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With the rise of China’s hardware industry over the past 10 years, China National Hardware Association has named 34 nurture and industrial base. From the traditional tools for hardware, construction hardware, daily hardware, to the new gas-fired appliances, range hood, the whole kitchen, shower room, metal industrial base is now over in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Shandong, Hebei, Henan and other provinces area.

Industry experts LAW 100-hui, the establishment of metal industrial base, the development of China’s hardware industry, a major undertaking, hardware industry, booming base, in order to raise the overall level of China’s hardware industry for local economic growth has made outstanding contributions.

As a result of the impact of the international financial crisis, overseas demand and a significant reduction in orders, hardware industry is facing severe challenges, the industrial base has also been hit. In the China National Hardware Association and the local government guidance, support, the various curtain hardware industrial base of independent innovation, restructuring, changes could be the big screen. New competitive dynamic and growth potential is the industry concentration.

Shunde: independent innovation, develop the market the brand

Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, known as “China Gas Appliance Capital,” said. Over the years, Shunde District, pay attention to improve the public service platform for enterprise development to provide multi-directional support, promote healthy and stable development of the industry.

By the end of April 2008, in Shunde district government’s lead organization, the “Gas Appliance Shunde Chamber of Commerce” was established, the District Government’s annual funding to support the operation of the Chamber of Commerce. 10000 Chamber of Commerce has developed and, MACRO (000,533, stock bar), co-sheng, Evergreen and other gas appliance business, including more than 50 members, including Shunde, Zhongshan and so the vast majority of well-known gas appliance manufacturers, the relevant supporting spare parts production enterprises, as well as supporting industries such as gas supplier. In 2007, the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Department, Tongji University, District Government and the Guangdong 10000 and groups jointly formed the first domestic “energy saving environmentally friendly gas with R & D center.”

Guangzhou Macao Gas Appliance Co., Ltd. set up a “gas appliance, Guangdong Province, engineering and technology research and development centers” set up in cooperation with the Central South University, China’s first “China’s Research Center kitchen.” To guide the gas appliance industry, public technical innovation platform, Shunde Gas Appliances Chamber of Commerce in 2009 and South China Institute of commitment appliances Science and Technology Department, Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province, the project —-” civilian gas appliance product technology road map. ”

The project from the Guangdong Provincial gas appliance industry, product development plan starting in promoting the industry of new products, new materials, new technology, application and popularization of the new design has played a positive role.

Shunde enterprises attach importance to promoting independent innovation, and vigorously promote the production of gas companies at all levels with the construction of technical centers to accelerate technological innovation and the transformation of research results. Shunde District, the total expenditure in the district each year shall be allocated 3% of setting up a technology innovation fund, and the establishment of Chinese Academy of Engineering academician, Shunde consultation center for gas appliances and accessories manufacturers to finance scientific and technological development, technical support, Shunde District in 2009 to 10000 and technological progress, the project matching funds to support more than 1.3 million yuan.

In the “2006 China top ten innovative models of Gas Appliance” Award, “10000 and”, “MACRO”, “beautiful” and other 13 enterprises of the new product honor, Shunde District, businesses accounted for 50% of the share a strong impetus to China’s gas industry with technical innovation. In the “2006 Guangdong Provincial key new product projects”, the product gas with a total of eight projects selected, of which Shunde enterprises accounted for 7.

To encourage “Chinese gas appliances capital” regional brand-building, in 2008 Shunde district government allocated 300,000 yuan to guide the industry a one-time focus on brand-building industry. Brand-building through the regional industry to form a gas appliance industry, the size of aggregate strengths. Shunde Gas Appliance trade associations are also active after the establishment of “China Gas Appliance City” brand-building activities.

Especially in the expansion of domestic and foreign markets, the Chamber of Commerce launched the “China Gas Appliance City” the overall image of the exhibition activities. In 2008, the Chamber of Commerce Planning launched the “Shunde gas appliance”, “Shunde – China Gas Appliance City” as a whole LOGO image, held in Shanghai, “2008 China Hardware Show” first introduced.

In order to better promote the gas appliance industry, Shunde District Government and the China National Hardware Association, frequent interaction, and jointly promote development of the industry. Actively promote the standardization of work, in March 2009 by the China National Hardware Association’s “condensing gas water heater / furnace industry standard validation will” be held in Shunde, Shunde District of gas contributed significantly to the standardization work with industries and enterprises.

In April 2009, in order to help enterprises implement “appliances to the countryside” policy, by the China National Hardware Association to invite relevant experts, for the local gas water heater “appliances to the countryside” successful enterprises in the circulation problems that exist in face to face consultation to answer, welcomed by the majority of successful businesses.

To help companies cope with the international financial crisis, the China National Hardware Association in a wide range of information collected on the basis of domestic and international markets, issued “China’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Development Report,” China’s gas appliance product development direction and the latest information on the domestic market was a detailed study of the Shunde District, a gas marketing industry has played a guiding role.

In the Association’s guidance and support, Shunde enterprises to expand domestic demand and the “home appliances to the countryside” as an opportunity, have to adjust business strategy to expand the proportion of domestic sales, and actively participate in the national “home appliances to the countryside” products bid. At present, the national countryside product “gas water heater,” 22 successful enterprises in Shunde enterprises account for 7 to fully reflect the gas water heater products in the country’s industrial advantages. The first quarter of this year, with output of 1.66 billion Shunde gas, an increase of 56.8%.

Zhongshan Xiaolan: Hardware Industry Cluster Development

Metal products industry Xiaolan Town, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, the traditional industries, as early as in 1986, Xiaolan Town, has been hailed as China’s “city of the south lock.” After more than 20 years of development, Xiaolan metal products industry has been formed locks, gas appliance as a leader, on the upstream and downstream products and all kinds of accessories category range of 10 categories of hardware industries. In 2008, Xiaolan Town Hardware Plastic industry revenue of 150 billion yuan, accounting for 39.4% of the town industrial sales.

In 2002, the China National Hardware Association, Xiaolan Town, named the “China National Hardware industry base.” Given this title after the Xiaolan actively promote the accumulation of metal products industry, the development and optimization and upgrading, product constantly upgrading, value added continued to rise, the domestic market share continues to increase.

At present, the “solid edge”, “Hua-feng” two locks brand’s market share for many years the industry for top; “St. Paul,” was awarded “China’s first brand nail clippers industry”; Vantage Gas Appliance Company for 13 consecutive years of sales in the domestic same industry ranked first; Evergreen’s gas valve manufacturing standards have been set industry standards.

Led by the town government, Xiaolan Town, set up a joint development of hardware industry cluster and the establishment of a joint conference system for the development of industrial clusters. At present, the metals industry, Xiaolan Town, dominated by the lock hardware industries expanded to include the lock, gas appliance class, caster classes, hinge type, metal die-casting class, spray plating, mold class, classes, and other hardware bathroom products product category, as well as hardware accessories category of 10 Class relatively complete industrial chain of hardware to become the leading industry Xiaolan industrial economy.

In recent years, Xiaolan efforts to increase policy guidance to encourage enterprises to develop independent innovation, promoting industrial transformation and upgrading hardware. Fiscal year the town come up with 6 million yuan of special funds to carry out technical transformation reward innovation, and create the name excellence, and established the provincial, city, town, three technical innovation awards support system.

At the same time, set up a “Zhongshan City Xiaolan metal products industry technology center,” to as a leader, to form the provincial, city, town, three Enterprise Technology Innovation Center, Enterprise Engineering Center as the main carrier of technological innovation system, through the Technology Center improve the metal industry, core competitiveness. The past three years, the establishment of provincial and municipal levels Xiaolan cumulative enterprise technology centers and engineering centers to 73, access to award 10.7 million yuan, has set up a township enterprise technology centers 106.

Establish and perfect a variety of science and technology intermediary service organizations, in order to promote industrial upgrading provides a services platform. Xiaolan Town, set up a “Productivity Promotion Center”, the Center established nine years ago, has been incubating technology service entity 33. In 2008, the Center of Science and Technology won the “National Model Productivity Promotion Center,” found that only one township to become the National Productivity Center.

Xiaolan Town, according to industry clusters common technology, key technology requirements, product design company formed Hanyang, Hanyang Precision Mold Co., Ltd., with the S & P Precision Machinery Co., Ltd., matching company for hardware companies to provide deep-processing services. According to statistics, Han-Shin modern design and manufacturing service center every year more than 200 business services, designing new products 80, for the enterprise added industrial output value 150 million yuan, the new taxes more than 1000 million yuan.

At the same time, the establishment of “innovation and development of SME credit guarantee Xiaolan Town, Co., Ltd.”, with the town eight commercial banks to cooperate, in order to have the market prospects and development conditions of the financing difficulties of SMEs to solve the problem. The end of 2008, the security company’s total amount of guarantee for up to 24 billion yuan, sales income directly to pull more than 110 billion yuan.

In addition, the town set up a hardware industry, Technology Center, South China University of Xiaolan Industrial Technology Research Institute and other institutions, enterprises and research institutions to promote cooperation in production and research.

In the first half, Zhongshan Vantage Gas Appliance Co., Ltd. in the formation of the national “gas with combustion simulation laboratory”, the again with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and build a branch from coal combustion- National Laboratory, a joint gas – Lab. Xiaolan has also set up a Chamber of Commerce, comprising industry associations, including locks, hardware, plastics trade associations and industry, including seven branches, two service companies, a document service window, Chamber of Commerce members up to 468.

So far, Xiaolan Town, have been developed, including mortise locks, exterior door locks, ball locks 3 locks industry standards. Xiaolan also set up a vocational skills upgrading, and made efforts to carry out hardware skills training. According to statistics, in 2008 added the training of skilled workers hardware 1539 views.

Zhejiang Yuhuan: Management Innovation for sustainable development

In July 2003 and July 2005, Yuhuan County, Zhejiang Province, has been China National Hardware Association awarded the “China Valve City” and “faucet production base in China” title. Over the years, Yuhuan County, adhere to the “government-led, business subjects, the association involved in the principle of” multi-linkage, strengthen and promote the bases, and gradually realized the plumbing valve products from price competition to the value of competition, and competition to its own brand products in general, competition changes in the effective promotion of the cluster industries, innovation, and restructuring and upgrading.

As of the end of 2008, plumbing valves up to 2792 the number of enterprises, self-export volume reached 1.365 billion U.S. dollars. Although in 2008 from international financial crisis, but still achieve the output value of 17.1 billion, self-exports 1.278 billion U.S. dollars, becoming the second largest pillar industry in Yuhuan County.

Yuhuan County, adhere to the principles of sustainable development, making full use of the rich resources of beach reclamation, planning and construction of the actual usable area 4.72 million mu of the coastal industrial zone, breaking the development site, “bottleneck.” County finance since 2003, an annual growth rate of 23.4% into advanced manufacturing bases, special finance total investment capital of 2 million yuan, and guide enterprises to establish an internal driving force for innovation and development mechanisms.

Through strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions restructuring, asset stripping and other property re-model, a mechanism to promote innovation in enterprises. Yuhuan County, has also attached great importance to entrepreneurs in the ranks, through the organizing president of Zhejiang University, MBA Business Administration, training classes, held business management training and other forms of knowledge to enhance the quality of enterprise management personnel.

Since the second half of 2008, the international market demand for the rapid decline of the export-oriented industry, Yuhuan County, plumbing valve caused a serious impact. Yuhuan County, as the difficulties faced by the fundamental changes in approach to development opportunities, through a series of measures, plumbing valve industry, the phenomenon appears stabilized warmer.

Yuhuan County, firmly grasp innovation and continuous improvement through the plumbing valve industrial development planning, and guide enterprises to re-examine market positioning, product positioning, focusing on the development of intelligent plumbing valve products, industrial high-pressure valves, high-precision pipe fittings and other products category, promote products and corporate restructuring and upgrading.

Yuhuan County, efforts to nurture and develop hi-tech enterprises, plumbing valve industry five enterprises of the national and provincial high-tech enterprise certification. To encourage powerful enterprises to seize the present “the most liberal policies, financing, lowest cost,” the favorable opportunity, increase the technological transformation and equipment renewal efforts, in particular the introduction of advanced equipment do the work. At the same time to encourage businesses to “Bitter inner strength” and vigorously promote lean manufacturing, promoting reengineering.

Yuhuan County, do everything possible to expand the market, do a good job domestic market development, to promote trade within the two-wheeled drive. County invested 5 million yuan, and organize enterprises established in Beijing and Shandong Linyi China (Yuhuan) plumbing valves City, to “Yuhuan made” overall regional brands, a unified marketing platform to help enterprises to further expand the domestic market. At present, the Beijing platform, has been in operation, Shandong Linyi platform is actively preparing for. Meanwhile, the Yuhuan county government also has 400 million yuan special funds and organize enterprises to participate in Shanghai International Exhibition bathroom more than 10 exhibitions.

By the China Building Decoration Association, to convene a national demonstration project of building decoration industry, science and technology in recognition of the occasion of the General Assembly the convening of Yuhuan (Suzhou) Valves Plumbing Industry Promotion and products on-site exhibitions, helping enterprises to expand their domestic market. And the consolidation of the international market, in-depth development of Europe and the United States, the Middle East and other traditional markets, efforts to open up Latin America, Africa and other emerging markets.

Yuhuan County, go all out to ensure growth, protect the people’s livelihood, maintaining stability and focus on preventing and resolving financial risks, and strengthen the monitoring of economic operation, strengthen early warning system to guard against the risk of industry as a whole.

Deepening bank-enterprise cooperation system of communication, organization 100 loan officer to the countryside into the enterprise services; to encourage financial institutions to innovative financial products, pilot small-scale enterprise loans, the development of equity collateral, credit insurance, increase the intensity of credit to SMEs; invested 50 million yuan guarantee the establishment of small and medium enterprises companies, to provide security services to crack enterprise “financing difficulties” problem. Burdens businesses to seriously implement the policy to remove administrative fees, lower corporate social insurance and the proportion of basic old-age insurance premium paid.

Yuhuan County, has embarked on industrial investment projects, promoting the “Hundred Days tackling” activities, the establishment of project leadership responsibility system, service tracking system and promote the “consultation” system, improve the rate of the project started. Team leaders take the lead in the county, the county 600 leading cadres of township departments into the enterprise, the next workshop, to guide enterprises to use live, with good, make full use of the variety of policies to help enterprises solve the outstanding problems that hinder their development and enhance the intensity of investment.

Shandong Linyi: the advantages of building hardware products

Hedong District, Linyi City, Shandong Province, metal manufacturing and processing industry is the area’s traditional industry, sixties and seventies of last century on the production of scissors, hammers and other hardware tools known throughout the country, known as the hometown of hardware in the world. In recent years, Hedong based advantages, high positioning, strong operation, adhere to the metal manufacturing and processing industry as the region to focus on fostering competitive industries, effort to build “China’s Hardware Industry Trade Town.”

Metal manufacturing and processing industry is the characteristic Hedong industries and pillar industries. Since its establishment, Hedong District, based on their own advantages, attaches great importance to the development of hardware manufacturing and processing industries. In 2007, District, district government has issued a series of preferential policies formulated to promote the metal manufacturing and processing industries to flourish.

Three years, metal manufacturing and processing industries for more than 25% annual increase, the proportion of total industry reached 15.66 percent, to truly become a pillar industry Hedong unique. First half of 2009, the whole hardware industry, above-scale enterprises realized sales income of 2.386 billion yuan, profit and tax of 76.16 million yuan; the region the right to record export more than 50 hardware companies, including 34 enterprises export performance, export 68.39 million U.S. dollars .

Vigorously implement the technology-driven strategy, guide enterprises to take the road of winning by quality, is east of the river area to create “Chinese Hardware Industry Trade City” key. In recent years, enterprises have continuously introduced advanced product testing facilities and a high level of testing personnel, the establishment of technical development centers of enterprises and products to enhance market competitiveness. Linyi Lux Limited, and Shanxi, Shandong University of Technology, Polytechnic University jointly developed by the roll-forging grinding art processing technology, energy saving 30%, 40% cost savings to reduce the labor force more than 50%, which greatly promoted the company’s rapid growth.

Advance through pilot, demonstration drive, a large number of company has a modern enterprise management and technical personnel, advanced manufacturing and processing equipment and complete product testing equipment. From the production and management superiority into industrial innovation advantage and achieve the transformation of scientific and technological achievements to promote the hardware industry scale, the grade and embarked on a road of sustainable development.

Strengthening the information network platform construction, help businesses to develop the trade space, east of the river area to speed up build “China’s Hardware Industry Industry & Trade City” a powerful breakthrough. In recent years, District, District Government has been actively relying on Dongli Hardware Electrical Logistics City in order to improve the logistics and distribution, financial services, e-commerce, full four functions of management as the core, integrated business flow, logistics, information flow, capital flow, to enhance information network platform construction, promotion of traditional trading patterns change, with traditional market leader in information technology, to minimize the cost of doing business, achieving a successful online trading and virtual trading.

Since 2005, east of the river area and Federation of Industry in Shandong Province Chamber of Commerce and other mechanical and electrical hardware units successfully held the 4 th China Linyi Hardware & Electrical Fair, more than 3,500 exhibitors, more than 30000 buyers turnover of 60 billion yuan.

Hedong district in the hardware companies take the initiative to actively guide the adjustment of product structure, production of niche products in the same time, seize the expanding domestic demand, and ensure the growth opportunities, timely adjustment and improve the hardware industry to promote the development of preferential policies, in the capital, taxation, land and so on the priority list. The establishment of hardware trade associations, use of the existing scale and a certain strength of the export production base, and guide enterprises and foreign sales of leading enterprises in powerful alliances to form trade group to strengthen the hardware industry, the management and coordination of services exports.

In 2009, Hedong District, the District Government to set up the logistics plate construction business headquarters out to organize the implementation of the “second step” development strategy. Fudan University, commissioned the preparation of the hardware market, Hedong long-term planning. At present, the market is stepping up to carry out preparatory work for the relocation of transformation is scheduled for completion next year. Through the transform and elevate the introduction of modern commercial logistics concepts and business trend of marketing and expand the market scale, improve market influence and driving force to promote the traditional market networks and the rapid increase of modern philosophy, and strive to make hardware market into an integrated set of transactions, information services, Expo show in one national distribution center for hardware products.

Hebei Anping: Seven platforms help the headquarters base construction

The face of international financial crisis, Anping County, Hebei, changes could be positive and strong screen industry cluster, so that strong contrarian screen industry. January to November of this year, screen industry production value of 12.0 billion, an increase of 17%.

Anping County is home to the seat of the screen industry cluster, since last year by the international financial crisis, industry experienced a severe challenge. Anping County, the county government profound analysis of the crisis exposed a lower level of industrial development, positioning is not accurate enough, far from being perfect platform to build a structural issue, the headquarters base mesh to create an international strategic objectives, and develop the implementation of “Anping Wire Mesh Industry Development revitalization plan, “screen industry cluster in 2011 to achieve comprehensive competitive strength,” leading, world-class “level.

Anping County Wire Mesh development strategy is to build the headquarters base, foster key industries and develop high-end products. According to Hui LUO 100 understanding, Anping County to determine the industrial agglomeration area, information, trade, logistics, training, research and development, testing seven platform to platform construction for industrial development. By creating seven platforms, gradually Anping wire mesh into the headquarters base in the world.

To completely change the screen industry “Village lighting a fire, every household smoke,” the layout of the situation, prompting enterprises to focus on parks, the park to the towns and cities. Anping County to strengthen the industrial platform (Park) construction efforts to plan the building of a total area of 12.8 square kilometers, an area of 6 square kilometers off the screen industry gathering area. Through the industrial development zones to accelerate the concentration of production factors.

Anping county economy relying on the country’s first pilot counties the advantages of information technology to promote information technology industry, the integration of docking with the mesh to strengthen the information gathering and dissemination mesh. To improve their marketing Pavilion “Screen Big World” features, increase efforts to promote the Expo to the screen, a sound trading platform construction. Integration of existing logistics resources, investment 1.141 billion yuan of building an international wire supply chain logistics base, the promotion of logistics platform construction.

Through the establishment of an international training center screen, integrated training resources to promote the training platform, and continuously improve the quality of practitioners. In R & D platform for building, financing through a variety of ways to set up screen R & D fund to provide financial support for research projects and risk compensation. At the same time, actively participate in the formulation of national standard wire mesh products such as measures to promote R & D platform for building and strengthening the same industry at home and abroad the right to speak. In the test platform construction, in accordance with the ability to reach the domestic advanced level testing requirements, and strive to existing provincial quality inspection center to reach the national level in 2011.

Anping County silk screen identified 20 major support enterprises as the backbone of the government enterprises, 80 for the relevant departments focus on affiliated enterprises. Give prominence to the six ability to cultivate leading enterprises: First, to improve to avoid risks. The trend of economic development to guide enterprises to flexibly using a variety of ways and means to minimize the risk of business operations; the second is to improve the resource integration capability.

To guide enterprises to seek strategic partners to enable enterprises to significantly enhance the overall competitive ability; 3 is to guide the development capacity of enterprises to improve their misplaced. The main direction of a clear, centralized resources to expand the high-end, high quality production capacity. Striving for national standards, and gradually form a clear difference can not copy the core technology and intellectual property rights; 4 is to guide the enterprises to improve the ability of radiation driving, and to lead, to play a lead role in industrial upgrading; 5 is to improve the capacity of enterprises to fulfill their social responsibilities.

And striving to fulfill their social responsibility model, with its good image to promote enterprise development; 6 is to improve the ability of enterprises to seize opportunities. To actively guide companies planning for the future to develop a scientific strategic objectives.

Anping County to support and guide enterprises to adopt advanced equipment and developed a number of driving ability, with high technological content and market prospects were good-quality products. Identified the right industry, driving the three categories focus on cultivating a strong product. First of all, do a good job of large welded net, high-grade Crimped Wire Mesh, construction and other production equipment, net absorption of innovation, and the localization of production, and scale capacity.

Increase the development of new stainless steel wire mesh weaving machine speed, high-density stainless steel wire mesh as soon as possible the upgrading of production equipment, and further consolidate the traditional position of superior products industry. Second, the target contrast dense grain network, sinter net, abrasive network, profiled steel nets high-end products, developed to replace imported products that enable high-end products in the field of wire mesh Anping place.

The organization of powerful enterprises in joint research, and strive to replace imported as soon as possible. Third, do a good job and high-end high-grade filter mesh fastener-related products, two major categories of projects. Organize the transfer of enterprises to seize the good opportunity echelon structure, increase investment and expand production scale, filter and market share.

I have studied in South Africa for a total of a year at a University in SA about six months ago. Now I want to go back, but do on-line classes and not attend a South AFrican University at all. Is it possible to get a study visa for doing online classes through a US university, or would I have to get a temporary living visa??I

Having been through some hardships with online false promises or identity, I thought it would shed some light to openly write on the possibility of mistaking credibility of one university over the other. You surely would feel scammed if you enrolled in a university that is not what you thought it is. It’s possible, read on to learn more or if you are in a hurry, link here for detailed analysis of this matter.

 

This arises from the world over long time credibility for the University of Leeds that can easily be given to the Leeds Metropolitan University. Of particular interest is the course that the Leeds Metropolitan University has extended to 28 countries in Africa, which the clearly state in their website. This course came as a good substitute for a three year programme that is offered in South Africa. Target professionals include executive directors, senior managers, permanent secretaries, municipality executives, etc.

 

This programme can be lucrative in that it takes far less time to complete than the one offered in South Africa. Instead of three years on part time studies in South Africa, you only take one year and still on part time basis. So who wouldn’t like a short cut as it cuts down a lot on time and still suit the working class as it is also on part time basis.

 

I have details my perception on this particular course that has somewhat taken Swaziland (and possibly the other 27 African countries) by storm. First the course is not offered by the University of Leeds but by the Leeds Metropolitan University in conjunction with a local centre, Mananga. To many, the perception is that the course is offered by the University of Leeds. I have seen and heard several people who are prospects to the course get so much exited and even take pride in the course because it is assumed to be offered by the University of Leeds. 

 

I take pleasure to welcome you to my post at yeboyesafrica.com where I detail the reasons why I took interest in this matter as it counts for prospective students not only in the short run, but throughout their career lifetime.

Introduction:

In this paper I will discuss the phenomenon of using native English teachers in the Middle East region, precisely in United Arab Emirates in the context of EFL in the public primary schools. In this discussion I will examine the reasons beyond such a phenomenon. I will also examine the attitude of native and non-native speaker teachers who teach English language along with students’ parents’ attitudes. Moreover, I will link “communicative imperialism” (Phillipson, 2006) and the role of the media with the context of EFL in the Middle East region. Due to the natural of my paper, a “self reflective” (Pennycook, 2001: p.1) and previous experiences of other countries are expected to be present.

ELT in United Arab Emirates has witnessed an extraordinary revolution in the last 6 years. My interest of this issue emerged simultaneity with the appearance of a new type of schools which are gradually replacing the ordinary public schools in UAE. This type is called (Al-Ghad schools) which literally means “tomorrow schools” in Arabic. It clearly indicates the main purpose of these schools is to produce more sophisticated, moderated and competitive students. The vision of ministry of Education and Youth in UAE as what they declared is “to have a new generation who is more capable of English language and its vocabulary and grammar skills”, in other words “we need a generation who speaks English as it is his or her first language”, thus to achieve this goal teachers who “have a better command of fluent, idiomatically correct language forms, are more knowledgeable about the cultural connotations of the language” (Braine, 1999: p.xiv) are needed. In order to make this vision alive, a huge number of native English teachers had been brought from areas such as “North America, Britain, new Zealand and Australia which claim ownership over English”( Canagarajah, 1999: p.79). Furthermore, to support this vision, some authorized sources in the government argue that this new methodology of teaching is the best in teaching English which enables the students to acquire the language very easy and smoothly. Schiitz (2007) cites Krashen’s (1987) view that acquisition any language requires meaningful interaction in the target language (natural communication) thus, language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules because learners grow up learning the language as it is something very natural in their life without an effort, especially at the beginning levels of their life. Moreover, Boyle (1997) illustrates that native speaker teachers have a range of advantages over the non-native speaker teachers because (a) English learned from birth and developed through his/her life as primary language which been used in his/her life (b) the intricacies of the grammar of the language are learned instinctively and can be employed with speed and certainty (c) native speaker of English engages with other native speakers of English as something natural in his/her social context, so he/she uses the language all the time as the dominant language, thus it is better to use native speaker teachers of English to teach their first language. Additionally, McNeill (1994) in his study about the characteristics of native and non-native speaker teachers of English argues that native speaker teachers have the advantage when it comes to learners’ vocabulary needs. It is sensible to point here; the government is replacing non-native speaker teachers with native speaker teachers of English gradually in order to provide their students with the opportunity to hold conversations with teachers in English, and only in English.

On the other hand, Al-segair (2007) who works as a teacher in a prestigious university in the Middle East illustrates that in his investigation about native speaker teachers in the Middle East, “I found some of them used to work as dog-trainers back in Chicago” (paragraph, 2). He also pointed out that some teachers were “a bunch of former company employees and some had worked in western embassies” (paragraph, 2) who did not work as teachers before. Al-segair thus explains that not because you are a native speaker of a language qualifies you to teach it! Teaching a language requires “skills, competence, training and knowledge” (paragraph, 3). Going further in this issue, Al-Osaimi (2007) illustrates that some schools do not bother to recruit qualified English teachers, however, parents usually more impressed by where did teachers come from and the fact that their accent sounds more ‘American or British’ considered to be enough to convince them that they are the most suitable teachers to teach their children, regardless what they have of qualifications or experiences. Such criteria forced me to wonder why such thinking is dominant in the region.

America and its Politics play a major part in all of this. The American tenet that “the current educational systems in place in the Muslim world were partly responsible for motivating the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the pentagon. In June 2002” (Karmani, 2005:p.262), thus in order to change their attitude towards the western and the American culture, a new concept should be replaced with what is described as a “combination of intolerance, ignorance, anti-Semitic, anti-American, and anti-Western views” (Karmani, 2005: p.262) by using native speaker teachers as means to apply this project.  By importing native speaker teachers of English from what Kachru calls “inner circle countries” (Kachru & Nelson, 1996: p. 78) with westerns’ beliefs and values, a new Americanized generation would be the total outcome. In simple words, educational or mind colonialism and “linguistics imperialism” (Phillipson, 2006: p.346) are the main goals in such invasion of native speaker teachers at the Middle East region.

Searching for its alleged security:

Handley (2004) mentions that in the late 1700s, America was surrounded by great European superpowers, thus America was “economically and militarily disadvantaged” (Hadley, 2004). Therefore, to build a strong and superpower nation, America must expand its borders by negotiation or war. The American citizens had been convinced that the world and America’s national security always in danger, so in order to protect the world and America, any country that threats us should be attacked. Furthermore, “lack of expansion implies the possibility of defeat” thus, “American insecurity was an important factor in the invasions of Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Philippines” (Hadley, 2004) in the past. Other form of such American fears is the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which was a proposal by the American president Roland Reagan in March 23, 1983. The main goal of this proposal as what Wikipedia illustrates is “to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles”. This proposal carried the popular name “Star Wars” in 1977 after movie by George Lucas. According to Handley, the Star Wars program is an expansion of America’s continued need searching for its national safety “by now expanding its borders into outer space” (Handley, 2004 cited Mauk and Oakland, 154), moreover, the recent invasions on Iraq and Afghanistan interpreted by a large number of American citizens is they had been convinced that America’s national security was threatened. Thus, in order to assure that no one threats America’s security in the future, a new ways of domination and controlling should take place in areas such as Eastern Asia, Africa and the Middle East not only military, but also as media and academic occupation.

The role of Media in the Middle East:

No one can deny the strong role played by Media in any place in the world. America tries to impose its policies and its ideologies in the Middle East whether by using force or not. In order to dominate the region, the American beliefs should be promoted in the area. Phillipson (2006) argues that the development of communications networks has a basic relationship to the emergence of the new world order. He illustrates that “communication organizes the movement by multiplying and structuring interconnections through networks” (p. 352). Thus, in order to dominate a particular country and its culture, you must control its media and what is being showed to the people inside their homes.  A controversially television network channels like MBC group (Middle East Broadcasting Center) and Alhurra (means the ‘free one’ in Arabic) had emerged in the Middle East and dedicate the lion’s share in Middle Easterners’ minds and homes. Such channels can be seen by some people as mediums to spread the American’s plans and principles in the region using another means beside tanks and rockets. Alhurra is a commercial-free Arabic language satellite television network for the Middle East operated and funded by the United States of America. This channel is financed by the American people using their taxes through the Broadcasting Board of Governors and the U.S. Congress. Many Arab political critics argue that this channel lunched to change the views of Arabs and Muslims around the world towards the west and America by showing football games, explaining the acetic dimensions of baseball and airing documentaries about the ‘fence’ in Palestine, along with doses of fashion. Alhurra in its official web site claims that:

“We are devoted primarily to news and information. In addition to reporting on regional and international events, the channel broadcasts discussion programs, current affairs magazines and features on a variety of subjects including health and personal fitness, entertainment, sports, fashion, and science and technology” (Alhurra official web site).

Give me a break! In order to facilitate TESOLers’ jobs who came from inner circle countries, an anesthetization of Middle Easterners’ hearts and minds must be done so people can accept these teachers with a positive attitude and a wide smile on their faces. People in the Middle East must be convinced that they are not proficient enough to teach English, thus teachers their first language is English must take over and teach English for your child’s own benefit. According to Phillipson (2006) media is not only organize production on a new scale and force a new structure sufficient to global space, but also make its justification inherent power, as it “produces, organizes, as it organizes, it speaks and expresses it self as authority” (p. 352). Why I would pay my good money to fund an Arabic channel such as Alhurra when I cannot earn money from it. Alhurra in its web site mentions that “Alhurra is operated by non-profit corporation, The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN)” (Alhurra official web site). The Arabic satellite dish contains more than 300 free entertainment channels which can be accessed by Arabs from any place in the Middle East with more than 6 news channels such as Al-jazeera, CNN and BBC. Therefore, the purpose of such channels is that the American government can trade its citizen’s money with its future security by dominating and directing Arab youths’ minds and beliefs toward its own interest, by providing ‘a purely American Arabic speaker’ channel. The other case is MBC group channels which “started in London as the first satellite, free-to-air multi-channel media group of its kind in the Arab world” (MBC official web site). Al-Arabiya (means the ‘Arabian channel’ in Arabic) which is one channel from the MBC 6 free channels specialized with news and press. The reason behind the emergence of such channel has been declared by the people work there is to have a democratic channel which fights Aljazeera’s thoughts (an Arabic news channel) and its anti-democratic trends. Since Al-jazeera has been described by many Westerner politicians as anti-American bias, thus we need a channel against any anti-American thoughts in the Middle East region. According to Ryan (2005) Donald Rumsfeld has accused the station of persuading people that the US is an occupying force in Iraq, which he describes as a lie! On the contrary, the expansion into Iraq was to “brought freedom, economic growth, education and democracy to people who have suffered under years of oppression and mismanagement” (Hadley, 2004 quoted Assistance for Iraq). As a result, America is trying to Americanize the Arabic society the same way as she Americanized the Japanese society after the World War ll. Therefore, the road will be paved for native English teachers when they come to teach the ‘Western values’.

The world of TESOL and the native speaker teacher of English:

To impose the American ideologies in the Middle East, America promoted very well the teaching job for the native speaker teachers of English by promising them with “ good salaries and an exotic overseas adventure” (Hadley, 2004). According to Hadley many scholars such as Troike and Crystal have linked the expansion of TESOL to the expansion of former British and present American empire. Furthermore, native English teachers serve as “part of the educational aid packages exported to countries throughout South America, South East Asia, Africa and the Middle East” (Hadley, 2004) who work as colonial administrators. Handley in his paper cited Edge’s view that EFL teachers have become an academic army that satisfies intellectual conflict and occupies the linguistic dominions of an Anglophonic empire:

“…it is now possible to see us, EFL teachers, as a second wave of imperial troopers. Before the armoured divisions have withdrawn from the city limits, while the solders are still patrolling the streets, English teachers will be facilitating the policies that the tanks were sent to impose. And whether, and to whomsoever, I teach EFL, I am part of that overarching system” (Hadley, 2004 quoted from Edge, 10)

 Karmani (2005) argues that an extraordinary pressure has been put on Muslim governments to reform their educational curricula.  A very interesting article by Glasser (2003) who works for the Washington Post illustrates that many Arabic Gulf countries reshape their schools and put English over Islam, so in order to make way for more hours of English, classes in Islamic studies and Arabic are being reduced. A new stuff of native English speaker teachers has been brought into the schools of United Arab Emirates to teach the students from early ages. What is interesting is that the native speaker teachers are brought from inner countries as experts who do not need any preparing or training. They are who design the textbooks, monitoring the non-native speaker teachers and deciding who should stay and who should not stay in the school. However, American policies had succeeded in this country. Almost every non-native speaker teacher convinced that the native speaker teachers are better than non-native speaker teachers in English and this system is the best to teach the students this language even if they do not have the required qualifications, because English is their first language. This persuasion created negative outcomes with less positive results. In such schools a world full of racial discrimination in job opportunity, payment and respect has emerged. Non-native speaker teacher is no longer trusted by parents and his or her students. The native speaker teacher’s salary must be double than the non-native speaker teacher as one condition to import these teachers. Moreover, they must be provided with luxury accommodations, free transportations and first class annual flight tickets to their mother land. Of course, these conditions had been set by the American government to ensure that their citizens are treated well. Such conditions are imposed against governments’ wish in the Middle East region. What is ironic is that even if you have an American passport or you are a citizen from inner countries and you were not white or you were originally from Arabic country, you may not have these facilities! In some cases your contract might be cancelled even after you have signed the contract if your original identity has been discovered.

Conclusion:

In order to achieve the maximum domination on the Middle East and to make sure that no anti-American bases are exist in the region. Moreover, to insure that what happened in September 11, 2001 is not going to happen again, an American political equation must be applied, first, using the tank to impose the power. Second, programming youth’s minds and their views on what America ‘believes in’ is right. Third, teach the child what is against America is against you in the classrooms. It is not a coincidence that the emergence of (Al-Ghad) schools was after only one year from the dramatic events of September 11, 2001. It is not a coincidence that the reform of the educational curricula implemented after September 11, 2001. It is not also a coincidence that, channels like Alhurra and Al-Arabiya had been lunched after what happened in September 11 in 2001 which they are now based in Dubai, in United Arab Emirates. However, no one can disagree that Middle East countries need skilled and experienced workers and teachers from developed countries such as America, and Britain, but a direct supervising to those employees must be done by Middle Eastern countries that brought those experts and pay their salaries from their money for a preset goal. According to Fields (2005) who is a native speaker teacher of English works in Abu-Dhabi, UAE, teachers should be hired based on their qualifications to work in an atmosphere of fairness and respect, free from fear of discriminatory treatment or arbitrary dismissal because of their ethnicity, whether they were native or non-native speaker teachers of English.

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Reference:

Alhurra, 2005, ‘About us’. Available from: http://www.alhurra.com/sub.aspx?id=266 [Accessed 12 Jun 2008]

Al-Osaimi, N., 2007. English Teachers Not Always Qualified [online]. Arab News. Available from:http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=104142&d=30&m=11&y=2007. [Accessed 17 May 2008]

Al-Segair, K., 2007. Only Native Speakers as English Teachers! [online]. Arab News. Available from:

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=13§ion=0&article=101526&d=22&m=9&y=2007. [Accessed 17 May 2008]

Boyle, J., 1997. ‘Native-speaker teachers of English in Hong Kong’. Language and Education vol. 11, No.3

Braine, G., 1999, Introduction, in G. Braine (Ed), Non-Native Educators in

English Language Teaching, Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum,

pp.xiii-xx

Canagarajah, A. S., 1999, Interrogating the “Native Speaker” Fallacy:

Non-Linguistic Roots, Non-Pedagogical Results, in G. Braine (Ed), Non-Native

Educators in English Language Teaching, Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence

Erlbaum, pp.77-92

Fields, M., 2005. If students can learn who is the better teacher, why can’t employers? [online]. Guardian Weekly. Available from:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/If students can learn who is the better teacher, why can’t employers  TEFL  EducationGuardian_co_uk.mht. [Accessed 16 May 2008]

Glasser, B., 2003. Qatar reshapes its schools, putting English over Islam [online]. Washington Post Foreign Services. Available from:

http://www.english.education.gov.qa/files/886_WPOST.pdf. [Accessed 16 May 2008]

Hadley, G., 2004, ‘ELT and the New World Order: Nation Building or New Reconstruction?’, in TESOL Islamia, Niigata University of International and Information Studies. Available from: http:/tesolislamia.org/articles.html [Aaccessed 11 Jun 2008]

Kachru, B., & Nelson, C., 1996, ‘World Englishes’, in S McKay & N

Hornberger (eds), Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 71-102

Karmani, S., 2005, English, ‘Terror’, and Islam. Applied linguistics 26(2) 262-267

MBC group, 2008, ‘About MBC group’. Available from: http://www.mbc.net/about-mbc-en/ [Accessed 12 Jun 2008]

McNeill, A., 1994. ‘Some characteristics of Native and non-Native speaker teachers of English’. International language in Education conference.

Pennycook, A., 2001, Critical Applied Linguistics: A Critical Introduction,

Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum

Phillipson, R., 2006, Language Policy and Linguistic Imperialism, in T. Ricento (Ed.), An Introduction to Language Policy: Theory and Method, Oxford: Blackwell, pp.246-361

Ryan, P., 2005, ‘Middle East ‘Media War’, Middle East window. Available from: http://middleeastwindow.com/node/975 [Accessed 12 Jun 2008]

Schiitz. R., 2007. ‘Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition’. Available from:

http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html. [Accessed 19 May 2008]

 

IT services in South Africa: unstoppable despite the slowdown

We expect the growing demand from the public sector, financial services and the telecoms industry to spur the growth of the South African IT services market in the medium term. Large investments are anticipated from these sectors.

Key Chapters:

Executive summary

In a nutshell
Ovum view
Key messages
South Africa overview
Background
Demand-side analysis
By vertical
Overview
Banking and financial services
Initiatives countering online and credit card fraud expected to drive demand for security services
Introduction of enhanced mobile banking solutions to drive demand for ICT services
Expansion of ATM networks and launch of improved ATM services will offer opportunities for a range of ICT services
South African banks expanding to other parts of Africa will spur demand for networking and security services
Banks’ initiatives to introduce special offerings for the SME segment will drive spending on upgrading banking systems
Healthcare
Increasing interest in mobile phone-based healthcare applications will boost demand for application and integration services
Private healthcare providers’ geographical expansion will drive demand for integration services
Manufacturing and mining
Need to improve operational efficiency will drive the demand for supply chain management
ICT to improve workplace safety
Public sector
ICT projects related to the upcoming FIFA World Cup will drive public sector spending
Demand from the defence segment is propelling public sector IT services spend
The postal department will also contribute to ICT demand as it upgrades its infrastructure and systems
Demand for application services will be strong as the government takes initiatives to improve its service levels
Expansion of online learning resources will spur demand for content and data management services
Increasing interest in open source will drive demand for application implementation and maintenance services
Retail
Rapid growth of e-commerce will fuel demand for web-based application and security services
Increasing use of chip-and-PIN banking cards will spur the demand for point-of-sale upgrades
Local retail outlets’ expansion will boost demand for networking and application services
Telecommunications
Consolidation among telecoms companies will drive demand for integration services
Private initiatives to improve broadband infrastructure will offer opportunities in network services
The upcoming FIFA World Cup is expected to boost demand for application services from the telecoms segment
Telekom’s plan to outsource business processes after the FIFA World Cup will offer large opportunities for IT services vendors
Transport and logistics
Installation of electronic toll systems across road networks will drive demand for ICT
Major upgrades of the transportation segment are planned, offering opportunities in a range of ICT services
Introduction of transport cards to boost demand for ICT services from the transport segment
Initiatives to modernise the railways’ asset management and communications systems to boost demand for IT
Demand by service line
Overview
Trends in application services
Changes in financial reporting requirements will fuel demand to upgrade enterprises’ applications
Demand for SaaS offerings will be driven by greater broadband penetration and availability of higher bandwidth
Trends in infrastructure services
Phishing and hacking force enterprises to invest in security services
Demand for infrastructure services will be strong as SMEs deploy first-generation infrastructure
Trends in BPO services
Supply-side analysis
Overview
Vendor strategies
Foreign vendors in South Africa have to meet the requirements of the Black Economic Empowerment Charter
Focus on building longstanding relationships with suppliers and clients
Address skill shortages by investing in education and training programmes at local universities
Top ten IT services vendors in South Africa
Local players
Dimension Data Holdings
Altech
Business Connexions (BCX)
GijimaAst
Datacentrix
Faritec
Paracon Holdings
Ansys

To know more and to buy a copy of your report feel free to visit :
http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=126431&rt=IT-services-in-South-Africa-unstoppable-despite-the-slowdown.html

Related Reports :

IT services in Malaysia: a market in its prime
http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=126432&rt=IT-services-in-Malaysia-a-market-in-its-prime.html

The UK IT outsourcing market
http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=126433&rt=The-UK-IT-outsourcing-market.html

Or

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Just the other day, my sister and I were reminiscing about classics. I mean, you have you Top Gun, Rambo, Sounds of Music… (Okay, so I am joggling them up… bite me). Anyways, we both paused when my brother mentioned Clash of the Titans. Now, I don’t know about you but that film really scared the crap out of me when I was younger. There is a saying that, ‘when two elephants fights, it is the grass that suffers’. To be caught in the crossfire when two mighty giants fight is not something that is on my things to do before I reach 50. I was on my way home yesterday when this newspaper vendor tried cajoling me to buy this Encomium magazine… actually; I think it was City people. Aaarghhhhhhhhh! I get so confused. I mean, they both do the same thing and report the same news and gossips. Anyways, I stood for a while reading this very interesting caption even though I didn’t actually pay for the newspaper… What?!! I am a Nigerian; born and bred…we like free things… have you forgotten?

Anyways, one of the story captions read, ‘Otedola reveals Chemical Ali’s many sins’… or something like that. Now for those of you who don’t know, Femi Otedola is the billionaire owner of the multi-billion naira indigenous oil giant Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited. Zenon, which is directly run by Otedola is the dominant force in diesel business among oil marketing concerns. It supplies this all important fuel used to power the generating sets of most Nigerian industries to nearly all the major manufacturing firms in the country. These include Dangote Group, Cadbury, Coca Cola, Nigerian Breweries, MTN, Unilever, Nestle, and Guinness among others. Otedola is the son of former Lagos State governor, Sir. Michael Otedola. Otedola owns one of the largest oil storage facilities which he purchased for N2.8 billion. He bought hundred brand new trucks purchased for N1.3 billion to strengthen the distributive arm of his business and acquired a massive flat bottom bunker vessel with a storage capacity of 16, 000 metric tonnes of diesel for 6.8 million dollars. Zenon owns four cargo ships. He owns Atlas Shipping Agency, Swift Insurance, FO Properties Limited, FO Transport.

Otedola started Zenon few years ago and within a short time seized control of the market. Today he has become the pacesetter in the downstream sector while expanding the frontiers of competition. NNPC Group Managing Director, Engr. Funso Kupoloku acknowledged this much when he said Zenon was now the company to beat in the downstream sector. From nowhere, Zenon is today rated among the top five companies in the country, with a huge turnover currently sitting at the commanding heights of the nation’s diesel and kerosene business.

Apart from being the biggest diesel and kerosene marketer in Nigeria today, he is said to be the biggest ship owner in the country, which partly explains his nomination as President of Nigeria Chambers of Shipping, a powerful and highly influential body in the maritime sector. The oil baron and shipping magnate also bought 100 brand new DAF trucks from Netherlands to strengthen his distribution arm. Zenon now boasts of a total storage capacity of more than 147,000 metric tonnes total holding of diesel making it the biggest depot owner with the largest single storage capacity in the country.

He is also the owner of Atlas Shipping Agency, Swift Insurance, FO Properties Limited, FO Transport and Seaforce Shipping Company Ltd. His appointment last year into the board of Nigeria Investment and Promotion Council, NIPC, observers believe, is the President’s vote of confidence on the young man’s business abilities. It is for this that he was also nominated by the President on the team of top Nigerian businessmen to go on an investment drive to South Africa They were essentially to meet and interact with the south African business community and the former South African President, President Thabo Mbeki. On his part, Otedola contributed well over N100 million to the President’s re-election expenses. And under the aegis of friends of Obasanjo and Atiku, he contributed N25 towards the rehabilitation of the National Mosque in Abuja. He was one of the co-launcher of Obasanjo Presidential Library, where donated N200 million. He is said to have direct access to the President.

Now, a lot of you might think of this article as a boring, one of dem political propagandas and bla bla bla and… I am not gonna lie to you, somewhere along the line, it is but what really got me interested was that before this article, I was putting together a piece about the 10 fattest pockets in Naija and our 2 titans- Femi Otedola and Chemical Ali, made the list, as a matter of fact, one is in the 2nd spot, while the other is following closely behind. By closely I mean, $500 Million behind. You might want to close your mouth before flies get in them.

For those of you who are not familiar with the nick names allocated to some of the godfathers in the political spheres, Chemical Ali is the nick name given to, according to Forbes Magazine, Nigeria’s first billionaire; Aliko Dangote. Yea I know! I was shocked as well. I mean, I practically used to worship this guy.

Aliko Dangote who was born on the 10th day of April, 1957 in Kano, Nigeria is a businessman based in Nigeria. He is the owner of the Dangote Group, which has operations in Nigeria and several other countries in West Africa. A wealthy supporter of erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo and the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) (Yea… now we know how he carted away all them contracts huh? (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink), Dangote controls much of Nigeria’s commodities trade through his corporate and political connections. With an estimated current net worth of around US$ 2.5 billion, he was ranked by Forbes as one of the richest black African citizens and the third richest person of African descent in the world behind Mohammed Al Amoudi ($9.0 billion) and Oprah Winfrey ($2.7 billion.)

The Dangote Group, originally a small trading firm founded in 1977, is now a multi-trillion naira conglomerate with operations in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. Dangote’s businesses include food processing, cement manufacturing, and freight. The Dangote Group dominates the sugar market in Nigeria, as he is the major sugar supplier to the country’s soft drink companies, breweries, and confectioners. Dangote Group has moved from being a trading company to Nigeria’s largest Industrial group, including Dangote Sugar Refinery (the most capitalized company on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, valued at over $3 billion with Aliko Dangote’s equity topping $2 billion), Africa’s largest Cement Production Plant: Obajana Cement, Dangote Flour amongst others.

Dangote played a prominent role in the funding of Obasanjo’s re-election campaign in 2003, to which he contributed over N200 million (N200 million). He doled out N50 million (N50 million) to the National Mosque under the aegis of “Friends of Obasanjo and Atiku”, and contributed N200 million (N200 million) to the Presidential Library. These controversial gifts to members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party have contributed to concerns over continued graft despite highly-publicized anti-corruption drives during Obasanjo’s second term.

Now, I did the best I could to dig up the dirt on these two and why they have been on each other’s throats for some time now. For goodness sake boys couldn’t you buy bigger and better toys to play with if you were that bored? Anyhoos, I was directed to this websites called facts Nigeria and you will not believe the accusations Otedola dolled out to Dangote. I mean, I was speechless the whole time while I was reading it.

Now, from a professional point of view, it is possible that a good number of the accusations could be false but it also could not be; the long and short of it is that it doesn’t make the gist any less sweet.

This journalist likens Dangote to Adolf Hitler (jeez… you really hate him that much don’t ya?) as a matter of fact, he goes as far as saying that he is his protégé. He accuses Dangote of working behind the scenes, deceiving and manipulating Nigerians. Anybody feel manipulated? He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to insist that If there is anybody that will continue to regret his kind gesture to uplift his nephew from the grip of poverty, it will be no other person than Alhaji Usman Dantata, Aliko Dangote’s uncle who gave him N100, 000 then for him to travel to South-West to come and try his luck in business. In a twist of fate, rather for Aliko Dangote who came to Lagos by train to reciprocate Usmans kind gesture, he instead opted to deal a heavy blow to the man who helped him to be what he is today.

If you don’t know, Usman Dantata is currently bedridden with a serious ailment. Dangote, rather than help him to recover from the ailment, dealt him what sources say is the “knell that may aid Dantata’s death”. He had wanted to purchase one of Dantata’s properties in Apapa, “Polo House” without success before the man took ill. He seized the opportunity of his uncle’s sickness and his influence in government circle to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of the property and took over the title. That was two years ago.

This journalist delves into Dangote’s relationship with other billionaires and the part he played in their minor misfortunes. He writes that the problem that the billionaire chairman of Globacom, Otunba Mike Adenuga had with former president Olusegun Obasanjo was masterminded by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the cause was envy of the ever rising status of the silent but meticulous multi billionaire, Mike Adenuga. It all started when Adenuga acquired the Old National Oil which he transformed to Conoil. “Chemical Ali” went to town claiming that Adenuga used funds from Bureau Of Public Enterprises.

Same thing reared its ugly head when Adenuga acquired the second National Carrier Licence which enabled him to join the world mega business of telecommunication. He smeared the names of Adenuga and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar. He claimed that Atiku who oversaw the then Petroleum Trust Fund helped pay for the licence from the funds cover.

This was the final straw that broke the camels back of camaraderie between Atiku and his former boss Obasanjo. These incidents made the guru as Adenuga is fondly called to go on voluntary exile. Adenugas sins according to Dangotes gospel is due to his unapproachability.

He claimed that the guru was too arrogant, taciturn and always elusive to the extent that Adenuga could not be asked for favours like using his private jet because his own jet, a rickety 14 year old NS 125 old cargo which he bought from the Federal Government always broke down constantly without notice and also because Adenuga is richer than him.

The hatred for Adenuga got worse few years ago during one of the editions of Nduka Obaigbenas This Day Awards. In that years edition of the award despite the fact that the Globacom boss was not there live, Adenuga was the cynosure of all eyes as his representatives were busy collecting awards after another on his behalf whilst Dangote with all his pride and ego was just there looking at the glory of Adenuga without a single award. Since then the attempt to ruin Adenuga started because he didnt want anybody to surpass him.

To further humiliate Adenuga after he had succeeded in setting EFCC after him, “Chemical Ali” was always dramatizing how Adenuga was behaving when he was to be arrested by EFCC operatives and during this time one will always see him holding white handkerchief and waving it at the EFCC operatives which signals peace as Adenuga was pleading.

Now your girl paused here and logged onto another site that posted a brief interview that Ibrahim Jimoh granted a couple of years ago and I gotta tell you that it made for a good read. Excerpts

So, you feel diminished when you were listed along Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola et al?

I feel heavily diminished. What is the basis? One of them said his father was very rich, his grandfather was very rich. My father is not rich. My father is a bricklayer. My mother is a food seller. So, why are you putting my picture among them? Aren’t you embarrassing me? I had my L.L.B. from Ife, have my BL in Nigeria. I attended Harvard where I studied Taxation for one year and I came out with some good results. Why are you putting my picture among illiterates? I have been conferred with some doctorate degrees; about three of them from various universities. I’m not saying that I am the best but at least, I’ve not disappointed my generation because I went to school. So, why are you putting my picture along all these people with diploma in printing? The argument the other time was that I didn’t join (Lagos) Boat Club. What is boat club? I’m from the riverine area (Ondo State) so what am I going to do with boat? My house in VGC is waterfront. We’ve been living there for over 11 years. So, how can I go and buy boat now and be riding it at a time when I’m supposed to be employing more university graduates?

But Alhaji Dangote postulated that it is impossible for a business man to completely isolate himself from people in power?

In fact, the joy of a good businessman is to isolate himself from power. Allow those who are running government to run their government, you go and run your business. Out of respect and courtesy, they will write and invite you. This is when you are celebrated. You don’t go there and be loitering around. For what reason? I read in the interview Dangote saying in that interview that you cannot even sue government let alone fight it. Maybe, Dangote took a strange coffee that morning to have said that. Is the government above the law? It depends on who the president is. If the president is a garrulous president, then you can have problems but look at the person of Yar’Adua who is a university graduate and read Applied Chemistry. Did he say you should not take him to court? Even after taking him (Yar’Adua) to court, he still described Buhari as his elder brother…

…So, you have to understand it. Until you return the money from the bank, you cannot celebrate any billion. For you to now come around and say they’re billionaires or that one is the richest in Africa, I don’t understand what you are saying. Maybe, they’re drunk or took unusual coffee, I don’t know.

Heavy words there from Jimoh Ibrahim who, born to poor parents in a family of about 17 siblings, is today the most inspiring Businessman in Nigeria, and possibly in the world, inspiring in that he loves urging people to do what he did-which is a near overnight success.

His official story is that he made his first millions while studying law at O.A.U when he ran seminars for all local governments on taxation. He came into the limelight in 2002/2003 when he contested for the Governorship post in Ondo State on the platform of the ANPP. After that he quite politics, and started Global Fleet-a petroleum marketing company. His strategy was to acquire rather than build-so he acquired and still acquires filling stations, instead of building from scratch. As of this month, he has over 250 of such stations and recently he got licensed as an Independent Marketer.

He also in the last 1 year bought Great Nigeria Insurance-sold it for profit, and then bought Nigeria’s number 1 Insurance firm-NICON. He also bought EAS Airlines and renamed it NICON Airlines. And bought the Meidan Hotel in Lekki-renaming it NICON Hotel. He equally has a furniture making company in VGC that brings in income in the hundreds of millions.

His rapid expansion is traced to his ability to borrow from banks and PAY ON TIME-indeed faster than they expect, so banks are eager to lend him. Now, no one has accurately being able to determine his worth but we can say that he controls assets and businesses worth over 100 Billion Naira (N100 Billion). He delivers free lectures through City People on how Nigerians can start from nothing to make millions in any business.It usually holds once a month at Excellence Hotel, Ogba.

Some have said and still say that Jimoh Ibrahim is the present and future of Nigerian Business. He recently clocked 40 years and is married with children… (Bugger! Just my luck) Wow! The dude does have an impressive resume but as regards his online interview… Um… I really don’t know if Dangote or Otedola read that but I don’t think I want to be the one to pass on that message even if it was a couple of years ago.

On reading this, I jetted back to the previous websites and tried finding out what the real beef (if there is one) for Otedola. The journalist states that Aliko Dangote is after the young billionaire boss of Zennon oil- Femi Otedola simply because since Otedola joined the business circle a few years ago, he came, he saw and he conquered.

Because of his midas touch, everything that he usually touches turns to gold and within a few years he has done more than what Aliko Dangote has been able to achieve since he started over 30 years ago. What many people don’t know is that Dangote despite his claim to fame likes to climb on peoples back. During the bid for the purchase of the refineries, Otedola was set to bid, but Otedola after much persuasion from his friend had to succumb to the pressure of joint partnership.

Even though Otedola was initially skeptical about the partnership he kept his cool. But in his characteristic manner Dangote displayed his greediness when he asked to be allowed fifty one percent of stake in the Bluestar Consortium, which Otedola because of his meekness agreed to.

But unknown to Otedola, Aliko had another thing in mind, and that is to destroy the young Epe billionaire having seen his metric rise both within the business and political circle that he will in no short time practically leave him behind, hence he resorted to blackmail and plotted to kill him. Part of his plot to ruin Otedola is the manipulation of AP shares. Manipulation? Yes. He was named by Mr Eugene Anenih as the mastermind of the manipulation before he shamefully recanted. He also confessed that he manipulated the AP share over 30 times from February 11 to march 20 when AP management raised alarm. Eugene Anenih also confessed that he always briefed Aliko Dangote on the phone after carrying out the heinous financial crime.

Now, I don’t know about you but I am trying not to believe that this beef (if it does exist) is basically a ‘my horse is bigger than your horse’… thing. Please tell me that I am wrong. People are dying of hunger, AIDS and diseases everyday and two of the world’s billionaires, according to Forbes are getting pissed off because one’s rattle is slightly bigger than the other’s? What is this world coming to?

Email me on graye@goodlife.com.ng and tell me what you think of all this and if you are a guy and you mail me that crap about it being a guy thing I am going to put a hex on you. Till then, catch ya online… Toodles

Young people have always looked upward and outward . . . seeking opportunity, freedom, adventure, and guidance. But they rarely search for practical routes to fulfill their high-flying yearnings. Dr. Roy Rissanen is an exception. His experiences show how you can grow beyond your starting point to live up to your high-flying ambitions and potential.

Growing up in his native Finland, Dr. Rissanen was a typical boy, enjoying mechanical devices from flying models to motorbikes. After finishing his A-levels, he completed his national service in the Green Berets in the Finnish army.

Two years after that, God’s spirit descended upon him, and Dr. Rissanen became a newborn Christian. That call changed everything.

Within two years, he felt called to begin training as a missionary pilot. Four years of hard work followed during which he earned private and commercial pilot licenses and an instrument rating.

A missionary pilot needs to know about more than how to fly airplanes. To prepare for his calling, Dr. Rissanen took a missionary training course and also earned a certificate in business studies so that he would know more about organizing flight operations. To prepare for a post in Africa, he attended an orientation program for missionary pilots in Africa and began to study Swahili in earnest.

Dr. Rissanen’s work as a missionary pilot began in 1993 and involved flying single-engine planes in undeveloped areas to transport missionaries, patients, and supplies to churches, missions, and humanitarian organizations. Dr. Rissanen kept learning. He completed an air transport pilot’s course in 1996 and continually updated his earlier pilot training. In 1999, he took courses in pilot training and instrument instruction. In 2000, he was trained to be a check pilot for his organization, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). In 2002, additional training led to him becoming a training captain for MAF.

His ground responsibilities also expanded beyond pilot training to include serving in a number of roles including base manager, operations manager, and program manager. During those years, he flew extensively in Tanzania and Kenya and helped with humanitarian flights in Rwanda during the strife there.

In his spare time, Dr. Rissanen and his wife co-authored “Iron Bird” in 1998 and “Flight over Yurts” in 2001.

A new continent and a challenge attracted Dr. Rissanen in 2000 when he was asked to establish a new branch of MAF in Mongolia, requiring that he learn yet another language. When this task was accomplished amid much praise, he returned to Africa where he flew extensively in delivering aid to south Sudan during the civil war there.

Feeling the need to add even more management and leadership skills and knowledge, Dr. Rissanen began to study management in 2002 at Rushmore University (an online school). He was fascinated by what he learned and decided to study for a Ph.D. after earning his M.B.A. in 2004. During the Ph.D. program, he did highly original research and thinking concerning the best ways to train bush pilots.

Encouraged by his new knowledge of leadership and management, Dr. Rissanen began looking for a new position and new opportunities after 2004. He founded three new companies, one each in business consulting, book publishing, and graphic design, to see what could be accomplished in private business.

Through the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, in 2006 Dr. Rissanen gained a new leadership position as regional representative for the Middle East based in Jerusalem, putting an end to his years as a missionary pilot. To commemorate those flight accomplishments, he published an autobiography in 2006 called Heavy Metal Wings and sponsored a traveling exhibition by the same name that was seen by over 5,000 people.

In the new role, Dr. Rissanen works on developing strategies for promoting local churches, peace, and social justice in the Middle East. Much of this work is done through partner organizations and requires much coordination made more difficult by challenging political, religious, and ethnic tensions.

Dr. Rissanen reports that his business and doctoral studies prepared him well for these new challenges. He says:

“Regarding leadership capability, the Rushmore education has enabled me to jump to an entirely new level. It is satisfying to notice that the people seem to listen carefully to what I say. This is not because of my personality or the position in the organization but because there is constructive no-nonsense substance in the message.

“My thinking is geared to resolving business problems and how to produce the best possible practical results effectively and efficiently. The Rushmore education has molded my brain to apply this conceptual question to all areas of my life. Because my thinking revolves around it all the time, it is also inevitable that I speak it aloud in whatever context I am.”

What’s ahead for this high-flying man? He comments that:

“Life is very exciting and there is no limit in sight to how far we could explore.”

As you think about his successful example, realize that Dr. Rissanen followed several sequential paths that many people don’t explore including:

1. Becoming clear about his religious faith.

2. Acting on his faith.

3. Learning new skills needed to fly higher.

4. Moving to where those skills can be most fully developed.

5. Using his spare time to learn more.

6. Stepping up to new challenges.

7. Keeping an open mind about what else he might do.

Are you ready to act on your desire to fly higher?

When you come to South Africa or want to do business, you must come with an open mind. South Africa runs one of the world’s leading economies today. That is why I target South African as much as other webmasters do for a rewarding internet business.

I have heard the news and bares testimony to that if you have been to South Africa, then you have been to the United States of America. I believe it is true? I may not be sure on other aspects but if I may ask, ‘what is it that you can get in the US and don’t get is South Africa?’ There is absolutely few if any. The medical systems, practitioners and equipment match the global standard. I’m told some patients from abroad (USA inclusive) come for their medical needs in South Africa. Universities in South Africa have global appeal and meet high standards of certification. Thus serving the whole world with classic education.

Can you believe it? I just said South Africa is my target. Yes, I said it because I’m one webmaster who shall never relent until I get a share of the South African traffic. Why South Africa? There are some goodies right here in South Africa, limited to other neighboring countries like Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. I hope and believe that these goodies shall not soon evaporate with the prevailing political unrest.

Coming right to the point, webmasters stand to benefit a lot from participating in South African online markets. There are several of them that I outline in my website under the ‘Online Goodies’ category. Like I often say in many of my articles, there is no reason to try and keep some good money making idea to yourself hoping no one will know unless they hear from you, it just wont work. I therefore have volumes and volumes of good content to help you earn some serious cash as a webmaster fishing for the South African traffic. Think of the thousands of internet cafes in South Africa, the home connections and the private offices that is all grounds for the hungry webmaster. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to getting a share of the South African traffic.

How about crime? This is one of the worst heard of experiences in South Africa. Crime that has never been heard of anywhere in the world can be seen and recorded for South Africa. Its amazing how white collar crime has invaded the country even to the point of senior political positions. The crime rate is unfortunately one critical aspect that can contribute to economy drains for an extended period of time. Think of the court cases arising from white collar crime that takes years to be resolved yet they need external interventions.

With no exception, the good news is that in South Africa, the good far outweighs the bad. That’s certainly why the world thought it right to host the world cup right in South Africa. And with the invention of the internet, eliminating the need of physical contacts in business transactions, the webmaster is ahead of the many offline traps.

How long are we going to rely on the western world for economic stability? We can nature our original best practice and optimize without copying whatever is done in the US or wherever outside Africa. Have you taken time to see what is going on in the internet cafes in the SADC region, particularly in South Africa and Swaziland? You will be surprised to learn that the focus is skewed and favors regions outside Africa. Why is that?

 

I haven’t done a research in this area but have my own surface analysis of the reasons for such behavior. I stand to be corrected, but here are my thoughts:

 

Education – The assumption that the best things are learnt from the best is not always ideal, yet many still believe it’s true. You will notice this with the textbooks recommended in colleges and universities right here in Africa. Look at the topic, the authors and the content; it’s all structured to support America as a majority is from America. Industrialized countries, where business best practice is assumed to be prevailing, are faced with challenges such as pollution and factors that promote the unwanted global warming. The so called best practice from the best economies could thus cost the whole world some irreplaceable goodies. We have been brought up to believe that best things come from Europe and/or America – Open your favourite music channel and you can tell what story music tells about America/Europe and Africa. Compare and contrast to come to a conclusion. It’s only in recent years that we learn of the good things in China and the Asian countries. We have always been influenced to support and adopt the western methods of doing things. We somehow believe that America and the United Kingdom have the best things in life and thus when we go online for what ever need we must start from any of these continents, America and Europe. If you don’t believe me, go to your nearest music shop and see what constitutes more volumes of albums on sale. No belief in ourselves – You will agree with me that today olden African practices are coming back to influence our way of doing things from the Europe and America. For example, we used to make our mealie meal from grinding stones wherein the chaff is not removed. This practice was discouraged in the past yet today the chaff is deemed required for a healthy digestive system. I have taken time to write a purely African thought on ‘African Virginity Assessment Methods for Girls‘ that today are abandoned but could come back tomorrow as invents from the America and/or Europe.

 

Africa, we need to believe in ourselves and support our own initiatives. I have put thought in a nice manner ‘How Africa can Steal from America’ at my blog. Nobody will panelize us for that; just as it is true that anybody from anywhere in the world can view this article only to learn what I think is not good practice or bad attitude when we ever go online.