Nigeria Campus Photoshoot Weekend

What is Digital Marketing? Overview & Resources

2018-10-19T23:39:00.001-07:00

What Is Digital Marketing?

At a high level, digital marketing refers to advertising delivered through digital channels such as search engines, websites, social media, email, and mobile apps. While this term covers a wide range of marketing activities, all of which are not universally agreed upon, we’ll focus on the most common types below.

Paid Search

Paid search, or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, typically refers to the “sponsored result” on the top or side of a search engine results page (SERP). You only pay when your ad is clicked. You can tailor your PPC ads to appear when specific search terms are entered, creating ads that are targeted to a particular audience.

PPC ads are flexible, visible, and most importantly, effective for many different types of organizations. They are also contextual advertisements—ads that appear when a person is searching for a particular keyword or term.

Search Engine Optimization

Simply put, search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing the content, technical set-up, and reach of your website so that your pages appear at the top of a search engine result for a specific set of keyword terms. Ultimately, the goal is to attract visitors to your website when they search for products, services, or information related to your business.

SEO can almost be viewed as a set of best practices for good digital marketing. It enforces the need for a well-constructed and easy-to-use website, valuable and engaging content, and the credibility for other websites and individuals to recommend you by linking to your site or mentioning it in social media posts.

Content Marketing

Have you heard the expression, “Content is king?” If not, you have now. Great content is the fuel that drives your digital marketing activities:

It is a key pillar of modern SEO.It helps you get noticed on social media, it gives you something of value to offer customers in emails and paid search ads

Creating clever content that is not promotional in nature, but instead educates and inspires, is tough but well worth the effort. Offering content that is relevant to your audience helps them see you as a valuable source of information. On top of that, resourceful content makes it less likely that they will tune you out.

Social Media Marketing

People aren’t just watching cat videos and posting selfies on social media these days. Many rely on social networks to discover, research, and educate themselves about a brand before engaging with that organization. For marketers, it’s not enough to just post on your Facebook and Twitter accounts. You must also weave social elements into every aspect of your marketing and create more peer-to-peer sharing opportunities. The more your audience wants to engage with your content, the more likely it is that they will want to share it. This ultimately leads to them becoming a customer. And as an added bonus, they will hopefully influence their friends to become customers, too.

Email Marketing

Email has been around for more than two decades, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. It’s still theJUST quickest and most direct way to reach customers with critical information. The reason is simple: Consumers are very attached to their emails. Just ask yourself how many times you have checked your email in the past hour...See what we mean?

But great marketers know that not just any email will do. Successful email campaigns must be engaging, relevant, informative, and entertaining. To succeed, your Marketing's emails should satisfy these five core attributes:

Trustworthy

Relevant

Conversational

Be coordinated Strategically across channel's

Strategic

Mobile Marketing

As mobile devices become an increasingly integral part of our lives, it’s vital that marketers understand how to effectively communicate on this unique and extremely personal channel. Mobile devices are kept in our pockets, sit next to our beds, and are checked constantly throughout the day. This makes marketing on mobile incredibly important but also very nuanced.

From SMS and MMS to in-app marketing, there are many ways to market on mobile devices, so finding the right method for your particular business is key. Beyond the mechanisms to deliver your message, you also need to think about coordination of your marketing across digital channels and make sure mobile is a part of that mix.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is an integral platform that ties all of your digital marketing together. Without it, your campaigns will look like an unfinished puzzle with a crucial missing piece. Marketing automation software streamlines and automates marketing tasks and workflows. Most importantly, it measures the results and ROI of your digital campaigns, helping you to grow revenue faster.

When used effectively, marketing automation will help you gain much-needed insight into which programs are working and which aren’t. It will give you the metrics needed to speak confidently about digital marketing’s impact on the bottom line.

OUR SERVICES

Speakers Den Merchandise Is A Platform Where Training, Sales, Sales Promotion, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Handbills And Banner Printing, Email Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Blog And Website Creations, Content Writing, Script Writing, Project Writing And Research, CV Writing And Editing Using Current Formats Of Which Is Reckoned With To Crave Impact Globally.

CONTACT US4th Avenue, A close, plot 1557 Festac town Lagos
BRANCHNo 4, Majeck Kembo street, off quarry road, Abeokuta Ogun StatePhone No: 08061154825, 081-828-61649IG: Speakersden_Merchandise

https://speakersden2.blogspot.com

Sales Promotion Strategies

2018-10-19T21:19:00.001-07:00

sales promotion

Sales Promotion Strategies

Advancing your business is an essential piece of your every day exercises. All things considered, if clients are not appearing, at that point you can't make a deal. To advance your business in a viable way, consider utilizing the dependable sales strategies of "Push" and "Draw." Regardless of whether you utilize coupons, giveaways or motivations for your best salesperson, you will see your primary concern increment.

Push Sales System

The push sales methodology exudes from makers who "push" their item through the inventory network to the customer. Motivators are offered that give each center bearer inspiration to persuade the following individual to purchase the item. Customarily, this strategy incorporates premiums, discount rebates and repurchase ensures.

This strategy isn't just for the huge players who compete to get their item conveyed by different retailers. In the event that you have a little retail outlet or possess an administration giving organization, you can at present advantage from this methodology. Offering a reward to your staff for offering the item or administration of-the-week is a "push" procedure. Give clients a free thing for alluding a companion to your business.

Draw Sales System

The "pull" technique works by letting the end buyer keen on the item to make an interest. At the point when the interest is there, the store network pulls it through, as retailers ask providers and wholesalers, who thusly get some information about the item. In the event that your business has the assets, you can dispatch a battle to get end customers amped up for your items. TV, print and electronic publicizing alternatives loan themselves to the force technique.

Consolidating Push and Force

To support sales, have a go at consolidating the two frameworks. For example, offer your clients coupons, unconditional presents or a regular client dependability motivating force to direct people to your business. These exercises fall under the "pull" procedure.

In the meantime, offer your sales group a motivating force, for example, a get-away challenge, additional commission or a superior parking spot for offering a specific item or moving a specific volume of stock. This falls under the "push" system.

By joining the two techniques as a feature of a general promotion, you will coordinate inspired purchasers with an excited sales group to build sales development

OUR SERVICES

Speakers Den Merchandise Is A Platform Where Training, Sales, Sales Promotion, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Handbills And Banner Printing, Email Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Blog And Website Creations, Content Writing, Script Writing, Project Writing And Research, CV Writing And Editing Using Current Formats Of Which Is Reckoned With To Crave Impact Globally.

CONTACT US4th Avenue, A close, plot 1557 Festac town Lagos
BRANCHNo 4, Majeck Kembo street, off quarry road, Abeokuta Ogun StatePhone No: 08061154825, 081-828-61649IG: Speakersden_Merchandise

https://speakersden2.blogspot.com

Nigerian Army open Job applications for Direct, Short Service Commission

2018-10-19T14:50:00.001-07:00

Nigerian Army job vacancy

The Nigerian Army has invited eligible Nigerians, to apply for the Short Service Combatant (SSC) Commission course 45/2019 and Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) course 24/2019.

The application is open to only serving military personnel (sponsored by any of the services of the Nigerian Armed Forces to civil institutions) and civilians.

It began 19 October, 2018.

Submission of all applications are expected to end on 30 November, 2018

For more information, call 08179269294 and 08118881694 or check the DSSC/SSC section on www.army.mil.ng.

10 Script Writing Techniques To Enhance Video Marketing Campaigns

2018-10-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

video marketing campaign

10 Script Writing Technique To Enhance Video Marketing Campaigns

Video marketing is hardly new, but that doesn’t mean everybody is doing it, and not all those who are doing it, are doing it well. If you count yourself amongst those that don’t use video marketing, perhaps it’s time to take the plunge.

If you’re on the fence, here are some stats that might convince you:

Video drives 157% increase in organic traffic from SERPs87% of online marketers use video marketingViews of sponsored content jumped 258% on Facebook between 2016 and 2017Video on landing pages can increase conversions by 80%

What’s the reason behind the success and proliferation in video marketing? Well, this isn’t backed by anything other than my intuition, butwe’re lazy. We tend to sit rather than stand, drive rather than walk, and watch rather than read.

It’s much less brain-intensive to watch a 2-minute video than it is read a 500-word blog. So, we watch. And the more video that’s available, the more we watch. Soon we’ll all be characters from WALL-E, but in the meantime, we can still market, and to do so effectively, video is preferred.

Now, let me kindly place my cynicism aside, and let’s go through how to write a great video script that translates to engaging video.

Planning

Before you can even begin writing, you must plan. Do you think Christopher Nolan writes a script without thinking of all the practicalities that will accompany shooting it?

Okay bad example, but I’m going to guess you don’t have piles of cash for the Joker to burn, so there’s no getting around the planning stage.

Budget

Before you write your script, you need to know your budget. A bigger budget may mean room for animation, shooting in multiple locations, or reenactments.

If you don’t have the budget for these kinds of things and you include them in your script, your going to be scrambling to say what you want to say with your video come production.

Logistics

You’re not going to be able to nail down every single logistical issue before you put pen to paper, but that doesn’t mean you should write your script without thinking about logistics.

Scheduling is going to be an issue, so think about how much time you’re going to have to shoot a video and write your script accordingly.

Here at ActiveCampaign, we have a jack-of-all video trades and he is always working at several projects at a time. Sure if I’m writing a script for an ad we’re producing, I may want to write something that will take 3 days to shoot, but the reality is, he doesn’t have that kind of time.

Writing the Script

Now that you’ve got all the planning out of the way, it’s time for you and the blank page to spend some quality time together.

Formatting

If you write for the internet, you’re probably not used to writing for video. It is a very different experience. If your video is going to include narration, you need to make sure that the time it will take the narrator to read something will align with the amount of time needed to show a visual.

There’s no one right way to format a script, but you’re probably going to need a little more than just a plain Word doc.

When I first graduated from college, I worked for a company that produced animated videos. I wrote scripts for the videos, and there was more to it than simply writing the narration.

We used two column scripts. So, on the left column of the page would be the copy for the narrator. On the right column of the page would be an annotation of what would be happening on screen.

Using this method, I was able to track how long the narrator would be speaking if that timing synced up with what was meant to happen on screen. After getting the voiceover back, one of our animators would take the script and use the annotations to animate the video.

Now, this method worked perfectly for us, but we were creating animated videos. If you don’t plan on having animations or narrations, this may not be the best way to go for you. But the point is, you need to take into account a new dimension when writing for video, and if you don’t do it in the script, chances are the video won’t come out as you’d like it to.

There are also several tools available for you that can help you format a script. If you plan on creating a lot of videos and writing a lot of scripts, it may make sense to invest in somescreenwriting software.

Write conversationally

With few exceptions, videos turn out best when scripts are written in a conversational style.

Remember, writing conversationally doesn’t mean sacrificing quality of information, it just makes for a video that is more watchable

Think about your brand

Video is a great chance to equip your audience with some sort of information, but it’s also a great opportunity to reinforce your brand. If your company’s brand is fun and silly, manifest that in the video by writing a fun and silly script.

Get to know your talent

When I was started writing video scripts, I didn’t even think about who was doing the voiceover. Then as I gained more experience and saw the final cuts of the video, I realized that if you gave five people the exact same script to read, it would produce five completely different videos.

As an extreme example to illustrate this point, think about the movie Silence of the Lambs. Anthony Hopkins created one of the creepiest characters in American cinema history with Hannibal Lecter. Now, take him out of that role, and without changing anything in the movie except the actor, substitute in Rodney Dangerfield.

That movie is very different. Obviously that’s an absurd example, but it goes to show that the script is only part of the final product, and if you want the video to turn out how you’d like, you need to understand your talent.

Keep learning

This is true for just about every endeavor and it applies to video as well. No matter how many guides and blogs you read, you’re going to make mistakes. Learn from these. The more scripts you write and videos you produce, the better you’ll get. And soon, you’ll be the one doling out helpful hints for writing video scripts.

OUR SERVICES

Speakers Den Merchandise Is A Platform Where Training, Sales, Sales Promotion, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Handbills And Banner Printing, Email Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Blog And Website Creations, Content Writing, Script Writing, Project Writing And Research, CV Writing And Editing Using Current Formats Of Which Is Reckoned With To Crave Impact Globally.

CONTACT US4th Avenue, A close, plot 1557 Festac town Lagos
BRANCHNo 4, Majeck Kembo street, off quarry road, Abeokuta Ogun StatePhone No: 08061154825, 081-828-61649IG: Speakersden_Merchandise

https://speakersden2.blogspot.com

Job Vacancy: The Role of a Technical Manager Needed Urgently

2018-10-19T03:05:00.001-07:00

Job Vacancy

Apply Now!

Vacancy exists for the role of a Technical Manager in an indigenous technology distribution company that deals with the sales and distribution of computer hardware, software and solar panel .

Job Function: Manages Company’s Research, Development and Technical Support activities.

REQUIREMENTS:

• At least a First degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or relevant field. Additional certification is a plus (CISM/ CISA/ CISSP)

• 5 + years of relevant years of work experience as a technical manager

• Ability to communicate across a broad range of technical disciplines

• Strategic thinker

• Project management experience

Suitable and qualified applicant should send both CV and other accompanying applications to recruitment@leadhradvisory.com with the title ''Technical Manager'' as the subject of the mail. Application closes on Friday, 19th October, 2018.

How To Get Your First Client Through Mail Champ - Email Marketing

2018-10-19T01:43:00.000-07:00

Mail Champ

How To Get Your First Client Through Mail Champ - Email Marketing

First things first—what exactly is email marketing?

Email marketing helps you connect with your audience to promote your brand and increase sales. You can do a lot of things with emails, like sell products, share some news, or tell a story.

With Mailchimp’s campaign builder, it’s easy to find the right templates for any message—whether you’re welcoming new subscribers, notifying customers of a sale, or wishing someone a happy birthday.

Does email marketing work?

When you want to communicate something about your brand or sell your stuff, email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to do so.

In fact, a 2015 study by the DMA found that for every $1 spent, email has an average $38 return on investment (ROI). When shoppers are ready to buy something, they often look for emails from their favorite stores.

Still, people receive more and more email all the time, and it can be challenging to stand out in full inboxes. That’s why Mailchimp gives you the tools you need to shine (plus, we’ve got a lot of tried and true tips on sending outstanding emails).

How do I get an email list?

You’ll see the highest ROI when you build and maintain an engaged subscriber list, made up of people who want to receive your messages (and who opted in on purpose). Although building a clean list can take more work at the outset of your email marketing strategy, Mailchimp lists have built-in tools to help you along the way.

There are lots of ways to find people who’ll look forward to getting your emails, but we’ve rounded up a few that work best.

To create an email list:

Create a signup form on your website.When people come to your website for the first time and like what they see, they’ll want a way to stay in-the-know about your brand. Create a form for newsletter signups and install a pop-up for first time visitors.
Use a good old-fashioned signup sheet.Whether it’s at your brick and mortar store, or an event that you’re hosting or attending, when you’re surrounded by people who are into what you do, provide a place for them to sign up and learn more.
Drive signups through social media.If you don’t have a substantial email list (or you’d just like to see it grow), but you’ve got an engaged social media following, tap into that resource. Share your signup form on your social channels.

To add more subscribers to an existing list:

Host a contest or offer a discount.We’re big fans of giving people an incentive to sign up for your email list—and we know that contests work. Try offering a prize for some lucky new subscriber or a discount code for a first purchase.
Make your emails easy to share.When you create beautiful, compelling emails, people will want to share them. Mailchimp gives you features (like share buttons and social media post builders) that let the word about your emails spread quickly.
Build a landing page through Mailchimp.Landing pages offer one more way to grow your email list. Using your best imagery and content, landing pages give people a clear call to action and drive email signups way, way up.

References : MAIL CHAMP

OUR SERVICES

Speakers Den Merchandise Is A Platform Where Training, Sales, Sales Promotion, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Handbills And Banner Printing, Email Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Blog And Website Creations, Content Writing, Script Writing, Project Writing And Research, CV Writing And Editing Using Current Formats Of Which Is Reckoned With To Crave Impact Globally.

CONTACT US4th Avenue, A close, plot 1557 Festac town Lagos
BRANCHNo 4, Majeck Kembo street, off quarry road, Abeokuta Ogun StatePhone No: 08061154825, 081-828-61649IG: Speakersden_Merchandise

https://speakersden2.blogspot.com

Job Vacancy: For Youth Corps As A Senior Member Of A Team

2018-10-18T20:32:00.001-07:00

Job Vacancy

Good morning fellow professionals. Please, I'm looking to engage the services of a smart youth corps member to work with a senior member of my team.

Role specification include:

Administrative functions

Record keeping

Acting as an Executive Assistant to the Acting GM

Person specification:

- A smart individual with a can do attitude

- Ability to use the computer is very key - Ms word, Excel & PowerPoint packages.

- Candidate should live within Ikeja environs and be willing to join the team immediately.

Qualification:

A degree in Agric Economics/ Food Technology & Biochemistry would be an added

A monthly allowance would be paid to successful candidate.

Kindly refer candidates for this position

CVs / Resume should be forwarded to careers@sehaifoods.com cc. e.aguddah@sehaifoods.com

*cc.eaguddah@sehaifoods.com

10 Hints to Enhance Your Business Sales Execution 2018

2018-10-18T20:08:00.001-07:00

10 Hints to Enhance Your Business Sales Execution 2018

No matter what industry you’re in, what worked well a few years ago isn’t good enough today. This is no time for trial and error or order taking; this is a time to sell, make sales and use proper sales promotion techniques. Here are some basic steps you can take to improve your sales performance, reduce your cost of selling, and ensure your survival.

1. Clarify your mission.

Begin by understanding your business niche. What do you do best? Who needs what you do? How do you best approach these prospects? How much are they willing to pay? If these questions are not answered easily, campaign at the top for clarity and vision.

2. Break the mission into specific goals.

Write down the activity goals (calls per day, proposals per month, referrals per call, etc.) that you can control. Set results goals (sales per month, amount per sale, profit per sale, etc.) to measure your progress, and track them closely. Increase your activity and measure the results. Goals focus your attention and energize your action.

3. Sell to customer needs.

Always assume your prospects will buy only what they need. How can you convince them of that need? Emphasize the features of your product or service that reduce costs and solve problems for the customer. Sometimes you can reposition your wares. For example, you sold wool uniforms for their look and feel; now stress wool’s durability and lasting value. Be creative in your sales and marketing.

4. Create and maintain favorable attention.

Effective marketing, referrals, strong sales skills, and strategic questions are the keys to creating favorable attention. Diligent follow-through and above-and-beyond customer service are the keys to maintaining it.

5. Sell on purpose.

Know both what to do and why you’re doing it at every step along the way. Who are you targeting and why? What are you going to tell them and why? What are you going to ask them and why? What is your proposal going to look like and why? When are you going to ask for the order? If you don’t feel sure of yourself at every step of the selling process, get some training or guidance.

6. Ask, listen, and act.

Better than any others, these three words summarize success in sales. Your questions must be creative, planned, relevant, and direct. Your listening skills must be highly developed. You must respond and take action that proves that you listened to the customer and want the sale.

7. Take the responsibility but not the credit.

Realize that you are the team leader. The company looks to you for direction and supports your effort. To build a strong support team willing to go the extra mile when you need it, give your team the credit for everything that goes right, and take the blame when it goes wrong.

8. Work on the basics.

Even the best of the best have room for improvement. Make a decision to improve your weaknesses, and set goals to force yourself to do the things you don’t like to do. Be more creative in your prospecting, fact finding, and presentation skills. Imagine the perfect salesperson and compare yourself to the ideal.

9. Develop your attitude.

Your attitude is controllable. Conquer your fears. Change the beliefs that limit your success. Your thought habits control your commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, resilience, happiness, and confidence. Be aware of them, decide which ones are unproductive, and then make a commitment to change. With time and effort, you can become the person you want to be.

10. Maximize your time.

Focus on your goals. Test every activity for its importance and urgency. Create an ideal schedule, and test your actual time use against it daily. Remember, just one hour a day used more productively adds up to more than six extra weeks of productive time a year.

Are you planning a sales promotion event?
Or would you like to embark upon a Brand Activation campaign?
Do you want to launch a new product or ask customers to engage with your business in a new way?
You’d like to boost business during slow hours, weekdays or particular seasons…Right?
Entice people to buy more from you?
Or maybe want customers to purchase more frequently, buy in greater volumes, or be attracted to new or different offerings?
Sure you would want to attract new customers to your business and grow your revenue…Right?
Or want lapsed customers to give your business another try?
Engage your clients on what is new in your business?
Create compelling sales promotion messages, Concepts, Material, and gift items?
As well as explore testing opportunities and undertake Marketing Surveys for your great ideas?
Or maybe you’d like us to build you a dedicated marketing team?

OUR SERVICES

Speakers Den Merchandise Is A Platform Where Training, Sales, Sales Promotion, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Handbills And Banner Printing, Email Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Blog And Website Creations, Content Writing, Script Writing, Project Writing And Research, CV Writing And Editing Using Current Formats Of Which Is Reckoned With To Crave Impact Globally.

CONTACT US4th Avenue, A close, plot 1557 Festac town Lagos
BRANCHNo 4, Majeck Kembo street, off quarry road, Abeokuta Ogun StatePhone No: 08061154825, 081-828-61649IG: Speakersden_Merchandise

https://speakersden2.blogspot.com

2018 formula to increase your blog, website traffic, insight or page views

2018-10-18T19:58:00.001-07:00

MY BlOG GOT 1515 VIEWS IN A DAY TRYING THIS, VIEW SCREEN SHOT

blog traffic

How to increase blog traffic is a topic that basically all bloggers should learn more about. Here’s what I mean: Given the growth in recent years, there are probably more than 250 million blogs online right now.

Of those, only around 50% of all blog posts get more than 8 shares.

Even 42% of professionally marketed blog posts receive less than 10 interactions!

And it looks like less than 1% of articles hit 1000 shares.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret…

Most people, even professionals, really suck at marketing their posts. They just aren’t taking the right steps or building the right relationships.

Which is why I’m writing this post.

You’re about to learn how to increase blog traffic in 2 straightforward steps. Let’s get started.

How to Increase Blog Traffic: Two Strategies You Need to Follow

I’ll begin with a quick overview of the strategies, then we’ll break them down further – step by step.

Here they are:

The Long-Term Game: SEO
Sharing on Social Media (The Right Way)

If you’re ready to start getting real blog traffic, real fast, then keep reading. You won’t be disappointed.

Strategy #1: Start With SEO

If you’re starting a blog, every single blog post you write should have a keyword in mind.

Yes, there are exceptions – like writing a news piece that’s only pertinent because of some event or writing an update about your services – but for the most part, you want tooptimize every post around a keyword.

There are a few reasons for this:

SEO takes a while, so if you’re optimized from the start, you’ll get there faster.
Organic traffic is at the top of the list of marketing channels on the web, being responsible for hundreds of thousands of visitors to top blogs in every niche.
There’s no reason not to do it. As long as you’re not keyword stuffing, you’ll benefit in the long run and eventually learn how to increase blog traffic.

It’s not super difficult, either. Some people even believe (myself included) that SEO is still low-hanging fruit for many bloggers. It’s because SEO seems complicated, so most people avoid it – lessening the competition.

Let me break it down really quickly, and give you some resources to get started:

1. SEO starts with keyword research.

Obviously, if you want to rank on Google, you need to know what keyword you want to rank for. I’ve written extensively about how to find great keywords before. But it pretty much comes down to using the right tools:

Ahrefs (paid tool) to spy on competitor’s keywords.
Google Keyword Planner (free) to find related keywords for a seed keyword.

Just take a seed keyword (such as “low carb recipes” if that’s what you write about) and plug it in one of the tools. You can also google that keyword and look at the autofill and related searches at the bottom of the page:

Then, take all those related keywords and plug them into one of the keyword research tools above. When you find one with a low keyword difficulty, create a post around that topic, including your primary keyword and its related keywords. This is your first step to learning how to increase blog traffic.

If you’re using GKP, you can get a rough idea of the difficulty based on the domain authority (DA) of the search results when you Google that keyword. You can find DA withMoz Open Site Explorer. As a rule of thumb, if a lot of the posts have a DA of over 40 or 50, it’s probably going to be tough to outrank them. But using Ahrefs or SEMrush will give you a better picture.

2. Once you’ve written a post, optimize it for your target keyword.

Optimizing a page for a certain keyword is called on-page SIEO. It’s actually pretty simple.

3. For maximum results, build some links.

Link-building is a major part of SEO these days and a crucial element to learning how to increase blog traffic – plus, the #1 reason SEO is a low-hanging fruit. Most people simply skip this step entirely.

Strategy #2: Do social media the right way.

Most people are using social media as a platform to push out their content. This is completely, 100% wrong!

Gary Vee, one of the world’s most well-known social media marketing experts, believes in the “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” method. In other words, you need to put out at least three posts or updates that are completely free value to your followers before trying to get anything in return.

Involve your community in your blog content.

Link to other blogger’s content, get influencers to give you quotes to include in your posts and share other people’s content. When you do, tag them in it – and make them look really friggin good. Compliment their work and drop thoughtful insights within your post.

Get involved in social media groups.

There are Facebook groups for every niche out there. You also have Google+ communities, LinkedIn groups, and Twitter chats.

OUR SERVICES

Speakers Den Merchandise Is A Platform Where Training, Sales, Sales Promotion, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Handbills And Banner Printing, Email Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Blog And Website Creations, Content Writing, Script Writing, Project Writing And Research, CV Writing And Editing Using Current Formats Of Which Is Reckoned With To Crave Impact Globally.

CONTACT US4th Avenue, A close, plot 1557 Festac town Lagos
BRANCHNo 4, Majeck Kembo street, off quarry road, Abeokuta Ogun StatePhone No: 08061154825, 081-828-61649IG: Speakersden_Merchandise

https://speakersden2.blogspot.com

Edimarban Magazine (December 2017) free download- Nigeriacampustalenthunt

2017-12-17T19:12:00.001-08:00

Edimarban Magazine (December 2017) free download- Nigeriacampustalenthun

Download now

The link is bellow

https://rebrand.ly/edimarban

The first edition of Edimarban

Magazine presents another

remarkable opportunity to

promote exceptionally talented Nigerian Models and fine artists, while seeking to attract global attention to Africa's rich and diversified dress culture .

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Edimarban Magazine (December 2017) free download- Nigeriacampustalenthunt

OUTDOOR PHOTOSHOOT CASTING (Its FREE)

2017-11-17T15:35:00.001-08:00

Nigeriacampustalenthunt

Celebrating One Year Anniversary With Nigeriacampustalenthunt

OUTDOOR PHOTOSHOOT CASTING (Its FREE)

Styling

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December 2nd, 2017, 11:00AM

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CHRISTMAS PROMO, SHOPRITE GIFT CARD FROM NIGERIA CAMPUS TALENT HUNT

2017-11-10T01:34:00.001-08:00

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Nigeria Campus Talent Hunt

2017-11-08T01:39:00.001-08:00

Nigeriacampustalenthunt

Nigeria Campus Talent Hunt.

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NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE

2017-11-03T20:35:00.001-07:00

NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE

NAIJA CAMPUS MAKEUP CONTEST

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EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE

2017-11-03T20:23:00.001-07:00

EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE

NAIJA CAMPUS MAKEUP CONTEST

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CAMPUS MAKEUP CONTEST 2017

2017-10-26T01:28:00.001-07:00

CAMPUS MAKEUP CONTEST 2017

CAMPUS MAKE UP CONTEST (CLOSING 12TH NOVEMBER )

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Yard Sales Nigeria: BRAND MODELING (80% REACH)

2017-10-16T17:14:00.001-07:00

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N-Power Teach - N-Power - Empowering Nigerian Youths

2017-08-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

N-Power Teach - N-Power - Empowering Nigerian Youths

N-Power Teach Volunteers will help improve basic education delivery in Nigeria. N-Power Teach Volunteers will be deployed as teacher assistants in primary schools around Nigeria. They will not replace the current teachers, but will work as support teachers across Nigeria, assisting with teaching, school management and other functions within the schools. Where possible, they will also assist in taking basic education to children in marginalised communities.

STEM

Do you have any skills related to computer programming, computer graphics design, computer generated images, animation, server administration, database management, networking, etc? Then, N-Power needs you.

Apply : www.npower.gov.ng/n-teach.html

YouWin Registration 2017 | Apply for YouWin Online Registration 2017

2017-08-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

YouWin Registration 2017 | Apply for YouWin Online Registration 2017

This is to inform the general public that YouWin Registration 2017 has not started yet. For interest of those that don’t know much about YouWin 2017 Registration, we are going to enlighten you here.

This page is officially created for interested applicants who wish to know when YouWin Registration Form 2017 will be on sale. It is to your concern that we shall surely update you with latest YouWin 2017 details on this page, once its out.

The YouWin is a yearly Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria to help them develop a perfect business idea. Also we can say that its an innovative business plan competition aimed at job creation by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas.

On this article you will know how to start and finish the YouWin 2017 Online Registration Form which the application is in progress. But first you MUST understand the following principles before applying for youwin.org.ng business competition, which are;

Be a Nigerian citizen aged between 18 – 45 years
Have post secondary education
Have a proposed business idea that will operate in Nigeria and employ Nigerians

YouWin Registration 2017 | How to Apply for YouWin Business Plan Competition 2017

STEP 1 – REGISTER to own a login details

Follow this link to Register ==>>https://apply.youwin.org.ng/registerp.php

You will receive a confirmation email from YouWIN! with all the details you will need to log in.

STEP 2 – COMPLETE NEW BUSINESS APPLICATION

Once you have successfully registered you need to Log in and click the New Business Application button on the right hand-side. You can save your application form as you go along, and come back to it at any time. Once you are happy with your application use the Submit button on the form to send it to us. You can submit only ONE application.

STEP 3 – KEEP INFORMED

After the closing date you will be notified if you have been selected for the next stage of the competition. You can join the discussion on Facebook, Linkedln and Twitter. We will also post regular updates on the YouWiN website

YouWin Registration 2017 – Important YouWin Registration Notice

Please note that to be eligible for the Business Plan Competition you must satisfy the following criteria;

You must be a proven citizen of Nigeria no older than 45 years (proof of identity: International passport/Drivers License/National ID/Voters card required)
You must have a post-secondary school qualification
Your proposed business venture must be within the national borders of Nigeria, and with the intention of employing Nigerian citizens.
Your proposed venture must not entail the production or distribution of weapons, alcoholic beverages, tobacco or/and gambling, or any activities in contradiction with the Nigerian constitution
You must prepare an innovative business concept summary

N/B: You must choose to participate in one award pool. There are 6 regional pools on the basis of geo-political zone as identified by market in which you want to do business.

If you need us to help you with more updated information at the right time about YouWin Registration 2017, kindly provide us your phone number and email Address in the comment box below. Also feel free to ask any question pertaining to this guide.

What’s your take on this? I urge you to use this same opportunity to share this information across to others using our Facebook, twitter or Google share button below.

A nationwide ASUU strike seems inevitable as the union goes toe to toe with the federal government

2017-08-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

A nationwide ASUU strike seems inevitable as the union goes toe to toe with the federal government

- The union says the government is yet to fulfil its part of agreement signed them in 2009

- ASUU has begun to collate signatures from members in preparation for the strike

The Nigerian federal government has been unable to honor its part of agreement signed with Academic Union of University (ASUU) in 2009.

Therefore the union has begun the process that may lead to a nationwide strike soon.

According to Daily Sun, ASUU has begun collation of signatures of members through referenda which would determine the type of strike in terms of time to embark on.

Some of the problems relate to academic allowances, change of pension administrators, remittance of needs assessment funds, issue of staff and possible renegotiation of condition of service.

Former Welfare Secretary, ASUU, Kaduna state University, Mallam Ahmad Buba urged the federal government to fulfill its part of the 2009 agreement to avoid another strike action, which will further deteriorate the country educational system.

He said: “The union has, over time revolving and unlike before, they now collect members’ view when it comes to critical issues like this.

"That means, the outcome of the referenda which is simultaneously going on across the country will determine whether the strike will be one week, two weeks, months or indefinite.

“Like I said, if members say we should go ahead so be it and if they said no so be it. We are not antagonising the government, but we are only demanding for what we know is our right. We have legal team and that means we are not doing any illegal thing.

“What we are saying is the 2009 agreement should be implemented. We are not asking for too much. We are saying pay us our allowances, move our pension from administrators currently handling it to Servicom, remit our need assessment funds, continue funding our staff schools among others.

"Let education gets more budget percentage because it is the bedrock of other developments. Let stop brain drain which is becoming daily occurrence in our educational system.

"When an Army General retires, he continue enjoying his last salary as pension while a Professor will retire and that will be the end. Its time to renegotiate all these details for our education not to suffer any setback again."

NCTH earlier reported that ASUU has threatened to go on an indefinite nationwide strike over it members in Boko Haram’s captivity.

The union declared that it may go on strike if its members that were abducted by the terrorists are not rescued at the expected time.

This came six days after some members of the University of Maiduguri chapter of the union were abducted in an ambush by the terrorists in Borno state.

Robert Bosch Stiftung and Black Sea Trust: Inviting Applicants for Confidence Building Project Proposals

2017-08-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

Robert Bosch Stiftung and Black Sea Trust: Inviting Applicants for Confidence Building Project Proposals

The Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation of the German Marshall Fund (BST) are seekingproposals for its 2017-18 Confidence Building project to support confidence building activities of non-state actors in the South Caucasus, Ukraine andMoldova, and its neighboring countries.

The projects should be initiated by civil society organizations which can effectively engage target audiences within the population of the region in their projects’ activities. Organizations requesting grantsmust be legally registered in one of the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan,Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania,Turkey and Ukraine. The involvement of additional partners (especially those from the EU) is possible and welcome.

Funding Information

The average grant will be around 23,000 USD (about 18,000 EUR).

Focus Areas

Projects working in the following areas would be especially appreciated:

approaches to build and/or strengthen local, regional and national capacities to promote coexistence and reintegration;
cross-border initiatives for youth;
approaches to civic education or active citizenship;
approaches to reconciliation andpeace that incorporate experiences from history and convey them to the younger generation;
arts and cultural work to advance peace and reconciliation;
the role of media in overcoming stereotypes.

How to Apply

Interested applicants must submit their proposals by using the application andbudget forms through the given website.

Eligible Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine.

For more information, please visit Call for Proposals.

War of Words: North Korea vs. Donald Trump

2017-08-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

War of Words: North Korea vs. Donald Trump

President Donald Trump's recent invocation of "fire and fury" in response to North Korea's nuclear weapons program had a familiar ring to it. It's the kind of dramatic rhetoric thatNorth Korea regularly uses in its public statements.

Thanks in part to Twitter, the American president has also become somewhat infamous for his statements, though in a more casual, off-the-cuff manner than what appears to be North Korea's carefully crafted script. Has North Korea met its match? Stay tuned. It's a war of words, and one which analysts fear might lead to actual conflict.

FIRE

— NORTH KOREA (Rodong Sinmun newspaper commentary in April)

"Our pre-emptive nuclear attacks will bring the provocateurs nothing but tragic consequences: South Korea will be submerged in a sea of fire, Japan will be reduced to ashes and the U.S. will collapse."

— TRUMP (Speaking to reporters on Aug. 8)

"North Korea had best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."

———

NONSENSE

— NORTH KOREA (General Kim Rak Gyom statement on Aug. 9)

"The U.S. president at a golf links again let out a load of nonsense about 'fire and fury,' failing to grasp the on-going grave situation. This is extremely getting on the nerves of the infuriated Hwasong artillerymen of the KPA (Korean People's Army). ... Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him."

— TRUMP (Twitter on July 3)

"North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea ... and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

———

THREATS

NORTH KOREA (Korean People's Army spokesman on Aug. 9)

"The provocative 'preventive war' the U.S. has devised and plans to execute will be countered with a just all-out war of wiping out all the strongholds of the enemies including the U.S. mainland."

— TRUMP (Fox Business Network interview on April 11)

"We are sending an armada. Very powerful. We have submarines. Very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that I can tell you."

———

FAKE NEWS

— NORTH KOREA (Korean Central News Agency commentary in May)

"The conservative media of South Korea are spreading misinformation about the DPRK (North Korea) over the Ransomware cyber-attack that occurred in various countries ... This is dirty and despicable smear campaign."

— TRUMP (Twitter on Feb. 3)

"Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice!"

———

INSULTS

— NORTH KOREA (Foreign Ministry spokesman in July 2009)

"We cannot but regard Mrs. Clinton as a funny lady as she likes to utter such rhetoric, unaware of the elementary etiquette in the international community. Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping."

— TRUMP (Twitter on June 29)

"I heard poorly rated @Morning—Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came.....to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"

————

NUKES

— NORTH KOREA (Foreign Ministry spokesman in July)

"Should the U.S. dare to show even the slightest sign of attempt to remove our supreme leadership, we will strike a merciless blow at the heart of the U.S. with our powerful nuclear hammer, honed and hardened over time."

— TRUMP (Twitter on Jan. 2)

"North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen!"

5 Ways to Make Your Small Online Business Appear Bigger

2017-08-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

5 Ways to Make Your Small Online Business Appear Bigger

When Kevin Plank first launched his now billion-dollar company Under Armour, one of his biggest challenges was conveying a professional image. He didn't want people to know that he was working out of his grandmother's basement. So he did everything possible in the beginning to make his small online business appear bigger.

He even carried around multiple business cards so that he could play to whatever audience necessary. Can you can relate?

Are you facing the startup stigma?

As the owner of a startup or small business, there's a certain stigma that comes with your size and lack of experience in the marketplace. Have you experienced this personally?

Perhaps you resonate with Kevin Plank and Under Armour and are currently working out of a garage or basement while trying to hustle your way to your first few sales. Or maybe you've been around for a couple of years, but just can't seem to get people to listen.

Right or wrong, the problem with being small is that people have been conditioned to think that size is directly correlated to quality/reliability/cost. They assume that, because you don't have a big office with a full roster of employees, you must not be professional. This impression comes from the thousands of other tiny businesses and small startups that have failed over the years.

Random businesses that were small but appeared bigger

Do you know what Disney, Apple, Lotus Cars, Harley Davidson, Google, Mattel, Hewlett-Packard, Amazon, Maglite and the Yankee Candle Company all have in common? They were all small companies started in a garage by an entrepreneur with very little business acumen.

The marketplace forgets about stories like these and, as a result, continues to perpetuate the startup stigma. Unfortunately for you, this puts your company behind the proverbial 8-ball.

As you've figured out by now, the biggest point of contention in your pursuit of growth is the old chicken and egg dilemma. It's hard to scale your business without money. The only trouble is that it's difficult to make money when you don't have experience. Ironically, you can't gain experience unless you pick up clients, yet they want to see that you have a large, successful operation before giving you money.

If you don't figure something out, you'll end up spinning your wheels forever, never gaining any traction. While an innovative product and a willingness to hustle will take you a long way, it's important that you tackle your image sooner rather than later. Starting from the bottom may make for a good story in a few years, but right now it could be holding you back.

5 Practical ways to make your online business appear bigger

According to Steven Howard of Howard Marketing Services, corporate image management is built on the idea that, "Everything an organization does, and does not do, affects the perception of that organization and its performance, products and services. These perceptions affect its ability to recruit the financial resources, people and partnerships it needs to attain its goals and objectives."

While there's nothing wrong with being a small business -- in fact, small businesses are often assumed to have better customer service and considered more trustworthy -- you don't want other people and organizations to confuse your size with a lack of professionalism or potential. That's why you need to invest in image management.

You need to start thinking about your business from a third party vantage point. If you were looking at your business from the outside, what would your impression be? If you're being honest, it's possible that your business might look erratic, unprepared or inexperienced.

The good news is that, as long as you have a good business idea and a willingness to work hard and do whatever it takes to grow, you can fake it until you make it.

It's never been easier to convey a professional image, while still remaining small and nimble. Let's take a look at some specific tips, strategies and techniques:

1. Use a virtual office.

Working out of a garage, basement, spare bedroom or cramped office is totally acceptable. If it saves you money and allows you to put all of your resources into building the company, then it's smart to remain as lean as possible.

But what happens when you get a meeting scheduled with a big-time sales prospect or investor and they want to swing by your office? Giving them your home address isn't very professional. You need a more sophisticated image.

One solution is to use a virtual office. Depending on where you're located and what you need, you can usually rent a virtual office for a few hundred dollars or less per month. Some even come with added services.

Take Jay Suites in New York City as an example. When you rent one of their virtual offices, you get a prestigious Manhattan mailing address, a local phone number, the ability to book conference rooms, access to a reception area and break room and an array of portable office services that allow you to work remotely from anywhere.

Depending on the plan you choose, a virtual office costs anywhere from $75 to $499 per month. That's pretty good bang for your buck!

2. Create a domain-specific email address.

Your website says a lot about your company. But there's one mistake that entrepreneurs and business owners keep making. Despite having a domain name that aligns with their brand, they continue to use a generic Gmail or Yahoo email address. Not only is this lazy, but it screams "unprofessional."

For just a few dollars a month, you can create a domain-specific email address. So, instead of telling clients to reach you at Joey39402@gamil.com, you can simply ask them to shoot you an email at Joey@mycompany.com.

3. Pay for professional branding materials.

Even if you don't have a big marketing budget, you can (and should) invest in some professional branding materials. For your online presence, this means investing in a quality logo, good images and powerful graphics. Offline, basic things like business cards, letterhead, presentation materials, banners and signs can all be purchased at very low prices.

4. Build up your social media following.

When people research your company and try to figure out who you are and what you do, they're going to check out your social media following. If you have 37 followers, they're going to be a little skeptical. However, if you have 3,700 followers, then there's a greater chance they'll take you seriously.

Building your social media following isn't easy -- however, it's necessary. There are tons of techniques that people swear by. One of the best is to network with influencers that are involved with your target customer base.

"Pick 3-5 influencers and engage with their content. Write comments, engage in their community, and don't be afraid to ask them questions," entrepreneur Bhavik Sarkhed suggests. "By doing this you will put yourself and your profile on the radar of the influencer and their followers. This visibility will land you a bigger following but also put you on a path to become an influencer yourself."

It's also important that you remain consistent. You can't post five times one day and then not share anything for two weeks. Try posting once or twice per day, every day, in addition to regularly interacting with followers and comments.

5. Use the right automation tools.

One of the awesome things about the internet tech boom is that there are lots of powerful automation tools. Many of these tools are free, or extremely affordable. Most give you the ability to handle larger scale responsibilities without committing a ton of resources and time.

If you have a task that needs to be streamlined, chances are, there's an automation tool available. Common responsibilities that small businesses automate include project management, social media, customer service, employee scheduling, accounting and HR. For a look at some of the top automation tools that companies are currently using, check out this list.

Use the resources you have

The goal here isn't to lie or be deceitful. If anyone directly asks you about your company and how many employees you have, tell them. Honesty is the best policy when building a business. Remember that growing a business is just as much about branding, market positioning, and image management.

You have access to tons of different tools and resources. The same ones entrepreneurs like Kevin Plank could have only dreamed of when first starting their businesses. Make sure you're taking advantage of these opportunities and doing everything within your power to boost your image.

Bigger isn't always better. I've found a strong image can get you a long way. Especially in the early days of running a small business or startup.

Why Nigeria has not experienced military coup since 1999 – Obasanjo

2017-08-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

Why Nigeria has not experienced military coup since 1999 – Obasanjo

A former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has explained why Nigeria has not experienced military intervention in its democratic journey since 1999.

Mr. Obasanjo gave the insight in a book titled “Making Africa Work”, launched recently in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The book was co-authored by the former president and three others – Greg Mills, Director of Brenthurst Foundation; Jeffrey Herbst, President of NEWSEUM and Dickie Davis, a retired major general.

Mr. Obasanjo, who first ruled Nigeria as a military head of state between 1976 and 1979, later governed the nation as a democratically elected leader between 1999 and 2007.

While giving insights into how nations of the world can put an end to military interventions, the former president explained that no matter the excuse, military interventions had major negative impact on democracy, governance and unity of Nigeria.

He, however, argued that the often prescribed solution of specifically putting a ban on coups in the constitution was not the answer.

“A coup is a treason punishable by death only if it fails, and yet it puts the plotter in the State House if it succeeds. It was a destructive and destabilising practice, wasteful for the military itself, and undermining in terms of discipline, good order and military conduct,” Mr. Obasanjo wrote.

“A junior officer takes a gun and looks at his political boss and senior officers through its sights, bumps them off and puts himself in the State House.

“He instantly becomes superior and senior to all political and military officers. Such was the situation existing in Nigeria between 1966 and 1999.”

Giving specific insight into how he handled the challenge when he was in office, Mr. Obasanjo revealed how he cleverly placed senior military officers on compulsory retirement.

“On assuming office as president, I decided to put an end to these incessant coups. I asked the military to submit the list of all officers who had either participated in coups in the past or benefited in the dividends of coups by being appointed to political office as governors or ministers,” the former president wrote.

“Not knowing what the list was meant for, the military faithfully compiled it and submitted to me as the commander-in-chief and chairman of council of each of the arms of service. Ninety-three officers in all were given six hours’ notice of retirement on a Friday, and ordered not to spend the Friday night in uniform or in barracks to prevent adverse reaction.

“The following Monday, the service council met to ratify the retirement of all the officers. From my vantage position and background as a battle-tested and war-victorious general, I knew that an officer out of uniform and barracks is like a fish out of water, and their power and influence would be greatly diminished.

“The retirement of these 93 officers all in one day was salutary. It meant that taking part in a coup ot benefitting from one could catch up with you, no matter how long it would takes, and for as long as you are alive,” he explained.

Mr. Obasanjo, however, noted that the officers’ retirement did not stand in the way of any of them entering public life or making progress in it.

“Some of them later entered politics and became elected governors; some went into parliament; others got appointed as ministers and ambassadors,” he wrote.

“The idea was not to punish them for life but to exclude them from positions in the military where they could be coup planners, coup plotters, coup executors or coup beneficiaries.

“And once an officer has tasted the trappings of a political life, of living in a government house, with free food and so on, he would easily look for excuses to want more if he is in a position to make it happen.”

Explaining why the nation hasn’t experienced such incidence of coup d’etat, the former president said the measure was quite effective even if it wasn’t perfect.

“The fact that since 1999, there has not been a coup or an attempted coup in Nigeria speaks to the effectiveness of the measures taken to put an end to the destabilizing influence of coups on the political life and dispensation of Nigeria.

“Before 1999, and since independence, the longest that a democratic dispensation had lasted was six years –from 1960 to 1966.

“It has neither been easy nor perfect, but there are improvements and evidence of learning among the political class. Any bad signs and misconduct would have to be carefully monitored,” he argued.

He also urged countries with similar experiences to find an effective and relatively painless way of curbing the incidence of coups and corruption by the military.

Until 1999, Nigeria had experienced several military interventions in its politics, beginning from 1966.

Recently, there were reports of rumoured coup plots in the Nigerian army but the military authorities said such alleged plots had been nipped in the bud.

Banks set aside N26b for small businesses

2017-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Banks set aside N26b for small businesses

There is good news for small businesses and farmers.

They can draw from the N26 billion Agriculture and SMEs Fund, it was announced yesterday.

Union Bank Managing Director Mr Emeka Emuwa broke the news in Abuja at the end of the Bankers Committee meeting. He said the board of the Agriculture and SMEs Fund had been inaugurated.

The N26 billion in the kitty is expected to grow. The fund will finance agriculture and small businesses through equities, not loans. The fund is available for equity investment and there is no rate.

According to Emuwa, all “the banks are expected to set aside a portion of their profits, which will be made available for equity investment in agriculture and Small and Medium Enterprises.

“So, the board was inaugurated today as well as the Project Review Committee of the fund. Basically, the fund is going to start functioning and over the course of the next few weeks, there will be more communications as to how to access those funds,” Emuwa said.

For entrepreneurs, small businesses, agriculturalists, the opportunity is there for equity funding for their businesses. “The import of that to the economy at large is that those who are interested in accessing funds by looking for equity to support their agricultural ventures and SMEs should approach their banks now and apply so the banks will do a preliminary review and pass these requests on to the Project Review Committee of this fund.”

Members of the board are: managing directors of GTBank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank First Bank UBA, Director Banking Supervision at the CBN and the Director of Development Finance at the CBN.

There is also a Project Review committee, which looks at the projects. In addition to the board members, other members of the committee are FCMB, Unity Bank and Sterling Bank. The committee will pick the chairman based on the contributions of the members of the board.

Any business that is involved in agriculture or qualifies as small or medium scale enterprise are all encouraged to approach their banks with what their concerns are. It was noted at the end of the meeting that “Nigerians very often mistake the need for equity for bank loan, so you need to have sufficient equity first before you can go and get loan, go to your bank, let them know what the project is, they will do preliminary assessment to guide you to let you know whether it makes sense then send it on to the project review committee of this organization” the committeee said.

Mrs Mobola Faloye, Executive Director at Standard Chartered Bank, said that the action of the CBN to set up the investors and exporters windows in May has resulted in a N4 billion volume of trade in the forex window.

According to her, the volume of trading has gone up in the window of that market which is about N4 billion “and that is actually quite a good number and it shows that the banks have really done a lot of rallying, it shows that the banks are resilient, it shows that the banks have contributed largely in bringing in as many investors as possible to come into the market”.

Mrs Faloye noted that “there is one particular single ticket that was done on the first of August, the value of the transaction itself was $240 million so we think that things are going to be looking up and we are very hopeful that we are going in the right direction and we’ll eventually get to a stage where the rates will truly converge, which is where we want to get to and things are looking up for us.”