It was my first trip to Africa and I was invited to be a guest speaker at the first Asia International Business Opportunities Seminar on October 15, 2007, held at Sheraton Hotels & Towers Ikeja, Lagos. This seminar was organized by Softflex Singapore Pte Ltd and Softflex Nigeria Ltd. My successful, innovative and positive friend, Mr Rasheed, committed lots of time, money and effort to make this event a reality!
Why my first trip to Nigeria was shocking? I was shocked by the way people are risking life and limbs to earn a living selling products in heavy traffic on the road! Whenever our car slows down in a traffic jam we will find many people coming to our car windows offering all kinds of products! They will come to my car windows to sell newspapers, books, foods, candy, drinks, handkerchiefs, shoes, slippers, bags, etc. It was very obvious to me that these people are doing it for survival and it is one of the ways they know of making an honest living!
I was inspired because the people are willing to work hard and even risk their lives moving from car to car to sell their goods instead of whining and complaining! Another shocking and inspiring fact is the estimated population of Nigeria of over 140 million people! This creates a huge opportunity for marketers who are able to identify niches and have the courage to come to Nigeria to do business and to make a positive difference to the lives of millions of people here!
It is not only what you know it is also who you know that will ensure your success. And that is why Softflex Nigeria Ltd is acting as a business solutions provider and a link for sourcing of suppliers, buyers and business contacts and offers important guidance and advice on what to do and what not to do when conducting business in Nigeria and Asia!
It was profitable for me because I was there to contribute, learn and network and it was an all-expenses-paid business trip and I was paid to speak an hour on my favorite subject: marketing. I spoke on the concept of marketing, networking and network marketing!
I am working closely with Softflex to educate people about the opportunities in Nigeria and Asia, Mr Rasheed, the managing director of Softflex Singapore Pte Ltd, would welcome enquires on businesses in Nigeria, Singapore and Asia. Woody Allen said: "80% of success is showing up!" I am glad I showed up at this important even and got good business contacts and it is a great feeling to be the first Asian speaker at this ground breaking business event for business opportunities in Asia!
Being Asia No.1 Home-Based Business Coach I am glad that I have made my presence felt at this important event! I was also inspired by the dedication and commitment of three officers from Nigeria Customs who shared important information on customs regulations and the efforts to cut down the amount of paperwork and to increase their efficiency.
I also learned a lot from the speech by Professor Eghosa Osagie, a professional economist and author of "The New Nigerian Economy - From Poverty to Prosperity" which is a "blueprint" for the prosperity of Nigeria! I highly recommend every Nigerian or people who have an interest on improving the Nigerian economy, to read this book!
Trade commissions, embassies and banks were invited to this important event and I look forward to the second international event to be held in Singapore in 2008 and followed by the third event in Lagos, Nigeria again.
I was also inspired by Prof. Dora Akunyili, the Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). She is one of the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize Award. I admire her courage, commitment and efforts in her fight against drug counterfeiting which is a brutal, shameful and evil crime that stood as low as the crime of child prostitution! This evil crime causes unnecessary deaths, sadness, suffering to millions of people not only in Nigeria but other parts of the world too!
I read a most timely article, "Akunyili On Drug Counterfeiting" on October 14, 2007, Sunday Independent.
"The problem of counterfeit drugs and other regulated products is rapidly rearing its ugly head in developed countries and this is fuelled by purchase of drugs via the Internet. The negative impact of counterfeit drugs and other regulated products knows no boundaries. Resistant strains of micro-organisms do not need visa to travel from country to country." - Prof. Dora Akunyili
It was reported in this article that Prof. Dora Akunyili inspired Nigerians with these words: "Some of us complain about poor infrastructure facilities like inadequate power supply, water, etc, but Indians, Chinese and other nationals are all over Nigeria making it big, despite these challenges. If foreigners can make it despite the prevailing challenges, you too can."
I see great potential for transformation, growth and prosperity in Nigeria and Prof. Eghosa Osagie hit it on the nail when he touched on the importance of leadership in his book, The New Nigerian Economy - From Poverty to Prosperity, "... Concretely, there are two ways in which leadership can influence the national economy. First, political leadership through its policies and attitude of its individual members to private accumulation of wealth, has the power to develop or ruin an economy. Second, leadership in the various industries of the national economy, in particular, the banks and other financial institutions, the manufacturing industries, and commerce, has the choice of behaving as autonomous agents of national welfare and development."
I enjoyed my short visit and I believe that with good leadership, wise business strategies, co-operation from all sectors, good infrastructure plus foreign skills and investments, there's definitely lots of room for transformation, growth and prosperity for the economy of Nigeria. It is clearly evident to me that there are many Nigerians who are business-minded and are willing to learn and work hard to make life better for themselves and their country!
About the Author
Bruce Seah, Business Owner, Marketing Consultant, Author and Asia No.1 Home-Based Business Coach. Bruce loves to help people make money offline and online to achieve their dreams! For Bruce's free ebooks on how to make money offline and online, go to: http://www.BruceSeah.com For an exciting home-based business, go to: http://www.home-based-business.isagenix.com
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