Young And Proud: Abuja Stand Up!

The best decisions are informed decisions.

I am happy to live in a world and in a time where young people are encouraged to do great things and I have noticed that more and more people are leaving the corporate world to start their own business. Many reasons, flexibility, control, or just plain tired of the routine of a 9-5. This is not only great for the economy but also good for individual growth and confidence.

As a young child growing up, I dreamt of being many things. Lawyer, pilot, princess, pirate etc. None of these quite worked out the way i planned but that is a story for another day.

In Nigeria, we are encouraged to go to school, finish, get a good job(now because of unemployment,any job will do) and then get married and have kids and settle down to growing old. As boring as this sounds alot of people tow this line. Which begs the question, are you doing absolutely what you want to be doing? Or are you stuck in a rut just because having a good job is what is expected of you or you feel safe? You dream about success and achieving great heights in life but you are too afraid to take the leap, how then do u intend to attain? Fear makes us irrational, desperate even, so we just sit in our comfort, quietly watching our days go by when we can do something about.

What the world needs is young passionate innovative individuals who are ready to take on the world and change the script, who can bravely challenge old ways of doing things/thinking and change them. Success isn’t predetermined by some force or a higher power, you attain success because of the choices you make, the risk you take and the hardwork and determination you put into your business or your art. As a young woman  in business  I consider every one, young and old who ventured out and succeeded as my inspiration and I doff my hat to them.

New ideas abound, Abuja has a thriving market, take control.

RECOMMENDED READING

Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell - How little things can make a difference

Paul Arden is one of my Favourite Authors, you will find this books helpful...

And finally,( but of course you can add alot more) 

7 Habits of Highly Effective people

My Personal Favourite, comes highly recommended 

IJEOMA OKEAGU

Chief Executive Officer,White Rabbit ConcePt Nig

Publisher/Editor, City Crawler Magazine

08037135829
WHITE RABBIT CONCEpT LIMITED. Also known as WR CONCEpT is an Events Design and Management, Public Relations and Advertising FIRM based in Abuja, Nigeria.

(YPIB - young people in business seminar/networking meet coming soon)

Abuja Places:For The Ladies

'there is no right or wrong only opinion'. this is strictly the opinion of the city crawler and a sampling of several ladies who live in Abuja, and FYI i did not get paid to do this so its unbaised. You can Add to it and ill update the  Best Places if you are on a Budget later in the week.
ENJOY and i hope you find it helpful.

BEST PLACES FOR;
1. Salon treatment (Hair, Mani and Pedi) - Ninads Spa
2. Getting original brazilian weave -  Sydneys -omega center
3. Hair Stylist -  Efe(Efes Pimp world,plaza opp kiss Fm)
4.  Braid Hair - Strands or if you have the Energy, the Market.
5. Get a good hair cut: Famaks (spread around the City)
6: Get good quality cosmetics:  Perfect Trust cosmetics
7. Nice jeans: C n C Collection
8. Shoes: please try beautiful shoes or call Terngu
9. Assesories: for Gold- wuse market, for eclectic jewelry - eyza 08059162914, ceddi and silverbird
10. Bodycare products - Perfect trust
13. Ladies lunch- salamanda.(*very women friendly*) On a Budget - Assorted Foods

14. best place for traditional has to be dzyn now at asokoro shopping mall...affordable and trendy

16. Buy fresh produce- Any of the Markets or farmers market @ maitama
17. lingerie - shop @ ceddi
18. Chocolate- Dunes
19. Perfume- Sweet Scent ASG plaza
20. Gift for him- mode element store
21. Gyneacologist- Limi hospital and Zankli hospital
22. Spa and Beauty treatment-  Bnatural and MB Hamman for a morrocan spa treatment
23. Magazine for getting latest ankara Styles- City People fashion and style
24. Most woman friendly gym- Body Line
25. Most woman friendly club- hmmmmmm
26. Most woman friendly condom- popular opinion(gold circle condom,NAFDAC)
27. Get nice dresses (all occasions)- 1001 ideas

28. Office clothes- everyone says Ashers but i just pick pieces here and there

29. Best Pizza - SFC Maitama (but thats just me)
30. Shop and Lunch: Grand square and Grandsquare Cafe (good prices too)
31. Sunday after church- Hilton buffet or suhjuiced @ Ceddi Plaza
32. Boring Saturday- Swimming or Bowling or Play Nitendo wii @ the Dome
33. For your kids- Wonderland, MAP or the Game Arcade at Silverbird
34. Cool date- Chez victor or JBs Grill
35. where not to go alone at night(esp if you are not a natural crawler)- Area 11(Gimbiya), Zone 4, Hilton.


P.S feel free to agree or disagree and also add your best places, the info will be helpful and will spice this up.



Updated Blog

Networking Abuja Style @ the MTN LINK NITE

Hello Abuja,

As promised the MTN Link Nite train berthed at the Lagos hall of the prestigious Transcorp Hilton hotel on the 2nd of July, 2011, it had been long anticipated and it lived up to its billing in every ramification.  

This grand occasion paid host to members of the Abuja business community.

The discussants: Barr. Audu Maikori- CEO Chocolate City; Mrs. Dayo Benjamin Laniyi-CEO DOXA; the very talented artist and entrepreneur Dare Art Alade helped to make it a night to remember. Guests at the event were motivated, encouraged and given various business developmental tips by these exceptional individuals. 

Project fame prodigy Chidinma performed a song to the awe of the audience, her sonorous voice added inspiration and grace to the occasion. This set the stage for the spectacular Darey to give a roof raising performance. Darey had the ladies in the house dancing with him, while the men cheered on. 

The MC for the event Buchi left the audience in stitches with his jokes and wisecracks.

 (buchi in action)

The whole idea behind the MTN Link Nite is to power a platform for young business professionals and entrepreneurs to meet, rub minds and share ideas with people they ordinarily have no access to. It is a platform for networking and linking sharp business minds. 

Eminent personalities such as the former DMD of Total Nig- Engr. Alek Musa; Arch. Frank Evbuomwan Commissioner for Works Edo State and Mr. Gerald Ada Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State on Investment Promotion have been previous discussants & professionals that have featured on the platform sharing ideas cuts across from business to entertainment, giving tips and generally networking with other invited guests.

Abuja people networked, Prizes were won and 

city crawler was there to witness it all...

It’s been a whirl wind experience; guests from Port Harcourt to Calabar, Benin and now Abuja have all networked and got linked!. The infotainment train moves on, the next stop is Enugu.

pictures from the Event

Lets Keep it REAL.....

The art of human interaction  has evolved tremendously.

Nowadays people exist solely on the web especially on social networks. The art of conversation, communication and substance is going extinct especially among the younger generation. Even relationships, business, casual and romantic have taken on a whole new level. There are people who will never believe they are in a mutually exclusive relationship if their partner doesn’t change his/her status on Facebook or put up their picture on BBM or announce on Twitter that they are now taken. Chat lingo has entered everyday conversations. I have a friend who says LOL when he finds something particularly funny.

Not surprisingly, people are changing their personality to fit their web persona. E.G A shy introvert becomes a choleric bully, but only online. If by chance you meet in person, you wonder if it’s the same person who puts up all those brazen tweets and Facebook updates. 

On the web everybody is intelligent, witty and cool. Every one is a political/social analyst. But that’s easy to be. I call it the ‘cut and paste’ strategy. Go online, get someone else’s’ detailed analysis of a subject and tweet it. Try to engage that same person in a face to face convo about the same issue and you draw blanks. Web brilliance

People don’t call or visit anymore, why should we, when we can just chat. Or why take the trouble to chat if I can just tweet @ you or like an update or picture on FB. My mom’s friend of over 25 years called the other day to check –up. She has been a presence in our lives for as long as I know even before GSM. They kept in touch through the distance and built a rock solid friendship. It’s admirable.

Now friendships and indeed relationships have ended from as little as subliminals and ‘you didn’t retweet my tweet’ or ‘re-broadcast my message’. HA! 

Social skills are dying.

Let me not go on and on, bottom line, let’s begin to communicate better. Yes there is a smiley for every emotion that ever exists but nothing wrong with saying it though. The web is a gift and not a curse; it should supplement effective communication and not be the one and only communication skill or medium we develop. So instead of emailing, make a call or better still visit, I know el cheapo will say emailing is cheaper and easier, lol. And if you are going to say I love you, doing it via the use of a BB DP (blackberry messenger display picture) just doesnt cut it.

Enjoy your weekend folks.

*Air kiss! Air kiss*

Ijeoma Okeagu

MUSIC is Our LAnguage.... Whats playing in Abuja's Ears.....

MUSIC IS OUR LANGUAGE.

No matter your state of mind, music always makes it better.
I find myself working better with music; I find my mood lifted with music. Nothing beats it. Many argue that music is getting worse, well ill say whatever works for you. But for me it gets more beautiful depending on your taste and whom you are listening to.

So I decided to bring a little somethin’ somethin’ for our readers on What’s Hot Right Now. “What’s Playing In Abuja’s Ears, Top 10 Naija (Opinion) and What’s Playing in City Crawler’s Ears (Recommended Listening).

So Whats Playing in Abuja’s Ears?

City crawler spoke to one of Abuja’s finest radio Personality’s, Mr. Benny Ark to find out the top 10 most requested songs on radio. Benny is not only a lover of music but a seasoned On Air host of the Good Morning Nigeria show on Cool FM where he has been jockeying for 6years. According to Benny, Tuface Idibia is the best Nigerian artist right now.
TOP 10
1. Give Me Everything – Pitbull Ft Neyo
2. Man Down – Rihanna
3. Set Rain To The Fire – Adele
4. Party Rock Anthem – Lmfao Ft Lauren
5. Pakuromo – Wizkid
6. Just Cant Get Enough – Black Eye Pea
7. Love Me Love Me – Tiwa Savage
8. Look At Me Now – Chris Brown Ft Busta Rhymes
9. Man Unkind – Tuface Idibai
10. Me and you – bracket.

Mr. Andy Madaki is a UK based young Nigerian who is a music lover. Andy constantly has music playing updates on blackberry messenger and I usually visualize him on the train playing with his pen and note pad with head phones on. Andy recently posted an interesting reply to an article on 234next that put down contemporary Nigerian music (check out his post here http://andytrueword.blogspot.com/2011/07/random-rambling-series-let-music-play.html ). City crawler sought Andys opinion of the top 10 naija songs right now. His take…..

1. Salute – Shank
2. Jooh Oh – Jah Bless Ft Ice Prince
3. Forever – Psquare
4. Angeli – Vector Ft 9ice
5. Wad Up – Wizkid Ft D’prince
6. Attention – 2shot Ft Brymo
7. 5 & 6 – Neato C
8. Superstar – Ice Prince
9. Obianuju – Duncan Mighty
10. Pakuruma - Whizkid

Finally, I am very eclectic in my music choices. I’m not really big on What’s hot. I buy an album, listen to it and pick out my best songs. These songs have had airplay for a while, but if you haven’t heard them yet, I recommend you listen, cos this is what’s Playing in City Crawlers ears right now.

1. Price Tag – Jesse J
2. Windeck – Cabo Snoop
3. Man Down – Rihanna
4. Share My Blessing – Neato C
5. Marry You And Count On Me – Bruno Mars
6. Breath – Superchick (Gospel, Also Check Out Hill Song)
7. Port Harcourt Boy – Duncan Mighty
8. Loke Loke – Mo’cheddah
9. Superstar – Ice Prince
10. Run The World – Beyonce

Leave a comment and Let us know what your top 10 are, who knows, we probably will love it too.          

posted by ijeoma okeagu                                                                                                                                                                                

CITY CRAWLER QUICK TIPS for the RAINY Season

Information gathering, simple concept and I have found a new and very effective tool for getting info. BBM(blackberry messenger statuses). You can tell the people who are sad, happy, in love, broken up and even those that will be calling in sick on Friday morning (due to BYOB Thursday night) from status updates. Recently the common denominator of BB Updates has been ‘Baby Making Weather”. Yep! You guessed right, The Rains Have Come. 

From what I hear, you need a Canoe to live in Lagos. Lucky for us in Abuja, although the rains here are heavy, good planning of the city and adequate drainage goes a long way to make the raining season sane. 

I am enjoying the rain, because the heat was so bad this year, so I decided to put up a post to help you enjoy it too.

CITY CRAWLER Quick Tips.

FOOD: Piping hot always works. Soups (chicken soups, pepper soup, curry soup). You can get great tasting pepper soup at Café 24 or JBs Grill. You can try my favourite soup, Wonton soup at Emperor chopsticks Chinese restaurant, wuse 2.

Hot beverages work too, so you can stop by for a cup of coffee at Dunes Café, Salamanda or any of the fast food Cafes they have the breakfast options.

*avoid eating at roadsides because rainy season allows bacteria grow so food poisoning abound.

DRIVING: in Abuja when it rains it pours, so if you are caught on the high way when the rains come, either you park by the side of the road or turn on your hazard sign, this way other drivers see you and it helps avoid accident.

HEALTH: Sunshine is the main source of VIT D so get a VIT D supplement. It’s not only essential for your health but also helps with your mood.

When Nature decides to keep us indoors and out of its way, you can:

+Cuddle up; share warmth with family, spouse, significant other (if you are single like me, you can make do with a duvet and blanket).

+The networks (GSM and DSTV) are usually down when it rains so you can use that opportunity to catch up on a good book, magazine articles or watch a TV show you haven’t seen before.

+Nap

FASHION TIPS: 

One disadvantage of rainy season is the clothes. Thanks to the cold, mud, puddle and rain, clothes easily get soiled. Raining season is synonymous with raincoats, sweaters, jackets etc. The trick is to make it more exciting.

(more fashion tips for the rainy season next blog)

Most Importantly.............. GET AN UMBRELLA. Available in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes at Wuse Market, Utako Market and all the Major stores and super market around the city. 

by ijeoma okeagu