#FreeLawyers.  #FreeDoctors. #FreeArchitects … from expired legislations in Nigeria. No matter what the original motive was (possibly to discourage too much money making and commercialization of these trades), it is time to change these ordinances.

“Uwa bu ahia” [the world is a market] – the Igbo Nation says. Simply, not allowing doctors, architects and lawyers to advertise, has not stopped them from having balance sheets. So, why not just liberate them?

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Comment 1: We have 469 creatures that are draining our purse, some sleep and snore on duty, most waste valuable time crafting and debating how they would be shielded from their emperor-styled state governors, so that they can perpetuate their stay in the National Assembly, for no worthy reason anyway.

We have many obsolete laws, redundant and dysfunctional institutions, yet the preoccupation of those that awarded themselves ridiculous wages is how they will win elections, while the land remains paralyzed.

Since 1999, what problem have we solved using our new found democratic governance system? The khaki guys with all their flaws and corruption seemed to know how to get things done than folks elected or selected by the people, that’s a disgrace.

This is a country and people who have proven over and over that we are incapable of writing people’s constitution, rather we keep tinkering military styled constitution handed to us as though it were a commandment sent down from heaven, we are both afraid and confused in all the things that matter, and we remain fantastically shameless.

Democracy is never meant for mediocres, Nigeria is a practical example.

Comment 2: The problem is that most people in the concerned fields think very Professional. Professionals rarely challenge the status quo, it takes an Entrepreneur to do that. The Education System ensures professionals are obedient enough to not even contemplate such risks. Consequently, we’re too accepting of rubbish in this country and the politicians don’t mind pushing their luck as we grow more and more tolerant.

I expected the crypto investors whose accounts were closed by CBN to organise a Class Action and seek redress, but all we keep hearing are murmurs and lawyers, as smart as they are, can’t even find a way to seize their moment.

The restriction on ads could’ve served as an avenue for enlightened medical practitioners to create distinction against the teeming competition.

Marketing is Not Equal to Advertisement. Social Media influencing can also be an avenue to gain massive following that can be organically converted to patrons. It’s cheaper, more engaging, has higher return on investment etc, than advertising. One can only imagine what a doctor or medical organisation with 1 or 2 million followers on social media can achieve.

The problem here is not the government but the fact that we’re still largely an “Inventive Society”.

Comment 3: Absolutely spot on with this Prof, many of us in the legal profession feel that the RPC is outdated and fails to address the realities of the modern day legal profession.

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) 2022 Macroeconomic Outlook Report – “The Last Mile: Reforms Towards Significant Improvement in National Economic Outcomes” has been launched. You can download the report here . This Report will provide guidance as you design and execute your business strategy in Nigeria. We are still in the conversation.

This year’s Macroeconomic Outlook Report comes at a time Nigeria is faced with economic instability, deteriorating fiscal position and massive socio-economic challenges. The longer it takes us to make tough decisions, the greater the cost of our inaction. Hence, the central question is: what optimal reform approaches and opportunities are feasible to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development in Nigeria?

Owing to the different forms of government interventions in the past, the report examines the role of the government in the Nigerian economy and the reasons for such interventions. It also highlights key considerations that should form the basis for successful economic reform in Nigeria (exploring the case of fuel subsidy). This is in a bid to ensure that we achieve a fair balance that creates a win-win situation, whereby economic reforms deliver maximum benefits and better outcomes to the people.

The structure is something a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with, even though there are tons of information available on creating a structure for your business. A lot of founders find themselves stuck with businesses that cannot run in their absence, even after trying endlessly to create one.

To understand if your business is properly structured, there is a question you need to provide an answer to.

If you take 4 weeks off your business, with no call, text, mails, or communication of any sort, will you have a business when you get back? Will sales be made in your absence? Can deals and contracts be sealed in your absence? Will projects get delivered in your absence? Will customer complaints get resolved in your absence?

It sounds all complicated and maybe even a bit impossible for startups, but it is achievable. Once you have left the self-employed stage of your business (where you are the only staff) and gotten to a point where you have two or more employees, then a structure needs to come into place or you will end up doing the tasks you pay people to do.

There is a different post about laying out the procedures for staff to follow to get things done, but this post is actually about letting the structure stand after you have created it. Some founders will create a structure of some sort, but still end up constantly butting in, such that after one year, they are still struggling with the same problems they always had.

Let’s take the hierarchy of reporting for instance. A founder hires two new staff into the tech department and tells them that they will directly answer to his CTO. After giving them a rundown of their responsibilities, they get started. Despite telling them that they report to the CTO, the founder here continues to speak to them directly every day to find out what they have done, what they are working on, and so on.

It would only take a couple of weeks for these two new staff to figure out that the CTO is only in charge ‘in the paper’ but does not have a direct say over what they do or what happens in the technology department. Now, they think they have to report directly to the Founder/CEO and if the founder travels for a couple of weeks, he could very likely return to discover that they did nothing in his absence.

Do you understand it now?

A lot of entrepreneurs are like this. They claim to have an organized structure and hierarchy of reporting, but in truth, they still have everyone reporting to them and taking instructions from them directly. You cannot grow or scale a business by micromanaging every staff on your payroll. If you have assigned someone to head a team, then trust the person to get the job done. Don’t keep going around to directly liaise with the team members, unless those times you occasionally want some direct feedback.

Worse still, you could lose some really good talents doing this. If you keep butting in, you will weaken the same business structure you are trying to create. If you have delegated a task, let the person get it done. If you have a defined hierarchy of reporting, let it work. Stop interfering every step of the way. If not, you will end up having a structure on paper and not in reality.

It may not work out right the first time you try it, but when you finally get the right hands on your team, it becomes easier to put everything on automation. This in itself means that you have to be very precise during your recruitments and get the qualified hands on deck.

Technology has topped all sectors as the sector people trust the most. You may wonder why there are many high voltage searchlights beamed on these firms from government quarters. Of course, tech is simplifying people’s lives and people appreciate those, privacy or no privacy.

“A new survey, part of the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer (pdf) report, shows that people trust the tech industry more than any other—even more than healthcare, the sector the world has relied on most heavily during the pandemic.

“The findings go against the grain of reports of an ongoing “techlash”—a wave of hostility to technology, its numerous breaches of privacy and security, and its disconcerting pace of disruptive change. Edelman’s newest numbers suggest that tech has perhaps benefited from an overall cross-sector rise in trust. But it also follows a period in which technology has proven even more indispensable to our lives during the pandemic.” – Quartz newsletter

But that is coming despite this debacle on regulation: who do you expect Google to do?  Improve privacy and be sued, or leave it and be sued. Tough position for the search giant.

Fortune newsletter: “Germany’s biggest publishers and advertisers have complained to the European Commission that Google’s plan to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome is illegal on competition grounds. Google is of course already the EU’s most successful antitrust-fine magnet, but on the other hand, what it’s doing is a pro-privacy move, and the EU likes privacy. Either way, the Commission is already looking into the issue. Financial Times”