Nigeria to save N86bn annually from agrochemical importation

The establishment of Candel Agrochemical Manufacturing Plant will save the country about N86.4 billion annually which was usually spent on the importation of agrochemical products from abroad. This was disclosed by the chairman of the company in Lagos during the commissioning ceremony of the plant at Lekki Free Zone in the state.

How Laudable Is FG’s N9.2bn Clean Stoves Project?

The federal government, in 2014 under the presidential intervention for the clean cookstove, approved the sum of N9.2 billion for the purchase of stoves for women in the rural areas.

The initiative came about because of the effect of the constant felling of trees on the environment. Constant felling of trees has resulted in desertification in the north and erosion problems in the south of the country.

IFC, Ecobank Launch $110m Facility

A member of the World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the parent company of the Ecobank Group and leading pan-African full-service banking group, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, today announced the launch of a $110 million risk-sharing facility.

It will increase access to finance for small and medium sized enterprises in fragile and conflict-affected states in West and Central Africa.

Anambra Bans Motorcycles, Tricycles On Highways

The Anambra Government on Wednesday banned the operation of private and commercial motorcycles and tricycles from major highways in the state with effect from June 1.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Uju Nwogu, in Awka.
“All motorcycle and tricycle operators in the state will from next week Monday, June 1, be barred from plying the Enugu-Onitsha highway, as well as Arthur Eze Avenue and Zik’s Avenue in Awka.

Why Marketers Want Payment Before May 29

It has emerged that the nationwide fuel shortage engineered by oil marketers was done to pressurise the outgoing administration led by President Goodluck Jonathan to pay them an additional N200 billion comprising outstanding claims and foreign exchange rate differential, even though the claims had not been verified and may have been spurious.

Business activities collapse in Onitsha as fuel price hits N300 per litre

ONITSHA—Commercial activities yesterday grounded to a halt, following an hourly increase in pump prices of petroleum products to the tune of N300 per litre.

The increased had started on Saturday when the pump price rose to N120 in the morning and by evening time, it climbed to N140.

Creating wealth, jobs with charcoal

 Charcoal is a multi-billion dollar industry, with a lot of potential, but many investors do not know this.The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) says over 40 million metric tonnes of charcoal is consumed globally. Nigeria supplies the product to about 2.4 billion worldwide who rely on wood and charcoal for fuel.Those in search of jobs do not have to look far, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

Oloye Seyi Gbadamosi, an international trader and agribusiness consultant, has struck gold. Four years ago, he won a contract to supply charcoal to Poland for nine months at 72,000 euros (N15.9 million) per month).The business development and e-technology consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Farm Produce got the contract through information researching. But things were not easy before he got his big break in 2011.

Fashola Advocates Patronage Of Made-In-Nigeria Goods

Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Thursday said the country stood to gain a lot if citizens patronised locally produced goods.

The governor made the statement while speaking at the state’s 6th Artisans and Tradesmen Day celebration.

He said that patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods would enhance local production capacities, resulting in job creation and reduction of poverty.

China to partner with Nigeria, Africa against piracy

The Peoples Republic of China says it is ready to partner with Nigeria and other African countries to fight piracy and other forms of intellectual property theft.
Ms Zhang Dan, an official of China’s State Administration for Commerce and Industry, said this during a seminar on Intellectual Property Rights in Beijing.

Experts Discuss Investment Opportunities in Nigeria

The Association of Assets Custodians of Nigeria (AACN) said it recently held its fourth annual investor conference with the theme “Nigeria: Navigating Changes, Extracting Opportunities,” in London.

In a statement, the custodians said it hosted the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who was represented by the Director of Reserve Management, Mr. Lamido Yuguda at the event.

Oil prices gain on upbeat US stockpiles report

Oil prices rose in Asia Thursday after a decline in US petroleum stockpiles and production boosted hopes of an easing in the global supply glut, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for July delivery rose 22 cents to $59.20 while Brent crude for July gained 32 cents to $65.35 in afternoon trade.

WTI jumped 99 cents and Brent climbed $1.01 on

Oil Workers Want FG To Reverse Sale Of OMLs 40, 42

The unions in the oil and gas sector on Wednesday in Abuja appealed to the Federal Government to reverse the sale of Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 40 and 42.

Mr Isaac Aberare, the General Secretary, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Aberare said that the sale of OML 40 and 42 would shortchange the workers, Nigerians and the country as a whole.

How To Write A Business Plan

Now that you understand why you need a business plan and you've spent some time doing your homework gathering the information you need to create one, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get everything down on paper. The following pages will describe in detail the seven essential sections of a business plan: what you should include, what you shouldn't include, how to work the numbers and additional resources you can turn to for help. With that in mind, jump right in.

Business Description 

Within the overall outline of the business plan, the executive summary will follow the title page. The summary should tell the reader what you want. This is very important. All too often, what the business owner desires is buried on page eight. Clearly state what you're asking for in the summary.

Executive Summary

The business description usually begins with a short description of the industry. When describing the industry, discuss the present outlook as well as future possibilities. You should also provide information on all the various markets within the industry, including any new products or developments that will benefit or adversely affect your business.

Market Strategies

Market strategies are the result of a meticulous market analysis. A market analysis forces the entrepreneur to become familiar with all aspects of the market so that the target market can be defined and the company can be positioned in order to garner its share of sales.

Competitive Analysis

The purpose of the competitive analysis is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors within your market, strategies that will provide you with a distinct advantage, the barriers that can be developed in order to prevent competition from entering your market, and any weaknesses that can be exploited within the product development cycle.

Design & Development Plan

The purpose of the design and development plan section is to provide investors with a description of the product's design, chart its development within the context of production, marketing and the company itself, and create a development budget that will enable the company to reach its goals.

Operations & Management Plan

The operations and management plan is designed to describe just how the business functions on a continuing basis. The operations plan will highlight the logistics of the organization such as the various responsibilities of the management team, the tasks assigned to each division within the company, and capital and expense requirements related to the operations of the business.

Financial Factors

Financial data is always at the back of the business plan, but that doesn't mean it's any less important than up-front material such as the business concept and the management team.

Etisalat Easybusiness Millionaires Hunt 2nd Edition(2015)

Easybusiness millionaires Hunt Season II 

The easybusiness millionaires hunt is a support initiative designed to empower top 10 SMEs with the most innovative business ideas through a N2 million financial grant each.

Benefits

·         Top 10 business ideas will be rewarded with 2 million naira each.

·         Top 50 business ideas will be rewarded with brand-new office equipment and 1-week entrepreneurship training at the prestigious Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos!

·         3 phones will be up for grabs daily throughout the entire call-for-entry period.

·         5 all in one scanner, printer and copier will be won every month during the call for entry period

Subscription details

·         To participate, simply recharge your easybusiness line with N3,000. Dial *345*3# to pay for 3 months’ subscription upfront

·         Then text YES to 5885 to receive a unique code and URL to submit your business idea

·         If you have already subscribed to the easybusiness package for a minimum of 3 months in advance, you are also eligible to participate.

*Please note that this opportunity is only available on easybusiness; Premium, complete, insure, Super BB and Super Data. 

Pricing & Tariffs

·         Premium Plan – 1,000 monthly subscription

·         Complete Plan – N1,000 monthly subscription

·         Compact Plan – 500 naira monthly subscription

·         Super BB Plan – N2,300 monthly subscription

·         Super Data Plan- N2,300 monthly subscription

FAQ 

How do I opt into the easybusiness millionaires hunt?

·         Simply texts YES to 5885 from your easybusiness line, you will receive an SMS with a unique ID and URL(Web) where your business idea is submitted. 
Can any etisalat subscriber opt in to the promo?

·         You must be on an easybusiness package to participate e.g. Premium, Complete, Insure, Super BB, Super Data. If you are on another etisalat package, you will have to migrate to any of these easybusiness packages.

What are the conditions to be fulfilled to be eligible?

·         You must belong to a Closed User Group (CUG)

·         You must have an active easybusiness CUG subscription

·         You must pay his or her easybusiness CUG subscription in advance for 3 months

what are the prizes up for grabs?

·         3 Phones daily for 3 lucky subscribers that opt in to the promo

·         5 office equipment monthly for 5 lucky subscribers that submitted their business ideas online

·         Top 10 finalists win N2m naira cash grant at the end of the promo

How can I get on easybusiness?

·         Pick up a minimum of 3 easysim lines, register and dial 200 to activate, on the voice select 4 to choose easybusiness package

·         To migrate to easybusiness from existing etisalat sim, dial any of the preferred activation code below, the first migration is free, subsequent migration cost N100

To submit your Business Plan for etisalat Business Grant after you have received your Easy business SIM with 3 month subscription and your Unique Code, click here

Easybusiness variant	Activation code	Amount
Premium	*246*4*1#	N1,000
Complete	*246*4*2#	N1,000
Insure	*246*4*8#	N1,000
Super BB	*246*4*5#	N2,300
Super Data	*246*4*6#	N2,300

ENTER for the UN Project Inspire competition 2015 – Submit Your Ideas and Win $25,000 and a trip to Singapore

Are you a change maker? Do you have an idea that can change the world? Project Inspire is providing you a 5-minute platform to pitch your inspired idea to the world and win a US$25,000 grant. The UN Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World is a global social impact competition to help young change makers create a better world for women and girls in Africa, Asia, Pacific and Middle East .

WORTH

Each finalist receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Singapore, where they are paired with a mentor and participate in a week-long social business boot camp, that includes workshops run by Bain & Company and INSEAD. The week culminates in the Project Inspire grand final on Friday, 13th November 2015, where a winner will be chosen by an esteemed panel of judges.

• Grand Prize: Thanks to MasterCard, the grant prize winner will walk away with US$25,000.
• Runner Up: Thanks to Hilton Worldwide, the runner-up winner will walk away with US$10,000.
• People’s Choice: Top problem Solvers will go home with funds given to them by their supporters. Now everybody is a winner!

ELIGIBILITY

• This competition is open to both individuals (males and females) and groups from anywhere in the world.
• Participants may submit entries as an individual or as a team of up to three members.
• If submitting as an individual, you must be between the ages of 18-35. You will be considered as the team leader for the purpose of this competition.If submitting as a team, at least one member of the team must be between the ages of 18-35. A team leader must be chosen and wil be between the ages of 18-35

DEADLINE: 1st July, 2015

 To apply and for more information visit here.

Apply For a Chance to Win up to $1M in Prizes in the Powerful Answers Award

We believe good ideas combined with powerful technology can help solve the world’s biggest problems. The Powerful Answers Award is a multi-million dollar challenge for entrepreneurs, companies and innovators worldwide to provide innovative solutions in Transportation, Emergency Response and Internet of Things.

WORTH

• 1st Prize :$1 Million
• 2nd Prize :$500,000
• 3rd Prize :$250,000

ELIGIBILITY

• Individuals who are at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is older) as of date of entry.
• All validly formed legal entities, except as prohibited, regulated or restricted by law, decree or regulation.

DEADLINE: 18th June 2015.

To apply and for more information visit here.

APPLY: 2015 Project Inspire

Launched in 2011 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and the 25th anniversary of MasterCard in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, “Project Inspire: 5 minutes to change the world” is a global challenge that presents 18-35 year olds with a 5-minute platform to pitch their inspired idea to the world.

Project Inspire 2015 will take on the theme of ‘Technology or Design for Economic Empowerment’. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how they use design or technology as a tool in the work they are doing to enable and empower women economically throughout Asia, the Pacific, Middle East & Africa.

WORTH

• With a US$25,000 Grand Prize
• US$10,000 Runner-Up Prize on offer to make their idea a reality

ELIGIBILITY

• Must be between 18-35 years of age
• Project must focus on women empowerment
• Open to individuals all over the world

DEADLINE: 1st July 2015

To apply and for more information visit here.

APPLY: 2015 eNNovation Challenge

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced a new policy on cash-based transactions which stipulates a cash handling charge on daily cash withdrawals. The new policy is aimed at reducing the amount of physical cash circulating, encouraging more electronic-based transactions (payments for goods, services, transfers, etc.) and drive financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and greater reach. It is also aimed at developing and modernizing the Nigerian payment system.

As a proactive measure to solve some of the challenges posed by the cashless policy, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems PLC (NIBSS) conceived the idea of organizing an online crowd sourced contest aimed at generating innovative ideas to drive the policy, and generate solutions to overcome the present challenges.

The contest known as the “2015 ennovation Challenge” is managed by Digital Jewels Limited and is organized in partnership with Samsung and IBM. A large percentage of the process will be completed online. Participants will be required to logon to a website and write ideas around the topic “How do I make cashless policy more effective in my community”.

WORTH

• Cash reward of N350, 000 each.
• Some Samsung devices for the top 10 ideas.

DEADLINE: 10th May 2015, Noon.

To apply and for more information visit here.

GLO AND SMEDAN PARTNER EMPOWER SMES TO BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH

Globacom, has announced a unique partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to support 17 million small and medium business owners in the country. The partnership which will cover about 17 million entrepreneurs under SMEDAN is seen as a huge stimulus to boost economic growth in the country. 

ELIGIBILITY:

This opportunity is opened to all Small and Medium scale Entrepreneurs, however to be eligible, the Entrepreneur:

• Must be SMEDAN Certified and have completed a SMEDAN Certification training.
• Must submit a viable business plan that will be reviewed by SMEDAN
• Must be Nigerian with Business establishment in Nigeria to increase employment.

HOW TO REGISTER:

Interested Entrepreneurs should contact Derutron Ventures for more detail.

If you would like to attend the SMEDAN Certified Business Plan Training in Aba, Abia state to equip yourself for these opportunity, send us a mail.

Contact Derutron Ventures:  derutronventures@yahoo.com

Phone: 08082370566, 08037491748