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London residents and visitors to the city, using the Underground , are familiar with the phrase ‘Mind the Gap’, a warning to train passengers of the sometimes significant gap between the train door and the station platform We have informed you about the opportunities available in Nigeria for discerning investors and daring entrepreneurs to make money in the country. We have also given you several reasons why the time is now to consider giving franchise to Nigeria; one of the reasons being the pool of well educated and experienced repatriates (Nigerians in Diaspora) coming back home to roost. So many reasons abound why Nigeria remains a country awaiting discovery…abundant natural resources, huge market, gateway to ECOWAS, highly literate population, good for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) etc. It is however also important that we alert you of the increase in kidnapping activities in the country. Now Nigeria ranks number 6 in the World kidnapping list! According to a news report by T...

At times like this, all you need is RAFF.

SINGAPORE...where else? 'Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) offers one of the best regulatory agencies in the World for countries wanting to play catch-up in embracing new convergence technologies' (Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General, International Telecom. Union) In collaboration with Orissa Associates, award winning Singapore based international business consulting outfit, Infoplus/IBG Nigeria is proposing an ICT related Mission to Singapore, June 13-21, 2009. This timely Mission has being put together by us to heighten the awareness and participation of the Nigerian community, both private and public on the utility of ICT as a socio economic development tool. To raise its head in the comity of nations in terms of ICT, countries have been advised to brace up and make use of the opportunities offered by ICTs for development and enhancing competitiveness. Experts have pointed out that ICT has become an essential instrument in the attainment of the UN's Millenn...

Infoplus/IBG Nigeria and All Eyes on Africa (Maryland USA) invite you to Dubai Business Summit. Venue: JW Marriott Hotel, Dubai, UAE Date: June 15-20, 2009 Dubai would remain relevant in global business for many years to come. The aim of the Dubai Business Summit is to assist with market entry into Dubai. So, establish your presence there by getting a foothold. Participants are from the US, UAE and Nigeria/Africa. Take advantage of the networking opportunities the summit presents. The summit would investigate business opportunities in the sectors as below: • Property • Retail Trade • Oil & Gas • Tourism • Health Care • Logistics and other services There would be a pep talk on recession proof investments in Dubai. Sites visits, tours and desert safaris are part of the package. Register now as spaces are filling up quickly. Call Ndudi Osakwe on 080 2353 0007 or email him on ibgnigeria@gmail.com

It was about time to leave house two mornings ago when I heard a reporter on the Cable Network News (CNN) mention 'Lagos'. I stopped to listen. It was a story on the worst places for expatriates to work in the world, and apparently, Lagos topped the list. The report was based on Business Week's findings and other places mentioned included Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and some city in India but we had pride of place as the very worst host of all the world's countries to expatriates. The reporter, whose name I can't recall at the moment, told the CNN desk anchor he was trying to reach an expatriate in Lagos who would talk about his experiences here. He didn't forget to throw in a jibe when he said the difficulty in reaching that expatriate confirmed his theory about the state of affairs in Lagos. According to the reporter, the issues in Lagos included severe crime, horrendous traffic and many other major problems. He finally got through to the Lagos expatriate and it tu...

I felt agitated after reading the Moody’s report on the state of the US economy. The report states that there will be a lot more bankruptcies. Moody's places 283 companies on its bottom-rung list, up from 157 a year ago. Companies exposed to consumer spending have it toughest. The industries most represented on the list are media, automotive, retail and manufacturing. Companies in the most acute danger are those with reduced cash flow and a high debt load. A lot of big, well-known companies are in danger. On the list: Advanced Micro Devices; AirTran; AMR (parent of American Airlines); Chrysler; Duane Reade; Eastman-Kodak; Ford; General Motors; JetBlue; Krispy Kreme; Palm; R.H. Donnelly; Reader's Digest Association; Rite-Aid; UAL (parent of United Airlines); Unisys; and US Airways. Many of the other firms on the list are second- or third-tier suppliers to automakers, airlines, and other troubled firms. Being on the list doesn't mean a firm is destined for bankruptcy. But it ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) remains open to help finance U.S. exports to Nigeria, contrary to published reports in Africa. (In the recently released country limitation schedule effective February 26, 2009, Nigeria’s private and public sectors were qualified to receive all levels of support). "Ex-Im Bank remains positive about financing U.S. exports to Nigerian buyers," said J. Joseph Grandmaison, the member of the Bank's board of directors who focuses on promoting financing of U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa. "In fact, at this moment, we have a number of pending transactions in Nigeria and are looking forward to doing even more business there." In Fiscal Year 2008 Ex-Im Bank authorized approximately $197 million of loan guarantees and export credit insurance for export sales to Nigeria, with exposure in Nigeria totaling about $327 million. In June, 2008, Ex-Im Bank more than doubled the size of its Nigerian Ba...