Nigeria to become 30th largest economy in the world by 2014

economy

Nigeria’s expected rebasing of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year, to better reflect the structure of the economy, may catapult it to the 30th largest economy in the world, from its current 40th position, according to BusinessDay findings. This will increasingly make Nigeria an investment destination and boost consumer stocks with the potential increase in GDP per capita.
Most governments overhaul GDP calculations every few years to reflect changes in output and consumption, such as mobile phones and internet usage, but Nigeria has not done so since 1990, suggesting that the previous GDP framework underestimated economic activities.

FG to create 3.5 million jobs in Agric sector by 2015 –Okonjo-Iweala

In a bid to reduce its teeming unemployed population, Nigeria will generate about 3.5 million jobs in the agricultural sector by the end of 2015.

jobs in Nigeria

This was disclosed at the weekend by Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at a briefing by African Ministers of Finance at the ongoing World Bank/IMF meeting in Washington DC.
Okonjo-Iweala said this is achievable due to investments the Federal Government has made in the sector in the last few months, leading to an improvement in the value chain, and the way agriculture is being carried out in the country.

China Wants to Ban Superstition, Mandate Science

china

China's on a mission to ban superstition, according to Reuters. In a rare public forum, the head of China's State Administration of Religious Affairs, Wang Zuoan, announced the government's official position on religion: that it pretty much sucks.

And toss out those fortune cookies while you're at it. Zuoan told state-run newspaper, the Study Times:

For a ruling party which follows Marxism, we need to help people establish a correct world view and to scientifically deal with birth, ageing, sickness and death, as well as fortune and misfortune, via popularizing scientific knowledge.

10 Eye-Opening Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

These books reveal the truth of how organizations really work, and it's not pretty.

Buisness book

 

As anyone who reads this column knows, I'm a huge proponent of positive thinking.  However, positive thinking is delusional unless it's based upon a clear understanding of how the business world really works.
Put another way: We can't make the world a better place unless we can first see things as they really are. I've already pointed you at the "Top 10 Motivational Books of All Time" in order to help you prepare to make the world for the better.
The books on this list show you exactly what we're up against.

10. How to Lie With Statistics

Darrell Huff's classic 1954 tome explains how business people, politicians, and the news media misuse "the truth" specifically to mislead. As a touchstone and reality check, this book keeps you from being duped by others. As a weapon, this book gives you vast power over the ignorant masses. Please handle with great care.
Best quote: "A well-wrapped statistic is better than Hitler's 'big lie'; it misleads, yet it cannot be pinned on you."

5 Most Destructive Phrases in Business

To be a better business leader, you need to avoid these five destructive phrases like the plague.

 

896
inShare

How often have you been in a productive business meeting only to have it come to a grinding halt because of something someone said? It happens all the time. A negative comment or a pessimistic concern can not only bring down morale, it can derail an entire strategy. I am convinced that there is no limit to what a team can accomplish if they were to eliminate these five destructive phrases.

1. "I can't (fill in the blank)."

Few other words in the English lexicon irk me more than the word "can't." Okay, technically, it is two words conjugated. Nevertheless, "can't" is a killer. It is one of the most commonly used ways of dodging and dishing off responsibility. It is just another way of saying "won't," as in "I won't do what I need to do to get it done." Remember, whether you think you can or think you can't...you're right.

NIGERIA: 185 Killed, 2000 Houses Razed In Borno Town As Soldiers And Boko Haram Fight

At least 185 persons including women and children were reported to have been killed by either gunshots or fire after suspected Boko Haram gunmen engaged soldiers of the Joint Task Force in a deadly shootout that left the commercial border town of Baga in Borno State completely burnt down.

Local government officials, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, said 185 persons died, at least 2000 houses, 64 motorcycles and 40 cars were burnt in the wake of the attack.

The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, visited the town on Sunday and was told by residents that soldiers were responsible for the torching of houses that led to the death of many.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that scores of others are currently hospitalised with various shades of burnt injuries.

3 Phrases That Will Get You Noticed

When these phrases are used appropriately and wisely in group and team situations, they will put you in a natural leadership position.

cotton

 

804
inShare

I spend a lot of time helping leaders with succession planning--essentially, helping them develop other leaders.
What's interesting is what happens just before the developing begins.
Truth is, leaders aren't developed from scratch. What happens instead is that someone is first recognized as a potential leader and then the development begins.
So what is it that leaders look for in those they think might have the potential for leadership? How are future leaders recognized? By a lot of things, obviously, many of them idiosyncratic to the corporate environment within which they will work.
However, when I help senior executives make this decision, one thing comes up frequently: how the leadership candidate conducts him- or herself in group situations--and specifically, how he or she contributes to group discussions.
There are three phrases in particular, variants of which I hear remarked upon time and again when they're used appropriately and wisely in group and team situations:

High Court in James Ibori’s Delta State Sentenced Julius Aboy, 22 To Death By Hanging For Stealing N955,600

 A 22-year-old man, Julius Aboy was yesterday sentenced to death for stealing N955, 600 by a Delta State High Court sitting in Warri. The trial judge, Justice Marshal Mukoro of High Court 1, who handed down the sentence told the convict that he is to die by hanging.
The convict was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery, offences punishable under Sections 6(b) and 1(2)(a) respectively of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap. RII Volume 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In the first count, Julius Aboy and others now at large were reported to have on or about the 4th day of March, 2011 in Warri, conspired with others now at large to commit armed robbery.

FG spends N480bn annually on malaria control

The Federal Government said on Thursday that it was spending N480 billion annually on the management and treatment of malaria in the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan said this in Port Harcourt at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Town Hall meeting on Malaria Elimination and Ground Breaking ceremony of Biolarvicides (insecticides) factory.

Represented by the health minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, the president said that a child died of malaria in every 45 seconds in Africa.

He noted that malaria occurred and killed more people in poor rural communities of the country, saying that poverty and sickness were related.

Google may acquire WhatsApp for nearly $1 billion

Google is in talks to acquire cross-platform messaging application WhatsApp, a new report claims.

Google and WhatsApp have been talking for "four or five weeks," according to Digital Trends, citing a person who claims to have knowledge of the negotiations.
So far, WhatsApp has been able to push the acquisition price to nearly $1 billion by "playing hardball," Digital Trends' source says.

Etisalat to raise $500m from local banks for expansion

Speaking at the Reuters Africa Investment Summit yesterday, the Commercial Officer of Etisalat, Wael Ammar, disclosed that the Telecoms company will raise $500 million in debt from National banks to enable it improve on network coverage across the country.

According to Ammar, the expected move is to also grow the market shares of Etisalat to 17 per cent this year, from the present mobile market shares of 15 per cent.
The company is struggling in market shares compared to other Telecoms companies. It was gathered that MTN has 43 per cent, while Globacom and Airtel’s mobile market share are at 22 and 20 per cent respectively.

Dangote Group to raise $3.5 billion syndicated loan

Dangote Group, Nigeria's biggest listed company, has begun talks to raise a debut syndicated loan for $3.5 billion to fund fertiliser and oil refinery projects, two sources with knowledge of the situation said.
The seven-year loan for Nigeria's biggest cement producer is split equally between the country and international lenders via lead banks Guaranty Trust Bank, Standard Bank and Standard Chartered, the sources said.

No one at Dangote was immediately available to comment.
International lenders are weighing up the risk associated with a relatively long-term jumbo loan for Dangote being a first time borrower.

11 Inspiring Quotes From Sir Richard Branson

The iconic Virgin Group founder seems to have done it all. Now he explains to Inc. how to start a company from pennies, when to "snoop around," and his trouble saying "no."

 

278
inShare

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group--an empire of more than 400 companies that includes an airline, a mobile phone company, and a credit card company--sat down Wednesday with Inc. editor-in-chief Eric Schurenberg. Their exclusive interview kicked off Inc.'s GrowCo conference in New Orleans.
Branson spoke about the power of delegating, the importance of branding, how to assess risk, and why he wants to change the entire concept of space travel--soon.
Here are some of the interview's most poignant take-aways.

Gay Man Escorted Out of Missouri Hospital in Handcuffs for Refusing to Leave Sick Partner’s Side

Making matters worse, Roger Gorley says he now has a restraining order preventing him from visiting his partner at all.

The Lee's Summit, Missouri resident says he was at Research Medical Center in Kansas City visiting his partner Allen when he was asked to leave by a member of Allen's family.
Gorley refused to budge, which prompted the hospital to have security forcibly remove him from the building in handcuffs.
Gorley says that, in addition to having been in a civil union for the past five years, he and Allen also share joint powers of attorney over each others medical affairs, which the nurse on site refused to confirm.

Too Revealing? Kim Kardashian's latest maternity wears

Perhaps to shut up her critics,Kim has embraced revealing maternity wears.The first exposing her bump and the 2nd ,her nipples....

She looks great..

Meet the Prime Minister and First Lady of Iceland: Johanna and Jonina [Lesbian couples]

Iceland's lesbian PM is the world's first openly gay Prime Minister. Icelandic PM, Johanna Sigurdardottir, and her "wife" of 13 years, Jonina Leosdottir are the First Lady and First Lady of Iceland. Johanna Sigurdardottir is Iceland's longest serving Member of Parliament (MP) and also the country's first female to be Prime Minister (PM).

 In 2002, at the age of 60, Johanna Sigurdardottir married Jonina Leosdottir, a writer, in a civil ceremony. Three decades ago, she was an air stewardess and union official, and the mother of two sons married to a banker. Same-sex marriage was legalized in Iceland in 2010.

Mobile money struggles despite N1.1trn market potential

Despite the promise and enthusiasm that attended the launch of mobile money systems in Nigeria two years ago, the service is still struggling to gain a foothold in the country.

This is against the backdrop of the huge potential market size, which is expected to grow to N1.1 trillion by 2015.

Industry experts and analysts say this is because  banks, mobile money operators and other players have  failed to clearly define, articulate and communicate the benefits of using the service to prospective customers.

Analysts have also identified regulatory issues, absence of interoperability amongst disparate mobile money systems, and poor agent networks, as some of the drawbacks to the speedy adoption of the service.

Lekki Port to generate $200bn, 163,000 jobs

The managing director of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise, Mr. Haresh Aswani has projected that the state-of-t he-art Lekki Port project, scheduled to be operational by third quarter of 2016 will generate $200bn revenue and create 163,000 new jobs.
Located in the Lagos Free Trade Zone at the Lekki suburb, Aswani explained that the Lekki Port, conceptualized as a multi-product industrial and logistics hub would spread across 90Ha of land and shall be built at an estimated cost of $1.55 billion. He further said the deep-sea port which will be located 65 km east of Lagos Mainland shall become the gateway to West African region and would be one of the most efficient and modern maritime facilities that will cater to containerized, liquid and dry bulk cargo par international standards.

Nigeria begins export of steel in April

Nigeria's dream of becoming a major player in the steel sector is finally coming to reality, as its first consignment of steel for export begins this month. African Foundries Limited, a foreign company operating in Nigeria, will begin export of steel to Ghana this April, to finally break the jinx and put the country on the global steel map.
African Foundries Limited, with production capacity of 500,000 tons of steel billets, has a state of the art continuous rolling facility, and is the only TMT producing mill in Nigeria, and its first export consignment is about five metric tons.

Sanjay Kumar,the company’s managing director, said exports would commence on April 27, 2013.

“Today is a proud and pleasant moment, and we are showcasing our feat to announce the breakthrough, because we have started to produce for export,” Kumar declared, adding that the firm started with one five ton capacity induction furnace in 2010.

How to get out of financial dependency

The inability of someone to provide for him or herself at least the basic needs of life makes the person financially dependent, and this becomes more of a challenge as the person gets old and becomes unable to take up responsibilities. Expert reviews the scenario and proffer solutions.

 Life can be extremely hard when you find yourself having to depend on others for your daily bread. When you are young it’s not that a big deal but as you get older you’ll want more independence. Unfortunately we now live in a world where money is paramount. This means anyone who is seen to live on less than they need for survival and good living would most likely have to live off others.

What is financial dependency? It is where a person has to rely on another or others for their upkeep. As earlier said, when you are young and still under the care of another, it is not seen as a taboo, it is actually expected. But when a fully grown man or woman is still dependent on someone else then they are bound to lose their self-confidence and self-worth. Even those who support the dependent person sometimes find it extremely challenging to respect the dependent person.
Read more after the cut....

Microsoft to empower Nigeria’s software developers

Microsoft Nigeria has formally declared open its 9jApps contest in Lagos. The challenge is designed to empower local developers to take advantage of Microsoft’s new tools and resources to develop locally appealing and relevant apps for the Windows platform, utilising Visual Studio 2012 and the Windows Phone SDK, in addition to the Windows Azure SDK.
At a press briefing to launch the contest, Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria Emmanuel Onyeje, said “Nigeria is blessed with enormous talents, and Microsoft is proud to be able to help these talented developers to acquire new skills that will help them explore their potential and reach new heights”.
The 9jApps contest intended to empower the next generation of Nigerian developers, by helping them drive innovation and grow the local software economy, will run for three months, teeing-off in March and climaxing at the end of June, 2013.

President of Malawi Says Madonna ‘Just Came Unannounced…and Made Poor People Dance for Her’

•  

Last Monday, Madonna arrived in Malawi a VIP. Last Saturday, she left the country with her VIP status revoked.
She and the first female president of Malawi are having a real bitch-off.
The Madonna camp's version of events is that the singer flew to the country last week to check in on some projects she had helped fund through her charity, Raising Malawi. She went to some classrooms her foundation had helped build. She visited a hospital and some orphanages. Before she left, she scrawled out a bizarre handwritten note (on her bright yellow personal stationery) to Malawi President Joyce Banda, in which she:

1. Casually addressed the president as "Joyce"
2. Misspelled the word "responsibility"
3. Said it "would be great" to meet if Joyce had time

Photo: Kim Kardashian proves once more that she's not faking her pregnancy

In response to MTO's claims. These are screen shots from the trailer of the new season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which premiers 2nd of June.

Man Sells 6-month- Old Son To Raise Funds For Visa

One Mr Onyekachi  Ekwelum, who allegedly sold his six-month-old  son to raise funds to process his travel documents, would  be appearing before a magistrate in court to defend his action.
Mr Ekwelum allegedly hatched and executed the act without the consent of the wife, but the lid was blown off by his 20-year-old spouse Ozioma when she could not find their son and reported the matter to the police. Her husband had wanted to travel to Greece.
The Abia State commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Abubakar Tilli, who disclosed this to newsmen in his office on Monday said the police  mounted a man hunt that led to the rescue of the child and the arrest of the suspects.
CP Tilli  warned criminals to stay off the state as there would be no hiding place for them and said the suspects have been charged to court.

8 Things You Should Not Do Every Day

It's for your own good. Cut these things out of your day and you'll see gains in productivity--not to mention happiness.

 

If you get decent value from making to-do lists, you'll get huge returns--in productivity, in improved relationships, and in your personal well-being--from adding these items to your not to-do list:
Every day, make the commitment not to:
1. Check my phone while I'm talking to someone.
You've done it. You've played the, "Is that your phone? Oh, it must be mine," game. You've tried the you-think-sly-but-actually-really-obvious downwards glance. You've done the, "Wait, let me answer this text..." thing.
Maybe you didn't even say, "Wait." You just stopped talking, stopped paying attention, and did it.
Want to stand out? Want to be that person everyone loves because they make you feel, when they're talking to you, like you're the most important person in the world?
Stop checking your phone. It doesn't notice when you aren't paying attention.
Other people? They notice.
And they care.

Margaret Thatcher dies at 87

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died following a stroke .She was Britain's only woman prime minister,famous for her tough and outspoken nature. She governed Britain from 1979 to 1990.

A spokesperson for the family,Lord Timbell said "It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning.

Case Study: Obamacare Boosts My Maternity Store

Thanks to a provision in the ACA that requires, for the first time ever, that health insurance companies cover breast pumps, one NYC store sees a sales boost.

 By Sonya Chudgar | Inc.com staff

 

When new mother Amanda Cole launched Yummy Mummy, a New York City-based supply store for breastfeeding moms, in 2009, she had no idea that in just a few years, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would transform her business into a thriving national retailer.
Since January of this year, Yummy Mummy’s sales have skyrocketed, boosted by a provision in the ACA that requires, for the first time ever, that health insurance companies cover breast pumps.
“In the first week [of January], my assistant manager was basically just like, ‘The phones are ringing off the hook,’” said Cole, 36.
But with this boost came new challenges: Cole has not only had to expand operations, but also learn to navigate the complex world of health care.

Getting Into the Health Care Biz
When the Supreme Court legalized the ACA in July, it confirmed that most private insurers, such as Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield, had to cover breast pumps.

Why I sleep in a Coffin - Charlyboy

Sleeping in a Coffin? 
Point of correction, I do not sleep in a casket, I sleep on my bed, it's big and comfy, I only lay in my "casket"when I do my meditation because it helps me to be focused, it tells me more about the imminence of death. My casket is a reminder. It wakes me up from slumber. It tells me, "guy, you have got little or no time left, wake up, be creative and work”. Continue...

Of course, when I read some of the comments of my people, I know a good number of us are ill-informed about quite a number of things. I think it is more of what the casket represents that shocks my people and they start reading meanings into it, depending on their level of understanding. But one question is, what if the same wood that was used to build the casket was used to make a sofa chair? May be, all the hullabaloo about me sitting on a chair wouldn’t have been there in the first place? So when people vocalize their disapproval of my message via the image of a casket,  I understand that they do that from a position of Fear, fear of what the casket represents - Death. So whatever people fear they antagonize. But, the fact that I have reminded myself and even you about death does not really change a thing. It won’t draw your death near, and it won’t even shift it away. All it does is simply a reminder, to thread carefully.

Popular Evangelist and Writer Rick Warren's Son Commits Suicide

The youngest son of Saddleback Valley Community Church pastor Rick Warren has committed suicide after a long battle with mental illness. Rick Warren, the head pastor of the 8th largest church in the U.S made the announcement today Saturday April 6th at his church in Lake Forest, CA.

Rick Warren told members of his congregation that his son took his own life Friday night after battling with mental illness for years which resulted in deep depression and suicidal thoughts. Matthew Warren (pictured right) was 27.

Rick is the author of numerous Christian books, including "The Purpose Driven Life," which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. 

Photos: 3 Nigerian men caught with box of fake dollars in Lagos

The police at Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos have arrested three suspected  fraudsters who dupe unsuspecting members of the public using fake dollars and a fake Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, certificate.

The suspects, Olasende Akinsiku, 40, Abiodun Akiniyi, 35, and Tajudeen Lasisi, 40, (pictured above) were arrested following a complaint by a retired Major General to Abba Kyari, the officer in charge of SARS, that he was swindled by the arrested suspects.
Akinsiku, who hails from Ondo state, said their victims that they stole the dollars from their place of work and wanted to convert it into naira  at a cheap rate so that the victims will not suspect that the dollar notes were fake.

Read the complete story after the cut...........