Setting up a Succesful business in Nigeria

A few weeks ago I read that Nigeria had more than 60 million generators. Considering that the average Nigerian experiences less that 3 hours of electricity, you can begin to imagine the noise. I was in Lagos in September and October and I can tell you that it took me over 3 days to sleep through the night. The noise was over whelming. I am sure you can begin to imagine the pollution from these noise makers. At night the smells from the improperly tuned engines assaults the eyes and the nose. You begin to understand the reason people have perpetual colds. The cost in fuel and repairs are never considered by the average Nigerian. What he looks at is his upfront cost. For N35000 they can purchase a generator. What nobody tells them is that those cheap generators are deadly for laptops, TV and sensitive electronic devices. The power supply for my laptop caught fire while using one of these cheap generators. The other one destroyed my fathers phones and would not charge my Kindle. How

Nine in the morning, the children are there and no sign of adults. No teachers, no custodian, no principal nobody. The young children swept the compound and waited around for the teacher who got there after 930. Can you imagine this happening any where else. In a school with so many buildings, where are the other teachers? An unknown adult on school grounds and no other adult to challenge him or monitor his movement. The adult was with us. Can you imagine this anywhere else in the world?

The shame called Murtala Muhammed International Airport November 13, 2013  by Japheth Omojuwa    Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos How much does a country need to keep its busiest international airport from running like an oven? The Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos has to be the hottest airport in the world. It is easily the hottest I have travelled through and I have been through quite a lot of airports. Even the Nairobi airport in Kenya that was engulfed by fire is not as hot as the MMIA. You should not even get started with comparing it with the airport in Cape Town or Johannesburg, South Africa. Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport, Accra may be small but it does not meet you with the repulsiveness the MMIA greets you with. Even the Eyadema airport in Togo has a better atmosphere. The Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal trumps ours by light years. This is speaking of African countries. We dare not try to compa

One week ago today I got a Skype message from my friend Lulufa Vongtau, asking that we pray for his son, his son had broken both arms in a freak accident. The young man had fallen down 10 or 18 floors and had been trapped for over 36 hours before he was rescued by the NY City Fire Department. They had to break walls to remove him from where he had spend 36 hours. My wife and I had arrived at the hospital a few hours after he had been rescued. He looked worse that he actually was. Lots of missing skin on his toes and his chin, a broken arm, abrasions on his face.  On Thursday 5 days after he was admitted they discharged him. His grand mother in Nigeria said that they should check him back in.  That he was released so soon after such a traumatic event is miracle.  That he survived the fall is a miracle.  That he survived 36 hours before getting medical attention is a major miracle. The media have been dying to get the story. They have called the mother non stop. One of them

We  have been gifted with tools that most of us never dreamed possible when we left Nigeria to come to America. In the short time we have been here, we have witnessed, Federal Express, Fax Machines, The Personal Computer, Mobile Phones, Email (you've got mail) and today twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and the discussion groups. Do we use these tools to enhance or further our careers or do we use them as a social outlet to express opinions about subjects that we have all become experts on? A few days ago a young Ibo man sent me an email via Linkedin. He wanted me to introduce him to another member who he saw on my profile. He was looking for a job and needed an introduction to the hiring manager. I made the introduction and the hiring manager extended his email and asked for his resume. Are you on LinkedIn? Do you have a blog? Do you know that you can start one for free and if you have things you are passionate about, you can write about them and get paid doing that. I

I visit this blog a Trip Down Memory Lane and he wrote a wonderful article called Albinos in Africa. Albino ism is very common in the Ngwa community. We have a few on my father's side of the family. I am sure if we took time to look we would find some in every member of our family. It is long but very instructive. Enjoy: click the link. http://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2012/09/albinos-in-africa.html

Yesterday evening I got a message from my friend Lulufa, asking that we pray for his son who had suffered a freak accident. I called him on the phone and he could not explain what happened. I called his wife and she told me that her son had last been seen on Friday and he was found trapped between two buildings Sunday night. He had fallen 10 floors and for some minor internal bleeding (spleen) a broken arm, and lacerations he was in fairly good shape. Can you imagine being stuck for almost 2 days and not sure that help will come. Can you imagine seeing daylight and then darkness and daylight again. And then going through another night can you imagine what the young man must have been thinking? He is fortunate to have friends who noticed that he had been missing and insisted that campus security find him. They sent a Facebook message to his sister asking if she had seen him? They insisted that Mum call campus security and report him missing. Suzette and I visited him in Bellevue hosp

Recently a close friend told me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is the 2nd person that I know that has had breast cancer within the past 3 years. However what makes her different, is that she is the first person from my community to admit it. Please read her story and share your thoughts. I think she is brave to break cultural taboos. Hopefully she can save a life or two by her gesture. Ndi k'anyi, This is a humble public service announcement.  Please read my blog.  Think of our mothers, wives & daughters. Below is an excerpt from the blog   "I'm pretty much a healthy, vibrant person, no major health issues, so imagine my surprise when I was told on Monday, October 21st, 2013 that I have "Invasive Lobular Carcinoma"! Abeg oo, this one na heavy oyibo!!!  Hold up, wait a minute, back-up, rewind, slow your roll!!!  I had a normal routine mammogram middle of May, 2013.  I had a normal breast examination performed by my Primary care doctor

In August we flew to California for the Ngwa convention. We came into San Francisco and drove to Sacramento. This was when the fires were at their most destructive in California. You never have a true appreciation of the power and destructive abilities of nature till you see it with your own eyes. This short video was taken from about 6 miles above the ground. I will let you judge.

Nigerians excel academically, that is a known fact. Compared to other immigrant groups we have a higher population of people with college degrees. So it comes as no surprise when you ask the kids to identify a problem within their community and solve it using Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and you get some of these answers. They all knew what the problems were. Solving it is another matter. Recognize that these are 11-13 year old boys and girls. Enjoy the video.

I asked some of my Facebook friends to tell me what they would pay for clean uninterrupted electricity. One of the answers was up to 50% above the current rate. Another said he paid N13000 per month for less than 12 hours a day. There were days he did not have electricity. He felt that for 24 hours a day the going rate should be N5-10,000 per month. I asked if he was willing to pay N750  per day. He said no. We did the math and he is currently paying over N800 per day. So I want to ask you my wider audience. What would you pay daily for 24 hours of clean uninterrupted electricity in Nigeria? Official Electricity Tariffs / Rates in Nigeria

Last month I went on a business trip to Nigeria. I had an appointment in one of the more desirable office locations on Victoria Island, where you have to go through a security guard shack to enter the building. On my first appointment, I had on a suit and tie. I walked right through and no one said anything to me. I went up to my appointment came back down and left. One week later I came back on a follow up appointment dressed in Nigerian native and bright colored attire. I was now asked who I was, to sign in and wait for them to call the tenant I was going to see. Man, was I pissed? Why was I invisible in a suit and why did I suddenly become visible in traditional wear? Have we really adopted the belief that the suit which is western makes you a bigger and more important person? I welcome your comments and experiences.

I copied this off a forum. It is nice to see an African stand up for his religion. I don't believe that any one religion is superior to the other. At the end of the day we all worship God. Ifa Priest Shocking Confession: Pastors Come To Seek Power From Me  Written By CKN NIGERIA on Saturday, 26 October 2013 | 6:02 am Prominent Ifa priest, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon in this interview shares his experiences as a traditional priest Which schools did you attend? I did not attend any formal school. I had all my education at home. Many people erroneously believe that you can’t be educated until you go to school. I did not step into any classroom to be taught anything. I learnt Ifa at home and I learnt reading and writing also at homeHow long did you spend to learn Ifa?I started learning from my father at the age of four. My father later gave me out to another priest who taught me. I stayed there for 10 years and six months. After that, I started learning from my father’ s colleagues

One more way to save the environment and provide cheap alternatives

Nigeria Racing Eagle An Audi R8 Race car flying the colors of Nigeria. It is about time

I will be replacing my shocks tomorrow. The current set up are air shocks. I am converting them to Coilovers. I can still raise and lower the car. Instead of with a button it will be done with wrenches. I am can make the shocks much firmer with the new set up. So if I want pillow soft or race car hard I do it with clicks. The sport set up on the LS is not very sporty. Wish me luck.. I broke down and took it to a friend that has a lift. I removed the rear seats, prepped the engine compartment and all he did was removed a bolt at the bottom and 3 on top. And then he removed the air lines from the shock. Put in the new tightened things and we were ready to go. To stop any lights from turning on, I removed the compressor fuse. The car sits lower as you can see in the pictures. The steering is sharper, the handling is crisper and the ride is firmer.

Have you noticed the Mosquito's are already out! Here is a homemade trap to help keep you and the kiddos from being a blood donor!!! HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP : Ite ms needed: 1 cup of water 1/4 cup of brown sugar 1 gram of yeast 1 2-liter bottle HOW: 1. Cut the plastic bottle in half. 2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle. 3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes. 4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired. 5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.) Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control. Thank you Victor Campbell

There is no way of proving the authenticity of this video. If people believe that the elected Governor of Abia State owes his success to darker forces, why would the not want to emulate him. The baby factories that are now the norm, can flourish under such a culture. Now let me play devils advocate. The only thing that I see the Dibia carrying is a chicken. Culturally it is to acceptable sacrifice a chicken to the gods' to ensure that ones good fortune continues. I remember on one of my trips home a grand parent took a chicken pointed its head towards the feet of the grand child said some incantation. The kid was a bit scared but it was normal to those around at the time. Looking at the video of the man purported to be TA Orji, there is nothing harmful in the video. A closer look at the man in the picture shows someone that is not in the best of health. He could be seeking traditional methods of healing and that can explain why he had very little clothes on. This was th

  NNAUSA UPDATE (A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF  NGWA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, USA (NNAUSA) INC. Volume 1, Issue 9. April 11, 2013. www.ngwanational.org  FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENCY Ndekanyi, I am wishing you all a happy weekend. We are continuing in our efforts to serve you well, and I am confident that you are all keeping us in your prayers. I appreciate the amount of support and information that you continue to share with me on how to move NNAUSA forward. As always, know that together, we will accomplish our collective desires - to achieve progress for the entire Ala Ngwa. Happy weekend, my people. B. O. Eguzouwa, President/CEO. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ NGWA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, USA Inc. (NNAUSA) www.ngwanational.org (A 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Organization) April 8, 2013.   A REJOINDER IN RESPECT OF SUN NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION OF APRI