Self-Motivation, Personal Growth and Entrepreneurship Development on DeoluAkinyemi.com

It’s one of those days when I’m not sure whether to be happy or sad that as a nation, it’s been 49 years since we have been free! Where we are, and where we could have been by now is such a big gully apart that if we really knew any better we would not find so many things so funny.  Imagine for example that we are the darkest nation on earth, and parallel that with the fact that we are one of the wealthiest nations on earth in all the elements that can be used to generate power. We became independent 49yrs ago, but can we truly lay claim to freedom? In 49 years  Nigerians have willfully submitted to the recycled leadership of the same set of people. It would have been exciting if those people were actually our brightest and fairest, but it is appalling to consider that we averagely agree that our leadership is not representative of our intelligence, values and good naturedness. Year in year out however, the strongest arm of government – the people, silently reneges it’s powers to those whose voices ought be be subject to theirs, and for 49yrs we have allowed the tail to wag the dog!

It’s bad, but thank God, this is our year of  Jubilee! Without going into detailed biblical references and deep exhortations on the origin of Jubilee and the concept, let me quickly summarize. God is very structured and very detailed, and uses numbers quite well (I’ve written a number of articles on numbers). On the 7th day of creation, God rested. He then appointed the 7th day for man as a day to be separated from all labours to rest. It is meant to be a day of freedom, a day of liberty, a day when you just stay off all work and rest. For the slaves in captivity in Egypt back then, rest was a luxury indeed. God then established a number of events characterised by this number 7. After 7 sets of 7 days.. meaning 7weeks, there was the celebration of a week of weeks, same for years. The 49th year is the end of the 7 sets of 7years, and marks the beginning of a year of years. The actual Jubilee is on the clock of 50, but the proclamation of it starts from the 49th year. It is a year when two key things are guaranteed –  1. Freedom! 2. A repossession of inheritance! Nigeria, welcome to your year of Jubilee! Continue Reading »

I had two great meetings yesterday, one was the Future Movement’s steering committee meeting, and the other one was a  New Nigeria Club Online Conference. I’m so thrilled at the key issues we were able to trash out in both meetings yesterday. I’m particularly impressed with how much we are achieving with the online conferences, technology is sure making things easier.

There was an interesting eye opener during the NNC online conference though, and I think it’s an idea I should quickly bring back on board and re-communicate. With so many great heads brainstorming together, we were able to obtain a good variation of personalizing our issues with our leaders’ name concept. I was thrilled with the additions and have decided to capture it as Rebranding Nigeria, Reloaded! Rather than sound abusive or use words that might ultimately lead us nowhere, we have decided to add an interesting positive tweak to the personifications. Here are the thoughts. Continue Reading »

“If you must play, decide on three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time” – Chinese Proverb

In my last trip outside the country, I got the opportunity to watch American Gangster. It’s an interesting film for many reasons, it’s also a film that I find a lot of lessons in. I would cronicle a few, in my attempt to share with you what is frontal in my mind this morning.

The story line was that, an American Area Father (Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson)and crime boss died, and his driver  turned right hand man Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) took over. Denzel Washington had driven this man for years, been with him for negotiation meetings, been  his PA for most of the journey, and had watched and learned. There were quite a number of people in the hierachry ahead of him, but he had been closest to the old man, and had learnt a lot from him. How to handle pressure, how to be patient, how to be decisive, how to negotiate e.t.c. He had learnt the art of business. When the Area Father died, a vacuum was created, the market was going to go unregulated. Leadership became available and there were a number of options. Continue Reading »

My recent vacation to Dubai and South Africa were not only eye openers to the opportunities that existed outside our shores, they were also opportunities to see how we as a nation differ from the other countries. It was an opportunity to identify what we have that can move us far, and what we have that currently still stands us ahead.

I have tried to express passionately the visionary leadership that Dubai possesses, I have also tried to describe some the closest things to a man made heaven. From the visions they still have however, the best is even yet to happen. Just two days ago, I got informed that the world project is being sold already. The world project is a man made island patterned after the map of the world, with each continent as an Island. I quipped, that at least if one cannot be president over the real Nigeria, he can at least try to administer the Nigeria Island in the world project. South Africa also was filled with breathtaking sites, and great entertainment parks. I thought I had fun at the Wild Wadi Waterparks in Dubai until I experienced the Anaconda and Golden Heights at the Gold Reef Park. I don’t know what world South Africa is classified as, but I’m certain it’s far beyond our world.

Having seen all these, when I look back home, and see our current state my countenance falls, however when I think deeper and see what we could be, my heart is refreshed, for their is yet hope for Nigeria. Did you ask why? Let me show you what I see. Continue Reading »

This is coming as a digression and a distraction from my rest and vacation, but I need to address this quickly, before my silence is used as a marketing tool by some. I just got a call today from someone who heard from someone that I was claimed to be the leader of a particular MLM, this is absolutely wrong! I had taken a public stand by making comments on some particular posts on this site, indicating my lack of belief in some of these programs, if that does not read clearly enough, let me further add my thoughts here.

I also got a mail, from one of the most authoritative persons on the nigeria net today, asking me if my position on some online programs won’t affect my good name when they come crumbling. I replied him, explaining my stand, and I think all my friends and well wishers online also need the insight of my response. I love the way business is moving online, it’s giving many youths a chance and it’s creating the long awaited alternatives to yahoo-yahoo. Hopefully, the plans for giving the Nigerian youth a voice will be achieved first from the internet. Nobody needs to really agree totally with me on my stand on any of these online businesses though… it’s MY stand, and I’m just a little part of the universe.

Canadian Diamond Traders

Background

This was the first program I heard of online and the first I joined. I joined directly on the main board. Continue Reading »

All countries have crooks, but it pains my heart to the bone marrow when I see fraudulent Nigerians creating a bad impression of all of us. I’m particularly pained as I write this, when will this stupid young fellas (some of them old too) stop messing us all up?! When???

I think they will only stop when we don’t tolerate them anymore. We need to start now! Many businesses run from here regularly, you know why? Because they get the first introduction with the wrong people. We have had quite some instances of companies deliberately cutting Nigerians off, why? Fraudsters! They are everywhere I guess, but why do they try so hard to mess things up for the rest of us. If we know them and keep silent we are one and the same, the thieve that steals the oil is as guilty as the one storing it for him.

Just today I discovered that one person had hacked over 10 CF accounts of his fellow Nigerians and perhaps more, replaced their emails and passwords, and had actually cashed out one of their ecash wallet accounts. If you can no longer access your account, if you didn’t forget your username and password, send your complaints to CF straight, you are about to be robbed by Kelvin and his cohorts. It’s disheartening! Continue Reading »

Of late I have had a number of calls, online buzzes and people walking directly into my office to let me know how much they appreciate the work that we are doing. It’s always a source of encouragement for me, and my team, that what we are doing is being appreciated.

I’ve got calls from people saying they got jobs through our job site, people saying their lives have changed reading these articles, and people just calling in to say thank you. I’m grateful to all these people for not concealing their feelings, but letting us know and letting us receive motivation to continue. Most importantly though, I am grateful to God, his grace and mercy have been at the heart of my progress.

I met a young man lately, he tells me he has been going to sleep every night since he came into contact with this site, reading and reading. I was shocked when he told me that reading from here has changed his life completely and what was most shocking for him, was that he has never seen me in his life, and I had so much impact on him. I took time to interview him, to understand how he has transited from scamming to legitimate business in 2 weeks. I welcome you to read this interview of a changed man. Continue Reading »

I wouldn’t have blogged today, if not that I discovered a mail in my box today. A mail that shocked me once again with the reality of how we are percieved as Nigerians. Not that there are not many events in a normal day that return us to this self same reality, but it certainly doesn’t happen like that everyday.

I remember having a discussion with a friend who told me his own gory story of how he used to be a very patriotic Nigerian, not as though he wasn’t anymore, but he has balanced it with a lot more wisdom, seeing that it just doesn’t help. He told me of times when he’ll travel out of Nigeria, practically wearing a Nigerian football jersey, he told me of how many times he had been stopped at the immigration of many countries for no other reason other than the fact than that he was a Nigerian. He told me of one occassion when an officer told him that he would surely find something wrong with him? Can you imagine?? At that time he was a UN official! Let’s not deceive ourselves friends, our corrupt country colleagues spoil beyond their names, they give us perceptions that make us difficult to relate with. I can easily remember times at the borders of different countries as well, when being a Procter and Gamble employee or a Virgin employee meant more than being a Nigerian, isn’t that sad?

So what happened today that flagged up my passion for the pen? I applied for a West African training consultant opportunity for a company in the US, last week and only checked my box today to see their response today. They felt I was very qualified, but would need me to validate myself. They said the volume of credit card frauds that come from Nigeria, makes them weary of doing business with Nigerians! Can you beat that? The interesting thing is, if it were you or I on the other side, we would have similar perspectives, we can’t blame them.

What we need to do, is to put our own house in order. To continue our fight and struggle against scam. We need to move faster in our drive to creating alternatives for these jobless youths side by side with our clamour to get the antiscam bill signed. We need to shine our light! Darkness they say is merely the absence of light, and the only contribution needed from good for evil to prevail is silence. We must not be silent, we must fight this evil at home and abroad, we must ensure that the world knows that there are Nigerians that value and have integrity.

I can’t imagine how many legitimate business proposals get deleted on the merit of these ill meaning few. I can’t imagine how many good intentions have been coloured by the tons of scams that these yahoo boys generate. The fight against crime is not a fight against individuals it’s a fight for the expression of genuine talents.

It’s a war friends, we need to understand the dynamics, and strategically progress.

Regards

Adeolu