THAT SIDE OF AFRICA THEY WILL NEVER SHOW YOU

Africa is the second largest continent on earth and home to over a billion people who mostly belong to the Negroid race. It is the birthplace of civilization and the origin of modern humans (Homo Sapiens evolved from an extinct genus of hominids called Australopithecus that were first found in East Africa). The international media won't give prominence to all these facts, instead, they derive pleasure in creating a negative impression in the minds of non-Africans (especially those who haven't been there) by constantly reporting about war, famine and corruption or how we all wallow in abject poverty. The continent has always been the subject of propaganda from international community and the rationale for this is not far-fetched. They tend to brainwash people with degrading stories about Africa and the idea that the Aryan race (a sub-race of Caucasoid) is superior to the Negroid race, hence the racial discrimination that is widespread in the world today. But in order no to digress, the race debate will be a blog post for another day.

THE ODUAHGATE SCANDAL AND WHY JONATHAN IS A DISGRACE

As usual, another public officer- the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah- has exploited our corruption-enabled political setting by procuring for herself N255 million worth of bulletproof cars...with public funds (I know it's stale gist..just read on) while our airports are in horrid conditions. Well, I was not shocked nor moved when the news broke out like a fugitive. This is not the first time a Governor or a Minister will do such neither will it be the last time (I can bet my life on that). By now, Nigerians are used to such gross misconducts by our leaders that we don't even deem them as scandals anymore. The media might have a field day reporting these incidents and exposing the swindlers but at the end of the day, it gets swept under the green-white-green carpet and the culprits go unpunished. As a matter of fact, we might even reproach someone like Oduah (the bulletproof-car-obsessed Minister) for not buying a vehicle that can fly in the air or a jet that can also run on water with the funds. Yes, it's that bad! The Nigerian society has embraced corruption with open arms and these two friends (Nigeria and corruption) might be eternally locked in each other's grip if we all watch and smile apathetically.

PERSONAL BRANDING: HOW TO BRAND YOURSELF

In the former times, branding involved the burning of marks on livestock, slaves or criminals as a form of identification or differentiation. The meaning of the concept gradually evolved and became a phenomenon in marketing which includes putting a logo or trademark on a product to give it an identity, differentiate it from other products and make it more discernible. In recent times, branding is now defined from a customer-centric perspective and it is viewed as the mental association customers have with brands. A brand can be a product, a person or a company with a mental or emotional connection to its target audience. However, this article focuses on the type of branding that has to do with individuals- personal branding.

Have you ever wondered why David Beckham is overly idolized even among non-football lovers or why Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is still among the most loved hip-hop megastars in the world? These celebrities are not just individuals with money and fame; they are brands with financial value, they are businesses that can be franchised and their names sell products and services they endorse. This is what personal branding entails, that is, transforming your individuality from a prosaic being to an adorable, influential and valuable entity. There are seven steps to becoming a brand and these steps are detailed below:

THE DEARTH OF VISIONARIES

The English dictionary defines Vision as “far-sightedness; the ability to anticipate possible future events and developments”. In parapsychology, a visionary is a seer, someone who can predict the future. However, the popular meaning of a visionary is someone of unusually acute foresight, a thinker, an innovative mind, a forward-thinking being whose thoughts run miles ahead of others. While others are thinking of what tomorrow will look like, a visionary is already imagining what next year will be like. People who possess this innate ability make great leaders. Yes! I said great leaders! But unfortunately for modern Africa, there has been an endless scarcity of such leaders in recent times.

HOW AFRICA LET ME DOWN

I usually take a double-decker bus anytime I journey back and forth from my flat to the campus and these trips are the ones I relish a lot. I like to sit in front of the bus and just stare at the splendor of the city and admire the old and modern aesthetic British architectures. But this evening’s ride was not so much enjoyable because I didn’t have the motivation to take the front seat neither was I in a touristic mood to be enthralled by the sites and scenes in the city. My mind was heavy as I kept mulling over what happened in class today. My thoughts ran deep and it was as if my mind had been separated from my body. My pensive state almost made me miss my bus stop but I regained consciousness in time and alighted. The thoughts that flooded my mind were birthed by the class discussion we had about top companies from emerging economies with high prospects of becoming global and reputable brands.