January 2018

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
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