The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, on August 24, warned President Muhammadu Buhari to avoid repeating the mistakes made by former President Goodluck Jonathan so his administration does not end up in infamy like that of his predecessor.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria also warned the government against continuing to blame previous administrations for the nation’s woes, saying what was important was for the administration to concentrate on putting the nation back on the path of progress.
He gave the warning while delivering a paper entitled, “Nigeria In Search Of New Growth model” at the 15th meeting of the Joint Planning Board and National Council on Development Planning.
The Emir also spoke extensively on the nation’s economic recession.
Here is his full speech at the event:
First of all, I want to break from tradition. Usually I speak in Hausa in Kano. But, I don’t know how I am going to make an economic presentation in Hausa to 36 states’ commissioners and have someone translate it into English. To avoid things being lost in translation, I will speak in the language of economics.
Let me start by saying congratulations to you minister. This is the first time I am meeting you in an official function since your appointment, and to tell you in public what I have always said in private; that you are one of the sisters I remain extremely proud of your work. I wish you all the best in these challenging times.
I have always told people that Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, my teacher, (I don’t know if he is an ex or former minister, multiple times) taught me microeconomics. So, he takes a lot of the credits, and none of the blames, for what I have become.
Ladies and gentlemen, I was not given a specific topic to talk on. But, because the concern today is the concern about the recession Nigeria is in technically, and also because it is a meeting of Planning and Budget Ministers, I thought I will do a proper economic presentation and put down my thoughts on where I think we are; why I think we are where we are, and what I think we need to do to get out of this.
I am sure there will be many other presentations specifically on what a state can do to raise revenues and so on. But, having an overarching view of economic policy, and where we may or may not have done wrong, or what the key drivers of growth should be for the Nigerian economy are things I thought we should talk about at this session.
So, I call this presentation, Nigeria: The Search For A New Growth Model.
I will start by going back to the past, not just Nigeria, but Africa. Let’s ask ourselves what were the key drivers of growth in Africa, and what has changed since this golden decade Africa had.
Africa Golden Decade was basically the decade of the 2000s. Africa moved from the previous decade, where it was a hopeless continent, to a new decade that we have one type lifting all story of Africa rising.
This rise in Africa across the world was one of stories of sadness, poverty, famine and hunger to a continent that was full of potentials; where there were opportunities for investments; where capital markets were booming.
All of a sudden people heard countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, etc. when previously these were supposed to be a basket case in the world.
The first pillar of this growth was clearly shifting terms of trade, which as we all know in developing economics, can be a mirage.
You can’t have improving terms of trade when you are exporting commodities over short periods of a cycle. But, we know as far back as the 1950s, from the Latin American structure economics, that over the long term, any economy that specialises in exporting primary products and importing manufactures would end up having terms of trade shifting against it. You can have a temporary boost, but If you don’t use that boost to have a structural adjustment that would make for prudent management of the economy, you would be courting trouble.
By 2008, one barrel of oil would buy you one Sanyo flip telephone as against 19 barrels of oil to buy the same phone earlier. That gives an idea how well the terms of trade have shifted.
We had an oil price of $10 a barrel in the time of Babangida. At one point under Obasanjo, it rose to $140 a barrel. This was a time of rapidly improving technology, cheaper manufactured products and therefore our oil could technically import us much more.
This process was not common across all of Africa, because we are aware of other African economies that grew, and certainly it was not just one pillar. Let’s go to the second pillar of growth in Africa in that decade, which was debt.
Between 2002 and 2008, the levels of debt to GDP (gross domestic product) in African countries and what they became after the Paris Club, HIPC debt reliefs and so on. Nigeria was at 50 per cent debt to GDP and came down to literally 5 per cent or so.
This happened across all Africa in the form of debt forgiveness, debt relief, debt restructuring and so on. What this did was that it freed up government balance sheets and in that decade of Africa rising, the countries went back on a borrowing binge.
Nigeria kept borrowing, not externally, but internally. I think our external debt was just about $8 billion on the balance sheet. But, the Naira indebtedness of the Nigerian government, we were spending over 30 per cent (maybe 40 per cent now) of every Naira earned just servicing debts.
That’s what you have. Nobody was noticing it. We have written off the debts, and then we kept building it up bit by bit. And when you look at where that debt was going into, you will see why, or part of the answer to the problem we are having.
So, we have these two pillars – rising commodities prices, and we monetise oil revenue, we will be able spend money. We were able to borrow because the balance sheets could accommodate more debts.
Where did all these debts go? Did it go to roads, power, refineries, or infrastructure? No. The new borrowings were simply recycled into much higher recurrent expenditures. What that did was that it helped sustain a consumption boom. And GDP was growing, largely driven by consumption spending.
If you look at public sector wage bills in real terms, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya, you will see it was rising significantly from 2005 to 2014.
In Nigeria, for example, our public sector wage bill went up from N443 billion in 2005 to N1.7 trillion in 2012.
In 2010, the government increased minimum wage to N18,000. I was at the Central Bank, I protested and protested. They had an election coming, they increased the minimum wage N18,000 and basically borrowed money to pay.
In 2012, as governor of Central Bank, I said this was an unsustainable wage bill. We needed to reduce the size of the public service. My own government minister came out to say that was the (CBN) governor’s personal opinion. In fact, she said the government wanted to employ more people. And this is the result.
I am serious. Sometimes I don’t bother. I’m never going to change. I’m never going to be political. I’m never going to stand here and tell people what they want to hear.
The problem is that there is nothing that we are facing today that we did not know would happen. That is the truth. We made mistakes. Many of them deliberate. We ignored every single word that pointed otherwise. Economics is a science. It is not a perfect science. But, over decades and decades and centuries, people have seen that there are certain things that, when you do, will lead to certain consequences.
If you take a brand new car and give a driver who doesn’t have a license to drive it and you have an accident, you really can’t say you were surprised, unless you are some kind of idiot.
We knew that this was going to happen. You can’t just keep borrowing money and paying salaries, not building roads, not improving power and think this will not happen.
We will see the per capita investment development in Nigeria and per capita results we are getting. These were all from a resource in an enclave economy.
And not so that we are not always blaming the previous administration, we have also made mistakes in this administration.
We have started retracing our steps. But, we have to retrace those steps. And if we fall into the same hole that we fell into the last time, where the government is always right.
When the minister is there, you tell them, “You know, Hon. Minister, Nigeria is very lucky to have you in office.” No! You tell the minister that you are doing well, but, you know there are these areas that you must change. If a policy is wrong, it is wrong. Nothing will make it right. And it has to be changed.
So, this is what we did. Look at real sector wages. It was not just Nigeria, it was all over Africa. Look at sovereign debt fuelling growth.
If you take the example of an individual. You happen to know bank MDs and you can make a few phone calls and get loans. You borrow N1 billion here today and build a very nice mansion in Abuja. You borrow another N1 billion and let your family go out on first class ticket as you are travelling all over the world. You borrow another N5 to N6 billion and buy a private jet.
We have very many people in Nigeria who you think are very rich. But, who are really bankrupt, because everything about them are being financed by bank debts. When one debt matures, they have enough connections to call another bank, borrow and refinance that debt. They are not earning anything. They have private jets. They have yachts. Their families travel first class. They go abroad and stay in the most expensive hotels. It happens. And it is happening today.
What do you think of those people? When you think about such people, do you think they are foolish people? Or do you think they are wise people? So, what would you say of a country that does this?
So, you feel growth by borrowing money, pay salaries, people spend money on pure consumption spending, nothing is produced. It’s fine. It’s short term. But, it is not sustainable. How much can you continue to borrow and consume without producing?
And the funny thing is, you did not have to stop borrowing. All you had to do was borrow the right amount and apply them to the right purposes. It doesn’t matter whether they were consumption spending or investment demand, GDP will grow. So, make a choice.
As a country, we made a choice. We wanted votes, popularity or palliatives, so long as people are getting high minimum wage, we keep quiet about all other things that were happening in the economy that we should be talking about.
That was the relationship between public debts and GDP growth.
Today, we are in a new reality. This is what they call the new normal in Africa. And we have a two speed Africa. If we look at the new IMF World outlook, you will see something interesting. Non-commodity Africa will be the fastest growing part of the world, even higher than emerging Asia, whereas commodities Africa (countries like Nigeria and Angola) are among the lowest growing parts of the world, at the rate of Europe and Latin America. And we can’t explain why.
But, think of a country like Ethiopia and then Meles Zenawi, the late Prime Minister. Ethiopia keeps growing year after year at 11-12 per cent. And what did Meles do? The simple things we have been saying for decades and decades and decades. This is a country that came out of a war, remember?
It’s facing insecurities; got Eritrea and other countries that do not like it around it. I’ll give two examples. Coffee. It originated from Ethiopia in the world. But, Ethiopian farmers, before Meles, would get 10 per cent of the value of coffee from their crops.
They would just produce the coffee and sell to companies, and the companies will take their coffee into Latin America and have it improved and dried and and packaged. And Zenawi just asked: “Why can’t we produce coffee in Ethiopia that would go straight from Ethiopia to the coffee shops in Europe?”
And all sorts of responses came. “Well, you know your weather is good for growing coffee. You coffee is very good, but your farmers have bad farming practices.”
So he said: “Why don’t you teach them?” So, he got in touch with the IFC (International Finance Corporation), got a loan, organised Ethiopian coffee farmers into cooperatives, taught them how to grow the coffee, how to dry, prepare and package it.
Today, if you go to coffee shops in Europe and take a cup of coffee that came straight from Ethiopian farm. And Ethiopian farmers are now getting 70 per cent of the value of the coffee, from the former 10 per cent.
So, he tells Aliko Dangote, come and build a cement manufacturing plant here. I am going to give you electricity at three cent per kilowatt hour. For a cement manufacturer, that is all the incentive that you need.
So, Dangote goes, builds the most sophisticated cement plant in Ethiopia, gets electricity almost for nothing and cost of cement drops by 60 per cent.
The construction industries gets boosted. Roads are being built with cement. Jobs are created. And new industry has taken off.
He said to the Chinese, “I don’t like this your idea of coming to buy hides and skin and leather from Ethiopia and sell us shoes. Set up the factory here.”
Nigeria imports 3 million pairs of shoes per annum from China. Nobody knows how much duty they pay. I am not talking about expensive shoes. I am not talking about what you buy from Pierre Cardin, or Gucci. I am talking about shoes people wear on the streets. Shoes that can be bought here in Kano.
We can produce all the shoes, and school bags we want for primary and secondary schools children, millions and millions of pairs. No, we don’t. You know what we do, we export the wet blue and we import from shoes from China, and we have Chinese people coming here to take wet blue to China and bring back shoes.
We are just a very interesting country.
Every single thing we are talking about today about what we need to do have been said before. I have a document “Industrialization Potentials of Northern Nigeria under Ahmadu Bello, 1962.” There is nothing we are saying today that was not part of the industrial plan of Northern Nigeria in 1962.
We are clapping ourselves that after 50 years, we have learnt nothing. The whole industrialisation of Kano, starting from Bombay to Sharada to Challawa had space on that plan.
These are very simple economic logic. You cannot continue doing the wrong things and expect to have the right result.
Since 1950s and 1960s, they understood what was the essence of colonialism. It was to come to these countries, take our raw materials, process them and sell us manufactured goods, and keep shifting the terms of trade against them, so you get richer at their expense.
They understood that independence was not about the flag, but about reversing that process. They understood it. We did not. And therefore they said we needed to stop exporting our cotton. We need to build textile industries. We need to stop exporting groundnuts.
Kano used to take pride in groundnut pyramids. I still have people who come to me and say: “You know, Emir, you must bring back those groundnut pyramids.”
But, I don’t build groundnut pyramids. I want oil mills. What am I doing with groundnut pyramids? They stopped exporting groundnut pyramids and build all these oil mills. We should stop exporting hides and skin. Huge multinational corporations that came to Nigeria, whose business was to buy hides and skin. A company like John Holt. In Hausa anyone who trades in skins is called ‘Dan Janho’.
It became a Hausa word, because this was a multinational whose duty was to just buy hides and skins and take to Europe to produce shoes for us to buy.
So, they said let us build our own factories and produce our own shoes and bags. It’s so bad in this country.
Tomato paste that our wives use in kitchens is imported from China. At best, it is packaged in Nigeria. Now, we have a paste factory 40 kilometres from Kano. That’s about the first. We cannot process tomato. We have to import tomato from China. It’s a very sad case.
A country of 170 million people last week Nigerians were celebrating, because we went to Rio and came back with one bronze medal. I saw Nigerians jumping. Somebody said at least we were on the medals table.
We don’t have ambitions as a nation. Some of these things are not just about numbers. It is about a mindset and a people and attitude.
Do we really love our country? Do we feel any shame when we say that Malaysia that came and took palm seeds from us is now exporting palm oil? Palm oil is what Eastern Nigeria people eat. Now, we can’t produce it. Vegetable oil, groundnut oil.
I went to my friend’s house the other day in Lagos and they gave me Moringa tea in a nicely packaged tin. That is the thing that grows wildly here in the Northern part of the country. Somebody takes Moringa, puts it in a tin, packages it. I did not even know it was called Moringa until I took the tea. They packaged it and gave it an English name. I did not even know it again. It was after I drank it that I knew it was Zogale, as it is called in the local language.
If they had packaged it and called it Zogale, it would have been known as Zogale tea all over the world. Just like people know coffee from Ethiopia. But, now that it is called Moringa, a Hausa man does not know what Moringa is, and it is growing in his backyard. Then, he takes pound sterling to import Moringa tea. So, this is what Ethiopia did.
I will show you what countries like Kenya did, which we didn’t do, and therefore Nigeria is right there in the low band and non-commodities Africa is in the upper band.
What is it that works?
What is it that these non-commodities African countries have done that we have not done?
First, take a model that is investment-driven, rather than consumer or consumption-driven.
At the very top, you have Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt. Those at the bottom are Angola and Nigeria.
And if you talk today in Africa, they will think Nigeria and Angola are the richest countries, because they are oil producing. But, the truth is that we are the worst performers, in terms of investments to GDP.
If you look at the other countries that do not have oil, look at what they have done.
If you have a high investment to GDP, you will deliver high growth that is also inclusive. If you continue working on consumption and rent-seeking model, your growth is not inclusive, which is why in Nigeria, you have, over the past two decades, increasing income distribution inequalities.
It is very easy to be very rich based on rent.
Again, we can always talk about the policies of previous administrations. We talk about oil subsidies that brought oil billionaires. But, we have also created our own billionaires since 2015 from foreign exchange subsidies. People are shaking their heads. They don’t seem to understand what I mean. Let me give an example.
I did not just become an Emir. Before then I was Governor of Central Bank. Before then, I was a bank MD. So, I have friends in the banking industry.
When the CBN was selling dollars at N197 and people were buying at N300, if I sit in my garden and make calls on the phone, I will have enough people to call in the industry to get me $10 million at official rate. Do you doubt it?
As a former MD, former governor of the CBN and what they now call a royal father? Think about. I sit in my garden and make a few phone calls, and get $10 million at N197 per dollar and sell at N300 to the dollar, I will make a profit of N1.03 billion.
If I do that four times in a year, for doing nothing, I would have had N4 billion. And people were telling us that this policy was to help the poor. We are not devaluing the Naira, because if we do the poor people would suffer. The people that were profiting from this were people that were telling the government that if it devalued the Naira people would suffer.
Meanwhile, they all got the dollars at N197 and priced their goods at N300 to the dollar. The poor paid the price of a devalued currency and the rich schemed off the profits. It went on for one year. We talked and talked and talked.
If this government continues to behave the way the last government behaved, we will end up where Jonathan ended. We may not like it. But, that is the truth. You have to listen. You don’t need to be an economist to know that any system that allows you to sit in your garden and with a telephone call make N1 billion without investing a kobo, that system is wrong.
It is unsustainable, no matter how positive you think about it.
So, the first thing I will like to say is that there are many voodoo economists parading around. And many of them are not economists. They are demagogues. They tell poor people, anyone that says devalue the Naira wants you to pay a high price. It is arithmetics. It is not economics. Many of the arguments I see in newspapers, sometimes I feel like writing back, and I will remember I am an Emir and I am not supposed to.
Even this one I am giving this lecture, maybe someone would say: “Emir, stop giving these kinds of lectures.”
That you have someone who writes what you call a brilliant economic paper, and he is telling you that if you devalue the currency prices would go up. Is that economics or arithmetics? It is arithmetics!
If you ask your boy in Primary 3, if the dollar costs N150 today, and tomorrow it costs N300, what would happen to prices? He will tell you prices will double. He can calculate. One times 300 is two times one times 150. That is not economics. That is arithmetics.
The economics of it is, these billions that are being schemed off by people who get official exchange rate, should you give the states their revenue.
For example, should you take dollars, for every $1 billion taken from the Federation Account and sold by the CBN at N200 to the dollar, the states were losing N100 billion that could have gone into salaries, agriculture, healthcare. Yet, the states were going to borrow from the same government on a bailout when the government was selling dollars cheaply to a small group of people. What kind of economy are we running?
Who is advising the government? I have asked that question before. I want to know so I can talk to the adviser.
We did not have money. Oil prices had collapsed. Niger Delta Avengers were blowing up oil wells. The scarce dollars we had, we were selling cheaply, subsidizing people. What was the argument? We need to promote manufacturing. Right? Thank you. But, what percentage of your GDP is manufacturing? Eight percent.
Let me ask you Commissioner, you are a manufacturer, you are able to secure $10 million from the Central Bank to import raw materials and produce goods, you spend N2 billion to get $10 million, and somebody says to you: “Listen, I will pay you N3 billion for this $10 million, so that you make a profit of 50 per cent for just doing nothing. Just buy the dollars and sell.”
Your option is to buy raw materials, establish a letter of credit, import raw materials, maintain generators, buy diesel, pay labour, produce your goods, take the risk you may not sell at a profit, transport it, or to make a profit margin of 10 per cent over a 120 term period, what would be your choice?
Would you import and manufacture? You have an automatic guaranteed 50 per cent return immediately for no labour. With this every manufacturer abandoned production and started looking for FOREX. I had people who would come to me or telephone me and book an appointment only to ask me: “Your Highness, I want you to help me get dollars.” They wanted to turn me into a dollar middleman. So, every manufacturer decided that he would get the dollar and sell, instead of buying raw materials and producing. So, what happens to production and employment? What do you end up with? A recession. And why are we surprised we are having a recession? We created it.
But, we did not call it recession. We called it demand management. People were using words they did not understand. You want to manage demand? Fine. You will manage demand for industrial raw materials, you are also managing industrial output. You manage demand into inputs to services and manage down service outputs. The result we have was the result that we were always going to get with sets of policies we put in place. And we don’t realise that we made those mistakes. I am glad it seems we have. But, we need to just come out and come clean. That is the best way. We have taken a few wrong steps. It was all done in good faith. We genuinely wanted help the poor people, that’s why we made those mistakes. Now, we are retracing our steps. Now we begin to talk.
Let’s look at the GDP against government spending. For Nigeria, from a base in 2005 to 2015, GDP has been rising nominally, driven largely by recurrent expenditure. If you looks closely, recurrent expenditure seems to spike on the eve of elections.
The economy has quadrupled in nominal terms since 2005. Our population has grown by 40 million since 2005, but capital expenditure has not changed. $0 million more people, but we don’t have more power, roads, schools, hospitals houses, etc. Where are these 40 million people going to be? The Niger Delta creeks and Sambisa Forests?
Our economy, at least in part, created terrorism by simply not creating the opportunities for these young people. If you think the Niger Delta or Boko Haram or other insurgents or something are the issue, let me give you another number.
We have over 160 million Nigerians today. The median age is 19. In the next 20 years, we are going to have at least 80 million Nigerian men and women between the ages of 20 and 40. Maybe in the next generation you can start doing something about it. You can start family planning or something. But, these ones have been born, and we have to prepare for them. Those of us who are alive now, we have to prepare for what we are going to do with these 80 million young people. We can’t kill them. And if we do not expand the earnings and production base of the economy through wise investment and very difficult, but appropriate decisions, we will end up in a classical Malthusian situation, where the resources cannot support the population and we start having wars and pestilence.
This is Rev. Thomas Max, one of the very first lessons you learn in EC101.
Look at the road ahead. You know this is all a combination of old sets of policies. There are times in the history of this country when we had it right. But, we didn’t continue.
A lot of the reforms done in the second term of Obasanjo laid the foundation for sustainable growth. But, then we kept going back and forth. And I am hoping that in here we are not like the ordinary innate Nigerian.
We do feel a level of shame at what we see. You have got your per capita nominal income – Angola, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana and Zambia.
Per capita income in Kenya is $1,388. In Nigeria, it is $2,943. So, on paper, Kenya is half as rich as Nigeria. So, how much is Kenya able to raise as tax revenue per capita? $232. How much was Nigeria raising in 2014-2015? $117. Now, how much was Kenya spending as development spend per citizen? $129. How much was Nigeria spending? $17.
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The research you see don’t just come out of nowhere. They are the direct consequence of deliberate policy decisions. If you choose to make it very profitable for people to produce fake bills of lading and claim fuel subsidy and build estates and private jets, we are never going to have refineries.
If you make it profitable for a Chinese man to come to Kano…. Now in Kano, the Chinese are doing tie and dye. Even the tie and dye pit that has been in Kano for about 600 years are at risk.
We have been talking about the protection of this industries. Minister of Planning, nobody has done anything you know. In the next 10 or 20 years, if people of Kano starts picking Chinese and throwing them into the dye pits, because they are importing simple dye, they took the technology from Kano, went to China and they will now be coming to ask the people the pattern that they want.
They come in, they bribe Customs, and because there is no way you can produce that thing in China and bring it and they sell and our industries are destroyed. The textile Industries in Kano are gone. The tanneries and leather industries are gone. A combination of a lack of electricity and infrastructure, lack of investments and very bad trade policies.
We have to go back to the drawing board. This is why this conference and the Ministry of Planning are the most important economic Ministry. I have always said that the Planning Minister is the most important Economic Minister.
Assuming that, one, he is able to produce a very good plan, and two, that the government listens to him. And this is why I thought instead of coming here to talk about just monetary and fiscal policy, I will talk about them.
But, let’s try to get into a mindset, where at the federal, states and local levels, we can actually look and see what we can do to change this things.
So, are we going to adopt an investment driven model? Now, we talked about the public sector, and public sector fundings, and when I come forward I will show you that for Planning Ministers, you need to think beyond what the government budget is. If you need to build a road, your job is not about whether you can raise enough taxes to build the road, it is whether you can fund that road.
With the combination of taxes, and debts and investment and whatever, that road needs to be built. It doesn’t have to come from the government’s balance sheet. Nobody says the government must fund every single thing that is development. This is where investment becomes important. We are not getting money from oil.
Our non-oil revenue is not rising fast enough. We talk about taxation, but there is a limit to how much you can tax a man who is not able to eat. And also, there is a limit to how much you can continue borrowing in Naira. You know, we play with these numbers. When I was in the Central Bank, we say: “Oh! You know, our debt to GDP ratio was 25%, therefore it is nothing to worry about. It is not up to 70%. Your debt to GDP ratio is 20%, and you spend 30% of your revenue servicing debt. What does that tell you?
70% of your GDP does not generate government revenue. Agriculture is about 35%. How much tax does it pay? Wholesale and retail trade, how much tax does it pay? You have a GDP where the tax is coming from the oil sector and telecom’s. That’s your government revenue base. And those sectors constitute maybe 30% of GDP. So, for all intents and purposes, gentlemen, if your debt to GDP ratio is 30%, and only 30% of your GDP is generating revenue, you are at 100%, until you broaden your tax base.
If you just look at debt to GDP ratio, there is no reason why the Nigerian government cannot borrow more than N2-3 trillion. But, let them borrow now. When are they going to pay? You don’t pay debt from GDP. You service debt from revenue. Nobody talks about debt to revenue.
What’s the good news? It’s that Nigeria is not all about oil. I know we all think it is oil. But it is not!
Oil does not form even a critical part of our GDP, or our growth. Look at these numbers. That’s your GDP per capita.
The present value of your oil reserve in 2016, which was calculated based on 37.2 million barrels, $60 a barrel, production horizon of 40 years and discount rate of 12 per cent.
If you sold the entire oil reserves of Nigeria today, the proceeds will add only $1164 per head, compared to GDP per capita of 3000 in 2016.
So, those making noise about oil should stop making noise about ii. People should stop being afraid, because oil is not critical. It is just a working capital. We sell it. We get the dollars that we use to import. If you can find another source of working capital, we can do without it. It is 15% of GDP.
When I was governor of Central Bank, the economy was growing at 37%. The oil sector was not adding anything to GDP growth. The growth was coming from agriculture, services and trade, which is also very revealing. If we are now saying we are in a recession, because of the collapse in oil price, we are not being sincere.
You can’t be in recession, because a sector that is 15% of your GDP has declined. What happened to agriculture, trade, services and health?
Something else to look at. This is the slide that got me sacked from my job. You know the truth will always be there and I like this power point presentations because the figures tell you more than a thousand words. These are our external accounts, now look at Nigeria and look at Kenya up there in the blue line. These are current accounts surpluses we have had from 2005 to 2014. Not even one oil price rise in 2014 did we have in our current account deposit. I think today, up to 2014 we have current accounts surpluses. Now, below there you have other investment assets, which will be your capital inflows. I mean your reserve, and you have something called net errors and omissions.
Look at 2014, the errors and omissions were about $20 billion, from about minus 5 to minus 35, about $30 billion actually. So, when you are an accountant and you produce accounts and errors and omissions that are 70% of the numbers, or 60%, what does that tell you?
These are national accounts published by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Central Bank is telling Nigeria: “Look, all we know is that this is money that we think should be in the economy, but we cannot find it.” And people didn’t want me to talk. Now, we are hearing where the money went. All sorts of revelations that nobody thought where possible. Everyday they were captured in errors and omissions. Now, look at Kenya. They do have errors and omissions, but compare the errors and omissions bar to what they were able to account for.
5%, even 10%, is acceptable. But when you cannot explain where 50% of your earnings went and the country continues and nobody is asking any questions, and even when you tell Nigerians that this is the thing, they will say: “Don’t mind the man.”
Look at that, so where do we have a problem? First of all, as you can see we have not been able to attract investments. All the other investment assets headed as errors and omissions had been headed out. Which means, the money went out and did not come back. Anything below the zero line represents money that went out of Nigeria and did not come back.
Anything above represents what came in on the net basis. Now, a country like Kenya was having huge trade deficit, and that’s why the blue lines are below zero, but is able to attract investment. And that’s all above the line and that’s why Kenya is growing. We earn the money, we don’t attract any kind of investments, apart from portfolio flows. How much investment do we have in the oil sector, roads, economy, agriculture, refineries. etc.? When you talk to people, they will tell you this sectors are not profitable. But why are people investing in Kenya agriculture? Why are they investing in roads in South Africa? Why are they building bridges? Why are they investing in power plants in Ethiopia?
I am Chairman of a company called Black Rhino. By the way, I don’t have a kobo in that company, but I am a Chairman. This short man who owns black stone said to us: “Gentlemen, here is $5 billion to invest in power projects in Africa, a joint venture with Dangote on a condition that for every $1billion you put in, Dangote puts in $1 billion, so we have $10 billion to invest.
We have projects in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Kenya. I accepted to be Chairman on one condition only, that he will allow me to fix a power project in Kano. And he said: “If you can find a good power project in Kano, I am okay.”
Now, power companies are here trying to invest, negotiating. And what did we hear? One day some judge in a court sits down and says reverse the tariffs. I am here talking to someone in New York who cannot understand that a government can issue a power privatization plan; that investors can come in; that there is a regulator for power; that they looked at the numbers, looked at the cost of power, looked at what is cost recovery, agree on a tariff, announce that tariff, they bring in their money to invest on the basis of that and a court in the same country says this is illegal.
You know, for you sitting here and for Nigerians, this may not sound well, in fact people were saying yes! They are cheating us. But, what that one judgement does in terms of the signals to foreign investors is very disastrous.
There is no country in the world where a court had agreed to interfere with commercial transactions between the government and private investors that are in to attract investments. There is a contract!
The judge did not even say do not give this going forward. He said the ones that have been done is illegal, and you expect somebody now to bring in $3 billion to invest in power in Nigeria?
Knowing that you can tell him this is the tariff, and tomorrow your court can wake up and say the tariff is illegal? So, as planning ministers and commissioners, if you decide upfront that investment is important to you, the entire system has to be searched, to make sure that these signals are not set.
Your Customs officers should know that okay, this is the duty; pay correct duty. Don’t add anything on top. It is the economy’s investment. If a man is entitled to 5 year visa for bringing some kind of investment, he will get it. He doesn’t need to know anybody in immigration.
The court should respect legal agreements. And the right incentives should be provided, and when you provide incentives, do not review. Every government comes in and the next thing you know, some businessmen comes to them and say: “Your previous government gave this one tax incentive and you start reviewing and reviewing. The next time you offer somebody your own incentive to invest, he will not come, because he believes that the next government will reverse it.”
If the government that has made the mistake is gone, you then offer your own set of incentives and make sure that they are transparent. If you offer somebody an incentive in cement, make sure that every cement manufacturer gets that incentive. Fine, its sectoral.
Assuming cement is important to you, if you offer an incentive for agriculture, make sure that everybody who meets those conditions should get those incentives, not just somebody who knows his way around Abuja. The farms are not in Abuja anyway.
You can see this. Basically, no investment has come in, and as you can see, I am building a consistent story that you have had growth model driven by commodities and consumption, which is your problem, and you now need to shift and you have a growth model that is driven by investment. And for this forum, it means you got to stop thinking so much about how much the government can spend, as in how much can we get into this economy.
Lagos has done very well. If I have money to invest, I will invest it in Lagos, because it is attracting investment. Lagos has realized a long time ago that the government cannot fund all it needs. And I just love what Lagos has done. The Lagos story is a story of what Nigeria can do with itself – transparency, consistency, regulations – and people can be rich. There is no problem if people can be rich while growing an economy. Nobody minds. But, in Nigeria people become rich when people are dying. Let’s take the Lagos story, and that’s why today Lagos state is 30% Nigerian non-oil GDP, and Lagos can do without oil.
Lagos can do without the rest of this country. So, we must not let Lagos go.
This country is better off with Lagos than with the Niger Delta. Let’s not make that mistake. We should be together as a country. Every part of the country is important. But, let us not be so obsessed by a resource, because we have had the commodity driven model, and we are blind to the potentials of an alternative model.
Lagos doesn’t need oil. What is oil anyway? It is a raw material. You don’t drink it. You need it to move your vehicles. Now, you have electricity. You need it to fill your generator. Now you have solar power, and biomass. The future of oil is not there. So, those few people who are trying to break up this country over oil, after sometime that oil will be worthless. You are better off being in a country that is based on this model. This is a country of the future, that is the past.
Exchange rate
Let me start by congratulating the government for making changes. Unfortunately, those changes were a bit late. But, the adjustment has been very severe.
My sense is that where we are today, the Naira is already undervalued. If you look at the real effective exchange rate, we are below the zero line. Basically, what this means is, if the Naira were to strengthen to about 9%, you will get exchange rate palliatives. So, you are not really under any more pressures for a devaluation. This is the nominal exchange rate adjusted for relative prices, and also adjusted for rates of our trading partners. So, on a trade basis, the Naira has gone from one of the most overvalued currencies when we were at N197 to the dollar, to the one that is undervalued. So, that adjustment has been made by the Central Bank. And what the Central Bank needs to do is just to allow this system to operate properly and stop panicking. You know, from what you can see here, even if the markets starts at N320, N340 or N350 to the dollar, if you allow it to operate, it will revalue itself and adjust.
What is causing the problem is all the sense that we are not entirely flexible, and sometimes wrong signals. After you have allowed the flexible markets, you act as if you really don’t believe in it.
These things don’t just work on fundamentals. I was in the Central Bank, the markets works on the basis of confidence and perception. There was a time speculators started hitting the market when I was with the Central Bank. The Kenyan Shilling got hit and got divided by 25%. Ghana got hit by 30%. South Africa got hit and they started heading towards Nigeria. And I called an emergency monetary policy committee meeting jerked up the monetary policy rate (MPR) by 200 basis points, jacked up CRR (cash reserve ratio) by 400 basis points and declared that I will defend the currency. I didn’t have the money to defend the currency, but everybody believed me and they left me alone. The market works based on confidence. By the time you have taken over one bank, fire one bank MD, they will believe you when you make a threat. I made many threats as governor of the Central Bank that I never carried out. If banks messed up, I will say, I will remove you, and because I have removed bank MDs, they will say sorry sir. They fell in line. So, if you are going on a flexible exchange rate, have the nerves. You have produced a fantastic document, stick to it. You can’t be any worse than you were. You are in a recession anyway, so you are trying something different. So, try it and try it properly.
Real interest rates: Again, Central Bank has raised it and people have been attacking the Central Bank for raising the rates. Why? It’s not just about inflation. It is about stabilizing the currency, because the truth is that where we are today, the only way we are going to reverse this recession is to increase liquidity in the foreign exchange markets and reduce the gap between the official rate and the parallel market rate.And this is what I think the Central Bank needs to keep doing.
A flexible exchange rate regime and a positive real interest rate will combine to bridge that gap. Bring in the dollars that we need to finance imports, and those imports of raw materials are the things that will increase production, and that production is what will lead to growth.
I have been very critical of what the Central Bank has been doing since the beginning of this administration. I am very supportive of the decisions it has taken in the last few Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meetings, all that we ask is that they have produced a fantastic document on foreign exchange rate they should do it.
On the treasury single account (TSA), they should just realize the difference between the dollars balance sheets and the Naira balance sheets, because I have seen this whole thing about banks being banned from foreign exchange markets for dollar TSA. The Naira balance sheets of banks is highly diversified. The government deposits may be 20% of deposits. Banks are financial intermediaries. They engage in what is called maturity transformation. They borrow money short term and loan for long term on their Naira balance sheets. They have this money coming every day – current accounts, savings and deposits. If you tell them to pay off government deposits, they pay off and send marketers out and raise money.
On the dollar balance sheets, Nigeria only raise dollar on oil sales. The IOCs (international oil companies) have their money in international banks. NNPC is the only provider of dollar money, and they have lent out that money. If you apply the same rules on the Naira balance sheet and dollar balance sheets, without looking at concentration risk, you bring the banks down. They have lent out these dollars. Look at the maturity of their assets. Give them time to pay back these dollars. For them to pay back these dollars, they have to find dollars elsewhere. Where are they going to find? Who is the other exporter, apart from oil. What do we export in Nigeria?
And that is the point. So, they need to be very careful. So long as you know where the money is, give them the time to sort out their assets and pay back. Don’t precipitate a banking crisis and this idea of banning banks from foreign exchange market.
In the history of this country, and Dr. Shamsudeen Usman knows that, very few banks have ever survived after being banned from foreign exchange markets, because banks has lent money to customers who depend on import to produce. If banks can’t buy dollars for those customers, they can’t produce. They can’t pay back their debts. You build up non-performing loans. So, let us think through the consequences of some of these decisions that we take. But, apart from that, I am extremely supportive. I think the Central Bank is doing the right thing, and I think we should encourage them. I think the government should be given credit to say we are going to retrace our steps.
The government has said we are going to eliminate wasteful subsidies. I don’t want to go deep into this. I have been saying a lot about fuel subsidy since 2011-12. We have seen everything. Just an interesting thing. If you look at 2011-2012, in theory o, because I don’t believe it, we were importing about 60 million liters of premium motor spirit (PMS) every day. Now, we are down to a little above 30million liters every day, has our population gone down? Do we have fewer cars? Are we consuming less? All those numbers were fake.
Again, you can go back to the record 2011- 2012, I sat in front of the House of Representatives and made a presentation. I produced documents. I had documents that showed people claiming they had 15 vessels of 30,000 metric tons offloading in Lagos on the same day, and they were being paid subsidy based on those documents. People sat in their offices produced bills of lading, bribed everybody from Customs to PPPRA (Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency) to whatever and got money out. All they needed was a paper that says you have allocation, and based on that allocation they will go.
I am glad again that we are moving towards removing these subsidies. They are painful. Let me make that clear. If you have to pay more for fuel, it hurts, it bites. The truth is that no system is perfect. And the subsidy system benefited a very small groups of criminals much more than it benefited the poor people.
And if you are going to subsidies, please provide this subsidy in production. Provide cheap gas to power plants and set power prices to a level where they can make a profit without passing on high gas prices to customers. Reduce the cost of setting up a business. Reduce the tax burden on pioneer industries. Subsidize production. Do not subsidize consumption. Rather than give poor people subsidy on fuel that never gets to them, take that money and put it in their hands. We were spending $6 billion, $7billion per annum on fake subsidies. And where is that money today? It is all in private jets, private yacht, expensive jewelries, property abroad, that’s where it is. It is not in this economy. Its gone out. One number I will give you is that Nigeria earned $16 billion from the oil sector in 2011. I was the governor of Central Bank. We established LCs worth $8billion for importing petroleum products and spent another $8 billion in petroleum subsidy. Every dollar we earned from the oil sector went back to petroleum sector in 2011. Not one dollar went into education, roads, power. It went into importing fuel and paying subsidy on imported fuel. The numbers are there. And if you look at that town hall meeting that has been going on, on Channels TV I gave this number then. Not that this one I am saying will change anything o! I am just saying it. But, tomorrow if you invite me, you will hear.
Look at power generation. That is where we need to focus on. Let’s get the power reports back on track. Fantastic policy. Power was privatized. What happened? People bought DISCOs (distribution companies), because they had connections. Dr. Usman was head of what was called the technical committee on privatization and commercialization in the 1980s. I know because as a Merchant Banker, I privatized Okomu. Okomu oil mill is still there. As a solid company, because when they were in TCPC, they have a process where you don’t just buy a company. If you say you are going to invest, they had a process of making sure that after you bought that company, you make those investments. They don’t just sell assets to you. Privatization is not just about selling assets to people, it is about making sure that they make the investment they are committed to making when they bought it. So, we have people who bought DISCOs who said they will invest, but they have not invested.
Land Registries. Lagos has done well, but you need to do more. In Lagos alone, you have 13 procedures to register land, according to World Land in Business Report.
It takes 77 days, 10% of your property value and the quality of land is 7 out of 30, compared to 22 in the OECD countries. Lagos has now moved up, they are merging all relevant laws into a single piece of legislation. The only reason why I am not praising Lagos is, because I want to see the result first. But, they have at least realized that this is a problem. And I hope all states would look at this.
Power and Land reforms are very important and having that data base is critical, especially for agriculture. Mark your land, give a C of O; let the farmer be able to use that land as collateral to borrow, or as security. Many of you had read Henandez De Sotos’ The Mystery of Capitals. Land is capital. I have that big problem here in Kano, especially in the Muslim villages. A woman’s husband dies and leaves her a farm. She doesn’t farm. So, her husband takes over the farm, he farms it, but that is her capital, and she gets no return on it. He uses her farm. He earns a living and he gives her chop money from her own money.
I am Chairman of a group call “Babbangona”. We are working on farmers trying to improve their yields, and I am having that problem, and I get to the district heads and say: “Look, get all Muslim women that own farms to sit with their husbands. This money that is being given for seeds, for fertilizer, for inputs is being given to the woman who owns the land. If your husband wants to be the labourer, let him be. If he doesn’t, let her get someone else. You are the boss, because she owns the land.
If your husband is ready to farm for you for a fee, let him do it. Otherwise, we will find a farmer for you.”
So, this issue of land is crucial to addressing poverty, especially poverty among rural women. Many of them own lands being hijacked by their husbands and they remain poor. And it is all cultural, but what I learn from “Tudun wada” is that the Christian woman has learned to farm and they come out to farm, because they love it. But, the Muslim woman has been stopped from farming, but in the name of culture. What the men had done is that they have taken over their capital, and it’s not religion. And therefore, as leaders, we have to address this social issues as part of economic rejuvenation.
Trade Policy: You know, I keep sounding like a broken record 2012 – 2012.
I wrote an article in the Financial Times in London in which I criticized China’s relationship with Africa. It was very controversial. I don’t know if you read it. But, if you google it, you will see it. Now, look at this. These are our trade with China. We are all importing from China. Those that export to China are exporting oil or solid minerals. China’s interest in Africa is not our development. America’s interest in Africa is not our development. Europe interest in Africa is not our developments. China’s interest is China’s developments. Likewise America and Europe. Please our government! Our interest should be Nigeria’s development.
If the Chinese are going to come back and set up textile factories in Nigeria and buy cotton from our farmers and employ Nigerian workers and produce these textiles and sell to us, they are welcome. If they are going to produce textiles in Shanghai. Subsidize them. Bring them here. Bribe our Customs Officers. Come to our markets and destroy our industries, we have to say no sir!
If China is lending us money, and we are going to pay back that money to import equipment from China, we should please check that those equipment are properly and transparently priced; that we cannot get them cheaper from another part of the world; and that they are of high quality. This idea that am lending you $1billion to buy rice mills from me, which you can get at half the price elsewhere, you have already paid interest of 100%. If you don’t know it, the price is not a cheap loan.
Now, we go to these countries and we think there are no strings attached, especially at this time that the World Bank and the IMF and the Europeans are saying we want you to pursuit policies, China does not interfere. So, we are running to China, it is a good partner.
We must trade with China, India, Europe with America. I have nothing against any of them. What I want us to do is to sit on the table with them and negotiate trade agreements that protect our interest, because that is what they are doing and that is what every reasonable country in the world does.
So, I think we have talked about Fiscal Policy, Monetary policy, Trade and Industrial policy and if there is any message I have tried to send is that we have a model.
Historically, that was driven by commodity growth, by consumer spending. We have a future that is based on investment that should come in. We need to move to an investment-driven model. We need to have some elements of state planning. We cannot just allow the market. The market will not put money in agriculture, refineries. So, you have to provide the incentive and lead capital so that’s where you are important and that what for me is the way forward.
So what’s the summary? The years of Africa rising where one child could lift us up are behind us. Sustainable inclusive growth now depends on investment. Please every planning commissioner should remember that its investment.
The role government can play is now by getting appropriate market growth, and we said that you don’t have enough money. You have seen how much money you are raising per head. It is not much. Even if you move money from recurrent to capital expenditure, if the pull does not increase, it is not much. So, the government doesn’t have the pocket to do. If you got to look for private investments, local and foreign, to to do that, and you do that by having a corporate micro-policy and the government is getting it right, finally, and also creating a supportive business environment.
So, set excess rate to intensify it flows, eliminate subsidies, that has been done. Now, address failures in the power sector value chain, starting with the DISCOs, digitize state, land registries, prioritise public spending towards investment and protect infant industries.
Anybody who tells you not to protect your industries is deceiving you. Create a level playing field between the infant industries and the big ones. I am not saying go and protect everything, but they must be a way of ensuring through power, infrastructure, industrial plasters, research and technology, technical and vocational education and through appropriate trade and tariff policies that critical policies are incubated before they are allowed to go out on the streets.
Thank you.
SALUTARY IMPACT
SALUTARY IMPACT (HOSPITALITY AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT)CALL +33605867728
Sunday, 4 September 2016
Open Heavens 4 September 2016: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit
Topic: Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit [Sunday 4, September 2016]
Memorise: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: – Ephesians 4:12
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 (KJV)
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 19:1-22:10, Psalms 49
MESSAGE:
The Kingdom of God on earth, the Body of Christ, or the Church are synonyms that symbolize an organized Christian population worldwide or a group of Christians in a particular location. The management and administration of the Church in the twenty-first century, calls for diverse skills and talents required to administer any civil organisation. These skills consist that of professionals and artisans from various works of life including, public administration, accounting, engineering, law, etc. The Scripture provides examples of individuals who have been equipped to carry out tasks or responsibilities of professional nature. Exodus 31:2-4 says:
“2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,”
It should be noted here that the deployment of skills for the construction of the tabernacle, production of interior decorations, fabrication of garments and worship utensils, were considered as spiritual assignments. God in His infinite wisdom has deliberately endowed men and women, young and old, with special gifts and abilities for the work of the ministry. Consequently, the deployment of every gift in the service of God should not be viewed as secular only, but as a spiritual assignment that requires spiritual commissioning to ensure success. Also, Christians should view their gifts and special abilities as deliberate endowments from God for the primary purpose of promoting the work of the ministry. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says:
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”
I pray that your service in the House of God will be a blessing to the Body of Christ and will be profitable to God in Jesus’ name.
Using myself as an example, I consider it a great honour to be counted worthy as vessel of honour in the hands of the Almighty God. It is also an unmerited favour because everyone that has yielded himself to be used of God in any capacity has been mightily blessed in return. I am thankful to God for how far He has used my skills, education and expertise; I also pray that my service will bring maximum profit to the kingdom of God in Jesus’ name. What about you?
Prayer Point: Father, please pour your spiritual gifts upon me and use me for your glory in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Memorise: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: – Ephesians 4:12
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 (KJV)
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 19:1-22:10, Psalms 49
MESSAGE:
The Kingdom of God on earth, the Body of Christ, or the Church are synonyms that symbolize an organized Christian population worldwide or a group of Christians in a particular location. The management and administration of the Church in the twenty-first century, calls for diverse skills and talents required to administer any civil organisation. These skills consist that of professionals and artisans from various works of life including, public administration, accounting, engineering, law, etc. The Scripture provides examples of individuals who have been equipped to carry out tasks or responsibilities of professional nature. Exodus 31:2-4 says:
“2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,”
It should be noted here that the deployment of skills for the construction of the tabernacle, production of interior decorations, fabrication of garments and worship utensils, were considered as spiritual assignments. God in His infinite wisdom has deliberately endowed men and women, young and old, with special gifts and abilities for the work of the ministry. Consequently, the deployment of every gift in the service of God should not be viewed as secular only, but as a spiritual assignment that requires spiritual commissioning to ensure success. Also, Christians should view their gifts and special abilities as deliberate endowments from God for the primary purpose of promoting the work of the ministry. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says:
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”
I pray that your service in the House of God will be a blessing to the Body of Christ and will be profitable to God in Jesus’ name.
Using myself as an example, I consider it a great honour to be counted worthy as vessel of honour in the hands of the Almighty God. It is also an unmerited favour because everyone that has yielded himself to be used of God in any capacity has been mightily blessed in return. I am thankful to God for how far He has used my skills, education and expertise; I also pray that my service will bring maximum profit to the kingdom of God in Jesus’ name. What about you?
Prayer Point: Father, please pour your spiritual gifts upon me and use me for your glory in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Saturday, 3 September 2016
Bughari - Charly Boy writes open letter to president Buhari
Mr President Sir, I trust that this meets you well.
I know it has not been easy since you came on board, so many wahalas, so much yawa, frustration and hopelessness. First rule of leadership: everything is your fault. Sir, Nigerians are surely dying and, quickly. They can no longer see the light, they feel the Heat.
The welfare of the common man must be your top priority henceforth or God forbid, Nigeria and Nigerians will die in your hands.
Since you assumed office as President of Nigeria, there has been a remarkable dissonance within your government. I wonder who is in charge.
Sometimes I wonder whose thoughts you're thinking or whose agenda you're executing; while at other times, I wonder if you are held hostage by the gangsters called The Cabal.
Can you say you are oblivious of the hardship and suffering we all are going through?
I remember two years ago when I visited the Aso villa, then occupied by your predecessor. During our discussion and my lamentation about the nigerian youths I was not particularly shocked by a reaction that seemed like one throwing both hands in the air and saying "Charly, I am held hostage here, I am surrounded by enemies".
Sir, are you the one in charge or like your predecessor, are you being held hostage by the cabals and obnoxious sycophants, so much so that our plight and cries as Nigerians are none of your concern?
Na wa o, this is certainly not the change we thought you promised or do we just assume that your words don't mean much?
Oga mi, abegi check the matter, you cannot ignore the five percent of voters who did not vote for you but whose resources the country depends on as alarm don blow, to cater for the 97 percent who voted for you. This kind "one chance" is sending a wrong signal to the whole country. Sometimes I just wonder how things can function properly when the formation and the foundation of the ruling party is not based on any sound ideology, but on frustration, bitterness, divisive politics and a gathering of strange bedfellows. Kai!!! for the full article, kindly visit BUGHARIA
I know it has not been easy since you came on board, so many wahalas, so much yawa, frustration and hopelessness. First rule of leadership: everything is your fault. Sir, Nigerians are surely dying and, quickly. They can no longer see the light, they feel the Heat.
The welfare of the common man must be your top priority henceforth or God forbid, Nigeria and Nigerians will die in your hands.
Since you assumed office as President of Nigeria, there has been a remarkable dissonance within your government. I wonder who is in charge.
Sometimes I wonder whose thoughts you're thinking or whose agenda you're executing; while at other times, I wonder if you are held hostage by the gangsters called The Cabal.
Can you say you are oblivious of the hardship and suffering we all are going through?
I remember two years ago when I visited the Aso villa, then occupied by your predecessor. During our discussion and my lamentation about the nigerian youths I was not particularly shocked by a reaction that seemed like one throwing both hands in the air and saying "Charly, I am held hostage here, I am surrounded by enemies".
Sir, are you the one in charge or like your predecessor, are you being held hostage by the cabals and obnoxious sycophants, so much so that our plight and cries as Nigerians are none of your concern?
Na wa o, this is certainly not the change we thought you promised or do we just assume that your words don't mean much?
Oga mi, abegi check the matter, you cannot ignore the five percent of voters who did not vote for you but whose resources the country depends on as alarm don blow, to cater for the 97 percent who voted for you. This kind "one chance" is sending a wrong signal to the whole country. Sometimes I just wonder how things can function properly when the formation and the foundation of the ruling party is not based on any sound ideology, but on frustration, bitterness, divisive politics and a gathering of strange bedfellows. Kai!!! for the full article, kindly visit BUGHARIA
Buhari to Zuckerberg: I am impressed by your simplicity
Following the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, the former has disclosed what he thinks about the young IT entrepreneur.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while granting audience to Zuckerberg at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari said the various meetings held with Nigerian youths since his arrival in the country were most timely as the country was already exploring opportunities to spur development through entrepreneurship.
He said, “Nigeria has always been identified as a country with great potential for growth, especially with our youthful population, but now we are moving beyond the potential to reality.
“I am impressed by your simplicity in sharing your knowledge and wealth with those with less income.”
The President noted that the simplicity and magnanimity of the entrepreneur, who is among the world’s richest men, had also challenged the culture of lavish wealth display and impulsive spending that had become peculiar to Nigerians.
“In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets.
“We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share,” he said.
In his remarks, Zuckerberg said he was impressed by the interest, energy and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by young Nigerians in all the ICT camps that he had visited.
“I was highly impressed by the talent of the youths in the Co-creation Hub in Yaba. I was blown away by their talent and the level of energy that I saw,’’ he said.
Zuckerberg added that he is in the country to promote the penetration of “fast and cheap” internet connectivity, Express-wifi, that would help people create online businesses and reduce poverty.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while granting audience to Zuckerberg at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari said the various meetings held with Nigerian youths since his arrival in the country were most timely as the country was already exploring opportunities to spur development through entrepreneurship.
He said, “Nigeria has always been identified as a country with great potential for growth, especially with our youthful population, but now we are moving beyond the potential to reality.
“I am impressed by your simplicity in sharing your knowledge and wealth with those with less income.”
The President noted that the simplicity and magnanimity of the entrepreneur, who is among the world’s richest men, had also challenged the culture of lavish wealth display and impulsive spending that had become peculiar to Nigerians.
“In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets.
“We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share,” he said.
In his remarks, Zuckerberg said he was impressed by the interest, energy and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by young Nigerians in all the ICT camps that he had visited.
“I was highly impressed by the talent of the youths in the Co-creation Hub in Yaba. I was blown away by their talent and the level of energy that I saw,’’ he said.
Zuckerberg added that he is in the country to promote the penetration of “fast and cheap” internet connectivity, Express-wifi, that would help people create online businesses and reduce poverty.
Friday, 2 September 2016
The Mark Zuckerberg visit By Reuben Abati
Mark Zuckerberg’s two-day visit to Nigeria has done a lot for the country; it is a pity no government official or agency has tried to tap into the gains of that visit. He arrived at a time there was much talk about economic recession, concerns about companies folding up or retrenching staff, or international investors leaving the country in droves, out of frustration with the uncertainties in the system.
Zuckerberg’s arrival raised our hopes: co-founder of Facebook and the 5th richest man in the world, sneaked into Nigeria to meet with developers and entrepreneurs and to discuss investments in Nigeria’s growing start-up ecosystem. And for two days, he went round the city of Lagos, visiting start-ups and interacting with young entrepreneurs.
The way Nigeria is often painted abroad, and in those travel advisories that foreign ministries issue, you would think Nigeria is such an unsafe place where kidnappers are permanently on the prowl. Zuckerberg helped to show the rest of the world that Nigeria is not so bad at all, and that something really exciting is happening here among the country’s young population. He had no bodyguards. He did not have to hire a lorry load of Nigerian policemen to keep watch over him. He trekked on the streets of Lagos, surrounded by a few of his hosts. On Wednesday morning, he jogged across the Ikoyi-Lekki bridge. He ate pounded yam, shrimps, snails (I thought they said he is a vegan!) and jollof rice (Nigerian jollof (!) not that one from Ghana). His visit went smoothly. More investors may well be encouraged to visit Nigeria too, seeing how confidently a whole $53.7 billion walked freely about in Nigeria, and he was not stolen or kidnapped.
Zuckerberg’s visit also provided great publicity for Nigeria’s emerging Silicon Valley, and the young entrepreneurs to whom Zuckerberg paid compliments. He has already invested in a Nigerian start-up, Andela, and he has made friends with other young Nigerians, the guys behind Jobberman and C-Creation Hub (CcHUB) and so many others. Zuckerberg cut the picture throughout his visit of a true inspirational figure. His simplicity and humility was impressive. He kept going about in a T-shirt, and interacted freely with everyone he met.
Many young Nigerians can learn from his example: the way some people whose biggest possession is a laptop sometimes carry their shoulders in the sky, if they were to be half of what Zuckerberg is, they won’t just claim that they are voltrons or overlords, they will look for more intimidating labels. But Mark Zuckerberg, who is just 32, shows that it is not all about money, or influence, character matters. There is no doubt that his hosts were also impressed with him. And that probably explains the protest that greeted the attempt by CNN International and American artiste, Tyrese Gibson, to refer to the visit as Zuckerberg’s visit to sub-Saharan Africa. Young Nigerians kept shouting back that Zuckerberg is in Nigeria, not sub-Saharan Africa! They wanted the publicity for their country.
Inspired by Zuckerberg’s visit as the tech entrepreneurs in Nigeria’s Silicon Valley may have been, the Nigerian government should see in the visit, and the excitement that it has generated, the need to provide greater support for technological innovation in the country. There are many young Nigerians out there who are gifted, hardworking and innovative. They belong to the 21st Century. They are aggressive. They want to operate at the international level and become superstars. They have ideas. They are ready and willing. The basic thing that government owes them is to provide an enabling environment for their talents to flower. It has taken a few young men and ladies to bring Mark Zuckerberg to Nigeria. There are other young Nigerians doing wonderful things in other sectors of the economy who can save this country if they are given the chance. There is also a large army of untapped and yet-to-be-discovered talents, whose future we cannot afford to waste. Investment in education will help. Uncommon sense will make things happen.
Zuckerberg’s visit also did a lot for Nollywood. He described Nollywood as “a national treasure”. That statement should be framed and sent to every major agency in the private and public sectors in Nigeria. He may not yet have invested in Nollywood, but there was no doubt that the members of Nollywood and other celebrities who met with him appreciated their being recognized by one of the most successful young men of the 21st century. I watch Nollywood movies, but I don’t think I have ever seen those Nollywood stars who met with Zuckerberg smile that heartily and broadly - not even in the movies. The ones who did not bare their 32, were staring at the Facebook ambassador in that typical Nigerian fashion: “ah, see money, Mark, abi make I send you script make you sponsor?”
The way the visit went, if Mark Zuckerberg had wanted a Nigerian wife, or girlfriend, he would have been met at every turn with echoes of “Yes, Yes, Yes…come and hold something.” But he is already married. So, don’t worry, Priscilla Chan (Mark’s wife), your husband is safe, Nigerian ladies will only admire him, they don’t mean any harm, and they won’t initiate him into coded runs. But of course you trust him - you know he is not Justin Bieber. But money is good oh. After money, it is money. Ha, Ori lonise, eda ko la’ropin o, Edumare funmi ni money…
Altogether, it was a great business outing for Zuckerberg and Facebook. Over 16 million Nigerians are on Facebook, it is the largest and most influential social media platform in the country; on a daily basis, over 7 million Nigerians log onto the website. Many more are on whatsapp, another Facebook acquired platform. With Zuckerberg’s visit, that number is bound to grow. The strategic friendships and partnerships that he has been able to build is a demonstration of power and influence: Facebook is on the ground in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, and he has taken that further by visiting Kenya - look beyond the T-shirt, this young American billionaire is building constituencies and spheres of influence across Africa; he is exploring new markets and staying ahead of the competition in a continent that many other investors may overlook, or desert for reasons of inconvenience.
As a business strategy, Mark Zuckerberg’s exploration of the African market is brilliant. It may be the subject someday of a Management, Leadership and Marketing Class. Businesses must innovate, innovate and innovate and the best way to do that is through people. Nigerian entrepreneurs have a lot to learn in this regard: the mindset of the business leader is the soul of strategy. There are too many thermostatic leaders in the Nigerian business environment, and that is why at the slightest confrontation with hard choices, they close shop and run. Here is Mark Zuckerberg, in the face of proven recession, he wants to support start-ups and SMEs in Nigeria; at a time others are fleeing, he is coming into Nigeria and Africa. He is smart. Wicked problems in a business environment should inspire genius, change and innovation. That is what leadership is all about.
Beyond business and culture, there was a small political side to the Zuckerberg visit. The Facebook CEO had said Facebook will promote the use of Hausa Language, some reports indicated he had said he loves Hausa language, and then a storm followed, resulting in a hot, healthy spat between two friends, colleagues and brothers of mine, Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) and Reno Omokri (@renoomokri), with one claiming that Americans are promoting Northern hegemony (John Kerry, now Zuckerberg and Facebook), and the other saying it is not a big deal, and in the exchange, we got some lectures about Nigeria’s ethnic and hegemonic politics.
On Wednesday at a town hall meeting, Zuckerberg more or less edited himself by saying “I am glad we support Hausa, and we are planning on supporting more languages soon.” He didn’t specify what those other languages are. I hope he knows Nigeria has over 400 languages and ethnic groups, and they all form part of the Nigerian Facebook community. He should tread carefully here, because I am not too sure Facebook can adopt Yoruba language before Igbo, or vice versa, without a social media war on its hands, and if Facebook chooses to accommodate the three major languages in Nigeria, it could be confronted with a major battle over minority rights on its platform. We are like that in this country, Mark.
But the difference is that Mark Zuckerberg is not a politician, he has voted only once (in 2008) and he doesn’t make political statements, except when business interests are at stake. Eyin boys, FFK and Reno, Zuckerberg doesn’t really care about the local fights we fight: he wants to create new markets and if promoting Hausa on Facebook will create more customers in that part of Nigeria, so be it. And in case religion is part of that politics, it doesn’t concern him either, he was born Jewish, but he is a self-declared atheist. If he worships any religion, it is the religion of Facebook. In Nigeria, he has Igbos, Yorubas and other Nigerians working for him. (https://techpoint.ng/2016/08/31/nigerians-working-with-mark-zuckerberg-facebook/).
He is interested in their intellect not where they come from. One more thing: The Nigerian government snubbed him or did he snub our government? When he got to Kenya, he was received at the airport by the Cabinet Secretary of Information and Communications and later given a delicious lunch of fish, semo and soup (https://techpoint.ng/2016/09/01/mark-zuckerberg-in-kenya/), no Nigerian government official offered him common sachet water and yet he was here to create jobs and markets! We shouldn’t frighten him away with our politics! The good news, though, is that he is a humanist even if a secular humanist: End of story.
Thank you Marky, for the visit and for giving us a good story to tell.
Why should never loose sleep over any date or relationship
Love is a beautiful thing and when one finds it, its always a memorable moment.
Why You Should Never Loose Sleep About That Bad Date
Why You Should Never Loose Sleep About That Bad Date
We should learn to listen to our intuition is invaluable when it comes to dating. It can feel as though we are alone at times, navigating through turbulent waters as emotional experiences.
Most Relationships bring out our stuff. As you tap into your intuition, you can remain confident and happy while testing the waters in the ocean that is dating.
Below are five tips to help you rest easy no matter what.
◦Love is eternal
Real and true love does exist. If you find yourself losing sleep over a bad date, wishing you had said or done something differently, know that everything is perfect when it comes to love.
The right person will completely understand even if they don’t show it at first. There are no mistakes in love and real love lasts.
◦Love is unconditional:
Going through the experience of dating can be challenging if we set the expectations that we will be perfect or our date should be perfect.
Let yourself relax and be in the moment when you are with your date. Don’t think about how you look or what you are going to say next. Accept and love yourself unconditionally while on the date and this will help you radiate love instead of needing it from someone.
Unconditional love for yourself and others, no matter what, will help you stay open and available to receive love, care and guidance while dating, lending itself to clear communication and less dating mishaps.
◦Listen to your intuition:
Listening to the voice of intuition while dating is very valuable. You can be with someone and get that gut feeling of approval or non-approval and you can talk yourself out of it.
Be willing to look honestly within yourself and check in with your feelings. People show you who they are. Listen to that voice within that knows the highest and best love for you.
See the end in mind: You have a lot of power when it comes to dating. Use your creative abilities and imagine the best-case scenario even before you go out on a date.
Use the power of your intention to harness energy that can change the potential of your date into infinite greatness. Imagine the great time you will have, the great relationship in your mind and this will help you attract it.
◦There is someone for everyone:
If you are in the throes of dating and it feels as though you will never find “the one” it helps to know that there is a love just for you. Not only that, but on the way to discover that, there are helpers along the way.
If you are on a date that you feel is not going anywhere, you are still learning and moving closer to your perfect love. Every experience, when valued, keeps you in the energy of love attraction.
Feel grateful to be out, to be alive during this amazing time on the planet, where true love not only lives, but also lasts.
As Culled From: DirectGist.com
Why You Should Never Loose Sleep About That Bad Date
Why You Should Never Loose Sleep About That Bad Date
We should learn to listen to our intuition is invaluable when it comes to dating. It can feel as though we are alone at times, navigating through turbulent waters as emotional experiences.
Most Relationships bring out our stuff. As you tap into your intuition, you can remain confident and happy while testing the waters in the ocean that is dating.
Below are five tips to help you rest easy no matter what.
◦Love is eternal
Real and true love does exist. If you find yourself losing sleep over a bad date, wishing you had said or done something differently, know that everything is perfect when it comes to love.
The right person will completely understand even if they don’t show it at first. There are no mistakes in love and real love lasts.
◦Love is unconditional:
Going through the experience of dating can be challenging if we set the expectations that we will be perfect or our date should be perfect.
Let yourself relax and be in the moment when you are with your date. Don’t think about how you look or what you are going to say next. Accept and love yourself unconditionally while on the date and this will help you radiate love instead of needing it from someone.
Unconditional love for yourself and others, no matter what, will help you stay open and available to receive love, care and guidance while dating, lending itself to clear communication and less dating mishaps.
◦Listen to your intuition:
Listening to the voice of intuition while dating is very valuable. You can be with someone and get that gut feeling of approval or non-approval and you can talk yourself out of it.
Be willing to look honestly within yourself and check in with your feelings. People show you who they are. Listen to that voice within that knows the highest and best love for you.
See the end in mind: You have a lot of power when it comes to dating. Use your creative abilities and imagine the best-case scenario even before you go out on a date.
Use the power of your intention to harness energy that can change the potential of your date into infinite greatness. Imagine the great time you will have, the great relationship in your mind and this will help you attract it.
◦There is someone for everyone:
If you are in the throes of dating and it feels as though you will never find “the one” it helps to know that there is a love just for you. Not only that, but on the way to discover that, there are helpers along the way.
If you are on a date that you feel is not going anywhere, you are still learning and moving closer to your perfect love. Every experience, when valued, keeps you in the energy of love attraction.
Feel grateful to be out, to be alive during this amazing time on the planet, where true love not only lives, but also lasts.
As Culled From: DirectGist.com
Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump sues Daily Mail and US blogger for $150m over sex worker claims
Melania Trump is suing a British newspaper and a US blogger for $150m (£114m) over allegations she was a sex worker in the 1990s, her lawyer says.
The Daily Mail suggested Mrs Trump may have worked as a part-time escort in New York, and met husband Donald Trump, who is now running for the White House, earlier than previously reported.
Blogger Webster Tarpley wrote that Mrs Trump feared her past becoming public.
The claims were "outright lying", lawyer Charles Harder said.
"These defendants made several statements about Mrs Trump that are 100% false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," Mr Harder said in a statement.
"Defendants' actions are so egregious, malicious and harmful to Mrs Trump that her damages are estimated at $150 million dollars," Mr Harder's statement said.
Mrs Trump, 46, was born in Slovenia and moved to the US to work as a model in the 1990s. She married Mr Trump in 2005.
The article on the Daily Mail's website quoted claims published in Slovenian magazine Suzy that the modelling agency Mrs Trump was working for also functioned as an escort agency, court papers show.
The newspaper also quoted Slovenian journalist Bojan Pozar, author of an unauthorised biography, who claimed Mrs Trump had posed for nude photos in New York in 1995 and alleged that she had met Mr Trump that year, three years before their reported first meeting in 1998.
Her lawyers say she moved to the US in 1996.
Mr Tarpley meanwhile alleged that Mrs Trump was "reportedly obsessed by fear of salacious revelations by wealthy clients from her time as a high-end escort" and had suffered a "full-blown nervous breakdown".
Both Mr Tarpley and the Daily Mail have since retracted their articles.
The Daily Mail's retraction, published late on Thursday, insisted it had not suggested the sex work claims were true but said that, even if false, they could affect the US presidential campaign.
BBC
The Daily Mail suggested Mrs Trump may have worked as a part-time escort in New York, and met husband Donald Trump, who is now running for the White House, earlier than previously reported.
Blogger Webster Tarpley wrote that Mrs Trump feared her past becoming public.
The claims were "outright lying", lawyer Charles Harder said.
"These defendants made several statements about Mrs Trump that are 100% false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," Mr Harder said in a statement.
"Defendants' actions are so egregious, malicious and harmful to Mrs Trump that her damages are estimated at $150 million dollars," Mr Harder's statement said.
Mrs Trump, 46, was born in Slovenia and moved to the US to work as a model in the 1990s. She married Mr Trump in 2005.
The article on the Daily Mail's website quoted claims published in Slovenian magazine Suzy that the modelling agency Mrs Trump was working for also functioned as an escort agency, court papers show.
The newspaper also quoted Slovenian journalist Bojan Pozar, author of an unauthorised biography, who claimed Mrs Trump had posed for nude photos in New York in 1995 and alleged that she had met Mr Trump that year, three years before their reported first meeting in 1998.
Her lawyers say she moved to the US in 1996.
Mr Tarpley meanwhile alleged that Mrs Trump was "reportedly obsessed by fear of salacious revelations by wealthy clients from her time as a high-end escort" and had suffered a "full-blown nervous breakdown".
Both Mr Tarpley and the Daily Mail have since retracted their articles.
The Daily Mail's retraction, published late on Thursday, insisted it had not suggested the sex work claims were true but said that, even if false, they could affect the US presidential campaign.
BBC
Press release from MTN Ambassadors for 2016/2017
LIB broke the news yesterday that MTN has suspended/dropped many of their celebrity ambassadors including Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Sound Sultan, Kcee, Harrysong and others and kept others. The company has now released a statement, announcing their ambassadors for 2016/17. Read below...
In line with its commitment to supporting Nigerian musicians by providing alternative platforms through which they can receive lucrative value for their intellectual property, MTN has announced brand ambassadors for 2016-2017. According to MTN’s General Manager Consumer Marketing, Richard Iweanoge, this is designed to enable the company continue to support the development of the entertainment industry by
financially empowering Nigerian artistes and musicians through the promotion and monetisation of content on its various digital platforms – MTN Music+, Caller Ring Back Tunes (CRBT) and Value Added Services (VAS). Music ambassadors for 2016-2017are: Praiz (Praise Adejo); Iyanya (IyanyaMbuk); Chidinma (Chidinma Ekile); Falz(Folarin Falana);Tekno Miles (Augustine Kelechi) and Skale s(Raoul Njeng-Njeng) Four other ambassadors are - Saka,(Hafiz Oyetoro); Nedu ;Osuofia(NkemOwoh) and Adamu Zango. Speaking on this, MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola said, “MTN remains proud to be associated with the growth and development of the careers of all our ambassadors, past and present. We specially thank all our former ambassadors for their immense contributions to building our brand and making us the network of choice in Nigeria.
We will definitely continue to maintain the strong and mutually beneficial relationship with them through the monetisation of their content on all our digital platforms - MTN Music+, CRBT and VAS.” Iweanoge again said, “With the significant investment made so far in Nigeria’s music industry, MTN remains and will continue to beone of the biggest supporters of the music industry. We have a track record of consistently providing the stage for some of Nigeria’s biggest artistes to shine and express themselves”.
He stated that through its Caller Ring Back Tunes (CRBT), MTN is the largest music distributor in Africa. “Through the platform, we ensured that Nigerian musicians would no longer suffer the scourge of piracy. They are able to make good money as a result of their hard work. Also, as Nigeria’s most innovative telecoms company, we have been able to deploy music as a platform to give other value added services to our teeming subscribers,which have also proved to be a significant source of revenue for the artistes such as theMTN Music+ app and a host of other platforms.”
For MTN, we see the growth of the music industry as a continuum and not a destination. That is why we will continue to engage and support our local artistes so that they can find full expression for their talent. We will also continue to explore other areas of collaboration with ALL artistes through these platforms and many more, as we work to fulfil our vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world” Iweanoge, however, posited that for the purpose of keeping alive the original concept of music brand ambassadorship, MTN decided to retain the services of past winners and participants of its Project Fame music reality TV show, which include Inyanya, Chidinma and Praiz. “MTN is particularly proud of these musicians because we not only gave them the platform to express their talent through Project FAME, we have consistently supported them over the years by making them our ambassadors. We are proud to have been able to contribute to some of Nigeria’s biggest music acts.”
Beyond the Project Fame alumni, Iweanoge also saidthat in order to nurture other artistes so that they too could attain greater heights, MTN wouldstill retain the services of some of its newly-signed brand ambassadors like Falz, Skales and Tekno who are the faces of its youth segment proposition – MTN Pulse. He added that there will be a renewed focus on building MTN’s digital platforms.
LIB
In line with its commitment to supporting Nigerian musicians by providing alternative platforms through which they can receive lucrative value for their intellectual property, MTN has announced brand ambassadors for 2016-2017. According to MTN’s General Manager Consumer Marketing, Richard Iweanoge, this is designed to enable the company continue to support the development of the entertainment industry by
financially empowering Nigerian artistes and musicians through the promotion and monetisation of content on its various digital platforms – MTN Music+, Caller Ring Back Tunes (CRBT) and Value Added Services (VAS). Music ambassadors for 2016-2017are: Praiz (Praise Adejo); Iyanya (IyanyaMbuk); Chidinma (Chidinma Ekile); Falz(Folarin Falana);Tekno Miles (Augustine Kelechi) and Skale s(Raoul Njeng-Njeng) Four other ambassadors are - Saka,(Hafiz Oyetoro); Nedu ;Osuofia(NkemOwoh) and Adamu Zango. Speaking on this, MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola said, “MTN remains proud to be associated with the growth and development of the careers of all our ambassadors, past and present. We specially thank all our former ambassadors for their immense contributions to building our brand and making us the network of choice in Nigeria.
We will definitely continue to maintain the strong and mutually beneficial relationship with them through the monetisation of their content on all our digital platforms - MTN Music+, CRBT and VAS.” Iweanoge again said, “With the significant investment made so far in Nigeria’s music industry, MTN remains and will continue to beone of the biggest supporters of the music industry. We have a track record of consistently providing the stage for some of Nigeria’s biggest artistes to shine and express themselves”.
He stated that through its Caller Ring Back Tunes (CRBT), MTN is the largest music distributor in Africa. “Through the platform, we ensured that Nigerian musicians would no longer suffer the scourge of piracy. They are able to make good money as a result of their hard work. Also, as Nigeria’s most innovative telecoms company, we have been able to deploy music as a platform to give other value added services to our teeming subscribers,which have also proved to be a significant source of revenue for the artistes such as theMTN Music+ app and a host of other platforms.”
For MTN, we see the growth of the music industry as a continuum and not a destination. That is why we will continue to engage and support our local artistes so that they can find full expression for their talent. We will also continue to explore other areas of collaboration with ALL artistes through these platforms and many more, as we work to fulfil our vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world” Iweanoge, however, posited that for the purpose of keeping alive the original concept of music brand ambassadorship, MTN decided to retain the services of past winners and participants of its Project Fame music reality TV show, which include Inyanya, Chidinma and Praiz. “MTN is particularly proud of these musicians because we not only gave them the platform to express their talent through Project FAME, we have consistently supported them over the years by making them our ambassadors. We are proud to have been able to contribute to some of Nigeria’s biggest music acts.”
Beyond the Project Fame alumni, Iweanoge also saidthat in order to nurture other artistes so that they too could attain greater heights, MTN wouldstill retain the services of some of its newly-signed brand ambassadors like Falz, Skales and Tekno who are the faces of its youth segment proposition – MTN Pulse. He added that there will be a renewed focus on building MTN’s digital platforms.
LIB
OMG! Nigerian economy officially in recession as inflation hits 17.1%
According to latest report released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Nigerian economy is in a recession.
Over a month ago, Finance Minister Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, said the economy was in a “technical” recession.
But the figures released yesterday by the NBS confirmed that the economy has slipped into recession after inflation rose for the ninth consecutive month in July.
The figures confirmed the nation’s worst economic recession in over a decade.
According to the figures, Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased last month to 17.1 per cent from 16.5 per cent in June.
The NBS report stated that the CPI, which measured inflation, was 0.6 per cent points higher from the points recorded in June.
The report noted that increases were recorded in all ‘COICOP divisions, which contributed to the headline index, reflecting higher prices across the economy.
It stated: “The pace of the increase in the headline index was however weighed upon by a slower increase in three divisions; health, transport, recreation and culture divisions.
“The onset of the harvest season is yet to have a significant impact on food prices. It is yet to have a significant impact as the Food Sub-index increased by 15.8 per cent (year-on-year) in July, 0.5 per cent points lower from rates recorded in June.
“Prices however increased at a slower pace across a few groups within the food sub-index, namely milk, cheese and eggs; oils and fats; and fruits.’’
The report added that imported foods as reflected by the imported food sub-index increased by 0.4 per cent points from June to 20.5 per cent in July.
It stated that energy and energy-related prices continued to be the largest increases reflected in the core sub-index.
The report further stated: “In July, the core sub-index increased by 16.9 per cent during the month, up by 0.7 per cent points from rates recorded in June (16.2 per cent).
“During the month, the highest increases were seen in the electricity, liquid fuel (kerosene), solid fuels, and fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment groups.
“Month-on-month, the headline index increased, albeit, at a slower pace, for the second consecutive month in July.
“The index increased by 1.3 per cent in July, 0.4 per cent points from 1.7 per cent recorded in June.’’
The NBS also yesterday said the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declines by -2.06 per cent (year-on-year) in the second quarter of 2016.
It said in its GDP Quarterly Report posted on its Website that the figure was lowered by 1.70 per cent points from the growth rate of -0.36 per cent recorded in the preceding quarter.
The Bureau also said that the figure was lowered by 4.41 per cent points from the growth rate of 2.35 per cent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2015.
According to the bureau, it records an increase of 0.82 per cent quarter on quarter.
It said that the nominal GDP during the quarter was N23.48 trillion at basic prices representing 2.73 per cent higher than the N22.86 recorded in the second quarter 2015.
The NBS said that the growth was lower than the rate recorded in the second quarter of 2015 by 2.44 per cent.
In the period under review, the Bureau put the real growth in the oil sector as 17.48 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2016.
It, however, said that growth declined by 10.68 per cent and recorded 15.59 per cent relative to growth in the second quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2016 respectively.
The Bureau said that quarter-on-quarter, growth also slowed by -19.11 per cent but as a share of the economy; the oil sector contributed 8.26 per cent to total real GDP.
This, it said, was down from the contribution recorded in the corresponding period of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 by 1.54 per cent and 2.03 per cent respectively.
The NBS said that growth in the non-oil sector was driven by seven activities from agriculture, information and communication, water supply, arts entertainment and recreation, professional scientific and technical services, education.
It said that other services grew positively, while the remaining 19 major sectors, many of which were substantially indirectly dependent on the oil sector, recorded negative growth.
The Bureau said that the non-oil sector declined by 0.38 per cent in real terms in the second quarter of 2016, while recording growth rate of 0.20 per cent.
It also said the country recorded employment of 106.69 million persons aged between 15 and 64 in the second quarter of 2016, a 0.65 per cent higher than 106.00 million recorded in the first quarter.
The Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, said economically active population or working age population such as persons between 15 and 64 years increased from 106.00 million in first quarter to 106.69 million in second quarter of 2016.
Dr. Kale said: “This represents a 0.65 per cent increase over the previous quarter and a 3.02 per cent increase when compared to second quarter of 2014.
“In the second quarter of 2016, the labour force population (those within the working age population willing, able and actively looking for work) increased to 79.9 million from 78.5 million in the first quarter of 2016.
“This represents an increase of 1.78 per cent in the labour force during the quarter.’’
According to him, this means that 1.39 million persons from the economically active population entered the labour force.
Those in the economically active population are the individuals that were able, willing and actively looking for jobs to do.
His words: “This magnitude of this increase between first and second quarters of 2016 is smaller when compared to four quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2016, which was an increase of 1.59million in the labour force population.
“Within the reference period, the total number of person in full time employment (did any form of work for at least 40 hours) decreased by 351,350 or 0.65 per cent when compared to the previous quarter and also decreased by 749,414 or 1.38 per cent compared to second quarter of 2015.’’
The statistician-general said that with 106.69 million and 79.9million, it meant 26.8 million persons within the economically active or working age population decided not to work for one reason or the other in the second quarter of this year.
“Hence, they were not part of the labour force and cannot be considered unemployed,’’ Kale said.
The NBS described the unemployed as those who were actively looking for work but could not find any for at least 20 hours during the reference week.
“Accordingly, you are unemployed if you did absolutely nothing at all or did something but far less than 20 hours during the reference week”, the report said.
The Bureau put the value of share capital imported by different sectors of the economy at 202.70 million dollars in the second quarter of 2016.
The figure represents a 16.77 per cent decline against 84.17 per cent recorded in 2015.
Kale stated: “Capital is either imported in the form of shares, or directly imported by different sectors of the economy.
“In the second quarter of 2016 the value of share capital imported was estimated to be $202.70 million, which as for capital importation as a whole sets the record for the lowest value for the second consecutive quarter.
“The figure represents a decline of 16.77 per cent relative to the previous quarter, and a decline of 84.17 per cent relative to the same quarter of 2015.’’
The Bureau’s chief noted that this was a smaller year-on-year decline than in the previous quarter, in which it was 87.41 per cent.
He said that the share capital accounted for 31.32 per cent of total capital imported, less than half its share in the second quarter of 2015 of 70.41 per cent and the lowest level in seven years.
His words: “Nevertheless, the share capital still accounts for a larger proportion of total imported capital than any individual sector.
“For the first time on record, the sector to import the largest amount of capital was servicing, which accounted for $130.98 million, or 20.24 per cent of the total.
“This follows a large increase when the Direct – Equity Portfolio – Equity Portfolio – Money Market Instruments Other – Loans value was $12.83 million in the second quarter of 2015.’’
The Bureau said the increase also recorded when the value was $55.05 million in the previous quarter.
“In all the previous quarters, the sector to import the most capital had been either banking, financing, production or telecommunications. For the second consecutive quarter, production was the sector to import the second largest amount of capital,’’ Kale said.
This sector, he said, imported 92.62 million dollars, equivalent to 14.31 per cent of the total, following a quarterly increase of 14.86 million dollars, or 19.10 per cent.
The NBS chief also said that the capital imported by the production sector increased by 80.92 per cent year-on-year, stating that there were six sectors that recorded no capital importation in the second quarter of 2016.
“These sectors are fishing, marketing, hotels, tanning, transport and weaving,’’ he said.
Kale said that half of the 20 sectors recorded a decline in the amount of capital imported relative to the previous quarter.
“The largest fall was in the electrical sector, which recorded 61.32 million dollars less. By contrast, telecommunications recorded the largest increase, and imported 64.10 million dollars more than in the previous quarter”, the statistician-general said.
Over a month ago, Finance Minister Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, said the economy was in a “technical” recession.
But the figures released yesterday by the NBS confirmed that the economy has slipped into recession after inflation rose for the ninth consecutive month in July.
The figures confirmed the nation’s worst economic recession in over a decade.
According to the figures, Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased last month to 17.1 per cent from 16.5 per cent in June.
The NBS report stated that the CPI, which measured inflation, was 0.6 per cent points higher from the points recorded in June.
The report noted that increases were recorded in all ‘COICOP divisions, which contributed to the headline index, reflecting higher prices across the economy.
It stated: “The pace of the increase in the headline index was however weighed upon by a slower increase in three divisions; health, transport, recreation and culture divisions.
“The onset of the harvest season is yet to have a significant impact on food prices. It is yet to have a significant impact as the Food Sub-index increased by 15.8 per cent (year-on-year) in July, 0.5 per cent points lower from rates recorded in June.
“Prices however increased at a slower pace across a few groups within the food sub-index, namely milk, cheese and eggs; oils and fats; and fruits.’’
The report added that imported foods as reflected by the imported food sub-index increased by 0.4 per cent points from June to 20.5 per cent in July.
It stated that energy and energy-related prices continued to be the largest increases reflected in the core sub-index.
The report further stated: “In July, the core sub-index increased by 16.9 per cent during the month, up by 0.7 per cent points from rates recorded in June (16.2 per cent).
“During the month, the highest increases were seen in the electricity, liquid fuel (kerosene), solid fuels, and fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment groups.
“Month-on-month, the headline index increased, albeit, at a slower pace, for the second consecutive month in July.
“The index increased by 1.3 per cent in July, 0.4 per cent points from 1.7 per cent recorded in June.’’
The NBS also yesterday said the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declines by -2.06 per cent (year-on-year) in the second quarter of 2016.
It said in its GDP Quarterly Report posted on its Website that the figure was lowered by 1.70 per cent points from the growth rate of -0.36 per cent recorded in the preceding quarter.
The Bureau also said that the figure was lowered by 4.41 per cent points from the growth rate of 2.35 per cent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2015.
According to the bureau, it records an increase of 0.82 per cent quarter on quarter.
It said that the nominal GDP during the quarter was N23.48 trillion at basic prices representing 2.73 per cent higher than the N22.86 recorded in the second quarter 2015.
The NBS said that the growth was lower than the rate recorded in the second quarter of 2015 by 2.44 per cent.
In the period under review, the Bureau put the real growth in the oil sector as 17.48 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2016.
It, however, said that growth declined by 10.68 per cent and recorded 15.59 per cent relative to growth in the second quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2016 respectively.
The Bureau said that quarter-on-quarter, growth also slowed by -19.11 per cent but as a share of the economy; the oil sector contributed 8.26 per cent to total real GDP.
This, it said, was down from the contribution recorded in the corresponding period of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 by 1.54 per cent and 2.03 per cent respectively.
The NBS said that growth in the non-oil sector was driven by seven activities from agriculture, information and communication, water supply, arts entertainment and recreation, professional scientific and technical services, education.
It said that other services grew positively, while the remaining 19 major sectors, many of which were substantially indirectly dependent on the oil sector, recorded negative growth.
The Bureau said that the non-oil sector declined by 0.38 per cent in real terms in the second quarter of 2016, while recording growth rate of 0.20 per cent.
It also said the country recorded employment of 106.69 million persons aged between 15 and 64 in the second quarter of 2016, a 0.65 per cent higher than 106.00 million recorded in the first quarter.
The Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, said economically active population or working age population such as persons between 15 and 64 years increased from 106.00 million in first quarter to 106.69 million in second quarter of 2016.
Dr. Kale said: “This represents a 0.65 per cent increase over the previous quarter and a 3.02 per cent increase when compared to second quarter of 2014.
“In the second quarter of 2016, the labour force population (those within the working age population willing, able and actively looking for work) increased to 79.9 million from 78.5 million in the first quarter of 2016.
“This represents an increase of 1.78 per cent in the labour force during the quarter.’’
According to him, this means that 1.39 million persons from the economically active population entered the labour force.
Those in the economically active population are the individuals that were able, willing and actively looking for jobs to do.
His words: “This magnitude of this increase between first and second quarters of 2016 is smaller when compared to four quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2016, which was an increase of 1.59million in the labour force population.
“Within the reference period, the total number of person in full time employment (did any form of work for at least 40 hours) decreased by 351,350 or 0.65 per cent when compared to the previous quarter and also decreased by 749,414 or 1.38 per cent compared to second quarter of 2015.’’
The statistician-general said that with 106.69 million and 79.9million, it meant 26.8 million persons within the economically active or working age population decided not to work for one reason or the other in the second quarter of this year.
“Hence, they were not part of the labour force and cannot be considered unemployed,’’ Kale said.
The NBS described the unemployed as those who were actively looking for work but could not find any for at least 20 hours during the reference week.
“Accordingly, you are unemployed if you did absolutely nothing at all or did something but far less than 20 hours during the reference week”, the report said.
The Bureau put the value of share capital imported by different sectors of the economy at 202.70 million dollars in the second quarter of 2016.
The figure represents a 16.77 per cent decline against 84.17 per cent recorded in 2015.
Kale stated: “Capital is either imported in the form of shares, or directly imported by different sectors of the economy.
“In the second quarter of 2016 the value of share capital imported was estimated to be $202.70 million, which as for capital importation as a whole sets the record for the lowest value for the second consecutive quarter.
“The figure represents a decline of 16.77 per cent relative to the previous quarter, and a decline of 84.17 per cent relative to the same quarter of 2015.’’
The Bureau’s chief noted that this was a smaller year-on-year decline than in the previous quarter, in which it was 87.41 per cent.
He said that the share capital accounted for 31.32 per cent of total capital imported, less than half its share in the second quarter of 2015 of 70.41 per cent and the lowest level in seven years.
His words: “Nevertheless, the share capital still accounts for a larger proportion of total imported capital than any individual sector.
“For the first time on record, the sector to import the largest amount of capital was servicing, which accounted for $130.98 million, or 20.24 per cent of the total.
“This follows a large increase when the Direct – Equity Portfolio – Equity Portfolio – Money Market Instruments Other – Loans value was $12.83 million in the second quarter of 2015.’’
The Bureau said the increase also recorded when the value was $55.05 million in the previous quarter.
“In all the previous quarters, the sector to import the most capital had been either banking, financing, production or telecommunications. For the second consecutive quarter, production was the sector to import the second largest amount of capital,’’ Kale said.
This sector, he said, imported 92.62 million dollars, equivalent to 14.31 per cent of the total, following a quarterly increase of 14.86 million dollars, or 19.10 per cent.
The NBS chief also said that the capital imported by the production sector increased by 80.92 per cent year-on-year, stating that there were six sectors that recorded no capital importation in the second quarter of 2016.
“These sectors are fishing, marketing, hotels, tanning, transport and weaving,’’ he said.
Kale said that half of the 20 sectors recorded a decline in the amount of capital imported relative to the previous quarter.
“The largest fall was in the electrical sector, which recorded 61.32 million dollars less. By contrast, telecommunications recorded the largest increase, and imported 64.10 million dollars more than in the previous quarter”, the statistician-general said.
Thursday, 1 September 2016
Network Provider MTN suspends contracts of their celebrity ambassadors
According to exclusive report as culled from LIB, Last week, a major move happened in the Nigerian entertainment industry that is being kept hush hush but it's our job to let y'all know what's going on. MTN Nigeria has suspended the ambassadorship of many of their ambassadors. Minus their regional ambassadors, Project Fame ambassadors including Iyanya, Praiz and Chidinma, and other ambassadors like Falz, Skales, Tekno and Nkem Owoh, everyone else has been suspended.
MTN told them that they had no roles for them at the moment and didn't want to renew their contracts immediately. So right now, everything is pending.
Their reason? It may not be unconnected with the fact that the giant telecommunication company is paying over three hundred billion Naira fine to the Nigerian Govt for not disconnecting subscribers when they were supposed to. Guess they want to set priorities!
Fingers crossed as we awaits possible response from various ambassadors.
LIB #Lokko
MTN told them that they had no roles for them at the moment and didn't want to renew their contracts immediately. So right now, everything is pending.
Their reason? It may not be unconnected with the fact that the giant telecommunication company is paying over three hundred billion Naira fine to the Nigerian Govt for not disconnecting subscribers when they were supposed to. Guess they want to set priorities!
Fingers crossed as we awaits possible response from various ambassadors.
LIB #Lokko
Open Heavens 1 September 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – No Room for the Devil
Topic: No Room for the Devil [Thursday 1, September 2016]
Memorise: Abstain from all appearance of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Read: Psalms 15:1-5 (KJV)
1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 10-12, Psalms 46
MESSAGE:
‘Looking unto Jesus’ are three very important words of salvation, encouragement and direction for daily Christian living. Nicodemus, in his search for the true God and eternal life, approached Jesus for possible understanding. The Lord Jesus made the new birth very plain by using an Old Testament illustration of the fiery serpents of brass put on a pole for the Israelite's to look upon as recorded in the book of Numbers 21:8-9.
The fall of Adam and Eve, and the temptation of Jesus Christ, exposes humanity to two important realities among many others. First of all, the devil is out to destroy all human beings without exception. Secondly, the devil cannot do a perfect Job at destroying a person without the consensual agreement of that individual. Consequently, the devil seeks the permission of an individual to have the access required to destroy his life. That is why the Bible in Ephesians 4:27, admonishes us not to give way to the devil.
Moreover, the devil does not make this request directly; neither does he require a clear answer from anyone. The language of the devil is always implied and shrouded in ambiguity, such that no one is ever fully aware of the implications of any transaction with the devil until reality dawns on them. For these reasons, children of God should be mindful of their responses to any proposal by the devil because ordinary interest is usually taken as consent or approval by the devil. Men and women who showed interest in various proposals of the devil in the past were soon captured and enslaved to the point of being addicted to such harmful practices like alcoholism, gambling, illicit sex, hard drugs, prostitution, etc. For these reasons, the Bible outlines several ways in which believers should respond to the devil. Evil is to be avoided at all cost as indicated in Psalms 1:1:
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
And in Proverbs 4:14:
“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.”
And 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says:
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
Evil is to be hated with passion and resisted with everything we have in line with Proverbs 1:10:
“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”
And James 4:7,
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Above all, children of God should pray every day in response to evil, Matthew 6:13 says;
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:”
I pray that you will not be a victim of evil in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point: Father, please keep evil far away from me and my entire family in Jesus name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Memorise: Abstain from all appearance of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Read: Psalms 15:1-5 (KJV)
1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 10-12, Psalms 46
MESSAGE:
‘Looking unto Jesus’ are three very important words of salvation, encouragement and direction for daily Christian living. Nicodemus, in his search for the true God and eternal life, approached Jesus for possible understanding. The Lord Jesus made the new birth very plain by using an Old Testament illustration of the fiery serpents of brass put on a pole for the Israelite's to look upon as recorded in the book of Numbers 21:8-9.
The fall of Adam and Eve, and the temptation of Jesus Christ, exposes humanity to two important realities among many others. First of all, the devil is out to destroy all human beings without exception. Secondly, the devil cannot do a perfect Job at destroying a person without the consensual agreement of that individual. Consequently, the devil seeks the permission of an individual to have the access required to destroy his life. That is why the Bible in Ephesians 4:27, admonishes us not to give way to the devil.
Moreover, the devil does not make this request directly; neither does he require a clear answer from anyone. The language of the devil is always implied and shrouded in ambiguity, such that no one is ever fully aware of the implications of any transaction with the devil until reality dawns on them. For these reasons, children of God should be mindful of their responses to any proposal by the devil because ordinary interest is usually taken as consent or approval by the devil. Men and women who showed interest in various proposals of the devil in the past were soon captured and enslaved to the point of being addicted to such harmful practices like alcoholism, gambling, illicit sex, hard drugs, prostitution, etc. For these reasons, the Bible outlines several ways in which believers should respond to the devil. Evil is to be avoided at all cost as indicated in Psalms 1:1:
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
And in Proverbs 4:14:
“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.”
And 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says:
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
Evil is to be hated with passion and resisted with everything we have in line with Proverbs 1:10:
“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”
And James 4:7,
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Above all, children of God should pray every day in response to evil, Matthew 6:13 says;
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:”
I pray that you will not be a victim of evil in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point: Father, please keep evil far away from me and my entire family in Jesus name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Open Heavens 31 August 2016: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – How to Overcome Fear
Topic: How to Overcome Fear [Wednesday 31, August 2016]
Memorise: Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; – Psalms 91:5
Read: Psalms 91:1-9 (KJV)
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 7:30-9:26, Psalms 45
MESSAGE:
God has a reservoir of power to protect His children each time they are in trouble. This is why there is nothing as good as making God the source of your power. God is the most secure place to keep your life. There are many conflicts in this world, there are many happenings that cause fear but we are sure and confident of our victory through the blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary. God is the one who can deliver us from all the dangers of life when we trust in Him. God is the Secret Place that keeps one from the enemy. I decree into your life; those who want to attack you will fall into destruction in Jesus’ name. Those who put their trust in God have nothing to fear.
As far as God is concerned, fear is not allowed for His children. You cannot have God as your father and live in fear, because the spirit of fear is not part of your destiny as a child of God. Your portion is the spirit of boldness and a sound mind. Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego did not give in to fear because they knew that the God they serve will never let them down and they demonstrated this boldness before the King and all the people by not bowing before the image of the King. They overcame their fear with their conviction in the Almighty God. The King made the furnace seven times hotter, yet they were not afraid, neither did they change their minds, because they knew God will wait for them inside the fiery furnace. For a reader of this devotional, I prophecy into your life; all those arrows that the enemies are throwing in order to put fear into your heart shall lead to your promotion in Jesus’ name. When it appears that you are dropping and about to hit the ground, just remember that His everlasting hand is waiting to lift you up.
The children of Israel were afraid of the giants in the land they were to possess. They saw themselves as grasshoppers before the giants because they suddenly forgot that the same God that opened a path for them to cross through the red sea was the same God that wanted them to overrun the land. You need to trust God and never doubt His promises. The moment you doubt God, you are challenging His ability and existence. Those who doubt God usually pay for it and it is not always pleasant. As chicks flee for safety under the wings of the hen, so must we run to the protection of God. There are numerous dangers around, but we know that the God we serve and the power in His Word delivers us from all dangers and fears. As we set our minds on Him, all those things that cause us to worry are taken care of. He will give answers to pressing prayers. He will deliver those who are threatened with different kinds of trouble. He will give you long life by keeping you in perfect health. This is why I want to tell a user of this devotional whose medical report indicates a limited time to live; the Almighty God will change such report in your favour in Jesus’name.
Prayer Point: Father, I receive victory over every fear and doubt in my life in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Memorise: Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; – Psalms 91:5
Read: Psalms 91:1-9 (KJV)
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 7:30-9:26, Psalms 45
MESSAGE:
God has a reservoir of power to protect His children each time they are in trouble. This is why there is nothing as good as making God the source of your power. God is the most secure place to keep your life. There are many conflicts in this world, there are many happenings that cause fear but we are sure and confident of our victory through the blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary. God is the one who can deliver us from all the dangers of life when we trust in Him. God is the Secret Place that keeps one from the enemy. I decree into your life; those who want to attack you will fall into destruction in Jesus’ name. Those who put their trust in God have nothing to fear.
As far as God is concerned, fear is not allowed for His children. You cannot have God as your father and live in fear, because the spirit of fear is not part of your destiny as a child of God. Your portion is the spirit of boldness and a sound mind. Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego did not give in to fear because they knew that the God they serve will never let them down and they demonstrated this boldness before the King and all the people by not bowing before the image of the King. They overcame their fear with their conviction in the Almighty God. The King made the furnace seven times hotter, yet they were not afraid, neither did they change their minds, because they knew God will wait for them inside the fiery furnace. For a reader of this devotional, I prophecy into your life; all those arrows that the enemies are throwing in order to put fear into your heart shall lead to your promotion in Jesus’ name. When it appears that you are dropping and about to hit the ground, just remember that His everlasting hand is waiting to lift you up.
The children of Israel were afraid of the giants in the land they were to possess. They saw themselves as grasshoppers before the giants because they suddenly forgot that the same God that opened a path for them to cross through the red sea was the same God that wanted them to overrun the land. You need to trust God and never doubt His promises. The moment you doubt God, you are challenging His ability and existence. Those who doubt God usually pay for it and it is not always pleasant. As chicks flee for safety under the wings of the hen, so must we run to the protection of God. There are numerous dangers around, but we know that the God we serve and the power in His Word delivers us from all dangers and fears. As we set our minds on Him, all those things that cause us to worry are taken care of. He will give answers to pressing prayers. He will deliver those who are threatened with different kinds of trouble. He will give you long life by keeping you in perfect health. This is why I want to tell a user of this devotional whose medical report indicates a limited time to live; the Almighty God will change such report in your favour in Jesus’name.
Prayer Point: Father, I receive victory over every fear and doubt in my life in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Season of letters! Presidency replies Cardinal Okogie's letter
The Presidency has responded to the letter written by Emeritus Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity claimed President Muhammadu Buhari was already addressing the hunger in the land as advised by Okogie.
“The respected cardinal asked the President to do something fast to address hunger across the country. That is exactly what the President is doing. He is working hard for Nigerians, so that they can say a final farewell to poverty and hunger.”
Mr. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity claimed President Muhammadu Buhari was already addressing the hunger in the land as advised by Okogie.
“The respected cardinal asked the President to do something fast to address hunger across the country. That is exactly what the President is doing. He is working hard for Nigerians, so that they can say a final farewell to poverty and hunger.”
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Open Letter To President Buhari, By Cardinal Anthony Okogie
Dear Mr. President : Last year, when you assumed office, the chant of “Change,” your campaign slogan, ushered you into the Presidential Villa. Today, cries of “hunger” could be heard across the length and breadth of our vast country.
Nigerians hunger, not only for food, but also for good leadership, for peace, security, and justice. This letter is to appeal to you to do something fast, and, if you are already doing something, to redouble your effort.
May it not be written on the pages of history that Nigerians die of starvation under your watch. As President, you are the chief servant of the nation. I, therefore, urge you to live up to the huge expectation of millions of Nigerians. A stitch in time saves nine.
This is the second year of your administration.
You and your party promised to lead the masses to the Promised Land. It is not an easy task to lead. But by campaigning for this office, you offered to take the enormous task of leadership upon yourself. Nigerians are waiting for you to fulfill the promises you made during the campaign.
They voted you into office because of those promises. The introduction of town hall meetings is a commendable idea. But in practice, you, not just your ministers, must converse with Nigerians. You are the President. You must be accountable to them. The buck stops on your desk.
Even if your administration has no magic wand at least give some words of encouragement. On this same score, please instruct your ministers, and insist that they be sincere and polite at those town meetings. Their sophistry will neither serve you nor Nigerians.
Mr. President, if you want to leave a credible legacy come 2019, in all sincerity, please retool your administration. Change is desirable. But it must be a change for the better. Let this change be real. Change is not real when old things that we ought to discard refuse to pass away.
You will need to take a critical look at your cabinet, at the policies and programs of your administration, and at those who help you to formulate and execute them. You will need to take a critical look at the manner of appointments you have been making.
It is true that commonsense dictates that you appoint men and women you can trust. But if most of the people you trust are from one section of the country and practice the same religion, then you and all of us are living in insecurity. The Nigerian economy has never been in a state as terrible as this.
You as President are like the pilot of an aircraft flying in turbulence. Turbulent times bring the best or the worst out of a pilot. We can no longer blame the turbulence on past administrations. You know quite well that some of the officials of your administration served in previous dispensations.
Blame for what we have been experiencing is, in fact, bipartisan in character. The entire political class needs to come together, irrespective of party differences, to acknowledge its collective guilt and to seek ways of saving the sinking ship that our country has become.
This cannot be done if some officials of your administration demonize and alienate members of the opposition. If a large portion of the blame for the present situation is to be laid on the doorsteps of the entire political class, the search for a solution must involve everyone.
That is why no one should be alienated. All hands must be on deck. This is the time to revitalize moribund industries, reinvigorate our agriculture, make our country tourist and investor friendly, and enable our young men and women to find fulfillment by contributing to the common good.
None of these lofty goals can be achieved without good education. On this particular issue, recent appointments you have made in the education sector raise a question: have you really appointed the best? Still, on education, it is important that our universities be allowed to use their own criteria to admit students.
It is a gross violation of the principles of federalism and academic freedom for the federal government to insist that only a federal parastatal can decide on who gains admission into our universities. It is the role of the university senate, not of government bureaucrats, to decide on who gets admitted and who is awarded a certificate.
Mr. President, your desire to wage a war on corruption is just and noble. But a just war must be waged with just means. Those who have stolen the wealth of this country have broken the laws of our country. They must be treated according to the law and not outside the law, and the outcome of the judicial process must be respected by the government.
Even accused persons have rights. Where those rights are violated, we risk a descent to anarchy. It is our candid opinion that corruption is not found in only one party. No political party in Nigeria has a monopoly of looters. That is why we need an EFCC that is thoroughly independent of the presidency, and an Attorney General without party affiliation working in partnership with various independent accounting institutes.
This will ensure that we come up with an objective list of those who plundered our treasury. Mr. President, pardon me if I sound like a gratuitous counselor. I owe you the truth and nothing but the truth. In my life as a public figure and a religious leader, I have offered my counsel, for whatever its worth, to quite a number of Presidents in this country.
I do this because I desire that you succeed. For the success of the leader is the success of the citizens. If there is no solution to Nigeria’s problem, there may be endless war. You strike one town, you gain it, and you come again to regain it. Remember that you cannot put a crown on your head.
It is the people who put it on you. Otherwise one day, you will get tired of it. Please listen to the legitimate cries of your fellow citizens.
Cardinal Anthony Okogie, the emeritus Archbishop of Lagos, writes from Lagos. Culled from SaharaReporters
Read more: http://newsrescue.com/open-letter-president-buhari-cardinal-anthony-okogie/#ixzz4ImkSvyKZ
Nigerians hunger, not only for food, but also for good leadership, for peace, security, and justice. This letter is to appeal to you to do something fast, and, if you are already doing something, to redouble your effort.
May it not be written on the pages of history that Nigerians die of starvation under your watch. As President, you are the chief servant of the nation. I, therefore, urge you to live up to the huge expectation of millions of Nigerians. A stitch in time saves nine.
This is the second year of your administration.
You and your party promised to lead the masses to the Promised Land. It is not an easy task to lead. But by campaigning for this office, you offered to take the enormous task of leadership upon yourself. Nigerians are waiting for you to fulfill the promises you made during the campaign.
They voted you into office because of those promises. The introduction of town hall meetings is a commendable idea. But in practice, you, not just your ministers, must converse with Nigerians. You are the President. You must be accountable to them. The buck stops on your desk.
Even if your administration has no magic wand at least give some words of encouragement. On this same score, please instruct your ministers, and insist that they be sincere and polite at those town meetings. Their sophistry will neither serve you nor Nigerians.
Mr. President, if you want to leave a credible legacy come 2019, in all sincerity, please retool your administration. Change is desirable. But it must be a change for the better. Let this change be real. Change is not real when old things that we ought to discard refuse to pass away.
You will need to take a critical look at your cabinet, at the policies and programs of your administration, and at those who help you to formulate and execute them. You will need to take a critical look at the manner of appointments you have been making.
It is true that commonsense dictates that you appoint men and women you can trust. But if most of the people you trust are from one section of the country and practice the same religion, then you and all of us are living in insecurity. The Nigerian economy has never been in a state as terrible as this.
You as President are like the pilot of an aircraft flying in turbulence. Turbulent times bring the best or the worst out of a pilot. We can no longer blame the turbulence on past administrations. You know quite well that some of the officials of your administration served in previous dispensations.
Blame for what we have been experiencing is, in fact, bipartisan in character. The entire political class needs to come together, irrespective of party differences, to acknowledge its collective guilt and to seek ways of saving the sinking ship that our country has become.
This cannot be done if some officials of your administration demonize and alienate members of the opposition. If a large portion of the blame for the present situation is to be laid on the doorsteps of the entire political class, the search for a solution must involve everyone.
That is why no one should be alienated. All hands must be on deck. This is the time to revitalize moribund industries, reinvigorate our agriculture, make our country tourist and investor friendly, and enable our young men and women to find fulfillment by contributing to the common good.
None of these lofty goals can be achieved without good education. On this particular issue, recent appointments you have made in the education sector raise a question: have you really appointed the best? Still, on education, it is important that our universities be allowed to use their own criteria to admit students.
It is a gross violation of the principles of federalism and academic freedom for the federal government to insist that only a federal parastatal can decide on who gains admission into our universities. It is the role of the university senate, not of government bureaucrats, to decide on who gets admitted and who is awarded a certificate.
Mr. President, your desire to wage a war on corruption is just and noble. But a just war must be waged with just means. Those who have stolen the wealth of this country have broken the laws of our country. They must be treated according to the law and not outside the law, and the outcome of the judicial process must be respected by the government.
Even accused persons have rights. Where those rights are violated, we risk a descent to anarchy. It is our candid opinion that corruption is not found in only one party. No political party in Nigeria has a monopoly of looters. That is why we need an EFCC that is thoroughly independent of the presidency, and an Attorney General without party affiliation working in partnership with various independent accounting institutes.
This will ensure that we come up with an objective list of those who plundered our treasury. Mr. President, pardon me if I sound like a gratuitous counselor. I owe you the truth and nothing but the truth. In my life as a public figure and a religious leader, I have offered my counsel, for whatever its worth, to quite a number of Presidents in this country.
I do this because I desire that you succeed. For the success of the leader is the success of the citizens. If there is no solution to Nigeria’s problem, there may be endless war. You strike one town, you gain it, and you come again to regain it. Remember that you cannot put a crown on your head.
It is the people who put it on you. Otherwise one day, you will get tired of it. Please listen to the legitimate cries of your fellow citizens.
Cardinal Anthony Okogie, the emeritus Archbishop of Lagos, writes from Lagos. Culled from SaharaReporters
Read more: http://newsrescue.com/open-letter-president-buhari-cardinal-anthony-okogie/#ixzz4ImkSvyKZ
Open Heavens 30 August 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Principles of Divine Blessing
Topic: Principles of Divine Blessing [Tuesday 30, August 2016]
Memorise: Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. – 1 Samuel 2:30
Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-6 (KJV)
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 5:14-7:29, Psalms 44:17-26
MESSAGE:
If you want to command the blessings of God, you must be willing to pay the price. If you want the kind of blessing that does not have any form of sorrow, you must be willing to obey the instructions of God. If you want the kind of blessing that is no respecter of seasons, you must be willing to live a holy life. This means it is very possible for you to enjoy God’s blessing all the days of your life; however, there are principles that command this blessing. When you follow and honour God, you have no fear of tomorrow. There are many people who are worried about what their tomorrow looks like. They don’t know what will happen next. For those who are living holy, they know their tomorrow will be alright as promised by God in His Word, they know they will prosper. This is automatic for them because the Word of God says:
“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:” - Isaiah 1:19
If you are living a holy life, God will supply all your needs. There are many people who are blessed but they have no peace. For those who walk in the path of God, He blesses them and adds peace to their blessing.
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” - Isaiah 3:10
If you want a glorious promotion, you must live a holy life. The Almighty God is no respecter of persons. He will never bend His standards. He is very strict and perfect. It is the blessing of God that takes an individual to the top. The moment you choose to live by His standards, God will lift you up on high. If you do not live holy, you will always see yourself falling down. Those who are down always suffer but when you are on top, the Lord will bless you greatly. This is why you have to make up your mind to pay the price of consecration. The knowledge of God produces material and financial blessings. The moment you honour God with your life, you will have access to the good things of life. You will attract blessings from all parts of the world and He will give you the wisdom to keep the blessings. Obedience brings blessings; if you are obedient you will have victory in every aspect of life. You will have access to the fullness of God’s provision. Only those who walk in the principles of God can command the blessing of God. He fed the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness without them working for one day. The blessings of the Almighty God are inexhaustible. When you distance yourself from the principle of tithing, the blessings of God will always be distant from you. There is no blessing for the wicked unless the wicked repents and comes to Jesus. Fools are those who know the consequences of something and still go into it. They know that the wages of sin is death and still continue in sin. Divine blessings come to those who keep the commandments of God. They enjoy good success and prosperity. The moment you begin to walk in the principles of God, everything you touch becomes blessed. It is obedience to the Word of God that attracts blessings into one’s life.
Key point: It pays to follow God.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Memorise: Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. – 1 Samuel 2:30
Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-6 (KJV)
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 5:14-7:29, Psalms 44:17-26
MESSAGE:
If you want to command the blessings of God, you must be willing to pay the price. If you want the kind of blessing that does not have any form of sorrow, you must be willing to obey the instructions of God. If you want the kind of blessing that is no respecter of seasons, you must be willing to live a holy life. This means it is very possible for you to enjoy God’s blessing all the days of your life; however, there are principles that command this blessing. When you follow and honour God, you have no fear of tomorrow. There are many people who are worried about what their tomorrow looks like. They don’t know what will happen next. For those who are living holy, they know their tomorrow will be alright as promised by God in His Word, they know they will prosper. This is automatic for them because the Word of God says:
“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:” - Isaiah 1:19
If you are living a holy life, God will supply all your needs. There are many people who are blessed but they have no peace. For those who walk in the path of God, He blesses them and adds peace to their blessing.
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” - Isaiah 3:10
If you want a glorious promotion, you must live a holy life. The Almighty God is no respecter of persons. He will never bend His standards. He is very strict and perfect. It is the blessing of God that takes an individual to the top. The moment you choose to live by His standards, God will lift you up on high. If you do not live holy, you will always see yourself falling down. Those who are down always suffer but when you are on top, the Lord will bless you greatly. This is why you have to make up your mind to pay the price of consecration. The knowledge of God produces material and financial blessings. The moment you honour God with your life, you will have access to the good things of life. You will attract blessings from all parts of the world and He will give you the wisdom to keep the blessings. Obedience brings blessings; if you are obedient you will have victory in every aspect of life. You will have access to the fullness of God’s provision. Only those who walk in the principles of God can command the blessing of God. He fed the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness without them working for one day. The blessings of the Almighty God are inexhaustible. When you distance yourself from the principle of tithing, the blessings of God will always be distant from you. There is no blessing for the wicked unless the wicked repents and comes to Jesus. Fools are those who know the consequences of something and still go into it. They know that the wages of sin is death and still continue in sin. Divine blessings come to those who keep the commandments of God. They enjoy good success and prosperity. The moment you begin to walk in the principles of God, everything you touch becomes blessed. It is obedience to the Word of God that attracts blessings into one’s life.
Key point: It pays to follow God.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Foster teenager, 15, dubbed Girl X died of a ‘speed ball overdose’
Reports: Daily Mail
A teenager, dubbed Girl X, overdosed after she was repeatedly raped inside a care facility after being removed from her home as a one-year-old, an inquest has heard.
Authorities were so concerned for her welfare that she was removed from her family before her first birthday, but the 15-year-old died on April 21, 2014 after a ‘speed ball’ overdose following years of being ‘used and abused’.
Counsel assisting Donna Ward told the Glebe Coroner’s Court on Monday that the young girl had been dragged into criminal activity, probably prostituted, had been injecting hard drugs and cut ‘I hate feelings’ into her leg.
‘(She had been) tragically used and abused by many of the people she should have been able to rely on for comfort and care,’ Ms Ward told a packed courtroom.
The night before her death, it’s believed she injected a ‘speed ball’ – a dangerous combination of heroin and speed, while living at a residential care home.
A teenager, dubbed Girl X, overdosed after she was repeatedly raped inside a care facility after being removed from her home as a one-year-old, an inquest has heard.
Authorities were so concerned for her welfare that she was removed from her family before her first birthday, but the 15-year-old died on April 21, 2014 after a ‘speed ball’ overdose following years of being ‘used and abused’.
Counsel assisting Donna Ward told the Glebe Coroner’s Court on Monday that the young girl had been dragged into criminal activity, probably prostituted, had been injecting hard drugs and cut ‘I hate feelings’ into her leg.
‘(She had been) tragically used and abused by many of the people she should have been able to rely on for comfort and care,’ Ms Ward told a packed courtroom.
The night before her death, it’s believed she injected a ‘speed ball’ – a dangerous combination of heroin and speed, while living at a residential care home.
Tributes flood in for the 'magic' Gene Wilder after Willy Wonka star dies aged 83 following a secret battle with Alzheimer's
The actor's nephew says Wilder died late Sunday in Stamford, Connecticut from Alzheimer's complications
•The actor best known for paying Willy Wonka was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but chose to keep his condition private
•Actor did not want to disappoint fans with the news and 'couldn't bear the thought of one less smile in the world'
•Wilder was 83 years old at the time of his death and is survived by his wife Karen Boyer
•Was a longtime collaborator with director Mel Brooks, starring in such comedies as Blazing Saddles, The Producers and Young Frankenstein
Tributes have flooded in to the legendary actor Gene Wilder who died aged 83 on Sunday night after a secret battle with Alzheimer's.
Friend and longtime collaborator Mel Brooks led the outpouring of emotion, attesting to the 'magic' that Wilder brought to the screen, including his most well-known role as Willy Wonka.
'One of the truly great talents of our time,' Mel Brooks tweeted on Monday. 'He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship.'
Fellow comic Jim Carrey added: 'Gene Wilder was one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to take human form. If there's a heaven, he has a golden ticket.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3764037/Gene-Wilder-dead-age-83-Legendary-actor-played-Willy-Wonka-suffered-non-Hodgkin-s-lymphoma.html
•The actor best known for paying Willy Wonka was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but chose to keep his condition private
•Actor did not want to disappoint fans with the news and 'couldn't bear the thought of one less smile in the world'
•Wilder was 83 years old at the time of his death and is survived by his wife Karen Boyer
•Was a longtime collaborator with director Mel Brooks, starring in such comedies as Blazing Saddles, The Producers and Young Frankenstein
Tributes have flooded in to the legendary actor Gene Wilder who died aged 83 on Sunday night after a secret battle with Alzheimer's.
Friend and longtime collaborator Mel Brooks led the outpouring of emotion, attesting to the 'magic' that Wilder brought to the screen, including his most well-known role as Willy Wonka.
'One of the truly great talents of our time,' Mel Brooks tweeted on Monday. 'He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship.'
Fellow comic Jim Carrey added: 'Gene Wilder was one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to take human form. If there's a heaven, he has a golden ticket.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3764037/Gene-Wilder-dead-age-83-Legendary-actor-played-Willy-Wonka-suffered-non-Hodgkin-s-lymphoma.html
Monday, 29 August 2016
Deji of Akure Land releases statement on the sealed APC secretariat
Wonder they say shall never end! in the bid up for governorship election in Ondo state, so many activities are cropping up. The attention of the Palace of His Royal Majesty, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, Odundun II, the ...Deji and Paramount Ruler of Akure, has been drawn to the sacrilegious act carried out at the Ondo State Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress early this morning.
Ekiti state governor Ayodele Fayose signs open grazing bill into law
They are also prohibited from grazing their cattle in areas that are not designated for grazing. The law prescribes six months imprisonment without option of fine for any herdsman who violates the grazing prohibition while any herdsman found with arms will be charged with terrorism in the state.
LIB
Afe Babalola University says No to smartphones on campus, reactions trends on twitter
"Mobile Phone ; The University would allow students to use telephone but limited to non-smartphones. Any TELEPHONE aside the University’s specification, inclusive of TABLETS or IPADS shall be CONFISCATED and the Student shall be SANCTIONED"
Twitter Users (some students) however expressed displeasure. See the reactions after the cut.
Sensational Rihanna and Drake kiss at the 2016 VMAs
'She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22 years old, she's one of my best friends in the world. All my adult life I have looked up to her even though she is younger than me. 'She is a living and breathing legend of our Industry...'
Politics as APC Secretariat in Ondo state turned into a 'Shrine'
Party faithfuls are not finding it funny as some aggrieved
members of APC in Ondo state have turned the party's Secretariat in the
state into a shrine. The party members are at loggerheads over who
would be their governorship candidate in the state's gubernatorial
election come November 26th.
Open Heavens 29 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Great Invitation
Topic: The Great Invitation [Monday 29, August 2016]
Memorise: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. – Isaiah 1:18
Read: Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 3:6-5:13, Psalms 44:9-15
MESSAGE:
There are numerous invitations we receive during the course of our lifetime, but there is an invitation that changes the life of a person permanently and that invitation is only found in Jesus. Sometimes, people can invite you to great occasions where you dine and wine with very important people in the society but that does not put an end to the trouble you are going through as an individual. You dine with them, but upon returning to your private closet, you carry your problems again. However, when you respond to the invitation of Jesus, He solves all your problems. This is why you cannot afford to respond inappropriately to this invitation. With this invitation, you come as you are. Present yourself to Him the way you are and let Him turn your life around. This is why the invitation of Jesus is the greatest of all invitations; it is also unique because He has all the power and the resources to turn any situation around. No matter how blessed an individual is, there is a limit to how many people he can help. No matter how buoyant your organisation is, there is no CEO that can employ everyone in a country. Jesus is the only employer who can pay everyone that comes under His government. There is no restriction, it is open to all.
This invitation is to those who live under the stress and turmoil of this world. He wants to deliver them from all their troubles. There are those who have problems with their spiritual life. Jesus is available to release grace and mercy in the state of their spiritual poverty. There are people living under the bondage of emotions and religion, Jesus wants to set them free and deliver them from all their battles both within and without. There are many people who are struggling on the inside. When you see them, they appear alright but they have troubles, fears, worries, anxieties and depression. Jesus is calling you to come to Him. He wants to remove the yoke that the devil and his agents have put on you. He wants to uproot every plant that He has not planted in your life. He wants to deliver you from the burdens of this world that causes frustration and depression. However, you must submit to Him before He can be of help to you.
It does not matter how far you have gone into the world of sin, Jesus is calling you to come. There is no sinner without a future and there is no saint without a past but in Jesus everything becomes new;
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
One finds peace and rest of mind by understanding that his sins are forgiven by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary, because where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission for sins. You can cast all your worries and anxiety on Jesus; it is part of your redemption right because all those troubles have been exchanged for peace through His death. However, you must know that the glory of God is His holiness. His dwelling is in holiness. His way is holy and the invitation to us is not an invitation to lawlessness but an invitation to holiness.
Key Point: There is no sin that is beyond the redemption at cross.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Memorise: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. – Isaiah 1:18
Read: Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 3:6-5:13, Psalms 44:9-15
MESSAGE:
There are numerous invitations we receive during the course of our lifetime, but there is an invitation that changes the life of a person permanently and that invitation is only found in Jesus. Sometimes, people can invite you to great occasions where you dine and wine with very important people in the society but that does not put an end to the trouble you are going through as an individual. You dine with them, but upon returning to your private closet, you carry your problems again. However, when you respond to the invitation of Jesus, He solves all your problems. This is why you cannot afford to respond inappropriately to this invitation. With this invitation, you come as you are. Present yourself to Him the way you are and let Him turn your life around. This is why the invitation of Jesus is the greatest of all invitations; it is also unique because He has all the power and the resources to turn any situation around. No matter how blessed an individual is, there is a limit to how many people he can help. No matter how buoyant your organisation is, there is no CEO that can employ everyone in a country. Jesus is the only employer who can pay everyone that comes under His government. There is no restriction, it is open to all.
This invitation is to those who live under the stress and turmoil of this world. He wants to deliver them from all their troubles. There are those who have problems with their spiritual life. Jesus is available to release grace and mercy in the state of their spiritual poverty. There are people living under the bondage of emotions and religion, Jesus wants to set them free and deliver them from all their battles both within and without. There are many people who are struggling on the inside. When you see them, they appear alright but they have troubles, fears, worries, anxieties and depression. Jesus is calling you to come to Him. He wants to remove the yoke that the devil and his agents have put on you. He wants to uproot every plant that He has not planted in your life. He wants to deliver you from the burdens of this world that causes frustration and depression. However, you must submit to Him before He can be of help to you.
It does not matter how far you have gone into the world of sin, Jesus is calling you to come. There is no sinner without a future and there is no saint without a past but in Jesus everything becomes new;
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
One finds peace and rest of mind by understanding that his sins are forgiven by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary, because where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission for sins. You can cast all your worries and anxiety on Jesus; it is part of your redemption right because all those troubles have been exchanged for peace through His death. However, you must know that the glory of God is His holiness. His dwelling is in holiness. His way is holy and the invitation to us is not an invitation to lawlessness but an invitation to holiness.
Key Point: There is no sin that is beyond the redemption at cross.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Sunday, 28 August 2016
Pres. Buhari in Kenya for the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development
African leaders were united in calling for increased trade ties between the continent and Japan as the Sixth Tokyo International Conference of African Development kicked off in Nairobi at the weekend.
Some 23 presidents are part of the huge delegation of leaders in Nairobi for the Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development — the largest delegation of Heads of States on Kenyan soil at the same time in recent years.
Speakers pitched for increased financial and technical support in agriculture, infrastructure, health, security and innovation.
The meeting underscored the role of the private sector, NGOs and the civil society, with leaders confirming that it is important to build a resilient economy.
The conference brought together 34 Heads of State and government and delegates from across the globe.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/mobile/article/2000213637/when-half-of-africa-s-leaders-came-calling-for-tokyo-summit
Some 23 presidents are part of the huge delegation of leaders in Nairobi for the Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development — the largest delegation of Heads of States on Kenyan soil at the same time in recent years.
Speakers pitched for increased financial and technical support in agriculture, infrastructure, health, security and innovation.
The meeting underscored the role of the private sector, NGOs and the civil society, with leaders confirming that it is important to build a resilient economy.
The conference brought together 34 Heads of State and government and delegates from across the globe.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/mobile/article/2000213637/when-half-of-africa-s-leaders-came-calling-for-tokyo-summit
Winning Wisdom: He's Given You the Keys
Topic: He's Given You the Keys [28/8/2016]
Text: Matthew 16:17-19
God intended man to have control over his life and make the best out of it. He never wanted man to be controlled by the forces and circumstances of life. Before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples in Matthew 16:19 "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Jesus was telling them that He will give them the keys of the kingdom of God to control their lives here on earth. God wants us to be in control of what happens to us. He wants the only things that happen in our lives to be the things we allow, as we walk in tune with heaven's agenda for our lives. Don't allow Satan hijack your life. Your destiny is what you make out of it. It is what you allow that heaven will allow but heaven won't do anything about a negative occurrence or situation if you don't.
The keys are with you. They have been handed to you by God. Make the best use of them to make your life what you want it to be. Nobody, not even the devil has the ability to control the affairs of your life. You are the sole controller of your life. Even God can only do as much as you want Him to. But it is always best to permit Him to get involved in all your affairs. Because for you to make the best of your life, heaven has to seal it. Remember, it is when heaven's seal of approval is on what you want done, that it will be done.
Keep winning daily.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for giving me the keys of the kingdom to control the affairs of my life. Only what I allow in my life is allowed. Satan's influence is cut short in my life. And as I work with You, I receive the seal of approval to keep winning daily in my life, in Jesus' name. Amen.
By Ese Ehimare Dave
Text: Matthew 16:17-19
God intended man to have control over his life and make the best out of it. He never wanted man to be controlled by the forces and circumstances of life. Before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples in Matthew 16:19 "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Jesus was telling them that He will give them the keys of the kingdom of God to control their lives here on earth. God wants us to be in control of what happens to us. He wants the only things that happen in our lives to be the things we allow, as we walk in tune with heaven's agenda for our lives. Don't allow Satan hijack your life. Your destiny is what you make out of it. It is what you allow that heaven will allow but heaven won't do anything about a negative occurrence or situation if you don't.
The keys are with you. They have been handed to you by God. Make the best use of them to make your life what you want it to be. Nobody, not even the devil has the ability to control the affairs of your life. You are the sole controller of your life. Even God can only do as much as you want Him to. But it is always best to permit Him to get involved in all your affairs. Because for you to make the best of your life, heaven has to seal it. Remember, it is when heaven's seal of approval is on what you want done, that it will be done.
Keep winning daily.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for giving me the keys of the kingdom to control the affairs of my life. Only what I allow in my life is allowed. Satan's influence is cut short in my life. And as I work with You, I receive the seal of approval to keep winning daily in my life, in Jesus' name. Amen.
By Ese Ehimare Dave
Growing Nigeria travel and tourism a lesson to learn from Seychelles
Travel & Tourism’s impact on the economic and social development of a country can be enormous; opening it up for business, trade and capital investment, creating jobs and entrepreneurship for the workforce and protecting heritage and cultural values. To fully understand its impact, however, governments, policy makers and businesses around the world require accurate and reliable data on the impact of the sector. Data is needed to help assess policies that govern future industry development and to provide knowledge to help guide successful and sustainable Travel & Tourism investment decisions.
The industry generated US$7.6 trillion (10% of global GDP) and 277 million jobs (1 in 11 jobs) for the global economy in 2014. Recent years have seen Travel & Tourism growing at a faster rate than both the wider economy and other significant sectors such as automotive, financial services and health care. Last year was no exception. International tourist arrivals also surged, reaching nearly 1.14 billion and visitor spending more than matched that growth. Visitors from emerging economies now represent a 46% share of these international arrivals (up from 38% in 2000), proving the growth and increased opportunities for travel from those in these new markets.
One of such countries to learn from is Seychelles. The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to its GDP was 21.3% of total GDP in 2014 and it’s forecast to rise by 6.0% in 2015 and to rise by 4.9% pa, from 2015-2025, to 24.7% of total GDP in 2025. In 2014, Travel & Tourism directly supported 10,500 jobs (22.9% of total employment). This is expected to remain unchanged in 2015 and rise by 2.5% pa to 14,000 jobs (28.1% of total employment) in 2025.
This included employment by hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services (excluding commuter services). It also includes, for example, the activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists. By 2025, Travel & Tourism will account for 14,000 jobs directly, an increase of 2.5% pa over the next ten years.
What has been largely responsible for such growth and enormous contribution to the country’s GDP? Seychelles relies on its local experts in drawing up a Masterplan. It doesn’t solicit the support of a global agency, or foreign expertise to grow its tourism industry. Nigeria as a country can take learnings from Seychelles if it is to make any significant progress in turning the tourism and hospitality industry into a melting pot for the economy. The tourism industry remains the pillar of the Seychelles economy, which is why the Government continues to consult to ensure the industry is consolidated for the long term. The country’s tourism strategic plan set out for the upcoming five years covers strategic areas pointing to policy formulation, product development, human resource development and risk management.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has been assisting Nigeria in drafting a Masterplan for moving the country’s tourism forward. Worthy of mentioning is the fact that this Masterplan hasn’t been able to contribute greatly to its growth. Experts have stated that some of the factors crippling the successful implementation of the Plan may include: Nigeria’s difficult governance environment, local conditions were not taken into consideration and the political implication of that error crippled the project to a point where it could not take off since 2006. Sadly, the country’s tourism minister had gone back to the UNWTO to seek for help in making the unworkable Plan work.
No doubt, the action plans suggested by the apex tourism agency are indeed virile to boost any country’s tourism industry. Some of the actions include: technical assistance, capacity building and the revision of the country’s Tourism Master Plan, organisation of international conferences in Nigeria and the certification of tourism courses, widening access to the e-library for Nigerian tourism officials and offering support for relevant tourism institutions and agencies in Nigeria; data collection for the elaboration of tourism statistics, rural tourism development, hotel classification and in designing programmes to create awareness for tourism.
Whilst all these plans are plausible, there is need to allow the local expertise to draft a Masterplan for promoting this sector with a view to turning it into a melting pot. Besides, these local experts understand the Nigerian environment better than any foreign agency. This is not to say that the intentions of the apex global agency is bad. Rather, this is a call for inclusion of more local experts who also have international exposure.
Additionally, there is also need to collaborate with industry players within the sector. Such players will include hoteliers, travel consultants, hotel booking portals like Jumia Travel, channel managers and many more.
Growing Nigeria’s tourism and travel industry will definitely require some time. The determination to get it right once-and-for-all should propel the honourable Minister to accommodate more local experts to drive the tourism agenda, as against seeking to have the Masterplan revised by UNWTO.
*Data Source: World Travel & Tourism Council
By Olukayode Kolawole
Head of PR & Marketing at Jumia Travel NG
The industry generated US$7.6 trillion (10% of global GDP) and 277 million jobs (1 in 11 jobs) for the global economy in 2014. Recent years have seen Travel & Tourism growing at a faster rate than both the wider economy and other significant sectors such as automotive, financial services and health care. Last year was no exception. International tourist arrivals also surged, reaching nearly 1.14 billion and visitor spending more than matched that growth. Visitors from emerging economies now represent a 46% share of these international arrivals (up from 38% in 2000), proving the growth and increased opportunities for travel from those in these new markets.
One of such countries to learn from is Seychelles. The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to its GDP was 21.3% of total GDP in 2014 and it’s forecast to rise by 6.0% in 2015 and to rise by 4.9% pa, from 2015-2025, to 24.7% of total GDP in 2025. In 2014, Travel & Tourism directly supported 10,500 jobs (22.9% of total employment). This is expected to remain unchanged in 2015 and rise by 2.5% pa to 14,000 jobs (28.1% of total employment) in 2025.
This included employment by hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services (excluding commuter services). It also includes, for example, the activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists. By 2025, Travel & Tourism will account for 14,000 jobs directly, an increase of 2.5% pa over the next ten years.
What has been largely responsible for such growth and enormous contribution to the country’s GDP? Seychelles relies on its local experts in drawing up a Masterplan. It doesn’t solicit the support of a global agency, or foreign expertise to grow its tourism industry. Nigeria as a country can take learnings from Seychelles if it is to make any significant progress in turning the tourism and hospitality industry into a melting pot for the economy. The tourism industry remains the pillar of the Seychelles economy, which is why the Government continues to consult to ensure the industry is consolidated for the long term. The country’s tourism strategic plan set out for the upcoming five years covers strategic areas pointing to policy formulation, product development, human resource development and risk management.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has been assisting Nigeria in drafting a Masterplan for moving the country’s tourism forward. Worthy of mentioning is the fact that this Masterplan hasn’t been able to contribute greatly to its growth. Experts have stated that some of the factors crippling the successful implementation of the Plan may include: Nigeria’s difficult governance environment, local conditions were not taken into consideration and the political implication of that error crippled the project to a point where it could not take off since 2006. Sadly, the country’s tourism minister had gone back to the UNWTO to seek for help in making the unworkable Plan work.
No doubt, the action plans suggested by the apex tourism agency are indeed virile to boost any country’s tourism industry. Some of the actions include: technical assistance, capacity building and the revision of the country’s Tourism Master Plan, organisation of international conferences in Nigeria and the certification of tourism courses, widening access to the e-library for Nigerian tourism officials and offering support for relevant tourism institutions and agencies in Nigeria; data collection for the elaboration of tourism statistics, rural tourism development, hotel classification and in designing programmes to create awareness for tourism.
Whilst all these plans are plausible, there is need to allow the local expertise to draft a Masterplan for promoting this sector with a view to turning it into a melting pot. Besides, these local experts understand the Nigerian environment better than any foreign agency. This is not to say that the intentions of the apex global agency is bad. Rather, this is a call for inclusion of more local experts who also have international exposure.
Additionally, there is also need to collaborate with industry players within the sector. Such players will include hoteliers, travel consultants, hotel booking portals like Jumia Travel, channel managers and many more.
Growing Nigeria’s tourism and travel industry will definitely require some time. The determination to get it right once-and-for-all should propel the honourable Minister to accommodate more local experts to drive the tourism agenda, as against seeking to have the Masterplan revised by UNWTO.
*Data Source: World Travel & Tourism Council
By Olukayode Kolawole
Head of PR & Marketing at Jumia Travel NG
Open Heavens 28 August 2016: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Unusual Messengers
Topic: Unusual Messengers [Sunday 28, August 2016]
Memorise: And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. – 1 Kings 17:4
Read: 1 Kings 17:1-5 (KJV)
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 1:1-3:5, Psalms 44:1-8
MESSAGE:
Messengers are stewards often sent to speak, act, or deliver a message on behalf of their master. In addition to the angelic beings that God normally sends as messengers to speak, deliver messages, or carry our specific assignments, He also uses humans and other living or non-living beings as messengers. The purpose of God’s legitimate messengers is always to inform, enable, protect, empower, and guide the people of God. But they are sent occasionally to punish. I pray that you will never do anything to provoke divine judgment in Jesus’ name. The most prominent among God’s messengers are Prophets, humans and angelic beings. However, unusual messengers are sometimes deployed by God to carry out special assignments. 1 Kings 17:4-6 says,
“4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.”
In the above passage, the most unusual messengers - ravens were the stewards sent to provide food for Elijah in the wilderness. Ravens are large heavily built carnivorous birds of the corvine family. God used a great fish, gourd plant, worm and a vehement east wind as unusual messengers to teach Jonah the lesson of his life in Jonah 4:6-8. He used another unusual messenger to play an important role in the story of Balaam in Numbers 22:19-35. Numbers 22:27-28 says;
“27…. and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. 28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”
The use of supernatural beings are natural elements as God’s messengers therefore underscores God as the Lord of Hosts, with the special ability to make all things work in favour of His beloved children. Therefore, give your life to Jesus today, and become one of God’s beloved. Then you can be sure that all things will begin to work together for your good according to the Word of God in Romans 8:28.
Prayer Point: Father, please command all things to work together for my good and the fulfilment of my destiny in the name of Jesus.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Memorise: And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. – 1 Kings 17:4
Read: 1 Kings 17:1-5 (KJV)
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 1:1-3:5, Psalms 44:1-8
MESSAGE:
Messengers are stewards often sent to speak, act, or deliver a message on behalf of their master. In addition to the angelic beings that God normally sends as messengers to speak, deliver messages, or carry our specific assignments, He also uses humans and other living or non-living beings as messengers. The purpose of God’s legitimate messengers is always to inform, enable, protect, empower, and guide the people of God. But they are sent occasionally to punish. I pray that you will never do anything to provoke divine judgment in Jesus’ name. The most prominent among God’s messengers are Prophets, humans and angelic beings. However, unusual messengers are sometimes deployed by God to carry out special assignments. 1 Kings 17:4-6 says,
“4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.”
In the above passage, the most unusual messengers - ravens were the stewards sent to provide food for Elijah in the wilderness. Ravens are large heavily built carnivorous birds of the corvine family. God used a great fish, gourd plant, worm and a vehement east wind as unusual messengers to teach Jonah the lesson of his life in Jonah 4:6-8. He used another unusual messenger to play an important role in the story of Balaam in Numbers 22:19-35. Numbers 22:27-28 says;
“27…. and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. 28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”
The use of supernatural beings are natural elements as God’s messengers therefore underscores God as the Lord of Hosts, with the special ability to make all things work in favour of His beloved children. Therefore, give your life to Jesus today, and become one of God’s beloved. Then you can be sure that all things will begin to work together for your good according to the Word of God in Romans 8:28.
Prayer Point: Father, please command all things to work together for my good and the fulfilment of my destiny in the name of Jesus.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
Nigeria’s economic woes, self inflicted, says Soludo
A former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Prof. Charles Soludo, said, yesterday, that the economic recession Nigeria is experiencing was self inflicted, insisting that oil, for most part of the country, had been a curse. *Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo*Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo Soludo, in a key note address at Delta State Economic and Investment Summit, said the collapse of oil prices was the only way to take the country out of its economic quagmire. “For too long, we have lived with borrowed robes, and I think for the next generation, for the 400 million Nigerians expected in this country by the year 2050, oil cannot be the way forward for the future”, he said. “Oil, for most part of the country, has been a curse. I thank God that, at this particular point, we are moving forward. There is a saying that every disappointment is a blessing, and this is now an opportune time to discover the blessing and that is the hard work that should begin”. While explaining that the economic downturn was avoidable, he said, “I want to commend the federal government that is finally coming to terms with the fact that, you cannot fix prices and quantities at the same time. If you fix prices, if you fix the nominal variables, the quantities will adjust. “We must deal with the exchange rate issue. Currently the exchange rate quandrum is largely overshooting and it is self inflicted. Those so called 41 items ineligible for foreign exchange should never have been the concern of monetary authorities, it is wrong yesterday, it is wrong today and it will be wrong tomorrow”. Saying that economic and political reforms were veritable prerequisites for a sustainable economy, the erstwhile CBN Governor said: “We should go back to a version, just a version, not completely, of the 1963 republican Constitution on prescription and revenue thing, where the regions have control over their resources including natural resources and simply pay tax to the federal government.”
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/nigerias-economic-woes-self-inflicted-says-soludo/
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/nigerias-economic-woes-self-inflicted-says-soludo/
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