An entrepreneur, Innocent Owujie, is launching Bitcoin market place for people to make money, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

After founding several businesses, Eagle Mind Digital Palace Chief  Executive, Innocent Owujie, has started a Bitcoin business.

His latest project is to change the financial landscape by enabling and encouraging widespread use of Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer digital payment system.

According to him, Bitcoin is a virtual currency, as well as the network on which the currency is stored and moved around.  He  added that each Bitcoin is merely an entry on a digital ledger; unlike currency, there is no physical representation of the currency.

He said it  can be bought and sold through open-market exchanges. In addition, they can be used as a means of transaction, much like other currencies.

According  to him, Bitcoin however, enables instant and seamless transactions without requiring a trusted and expensive third party.

He said anyone could open a Bitcoin account, which would give him or her a Bitcoin address as well as a private password. With an address and password, he said, individuals could send their Bitcoins to anyone with a Bitcoin address, even without knowing the recipient’s identity.  But Bitcoin transactions are recorded in a shared public ledger called the blockchain.

All transactions in the blockchain, he  added, are validated by an open network of computers that confirmed transactions.

He  said transactions would only be approved if the vast network of Bitcoin computers verified the transaction as legitimate, and the integrity of transactions was upheld through an innovative algorithm that utilised cryptography.

He added that anyone with sufficient computing power and software capable of solving complex mathematical problems could participate in verifying Bitcoin transactions in a process called Bitcoin mining.

In exchange for mining, he  maintained,  miners are rewarded with newly created Bitcoins.

Bitcoin, according to him, is a  digital currency  that offers tremendous savings in transaction costs for people who want  to transfer money and make payments. Though standard payment processors, such  as PayPal, Skrill, Payooner, have   enhanced identity and solvency verification procedures, requiring confirmation of an international debit card, passport, bank statement amingothers.  He  added that  transaction fees charged on each debit card payment are extremely prohibitive, as well as the so-called “monthly management fees.

Using Bitcoin to pay for items, he noted, means avoiding credit card, foreign exchange or cash handling fees.

According to him, some of the best business minds in the world are starting to see the potential Bitcoin has in changing the world. “The biggest challenge we have at the moment, however, is helping new Bitcoin start-ups winning the trust of the wider business community,” he said.

The simplicity of the system, he noted,  has turned into an economic success story by both local and international standards.

According to him,  the system provides fraud prevention and consumer protection mechanisms for bitcoin transactions.

In addition, it builds a layer of trust on top of bitcoin, helping to protect consumers, and allowing merchants to build their reputation.

By opening the market to new players, he said it  brings better solutions to consumers and merchants by allowing them to transact safely over the internet, even anonymously.

His organisation has already made great strides in its short history in large part due to the lack of available financial infrastructure. He said Nigerians  faced numerous banking-related challenges in their daily lives, ranging from excessive fees on remittances, barriers to cross-border payments, hyper-inflation leading to lack of savings and investment opportunities, and challenges associated with online payments.

Bitcoin has been the subject of  interest since its inception in 2009. An internet-based currency, which allows users to buy goods and services online, it is supposedly easier and safer than sending money via more traditional means.

His  belief in the power of  Bitcoin and the elimination of middleman continues.   He sees the digital currency as a “great equaliser” and believes that Bitcoin will do to money what email did to the postal service.

He maintained  that the  population  is  rapidly adopting mobile technology. As a Bitcoin  evangelist, Owujie  is working  to make online payments easier for Nigerians. He  has  worked with a lot of young people, and  saw how technology could make positive impact on their lives.

He has sourced  for solutions spanning online payments and savings  for those without access to traditional banks, micro-payments, and transferring money across borders.

He believes extensive use of  Bitcoin could lead to a sustainable business opportunity and contribute meaningfully to human development.

With Bitcoin, he said it would be possible to transact in extremely small denominations without losing value. Another option, according to him, is creating a financial savings tool for people lacking a good way to invest or save money.

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Isamo Paints Chief Executive, Thompson Aniyom, is a fulfilled entrepreneur. His entry into paint production has fetched him money. He looks forward to transiting from a small business to a big industry player, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

Five Isamo Paints Chief Executive, Thompson Aniyom,  between six and 13 hours a week, he will turn a sharp youth into one promising entrepreneur.

His strategy is training would-be entrepreneurs in home paint to make and paint masterpieces. Those he mentored not only made multiple streams of income from home innovations, but also mastered  colour mixing and blending.

Dissatisfied with mediocre finish of modern paints, Aniyom began research into  cheap paint production formula by starting the business with N120,000.  Today, he is in the business of creating beautiful and happy homes for clients. Interestingly, the business has become self sustaining, producing 15 different paint formula.  He is dedicated to the art because he derives fun from it, exploring the business side of the art.

Having grown up in Cameroon before relocating to Calabar, Aniyom learned the value of hard work at an early age,  a trait that has served him well as the owner of Isamo Paints, a small paint production business in Calabar. He started by dealing on properties, doing repairs on houses, yard work, and painting to make properties look good.

He later distinguished himself in his favourite trade – paint making to exhibit his gift of colour mixing. Aniyom has built a reputation for detailed work, helping customers select complementary colour schemes that make their homes stand out in their neighborhoods.

According to him, paint production business has been extremely rewarding as there are no barriers to entry. His philosophy is if one is ambitious and willing to learn the business and works hard, there are no limits to what one can accomplish.

The start-up cost for the business, he said, is less than N600,000 and one can turn over the money many things within a year.

After training, he said would-be entrepreneur is required to pick a base of operations. This can either be a shop at home or a building one leases or outrightly purchases.

Using blending techniques, formulations and ingredients that have proven to stand the test of time, Aniyom, a graduate of University of Calabar, has been able to create paints that look better and last longer.  His reputation for quality paint is spreading  as he now  gets contracts from home builders  to   supply specially-made  paints.

According to him, colours are blended with great care and precision, all of which give their palest shades a depth of intensity, which mass-produced counterparts simply cannot achieve.

He has built his enterprise from a humble beginning into a thriving business. And as a stickler for quality control, his uncompromising attention to details has helped him carve a niche for refurbishing homes.

Providing the best and long-lasting finish to every single job is important to him as he carries on the legacy of hardwork.

Traditionally fitted rooms gain that authentic look, thanks to the colour and finish of his paints.

He knows everything about the use of home furniture to make home renovation craftsmanship, focusing on different  types of residential and other special home projects. His enthusiasm for all aspects of design is infectious.

Aniyom’s keen understanding of the fundamentals of top quality design complements his razor-sharp instincts in all matters of taste and style. One trait he possesses is helping  his business to  be  very social and assertive.  He engages with people, asserts himself, and presents himself in business manner.

From the start of his endeavour, Aniyom had decided he was going to run  the business to be a millionaire. Part of his vision and mission, he said, was to serve more people and do business better than his competitors in the industry.

According to him, this has been  one of the pillars of his business  success and growth.

His premium coatings  have reaped him many benefits, drawing many of his customers to him. What he learnt during the first few years of doing business made him to be more devoted to consistent improvement in marketing, customer service skills and running a more streamlined operation.  His tenacity and willingness to learn have yeilded dividends, and they have made a name for him in the southern part of the country.

The post Making money from house innovations appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

As Africa’s payment landscape is bursting with enterprise and innovation, that energy has inspired fresh engagement among youths.

CardExpo2017 is planned to bring under one roof, for two days, a charged atmosphere where ideas are brewed in a most compelling way that can give you e-banking business and payment services.

The seventh edition of the Central bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Cashless CardExpo Africa, which is scheduled to hold in Lagos will aggregate the energies of this era and capture the waves of technology and lifestyles, as well as present an encompassing worldview for the emerging approaches to payment and enterprise.The annual

The annual event, according to the organisers, the African Destination Trade Show for Payment and Allied Industry will hold on June 13th to June 15th June 2017 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

CardExpo2017, in line with continuing its tradition, will presents avenues to harvest the opportunities being offered in this demography, particularly in a peculiar economy in recession. Never in the history of theAfrican Continent has technology and society had such a seamless relationship as it is today as the activities of citizens, companies and governments continue to tilt towards untraditional approaches to the solution.

The theme; Millennials in the Marketplace: LifestylesRiding on Disruptive Payment, influence is a global phenomenon and figuring out millennial, has all the elements of a gold rush in the making.

Disrupting everything from how you work, to how you buy groceries. This demographic group is even now redefining how businesses are done.

This will prove crucial in the next several years, as young professionals represent both the future of enterprise and commerce in Africa.

Happening along with this bold in-road into the millennials demography are the collocated events happening simultaneously at CardExpoviz The Start-Up Challenge which will give an opportunity to Millennials with Fintech ideas to pitch their solutions and stand a chance of being incubated at a national hub.

Others include the Data fiesta an initiative promoting global connectivity and access to the internet and the IGR Forum all of whose Sponsors will be announced in due course.Trailblazers’ and culture influencers in this category, whose lifestyle and choices are being mirrored by

Trailblazers’ and culture influencers in this category, whose lifestyle and choices are being mirrored by a peer will be given the platform to lead them into their disruptive turf, where banks and businesses can spy at evolving trends, observe the winning norms and adapt to change.

This will prove crucial in the next several years, as young professionals represent both the future of enterprise and commerce in Africa.

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Applications have been invited for the 2017 Women Green Fellowship Programme.

The fellowship offers six months long fellowship experience for exceptional young Nigerian graduates, matching them with challenging projects and enhance their competitiveness through world class training, internship and funding opportunities.

Details of the fellowship application procedure for the 4^th Cohort open from March 1-31 is available on www.fellows.smefunds.com

The program according to a statement by a Director of the organizers, Ayodele Taofiq-Fanida is geared towards helping learners re-establish relationship with nature and learn the wisdom embedded in age-old rural communities.

Taofiq-Fanida said the programme also brings together social entrepreneurs and change agent from around the country to become green expert, leaders and industry thinkers in the clean technology world.

Applicants for the fellowship should be “a disrupter, innovator who is eager to become a solution provider to numerous challenges facing the society today.”

“ We are looking for women who desires to change the way things are done and want to improve it. Our 2016 Fellows were able to solved challenges around the environment, health, food security in a unique and sustainable manner which in turn will provides avenue for employment and job creations in the country, “ Taofiq-Fanida stated.

Modelled after best global practices and in its 3rd season, the Women Green Fellowship Programme invites and galvanizes Active-Unemployed Women Graduates across the country to a six-month Mentor-led Social Business accelerator program.

Young women and professionals through the programme will participate, engage and collaborate to identify and proffer Social and Sustainable Solutions to various problems confronting the poor, our communities, ecosystem and economy.

The Fellowship Programme will be flooded with Business and Life Coaches who will uniquely employ unconventional problem solving ways to turning Ideas into Projects and profitable Businesses. With the growing increase in graduates unemployment and difficult/unfriendly business environment for Start Ups, Social Business Models tend to provide a mix of goodwill, stakeholder externalities, grants, inclusiveness and low-risk patient capitals for innovative entrepreneurs working in difficult regions and communities.

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To investors, Nigeria is a business-friendly. But entrepreneurs in the diaspora face challenges in business development when they come home. At the African Management Services Company (AMSCO) business transforming Africa conference held in Lagos, experts show the way out. DANIEL ESSIET was there.

Nigeria has captured the attention of the media and investors over the past decade, with success of cultivating its budding entrepreneurs, capable of developing technology and generating income that could change the economic landscape of the country. In fact, Nigeria is well-positioned to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.

But for United States (U.S.) trained interventional cardiologist and Chief Medical Director of Ibom Multi-Specialty Hospital (IMH), Dr. Adeyemi Johnson, who  came home  in 2008 and founded First Cardiology consultants Limited,  a private practice, Nigerians  living in the diaspora, considering returning home to establish businesses confront a series of hurdles.

Johnson founded the hospital and pioneered contemporary invasive cardiology in the country, including the first coronary angioplasty with stent implantation, first non-surgical closure of holes in the heart for children and adults when he returned.

He noted that there was a desire by young Nigerians in the Diaspora to return home and develop the country.

He said Nigerians living abroad were seeking to return to start new ventures, and to apply their talents and available resources in the best way they can.

He noted that those in the Diaspora had the skills to work efficiently and develop thecountry, but were often concerned about insecurity, income and the quality of education.

“Diasporas don’t need too many incentives to come back, but they want to come back. Money is not what is driving these people, they just want to make an impact,” Johnson said.

He  outlined that  what  entrepreneurs in the diaspora needed to return  to include: conducive culture, enabling policies and leadership, availability of appropriate finance, quality human capital, and a range of institutional and infrastructural supports.

Economic Growth Department Director, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Kayode Obasa, said the wealth and prosperity of a nation rested upon the development of people and the effective contribution to national development, adding that human resources constitutes the ultimate basis for the wealth of nations.

Obasa said any country, which is unable to develop the skills and knowledge of its people and utilise them effectively in the national economy, would definitely encounter the challenge of sustaining economic growth and development.

He said quality skills are key in stimulating economic growth and sustainable development process and can make an immense contribution in restoring the Nigerian economy to the path of recovery.

African Training and Management Services (ATMS) Foundation Director, Sven Riskaer said the foundation has committed over $60million to training and management of human capital development in Sub-Saharan Africa in the past 21 years.

Riskaer disclosed that the private sector as well as the Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) had benefitted from the financial and training support being implemented by the AMSCO.

According to him, human capital and skills development are the keys to unlocking the huge growth potential of the African continent.

He said the foundation’s activities in 29 African countries had resulted in the training of 2,000 people yearly and over $85million paid in taxes to African governments by the companies it supported.

Riskaer said: “We have over the years observed that there is a skill gap that continues to stifle business growth in the African continent. African governments have mostly maintained prudent macro-economic policies, strengthened financial institutions and continue to undertake reforms to transform their economies structurally.

“However, such efforts are often limited as far as human capital development for small, medium and large enterprises is concerned. African enterprises play a crucial role in the growth of the African economy and job creation. Alone in Nigeria, five to six million new job seekers join the labour market every year. However, the capacity of African enterprises to fully engage at a global level is often compromised.”

Through various services of talent management, training and development advisory programme interventions, he  said, AMSCO has partnered the private sector, governments and development finance institutions to help build capacity for African businesses.

The post How Nigerians in Diaspora can overcome business hurdles appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Redeemed Christian Church of God, Promise Land Parish, Lagos Province 47, Ajah, Lagos State in collaboration with Excel Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited, is training and empowering more youths to become entrepreneurs, reports DANIEL ESSIET.

From hairdressing to farming, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is exploring new routes out of poverty by helping youths to set up businesses.

With a little help, some of the members of the church have set up businesses, and this effort has started to bear fruits. This is being done in response to the plight of the unemployed that has dominated the news headlines. The responses to this need are empowerment initiatives undertaken bythe government and faith-based organisations.

A partner organisation is Excel Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited, set up by Redeemed Christian Church of God  Lagos Province 4 and Lagos Province 48. It has provided a series of entrepreneurship training.

ItsPresident, Pastor  Kayode  Vincent,  noted that entrepreneurship is the key to long-term sustainable development. This is because small business enterprises are tackling challenges in a variety of innovative ways.

He said not only does such entrepreneurial assistance help people carve out a better life but it also opens  the way to get out of unemployment and poverty.

To this end, Vincent said the society organised the specialised agric training aimed at entrepreneurs, graduates, and those looking into   the agricultural sector.

The programme, the cleric explained, offers them access to training on business skills and connects them to peers and mentors to buoy up the skills and confidence they need to build a successful agro business.

It also allows agro entrepreneurs to address the most common barriers entrepreneurs face in the marketplace

Sessions covered included:  poultry farming, quail farming, piggery farming, vegetable and crop farming ‘snail farming and grass cutter and agro processing and marketing.

The Pastor in charge, Redeemed Christian Church of God Lagos Province 47, Apapa Family, Pastor Olufemi Obaweya said the church believes there was a need to address the considerable socioeconomic challenges that are holding back economic growth and development, such as crippling unemployment, inequality and extreme poverty.

According to him, the church was ready to support the government inkeeping the economy on the path towards inclusive and sustainable growth.

He said the church also supports jobs creation and economic opportunities that would lift Nigerians out of poverty.

Obaweya said the church held an agricultural training seminar, to provide information on investment and the need for Nigerians to go back to agriculture.

Under the project, he said the church intends to improve their productivity and jumpstart their entrepreneurial activities.

He said participants were trained on agriculture entrepreneurship.

He noted that the choice of agric as the main focus was borne out of the fact that the sector is so wide and can accommodate everybody, adding that it has been the mainstay of the country’s economy, before the advent of the oil boom era.

According to him, the training was a huge opportunity for young people with an entrepreneurial spirit, particularly for those entrepreneurs who are not yet active in the field of agriculture.

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A Lagos boy, Rotimi Williams is making waves in Nasarawa State as a rice farmer. He shares his success story at a forum organised by Agrihub and Agroentrepreneur, entrepreneurship capacities’ building groups, in Lagos. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Thirty-six-year-old Nasarawa -based agro entrepreneur, Rotimi Williams, is the proud owner of Kerekusk Rice.  He acknowledges not only his enjoyment of growing rice, but also  as a rice connoisseur.

Young and well-educated, he has about 45,000 hectares of rice farm. He sells  the product to major milling firms.

Williams,  who  grew up in Lagos Island, is down-to-earth and recognises that he first has to roll up his  sleeves and get dirty with some serious work, to make the kind of wealth he desires. This is is in the marshy, mosquito-infested paddy fields that he has to break his back to satisfy his innate entrepreneurial instinct.

He had to learn everything as he had no experience,  nor background in farming. But he read a lot on it and took all the risks because he needed to do something others were not really interested in. He did his calculations and promised the community some returns. That was the winning strategy.

He had challenges with machinery services for harvesting and for threshing, procurement of agro-chemicals as well as, good planting material. The absence of these contributed immensely to poor harvests at the onset.

With these challenges, there is less possibility of bringing more land into production. Right now, he is using few hectares because of the cost of clearance and maintenance. He said the organisation would have to increase the productivity per hectare by knowledge- and science-based farming with purchase of promising rice varieties.

Notwithstanding these, Williams has been able to make some good returns on his investment. It became more interesting as the days went by as he had bought a processing mill.

He believes the success of his farm is based on a “we” attitude, rather than “I” – calling the operation a successful team work. He has been blessed to have wonderful people who agree to work with him.

Williams believes his farm’s success is tied to the community and his dedicated employees. He  believes agriculture has to feature prominently in the nation’s development plans if the government hopes to achieve a prosperous future for Nigerians.

One of the greatest challenges of young agripreneurs, according to him,  is unequal access to key assets, such as land, finance and information services.

The post Lagos ‘boy’ turns Nasarawa rice farmer appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Nigerian female entrepreneur and Co-founder/ Chief Executive Officer, mDoc, Nneka Mobisson ,  has emerged one of the finalists for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award.

The  laureates will be announced at the Cartier Awards Ceremony slated for April 12, 2017, at the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore.

Mobisson is among the six female entrepreneurs from both the Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa  chosen for the award.

Her firm, mDocis, is an integrated healthcare management platform providing 24/7 access to doctors, nurses and allied healthcare providers via sms, and online.

Nneka Mobisson’s www.mymdoc.com is a  mobile platform that provides people living with chronic diseases with 24/7 access to virtual healthcare providers .

The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards was set up in 2006 by Cartier and the Women’s Forum, with the support of the Business School INSEAD and the consultancy firm McKinsey & Company.

Its aim was to contribute to the global economy by supporting entrepreneurial women to b find innovative solutions for the future of the planet while helping to ensure that future generations will have strong female role models to inspire them.

The winners from each continent will receive a grant of $100,000 (a substantial increase from the $20,000 awarded in previous years), as well as a year of personalised coaching and support, access to a business network, as well as the opportunity to be integrated into the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (ISEP).

For Mobisson, the journey to success was inspiring. She  lost her father following complications from stroke. The tragedy underscored the huge gap  in Africa’s  healthcare support. This led her to launch a revolutionary digital health social enterprise, which is saving lives. “

“My father died at the age of 53 largely because he didn’t have access to a team of doctors, who could support him to manage his uncontrolled hypertension,” she said.

In 2013, Mobisson, a paediatrician by training with a Master’s degree in Public Health, launched mDoc Healthcare. The business is helping people live longer, happier and healthier lives and Nneka believes that developing the health landscape in Africa will help unlock the continent’s true potential.

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With chemical fertilisers becoming unpopular in crop farming, a young entrepreneur, Mayowa Oyinkanola, is championing the use of natural manure to grow crops. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

Despite  being a small organic farm, Green Organic Farm is making a success of its mission to grow sustainable, quality, certified organic food for families, friends, neighbours, local community and businesses.   The firm, promoted by its Director and Co-founder, Mayowa Oyinkanola, grows plants, fruits, vegetables and raise poultry.  Its  business model is based on social entrepreneurship.

Oyinkanola, who oversees the operations of the farm, has an extensive background in animal husbandary, crop production and agric consultancy.

He started the business with a soft-loan of N100,000 from his  father.  Today, the farm is worth millions. In his farm, he has raised crop using organic fertilisers. He found that the yield and quality of the crop was good.

Oyinkanola sees a huge opportunity in the organic farm business. The farm currently has two employees and two interns including a Farm Manager who holds a B.tech in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development.

As an agro entrepreneur who is practising integrated farming, he has a poultry farm from where he uses the waste as manure.

Oyinkanola, who is also a Director and Co-Founder of QM Farms Limited as well as  Founder/Lead Facilitator, LetsTalkAgric initiative, is  author of the first animal husbandry textbook for senior secondary school students in Nigeria.

He said his aim was to develop entrepreneurial skills among unemployed rural young people. But like every other successful entrepreneur, he admittedthat there have been challenges.

“I have been involved in a couple of bad business deals ranging from inadequate preparations in business strategies and planning to naivety in business opportunities. These led to loss of money at the early stage of expansion,” he said.

He, however, admonished  that patience and contentment are virtue for every entrepreneur.

He projects that in 20 years, QM Farms Limited will become a household name in Nigeria and Africa at large.

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Applicants need some skills to be employable. To help them out, Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment Mr. Babatunde Durosumni-Etti and other stakeholders are encouraging them to acquire such skills through volunteering and internship. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

For many  job seekers and aspiring youth entreprenuers,   lack of requisite skills to fit into their dream jobs and vocations  remains a major challenge. However, the Lagos State Commissioner  for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosumni-Etti, may have found a way round the challenge.

To him, volunteering and internship are viables options to get the needed skills to be employable.

Addressing an employment skills training organised by his ministry in Apapa Local Government Secretariat, Lagos,  Durosumni- Etti noted that despite the fact that   youth unemployment was high,  businesses  were  reporting recruiting challenges.

He said the issue was not that of university education, but ‘work-readiness’ or ‘soft skills’, which many youths lack. Theyouth,he said, also lacked basics qualities such as confidence, communication, leadership and teamwork, which hinder them from securing jobs.

“I’ve seen volunteering benefit the development and character of young people, giving them employability skills,” the Commissioner said, stressing that experiential learning provided through volunteering is ‘learning by doing.”

The Commissioner emphasised the need to understand workplace demands and office routines. According to him, understanding the  work environment can be particularly important for young people looking for job.

Durosumni-Etti pointed out that  volunteering creates opportunities for applicants to test out different career options, gain practical experience and acquire skills related to specific types of employment.

On employment skills training, he explained that the pilot programme was  meant  to   support 400 young people  to improve their self-esteem, confidence and employability skills.

Durosinmi-Etti said though everyone has equal opportunity to access the various employability training programme initiated by the Ministry, the selection process  was highly competitive, adding that it was  based on individual’s  performance and creativity.

According to him, the Ministry in collaboration with West African Vocational Education (WAVE), started training the youths  on employability skills and job opportunities. He said the training was for  three weeks.

The training, according to him, equipped participants with soft skills and connected them to entry level jobs within the hospitality, wholesale and retail industries.

WAVE Training Operations, Miss Ifeanyi Okafor,  said the organisation’s  internship segment, known as job shadow, gives the participants invaluable experience in an exciting environment. The experience, according to her, will stand them in good stead as they finish their training and start applying for career jobs.

Okafor also said the programme will make a fundamental difference by equipping young people with key skills and knowledge. She said, for instance,  that it reinforces the need for “soft skills” such as good communication, problem solving and teamwork.

WAVE Admissions Officer, Mr. Taiwo Oni, said 1519 people registered for the programme online with only 520 showing interest after SMS messages were sent to them.

Oni said after another round of SMS, 377 people showed up during the enlightenment exercise.

At the opening ceremony,  Oni said 84 persons would be participating. The figure was higher than 29 that participated in Lagos Island.

He announced that seven of the people, who participated at the Lagos Island programme have got jobs.

Perhaps, to underscore the effectiveness of the programme, Titilayo Azeez, a graduate of philosophy from Lagos State University (LASU), who had already been through the programme, secured  employment.

She spoke confidently and calmly about how the training helped her to take on her first job in the hospitality industry. Miss Azeez  said the training  helped her to acquire more skills, confidence and experience. She hopes  to pursue a career in the industry.

Another graduate of the programme, Rukayat Ayinla,  said she gained experience and  training  which helped her to get a job.

Having been through the programme, Ayinla said she is now an inspiration to young people in the group most of who believe that through the programme they have the opportunity to change the course of the next generation’s futures.

The Director, Employment Department, Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs Iyabo Seriki-Bello, said the programme,  conducted in collaboration with WAVE, was designed to equip the youth with skills training to help them gain paid employment.

She said the programme, which  lasted four weeks, had a very positive effect in terms of delivering soft skills, including: communication, team work, increasing self-confidence and self-belief.

Seriki-Bello said for a future workforce that would compete in an ever-competitive marketplace,  young people needed to be prepared for the defining moments of their lives with the right communication skills and  work experience .

This, according her, was imperative because employers cite employability skills as one of the most important factors when recruiting young people.

The Head of Administration, Apapa Local Government Council, Prince Adebola Olujobi, said the council was ready to work with the Ministry  and the business community to ensure that youths  are well-prepared to meet the current and future needs of local and national employers.

As part of the partnership, Olujobi said series of business cooperation throughout the area were underway to encourage the success of the employability skills training and businesses, large or small, to work with young people, to get them ready for the world of work.

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The Bank of Industry (BoI) has launched a comprehensive initiative to finance small and medium enterprises (SMEs) aimed at helping them realise their growth potential.

The bank’s Group Head, Strategy and Corporate Transformation, Yinka Adegboye, made this known during the First Emerging Entrepreneurs Conference, ”jointly organised by the United States Consulate in Lagos and Field of Skills and Dreams (FSD).

Adegboye  listed the bank’s other initiatives geared towards youth empowerment in Nigeria to include Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), a N10 billion fund to provide funds for youths; a partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) based on the Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF); a N2 billion intervention fund established in 2014.

He said the YES has already identified about 44 business clusters, adding that the partnership with the NYSC has been on for long and that BoI has over the years, developed a lot of products. “We have been disbursing to corps members who aspire to be entrepreneurs,” he said.

According to him, the Federal Government has also earmarked N140 billion from its 2016 and 2017 budgets of about N500 billion for special intervention programmes. He said the bank will  manage and disburse the fund to about 1.6 million beneficiaries in the lowest segments of the pyramid, specifically market women, agricultural workers, artisans and youths.

Executive Director, Business Development, Diamond Bank, Mrs. Chizoma Okoli, said Diamond Bank offers SMEs increased flexibility in the funding available and will help boost business growth, create more quality jobs and increase innovation.

According to her, entrepreneurs have the potential to spur economic growth in their communities. She, however, regretted that many of them have difficulties accessing financing to launch or develop their businesses.

She stated that there were  other ways to secure financing, including turning to other social formations, such as family units and money pools, which are provided without interest.

FSD’s Executive Director, Ms Omowale Ogunrinde, emphasised the importance of providing appropriate financing to medium-sized companies. She said this will increase their employment capacity and ensure stable growth.

She  said many would-be entrepreneurs lacked the advanced technical  knowledge needed to get ahead—either by cultivating new products or adding value to traditional  raw products.

The US Consul-General in Lagos, Mr. John Bray, enjoined young Nigerian entrepreneurs to rededicate themselves to efficiently harnessing their entrepreneurial skills.

Bray said: ”I am pleased that FSD/VTE and the Consulate were able to identify so many aspiring entrepreneurs among Young African Leadership Initiative network members in Nigeria.

“I must let you all know that entrepreneurship can launch you on a path to change the world. Entrepreneurship can give you freedom to positively change your lives and that of your families.

“I cannot think of any better reason to start your own businesses,” he said.

The post ‘How SMEs can raise finance’ appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Small businesses rely heavily on generators to run their ventures as a result of irregular power supply in the country. This makes energy one of their highest cost heads, which invariably reduces their profit.

However,  a three-day renewable energy financing training  organised for micro finance institutions, commercial banks and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Calabar may have set the stage for a reversal of this trend.

Essentially, the training was aimed at increasing access to energy services and promote the use of other cost-effective sources of clean energy such as solar, wind, hydro, biofuels etc.

The workshop, themed: “Assessing Credit Risk of Renewable Energy Sector”, was organised by Cuso International, Nigeria, in collaboration with USAID Nigeria Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Project (REEEP). Cuso International also implements YouLead project, while REEEP was being implemented by Winrock International.

Delivering his keynote address, Programme Manager, Financial Inclusion, YouLead project, Mr Mark Akpan, said the workshop was aimed at building the capacity of SMEs and  financial institutions on renewable energy financing.

He said this will enable them develop green financial products and services. He noted that green financing avoids the promotion of any business or activity that could be damaging to the environment.

Akpan said: “Green financing allows banks to contribute to green growth. While green growth fosters economic development, ensuring that natural assets are used sustainably, green finance supports green growth.

“While some of these green financial products are supported by government programs, many are led by private banks to attract customers looking to finance green initiatives.”

A Consultant with Winrock International, Mr. IlanWolkov, explained that solar energy is a cleaner and very efficient way of powering home appliances,noting that the uptake of solar systems was very fast in Bangladesh through micro–financing.

The Consultant added that micro finance banks in Nigeria can spur the growth of renewable energy sector by creating credit facilities for youths.

The post Renewable energy: YouLead builds SMEs’ capacity appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

A Lagos-based firm is working in collaboration with the Federal Government to train youths on tomato processing. The programme, which seeks to promote employment amongst the youth, especially those involved in farming, hopes to increase food availability and rural income. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Over 5,000 youths and adults are set for an empowerment programme on how to process tomatoes.

Apart from turning Nigeria into a major tomato cultivation and processing hub, the programme hopes to get more Nigerians to commercialise the knowledge and techniques of tomato processing gathered over the years through research and practical application.

Leading this crusade is Chief Executive  Officer of Betamark Production Company Limited, Mr. Duro Kuteyi.

His firm, based in Agege, Lagos, produces an array of processed foods, including juice, jams, sauces and pastes from a variety of fruits.

Speaking during a day training/ workshop organised by his organisation in Lagos, Kuteyi said small tomato processing will boost productivity by reducing post-harvest wastages and incentivising  players to invest,  produce and create jobs.

He said the sector was poised for strong growth, driven by growth in organised retail, changing consumer preferences and favourable government policies for local tomato processing.

To explore business opportunities, Betamark  supports entrepreneurs with mentorship and machines to help them process their tomatoes from farmers.

”We have developed a concept to make Nigerians understand that they don’t need big equipment to start processing tomatoes, and it is something you can process in your kitchen,” Kuteyi said, adding that it requires N4 million to acquire the machine.

He said though the new technology could be capital intensive, one can make a turnover of N5 million monthly.

In partnership with Bank of Industry, his organisation has already trained over 400 youths.

Kuteyi implored the farmers, whom he hailed for their invaluable contributions, to be serious about the business of agriculture and continue to apply new techniques to improve productivity.

Special Adviser on Food Security, Lagos State, Mr. Sanni Okanlawon,  said the government was set to  promote  green house and aquaponics  facilities to ensure stable cultivation of  tomatoes.

Okanlawon, who was represented by  Head, Women in Agriculture and Nutrition, Lagos State Agriculture Development Authority ,(LSADA), Mrs Justina Balogun, said  as part of the  plan to boost  tomato production, the government was  offering a number of incentives.

He listed one of them as the provision of technologies at its various vegetable farm settlements at Iya-Afin, Badagry and Agbowa  in Epe. The new technology, according to him, is under demonstration at LSADA.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) established Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs) to address rising youth unemployment through promotion and development of small enterprises. The Calabar, Cross River State EDC is already off to a good start, creating a new crop of budding entrepreneurs, who are contributing immensely to economic growth. DANIEL ESSIET reports on their success stories.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (cbn) in 2008,  established Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs) in the Southwest, Northwest and Southeast geo-political zones of the country.

The initiative, which was  the apex bank’s response to promoting and developing small businesses, was an instant success as the bank sought to replicate it in the Southsouth, Northeast and Northcentral zones. That was in 2013.

Now, the EDC in Calabar, Cross River State capital,  Southsouth geo-political zone, has become a success story. Some budding entrepreneurs, who accessed the Centre’s services testified that the CBN’s intervention could not have come at a better time.

According to them, the Centre has helped many of them to achieve success and growth, both in their businesses and personal development.

For instance, the  Managing Partners, Kuemma Instant Soup, Dr. Kufre Petters and Emmanuel Ogbonnaya, are counting themselves lucky to be part of the initiative.

The duo explained that their success story started when they met at the Calabar EDC during their training. At the beginning,  one of them, Emmanuel, was unemployed, while Kufre was already a medical doctor.

Providence, however, brought  them together as they were both looking for avenues to delve into business. The business idea they  jointly conceived while at the EDC in Calabar metamophosed into Kuemma Instant Soup.

This Instant Soup pack contains all the ingredients for cooking a pot of soup in five minutes. Hygienically processed, sealed and packed, it comes in different sizes and soup variety.

The  budding entreprenues were not the Centre’s only success stories. Mr. Shola Aje, a serial entrepreneur and inventor, has also not looked back since he identified with the Centre. Today, he prides  himself as belonging to a new class of entrepreneurs with passion to create value.

Before venturing into entrepreneurship a few years ago, ENTS, which he founded, was into electronics and communications devices retailing under the brand name ‘Gadget Place’.

Aje also had a successful career in the upstream oil & gas sector, spanning 20 years. He worked with  Schlumberger Oil Field Services, in Nigeria and various international locations.

Today, Gadget Place, his retail network, whose success seed was sown in the Centre, has grown to five  stores in three  cities of Port Harcourt, Lagos and  Abuja.

The CBN’s Corporate Communications Manager,  Southsouth EDC, Mr. Emeka Ugwu, said the Centre has trained 9, 442 participants, while also helping to establish and expand over 3, 560 enterprises.

The enterprises so established according to the Centre’s spokeman, have created  over 9,000 direct and indirect jobs.

That was not all. He also said the Centre has assisted about 3,035 participants to access finance totaling over N1 billion, ranging from N50, 000 to about N10  million, from various sources for their enterprises

As part of its enterprise support to participants, Ugwu said the Centre provides access-to-finance through linkages to various funding sources such as  the CBN Intervention Funds/NERFUND, Bank of Industry (BoI)‘s Bottom-of-Pyramid Fund, Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme, Growth Enterprise Insurance Scheme and other funding vehicles.

Participants of the Centre’s programme, according to him,  are entitled to free 18 months business advisory services and monitoring at the completion of the programme. This is to prevent  them from folding -up in the initial period of start-up.

He  reiterated that  the Centre will continue to ensure that more entrepreneurs are successful as they work towards providing the best service to clients.

The post CBN’s entrepreneurship centres to the rescue appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

NO fewer than 200 women have benefited from an entrepreneurial/empowerment training held by Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

The four-day event, which held at the council’s premises, was held in partnership with The Progressive Women Advocacy Organisation and Inexhaustible Ocean Multipurpose Cooperative Society (Agbonmagbe).

The council’s Sole Administrator, Mr Ibrahim Adigun, said the  programme was aimed at ensuring that women in the LCDA were independent and resourceful, adding that when they are empowered, they would be able to meet their needs. He thanked the partners for their commitment, noting that a similar event was held last year.

Head of Administration of the council Mrs Iyabo Ogunyemi harped on women empowerment as a panacea to nation building. She charged the participants of good conduct during their stay.

The Progressive Women Advocacy Organisation President, Mrs Vivian Obi, said the objective of the group was to enrich their knowledge, keep women busy and be useful citizens, adding that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. She urged the participants to avail themselves of the opportunity being provided by the council. “Whatever you will learn will be practical-oriented,’’ she said.

Managing Director Inexhaustible Ocean Multipurpose Cooperative Society Pastor Richardson Allen said at the end of the training, the trainees would get soft loans without collateral. He urged them to repay the loans which were coming from the Bank of Industry (BoI), adding that those who repaid would get double the amount next time. He recalled how he started the programme from his earnings until support came.

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Chief Executive, Livon, Azuka Daco unleashes artistic passion by designing own’s line of clothing. The Fine Arts graduate says he simply needed to be free to pursue his true calling, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Chief Executive Officer, Livon, Azuka Daco studied Fine Art at  Yaba College of  Technology(YABATECH), Lagos, but his  real passion is  fashion designing.

With a knowledge of the industry, he has risen from being an accomplished fashion designer to a service provider in the industry  as advisor, trainer and  motivational speaker. The desire to start something on his own manifested while in YABATCH  as a student. He was making money selling his products.

He  says this experience triggered his business mind because he believed he could develop his own enterprise. Indeed, Daco started  with  just  a sewing machine and turned to simple contracts that involved designing clothes for people.

While his experience widened, he  started bidding for  bigger jobs. Today, his office is spread  on the top floor of a building along Opebi.

He might have started as a small business in a little space, but today in his Salvation Road Headquarters, Ikeja, he has several hands  working for him and reaping so much in sales.

The entrepreneur started designing dresses he believed would appeal to young, urban customers like him. Unlike the popular adage that you need to have money to make money, Daco believes a fashion entrepreneur needs a sewing  machine  and passion for creativity. He also attributes his success to innovations, saying he encourages unique designs for every client. For him, deadlines are important. From the runway to the room, he is stamping his stylish visions as he moves beyond haute couture and into the realm of interior design.

On his source of inspiration , he responded that he is constantly inspired by his  clients. His designed outfits have been worn time and again by celebrities. From the look of things, it has been a fast rise for him since his first business in 2008, knitting and tailoring clothing.

His clients commend him that he has done himself  a great service by creating a very strong business model from the very beginning. His accomplishment has not been without challenges as jobs were scarce and for the few jobs, clients did not pay on time he revealed. As a fashion entrepreneur that supports new and emerging talent as well as weaver groups, he trusts his ability to smell fresh and exhibit talent to provide the support team to a budding designer.

He is providing apparel entrepreneurs with the resources and training to turn their vision into a profitable reality.

Daco has been working on many projects. A plan is underway for a permanent training centre that will equip students with hands-on skills. Already, he is drawing a growing student population, having  established  himself  as a designer for simple lines, enhanced by his artful use of colour, great tailoring and quality of fabrics.

He said with the establishment of the institute, the graduates from there would be able to compete favourably with other fashion designers across the globe.

He said it will also lead to job creation. With the venture, he aims to provide relevant practical training and in-depth industry knowledge to fashion aspirants across the country.He is proving that the days of fashion schools training glorified seamstresses are over.

The post ‘Living from my art is my greatest success’ appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Young entrepreneurs, Olisaeloka Peter Okocha and Samson Ogbole and Co- founders, PSNutrac are pushing a technology to enable Nigerians produce more yams for export. They shared their thoughts at a forum at Guiding Light Assembly, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi,Lagos. Daniel Essiet was there.

Nigerian entrepneurs have incredible potential to make agro business a  sector that fills a growing market niche and engages the youth. Olisaeloka  Peter Okocha and Samson Ogbole are prime examples. Their  determination and love of  agro innovations  have   led them to become  rising stars  selling  technologies  that  can  change  lives of food  processors. The two young entrepreneurs have established, PS Nutrac , a food technology  business, to  push an initiative   that  enables Nigerians  produce more than 1000 yams within a small space  for exports known as   aeroponics.

The technology enables farmers to plant yam in the air without the use of soil. The other advantage is that one can multipy,clean seed yam tubers in large quantities. They demonstrated the technology at Guiding Light Assembly, Parkview Estate ,Lagos.

As part of an effort to improve the production of high quality yam seeds, Okocha said the  company introduced aeroponics system ,the process of growing plants in air or mist-environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium to help more Nigeria making money from growing food using simple technology with their homes, plots  and  few acres  of land.

He  said his  ultimate objective is to  help  entrepreneurs  acquire  simple  technologies to produce  food within their homes, reduce post harvest losses, create  jobs, increase smallholder incomes, food safety and nutrition while  contributing to the Gross Domestic Product( GDP) through export earnings.

Okocha and his partner, Ogbole share a common goal in enabling entrepreneurs to grow their business and get connected to the market. Ogbole is a critical part of the vision to using  aeroponics to  boost agro entrepreneurs  to start  their  food production businesses.

Besides, observed the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan Oyo State under YamImprovement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project.

During  his  service, he worked in tissue culture laboratory and aeroponics system.  After his service year, he was made a research supervisor as he took charge of the aeroponics  system.

He further established the system in Biocrops Centre, Abuja  and National Root Crops Research Institute(NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State. He also trained both private and public institute staff for aeroponics technology.

It is to his credit that the process  increased seed yam systems and developed best nutrient composition for seed yam production.

Speaking on investment opportunity, Ogbole said with N250,000 investment in yam production using aeroponics, one can  make N1,200,000 annually.

The PS Nutrac boss  revelaed  that   soilless yam propagation system increase the productivity of seed and reduce diseases.

According to him: “ People don’t plant yams with the vines, so we realised that we can do that and actually increase the multiplication ratio and now what we are doing is aeroponics. One plant can yield about 1,000 seeds’’, he added

Ogbole said a wide range of products centred on yam ‘are going to open up new markets  for entrepreneurs.

With the technology, he said it will be possible for individuals and businesses  to produce  thousands of yams within a small place.

He  said : “You can start  with  a 20 liters paint bucket and a small pump. Fertilizer can be organic or inorganic, and even when inorganic; you will need a 25kilo gramm bag to feed 2000 plants for five years before it is exhausted.”

He said there are opportunities for entrepreneurs to explore  yam production for income.  According to him, his organisation aims to train people on how to build and maintain systems where plants can be grown in the air. This means that everything from lettuce and tomatoes can be grown without soil and this can even be done indoors.

General Overseer, Guiding Light Assembly, Pastor Wale Adefarasin, said his church supports every initiative to promote job creation and youth entrepreneurship.

The post Fostering entrepreneurship in yam production appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Mercy Haruna Wakawa is making money through groundnut oil processing. DANIEL ESSIET met her

Combining enterprise and  passion  in equal measure, Chief  Executive  Officer, Confianza Global Resources, Mercy Wakawa, is turning  groundnut oil  processing  into a money  spinner.    But she didn’t start the business by  choice.

Like the story of every other Nigerian youth full of dreams and enthusiasm for a robust working career and livelihood after graduating from  the University of Maiduguri, Mercy Wakawa searched endlessly for corporate jobs. Her dreams suddenly collapsed as she   realised the reality of vanishing job opportunities.

Largely, her sojourn into agribusiness is intrinsically linked with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the N2Africa project. The N2AFRICA Borno Project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Her words: “IITA gave me a rare opportunity to participate in enterprise development training alongside other youths from Borno State in September 2014. I reluctantly enlisted for the training just to be part of anything at that moment without any premonition that something meaningful is coming out of it.

The training was organised by IITA youth Agripreneurs (IYA), at the IITA Kano Station. It was a three-week of mind changing intensive training which covered topics in agribusiness, entrepreneurship, ICT in agribusiness, fish farming and science-driven agricultural practices.

“Although initially against my wish but based on my background, I was counselled and mentored to venture into the post-harvest processing of groundnut. The business practically took off in January 2016. I was given a starter package by IITA/N2Africa project sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates foundation (BMGF) in the form of machinery and working capital  worth 2.5 million naira.”

Today, the business is doing well.  She has a cottage business   that processes oil from groundnuts. She not only has a ready market, but helps her raise income making substantial income annually.

She said:  “I have a cottage nut oil industry currently employing two young women and two young men. We have processing machines of two tonnes per day capacity that process groundnuts into groundnut oil, groundnut cake and sludge.

“The company processes on average 0.5 tons of groundnuts per day due to inconsistency in power supply which has affected the output and the availability of the products in the market. With the current production rate, the industry is only able to serve 20 per cent  of the local market.”

She said groundnut processing is a profitable business, as a good one tonne of groundnut seed will produce an average of 450 litres of oil and 400 kilogrammes(kg) of groundnut cake which is a major raw material for animal feed.  Her   groundnut cake is being supplied to feed mills for the production of animal feed while the sludge serves as a major raw material for reprocessing by local women. The activity serves as another source of business and livelihood. By stroke of providence, she  is  benefiting from opportunities that are often provided only to men. To boost her business, Confianza Global Resources boss   got a   $5000 grant . With the amount, she is been able to secure a power plant (50KVA Generator) and purchased raw materials for the first three cycles of production. This, in return, will increase the number of youths employed to six and increase the availability of the products in the market and raw materials for the community women. But  she faces a lot of  challenges. Her words:  “A major challenge of the business is the periodical stoppage in production due to the seasonal nature of the raw material (groundnut). During the lean season, there is scarcity of raw material and my inability to stock-pile at harvest because of low capital often affects my production.”

Her most satisfying accomplishment in business is creating job opportunities for youths, providing market for groundnut farmers, and providing solution to the customers yearning for genuine products of groundnut processing.  She added: “Good and properly refined groundnut oil and cake is highly nutritious both for human and animal consumption.”

She advised young entrepreneurs: “They should always believe in their capacity to succeed and should not be discouraged in the small things they are doing because they don’t know where it will take them.” In the next 10 years, Mercy wants to be one of the key players in groundnut oil production, expand her business, and explore the value chains of groundnut enterprises. “I will like to experiment with backward integration such that I can develop the capacity to also produce my raw materials directly from my farm, and possibly also establish livestock production units that can utilise the groundnut cake from my mills as feedstuff. I will then be in a position to employ more youths, not only from the host community but youths all over Nigeria and Africa at large.” But it’s not just hard work that paved the road to success. It was combined with an equal degree of unscrupulousness.

Meanwhile, using improved varieties of groundnut for processing that offer at least twice the potential quantities of oil for extraction in comparison to local varieties is helping to economically empower women in Nigeria. Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic(ICRISAT) are working to promote improved groundnut production technologies for the Yadakwari community in GarunMallam Local Government Area (LGA), Kano State.

The Yadakwari Women’s Community Service Centre is now using these improved varieties to produce more groundnut oil (up to 350 liters per week) in addition to kuli-kuli (a popular local groundnut-based snack; see box). The demand for locally pressed groundnut oil and kuli-kuli is so high that they are being immediately sold in the local markets.

“Improved varieties of groundnut from ICRISAT have brought happiness to many farm-families in northern Nigeria. Husbands grow groundnut, while WOFAN supports their wives to buy the grains produced for use in small-scale oil extraction. Several other families in Kano state go to our office because they can buy unadulterated groundnut oil from women’s groups being mentored by WOFAN,” said, Executive Director, WOFAN, Mrs Hadja Salamatu Garba.

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Converting organic waste into fuel is becoming big business. A Kwara State-based entrepreneur, Dolapo Olalekan, has got local machines that produce fuel from cow dung, poultry waste and organic matter. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Agricultural waste is becoming a mammoth problem with many food businesses not knowing what to do with the stubble .They simply burn it after harvest. Schools, campuses, food and beverage producers, and food banks all produce thousands of food waste each year, and typically have to pay to have the waste hauled to a landfill. This not only causes air pollution but also  huge plume of air pollution.

Kwara based entrepreneur, Dolapo  Olalekan  and Chief Executive, Doligeria Bio Systems Limited,wants all these practices to end.  In  response, he is producing low cost bio gas systems that  converts  agro waste into fuel.

These include home-sized biogas units that can take organic waste and convert it into enough gas for two to four hours of cooking, every single day.

The system, according to him, has the ability to take in up to six  litres per day of any food waste and turn it into enough fuel to cook two meals per day.

Besides, he and his team are working on building higher capacity plants, which can process 250 to 500 tonnes of waste daily. These units, in addition to producing fuel, produce fertiliser from materials that would otherwise go to waste. The home biogas units are also said to be simple to operate, and require minimal annual maintenance, and although the biogas can be burned on a regular stove, at least one burner does need to be converted to use the fuel.

He has been partnering with the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University  of Ilorin, Kwara State on biogas, organic fertiliser and biofuel development.

With the efforts so far, Olalekan is confident that the technology with the lowest capital and operating costs that would allow more Nigerians generate fuel from organic waste.

For typical biogas systems, Olalekan uses   organic matter such crops or food waste. These inputs are fed into  a bio digester where microbes in the presence of heat and absence of oxygen are broken down into organic matter to produce biogas.

For him,  it is the time to transit from the old energy economy, built on coal and petroleum, to homegrown energy sources  such as  biogas and biomass to create power, heat and alternative fuels to drive a new energy economy.

Olalekan,who started with nothing, he however, not  new in the field of innovations and technology fabrication. The graduate of Agricultural Engineering, University of Ilorin, Kwara  State, was already  successful in producing  food processing.  All products are custom manufactured and designed to solve issues surrounding operations involved in the processing of food. He is gradually building a flourishing business of machine fabrication. He is one of the inspiring success stories of budding entrepreneurs.

However, to scale the business, Olalekan needs capital.

The post From organic waste to fuel appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Nigerians are making a fortune from export. They have also diversified into commodities, such as vegetables, charcoal, cashew, cocoa and food stuff, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

For some, commodities export business is the beautiful bride. Driven by the rise in demand  from  United States (U.S), Europe, China, India and other fast-growing economies, entrepreneurs have increased their exports by diversifying into commodities such as vegetables, charcoal, cashew, cocoa  and food stuff.

One of them is the Chief Executive, Universal  Quest Nigeria, Mr Sotonye Anga, who  exports  cashew nuts. He said there  are  huge profits in cashew exports, thanks to  high demand.  With the world price rising and expected to remain steady, he said Nigerians that invest in cashew export will smile.

On the capital required, he said an investment of N1.5 million is okay for start-ups. The returns on investment (RoI) range from 10 to 30 per cent per deal. According to him, exporters can get enough supply because  cashew grows  very well in over 24 states.

Getting high quality cashew nuts, he said is critical to an exporter, and as  such, he  believes  in partnering producers  with  good  cashew plantations is vital. This, he added, is central to ensuring that cashew businesses would develop into highly profitable ventures.    Anga disclosed that cashew is exported to India and Vietnam where it is processed and then either consumed in those countries or shipped to the U.S or Europe for further processing and packaging.

Anga said Nigerians were missing huge opportunities in exporting sesame seeds. The market for it are in Japan, Turkey, U.S, India, Israel, Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, Morocco, Poland, Italy, France and Iran.

He also spoke of strategy to enhance production and marketing agribusiness products, urging  more Nigerians to get into sesame  farming to increase output to meet local and export markets. One, he said, could start farming it with N300,000.

Chief Executive, The Thy Global Investment Limited, Ismail AbdulAzeez, owns a thriving agro export business in Sango Ota in Ogun State.  The story of AbdulAzeez is that of a man who rose from rags to riches. An accountant, life was difficult for him when he first started. He began by strutting the streets of Lagos in search of a job. When his efforts did not pay off, he resorted to picking snails  on  the roads to eke out a living. He never had a dream of starting a  business that would grow in a short time. From picking snails, he  started a new business  that changed his life. The demand for snails helped him to tap into a market  capable of generating high profit even with little financial outlay.

With market insight, AbdulAzeez reared giant African snails, which could grow up to 20 cm (7.9 inches).  At harvest, he  sold to luxury hotels and high-class restaurants. Gradually, the business of snails farming  appeared  to him  a  veritable venture. As the small business grew, he found additional training on various sustainable small and medium enterprises, including grass cutter farming. He eventually moved into beekeeping and food stuff exports. So far, it has been a very long journey, working on various businesses.

In all,  the  success  of  his  agro exports  business  has helped him  to  address the big hurdle of  securing capital.  His success is unusual. But his struggle is common to many of Nigeria’s entrepreneurs.  Chiefly, agro exports has given him a giant leap. Thanks to trade liberalisation and  the  spiralling demand for  agro exports,  which  are  sourced  from most  parts  of the country.

As his  business empire grew, he  was  attracted to  the  lucrative  business of charcoal export. According to him, the huge demand for charcoal was informed by its use in food grilling and bakery. Europeans and Americans, he explained, look forward to having family picnics and on-site barbeques, adding that this has contributed to the demand for the product.

As a result, he takes advantage of this  to export to meet the needs of the coming spring and summer seasons. Today, the venture is his biggest money spinner and he is one of the country’s leading exporters of charcoal.  For him, charcoal is a business where one can make fast bucks. With an investment of N1million, one could make  a profit of N300,000 within 40 days. The initial challenge for new exporters is how to source charcoal because supplies come from as far as Mokwa in Niger State. Using his own resources, AbdulAzeez has  established a central depot at  Sango Ota,  where suppliers bring in charcoal in large quantities. There, the raw charcoals are separated, graded and packaged for export. This is a big burden  for those who don’t have time to travel to as far as Kogi State to source  for the commodity.

One other export opportunity he is encouraging Nigerians to go into is foodstuff exports.  AbdulAzeez said the demand for local foodstuffs in Europe and America is rising due to increasing number of Africans, particularly Nigerians, sojourning there. This, he explained, has created the need for foodstuffs exporters to supply African restaurants in the U.S and Europe. He listed the commodities in demand as smoked fish, crayfish, garri, beans flour, melon seed, ogbono, cassava flour, bitter leaf, dried pumpkin leaf, pepper, pap and vegetable leaves, among others.

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