USA MADE OVER $10,000,000 FROM NIGERIA THROUGH REJECTED VISA APPLICATION

This report from the USA government shows that Nigerians contributed over $10,000,000 to the growing economy of USA through rejected nonimmigrant visa application medium.

Compared to other African countries, Nigerians lead the packs with more than 70% as against Ghana, the next contender. It's pathetic to say the least that young and vibrant Nigerians are leaving in droves to seek greener pastures in other countries. A lot hides under the umbrella of education and vacation to leave the country knowing fully well that they do not intend to come back to Nigeria.

SHERIFF SHITTU: SOMETIMES, THE ROAD GETS FOGGY

Sheriff has experiences spanning years and he worked with the industry leaders. It's so unfortunate that he's closing down showroom.ng

12 Years a hustler, time to go home

I’m exhausted; it’s been roller coaster for the past 12 years having started my first startup then and ever since, it’s been from one to the other.

I really felt I could succeed, I have read the right books, the right blogs, draft right business plan and but in execution I have fallen short. Maybe it’s time to change things a little, something is quite wrong I think.

The height of it was last year end, business was doing fairly well then everything started crashing. Somehow I survived the robbery at gun point in the middle and rally round to try to make things work, but getting worse and every now and then the thought will always come around, what if it all ends here? What if I just have an accident right now (while driving home at 11pm on third mainland bridge)? Maybe it was law of attraction but somehow I had an accident but in the daytime when I didn’t think about it.

I launched showroom.ng almost 2yrs now and within months with all the permutation (maybe strategy) we were on a super roll, the dream roll. I think personally I wasn’t introspective enough as I was just riding with the tide. That’s super wrong for a CEO, “you don’t just work in your company you work on it”, so they say. I only read it, I didn’t live it.

I personally won’t attribute the failure to wrong market, or wrong product. It was a wrong execution.

Maybe this will help

1.      Weak domain expertise: we don’t have that in our team, inasmuch as I tried to learn on the fly, this will fucking take years of learning, practice before charging people. I had personally underwrote mistakes from partner or staff 100%, just so you could make customers happy, but resources are limited we do not have that much and our products are heavy items.

2.      Speed: the edge a startup has over bigger company is suppose to be speed, yeah for a couple of our products we were fast but for so many we were terribly late. Building features, making user experience superb is not my strength, I’m ninja but in the team we didn’t have either or could afford one.

3.      Team setup; success of any endeavor have a lot of tie to the people behind it. Looking back, I’d selected those with; domain expertise, better work ethic (than myself) and complimentary strength.

THE MAN, HIS DOG AND A NAME - LESSONS TO LEARN

The story of Joachim Iroko aka Joe is an unfortunate one. It’s a story of every Nigerian who has no authority or power. It’s our everyday experience in the hands of someone better connected than us. It’s our struggle against the tyranny and oppression from the affluent. It’s symbolizes how our voice can be drown in the ocean of law. It’s a pathetic story of every one of us.

Joe is an average Nigerian, a Nigerian that struggles everyday to put foods on his family table. He has a wife and a kid and he’s expecting another beautiful addition anytime soon. His living condition is not one to be proud of. He’s simply struggling. Struggling to make ends meet, in a country that is flowing with milk and honey but haunted by corruption and poverty.

Joe, like every one of us is angry; angry with the system and the past failures of our leaders. You know, Poverty breeds anger. As a matter of truth, a lot of people are anger has its roots from poverty. People are angry because there are meals to be paid for and there is no money, angry because the school fees are fast approaching and there is no money. We all are racing against time in a country that frustrates every attempt to break even except you are highly connected.

Joe has a neighbor. A non-Nigerian whose father’s name is BUHARI. Joe’s neighbor is not far-away from him. They share the same floor in his rented face-me-I face-you apartment. Without anybody telling us, we can deduce that Joe has been having constant issues with his neighbor. Joe bought a dog and named it Buhari.

His neighbor was angry and he connived with his friend a police officer to arrest Joe. Joe was charged with criminally punishable offence described as “conduct likely to cause breach of peace”. He was remanded in prison until he can perfect his bail bonds.

Reactions from Nigerians followed on social media and print media. A lot of people are angry. People are screaming for his release. It’s been a week full of activities from the pro and anti Joe’s judgment. Unfortunately, despite the whole hullaballoo, the man, Joe, at the middle of this drama is still cooling off in prison. His pregnant wife is an emotional wreck.

There are many lessons to learn from this rather unfortunate but avoidable drama.

I must elaborate on the fact that If you are an average Nigerian with little or no influence from a known authority, you must learn to act in ways that will not bring you in contact with troubles. A lot of times, we know that the just suffers unjustly because they have no voice and we should avoid every means to be in such situation.

• The provision of the law is sovereign and at the same time, the law is blind. If Joe’s lawyer was able to prove to the court that Joe’s action was not premeditated and he didn’t act in a manner worthy of causing chaos, Joe’s wouldn’t be in the cell. Unfortunately, Joe’s doesn’t even have the means to hire a lawyer.

The Rise of Anthonia Alasa Ojenagbon and Silton Kitchen.

• A recipient of Federal Government Youwin Initiative
• Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme
• She has featured in several Newsprints both locally and internationally.
• She is an advocate of NO To RAPE and the Founder of Bruised But Not Broken. A social cause that speaks against abuse and rape. She survived Rape from a close relative at an early age and that has not stopped her from launching forward.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Read a little about her journey here, in her WORDS.

I am still celebrating Pepperlicious Snails because Pepperlicious Snails and l have come a long way.

Weeks ago life happened again but through it all l am grateful to still be around. Yes, grateful I am still around. When l got the message from Marketing Ministers UK about this award, l didn't know how to express my emotions. Here I am thanking God I am still here, and now this... Hmmn!

I tried to write but didn't know what to write or remember what to write. But in the place of prayer two days ago everything l had forgotten came and dear Lord, you know I am grateful. ‪#‎ObuluJesu

Let me tell you about this darling called Pepperlicious Snails ready to eat. When l started selling snails’ l got lots of encouragement from my class mates at Pan Atlantic University CEM 11 but l didn't think about what would happen after the programme. I thought the patronage would continue, but how wrong I was.

Alas, it was not so. I got so frustrated in my effort to market, l tried all the marketing methods l knew and just everything seem to work against me, of course l became depressed, crying daily became the order of the day, l just wanted to be useful, every day my husband will beg me to keep hope alive, Sylvester will tell Tonia there is greatness inside of you, l will make snails and give out for free so people could just taste and know it’s delicious, l started selling Sunday Jollof rice after services on Sunday, some people will order and will never collect it, they won’t pick their calls, l will be forced to give out the rice, because l am a very creative and restless person, l begged my husband to pay for a new course l went to learn shoe and bag making, l even got a certificate for it.

But you see there is a God who is all knowing .A merciful God who is the father of the fatherless and Helper of the helpless. The God who makes a way where there is no way. The God who sits in Heaven and makes the earth His footstool. The Agbanilagbatan.

In 2012 the federal government program Youwin was for only women, 1200 women were going to be selected from all the geo political zones of Nigeria to get grant to fund their businesses, God in His infinite mercy decided that Pepperlicious snails’ business plan was one of the 1200 finalist. I cannot describe the shock that followed. How can this be possible, 1200 women from the whole Nigeria and my name made the list. How when l don’t know anybody in power, when l don’t have any rich uncle, Immediately l heard my name was among the finalists l started crying and my husband says to me Tonia you should be happy but l was just crying. My joy knew no bound, my tears were wiped away, l didn't have to beg again before my snails were bought. All of a sudden this girl Tonia was intelligent after all.

AFTER MAYOWA AHMED, WHO IS NEXT?

Mayowa’s journey has brought us back to the realization that it’s a long way home. It’s a case that has shown us time and again that we have failed. We have failed as a nation. The news that Mayowa died in a South-African hospital is enough to make us reflect over what our health system has turned into.

Living with sickle-cell is a nightmare on its own. This nightmare often leads to depression in a country like Nigeria. In Nigeria, Most sickle-cell patients’ use over-the-counter analgesics to relieve their pains during crisis because it’s affordable. Government hospitals are lackadaisical when it comes to promptness in attending to patients and privately-owned hospitals are expensive for the average Nigerian. The reason is not far-fetched, the monthly minimum wage for a working Nigeria is less than $70.

Mayowa’s case was an unfortunate one. A case that explains an average Nigerian mindset. A mindset of superstitious and erroneous belief. A mindset that discourages people coming out early to seek for help. Sick people are kept far away by families and relatives. Illnesses are covered up until it becomes unmanageable. The secrecy and attitude of Nigerians to issues concerning health has corroborated the fact that we are still not done with archaic mentalities.

The health system too is completely gone. 

We have no health infrastructure that can detect the simplest of all ailments. The few government hospitals that have these facilities are faced with hundreds of people who are waiting to use the facilities despite the tormenting bureaucracies they have to follow. Dying patients who are calm enough to withstand all hurdles placed by those who are employed and paid by government to manage the facilities are in millions. People are making fortune out of other's predicaments. Humanity is gone and Empathy has been thrown to the dogs.

In the midst of all these, we saw Mayowa, a lady, who fought sickle-cell gallantly for more than twenty years. Except, you take a second look, you won’t know she was a sickle-cell patient. She comes across as someone who enjoys the advantage of a modest family with not-so-much wealth but enough to take care of their needs. Her sickle-cell was managed perfectly by her family until Cancer came knocking.

Her woes were compounded by the terrible state of our healthcare system. For a long time, ovarian cancer was diagnosed as Ulcer. I have seen and read worse things but hers is a mistake that we shouldn’t even be making in 2016. How on earth can a hospital diagnosed cancer as ulcer? So for a very long time, hospitals were billing her family on the premise that she was suffering from ulcer. By the time it was clear that it wasn’t ulcer but ovarian cancer, it was too late. The cancer has metastasized.

I can be so sure that while the whole issues was going on, several people told them to go to churches, mosques and other places to seek help. They would have been duped by fake miracle pastors and Imams. Mayowa would have been made to drink different concoctions all in the name of supernatural healing and just like every mortal who is afraid of death; she would have obliged and struggled with death to stay alive.