Solid analysis OP.

My counter argument to your theory is that this ban could infact put more demand on the naira from people who have legitimate transactions. Forget the yahoo boys and fraudsters. I bet there are freelancers who earn in USD or Crypto. And also citizens who have small transactions that don’t warrant a bank or BDC interaction.

There’s the convenience factor that Binance brings and in the absence of that more people will flood the BDCs and maybe banks for their transactions which will drive prices further up.

FG should instead work with Binance to put trading limits and ensure actors serving ads are genuine. For example, you shouldn’t set an ad for a buy or sell amount higher than your account balance. And they can reduce how high up you can set your buy price so it’s less arbitrary.

10mobile:

That's exactly what they want you to think about the sudden ban. They have done it with out caring about the millions that would lose their jobs and families that would go hungry and here you are defending them. They haven't provided any alternative to these millions of people either. Instead, if you don't have an employment and you try to employ yourself, they will take away the electricity and the fuel that would help you in your business.

Now, let me ask you concerning the sudden unprovided-for ban: Compared with MILLIONS MORE Nigerians losing their sources of livelihood, which one do you honestly think would have more immediate, widespread negative impact on the population? I mean, between the sachet drinks and widespread joblessness being created?

Your argument is one of impact which is a dilemma any government around the world will face with most decisions. For example, you have ppl selling along the railway corridor. To make that safe you will have to render them jobless. Tough decision to make but one that needs to be made in public interest.

To your specific point on job losses. We both don't have data to back this up so it's a bit of a subjective argument. But lets try to go into the details of the sachet alcohol business starting from the manufacturer to the distributors to analyse where the actual job loss will happen.

Kasaprenko and companies like them who produce sachet alcohol do not have that as their only product. Remember they started selling sachet as a market expansion strategy similar to how cowbell and the likes started making sachet milk even though they still sell the standard milk.

These producers have more upscale products on plastic bottles which consumers of these sachets can still buy for slightly more cost. For the manufacturers there will be at best a loss of income vs a total business shut down so job losses will be minimal here.

The traders, retailers and middle men involved in sachet alcohol also never ever sell only sachet alcohol. They sell the plastic bottles as well and many of them sell other products like herbals based on market demand. You will imagine that market forces will take place and these traders will move to products that can sell rather than close shop entirely.

Finally, I'm not saying your argument has no merits at all. Simply pointing out (1) how criticism should be constructive otherwise people in government will continue to look at the masses as people who don't know what they want (2) governmemts have to make tough decisions and that line between economic impact and social good is one that often needs to be balanced with every decision. Any decision you make as a government will inherently be on either side which will piss someone somewhere off.

10mobile:
This low-quality behavior of rushing to be the first to comment without reading the news must stop. Or is it that these people lack education to the point that they don't understand what the news actually said?

You see, just because the title mentioned 'alcohol', see the nonsense comments all these first commenters are making without considering what the the protesters said about the implication of the ban on the unemployment levels and hardship in the country.

From what I can see here, the younger generations of Nigerians will even be worse than this current crop of lazy, thieving, old politicians. Should a ban on sachet alcohol or beverages be a priority to a government of a country where 84 million people are losing their employment and and going far below the poverty lines? Is it not a major point these protesters raised? So why are you lots taunting them?

Some of you are even coming to tell us you don't like alcohol. Who cares? It's the same hypocrisy that has killed your forefathers and kept this country this way. Talking as if you're better than the countries where they consume alcohol.

The irony of public discourse in Nigeria is that everyone wants Nigeria to become a "working system" but no one wants to "consequences" of one.

The government has taken a health and safety decision in the interest of millions of Nigerians and we criticise the decision for its impact on employment, hardship and it not being a priority.

Sachet alcohol is a social menace that is incompatible with a "sane" society. It makes alcohol accessible to anyone including minors who shouldn't even be able to buy it in the first place. It gets sold just about anywhere by anyone and for a controlled substance that's not good.

We might criticise of the suddeness of decision as Nigerian governments tend to have a taste for sudden bans which leaves little room for public awareness campaigns, but then when they do give ample time no one takes it seriously.

Another potential area of improvement could be the seeming lack of stakeholder involvement before the ban (of which it's clear to the blind these CSOs are a sponsored bunch), but we have no evidence of that.

Diamonds911:

Huge thanks lolo and giselle237. How long can wait till my kids biometrics since all fees have been paid? I hope there time gap to complete biometrics is not counting? I can't seem to get the fact from Tlscontact. Pls help

My knowledge isn’t up to speed but you probably don’t have long. The link below from 2022 states 45 days so you’ll need to check to see what the latest guidance is.

https://www.britbound.com/the-inbounder/what-happens-at-the-uk-biometrics-appointment

Diamonds911:


My people, I need your advice here. Thanks!

Lack of accommodation may prove a challenge as you should be able to show that you’re able to accommodate your kids and grandparents. You’ve already gone ahead to pay for the visa fees but if I were you I’ll wait to resume my job, have proof of address and at least one pay slip to show proof of income.

gergemam:


I don't think TechNation was paused but another Agency has been reassigned. Also, I am an exceptional promise and also a Software Engineer.

My question ❓:

I am trying to put my documentation together, I just need directions so that I can submit something convincing.

For Example:
🚀 Personal Statement and Guidelines
🚀 Professional Reference statement and Guidelines


Though, I have some pioneer products that I have worked on Both Fin-tech and Health Tech and currently have a one Year experience working for a UK company here.

Total Experience in Tech = 5+ Years

Your experience seems well aligned for EP. Check out the technation discourse forum. There's a lot of resources there on writing your personal statement. Also, try to get someone to review your application before you submit.

https://discourse.tnvisaforum.org/search?q=Personal%20statement

gergemam:
Hello 👋 Gurus, Happy New Year 🎊

justwise and any other mod

Please who knows someone that has applied for Global Talent VISA before?

Currently putting out some documentation but there's no much information out there as people seem not to be taking chances on it.

Thank You Kindly

You can go ahead and ask your question. I might be able to help.

Evagreenfields:
This is really helpful.

Congratulations and thank you for sharing!

It is super useful for me as I spent last night browsing through AIPs but none of the ones i checked seemed to work even though i already have my 10% deposit ready (20k) as I'm less than 2years in the UK (16months to be exact).

Wondering if anyone has specific lenders that work with less than 2 years residency in application, house hold income is > 100k however, 1 earner is permanent role and the other is on 6 months contract.

Did you get the AIPs directly or through a broker? My advise is to work with a broker who can get you across the line. A lot of people say you can’t buy a house in less than 24 months residency, but you actually can. Just need a broker that can work their contacts in the banks.

Also, the contract role might be the tricky part as lenders will prefer a longer term employment contract than 6 months. In all don’t give up. You’ll find a broker that can help you out.

Knowlegeseeking:
Okay thanks. So you are saying i cannot apply online except via post right? I also collected the D1 form from the post office, so i just fill and return.

Postal application works. I recall there was an old looking portal which I used. You submit your application there and then get a letter from DVLA asking for your proof of ID (BRP) which you then post and they return to you after a few weeks.

Knowlegeseeking:
Hi Guys,

Please i am trying to apply for my first provisional driving license. Been in the UK for 13months. On the application site, after i input my passport number and Nationality, i get the below response.

I then continue the process on the "old online service" which is the DVLA site, but same thing still repeats itself.

Please what am i doing wrong? I have also used my BRP as means of identification but keep getting the same issue.

The passport details they are able to validate are for British nationals. It only works if you have a British passport. You will have to send them your BRP by post and then they mail it back to you.

giselle237:
not for kids pls. This is clearly stated on the www.gov.uk website. No child born in the UK who is a dependent child would be asked for Nigerian passport inorder to apply for a visa. Adult- maybe. Child = capital NO.
This is not true as they are permitted to apply for leave to REMAIN with the UK birth certificate alone.

This shouldn’t be an argument. Have you had kids in the UK and gone through the process yourself or speaking from what you’re seeing on the Gov UK website which the caseworkers sometimes don’t follow verbatim.

Again like I said earlier, it shouldn’t be the case but they sometimes do which I experienced with my kids hence my advise to the OP. You saying it’s not true is an interesting position to take.

giselle237:
They don’t ask for kids born in the UK. The birth certificate and parents BRP is ALL they need

My comment was based on my previous experience. You don’t put it in the initial application, but there is a chance the case worker working on the kids application will send you an email asking for the passport or evidence you’ve started processing it. I filled the Nigerian passport application form online, booked an appointment and sent them screenshots of both and it was resolved.

tushqueen:
Someone should please attend to my question;;

1. Does a 2year old born in the UK need international passport to apply for a dependant visa?

Typically no. However you might get asked for this by the case officer in which case providing proof of commencing the passport application process should suffice.

ehizario2012:


Thanks for your response. I don't know what I did wrong, Marshmallow said they can't offer me insurance after I finished filling the online forms... They directed me to confused.com

Another one I tried brought £2600 annual, £233 monthly and £490 deposit!

This is shocking

Your first year quote is generally more expensive. Did Marshmallow give you a reason? It’s hard to guide you further without you sharing personal info, but perhaps try filling out the form again. You might also be able to contact them directly on their website to discuss it. You may also want to check out compare the market for more insurance quotes.

ehizario2012:


I Google tire today. They all kept requesting for drivers license. That's where I am stuck at the moment...

You can get insurance with an international drivers license. Check out marshmallow…they tend to offer good rates to immigrants just coming in with a driving history.

https://www.marshmallow.com/

Firefly77:
Hello guys, please I am in need of childcare in Margate Kent. I don't mind a live in nanny or a Nigerian or African childminder that I can take the kids to, from Monday to Friday. My kids are really small.

Check out childcare.co.uk. You may be lucky to find one there.

Did elections hold in the 18,000 polling units? If yes, did LP have agents in all or some of these 18,000 polling units? Where were the results from these agents? Are the results from these polling units enough to sway the case in LP’s favor or call for a run off?

These are the facts LP should be bringing forward at this point. Not being on iRev portal does not invalidate an election.

The laws of demand and supply will always outweigh any forms of policing, regulation against it.

Nigeria lacks strong institutions to prevent the outright theft and smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring countries in a subsidy regime. However, I’m not convinced any country is capable of preventing such even the developed world.

As an example, the US citizens are the largest consumers of illicit drugs (demand) and the U.S. has neighbouring countries like Mexico, Columbia etc. producing these illicit drugs (supply). With all the funding and resources poured into the drug war they still have been unable to stop the flow of drugs in the US entirely. You catch one drug lord and another takes his place. They built walls in the US border and the smugglers built tunnels below it. They even started to build low tech submarines to bypass US coastal forces. Simply because there is too much money to be made by meeting the demands of the market.

I believe it’s the same scenario with Nigeria. The arbitrage opportunities in a scenario where you have a 50% price difference between the price of petrol in Nigeria vs neighbouring countries makes a strong business case for smugglers. Even if you put up a walled fence around our borders, people will find ways around it. The only solution is to remove the arbitrage opportunity and then invest aggressively in palliative measures to douce the blow on the population.

Others have also made valid points around subsidies dissuading innovation and investments from the private sector. As far as I know, the few private refineries we have that are working in Nigeria have shied away from producing petrol because it’ll be a loss making venture for them (I.e. you don’t want to build a multi million or billion dollar business hoping the governments refunds you the difference between your cost price and market price. It’s just too much risk for any private investor to embark on.

anonymous1759:


Not only Nigeria but everywhere In the world that’s why will power is very essential for a leader to possess because of this obstacles . Some people benefit from the death and chaos of other people without bloodshed they can’t eat .

Agreed.

anonymous1759:


You’re speaking out of pain seems you’re part of the people benefiting from the sham subsidy mind your business let FG finish with their plan the end will justify the means no need to throw insults . I Remember when fashola dismantled oshodi he was heavily criticized people prayed for BAT to come back because of what Fash did but right now same people are praising fashola and will fight you if you compare fashola to BAT based on performance.

When Obi some people’s messiah increased ANSU school fees over 200% protest was made Obi told them education is not made for the poor that’s how it ended but today igbariam pay high but they don’t go on strike who’s criticizing Obi today in Anambra regarding ANSU one thing I notice about Nigerians they use emotions to play everything if it was their preferred candidate that made this policy they’ll support it .

Issue is in Nigeria there is no singular policy decision a government can take that won’t attract criticism no matter how reasonable or well intentioned it is. There tends to be a small proportion of highly influential people who stand to lose and will push back.

Interestingly, Lagos state wasn’t Dangotes first option for the refinery.

Dexy4yah:
Somany sick people in this crazy world.

This reminds me of Eminem's song Darkness.



Sad...

This song was inspired by the Vegas shootings. Eminem is a very good story teller in that regard.

bharkarh:
thank you for this. Can any company sponsor one in the UK?

Yes. Any company can sponsor after applying for the license and paying the fees.

koonbey:
No it's around 1,099 for one year - 2,555 max for 5 years.

License application fee - £536
Certificate issuance - £199
Immigration Skills Surcharge - £364 per year

I agree with what someone said that it's a matter of sensitisation - most companies think it's a bigger deal than it is.

Mine had to apply for a license just to sponsor me and I made the effort to present it as clearly as possible. Even sent the fees and timeline in tabular form to the HR so it was seemed simple as A B C, and it eventually took less than an hour for the whole thing.

I did a bit of digging as my company sponsors a few people I’m aware of and I’m pretty sure it was given as an excuse when I was hiring a direct report last year and wanted to get them to sponsor the lady. Apparently the costs differs based on company size (medium and larger companies) pay more. If you look at the table, employers can easily fall into the higher bracket. I won’t ordinarily classify my company as medium or even large but our asset base is way more £5m so I guess that’s why we had to pay the higher rates.

You do have a valid point on the sensitization. Sponsoring candidates has its benefits a lot of employers aren’t aware of. Typically the employees are locked in for 5 years so risk of attrition is lower. Also, they can’t be too aggressive in asking for a raise as well. Sadly I’ve also seen this happen with some employers who won’t give a reasonable raise or promotion for this reason. In my case, I eventually went for someone on the Ukrainian visa scheme who was equally as good.

hustla:


LOL So companies that are willing to pay £70K/yr salaries won't be able to afford 5K?

Affordability isn’t the only issue. Why should a company pay at all when you can hire someone else that doesn’t require sponsorship? Also, some firms have to hire a law firm to deal with this which is additional paper work. That’s why it’s difficult to get sponsorship for non-technical roles as supply is abundant.

hustla:



Getting the license /paperwork required for Sponsorship isn't that much of a big deal as you're making it seem

Problem is those companies also think it's a big deal and a lot of hassle so they just totally stay away from it

I believe the additional costs is a main challenge. I hear it costs anywhere from £5k and above in fees.

Viruses:
Hey guys, how were you able to secure car finance with less than 3 years address in the UK. All the lenders I've seen are asking for 3 years UK address history.

You may be able to put your Nigerian / out of country address. It’s also easier if you called the finance company on phone and got them to handle it for you. Once your score is good you should be fine.

baralatie:

Inec will have to draft a proper guideline for primary to include guidelines for omissions and additions.
If a party under convention to elect candidates must must have received legal documents that allowscthat candidates name to only appear in one register to contest.immediately the particular candidates name appears in two registers.it automatically denotes fraud and the candidates disqualified.leaving the second name on the list to be duly nominated etc

Ok. This makes sense.

garfield1:


Before a case is heard on merit,you must first tackle the technicalities which is equally germane...
The case was rightly trashed but it cannot be refiled as time has lapsed...
Secondly,the legality of the primary or who monitored it was not in contention

I see. It’s very likely to me that should Lawan win the loser will raise the legality of the primaries up in court as a point of appeal.

femu:


If you read the whole judgement you will see justification for the technicality.

There was conflict in what Machina presented which couldn't be addressed without a proper trial

Yes. That part made sense. However, he should have been given the opportunity to refill using the proper channel is my point. It wasn’t his fault his lawyers used the wrong channel. Also, how does INEC interpret this judgement since recognizing Lawan also means they are flouting the Electoral Act.

garfield1:


Oga,you can't build something on a faulty foundation

Agreed. But this judgement leaves more questions than it answered.

1. How does Machina proceed? The judges should perhaps have thrown out the case and asked for it to be refilled with the lower courts using the right process.

2. How is this judgement to be interpreted by INEC in light of the electoral act 2022 which states that primaries that aren’t observed by INEC are not valid. Ahmed Lawan did not participate in the primaries monitored by INEC. Doesn’t this recognition of Lawan not float the law in this case?

You see how my point on basing a judgement on technicalities is a very weird thing to do when the law clearly states how these cases should be judged.