RECYCLING AND THE 21ST CENTURY

Mankind has truly come a long way technologically in the past century than at any other time in recorded history. We put a man on the moon, achieved advanced scientific feats and sought new frontiers on several fronts.

While this has led to a lot of rapid development which has positively affect our standard of living, there lies within a lot of negative factors that directly threatens the environment and all life that depends on it for survival.

These days, our earth has been filled by a lot of waste. There is a lot of garbage, plastic waste, and electronic waste. We always produce it and dump it when we need the new one.

Our waste are piling up and continuously accumulating. Plastic waste is one of the biggest problems for us now. And our solution in this problem is recycling. 

In my opinion, recycling is a way to manage used items into new products. We can reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) waste materials as an effective form of waste management and safeguard the environment at the same time.

So what exactly is recycling? Why is it so important nowadays? How can people and nations benefit from recycling?

Recycling – Recycling is the process of recovering material from waste and turning it into new products. The original product is destroyed in this process, usually through a melting process, but it is used to form new products.

The following are some of the advantages that can be gotten from the recycling of waste materials:

1. Decrease in pollution levels

2. Reduction in energy consumption

3. It is considered to be very environmentally friendly

4. Helps fight global warming

5. Helps slow the rate of resource depletion

6. Decreases landfill waste.

7. Helps create jobs in the recycling sector.

It’s a well-known fact that recycling is good for the environment–you place your bin at the end of your driveway and you’ve done your part. While there has been a lot of talk about the effects of recycling, there is not enough discussion about the effects of not recycling.

What would happen if everyone decided to stop recycling? What are the effects of not recycling and letting our trash pile up in landfills?

Recycling doesn’t just have an environmental impact but an economic one as well. Not to mention that it also promotes sustainable manufacturing because manufacturers can potentially reuse these materials over and over again.

Recycling is a billion dollar industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people every year. Even so, according to a recent EPA funded Yale University Study the U.S. recycling levels are currently at 21.4%.

According to Recycle Across America, the U.S. recycling levels have not improved in 20 years despite the billions of dollars spent on recycling awareness campaigns and new sorting technologies.

So what are the effects of not recycling?

According to the EPA, in 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash, that’s equivalent to about 1.7 million blue whales! Of that 254 million, about 87 million tons of this material was recycled and composted. So imagine what that would look like if none of that material was recycled.

Year after year the garbage would continue to pile up. This would eventually lead to more landfills popping up near our homes and in our cities.

Recycling products such as cardboard, scrap metal, paper, and plastic can cut the size of our landfills in half. There are two major ways by which recycling directly imparts our lives. These are:

1. Environmental Impact:

Landfills have a huge environmental impact. Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. Just one of those plastic bottles can take at least 450 years to decompose; imagine billions of them!

When people throw away scrap metal, we are harming the environment. By not recycling we’re also wasting finite resources. If we never recycled again that would mean that every time a manufacturer creates a new product they have to mine for the resources.

Instead of using recycled scrap metal they would have to literally go into a mine, find iron ore, mold into what they need for their product, and then start production. That’s not just time-consuming but it’s also costly.

According to researchers recycling one ton of steel conserves 2,500 lbs. of iron ore, 1,400 lbs. of coal and 120 lbs. of limetsone.

Another example is paper; if we don’t recycle paper then every time we need more paper trees get chopped down and harvested at a mill. Not only does this process deplete our resources but it also destroys the natural habitats of other creatures. Additionally, trees produce oxygen.

We are already trying to reduce the amount of waste that goes into our oceans. In March of 2019, just a few months ago, a whale washed up on the shores of a beach in the Philippines with 88 pounds of plastic in its stomach, it died a few hours later. And sadly this isn’t an isolated event. Wildlife all over the world are suffering because of us, whether directly or indirectly. Just imagine how much more waste would end up in our oceans if we stopped recycling.

2. Economic Impact:

Not only will there be environmental impacts if we stop recycling but there will also be big economic impacts.

As we mentioned above, the recycling industry employs hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. alone. If we don’t recycle, those jobs will disappear leaving thousands upon thousands of people unemployed.

In 2017, the scrap recycling industry contributed $117 billion in economic activity and $13.2 billion in tax revenue. Additionally, scrap products were exported to 145 countries worldwide, generating nearly $18 billion in export sales.

Recycling also saves manufacturers money. For instance, according to All Recycling Facts using fresh aluminum costs twice as much as using recycled aluminum. This is because a lot more energy is needed to extract aluminum from its raw forms. Without those savings, the cost of our goods would increase.

Additionally, glass and some forms of metal can be recycled and remanufactured an infinite amount of times and never wear out. Making glass from recycled material also cuts related water pollution by 50%.

In conclusion, the time has come for the human race to take the necessary steps to protect our dear Planet Earth for future generations to come. And recycling is one way to go.

DANI CEBALLOS TRANSFER UPDATE: REAL MADRID READY TO PLAY BALL WITH GUNNERS!

The summer transfer market is about to start and many clubs have already started making moves on how best to improve their squads even as the financial pains of the COVID 19 pandemic remains a huge negative factor.

Dani Ceballos, on loan from Real Madrid has been trying to resuscitate his flagging career with Arsenal with more game time which is needed to showcase is obvious talent. 

To say Ceballos had initially endured a rough patch at the Emirates would be stating the obvious when Mikel Arteta first took over at the club. His coach and fellow compatriot’s arrival coinciding with a serious injury, leaving him no choice but to wait until February to make his first appearance.

He has since started the last 10 Premier League matches for the Gunners and has subsequently become one of the regulars on Arteta’s team lists, delivering a number of exquisite performances.

Ceballos is surely seizing the opportunity to impress with both hands and his coach has been very happy with the blossoming partnership Ceballos has developed alongside Swiss international Granit Xhaka and is now eager to turn the 23-year-old’s loan into a permanent deal.

Strangely, Arsenal did not negotiate a purchase option when securing a loan deal for Ceballos last summer and due to this fact it is possible that Zinedine Zidane could welcome the midfielder back into his squad for next season especially if transfer funds are limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Although reports in Spanish tabloids hint that Real are willing to let Ceballos leave permanently if they receive both the green light from the coach and a significant sum.

Ceballos remains highly rated by his parent club and has other too clubs are also circling with interest besides Arsenal with both Valencia and Real Betis credited with respective look-ins.

Real know they have a strong bargaining position and will not let him leave cheaply and will likely set an asking price of around €25million (£22.6m).

The Liga leaders want to raise significant funds that will allow them invest in the squad this summer, with defender Achraf Akimi already sold to Inter Milan and Ceballos himself and defender Jesus Vallejo possibly the next two players to be offloaded.

Ceballos had understandably been questioning his future with the Gunners during the winter while sidelined with injury, but is now proving himself under Arteta. He now seems to be adequately settled with life in north London and a permanent stay with the Gunners over a return to Spain is clearly his desire. Talk about being rewarded for not giving up.

Feel free to like, comment or share.

LEADERSHIP DYNAMICS

There is nothing special about being an outstanding administrator. There is nothing unique about being a performer. There definitely is no sense in unnecessarily celebrating a person who is doing what he or she has signed up for in public service well. If you are a dedicated and goal-oriented person you will know that the satisfaction you derive from getting things done according to plan is enough.

Unfortunately in these climes where we celebrate even the commissioning of an ordinary borehole project, we seem to forget that PUBLIC FUNDS were spent in executing these same projects. No councillor, LG chairman, governor, senator or minister normally carries out a capital intensive project with personal funds. NGOs do that! Then why do we applaud whenever they do what is expected of them in the first place?

This has been the genesis of some of our problems since Day One. Truth is many of these projects are necessary infrastructure that the government must provide. Yes, we may acknowledge and encourage performing public officials but to now carry on as if somebody has just discovered the cure for cancer is baffling. For several decades now we have been regaled with sights and sounds of the commissioning of many projects more often undertaken with dubious purposes in mind while said projects do not usually last.

Consider this, the brain is a muscle. Like every other vital muscle in the body it needs to be exercised regularly. Failure to do this through different ways would eventually lead to an atrophy of anybody's reasoning capabilities. Our leaders from the grassroots upward must be of impeccable cerebral abilities to effectively chart new courses at regular intervals. When you have players like C. Ronaldo, Mohammed Salah, Messi, Hazard etc in your football team, that is when you can be making noises about winning trophies. You CANNOT win anything worthwhile with individuals exhibiting below average abilities. What I see today is a lot of people who merely go through the motions of governance. No innovation. No drive. No self-challenge. No bias for intelligence awareness. It saddens even my pragmatic side.

Let us learn to challenge, question and understand everything our leaders do. It will make them think, work and perform BETTER! One of the hallmarks of Mr. Babatunde Fashola is that he's always been interested in constructive criticism and feedback. It's not always about singing one's praises. And his performance as Lagos State governor still ranks highly. Same goes for Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker Lagos House of Assembly. A selfless personality and a servant-leader who always put the interest of others before his own. This trait has made him the darling of his constituents in Agege and beyond. Even former adversaries and opponents have been pleasantly taken aback by his philosophical and cheerful approach to life. He is simply not of the do-or-die ilk.

Even Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is usually concerned with how to gather and work with capable and professional eggheads at every opportunity. He knows it would generate viable ideas and improve collective deliverables.

I agree that we have a system here that usually seems to reward mediocrity. Especially when you remember the annoying aspects of the "Federal Character" jingle that seems bent on encouraging sections of the country to keep playing catch-up with the rest even when the supposed beneficiaries act as if they couldn't be bothered.

Things work in Europe, America and other countries of the world because they have systems that PROMOTE excellence and not mediocrity. They have systems that do not encourage corruption or pedestrian achievements. A look at some of the textbooks being used in our schools today will leave you in shock. To say the contents therein are simply outdated would be an understatement. How then can we hope to measure up or even compete with our international peers?

Let me not even dwell on the healthcare sector. Even a dunce is aware that the average public healthcare facilities are usually deathtraps. Inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, lack of modern healthcare equipment etc are some of the factors that you experience on any given day when you visit your neighbourhood health centre. Yet we applaud when a public official who ought to have done tangible and measurable things for our communities merely drill overpriced boreholes for us.

There is a coming threshold whereby the thirst for better representation would make the demand for good roads, better healthcare facilities, improved educational system etc reverberate all over the public space.

For now we can only hope for a better tomorrow. One where every citizen would have a stake and a voice on how best they feel Nigeria can move forward. A great Nigeria would certainly be an asset to all of us. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Starting A Business In Nigeria - A Step-By-Step Guide

Why Start a Business in Nigeria?

If you are not a stranger to the country – Nigeria, then you should be familiar with its “Giant of Africa” moniker. This is owing to its large populace and economy. This country has approximately around 182 million inhabitants and is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous nation in the world.

Nigeria possesses one of the largest populations of youth in the world. Nigeria can also be viewed as a multinational state because it has over 500 indigenous ethnic groups, of which the three largest are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. There are diverse tongues in Nigeria as these ethnic groups speak over 500 different languages, and are identified with wide variety of unique cultural attributes.

One of the attractions about Nigeria when it comes to business is the large population of people. Nigeria has Christians living mostly in the southern part of the country, and Muslims in the northern part.  Experts have projected that Nigeria is the world’s 20th largest economy, worth more than $500 billion and $1 trillion in terms of nominal GDP and purchasing power parity separately. It outshone South Africa to become Africa’s largest economy in 2014.  Also, the debt-to-GDP ratio is only 11 percent, which is 8 percent below the 2012 globally accepted ratio.

Nigeria is ranked as a developing market by the World Bank. It has been acknowledged as a regional influencer on the African continent, a strategic power in international affairs, and has also been branded an emerging global economic power.

Nigeria is a fellow of the MINT group of countries, which are commonly seen as the globe’s next “BRIC-like” economies. It is also registered among the “Next Eleven” economies set to become among the biggest in the world. Nigeria is also a valuable member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, OPEC, and the United Nations amongst other international organizations.

With such an advantage in population and economic coefficient parameters it is no wonder that Nigeria has been the desired business destination for many international companies in spite of the daunting challenges a lot of entrepreneurs and established business organizations face in the country due to some underlying factors. When looking at the possibility of plunging headlong into the world of business in Africa's economic powerhouse you really have to consider several things.

1. Get Yourself Prepared - 

The first step to starting a small business in Nigeria is to adequately prepare yourself. You may think this is not important but it can very well be the difference between success and failure. Running a business on Nigerian is tough but highly rewarding; so to survive, you have to be ready to be tougher. Nigeria is a harsh terrain to operate in but as Nigerians we are naturally well grounded to tackle most of the challenges on ground. So how do you prepare yourself?

You can prepare yourself by attending a seminar(s) on the preferred line of business you wish to venture into which is aimed at getting all the necessary information about your chosen industry. You can also prepare yourself by accepting the reality that success is not guaranteed; you prepare yourself by increasing your risk-bearing capacity. And ultimately, you prepare yourself by making up your mind to succeed despite the odds before you and the competition.

2. Have A Good Business Idea -

To successfully start a small business in Nigeria, you must have a good idea. In fact, any idea or business opportunity will do; except you are considering pioneering a new invention. I must lay emphasis on the fact that any business opportunity will do because most Nigerians focus mainly on the business idea without knowing that a business idea is just a tip of the iceberg in the entrepreneurial process of building a viable business.

A good business idea alone does not guarantee success in business; an average business idea with good business fundamentals and a workable template does. The world is filled with brilliant “million dollar ideas” but the world lacks seasoned entrepreneurs.

You don’t need to be a genius to create something new; you do not have to bother re-inventing the wheel. Just find a proven business line and learn the fundamentals. You can even decide to buy a franchise if the capital is on ground. Nigeria has the needed population to absorb any product that is backed by a strong business sense and entrepreneur spirit.

3. Do A Proper Feasibility Study - 

Another important step to starting a small business in Nigeria has to do with having a thorough feasibility study done before investing a dime in any business opportunity. This is basically where the failure of most Nigerian entrepreneurs begin. A lot of people invest in a business idea or opportunity simply because a friend or relative said the business is very profitable so they jump right in without being properly prepared for such.

There has been many instances where people jump into an industry blindly in reaction to unverified information. We know entrepreneurship is all about risk-taking but jumping into an industry without an adequate knowledge of its fundamentals is financially suicidal. A lot of entrepreneurs know this from experience; we probably know people who made this very mistake and paid dearly for it.

Economic Analysis

When looking to start a business in Nigeria, a whole lot has to be looked at from an economic point of view. Some of the factors to consider include the following; Human Capacity Building and Job creation, Socioeconomic policies and corporate social responsibility initiative.

- The target market

- Complex Tax system

- Legal complexities of international business

- ForEx barriers

- Dynamic Marketing Styles

Factors or Incentives Encouraging Investors to Venture into Business in Nigeria

It is the wish of investors to reap where they have ploughed in their investments. Hence it is important that the country to be invested in is highly viable and can guarantee a high yield on returns.  There are several incentives that attract investors in the Nigeria. These are some of the benefits of investing in Nigeria;

(a) Large market base

(b) Relatively cheap local labour

(c) Promising economic indices

(d) Government support to economic development through infrastructure development, facilitation, amongst others

(e) Economic freedom in the form of promising legislation and few hurdles to start and operate businesses encourage entrepreneurship.

(f) Sound laws related to the safeguard of labor rights and the environment.

4. Understand your Market

Before jumping into any business or industry; make sure you have thorough understanding about its fundamental metrics. Every business has an inside secret and if you must succeed; you must find such secret(s). Understand the market of the industry you are going into and you surely will increase your chances of success. The best way to begin such is by asking yourself the questions below:

- Who are the customers?

- How do they want to be served?

- Who are your major competitors?

- Who is the market leader?

- Do you have a chance for survival?

Can you grab some market share in that proposed business industry of yours? These are the questions you must answer before starting a small business in any industry.

5. Write A Business Plan -

This is another area where most Nigerians fail to get the memo. It is estimated that over 85 percent of small business owners in Nigeria operate without any business plans. While it's not necessary to criticize them because many people do start their first business without any business plan; It’s worthwhile you separate yourself from the blindfolded pack.

Since majority business owners are operating without business plans; why can’t you capitalize on it and gain a competitive advantage for your business? Banks don’t lend money to businesses that are operated without business plans but what if you have one? Well, I leave that for you to answer.

Ensure you write a business plan for any business venture you want to undertake. Even if it is an informal, one page business plan; write it. Your one page business plan may not get you the bank’s attention but it’s a way forward because it will help you concentrate on fulfilling your primary business mission.

6. Get A Good Location -

So you actually want to start a small business in Nigeria? If yes; then where are you going to locate your business? In real estate circles we all know that location is very crucial on many levels. Same thing goes for business sites. Your business location may make or mar your investment.

Are you going to site your business within your neighborhood or are you going to site your business in an industrial area?

Are you going to separate yourself from the crowd by building your own brand in a specially selected location?

Or you are going to operate from the centre of trade or commercial places in Nigeria?

Find below a list of locations that have been proven to be highly business-friendly for the obvious reasons.

- Lagos Island, Lagos State

- Kano, Kano State

- Onitsha, Anambra State

- Abuja, FCT

- Aba, Abia State

What you intend trading in or with will largely determine your preferred location.

7. Obtain The Necessary Licenses - 

Well, there's really no need to emphasize much on this. If you don’t want to have the government and its law enforcement agents on your neck, make sure you obtain the necessary licenses and permit needed to operate your line of business.

Every industry has regulatory bodies governing it; so be sure to check their operational policy to make sure you are not going against the law. Also remember that you may need licenses and permits from both the local, state and federal government. So make sure you factor their costs in your budget.

Without these licenses you risk being clamped down on by the authorities involved in the execution of business laws in Nigeria.  They include the following;

- Fire department permit

- Air and water control permit

- Site permit

- State permit

- State tax license

- Health department permit

List of Legal Documents You Need to Run a Business in Nigeria

There are several documents that must possess before you are expected to run a business in Nigeria. The inability to have all or more of these documents in place may inadvertently expose you to official sanctions from several government agencies. As such, here are some of the documents that you will be needing;

- Certificate of Incorporation

- Business Plan

- Insurance Policy

- Patent or Copyright registration

- Operating Agreement

- Non-Disclosure Agreement

- Business License

- Tax Identification Number

- Contract Documents

List of Government Agencies and Parastatals that are In-charge of Registering Businesses and Issuing Licenses and Permits in Nigeria

In different countries of the world, there are various licensing bodies. Nigeria is no different and thus has its own bodies that are saddled with the affairs of business permits and licensing. They see to it that before a business fully commences operations, they are properly licensed.

Here is a brief list;

(a) NAFDAC

(b) Corporate Affairs Commission CAC

(c) Signage and Advert Permit

(d) Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS

8. Register Your Company -

Most businesses in Nigeria operate as sole proprietorships. You can choose to go the same way. But if you are truly out to build a successful business brand that will stand the test of time, it is advisable you register a Business Name or factor it in your cost projections as a short term plan.

You can choose between the sole proprietorship; limited liability or public liability form of entity. After choosing your business entity, you can get your business name registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission’s office in Abuja, Alausa in Lagos or anywhere nearest to you. Please engage the services of a lawyer to avoid making unnecessary and avoidable mistakes.

9. Raise Capital -

Before making up your mind to start a small business in Nigeria, let's assume that you already have the necessary capital to at least launch the business.

10. Start The Business -

After going through all the processes above; this is where you get down to the nitty gritty, this is where you start the business. Most people make wonderful plans, do feasibility research and even raise the needed capital to start a business. But for reasons best known to them; they just fail to start. They fall flat at the first hurdle.

Perhaps it’s because of the fear of failure; but what we do know is that not everybody has the guts to start a business. Most can only dream of it but only few dare to take the risk. Are you willing to take the risk and start your own business here in Nigeria? Only you can answer that important question.

Actually, this is where your work as an entrepreneur gets tougher because statistics reveal that 75% of all new businesses start failing in their first five years. And of the 25% that survive; 80% of them will fail in the next five years. It means that about 90% of all businesses that started the journey will fail in their first ten years. Mind-blowing?! Yes, of course!! These statistics may be harsh but it’s the plain truth in its entirety. Are you prepared to lose it all? If your answer is yes, then start.

11. Look for Leverage -

The fastest way to grow in business is to leverage on the structure of well established businesses. So if you want to grow; then look for leverage. Leverage can be in the form of getting a bank loan, getting credit line from suppliers; striking strategic alliances with much bigger players or getting a contract. No matter what leverage you decide to pursue; go for it.

12. Survival is The Name of The Game

If you can make it through to this stage, then it’s congratulations because you’ve just started your own small business in Nigeria. You have started the game and showed resilience; now is the time to break it through.

At this stage, survival is the name of the game. You might take some pounding from stronger competitors; you might make a business mistake or even face intricate business challenges like a change in government policy, topsy turvy market forces etc but don’t give up. Stay strong and fight it through.

That's it for now. Set that target and go for it!!!