One of the hottest, most talked-about events in the Nigerian social circles right now has been Obi Cubana’s mum’s burial and nothing seems to be enough to kill Obi Cubana’s shine.
From the over 400 cows donated to the host, the $100,000 diamond pendant, 67 private jets that landed Oba to the fleet of over 500 luxury cars, the ceremony was as loud as loud can be. We followed this story closely and here are five lessons we gathered from it.
1. Nigerians can joke about anything.
Like, I’m not even sure we take even ourselves seriously anymore. This has to be the height. Somebody’s mother died and people were everywhere on social media saying “God when?” Seriously guys???
2. Invest in your social capital.
They said connect with people, you say no, you’re an introvert, you like your personal space, etc. Being rich in people is a thing, your network is your net-worth. If the sheer amount of cows donated and money sprayed/flung doesn’t change your mind, what will?
3. Make your own soap.
As usual, the whole saga had people saying “cut soap for us” and the likes. In an interview with bbc pidgin, Obi Cubana was asked to cut soap for Nigerians and he responded “dem no dey cut soap for anybody for dis world.” In other words, people, make your own soap o.
4. Work hard consistently.
Since soap cutting is out of it, working hard consistently is the next best thing out there then. Being excellent at what you do will not be enough, you will have to also be consistent with it. Hustle o, make your girlfriend no leave you go party for oba.
5. Nigerian scammers are creative.
All was well and good after the burial ceremony, until I got a dm from Obi Cubana asking for an airtel recharge to help make money fly in my household. Like, what???
Are you mentally exhausted and don’t know it? There always exist periods where it seems you lose interest in working and develop what can be described as an apathy towards work. Someone could even say you’re being lazy or laidback towards work.
We’ll walk you through a quick test today to check if you’re dealing with exhaustion or you’re just really lazy.
1. You Don’t Feel Motivated.
Firstly, you don’t feel motivated. Not feeling motivated is not always a sign of laziness, it can actually be a pointer to emotional exhaustion sometimes which arises as a result of the fact that you have done so much brainwork without adequate rest.
2. You Can’t Focus Or Concentrate.
Secondly, you are losing focus. Are you finding it hard to concentrate on what needs to be done? If you find yourself getting distracted easily, it could be a pointer to the fact that you are stressed and it needs to be managed before it affects you at the workplace.
3. You Constantly Fantasize About Drastic Change
Thirdly, you’re in a fantasy world. Do you find yourself suddenly imagining what your life would look like if you won the lottery? Or if someone suddenly relocated you away from the country? Using such fantasies to escape your present reality is a pointer to emotional exhaustion.
4. Small Tasks Seem Overwhelming.
Similarly, when stressed or mentally exhausted, you suddenly begin to struggle with tasks that you naturally would execute. At this point, work seems like a big deal and you just need it all to stop so you can breathe.
Have you ever been in a situation where the search “awoof” (freebies) landed you in trouble?
Firstly, I’d always heard it said that “awoof dey run belle,” but experience really is the best teacher I guess.
On this fateful day, I needed to pay my DSTV subscription. Upon searching online, I found a website offering a 20% discount on payments. “Ahnahn, see free money.” If only I had known village people were after me.
I quickly entered the website as a sharp guy. inputted my card details and paid for the bouquet I wanted and got debited. I felt great. Above all, it was in that moment that I realised it actually feels good to know you got a better deal than the seller. The world was quite great, until…
I started getting a series of consecutive debits on my account. Huh? I live in Meiran, Lagos State to be precise, why am I getting debited in Dubai? Ah, awoof!!! I had fallen prey to a scam website. My account was completely drained that day.
In conclusion, that is where VTpass comes into play. VTpass helps you to avoid getting scammed. Simply log on to vtpass.com to buy airtime/data, subscribe GOtv, DStv, or Startimes, or pay electricity bills . . . it’s as easy as Login, Select, and Pay!
A person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto launched Bitcoin in 2009. A worldwide army of enthusiasts swiftly adopted the cryptocurrency. It currently has user dashboards looking like the silhouette challenge however.
HOW BITCOIN WORKS
Bitcoin is a digital currency which has no ties to any bank or government. Bitcoins are basically lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they are transferred from one owner to the next.
Users create the coins, “mining” them by lending computing power to verify other users’ transactions. For that, they receive Bitcoins in exchange. The coins however have monetary value. They can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies.
Since coming to light, cryptocurrency has been widely hailed as everybody’s “inroad” to financial independence. Some businesses receive Bitcoin for payment and a number of financial institutions allow it in their clients’ portfolios. Overall mainstream acceptance is still quite limited though.
Leading cryptos Bitcoin and Ethereum have endured a turbulent time over the past week. Share prices have dropped by 37.10% and 42.23% respectively. The market crash follows a decision by Tesla to no longer accept Bitcoin as payment for its vehicles, as announced by the car company’s CEO Elon Musk.
Don’t Panic. The most important thing you need to have in order to make the decision is your head. Whether you are going to buy the dip, see the dip out or get out while you can, use your head. We are not telling you to not be afraid of losing your money. But, be sure you’re not just making an emotional decision.
Assess and Evaluate. From a place of calm, make research, keep abreast of news and developments regarding cryptocurrency. It’s not the first time in recent times that the market is being hit. Just in February, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bannedNigerian banks from dealing in all forms of cryptocurrencies, then Tesla, now China, and there have been conversations surrounding India.
Make a Decision. Assess the situation and what it means for the future. As a result, you will be making an informed decision. This provides an action plan that reflects your current view on the potential risks and opportunities of cryptocurrencies.
The plunge in cryptocurrency markets may have you unsettled. But remember, this is not the first time the market is dipping.
Recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) banned Nigerian banks from dealing in all forms of cryptocurrencies; including bitcoin.
Why was Bitcoin banned?
The Central Bank of Nigeria cited ‘use of digital currency for laundering and terrorism‘ as the chief reason for banning cryptocurrencies. This comes shortly after several bulls run in the price of bitcoin, gaining over 300% price increase from 2020.
Starting earlier on the month of February 2021, Nigerian banks and other financial institutions were authorized by CBN to cease crypto transactions or face a penalty.
Away from the financial powerhouses, experts have analyzed how bitcoin ban in Nigeria would impact local traders.
The Nigerian cryptocurrency market
Looking back at statistics, Quartz Nigeria placed Nigeria as the second-largest bitcoin market in the world after the United States. Stears Businessreported in February 2021 that over $200 million worth of crypto is traded from Nigeria monthly. That’s a huge market to consider!
The bitcoin ban in Nigeria simply means that it would be difficult to directly convert the Naira to bitcoin, or trade bitcoin for items.
However, it does not stop at that.
The CBN regulation immediately affected many fintech establishments in Nigeria dealing with virtual accounts. Providus bank took a special hit, having to halt all virtual accounts following the order. VTpass had to temporarily deactivate all virtual accounts and recently reactivated all accounts with new virtual account numbers.
Conversations following the ban continue to float all over the internet. But what is the solution? What is the way forward for Nigerians looking to continue crypto trading amidst the ban?
Here’s our researched take:
Consider Peer-to-Peer Trading: Pending when the ban would be lifted, the most viable solution to buy crypto at the moment would be P2P trading. This is buying privately from a trusted source (a friend, a local agency, etc.) as trading involving bank transfers would be impossible.
Create a Domiciliary account: Well, since there are no restrictions on domiciliary accounts, you can open one, convert Naira and Dollars, and trade cryptos through that account.
Cryptocurrencies trading may have been banned in Nigeria, that doesn’t mean the digital currencies are done for. The future of cryptos for the African market remains bright against all odds.
When we set up the auto-wallet funding feature on VTpass, our aim was to make wallet funding super easy. And we did.
However, recent development has made virtual wallet funding difficult; starting with Providus bank discontinuing support for virtual accounts to subsequent deactivation of automatic wallet funding.
While we are currently working to restore auto-wallet funding by assigning new virtual accounts to our customers, we have reactivated manual wallet funding as an alternative to serve you within this period.
How to fund your VTpass wallet manually
To fund your VTpass wallet manually, simply make payment into any of the following bank accounts:
Stanbic IBTC Bank Broadshift Technologies Ltd 0034565819
Providus Bank Broadshift Technologies Ltd 5400381948
After you have made payment, use the payment notification page to alert us of your payment. Here’s how to do so:
Login to your VTpass account using your username and password
Navigate to and click on “Quick Tools”
Click on “Payment Notification”
Fill the simple payment notification form
Once sent, VTpass would be notified of your payment and upon confirmation, your payment would reflect on your wallet.
New virtual account numbers would be resigned to account holders upon restoration of the auto-wallet funding service.
For help or further inquiries, contact VTpass customer support via Live-Chat, emailing support@vtpass.com, or calling 08138752358.
If you are preparing to write WAEC/GCE by March this year, or know someone who is; WAEC registration 2021 is now ongoing!
This first series examination for Private candidates would commence on March 2021 and end by April 2021.
Candidates are advised to start registering early as registration ends by January 29th, 2021.
To register, you can pay enrollment fees at a secondary school or Exam centers. However, some schools and exam centers have been known to charge up to N50,000 just for enrollment.
So why pay that high when you can cut enrollment costs by buying WAEC Registration 20201 PIN online?
Here’s how to buy WAEC Registration 2021 PIN online:
Click on Continue to move on to the Confirmation page
Choose your payment method you can pay with Wallet or Bank Transfer
Confirm payment and pay
That easy! Your WAEC registration 2021 PIN is delivered to you via email and SMS and also displayed on VTpass website immediately after payment.
With your PIN, simply head over to www.waecnigeria.org to visit any center to complete your registration.
If you encountered any problems when buying PIN or didn’t get PIN after payment, simply contact VTpass Support. See why your PIN may not be delivered here.
If you participated in the 2020 West African Examination (WAEC) or know someone who did, it’s time to rub your hands and see the scores.
As announced by the WAEC Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan; the 2020 result for over 94% of students who sat for the exams is out and others are still been processed.
This is to inform all the candidates that participated in the 2020 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) that they can now check their results online.
This is to inform candidates that sat West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, 2020 that the results of that exam will be released by @waecnigeria tomorrow, Monday, November 2, 2020 by 10:30am. @WaleMicaiah@IamKingDemian@Gidi_Traffic
You would need a WAEC Result Checker PIN to be able to check WAEC result online. Simply visit vtpass.com/waec-result to buy your Scratch card PIN at N1,800 only.
You get your PIN immediately after payment, displayed on VTpass website or app, and sent to you via email and SMS. Here is how to check your result online;
Enter your WAEC Examination Number in the required column.
Select your Examination Year i.e. 2020.
Select your Examination Type i.e. SCHOOL CANDIDATE RESULT.
Enter the Card Serial Number.
Enter the result checker PIN
Finally, click the “Submit” button to get your 2020 WAEC Result.
Statistics dished out by WAEC show that over 65% of candidates who sat for the exam obtained a minimum of credits in five (5) subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
What comes to your mind when the word “Insurance” is mentioned? Do you cringe or smile? There are sets of perceptions in most people’s minds about Insurance, but are these perceptions myths or facts?
There is no denying that insurance can be incredibly complicated, both in theory and practice. So it’s little wonder that sometimes rumors, myths, and untruths can be held as fact and disseminated as such.
In this article, we want to smoothen out some of the twigs from the drink. Here are 5 common myths about Insurance and the facts that prove them wrong:
Long read? Watch video summary instead
Myth 1: Insurance is expensive
Let’s start from where it concerns our pockets shall we? The popular misconception that only the rich can afford insurance is as funny as it sounds.
Let’s face it, that idea is so old and gone. With stiff competition in today’s insurance market, premiums for covers gotten more affordable. For some covers like motor insurance in Nigeria, prices can be as low as N2,500 a year!
The most remarkable of insurance cost is that of health insurance in Nigeria. A 2017 report puts the average cost health insurance plan at N35,000 for individuals and N125,000 for families. While this is affordable considering the cost of medical treatment in the country, you could get top-notch health covers (with private treatments) for even less at VTpass.
Now, imagine having all-round health insurance for only N15,000/year (N2000/month) for individuals and N60,000/year (N5,500/month) for families?
How affordable can that get?
Myth 2: Insurance companies are fraudsters
I was in a conversation with a friend one Saturday evening when an Insurance salesman walked by. His pitch was about how fast an insured would be compensated after a loss. You should have seen how my friend chased him away.
He did this because of the terrible experience he had with an insurer who refused to compensate him after a loss occurred against his burglary cover.
The mistrusts in insurance companies is perfectly understandable. Agreed, there are fake insurers out there who aren’t really in business to serve but to steal.
However, not all insurers are fraudsters. We have reputable, world-class insurers in Nigeria. In 2019, total claims paid out by insurance companies in Nigeria amounted to N98.9 billion; a 16.5% increase from N84.9 billion paid out in 2017. If all insurance companies are fraudsters, banks and top businesses would not commit hundred of millions annually to insurers to cover potential risks.
The solution is simply to buy insurance from reliable and trusted sources only. Companies that are backed but by NAICOM and duly regulated.
Digital technology is the future no one can escape from. Today with reliable online platforms like VTpass, your cell phone, and internet connection; while sitting in your home or office, you can get any insurance you want!
At VTpass, we deliver your policy to you digitally and physically after purchase. When it comes to claims, you can trigger settlement by clicking the claim button on our website. It’s that easy.
Africa and transforming digitally, taking all industries in its whirlwind. A few years from now, there wouldn’t be need for person-to-person interaction before quality insurance is sold.
A word of advice though; only buy from proven and trusted online platforms. Visit vtpass.com/insurance today.
Myths 4: Buying Insurance takes a long and tedious process
If you’ve tried buying insurance in the ’90s you would be amazed by the paperwork that goes with it. Then there are the long questionings by medical examiners or risk assessors, etc.
All that is old news now.
Insurance companies have modified proposal forms and other documents to collect only the barest, necessary information (no one is going to ask if your mum had green eyeballs or not). Add that improvement to today’s digital technology and we have an insurance system that delivers covers in minutes!
Today, you can get a motor cover in less than 10 minutes when you buy at VTpass. No stress. We have eliminated the need for tedious processes with our innovative payment solution.
It’s no wonder why Nigerians rely on VTpass to get quality insurance covers day in-day out. Our secret is simply partnering with Nigeria’s top insurance companies with proven track records of prudence and claim settlement.
Banking halls these days can be tiring. Even before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, crowds in banking halls can simply put you off.
Nowadays, with a huge necessity to avoid crowded places; one needs to find alternatives to carryout most bank-related transactions without risking health and safety.
Here are a few ways VTpass can help you complete bank transactions while staying safe:
1. Pay Bills Online, Conveniently
Nothing feels better than being able to lay in bed, curl your toes and pay bills easily using your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Our high traffic website: vtpass.com can be accessed on any platform and you can perform transactions in three easy steps; Login > Select > Pay!
VTpass has a wide range of options and our lists of services keep growing! You can:
Transfer money to any Nigerian bank, no matter the amount.
Buy airtime or data instantly: MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile
Internet payment: Smile airtime, Smile data, etc.
Pay electricity bills whether prepaid or postpaid. Get meter token delivered to you instantly: IKEDC, IBEDC, EKEDC, AEDC, KEDCO, JED, PHED, KAEDCO, etc.
Renew TV subscriptions and get reconnected immediately : DStv, GOtv, StarTimes, etc.
Buy top-notch insurance covers from leading insurance companies in Nigeria: Third-party motor insurance, Health insurance, Personal accident insurance, Home insurance, etc.
Pay education bills such as WAEC Registration PIN, WAEC Checker PIN, etc.
2. Free Mobile App for Transactions
Enjoy the easy bill payment experience better when you download the VTpass mobile app from Google PlayStore. The app is optimized to work on any android devices.
With its lightweight, speed, and easy-navigation features, you can complete transactions anywhere, anytime by simply tapping few buttons.
3. Free VTpass Wallet
Technology makes life easier every day and so does VTpass. With VTpass auto-wallet, you can store funds for bills payment all in one place. It gives you a lot of benefits:
Separate funds for settling important bills from other funds by simply transferring your bills-funds to your VTpass wallet.
No need to input card details every time you wish to make payment. Just tap and pay.
Not a fan of online transactions? Why not visit a VTpass agent near you to carry out transactions. These are basically moms, shop-owners, students, etc partnering with us to serve you locally.
Payment is truly at your convenience with VTpass, no need to rush or queue in banks. Just visit vtpass.com! Innovation never stops here. We remain committed to making payment for everyday services easy and stress-free!
