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Showing posts with label 2017 at 05:32PM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017 at 05:32PM. Show all posts

Sunday, 12 March 2017

SEC’s committee recommends establishment of Unclaimed Dividend Trust Fund

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By Peter Egwuatu

In an effort to address the current lacuna on unclaimed dividend in the Nigerian capital market, the Committee set up by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC has recommended for the establishment of Unclaimed Dividend Trust Fund, UDTF.

This was revealed at a public hearing organised by Senate Committee on Capital Market last week as the Commission made its submission based on the report of its committee set up last year to review the issue.

The Committee had recommended the followings: the removal of the 12 year statute of limitation on unclaimed dividends as contained in Section 385 of CAMA, to enable shareholders claim their dividends in perpetuity; the establishment of a Trust Fund as a body corporate, with a Board of Trustees, for the administration of unclaimed dividends; The Fund to be managed by an independent Fund Manager supervised by the Board of Trustees and regulated by the Commission.

It also recommended that members of the Board of Trustees should be selected from the capital market with representation from the following institutions: Federal Ministry of Finance, SEC, Institute of Capital Market Registrars, Shareholders association recognized by the commission, Nigerian Employees Consultative Association, and such other persons as may be determined by the Minister of Finance.

The Committee recommended that  upon establishment of the Fund, the Minister of Finance shall issue a directive for all forfeited unclaimed dividends domiciled with the companies and  all subsequent unclaimed dividends, 15 months and above to be paid into the fund.

The submissions made by institutions, such as the SEC, Corporate Affairs Commission, Institute of Capital Market Registrars, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Recognised Shareholder Associations etc have alluded to the fact that the viable option of injecting these forfeited unclaimed dividends into the economy is through the establishment of an UDTF.

It was proposed during the public hearing that the Fund shall be managed by a Fund Manager registered with the SEC, and shall give periodic reports on the status of the Fund to the SEC and the Minister of Finance.

Speaking at the public hearing the Director General of SEC Mr. Mounir Gwarzo said “Going by the practices in other jurisdictions, we believe that it is apt for the Nigerian capital market to have a platform for the utilization of unclaimed dividends funds”.

As the financial regulators continue to push for greater levels of financial inclusion and encourage more Nigerians to invest in the capital market, the issue of unclaimed dividends must be tackled holistically.

In a bid to mitigate the situation, the SEC had in September 2015 issued a directive to all Registrars of companies to return 90 per cent of unclaimed dividends in their custody for a period of fifteen months and above. Similarly, in November 2015, the Commission launched the E-Dividend Mandate Management System (E-DMMS).

The E-DMMS is an E-dividend payment portal that ensures the payment of dividends directly into a shareholder’s account.

Meanwhile, the public hearing came against the backdrop of increases in the volume of unclaimed dividends. Available data estimates that the quantum of unclaimed dividends has grown almost thirteen folds just between 2005 and end of 2012, and now N117 billion as at December 31, 2016.

The post SEC’s committee recommends establishment of Unclaimed Dividend Trust Fund appeared first on Vanguard News.

Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2mQrStG


Linkage Assurance partner insurance brokers in expanding horizon

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By Favour Nnabugwu

Determined to increase its market share and compete effectively for growth, Linkage Assurance Plc has moved to strengthen its relationship with insurance brokers. Brokers according to industry statistics control over 70 percent of the market share, particularly in the corporate private and public sector business.

The company said that   working with brokers more closely is in line with its vision to increase visibility, deepen penetration and provide insurance to every nook and crannies of the country.

Speaking at the February 2017 Members Evening of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Managing Director,  Dr Pius Apere, Linkage Assurance Plc said brokers have a big role to play in helping to ensure that insurance takes deeper root in the economy of Nigeria.

Dr Apere said insurance sector is the backbone of any economy, and that without insurance no economy can grow because the  insurance sector helps  other business to survive, particularly in a period of economic recession.

“Without insurance many businesses will die in this recession, that means we have a role to play by ensuring that we help businesses remain on the part of growth and sustainability, Dr Apere stated.

The Linkage boss further stated that the company recently launched seven new products targeted at low income people, to enable them manage their risks and enhance their standard of living. There is economic recession, so these products have considered the plight of ordinary citizens such that they are affordable with a lot of benefits for individual and small businesses.

While thanking the brokers for their patronage in the past, he urged them to support the company to have an exciting and beneficial journey in 2017 and going forward. Among the products recently launched by the company are Linkage Purple Motor Plus; Linkage Third Party Plus; Linkage Shop Insurance; Linkage Event Insurance; Linkage Estate Insurance and Linkage SME Comprehensive.

 

The post Linkage Assurance partner insurance brokers in expanding horizon appeared first on Vanguard News.

Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2mA0Wfi


Friday, 10 March 2017

Moment of inspiration for young people at MTNF conference

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MTN

A lot of young people today seem clueless about their life’s aspiration and have no focus whatsoever as to where they intend to be in the nearest future. In some cases, they would probably source for short cuts to fame and money, as against deploying their youthfulness en-route success in life. Besides, the elderly are of the opinion that young people are not ready to take up serious leadership responsibilities at different levels.

These and more observations stirred the conversations at the MTN Foundation Scholarship Alumni Conference held in Imo, Abuja and Lagos. The event brought together beneficiaries from the Foundation’s Scholarship Scheme, who were enlightened and inspired by young enterprising Nigerians such as Chief Executive Officer, SLOT, Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Proponent of Made in Aba Initiative, Sam Hart, Co-founder/Executive Director, Sahara Group, Tonye Cole, CEO, Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austin-Peters and others.

Since the inception of MTN Foundation Scholarship scheme, over 8,400 scholarships have been awarded amounting to over N1.6 billion to Nigerian science and technology students and blind students.

Speaking at the event, Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Founder/CEO of SLOT, shared with the youth how he explored his inner capabilities in order to provide solution for himself and Nigerians at large.

Ezeigbo, who is also the co-founder of Tecno, narrated how he had to search deep to discover his passion and translate it into a money making venture to changed his world for the better; thus birthing two of Nigeria’s top ICT brands.

“I studied Electrical Electronics Engineering, and because I couldn’t find the kind of job I wanted, I decided to create one for myself. So what I did during my undergraduate days in the University was to look inward to see my strengths and capacities. I had to do something within the context of my capacity, which is engineering. I embarked on a training to acquire the needed competence of becoming a computer engineer.”

He hinted that, though education was paramount in achieving success, perseverance and competence were two major ingredients needed to be a solution provider and to lead, even as he decried the state of joblessness amongst Nigerian youths.

“People need to understand that you need to spend more time and money to acquire the right trainings in other to have your desired work. You have to become a solution provider for you to create wealth and also survive in an unpredictable environment like Nigeria. Today, people lack competence to make them employable even though they have the required certifications; this is the reason why so many youths are jobless”.

Lending his voice at the conference, Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia State on Public Communications, Sam Hart, who spoke on the winning idea said, “winning idea has to be out of the ordinary; everybody tells you think outside the box. Distinguished alumni, don’t listen to them. Do not think outside the box, throw away the box; think like there is no box. Think like no box exist and go out and create your own thing that is been distinctive. If you do the same thing that everyone keeps doing all the time, what makes you extra ordinary, what makes you different,” he quizzed.

On her part, the Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Nonny Ugboma charged the alumni to work with the right people as they journey through life. “Make sure you select the right person to go ahead with you in your journey.”

Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the scholarship, who spoke at the event, lauded the scheme and the impact it had made in their lives.

Damilare Ishola, a 400 level Guidance and Counselling student of Lagos State University revealed that life after he lost his sight was difficult until MTN Foundation came to his rescue.

“I lost my sight due to some unforeseen circumstances beyond human control. Life was very tough, as I felt rejected and abused. I waited at home for years not knowing what to do next. When I heard about MTN foundation I had to put more effort on my academics. My name was listed among the qualified candidates and since then my condition has changed for the better. I thank the MTN foundation for coming to my aid.”

Another beneficiary, Inuka Chiamaka informed that, “I am a beneficiary and alumni of the MTN Foundation Science and Technology Scheme. This workshop is more like an exposure to me. It opened my eyes to certain things. I always have this fear in me that my background had not exposed me to see the real world. I am happy to be part of the alumni. It is a very nice platform to bring people that MTN Foundation has helped together. It will go a long way towards networking and sharing knowledge.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mRIxx3


He distinguished himself as governor of Midwest, says Tinubu

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Bola Tinubu

Former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has described the late Brig-Gen. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, who died on Thursday night at the age of 84, as a very professional and disciplined military officer.

He praised Ogbemudia’s record of infrastructural development as governor of old Mid-western region, saying it was still being appreciated and talked about till today.

In his condolence message over the passing of the retired general issued by his media office yesterday in Lagos, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader said: “Though we never wish that our elders leave us even at an advanced age, Ogbemudia lived to the age of 84. We are not to mourn his death, but celebrate his life and times.

“Ogbemudia was a very professional and disciplined military officer. “We have lost an uncommon patriot and nationalist who fought with former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, to keep our dear nation one.

“As governor, Ogbemudia’s record of infrastructural development in old Midwest region is still being talked about till this day. He showed his love for education as a catalyst for human capacity development by creating the Midwest Institute of Technology, now University of Benin.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2maoTrM


Thursday, 9 March 2017

Three ways to use fomo in social media marketing

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social media marketing

Whether we’d like to admit it or not, social media has fundamentally changed our culture. This is clearly visible in the way people share and consume content.

Citizens of the Internet do not want to miss out on anything and are constantly trying to impress each other with their ability to stay up to date with evolving stories and trends.

Researchers and behavioural psychologists believe that this cultural desire to be relevant is tied to a fundamental fear of missing out (FOMO). As business owners, sales executives and marketers, it’s important to understand how FOMO can be leveraged for maximum results.

Understanding fomo in the context of the Internet
AT first glance FOMO may sound like a joke, but it’s very real. And interestingly, one Brooklyn-based psychiatrist believes the addition of the acronym to the Oxford Dictionaries Online in 2013 actually heightened the severity of FOMO in our society.

“We have so many different ways to communicate through our phones and through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat,” Johnny Lops says. “I have access to hear everything you’re doing on a daily basis and it can heighten my insecurities and jealous emotions because I feel like I’m not out doing as many cool things as you are.” 

Psychotherapists believe FOMO is rooted in our ancient survival instincts. When we perceive that other people are enjoying life more than we are, signals are sent to the brain that makes us feel unsafe or threatened. In severe cases, we may even feel like we’re losing control over our lives. These irrational thoughts lead to irrational behaviours – including impulse purchases.

How to capitalise on fomo in the marketplace
WHILE brands do have to pay attention to a certain moral aspect to FOMO in the marketplace, there are also plenty of ways to honestly capitalise on this rampant mindset.

According to an article from Active Web Group, “Successful brands recognise this phenomenon as an opportunity and often leverage the fear of missing out in their marketing efforts.”

How can you best leverage FOMO for success? Here are some pointers:

Create scarcity
ECOMMERCE businesses are able to successfully leverage FOMO by showing limited quantities on product pages. For example, instead of simply displaying the price of the green widgets your company sells, you can display the price with a flashing button that says “Only 3 Green Widgets Left!” It adds some urgency to the purchasing decision and may encourage the customer to buy now, rather than later.

You can also create scarcity by limiting the amount of time an offer is available. Limited time deals have been around for ages, but their value has been maximized with social media. Clearly announcing that a deal will only be around for a limited amount of time can help drive impulse purchases and increase perceived demand.

Encourage social sharing
IN social media marketing, finding ways to motivate customers to share your products on social media is key. This brings an emotional factor into the decision and exposes your product to an entirely new segment. When people see their friends purchase something, they feel peer pressure and may decide to purchase the same item.

Leverage exclusivity
TAKE a page out of Pinterest’s book to enhance your FOMO marketing efforts. When first launching, Pinterest only allowed people to access the site if a friend invited them. This made the new networking site feel exclusive and important. People wanted to be a part of the special group and would automatically sign up after being invited, even if they didn’t understand what the site was really about.

Are you placing emphases on FOMO in your social media marketing tactics? If not, you’re missing out on a fantastic opportunity to leverage a captivated and motivated social media audience.Using these tips, begin to brainstorm ways your business can capitalize on the rampant fear of missing out.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2m5ByMM


Monday, 6 March 2017

Media agency gets 11th most creative, innovative award

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Omnicom Media Group’s Agency OMD was recently awarded the most Creative, Innovative and Effective Agency Network of the Year for the 11th consecutive time by the Gunn Report for Media, the industry standard for evaluating media creativity.

The criteria of selection consider the agency’s overall performance from January to December 2016 based on the results of global, regional and national Media creative award contests spanning over 40 markets in the world. Most importantly, it recognizes the vital role media agencies play in today’s highly competitive and fragmented media landscape.

In addition to OMD leading the list with 632 points, PHD (again an Omnicom Media Group) ranked number three, moving up one rank with 476 points. OMD and PHDs top ranking reflects recognition earned in 2016 by agencies in every region across its network.

Commenting on the findings, editor of the Gunn Report for Media, Isabelle Musnik said, media agencies had become their clients key strategic partners. “They are creative orchestra conductors” at the intersection of technology and traditional media. The Gunn Report for Media shows that, while technology and data are fundamental to achieving results, insight, strategy and innovative ideas are essential to delivering them.

“2016 marked the year of data, mobile-only, apps, programmatic advertising and vertical video, to name a few. OMD is therefore proud to have continued to produce the most creative, innovative and effective work in the world for our clients, not only pushing the boundaries of innovation but delivering strong business results for our clients,” she added.

According to Regional Managing Director, mediaReach OMD, Tolu Ogunkoya, “Our global culture cascades to local markets, with many local initiatives. We encourage our teams to produce works that deliver on objectives and help overcome Business Challenges.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lxM83v


Thursday, 23 February 2017

MTN Foundation, SLOT boss, others charge youths on winning strategy (Read full details)

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Nigerian youths have been charged to be pragmatic in their approach toward addressing issues they might be dealing with in their quest to create and sustain a winning idea for empowerment and development.

In dealing with these issues, the youths have been counseled to “think like there is no box” and show greater ingenuity to counter the challenges.

This counsel was given by the Senior Special Adviser to the Abia State government on Public Communication, Mr. Sam Hart and the Managing Director of SLOT, Nnamdi Ezegbo, at the launch of the MTN Foundation Scholars Alumni and Conference held in Owerri, Imo state.

The conference, billed as an annual event, will bring together the graduate beneficiaries of the MTN Foundation Scholarship schemes: Scholarship for the Science and Technology students (STSS) and Scholarship Scheme for the Blind Students (SSBS).

Rather than sitting back and sulking about the current economic challenges, Hart, who is also the promoter of the ‘Made in Aba’ initiative said the youths, “should not think outside the box but they should think like there is no box. Challenges will come, failure will come but they are necessities to succeed. You need to be resilient to sustain a winning idea and you must believe in yourself.”

On his part, the Managing Director of SLOT, Nnamdi Ezegbo recounting how he started SLOT technologies, advised the participants to always be prepared for challenges because the road to success will never be smooth. Only determination will make them succeed.

Ezegbo went philosophical when he said, “my strategy for operating SLOT is to create solutions. The environment will never be perfect. There is no perfect time for you to strike at success. Every time is the best but you need to understand the times.”

Ezegbo crystallizing the SLOT acronym said, “SLOT means Solution, Leadership, Opportunity and Technology. These are the four principles that drive our existence.”

“The entrance of Tecno into Nigeria was a solution from SLOT to get Nigerians to have a single phone that has multiple SIM. Tecno was created to meet a need and it has become the backbone of my riding to success.”

On leadership, “it is about understanding yourself. You need to create an environment to continue to learn, while at the same time you must identify the unique opportunities you hope to solve with technology,” said Ezegbo.

Admonishing the beneficiaries, Director, MTN Foundation, Mr. Dennis Okoro, said they should see the scholarship as a rare opportunity that must be well utilized. For the alumni Okoro said, “now that you have all gained and have been empowered, it is essential that you show yourselves as worthy ambassadors of the programme. Feel free to exhibit your creativity positively and contribute your quota to the development of the country.”

The conference will also hold in Abuja and Lagos with Tonye Cole, Bolanle Austin-Peters and Chika Ofili confirmed as speakers for the locations.

The aim of the MTNF Scholars Alumni Conference is to give beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme opportunities to meet with successful Nigerian entrepreneurs that will share their success stories of impact and value to inspire them as they launch themselves to the world as agents of value creation and change. The theme of the conference is, “Creating a Winning Idea.”

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2l5lN85


Tuesday, 21 February 2017

DFID pledges new models of governance assistance to Southwest states (Read full details)

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DFID

The Department for International Development (DFID) has pledged to assist the Southwest states to put in place models and ways of working that will enhance the strengths they already have.

The Team Leader, Governance and Social Development, UK, DFID, Mr. Oliver Blake, made this known yesterday in a paper he presented at the on-going Southwest governance innovations conference holding in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The four-day conference, organised by Dawn Commission, was saddled with the responsibility of charting a roadmap for good governance and accelerated development in the Southwest region.

Blake who said the DFID had, this year provided £250 million in support to Nigeria stated that his organisation recognised the fact that the Southwest region had committed political leadership, brilliant and committed people as well as all that it takes for its development.

His words: “This conference is therefore about helping the Southwest build on the political leadership and the skills of its people to put in place a dynamic of progress, built on a commitment to excellence and drawing on lessons and experiences from across the region,” Blake affirmed.

Those who made contributions at yesterday’s session included Abegunde Ebenezer Oludare, Iyalode (women leader) of Yorubaland, Chief Alaba Lawson, Babatunde Babajide, Jide Bamgbose and Anthony Oyedeji.

Each spoke on innovations their state governments had introduced into governance.

The lead presenter from Ekiti State, Mr. Abegunde Ebenezer Oludare enjoined all the Southwest states to ensure “professionalism in agriculture” so as to encourage the youth to come in to the sector.

The General Manager of Oyo State Community Social Development Project (CSDP), Mr. Christopher Adewole Babatunde, disclosed that the CSDP had helped the state to reduce poverty and stimulate development.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2lsU9Dy


Monday, 20 February 2017

BPE justifies N213 billion intervention fund

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Vincent Onome Akpotaire

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) put the accumulated shortfall due to wrongly assumed Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC &C) of 25 per cent from November 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 at N213 billion.

According to BPE, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) N213 billion intervention fund was made available to enable Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) spread the recovery of the money from the consumers over a ten year period.
 
Acting Director-General of BPE, Dr. Vincent Onome Akpotaire, who made this disclosure in a statement, explaining why the CBN gave a loan of N213 billion to the privatized power companies, said that the  “Multi-Year Tariff Order 2 (2012) that was put in place when investors took over on November 1, 2013, had assumed AT & C loss level of 25 per cent.

 
He stated that the agreements signed with the investors gave Nigeria Electricity and Regulatory Commission and the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) one year to determine the true AT & C loss levels, which was subsequently found to be about 50 per cent on the average.     
   
Expatiating on why the core investors in DISCOs were not investing heavily in line with the agreements they signed with the government, he said the transaction structure compelled investors to raise money and pay for their 60 per cent equity in DISCOs using their own balance sheet and that upon take over, the investors were expected to leverage on the acquired companies’ clean balance sheets to raise additional funds for investments.
 
However, he pointed out that financial institutions have refused to lend money to the DISCOs until a cost reflective tariff is approved in line with the agreements; and the CBN loan to the industry removed from the books of the DISCOs.
 
Akpotaire suggested that for the power privatization in Nigeria to work, the industry’s regulator- NERC must be allowed to perform its mandate without interference.
 
He said that NERC must be allowed to fix tariffs in line with the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) without interference from any quarters and that if the tariffs are considered high the government could decide to mitigate the effects by taking up a percentage of the tariffs instead of outright cancellation.
 
The Acting Director-General cautioned against the blame-game in the power sector and appealed to  the Executive and the Legislative arms of the government as well as other stakeholders to  come together  to find solutions to the sector’s challenges.
 
Explaining why the Federal Government is being asked to subsidise the Nigeria Electric Supply Industry (NESI), the BPE’s helmsman said the loss levels at the point of privatistion of 50 per cent could not be fully passed to consumers immediately to avoid rate shock and consumer rebellion.
 
Akpotaire said, “although the Federal Government owns 40 per cent of the DISCOs, it was not part of the management because it was not funding its shares on the Boards. The Performance Agreement executed with investors has assigned operational risks to investors. The PA provides that a core investor who fails to achieve agreed targets stands the risk of losing his/her equity at the payment of $1 by the Federal Government.”
 
On why the BPE is on the Boards of the power companies, the Acting Director-General explained that “since 1988 when TCPC, the agency BPE replaced, was established, BPE has always represented the Federal Government on the board of any company undergoing reform and privatisation.” This makes it possible for the BPE to have access to all the information it require to carry out its statutory duties of reform and privatization, “Since all key strategic decisions are made by the board, it would not make sense for BPE to give guarantees on behalf of a company it does not know the critical decisions that its boards had taken,”Besides, he added, “the initial five-year period is usually a time to help nurture the companies on the path of growth and success.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2m2hK1j


Monday, 30 January 2017

With Tozali, Abubakar spotlights women’s issues, lifestyles

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Abubakar

Abubakar

Maimuna Abubakar is the publisher of Tozali, a 10-year old lifestyle magazine based in Kebbi State. It is both print and online and focuses on women’s issues. In this exclusive interview, Abubakar told The Guardian that Tozali has come a long way and is ready to cover a wider audience.

A former Assistant Manager with Corporate Affairs Commission, Abubakar, who trained as a lawyer, decided to retire to follow her dream of publishing. “When you have passion for something and you feel you are talented in that area, there is nothing more fulfilling than following it up,” she said. “Right from when I was a kid, I always loved the media. I was drawn to magazines, news, fashion and the media generally. I used to be a big fan of Ebony (U.S.-based) magazine from my secondary school days up to my university level.”

Considering the harsh economic realities and the nature of the media, how has Abubakar managed to survive 10 years pursuing her passion with no formal training in journalism? According to her, “I tried to enhance myself by going through some short, crucial courses in media and journalism. I did some short courses in London School of Publication on copyediting and report writing. I also did Adobe In Design and many other courses that are related to my present field.”

On whether her parents were not disappointed with her new turn of career and not practising law, she noted, “Don’t get me wrong. I still practice law, though not as regular as before.”

Abubakar said Tozali, being a Hausa word for ‘eyeliner,’ is intended for female audience and touches on every issue that concerns the womenfolk.“I also wanted an easy Hausa word that could be pronounced by everyone. We are in the northern part of the country and there hadn’t been any magazine like Tozali before. So, we wanted to promote the northern culture – the people, their passion, lifestyle and what have you. It was a virgin market; I identified my niche and that was how it all started, and in the shortest period, we became very popular because there was nothing like that. I was also inspired by the environment as well, the need to bring people in the northern to the limelight, teaching them the need to celebrate culture, achievements and Nigeria as a whole. Tozali is not the usual magazine with a lot of foreign content. But about 80 per cent of our content is originally Nigerian.

“The quality of our print production is super glossy and something to be kept as a souvenir for life. Our event segment is always designed with rich, top quality pictures.”

Explaining why the magazine focuses more on women issues, the publisher said, “Although we try to mix up everything, but women are the top side of the publication. We deal with human related stories, stories that can inspire women, issues on life, love, children, education, relationships and so on. But this doesn’t mean that men are not interested in these issues. We bring women achievers to share their stories to inspire younger women. The truth is that African women need to be pulled up.”

However, she said there are a lot of young women entrepreneurs who have also featured in Tozali.On some of her challenges, Abubakar admitted that breaking into the market was not easy, but said her consistency helped her to overcome quite a number of problems.

“At first, it was like throwing your money into a ditch,” she noted. “It was difficult keeping up with the production, but as the years go by experience became key to our success. Experience taught me other ways of making money for the magazine. At first, I thought one could just have good cover stories that would automatically bring advertisements to the magazine. But I realised that one had to work hard to achieve this.

“I had to build my network and connection over time and this could only come with experience. I am still learning and growing because 10 years is just like the blink of an eye. Life is not a smooth ride; the challenges we face make life interesting.”

When asked about her achievements and prospects for the company, Abubakar said she was still growing and was yet to have the kind of breakthrough that could be called breakthrough, adding, “The birth of Tozali is my proudest accomplishments although I can say I am relatively successful for sustaining a paper for all these years. I have managed to build a brand and Tozali is a household. Tozali is currently available in most English speaking African countries.

“We have plans to also translate into French for a wider audience as the demand comes. We are looking at creating a much bigger circulating firm where Tozali can be found on every newsstand.”

Vía The Guardian NigeriaThe Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kO44lA