The Editor’s Pick

We are no longer sitting on a keg of gun powder as they say it. The bomb has exploded, and we are dying on a daily basis

The Ekeremandu conviction brought it home graphically, the parlous state of our health system.

We now have only 24,000 doctors and need to produce at least 12,000 annually for five years to meet at least the minimum standards recommended by international authorities.

We are said to produce only 3,000 annually and export about 4,000 annually, leaving us with a deficit of 1,000.

It is no wonder that we are all losing loved ones daily..my Erelu died an avoidable death..we were waiting for a nephrollogist who comes only tuesdays and we got there Wednesday and before the next Tuesday that she was due, Erelu had passed.

Anger could not describe my feelings, but now it’s pity. It’s two years later, and I am seeing things differently.

Manpower is non-existent in the health sector. Conditions of service for even the ones remaining are below standards, and as such, health care provision is worse than pre historic times

It’s no wonder that Ekeremandu is facing a 10year jail time and it’s no wonder all successive Presidents from Yaradua down to the President Elect and any Government official worth his salt goes outside for the slightest migraine.

How we contained Ebola and Covid remains a major miracle with the condition of our health sector.

The worst hit is my demographic – 45 to 60. We in middle age are dogged by aging illnesses like diabetes, bp, and prostrate to mention a few.

With the situation, mortality in that range is almost at an all-time high. With the mortality rate at a high 50 years of age, which is quite sad.

During the last elections, I listened very carefully to the major candidates both at the presidential and gubernatorial levels, and they didn’t seem to connect to the wahala that is in the health sector

They instead continued to fight over other things including calling opponents ‘sons of bitches’ with no credible plan for the health sector.

My take is for an immediate push towards preventive medicine. Government and private sector shd handshake in pushing out campaigns that encourages preventive medicine in the immediate short term

Healthy lifestyles, diets, exercises shd be encouraged and even made compulsory.

This would push back a lot of illnesses, reduce stress in the system and allow for an immediate concentration on geriatric medicine and other such unavoidable illnesses

The average Nigerian is very healthy. Poverty has strengthened his imunity and reliance on unprocessed raw foods, which has also boosted his health status

So, a push towards prevention medicine will go a long way.

Another short to mid-term startegy could be the increased regulation of herbal medicine with a view to bringing it closer to mainstream.

Standardization, training, and modernisation are key. They are closer to grassroots and are easily affordable and accessible.

Then, mid to long term Government with tax rebates, customs duties, and other such incentives must begin to encourage private sector participation at the three levels of medicine. Very key.

Lastly, the production of manpower in the sector must be ramped up immediately.

Quick 2 year intervention courses to handle primary and some secondary illnesses while we begin a long term.plan of producing more experts and infrastructure.

The government should back out of it totally if you ask me. Sell off the hospitals to private bodies who will bring efficiency and which would eventually drop the cost

See hospitals like Jolaad being run by private equity concerns is meeting these standards. This must be replicated nationwide.

There must be a sense of urgency. Otherwise, more big men will face the Ekweramandu wahala on the lighter side, and on the major side, we would most likely lose over 20% of our population to avoidable health issues

Thank you

Duke of Shomolu

The stimulus for the idea of a session on the role of government in society came from the session where I presented my book. That session eventually devolved into a fierce debate about what are the proper limits of the government’s role in society with you forcefully arguing that its role should not go beyond ensuring the peace and security of the state and though you didn’t say this, you would probably agree to the enforcement of contracts in addition to ensuring peace and security, with you specifically stating it had no place being an economic actor and even managing schools, citing our fintech sector and education (I am guessing higher education) in America.

I personally feel your choices of internet-fueled economic activity and higher education (in fact education in general but in terms of statistical data I shall only be concentrating on higher education) are mistaken but before I go into that I would like to make a general point. There is no country in the world today whose government has no role beyond providing security and the enforcement of contracts, in other words, a purely free-market system. The last time anybody probably had a free-market system was 1920s America. That is almost a 100 years ago. That system ended with the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s. From that point on till present, governments around the world, including the US and UK, the world’s most market-friendly nations, have thought it necessary to actively intervene in the workings of the economy despite the free-market gospel they constantly preach. Businessmen world over may bicker about this but there is little to suggest that the world has any plans to return to a purely free-system similar to what obtained in the 1920s. By the way, those same businessmen don’t mind government intervention when it comes to subsidies and bailouts.

Having got that out of the way, I would like show how our fintech sector is just reaping the rewards from the years of investment made by the US government in building the underlying internet architecture without which, there would be no fintech sector anywhere let alone Nigeria and also how mistaken your notion of US government’s non-involvement in higher education is. To buttress the fact about the US’ government’s critical role in pioneering major technologies, I point out how Apple, arguably the most prominent symbol of corporate innovation was dependent on the US government and university labs for many of the breakthrough technologies embedded in its iconic product, the IPhone (and IPod).

The internet was a project started in the 1960s by a U.S government agency known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (The same DARPA originated many of the technologies that found its way into the Personal Computer but that is another story). The impetus for the project was to build a communications network that could withstand a nuclear attack. To achieve that it was decided that the network should have a distributed design. By distributed, I mean that there is no main processing node on the network functioning as the brain that sends information to the computers (as opposed to being distributed, this kind of network is known as the client-server model). With it being distributed, even if a nuclear attack were to take out part of the network, the rest of the network could continue to function.

While one small but highly innovative company called BBN won a competitive tender to build a crucial piece of equipment, a tender that IBM declined to take part in because it thought it was impossible to build to the specifications asked for; AT&T, the telecom giant was even worse because it was positively hostile to a key concept needed to make the internet work at scale because it thought the concept threatened the business, the vast majority of the intellectual work in conceptualizing the internet, in designing the underlying architecture and actually building the protocols to actually transport data around the internet was done by government and university scientists. This would be the pattern for over 2 decades, during which funding required for continuous development was provided by government sources. It was only from 1992-1995 that companies would begin to get involved en masse with the internet and this was mainly because of the development of the World Wide Web. You should note that the internet and the web are not strictly the same thing, though the two terms are used interchangeably mainly because since the development of the web in 1991, the two have grown together. Strictly speaking the internet is a text-based network such that in order to navigate it, you will need to have a firm grasp of sophisticated UNIX commands (UNIX is a mostly text based operating system favoured by engineers and scientists over graphical operating systems like Windows). The web was built by Tim Berners Lee, an employee of European intergovernmental experimental physics research lab known as CERN. He designed the markup language for designing web pages, Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), the protocol for locating web pages on the web, Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) and the world’s first browser. Now the browser built by Tim Berners Lee wasn’t particularly user-friendly. Lee had envisioned the web as an academic research tool so it didn’t support images and only read one line of text at a time. Quite a number of people/groups would try and improve on his browser. One of them was a computer science student doing research at a research center called the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  His name was Marc Andreesen. He and a fellow researcher would build a browser called Mosaic that did support images. He did this as a result of feedback he was getting by spending a lot of time in internet chatrooms so he was highly attuned to what users wanted. Andreesen had an entrepreneurial itch, so he would eventually join hands with legendary tech entrepreneur Jim Clark to build the world’s first massively adopted commercial browser called Netscape Navigator. It was from this point companies started getting onto the internet bandwagon in droves and the internet started to resemble what we have today.

I had said earlier that I was going to discuss how the IPhone (and IPod) was crucially dependent on a number of technologies developed in government and university labs. What Apple mostly did was integrate these technologies into one slick package (an admirable feat in itself).  Some of the technologies of which the IPhone is dependent on that were built in government or university labs include the internet just discussed, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), touch-screen displays, giant magnetoresistance (GMR. I don’t want to go into the details of this, it is needlessly technical. Just note it was crucial to enabling the IPod store so much digital content. This breakthrough was also important to other hard disk makers like IBM and Seagate), Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), lithium-ion battery technology, SIRI the ‘virtual office assistant’, cellular communication technology etc. While the microchips that make the IPhone smart were built by private companies, most of them went from shaky start-ups to stable corporate giants by feasting on contracts from government agencies like the US Airforce and the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). Finally, government industrial policies have helped ensure companies like Apple have survived through good and bad times. Much of what I said in relation to the internet, the US has done or is doing in other industries like aerospace, clean energy, nanotechnology etc. You might argue that much of this does not apply to Nigeria since we don’t carry out such research intensive economic activities. Well, we should. That is where the wealth we are all clamoring for will come from and not doing so is what keeps us mired in poverty. Besides, such government activity will be no less important for the more mundane but no less important manufacturing sectors that need rejuvenation like textiles (which was once the 2^nd largest employer after agriculture), paper production, leather products etc.    

Now that we are done with the issue of the internet, let us face public schooling. Most nations understand how critical education is for effective citizenship, America is no different, in fact it has to be considered a leader in that regard, with much of the rest of the world emulating it, including ourselves.

America’s founding fathers, back in the 18^th century, understood that preserving their fragile democracy would require an educated population that could understand political and social issues and would participate in civic life, vote wisely, protect their rights and freedoms, and resist tyrants and demagogues. To that end, they knew that instituting a formal system of public schooling was necessary and they went ahead to do just that. I will spare you the details of the evolution of their public school system but I will share with you some facts about American tertiary education (I am leaving out the lower levels. That would be too unwieldy) as it stands today.

America has at least 682 public universities affiliated with the various states. It also has about 1,462 community colleges (sometimes referred to as junior colleges) of which 1,047 are public and 415 are private. It also has 29 public liberal arts colleges. Liberal arts colleges tend to be small and private. The private ones number more than 650. There are about 1,687 private, non-profit schools (The likes of Harvard, Stanford are here). The private liberal arts colleges are included in this number. There are about 685 for-profit universities. In all, the US has over 1,700 public institutions of higher learning.

One interesting but not very important fact, I share it just for enlightenment and amusement. In terms of reputation and prestige, the private, non-profit schools are generally the most prestigious. Like I said this is where you have Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Cornell and others. Next in terms of prestige are the state public universities. Some of them are as well regarded as the likes of Harvard. Examples would be University of California at Berkeley and University of Michigan (Barack Obama’s younger daughter chose to attend University of Michigan unlike her elder sister who chose Harvard). The private, for profit universities are generally not esteemed. It is widely believed that anybody who chooses to attend these schools is academically deficient and does not have what it takes to survive at a private, non-profit school or at a public university (Most public universities are state universities. Very few public federal universities exist in the US). They are disparagingly referred to as “diploma mills”. George Weah attended one of these diploma mills before he became president (Disclaimer: I am a fan of George Weah. Just noting that he went to one of these schools). Not sure where the community colleges rank but definitely, they will be after the private non-profits and the public state universities.

This topic about government’s proper role in the workings of society is a critical one that has been taking place the world over for at least a few centuries now. The popularity of the view you hold has been responsible for the waves of privatization in recent decades. Free marketers often make it seem like it is the only logical choice but sober reflection from others suggests a more complicated picture. I would like to highlight some insights have come out from this more nuanced discussion about the privatization of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

Much of the free marketers’ case against SOEs (And I admit that there is a lot of truth in it) is what is known in the economic literature as the principal-agent problem. Here the principals being the citizenry have elected bureaucrats (the agents) to manage SOEs in the principals’ best interest but the problem is linking the pay of public bureaucrats to the profitability of SOEs is an incentive system that is notoriously difficult to design. Moreover, individual citizens are not incentivized to monitor the SOEs because the costs will be borne by them alone while the benefits will be shared by everybody. An associated problem is the soft-budget constraint problem: Being a part of the government, the argument goes, SOEs are often able to secure additional finances from the government if they make losses or are threatened with bankruptcy, which could lead to lax management.

Now it has been noticed that despite the threat of market discipline, these problems occur as well in large private sector companies to a significant extent.

Most large private sector companies are managed by hired managers because they have dispersed share ownership. If a private enterprise is run by hired managers and there are numerous shareholders owning only small fractions of the company, it will suffer from the same problems as state-owned enterprises. The hired managers (like their SOE counterparts) will also have no incentive to put in more than sub-optimal levels of effort (the principal-agent problem), while individual shareholders will not have enough incentive to monitor the hired managers just like with SOEs.

In addition, politically important, large private companies often get bail-outs from government (e.g in Nigeria, banks, gencos/discos. Global examples include defense contractors, large companies in the finance, automotive and aerospace industries). In other words, there is the private company version of the soft budget constraint problem. To take the example of Nigerian banks, CBN is reputed to have spent over N3 trillion in 8 years between 2009 and 2017, in the wake of the Global Financial Crises of 2008 to stabilize the financial sector. Conversely SOEs are not totally immune to market forces. Many SOEs around the world have been shut down and their managers sacked because of bad performance. For example, during China’s market reform period between 1978 and 2006, lots of new entrepreneurs were allowed to compete against many SOEs and the SOEs that couldn’t compete were allowed to fail.

Furthermore, there are examples of first class SOEs so it is not inevitable that SOEs will be poorly run. Examples include Singapore Airlines, EMBRAER from Brazil, which is the third largest aircraft maker after Boeing and Airbus. Though it is privatized now, it achieved world class status under state ownership. Petrobras, the Brazilian state owned oil company is also world class. Locally, I would add NAFDAC under Dora Akunyuli was well run.  

Economic theory shows that there are circumstances under which public enterprises are superior to private-sector firms. This happens when a project has clear long-term viability but private capital refuses to get involved because the short term risks are large. An example is the internet described above and this is often the case when spawning new industries that are capital-intensive. A good current example would be the renewable energy industry.

The 1980s to the early 2000s saw a wave of privatization across Africa, the results of which appear to have been mixed. No doubt there have been some stunning successes like the privatization of telecoms by Obasanjo. There have also been terrible failures, like privatization of our paper mills. I don’t want to make this document longer than it is already but there are enough examples on both sides to show that privatization is not a straightforward no-brainer.

I took the time to write this document because like we previously discussed, I am hoping this will become the basis of a zoom session. Also since this idea is a critical response to statements you made in the zoom session about my book, I thought it would be only fair that you get advanced warning.

If the zoom session goes well, then I think we can go on and plan the conference you suggested. Then you would be able to invite relevant dignitaries from government, academia and the private sector and have a round-table discussion on the issue.

Please do not give this to David to post. The tone of this document makes it clear that this is a private discussion between me and you. I will convert this to a post at the appropriate time. I also have other ideas for zoom sessions. For instance, I plan to do one on public policy and another on institutions.   

Attaining your desires through the subconscious mind is a popular concept in personal development coaching. This is because our subconscious mind plays a vital role in our thoughts, behaviors, and actions.

The subconscious mind is a part of the human mind that operates below the level of conscious awareness. It plays an essential role in shaping our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors.

The subconscious mind is responsible for processing information that is too complex or subtle to be consciously perceived. For example, it uses past experiences, memories, and emotions to influence our present thoughts and behaviors. It also helps to regulate our bodily functions, such as breathing and digestion.

Here are some tips to help you achieve your desires through your subconscious mind:

• Define your desires: Be clear and specific about what you want to achieve. Please write down your desires in detail, including how you will feel when you achieve them.
• Visualize your desires: Visualize yourself achieving them as if you have already accomplished them. Engage all your senses and emotions to make the visualization more vivid and powerful.

Be clear and specific about what you want to achieve. Please write down your desires in detail, including how you will feel when you achieve them.

• Reprogram your subconscious mind: Use affirmations, positive self-talk, and visualization techniques to reprogram your subconscious mind. This can help you replace negative thoughts and beliefs with positive ones, which can help you achieve your desires.
• Practice mindfulness: Be aware of your thoughts and emotions. Practice mindfulness meditation to increase your self-awareness and to help you stay focused on your desires.
• Take action: Take consistent action towards your desires. Set small, achievable goals that will help you move closer to your desired outcome.
• Trust the process: Trust that the universe is working in your favor, and have faith that your desires will come to fruition. Avoid doubting yourself or your abilities.

Remember, achieving your desires through the subconscious mind is a process that requires patience, perseverance, and dedication. However, with consistent practice, you can tap into the power of your subconscious mind and manifest your desires.

I would like to start by quoting Samuel Scott’s last paragraph from his in-depth
piece titled “How Google Analytics ruined marketing.”
“There is a whole world of marketing out there beyond attempts to answer the
flawed question: What content should I publish on my website to get the most
traffic and customers?
Here is the real question to ask: How would you market yourself if the Internet
didn’t exist? Answer that, and it’ll help your online marketing too.”
THE NEW MARS
5.16 billion; this figure by Statista is the number of internet users globally as of
January 2023. This is a stunning 64.4% of the global population. Of this total,
4.76 billion people, or 59.4 per cent of the world’s population, were social media
users.
The internet has become the ninth planet in our solar system, and its population
keeps growing.
The marketing communications industry has undergone significant changes in
recent years. With the advent of new technologies, the proliferation of social
media platforms, and the rise of the internet, the way brands communicate with
consumers has been transformed. As a result, brand management has become
increasingly complex, requiring a sophisticated understanding of consumer
behaviour, market trends, and the latest digital tools.
One of the biggest challenges facing marketers today is the fragmentation of
media. Consumers now have access to an unprecedented array of platforms,
each with its unique audience and set of communication channels. This has
made it difficult for brands to develop coherent messaging strategies that can
reach all of their target audiences. To succeed in this environment, marketers
must be able to tailor their messaging to fit the specific needs and preferences of
each platform.
THAT’S ORIGINAL
Another challenge facing the marketing communications industry is the growing
importance of authenticity. In today’s hyper-connected world, consumers have
become increasingly sceptical of traditional advertising methods. They want to
engage with brands that are transparent, genuine, and socially responsible. This
has led to the rise of influencer marketing, which involves partnering with
individuals who have a large following on social media and who can help to
promote a brand’s message in an authentic and relatable way.
But this is also not entirely foolproof; according to Meta, which owns competitor
platforms Facebook and Instagram, it estimates that fake accounts represent
about 5% of monthly active Facebook users, based on its most recent 2021
fourth-quarter data.
Since influencer marketing has grown in popularity, a new type of fakery called
FAKE FOLLOWERS has emerged. Hundreds of accounts interacting with a
product are no longer sufficient to judge its authenticity; instead, customers
require more established channels of contact with both real and fake products
and services.
At the same time, marketers must also be mindful of the need to protect their
brand’s reputation. A single error can swiftly spin out of hand and harm a brand’s
standing in the age of fast feedback and internet reviews. Brands must be aware
of their core values and be prepared to act quickly when those values are
violated to prevent this.
THE NUMBERS GAME
“Doing business without data may make a company’s life easier—but it will
definitely make it shorter.” – Brand Trust.
Looking ahead, the future of brand management will likely be shaped by several
emerging trends. For example, the growing importance of data analytics will
make it possible for brands to develop highly targeted and personalised
messaging strategies. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence and
machine learning will enable marketers to automate many of their processes,
allowing them to focus more on developing creative and strategic messaging. In
all of these influences, the greatest hack for brand management consultants is to
stick to the basics of Brand Management, understanding the core of a brand’s
existence, the why, and how to express that why in a way that helps the brand
exist with proof.
What are the numbers saying in this regard?
All existing social media platforms gather user information, both actively through
the development of user-profiles during platform setup and passively through
user interactions and transactions. Businesses use this data to monitor user
behaviour both on and off the network, including status updates, likes and
dislikes, cookie tracking, photo publishing, etc.
According to Internet Live Stats, 2022, Google processed more than 8.5 billion
searches daily.
Total worldwide emails sent per day is 347.3 billion in 2023 – Oberlo.
The average Number of Tweets Sent Per Day is 500 million – SocialShepherd.
70% of Internet users are active on at least one Meta platform – Hootsuite.
As of June 2022, more than 500 hours of video were uploaded to YouTube every
minute – Statista.
Brand managers can now learn more quickly, act more decisively, recognize
market trends earlier, and appraise them better thanks to data-based brand
management. They can also avoid letting experience slow them down.
If you are unaware of the foundational elements of the brand, all these metrics
are meaningless to your strategy.
But how do you understand a brand if you do not question its basics, why, how,
and feel?
BALANCING EXTREMES
The increasing significance of storytelling is a further significant development.
Consumers are inundated with information in the current digital era. Brands must
be able to tell captivating tales that connect with their target audience to stand
out from the competition and grab their attention. For this, it’s important to have a
thorough understanding of consumer psychology and the capacity to create a
message that speaks directly to customers’ wants and needs.
In the words of J.K Rowling, “No story lives unless someone wants to listen.”
According to renowned cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner, the human mind is
approximately 22 times more likely to remember facts if those facts are part of a
story; this is further supported by Search Engine Watch, which states that
storytelling can increase conversions by a staggering 30%. Storytelling basically
helps prospects remember your message.
The “Share a Coke” campaign, which involves modifying the usual wrapping
around the Coca-Cola bottle to say “Share a Coke with…” and a well-known
name, is a great illustration of how narrative can lead to conversions. The
campaign’s goal was to forge closer ties with customers and elicit happy
memories that could be shared.
When Avis management was questioned by DDB, the company’s advertising
agency, about why people leased vehicles from them, “We Try Harder” was born.
The comment was that Avis will always work harder as the competitor to keep the
client happy because it was second in its market after the market leader Hertz.
Doyle Dane Bernbach was able to turn being the number two car rental brand in
the market into a true marketing advantage. Due to their creative effectiveness,
the market share for Avis grew from 29% to 36%.
In conclusion, the marketing communications industry is in a state of constant
flux, driven by new technologies, changing consumer behaviours, and evolving
market trends. To succeed in this environment, brands must be nimble,
adaptable, and willing to take risks. They must leverage the latest digital tools
while staying true to their core values and developing authentic relationships with
their customers. By doing so, they can build strong, enduring brands that stand
the test of time.
Ambassador [Dr] Charles O’Tudor is the Group Principal Consultant of Adstrat BMC, Africa’s premier brand management consulting firm

I have been an investment banker for over 25 years. I have worked in 5 banks and have been MD at two major asset management firms.

In the period, I have been involved in trillions of Naira worth of transactions and have built enough experience and reach.
Recently, working in theatre and media has opened me to a very huge network that spans from major High Networth Individuals to institutions and public sector.

I count at least two governors as personal friends and over 40% of current Bank MDs as my people.

Hamilton and George my Investment Advisory firm which I Co founded with my brother Lami was designed to take advantage of this my wide network and we have not done so badly in Oil and Gas and in Real Estate.

However, I get a lot of people who come to me for partnerships and all that seeking to leverage on my network to distribute.

But I have been wary. You see, these kinds of relationships are very sensitive. People at that level do not suffer fools

The currency of trade is value. Once you can’t push value, u are toast. I know that more than anything
.
Someone had once said, “Ohh Edgar, I’m bringing Floyd Maewether to the country. Could you help us

And I got one of the most flamboyant Bank Chairmen to accept to pay us N5m to host Floyd to a private lunch.

D-D no Floyd. Thankfully, we had agreed to be paid back end, but I don’t think I have been forgiven cos my calls no longer get returned.

So you see the reason why I turn down a lot of requests to ‘help’.

Then I met Steve. Steve is a neighbor. Dresses like a classic gentleman complete with bowties. Every morning as he drives to work, I watch him and say to myself- that guy reminds me of my BGL days.

Then, he reaches out and introduces himself. Edgar, I work for the Coronation Group.

I say aghhh that is AIG.” He is my Oga o. He says I am the Chief Distribution Officer, and it’s my job to distribute all financial products of the group across the board.

Interesting. I had this vision while at BGL when I was the Chief Marketing Officer. Sold the idea to Albert, but somehow, it didn’t see the light of day.

So I said talk. He says I want to partner with you. Give you capacity support and perceptive solutions, and you bring access to the table and we close transactions.

This was the first time anybody was saying this reasonable thing to me. He wasn’t asking for help? He was putting value on the table.

I liked this, and I liked him, and much more importantly, I could trade with my goodwill, knowing that his group and what they represent will not be at a disadvantage to me.

I also liked the fact that I would be working with a team that would startegise and throw up opportunities that I will now take as ready made and go lock in to target companies with no stress.

It won’t be a case if Gabriel abeg Steve want see you wetin he want see me for. He no tell me, when he come he go tell you.

This would be more professional and scientific- it wil be, ‘ Gabriel if you ramp up your downstream capacity, then we can give u a solution that will reduce your insurance system by 20% . Wait make Steve come explain. Simple.

I say Steve, my brother. I like what you are saying, but I also want to grow. We will be part of the meetings, train my staff on your products and provide product knowledge and targets and I open the doors.

He smiled and said piece of cake. We meet at their beautiful office and have a wonderful session, and Pronto, an agreement is signed, and we have a partnership.

See what excites me about this is simple. So, for example, Dere Otubu is my friend he is the chairman of EKEDC, amongst other things, but he sees me first and foremost as a writer and thespian.

So going to him directly to give me insurance business is something I will not do cos it will make me look like I’m taking the piss.

It gets worse. Gabriel Ogbechie is invested in Hamilton and George. He is one of the biggest players in oil and gas and finance in the country.

But he has never given us an advisory business cos as he says it – Edgar, you are a better writer than an investment banker. Not true, but do I blame him, no?

So pple come and say, pls I want to meet Gabriel. That is influence peddling, and that doesn’t give respect.

But with this agreement, I will approach Dere and Gabriel with the firepower power of the Coronation Group.

What they will be seeing will be that sturdy group with its capacity and an Edgar who just gave them support.

So Coronation goes in, and I follow up informally at the back to keep the trail warm.

This is exactly the way I had envisioned my post. Investment Banking years – a serious organisation’s, leveraging on my wide reach to deliver value to the system.

My staff will be going to Coronation this week for the training, and I will be having very serious briefings with them cos I must understand their culture and ways and means to be able to better sell them

I am very excited cos I will be doing what I love most to do, which is SELL.

Already Steve, send me a chat. oohh Edgar, do you know the MD of Lagis State w……. I will reply, he came for my Show the Chairman of LIRS who is my friend brought him

And Steve will say, I have a solution that wil bring them so much money and I wil send a chat to the man and he wil say, ‘ you guys can come and see me next week…

Hamilton and George will, with this partnership, now rise to its full potentials working with a serious group of professionals who will know how to harness my firepower appropriately.

I’m excited

Duke of Shomolu

To forestall a reoccurence where Nigerians trooped out enmasse to welcome and watch the very seminal Play – Ogiame Erejuwa II with the very popular and influential Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Duke of Shomolu has concluded plans to host HRM, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe at the historical Glover Hall in Lagos this Easter.

Last December, Ogiame Atuwatse III’s immense popularity overwhelmed all arrangements at the hosting of the play, with thousands of Nigerians trooping out to witness the historic event

The Facilities were completely overwhelmed with thousands turning back and not being able to see the Play, which depicted the Ogiame’s grandfather Ogiame Erejuwa II

To forestall a reoccurence, the Duke of Shomolu has put in place a unique structure which will see a Co location of the play between the enigmatic Agip Recital Hall of the Muson Centre and the historic Glover Hall which was built in the 1920s and recently refurbished by the Lagos State Government.

HRM Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe in an official correspondence to The Duke has confirmed his attendance of the Command performance and in the same letter endorsed the Play which will take Nigerians through the life and times of the great Zik of Africa

In this regard, the play will be viewed by the general public on the 9th and 10th of April, 2023 at the Agip Recital Hall of The muson Centre and from there move to the Glover Memorial Hall for the Command Performance which would host the Obi of Onitsha, His Chiefs, direct Members of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s family including his son Ambassador Emeka Azikiwe, corporate sponsors and prominent Nigerians.

Attendance if the Command Performance is strictly by Invitaion.

The Duke of Shomolu Productions has emerged one of Nigeria’s most prolific theatre production outfits, churning out some of the most exciting productions while showcasing to a new audience the lives of historical Nigerian figures.

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe is the latest in a long line of subjects, including Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Emir Sanusi to mention a few.

It is noteworthy to note that Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, while a prominent member of the political and social class in Lagos, attended various functions at the Glover Hall, where he will be celebrated and further immortalized.

Zik is written and directed by the very briliant Dr. Ikechukwu Erojikwe and produced on behalf of The Duke of Shomolu Foundation by Mofoluwake Edgar, Emeka Agwu- Oju, and Olisa Adibua

It would play both the Agip Recital Hall of the Muson Center and the Glover Hall this Easter.

Dates are 9th and 10th April 2023.

Joseph Edgar
Duke of Shomolu

LAGOS, Nigeria – February 2^nd, 2023 – Cadbury Nigeria Plc (a part of Mondelēz International), has been certified as a Top Employer in Africa for the third consecutive year. Cadbury Nigeria also emerged second place in the Top Employer in Nigeria category, this year.

The Top Employers were recognized in a global virtual event organized by the Top Employers Institute, recently. To earn Top Employer certification from the Amsterdam-based Institute, businesses are evaluated against a rigorous list of entry criteria and participate in an HR Best Practices Survey. Mondelēz International was awarded Top Employer status in Nigeria.

In a statement, Oyeyimika Adeboye, Cadbury Nigeria’s Managing Director, said: “The fact that we got certified for the third year running attests to our consistency of purpose, and commitment to doing what is right.

“The Top Employer certification further validates the fact that our people policies and practices are world-class. We will continue to champion policies that promote harmony in the workplace.”

Wole Odubayo, Human Resources Director, Cadbury Nigeria, said: “We are excited to add the Top Employer 2023 to the numerous awards already received by Cadbury Nigeria. We continue to benchmark our practices against the best in the industry and continue to improve our processes and systems.

“This certification from Top Employer recognizes the best companies to work for in Nigeria and Africa. All the external awards and recognitions received by the Company is a testimony to the great work we have done. We will continue to help create and drive a great place to work and position us as employer of choice in the market for talents.”

According to the statement, which was issued by Frederick Mordi, the Company’s Corporate Communications and Government Affairs Manager for West Africa, the Company also won eight awards at the prestigious HR People Magazine awards, one of Nigeria’s top HR platforms, in 2022. Some of the awards included ‘Employer of Choice’ (under 1000 employees); ‘Outstanding in Talent Management’; and ‘HR Team of the Year.’ ‘HR Champion Award’ went to Adeboye, who beat five other Managing Directors that were nominated as well, for their role modelling and championing HR initiatives.

About Mondelēz International

Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2021 net revenues of approximately $29 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as Oreo, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.

About Cadbury Nigeria

Cadbury Nigeria Plc (CNP), a publicly quoted company, is the pioneer cocoa beverage manufacturer offering some of the most loved brands in the country. Cadbury Nigeria is a 74.99%-owned subsidiary of Mondelēz International, a global snacking powerhouse with an unrivalled portfolio of brands. The remaining 25.01% of shares are held by a diverse group of indigenous, individual and institutional investors. A front-runner in beverages, confectionery and gum, Cadbury Nigeria’s quality products–Bournvita, Hot Chocolate 3 in 1, TomTom, Buttermint, and Clorets–are market leaders in their respective consumer segments. For more information, visit www.cadburynigeria.com or www.mondelezinternational.com/About/Nigeria

Lagos, Nigeria– January 30, 2023 – Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Mondelēz International,
has announced a turnover of N55.21billion for the year ended 31 December 2022, representing
an increase of 30.3 percent over N42.37billion recorded in the same period in 2021.

The Company’s recently released unaudited financial highlights for the full year 2022 (covering
the period January 2022 to December 2022), also indicated that its gross profit grew from
N6.48billion in 2021, to N7.76billion in 2022, representing an increase of 19.87 percent. Cadbury
Nigeria’s profit for the period under review, increased by 110.22 percent from N450million to
N946million, while the Company’s basic earnings per share rose by 108.33 percent from 24 kobo
to 50 kobo, within the same period, showing that it maintained growth across various indices.
In a statement issued by the Company, Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye, its Managing Director, said
Cadbury Nigeria has continued to push the boundaries to sustain its current growth trajectory in
a tough business environment.
“Our recently launched candies (Cadbury Caramel, Cadbury Coffee), and Cadbury Bournvita
Biscuit, all contributed to our growth profile in 2022,” Adeboye said. “We will keep finetuning
our strategies to manage these challenges, in line with our mission, which is focused on
nourishing and delighting our consumers with the right snacks, while remaining committed to
our stakeholders and doing what is right for our environment.”

About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries
around the world. With 2021 net revenues of approximately $29 billion, MD
LZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as OREO, belVita and LU
biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum.
Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones
Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/MDLZ.
About Cadbury Nigeria
Cadbury Nigeria Plc (CNP), a publicly quoted company, is the pioneer cocoa beverage manufacturer
offering some of the most loved brands in the country. Cadbury Nigeria is a 74.99%-owned subsidiary of
Mondelēz International, a global snacking powerhouse with an unrivalled portfolio of brands. The
remaining 25.01% of shares are held by a diverse group of indigenous, individual and institutional
investors. A front-runner in beverages, confectionery and gum, Cadbury Nigeria’s quality products–
Bournvita, Hot Chocolate 3 in 1, TomTom, Buttermint, and Clorets–are market leaders in their respective
consumer segments. For more information, visit www.cadburynigeria.com or
Home | Mondelēz International, Inc. (mondelezinternational.com)

In a very quick survey last night , I asked people to choose between four very popular brands – Coca-Cola versus Pepsi and Milo versus Bournvita

While I wasn’t surprised at the result that came out for the Cocoa beverage, that of the fizzy drink shocked me to my bone marrow.

Milo defeated very soundly Bournvita by nearly 98% of respondents while Pepsi dusted Coca Cola by over 70%

I remained in shock because I am a Coca-Cola person believing that after our heavenly father Jesus Christ, Coca Cola was the next best thing that had happened on planet Earth.

Over 300 people took the survey, and their age demographics ranged between 28 to 65. They had very strong purchasing power and are literate with cognitive access to media.

Reasons adduced to the complete wipe out of Bournvita by Milo include loss of brand positioning, quality, taste, and brand colors, amongst others

One respondent who is a top government functionary in one of the SW States and a veteran accountant talked about the Bunmi Oni Saga

For most of you who don’t know, Cadbury was a major multinational that was run by expatriates. It was a wonderful place to work and deal with and was one of the blue chips listed on the stock exchange.

It was very profitable and had some of the highest corporate governance and all.

Then, they had an indiginization policy bringing Nigerians into the mix. It started out well with people like Gamaliel Onosode and Christopher Kolade holding the forth very well with their superior leadership, which impressed all.

Then, someone thought up a brilliant idea. They now made it a mecca for Government College Ibadan old boys. So if you are an old boy, the first place to go get a job was Cadbury.

That is how Bunmi Oni emerged as MD. Cadbury suffered and ran into a multi-billion Naira scandal. It made national news.

I don’t think the place ever recovered as this affected all facets of its life. The few good hands were poached, the marketing of its products suffered mayb cos of lack of funds to push innovative media campaigns, quality dropped, and as someone will say, she stopped tasting the cocoa.

Furthermore, another person thought up a good idea of changing the colors and adding a touch of purple, which iritated the children who now moved in droves to Milo.

On the floor of the stock exchange, the price of its shares took very severe beating, unlike that of Milo, which was a blue chip trading at the same dizzying heights with Total and Mobil

While Bournvita was going thru this, Milo was witnessing a resurgence. The huge factory in Ogun State was opened, more money was lumped into R&D, and the colors of rich green aligned with Nigerians

As one respondent said, Nigerians simply love green. Our national football team was Green Eagles till very recently, and their colours still remain green.

80% of our national flag is green, and we aligned . Milo allighned itself with our sporting aspirations. They were the ‘food drink of future champions’

Who will forget that their iconic advert – Milooo pa pa pa Milo PA pa pa. That was the refrain in every sporting arena nationwide.

The fact that they didn’t do football, which has an ocultic followership in Nigeria, but did lesser sports like basketball and athletics didn’t stop them from leading the cocoa beverage roost on FaceTime and market popularity

Finally, Milo just tastes better. Cos of the financial crunch at Cadbury, as mentioned earlier, quality dropped. You didn’t feel the richness of the cocoa in the drink anymore, and it tasted almost bitter.

The market reacted violently. Children didn’t care for logic they just wanted a sweet and rich cocoa drink at the breakfast table, and they wanted to feel like champions on their way to school.

Another mistake was Bournvita going for their brains. They did debates, quizzes, and all of that brainy stuff.

If you have done your research, you will see that at the primary and secondary level, the brainards were in the pitifull minority. They were derided and called all sort of names – effico, SU, Aje butter, etc

People didn’t like them. They were not considered cool and, as such, mostly ignored.

It is at the point of WAEC that you start wanting to be like them. But at lower levels, they were bullied and not wanted to be seen on the fields of play or in social circles.

So, building a brand on that minority grouping, although altruistic, wasn’t going to cut it. That position targeted the parents, and you know, in that market, it was the kids who had the power.

The same thing killed Cortina Shoes. The parents loved it, but you will be yabbed to death in school if you were caught in them.

I used to throw mine away just before entering the boarding school dormitory and make do with old ‘cool sandals.

So, that Bournvita is literally dead as a brand is no longer news.

What news is that Pepsi took a beating to my Coca-Cola. Oh my God, I am still in shock.

Coca Cola is the king. Its taste is right, and you really can not beat the feeling

So you can imagine my rude shock at the result of this survey.

A lot of people alluded to taste and campaigns. Pepsi has been very strategic with leveraging on iconic figures globally.

Here in Nigeria, they have stayed true to very strong figures like Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, and Wizkid, all of whom have very powerful followerships

They have leveraged music, sports, and the devilishly popular Big Brother Nigeria franchise to aggressively penetrate the market.

Pepsi is now considered cool as they have aligned with Music, which is a massive force in the young demographic in the country

But despite all of these, I never believed that Pepsi would take the beating to Coca Cola in this representative survey.

Coca-Cola, to say the least, has been everywhere in their marketing. A little bit of this and a little bit of that seems to be their strategy.

Even the xmas campaigns that used to leave every body glued to the screen are now tired .

There’s nothing to look forward to. The issues they had with quality control at some point also not helping matters.

The growing consciousness of the people on the ills of the sugar content also affects both brands, but Pepsi looks like riding it better…

If this result is anything to go by, then we can safely say that the next generation that is the 9 year old to the 18year old may not have the sweet pleasure of a coke and a smile by the time they hit their 20s

Sad.

Joseph Edgar knows as Duke of Shomolu is the Editor in Chief of Thealvinreport.com