Terror Attacks

When I stated that Faoruk Abdulmuttallab must have been a lonely youth and starved of parental attention, I was not trying to be trivial. According to foreign media, recent press releases have revealed his postings on Facebook and other social media platforms. Apparently, he had been pouring out his inner thoughts.

A posting from January 2005, when he was attending boarding school, read, “I have no one to speak to. No one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do. And then I think this loneliness leads me to other problems”.
As parents, we need to monitor our children and also be their closest confidants. Here, I rest my case.

Impressionable!

I would like to start by wishing readers of this blog ‘Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year’. I would also like to doff my hats to the hardworking men of the Lagos State Fire Service and Governor Fashola. As I was leaving for Ibadan yesterday, along Ikorodu Road, Obanikoro to be precise, a commuter bus caught fire, and you needed to have seen these fire fighting officers, battling to put out the fire. For the very first time, I saw a fully equipped fire force and water, oh yes! WATER was gushing out with full force, enough to extinguish the near disaster that could have occurred.

Events like this keeps my hope alive for a better Nigeria. No one can save this country except we all join forces and decide to put a stop to the madness that occurs around us on a daily basis.

It’s bad enough that we’re rated as a nation of fraudsters but adding terrorists to our ever growing list of negative perceptions is just appalling. I finally settled down to read the news about that Nigeria young man who decided to blow up a plane heading to Detroit. For the first time, I saw his picture. I mean, he’s so young, innocent, naive and can’t be more than 20years from what I saw.
How did he become involved in things like terrorism? What the heck was he thinking? A shot at 5minute fame or a chance at PlayStation reality game show? I wonder how a promising young man could have allowed himself to be used for something sinister. If you’re thinking his motive was money, it was not cos according to newspaper reports, he’s from a wealthy family and attended some of the best schools in Africa. Learnt his father is the chairman of First Bank of Nigeria.

We live in an information age where there is free access to all kinds of information (beneficial and non-beneficial). As parents, we need to be more involved in our childrens lives so that we can impart the right information. In today’s world, I’m not a big supporter of sending children to boarding schools where they can be influenced by wrong elements. This type of outlandish behaviour did not erupt suddenly, it started way back in school. If his parents had taken enough care to monitor him, they would have nipped it in the bud before this national disgrace happened. From experience, money is not everything.

Love, care and proper attention are what our children require to become responsible and law abiding citizens of any nation. It’s so sad and it simply breaks my heart cos I believe he was trying to get the attention of his parents but he chose the wrong route.

Osu – The Caste System in Igbo Land

I listened to an interactive programme on the radio (102.3FM-Continental Radio) sometime ago, and the discussion was about the prevalent caste system in the south eastern part of Nigeria. It was quite interesting and the various contributions from both the audience and the invited guests made it so. From what each contributor said, the Osu people were dedicated to the gods – for their service. Contrary to negative perceptions concerning this special set of people, I learnt that they were the first set of people to be educated when the missionary people came to the South Eastern part of the country.

According to the history persona, it was quite easy to become an Osu. For instance, if an individual was trying to escape from an adversary, by swearing an allegiance to the society, such a person becomes an Osu. It was also interesting to know that due to the special duties being carried out by the Osus’, they were rewarded with choice lands, property and other valuables. They also had their own schools, markets and other social amenities. It was also interesting to note that only the fairest and the brightest people were members of this special community. I understand that within the South Eastern part of the country, they’re the most prolific and eminent individuals. So, I wonder where all the negative connotations started from.

Why would parents threaten to disown their children for marrying an Osu, who obviously has an illustrious pedigree? Why the unnecessary discrimination? I don’t know all the answers, but I’m of the opinion that this kind of abominable discrimination has got to stop.

New Lessons

What do you do when you suddenly realise you’ve got competition? How do you respond to such threat without making some costly mistakes? How do you know that your strategies for building brand loyalty amongst your target audience is the right one in the face of competition? This is where we are right now and I can tell you the  answers are not easy. I am following my gut instincts by following what my intuition tells me me. This is much different from emotions. I don’t allow emotions to rule me when it comes to business. I simply do what has got to be done.

The product has given its’ first hint of monumental success based on consumer reactions to it. Yes, we now have another competitive distributor but that has not taken my gaze off my goals and objectives. I have not come this far to give up. I am trudging head on. We’ve also advised the manufacturer to obtain Standard Organisation of Nigeria’s certfication. This will help in affirming the quality of the product and it gives us the right to sell this product within Nigeria.

 Apart from selling the brand through large retail chains or stores, I have also decided to engage the services of Direct Sales Agent who will be brand ambassadors and engage in one on one communication with our target audience. For our affiliate program, we have put in place an attractive sales commission for our agents. Based on our sales forecast, our agents will be making a minimum of N5,000 – N10,000 weekly. We intend to also offer more incentives as sales increase. For now, we’re taking it one step at a time.  Got to go peeps.

Have a wonderful holiday. Merry Christmas.

Transition Period

Hello Peeps, I have not been around for some time. I was away for a training in Lagos on ‘Account Business Competencies’. Saying I learnt a lot is an understatement. I now understand why most people who have had a successful career with multinationals become consultants. It gave me the opportunity to understand and manage large retail chains effectively.

Yesterday, I was at a retail chain in Bodija, to submit our proposal and drop a sample pack of our product. I went through the process outlined during the training. After the product presentation, I knew we had a huge chance of our product featuring within the outlet. I was told to come back today and upon arrival, I had to conduct another presentation to the outlet manager. Suffice to say, they placed an order for 48packs. On monday, we had also conducted another proposal submission at a large retail chain on the island. They placed an order for 24packs immediately.

To top it all, we’ve been receiving inquires from our target audience on where they can purchase this unique brand. We’ve also commenced home and office deliveries for large orders. The journey has been exciting and challenging but it’ll be more eventful as we encounter more success and mistakes in building brand equity amongst our target audience.

In dealing with large retail chains, I have learnt to be diplomatic, give helpful suggestions that would drive consumer demand not only for our brand but other similar brands within an outlet. I have also learnt the importance and usefulness of floor staffs within an outlet. They can make or mar acceptance of new products. Peeps, I’m off…