NewStats: 3,265,402 , 8,186,612 topics. Date: Saturday, 14 June 2025 at 06:56 PM ag3w

Make Work/Life Balance a Priority:

No matter how smart, ionate, or focused
you work, without balance we are all
susceptible to burnout. Mind, body and soul
must be properly aligned.

Take the time to Make Work-Life Balance a Priority: It will give you greater clarity of thought and help you keep things in perspective.

Successfully converting an idea into a reality is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself so that you can reflect upon the mission at hand.

Always be aware of what you are attempting to accomplish. Don’t overwhelm your mind; give yourself some breathing room and allow your creativity to expand.

Believe in Yourself:

You can’t take action until you believe in yourself enough to handle the consequences of your decisions.

Any time you assume the responsibility to give something that had not existed before an opportunity to become a reality – you become able for your actions.

ability requires believing in yourself enough to be 100% dedicated to getting the work done. Most people fail to take an idea to fruition because the unexpected challenges become more than they think they can handle and thus they no longer want to be able. They lose the belief in themselves to see things through all the way to the end.

Believe in Yourself:

You can’t take action until you believe in yourself enough to handle the consequences of your decisions.

Any time you assume the responsibility to give something that had not existed before an opportunity to become a reality – you become able for your actions.

ability requires believing in yourself enough to be 100% dedicated to getting the work done. Most people fail to take an idea to fruition because the unexpected challenges become more than they think they can handle and thus they no longer want to be able. They lose the belief in themselves to see things through all the way to the end.

Learn How to Sell Your Vision:

Converting your idea to a reality requires you to help others understand your vision. Selling vision is much like selling change. Clearly define your value proposition and how it can generate revenue.

Selling lofty ideas without understanding how it will achieve financial results will never get you the right audience.

Learn How to Sell Your Vision:

Converting your idea to a reality requires you to help others understand your vision. Selling vision is much like selling change. Clearly define your value proposition and how it can generate revenue.

Selling lofty ideas without understanding how it will achieve financial results will never get you the right audience.

Be Purposeful: Rich Melcombe adds: “Entrepreneurs must have ion and believe in what they are doing or they are destined to fail".

Be Purposeful: Rich Melcombe adds: “Entrepreneurs must have ion and believe in what they are doing or they are destined to fail".

bibinwaka:
hello, any information on inclass training.

No information yet...

But I think we should just focus our mind on next month before the invitation mail would be coming in.

Jethrolite:
That platform is not built for interaction.

That's the only noticeable flaw on the platform. Not interactive, therefore making it not exciting to communicate and have fun

Word of advice! It is highly important you assess yourself and your business using the important 5C's that lender would used to carried out assessment and analysis of you and your business to determine whether or not you and your business are good to go to apply for a loan that suit your business structure.

Location play a vital role towards the success or failure of a business. Understanding the consumers preference, demographic information, environmental information (Geospatial analysis) and economic data of a particular location where business would be situated is extremely important. Understanding geographical component before making inform decision is extremely critical and important. Before you make final decision on where to locate your business, please leverage the location advantage analytics (Geographic Information System) GIS.

ol2012:
Dear mr Olowozain,

The cert may just qualify you to be considered in the first place.

You have said it all, "The cert may just qualify you to be considered in the first place."

So I don't need to input anything further.

lovemko:

yes you will

Many thanks to you. Appreciate!

ol2012:


My dear cohort 2 participants,

I'd like to advise that we cool down a bit on this issue of guarantor(s). While the concern of most of us as expressed so far is quite understandable. (Its truly not easy getting a guarantor) I'm unable to hide the fact that I'm really worried about how mr. Olowozain has been vehement in opposing it. To start with, the moment I realized collateral won't be required(even before applying), I knew guarantor(s) must be involved. What then did I do? The owner of the facility where my funded equipment will be sited became my would-be guarantor. Since the equipment BOI is buying will be sited inside her property, it was easy convincing her to stand as guarantor. She can always monitor me as we operate and keep me on my toes if need be.

I was a bit surprised when Olowozain mentioned that FG can guarantee us. FG truly guarantees state govts accessing foreign loans, but that is simply because, they know that if state govts default on such loans, the funds can be deducted from their monthly allocations. You see, I once worked in a financial institution where we granted an unsecured(without collateral and guarantor) loan to a customer. What happened next? the customer absconded and we were unable to recover the loan until I left. Now, if FG decides to guarantee us and some participants(as their utterances on this issue clearly suggest) decide to abscond. How would BOI recover the loan and make this laudable initiative sustainable? I ask this because some participants may actually have this in mind judging by their utterances.

I strongly believe the guarantor clause is not to make accessing the loan difficult, but to ensure all beneficiaries are committed to repaying thereby making the initiative sustainable.

Now I'm also not against whatever social media campaign we decide to do towards making the loan requirement easier, as long as it is done in a mature and coordinated manner.

Dear mr Olowozain, may I know the monetary value of the two certificates you referred to in the bolded? Are you saying BOI can dispose the certificates to recover their money in case of default?

I am really impressed by your sensible write up.

I don't oppose any of your context except when you seek to know the monetary values of the two certificates.

That's where I am interested.

I am not gona look at it whether BoI/FG recovered money through the certificates or not because that's not my business. The aim and agenda of this programme is different from monetary aspects rather it was focus on solving some certain problems in the country, so if they have suddenly focus their attention on how they would not lose their money, they have failed.
Honestly, they have failed if that is the case.

Now let read through my focus:

Let assume that there is nothing like BoI/FG programme to solve some certain problems in the country and that is where everybody should focus (aim and agenda of the programme is to make it a success in order to solve the problems it was meant to solved)

Then a degree and NYSC certificates combined together worth 72,000,000 Naira on average salary scale of 2,400,000 Naira per annual when you work for 30 years.

It is very likely that your average annual wages would increase to unknown figure beyond 2,400,000 Naira per annual as you proceeds in life by gathering of more skills, knowledge and experience through additional education. Hence increasing the monetary worth of your certificates.

Now back to business, a situation where your certificates as been arrested, you can't secure employment nor do you have the chance to further your education, nor do you have the chance to become a future President, nor do you have the chance to become a future Director, Governor, Minister, Senator etc.

Our certificates are our lives as far as we are still breathing because they can take you to anywhere top in this world. We don't know tomorrow, we are only overseeing today.

My prudent advice is that if you are not sure of the success of your business to repay the loan, it is advisable not to jeopardize with your certificates because they worth more than anything including the cash BoI/FG would loan you.

BoI/FG has failed to carried out their analysis before the introduction of guarantors, not even one, I mean two guarantors. Where did they want majority of us to find two high level calibre guarantors for a start up businesses (risky/uncertain)??

Who are the people that are ready to toy with their lives and future by guarantee a loan of 3-5 million Naira that has no idea of what is likely to be an outcome?? BoI/FG should take care of that by scrutinizing businesses to enable them figure out the auspicious ones.

My contributions is that BoI/FG should employ the services of an expertises that can scrutinized the future feasibility of a businesses ideas and focus on the auspicious businesses if they really want to help to boost the economy through industrialization and reduce the rate of youth unemployment.

If they can employ the services of an expertise, it is likely they would have significant percentage of success and achieve the aim and agenda of the programme.

The guarantors of a thing would useless their efforts, not because it is not a good practice but because finding a guarantor would form a barricade not to mention two that would likely form two barricades. Hence, not achieving the aim and agenda of the programme.

I am sure I am speaking the mind of many people including me.

I repeat, don't play with your certificates and also place innocent ones in trouble if you are not sure of the successful outcome of your business. Your certificates can take you any top that you might not have envisaged.

BoI/FG thank you for the training as I am enjoying it, I still hope to be qualify for the in-class training and also the vocational training.

I am not losing anything yet as I accrue more skills and knowledge for free.

Where should I start correcting Mr. samplanner.

Your comments are too aggressive and your notion that people would retract because of some mere challenges are nothing to write about.

Your way (samplanner) and my way of thinking are utterly different.

I still don't believe because of a rumor about guarantor would still make you envisaged that the program would failed and make you openly condemned the program.

Actually, I think there is something personal about you samplanner that maketh you thinking this way you have been thinking.

I have benefited from the program so far and I still don't believe I would not get to the top end of the program.

We are problem solvers, we could correct them to do the right thing assertively not aggressively.

We could let them realize what they don't know assertively not aggressively.

I have been using that skills of assertiveness to achieve some good results that are complicated like this one we are about to face.

Don't expect any journey in life to be smooth, so you must be focus on what you want to achieve. (the purpose of rough journey is to distract you as samplanner said a lot of young entrepreneurs would retract, may be him inclusive I don't know)

This life has never been a bed of rose for anyone.

Good job to Jethrolite who has taken a prudent advice from Sportize to reshape his business plan, that's the kind of helping hand we need on this platform not your kind of words @ samplanner.

WORLDPEACE also talked about resolution which is one of the key factors needed to achieve our aims and correct those guys (BoI/FG) if they are taking wrong steps.

samplanner, reshape your thinking faculty please. You are an entrepreneur, a problem solver, a risk taker, a pacesetter, a leader and a manager. You just have to be focus and always optimistic

Please someone should kindly response; shall we get a certificate for the one week in-class training or no certificate for it??

Sportize

dyydxx

Let us leave the issue of guarantor aside and be more focus until we get there.

I still want to participate in the vocational studies after the one week in-class training as BoI/PAU promised.

As far as YES-P is concern, I have never read anything of such attached to the programme activities.

The two certificates worth more than anything and it is enough to established seriousness and commitment into the mind of young entrepreneurs

3/5 years loan period is a good tactic to make young entrepreneurs more committed to repay the loan.

The sudden rumor about introduction of any form of guarantor will stand as a barrier if it turn out to be true because not everybody, I mean not even the auspicious entrepreneurs might be able to provide a guarantor.

This is FG programme and not a traditional loan, so FG could stand as our guarantors and collaterals and even as our solicitors if they need to suddenly convert the program loan into traditional loan because we were all invited by Federal Government (FG) and the conditions to have access to fund our businesses doesn't include guarantors

Let us relax and be more focus and watch what happen next

bibinwaka:
please someone should response to the text message. what do they mean?

I think it doesn't mean anything rather than to showed some form of acknowledgment and encouragement because it was massively sent to all participants

Both Jethrolite and WORLDPEACE has really make more than sense in their last comments.

You guys should keep it up.

As for me, the training I have received and still receiving is an asset already.

AMI and PAU has made their money already as Jethrolite has mentioned, so it is left for BOI/FG not to waste both human and monetary resources.

They don't need any form of Guarantor to make the program a success.

A Guarantor won't make an entrepreneur/business be successful rather they should focus on parameters that would make an entrepreneur/business to be successful

Jethrolite:
That's some comfort. That guarantor part is still the headache.

I think BoI/FG knows what they are doing as regards to guarantor part.

I think it would get to a stage where things would be treated case-by-case as dyydxx said.

Note that if the future of your business is extremely certain positively, you won't have problem accessing BoI/FG loan. Not even guarantor would stand on your way.

Nevertheless, I believe BoI/FG would have to readjust their loan term as regards to guarantor to enable them achieve the purpose of the program and avoid successful applicants to withdraw

dyydxx:


it's on a case by case basis. depending on your business would determine how they would ringfence the loan

Nice and brilliant respond!

ESUNAM:
Participants in the ongoing federal government
Youth Entrepreneur Programme (YES-
P) in collaboration with Bank of Industry (BoI)
have cried out for a more feasible loan
conditions in order to be able to access the 5
million naira loan en marked for the funding of
their business ideas.
According to some participants interviewed by
our correspondents, after going through a
three months rigorous online training and
another one week intensive in-class training,
the Bank of Industry has presented difficult
loan conditions which will effectively make it
difficult to get the loan.
The YES-P participants according to the loan
will have to relinquish two certificates
including their degree certificates all through
the loan term as a collateral security.
Another huddle is the provision of a loan
guarantor who will have to declare their net
worth to the bank including bank statement.
The categories of individuals who can sign as
guarantor are senior civil servants, doctors,
lawyers, professionals. According to
participants, getting these individuals to sign a
loan of 5 million naira in this time of recession
is an almost impossible task.
The loan also comes with a 9% interest rate
that must be paid within a term of five years.
Most of the would be beneficiary of the
scheme are already pulling out as a result of
their inability to provide loan guarantors,
according to a source in the bank, very few
participants, less than 5% have been able to
meet the loan conditions.
Some of the participants also complained that
the bank will mainly their business
through direct purchase of equipment and
other capital assets while releasing only a
maximum of 50% of the fund as working
capital. According to sources, this arrangement
only favors agriculture but disadvantage for
those investing in ICT, intellectual properties
and those whose business is offering of
services.
The YES Programme is an initiative of the
federal government and the Bank of Industry
to tackling unemployment in the country which
is expected to generate 36,000 jobs for the
nation. The YES Programme is also part of the
federal government’s drive and wealth creation
programme which is aimed at addressing the
malaise of youth unemployment.
The programme is targeted at young aspiring
entrepreneurs within the age range of 18-35
years, who have a minimum educational
qualification of Ordinary National Diploma
(OND) or its equivalents.
Considering the hurdles standing in the way of
these entrepreneurs, it is highly unlikely that
the objective of this programme will be
accomplished except the federal government
steps in and help advice the bank of industry to
soften the loan conditions.

Please kindly give the source of the news.

Moreover, any form of guarantor should be eliminated. The collaterals are okay and the loan interest is okay and the 5 years term is also perfect.

I repeat BoI/FG should endeavor to eliminate any form of guarantor.

Has anyone in cohort 2 received acknowledgment and well done message from YES-P and also encouraged to continue and finished up with the classes/courses??

ol2012:


Bros,
If I understand what you mean by the bolded, then I wonder why you are bothered about some persons not sharing info at this stage. Recall this same cohort 1 participants have been sharing info freely in the past. I perceive we might find out why they stopped sharing info when we get to that stage too. I honestly do not think its fair to address them as stingy guys simply because they stopped sharing info again like you alleged. The info shared in past pages (on this same thread) greatly assisted a number of us here(including you I believe)

Yes you are right by the bolded word because I am not worried about their mute rather I was expressing the reaction/reason to their 'mute'

People don't see what I am seeing as regards to 'they have contributed a lot of information at the beginning' which is total rubbish, majority of them only past information that won't be of benefit.

They contradicted/argued each other a lot as a result of that contributed a load of heavy trash some people regards as information.

All those long sentences at the beginning are no benefit to cohort two, therefore not benefit to me because cohort two was so brilliant in handling the challenges and argument that teared them apart.

Pride and boss and some people who viewed as competition dismantled them.

I think cohort two should create another tread for themselves because this tread is of no used and it foundation was poor.

If you doubt me, start reading all over

This tread has gone so secretive because some people feel they are the best, so they don't want to feed anyone in order to be the only man standing while some feel it is not necessary after all no one told them how the journey would look like when they embarked on it.

Either you share information or not, ladder would be climb to the last point and river would be cross to the order end and mountain would be climb to the top.

I read someone responded to a question asked directly to him by saying wait and finished the one in front of you.

The one who claimed to be the most beneficiary of BoI/FG YES-P loan refused to response to questions.

I don't respect, appreciate or ire people who are stingy with information that would benefit others.

I still repeat, we are coming there soonest and double cross those stingy guys.

You first me reached, doesn't mean you are better than me or I would not meet you and left you behind.

Respect to those that share first hand information on helping those that couldn't finished their courses on stipulated time to advance even when courses are closed.

This cohort one stingy guys would never share such information and again tried as much as possible to help them through.

Millz404:
Its said if you know what is ahead of you, then you can brace up to face it. Those that understand understands.

But you have not stated anything that is ahead of us and that's what I expected you to do if you are really willing to help others.

You just keep saying something that "you know many would still quit" is that an information that would help us prepared for what is ahead of us??

A lot of people have missed my point probably they didn't see yet what I was pointing out.

Many would still quit while you have been successful is not a good information.

Successful people tend to give and share brilliant information from their life experience that would make others to be successful.

1) Your post didn't carry out any meaningful information that would be of benefit to others.

2) You kept believing that many would still quit is not a good way for successful man to help others developed.

If you wants to help others, there is way you would present yourself even if you want us to ask you direct questions before you could contributes.

I don't believe many would quit because I only know myself and my ability and I don't know about others whether they are stronger or weaker than me in all ramifications.

So it is good to focus on your own ability

lovemko:


Cnt believe i took time to read dis...

Can't believe you haven't spent your time well in picking one or two valuable ideas.

Millz404:
Mehn wish all you guys luck. Don't give up. With this boi program, many will give up, many odas that scaled tru all this classes will still give up. Only those who have a clear vision of what there want to do will get to the money. All this you are going through is to select the really deserving ones. Talking as a recipient of BOI GEF

Congratulations!

You are not making any sense and you are not ing clear information by you say, "don't give up", "many that scaled through will give up" and who told you that "All this you are going through is to select the really deserving ones"?

You don't have any prove that claimed many will give up because only yourself you know, you don't know anything about others. However, no participants scaled through the first selection by mistake because BoI/FG has already invested on all first stage successful applicants, so they know what they are investing on, contrary to "All this you are going through is to select the really deserving ones". BoI/FG are not playing gamble, they have already selected the real ones and investing on them with the aim of success.

Since you don't give up, no one is ready to give up and no one would give up. Therefore, that probability statement of "many will give up" is understatement because nobody is ready to give up at any stage after successfully ed the initial first stage which is the most critical and very important stage of all.

Once again, congratulations for your success! Everybody are coming to you.

Mind you, BOI understand that if they failed to provide loan for participants at this stage, they have already trained us better and we can access other investors.

If BoI 7 man could picked your business at the initial stage without you having formal training, then think of you having formal training on business management and entrepreneur, couple with your business idea that was initially picked, if you are smart. I bet you can attract other investors and be successful.

We shouldn't be afraid or intimidate by anyone not even BoI/FG at this stage, because we can do better than past days.

We need clear information that would enable us prepare for turn on the process of in-class training and we need information on you were able to access the fund not intimidation.

there are some of this group who are self sentimental, they only give false information not relevant information that would help other while I respect and appreciate some who devote their time to help others. May God reward each and everyone.

WORLDPEACE:

I am in the program also. How many courses are there in all? i am confused on that. I am presently on the sixth- Marketing 101.

18 courses in all.

We don't need to see ourselves as a 'KING' who deserves everything because our proposal scaled through, rather we should focus more on the successfully actualization of our proposal.

These guys are really helping us, it is very rare and extremely risky to loan a start up business (a business without revenue or past income data) that is why we are all subjected to the necessary formal business training in assisting we and our businesses to be successful.

It is globally forecast that 50 percent of start up business would not successfully exceed 5 years after start up.

Therefore, I think these guys are trying to cut down the risk by giving us all the required training that would enable us to be successful and we should all appreciate what we are benefiting rather than making harsh complaints.

NA beg I beg oooo. We should be discussing something tangible to our businesses by now not complaints.

We should be asking questions related to success of our businesses and providing valuable answers that businesses would all benefit.

edoman2016:
Its very vital for fed govt to provide accomodation and transportation to each participant. They can not expect me to come to EDC in lekki everyday from ogun state. It will be stressful and impossible.
It was stated in the invite mail that each participant will personally cater for their transportation and accomodation. That is why i am worried.
For God sake, this program is even ed by united nations development fund.

I empathize with everyone including myself.

Looking from international practice, scholarship are only meant to cover tuition/training fee not to cover transportation and accommodations fee.

This is scholarship that only cover training fee, participants would be responsible for every other thing to make the training a success.

We don't expect to be given laptop and internet data and even provide us with generators to power our Personal Computer to complete the online training and we don't expect to be transported to the venue and provide for us accommodations.

But if we still get all that, we would appreciate, and it would be just a luck but not mandatory.

I would also be glad if they can provide all necessary items/materials including physical cost, but I doubt it because it is a scholarship program for training purposes.

Let see how the vocational training would look like after the in-class training anyway.

Jethrolite:
Did you receive a mail asking you to do it?

I didn't received. But it was there on the timetable