Greetings from the #nurture school and masters in understanding the mechanics of business systems. Tekedia Institute focuses on all industrial- and knowledge-economy sectors, from technology to construction, real estate to banking, retail to consulting, and more. Let’s co-learn; see full curriculum here for the next edition of Tekedia Mini-MBA which begins Feb 7.
The FUTO Macho Man And Winning Your World
I have relocated my first FUTO Macho Man, the Ikenga, the symbol of strength, excellence and citizenship which all graduates of Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) are known for. Presented for delivering the University’s 15th Public Lecture, it came with a powerful message from the University Vice Chancellor – and I treasure it. There is no greater honour than when you’re honoured at home!
The second Macho Man which I received for delivering the University Convocation Lecture was lighter and more “refined” but this one on photo, possibly crafted by a raw blacksmith somewhere in Nigeria, reminds you that it is all about academic strength. You need to eat pounded yam to lift it because it is very heavy.
Pursue excellence, demonstrate natural humility, and make people comfortable around you, the path to winning your world will become easier. Yes, they will recommend you in your absence because they want another great moment with you. #Shine
Before All Progressives Congress (APC) Drenched In Downpour in Nigeria
Before the All Progressives Congress (APC) of Nigeria would be drenched in the foreseen downpour, I thought it wise as a concerned onlooker and citizen to set the record straight for the ruling party.
I was not unhappy when the APC graciously emerged in 2013. The said mood was not unconnected with the notion that its existence in Nigeria’s political terrain would tremendously help to usher in a wholesome opposition, thereby balancing the pedestal on which the country’s polity stands.
The above candid belief was actually what angered my temperament when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – then led by Prof. Attahiru Jega – was ostensibly denying the APC the right to officially register as a political party, citing incoherent merging. The unfortunate response of the electoral umpire, which resulted in a delayed registration, seriously instigated my venom.
Anyone who was keenly observing my reaction as at then might insinuate I was one of the individuals that collapsed into the merger party. But my reaction, on the contrary, was solely as a result of my long nurtured quest to witness a Nigeria where the opposition would be reliable, viable, indefatigable and formidable.
Consequently, the APC’s proposed registration eventually received a nod from the INEC. After its registration, it was obviously seen by all concerned that, truly, the long-awaited rival to the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had surfaced to the delight of patriotic Nigerians.
Owing to its unparalleled popularity coupled with overwhelming change mantra, the APC conspicuously ousted the PDP from Nigeria’s seat of power via keenly contested polls.
Though since the APC came on board as a ruling party, there has been a series of ups and downs towards ushering in the exact governance it promised the electorate prior to its emergence, the people had apparently chosen to remain patient and optimistic pending when their overall desire would be duly attended to.
The APC had thus far refused to be marred by the unending criticisms and condemnations from the opposition occasioned by perceived bad governance. It is, however, shocking to note that internal politics is a factor that’s likely to mar the ruling party.
Within the past few weeks, the members of the APC in various quarters have publicly showcased that if apt measure isn’t taken, the party might soon be headed for extinction. Emergence of this eyesore smacks of danger for not just the party but anyone who genuinely means well for the Nigerian State.
The downpour foreseen with the aid of my panoramic view, which is liable to set in due to the apparent lack of internal democracy that recently ensued in the APC, may end up consuming the party if its leadership refused to put its acts together for the overall good of the organization.
It seriously beats my psyche when I see or hear the party’s leaders, who are supposed to be concerned about the way forward, indulge themselves in self-deceit.
It’s quite appalling when one realizes that one at the helm of affairs isn’t worried about the misdoings in his territory. It’s indeed a shame to see a group of persons, who were entrusted with certain responsibilities, participate in frivolities.
It’s mind-boggling to observe that when we are required to tell ourselves that all isn’t well, we’re rather busy communicating to the world that nothing actually went wrong.
The last ward, LG and state congresses of the APC were reportedly characterized by irregularities. Afterwards, some of the stalwarts in the party, who were meant to be deeply troubled by the anomaly, were instead seen in different quarters telling the press that the party members had proven to be united, hence ready to retain power at the last general elections held in 2019.
Now, the APC is preparing for yet another national convention despite having experienced various degrees of irregularities in its congresses at the Ward, LG and state levels. A lot has since been said by the party members and concerned observers regarding the awaited convention.
It’s pertinent that, if the needful isn’t done prior to the convention, the national gathering might mark the beginning of the end of the APC. It’s noteworthy that, politically speaking, all isn’t well with the ruling APC as a political party.
It’s not anymore news that the APC already has different factions among the party members. For the anomaly to be critically resolved, the party leadership must be willing to address the issues rather than attacking the personalities that make up the party membership.
Notwithstanding, the party still has chances of putting its house in order. Before it is drenched in the avoidable downpour, I must seize this medium to notify its leaders at various levels that self-deceit has killed millions of individuals than diseases and accidents did, hence the compelling need to squarely face the reality headlong.
As the APC witnesses her elective national convention soonest, it’s therefore inconsequential to reiterate that if the needful isn’t done before the outing, it will still be an exercise in futility.
It would have been splendid and acceptable to ensure that the numerous injuries incurred during the congresses are addressed prior to the conduct of the awaited convention. It would be preposterous to hold a convention while some states are currently recognizing a parallel executive council in various levels.
For the APC to regain its strength, political wise, it’s harmful for its various members to come up with ideas that are in furtherance of their personal interests rather than that of the party.
Obi Cubana again in the web of the law enforcement agency
Mr Obinna Iyegbu, alias Obi Cubana, the Chairman, Cubana group is again in the web of the Nigerian law enforcement agency. He was again invited by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and questioned for hours for his name in the mouths of those accused and convicted of drug related offenses; they claimed he’s their boss and that the entertainment boss is also a drug kingpin they work for.
It all started right after his mother’s funeral which took place in the month of July 2021. The gist of the funeral trended across the world, it was the talk of the town. The media tagged the funeral “the money funeral party”. Money rained from the sky, affluence was in full display and was rubbed on peoples faces, monies were literally kicked like football, stepped on as carpet, used as firewood to light fire to keep guests warm. It was insane.
Who is who in the Nigerian entertainment industry graced the occasion. Private jets were rolling over each other at the Asaba international airport tarmac. The airport was so congested with private jets that some jets had no space to land and they had to float around the airpeace for hours. It was a red show of affluence.
This funeral was what really exposed Mr Obi Cubana to the public eyes and made everyone start paying attention to him including the government and law enforcement agencies. His social media followership skyrocketed from few thousands of followers to millions of followers in days and to crown it all, he won the 2021 man of the year award defeating big wigs like Seyi Makinde; the Governor of Oyo state, Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of UBA, Alhaji Abdul Rabiu, the Chairman of BUA group etc to win the award.
After the funeral, people started questioning his source of wealth; at first, he was linked to the Hushpuppi fraud syndicate due to his friendship with DCP Abba Kyari, the suspended super cop who was also linked to having gotten fraud money from Hushpuppi.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Crimes Commission (EFCC) first opened an investigation on him. They invited him and detained him for 3 days in the month of November, 2021 for the offence of money laundering, tax evasion and other related financial crimes.
While he is yet to clear his name in the coven of the EFCC, he was again invited and quizzed by the NDLEA on Thursdays, 13th January, 2022 for him been named as a drug kingpin and his bank accounts receiving money inflows and wire transfers from those accused and convicted for drug related offences in Malaysia, India and Nigeria.
Some people have accused the 46 years old award winning hospitality mogul of ill gotten wealth and asked him to share the truth about the real source of his wealth that there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Data is an Asset in Business. Make use of it.
Maybe in the 1980s and even 1990s, there was no job role defined as Data analyst or Data intelligence officer, but this role has become one of the high-income skills in recent times. Why? Over the last decade, data volumes have grown and businesses are beginning to realize how critical data could be to understanding their customers and taking the right decisions.
Indeed, the businesses that started early to leverage data in decision-making are already outperforming others. Many other businesses did not even realize until recent years that they had any need to organize, keep and study data. And even if they did, the volume of data to be kept and studied did not encourage them to pursue it. Thankfully, we now have cloud solutions to help us store large volumes of data and even access it anywhere.
Recent findings suggest that data may be the single most important asset for companies, both now and in the future. Businesses need to protect and secure data, the same way they do with other assets. Here are some reasons why you should protect your data.
Data guides the company to make the most beneficial decisions
If you do not have data (consumer data, industry data, operations, etc) on which to base your decisions, you will find yourself making avoidable mistakes as you go. For instance, if there is a particular product that accounts for the least revenue while gulping the most in production costs, it takes data to spot it out. With the right data analysis, you can also spot out why this is, find out if it is worth investing more into before it becomes profitable, or decide if to leave the said product altogether. Whatever decision you take based on data will help you become more profitable immediately and eventually.
A data breach can destroy your business in a blink
If you are conversant with business trends, you do not need any explaining to understand what consequences a business might suffer if its data gets into the wrong hands. Why else do you see companies looking for the most secure cloud solutions to protect their data, and adding several layers of security? In the past, there has been a lot of data compromise on those data kept in physical office locations. These days, no company worth its salt would even keep data on-site.
Equips you for market challenges
Many business leaders have realized that if we are going to see through into the future, we will need data to show us the way ahead. Data is no longer just a commodity you should purchase when you think you need it and discard afterward. It is the lens to seeing, understanding, and predicting market challenges so that you are at an advantage when they hit.
Customers’ data has to be protected
Besides your business operations data, there is the customer’s data which every business is mandated to protect. You might remember the data breach last year that led to the hacking of the social media handles of several influential personalities. You might also recall that several innocent social media users were duped by their cryptocurrencies in the process. That is just a tiny bit of what could go wrong when customers’ data is breached.
Besides getting and protecting data for your business, you should work on improving Data literacy for your employees so that with or without your presence, they can take the right steps. Some businesses are also going the extra mile to invest in systems that can efficiently and effectively process, analyze, and store the data that come in on a regular basis.
Secure your data and make use of it to stay profitable.