Good people, thank you for your kind words on my last LinkedIn post (here on Tekedia). Largely, I had not expected it would inspire many as it has done. Over the last few hours, parents have been sending me contacts to drop lines to their children!

Except my village which I love, and where kids would line up to meet whenever I visit home, I have not done really anything for the generous remarks.

Nonetheless, my hope is that some of us ahead in the ladder would expand the base for others to climb. That is why I started posting since last year.

Yet, in the league of impacts, I’m a baby. There are African legends around the world, doing awesome things. But many are on employment structures which make it impossible to share here. But they abound.

People do ask me: “what is your greatest career accomplishment?” My response has been “The ability to control ownership of things I create”. It inspires me to know I’m building wealth over cash bonus!

Last week, a Nigerian senator called … “I read that the U.S. government licensed your patent. …?” (read here ) I explained to him how Nigeria is UNlicensing its best (ASUU is on strike).

My Johns Hopkins University PhD work with the patent that came out of it has a major assignee: The United States Government via the National Science Foundation of the United States. I invented a special method of controlling the dexterity of medical robots, making such robots effective during minimally invasive surgeries.  This patent is currently used by some medical device companies.  The U.S. Government now has the rights to “make copies” as captured in the patent assignee file. Simply, it is now licensed to the United States Government which can use it in the National Science Foundation projects.

Let me thank all for the kind words. But note this: our future is of abundance. Believe in Africa!

Comment on LinkedIn Feed

Ndubuisi, you may not be the most educated or wealthiest (far from it) person in Nigeria, but you have created a new basis of competition, as you always say. Yes, it’s uncommon for a black man to share information or knowledge, without feeling ‘threatened’ about his own probable diminishing of self-worth. This I believe is your greatest impact so far, across Africa. You may not be able to measure the effects, but in years to come, when more men and women from this continent begin to share information, to help lift others; most of the credits could be directed to you.

With what you have demonstrated so far, I believe many people from this part of the world, who are well educated, well travelled, and some very wealthy, will begin to open up more, share knowledge and ideas; and from there – bring many young people closer to their potentialities and aspirations. That unlocking of the ‘secret boxes’ is what Nigeria and Africa need most, not really the writing fat cheques and handing them out to those who are still suffering identity crisis.

You have started a movement, knowingly or unknowingly, but it must surely outlive you. Yes, it’s possible to share knowledge without the sharer losing anything. Better days ahead!

In this video, I explain how you can build an advisory business in Nigeria. If you have capabilities, there are many ways you can monetize them in the nation, across industrial sectors and markets. I have a list from own services.

• IT Skill Capabilities Mapping
• Digital Products (business model, strategy, growth)
• Quarterly Report (max of 8 pages, summarizing key industry evolution, around your business, with how you can prepare)
• IT Governance
• IT Value Realization
• IT Process Documentation
• Center of Excellence (design, development, deployment, evaluation)
• IT Product Conception and Launch (business model, strategy, growth)
• IT Spend Planning
• Data Consolidation

This video explains how you can grow your advisory practice.

Few weeks ago, someone was about awarding a contract to my firm to advise his foreign startup on market entry into West Africa. It was a midsize advisory deal but could lead to bigger projects. We were to produce a roadmap; they would execute. We spoke, and agreed. But within hours as they were going through approval, I discovered that we have a conflict I had not known. I quickly wrote the firm to withdraw explaining that we would be unable to serve it. Certainly, the founder was not happy but was genuinely thankful.

Today, through his effort Zenvus would not be paying Amazon Web Services bill for years. This man went ahead and made introductions, linking me with managers in Amazon, offering kind words.  Unbelievable kindness for a man I derailed his entry into West Africa (on principles) and certainly cannot even discuss his plan anymore.

As they told me many years ago in Diamond Bank training school: do not deplete your Trust Bank. Yes, that is the most critical skill in modern business. In this blog, some customers come here and pay more than the $20 per year subscription. I’d told my team to follow up with them to be sure it was not an error with Paypal or their bank. In all cases, they just want to support this blog (more on that in a blog this weekend).

In business, I evaluate people on three metrics: Trust (25%), Energy and Hardworking (15%) and Result (60%). Interestingly, you cannot get great Results without Trust. Trust means partners, suppliers, customers, colleagues etc have confidence in what you do or promise to do. There is no greater skill than Trust as you build. That mindset will expand your scale as the cedars of Lebanon.

LinkedIn Comment on Feed

That’s where interpersonal intelligence plays a great role, and you do not get trusted by mere invitation or wishful thinking, it must be earned. Interestingly, people have different metrics to measure or calibrate trust, so you must be able to demonstrate your competence in this all important skill called TRUST, by passing the tests, without even knowing when they were/are set.

Humans connect with their hearts, not heads, so for there to be trust, relationship is precedence. It is not science, and therefore does not follow a well defined methodology; but when you demonstrate brilliance and competence, men and women are likely to have faith in you.

Again, going by your story, it’s very clear that one must stand for something, else you fall for anything. With discipline laced with sound ethics, and abiding principles; it would be difficult for anyone not to trust you, all it takes then it’s to have a word with you.

That Trust Bank needs constant recapitalization and consolidation, especially in these trying times, when many people struggle to remember their identities. And when you have earned that trust from so many people, you are barred from misbehaving for the rest of your life; that’s the little price you pay in return.