Federal Tax ID Number

Who Needs a Federal Tax IDNumber?

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Many times, people only associate a Federal tax id number with starting a business, and for the most part, they are right. You need this number, so you can pay taxes for your business and employees and make other major business transactions. However, there are other groups of people who may need a tax id number from the IRS. The question is, are you one of those people, and how do you find out if you are? This is a great place to start.

For Your Business

You need an EIN number if you are starting a business and do not want to be personally liable for any losses that may occur with your business. You also need this number, so you can be sure to pay the IRS their portion of your earned income for that business.

For the Estate

You need an Estate tax ID number if you are the executor of an estate and you will be doing business under that estate. If you are going to continue to manage the estate and take financial responsibility for the estate, such as paying employees and managing assets, then, you will need an estate EIN. If your intention is to selloff all of the assets, then, you will need an estate tax ID so you can pay the necessary taxes on that income.

For a Trust

A trust is when one person creates a place to hold assets for someone else that they can have access to upon the meeting of any set forth criteria. There are several types of trust out there from conservatorship to settlement fund to escrow. You will need an IRS-EIN-Tax-ID for the various trust.

If you are unsure if you need a federal tax ID number, contact a professional who can make sure you are submitting the correct documentation for exactly what you need.

GoDo Growth Hack Series V1

Growth Hack Series with John Obaro, John Obaro, MD, SystemSpecs (Remita); Kehinde Kamson, CEO, Sweet Sensation & Others

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Growth is something every business owner desires. An entrepreneur hopes for a venture that will grow and expand. Sometimes, the growth may be hampered, largely for lack of proper information and mentoring.

It is for this reason and others that the GoDo Growth-Hack Series is born. It is conceptualized to support entrepreneurs looking to scale or corporate executives looking to transit into entrepreneurship – a call every corporate executive would likely have to answer later in life.

Who is this for?

  • Emerging entrepreneurs looking to scale
  • Corporate executives looking to transit
  • Anyone ready to invest in knowledge

What participants should expect?

  1. Growth strategies
  2. Dealing with Disruption
  3. Problem Solving Session
  4. Managing complex relationships
  5. Networking Opportunities

Facilitators

  • John Obaro, MD, SystemSpecs (Remita), Indigenous FinTech & Software Giant

SystemSpecs is a leader in the Nigerian e-Payment space with its Remita solution, which enables efficient and easy payments and collections of funds for Individuals and Corporate Organisations (both public and private) on a SINGLE Inter-Bank platform. Remita is currently the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) adopted payment gateway for the facilitation of the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) project. Remita processes over $6 Billion worth of transactions on a monthly basis.

  • Kehinde Kamson, CEO, Sweet Sensation

Sweet Sensation is a Quick Service Restaurant business founded in 1994 from a tiny guard house in Ilupeju, Lagos after she had spent about 10 years doing the business on a small scale from her young family’s garage. The business has since grown to become one of the most successful chain of Quick Service Restaurant businesses in Nigeria with over 25 outlets across the country, over 2,000 employees and over 60 array of meals that are served daily.

Adeoye currently runs a fast-rising consulting faculty at Adeoye & Associates; involved in Projects, People & Process Capability improvement with a number of organizations with specific intent of utilizing relevant competencies as tools for strategic competitive advantage, and optimal progressive business Profitability. He is also the Executive Director, Business Advisory & Technology Operations Division at Xpos Technologies.

  • Atul Kshetry, MD, Hoesch Pipe Mills

Managing Director of Hoesch Pipe Mills, one of the most trusted and established name in steel pipes & Cement ceiling sheet industry. In addition to this, he also leads IDM Services Plc through a fast track diversification process. From being a niche organization IT Education organization, the company is diverfying into exciting areas such as – IT Enabled Services, Advanced Vocational training, propagating E-Learning systems across West Africa.

Workshop Details

Date: 1st October, 2018
Time: 9am-4pm
Venue: 53 Oladipo Bateye Road, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

Fee: N90,000 – however, amount payable is N50,000 (discounted through a partner).

Thankfully, we got a partner who wishes to stay anonymous but desires to see more enterprises grow for the overall good of the Nation.

Pay the sum of N50,000 on or before 25th of September, 2017 to enjoy the discount.

For more information, please call 08128200223, 08104274260 or email info@ godo.com.ng or visit https://www.godo.ng/grow1

About the Series

The Growth Hack Series is a quarterly event that will feature top entrepreneurs and corporate executives in a closed door session with a select group of emerging business owners.

GHS is supported by Remita and Swift Networks.

GoDo.ng - Sharing working space at our Co-working space

GoDo.ng, your comprehensive co-working community with a difference, berths at GRA, Ikeja

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GoDo.ng, is a platform established and made available for the use of Startups and other creative and innovative minds, as they converge to share co-working space, with state-of-the-art-facilities, connect and collaborate with one another, learn from business experts, mentors, coaches, investors, etc., as well as build relationship, with a view to scale.

GoDo.ng, is strategically located at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos and it is easily accessible from many parts of Lagos.

GoDo.ng – Training-in-session at our training space

Our mission is to establish a globally-recognized technology and innovation driven ecosystem in all sectors in Nigeria, where collaboration provides the enabling fuel for groundbreaking technological advancements while tapping into local talent, support entities, and international partnerships.

These, the platform is doing, by providing affordable co-working space, identifying and nurturing great ideas and innovations, providing capacity building resources, that are capable of linking members of the community with successful entrepreneurs, policymakers, high net-worth investors and personalities, as well as providing consulting services and training, with a view to guiding Startups in the right direction, in their journey through the business environment.

GoDo.ng – Event in progress, at our facility

GoDo.ng is committed to developing a community that proffers result-oriented solutions, that will positively impact the society at large, through the evocation of strategic planning, business model development, and marketing plans, to determine the marketing techniques to pursue, in market entry and penetration for specific products, services and solutions.

At GoDo.ng, we also offer space for rent, where you can offer your planned training, workshops, seminars, as well as all other forms of events, in a serene and conducive environment, suitable for cognitive thinking and privacy, with uninterrupted power supply, free and fast internet connection and functional projector.

Relaxation Lawn front view of GoDo.ng facility

In summary, we provide

  • Co-working space
  • Training
  • Consulting
  • Access to Mentor, Funding and Media Networks
  • Space rental for training, workshop, seminars, and events

We are located No. 53, Ladipo Bateye Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

Visit our website @ https://godo.ng to learn more about us.

You can request for a guided tour of our facility, through a link on our website, for on-the-spot-assessment.

You can also contact us via info@godo.com.ng, admin@godo.com.ng for inquiry on how we can collaborate:

Also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram via @gododotng

computer-laptop-work-office

4 Hints for Handling Full time Job and Side Bustle

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This is a Guest Post by Emmanuel Dominic. Enjoy!

Call them Chiliads, 21st Century, Millennials, young and rash, there is one thing that stands out – Side Bustling and hustling. That’s right.

Living in a world and an economy that is really not helping make ends meet, one can’t help but think out of the box. In this part of the world, that is, in Nigeria, where we don’t have anything like hourly job and where most times, salaries are paid at the middle of the next month, that is if you even have a job, we see many people living in debts and borrowings. In order to stay above the waters, many full time workers now have side hustles to make ends meet. Most of the times, their main stay of survival is from these side tasks.

For clarity a side hustle is a way to make some extra cash that allows you flexibility to do your mainstay job. It can also be your true passion – a chance to delve into fashion, travel or whatever it is you care about the most, without quitting your day job.

I find that the majority of my peers are involved in some sort of side gig to bring in extra cash or expand their skill set. I’m no exception?—?I’ve worked on side hustles both, while in school and while working full-time jobs. I work in a law firm, and as you know, it is a full time job. This leaves you with no time to do other things at all, especially, things like a side jobs.

Many people wrongfully think that a side hustle will damage their productivity on their full time job, or give them a poor grade at school. If, however, it is managed properly, it will do you much good in the long run. Apart from the experience and versatility you will gain, you will also earn extra cash. It works.

Here, I try to give you four hints and tips on how to handle and manage a side hustle alongside your full time job –

1. Be ready to make sacrifices

No matter what side hustle you pursue, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. You should be ready to put in extra time. You might miss out on the holidays, the extra sleep, the break time, the free weekends. This is why you need to make sure your side hustle benefits you, especially financially, else you will be frustrated. Remember, it is never easy, it is not easy. But it pays in the long run.

2. Know when to say ‘No’

When I first started out side hustling, it was hard for me to understand when to say “no.” I felt like I should collect every job and assignment I was given, always looking at the money. If you’re in the middle of a big launch for something you’re working on at your workplace and your business partner wants to spend the day discussing marketing strategies, don’t be afraid to give them a flat-out “no.” Saying ‘no’ sometimes, brings relief to you. Whether it’s work or school, everyone experiences busy weeks and slow weeks. If it’s a slow week, dive into your side hustle. If it’s a busy week, don’t be afraid to take a breather. There are some weeks at my firm that we have just 2 matters to deal with, I can entertain more side tasks.

3. Start a side hustle that allows for flexibility.

While brainstorming ideas of what side hustle you want to pursue, ensure that the hours and time requirements are flexible. You don’t want to do something that requires you to be somewhere during the day when you have school or work to focus on. Instead, think of a side hustle that can be worked on at your own convenient time, like after work or on during weekends.

An online job will so much do here. It allows you to multi-task on many side jobs while still doing your fulltime job. If you must meet up with clients physically, try and see how you will do that during weekends so that it will not affect your fulltime job.

4. Above all, Do what you love

There is nothing more frustrating and terrible than doing what you have no interest in or passion for. People get more productive and fruitful doing what they love. First discover what type of person you are, find out what gives you joy. This point just cannot be overemphasized.

“The only kind of positive side effect of the recession is people being resourceful or being forced out of the job market and pursuing their dreams,” says Tracy DiNunzio, founder of clothing resale site, Tradesy. “Side hustle can make that happen.”

Emmanuel Dominic is a tech lover, have a big interest in BIG DATA, guest posts, content marketer, and currently a student in the Information and Communications Science in the University of Ilorin.

vision power

The Power is in Your Vision

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Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former Chairman/CEO Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, Lagos, our guest this week, took the industry by surprise in 1997 when he and his colleagues spearheaded the Management-Buy-Out of 60 per cent equity holding of Pfizer Inc. New York, USA in Pfizer Products Plc.

A dreamer and visionary leader, he rose from theposition of a sales representative at Pfizer Inc. to the position of CEO within 15 years of joining the company. He spent 33 years in the Pharmaceutical industry, 18 of which was at the level of the CEO before he retired in 2011. Beyond his work as the CEO of his company, Ohuabunwa also played leadership roles in a lot of private sector organisations, including Chairman, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria, Ikeja Branch; President, Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA); Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG); and a host of others. Mazi Sam is an entrepreneur, leader, nation builder, author, lay-minister and social worker, all rolled into one.

Enjoy the insights into his life lessons.

Lesson 1

The Power Is in Your Vision.

The overriding lesson I have learnt in life is that with a well-defined vision and a focused mind, you can achieve practically any worthwhile thing you put your mind to. And without a vision, success is not in sight.When I joined Pfizer in 1978, I determined I was going to spend five years so that I could go into business with my uncle. I purposed in mind that in those five years, I would know everything I needed to know about manufacturing in a multinational organisation. In my fifth year while I was getting ready to leave the company, I had an encounter with the Chairman of the company who thought I had been in the company for at least 10 years. When he was reminded that I had been there for just five years, he couldn’t believe it because I had risen to middle management in five years from Pharmaceutical sales representative. That interested him. After that encounter, I changed my mind and decided I was going to continue and that I would like to be like the Chairman. I pasted the picture I took with the Chairman on the wall in my office. Each time I came into my office, I looked at the picture, said a silent prayer and said to myself that someday I would be the Chairman of the company. From that day, it took me 10 years to become the Chairman/CEO of the company in fulfillment of the vision. The major determinant of success in life is vision; determine the end from the beginning.

Lesson 2

Negotiate Everything.

When we were doing the Management-Buy-Out in 1997, between Pfizer International and the management of the local company, we made a mistake: we thought it was a business transaction between a father and a child. We thought Pfizer was our father, we were the children, and so we didn’t negotiate properly. And those who were negotiating for Pfizer took advantage of our naivety to put a very difficult agreement that nearly stifled our company. That taught me a lesson that you never expect anybody to offer you anything. You probably need to ask or demand before you get something reasonable. We renegotiated the agreement, and we got a deal that was much in our favour. So, I say negotiate everything.

Lesson 3

Do not Die in Your Mistake.

If you discover that you are walking on the wrong path, you should make a U-turn and change your situation. I found out that we made a mistake by accepting the terms of that agreement and it was making us to work so hard with very little returns. We were virtually working for Pfizer. We were paying royalties, buyingtheir products, their raw materials at their own price and generally conducting the business as if it were still a Pfizer business when it has actually become a Nigerian business. At some point I took the decision that I was going to break out of the Pfizer agreement, set up our own products, promote our own brands, stop paying royalties for their brands so that we could go to the international market and buy our raw materials at a price that could give us decent returns. So, between 2005 and 2010, we launched a major effort at local products development. It was not easy initially, but over time we were able to develop our own brand. Be bold to make a U-turn when you discover that you have made a strategic mistake.

Lesson 4

Develop Multiple Streams of Income

To gain financial independence, I discovered from my personal experience that one cannot rely on one source of income. You need to create and nurture other streams to augment the first. Most people cannot meet all their legitimate needs depending on salary alone, irrespective of their level. The reason most people indulge in funny things, including abusing privileges and disappointing those who have trusted them is simply because their income cannot sufficiently meet their needs. For salary earners, that source may suddenly end or you may have other challenges and you begin to go from grace to grass. So, it is wisdom to create multiple streams of income in your active years.

Lesson 5

Most Enduring Investment – Human Beings and Relationships

I can state this without an iota of doubt: the most enduring investment anyone can make is in human beings and in building relationships. The returns are long-lasting and for all seasons. I have made many investments in businesses that have failed or from which I receive no benefits or dividends. I have placed money in banks and financial institutions that have been lost. But I have discovered that most of the investments I have made in human beings have been profitable and have continued to yield benefits and returns. In my active service, I decided to invest financially in a lot of people – family members, friends, associates, and so on. Today, most of them have become the ready sources of help when I need them. Invest time in building relationships and invest in those relationships financially and emotionally.

Lesson 6

There Is Great Reward in Service.

In my life, I have had so much honour bestowed on me. I have two National Awards (MON and OFR). I have received uncountable awards from my profession, my community and from the Church. Often I have been elected or appointed to leadership positions and I receive the respect and acknowledgement of my contemporaries and seniors. When I try to find out what it is that I did to deserve all these, I came to two conclusions: God’s extraordinary grace in my life and my willingness to serve and to make sacrifices for the common good. I became Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), President of the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association, (NECA), and so on, even when I ran only a struggling medium-sized business. According to God’s Word, servant leadership attracts honour and the humble is often exalted.

Lesson 7

Recognise the God Factor

This actually should be the first lesson. I have found out that there is something called the God factor in life. In business school, they don’t teach you that. They will teach you everything about how to run businesses, how to navigate a difficult business terrain, but nobody tells you that there comes a time when all the rules, all the plans and all your programs can fail even with your best efforts. I encountered that in my career several times and I was like giving up because we’ve done everything that they say we should do in the business school and business books. Luckily for me, I have had the privilege of getting to know the power of God and I have always found that the power could leverage your performance. That power could come at a time of greatest need.

Books that have shaped my life most:

  1. The Holy Bible ­- By God’s Holy Spirit

  2. Cry My beloved Country – By Alan Paton

  3. The way the Cookie Crumbles – By Ian Fleming”

  4. Purpose Driven Life – By Rick Warren

Best Advice Ever Received?

From my late uncle, Mazi D.O. Ochonma, who advised me to study a professional course, like Pharmacy instead of a general course.

Major Mistakes/ Wrong Decisions

  1. Not giving my life to Christ earlier. I gave my life to Christ at age 39 and prior to that time, I did many foolish things and took unnecessary risks that almost cut short my life. I wish I had become born again much earlier.

  2. The decision to take a foreign currency denominated loan some time in my career without fully understanding the ramifications of the repayment options. While we thought that the loan had a long tenor, it turned out that the lenders had the leeway to call in the loan at a very short notice. And they did. The scares of this transaction still remain with the company till date. So, I counsel people to be wary of taking foreign loans in an unstable exchange rate environment.

  3. Failing, with dire consequences, to heed what looked like rumours about the person of the individual I had anointed to take over from me. Do not dismiss rumours and gossips off handedly without a proper investigation, especially before making very important decisions like succession planning.

CRM-Strategy

The Beginner’s Guide to Developing a Model CRM Strategy

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This is a Guest Post by Sujain Thomas. Enjoy!

The realization that healthy customer relationships are the key to successful and profitable business has led to a big boom in the customer relationship management technology. However, despite the obvious benefits of managing customers well, there is a large proportion of businesses that fail to utilize their CRM packages properly and to their advantage. A Forrester study of 150 companies has revealed that 18% of the respondents have confessed that the fault lies in inadequate CRM strategies. Some practical insights into the development of a profitable CRM strategy:

Define Your Goals

It is a no-brainer that since any strategy should help the company to achieve its goals, the CRM strategy can be no different. Therefore, it makes sense to get a fix on these goals before attempting to implement a CRM strategy. First, decide on what the organization is out to achieve and only then can you plan a way of achieving that. Since it can be very difficult to chalk out strategies for achieving very broad goals, it will help to break them down into smaller and more specific objectives and then conduct a mapping exercise to try and achieve them; of course, no strategy should be rigid as you may have to alter course to take care of ground realities.

Prioritize Your Clients

Many businesses go on record that they treat all customers the same way thinking that by saying that the smaller customers will be loyal. While this sounds very nice, in real life, every business needs to prioritize their customers by actual or projected profitability and take care of them to ensure that they stay locked in with the company. New customer acquisition can be extremely expensive and it makes complete commercial sense for companies to implement a CRM strategy that focuses more on building loyalty and retaining existing customers. Every company has to decide the metrics according to which it will segment its customers and then go full tilt in keeping them happy with CRM, customized with advanced tools like Flosum.com, a change management platform native to Salesforce, the premium CRM solution with a dominant market share.

Ensure Your Employees Are Invested

One of the most common mistakes that organizations make is to implement a CRM strategy that is designed to keep customers informed and happy while ignoring the vital role played by the employees in the strategy implementation. Unless you make sure that the employees are involved in each and every step, it is quite likely that the CRM will fail to realize its objectives simply because the employees are ignorant of how the strategy works and what the goals are.

Make Changes in the CRM Strategy in Phases

When certain aspects of the business are not performing optimally, it is natural to tweak the policies and/or technology responsible for the mismatch immediately, so that the damage can be minimized. However, if you attempt to make too many changes at the same time, it can lead to confusion and destabilization of employee morale as they might be inclined to think that nothing is working right. If you want to make changes in the CRM policies, then you should ensure that you explain to the employees just what is currently wrong and how it is proposed to be set right. The best way of doing this is not to make too many changes at one go because invariably this will lead to confusion and negatively impact employee morale, productivity, as well as business profitability.

Conclusion

Each and every business has its own unique operating environment as well as challenges, and it is evident that even the most sophisticated CRM solution will not be able to accommodate every contingency. It is necessary to identify what is not working and then systematically address it without causing disruption. While CRM, even at its best is only a tool, it can prove effective in ensuring that customers remain the focus of your business when combined with a well thought out CRM strategy.

Sujain Thomas is a senior Salesforce developer with extensive experience of working with change management tools like Flosum.com. Sujain Thomas for CRM technologies is evident from her numerous articles published in both print and online media.

Thank You BAnner-01

What Should We Expect From You as a NiRA Board Member?

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Quite frankly, I may not be be able to fully express my gratitude at the number of goodwill messages I have received following the announcement that I am now a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) and the only words I can utter at this point is A Big Thank you!

In the midst of all the thousands of messages and prayers that have come my way through online and offline channels, however, one follower of mine chose to stand out because, rather than just congratulate me alone, he sought to know my vision while on the NiRA board. He asked, “CFA, now that you are a NiRA Board Member, what should we expect?”

This is indeed a pretty instructive question, one that alerts you when the tea party is over and it is time to work. Be that as it may, I recall that a few years ago, when it become public that I will be the co-producer and presenter of Tech Trends on Channels Television, another good friend of mine, Jude Mgbaka asked me a similar question; “CFA, you own a blog, write a column in a Newspaper, host a radio show that airs in multiple states and now TV. What, exactly, are you hoping to achieve?”

My response to Jude was simple. “I have no idea but, I see a gap that needs to be filled and I want to be the one to fill it. My conviction is that, for IT entrepreneurs to really enjoy greater success more and more, Nigerians will have to become digital citizens in the real sense of it”, was my response to him.

Now, I am not referring to just tweeting and sharing stuff online. No. It has to grow to the point where we actually have more Nigerians creating solutions and doing actual transactions online. This is when the real value will begin to be felt along the entire value chain.

Well, back to the subject of the day. What next, now that members of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association, (NiRA), has found me fit to be on the executive board of directors? The answer to the question is actually pretty simple and it is spelt out in the brief manifesto that I sent to members during the campaign:

  1. Improve awareness for .NG
  2. Strengthen Communication
  3. Increase advocacy for the .NG brand

NiRA is a stakeholders association, so, no one can singlehandedly achieve any goal alone, which means I will certainly work with other members of the executive board to achieve these and other set objectives. I know the road ahead is not exactly going to be easy because, there is so much to learn along the way, but thankfully, I love challenges and, therefore, willing to give it all it takes.

Today, we have less than 100,000 domain names on the .NG registry, but it is my conviction that we can hit 1,000,000 if we get it right. Why not? We have got the numbers. About 37 million SMEs and 100 million Internet users is simply not a joke.

May I, at this point, appreciate all members of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association, (NiRA), for working collectively to create an outstanding association that proves that if we do certain things right, we will get the expected right outcome. Not forgetting all the past and present executives, trustees and staff for working hard to put NiRA on the proper foundation – I acknowledge and appreciate the good work done so far.

A special thank you to NiRA members for the opportunity given me to serve. It is now time to collectively work together and take .NG to the next level!

CFA Startup Banner 330 by 153-01

CFA’s Startups Hangout Sold Out in 5 days!!!

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CFA’s Startups Hangout is a free monthly meetup where entrepreneurs meet, network, learn and grow. Yes, a very simple mission behind the hangout!

You see, entrepreneurship is no joke and also not for the faint hearted. Ok I understand that the current startup culture and language makes it all look so easy and smooth especially when you hear of all the fantastic ideas and folks raising millions of dollars everywhere 🙂


Well at the end of the day whether you call yourself a startup or small business owner, you are basically an entrepreneur and the fundamentals are basically the same such as having a good work ethics corporate culture, efficient accounting system, effective PR and marketing strategy, a great team plus understanding your industry and the environment well enough.

The good news is that five days after we announced the event, it has basically sold out. Infact our team had to go see Adna Hotel (the venue) to work out a new seating arrangement that will accommodate more than 30 people comfortably and it seems we have that sorted because when there is a will, there is a way.

Quite frankly, it will be awesome to have 40 startups gather at the maiden edition of the hangout and this may just prove our internal thesis that the ecosystem needs more well thought out events to sustain the tempo, education and growth.

So if you’d like to attend the January edition of CFA’s Startups Hangout, then go sign up here. You may be lucky to get a ticket or may have to be on the waiting list or at least get to know about the February edition when it is announced.


Meet the Speakers of the January Edition

Mazi Sam Onuabunwa OFR

Founder/Chairman, Sam Ohuabunwa Foundation For Economic Empowerment (SOFEE), President, Nigeria-America Chamber Of Commerce (NACC). Immediate Past Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group(NESG), Founding President/CEO, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, Member, Subsidy Reinvestment Programme Committee (Sure-P) And National Co-Ordinator, Strategic Operations, Fgbmfi-Nigeria.

Ade Atobatele

Founder, Gboza Gbosa Technology Limited & has been in the information technology business since 1977 and have extensive design, managerial, and project lead experience in transactional systems, data warehousing, and the Internet, having worked on projects in the real estate, utilities, telecommunication, financial services, and retail industries, in Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.

Conclusion

We simply want startups to be able to connect with successful entrepreneurs that have been there and done that, so they can learn from their wealth of experience. This way, they can avoid some of the mistakes that these successful entrepreneurs made and also do not need to re-invent the wheel.

Please Note: Attendees who arrive without prior confirmation will not be allowed into the venue except they pay an entry fee of Three Thousand Naira only (that’s if there is a free seat), so to avoid any embarrassment do not show up without confirming your ticket and ensure you fill the form correctly.

Got questions? Call Wale on 07031800907 or Justice on 07063110614 or email events[@]cfatech.com.ng

Feel free to visit https://techbuild.africa/startups/ for more information on the event.

John Momoh, Chairman, Channels TV

Kudos to Channels Television at 21!

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In many families in Nigeria, a child is regarded as an adult when he gets to the age of 21. This is particularly why the management and staff of Channels Media Group led by the Chairman, Mr. John Momoh & the Vice Chairman, Mrs. Olusola Momoh, along with numerous well wishes gathered to celebrate this child of good fortune.

Channels Television is a project that clearly proves that you can achieve anything you set your heart to, as long as it is legal and falls within the will of the Almighty for your life. Here was a man who had a comfortable job working at the Government-owned Nigerian Television Authority, (NTA). He was doing a good job and was, therefore, popular and admired by a vast majority of people. This simply means he had no reason whatsoever to resign and go start Channels TV other than his own personal convictions that there is a gap that was yearning to be filled.

Every now and then, I tune into NTA and I still see some of his colleagues back then, such as Cyril Stober, doing what they have been doing for many many years. Nothing wrong with that, but, if John Momoh did not take the bull by the horn then, the impact Channels TV has made today will not be there not to talk of all the people that depend on  the company for their livelihood.

As for me, I proudly and boldly congratulate my Chairman, Mr. John Momoh for a job well done and by keeping hope alive against all odds. I know it must have been a rather difficult 21 years trying to steer this ship.
For some of you reading this post, I will like to inform you that nothing good comes easy. The Chairman did share some experiences from those early days, such as when staff salary was a nightmare and how the official bus would be converted to public transport just to augment the income that was not matching up expenses.  These are examples of the stories behind successes like Channels Television and we are indeed proud of what the brand has become.

I do not write this because I am part of the team alone, even though, it is partly the reason. I write because I admire and love what JM has been able to achieve.

He is not just my boss, but he doubles as a great mentor of mine. I can only pray that God will grant him grace to continue to steer this ship as well as long life to stick around and enjoy the fruit of his labour in Jesus name. Amen.

A big congratulations to Chairman, Vice Chairman and the rest of the Channels Television team #thebestisyettocome.

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Change of Venue for TechDev Summit 2016 Enugu

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With this in mind, TechDev Summit 2016 is designed to further add value by digging deeper into the challenges with a view to finding innovative solutions based on the deep intellectual thoughts and opinions that will flow out of the summit. Thankfully, we have lined up speakers with very rich experience and top on the agenda is how technology can play a leading role in the diversification of the Nigerian economy.
So, in a bid to make the event truly outstanding, the conveners of TechDev Summit 2016; Ken Nwogbo, Editor-in-chief, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek and Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. “CFA” Founder, CFAtech.ng and Presenter, Tech Trends on Channels Television, spent the weekend in Enugu and made a tactical move to change the venue of the summit to De Dome, Enugu, a popular and well respected venue for holding top class events in the State. It is located opposite Edward Nnaji Park, New Haven, by Nza Link road, Independence Layout, Enugu.
The excitement has been tremendous as the folks we met on ground cannot wait for the 6th of December when the summit will conmence. So far, we have over 300 online signups and 60% of our resource persons have confirmed attendance.
The Chairman of the summit remains Ernest Ndukwe, Pioneer Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, alongside the likes of Leo Stan-Ekeh, Chairman, Zinox Group; Yele Okeremi, Managing Director, Precise Financial Systems; Yusuf kazaure, MD, Galaxy Backbone Limited; Chris Uwaje, Director General, DSI Hub, alongside many others.
techdev-new-venue-summit

The team has also concluded and received good discounts for the following hotels for guests and resource persons coming from other parts of the country.

Here are some of the hotels:

  1. Golden Royale
  2. Tuscan Hotel
  3. Utopia Suites

The mission of the conveners is basically to work harder to see that the North, South, East and West all develop technologically, focusing on what gives each zone the most comparative advantage. This, in our view, is a more sustainable approach to tech development rather than having only one or two states in the country advance technologically.

With the mission clearly stated, we look forward to welcoming you at TechDev Summit 2016, Enugu!

techdev_summit_flyer

Attend Technology Development (TechDev) Summit 2016, Enugu

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Trips to various tech cities and hubs across the world has taught me one key lesson and that is that Nigeria certainly does need more technology conferences and events that target various strata of the society. These events should hold at different times of the year because it is key to deepening the culture and mindset that drives the digital economy. In addition, we need to ramp up user education and enlightenment especially in Tech usage and application which is one area I have largely focused on in the last decade.

As you may already know technology is at the foundation of any meaningful development today. If Nigeria must join the league of advanced Nations, then she must ramp up investments in technology and other related matters such as this laudable initiative.

Communication Week Media Limited, publishers of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, and Digital City Media Tech, owners of www.techsmart.ng blog (founded by Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. “CFA”), are convening the Technology Development (TechDev) Summit 2016 in order to further deepen the conversations and seek solutions to some of our National challenges.

TechDev Summit 2016 is a two-day summit that would seek for new ways to strategically apply new technologies to growing the Nigerian economy. This summit will enable consumers of ICT products and services such as you and I meet with experts, service providers, resellers and other partners, to share experiences and come up with solutions that can advance the Nigerian state technologically.

The summit with the theme; ICT: Innovate, Transform, Connect will hold on the 6th and 7th of December, 2016 at the prestigious Golden Royal Event Centre, Enugu State.

Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will chair the summit. Other speakers include Barr. Adebayo Shittu, Honourable Minister of Communications; Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Dr. Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Chief Leo-Stan Ekeh, Chairman, Zinox Group; Mr. Yusuf Kazaure, Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone Limited; Mr. Yele Okeremi, CEO, Precise Financial Systems; Mr. Chinenye Mba Uzoukwu, Managing Director, Infographics; Mr. Kola Aina, Founder, Ventures Platform; Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Founder, Emerge Tech; Mr. Charles Emembolu, CEO, Crestsage; Ms. Chioma Agwuegbo, Founder, TechHerNG and many others including the academia and startups have all been lined up to make the summit largely impactful and its resolution far-reaching.

The choice of Enugu for this maiden edition is strategic and stems from the fact it plays host to one of the Nation’s most prestigious institution of higher learning, the University of Nigeria Nsukka, (UNN), and others, such as the Institute of Management and Technology, (IMT), as well as six other institutions of higher learning. This underlines the fact that the conveners fully comprehend the importance of the academia to technology development as has been proven through the Silicon Valley model. Ultimately, TechDev will seek to deepen the conversations and offer practical insights for our National tech development.

The conveners of TechDev Summit 2016 hope to take the initiative to every nook and cranny of the Nigerian state in the months ahead because, Technology remains one of the fastest means to leapfrog development in order to catch up with other Nations of the world.

Keep a date with us by registering @ or contact us via

CFA is the Founder, www.cfamedia.ng and Co-producer/Presenter,Tech Trends on Channels Television

cfamark

Why I Believe I Failed During Mark Zuckerberg’s Visit

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In 2009, I wrote down a simple goal and it reads;

By the end of the year 2014, I’ll be one of the most respected technology personalities in Nigeria and my starting point will be blogging.”

That sounds like a simple goal right? Well, if you consider the fact that I had no prior IT training or qualification, attended no technology event, was not in the tech zone and had no techy friends as such. I was just a guy who was able to see into the future and BELIEVE!

I was broke back then in 2009. Damned broke. I had just lost my business and also a couple of millions in the process. I wrote this goal shortly after I started my personal blog –www.cfagbata.com. It’s been a remarkable, but trying experience so far.

Have I achieved the goal? I don’t think so, but I believe I have been able to do considerable well and it’s all thanks to the grace of.

Mark Zuckerberg’s visit has, however, again exposed the fact that I need to do more? I probably need to extend the goal beyond Africa because, after I took an assessment back in 2014, I decided to extend it to the whole of Africa, but in 2016, I think it should be extended to the entire world.

My good friend and coach, Tunde Makun and I had a brief conversation a day or two after Mark’s visit;

Tunde: CFA, I see you and Mark Zuckerberg are rolling
CFA: Yes o coachie, but it could have been better if I sat down with him for a one on one chat. That would have been a career boost because of how media operates.
Tunde: So, why didn’t that happen?
CFA: Well, I failed coach.
Tunde: Hmmmnnnnnn
CFA: Yes I believe I did. The fact is that Facebook got across to some people and institutions and secretly informed them about his visit. Why was I not part of the people informed?
Tunde: Wow!
CFA: Yes Coach. It simply tells me that beyond the glitz and glamour, I need to up my game such that when it comes to technology media stuff, anyone coming to Nigeria should be excited to speak to me, otherwise, what is the use hosting a TV show in Nigeria’s most respected TV station or writing a column in Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper or having a nationally syndicated radio show or having a blog, manned by a 5-man team? Yes, what exactly is the use?

Long and short coach, is that I failed in this situation. Yes, I may have had a few words with him and got away with a selfie, but the most impactful would have been a minimum of 5 million viewers watching Mark and I have a chat around a number of issues. As far as I am concerned, I failed to achieve exclusivity, which is the core of media strategy.
Tunde: CFA, I am totally impressed. This is a good way to give constant feedback to yourself and put your supposed success under scrutiny.

Yes, Mark’s visit excited me because it is ultimately good for the ecosystem, but it also exposed a weakness that I have to work hard to patch. Well, I have since gone back to the drawing board, armed with a few questions:

  • what can I learn the most from this experience?
  • should I bring in new team members? No. The economy does not support this option.
  • what must I do to increase and improve my personal influence?
  • what should I introduce or yank off right away?

One thing you can be sure of, is that I am not going to try being someone else or do silly things just to be popular. No, never. It is just going to be doing simple basic things consistently.

Long and short is that I am working on finding the missing link, but I’d like to share a new goal with you.

By the 24th of September, 2018, the CFA brand will be a much more respected voice, not just in Africa, but across the world, such that Presidents and influential folks will always happily seek for his consent and it’s all thanks to Mark Zuckerberg’s Visit to Lagos, Nigeria in August, 2016.

I totally agree with the experts who say that its best to write down a goal, which was what I did back in 2009 and I have now done again. Now, you know why I send out daily inspirational quotes – I am big on Personal Development and also a certified coach.

Thank you Mark as your visit has helped me fail forward (thanks to John. C Maxwell for that awesome book!)

“Little progress is better than no progress at all. Success comes in taking many small steps. If you stumble in a small step, it rarely matters. Don’t gift wrap the garbage. Let little failures go.” ? John C. Maxwell, Failing Forward: How to Make the Most of Your Mistakes

happy_friday

Good Friday Lessons by Lanre Olusola

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CFA’s thoughts: The holy week is certainly a significant week in Christianity and Good Friday is certainly one that is celebrated across the world.

I have been longing to write an article in honour of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ who suffered shame and humiliation on the cross of calvary for our sake and I may still do but for now enjoy these profound thoughts from Coach Lanre Olusola.

Remember, Jesus suffered & died for your sins on the cross. What have you done for him?

Enjoy & be blessed!

“Life is Short; Death is Sure” – Bimbo Odukoya

IF to die is GAIN; Why don’t we ALL want to DIE?

Lanre Olusola
Coach Lanre Olusola

BECAUSE;
DEATH Seems Final
DEATH Brings about Uncertainty
DEATH births the FEAR of the Unknown

However when you’re Already Dead;
Nothing can Phase You

ALL Fear is Gone
“He who is down they say fears no fall”

So DEATH is the NEW LIFE
DEATH is the REASON why Today is called GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his DEATH at Calvary.

This Simply MEANS that DEATH is GOOD

BECAUSE of DEATH:

Today-Good Friday; Tomorrow-Easter Saturday; Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are Celebrated Holidays World Wide.

This Period is also observed as a Holy Week By Christians Globally

Note that each day we live is one day less; It means each NEW day brings us closer to our DEATH

If so as WE REFLECT ON THIS DEATH DAY “GOOD FRIDAY” Let us ASK OURSELVES the following questions;

What do I want to DIE for?

As a result of the life I have lived; If I Die at this Moment How will I be remembered ?
What will be my LEGACY?

If I had a Second Chance to Influence my LEGACY…

How would I like to be remembered?

What NEEDS to Change in my Life NOW?

What ACTIONS MUST I STOP? What THOUGHTS, BELIEFS, WORDS and FEELINGS MUST I STOP; START; CONTINUE?

“You are the CAPTAIN of Your Own SHIP; The DRIVER towards Your Own DESTINY; The MASTER of Your Own FATE”
– Catalyst

ITS A GOOD DAY TO DIE !!!

AGAIN I WISH YOU HAPPY DEATH DAY (GOOD FRIDAY)

Shalom,
The Catalyst.
#GoodFriday #Thoughts #Actions

ict_clinic_is_3

ICT Clinic on Punch Newspapers is 3 & Counting

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Oh boy! It is with excitement that I write, seeing that the ICT Clinic column on Sunday Punch Newspaper is now 3 years old. I honestly did not remember, but thanks to my favourite network, LinkedIn. I have already received tons of congratulatory messages which served as multiple reminders and, in fact, prompted me to write about this.

It has been 3 years of churning out high quality tech related content, week after week!

Let me state with humility and a sense of satisfaction that close to 200 hundred column articles have been published to date and has been read by millions of Nigerians, going by the average daily reach of Punch Newspapers which is reputed as the most widely read newspaper.

At this point, I will like to say a big thank you to D Chair (Mr. Wale Aboderin), Chairman of Punch Newspapers for his support and absolute confidence in the fact that I can deliver. The fact is that he gave me a chance, despite my initial shortcomings.

It is also important that I thank all those who take time out weekly to read what I have to write. One thing every writer detests is having to spend time to write and yet no one reads. In my case, the statistics show that a growing number of people appreciate these articles.

Finally, I cannot but give God Almighty all the glory for His goodness and mercy. One question I always utter in my closet and openly is, “who am I that You are mindful of me?”

This is a promise to keep getting better to the glory of God and the benefit of mankind!!!

give-away

Why I incorporated Giveaways as a Brand Building Strategy

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One thing you cannot wish away in the world of business today is that it is fiercely competitive and this is bound to be like this, if not worse, way into the future.

Technology has made it easy to copy ideas and add a few things on it and claim it’s yours. The truth is that there is hardly any unique ideas in my opinion – what is rather unique is your strategy and style of execution.

There are quite a number of examples to back this up but I will not go into details as I believe that if you look closely around you will see some semblance of my point.

As you may or may not know, I started blogging in 2009 out of frustration having lost all I had in a couple of failed business ventures. I have written severally about these experiences so as to serve as an example to young and growing entrepreneurs.

Now back to the topic, I have been asked a number of questions concerning the series of giveaways (hyperlink to Giveaway) I started on both Tech Trends on Channels TV and the TechSmart.ng blog. Some of the questions are;

  1. CFA, can you sustain these giveaways?
  2. How would you ensure the process is transparent?
  3. Are you not foolish to keep investing in people?
  4. What is the overall catch in this strategy?
  5. How long do you intend to keep this going?

I have received so many more interesting questions. Long and short is that some people are genuinely worried, while others are waiting to see how the results might eventually be in the nearest futuire.

The fact is that I do not have, or claim to have all the answers.  What I do know, however, is that this Giveaway is simply a way to keep the CFA brand and all its associated properties COMPETITIVE and RELEVANT.

I know I develop awesome content, but I realize that the average reader is already suffering from information overload – a number of things are competing for their attention. So, the giveaway may or may not necessarily convert them to follow only our platforms, it will, however, keep us fresh in their minds.

I left this in the pipeline for a while and I did struggle with it for many months until, finally, I cracked how best it could be done, using a tool called RaffleCopter.

Finally, I do not know how long the Giveaway will last but I am sure that it is likely to be an integral part of our strategy. It shall be here for a long time to come.

Modern City

Nigeria will never Develop, Except…..

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In my most quiet moments, I get to question if indeed this country of ours isn’t cursed?

Notwithstanding the fact that I am a die-hard optimist, I still express some doubts in my most secret moments about the future of this country.

A country where corruption has now become the order of the day with fear and insecurity on the rapid rise and Government appears helpless.

My mum once witnessed a robbery of close to 10 banks in an operation that lasted close to one hour. According to her, there were no policemen in sight and it was after the thieves had fled that the police came with their sirens. How would a country, as huge as Nigeria, be unable not deploy helicopters to robbery scenes within minutes of getting information? Some questions, one cannot just answer.

So, would Nigeria ever develop?

I know we are a country of prayer warriors and we will be quick to scream; “yes, by the grace of God!” While I have no issues with that, I wonder if that is sufficient because, even the bible says; “Faith without Works in Dead!”

Anyway, in my opinion, Nigeria can only develop if;

1. We stop pushing our responsibility to God or in most cases, lying with God’s name. I am puzzled that a criminal leader will call the name of God a dozen times during a 15 minutes speech, yet embezzle or misappropriate funds meant to build roads.

2. We hold our leaders accountable at all levels – Federal, State and Local, (particularly the guys at the local government levels, who people hardly add to the equation as they hold sway without hindrance).

3. We invest in the real sector – as a SME, I can tell you for sure that it is more or less a crime to be one in Nigeria today. Forget all the lip service, there is little or no support for SME’s in Nigeria today.

4. Buy & Use Made in Nigeria products – my recent chat with the Indian High Commissioner made me realize how a society can turn around their fortune by believing in their own locally made stuff. Did you notice that the Indians and Chinese have their own cuisines to serve their nationals resident here?

Let’s stop fooling ourselves. Some Nigerians show off with pride how every single thing they use is designed and developed abroad – even to their undies. It’s all good, but let’s note kid ourselves we cannot develop this way. We either believe in ourselves and support locally made-in-Nigeria products or forget it.

5. Invest in Youths: sometimes I wonder if those in Government realize what it means to say above 50% of our youths are unemployed – that is nothing but a waiting time bomb!

We’ve got to wake up to the fact that we need to invest in our youths – I am not referring to giving them N5,000 monthly stipends, no, far from it! I am talking about real time development.

Let me cite an example, just by building 1,000 outsourcing hub equipped with high speed Internet, where youths will be trained and supported to become freelancers, will take a lot of youths out of poverty.

I could go on and on but I will rather stop here.

My final words “if we want Nigeria to truly develop then we have to start doing certain things right , from today!”

Tech on wheels, Family Love FM

Something Big to Hit Nigeria’s Airwaves This July

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Hold onto your hats good Nigerian folks. This July, a big wheel will be rolling out Family Love FM Radio Network studios into airwaves across Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Umuahia and their environs. This wheel will see award-winning tech and media personality, CFA, come to Family Love FM for a unique, highly educative, yet entertaining 15-minutes tech radio show

Tech on Wheels will air every Wednesday beginning 1st July and will dish out the coolest digital tips, unique tech-related Safety Alerts and Everything Tech you should know

The show will inspire, uplift and entertain listeners by taking on the latest in the world of technology and discussing how productivity at home, school and business can be greatly enhanced by leveraging on technology. Family Love FM believes that this is not only innovative, but also genuinely refreshing with a unique brand of insight and knowledge that the nation truly needs for development and prosperity.

Kick off your July with some of the most inspiring, educative and entertaining tech stories from all over the world by tuning in every Wednesday at:

  •   5.15-5.30 pm on 97.7 Love FM Port Harcourt
  •   6:30-6:45 pm on 104.5 Love FM Abuja
  •   7:30-7:45 pm on 103.9 Love FM Umuahia

Tech on Wheels is a radio show you just can’t afford to miss; that’s why all episodes will be posted to https://punchng.com/topics/podcast/.