Wednesday, 20 June 2018

Piggybank.ng Secures $1.1m Seed Funding

Emma Okonji

Nigeria’s Piggybank.ng, an online and mobile app savings platform targeted at African millennials, has announced that it recently closed a deal on seed funding to the tune of $1.1 million from High Net Worth Individuals, led by the Founder of LeadPath Nigeria, Olumide Soyombo, and with participation from International and Pan-African investors Village Capital and Ventures Platform.
The company said that it will deploy the investment for license acquisition and product development. Piggybank.ng has recorded 20 – 35 per cent month-on-month growth in user traction over the past 12 months; primarily from peer-to-peer recommendations, its referral program – Piggybank Stories, and grass-roots social media campaigns.

The startup will also invest in additional marketing spend, to accelerate its growth trajectory. Having completed accelerator programmes with Blackbox, the CcHub’s Pitch Drive, powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, and Google Launchpad Africa, Piggybank.ng has built a savings community of over 53,000 registered users of which approximately 60 per cent are Nigerian millennials, who have saved in excess of $5 million, with a savings growth of 3000 per cent between 2016 and 2017.

Founded in 2016 by Somto Ifezue, Odunayo Eweniyi and Joshua Chibueze, graduates of Covenant University, Nigeria, Piggybank.ng is positioned to fill a void for tens of millions of Nigerians, who have no access to credit, in a country where up to two years’ rent is often required upfront to secure a home. Targeting low-middle income savers in Nigeria, which has a population of 26.5 million, with a market size of $2.2 billion, the FinTech start-up is an automated savings platform where savers manage their finances by depositing small amounts of money, beginning from $1/day on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, depending on their saving target, free of charge. Savers can expect to earn on average 6 per cent per annum on automated savings or 10.95 per cent per annum on the fixed deposit product, Safelock and can withdraw funds once per quarter. Piggybank.ng generates its revenues through asset management, which currently stands at between 5 – 7 per cent.

Co-founder and COO of Piggybank.ng, Odunayo Eweniyi, said: “In a country such as Nigeria, almost everything has to be paid in advance. The majority of Nigerians struggle to save their income, manage cash flow and build credit, which is a huge problem as around 80 per cent of Nigerians need to save a minimum of 40% of their monthly income, in order to survive. This is the sheer scale of the challenge we are embracing; to actively promote a savings culture in Nigeria and act as the savings infrastructure to millions of people who want a safe, transparent and innovative platform to assist them in managing their finances, on their journeys to financial freedom.”

Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Piggybank, Joshua Chibueze, said: “Today’s announcement allows us to expand and capitalise on the many opportunities that the market presents us with. Our growth so far has been stimulated almost entirely by peer-to-peer advocacy and our investment in the highest quality customer service, so we know the market is there, and the product has been built, modified, tested and ratified by users. With this fundraise, we can invest significantly in our people and products, as we build a digital financial warehouse accessible to millions of Africans whose savings woes we want to put firmly behind them.”

According to Soyombo, “Piggybank.ng is a leading example of how Africans are innovating to solve African problems. The team is applying technology and innovation to solve a problem facing millions of Nigerians; how can they accrue enough money to make down-payments on so many ‘life events’, in a market where there’s little to no access to credit.

Start saving with piggybank.ng https://goo.gl/Ydo2rv 

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Job Vacancy

EDEN IS HIRING
Location: ABUJA
Sales Associate, Head Teacher (Female), Sales Rep (Single Female OND)
job.advertiser@yahoo.com

Evergreen Emerald (Episode 4) BY VICKYBON

Snota was heavenly.
It was Etini’s dream school. The kind of school that people graduated from and became recognizable in the society.
The school had collaboration with the church, and it was owned by same founder of the church bishop Umoh Aubrey.
Her dream of becoming a philanthropist and a charity organization founder was going to come through via Snota, and Etini was ready to follow her dreams at all cost.
The morning Etini was set to begin school, her mother had made a new box available. New bedsheets, towel, under wears, panties and new dresses. It wasn’t going to be easy to let their only child live alone in the midst of strangers far away home. Being a boarder was the only option the school constitution had given.
Her father carried her In front of the motorcycle, while her mother sat behind with the box.
“Etini! See you in Snota soon.” A girl called Mmayen said to her excitedly. Etini waved gently at her with a soft smile. Kokomma had left since noon, and she was sure Kokomma was going to keep a suitable space for her at the hostel.
As her father drove into the school premises, the security men led him to where motorbikes were packed. There was a division between the car pack space and the motorbikes space. The car park space was obviously for the wealthy parents who had also come to drop their children.
Etini was ashamed to alight from the front seat of her father’s bike.
“Welcome to Snota theological college, we will lead you to your hostel after you identify your name on this list.” A tall lady said nicely to Etini. Then she turned to her parents, “Good afternoon sir and ma’am.”
Her parents nodded gladly. “God bless you.”
Etini read the names on the paper quietly until she saw her name. “here is my name, Etini Oscar Edemusung.” She said delightedly, pointing her finger on it.
“Oh, you’re in Christ’s hostel. Follow me.” The lady said as she began to walk away.
Etini’s mom carried the box and placed on her head as she and Etini walked faster behind the lady.
“My name is Miriam Bassey. I am your hall mistress.” The lady said shrilly.
Etini wondered what it meant to be an hall mistress. Her slippers making flappy sounds as it echoed.
The school was perfectly beautiful as Etini kept admiring the trees, the flowers, the green fields, the tall buildings…” Miriam Bassey turned after a long walk to see if Etini was right behind her, and she was surprised to see Etini’s mom too, she paused, “sorry ma’am. You can’t join her to the hostel, parents are not permitted to cross the school block and go further.”
There was disappointment written allover her mother’s face.
“But I want to know where my daughter will be staying.” She said calmly, bitterness almost drowning her voice.
“It’s not allowed here ma. When you come on visiting days, you and her will meet at the visiting hall. The hostel is out of bounds for anyone who isn’t a staff and student of this institution.”
Her mother looked at her worriedly as she held her hands. “Etini, you know who you are and where you come from. Be a star and make us proud. Do not bring disgrace to your father and myself.” She said thoughtfully. Etini nodded at her words, “Yes mama.” They hugged each other and her mother waited and watched her walk away to a distance until she couldn’t view her and Miriam anymore.
She gave a soft sigh walked back to her husband.
**************
Her hostel was beautiful. Etini smiled as she was shown her space by Miriam. She lowered herself on the soft mattress of her corner and touched it firmly. It was different from the one she slept at home, hers at home was almost like a plain mat.
“Hello, My name is Nkoyo, and yours?” A bright smiling girl of her same age said to her girlishly. “I am your ‘saidi’.” Nkoyo added. Etini wondered what ‘saidi’ meant.
“I am Etini Oscar, I am new.”
“I know. The time for dinner will soon be here, I think you should get ready.” Nkoyo said and got up from the bed; smoothing her dress. She was chubby and beautiful. She was the kind of girl people referred to as ‘ajebutter’ soft, tender and fragile.
Nkoyo opened her locker, and Etini wondered if she opened a shopping mall in Snota, the locker was filled provisions, drinks, and perfumes. She took a bottle of perfume from the locker and lavished it on her body. The scent of it circulated the whole room.
Etini thought Nkoyo to be greedy. Her mother had always told her that girls like that who used expensive things like perfumes, sanitary pads instead of normal tissue paper that was affordable were suffering from greed and selfishness, and it was a sin.
“will you use my perfume too?” NKOYO asked nicely. Etini shrugged. “No thank you.” she said, faking a smile.
As they entered the refectory, the scent of jollof rice and nutmeg had surrounded the whole hall. Etini widened her eyes as she saw a large bowl of chicken and beef on each dinner table.
“Let’s find our table.” Nkoyo said and held Etini’s hands, walking around the dinner table until they got a space.
The school meal time table was pasted on the wall. And after Etini read the list of meals for each day, she was amazed to discover that students were given meat everyday. Her mother had told her that it was sinful to eat meat daily, and that it can cause a child to steal. Etini wondered if her mother was wrong, or the school was wrong.

Monday, 11 June 2018

Evergreen Emerald (Episode 3) BY VICKYBON


Etini was surprise when Kokomma told her that her parents didn’t bicker or talk her down for coming home late that day.
“I simply told them that I went to see my school mate.”
“And they didn’t ask you to take them to your schoolmate’s house to prove?” Etini asked in amazement.
“No. My parents are not like that. They trust and believe me.”
Etini was under house arrest for four days before her mother could let her attend choir rehearsals. She had reluctantly granted her permission to go for the rehearsals because Kokomma had come to call her.
“You people should hurry and come back o.” Her mother said.
As Etini walked along with Kokomma, she felt relieved and happy that she could feel the sunlight touch her skin.
“I didn’t tell you why pastor Jerry and I broke up.” Kokomma broke the silence, after a long walk. Etini found the topic of the conversation unnecessary, but gaze lingered in Kokomma’s mouth. “Why?” She asked.
“I caught him having sex with one of our choir members. You should know her, Judith. That tall, dark Judith that has a long butt.”
“_What? And he calls himself a pastor!”
“The only reason I didn’t report them to senior pastor was because he’d already had something to do with me. And I would have been exposed alongside too.”
Etini nodded to every conversation Kokomma shared with her.
Kokomma laughed about the size of Etini’s hair.
“This low cut fits you, but your head is too small.” Etini shook her head and smiled. She had not told her that her mother shaved it while she was asleep
Kokomma talked about her Virginity .
“When will you think of having sex?” Etini looked at her in amazement.
“Why the hard stare? You should think of having sex as soon as possible. You know we girls. I heard that women who marry as virgins usually have complications during childbirth.”
“It’s not true. My mother married my father as a virgin.” Etini retorted.
Kokomma laughed mockingly. “Where you there, or you just heard?” She asked playfully. “That is how my own mother lied about passing all her exams in high school and graduating with a first class upper, yet she ended up becoming a common civil servant, who works and earns peanuts from civil service.”
Etini giggled. “Maybe your mother wants to be a simple civil servant. You can’t say she is lying. Kokomma smiled and said, “I hear you. If she passed with such grades, she would have been a permanent Secretary or even sef, a head of department at work. Not a typist.”
Etini raised her eye brow, she could not help but smile at Kokomma’s words.
As they approached the compound, they could hear boisterous laughter and exciting noise from the main gate. It was a charming old place that was built by old missionaries. Each apartment had the typical structure of a British home.
Etini held Kokomma hands and walked hastily, almost running.
“What happened?” Kokomma asked a boy standing in the crowd of other young boys . “The list for the students admitted in the Snata theological is out.” The boy said and walked back into the crowd.
“Is my name there?” Kokomma asked anxiously.
“I don’t know. Go check the chapel.” The boy said.
The two girls ran helter skelter toward their different houses. Etini was breathing fast as she approached her house and saw her parents sitting on the verandah. She paused when she got to them.
“I heard the Snata’s theological school list is out mama…” She said, breathing heavily.
Her mother looked at her meanly, while her father’s eyes were still placed on the newspaper he was carrying.
“Your name is number seven on the list…” Her mother said.
Etini jumped up and ran to her mother, hugging and kissing her on the cheeks.
“What are you excited about?” Her mother asked rudely.
“I am going to Snata!”
“You’re going to snata enh? Is it not your mate that was number one and two on that list? Do they have five heads, or is it that the parents who bore them are superhumans?” Her mother asked.
“But I tried mama. I didn’t prepare for the exams, I would have done better.” Etini said innocently. She felt disappointed that her parents didn’t congratulate her for at least making it to the first list. She looked sad, as she walked passed to her room.
The fact that her name was on the list gladdened her heart. She’d wanted to know if Kokomma’s name was out too.
Moments later, she could hear Kokomma’s loud voice, shouting excitedly. “I am going to Snata!” She said.
“What number are you on the list?” Etini asked.
“Number thirty Three. My mother is making jollof rice, moimoi and fried beef to celebrate this. I am so happy.” Kokomma said delightedly. Etini gave a soft shy smile and said, “I am happy we made it.”
“Thanks to you. If not that the supervisor had changed our seats, I would have at least made it among top ten. You helped me so much.” Kokomma said as she hugged Etini again. They both laughed. Etini’s laugh was more sincere and real; and she felt good for a moment that someone was happy for her.
That night, before she went to sleep, she’d made list of the things she would be needing in school, including books. She placed the list in the center of her bible and prayed to God that her mother won’t be angry with her anymore.
She couldn’t sleep that night, all she thought about was Snata theological school.

Friday, 8 June 2018

Evergreen Emerald (Episode 2) BY VICKYBON


Kokomma smoothed down her skirt when she stepped on the verandah with Solo.
Etini had been sitting obediently on the pavement.
“Hello Eti, how are you doing?” Solo asked crispily. Etini nodded calmly. “I am okay sir.”
Solo smiled, “Don’t call me sir please. Look,” He dragged Kokomma to himself, “your friend is my girlfriend, so we’re almost on the same level. Don’t call me sir.”
Etini nodded and stood up immediately. “Let’s go Koko.” She said sharply and began to walk away hastily.
“Wait for me…” Kokomma said as she hugged and kissed Solo softly on the lips and ran after Etini.
“First, thank you for your time. I am grateful. Kokomma said as they walked along the road.
“This is the last time I will be accompanying you anywhere. You told me that you won’t waste time, and we wasted more than seven hours there. You have put me in trouble.”
“I am sorry. Solo needed me around. We will lie and cover up.”
“Lie? Are you not always tired of lying? I am not used to this kind of life please.” Etini said bitterly.
“I am sorry.” Kokomma hung her hands on Etini’s shoulders.
“What was that sound I heard you and Solo making?”
“Sex sound.”
“What’s sex sound?”
Sex sound is the sound you make when sex is sweet.”
Etini paused and turned to look at Kokomma, “You had sex with Solo?”
“Of course, I am big enough to decide what I want for myself.”
“Does your parents know that
“Why should they know? Of course they don’t. My father will just kill me. My mother thinks I am still a virgin. I lost my Virginity since two years ago to my first boyfriend.”
Etini widened her mouth. “What? You lost your virginity at sixteen? To whom?”
“My Father’s assistant pastor. He is now the main pastor of Idahaokpo branch.”
“Pastor Jerry? That tall man that has a wife who is almost albino?”
“Yesss! You know him.”
Etini became amazed. ” You slept with a married man? A pastor?”
” He raped me. He was at our house for almost a month. He raped me the first day in the bathroom, and the second time he touched me gently and I began to like it. That was how we started having sex and he started visiting us often. My father would never believe this, even if you tell him. Pastor Jeremiah is my father’s godson. He thinks he is as holy as God himself.”
Etini shrugged.
“God is so merciful, if not, he would have sent his angels to make him confess and die at the podium for being so disgustingly sinful.”
“I liked it. He didn’t force me.” Kokomma said, laughing out loud.
“But you said he raped you.”
“Only once. That’s because I was stubborn.” Kokomma held Etini’s shoulders. “Hold on.” She said and pulled out some money from her tight underwear. “Solo gave me money for the pant, brassiere and lip gloss. I will share it with you.” She said as she counted the money with a gleam of humor.
“I don’t want his money.”
“Why? It’s my money now.”
“I don’t want.” Etini walked away boldly, Kokomma ran after her.
***********************
“Where are you coming from?” Etini’s mother asked. She was sitting on the sitting room couch with a long cane when Etini walked in.
“Chu…church.” She stammered.
Her mother chuckled and shook her head. “Is it the same church your father and I were at some hours ago? Where in church were you?”
Etini became mute as she stood attentively. Heat creep once more up her neck as she looked at her mother.
“Why do you want to disgrace me? Have you not seen the way other children behave in this compound? Have you ever heard your best friend Kokomma making her parents shout the way you make me and your father shout?” Her mother stood firmly. “Is it because I allowed you to perm your hair, that is why you have decided to disobey my orders and break the curfew?
Etini was still mute as she stared at the cane in her mother’s hands. Her pretty young face and her fair skin were filled with coats of sweats.
“I will not tell your father what has happened today. But I will surprise you. I will… When he comes back from church, I will tell him my mind.” Her mother disposed the cane on the floor and walked away.
Etini exhaled. Her beating heart paused as she walked to her bedroom and fell on the bed quietly.
“Eti!” Her mother yelled her name from the kitchen. She jumped off the bed, “Yes mama
“No dinner for you today. I am sure you’d eaten dinner wherever you came from. Make sure you kneel down and pray to God for forgiveness.”
“Yes ma.” Etini said softy as she pulled her clothes and tied her wrapper around her breast.
The next morning she woke up feeling strange and empty, like something had been taken away from her.
She woke up and stood in front of her bedroom mirror and her heart trembled when she saw that her head was bald. She ran out hastily from her bedroom, heading to the sitting room.
Her father’s eyebrows furrowed as he pulled his glasses when he saw Etini. “What happened to your long beautiful hair?” He asked in amazement.
I scrapped them off!” Her mother replied.
Etini was breathing heavily. “But mama why?” She asked in a broken voice.
“Ask me ‘why’ again and watch me burn all the clothes I bought for you in previous Christmases. Go and get your head tie and kneel down here for prayers.” Her mother said.
Etini walked away immediately and walked back with a purple head tie in her hands.


Good morning everyone, Do enjoy today with this episode. Don’t forget to comment, like and share.  Thank you for following.  

Thursday, 7 June 2018

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR GIVES KEYNOTE SPEECH AT ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL IGBO CONFERENCE

She rocked a pair of yellow Akwete-made pants from Nigerian designer Emmy Kasbit, paired with a chic white shirt from Popartii.

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR GIVES KEYNOTE SPEECH AT ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL IGBO CONFERENCE


Chimamanda spoke of her personal experiences and shared stories about the Igbo precolonial history and culture.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was the keynote speaker at the seventh annual International Igbo conference on Saturday, April 21, 2018, where she shared her keynote speech titled ‘Igbo ku Igbo’.




The award-winning author shared true life stories about the Igbo pre-colonial history at the conference which was themed "Memory, Culture and Community: Remembering the past, Imagining the future."



Chimamanda spoke of her personal experiences and shared stories about the Igbo precolonial history and culture.



She emphasised on the preservation of the Igbo culture as well as the strength and dignity of Igbo women.



A major part of the writer's speech was about the Nigerian-British Women comparison.

She said, “British Women did not own properties. British women were in fact property themselves and were supposed to be at home protected and not seen as autonomous beings who could make decisions about their lives.



"Igbo women, on the other hand, were traders and they could own properties, this was understandably alarming to many of the British and I think it explains many changes that happened in Igbo land.



Chimamanda also spoke about the misinterpretation of the Igbo culture in Nollywood.



“A lot of their representations of Igbo culture are not only spectacularly inaccurate but really comical. So if there is anyone here who is involved in Nollywood, please go to the village and ask the real questions, or even just look at archives and see pictures of what people were like before.... I mean, there is no need for imagoo mmadu adi ka’mmanwu."



Chimamanda wrapped up her session with, “We Igbo people need to create and recreate our history, this time, not in the service of colonialism but in the service of our dignity”.



Watch the full speech below.



Evergreen Emerald (Episode1) BY VICKYBON


Etini wasn’t sure if she was relieved or sad as she leaned against the bathroom door, looking at her mother in a worrisome manner. Her father was sitting on the cane chair with a belt, he had loosed it from his waist when Etini refused removing her panty.

“I am still a virgin papa. I can’t pull my panty to prove it.” She said tearily.

“Then you’re not!” Her mother retorted with a loud tone. “It’s either you’re a virgin and you open your legs for me as your mother to see, or you’re not, then close it and stand there.” She beat her hands on the holy bible twice. “I married your father a virgin. He was a young minister when we met…”

“Mama, you’ve said that many times.”

“Shut up!” Her father yelled.

Etini lowered herself to the floor and tightened her girlish face. She was an eighteen years old teenager who grew under the shadows of her religious parents. Her Father, Oscar, was a pastor of a church. While her mother was an evangelist. Etini, being the only child, was well tamed, disciplined and controlled.

“Etini, have you ever allowed a man touch your breast?” Her mother broke the silence.

“No!” Etini replied firmly, still with a tightened face.

“Then why have you not allowed me to check you?”

“Because I am a big girl now mama. I am eighteen.” Her father shrugged.

“So, because you’re eighteen, you now have wings to fly abi? You want to let the devil use your age to mislead you into the sinful world abi? Being eighteen has given you the temerity to be stubborn abi? What did the bible say about children who disobey their parents?” He asked her gruffly but softly, so that his voice won’t be heard by the neighbors.

They lived in a large compound, accommodated by church pastors of same ministry. Being a senior pastor of a large church as Chapel of Grace ministries, Pastor Oscar wanted a sinless and perfect life for him, his wife and only daughter. He wanted a life worth emulating and loved.

“Do you want to disgrace your father and I? Do you know how God detests stubborn children?

Etini’s face flamed. She carefully removed her skirt. Her father averted his gaze to the wall when he saw that she was ready to prove that she was still a virgin. She carefully pulled out her panty and walked slowly to the bed, lying on it and spreading it wide open. Her mother stood up immediately and turned to her father, let me have the torchlight.” He handed it to her immediately, and still averted his gaze to the wall.

Her mother pointed the torch in between her legs, trying to see through. She rushed to the reading desk were she had piles of different versions of bibles and her reading glasses on it. She put it on and rushed back to Etini.

“Open your legs wider.” She said softly as she tried to see through her vagina.

Her father began to whisper words of prayers. “Father, let my daughter not disgrace me. I didn’t disgrace my father. May she be a virgin oh lord.”

“It’s intact.” Her mother said excitedly after few seconds.

Pastor Oscar smiled. “Thank you Jesus.” He muttered.

Etini carefully got up from the bed, wore her panty and then her skirt.

“Listen to me, God is not happy for the fact that you punished your mother and I by wasting time to do this. Go to the chapel and ask God to forgive you. Make sure you use the olive oil on your face and the holy water to rinse that sinful mouth you used to challenge your mother and I.”

Etini walked away dumbfounded and bittered.

And as she walked into the chapel, she fell to the floor. Stress had finally caught up with her. The prayer came from her soul; a whispered plea for help to gain admission into her dream theological school.

***************************

The next morning, Etini’s best friend Kokomma visited her. She was dressed in a maxi oversized gown that almost swept the floor as she walked. Her hair was braided with a rubber thread that revealed the skin of her head.

Etini smiled the moment she saw her.

“You are not dressed for bible class?” Kokomma asked.

“Bible class isn’t now. It’s in the evening.” Etini replied.

Kokomma lowered her voice and her face down to Etini’s, “I know. I want you to accompany me somewhere.”

“I doubt you have any idea of what I went through yesterday for coming back late from choir rehearsals. My father will squeeze me with his bare hands.”

“But if I was the one, shebi I would have followed you? shebi I would have lied to cover up for you?” Kokomma asked with a frowning face.

“My apologies. I don’t want problems with my parents.”

Kokomma knelt down slowly. “Please Etini, this is the last time we’re seeing Solo together. He will be going back to campus. And he wants to give me money for panties, brassieres and lip gloss.”

She spoke the last words in a whisper for her ears alone. “I will give you some money too.”

“Etini stood, “I am not accompanying you because of his money, I am only doing this for friendship sake.” Kokomma laughed and stood to hug her.

That morning they’d visited Solo again, it was the second time Etini accompanied Kokomma to his place. Solo was the son of one of the senior pastors of the same church; He was twenty eight, huge and quite masculine.

As Kokomma got into his one room apartment, Etini sat gently on the verandah, patiently waiting for her friend.

Then the sound came in again, it was a soft moan.

Etini wondered what was going on.

“Are you okay Kokomma?” Etini asked.

“Yes…yes…” She replied unsteadily.

How vain and ignorant Kokomma thought Etini was, she was thinking her the most helpless, noodle witted female ever to think so weird and asked such a silly question.