Category Archives: nigeria

Green Card anyone?

It’s that time of the year: The US 2008 diversity visa program is on, and applications are to be submitted online by Sunday, December 3. Once again it is important to inform people that the application process is free. Kenyans are still eligible to win green cards to the USA, though early this year some green cards lottery winners were arrested at the Nairobi Embassy for adding on relatives.

Related
– Kenyans pay 270 million shillings in visa fees a year to the UK and US embassies while Nigerians pay 1.4 billion shillings a year to the UK in visa fees.

Other
Sudan’s economy, fuelled by oil exports and trade with Arab and Asian counties, is booming – projected to grow by 12 % this year despite a US embargo.

Kenya Comparisons

Singapore was ranked the most efficient user of information technology by the World Economic Forum. Kenya was ranked No. 75, out of 104 – with Tunisia at 31, South Africa at 34, and Botswana at 50 leading the African brigades. The Global Information Technology Report assigned countries scores by looking at how well positioned they were to take advantage of information technology to develop their economies. Singapore, a Southeast Asian island state with a population of four million, ranked first in a number of categories, including quality of math and science education, affordability of telephones, and the government’s efforts to promote information technology.

Meanwhile, the New York Times believes Nigeria is improving. Hopeful, and familiar, signs of this in Nigeria are: (i) two, albeit flawed, democratic elections, have given themselves a reformist government with the right intentions (ii) President Olusegun Obasanjo has taken up the mantle of anti-corruption – or, at least, slightly reduced corruption. He established an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, whose chairman, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, at risk to his life, has been terrifying current and former officials with his investigations. (iii) three purported e-mail crime leaders have been arrested (iv) Nigeria has made huge strides in promoting regional security – with Nigerian peacekeepers are in Liberia, Sudan and Sierra Leone.

Banking Round-up

In Nigeria, Banks have turned their tellers into prostitutes, appropriately titled “relations managers.” With 89 banks in Nigeria, competition can be fierce, and many businesses have complained of harassment by “corporate prostitutes” and Women’s Rights Watch Nigeria and other groups accuse some banks of “specifically mandating young, unmarried female staff to target and convince wealthy young men [that] these employers insist on skimpy outfits and unusual work hours”.

In Britain, Barclays Bank staff won’t get paid on time owing to a Banking error. The wrong date was entered into the bank’s computer system and as a result, as many as 62,000 Barclays UK staff and another 40,000 former employees will get paid a day late.

In Uganda, a Bank now collects taxes for the URA or Uganda Revenue Authority. Look for this outsourcing model to be expanded in Kenya where bank’s already collect utility payments for KPLC and other cash-strapped bodies.

In Botswana, the Finance Minister has warned Banks about their poor service. Mr. Gaolathe said there is growing concern amongst the general public regarding long queues in banking halls, especially at peak times and also took issue with the commercial banks for focusing on the prestige market at the expense of the larger community.

Lastly, in Canada customers pay as much as 16,000 shillings in banking fees (Can$C258 a year) for current accounts at some Banks.