The Spark Magazine (Jan 2018)

JAN 

2018 

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT MAGAZINE 

THE GREEN 

LANTERN 

ROTIMI WILLIAMS 

Building A Formidable 

Agro-Conglomerate 

Chatbots and 

The Art of 

Conversation 

15 Organisations 

Investing In Nigerian 

Agro-Businesses 

FREE WITH BUSINESS DAY LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH 

== 

Inside - N0.2 Million For You

www.thesparkng.com 

The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve 

L 

and. Lots of land. That’s what you see as you travel from one state to 

the next, in between towns and villages of different ethnic groups. It’s 

everywhere, in different shapes and sizes, but unified by one colour. 

Sticking your head out the window of a moving vehicle is not usually 

advisable, but regardless, you can still spot the tall trees, the big ones, the 

hideous ones, and those that look like masquerades. 

Some of these habitations are still yet untamed, home to wild life, yet hold 

some of the hidden secrets to poverty alleviation, remedies to lifethreatening 

illnesses, and are a source of livelihood to the unemployed. 

For those discovered, they have been abused, cut down, tread upon, and 

underutilized in a way that only benefits the manipulators who hold the 

chainsaw and determine what lives and what dies. 

Regardless of this, these trees still retain their evergreen colour signifying 

growth, life and hope. Some may be cut down, but more will spring up 

to stand for what they know is right. After all, the land is fertile. The land 

is green. 

From the Editor 

Green Is The New GREEN 

chose to feature the story of Rotimi Williams, an industry leader in the 

Agricultural sector to inspire and educate anyone looking to make great 

feats in the industry. 

In planning this first edition of The Spark Magazine, the crew had to 

accept an ugly truth - not every youth has what it takes to lead the nation. 

We spent hours expressing personal opinions and arguing about the fact 

that if not for the good meal of noodles and fried plantain which we had 

afterwards, you won’t be reading this letter today. 

The truth is some will be cut down, tread upon and manipulated. But more 

will rise and continue making a difference in their own little way. To make 

this happen, the best we can do is contribute our quota by providing the 

guidance and information we all need. 

January is a great time to set things in motion. With the many resolutions 

and goals you may have set for this year, let this edition guide you in 

implementation. It is also an opportunity to explore new frontiers and 

learn from different industry leaders who have presented their practical 

knowledge to us in ink. 

This is the case of the Nigerian Youth - a large percentage still underutilized 

and yet oblivious to the innate abilities they have to solve the problems 

that plague the nation. 

Without proper guidance and exposure to the right information, many 

will still take on different hideous forms scaring away the very people 

they are to help. 

Regardless of the looming problems we see, the nation has seen an 

emergence of a new breed of people who have decided to continue 

leveraging what has always been there - land. But this time using it as a 

source of sustainability and growth. 

Agriculture as we know it, is the first form of employment known to man. 

And if after millions of years, it hasn’t gone out of fashion, then it only 

makes sense to leverage it and bring about the change we seek, creating 

massive wealth in the process. Green is the new GREEN. That’s why we 

This magazine presents you with different avenues to achieve the success 

you seek. With The Spark Freestyle, creatives have the opportunity to 

freely express their heart and share their art. The Spark Connect gives 

young entrepreneurs the leverage they need to grow, through access to 

practical empowerment. The platform also offers free business consulting, 

free legal and mental health counselling, free publicity and loads more. 

With this, including articles ranging from leveraging new emerging 

technology to serve customers better, to experiencing growth through 

partnerships, strategy, self-discovery and empowerment, you’ll find 

enough practical information within these pages to make 2018 your best 

year yet. 

And on a final note, in line with the theme of Agriculture for this month, in 

order to help you bring that agro-business dream of yours to reality, 

Rotimi Williams will be empowering you with 0.2 million Naira cash grant 

and all access to his wealthy bank of knowledge and experience. 

Publisher: 

CEO & Head of Business Development 

& Client Services 

Ikenna Onuorah 

COO & Head of Digital 

Akintunde Marinho 

Head of Business & Growth 

Oghenevwoke Ighure 

Editor 

Anthony Osae-Brown 

Creative Director 

Segun Adekoye 

Art director 

Kola Oshalusi 

Head of Advertising 

Linda Ochugbua 

Head of Strategy & Planning 

Bankole Jamgbadi 

Managing Editor 

Lanre Solarin 

Project Manager 

Lehlé Baldé 

Specialist Editor 

Michelle Edoreh 

Associate Editor 

Ayandola Ayanleke 

Design | illustration 

Sodeinde Oladapo 

Fashion Director 

RTFCOMPANY 

Make-up Artist 

Lillian Paul 

In-house Photographer 

James Otihi 

Lanre Solarin 

Managing Editor 

Contribute to The Spark Magazine 

The Spark is the Youth Empowerment Arm of BusinessDay and 

needs passionate contributors. If you’d like to showcase the average 

Nigerian Youth doing something, anything positive, and provide 

practical, enriching information, email us at info@thesparkng.com. 

Address: 

The Spark: 21, Military Street, Off King George V Street, Lagos Island. 

BusinessDay Media Ltd: 6 Point Rd, Apapa, Lagos. 

Enquiries: 

+2348123183458, +2347030951270, +2348182799268 

Email: info@thesparkng.com Website: www.thesparkng.com 

Social media: 

@thesparkng 

@thesparkng 

1



Contributors 

Kaizer, Cicero & Co 

is a private company that provides 

business advisory services, 

consulting services, financial 

advisory services, tax advisory 

services and related services to 

public and private clients spanning 

multiple industries, delivering the 

insights they need to address their 

most complex business challenges. 

Segun Adekoye 

is a writer of poems, short stories and 

feature stories. A digital marketing 

strategist, lifestyle and technology 

enthusiast, trained at the New York 

Film Academy, Harvard Business 

School and Kellogg School of 

Management. His write-ups have been 

featured on BBC UK, CP Africa, YNaija, 

360nobs, naijaPOSE and Nairobi-based 

technology journals. 

ZebraVillaWorks 

is a creative firm dedicated to 

building educative and 

engaging games such as board 

games, puzzles and teasers. 

Using advanced methods and 

gamification strategies, they 

provide a better way to educate 

users (learners and players). 

Akintunde Marinho 

is a seasoned entrepreneur with 

8years experience in diverse 

industries including finance, 

marketing and technology. His 

work experience spans over 

various sectors of the economy 

including finance, international 

trade and advertising. He is also a 

Member of the Chartered Institute 

of Marketing, London England. 

Akintunde Marinho is the founder 

and CEO of Utopia Media Limited. 

Emmanuel Tarfa 

has 10 Years Strategy Consulting 

Experience with strong inclination 

to: Strategic, Critical and Analytical 

Thinking, Problem Solving and 

Value Creation. He is currently 

a Partner at Enzo Krypton & 

Company, a Strategy Consulting 

Firm based in Lagos Nigeria. He 

is Passionate about young people 

and job creation and has worked 

on some proprietary solutions 

that could be explored to create 

millions of jobs. 

Olayiwola Obayan 

studied Law at Obafemi Awolowo 

University. He practiced law privately 

before joining the employ of the 

Federal Ministry of Justice. In quest 

for higher education, he further 

proceeded to obtain his Masters 

degree in international trade and 

investment law at the University 

of Pretoria South Africa. In 2016 

he became a UNESCO fellow upon 

completion of a one year UNESCO 

fellowship program. He presently 

practices law, facilitates foreign 

investment and writes. 

Dr. Anne Mbonu MBBS 

MSc International Health Management 

(distinction) is an accomplished 

health care professional with almost 

20 years of clinical and management 

experience within the health sector. 

She honed her skills in the medical 

specialty of Psychiatry, and completed 

her Master’s degree in International 

Health Management with distinction at 

the Imperial College Business School, 

London. She is very passionate about 

improving health and well being in the 

community, and is registered with the 

Nigerian Medical and Dental Council 

as well as the U.K General Medical 

Council. 

Deji Adeniyi 

holds a post-graduate and 

undergraduate degrees in 

Corporate Governance & Estate 

Management from the Leeds 

Business School, UK and the 

University of Lagos respectively. He 

has almost 2 decades experience 

working for the Financial Services 

Industry in Nigeria. He is currently 

the Managing Director at OA 

Capital Partners Limited, a Strategy 

and Governance Consulting Firm in 

Lagos, Nigeria. 

Techpoint 

is a digital media platform 

dedicated to chronicling the impact 

of technology on the African 

narrative. It is a team made up 

of passionate individuals who 

are storytellers by nature, going 

where the rubber meets the road in 

local technology and starting real 

conversations about the startup 

ecosystem and how technology 

impacts the lives of real people and 

businesses. 

Damilola Oyewusi 

is a Content and Digital Marketing Strategist working in the Social 

Innovation sector. She uses the power of strategic content and the 

dynamic nature of marketing communications to influence and 

amplify life-changing innovative solutions to social problems. 

Kola Oshalusi 

is a Creative photographer with over 10 years of photography 

experience, the Founder and lead photographer at Insigna media, a 

photography company and is a graduate of Computer science from 

the Lagos state University. He has worked on photography projects 

within and outside Nigeria and Africa, with his work featured in 

various print and online publications around the world, including 

but not limited to Forbes, Elle, Conde Naste, Vogue, IHT, NYT, 

Bellanaija, Guardian, TW, Genevieve and more. 

Copyright © 2018 Ice-One. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, 

electronic or mechanical, without prior permission of Ice-One. 

We do not endorse any products or services mentioned in any of the articles and are not responsible for the outcome of using such products or services. 

2 

@thesparkng



4 

success 

6 

Content 

BOTTOM LINE 

Why Strategic Partnerships Are 

Important for Start-ups 

WIREDIN 

1. Chatbots and The Art of Conversation 

2. Mobile Apps Millennial Entrepreneurs 

Are Using To Get Ahead 

8 

9 10 

12 

FASTFORWARD 

PRO BONO 

FREESTYLE 

THE SPARK EFFECT 

Fantasies of A Techie Bachelor 

Contract and Six Elements 

Exploring Artistic Realities 

1. The “Green Lantern”: Rotimi Williams, 

Building A Formidable Agro- 

Conglomerate 

2. The Spark Connect: Uzoamaka Aniunoh 

Meets Emem Isong 

17 20 24 27 

VITAL SIGNS 

On Mental Health In The Workplace 

FEATURES 

1. 15 Organisations Investing in 

Nigerian Agro-Businesses 

2. Social Entrepreneurship and 

Sustainable Development 

START UP 

1. Your Career In 2018 

2. 5 Work Habits For 2018 

TODAY AT... 

Onetech Store 

28 30 32 

33 

INTUNE WITH... BRANDSPARK ENGAGE 

Akintunde Marinho on the Wines 

and Winelands of South Africa 

Paylater vs Branch 1. The Chef 

2. Alpha-Beta 

WHAT NEXT? 

@thesparkng 

3



Bottom Line 

Why Strategic Partnerships Are 

Important for Start-ups 

Over the years, successful start-ups have taken advantage of opportunities to overcome challenges that may arise 

on various operational fronts through the benefits of strategic partnerships. 

- By Kaizer, Cicero & Co. 

Starting up a new business venture is oftentimes a thrilling 

and exciting thought. The to-be entrepreneur is full of 

energy and eager expectation about a vision he or she is set 

to birth into reality. However, it is far easier to conceptualize the 

achievement of this great vision, than it is to successfully meet 

all the demands it poses and scale through the numerous hitches 

a new business might encounter on its way to lasting success. 

In actual sense, running and sustaining a successful business 

venture in today’s global marketplace is far from a walk in the 

park. According to Forbes Entrepreneurs, 90% of start-ups in 

the US will eventually fold up. The United Nations Industrial 

Development Organisation’s Investment and Technology 

Promotion Office (UNIDO ITPO) puts the figure at 80% for 

Nigeria. 

For the entrepreneur in this unfortunate position, the dream and 

hopes of leading a lasting legacy by means of a successful 

business venture quickly crumbles, and are likely to remain 

abandoned until the next promising idea or opportunity to try 

again. 

Sometimes, start-ups may sail through the first and even second 

years of existence only to find that the demands of maintaining 

profitability in a fluid market or highly volatile economy are just 

not able to see the business through its third, fourth or fifth year. 

A publication by the US Small Business Administration said that 

only 20% of start-ups will go past five years. The numbers are 

also similar in Nigeria. A study by Stanbic Bank in 2013 showed 

that 80% of SMEs (including Techpreneurs) in Nigeria fail within 

the first five years. 

There are several reasons a business might fail in any given 

sector, economy, place or time. In the global south and in 

countries such as Nigeria, some of the most common reasons 

can be traced to lack of adequate funding and access to working 

capital, poor planning, mismanagement of funds, economic and 

political instability, epileptic power supply (common in Nigeria), 

issue of double taxation, unfavourable government policies, 

other operational issues etc. 

It may also take years for new businesses to build a strong 

enough customer base, gain stakeholder confidence and build 

brands capable of competing favourably in the marketplace. 

However, a key but commonly overlooked factor capable of 

sustaining a start-up through turbulent early years is its 

engagement in strategic partnerships. 

Through these strategic partnerships, start-ups team up with 

larger or same sized organisations who share common goals, 

have similar target markets, or whose operations complement 

the business’ objectives. Strategic partnerships with larger 

and well-established businesses, market influencers, industry 

associations and other stakeholders can go a long way to help 

sustain the growth attained in the early years of a business. 

Uber, for example, scaled through the difficult early years by 

engaging in strategic partnerships with companies like 

Toyota, Starwood Hotels, Yellow Pages, Google, etc. Strategic 

partnerships are all about synchronizing services to meet the 

needs of a shared target market. 

A pharmaceutical company once faced a dilemma; the business 

experienced a sales distribution challenge that hindered the 

company from getting lifesaving medicines across to remote 

villages in Zambia plagued with diarrhoea. The company came 

up with an ingenious solution - they thought of the only product 

that would most likely be found anywhere in the world - Coca- 

Cola (thanks to its robust network of suppliers). 

The pharmaceutical company stacked Oral Hydration Solutions 

in crates of Coca-Cola through which they were able to get the 

required drugs to the villages. 

Sometimes, strategic partnerships, even with potential competitors, 

can help a start-up discover how to differentiate its products or 

service offerings through specializations that other companies 

in the same industry may lack. In the early years of a start-up 

business, strategic partnerships can go a long way in helping 

scale through hurdles, increase their bottom line and minimise 

risks. 

Strategic partnerships can help level the playing ground for 

small start-ups and give them the competitive edge to compete 

with larger organizations. Strategic partnerships can help 

start-ups share marketing, product development, sales and 

distribution and other functions. Small businesses can also enter 

strategic partnerships with suppliers, banks, vendors etc. to 

make product and service delivery more efficient. 

4 

@thesparkng



Here are some basic factors to consider 

when selecting strategic partners: 

a. It is important to note that partnerships are not always easy 

and that sometimes they do not work out. Nonetheless, 

it is important to address three important issues namely: 

Leverage, Scalability and Incremental Revenue to both 

entities. 

b. A potential partner should have a market presence 

beneficial to your start-up. They must also possess a 

product or service that you can leverage from. 

c. Lastly, the resulting product or service should be capable of 

being offered to customers repeatedly across a sales 

process, thereby creating an opportunity to increase 

revenue. 

bring some innovation to the product or service that they 

render. This kind of strategic partnership can help you 

reduce direct marketing costs and it can also help you gain 

credibility and visibility in the market. 

f. There should be a defined mutual vision for success for the 

parties involved in the partnership and how all parties 

involved can leverage the other’s strengths and competence. 

g. Never go into any partnership without having a contractual 

agreement or documentation that details the responsibilities, 

the risks, rewards, rules of engagement and other 

components that may affect the partnership as it rolls out. 

h. Regular communication at the executive level and open 

disclosure of issues as they arise in the partnership are very 

important to both parties. Customers need to be confident 

that both parties are committed to the partnership. 

Other factors to consider include: 

d. Technical Prerequisites: If your product or service is one 

that when sold or delivered may lead to the use or 

implementation of another product or service, you may 

want to consider getting into a strategic partnership with 

the company that produces the other product or renders 

the other service. 

e. Does your company have a solution that might help a larger 

corporation differentiate its product or service? You may 

want to partner with the larger corporation. Remember 

that the larger a firm is the slower it is for the firm to 

apply innovation and change. You may want to enter into 

a strategic partnership with that larger firm to help them 

80% of SMEs (including 

Techpreneurs) in Nigeria fail 

“within the first five years. 

Successful SMEs 

20% 

“ 

Failed SMEs 

80% 

success 

Source: 2013 study by Stanbic Bank 

When seeking strategic partnerships, especially with bigger 

organisations remember to focus on the value that you bring to 

the partnership if it happens. Also, remember that what may be 

of great value for you as a start-up might not necessarily be of 

that much value or essence to a bigger organisation. 

For instance, a company like Dangote cement will not be 

motivated by a partnership that will generate additional 

NGN100M of revenue in a year even though that might be so 

much more than your company will generate yearly. However, 

a strategic partnership that will help Dangote cement increase 

efficiency in service delivery or distribution over a certain period 

of time may provide more motivation for the company. 

In summary, before embarking on that meeting to introduce 

your company and present your value proposition, remember to 

pin down those metrics that your potential partner cares about. 

@thesparkng 

5



Wired In 

Chatbots and The Art of Conversation 

Making it easier for customers to buy is the way forward for any business and is a sure catalyst for growth. 

Chatbots are the new customer support reps, and businesses are already leveraging this new trend. 

- By Techpoint 

The advent of social media, and the app store after it, brought 

about a global revolution in business. Beyond reshaping the 

way businesses approach sales, marketing and customer 

However, as the app and social media space become more saturated, 

people are beginning to grow tired of them. Consequently, the bulk 

of online social activity is moving from public spaces (like Facebook 

and Twitter) to private groups (like WhatsApp). 

Of the average 4 to 6 apps that smartphone users interact with on a 

daily basis, at least one is a messaging app. Over 70% of WhatsApp 

users interact with the app every day, the average (Facebook) 

Messenger user spends an accumulated 50 minutes a day in the app 

and WeChat alone captures over 30% of China’s mobile app usage. 

In response to these usage trends, proactive businesses are gradually 

repositioning themselves where consumers spend most of their 

“ 

Of the average 4 to 6 

apps that smartphone 

users interact with on a 

daily basis, at least one 

is a messaging app. 

“ 

Here in Nigeria, a couple of small and medium scale businesses are 

beginning to embrace this global trend. Lara.ng is a Lagos-based 

startup that utilises chatbot technology to assist city commuters in a 

conversational manner. Using simple phrases like “I’m going to Ikeja 

from Yaba”, users can interact with “Lara” the chatbot, in just the 

same way they would a friend, and get detailed bus directions and 

fare estimates. 

Leveraging on the Facebook Messenger platform, Kudi.ai employs a 

similar approach to make the process of online bill payments so 

simple that even your grandmother can do it. Eat.Drink.Lagos, a 

popular restaurant review online platform, also has a chatbot that 

Jumia, one of Nigeria’s biggest ecommerce platforms also recently 

launched Jumia Bot on (Facebook) Messenger in a bid to improve 

the shopping experience. Rather than spending several minutes 

or hours navigating the website, shoppers can simply specify a 

particular item — including the brand, colour and other details — 

and the chatbot will present them with options. 

While chatbots are still a relatively nascent technology, there is no 

denying the potential they hold for businesses. Because they require 

time. This has given birth to the era of chatbots. 

Chatbots are computer programs that the user can “chat” with using 

your preferred messaging app. By simulating natural human 

conversation, over an interface that billions of people around the 

world are familiar with, chatbots are able to simplify user experience 

in a way that graphical user interfaces have never been able to. All 

that is required of the user is the ability to read and write. 

Some of the biggest global brands and companies such as National 

Geographic, MasterCard and The Wall Street Journal, to mention a 

few, are already utilising chatbots to engage with consumers on a 

more personal and direct level. 

amounts of information faster than humans and thus provide 

the customer journey towards an intended outcome (sales, daily 

habits, etc.). The opportunities are boundless. 

The good news is that even for the smallest of businesses, the barrier 

to entry is relatively low. Many popular messaging platforms like 

Skype, Slack and (Facebook) Messenger have integrated chatbot 

functionality that anyone can leverage on. There are also thirdparty 

tools like Chatfuel and Motion AI that make it possible to build 

chatbots with very little or no programming experience. 

6 

@thesparkng



Mobile Apps 

Millennial 

Entrepreneurs 

Are Using To Get 

Ahead 

Entrepreneurs play a vital role in market economies, and over 

the years, the presence of some mobile apps have surprisingly 

made them more productive than ever. 

- By Lanre Solarin and Michelle Edoreh 

In this digital age, things are pretty much easier for entrepreneurs. But as 

the saying goes, “with great power, comes great responsibility”. Millennial 

entrepreneurs have an obligation to use mobile apps if they want 

their company to remain competitive. That is why we asked six young 

entrepreneurs to share their go-to app of choice that boosts productivity 

for their business. Here’s what they had to say: 

“Every professional should use a calendar app. Being a 

Productivity Consultant, I understand that we need to treat 

time as more valuable than money. I like Google calendar 

because it helps me prioritize so I can easily make decisions on 

what tasks to do and when. I can also use it across my devices. So 

whatever events I create are saved on the cloud and I can access 

from a different phone on the go.” 

Olu Ogunlela, CEO Kairos Krunch 

“There’s a saying in the culinary world which goes thus, ‘you 

eat with your eyes first’. Instagram has played a big role 

in growing my business clientele. The app even contains 

a preset that helps in editing food pictures for food bloggers. 

Using this app to edit my food pictures enhances the picture 

quality while posting it attracts traffic to my page and also leads 

to an increase in enquiries that have led to actual sales. At least 70 

percent of my jobs and references have come from Instagram.” 

Chef Zoey Blaq, Owner Zabambam Kitchen Catering Services 

“To keep up with my business targets for sales, it is important 

I churn out the very best content. I understand that images 

have the innate ability to communicate my brand message. 

This is why I use the Aviary photo editing app to create visual 

content for my business with each passing day. It increases 

credibility in my brand and also increases sales.” 

“Zoho social for business allows us at Socialite manage all 

our social media accounts for clients in one place. It also 

allows us to invite our clients to see how their social media 

presence is going thereby saving time in sending multiple 

reports from different social media platforms.” 

Debola Amokomowo, Kijani Organics 

Seyi Fakoya, Socialite 

“OneNote is a lifesaver for my business. It’s available on 

both mobile and web and really, synchronization is key. I love 

the fact that I don’t need internet for it. If I’m off the grid, I can 

create notes in the to-do checkbox style and once my internet 

connection is back, it synchronizes. As an entrepreneur, I just 

can’t do without this app. It’s super useful.” 

Daniel Adia, MyNaijaReviews 

“Every online business like mine needs great graphics and due 

to the fact that I was spending so much money on putting my 

startup together, it was almost impossible to afford a good 

graphic artist. Canva came to the rescue. With this app, I did 

not need a background in graphic design. The easy drag-anddrop 

features with a sea of free templates in the app have helped 

elevate my business to a whole new level.” 

Nkemdilim Odili, Yanga Baby 

@thesparkng 

7

FastForward 

Fantasies of A 

Techie Bachelor 

What’s the future of tech? How would life look like in the next 10 to 15 years 

if the new inventions we see today become everyday gadgets? Well, here’s 

an example. 

- By Segun Adekoye 

It’s 5:30am, yet your room takes on the gradual amber glow of 

a rising sun. As you approach the window, your venetian blinds 

feel your presence and part to reveal a deep-blue starry sky. 

You know it’s the crimson glow of your intelligent bulb that has 

simulated an artificial sunrise to help your body respond better 

to your morning alarm. 

“It’s not even 6am yet”. You fall back on the bed, crawling under 

your duvet. 15 minutes later, your Amazon Echo makes a whirring 

sound, followed by a 5:45am ding. You snooze, muttering 

to yourself how deserving you were of more sleep, because 

the Bank’s website you updated ate into your bedtime. You’re 

half-thinking about that, half asleep and then you feel a shortvibration 

on your wrist followed by a mild electrocution. 

“Damn you this wretched wrist-band!” you curse out, yanking off 

your Pavlok Shock wristband from your wrist, before throwing 

it into the waste bin. You get up, dragging yourself slowly to 

the waste bin to pick up your Pavlock because it has saved you 

several times from oversleeping. 

“Sisi” you mutter, looking over at your Amazon Echo. “Sisi, turn 

on the water heater. Thirty-five degrees”. 

As you approach the bathroom, Sisi switches on the light, turns 

off the Air-conditioning unit in your room and activates the 

bathtub speakers. 

‘So make I dey your body like skin tight 

Wey I go dey by your side’ 

It’s 7:15am now and you rush out of the house. Your garage 

opens as you press hard on your car key, while your 2017 BMW 

750i drives itself outside the garage and unlocks the rear door 

for you. ‘999c Danmole’ 

“Express or Beach road sir?” 

“Beach road, Romanus”, you respond to the car without looking 

up. 

Ping! You receive a notification from your doorknob, Sesame. 

“Hey! You forgot to lock the entrance door. Are you expecting 

someone or do I activate soft lock?” 

“Hard-lock Sesame. Thanks.” 

Your car makes an abrupt stop, avoiding a collision with a danfo 

bus that just veered into your lane without warning. 

“You dey mad abi? You dey drive this kain car wey no get driver?” 

The bus driver yells as he speeds past. 

These types of cars cannot survive this city, people say. Your car 

is close to your office but has been indicating a left turn for some 

minutes, no one is willing to give you a chance. You pull out your 

phone, typing a message that pops out on your car’s rear glass. 

You had installed Ototok a few days ago to communicate with 

other motorists like yourself. 

‘Abeg, make I pass’, your Ototok’s led light flashes across the 

screen. Romanus, your self-driving car makes its way finally to 

your office car park. 

You’re so attached to your devices that you have given all of 

them unique names. Sisi handles the home affairs. Romanus 

takes care of you on the road, while Kike, your Google assistant 

handles your schedule at the office and quick errands such as 

meal orderings, soccer score updates and more. 

You settle down, googling ‘errand robots in China’. Your day 

begins.



Pro Bono 

Contract and Six Elements 

Hardly does a day go by without individuals entering into one form of agreement or the other, either overtly or covertly. 

These agreements can be in form of selling or leasing property, becoming an employee or independent contractor, settling 

disputes, and many more. In so many cases, individuals enter these agreements without considering the essential provisions 

necessary to create an enforceable contract. Please don’t be one of them. 

- By Olayiwola Obayan 

In order to avoid or at least minimize pitfalls, I will run 

you through some basic elements of a valid contract. 

Contracts May be Oral or Written 

A contract is basically an agreement between two or more 

parties who have the capacity to enter into a contract. It 

can be oral, but an oral contract (sometimes referred to 

as a verbal contract) may be difficult to enforce unless its 

terms can be proved or are admitted by the parties. It 

can also be a written contract that contains the essential 

provisions that reduce this risk (this is recommended). 

Consequent upon the above, below are the essential 

provisions of an enforceable contract that must be looked 

out for at every stage of a contractual obligation: 

Offer 

An offer is a mere expression of willingness by one party 

to contract on certain terms with another party with the 

understanding that the contract will become binding 

when accepted by the person to whom it is offered. 

It should be noted that an offer may be made in different 

ways, such as in a letter, an email, or even your behavior, 

so long as it conveys the basis on which the offering party 

is willing to contract. An offer should consist of: 

1. a statement of present intent by the offering party to 

enter into a contract 

2. a specific proposal that is certain in its terms 

3. a communication that identifies the person to whom 

the offer is made. If any of these elements are not 

present, an offer has not been made. 

Acceptance 

Upon an offer being made, acceptance, which is a final 

and unqualified expression of consent to the terms of an 

offer, should ordinarily follow. Needless to say that an 

offer may only be accepted by the person to whom it is 

made unless an agent is authorized to accept on behalf of 

that person. In addition, an acceptance must be made in 

the manner requested or authorized by the offering party. 

If the party to whom the offer is made changes the terms 

of the offer, he or she has rejected the initial offer and has 

made a counteroffer that may or may not be accepted by 

the other party. 

Competent Parties 

Parties to a contract must be competent to enter into a 

contract. In general, most individuals are deemed to have 

the capacity to contract unless the person is a minor, 

incompetent or insane, drunk or drugged when entering 

into the contract. 

Lawful Subject Matter 

In order for a contract to be enforceable, its subject matter 

cannot be prohibited by law or violate public policy. For 

example, a contract for the sale of illegal drugs is not 

enforceable, and a person cannot promise to transfer clear 

title to real estate if the property is encumbered by a lien 

or mortgage or basically under litigation. 

Mutuality of Obligation 

In order for there to be an enforceable contract, the parties 

must have a common intention or a meeting of minds on 

the terms of the contract. The parties must agree to the 

same thing, in the same sense, and at the same time. If 

one party to a contract has been fraudulently misled about 

the terms of the contract by the other party, the contract 

is voidable. 

Consideration 

Consideration is a very important element of an enforceable 

contract. Consideration may be money or a promise. In 

addition, consideration may consist of a restraint from 

suing on a claim that may be part of a legal dispute. There 

are however varying views on whether consideration must 

be monetary; the main thing is that it must have value in 

the eyes of the law. Whatever consideration is provided 

under a contract, must be clearly agreed upon by both 

parties to the contract or it must be clearly implied by the 

terms of the contract. 

With this general overview of essential terms, consult a 

lawyer to make sure your next contract is legally 

enforceable and meets your original intentions. 

The information contained in this article is for informational 

purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. 

Need legal advice? Send in your questions. 

See page 33. 

“ 

If one party 

to a contract 

has been 

fraudulently 

misled about 

the terms of 

the contract 

by the other 

party, the 

contract is 

voidable. 

“ 

@thesparkng 

9



Freestyle 

Exploring Artistic Realities 

- By Kola Oshalusi and Lanre Solarin 

Graphite & Charcoal Art by Asim Eta Asim 

(Instagram:@asimeta) 

Colour and Light by Anakhuagbor Sule (Instagram:@i_am_nak) 

Water Colour Art by Uduehi Philip Esene (Instagram:@uduehi_e) 

Hyperrealism Art by Oluwaseyi Nurudeen 

Alabi (Instagram:@sheyi_pencilz) 

A 

picture is worth more than a thousand words. One work of 

art can give birth to a zillion interpretations, most times 

completely different from the creator’s point of view. 

And that’s okay, because like nature, there’s always something new 

to see, a new angle to discover and a new reality to escape to... 

temporarily of course. 

Artists are like gods, reaching deep within their souls to create 

pieces of a reality that already exist in their minds, to express 

thoughts they know are alien to basic human comprehension. 

When the final piece gets released, viewers, readers and those in 

between start to wonder what multiverse the artist came from. 

Hyperrealism Art by Arinze Stanley Egbe (Instagram: 

@HarinzeyArts) 

Water Colour Art by Uduehi Philip Esene (Instagram:@ 

uduehi_e) 

With several art exhibitions around, it’s obvious Nigerians are 

beginning to appreciate the work these creatives put into what 

they do. And the good thing is more people are daring the status 

quo, doing what they have passion for - art. 

It’s easier now more than ever to gain exposure for your work and 

build a brand, thanks to new media. With tools like Instagram, 

Facebook and others, there’s no limit to what you can do and who 

you can reach. We’ve chosen to showcase some of such works 

here. Feel free to explore and give them as many interpretations 

as you deem fit. 

In our bid to project the young African expressing their heart and 

art, every month, selected creatives are given the opportunity 

to showcase their work at our monthly art exhibition event - 

FreestyleX. This creates an avenue for them to get connected to 

industry leaders who may find interest in their work. 

Submit your works to be selected for FreestyleX. For 

submissions, see page 33. To see more art works, you can visit 

the Freestyle category on our website. 

Landscape painting by Olubunmi Taiwo (Instagram:@olukorede_artistry) 

10 

@thesparkng

THE 

GREEN 

LANTERN 

Rotimi Williams, 

Building A Formidable 

Agro-Conglomerate 

- By Lanre Solarin 

“The Agricultural industry is a bittersweet 

one”, stated Rotimi Williams, the 36 year old 

happily married entrepreneur, as we sat in a 

Café on a cold Tuesday morning at a time when 

everyone was still enjoying the freshness of the 

new year in their homes and villages. 

Rotimi 

Williams 

Agriculture in Nigeria didn’t come into full 

swing until it became a necessity for income 

diversification. With the country still heavily 

focused on oil as a primary source of revenue, 

only a few people were willing to go the whole 

nine yards into this untapped sector. 

As a graduate of Economics from the University 

of Aberdeen, with two Master degrees, the 

second in Finance and Development studies, 

Rotimi landed a job with Euromoney Magazine 

to cover the African Space. 

It was during his many trips that he discovered

that Agriculture was a common interest and so decided to get involved in 

the market on his arrival back to Nigeria. 

To Rotimi Williams, the owner of Kereksuk Farm which is the second largest 

commercial rice farm in Nigeria by land size, it’s no big deal being a 

rice farmer. “Agriculture is the most basic thing, but we’ve managed to 

complicate it beyond rocket science. The only reason people talk about me 

is because I do the most basic things that they haven’t done.” 

Regardless of the fact that he has a farm, Rotimi is more location 

independent than most people can imagine. As an entrepreneur, he has 

been able to diversify, creating three businesses, all providing solutions to 

the Agricultural sector. 

Although he has an office, Rotimi prefers to work from the Café or 

anywhere else, asides his house where his two children run the show. With 

his laptop, a drink and a couple of distractions to spark up his creativity, 

Rotimi can monitor his businesses, have meetings and make sound 

business decisions. For him, some distractions are good. 

With a rice farm which sits on 45,000 hectares of land, and a Big Data 

company that acquires real time prices of everyday goods you can find in 

the market, like tomato, onion, pepper, rice, etc. Rotimi has his work cut 

out for him. During planting season, Rotimi spends some time in Nasarawa 

for the land preparation and actual planting. At other times, he simply 

goes over to inspect. 

In order to make informed business decisions, and help provide needed 

data to help other players (both small and big) in the industry, Rotimi’s 

second company, Compare The Markets (CTM), has been studying the 

Agricultural market closely for up to three years now, constantly obtaining 

commodity price data from four main markets in Lagos - Ido, Oyingbo, 

Ketu and Mile 12 on a daily basis. 

The quantitative and qualitative data collected helps them understand the 

reason behind seasonal trends and market price fluctuations. In Rotimi’s 

opinion, this information alone helps smart farmers know when to plant in 

order to supply the market when the prices are high. It’ll also help policy 

makers and the government properly allocate resources efficiently. 

For example, he revealed that 75% of Pineapples are brought in from 

Cotonou into Lagos. If a city close to Lagos, like Ogun state, were 

producing these pineapples, it’ll automatically create jobs for people and 

generate extra income for the government, while cutting the outward flow 

of resources. 

Getting to this point of intentional research and making data-backed 

decisions didn’t come by chance. By steadily growing his rice farm for the 

past 5 years, Rotimi has come to realize that there’s nothing better than 

learning on the job. But getting started wasn’t easy. 

Growing an Agro-Business From Scratch 

Rotimi laughed, in response to the perception people have about him 

starting out on a large scale. “I didn’t start big. That’s the mistake people 

make. I did a lot of personal raising of funds and got rid of a few assets. 

I started first with a pilot scheme of 50 hectares, then went to 100, 200, 

and then 1000 hectares,” He stated. As a forward-thinking entrepreneur, 

Rotimi started out with an expansion plan on ground but with organic 

growth in mind. To him, starting big is an epic fail. 

The Government also created a program where they allowed people in rice 

production import rice at 30% while those not in rice production could 

import at 70%. After qualifying for the program, the 40% savings he made 

was reinvested back into the farm. This shortened the time he’d have 

otherwise used to grow his farm to what it is today. But it didn’t come easy 

as he had to compete with 24 other companies in the program. 

45,000 hectares of farmland is the expansion plan. He got the land ahead 

in order to start growing into it. But the actual planting is done on 1,000 

hectares, which is still a huge piece of land. In his breakdown, he stated 

that to plant on 1,000 hectares, you need a minimum of about 120 million 

Naira working capital every season (up to twice a year). It’ll also cost about 

100 million Naira to clear that land and that excludes purchasing your own 

equipment. 

Choosing Nasarawa as his farm location wasn’t planned. While working on 

a project in Nasarawa, raising funds for a business, he discovered that the 

location was also good for rice. Asides that fact, there was no issue with 

Boko Haram, the community was relatively stable with a good balance of 

Christians and Muslims, and being from the South, he was easily accepted. 

A lot of things just came together for him. 

But even though the team felt they had it all figured out, they never 

anticipated some setbacks. His growth strategy was simple: whenever he 

grows the expanse of farmland up to 1000 hectares, he’ll simply reinvest 

to expand again. But he never anticipated the flood. 

“When the flood came, it wiped out the entire capital. We didn’t have 

anything to use to expand. We literally had to start small again. This is 

really what Agriculture is about. It could be one season of fortune and 3 

or 4 bad seasons.” 

Facing Challenges 

Rotimi’s farm in Nasarawa is located just 50 metres away from the bank of 

the River Benue, and the only divider is a road. Whenever there’s a lot 

of rainfall, the Lagdo dam in Cameroon gets opened and one place the 

excess water moves to is his farm, taking with it his rice seeds and planting 

efforts. This was what wiped out his capital the first time the farm scaled 

up to 1000 hectares. 

Moving away from the water would cost more because then, they’d have 

to pump a lot more water. To address this issue, measures are being taken 

to develop another part of the farm to avoid future occurrences. But the 

flood was just one of several challenges. 

In 2016, just like every other farmer would do, they bought seeds, and did 

everything required during the planting season. However at harvest, not 

a grain of rice grew from most of the seeds. It became obvious that the 

seeds purchased were bad seeds. So a ton of money was lost, all as a result 

of poor quality control of seeds. 

“Driving from Abuja to my farm is about 5 hours. So every time I go to the 

farm, I have to leave by 3pm otherwise my life would be in danger,” Rotimi 

stated as he recalled the security challenges he faces with his farm. Due to 

the long distance, there are certain hot spots along the way and this has 

led to a couple of unwanted occurrences that could have claimed his life. 

As with many entrepreneurs, getting funding from banks posed as another 

issue. Small projects are less likely to get funds. For big projects, the 

reverse is the case but then, the interest rate kills you. 

“A lot of people are going into Agriculture without understanding this 

part,” Rotimi continued. “If you want to plant rice for example, the biggest 

part of your working capital is the purchase of fertilizer, seeds, herbicides 

and pesticides.” 

Unfortunately, these fertilizers, seeds and chemicals are imported, 

therefore their prices are at the mercy of Foreign Exchange rates which 

farmers aren’t in control of. If, after receiving your loan, the Naira gets 

devalued further, the cost price will eventually go up. While the obvious 

solution to this would be to raise the price of local rice, Rotimi pointed 

out that due to the price of the imported rice, the price of local rice would 

forcefully remain stable, thereby causing less revenue and profit for the 

farmers. This market fluctuation is one reason he has withheld making 

loan applications to banks. For him it’s a huge risk and he prefers to be 

patient.



Getting talents was also another major challenge that kept Rotimi 

frustrated. Inasmuch as people say there’s unemployment, the truth is in 

the rural areas, not everybody is willing to work. And he went into the 

business with the mindset that they were going to use more of labour and 

less of machines in order to create employment. However, the cost became 

too much. The labourers became slow and inefficient. Generally, the work 

ethic was poor and there were issues of theft. However, accepting the help 

of a security guard to bring his female relatives to the farm changed the 

modus operandi. 

The Farm-Out-Of-Poverty Initiative 

“For me, it’s one of the things I’ve done that gives me the greatest joy,” 

Rotimi stated with a smile and sense of gratitude. “What we did was we 

took a group of people no one believed could do anything in Agriculture 

and proved that they were better than most people at it.” 

The Fulani women were perceived as being only good enough for selling 

milk on the road. But when they arrived on the farm, they grew to 

understand the crop they were planting and were ready to take on their 

own farms. However, none of it was planned. 

The community was quite structured. They had a development board that 

could mobilize people. So getting hands wasn’t an issue and the Fulani 

men didn’t need training because most of them were already small scale 

farmers. 

During planting time, the men they employed accepted about 500 Naira 

per day. But at harvest time, being that they saw the urgency for Kereksuk 

Farm to harvest quickly, these men tripled their prices, including the time 

taken to clear the land. So if they were to clear in one day, they did it in 

three days, collecting thrice the amount per day. It became too expensive 

and at a point, Rotimi and his team had to leave Nasarawa to Niger state 

in search of labourers. 

On seeing the issue at hand, the Farm’s security guard offered to bring his 

sister, wife and others to do the work. The next day, 50 women showed 

up and they worked amazingly well. Rotimi requested for more and the 

numbers kept increasing. 

As a result, they created a program where the women were taught the 

planting cycles – from planting to harvest for both dry and wet seasons. 

A part of the land and resources were allocated to them to develop and 

afterwards, they could sell back to Kereksuk Farm. 

The initiative didn’t run fully in 2017 because of the need to put a few 

things into perspective. “I had to procrastinate on some things. So for 

me procrastination is fantastic. It’s a gift, so I procrastinate a lot,” Rotimi 

gleefully stated. “The time you spend thinking about a particular thing 

helps you see a lot more details that others are blind to.” 

For Rotimi, farming is a lifestyle. So it only makes sense to get it right. 

There’s no harm in stopping, tweaking the strategy and moving on. 

Opportunities in Agriculture 

With Agriculture moving at a very fast pace, more farms will spring up and 

there’ll be less available land for cattle to graze on. For this reason, dairy 

and beef production will become a necessity in the nearest future. 

Rotimi explained that the crisis between the Fulani herdsmen and the 

farmers exists partly because the country developed without developing 

the Fulani. These people have been grazing on these lands for hundreds of 

years, and we’ve been buying the meat. However, due to the sudden push 

for Agriculture, grazing land has become competitive. 

By rearing cattle for commercial purposes, with quality, exportable meat in 

mind, while creating a sustainable way to provide more grazing land for 

the Fulani, it could create opportunities in areas like cattle feed production, 

cattle rearing or dairy production, meat processing and sales. This would 

help us compete with other African countries that don’t even have as much 

cattle as we do but seem to have gotten it right. 

“There are opportunities everywhere. For everything I complain about 

today, it’s an opportunity for someone else to create a solution. And that’s 

a great thing about this country; there are so many problems that just 

need one smart guy to create a solution.” 

Rotimi started planting rice to address the problem of rice importation 

which to him, wasn’t helpful. It was his solution to the importation problem 

he spotted and as nature would have it, the environment was conducive 

enough to start. Now, many Nigerians have developed the courage to 

move in this direction. With the move to stop rice importation, as stated in 

President Buhari’s speech on the 1st of January, 2018, hopefully our local 

rice will now become readily available and affordable, giving rice farmers 

an opportunity to thrive. 

14 

@thesparkng



Start Big or Die Trying 

“Starting big is a big mistake because agriculture is the fastest way to lose 

money,” Rotimi stated. The only thing you can control is putting the seeds 

in the ground and applying the fertilizers. You’re neither in control of the 

seed production nor nature which enables growth. 

It’s a gamble to start on a large scale for something you’re not fully in 

control of. Initially, Rotimi was raising 130 million dollars to develop 17,296 

hectares. Unfortunately, the money didn’t arrive and he is more than 

happy that it didn’t. “I’m glad it didn’t come through because if I invested 

that money into the project at once, we would never have understood the 

market and nature fully.” 

There are a lot of things to understand before pushing for growth. But the 

resources required for that growth must be available, which is land. 

Developing thousands of hectares at once is not advisable. Smart people 

will look for data first. And Rotimi reduces his risk by leveraging historical 

data in the industry. 

The common misconception about Rotimi’s success is he had a lot of 

money in order to acquire the land he presently uses. On the contrary, 

Rotimi offered the land owner a percentage of profits and acquired the 

land on lease for a number of years without having to buy it. His idea was 

to start small in the best way possible. 

Luck or not, Rotimi believes in being prepared to take it when it comes. To 

him, preparing ahead is important because the chance to break out will 

always come. 

Policies and Legalities 

It’s important to be smart about the kind of agro-business you start, 

because choosing an area that’s of national interest makes fund acquisition 

easy. For example, in crop farming, crops like cocoa, cassava, cashew, rice, 

soya beans and maize are more likely to attract funding than crops like 

tomato or pepper. “There has to be a reason for picking a crop,” Rotimi 

advised. “You must either have a ready market, or be able to forecast 

profits in future. But policies are different, so first find out what the policy 

is for whatever crop you choose.” 

Another important factor is land. Spending money on acquiring land is 

pointless if you can always lease, which was Rotimi’s primary strategy as 

it reduces risk of loss to indigenes. “A Perfected Lease document is as 

good as a C of O because it gives you ownership for a certain period of 

time. My lease is for 50 years,” Rotimi stated, with a sign of satisfaction 

on his face. “When it comes to payments, offer them a percentage of 

your profits and put a representative on your board. That reduces risk for 

you because they get a sense of ownership of the project and it’s more 

likely to succeed because they’ll make sure you’re safe by protecting the 

business. Just ensure the money they get is used properly so everybody in 

the community is happy. That way, you’re already using the property but 

paying for it in bits.” 

Agro-Business Education 

Education comes in different forms; people can always self-educate or go 

to an institution. For Rotimi, he believes that every Professor has an article 

on Google. So he self-educated himself through online research and with 

the help of an Agronomist, implemented what he read. 

However that may not work for all things as some need experts. Learning 

only from experience can be risky and more expensive. 

For Rotimi, mentorship is a little overrated and can be a dream killer if the 

mentee isn’t intentional about his personal journey. So he always preaches 

self-belief and his reason is simple; “I can tell people my experience, but 

since my experience and yours will be different, it’s left to you to pick what 

makes sense from it and dump the junk. But that should never determine 

your own journey.” Rotimi firmly believes that if you want to do anything, 

you shouldn’t have to depend on anyone who has done it before. You 

should be able to try it for yourself. 

As a hobby, Rotimi paints. As we sat in the Café, he proudly pointed to 

some of his works which hung beautifully on the walls and gladly showed 

me more paintings on his Instagram page. He paints for fun, but when 

he started it never really made sense. He started small, but people only 

appreciated it when the results showed forth. 

He only started painting in December 2016 when he purchased a painting 

in an art exhibition in Abuja. “On taking it back to my room, I started 

wondering why I spent so much money on the painting. It took sleep 

from me,” He chuckled as he recalled the experience. He then decided 

to duplicate the painting and to learn the art, he had to watch an artist 

paint while he practiced himself, using online videos as a support learning 

tool. By May 2017, Rotimi was able to sell some of his paintings in Lagos 

for some good money. For him, he didn’t need to go to art school to sell 

paintings. Self-education did the trick. 

On Growth 

“As it grows, the smart thing to do will be to involve my wife more so that 

we don’t spend too much time apart. Otherwise there’ll be problem.” He 

stated as he relaxed back on his seat, smiling. His goal is to become more 

of a corporate farmer than an active one, so he has more time to think 

of how to grow the business, while an expert who knows the business 

oversees it. He understands that he can’t get rich by always standing on 

the farm. 

“I’ve been in this business for about 5 years. And if you start seeing any 

decent profits before 5 years, then something is wrong,” He stated. “It 

probably means you’re no longer scaling or there’s something you’re not 

doing.” 

It’s possible to make good money in the first year of harvest. However, it 

isn’t to be splurged but should be reinvested back into the farm or kept 

aside to withstand shocks in coming seasons. And that should be done 

consistently for at least 5 years, according to Rotimi. By then, there’ll be 

more stability and expectations are better tailored. 

Agriculture is wide and there are different funds for different parts. Before 

starting, Rotimi says it’s better to use the different funds available to guide 

your decision, especially if acquiring funds is part of the plan. There has 

to be interest or a market. “The bank for me is a no-go area for now. Start 

small, grow organic. If you put a brick at a time, you’ll be able to withstand 

shocks,” he strongly remarks. 

0.2 Million Naira For One Youth 

Youth empowerment is hinged on policies. And in order for the government 

to successfully create jobs, their policies have to be well thought out. “The 

truth is if prices of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides drop, most crop 

farmers won’t need banks. But at this level where those prices are high, 

some farmers will always have to look for external funding,” Rotimi stated 

with much displeasure. 

“Funding is not the only problem with small businesses. Many of them also 

think small,” He stated, as he mixed local honey with his tea. To him, 

business owners need to spend 80% of their time thinking about how 

specific things will work and 20% implementing. 

To help one young entrepreneur bring that agro-business dream to reality, 

Rotimi will be giving off 0.2 million Naira in funding, including all access to 

his knowledge and experience to one youth. 

Would you be the one? See page 33 for how to apply now. 

@thesparkng 

15



The Spark Connect 

Uzoamaka Aniunoh 

Meets Emem Isong 

The Spark connects Uzoamaka Aniunoh – writer and actress, with Emem 

Isong, Screenwriter, movie producer and Co-founder Royal Arts Academy. 

Uzoamaka gets empowered with a scholarship to study at Royal Arts 

Academy. 


Nothing beats pushing hard to break mental boundaries in order to express yourself 

using your gifts and talents. This was the case with Uzoamaka Aniunoh, a creative 

writer and actress who, after passing up several opportunities due to self-doubt, 

decided to go public with her art, sharing creative stories and participating in programs. 

In an interview with The Spark in July 2017, Emem Isong, screenwriter and award winning 

movie producer, gave off a scholarship at her academy – Royal Arts Academy – for 

anyone interested in acting, directing or screenwriting. On seeing this empowerment 

opportunity, Uzoamaka gave it her all by submitting her application, amongst several 

other young people like her looking to achieve success. 

Uzoamaka emerged the best, and in November, 2017, had the opportunity to meet her 

benefactor, Emem Isong. A big congratulations to her, and to every youth striving to make 

a difference. 

Apply now and get empowered. See page 33 for details. 

16 

@thesparkng



Vital Signs 

On Mental Health In The 

Workplace 

The thought of starting another busy work year must have been heavy on the minds of some as 

2018 began. But how can managers respond to mental health issues in the workplace? 

- By Dr. Anne Mbonu 

Mental health problems are often hidden in plain sight, 

like an open secret. They are the proverbial elephant 

in the room. No one really wants to talk about mental 

health and we’d like to pretend that it’s not an issue but it is 

and we must acknowledge it, because the consequences of not 

doing so are potentially devastating to individuals and to those 

close to them. 

What Is Mental Health? 

Let’s begin at the beginning. The World Health Organization 

defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every 

individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the 

normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and 

is able to make a contribution to her or his community”. 

Mental health therefore, is not simply the absence of mental 

illness, but rather the status of being psychologically, emotionally 

and behaviourally well adjusted. This would enable people to 

achieve a satisfactory level of social functioning, to develop and 

maintain meaningful and positive relationships at home, at work 

and at play. 

In short, mental health is the capacity to live a full and productive 

life and to enjoy that life. In order to accomplish this, you have 

to be able to interact with other people in a way that is mutually 

beneficial. After all, no man is an island, and relationships are the 

cornerstone of successful living. 

By extension, mental illness being the absence of mental health, 

could manifest as the lack of a clear personal identity, limited 

psychological and emotional resilience and poor social 

functioning. This often culminates in the inability to successfully 

accomplish the usual activities of daily living such as sustaining 

meaningful relationships, coping with the usual stresses of life, 

producing good quality work, having a good opinion of yourself 

and fulfilling your potential. 

to diagnosis and treatment is only very slowly improving and 

both employers and the government need to work together to 

improve access to diagnosis and treatment. 

Productivity 

Poor mental health and wellbeing in the workplace negatively 

impacts on productivity. Chronic stress due to high workloads 

and time pressures is probably the commonest problem 

encountered in the workplace, and this stress often leads to burn 

out. Other common problems are angry outbursts, misplaced 

aggression, and low self-esteem as a result of failing to meet 

personal and organisational goals. Once the vicious cycle is 

initiated, it can become self-sustaining, leading to a steady, 

inexorable decline in performance. 

“ 

It is challenging to 

accurately compute how 

many hours of work are 

lost due to mental health 

related problems, but it 

certainly runs into millions. 

“ 

The image of mental illness that people usually conjure up in 

their minds is that of a person experiencing a full blown psychotic 

episode. However, other mental health problems such as stress, 

anxiety, mood disorders, personality disorders, suicidal ideation 

and addiction are far more pervasive and chronic, leading to a 

lasting impact on people’s lives. 

The stigma surrounding mental health makes it difficult for 

people to come forward and seek help or treatment. Access 

@thesparkng 

17



Quality of Work 

In the workplace, declining mental health and wellbeing can manifest as 

sub-standard quality of work, poor judgement and decision making, 

frayed tempers leading to excessive conflict between colleagues and 

ultimately, high staff turnover. Affected individuals cannot produce their 

best work, therefore businesses suffer revenue losses. 

It is challenging to accurately compute how many hours of work are lost 

due to mental health related problems, but it certainly runs into millions. 

Although no specific local data exists, it is clear that a significant percentage 

of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is lost as a result. 

How to Improve Mental Health In The Workplace 

Quite obviously, this is a mammoth challenge so the approach to tackling 

it must be multi-pronged. 

1. Create Awareness 

Firstly, it is critical for everyone to be made aware of what constitutes a 

mental health problem, and what the common manifestations are. This 

will enable affected persons and those close to them to acknowledge and 

recognise what they are going through, and hopefully seek help. 

Too often, people soldier on in adverse conditions for fear of being 

labelled weak, soft, attention-seeking, or worst of all, crazy. But this 

approach is counterproductive because it inevitably leads to unpalatable 

outcomes that could have been otherwise avoided. 

To promote awareness, corporate organisations can and should have 

policies that promote mental health and wellbeing in the work place, and 

put in procedures for dealing with mental health issues. Managers and 

others in a supervisory capacity should be trained to recognise and act 

upon early warning signs that people are not coping such as repeatedly 

turning up late for work, disappearing for unaccounted periods of time 

during the working day, not delivering pieces of work on time or having 

inappropriate altercations with colleagues and managers. 

2. Appoint a Mental Health Champion 

Another approach would be to have a designated mental health champion 

within the organisation’s ranks, whose primary role would be to generate 

communications about mental health and wellbeing such as bulletins 

pinned to prominently placed notice boards, informational emails, staff 

awareness workshops, and if possible, ring fenced time for people to come 

and discuss their issues with the mental health champion in a dedicated 

space. 

must also recognise that their workforce is their key resource, and should 

therefore develop an approach which emphasizes a good work life balance 

and personnel development, as opposed to the prevalent ultra-competitive 

approach that drives employees to work as many hours as possible, and 

favours short term delivery over long term strategic objectives. 

It is well known that employees that feel well supported by the management 

team produce higher quality work, have higher job satisfaction rates 

and are more loyal to the organisation, which culminates in better staff 

retention. 

3. Educate Yourself 

Entrepreneurs and the self-employed are a class apart - they are the 

employee and they are the corporation. Therefore it behoves them to have 

a higher level of personal responsibility for their own mental wellbeing. 

They have the advantage of setting their own hours, workload and delivery 

timescales, juxtaposed with the challenge of having to manage their 

responsibilities without any external assistance, guidance or compulsion. 

For this group of people, the internet is an important ally, being an almost 

unlimited source of information. If you’re in such a group, you should 

proactively educate yourself about mental health and wellbeing, and 

endeavour not to sacrifice your mental health and wellbeing on the altar 

of success. It is even more important to maintain a good work-life balance, 

since it is all too easy for your quest to accomplish your vision to consume 

and overwhelm you. 

4. Join a Support Network 

It is critical that entrepreneurs and self-employed people form support 

networks, actively initiating and maintaining contact with relevant 

professionals and partners, to avoid isolation which can reinforce negative 

and unhelpful patterns. This should serve them well when their businesses 

grow as they can pass on their learning to future employees, thereby 

further increasing their chances for business success. 

The key point to take away is that mental health and wellbeing in the 

workplace is a critically important prerequisite to organisational success. 

Historically, mental health has been a taboo subject, but the winds of 

change have begun to blow, and optimism is warranted. 

While we wait for organisations and the government to implement 

strategic policies and programmes to improve population mental health, 

you should take personal responsibility to educate and protect yourself, 

and to seek help from the appropriate quarters wherever possible. 

It would not be excessive for the organisation to recruit or retain the 

services of a trained mental health professional. Giving the problem an 

acceptable human face can encourage people to come forward, and 

hopefully help to destigmatize mental health issues. 

Information about getting enough sleep, healthy eating and exercise 

should be regularly disseminated and reinforced as these promote 

psychological resilience. Organisations could also put procedures in place 

for staff to take a reasonable break during working hours. 

It would be desirable for corporations to collaborate with governmental 

and non-governmental agencies to create “mental wellbeing at work” 

campaigns. 

Of course, this must be within the context of the broader government 

responsibility to deliver mental health services for the entire population. 

To the extent that organisations want to maximise their productivity, they 

More on mental health? Send us your questions. See page 33. 

18 

@thesparkng



Features 

15 Organisations Investing In 

Nigerian Agro-Businesses 

Looking to fund that great idea? Look no further. This list has been compiled to serve as a 

resource so you have 15 different places to look for funding, and how to go about it. 

- By Ayandola Ayanleke 

Agriculture and agro-business is fast becoming a major 

focus in Nigeria, especially since the economic recession 

that visited the country in recent times. The devastating 

effect of the recession made it necessary to look into other 

economic opportunities apart from oil and gas. And as necessity 

is the father of creativity, the many opportunities in agriculture 

are becoming more obvious. However, despite having creative 

ideas, for a lot of start-ups, funding is a major issue. It would not 

be if people had the right information on organisations that have 

taken it upon themselves to help agro-businesses with funding. 

Here are 15 organisations you can approach for investment if 

you run an agro-business. 

1. African Enterprise Challenge Fund 

(AECF) 

The organisation is a US private fund that provides monetary 

support to businesses in 24 Sub-Saharan African countries, 

including Nigeria. With the aim of reducing rural poverty, they 

have been rendering support to businesses in agriculture, 

renewable energy as well as rural financial services and 

communications systems that support the two sectors. With the 

help of their funding partners, they have funded 257 businesses 

across 24 countries in Africa. 

To be a beneficiary of the AECF fund, you would have to apply on 

their website at https://www.aecfafrica.org and then go through 

a selection process, after which selected applicants are awarded 

the grant. The grant usually comes with post-awards conditions 

that would be made clear before the grants are awarded. And 

after the initial disbursement of funds, the AECF monitors their 

beneficiaries quarterly or semi-annually before other funding is 

made. 

You can contact AECF by visiting them at The AECF, West End 

Towers, Kanjata Road Off Muthangari Drive / Waiyaki Way, 

Nairobi, Kenya or call +254 0703 033 394 or send them an email 

at info@aecfafrica.org. 

2. Bank of Industry 

The Bank of Industry is an organisation that is saddled with the 

responsibility of transforming Nigeria’s industrial sector. 

Therefore, they offer loans to manufacturing and processing 

businesses. The bank does not offer loans to individuals or group 

of persons but to enterprises and they have to be registered. 

They also do not offer cash to the beneficiary; instead they pay 

vendors and suppliers directly. Their loans start at 5 million Naira 

but there is provision for less than that. 

To apply, you have to be certain your product is among the 

products BOI supports. Funding for start-ups is at the bank’s 

discretion but the start-ups would need to have proof of 

performance before they can be considered. You can visit their 

website https://www.boi.ng/apply/ for more information. 

3. Bank of Agriculture 

Similar to the Bank of Industry, the Bank of Agriculture has a 

mandate by the Federal Government to support small and 

medium agricultural enterprises as well as non-agricultural 

enterprises. BOA has disbursed about 41 billion Naira to over 

600 enterprises across the country in the last ten years. They get 

the beneficiaries by partnering with other institutions, such as 

Bank of Industry. 

To secure a loan, you will need to have had a customer account 

with them for at least six months and must have deposited 20% 

of the required loan, must have a collateral excluding landed 

property and have a detailed business plan. The bank, luckily, 

has branches across the country or you can also send them an 

email at cp@boanig.com. 

20 

@thesparkng



questions as well as upload some documents. If selected, you stand to 

gain not only funding, but also mentorship and a strong support system 

that would all see to your success. You can visit them at Heirs Place, 1 

MacGregor Road, Ikoyi, Lagos – Nigeria, call them at +234127746415 or 

send them an email at info@tonyelumelufoundation.org. 

4. SMEDAN 

SMEDAN, which stands for Small and Medium Enterprises Development 

Agency of Nigeria, was established to initiate growth and development 

of small and medium enterprises. The organisation has different types of 

loans; the business loan, personal loan, mortgage loan and credit cards. 

The loans are divided based on size of fund, interest rate and the type of 

business to be funded. The organisation serves as a link between you and 

loan providers based on the type of loan you apply for. 

To access this, you must fill in your information on their website and 

afterwards they suggest different loan providers for you based on your 

information. You can contact them at 35, Port-Harcourt Crescent Area 11, 

Garki, FCT-Abuja, Nigeria or simply visit their website at 

http://cip.smedan.gov.ng/ 

7. Seedstars 

Seedstars is a Swiss-based non-profit organisation. Their focus is 

investing in entrepreneurship ventures and technology in 

emerging markets around the world. In their popular competition, 

they invest up to $500,000 in the winning start-up company of 

any industry. The competition is run locally, regionally and at the 

global level in Switzerland. 

You apply by going to their website at https://www.seedstarsworld. 

com/ to apply and be ready to pitch your ideas to a jury. For further 

information, you can send them an email at info@seedstars.com. 

5. Agri-Vie 

Focusing mainly on food and agro-business in Sub-Saharan Africa, Agri- 

Vie is a private equity investment fund that seeks to address development 

impact challenges. For close to ten years now, since their establishment 

in 2008, they have invested a lot of money into value. Their ability to 

recognise value or its potential has made it possible for them to make 

impact in the region. But for rare cases when they invest in stand-alone 

primary production, Agri-Vie only invests in food and agro-business value 

chain. 

Their focus is on food and beverages, dairy products, food logistics, 

health and wellness products, convenience food, forestry and timber 

agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilisers, and renewable energy. 

Before any offer is made, the organisation will take a space of 12 to 16 

weeks to evaluate the application based on prospects, capital structure, 

terms for the shareholders agreement among others. Agri-Vie is situated 

at Barinor’s Vineyard South, The Vineyards Office Estate, Bellville, South 

Africa, 7530 and you could call them on +27 (0)21 913 5662 or email them 

at office@agrivie.com 

8. The United States African Development 

Foundation 

Focused on agriculture, off-grid energy and youth-led enterprises, the 

USADF is an independent US government initiative established by 

the congress to assist economic activities that improves lives in poor 

communities in Africa. Since inception, they have invested about $53 

million in 500 active enterprises. Timely, the USADF calls for proposals 

from 100% African enterprises in the agricultural sector. However, they 

have different specific sub-sectors that they consider for each country. For 

Nigeria, it is rice, sorghum, cassava and aquaculture. You can get more 

comprehensive information at their website http://www.usadf.gov/apply/ 

or send an email to Nigeria@usadf.gov. 

9. Acumen Fund 

6. Tony Elumelu Foundation 

Founded in 2010 by Tony O. Elumelu, TEF is an African non-profit 

organisation founded to support philanthropic goals across Africa 

in order to drive Africa’s development. Since then and when the TEF 

Entrepreneurship programme was launched in 2015, the foundation has 

supported many businesses across Africa, including agro-businesses. 

You can apply into the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme by visiting their 

website at http://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ to answer certain 

Acumen Fund was founded in 2001 by Jacqueline Novogratz to alleviate 

poverty using entrepreneurship. Acumen, however, started investing 

in West Africa in 2011. Since then, they have invested in six companies, 

including Esoko, a mobile platform that provides agronomic tips and 

market prices to rural farmers. Usually, they provide patient capital that 

provides start-ups with the flexibility and security to grow their business. 

You can contact their West African office at A&C Square, No. 14 Jungle 

Road, East-Legon, P.O. Box CT8740, Accra, Ghana or call +233 030 298 

4098 and you can also visit their website https://acumen.org/ for more 

information. 

@thesparkng 

21



10. CDC 

For over 60 years, CDC has been supporting businesses that have the 

highest impact in Africa and South-East Asia. They have a strict adherence 

to responsible investing, so they only invest in enterprises that would 

not make them lose money. Therefore, they expect their investment to 

achieve results that are proportional to the risks and opportunities in the 

specific market. CDC’s focus is centred on but not limited to infrastructure, 

manufacturing, health, education, food-processing and construction. You 

can be a beneficiary by submitting a proposal and after review, you stand 

the chance of being offered monetary support. If you want to get in touch 

with them, you can through their contact page at http://www.cdcgroup. 

com/Get-in-touch/Contact/. 

13. African Development Bank 

Founded in 1964, the organisation was established to alleviate poverty 

and improve living conditions in Africa. The African Development Bank 

consists of three entities; the African Development Bank, the African 

Development Fund and the Nigerian Trust Fund. Based on the economic 

recession that Nigeria faced, focus have been shifted to entrepreneurship 

in the sectors of agro-business, manufacturing and mining. The bank is 

therefore tasked with providing funding for budding entrepreneurs with 

creative economic ideas, especially in the sectors listed above. You can 

contact them at African Development Bank Group, 1521 Cadastral Zone 

A0, Off Memorial Close, Central Business District, Abuja or call them on 

234 94621030-59. 

11. Ford Foundation 

Ford Foundation is a New York based private organisation aimed at 

advancing welfare worldwide. They believe in harnessing the opportunities 

provided by the West African political circumstances to address inequality 

in the region. Therefore, the Ford Foundation provides grants to ideas 

that would ultimately improve economic equality. If you are interested in 

applying for their grant, you can submit an application at https://www. 

fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/idea-submission/ and they will get 

back to you in 45 days. 

14. Startpreneur 

Startpreneur is a Nigeria startup accelerator that helps small and medium 

enterprises in the country start up and grow their business. The 

organisation, through an efficient team, does not only provide financial 

support but also hands-on guidance to help the budding entrepreneur 

develop. The organisation takes the entrepreneurs through a threemonth 

accelerator program to make them investment-ready as well as to 

ensure success of the business. You can apply to be a part by sending an 

email, which should include your executive business summary, to them at 

entrepreneurs@startpreneurs.com.ng. 

12. YouWin 

YouWin is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Finance aimed at 

supporting young entrepreneurs to grow their business. To be able to 

apply for YouWin, you have to be a Nigerian and resident in Nigeria, must 

have post-secondary school education, have to be between the ages of 

18 and 40 and must not be in the civil service. Their focus is mainly on 

agriculture/agro-processing, ICT, retail, construction, and manufacturing 

among others. Application is done through their website at www. 

youwinconnect.org.ng. 

15. Wennovation Hub 

With focus on social impact sectors, such as agriculture, education, 

healthcare and infrastructure, Wennovation Hub is a Nigerian innovation 

accelerator that empowers entrepreneurs in order to achieve sustainable 

development for Africa. The organisation does this by providing services 

such as investing, management training, consulting, co-creation and 

providing co-working spaces among others. You can contact them by 

sending an email to them at info@wennovationhub.org. 

It is obvious that the issue with starting up a business in Nigeria has more 

to do with lack of information than unavailability of funds. With the right 

information at your disposal and harnessing that information, you are on 

your way to having the business of your dreams. 

22 

@thesparkng

Social Entrepreneurship and 

Sustainable Development 

There will always be problems that need to be solved. While the Government 

has its role to play in making these problems go away, it has become evident 

that if sustainability is what we want, social entrepreneurship is a viable 

solution. This is how we can create the change we seek. 

- By Damilola Oyewusi 

“ 

Sourcing for 

grants and 

donations 

gets worse for 

young people 

who have a 

heart for doing 

social good. 

“ 

Outside of the public sector, Non-Governmental 

Organizations and other not-for-profit bodies 

have also contributed their quota. However, 

sourcing for grants and donations to keep up with 

social good is not the easiest venture. It gets even 

worse for young people who have a heart for doing 

social good. While those with connections are able 

to encourage traditional corporate organizations to 

fund good causes as Corporate Social Responsibility, 

the focus is usually on the ROI, be it in terms of 

goodwill (tax rebate) or preferably, figures. 

In addition to the financial challenges and ingrained 

in the problem of ill-structured projects, is the 

fear of maintaining the circle of an aid-dependent 

generation. While the ‘haves’ may have some moral 

responsibility to be of help to the ‘have nots’, it is 

also important to avoid encouraging a sense of 

helplessness laced in an entitlement mentality. No 

society can sustain a top to bottom approach of 

providing solutions to problems that fester beyond 

the wallets and pots to the mindset of people. 

The solutions have to be more holistic, combining 

features that would solve these two major problems 

of funding and inclusivity. To have a chance at 

achieving the SDG goals, we must find a way to 

include the stakeholders directly affected by each 

problem in the development of their respective 

solutions, in a way that can be sustained on the 

resources immediately within their reach. This is a key 

offering of Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship 

(let’s call it S.I.E. hereafter). And to see more and 

more young people take up the challenge of creating 

social enterprises is not only heartwarming but most 

welcome. 

S.I.E. can provide an integrated solution to the root 

causes of many social problems across the state. In its 

true form, the horizontal engagement of stakeholders 

not only spurs a culture of responsibility, it is also 

a way to erode the entitlement mentality. Social 

innovation will put a spotlight on opportunities 

hidden within social and economic problems and 

empower everyday individuals to be their own wind 

keepers with the key goal being sustainability. 

This does not render the public sector’s role 

redundant in socio-economic development. Rather, 

it gives the citizens the right tools to know, the right 

questions to ask and the type of support to demand. 

Grooming a citizenry that is informed, genuinely 

concerned and actively involved in improving 

their own standard of living will turn out to be the 

most effective way of achieving the Sustainable 

Development Goals.



Start Up 

Your Career In 2018 

Resolutions are typical in the New Year and young professionals will be clearly interested in setting career goals. Is there 

any framework or approach to consider in planning your professional path in a new year? Here are a few ideas for assessing 

your current position and defining a clear path to measurable success in the year 2018. 

- By Emmanuel Tarfa 

This article will not focus on the science of goal setting or 

analyze the statistics of how many new year resolutions fail. 

We will, however, be concentrating on the practical ways for 

evaluating your capabilities and setting targets. 

Evaluating Your Current Position 

Firstly, in planning (preparing for the future), you have to define 

your overall objective – what do I want to achieve professionally 

in 2018? 

After that definition of purpose, a Current State Assessment is 

usually the second step. This is the process of assessing the 

current capacity, ability, achievements and general status of 

such an entity – typically a business or an individual. The current 

state determines a starting position and is the yardstick for 

assessing progress or change. It also provides a component in 

the compass for defining the bearing of progress – where you 

are today versus where you seek to be in a defined period. 

In the light of the proposed plan to use a practical approach, we 

will be recommending a popular analytical tool for assessing 

your current state – SWOT Analysis. SWOT is an acronym for 

Strength Weakness Opportunities and Threats. It is useful in 

revealing if you have the capacity to achieve your goals and 

reveals in some cases why you failed to achieve previously set 

goals. This exercise will help you critically determine what it will 

take to succeed. For instance, there is no need to set ambitious 

career goals if there are clear weaknesses in your capability to 

achieve them in the near term. 

So here is a hypothetical approach to conducting a SWOT 

analysis for yourself, though not exhaustive. 

Strengths 

• Above average skill sets in highly sought-after areas such as 

writing, selling etc. 

• Possesses relevant and highly sought-after certifications 

and competencies to back capability claims etc. 

Weaknesses 

• Procrastinates work and never meets deadlines. 

• Not very good with some other required skill sets etc. – 

[could be the reverse of the above scenario]. 

Opportunities 

• Works for a big organization and earns an above-average 

salary or just has access to funding to pursue plans. 

• Is well-traveled and exposed etc. 

Threats 

• Current organization has few options for professional 

growth and progression. 

• Earns too little to pursue desired capacity building 

initiatives. 

In conducting a SWOT analysis, you need to know that the 

Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors, usually within 

your power to change them. While Opportunities and Threats 

are external factors and can only be leveraged or prepared for 

respectively. 

How do I conduct my SWOT Analysis? 

You can use various personality assessment tests available online 

or just ask sincere and objective peers to evaluate you. Not 

common but powerful if objectively done. Strengths can be 

increased while weaknesses should be objectively identified 

as they pose the threat to prevent progress and leave you in a 

perpetual cycle of no-progression. 

It is only when these weaknesses are identified that help can be 

sought. Opportunities are best pursued through wise counsel, 

hence the need for a professional mentor, if without one; this is 

the same for threats – mentors. Also note, SWOT Analysis can be 

24 

@thesparkng



customised for specific aspects, for instance, there is a difference 

between my personal SWOT analysis as an individual and that of 

my profession/career. 

Setting And Achieving The Goals 

With a clear knowledge of your SWOT, you can now set achievable 

targets and have a higher probability of achieving same. For 

setting targets, there is a popular framework – SMART. This is 

an acronym for Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and 

Time-bound. Though your goals have to conform to this list, 

we, however, seek to discuss goals in a different perspective – 

to facilitate a higher chance of getting results. Here are some 

simple but effective recommendations. 

“ 

Strengths and 

Weaknesses are 

internal factors, while 

Opportunities and 

Threats are external 

factors. 

“ 

1. Keep your professional goals few or 

possibly to just one thing. 

This is the hardest part for most to consider – though simple. 

Nobody wants to believe it only takes focus on a single line of 

action to get great results. Here is a hypothetical case to illustrate 

the point. If your goals are to travel, buy a car or just have a 

better life in short – the fundamental issue is tied to earning 

much more money. You have to realize that this can be achieved 

by changing your job or moving to a higher paying industry. 

This will usually come at a price – a new certification, new skills 

etc. Therefore, your focus should be concentrated on achieving 

that desired skill that will eventually translate to all of the above. 

Most young people would instead pursue the certification 

but will then want to start one business, volunteer in another 

association and add more. At the end, something will either give 

way or none is effectively achieved. Being laser focused allows us 

to conserve our energy required to generate the force to propel 

us to change our lives. 

2. Learn to use your idle time. 

If in traffic, download audiobooks and podcasts on the subject 

that matters to you and listen. You can actually acquire a degree 

in Lagos traffic over a year or two. 

3. Know your energy hours and use them 

to get things done. 

For some people, it’s in the mornings, others in the evenings or 

when everybody is out of the office. Using what is practical, you 

should determine what and when works for you and use it. 

4. Apply time management 

There are 24 hours in a day divided into three parts. 8 hours for 

sleep/rest, 8 hours for work and another unaccounted 8 hours 

– use it for personal development. Please don’t say most of it is 

used commuting because we just discussed how you can gain a 

degree in traffic. A third of your day typically belongs to you. But 

if for any reason you work more than 8 hours a day, you have to 

recalibrate your other hours and know how much you have to 

yourself. 

Don’t see this assessment as a waste of time. It takes conscious 

effort to grow in your chosen career path. Do a SWOT analysis, 

set SMART goals and work consciously to achieve them. We wish 

you a successful 2018. 

@thesparkng 

25



5 Work Habits For 2018 

Finding it hard to get back into work mode this year? Here, you’ll find five simple ways to get 

back on track and make 2018 your best year yet. 

By Lehlé Baldé, MsC 

Something magical happens every December 31st, people 

worldwide are either praying, partying or looking forward to 

January 1st. It’s a new day, a new dawn and an opportunity to 

become a better version of you! 

The new year is upon us and many of you probably spent a few 

hours in 2017 thinking about your 2018 goals! It is popular belief 

that the new year presents an opportunity for a fresh start, an 

opportunity to do things differently, with a fresh perspective and 

enhanced motivation. Contrary to popular belief, fortunately or 

unfortunately for some, the new year is not a magical pill that 

one can take to erase all issues from the previous year, but it 

does present you with an opportunity to reflect, re-evaluate and 

re-strategize for an even better year. 

Getting back to work can be overwhelming for some, especially 

after a few days or weeks off for the Christmas holidays. Here 

are a few 2018 career tips to get you off to the right start this 

January! 

1. Planning 

Planning your time is extremely important. As a busy person, 

you may believe that you have one million and one things to do, 

and that you have no idea where to start from, but if you took 

about 20 minutes each Sunday to plan for your week, you will 

find that you feel increasingly in control of your time. Invest in a 

diary or notebook and ensure you write all important deadlines, 

dates, meetings and work-related goals down. Having an 

overview of each month or quarter is also very important, 

so take the time draw up the big picture and keep yourself 

accountable. 

2. Communicate 

4. Work-life balance 

While it may seem unattainable, it is indeed possible, but only if 

you work towards it! Finding equilibrium requires careful 

attention. This is where planning for your time is key. Of course, 

you cannot plan for everything, but you should be conscious 

when to shut off and focus on other aspects of your life such as 

family, friends, hobbies and home life. Work is where you spend 

the majority of your time, so try to be as efficient as possible 

at work, so that when you get home you can unwind and destress. 

A lot of people will find this difficult, especially with the 

demanding nature of living in Nigeria, but it is important to try. 

Keep it at the top of your mind, that in order to be efficient at 

work you must have a clear mind, healthy body and you must 

be well rested. Inefficiency at work usually starts when one is 

neglecting their personal care. 

5. Be proactive! 

The new year is a perfect opportunity to take your career to 

higher heights. Go after that client you thought you could never 

get a meeting with, start that project that has been on your mind 

for months, reach out to that person or organization you have 

been wanting to collaborate with. 

In summary 2018, is your year! 2018 is the year of no fear and the 

year of actualization! Remember you have the power to make 

2018 the year to remember! Be proactive and deliberate with 

every decision that you make! 

Wishing you all a fruitful and blessed 2018! 

Lehlé is a pan African communication strategist and journalist 

living and working in Lagos. 

At the beginning of the year ask your supervisors what their 

goals are for the first quarter and how you can help them attain 

their goals. The truth is every supervisor or manager wants 

employees he or she can rely on. Make it a habit to check in 

with your supervisor at least every week for a work chat to go 

over progress and feedback. These regular conversations will 

keep you motivated and ready to take on new challenges, as 

well as identify areas for improvement and innovation. If you are 

a manager, ensure to support your staff and communicate your 

expectations and goals. Communication is key! 

3. Stay healthy 

Try to work out a minimum of 3 times a week and eat balanced 

meals. As busy as you may be, it is important to remember to 

eat breakfast. Eating breakfast will give you more energy to start 

your day off right. Remember to also drink lots of water. Put a 

reminder on your phone every hour to have at least one tall 

glass of water. A healthy body creates a healthy mind, therefore 

physical exercise is key to career success in 2018. There are plenty 

of online resources that can guide you in the right direction. You 

can also contact your doctor for more information. 

26 

@thesparkng



Today At... 

Onetech Store 

In our bid to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship in our youth, we visit young businesses and with 

pictures (and videos), we tell their stories to the world. Today At is simply a start-up feature and mini 

documentary showcasing and celebrating their entrepreneurial endeavours. 


While it is good to celebrate big businesses that already have 

millions of customers and show a significant effect on the 

economy, it’s also important to recognise that even small 

businesses are worth celebrating. 

They may not have achieved great feats like their bigger counterparts, 

but the beauty worth celebrating lies in what the business has to 

offer. Sometimes big things come in small packages, and this is the 

case with Onetech Store, an indigenous Technology product hub 

company that brings innovative products to the technology market. 

We visited Onetech store to take a sneak peek at how they work on 

a daily basis. What they do is simple - they identify technological 

needs of small and medium enterprises and solve these needs by 

partnering with the world leading Original Equipment Manufacturers 

(OEM’s) to produce cost effective technological solutions. 

Regardless of the size of the business or budget, when it comes to 

security surveillance systems, Onetech Store has series of products 

that solve any security problems. They put power into the hands of 

business owners, enabling them monitor their businesses from any 

location, giving them peace of mind in the process. 

To further reduce cost and make security surveillance available and 

affordable, Onetech Store is planning to setup and launch a CCTV 

assembling factory in Lagos Nigeria. 

Onetech store is located at Suite H538, Road 3, Ikota complex, VGC, 

Lagos and they can be reached via their website: www.onetechstore. 

com and email: order@onetechstore.com. 

The Onetech Store team 

The Team packing materials for a delivery 

An ongoing delivery 

Onetech Store attending to customers 

Onetech Store attending to customers 

A brainstorming session at Onetech Store 

@thesparkng 

27



Intune With... 

Akintunde Marinho on the Wines and 

Winelands of South Africa 

It’s the beautiful memories we have that make life colourful. Stay in tune with Akintunde Marinho as he 

recalls his travel experience in South Africa and his deep connection with her wines and winelands. 

- By Akintunde Marinho 

Travelling has always been about adventure, and for me, 

adventure is not complete without experiencing the beauty 

that the area has to offer. I went to South Africa and apart 

from the beautiful sights and culture that made my journey 

worthwhile, I also experienced the peculiarity of the country. One 

of my remarkable experiences had to do with the wine in South 

Africa. A lot of people think Italy or even California when the 

subject of vineyards and wine regions come up, but South Africa 

also amazingly boasts of some beautiful wine regions that you 

will be sure to enjoy. 

Vineyards are usually the go-to place for wine tasting but in 

South Africa, I was privileged to come across restaurants that 

have found their way into wine tasting. I visited restaurants such 

as The Table, Franschhoek Kitchen, Fryndraai Restaurant and 

Readers Restaurant among others and had the opportunity of 

tasting good wine. 

“ 

In order not to ruin the taste of 

wine, do not drink coffee, lemon 

water or chew gum right before 

wine tasting. 

“ 

They also, however, have vineyards for wine tasting, such as 

Tokara, which prides itself on making wine that are specific to 

three wine producing regions and Jordan Wine Estate, that 

offers wine tasting packages and experiences, including sips 

from Chameleon range wines, Estate varietals, Reserve wines, 

Bradgate, Jardin label and so much more. And if you want a 

taste of wine produced in South Africa, then I will recommend 

Methode Cap Classique, a sparkling wine similar to Champagne, 

and the Pinotage, a red wine made from a grape that is a mix of 

Cinsaut and Pinot Noir. 

My experience with wine was not limited to tasting as I also had a 

great time having a wine picnic. I discovered that picnics were 

becoming quite popular amongst the wine farms. Boschendal 

Wine Farm boasts of being one of the best picnic spots. They 

recently launched two picnic experiences that are fun to be a 

part of – the Rose Garden Picnic and the Werf Farm Picnic. The 

Rose Garden Picnic provides amazing views of the mountains, 

exhibition vineyards and picnic baskets that contain food made 

from the natural farm produce and the Werf Farm Picnic allows 

guests the opportunity to bring their blankets, chairs and tables 

to enjoy acres of scenic gardens. The child care service provided 

by the Werf Farm Picnic is a major attraction that you would 

particularly enjoy if you are travelling with little ones because it 

allows the children to create their own memories away from the 

adults. And if you are partial to the countryside, then you should 

visit Budmarsh Country Lodge in Johannesburg, equipped with 

all you need to have a great time in the country. 

Additionally, just in case sitting around is not your style, I would 

recommend the wine tram tour. The Franschhoek Wine Tram tour 

is one of the best ways to enjoy Franschhoek Valley with its scenic 

vineyards, breath-taking scenery, warm hospitality, world-class 

cuisine and fine wines. Franschhoek, translated as “French Corner,” is located in 

the Groot Drakenstein Mountains and the wine route is regarded as South Africa’s 

gourmet capital. The early French beginning of the area is largely obvious in the 

region, even in their production of wine. Therefore, touring the area in an open-air 

tram accorded me the opportunity to view some of South Africa’s oldest and most 

distinguished wine estates. 

Another fun experience with wine that South Africa has to offer is the food and 

wine festival. Attending the festival was really a life-changing occurrence for my 

taste buds. There were different kinds of meals ranging from cheese, fresh fruits 

and vegetables, karoo lambs, seafood and venison to hundreds of the country’s 

finest and tastiest wines. 

Luckily, the festivals are seasonal and usually happen all year round in different 

cities. However, the most popular festivals are the RMB Wine Festival in Sandton 

and Summer Wine Festival in Johannesburg which occur 25th to 27th of October 

and the 4th of November respectively. 

I was able to take something home from my experiences with the wine of South 

Africa. Apparently, there are tips to having a wonderful wine tasting adventure - 

book tasting beforehand, be open to trying new wines and in order not to ruin 

the taste of wine, do not drink coffee, lemon water or chew gum right before wine 

tasting. 

My adventure in South Africa is not one I can forget easily, and you should really 

check their wines when you have the opportunity. 

Don’t just travel. Explore. Create unforgettable experiences. 

28 

@thesparkng



BrandSapark 

Paylater vs Branch 

With the growing use of applications by millennials who are upwardly mobile, market strategy and ease of use are 

no longer optional. Here’s a comparison between two brands in the same space doing what it takes to capture the 

heart of the youth. 

- By Deji Adeniyi 

The Financial Services Industry has gone through various 

cycles ranging from new regulations, entry of technology 

firms and mobile phone operators, to the adoption of new 

innovative products in the last decade in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

With an estimated 40 million financially excluded adult size 

population in Nigeria, digital lending platforms have their 

operations outlined for them. Across the continent, they have 

churned out innovative products in order to gain market share. 

Competition, in form and structure of Micro-Finance Banks 

(MFBs) are struggling to cope with tighter regulations and macroeconomic 

shocks (increased inflation, reduction in disposable 

income and job losses). This has opened up opportunities for 

digital lending platforms. 

Paylater is a leading Nigerian brand that operates in the digital 

lending space. Its strength lies in its innovative outlook that 

leverages on technology. Features such as an app download 

makes it attractive to millennials, documentation is simplified with 

online submission and a quick turnaround in terms of approval 

has raised the profile of the firm. It enjoys a growing market 

presence which spans across the millennials - entrepreneurs, 

employees, a hybrid of both and even students. 

This is as a result of diligent research into the needs of their 

captive market. Their success story so far has induced competition 

as can be seen by the launch of another digital lending platform, 

funded by a financial services player with deep pockets. 

The Paylater brand understands the Nigerian market with its 

operations hinged on the conventional banking system and 

the Bank Verification Number (BVN). This is strategic as a bank 

account rides on an existing verifiable process and validates 

the identity of the applicant. Fees are flexible and are marketfriendly 

at least within that space. 

Branch is a regional player in East Africa with a continental 

presence in North America. Its operations show a bias for 

established markets in Financial Technology Services. Its African 

presence in Nairobi is no coincidence as Kenya is a leading 

country in the provision of mobile banking services in the 

continent. This has influenced its operations as it is linked with 

mobile banking accounts only. Its fees are liberal, an indication 

of their market insight. 

A key brand strategy is the use of partnerships to gain accelerated 

market presence. Partnerships with a ubiquitous sector as cab 

drivers is bound to result in seamless adoption by any such 

groups. Its ability to project its brand as socially conscious and 

impactful will resonate with the millennials who may likely adopt 

their brand. 

A deal breaker may be the restriction of customers to only 

mobile banking accounts under the Branch brand. Culturally, 

there is a strong preference for a conventional bank account. This 

is to prevent dependence on an agent or banking representative 

as middle men for funds or cash management. 

At a seminar on Financial Inclusion in early December, 2017 in 

Lagos, Nigeria, a participant enumerated their experience in an 

Anglophone country in West Africa where a firm had the contract 

to provide mobile banking accounts in the rural area for instant 

credit of their salaries. 

When the staff were informed that their accounts have been 

credited with their salaries, there was disbelief until the staff 

contacted an agent and withdrew the total amount paid from 

their wallets. After being convinced, they returned the whole 

amount to the agent to credit their wallets. 

This issue with the wallet account promoted by mobile banking 

is one of the many reasons why the mobile banking service has 

not gained traction in Nigeria. 

“ 

The future of the 

continent lies with 

opening up our 

economy. Access to credit 

remains a key indicator 

of economic growth. 

“ 

30 

@thesparkng



Paylater will need to deepen their customer base by appealing to 

other segments of the underserved credit-seeking community. It 

should venture to other towns and capital cities in Nigeria and 

seek gender inclusion in its market. It should take advantage 

of the economic policies by partnering with agricultural 

entrepreneurs and being relevant to all players in the agricultural 

value chain. 

Branch should also deepen its partnerships with other sectors 

and partner with regulators in the mobile telephony and financial 

services in order to expand the scope of the mobile banking 

service in Sub Saharan Africa. 

The future of the continent lies with opening up our economy. 

Access to credit remains a key indicator of economic growth. 

Digital records of transactions enhanced with these digital 

lending platforms is a big leap from our recent past. Government 

and Regulators must support them for a future that is bright for 

all Africans. 

What do you think? Which brand captures the heart of the youth more? Here are results from our social media poll comparing 

the two brands. 

Online Poll Results 

65% 35% 

@thesparkng 

31

Engage 

Show us what you’ve got by playing these 

games…and winning...#winks 

- By Zebra Villa Works 

#1: The Chef #2: Alpha-Beta 

WIN Free Interior Décor 

WIN Our Special Goodie Bags 

Your Husband/Wife called to tell you to prepare ‘Steamed 

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be home in the next 53 minutes. 

These are the ingredients in your kitchen: 

• Green Amaranth 

• Pumpkin Leaves 

• Bitter Leaf 

• Spinach 

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• 1 habanero pepper 

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• Enough clean water 

You have 50mins or less to prepare with any of these 

ingredients, so start cooking! 

Good luck! 

How to win 

Send us your Recipe with your Full name and Location to our 

social media pages, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @ 

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Engaged By 

The objective is for players to build a specific number of 

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Build 20 English Words from these letters. 

Alpha Letters – First Letter 

D, H , P, M, S 

Beta Letters – Second Letter 

i, v, d, e, h, a, g, l, p, n, y, s, w, t 

Each word must be between 6 to 10 characters long. 

Rules for each word 

• The first letter for each word must begin with any of the 

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How to win 

Send us your “words” with your Full name and Location to 

our social media pages - @thesparkng and our email - info@ 

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Engaged By 

Terms & conditions apply... 

Terms & conditions apply... 

Winners will be published in the next edition

What Next? 

The Spark Connect 

Get Empowered 

Apply now and stand a chance to be empowered 

with cash grants, Mentorship and more. Visit 

thesparkng.com/connect to get started. 

> 

Pro Bono 

Have legal questions concerning your business? 

Visit thesparkng.com/probono to ask now. 

Vital Signs 

Have questions related to mental health? Visit 

thesparkng.com/vital-signs to ask now. 

> 

FreestyleX 

FreestyleX gives you an opportunity to showcase your heart and 

art in our monthly exhibition. Send in your art works (videos, 

audios, poems, paintings, etc) and get published on our website. 

Visit thesparkng.com/freestyle to submit your work of art. 

Submissions are then screened and the artists invited for the 

event. 

BrandSpark 

Participate in our monthly BrandSpark poll and tell 

us what you think about brands. Follow us on social 

media - @thesparkng - to participate. 

Profiles 

Are you an entrepreneur doing something positive? Let 

us profile you. Send an email to info@thesparkng.com 

signifying your interest.

The Spark Magazine (Jan 2018)

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