performance. Now, there’s a brand called by your name. This brand was made by the creator of the universe. He knew that your presence in the world at this time will profit His creation and bring Him glory. That’s why the whole creation eagerly awaits your revelation–Romans 8:19. There is a unique role that only you can fulfill. That we have seven billion people on earth is no issue with Him. He

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DiscoveryMan Digest - June/July 2013

took time to fashion you. Your description as in Psalm 139 is indeed outstanding – fearfully and wonderfully made – and as was said of Esther, it is exactly for a time such as this that you came into the kingdom. Shall we dig deeper into this brand called by your name? Didn’t you know that the word brand actually comes from the physical burning of the mark of the owner of the brand onto the brand? In other words, when He, in council, said that you should be made in His image and after His likeness, He branded you. That actually means that you belong to no one else but Him. Not even to yourself. He owns you. To be sure that you can fulfill purpose He promised to neither leave nor forsake you, the sheep of His pasture, because He recognized that you will walk through some very dangerous neighborhoods during your sojourn. In case you didn’t take Him at His word, He sent the good shepherd to keep and tend you all your days. And, in order to make you live up to His standards He said you are the salt of the earth – to give flavor – and the light of the world – to illuminate His creation so that men may see Him in a better light by your activities. You and I, as God’s brands, must strive to represent Him well. To do this, we should position ourselves in circumstances that will edify Him. Some younger people do it by wearing WWJD wristbands. We need to walk the talk as His soldiers. When we position ourselves appropriately our value will be evident and our owner will be identifiable. Psalm 1 exemplifies how to position ourselves accurately. It’s only then that the promise we hold for our environment will be realizable always and our personality will shine through so that men will glorify our father in heaven. ronmgbatogu@yahoo.co.uk

A pratical guide to walking in the blessings of God

A followup of to 120 Days of Victory The Fountain of Life Church, Bookshop 12, Industrial Estate Road., Ilupeju, Lagos. P.O. Box 698, Shomolu, Lagos or Visit www.gracespringspublisher.com Tel: 234- 7098505186/7 E-mail: fountain@tfolc.com website: www.tfolc.org