Living Like the Celebrities you follow is a Big Mistake - Ike Nathaniel

Nathaniel Ike, UBA and Itel Ambassador and 2018 Osun Campus King (culture and tourism) shares his thoughts on our life interview series.

NNI: Can we meet you?

Guest: I'm Nathaniel Ike, a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University. I'm a brand influencer and  entrepreneur who has tried luck in many enterprises before now - from photography, graphics and web design and sale of customized necklaces (jewelries). I never had the intention of being an influencer from the start. My business (photography) led me to being an influencer.

NNI: How did Social Media Influencing begin for you?
Guest: Photography was a hobby for me. At the time, my outlet was Agozyke Photo world, but it is now rebranded as Da Fotographie world. It was while I was looking for customers and promoters for my business that I started the "influencing thing" I did it mainly to grow my business. When I founded OAU Trends, it wasn't for the whole community at first, but for my business. When it became something that people started to reckon with, I had no choice than to make it more open to the community.

NNI: How has the entrepreneurship journey been for you so far?

Guest: The entrepreneurship journey hasn't been easy. Starting up a business and familiarizing myself with the new environment (school) then gave me lots of concerns. I worked under someone while in Port Harcourt before I gained admission. I got all exposures there. I started OAU Trends to support my business before it eventually grew even beyond my expectations. Thinking of how to satisfy customers could also prove difficult. I did bespoke necklace business in 200 level in school  just to make as a side hustle. And It hasn't been easy, but with hard work and diligence, God has been faithful.

NNI: In managing multiple businesses while as a student, how did you manage your time and balance academics and extra curricular activities?

Guest: Joggling businesses with school work was really tasking. Sometimes I would have tests the next morning and still run deliveries during the day. I had to make up for it by reading overnight while I satisfy my customers. I'm not an outdoor person- most people don't know though. I stay indoors most times, so I barely engage in extra curricular activities.

NNI: What is your worst business experience?

Guest: My worst business experience was in 100 level. I tried to train some persons in photography and spent a lot to make the training a success- publicity (printed handbills and all) and even rented a projector. Sadly only 2 people showed up and I made a huge loss. It was a really devastating experience, though that didn't stop me from moving ahead.

NNI: You are a brand ambassador to major companies, how have you managed influence?

Guest: I have been and I currently am a brand ambassador to many companies, mostly within Osun State. I don't see it as a big deal. Anyone can do it. I see it as you trying to network and get opportunities for yourself and future. Also in the past,  I've trained people on the tips that  could help them in becoming brand ambassadors for any company around. Infact, I am currently writing a book on that which will be published soon. It's a work in progress. I don't think being a brand ambassador is made for some particular set of individuals. It's just about you being qualified - an expertise in a field, online presence and the readiness to serve. Of course, while working with brands,  people will  want to relate with you and you'd make a lot of friends. I just see it as everyone trying to help themselves.
 

 

NNI: On Youth Development and growth in Nigeria, do you think we are making progress?
Guest: I feel we are not making progress at all. Most youths today have a poor mentality about life, seeing the fact that you drive a car or spend money lavishly as success. This is why most youths are desperate to make money at all costs and some eventually go into horrible and dubious things.

It is heartbreaking that an individual who spent 4-5 years in school and earned a degree- B.sc or B.A goes back home only to be employed by those who didn't go to school. This is mainly because most youths lack skills, they have this fantasy of a job awaiting them meanwhile we all know there are no jobs anywhere in the country. 

I see the need to making provision for the youths to learn one or two skills, it would really help them. The essence of going to school is to get learned and being skillful and being learned gives you an edge over others. Karl Marx said practice without theory is blind and theory without practice is barren. The Nigerian educational system is mainly theoretical I must say.

NNI: The Social Media has great influence on youths- positive and negative. How do you think one can make good use of Social Media?

Guest: I think social media has both positive and negative influence on youths, but it depends on what you as a person wants. We watch the lifestyle of some celebrities and try to emulate them. I see social media as an entirely different world that is vague and fake. If you base your life on the celebrities you follow or are fond of , then you are  making a big mistake.

Everyone tries to look like a god and look perfect on social media. We need to understand that most of the things we see on social media are not real but exaggerated, everything is for the gram like they usually say and everyone wants to shine.

On the positive side, a lot of opportunities are on social media but it would be open to you only if you are looking for them. Most of the deals I got are from social media. For example, I applied for the UBA ambassadorship via social media. You need to figure out what you want. Who you follow also matters. Things on social media aren't really the way we take them to be and trying to emulate them could mislead you. Another benefit of social media is that it gives you opportunity to showcase your talent and business for free, I mean it's a platform for the talented ones to showcase their talents and also they can build a fan base from there as well.

NNI: You run a Non- Governmental Organisation. How do you give back to the society?

Guest: The aim of my NGO (Nathaniel Ike Foundation) is to reach out to the youths. This is in line with goals 1, 4, 8 and 9 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), we aim to empower generations professionally and skillfully, thereby becoming valuable wherever they find themselves. Our core concern is for those who are in school. The fact that you are in school means you should be better than those who didn't go to school because of the privilege you have. But the reverse is the case most times. Someone out of school is in business and making money while the other in school is just learning. While it's good to learn, the need for skillfulness in this age cannot be over emphasized. That is one of the key areas my NGO aims to address. We wish to bring up an initiative that will provide for experts in various fields to come and train students in various tertiary institutions for free. Fields like tailoring, web designing, photography and so on. But we obviously can't do this alone. We need funds and support I must say to make this a reality. A lot of people have interests in a lot of things but they feel school is holding them down. But there should be need for them to know that with time management and determination they can train and equip themselves to be exemplary in any  field of interest  they like. Also, most of us (Youths) don't know what we want. We jump around, trying different things and not mastering any. Don't get me wrong, it is possible to love a lot of things and do all these things at once. But most of us only jump around doing these different things because we see some of our mates doing them and making it, not because we really love what we are doing. How about we start doing things because we love them and be masters in whatever we choose to do? In summary I wish to support youths in tertiary institutions to achieve their dreams in the vocational aspect as well as educational.

NNI: Do you see yourself as a celebrity or an influencer?

Guest: Haba! I have never seen myself as a celebrity. I see myself as an influencer instead. I influence people to be better - entrepreneurs especially by connecting them with the right customers. It is not proper to live on mere hypes.. just get results and help others get theirs.

And as an influencer, my vision is to help entrepreneurs  & business owners (both young  and old) boost their sales by getting lead engagements and connecting them to potential customers.

NNI: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Guest: In the next 5 years, I hope to have made impact on a lot of people with my NGO. I hope to have been successful by then- being successful to me isn't measured by what you have in your bank account, but how much impacts that are being made. Very importantly, I want to see myself settling down, that is setting up my family and also go into real estate management. That's one field I'd like to explore but I'm still looking forward to that.

NNI: What is your advice to fellow young individuals?

Guest: My advice to the young ones is to be positive in whatsoever you want to do. Never compare yourself with anyone.  Do what's right  to you without concern for criticisms, they are actually bound to come because if no one is talking about you then you are nobody.  Don't let SETBACK let you down. SETBACK is just a preparation for a COMEBACK.

We all are bound to face challenges at one point in time - definitely it's just a process and it cannot remain for too long. Very importantly, don't follow the crowd, be outstanding and have a creative mind. Make decisions that would affect you positively.  Be a positive influence. If you're a tailor, be unique learn more and more and bring up new designs. Be creative and innovative in your ways, don't just follow trends.

NNI: Thank you very much for your time.

Guest: Thank you very much.

What You Should Know About Black Friday

Black Friday is a famous sales weekend that evolved from the Thanksgiving day just after summer. Usually, a significant number of individuals get to purchase items placed on the best deals and at extremely affordable prices. Many retailers and businesses overtime, like the popular Amazon, Konga, Jumia and other e-commerce websites put a cut to their prices over a range of products to allow users to purchase them.

The term "Black Friday" was first associated with financial crisis and not sales shopping. By history, two Wall Street financiers Jim Fisk and Jay Gould, together bought a significant amount of US gold in the hope of the overall price soaring and in turn being able to sell it for huge profits. On Friday, September 24, 1869, in what became referred to as "Black Friday", the US gold market crashed and their actions left Wall Street barons bankrupt.  It was not until later years that the post -Thanksgiving period became associated with the name.

Also, when shops in the US recorded their accounting details by hand, they noted profits in black and losses in red. It is believed that many shops had their accounts read "red" throughout most of the year but they later "went into black" the day after Thanksgiving, when people bought a large amount of discounted goods and products. In more recent years, an inaccurate rumour circulated, suggesting that Southern plantation owners could buy slaves at a discounted price following Thanksgiving in the 1800s.

Police officers in Philadelphia were first to link Black Friday to the post-Thanksgiving period in the 1950s. Many tourists and buyers came to the city after Thanksgiving for the Army-Navy football game, thus creating chaos, traffic jams and shoplifting opportunities. The Police officers in the city were not able to take the day off work and had to work long shifts to control the traffic of people. As such, they used the term "Black Friday" to refer to it. The name soon spread throughout Philadelphia but some city's merchants and boosters disliked the negative connotations and unsuccessfully tried to change it to "Big Friday".

Black Friday later became known in print, after an advertisement was published in The American Philatelist magazine in 1966. By the late 1980s, the term was commonly known across the nation and retailers soon linked it to their post-Thanksgiving sales.

Black Friday today is recognised world over as the biggest shopping event of the year, when many shops cut their prices on a range of products, in order to boost profits and officially kick off the festive season.  Retailers often continue sales throughout the weekend, concluding with online-only offers on Cyber Monday.

By Adobe Analysis, 80 of the top 100 US online retailers, found online spending on Black Friday 2018 at $6.2 billion, with two billion generated from smartphones. Also, in the records of the year 2013, Asda, owned by American retailer Walmart, held its own Black Friday sale which resulted in chaos as customers physically fought for televisions and other gadgets. Following this, Black Friday grew significantly with more retailers choosing to hold sale events.

Black Friday is an important period for many retailers worldwide it is hoprd that offering discounts will boost profits. However, the increase in consumer demand and competition between retailers has led to an overwhelming amount of visitors to online retail sites and chaos in shops. To improve sales and online deliveries, deal with competition and satisfy customers' needs, retailers now choose to run their sales across an extended period, rather than the traditional 24 hours. Many promotions and offers have started in the days building up to Black Friday, a move which has been dubbed "Black Fiveday". Some online retailers nowbstart their sales as early as the first day of November, continuing across the Black Friday weekend, and concluding on Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving which usually falls in December.

Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola Celebrates 118th Posthumous Birthday

Joseph Ayo Babalola who was born on 25th April 1904 and died on the 26th of July 1959 was the founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called Aladura in Nigeria. He was credited with special healing powers and the anointing of the Holyspirit.

In 1930 Faith Tabernacle affiliated with the British Apostolic Church. Then following a schism in the Apostolic Church about 1940, Bablola went with a new independent church, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), where he continued his healing and revivalistic activities until his death. The CAC regards Babalola as an apostle and his revival ministry as the beginning of the church. A CAC retreat center was built at Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State where Babalola was first called in 1928.

The Christ Apostolic Church has not died along with Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in 1959. In fact it has grown rapidly over the years, with many churches under the Christ Apostolic Church name but each church with a specific branch name. The Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) a private Nigerian university located in Ikeji-Arakeji in Osun State, established by the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide is named after him, located at the place where he says he was called by God in 1928.

He was the first prophet God used to lead a great revival in Nigeria after the raising of a 10 years old boy in 1930.

He was the first General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church, a church that metamorphosed from a prayer group popularly called Egbe Aladura in Nigeria.

The Aladura Movement nucleated at Ijebu-Ode in 1918. Babalola was endowed with healing powers.

Joseph Ayodele Babalola was born of Yoruba parents, David Rotimi and Madam Marta Talabi on April 25, 1904 who belonged to the Anglican Church. The family lived at Odo-Owa, a small town about ninety kilometres from Ilorin in Kwara State, Nigeria. His father was the Ba ba Ijo (“church father”) of the C.M.S. Church at Odo-Owa.On January 18, 1914, young Babalola was taken by his brother M. 0. Rotimi, a Sunday school teacher in the C.M.S. Church at Ilofa, who later took him to Osogbo.
Babalola started school at Ilofa and got as far as standard five at All Saints’ School, Osogbo. However, he quit school when he decided to learn a trade and became a motor mechanic apprentice. Again, he did not continue long in this vocation before joining the Public Works Department (PWD). He was among the road workers who constructed the road from Igbara-Oke to Ilesa, working as a steam roller driver.

Babalola’s was a specific and personal call. Babalola’s strange experience started on the night of September 25th, 1928 when he suddenly became restless and could not sleep. This went on for a week and he had no inkling of the causes of such a strange experience. The climax came one day when he was, as usual, working on the Ilesa-Igbara-Oke road. Suddenly the steam roller’s engine stopped to his utter amazement. There was no visible mechanical problem, and Joseph became confused and perplexed. He was in this state of confusion when a great voice “like the sound of many waters” called him three times. The voice was loud and clear and it told him that he would die if he refused to heed the divine call to go into the world and preach. Babalola did not want to listen to this voice and he responded like many of the Biblical prophets, who, when they were called out by Yahweh as prophets, did not normally yield to the first call. So, Babalola gave in only after he had received the assurance of divine guidance.

To answer the call, he had to resign his appointment with the Public Works Department. Mr. Fergusson, the head of his unit, tried to dissuade him from resigning but the young man was bent on going on the Lord’s mission. The same voice came to Joseph a second time asking him to fast for seven days. The experience led him to a personal retreat in the home of Joseph Fapounda a Christian leader in Christ Missionary Society in Ipetu Ijesa in Ogun State Nigeria.

In a vision he had, Jesus appeared to him in a white robe along with a very tall man who revealed that it was this Jesus who asked me to speak with you. The man in a dazzling robe spoke at length about the mission he was to embark upon. The man also told him of the persecutions he would face and at the same time assured him of God’s protection and victory. A hand prayer bell was given to Babalola as a symbol. He was told that the sound of the bell would always drive away evil spirits. He was also given a bottle of “life- giving water” to heal all manners of sickness. Consequently, wherever and whenever he prayed into water for therapeutic purposes, effective healing was procured for those who drank the water. Thus, Babalola became a prophet and a man with extraordinary powers.

   

Ooni of Ife gives car, cash to royal aides on coronation Anniversary

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has honoured some of his palace staff on his seventh coronation anniversary.In a statement issued by the palace spokesperson, Moses Olafare, on Saturday, the monarch handed out appreciation letters and the sum of N100,000 each to five deserving staff members, three staff members got N200,000 and N250,000 each for two palace aides.

One aide got N300,000 while three outstanding staff members got one million naira each. One of them won the star prize; a car worth seven million naira

Oba Ogunwusi also appreciated his wife, the founder of Hopes Alive Initiative, Olori Temitope Enitan-Ogunwusi, for her continuous efforts in the area of poverty alleviation and empowerment of the less privileged in the society.

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Actress Nkechi Blessing Celebrates Ooni Of Ife On Seventh Coronation Anniversary

Nollywood actress, Nkechi Blessing, has celebrated the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, on his seventh year as a monarch.

The actress shared a picture she took with the Ooni at his palace via her Instagram account on Wednesday.

She showered prayers on Ooni saying, "Happy 7th year anniversary Kabiesi, His imperial Majesty, Ooni Babatunde Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja the second #ooniadimulaife. May your reign continue to be fruitful on the ancestral throne. Thank you for all that you do for me and everyone far and wide. May God bless you abundantly 🙏🏻”

 

Oba Ogunwusi was crowned on December 7, 2015.

 Ondomind 

Southern Nigerian Men shunning Polygamy are contributing to Prostitution- Ned Nwoko

Billionaire businessman and actress Rigna Daniels’ husband, Prince Ned Nwoko, says southern Nigerian men, who shun polygamy are contributing to prostitution in society.Speaking in an interview with Guardian Nigeria on Saturday, December 3, the politician, who has four wives and 19 children, said he is serving Nigeria by marrying many wives.

“Many women are out there on their own without husbands, especially in the southern part of the country, and there is a high level of prostitution. What some of our girls do to make ends meet is regrettable and if our men emulate their northern counterparts by having more than one wife, that could probably change the situation.

The Ooni and I have a common background, because our grandfathers were kings and served Nigeria in that capacity. And we are now also serving Nigeria by having many wives,” he said.

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Wizkid unfollows everyone on Instagram

Music star, Wizkid, has unfollowed his colleagues and other celebrities on his Instagram account.

A check on his Instagram account shows that he is currently following only one person named Damilare. 

This comes hours after the singer posted the title of his next album ‘SeiLess.'

 

Credit: Instagram | wizkidayo

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Sophia Momodu Apologises For Celebrating Daughter's Dad, Davido, On 30th Birthday

Sophia Momodu, the mother of singer Davido’s first child, Imade, has apologised publicly for a birthday post she made on her daughter's behalf to mark his birthday.

She issued the apology via Imade’s Instagram account on Tuesday.

This comes after fans slammed her for being insensitive after posting a photo of Davido carrying Ifeanyi, who died last month on her daughter's Instagram account to wish him a happy birthday.

She wrote, “l realise that the earlier post may come across as insensitive and I sincerely apologise as that was not the intention. Imade deeply loves her father and all her siblings, and as a mother, I’m doing my best to guide her through the difficult emotion of grief from the loss of her brother whilst trying to celebrate her father’s birthday. 

I ask for your consideration and hope that you all can be understanding during these times. Thank you, Sophia Momodu.”

Davido, who is still mourning the death of his son, Ifeanyi, turned 30 on Monday.

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