Maintaining a Blogger Blog

SSA- The Cow Dung Story

When the story broke that a diary farm was making more money from cow manure than the milk it sells to a supermarket, it was cause for a reflective moment. But the economics of it explains it clearly enough. The owner of the diary, however, testily lamented about how "bottled water" has become more expensive than pasteurised milk; and he was correct as in some instances it is. But that was a side remark; his point was "it's hard to make a profit from the d...iary side considering the enormous costs of keeping the cows fed, healthy and productive".

I have discussed this earlier that "sometimes waste is simply not waste" as there is something to be discovered about it that is of value. Here it is: cow dung. Cows produce manure daily, a prodigious amount of it. Now, a decaying manure release a gas call methane, a biogas product. Well, this owner built a plant to process that gas, and turns it into electricity, use what he could for his own requirement and sells the rest to the electricity grid -- and that, is the activity currently making the business of having cows profitable for him.
So right there in our dust, in Africa, is a product of energy potential that can be harnessed for economic use. This practice has gained traction in India and Pakistan at very small scales, even at the level of a home. Still, I would like to crowd-fund this in a village as a test project for viability in Africa; and I am sure I will enjoy the experience. Won't you? Our energy crises is simply out of control.
 

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YOU AND YOUR NUTRITION

A doctor came around to speak with us today. Here are the highlights of the presentation.

Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an adequate, well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity.

A poor diet can cause health issues like

• Blindness

• Anaemia

• Scurvy

• Cretinism

• Stillbirth

• Cardiovascular diseases

• Kwashiorkor

TYPES OF NUTRIENTS

Macronutrients

• Carbohydrates

• Fibres

• Fat

• Proteins

Micronutrients

• Minerals-Carbon,iodine,hydrogen,magnesium,calcium,chloride,potassium

• Vitamins

MALNUTRITION

Malnutrition refers to insufficient, excessive, or imbalanced consumption of nutrients by an organism. In developed countries, the diseases of malnutrition are most often associated with nutritional imbalances or excessive consumption.

Deficiency Table

See the picture for what could happen if you consume too little or too much of some of the required nutrients.

It is advised to eat healthy, regular exercise and good rest.

 

Office Ergonomics

I got this email from my office doctor. I think it's worth sharing here.

Over the past few decades, computer-based technology has become indispensable in most offices. Along with the proliferation of the technology, concern about healthy, safe, and comfortable use of computers has emerged. Some computer users experience symptoms including general fatigue, eyestrain or eye irritation, and physical discomfort. People will always be required to adjust, to some extent, to suit conditions at their work. But if you use a good design Visual Display Unit (VDU) and proper work station setup, you will ease that adjustment.

 A comfortable work space can help you feel your best.

 Preventative Office Ergonomic Guidelines

 ü  Monitor Configuration:

•        Depth– The monitor should be arm’s length away from you while seated.

•        Height- The toolbar at the top of the screen should fall just below eye level,  this allows the user to view the screen without causing neck strain from

•        repetitive moving.

ü  Keyboard and Mouse Configuration:

•        The keyboard should be set to a height so your forearms are parallel to the floor and make a 90°to 110°angle with the upper arm. This should allow you to freely type without resting your wrists on ANY hard or soft surface. Desk height adjustment maybe required accomplish this.

•        The mouse should be located on the same plane as the keyboard.

 

ü  Chair Configuration:

•        The seat pan should leave a 2-3 finger space between the end of the seat and the back of your legs.

•        The chair should be at a height that allows you to place your feet flat on the floor with your thighs perpendicular to your lower legs.

•        The lumbar support on the chair should contour and rest against the small of your back.

•        Backrest Tilt- The Backrest should be at a 90° to 110° angle when typing.

 

Ø  Preventative Exercise:

It is advisable to take a short break every hour; these can often be arranged around  natural breaks such as making a drink, other administrative duties etc.

Also one solution to muscle fatigue is micro pauses. They are very short breaks of 5 to 10 seconds around every 10 minutes during highly repetitive motions. Micro pauses relax you muscles and restore blood flow. These micro pauses are small changes in your working activity that allow you to adopt different postures, positions and eye focus.  (Such as shaking your hand, rotating your neck, shrugging your shoulders, stand up…etc.)

 

Ø  Symptoms:

•        Muscular Discomfort– pain, aching, loss of coordination, numbness, and stiffness

•        Eye Strain- headaches, dizziness, nausea

 

v  Remember: If you feel signs of muscle discomfort at the end of your work day, report it to the Occupational Health Advisor.

 

Please find below, picture of a standard office ergonomics.

How small businesses raise capital

How small businesses raise capital

Babatunde Fajimi

Capital and how to find it in a recessed economy pose a major challenge to most people who want to own small businesses as entrepreneurs.

These people are also depressed like the ancient mariner of the English poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who lamented that “water, water, everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.”

Fat cows ate up the lean

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria has said its 400 debtors owe over N4.5 trillion.

Recently, the administration of President Buhari disclosed that it recovered N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, £3,508,355.46 and €11,250 from looters of public treasury from May 29, 2015 to May 25, 2016. The funds awaiting return from Switzerland, UK, UAE and USA amounted to $321,316,726.1, £6,900,000 and €11,826.11.

With such staggering figures floating around in the hands of few people legitimately or illegitimately, small businesses should have no problems raising capital which is money or wealth needed to produce goods and services either through debt or equity.

Where is the money?

International Finance Corporation estimated that 84% of small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa had limited or zero access to capital.

The ‘Accelerating Entrepreneurship in Africa’ report by Omidyar Network and Monitor Group stated that 71% of entrepreneurs considered raising capital as the biggest handicap.

The report reveals that personal and family loans constitute 45 per cent of the main sources of financing in Africa.

It puts private equity at 19 per cent, bank debt at 18 per cent, government funding at five per cent, venture capital at five per cent, angel seed at four per cent and other sources which include corporate funding, lease/receivables financing or stock options as four per cent.

You may not be alone

Shalom Okunade is a young career woman whose attempts at starting her small business have been hampered by her inability to raise capital.

An entrepreneur journalist, Franklin Bayen, listed finding capital as the toughest hurdle start-up businesses face in Cameroon. He said it was easier to ascend the Fako Peak on Mount Cameroon than finding investors.

The executive director of Phemzo Integrated Services Limited, Femi Akindele, said raising capital for his start-up was his baptism of fire.

The untold story

In spite of entrepreneurs’ experiences in small business, experts argue that finding money for start-ups and growing the business should not be a mission to find a needle in the haystack if entrepreneurs can focus on the end of the tunnel.

A US-based certified public accountant, Koyejo Arulogun, said people should stop using money as an excuse for not becoming an entrepreneur.

Accelerating Entrepreneurship in Africa report opined that financiers and investors claimed many of the new ventures and small businesses were simply not fundable. It attributed the lack of fundable business plans to quality and feasibility of the business idea as well as the commitment of the entrepreneur and the team to success.

A consummate scholar and entrepreneur, Richard Ikiebe, pointed out that if entrepreneurs could think and come up with ideas for business, they should also be able to think of ways to attract money to fund the ideas. The two are intertwined and not independent activities.

“Money is not going to show up simply because you have a business idea. You have to devise a strategy to raise money to fund your dream. If you are a smart person who can think, you will know where to find the money,” he said.

Ikiebe added that entrepreneurs which succeed at finding money are those with originality of idea, bankable business plan and persuasive presentation to convince investors and the market about their value propositions.

Arulogun wanted entrepreneurs to have skin in the game. Investors want to see how committed the entrepreneurs are, how much of themselves (personal investment or equity) have been invested in the business and what little wins have been secured before staking their funds.

Serious-minded entrepreneurs should de-emphasise seeking hundred per cent loans for raising money for their start-ups, and certainly not from banks. Experts suggested that bank loans were not tailored for start-ups and small businesses. Banks see such investments as high risk, low reward.

Entrepreneurs must create self-belief in their ventures. Arulogun argued that if a person cannot sell his car to raise funds, move to a smaller house to conserve funds or become creative with his cash flow to start up a business, it may be difficult to persuade an investor to put down money into such business.

He said that the problem of capital can be solved with small steps. Capital is not raised in a day. Entrepreneurs can start small, raise capital and recoup that first. They can test the market and make small mistakes before thinking of raising large funds. Investors disburse capital in tranches when they see progress.

If borrowing is an option, entrepreneurs should avoid high interest rate so that they will not perpetually be working for the lender. They can find resources from those that believe them such as family, friends and colleagues. They should be committed and seek for partners because it is difficult to go it alone.

Source: The Punch Newspaper

The Joy of Middle Management

So you’ve finally made it to middle management. You’ve arrived at that magical place where you are responsible and accountable for the performance of a team but you still have limited authority and influence in your organization. Welcome to the Danger Zone!
Why is it so dangerous? Because, if you are not careful, this is where careers come to die. At least that’s the conclusion of Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman. In a recent Harvard Business Review article called Why Middle Managers Are So Unhappy, they discovered the unhappiest employees are, in fact, middle managers.
They looked at data from 320,000 of the most unengaged and uncommitted employees from a variety of organizations and focused on the bottom 5%. They wanted to understand the driving factors behind the most disgruntled employees. What they found were people who were “stuck in the middle of everything.”
The most common profile for employees in the bottom 5% was:

• They work as middle managers
• They earned a college degree, but not a graduate degree
• They have 5 to 10 years’ tenure
• They receive a good (as opposed to a superior or a terrible) performance rating

The truth is, it can be tough if you find yourself “stuck” in middle management. It can lead to frustration and disillusionment, but it doesn’t have to be this way. If you have made it to middle management, it’s because someone thinks you have what it takes to lead people and that’s one of the greatest honors bestowed upon any individual. So how do you avoid getting “stuck” in the middle?
Let me suggest five things you can do as a middle manager to avoid becoming an unengaged, uncommitted, unhappy employee:
Contentment. One of the biggest causes for frustration for middle managers is the desire to be promoted to the next job. I’ve seen many managers so focused on trying to get to their next position that they never actually do their current job. Be content. You’ve been asked to lead people, lead them well. Enjoy your time as a middle manager.
Excellence. While you are in middle management, be excellent in everything you do. Instead of focusing on your next job, set your sights on mastering this one. If you can build a reputation for performing at a high level with a smaller organization, you will likely be considered for larger role.
Education. Mastering your job means learning everything you can about being a valuable leader in your company. Use your time as a middle manager to continue to educate yourself. Read business books, take courses that will strengthen your weaknesses, complete an advanced degree, complete an industry certification, join industry groups, volunteer for challenging assignments, or find a mentor in your company to learn from. Most companies offer a variety of ways to continue your education, take advantage of them all. The more you know, the more valuable you will be for your company.
Commitments. Become a trusted performer in your organization. Senior managers are looking for people who get things done. They are looking for leaders who do what they say they are going to do. Build a reputation for meeting your commitments and honoring your promises.
Exploration. Use your time in middle management to figure out where you get the most satisfaction out of your work. Is it executing a large project or landing a significant order? Is it leading a kaizen event or executing a new marketing strategy? Is it becoming a functional expert or focusing more on general management? Expose yourself to as many diverse opportunities as you can to learn what you really enjoy doing. This will help prepare you for what you really want to do in your next assignment.
Middle management doesn’t have to be a place where careers go to die. With the right attitude and focus, your time in middle management can be the best years of your work life. It’s a time where you can master the art of leading people, learn to perform at a high level, continue your education, build a reputation for meeting commitments, and explore what you really enjoy doing. The key is to become a trusted and valuable asset to senior management. Does it mean that doing these things will get you promoted to the next level? Maybe or maybe not. What it will do is give you a lot more satisfaction in your job and keep you away from that bottom 5% of unengaged, uncommitted, unhappy employees.
So, what do think? Is it possible to avoid getting “stuck?” Are there other things that can be done to avoid the middle management trap? How much does your boss or company influence your ability to continue to grow? What options do you have if you find yourself stuck?

 

Jon Rennie

Engineering Director at Schneider Electric

CHECKING YOUR TYRES

Today, I’ll be sharing about Checking Your Tyres.

Tyre blowout accounts for 37% of auto crashes and 42%  rate of fatality.

The age / date a tyre was manufactured can be identified by reading its:

• Tyre Identification Number (often referred to as the tyre's serial number)
• DOT Codes

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires that Tyre Identification Numbers be a combination of:

• The letters DOT,
• Followed by ten, eleven or twelve letters and/or numbers that identify
• The manufacturing location,
• Tyre size,
• Manufacturer's code,
• The week and year the tyre was manufactured.

DOT Codes are batch codes that identify the week and year a tyre was produced. They are similar to Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) or serial numbers used on many consumer goods but are not unique to a single item.

MANUFACTURE DATE

The information in Picture 2 means that this tyre is manufactured in the 47th week in 2012.

Simply put: 3rd week in November 2012.

Recommendation:  Change tyres after four (4) years.

TYRE PRESSURE

Always maintain the recommended pressure (psi – per square inch) for your vehicle). See Picture 3

IMPORTANT STATISTICS

• 90% of all vehicles have at least one tyre under inflated.
• A tyre loses 1 pound of air pressure for every 5°C temperature drop.
• Tyres breathe, releasing about 1 pound of pressure per month.
• A 20% under inflation will reduce tyre life by 30% and increase fuel consumption by 7%.
• A 30% under inflation will reduce tyre life by 50%.
• A very soft tyre will generate enough heat to melt and explode at high speeds!

PRICE OR PURPOSE

Don’t purchase tyres based on PRICE instead buy tyres fit for PURPOSE. Think about how much you would pay for your LIFE, or for the lives of your loved ones. You can order for your fit for purpose tyres here.

An Incident to Learn From

In an organization, an employee was reheating food wrapped in aluminium foil in the microwave. Smoke from the heated aluminium foil triggered a nearby smoke detector when the microwave was opened and the central alarm system in the building was activated. The microwave was later shut to contain the smoke and the building was evacuated. There were no injuries.

Lessons Learnt

• Ensure that only microwave safe materials are used to reheat materials in the microwave. Do not use materials like aluminium foil, cold storage plastic, metals, foam insulated containers etc
• Ensure that the microwave is clean and free from food residue prior to use.
• Foods like boiled egg, noodles, sausages, hot dogs, potatoes etc should not be heated in the microwave as they could explode due to internal pressure build up
• If smoke is emitted when using a microwave, turn off the power source and remove the plug. Air the room, if possible. Do not open the microwave until it is cool.

Stay safe as we trust God to keep us.

INVITATION TO TENDER – Cross River State Capital and Sustainable Development Goals projects

Newspaper: THE PUNCH, June 7, 2016

Location: Cross River State

Closing Date: July 19, 2016

Description:

• Rehabilitation of 1no. Senior Girls’ hostel
• Rehabilitation of 1no. Junior Boys’ Hostel
• Rehabilitation of 1no. Junior Girls’ Hostel
• Construction of 1no. Examination Hall of 2500 Seaters Capacity for Students
• Construction of 1no. Dining Hall of 2500 Seaters
• Administration and Coordination
• Furnishing of 1no. Block of Modern Dining Hall (SDG)
• Construction of Borehole and Water Reticulation (SDG)
• Construction of VIP Toilets in Hostel Areas and Classrooms (SDG)
  Basic Eligibility:
• Evidence of company registration with Corporate Affairs Commission
• Current Pension Commission (PENCOM) Compliance Certificate
• Tax Clearance for the last three years (2013, 2014 and 2015)
• Evidence of experience of similar jobs for the past three (2013, 2014 and 2015)
• Evidence of financial capability from a reputable Bank
• Evidence of registration with BPP on the National Database
• NSITF Certificate
• FRC Certificate
• Company profile and key personnel
• Registration with Industrial Training Fund (ITF)
• Evidence of audited accounts for the last three years (2013, 2014 & 2015)
• A sworn affidavit indicating whether or not any officer of Federal Government College, Ikom or Federal Ministry of Education is a Director or Shareholder or has any pecuniary interest in the company

INVITATION TO TENDER – OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE

Newspaper: THE PUNCH, June 6, 2016, pg. 34

Location: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State

Closing Date: July 19, 2016

Description:

Project 1

• Procurement and Installation of Languages Interpreters and Transmission Devices
• Procurement and Installation of Wired and Wireless facilities for ACE Laboratories
• Procurement and Installation of High Capacity Fiber Optics Backbone for ACE Laboratories
• Procurement and Installation of a backup power Generator
• Procurement of a Vehicle
   
  Project 2
• Construction of Postgraduate ICT Laboratories Building
   
  Basic Eligibility:

To be considered, potential companies are to submit all the under listed verifiable documents:

• Certificate of incorporation at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and evidence of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in case of a joint venture.
• Include certified true copy of CAC registration forms Co2 and Co7 containing names of Directors and Shareholders.
• Certified true copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company.
• Corporate profile to include a list of the company’s technical staff, their CVs and copies of their credentials, including qualification, year(s) of cognate experience and certificate of registration with relevant professional bodies.
• Evidence of payment of tax for the last three (3) years (2013-2015).
• Copy of VAT registration and evidence of past VAT remittance for completed projects.
• Copies of Company’s Audited Statement of Account for the last three years (2013-2015) duly stamped by a Registered Auditor.
• Certificate of compliance with the provisions of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Amendment act, 2011, Issued by the ITF and stated to be valid up to 31^st December, 2016.
• Original Bank Statement of the past twelve (12) months.
• Verifiable evidence of similar jobs successfully executed or being executed within the last five years, including types, cost location and evidence of award and satisfactory completion.
• List of equipment to be used for the projects, whether owned, hired or leased, with evidence of ownership, lease or hire.
• Company’s registered address, functional contact address, GSM phone, numbers and e-mail addresses.
• Reference letters from three (3) previous clients for similar projects, satisfactorily completed.
• A sworn affidavit by a director certifying that:
  • The documents submitted for the tendering exercises are not only genuine, but correct.
  • None of the directors of company has ever been convicted by any court of law.
  • The company is not bankrupt.
  • None of the officers of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife is a former or present Director of the Company.
  • Company’s banking detail, including Account Name, Account Number, Bank Name and Branch and Sort Code.
     
    Please note that the originals of document will be requested and should be available for sighting whenever required. The opening of bids follows immediately after close of submission at 11:00am on Tuesday, July 19, 2016.

INVITATION TO TENDER FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING

Newspaper: THE NATION, June 6 2016, Pg.37

Location: University of Lagos, Akoka

Closing Date: July 21, 2016
Description:

• Re-Construction of a burnt residential bungalow building to include extensive repairs and replacements.
• Construction of a four (4) reinforced concrete framed structure raft foundation
  Basic Eligibility:

• Evidence of Certificate of Incorporation with the Corporate Affairs Commision (CAC), including Article and Memorandum of Association of the company and up to date Annual Returns with CAC
• A Sworn Affidavit certifying as follows:
  • The company is not in receivership, insolvency or bankruptcy.
  • The company does not have any director who has been convicted by any court in Nigeria and any other country for criminal offences in relation to fraud or financial impropriety.
  • That no officer of the University of Lagos or BPP is a former or present director or shareholder of the company.
  • That all information presented in the documents are true and correct in all particulars
• Company Audited Accounts for the last three (3) years (2013, 2014 and 2015) duly signed and stamped by a professional accounting/audit firm and signed by the Client.
• Evidence of Tax Clearance Certificate for the last three (3) years (2013, 2014 and 2015)
• Bidders shall have an average annual turnover of not less than Twenty-Eight Million Naira (N28,000,000) for LOT 1.
• Bidders shall have an average annual turnover of not less than One Hundred and Six Million Naira (N106,000,000) FOR LOT 2
• Pension Clearance Certificate valid for 2016 issued by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM)
• Industrial Training Fund (I.T.F) Certificate valid for 2016 in compliance with Section 6 of the Industrial Training Fund Amendment ACT, 2011.
• List of key personnel stating their role, designation qualification and years of experience. (Evidence or registration with professional bodies such as ARCON, COREN etc. copies of certificate are to be attached).

The following are the minimum requirements:

• Evidence of ownership of a functional and well equipped material testing Laboratory or an agreement with a standard laboratory where material testing will be conducted.
• Company’s Health Safety and Environment policy.
• Satisfactory bank reference from a reputable bank stating the Company’s creditworthiness and ability to be granted financial support for the project execution if the need arises.
• Evidence of registration on the National data base of Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers by inclusion of Interim Registration Report valid for 2016 issued by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
• Evidence of payment of non-refundable pre-qualification fee at the Cash Office of University of Lagos with a certified bank cheque.
   

LOT 1:

• One (1) COREN registered Civil-Structural Engineer (with current practicing licence);
• One (1) CORBON registered Builder (with current practicing licence);
• One (1) QSRBN registered Quantity Surveyor (with current practicing licence);
• One (1) ARCON registered Architect (with current practicing licence).
• Evidence of work experience as main contractor executing or having executed a minimum of three (3) bungalow building, two of which must have been in the last three (3) years. Copy of award letters, last interim certificate of valuation for ongoing projects, completion certificate and final maintenance certificates, where applicable, are to be enclosed.

 

LOT 2:

• Two (2) registered Civil- Structural Engineers (with current practicing license) of not less than five (5) years post registration with COREN.
• Two (2) registered Builders (with current practicing license) of not less than five (5) years post registration with CORBON;
• Two (2) Quantity Surveyors (with current practicing license) of not less than five (5) years post registration with QSRBN.
• Two (2) registered Architects (with current practicing license) of not yet than five (5) years post registration with ARCON.
• Evidence of work experience as the main contractor executing or having executed a minimum of three (3) projects of at least 3 storey building, two of which must have been in the last five (5) years. Copy of award letters, last interim certification of valuation for ongoing projects, completion certificate and final maintenance certificates where applicable to be enclosed.
• Verifiable list of major construction equipment and facilities including registration numbers, chassis numbers, location (where they can be inspected) and remarks whether these are owned, leases or hired. The minimum number of equipment, facilities required are as listed below:
  • A crane
  • 2 Nos Mobile concrete mixers
  • 3 Nos 20-30 tons tippers
  • 3 Nos Dumpers
  • Dumpy level

Revenue Boosting Ideas for Your Business

I read an article written for hair salons. Based on my experience with the Tentmakers Online Store, I believe these ideas will work for any type of business.

1. Sell gift cards/certificates that customers can give to friends, relatives, coworkers etc. Even if those that receive the gift cards/certificates never take up the offer, you’ve already been paid.
2. Start a referral program where anyone that brings in new customers get rewarded. You can consider coupons (which should be redeemed before a certain period), freebies (like airtime, gifts etc)
3. Start a loyalty program where repeat customers get freebies.
4. Consider starting a subscription program, particularly if you provide services. Your subscribed clients should be entitled to something beyond your normal services (which should still be top-notch). That’s the idea behind VIP lounges and extra leg room for first class flyers. Afterall, they’ll be flying in the same aeroplane as those in Economy.
5. Consider an online/phone booking service. Make it easy for people to book for your goods and services online during non-business hours. Of course you can attend to it during business hours. Give them an email address/WhatsApp phone number they can send their requests to and acknowledge such messages IMMEDIATELY you see them.  If for some reasons beyond your control your response is delayed, APOLOGISE for the delay. Respond to their requests and stay focused on solving their problems instead of telling them 1000 reasons why you can’t attend to their requests. Even if you don’t close that deal with them, you’ll have a lifelong customer if you let them know that you can HEAR them.
6. Identify your clients’ actual needs beyond what they are actually saying and meet their unspoken needs. You are very likely to have repeat customers if you adopt that approach to business. As we have been taught, people don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care. Discovering and meeting your customer’s unspoken need is a vital way to show that you care.

#Tentmakers

Whatsoever Your Hand Finds To Do

Good day friends. How are you doing? I have a very long story for you today.

When I graduated from the University, I got a job before I went for NYSC. It was my dream at the time. My life was going well and I had carefully laid out plans. I was going to ensure that whether Nigeria liked it or not, I'll spend my service year in Lagos and continue with my job. NYSC was going to be a breeze. Err, WRONG! Things didn't go as planned. I was "emailed, not posted" (according to one of my friends) to a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon). I actually served Nigeria "under the sun and in the rain". I angrily watched all my plans fall like a pack of cards...In fact, my NYSC story deserves its own post, lol. Somehow, I recovered in good enough time to make reasonable use of my service year and meet some awesome "forever friends".

When I got back to Lagos after the service year, some changes in the organization where I had my "promising" job made it necessary for me to stay at home and wait. They didn't guarantee that I'll get my old job back but they promised to TRULY let me know once they could absorb me into the organization. I was disappointed but not crushed. Well-meaning people tried to convince me to "rest" before I started job hunting. I was determined, like Kanu Nwankwo, not to be a burden to anyone.

I spoke with some family friends about working part time in their Educational Testing Centre. The pay wasn't fantastic. A few people laughed at my decision but I realised there were benefits that came with the job that I wouldn't have had if I looked down on the job. I eventually got the "dream" job(s) and I had to choose eventually.

Why am I telling you this long story? Because I have a challenge with some that look down on certain jobs "because I'm a graduate"...Very few people want to start small. I know that the cousin of the grandmother of your friend's neighbour was sitting in her bedroom and suddenly found a million dollars on the seat beside her. I hope EFCC/DSS is not looking for her in this season of goats and yams, though...Most of the successful people I know started small, worked hard (yes, and prayed hard too) to get to where they are today. They weren't loafing around, expecting manna to fall from heaven. Even for the Israelites, manna ceased when they got to the Promised Land. They had to cultivate the LANs and trust God for harvest before eating.

Dear friend, whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with all diligence. If you'll like to discuss opportunities, please follow our "TTM Opportunities" Blog or send an email to the tent makers online gmail.com

#Tentmakers