Has anyone else noticed that in Nigeria people hardly talk about Nigerians trapped in China? It is as if we are avoiding the subject, or pretending that Nigerians aren’t in China. Or maybe discussing the topic will bring more tension to an already tensed Nigeria. I don’t really know, but this matter isn’t something we should ignore.

I became more alarmed about the avoidance of this crucial matter on Wednesday, 29 January, 2020, when I stumbled on a Twitter post made by someone, who was apparently stuck in Wuhan, China. He wrote, tagging Abike Dabiri, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, asking the plans of Nigerian government towards evacuating Nigerians trapped in Wuhan.

The thousands of replies and retweets this post earned was something else. It seemed everybody that came across it wanted to talk. Everybody felt connected and concerned. For the first time in a very long while, Nigerians shared one voice; and a very loud voice it was. But do you know what this voice was screaming? That voice said, and it’s still saying, that all Nigerians in China, and even Chinese that travelled to China for Chinese New Year, should stay put in China (not just in Wuhan). Honestly, Nigerians unanimously turned their backs on their brothers and sisters.

Countries began evacuating their citizens from Wuhan… The US airlifted 240 American diplomats and citizens out of the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak this morning, and another plane evacuated 206 Japanese nationals to Tokyo. The EU and South Korea are also repatriating their citizens. Meanwhile, Australia will evacuate hundreds of citizens from the city and quarantine them for two weeks on Christmas Island. (Quartz)

Up till now I still couldn’t believe that Nigerians could keep aside their differences and diversities and sound like one. I couldn’t believe that anything could unite this nation. But the sound of death did. Coronavirus was the trumpet that announced the second coming that made every Nigerian think straight. They knew that this disease knows no age, tribe, religion, gender, class, and so on. This disease has no geographical boundary.

I felt bad when I saw all those comments and retweets, but I was secretly relieved that we won’t add Coronavirus to our list of troubles. I understand how this will be received by Nigerians over there, but it is actually not the fault of the commentators; they were thinking of their safety.

A lot of points raised in those comments really showed why the Nigerian government airlifting citizens out of China isn’t a good idea. Some of these points include:

1. Poor Health Facilities: This is true. Like most people pointed out, Nigeria does not have the facilities to manage this health crisis, or even any one at that. It was pointed out that it is actually better that these people stay back in China, where intensive researches are already on going on how to curb the ailment. Coming back to Nigeria could just mean imminent death of the infected persons. Besides, if a cure is finally found, it will take a long time before it is brought to Nigeria. So, staying back in China isn’t a bad idea for Nigerians that have been exposed to the virus.
2. Long Incubation Period: From what has been revealed, the incubation period of Coronavirus is 10 to 14 days or so. And the infection becomes contagious during this incubation period. This means that those already infected may be airlifted with those uninfected, and when they come back, they may be allowed into the country with the assumption that they are free. You can imagine the type of massive spread of this infection if this is allowed.
3. Lack of Quarantine Facilities: China has already quarantined Wuhan, a commercial city, in a bid to contain this infection. I don’t see any way Nigeria can achieve such a feat. Herdsmen, bandits, and Boko Haram insurgents have been operating freely in many parts of the country for years now, and the government couldn’t “quarantine” them, how then can the government quarantine a disease that moves around in the air, invisible?
4. Spread to other Parts of the World: Some people noted that the disease is gradually moving to other parts of the world, including Africa, because people were allowed out of China. As they said, the more the contact with China is reduced, the easier it will be to contain and cure this deadly disease.

However, it is still unfair that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hasn’t addressed this issue even as Nigerians over have started crying out for help. In as much as there is need not to bring this danger into Nigeria that is already battling with Lassa Fever, we shouldn’t forget that these people in China are still part of us and have been contributing, directly and indirectly, towards the development of this nation. We shouldn’t just abandon them.

For me, I think the federal government needs to look into this matter. Some countries have gone for their citizens, should Nigeria also go for hers? If “no”, reasons for that should be given; keeping mute is not going to help the situation. Our government officials should talk to us.

African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina reminded students of the important role they have to play in the continent’s economic development, as he was conferred with an honorary doctorate in his homeland.

The Doctorate of Science was awarded by the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria, on Tuesday, in honor of Adesina’s work in agriculture and food security across the continent.

Lauding the choice of Adesina as the institution’s 2020 awardee, the Chancellor, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu, described him as a global household name whose exploits in promoting value chain addition in agricultural produce have remained unparalleled.

In his acceptance speech, Adesina commended the Nigerian government’s efforts to promote agriculture and agribusiness in Nigeria.

“Agriculture is the most important profession and business in the world,” Adesina said.

The Bank head pledged to continue the work of transforming Nigeria’s agriculture sector.

“The size of food and agriculture in Africa will rise to $1 trillion by 2030. The population of Africa, now at 1.2 billion, will double to 2.5 billion by 2050. They all must eat. And only through food and agribusiness can this be achieved,” he added.

Adesina said the African Development Bank was spearheading efforts to feed Africa and was investing $25 billion over a ten-year period to transform the continent’s agriculture sector. What Africa does with food will determine the future of food, given that 65% of the arable land left to feed the world is here, Adesina said.

“I am delighted to see so many of our young people engaged in agriculture arising from the Youth Employment in Agriculture initiative launched when I was minister to get the youth into agriculture as a business.  From their innovations in the use of drones, food processing, packaging, transport and logistics and marketing, they are already unlocking the opportunities in agriculture,” he said.

He urged agricultural universities to optimize their role in linking research, innovations and technologies to farmers and the food and agriculture industry.

“Africa’s youth must become leaders to help feed our world,” he advised.

At this stage in my life, I am sick and tired of people coming up to me to tell me how great a product they are building. I’m not trying to demean their efforts, I believe they might improve if they want to, but let me address you.

Two years ago, I met Mugumya Junior to discuss my startup idea with him and all I talked about was how awesome my product was. His simple question was how it would bring money and I thought I knew how it would bring money.

The product is nice, it is interesting and it solves a problem.

WRONG!!!! VERY WRONG!!!!

Look here, if you are starting out as an entrepreneur and you’re building a product, I’m here to tell you that solving a problem is not what determines the success of a product, nor is it how great the product is.

It is simply the ability of the product to sell itself and make its own money. A product doesn’t necessarily have to be great to make profits neither does it really need to solve a problem. It just needs to be structured to make money from people.

I have not discarded the fact that solving a problem could be the way it would make its money. If that is the way it would make its money, then it’s all good.

Collecting money from people is one of the hardest things to do. You can either manipulate them or convince them to part with their money. But it gets more difficult when it’s not you but your products doing the work. So when you come to me to discuss with me on how your product is great, i really want to see how it will bring in money on a short and long term.

This itself requires a different skill. It’s a complex skill really because you’re combining product building skills with sales at the same time.

When we talk about products not solving a problem, I will give three good examples

Condom: What problem does Condom really solve? Prevention from unwanted pregnancy or diseases right? The real question is that is Condom really really safe to use? 100% or even 99%. People don’t use condoms because it is safe but because they are told it’s safe.

Luckily for them, they haven’t contacted any disease and even if they do, they will still go use condom not because they care if it is or not but because they have been told it is.

Cigarettes: Despite the fact that people are aware that cigarettes are harmful to their health, they still take it. They consume so much in a day because they believe it gives them energy or strength which it does actually.

A poor man will keep taking cigarettes because he is addicted to it not because it is really solving a problem for him. That’s the point. Your product must be able to get people not want to refuse bringing out their money to pay for it.

Tertiary education: While it’s very evident that we are in a skill economy, and that it’s possible to survive without a degree, people cannot help but still pay a huge amount of money to obtain one and that’s because of uncertainty and fear of the future.

They are not paying because it is solving a problem for them but because they hope so they are left at the mercy of the threat of not becoming successful in their minds. Is there a problem being solved exactly? Nope!!

You can create a problem through your content structure, your sales channel, your story telling, your product structure and solve it yet charge people for it.

But it’s not easy. This is the right way however to think when building products and thinking of scaling.

Remember, i didn’t discard the idea of solving a problem. I had to lay all these facts to convince you that solving a problem may not be the right way to scale in business. Perhaps solving 100 problems embedded in each other may be the right way.

But who would go through that long process (although I did but it took a hell of a time) to work on that when by focusing on the structures to put in place to make people give you their money can be implemented.

A recent research by me shows that people invest their money with crypto traders either because they want their money to double their money which they don’t care how the miracle happens or because of the fear of future catastrophe which may make them financially damaged.

If you want to build a product in this line, these two alone will make your product great but it still doesn’t guarantee its success to making profits.

The word product is generally used to refer to products or services; whatever your company does to make a profit.

I had an interesting conversation with a friend two days ago and he really wanted me to explain why I said you can create a good product, solve a problem, yet not make profit as a company.

In business, lots of Entrepreneurs focus on value creation, which is the start. However, I have discovered that value creation is not directly proportional to revenue generation. I find it to be true.

I’ve got some good examples…

However, before that, I have also realized that a businessman can make profits without value creation. So this proves furthermore that it’s not directly proportional. Some illustrations:

Example #1. Cigarettes: People who are addicted to cigarettes return daily to buy it even though they know they would die or may die or get terminal illnesses.

They return to it because of the stimulant, nicotine. Nicotine really is not a value creation for the people in particular.

Perhaps, let me define value creation because it has two different meanings based on its application

• Value creation can be the value you offer people they pay for which they’d pay for. That’s the general one we know. More like solving a problem and people pay for the solution.
• Value creation could be anything you do as a company to bring out money from people’s purses.

On the cigarette issue, the stimulant that causes addiction doesn’t solve any problem to people. So it’s not a value creation as regard no 1… It makes them feel good?

Well yeah, but it makes them addicted. We can say it falls under no 2 which is what you do as a business to get people to pay you value or not.

So people keep smoking because cigarette has nicotine that gives them a happy feeling even though it’s really of no benefit to them. This just means the cigarette itself is a value creation to make money not basics to solve a problem.

Example #2: University degree: People pay for their children to get into universities because of HOPE. Hope that my son or daughter would get a job. I mean that’s what our parents had in mind when they sent us to school.

Let’s x-ray this…

In a family of 5, four are graduates, no jobs or underpaid. The last child is about to get into the university, the parents wouldn’t mind and would be considered not sending the last child to school because the rest are unemployed. Why?

They’re paying not because the degree is a guarantee to jobs but because they HOPE it is. Studying in school with the hope that you’d get a job is different from the guarantee that you’d get a job once you have a degree. They are two different realities.

The guarantee that you’d get a job falls under no 1 of value creation. That is, you’re paying for a service because of the value it offers you. While the HOPE falls under no 2, the university is not really solving a problem but making people believe they are which is they give you a degree with the HOPE that you’d get a job.

That’s why school keeps making more money. It sells Hope which is a value creation for its own self.

While building digital products or putting processes in place or structures, it is one thing to completely solve people’s problems, it is another thing to make them pay.

Now, your selling point which is what you expect them to pay on may not be on the problem you solve .

Of course, you have solved the problem but these people either cannot afford it or don’t care or love something else.

How do you convince them to pay for something they feel should be free?

Now that’s profit thinking not value creation (no 1 point) thinking because you must introduce some new structures in place to make them part with their money without them giving a thought about it.

It may or may not be a new value creation (problem solving perspective) but an income generation perspective.

I’ve discovered that most people who build products or create services solve the real problems but don’t make profits because they did not figure out what will make people part with their money

Whether it’s to lie, tell a story, manipulate, hallucinate, put some processes.

You just need to know what to put in place or pull to make your customers pay you. Sadly, it’s not as easy as anyone may think.

It requires carefully understanding the customer, their behavior, psychology, the world trend, and a lot of other factors.