BuyNigeria and value for money

It’s okay to campaign for made in Nigeria goods and services. But how about campaigning for excellence in our local businesses? How about campaigning for our local businesses to imbibe the wining practices of the businesses whose goods and services we import?


There are Nigerians who would love to fly Arik outside Nigeria if only to save cost, but grudgingly go for the costlier but more predictable alternatives. 

When you hear stories of outbound passengers being stranded at MMA for days without compensation, it’s a good bet to think Arik. In April last year, Arik’s flight to New York was delayed for days with no arrangements made for accommodation for the hapless passengers. Some told the media they were not sure their jobs would still be waiting for them in the US after days of absence. 

The airline simply carried on its business as if nothing happened until the passengers marched to the tarmac to block an Accra-bound flight. How much sermon on the mountain will make those victims go back to this airline?

How about formulating and implementing policies that help our businesses to embrace excellence? Can we campaign for a better business environment so that the products of our local businesses will be competitive? Can we campaign to abolish predatory taxation by three distinct layers of government?

Can we campaign to rid our cities of rent-seeking behavior from all manner of agencies, host communities, area boys and so on? Local businesses are buffeted by so many challenges that they are continually tempted to compromise quality in order to make decent profit from their labour. What are we doing to make it better for our local manufacturers?


‘Buy Nigeria’ is a good campaign. But let’s first sell them excellence. Excellence attracts patronage. You don’t need to preach or invoke sentiments.
I’m a citizen. I just want to make common sense.
‪#‎BuyNigeria ‪#‎BuyExcellence

London City Airport isn’t duty-free shopping compliant

Folks, if you want tax refund for your shopping in London, don’t fly out through London City Airport. 

The airport has no facility to process your tax refund. All they have is a box where you are expected to dump your duty-free shopping forms. 

If you have already booked for your flight, then go through the trouble of processing the refund at the appropriate offices in London ahead of your flight. Let the customs put their stamp and then you can dump in the box provided at London City Airport. Perhaps, they will get back to you with your refund.

Otherwise, kiss your refund goodbye.

Five hot phones to have this year



Samsung Galaxy S 4

Possibly the most anticipated handset of 2013, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is coming this year. Most proud owners of Galaxy S3, including yours truly, have not fully explored the resources on the device, and now, its successor beckons.

But seeing how well Samsung Galaxy S 3 has caught on with Nigerians, Galaxy S 4 is bound to make waves here as well.

I mean, it's such a hot cake that I swear I see some boys hawking it in traffic. I'm not making it up. I actually witnessed this at Berger on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway a couple of times, and I wondered who would buy a N90k+ phone in traffic.

I digress. 

Galaxy S 4 will come with a flexible screen, five-inch display, snappier processor and Android Jelly Bean. Get ready!

iPhone 5S/iPhone 6



Leaked picture of the back panel of iPhone 5S, expected soon. A full-on upgrade iPhone 6 is expected much later. I don't expect these phones to make much waves in Nigeria, though. Not with the restrictive marketing strategy of Apple.

                                              BlackBerry 10 touchscreen



Much expected BlackBerry 10 has already been widely trialed, with the next-gen OS and is expected on the shelves soon. A touchscreen phone, touting new multimedia access, improved apps and better typing is expected later.  They should make some impact here. Naija big boys and girls cannot have enough of BlackBerry.

 HTC M7

HTC’s own ‘phablet’ is expected soon. HTC has already released the HTC Butterfly in Japan and the US, but a different five-inch effort, the HTC M7, is expected to be a mind blower.

Features include: full HD display, 4G, quad-core Qualcomm tech and a unibody aluminium design.

                                                        Nokia Lumia 940

The Lumia 940 is for now only a concept, but one with a stunning carbon fibre frame and beefed up screen. I must confess those Nokia Lumia ads on CNN make me wanna have one.

 

It's an exciting year for lovers of smartphones.

 

What’s the oddest thing you’ve found in a hamper?

A Christmas hamper and its contents

Happy New Year to you all! May 2013 bring us abundant blessings and unending happiness.

How many hampers have you received so far? And how interesting are the contents?

As a journalist working for a national newspaper many years ago, I recall receiving some odd hampers, like one containing no more than four packets of 'gari ijebu' (cassava flakes) and two-piece 'adire' (tie and die) pyjamas!

I’m not exaggerating. Those were just the two items in the hampers; in addition to a Christmas card, of course. And I loved it, for its novelty.

The 'gari' was factory-processed for export, and was really enjoyable.

The ‘hamper’ was given to me by a professional ‘uncle’, an ijebu man, who was, and still is very passionate about products made by his people. I still have the pyjamas till today.

Beyond unique concepts and themes in hamper-giving, as far as mainstream hampers go, I have come across some real unusual items such as a bottle of Izal, bottles of bleach and, wait for this, toilet cleaners; ewwww!

No strict rules about what can go into a hamper, I guess, but certain items simply don’t blend with the Christmas spirit. It’s better to stick with the concept of food and treats and forget, for the moment, about how people deal with the aftermath of gorging themselves!

Let’s share. What’s the oddest thing you have come across in a hamper?

MTN partners with Samsung to unveil Galaxy Music Smartphone in Nigeria

Samsung is partnering with MTN Nigeria to launch the Samsung Galaxy Music Smartphone in Nigeria.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Music Smartphone was recently launched internationally, and is targeted at music loving technology savvy youth who are passionate about quality entertainment and the clarity of the content from their Smartphone mobile device. It is now available in MTN and Samsung stores nationwide.

 

The Galaxy Music comes with dual stereo speakers which allows you to listen to audio without a headset, it has built in FM radio receiver, wifi ,Music Hub 2.0 (which enables streaming, purchasing, playlist, sharing, etc) and Game Hub ( a gateway to premium games that can be played on the go).

 

According to Larry Annetts, the CMO MTN Nigeria; “the Samsung Galaxy Music is a convergence of communication and entertainment. It was built for people who value quality entertainment on the go. MTN is partnering with Samsung to launch this product because there is a synergy in strategy between MTN and Samsung to address the unique needs of aspiring consumers in Nigeria. The Samsung Galaxy music smartphone from MTN will include an all inclusive 6 months Internet, free music tracks, free headsets and free pouch.”

 

Speaking on the launch of the device, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas who is the Head of Mobile Business, Samsung Electronics West Africa stated that “Our philosophy in Samsung has always been to build with the end – user in mind. That is one of the major reasons that we are one of the leading mobile phone manufacturers today. This feat was achieved not only by producing innovative products, but by ensuring that our innovations add value, meet and surpass the expectations of our customers.

 

“The Galaxy Music comes with the latest Android OS, a powerful processor for superior performance and conveniently with WIFI that makes it internet ready for quick downloads. It has unique features like a dedicated music key and Smart Volume that helps to automatically adjust the volume of the music. There is no doubt that the entertainment savvy consumer will find this phone indispensable”.

 

MTN supports bank-led mobile money model

MTN Nigeria has expressed its support for the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) bank- led mobile money model.

It will be recalled that the CBN recently licensed a number of financial institutions to carry out mobile money services with the objective of providing easy money transfer services using mobile phones in order to enhance financial inclusion particularly in rural areas.

Speaking at a capacity building seminar recently, MTN's Corporate Services Executive Akinwale Goodluck, stated that the CBN bank - led model has many merits and that it's full implementation would achieve the CBN's stated objective to extend money transfer services to millions of Nigerians who are currently underserved.

"We are supportive of any initiative that brings financial inclusion to the masses and the Central Bank's efforts in this regard are highly commendable".

Explaining the details of the CBN's bank led model, he observed that the partnership between licensed organizations and telecommunications companies is a winning combination.

He said, "'the current partnership between banks and telcos in the mobile money space leverages available cutting edge ICT technology offered by telcos and best practice payment protocols and expertise supervised by the CBN."

During the seminar, participants gained a better understanding of the details of the CBN guidelines and discussed various ways in which MTN could offer tangible backbone and logistical support to licensed organizations.

Goodluck said as the leading ICT company, MTN's greatest responsibility to its customers and to Nigeria is to provide world class quality of service in order to support a multitude of products and services. He observed that MTN Nigeria had already built the largest and most sophisticated network in Africa.

"The world today is heavily dependent on ICT. Our future success as a company depends on how well we support services like mobile money," he said.

Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 hits Nigeria

Head of Marketing, Hand Held Products, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Abiodun Odejayi; Hand Held Products Marketing’s Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu and Head of Sales, Hand Held Products, Mr. Olumide Ojo, all of Samsung Electronics West Africa, at the media launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 at Samsung Experience Store in Ikeja, Lagos

 

Samsung Electronics West Africa, has unveiled its highly anticipated GALAXY Note 10.1 for the Nigerian market. The device, positioned as a device that enhances productivity, creativity and learning capability is now available for purchase at Samsung’s Experience Store in Ikeja City Mall in Alausa, Lagos and at authorized retailers across the country.

 

Powered by Google's Android software Ice Cream Sandwich, the GALAXY Note 10.1 extends Samsung’s GALAXY Note category, building on the success of last year’s worldwide hit Smartphone and delivering the functionality and precision of pen and paper by combining the S Pen with a 10.1 inch large display. 

 

It is equipped with a quad-core processor that allows users to run multiple applications at a faster speed than the previous version, which had a dual-core processor. It also features a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.9-megapixel front camera, a microSD slot that allows for expansion by up to an extra 32GB of storage and a battery life that supports up to nine hours of usage.

 

The device also comes with a customized copy of Adobe Photoshop Touch, which allows users to do fine-grained, professional-quality photo editing; a universal television remote software that offers recommendations based on previous TV viewing habits and AllShare Play, which lets users share content with large groups in real-time, by connecting GALAXY Note 10.1 to Samsung HD TVs, phones, mobile tablets, laptops, and other consumer electronic devices on the same network.

 

"Our goal with the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 was simple - redefine the tablet experience. The advanced technology and features included in the device give users the power to produce, create and customize communications. For the user, the resulting experience is completely new, thrilling and quite unexpected,” said Mr. Abiodun Odejayi, Head of Marketing, Hand Held Products at Samsung Electronics West Africa.

 

Olumide Ojo, Head of Sales, Hand Held Products, Samsung Electronics West Africa, said: “Other tablets multitask only in that they allow users to toggle between different applications, which is more or less single tasking. You are really only doing one thing at once with such tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is unique in that its screen can display two applications at once, allowing the user to cut and paste material between the applications. For instance, a user can take notes while reading a book; look up some information while watching a movie or even copy an address from an online magazine onto the notepad.” 

Samsung Experience Store opens at Alausa shopping mall

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Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Bravo Kim; Business Manager, Mr. Daesong Ra; Retail Marketing Manager, Ms. Olubunmi Omikunle and Head of Sales, Mr. Olumide Ojo, all of Samsung at the store.

You can now interact with Samsung’s line-up of products in a newly opened Experience Store at Ikeja Shopping Mall. Lovers of gadgets can have an evening out swooning over some of Samsung’s hottest products.


Prominent gadgets on display include the recently launched Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 10.1”, Galaxy Tab2 series, other Galaxy smartphones, notebooks, and PCs, all of which come with a 24-month warranty. The store also features accessories to complement the product offering.

The newly opened retail store boasts a dedicated "Free level one service" which gives customers the opportunity to download and install applications as well as software upgrade.

Speaking at the launch of the store on Saturday, Bangryong Kim, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, said the Samsung Experience Store enables the consumer understand how Samsung's products complement each other.

"One thing we learnt with the Galaxy S III experience is that when Nigerians touch, feel and use our products, they can better appreciate the value they will derive from owning them," said Kim. "This is the idea behind the Samsung Experience Store. It allows our consumers to discover what our products can do, and how they can derive optimal value from these products and services to enrich their lives."

According to Kim, “The operational word here is experience," said Kim. "With the opening of the Experience Store, our customers can see how our devices work together. Right here, we have our smartphones and our tablet range. We also have our smart cameras and other information technology devices. With these devices under one roof, our customers can actually experience how our products can be connected together and also learn how to use them in this manner," he explained.

CCTV unmasks a robber in Lagos

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A 27-year-old man who robbed a customer at Shoprite in Adeniran Ogunsanya has been traced and arrested through the help of CCTV.

 

The suspect, Ahmed Balogun, also allegedly stole the customer’s BlackBerry phone, driving licence, ATM cards, credit cards and money.

 

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect went to an ATM after the robbery and withdrew all the money in the victim’s account.

 

The victim, Ogechi Onyemem, said the suspect stole her phone while she was attempting to pay the cashier at the counter.

 

She said, “That day, I went shopping with my children and had wanted to pay at the counter. I was distracted by my children for a few seconds, leaving my purse and my phone on the counter. When I turned back, I didn’t see my belongings again.

 

“I raised the alarm and accused the cashier of stealing my belongings. I was stranded with no money to pay for the items I wanted to buy and I did not have a phone with which I could call any friend for help. The manager intervened, but I demanded that he showed me the CCTV footage so we could trace the thief.

 

“When we played back the tape, we saw the suspect, in white shirt, take my properties, put them in his pocket and then walk away calmly.”

 

The mother of three said the management of Shoprite apologised to her and then she left as all efforts to trace the suspect on that day proved abortive.

 

Onyemem said because the incident happened during the Sallah break, she could not get her mind off the loss of her items as banks were not opened.

 

She said, “My husband had travelled and I had no money or phone to even call friends. The following day, I went to retrieve my line from MTN and immediately I activated it, I received SMS alert on my phone that N101, 000 had been withdrawn from my Guaranty Trust Bank account.

 

“I immediately called my other banks, Diamond and Zenith, to block my accounts and then reported the incident to Bode Thomas Police.”

 

PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen watched CCTV footage and noticed that the suspect had a handshake with one of the employees of Shoprite.

 

The policemen immediately interrogated the Shoprite employee who identified the suspect as an acquaintance known as Balogun.

 

He said they both lived in the same neighbourhood on the Lagos Island. The policemen went to Adeniji Adele Police Division, under whose jurisdiction the suspect lived, and documented the incident.

 

The Shoprite employee was said to have led the policemen to where the suspect was but hoodlums initially prevented them from arresting the suspect.

 

Onyemem said, “When policemen attempted to arrest the suspect, thugs that outnumbered the policemen who were in plain clothes prevented them. But the Divisional Police Officer, Adeniji Adele, Mr. Monday Agbonika, sent reinforcement and arrested the suspect.

 

“He initially denied stealing my things but when the CCTV tape was shown to him at Bode Thomas, he confessed, saying that he was able to withdraw money with my ATM card by obtaining my date of birth, which was written on my driving licence and co-incidentally my date of birth happened to be the Personal Identification Number of my GTBank ATM card.”

 

PUNCH Metro learnt that all the items were recovered from the suspect and his friend, Ganiyu Rabiu, who was keeping it for him. Other items suspected to have been stolen in the same manner were also recovered from them.

 

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said the suspects have been charged to court.

 

She said, “The suspects are being charged with conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property. They are in court.”

  

 

 

Couple have sex in supermarket

Julian Call and Tina Gianakon

A couple have been arrested after they were overtaken by passion right in the middle of a supermarket.   

The couple was reportedly so enamoured with each other that they just had to get it on in the middle of the Walmart.

Right in front of other customers, 22-year-old Julian Call and 35-year-old Tina Gianakon allegedly began "sexually fondling" each other, reports the New York Daily News.

The couple also got booked for pinching a tube of K-Y Jelly off the shelf to help facilitate the act.

Surprisingly, alcohol had nothing to do with it, as the police say the couple appeared sober.

The couple is co-operating with police and they now face charges for "lewd and lascivious behaviour".