Issue 02
March 2016
Waxing strength of digital journalism Bowzo: A case study in engineering entrepreneurship
Climate change may cost Nigeria $460bn by 2050 Pg 12
Entrepreneurs, who overcame incredible Facebook dips its odds to create, toes into telecoms with its latest run successful internet.org initiative businesses Pg 19
Pg 08
2
CONTENT 04
Big Story
07
Enterprise Strokes
10
Agribusiness
3
Editor’s Note
Waxing strength of digital journalism
Locating big ideas Siaka Momoh
Olam enters animal feed business
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Environment
14
Global Matters
16
Case Studies
Climate change may cost Nigeria $460bn by 2050 -Minister of Environment Global consumption trend break new records
Bowzo: A case study in engineering entreneurship
18
Business Advisory
18
ICT
19
Manufacturing
20
From the Archives
The rise of the sentient enterprise
Facebook dips its toes into telcoms with its latest internet.org initiative Lafarge commits $1.2m to open up Ogun road
Of sheep and goat breeding transformation (1)
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he digital age has come with bewildering innovations in all sectors of the economy. It has, in the medical, agriculture, education, industry, and aviation sectors, etc. Name it. The media sector is not left out. Media business has taken a new shape. Digital communication is the in-thing now and media entrepreneurs, with foresight, are not sleeping. Good enough, Nigerian print media is imbibing the culture too. Newspapers across the country have online editions that operate side by side with the hard copy versions. Owners of these media organisations do this in anticipation of the waxing strength of digital communication, especially the fear that its full emergence would kill the traditional media. Like any promising new thing, two organisations of online publishers have sprung up in Nigeria, fighting for supremacy in this new media space. One is Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN). For GOCOP, not all members of OPAN can be described: as professional journalists. “Many of those who make up the organisation are people who worked on the fringes in media houses,” GOCOP argues. Irresistible and urbane Akinyele Aluko sent in a piece on entrepreneurs who overcame incredible odds to create and run successful businesses. According to him, entrepreneurship is about venturing and daring the odds; “it takes more than a college degree to do that”. We have a story also on Olam International Limited’s announcement that its grains platform plans to expand into animal feed and related businesses in Nigeria. The expansion involves investments in setting up poultry and fish feed mills as well as hatcheries to produce day-old-chicks. These investments are consistent with Olam’s strategy to selectively invest in prioritised platforms, which includes the grains platform. Our case study in engineering entrepreneurship illustrates how a successful entrepreneur deploys entrepreneurial skill and know-how. The entrepreneur is seen to have the capacity to innovate and exercise vision. We have all these and more in your March edition of The Real Sector. Have a good read.
Publisher/Editor
Editorial Advisory Board
Siaka Momoh
Obi Ezeude Alhaji Bashir Borodo Femi Boyede Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau Obiora Madu Prof Titus U.Nwabueze Muda Yusuf Toki Mabogunje
The Real Sector is published by Media Palms Associates(a unit of Commodities Expertise Limited)Plot 2, Morah Ndu Street, Satellite Town Lagos.Tel:+2348061396410; +2348023033988; Email: siakamomoh@yahoo.com; isaacmomoh717@gmail.com.
The Big Story
4
Waxing strength of digital journalism
Continued from page
A digital newsroom studio Continued from page 4
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igerian universities offering journalism courses should take a cue from this if they have not done so. There is urgent need for them to take a second look at course content for Journalism or Mass Communication and make adjustments that will make the course relevant to today’s industry needs, writes SIAKA MOMOH. Media business is taking a new shape. Digital communication is the in-thing now and media entrepreneurs, with foresight, are not sleeping. Good enough, Nigerian print media is imbibing the culture too. Newspapers across the country have online editions that operate side by side with the hard copy versions. Owners of these media organisations do this in anticipation of the waxing strength of digital communication, especially the fear that its full emergence would kill the traditional media. But a note of warning that should go to our traditional media is that they must move from showing superficial concern for the drive towards adopting digital
communication to adopting it robustly. It should not stop at just launching a website for online edition. There is more to it than this. There is the issue of training back up – capacity building; there is the issue of robustness of content as well as freshness of content, etc. This is what obtains outside our shores. The United States is a good example. We
Owners of these media organisations do this in anticipation of the waxing strength of digital communication, especially the fear that its full emergence would kill the traditional media
will come to this later. First, let us explore how Nigeria is faring with digital journalism. Digital journalism has truly emerged in Nigeria, and it is really waxing strong, puffing its muscles across the nation’s media space. And the space welcomes it with all business pleasantness. This new journalism has very promising prospects. Don Tap Scott, author and business executive, says we are heading towards a world with a global digital internet worked infrastructure that can support the majority of business and leisure activities. For him, “In this age, there will be little need for corporations to have physical manifestation; in place of the large corporate campus will be a network of ‘molecules’ that can perform functions as cheaply and efficiently as possible”. That is the new face of journalism for you. GOCOP/OPAN Like any promising new thing, two organisations of online publishers have Continues on page 5
5
The Big Story
sprung up in Nigeria, fighting for supremacy in this new media space. One is Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN). Speaking on “Imperatives for Standards” at its launch, Mr. Olufemi Awoyemi shared that online publishing is the process of publishing original content, following the best practices of journalism. He asserted that the obvious issue in online publishing is balancing “free expression” with the “ethos of journalism”. The OPAN President assured stakeholders that the body will bring to Nigeria, the online publishing ecosystem with global best practices. OPAN is said to be modelled after international standards and affiliations; “with specific deliverables to meet the needs of the Nigerian market”, and that it “desires to deliver a web-based ‘selfregulatory’ service that is founded on global best practice”. We are told the mission of OPAN is to advance the policies of high-quality online publishers
before the Advertising Community, Corporate Organisations, the Press, Governments and the public; that “it will help provide some level of high standard reporting online and will serve to help its members fairly compete in the marketplace for advertising services, online crisis/issues management for both corporate and individuals and will act as a voice so that online users clearly understand the benefits that quality publishers provide to the public discourse”. But for GOCOP, “not all members of OPAN can be described as professional journalists”. It argues “many of those who make up the organisation are people who worked on the fringes in media houses...” Online media platforms in the media space now in Nigeria make a long list. They include among mant others, the like Malachy Agbo’s The Citizen; Musikilu Mojeed’s Premium Times; Gabriel Akinadewo’s Freedom Online; Maxwell Amuchie’s SundiataPost; Funke OsaeBrown’s Luxuryreporter.com.ng/The
Luxury Reporter monthly digital magazine; and yours sincerely, Siaka Momoh’s Realsectornow.com and The Real Sector, a monthly digital magazine. Digital journalism out there The New York Times has a full-fledged department for online journalism. Tom Torok, project editor, computerassisted reporting, and Andrew W. Lehren, reporter, of this unit, do it with panache. These two, explained the operations of their unit to visiting Citi Journalistic E x c e l l e n c e Aw a r d s 2 0 11 winners with delight. According to the New York Times Company’s financial report for 2010, total digital revenues increased 15 percent to $387 million in 2010 compared with 2009, and accounted for more than 16 percent of overall revenue. The management team continues its focus on diversifying revenue streams and strengthening its digital businesses, using technology and product innovation to enhance the user experience across multiple platforms. For more than 15 years, the company has been at the forefront of digital newsgathering and thrived as a dominant brand in journalism with an exceptional global reach. Perfectly positioned to capitalize on these many years of digital leadership, in 2010 it launched a string of acclaimed applications for the Web, smartphones and new digital platforms, including Apple iPad apps for The New York Times, The Boston Globe and the International Herald Tribune. The growth from digital initiatives significantly contributed to its revenue mix and provided meaningful diversification during its transition to an increasingly multiplatform organization. Continues on page 7
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Enterprise Strokes with Siaka Momoh
7
Locating big ideas Y
ou may not know they are big ideas until you try them out. They are there but you never know until someone points them out to you. A construction company once got a contract to build a rail line cutting across a vast area of land. At a point along the route the rail should pass through, there was a problem – an obstruction, a mass of solid rock. That was not all. The company cut through the rock and behold water started gushing out of the rock. The company’s mandate was to contruct a railway not a waterway. All the company’s tested engineers were at a loss on what to do. But a solution came from an operative, a mere operative in the company. A big idea! What was it? He was thirsty and had to drink some of the knotty water. He found it very soothing. He went on to his boss and suggested to him that it would be a good idea if the company bottled the water for sale. The company did and today the product is the best table water in Italy. A big idea; from the fringe! Big ideas are with us. We only need to spot them. A few years back, when underaged children sold water in polyethylene along Lagos streets, no one knew it was a big idea selling table water in sachets. For
A railway line years Ragolis sold table water, many didn’t know it was a big idea. Swan table water came on later and today it is e v e r y b o d y ’s b u s i n e s s . E v e n multinationals like May&Baker, Nestle, Nigerian Bottling Company Plc, bottlers of Coca Cola range of soft drinks, etc., are millions of naira from investment in water. Today, investment in alternative energy is a big idea and it will be a wise business decision to go into it now. The industrial world knows and they are paying good attention to it. Amanda C. Kooser of the Entrepreneur online says “with unstable gas prices and
Continued from page 4 & 5 Advertising revenue generation And talking about advertising revenue generation, Hearst Magazines Digital Media (HDM), a unit of Hearst Magazines, May 3, 2011, announced it is the first third-party publisher to partner with Pictela, a unit of AOL, Inc. (NYSE: AOL), previously known as America Online, and a global platform for distributing high-definition brand content and advertising, to deploy the IAB Portrait ad unit. Capacity building The digital communication revolution in the US is a total one because capacity building, an important aspect of the drive is being taken care of too. The Columbia Journalism School, University of Columbia, New York has introduced an innovative dual-degree programme. It accepted its first students in 2011. It is a Master’s of Science in Computer Science and Journalism. Students will receive highly specialised training in the digital environment, enabling them to develop technical and editorial skills in all aspects of computer-supported news gathering and digital media production. The goal of the programme is for its graduates to refine and create new news gathering and digital media technologies that will redefine journalism as we know it.
increasing environmental awareness, an alternative energy business could put you on the road to success”. The good news that must be drummed into everyone’s ears is that Nigeria has the capability to launch into ethanol production. Nigeria is world number producer of cassava with an average production capacity of about 36 million metric tonnes , which could yield about 3.6 billion litres of fuel ethanol; (30 per cent of the annual national gasoline consumption of 10.9 billion litres among several key government agencies in the country.
Nigerian universities offering journalism courses
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igerian universities offering journalism courses should take a cue from this if they have not done so. There is urgent need for them to take a second look at course content for Journalism or Mass Communication and make adjustments that will make the course relevant to today’s industry needs. Look at differently, this is an opportunity for entrepreneurial Nigerians to set up schools that will retrain journalists that will make them meet the latest skill demand in the journalism industry. In these lean times, media houses that have the capacity can make this training need part of their organisation and retrain journalists for the industry. This is another way to increase the earning capacity of their organisation. This is rethinking journalism that calls for the attention of media entrepreneurs.
University of Lagos
Business & Innovation with Kola Owolabi
8
Oil tank farm
Our economy does not need any diversification again
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hat is happening to Nigeria now is not strange. It happened to the entire world before. The world economy was previously based on the platform of agriculture. Thereafter came the industrial age, and now we have the information age. Nigeria’s mainstay used to be agriculture. Thereafter, crude oil came and took over the stage from agriculture. Since oil replaced something, definitely oil itself must also be replaced by something else. What is that thing to replace oil? What do we have potential in that will be strong enough and with ability to generate foreign exchange and last the way crude oil lasted? My prescription will come in the concluding part of this series, which is the next edition. I will round off this piece by giving the government at the centre my opinion on how to arrest the free fall of the Naira which saw our Naira falling by over 100% in the past 3 months. The government has two options. The first is to force the recovery of the Naira by fiat. This is by arriving at an exchange rate via a decision of the government. All transactions will now be based on that rate. To support that decision, we only need to do what China did in the 1980s – 1990s. Close our borders to foreign goods and make do with what we can produce here. In addition, the government will have a balanced budget. This means we shall spend within our means. The rest of the world will cry foul but Nigeria has the wherewithal to weather the storms that will come with the decision. The second option is for Nigeria to
devalue the Naira immediately and start investing in export oriented activities since our exports will come very cheap. Our present government obviously appears not to have the nerve to pursue the first option. This leaves us with the second option. The second option calls for immediate devaluation of our naira and thereafter we move to encourage heavy investment in export oriented activities that will boost our foreign exchange earning potential and generate heavy local capacity that will result in rapid GDP growth.
Next edition will focus on what I believe Nigeria should invest in to replace oil as our income and foreign exchange earner. Kola Owolabi is a Business Development Consultant and CEO David Richard Associates, Lagos. His company consults for business organizations to prepare business plans and feasibility studies to obtain funding and also assists government departments/agencies, parastatals, etc to develop economic and growth policies/agendas and country/state development plans. He can be reached on 08023203198 or kolaowo@gmail.com
Entrepreneurs, who overcame incredible odds to create, run successful businesses
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ccording to Kitt Walsh of CNNMoney.com not every successful entrepreneur came out of Wharton or Harvard. Coming home, not every successful Entrepreneur is a product of Ibadan or Ife or even the Lagos Business School.
Entrepreneurship is about venturing and daring the odds. It takes more than a college degree to do that. Today, I bring you some foreign examples of successful entrepreneurs from other climes. Our normal thinking is that in the developed countries, setting
Enterpreneurship/Small Business
9
Four lending innovations that may help small business
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f you think credit squeeze for small business is a Nigerian phenomenon, you are wrong. It is a global one. Of course we are very familiar with the Bangladeshi story popularised by celebrated Yunus Mohammed, founder of Grameen Bank and lender to the poor. But you may have a doubt if you are told American small businesses experience credit crunch too. The story below, sourced from Entrepreneur, tells it all: 1) Move Your Money. Could small business owners solve the credit crunch themselves, by changing their banking habits? Some business groups think so. A 12-year old project to encourage more small business owners to bank with local community banks is picking up steam, now that we've had a year of big banks taking federal TARP funds while remaining tight-fisted on business lending. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance's New Rules Project encourages business owners to move their money and their small-business borrowing to a local, community bank... 2) Microcredit meets investment banking. American Banker magazine reports Morgan Stanley is in talks with top American microlender Accion USA to create a "unique program" to help the
Small scale business
investment bank meet its Community Reinvestment Act obligations to serve local communities where it has operations. Details aren't yet out, but I'm familiar with Accion from years of covering microlending and it sounds like good news to me. Like most microlenders, Accion lends in amounts up to about $35,000. They will take a chance on a startup, or lend against purchase orders for big government contracts -- the types of loans banks usually won't do. And as a nonprofit, their interest rates are usually reasonable. 3) FDIC's new attitude. A small change in policy at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), which insures most American bank deposits, could give lending a boost. A statement FDIC issued recently titled "Interagency Strategy for Meeting the Credit Needs of Creditworthy Small Business," the instructions here
Entrepreneur: Sirena and Ted Moore-Elohim Business: Elohim Cleaning Contractors Sirena and Ted Moore-Elohim As a teenager, Sirena Moore knew she wanted two things from life: to be on the cover of "Black Enterprise Magazine" and to make a sixfigure salary. Her dreams took a hit when in high school -- and with "no tangible skills" -- she got pregnant with twins. Her dad, Ted, advised figuring out a business to start and he'd help. "I researched online just what was a business," she said. "I knew nothing." Deciding on construction site cleaning, Sirena took business classes, while her dad offered their services at construction sites all over Philadelphia. With only $200 in capital and working from a bedroom, the Moore family grew Elohim Cleaning Contractors to 60 employees with $2 million in sales. That earned Sirena that magazine cover. She believes God created her opportunities so she could provide opportunities for others. Her advice to future entrepreneurs? "Have a dream, but write it down. Then find a mentor to help you make your plan a reality.�
may encourage banks to lend more to small businesses. 4) Credit unions could lend more. It's not part of this year's current stimulus proposals, but separate bills are circulating in both Congressional houses that would raise limits on small-business lending at credit unions. Currently, credit unions are restricted by law to lending only 12.25 percent of their assets at most to small business. The proposals would raise that cap to 25 percent. The Credit Union National Association says 180 credit unions are now at their limit and can't lend more unless the cap is increased. More credit-union lending could be particularly positive for small businesses as credit unions are nonprofits and generally offer lower interest rates. (Ironically, the Move Your Money database doesn't include credit unions because they aren't rated like banks.)
Entrepreneur: Dawn Halfaker Business: Halfaker & Associates Dawn Halfaker Dawn Halfaker lost her arm serving her country as an Army Captain in Iraq, but she never lost her spirit. Meeting another "Wounded Warrior" in the hospital, who was preparing for a triathlon despite her own devastating injuries, Halfaker realized she had a choice: concentrate on what she had lost or what she still had left. The West Point graduate wanted to keep a connection to the troops. Having lead 32 soldiers in Iraq, she said. "I knew a lot about operations on the ground. No RPG [rocket propelled grenade] could take that knowledge from me." She "worked her butt off" as a consultant for a defense contractor and when word spread of her diligence, the contracts began pouring in. Halfaker & Associates recruited other veterans and now employs more than 100 people. Halfaker credits the fire in her belly to determination. "Have a vision. Follow your passion. The money will come," she said.
Agribusiness
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Olam enters animal feed business
Hatchery
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lzx am International Limited (“Olam” or “the Company”) recently announced that its Grains platform plans to expand into animal feed and related businesses in Nigeria. The expansion involves investments in setting up poultry and fish feed mills as well as hatcheries to produce day-old-chicks. These investments are consistent with Olam’s strategy to selectively invest in prioritised platforms, which includes the Grains platform. The global animal feed industry is a large and growing part of the agri-commodity complex with attractive returns and a strong growth outlook, particularly in emerging markets. Post a detailed study of the sector, the Company has chosen Nigeria as its preferred entry market as it ranks favourably on the country selection criteria, which include meat consumption per capita, degree of fragmentation, extent of vertical integration and of commercial feed penetration, scalability potential and supply and demand factors impacting the feed raw material trade. In Nigeria, increasing urbanisation and a change in consumer preference towards more proteinrich diets is driving a strong demand for poultry and aquaculture products and the commercial feed market is expected to grow at over 10 per cent CAGR over the next 5 years. The investment builds on Olam’s existing strengths in origination, which includes extracting raw material cost efficiencies, sharing of port infrastructure, sourcing arbitrage, trading, ocean freight and risk management. It has deep expertise and execution capabilities in Nigeria where it has been successful in executing cost-competitive projects, both brownfield and greenfield, and operating them at world class efficiency levels. For example, Olam has a profitable and
growing wheat milling business. In addition to bran from its flour mills, Olam will leverage its local procurement network to source a majority of other inputs required for producing poultry and fish feed. This will reduce import dependence, benefit local farming communities and generate youth employment, which are key priorities for the
Nigerian economy today. The investments will also contribute to the development of the Nigerian poultry and aquaculture sectors by providing competitively priced inputs and technical support to local poultry and fish farmers, thereby improving productivity and returns for the sector.
Olam redeems, cancels US$500m 6% convertible bonds
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lam International has announced the redeeming and cancellation of its US$500 million 6% convertible bonds due 2016 in a statement made available to The Real Sector. Said the statement signed by the Board, “Olam International Limited (the "Company") refers to the US$500,000,000 principal amount of 6 per cent. convertible bonds due 2016 (ISIN: XS0450423321) (the "Bonds"). “On 22 January 2016, the Company announced, inter alia, that it is exercising its right of redemption under Condition 8(B) (Redemption at the Option of the Issuer) of the terms and conditions of the Bonds to redeem all of the outstanding
Stock Market & Securities Exchange Foreign Exchange
Bonds (being an aggregate principal amount as at the date of the said announcement of US$44,300,000) on 22 February 2016. “The Company wishes to announce that all of the outstanding Bonds have been redeemed on 22 February 2016 and following such redemption, all of the outstanding Bonds have been cancelled.” Olam International is a leading agribusiness operating from seed to shelf in 70 countries, supplying food and industrial raw materials to over 14,000 customers worldwide. Our team of 25,000 employees has built a leadership position in many businesses including cocoa, coffee, cashew, rice and cotton.
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Environment
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Climate change may cost Nigeria $460bn by 2050 - Minister of Environment
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limate change may cost Nigeria as much as $460 billion, or 30 per cent of its GDP, by 2050, Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed said recently. She lamented that the impacts of the phenomenon were threatening the livelihoods of everyday Nigerians on a daily basis with 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population relying on climate-sensitive activities for their income, such as rain-fed farming and fishing. “Nigeria is one of the most climatevulnerable countries in the world,” she said, adding that, “by 2050, climate change could cost Nigeria between 6 per cent and 30 per cent of its $100 billion to $460 billion GDP.” These were some of the key messages made available by the minister during a news briefing in Abuja, the first since the COP21 held in France last month. She however reaffirmed that the Buhari administration was committed to an economic transformation which places inclusive, green growth at the centre, adding that the new leadership is “extremely well-placed to deliver on this agenda.” Citing Lake Chad in the NorthEast, the geopolitical zone where Boko Haram is located, as an example, Mohammed noted that climate change aggravates regional conflicts. She stated that the body of water known as Lake Chad had shrunk to 10 per cent of its original size as a result of climate change, bringing with it the associated collapse of economic and institutional fabric, making the region a breeding ground for terrorism.“Boko Haram is now recognised as the most deadly terrorist group in the world. Of an estimated 20 million people that lived on the Lake Chad basin circa 2003, about 11.7 million were in the North-Eastern region of Nigeria.” She said the Federal Government had
Drought
recognised that its current economic composition was unsustainable, while seeking to maintain strong growth. “The recent fall in oil prices has heightened the vulnerability of our economy to fossil fuel exports,” Mohammed stated. “Diversification, especially towards sustainable agriculture, is already a key part of our country’s economic strategy,” she added. On the continued pursuit of the use of
coal, a highly environment-damaging fuel, for power generation, she said that, while the country was committed to renewable energy rather than fossil fuels, she could not sacrifice its economic interest and the well-being of its citizens on the altar of going green. Also, Mohammed said Nigeria can generate 7.5 billion dollars in 15 years if the government can end gas flaring and utilize gas for commercial purposes.
Barry Callebaut helps cocoa farmers improve productivity and sustainability
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ustainable cocoa farmers apply good agricultural and business practices, which result in better yields and incomes. They engage in responsible labour practices, protect the environment, and are able to meet the needs of their family. Barry Callebaut aims to help cocoa farmers to reach this level through farmer training, farmer support and farmer finance. Sustainability in the cocoa sector is centered on the cocoa farmer. Cocoa farmers worldwide face challenges such as aging trees, pests and diseases, and depleted soils. The sustainable cocoa farmer is applying good agricultural and business practices, which result in better yields and incomes.
He engages in responsible labor practices, protects the environment, and is able to meet the needs of his family. Barry Callebaut aims to help cocoa farmers to reach this level through farmer training, farmer support and farmer finance. Nicko Debenham, VP Global Cocoa Sustainability, says: “Our approach is fully aligned with the goals of CocoaAction, the industry strategy to sustain the cocoa industry and improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers. In order to further grow our impact and drive change, we recently launched the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, which allows customers and donors to join our efforts.”
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Agribusiness
Bee farm
Scooping wealth from bee hiving DON ABRAHAM
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ee-keeping, processing and exporting is a very exciting and financially rewarding business. This earns the investor good foreign exchange and joy of experiencing nature at work. Honey and its by-products’ uses In addition to honey, there are other byproducts from the business such as royal jelly, propolis, beeswax, bee venom and pollen (bee–bread). Each of these has many food, medicinal and industrial uses. Pure natural sweet honey and its abovementioned by-products, have over 27 medicinal, 8 industrial and other agricultural uses. Some of these include the use of honey in dealing with the menace caused by boils, rashes and pimples, stomach ulcers, excess weight management, beauty and fertility enhancement, general nutrition etc. Honey market Honey is a huge foreign exchange
earner and there is a large, expanding and sustainable market for it and its byproducts. Its very many uses, wholeness as food, nutritional advantages and aids in herbal medicine and pharmaceutical industry make honey one of, if not the hottest, sought-after food products in both the local and international markets. With over 37 industrial, agricultural and medicinal uses the market for honey cannot be otherwise. Presently the price of a metric tonne of processed honey commands very high price in the international market. B e e k e e p i n g a n d p ro c e s s i n g equipment The needed equipment are man–made hives, smoker and torch, bee hat and veil, hive tools, bee suit, gloves, bee brushes, ankle and wrist straps, plastic containers, centrifugal machine, quality control equipment, etc. Each of these is obtainable locally. If one so wishes, he can import a complete honey processing plant. The writer can assist in this regard.
Honey production processes Bee processing entails essentially the receipt of honey from one’s farm or the supplied honey from various sources, checking its quality and sorting out the raw honey, storage, blending, filtration, pasteurisation, and filling into containers, labelling and storage ready for sale to the customers. You don’t have to own a bee farm to be involved in bee processing and sales. You can buy raw honey from farmers, process, sell and make your money but you should note that because this is a food product, good quality control must be in place and that registration is required is required to be made with the relevant regulatory authorities. Start–up cost It is unreasonable and not helpful to hazard a guess; the likely cost to go into the business will depend on a lot of considerations few of which include the farm location, the size of it, the scope of your intended business, the target market etc.
DON ABRAHAM‘s contact: Tel: + 234-18755-405; 0803-725-1974. E-mail: talk2dco@yahoo.com
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Global Matters
Global consumption trends break new records SIAKA MOMOH
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orldwatch Institute's Vital Signs exposes latest global peaks of production and consumption, as well as associated impacts From coal to cars to coffee, consumption levels are breaking records. According to the Worldwatch Institute's latest report, Vital Signs, Volume 22: The Trends That Are Shaping Our Future, the acceleration of resource depletion, pollution, and climate change may come with underappreciated social and environmental costs. Drawing on a wide range of sources, Vital Signs shows trends related to today's often record-breaking levels of consumption by providing data and concise analyses of significant global trends in food and agriculture, population and society, and energy and climate. "Consumers often do not know the full footprint of the products they are buying, such as the embedded water in a t-shirt or steak, the pesticide exposure of cotton farmers, or the local devastation caused by timber companies cutting down forests to produce paper," says Michael Renner, Vital Signs Project Director. The 24 trends tracked in Vital Signs illustrate these and other consequences of consumption on a scale never before
experienced on Earth. With a global population of over 7 billion and growing, the need to preserve ecosystems is undeniable. Yet, for many products, the growth of consumption is reaching new levels: Global meat production has more than quadrupled in the last half century to over 308 million tons in 2013, bringing with it considerable environmental and health
The world's fleet of automobiles now surpasses 1 billion, with each vehicle contributing greenhouse gases and reducing air quality
costs due to its large-scale draw on water, feedgrains, antibiotics, and grazing land. Coffee production has doubled since the early 1960s. However, an estimated 25 million coffee growers worldwide are at the mercy of extreme price volatility. For more than 50 years, global plastic production has continued to rise, with 299 million tons of plastics produced in 2013 alone. Recycling rates remain low, however, and the majority of plastics end up in landfills and oceans-polluting ecosystems, entangling wildlife, and blighting communities. The world's fleet of automobiles now surpasses 1 billion, with each vehicle contributing greenhouse gases and reducing air quality. Vital Signs, Volume 22 presents these and other global trends and analyses of our planet and civilization. The book uses straightforward language and easy-toread graphs to present each indicator. Vital Signs is created as a guide to inform governments, businesses, teachers, and concerned citizens everywhere to make the changes needed to build a sustainable world. "Untrammeled consumerism lies at the heart of many of these challenges," writes Renner. "As various articles in this edition of Vital Signs show, consumption choices matter greatly.�
Global Matters
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Chinese factories lose more momentum, surveys show
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P— China's manufacturing outlook deteriorated in February, according to two surveys of factory activity released recently, a day after Beijing loosened credit to counter sluggish conditions in the world's second biggest economy. An index based on an official survey of factory purchasing managers declined to 49.0 in February from 49.4 in January in the seventh straight month of contraction. The index has not been at a lower level in seven years; it fell to 45.3 in Jan. 2009 as the global financial crisis was unfolding. The reading by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing is based on a 100-point scale with the 50 mark dividing expansion from contraction. Separately, a private survey also showed further weakening in manufacturing. The Caixin/Markit purchasing managers' index slipped to a five-month low of 48.0 last month from 48.4 the previous month.
"The index readings for all key categories including output, new orders and employment signaled that conditions worsened, in line with signs that the economy's road to stability remains bumpy," said He Fan, chief economist at Caixin Insight Group. He said the government faces more pressure to continue rolling out "moderate" stimulus policies to prevent growth from slowing too sharply. The latest such move came Monday night when the central bank freed up more money for lending by cutting the amount banks need to hold in reserve. Caixin's survey mostly covers smaller, private enterprises while the federation report focuses on larger, state-owned companies. Economists cautioned the numbers were distorted by the Lunar New Year holiday, which falls at different times in the first two months of the year. Factories typically stock up on raw materials and scramble to fill orders before shutting for an extended
break that began this year in early February. Attempting to iron out the distortions, ANZ Bank economists Raymond Yeung and Louis Lam noted that the official index's average for January and February together was 49.2, which still indicates contraction. There was some better news for China's services sector, with an official survey of non-manufacturing business activity slipping but continuing to grow last month, coming in at 52.7 from 53.5 in January. Services have helped offset manufacturing weakness in China's economy, which last year posted its slowest expansion in a quarter century as growth ebbed to 6.9 percent. China's economic slowdown comes as policymakers in Beijing try to wean the economy off a tired model based on manufacturing and investment and refocus it on self-sustaining services and domestic consumption.
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Case Studies
Bowzo: A case study in engineering entrepreneurship
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his case study illustrates how a successful entrepreneur deploys entrepreneurial skill and knowhow. Above all, the entrepreneur is seen to have the capacity to innovate and exercise vision. “Bowzo would not be where it is today had I not met Larry Treanor when I was in a playful mood” comments Jim Oswald, joint inventor of a product which, it is anticipated, will dramatically change the way the violin is learnt. Jim is a career inventor and design engineer who, having left Rolls Royce after 25 years in the world of engine components specialising in heat exchangers, was ready for something new. It is fair to say that Jim found the first few months after his ‘release’ uncomfortable. He had spent years working on major projects involving teams, many of which
he had led himself. He missed teams, and he missed the challenge of project management. Fortunately, Bowzo arrived out of nowhere and provided what he needed. Both Larry and Jim were attached to Coventry University’s Vision Works in order to get help in developing some new business ideas. The Vision Works provides accommodation, telecommunications and computer facilities, plus, perhaps most importantly, mentoring and coaching services for startup businesses. When Larry and Jim met, Larry was planning the launch of a multimedia design business but he had also been a professional musician and violin teacher. During a discussion about product ideas Larry revealed his thoughts about a
device for helping novice violin players to learn faster and play more accurately by ‘bowing’ straight from the moment of the first lesson. The device fixes to the neck of the violin and offers precise control to students developing their bowing technique.
The Idea Larry understood precisely the problems many students have in ‘bowing’ straight. The idea was to design and manufacture a simple device that controls the bowing technique by helping the student keep the bow straight at all times. Given Jim’s background in product development and Larry’s specialist knowledge both could see the potential of a collaboration. It worked and one year later the first prototypes were finished and market testing was underway.
The Market To help explore the initial reactions of violin teaching professionals across the world, to what appeared to be a brilliant solution to a longstanding problem, both Larry and Jim felt that independent marketing expertise was needed at an early stage. Some staggering facts emerged, not least that more than half a million new violins are bought throughout the world each year. This probably means that almost another half a million second hand violins are bought too, leading to lots of lessons for many students keen to learn Continues on page 17
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Case Studies
Bowzo:
A case study in engineering entrepreneurship
Continued from page 16 fast. The most likely route to market was identified as via the traditional wholesaler/distributor to retailer network. Initial research indicated that there was a market for a low cost, easy to use device and thus the design engineering and manufacturing priorities were set.
University support mechanisms The market research was supplemented by further inputs from the University’s Design Institute which provided a specialist support programme for small to medium sized enterprises. This included a comprehensive range of services featuring marketing advice, product design and innovation processes as well as financial management and technology transfer. Jim was impressed. “The range of services available from the Design Institute is fantastic; We were able to put the engineering issues on the table and deal with them in a wider team context with inputs from experts as required”.
The issues were clear: —Styling and design values. The first handmade prototype was certainly functional but more work. Soon a more
aesthetic shape was created that added a great deal to the presentation and packaging of the product —Durability. New materials were tested and the best of a number of options selected, we will have to wait until the launch to know more on this point. —Manufacturing options. Low volumes could be laser cut but high volumes needed a more appropriate technique for cutting and forming. Which would be best at launch? —Production costs. How fast would sales grow and what would be an acceptable pricing structure for customer and distribution chain alike?
Progress to date The excellent teamwork involving the inventor, musicians, design engineers and marketers has resulted in preproduction prototypes that are working well in field testing. Seed capital has been secured on the back of this positive market research findings and the formal product launch is scheduled for early in 2006. The team are determined to bring a product to market that offers excellent design, practicality and the highest quality. To this end attention to detail is critical as are methodical engineering processes.
Enter the entrepreneur, then exit The ‘collision’ between entrepreneur and inventor/engineer was brought about by the realisation of the existence of a market need. They met by accident and the inventor in Larry awakened the entrepreneur in Jim, and a new position for Jim, the inventor/engineer. He admits that he was feeling more open to other people’s ideas at the time of meeting Larry and since then has probably reverted to type as he waits for “the next awakening’.
Conclusions —Stay awake for new opportunities by not always being yourself —Build a wider team to bring in new thinking on product development issues you might be too close to the opportunity to see its full potential. —Engineers and entrepreneurs are interchangeable when they each see the market need clearly. Source: Engineering Subject Centre, Liz Read, Development Manager for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (Students) at Coventry University
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Business Advisory
The rise of the sentient enterprise T
o thrive in sentient markets, you have to become a sentient enterprise, in which all of your employees, stakeholders and business partners can collaborate as networked collectives, with the speed and confidence of a harmonious entity. How efficiently does your organisation think? Whether you are a 40,000 employee corporate or a five person startup, if you cannot sense what is going on in your competitive environment, cannot analyse and interpret that input, and cannot make the right decisions or act appropriately in real-time, your enterprise is poorly equipped to thrive in socially networked markets. Most companies still plan in increments of a whole year, even though competitive environments change exponentially faster. They still organise in hierarchically defined linear silos, even though communication now takes place intuitively in cross-discipline spheres of interest. They still insist on having faceto-face meetings, even though most personal communication is virtual. Outside the window of the corporate ivory tower, today’s world works in a very different way. 21st century people are quite comfortable with ambiguity,
collaborate generously at a distance, and multitask efficiently. Customers today are vastly more informed and discerning than customers of last century – and all of them are now connected, sharing experiences and forming collective opinions in real time. The individual members of your market are now so intimately connected they are effectively a single very intelligent, very powerful thinking entity – a sentient market. What hope do you have when faced with a market which is all-seeing and all-knowing, which can out-think and out-voice you, in real-time? Every technology-based business is endangered. Even Facebook, after making 1,000 young millionaires in its IPO, may implode, if it fails to adapt its revenuecreation processes to the stunning growth of mobile devices. We all know that mobile will be huge this year (2012), that bandwidth will get faster, access will get cheaper, devices will get smaller, virtual currencies will bloom, the cloud will get bigger, the crowd will get rowdier, and every market-dominant business will have to deal with its permutation of Arab Spring. Reacting to these digital developments piecemeal without a strategy for context is simply
inadequate. The digital imperative is no longer restricted to marketing. If you’re a corporate you’re staring the socialisation of your enterprise in the face. Ten years ago, you dictated the tools, technologies and processes inside your organisation, so you controlled how your people communicated, learned and shared. Today, people bring their own tools to work and use the processes that they know are most efficient, whether IT supports them or not. So, while Marketing is losing control of the brand message, the enterprise is losing control of its nervous system. If the enterprise is to respond with innovation, at the pace required today, it needs a major improvement in internal communication efficiencies, as well as new policies and procedures that allow more spontaneous, more organisationally intuitive, more decentralised decision-making. To thrive in sentient markets, you have to become a sentient enterprise, in which all of your employees, stakeholders and business partners can collaborate as networked collectives, with the speed and confidence of a harmonious entity. That means letting go of some of the inefficient rigorous controls, the archaic 9-5 work regimes and the linear authorisation processes which made big companies so comfortable a Continues on page 19
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ICT
Facebook dips its toes into telecoms with its latest Internet.org initiative OBALEKE BABAJUWON Zuckerberg aims to boost Internet backbone in developing world Facebook is trying to move past the Free Basics controversy by announcing a new infrastructure project to get the developing world online.
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ccording to C/Net report, Mark Zuckerberg is making his presence felt at Mobile World Congress 2016. Facebook's chief executive popped up at Samsung's Sunday February 21 night press conference ahead of his own keynote at the Barcelona trade show. On Monday February 22, the CEO switched his focus from social VR to bringing Internet to the world's poorest people with the announcement of a plan to improve network infrastructure. The Telecom Infra project will sit under the umbrella of Internet.org, the partnership headed by Facebook to get the developing world online. Established Internet.org projects, like Free Basics, have focused on the delivery of specific content to consumer devices or cool concepts involving satellites and solar-powered planes. Telecom Infra, on the other hand, will zero in on ensuring the underlying technology that supports the
Internet is properly in place. It might seem mundane, but it sure is fundamental. "Today we're taking the next step by partnering with telecom companies to develop new technologies that will reduce the cost of building mobile networks all over the world," wrote Zuckerberg in a Facebook post. More than 50 percent of the global population still don't have access to an affordable Internet connection, and the UN is expected to miss its target of getting the world online by more than 20 years, according to a report released by the Alliance for Affordable Internet on Monday. In order to make sure a whole generation doesn't miss out on the benefits of Internet connectivity, new strategies that promote affordability will need to be put in place across network deployment, broadband plans and devices. Facebook's efforts, though, have created some controversy. Since the launch of the
The rise of the sentient enterprise Continued from page 18 couple of decades ago, but which impede their ability to adapt today. Digital socially networked communication should be reframing internal processes in management, IT, legal, OD, HR and training. To turbocharge internal communication, take a serious look at tools like Yammer and Jive. They bring Facebook and Twitter style social networking to all those working in your company. Check out also the opportunities for innovation that emerge through crowdsourcing. External processes such as stakeholder relations, customer service, PR, recruitment and business development all need social drivers, too.
You’ll have to rethink your organisational structure, and plan to up-skill and increase headcount in those social customercontact and community-management points. You may find that cuts in traditional advertising spend can offset some of this expansion, but don’t expect the socialisation of marketing to dramatically reduce your costs. Invest proportionally to the scale of the opportunity, and go after step shifts in brand strength, loyalty and sales. If you try to live by shoestring social media implementation, you’ll die by it. The options for SMEs are a little d i ff e r e n t f r o m t h o s e f o r m a j o r corporations. If you are an SME, you have fewer
I n t e r n e t . o rg i n i t i a t i v e i n 2 0 1 4 , Zuckerberg has faced accusations of Facebook dressing up self-interest as philanthropy. Earlier this month India banned Free Basic, a service that provides free access to Facebook and several other approved services. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said it had the potential to create a two-tier Internet that would divide the rich and the poor. Internet.org remains a coalition of companies. Nokia, Intel and several operators are pitching in with Telecom Infra, which is essentially an engineering project. Lowering the cost of infrastructure to deploy networks in both rural and urban areas won't just benefit developing countries. British mobile network EE is working with the project to spread speedy 4G Internet to the far reaches of the Scottish Highlands. obstacles to overcome. The nervous system of an SME is often very sensitive - SMEs are closer to their customers and suppliers, and internal communication is usually far simpler. There are no legacy systems to upgrade or entrenched organisational culture to change. And an SME’s ability and willingness to take risks and experiment is usually far greater than in larger companies, because decision-making processes are more streamlined, and the cost of failure is small. Being close to customers is what has allowed some small companies to become giant industry leaders almost overnight. Any big organisation that wants to thrive in the coming decade needs to socially network its external and internal communications, and invest in growing the kind of values, processes and skills that can turn it into an inherently sentient enterprise. This piece, sourced from Britefire, is abridged.
From the Archives
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Of sheep and goat breeding transformation (1) SIAKA MOMOH
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here was this memorandum by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sheep and goat transformation action plan) presented to the National Council on Agriculture which held in Enugu, March 13 – 15, 2012. The following were the content of the document: 1.1 Sheep and goats are very widely distributed in Nigeria and part of all known farming systems. The major production systems are extensive (pastoral), semi-intensive (crop/livestock system) and intensive (urban and periurban) systems. The semi-intensive system is predominant constituting over 70% followed by the extensive and intensive systems. 1.2 Sheep and goats have not been amenable to intensification due to the problem of diseases (especially Peste des Petit Ruminantes – PPR), dry season feeding, poor management and challenges of ecto and endo-parasites. For this reason, the majority of the efforts at intensification are mainly confined to research farms and a few States
demonstration farms. 1.3 The sub-sector is dominated by small scale peasant farmers who are mainly involved in crop production but keep livestock to supplement their incomes and/or for security purposes during emergency cash needs. Majority of the farmers that rear sheep and goats are women living in the rural areas. 1.4 Sheep and goats contribute 32% of the total meat output in Nigeria (440,109 MT in 2010). Genetic shortcoming notwithstanding, they play a key role in the supply of animal protein for human nutrition, provision of skins which earn foreign exchange and to a lesser extent contribute to the domestic milk production. 1.5 The rearing of sheep and goats provides source of livelihood and employment to over 1 million people (predominantly women). They are important socio-culturally and commonly used for religious sacrifices during Eid and Christmas or traditional activities such as weddings. 1.6 On the international scene, Nigeria is among the top 10 sheep and goat producers of the world and is ranked 5th in position (FAO 2008). In spite of its comparative advantage in production,
Nigeria does not export either live animals or meat due to OIE, Codex and WTO standards that require a disease-free flock for export. 1.7 The ATA therefore seeks to upgrade the genetic profile of sheep and goats for increased output in meat, milk and quality skins through open nucleus breeding system; increase the population of animals through improved vaccination against PPR (which is responsible for 20-30% annual mortality in the national flock); Increase productivity of sheep and goats through private and public sector collaboration in animal health care services and input delivery to rural-based farmers ; Strengthen the capacity of sheep and goat farmers/producers/processors through hand-on practical training on sound animal husbandry practices, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and good hygienic practices; Organize and register sheep and goat breeders/fattening associations/cooperatives among producers and traders in the various marketing regions nationwide; Link sheep and goat farmers cooperative associations with finance institutions to enhance their ability to obtain financing and expand business activities and also establish disease-free export processing zones and abattoirs by 2015.
21
Manufacturing
Lafarge commits €1.2m to open up Ogun roads Adeola Siaka-Momoh
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afarge Africa plc has invested €1.2m on the rehabilitation of a number of roads at Ewekoro, Ogun State. It has also constructed drainages at Ewekoro and other parts of Ogun State. The projects have raised economic activities, reduced criminal activities fuelled by bad roads, and created a number of jobs for Ogun citizens. Between September and December 2015, the building materials giant repaired 3.5 kilometres (km) of road from Papalanto junction to Itori Turning at Ewekoro, while building a drainage of 1.1km. By the end of last year, Lafarge had completed concrete works at Lakatabu Roundabout, at Itori, Egbado and Dolphin as well as asphalt work in some parts of the area. This was meant to be a short-term repair, as Lafarge Africa, particularly the Wapco Operations, outlines long-term measures of ensuring that roads in host communities are in better shape. Lafarge Africa has subsidiaries such as Wapco Operations, Ashaka Cement, the United Cement Company of Nigeria, Atlas and South African Operations. Lafarge Africa also has the Readymix and Aggregates sections, which partnered with Wapco Operations in executing these road and drainage projects.
The company is currently building roads across the country as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). These roads being built are better as they are done with concrete rather than asphalt. “One area that we see a need in Nigeria is infrastructure,” Peter Hoddinott, group managing director of Lafarge Africa plc, told BusinessDay recently. “People need to move goods and products, and there is also the need for export of agricultural products. We have experience in roads. We have built 21 kilometres of roads in Cross River State using concrete,: said Hoddinott. The CEO added: ”If you are working in a highly saline environment next to the sea, you need to have sulphur-resistant cement that doesn’t get attacked by the chloride environment. If you are working on general building, you want a product which is reliable, consistent and which allows you to use with confidence, building which will last. If you want to build a road, you may want cement which you can mix with soil. There is a vast range of different products and services which are available.” While these projects which took care of 3.5 km of roads are short term, the company has long-term plan to pump in more money to build larger portions in Ogun State. The projects were implemented by the plant engineering teams working with the Ready Mix team for concrete design and implementation, as well as aggregate for pavements. Local contractors were equally involved in cutting out deep potholes. The projects were carried out by Enphma Nigeria Limited, which has handled a lot of projects for the Lagos State government, Lafarge, and LAMATA, among others.
Banking & Finance
FBNQuest creates diversification, US Dollar investment opportunities locally Launches FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund and FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund
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n a bid to proactively address the need for credible alternatives to invest local and USD denominated funds, the Asset Management business of FBNQuest (a part of the FBN Holdings Group), has launched two new mutual funds - the FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund and the FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund. The FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund is a pure equity fund which invests money predominantly in a portfolio of Nigerian companies by using a rigorous, research-based and tested evaluation system to determine the most investible stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. On the other hand, the FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund is a fixed income fund which predominantly invests money, and generates income as well as capital appreciation in USD denominated debt instruments issued by the Nigerian
Government and Corporates. This means clients can invest their USD directly in the fund, as current income from the fund’s underlying securities provides attractive returns. Unit holders will also receive returns in USD from semi-annual dividend income. According to Michael Oyebola, the Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Asset Management business, the key value propositions of the two new funds are to allow both individuals and institutional investors take advantage of opportunities on dollar instruments and the stock market, which may not be readily accessible due to high minimum investment amounts; and enable them achieve profitable diversification of their investments. It was further gathered that the Smart Beta Fund will invest money across all sectors, and investors will be able to
purchase and sell units in the Funds throughout their existence. In line with t h e c o m p a n y ’s c o m m i t m e n t s t o encouraging savings and financial inclusion, the Smart Beta fund has a minimum investment of N50,000, while the Eurobond Fund requires a minimum of $1000 for retail investors and $100,000 for institutional and High Networth investors’.
Sports Business
Gianni Infantino elected new FIFA President
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ianni Infantino has been elected as the President of FIFA for the remainder of the current term of office (until 2019) by the Extraordinary FIFA Congress held in Zurich. He was elected as the ninth FIFA President after the second ballot with 115 of 207 total votes. In line with the FIFA Statutes, the mandate of the new FIFA President started after the conclusion of the Congress. At the beginning of the proceedings, it was confirmed to the Congress that 207 FIFA member associations were entitled to vote (the member associations of Indonesia and Kuwait could
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not vote due to their respective suspensions). The candidate Tokyo Sexwale withdrew from the election after his address to the Congress. Earlier in the day, the Extraordinary FIFA Congress approved a set of landmark reforms to FIFA’s governance structure, including improvements to the governance of global football, a clear separation of commercial and political decision-making, greater scrutiny of senior officials, and commitments to women in football and human rights. Results of the elections for the office of FIFA President: Ballot 1: HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein: 27 votes Shk. Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa: 85 votes Jérôme Champagne: 7 votes Gianni Infantino: 88 votes Ballot 2: HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein: 4 votes Shk. Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa: 88 votes Jérôme Champagne: 0 votes Gianni Infantino: 115 votes
Retail Business
Future stores 2016 to explore how physical stores will survive, thrive in future
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eports of the death of the physical store have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, a recent study found that more than half of shoppers expect more from a store’s look and design than they did five years ago. Precisely how the physical retail store will survive and thrive in future is the subject of Future Stores 2016 – a major gathering of in-store experience innovators from some of Europe’s most progressive retailers. Despite e-commerce hogging the spotlight in recent years, the art of the retail store is enjoying something of a renaissance. In fact, for those who are able to do it well, enticing, thoughtfully designed stores have become a powerful brand differentiator. Despite the wealth of digital devices at the fingertips of today’s modern shopper, there remains an enduring desire for faultlessly finished bricks-and-mortar stores – places for shoppers to enjoy truly memorable, multi-sensory shopping experiences which are impossible to replicate online. As a result we now see online-only retailers moving into the physical retail space. Etsy opening a test concession in Selfridges, and talk of Amazon opening a physical store are excellent examples of this. However, there is no doubt that the consolidation of the high street is not yet over. Retailers are looking to discover the
paradigm which will dominate high street retail for years to come. At Future Stores 2016, we’re drawing insights from top retailers on how they are innovating in technology, driving footfall, harnessing the power of in-store d a t a , a n d revolutionising the way we pay. I n - s t o r e p a y m e n t s innovation Payments are a big issue for instore innovators in 2016, and there is an entire day dedicated to it Future Stores 2016. There has been a proliferation of payment methods over recent years – the sheer volume makes it very difficult for retailers to decide
which to invest in. On top of this, many retailers are struggling with legacy systems which are hampering their ability to foster meaningful innovation in regards to in-store payments. Dive into the discussion with leading retailers and hand-picked payments experts to discover the solution which best suits your business. Achieving customer centricity From the shopping mall to the independent outlet, the customer relationship is evolving. The question on everyone’s lips is how to make their store feel as if it revolves around the individual customer, matching their expectations and fulfilling their desires. Balancing human vs. technological interactions Although the successful retail store of the future will undoubtedly contain its fair share of technology, how can retailers make sure that the technology is adding value to the customer journey, and is not distracting from it. Source: Retail News, Retailer News
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