Yesterday, i was at Victoria Island in Lagos. I had appointments in three offices on a project that i am doing with a colleague.

On my way back, i passed through Ajose Adeogun Street, the street that houses Zenith Bank's headquarters and which Zenith Bank through a Corporate Social responsibility initiative has upgraded the roads with interlocking stones to world standards.

That aside, i stopped by the Zenith ATM gallery to see for my eyes what happening in there.

The door to the gallery is automatically controlled, there was no security man in sight. I entered the gallery and everywhere in sight was lined with ATMs.

I counted twelve ATM machines. There was no counter, no customer servise officer, no staff in sight.

Zenith bank is trying to take banking to the next level.

However, the irony to this is that the ATM gallery is on a street where Zenith Bank has more than 4 branches asides the Headquearters.

Each of this branches also boast an ATM machine each.

The street has more business offices than residential homes.

So, the question is: Is the gallery not more of an effizzy than providing a service for customers.

The ATM gallery would have made more sense in Marina, broad street, Maryland or Ikeja. Beacuse of the large number of small scale businesses clustered in this areas and the long queues at banks, the ATM gallery will have become a sudden hit.

Zenith Bank, please think about the concept once more

Hey everyone,

Some of you might be interested in this.

Cheers

AfriGrowth Foundation will on the 14th June 2007 at the World Bank meeting room in Abuja launch a national essay contest on the topic: Mentoring; a capacity building process which changes lives, the Essay contest is one in a series of AfriGrowth Foundation’s youth development programmes.

The contest which is supported by Omatek computers, Havilah GP ( England ) and Ganiyat International LTD will have a brand new laptop computer going to any write up adjudged as the best in the contest. Other core prizes that will be shared between the three best essays include the sum of N 100,000.

“We are organizing this contest with the objective of developing young people through mentoring and to hear from them what they think about mentoring but more importantly to ascertain whether or not they have benefited from informal mentoring” says Mrs. Dayo Keshi President AfriGrowth Foundation.

Submission of entries opens from the 15th June and closes on the 21st of August 2007.

For more information contact Linda on:
Phone: 0806 678 2879, Email: afrigrowth@yahoo. com

Who is Chief MKO Abiola?

This is the question i have asked almost five people below the ages of 14 years today.

Due to a public holiday declared by the Lagos State Government to commemmorate the June 12 day, all school children in Lagos are sitting at home, enjoying a holiday, and most of them do not know the reason why?

My cousin, 7 year old tosin says, today is possibly boxing day, that's why he is at home and gets another chance to visit mr.biggs with his mum.

I simply told him that if not for the efforts of someone like MKO Abiola, he would possibly have been born in Accra, Ghana.

It is unfortunate that a country like Nigeria easily forget her heroes, i was in secondary school, possibly jss 1, when the drama of the June 12 elections played out.

I still cannot forget the tune of the TV adverts, that helped to solidify the SDP/MKO brand...MKO MKO MKO..ACTION, Abiola Abiola Abiola...Progress, i was less than 10, but the image of that bulky man has stucked in my memories till date.

Nigerians for the first time, irrespective of tribe, religion, language united enmasse behind one man's mandate, and unfortunately, IBB, the Maradona annulled the elections.

Throughout the period, i learnt new vocabularies like annulment, interim Government and National strikes.

It is a history of Nigeria that we need to preserve and ensure that the next generation carry on, so that at no point in time, will they allow such an event to re-occur in the history of Nigeria

50 years down the line, you might ask Ministers of the Federal Repiblic of Nigeria who chief MKO Abiola is? and they might not be able to give you a reply.

HMMMmmmmm

Apologies to everyone who read my blog three day ago and came to te conclusion that the striking lecturers across Nieria has resumed work.

I reacted to a false information in posting the blog. ASUU is still very much on strike.

we all hope that they resume soon.

Cheers
R

I am happy to learn that the striking university lecturers across nigeria has suspended their industrial strike action after a meeting with the new Government.

I am mad and sad that asuu goes on strike every time there is a mosquito biting them in their corner and especially when a new government is coming in. remember 1999 2003 and 2007 strikes.

Its unfortunate that the body of university lecturers have not done anything to sanitise the rot amongst themselves re: publishing sub standard textbooks, multiple handouts, sex for marks and so on.

Any wa, i am happy that students will be back on campus for (serious) work after 3 months of sit-at-home,.

Guys, Happy resumption!