Minister of Youth Development @BolajiAbdullahi to Hold TownHall Meeting with Youth

I recently heard that the Minister of Youth Development will be hosting a Town Hall meeting with Nigerian youths online :) Please participate and get your voice heard! Endeavor to share the outcome of the meeting with offline friends! :-)

Date:  Thursday, September 8th 2011

Time: 3.00 - 5.00 p.m.

Chief host: The Minister for Youth dvelopment, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi.

Twitter handle: @BolajiAbdullahi

Venue: www.twitter.com
   


The document below is the Ministry's strategic plan in dealing with issues affecting young people in the country. This will form the basis of the discussions at the townhall. Kindly read, review and tell your friends about it! Source: AfterSchoolPrep

  
Nigerian Youth: Key Interventions Proposed by the Ministry of Youth Development

Background

Those between 18 and 35 constitute almost 50% of the Nigerian population (NPC 2006). Given its size, energy, passion and creativity, this demographic group should be a critical resource for economic growth, sustainable development, and national transformation in Nigeria. At present, it is not. This is because the potential contributions of our young population is compromised by a host of challenges, including lack of jobs, limited marketable skills, low entrepreneurial bias, limited access to credit, high vulnerability to poverty, limited level of inclusion, and low value orientation etc.

Our present economic growth rate could mask the extent of youth deprivation in the country. Rather than be taken in by seemingly robust growth rates, we should learn, proactively, from the recent experience in North Africa and the Middle East. And now, the United Kingdom. Tunisia, for example, had a steady growth rate of about 9%. But despite this healthy outlook, it was the first to erupt when the simmering anger of its deprived and frustrated youth eventually boiled to the surface.

While many countries are ageing, we are blessed with abundant youth population, and it has been projected that by 2030 our most important resource will be our youth, not oil (British Council 2010). But our youth bulge could turn out to be either a demographic dividend or a demographic disaster. It is important therefore that we do more to harness the potentials of our youth, put in place policies and programmes to unlock the binding constraints on their path, and scale up investment to turn this huge demographic force to a force for good. We shouldn’t do this just because we love our youth. On the contrary, we should do it because it makes economic, social, political, and security sense.

Where We Are
The Federal Government has a plethora of initiatives and investments aimed at addressing the youth challenge in the country. But our analysis reveals that our youth population is underserved for the following reasons:

Lopsidedness: About 90% of the budget of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and its two parastatals goes to NYSC alone (N43bn out of N49bn in 2011 budget). This is not to say that the budget of NYSC is too much, but that almost all our resources for youth development go to one year in the life of those lucky to be graduates of universities and polytechnics. 

Limited Coverage: As presently focused, most of the activities of the Ministry serve what can be categorized as the elite youth: university graduates and politically-active youth and their organizations. This means that a majority of our youth are outside the scope of our interventions. However, it is this category of missing and underserved youththat portends the most danger to the country in terms of crime, restiveness, political thuggery and religious extremism. 

Misalignment:The major challenge facing our youth today is lack of jobs and skills. Unfortunately, our major investments in youth development do not tackle this major challenge. The NYSC, the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre and the mainline Ministry do little to prepare the youth for the job market or to expand opportunities available to them. Also, there is misalignment between the available training programmes and the needs of the industry.

Limited Coordination: Because of the cross-cutting nature of youth development, responsibilities are dispersed in different sectors. This is to ensure that the youth challenge is tackled in a holistic and comprehensive manner. However, due to lack of adequate coordination, most youth programmesdo not serve their intended target or the concerns of the youth get crowded out in the mix.

Tokenism: A lot is being done to reduce general unemployment, but much more could be done to directly tackle the specific obstacles to youth employment. Our young people could not access the available job opportunities because they are not skilled, do not have experience, and do not have collateral for credit. Most of the existing skills training programmes are either below market standards or too token; and the financial supports/loans offered for entrepreneurship are too paltry to make any meaningful impact. Also, states and LGAs (where most of our youth live) could do much more than they are doing at present.

Little Engagement: Little is being done to involve the youth in the design and implementation of the programmes directed at them, so most of these youth-targeted interventions fail because they do not reflect the needs of their intended beneficiaries. Beyond opportunistic and counter-productive engagement at election periods, little effort is made to involve the youth in the larger decision-making process or give them stake in the society.

Strategic Priorities & Key Interventions
Given our mandate, the key challenges of our clients, and the need for us to play a key role in the Transformation Agenda, the Ministry of Youth Development after its recent retreat decided to focus on the following five strategic priorities:

Facilitate targeted skills acquisition, enterprise development and credit access for the youth;
Reform/reposition key institutionsof the Ministry to improve service and value to youth and country;
Mobilize, empower, and re-orientate the youth;
Improve monitoring and coordination of different youth programmes across sectors/tiers;
Enhance advocacy and communication to make youth issues an urgent national priority.

Arising from the above, some of the key interventions being proposed are as follows:

1.     Youth Employment Project
We propose to initiate a Youth Employment Project, which is a short-term, quick-impact intervention that will provide skills and entrepreneurial trainings, job placements, business development services and concessionary credit to our youth. This project is not a replacement for the NDE and other such initiatives, as it will be different in terms of its specificity to the youth, and its scale, execution mode and quality. The Project aims to reach 500, 000 youth per year (NDE’s is for 36,000 Nigerians) and will be undertaken mostly through credible intermediaries in private and public sectors and civil society. It is expected that YEP will become part of the Youth Development Fund once the enabling law is passed.

2.     Reform of the NYSC
The NYSC is the singular most important investment in youth development in the country today. But the return on investment to the country and the corps members has been low. While security of corps members has been a major concern lately, it is clear that NYSC is long due for a holistic review that will align the scheme with challenges of the moment. We therefore propose to go beyond the cosmetic reforms of the past and plan to reposition the NYSC to serve as a boot-camp/finishing school for our graduates and to provide real service to the country in infrastructure, farming, and teaching etc. As a starting point, we want to propose the setting up of a Presidential Committee on the Review of the NYSC.

3.     “Drive the Future Nigeria” Campaign
Many of our youth have become cynical, disoriented, dysfunctional and alienated. We plan to re-engage our youth and increase their self-belief, agency and voice by initiating an IT-led but multimedia and multi-lingual campaign to put them in the driver’s seat of their future. Led by Youth Champions, this campaign will also be used to mobilize the youth, make them part of the decision-making process and arm them with positive values of citizenship, entrepreneurship, work ethic and leadership. It will be run in partnership with civil society and the private sector, and will serve as a creative vehicle for engaging and empowering the youth.

4.   Improving Data for Planning & Advocacy
The youth population is not a homogenous group, and we cannot serve them well if we continue to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. We therefore plan to improve our understanding of our clients by undertaking a number of studies, including: a disaggregated study of the youth population to be able to adequately segment the various sub-groups in terms of location, level of education/skills, size, disposition, challenges etc.; a scoping study of the various interventions by different actors across sectors and tiers for us to have a comprehensive view of the landscape and ensure proper coordination and impact; a database of the unemployed youth in the country; and refocusing of the Youth Development Index, which was first and last published in 2008, to serve as a tool for tracking and advocacy.

5.     Repositioning the Ministry
We plan to reposition the Ministry because we need to redefine our role as a facilitator/coordinator, rather than as a service provider. This will entail not just a re-orientation and restructuring but the development of appropriate capacities for policy-making and research, for coordination and partnership, and for advocacy and communication. The Ministry needs to be fit-for- purpose and be positioned to serve the youth—its client—and the country better. This will entail institutional review and re-alignmeant.



Source: Federal Ministry of Youth Development

More Employees are quitting. Employers must be told why…

When it comes to work, sometimes the discomfort we feel at one level is a sign to move on or change our methods of doing things (innovate). However, the rate at which resignation letters are flying left, right and centre these days is alarming. Okay, looking at familiar situations, more young people are taking up “Entrepreneurship” than full time employment. Those who work are most likely doing it for the “experience,” with a plan to “start up” something too.

In this Era of entrepreneurship, will Employers be striped bare of all employees? What can make employees stick to their job, in good and bad times? What do they really want?

In “Who are the digital natives? And what do they want?” Tim Windsor on “Zero Percent Idle,” while drawing a demarcation between this generation and the older generation effortlessly described how this generation is changing work.

Windsor gave eight characteristics to help understand the dynamics of this tech savvy generation. Among the listed includes, the need for freedom of choice and of expression. No doubt, if you work in an environment where your opinion and ideas are always stifled, with no room to tackle this challenge, the next option is to pick up that pen and write a love letter to your Boss- aka resignation letter.

Corporate integrity and openness are some of the things we often lookout for when deciding where to work. Thus, this explains why sometimes people take so long in settling for an employment. You can’t afford to work anywhere. It is in our nature.

Work environment should be “entertaining.” This generation knows how to work hard and play hard too. Combining the two makes us more productive. This does not mean we necessarily want to play Dbanj’s “Oliver Twist” loud in the office during a board meeting. It simply means we can adopt a 212-degree attitude towards our work without necessarily panting like someone climbing Mount Everest.  “At 211 degrees Fahrenheit water is hot, at 212 degrees it boils. With boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. The extra degree makes all the differences that separate good from excellence.” The fun space in our work allow us perform excellently. Sometimes Employers don’t just get this. They want to see you sweat before they sign that cheque.

Most importantly, this generation has a penchant for being innovative in nature. The reason we look unsettled or impatient is because we are constantly seeking innovative ways to collaborate, entertain, learn, and work.

As an employer, does your organization have corporate integrity and openness? Do you encourage employees to give their best without stifling their originality? As an employee, are you committing a 212 degrees-attitude to work? Mutual understanding between employees and employers will help bridge the yawning gap in the marketplace.


-----------Resource

The image used is linked to Careerlism

A Letter of Recommendation

13 “I am sending you a master craftsman named Huram-abi, who is extremely talented. 14 His mother is from the tribe of Dan in Israel, and his father is from Tyre. He is skillful at making things from gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and he also works with stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and scarlet cloth and fine linen. He is also an engraver and can follow any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and those appointed by my lord David, your father. Signed: King Hiram (2 Chronicles 2:13-14)

I’m mulling over the life of King Solomon this afternoon. I’m totally amazed at how he threw himself into the project of building a Temple for God. What tickles me is the amount of the best of resources he used in implementing the project. King Solomon spent so much because the Temple of God deserves the best of the very best.

And then I paused to reflect. If we are God’s Temple(s) these present times should we not be doing the same? Should we not be investing the best of resources in building our capacity? In looking good? In ensuring we eat the best- physical food and spiritual food?

While running through the list of skilful men and women who helped build the Temple, a man named Huram jumped at me. Men, with their pettiness, would have disqualified him because he was a child of two cultures- an outsider. But guess what? A King from another “Country” actually recommended him! Why? Huram was extremely talented and his good works spoke well of him to Kings of Nations. When the time was right, he was honored to be among those who will build the Temple of God.

We all have a bit of that in us don’t we? But we most times allow the fear of the unknown to reduce us to shadows. We allow the foolishness of men limit us from shining.

I’m totally inspired by King Solomon’s dedication and Huram’s outstanding-ness. Please take out time to read the full story as recorded in the Bible- 1 Kings 6, 7:13 and of course the letter of recommendation written for Huram- 2Chronicles 2: 11-14.

Don’t allow anything stop you from arising! Whatever you are going through right now,

Arise,

Do not fret,

For the Prison is not a threat

But your route to the Palace.

A King’s Butler will make mention of your name

And the King will call you to fame.

Keep being faithful in what you do, whether you have very little or very much. Soon, it will yield increase and more increase. Stay blessed and keep being a blessing!

"Impacting Positive Change Through Education" @wlffgirls

Emmanuel is 12 years old and lives in the area within Ajeromi-ifelodun local government of Ajegunle, Lagos, which WLFF have selected to implement the WLFF 2011 project in.  He comes from a very humble home structure, which he shares with his parents and seven siblings (younger and older).

He is an A student and has held first position in his class at a public school for a significant period. He is also bright and articulate and attends the LOTS Resource Centre each day after school during the term and during the day during school holidays. He enjoyed going to see a film at the ‘Silverbird’ cinema, Victoria Island and also visiting ‘Terraculture’ (sponsored trips arranged by LOTS). He is an avid reader, (His peers at LOTS said his head is always buried deep in a book); he however admitted the bible was still his favourite book.

This September he will start Secondary School on a full scholarship sponsored by With Love From Friends WLFF (with funds raised at the 2011 Ball).

In this interview, the team of WLFF share their passion and expectations for the 2011 fundraising event tagged “OLD HOLLYWOOD BALL.”

Since you started out in 2008, what has been your most significant achievement?

WLFF: The most significant achievement was our first event held in October 2008 which raised over £6,000 for the Premier Foundation Nursery and Primary School  (PFS) in Iwaya and being able to see that project through to fruition.

Working in partnership with ACDI (African Child Development Initiative, a charity based in Nigeria) we returned to Nigeria to visit the students of PFS. We had purchased text and exercise books, stationery, art materials etc, for Nursery to Primary 6 classes. Armed with some snacks and drinks, we arrived at Iwaya (at the Church hall the students were calling school at the time) and handed over the resources/materials we had bought.

We spent the day holding quizzes with the older students and playing games, dancing and singing with the younger ones. We also spoke to the teachers and thanked them for their dedication to educating the youths/future generation of our country.

Leaving Iwaya that day I remember looking back at some children in the neighbourhood who did not attend school at PFS. Members of the team who accompanied us to Iwaya bought them loaves of bread and there was a big scramble as they fought to get a portion. It felt like those were the children we were ‘leaving behind’ despite having just been able to act towards the success of the PFS students.

A year later, in 2009 when we returned to PFS the Students were in their new school building (built with funds raised by ACDI), complete with desks and tables purchased by WLFF. The children were cleaning out their classrooms – with proud smiles at their brand new school.

This is an example of the experience that I think we encounter year on year. We do make a change and impact that we are proud of, through hard work and our supporters who finance the cause. But it can be tinged with a sense of more to still be done. One of our main aims is to continue to urge others to make a contribution also; together we can increase the impact of change.

How did WLFF come about? How did you team up and come up with the idea?  
WLFF: WLFF is literarily seven friends giving back. Six of the WLFF members met and became friends at university. During the planning of our first event, we met Tayo who was volunteering at the time in the planning/organising e.t.c, and she became part of the team thereafter.

Tell us more about the team members. A) Why are you involved with WLFF as individuals? B) Do you do other things aside this project?

WLFF: Tayo:  WLFF, to me, means giving back! Giving back to people who are perhaps not as privileged and blessed as I have been. Giving back to a country that I love and grew up in and most of all, doing this with friends! 

Toritse: It used to be very difficult to be optimistic about Nigeria’s progress in educating our future generations to the high level required for positive change. With Love From Friends and meeting all our amazing partner charities, changed it all. It became very simple, if everyone takes one step at our time, we’ll get there pretty soon :).

Seun: With Love From Friends, for me, created an opportunity for me to give back to a cause I truly believe in. Our core belief centres on education, which includes helping to providing an environment that facilitates knowledge and skills been passed on to a younger generation.

Bim: It means making a contribution to affecting some positive & tangible changes, in the life of at least one child living in extreme poverty in Africa. Its means putting aside self and my 'wants' for bursts of periods.

 Dami: WLFF provides a means for me to give back to young people who may not have had the same opportunities as I have had. With a focus on education; we are able to have a positive impact on the lives of young people in Nigeria.

 Winnie: For me, WLFF is about a network of friends coming together, utilising diverse life experiences and skills to make a strong impact - some sort of domino effect or a chain reaction of social change (if you can call it that) which hopefully inspires other people to roll up their sleeves and get involved. 

Londe: WLFF is about appreciating the difference that passion, drive and hard work can make in the lives of others. It is about putting a permanent smile on people’s faces and inspiring hope in their lives.

B) Five of us are in full time work, and Tayo and Toritse are both on a full time PHD programme. WLFF activities are all performed/planned/co-ordinated during our evenings, weekends and free time.

It can be tough trying to schedule meetings around seven busy ladies, one of whom now lives in Nigeria (and is thus closer to the home of our current cause) and another in Scotland – also a flight away from London. Skype/dialling in on meetings is now familiar grounds. We are also pleased to have survived two members of WLFF adding the task of ‘planning a wedding’ to the balancing act of juggling commitments. I think these experiences teach us the importance of really working as a team!

How do you select NGOs or groups to support? For example, this year you are working with LOTS, what informed your decision to raise funds for them and not for other similar organizations?

WLFF: As much as possible, we want to work with a Nigerian charity that shares the same/similar values as us; one that exists to meet basic educational needs, that is hands on in providing/assisting its beneficiaries and that values accountability/transparency.

We find them through a combination of word of mouth, perhaps from friends/contacts who may have had experiences with the charity, online/ paper media sources or stumbling across their website.

This year, after much research, we came across LOTS Foundation and started talks with Tolu Sangosanya (the amazing woman behind LOTS) to assess its potential as a viable project for 2011. Toritse went to Nigeria earlier in the year and got the opportunity to meet Tolu and tell her a bit more about WLFF and what our objectives are. Toritse fed back on her experience to the rest of the WLFF Team and we found that LOTS ticks most (if not all) our requirements and that was the start of the relationship.

The rest of our team went back to Ajegunle in August and got to witness first hand and learn more about Dustbin Estate and the work LOTS is doing in the community, and we are even more convinced!

What do you do at WLFF and how do you do it? Do you just raise money and give to these organizations? Or you build up on the relationship?

WLFF: We try to build a relationship with the partner charity and the community/School management. We speak directly to both parties over the duration of time from inception – making the decision to have that cause as the project for the year, through to after we have purchased and donated materials/tools etc.

As much as possible we aim to directly purchase goods ourselves. The more involved we are personally, the greater understanding we will have of the factors the schools/charities face and also allows for greater accountability for how funds are spent.

We personally plan and organise events of two types. Firstly,  to raise awareness about the educational needs that exist in our chosen area of help for the year’s project and secondly, to actively raise funds for the project.

When we choose the cause we usually know what the funds will go towards. We continue to talk to the charity and school/community/resource centre through to the point where we actively plug funds to meet needs, to ensure that that particular need still exists, as a lot can change between when we start talks with the charity and when we have raised funds and can actively put them to use. This ensures that funds raised are still being put to use in the areas that will have the greatest impact for the children. We also request feedback after the project.

How do you measure your impact?
WLFF: Pictures, newsletters, videos and telephone feedback help us to measure our impact. Progress reports, pictures, newsletters, videos from the schools/charities, via email and feedback over the telephone. We physically, visit past projects school premises to observe what has changed and how much has changed.

What has been your core challenges? How are you overcoming them? What more should we expect from WLFF?
WLFF: Unfortunately, we cannot help everyone, thus we encourage others –students, working professionals e.t.c to contribute in some capacity to making a change.

Hosting quality events at a very low cost base. As we are a non-profit organisation, we are limited by how much we can spend on an event. We want to host an event that is well attended (since each ticket purchased adds to funds raised) but that requires inputs of high quality. So the balancing act is ensuring our inputs are at the lowest cost possible, so we have a bigger pool of funds to spend on the educational needs of the children.

Expect us to continue to raise funds to meet educational needs, year after year. In the future, we would like to offer programmes that encompass acquiring life skills, community development, as well as improving traditional teaching methods. We also hope to expand the ‘communities-in-need’ we reach Africa-wide and possibly beyond.

 What is your message of hope to underserved communities in Nigeria?
WLFF: Our message is keep your head up, work hard, and maintain integrity.  And when your circumstances change for the better, help someone else. Let's keep the cycle going!

About “With Love From Friends”

With Love From Friends  (WLFF) is a voluntary organisation founded in January 2008 by a group of close-knit friends with the aim of making positive and lasting contribution to the advancement of education in Africa.  

Since inception, WLFF has raised over £10,000 towards the provision of basic educational resource and furniture for a poor community school in a high density slum area of Lagos, Nigeria.  

This year, WLFF is teaming up with Love on the Street (LOTS) Foundation to meet the educational needs of children who live on Dustbin Estate, in Agegunle, Lagos.

LOTS is a registered charitable organization in Nigeria that caters to the physiological, social, educational,psychological, medical,  and emotional needs of  street  kids  and  vulnerable children. Their  area  of  focus  at  the  moment  is  the Ajeromi-Ifelodun local  government   in  a  Ajegunle,  Lagos  state.   ␣LOTS  offer  the  children  living  in  Dustbin  Estate  :  literacy  supplementary   classes,  health  care,  daily  meals  and  food  items  and  social  outings  to  broaden   their  perspective.  To learn more about LOTS visit http://lotscharityfoundation.org

WLFF  is  raising  funds  in  2011  towards  a  sponsorship  program  to  put  through  a   Small  selection  of  the  children  from  Dustbin  Estate  through  six  years  of   secondary  school  education. The funds will  also  provide  educational  resources  for  the  LOTS  resource  centre  in   Ajegunle through  which  the  charity  administers  its  services. ␣All  profits  raised  from  the  2011  Ball  will  go  towards  this  project.

The Event: OLD HOLLYWOOD BALL!

Aim:  Raise funds  for  LOTS  Foundation  Project Estimated Numbers: 200  guests Date  :1  October  2011 Venue  :  Hotel  Russell,  Russell  square,  London Price:  £50  

Purchase:  Tickets  will  be  available  to  buy  online  via  Paypal.   

To  reserve  a  ticket  ,  please  email  info@wlff.co.uk.  

CLICK HERE TO READ REPORTS OF THE EVENT

PAST PROJECTS

WLFF has supported organizations such as Premier Foundation Primary School (PFS) and Bethesda Child Support Agency (BCSA), working with underserved communities.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact WLFF on info@wlff.co.uk  

Twitter: @wlffgirls, Facebook group: With Love from Friends. 

Come meet the NaijaSistas at The Daisy this weekend!

Hey! Here is an opportunity to meet the Naija Sistas live at the FIRST Naija Sistas Book Reading in LAGOS Nigeria!

Culled from The Desperate Naija Woman's Blog:

What? The 1st Ever NaijaSistas Book Reading & Meet The NaijaSista Event

When? Saturday, 03 September 2011 from 2pm to 6.30pm NO AFRICAN TIME PLS

Where? The Daisy, 8 Idowu Martins Street, Victoria Island, Lagos

Why? You want to attend this because you love all things 'books' and by attending you are showing your support for Nigerian writers ESPECIALLY Nigerian WOMEN writers PLUS, you will get to meet some of the NaijaSistas! AND it will be like no other book reading event you have attended PLUS there will be loads of prizes to win! Plus, you will make me really happy if you attend.

About Naija Sistas Bookstore

The NaijaSistas Book-Stop is the brain-child of Bola Essien-Nelson, the author of the recently published ‘The Diary of a Desperate Naija Woman™ in the Year 20-Ten’ which is the second in ‘The Diary’ series.  The concept for this store was born out of her own experience trying to get her books stocked in bookstores in Lagos.

‘I know how difficult it can be to get some of the bigger book stores to stock your books. There is lot of following up to do and sometimes after all that, your book still won’t be accepted. If it is tough for us self-published writers here in Nigeria, I can only imagine that it is near on impossible for those Nigerian female writers in the diaspora to find a ‘home’ for their books. So when God provided a space for me to stock my own books, I thought why not invite other Nigerian women to come stock their books with me? It just made perfect sense; I knew it would be a mutually beneficial relationship. So, in a nutshell that was how the seed of the ‘NaijaSistas Book-Stop’ was planted in the premises of Henry Nelson Consulting, 26 Festival Road, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The NaijaSistas Book-Stop is committed to stocking well written, inspirational and value-adding books published by Nigerian women home and abroad. Why ‘Book-Stop’ and not Book-Shop? ‘Because the books ‘stop’ over on their way to your home and heart and you ‘stop’ over to pick up a book or two! Also, it really is still just an office with a desk laden with wonderfully written books so calling it a shop seemed a bit much for now. But I know we will get there!’

And so far, the response to her invitation has been very encouraging. Here are the current members of the NaijaSistas Writers Club:

Call Upon Me - Bemigho Omayuku

The Mrs. Club - Ekene Onu

Can I Be Real? - Ekene Onu

Just Us Girls - Mildred Kingsley-Okonkwo

My God Even in the Last Minute - Dolapo Babalola M.D

Healthful Eating For the African - Lara Adejumo M.D

Tailed - Dupe Olorunjo

The Aireginana Dream - Dupe Olorunjo

Be God’s Gift to Your Husband - Adesuwa Anwuri PhD

Preserve My Saltiness & Other Poems - Jennifer Ehidiamen 

The Only Way Is Up - Folake Taylor M D. 

 Twilight at Terracotta Indigo by Umari Ayim

The Quest For Purpose' by 

Pamela Evbota

A Love Rekindled by Myne Whitman

etc.

And of course, you can get all of Bola’s three books as well. She believes that this tiny seedling will thrive and grow into a mighty oak tree because its all about Sista-on-sista support and partnership rooted in a God given idea – Nigerian women working together towards a common goal – ‘wRighting lives one book at a time’. For more information on how to join the NaijaSistas Writers Club, contact Bola Essien-Nelson via desperatenaijawoman@ymail.com or by calling +234 705 754 3679

AdPlacers.com is giving away $200 Ad token to five SMEs in Nigeria and Ghana

Do you run a small or medium scale business or enterprise in Nigeria and/or Ghana? Do you know someone who does? If yes, then this information is for you!

AdPlacers.com is giving away $200 Ad token to five SMEs in Nigeria and Ghana. The Ad Token is to help the selected businesses plan their digital marketing strategies and also have their ads displayed on Facebook, Twitter and AdPlacers’ Local Publisher sites. 

How to Apply:
Interested SMEs are to write a short essay not more than 1000 words on “The Importance of Digital Marketing to my Business”.

Entry should be submitted to http://www.adplacers.com/smes.html including name of the business, nature, location, contact info and details of the owner. Your Ref code is 203

For this maiden edition, the deadline for application is September 5th 2011. Winners will be contacted September 7th 2011.

About AdPlacers.com

Adplacers.com is an Advertising  Placement and Management platform developed by Flying Antlers. The platform allows individuals, Agencies and Corporate brands to place and monitor their campaigns on leading websites like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, BBC etc. By providing “one platform for all” approach, SMEs are able to monitor the progress on their campaigns.

Adplacers presently serve as the only advertising platform, apart from Google, on Nigeria’s most visited Nigerian Forum - Nairaland.com

Their Secondary Services include website and applications development, SEO and SEM, Social Media Management, Mobile Marketing, Online and mobile surveys, Digital Marketing Training and Consulting.

For more information, contact : www.adplacers.com

Tel: +2348024666799

Twitter:@Adplacers

Facebook: facebook.com/adplacers

Youtube: Youtube.com/adplacers

Source: CP-Africa.com

Exclusive INTERVIEW and special feature on IBK @spaceshipboi, winner of Don Jazzy's Enigma Competition

Three winners have emerged in the just concluded Don Jazzy’s Enigma Beat Competition. The competition, which went viral while it lasted, was launched a few weeks ago with over 1,800 submissions. After screening and short-listing the entries down to top ten, the publics were invited to vote for their favorite artiste.

According to a post on the website that hosted the competition, notjustok.com, the top 10 entries had 34,410 votes from different parts of the world. On Monday, 15th August, the top three artistes who emerged winners were announced. IBK Spaceship Boi, was top winner with 13,214 Votes. While Teeklef Unogu came second place with 7,864 Votes and Opeyemi Akinloye aka OPZY had5,746 votes, coming third place.

In this interview with Jennifer Ehidiamen, the Computer Engineering graduate from Covenant University, Emuwawon Ibukun Kevin, aka IBK Spaceship Boi shares his experience on the Don Jazzy Enigma Beat competition and his aspiration forthe future as he launches fully into the Nigeriam Music industry.

In retrospect, who was your favorite artiste from the top 10 shortlisted on Don Jazzy's Enigma competition?

IBK: Wow! That's a tough one because everyone had elements in their delivery that was exclusive to them, and I appreciated the individual diversity each time I listened through the top ten list. They were all deserving winners, but I can't seem to take a pick.

The track you entered for the competition started with "a toast to the winner," was that a premonition that you would win?

IBK: Yes it was, (Laughs) because winning for me was encapsulated around the fact that a young man or woman would be inspired to dream and become what God wants them to be on earth after they listen to the record. I was positive I had delivered to that effect and shouting out a toast to the ultimate winner in the deity of Christ was to reassure myself that He would bless His people through the work He inspired me to do.

If you had not won the competition, whom else do you think deserved to win on the list aside Teeklef and Opzy?

IBK: Like I said earlier, they were all deserving winners. Everyone had what it took to get the number 1 ticket. It could have been anyone on that list, but the author wrote that chapter in my favour and for a very good reason too.

You won the competition with a striking 13,214 Votes, compared to Teeklef's 7,864 Votes and Opzy's 5,746 Votes, what do you think endeared you to the listeners who voted for you?

IBK: I would say the message and the way it was delivered. I heard the beat and immediately thought "cinema", hence I introduced the effect elements like the thunder sound, rain, soldier foot stomps, extra vocals to make the intro fuller and an inspiring hook, with the body of the rap focusing on the story of God's salvation told in a manner the rap artiste, Common, did in the song “I used to love her”. It was different and stood out. For some people, it was a bold step doing what I did. I can't forget a comment from someone on twitter saying "Wow! You spoke about Jesus without saying His name but we all got the message. That is true creativity." But most importantly, I found favour with God and with the listeners because it was ordained to be, even before I was born.

How was the waiting process, between the time the poll closed on notjustok.com and when the result was announced on Monday?

IBK: (Exclaims) It was horrible! Ah! I had to remind myself of God's word that says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your request known unto God." It was a true test of selflessness. There were many moments of doubt because I didn't know what it would be judged by. I kept telling myself, "but you are already fulfilled in what you set out to do, which was to inspire people". It wasn't a pleasant waiting moment I must say. But God proved Himself.

Where were you when you were told you won? What was your first reaction?

IBK: I was on a Bike, heading out to see a friend. I find traveling on Bikes an efficient means of beating the traffic jam in Lagos. Anyway, as we rode along, a friend sent a BBM message saying "Yayyyy!!! You won". I was like “Please don't play with my emotions, oh please!” All of a sudden, another message came in, and another and another, all saying congratulations. I broke down in tears as the Okada (Bike) rider kept going. Immediately called my mum and told her what had happened because mummy was supportive with her votes, with prayers and all, thank God for my family and friends, they were all so supportive.

Before the Enigma Beat competition, where was IBK Spaceship Boi and now that you won, what next?

IBK: Before the competition, I was working on my debut album schedule to drop sometime in 2012, a current member of bez's band and very well into the business of creating music for other artists, companies and all. What happens next is obvious to me because I have always been on "what next" since I was born. It is simple, be sensitive to listen and obey Gods voice because like I said earlier, He is the author and director; I am just an actor with a script He wrote for His play.

Tell us a bit more about life as a music producer and songwriter
IBK: It's fun having the ability to create; an amazing experience having to go through old records, redefine the sound and make it fresh for the human ear consumption. "There is nothing new under the sun" King Solomon once said. It is pretty cool being your own boss and pushing yourself to achieve your goals. It is exciting and fun, especially when the set wages for your services are handed to you, wow! That sure is amazing.

You studied Computer Engineering but today you have ventured into music full-time. Was this an easy transition?

IBK: Music for me has always been my life. I wanted to go to Australia to study Sound Engineering prior to going to Covenant University to study Computer Engineering. There was no transition at all. It was staple right from my tender ages. I knew this was what I was going to do and I bless God for all the people that added to me being where I am today.

What advice do you have for young Nigerians who are aspiring to be or pursue a career different from what they are studying presently?

IBK: Go for it! Develop yourself in what you want to do. It takes lots of reading and doing what the average person won't do in order for you to be exceptional. I can't tell you the amount of sleepless nights I have had in my little journey so far. Make sure you have a strong purpose for going into what you want to go into, and the motive should be centered on solving a problem or adding value.

Why did you enter for the Enigma Beat competition?
IBK: I entered because it was an opportunity to get God's word out. I entered the competition to inspire that boy and girl who would listen to what I put out. It was a selfless route for me and I am grateful it turned out the way it did.

What is your opinion about the Nigerian music industry? What excites you about the industry? What difference are you bringing on board?
IBK: The Nigerian music industry is in transition like most things are in the country. Where our country is today is primarily as a result of the mindset of its people. We hold our future in our hands but its beauty is evident when we commit it to the hands of God. What excites me about the industry is the growing desire for development and improvement in the nature of material its artistes put out. People are gradually moving from the mediocre state of mind to actually pushing themselves to be creative. The industry is still “doggy dog,” but we are getting there. I want to stir up the drive to put out quality products that would inspire my nation and the world at large. Let's make our nation the most desirable place to live in, let's get more youths thinking like job creators and not job seekers. We need more Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) growing to become Conglomerates. Lets work towards setting policies that will be enforced for the growth of the industry. Let's grow, we can do it and we shall. God bless Nigeria.

Readers can listen to or download “I have a Dream” for FREE, please visit: www.reverbnation.com/spaceshipboi Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/spaceshipboi

CLICK THE BANNER BELOW TO READ ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND WINNING ENTRIES!!!