Ola Barnabas

TEN WAYS TO DEAL WITH FEAR In my recent posts, I engaged you on issues that I know you probably have struggled with for years. I know that the question of fear appears in many forms to different people, but, everyone “feels” fear. There is definitely something about which we all nurse fears. For some, it concerns their relationships entering a new phase or with their spouses, for some their children, some their jobs, for some the interview they are to attend, so many their finance, others their visions and dreams, others an assignment they are given to deliver on, yet others projects they hope to commence. When you up the scale, many are afraid of death. I got to discover that the fear of public speaking is even higher than that of death. And why shouldn’t we be afraid? When we count the cost of undertaking certain projects or look at how much it will cost to fund our dreams, fear will set in. Especially when we do not have examples of those who have succeeded in similar v...

STARTING YOUR OWN SMALL BUSINESS: THE SPRINGBOARD (Excerpt from my book: STARTING YOUR OWN SMALL BUSINESS IN NIGERIA)                                                                         A few years ago, I stumbled on a newspaper that contained an article on one of the leading business giants in this country. Nothing of all I read about him and his business caught my attention more than a statement he was said to have made upon his graduation from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile Ife, Nigeria. He was quoted to have told one of his lecturers that “If after five years of graduating from this school I do not become a millionaire, I will return your certificate to you!” Geez! that’s some guts. Certainly, that guy’s middle name is Boldness and his last name is Risk . How can a young graduat...

STARTING SMALL, ENDING BIG As a little boy, I watched and assisted my dad in planting two sticks. Both of them later became mango trees. They were so tiny and small, anyone could pass them off without the slightest thought of them becoming anything, or better still see them as dead. With the euphoria that attends every child’s newly found intrigue, I would go out every morning and evening to water my sticks, because daddy said, if you water your crops, they’ll yield. This I did for God knows how long. Maybe several months until I found other intrigues that yielded other forms of pleasure to me. Eventually I forgot about them for years, or maybe the rains took over the morning and evening watering sessions from me. In all, I stopped watering. Weeks passed and months followed, the years followed too and eventually decades. The sticks my dad brought home with about five or six leaves on each – (I didn’t actually consciously count the leaves, but they definitely couldn’t have be...

THE CURRENCY OF LOVE I was so surprised at the sound of some countries’ currencies when I learnt about them. For example Balboas used in Panama , Zloty used in Poland, Ringglets used in Malaysia, Colones (almost sounding like cologne) in Costa Rica, Quetzal used in Guatemala, Baht used in Thailand, Meticals used in Mozambique, etc. I might as well think that the Nigerian Naira does not sound as “ tush ” (Nigerian English meaning “great”) as the American Dollar and sounds as funny to you if you live in other countries. Funny as any of these may sound, no meaningful transaction can be carried out in those countries without their legal tender. I guess that makes all the difference. Transacting the Business of Love Most of us claim to love or be in love, but are not transacting the business of love with the legal tender that is required. Love is business and must be run with the currency adequate. I hardly write about love. There are too many “experts” on the subj...

WHAT YOU MUST DO WITH YOUR NAIRA NOW II I must say well done to you for checking on this blog. Suffice to add that there is serious dearth of financial knowledge on what to do right now that the naira weakens almost on a daily basis against other world currencies. And as Standard and Poor’s released yesterday, Nigeria is not alone in this apparent global struggle, so if you are reading this from other countries, you need to know and apply quite as much as the Nigerian person reading this should. Since my last post The following are the updates since my last post some two days ago: -          US Dollar closed at N204/$1 and opened at N207/$1 the next day -          British pound closed at N307/$1 and opened at N317/$1 the next day -          The government bond sold lesser than the prediction, at a little less than N100b. -   ...

Hello friends, I am currently working on the Part II of WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR NAIRA NOW. It is awesome the insights I've got and will share with you. By the way, if you have not read the first part, why don't you do that before I hit you with the Part II in the next two days. Keep date with me to get your most needed naira wisdom. See you.