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!
They say it’s summer time but all we are experiencing in these parts is rain, rain, and more rain. The last thing anyone needs right now is for rain to ruin the season, so, here are seven tips on how to survive the rains.
Don’t ever forget to close your windows.
One of the worst things that can happen to anyone in this season is stepping out of the house, then when the rain begins, you remember that you didn’t close your windows. Many have slept in nature-made waterbeds just because they didn’t pay attention to this tip.
Plan your outfits in advance.
This is the season in which your cloths can take up to one week before they get dried up because the rains can help you decide that you haven’t rinsed them enough. You would do well to do your laundry in advance this season.
Never go out without an umbrella.
Even if the sun is shining bright and making you sweat, don’t make the mistake of stepping out without taking an umbrella along with you because in 2 secs, your story can be changed by sudden downpour.
Rubber shoes all the way.
Now is not the time to wear shoes that are made of cotton or other materials that are very prone to water if you don’t want your footwear to turn into a sponge.
Dress for the cold.
As much as possible, ensure you step out with a coat, jacket or sweater in hand. Now is the time to wear thicker fabrics and protect yourself from the cold.
Eat Healthy.
You need to pay more attention to your diet during the rains. Avoid street food as much as possible and also keep away from raw vegetables. Maintain a nutritional diet that includes cooked vegetables, fruits, herbal tea. Now is not the time to fall ill.
When we say that we are committed to delivering seamless transactions, we are not joking, and that’s why VTPASS Support is here.
We understand that naturally, it’s quite hard to trust someone else with your hard-earned money, which is worse for us because as Nigerians, we naturally have trust issues, and rightly so, that’s why we are giving you four different channels through which you can contact us whenever you are experiencing any challenge with your transactions.
The Live Chat
The Live Chat feature gives you instant access to our 24/7 support centre just by clicking on “help” and “start live chat” from the VTPASS Mobile App or by logging on to vtpass.com and clicking on “online – chat with us” at the bottom right. That’s it, instant access in just a few clicks
Call Support
Are you the kind of customer who prefers to hear the voice on the other end of the screen? Or you have an urgent need? Our helpline is always available to give you 24-hour dedicated support. That’s right, getting that issue resolved is as simple as dialling 08138752358 now!
Social Media
We know that you probably spend a lot of your time on Social Media. And because of that, we have decided to spend a lot of time on Social Media likewise. You can get your issues resolved by sending a DM to us via Instagram, Twitter or Facebook just like that. You should engage with us because we always love to hear from you, and that’s the truth!
Email
Yes, if you’d rather send us an official mail, we are here for you. You can send a mail to support@vtpass.com now and we’ll help you resolve any issue you have, even if it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with our platform because at VTPASS, we believe in going the extra mile for you.
Agreed, there are many fake websites out there claiming to be motor insurers or insurance agents or brokers. One needs to be careful when buying third-party motor insurance online.
The question is, why buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria? I mean, why not just go to a physical broker or insurance company and get the business done? Here, we give you three solid reasons why buying third-party motor insurance online is the better option:
Fast certificate delivery: Buying through a physical location, you would have to wait for days before the insurance papers are out. Buying online, however, your insurance papers are ready immediately after payment! No time for stress.
Less paper-work: The last time a friend of ours bought thrid party motor insurance through a broker, we filled and filled and filled proposal forms. Abeg! Buying online, proposal forms questions are significantly shorter yet underwriting quality remains the same. Less paper-work = lesser stress.
Faster renewal process: For some motorists, the biggest challenge of buying motor insurance is the renewal process. That awkward feeling of visiting your broker’s office multiple times during renewal. Buying online, you can simply automate your renewal process so that your wallet is automatically billed the next premium upon renewal.
You get to enjoy these and more right from the comfort of your home and office. All you need to buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria is your mobile phone or laptop, internet connection, your funds and a reliable online bill payment platform like VTpass.
How to Buy Third Part Motor Insurance from VTpass
To buy third party motor insurance from the comfort of your home or office, simply:
Fill in the required information: insurance type, insured name, engine number, chassis number, phone number, etc.
Click on Continue to move to the payment confirmation page
Select a payment method i.e pay with card, wallet, or bank transfer
Enter your payment details and confirm payment
Done!
Your third-party motor insurance certificate would be delivered to you immediately after payment. The main policy document would follow only a few days later. Fast and easy.
Driving is a risk on its own, getting a motor cover shouldn’t be risky. Buy yours from VTpass as our quality third-party motor insurance is provided for you by Universal Insurance, one of Nigeria’s most credible insurers.
Drive with complete peace of mind when you buy third-party motor insurance from VTpass!
E-payments in Nigeria saw a total transformation during the lockdown. Yes, the pains of COVID-19 were felt but perhaps it left us with a few lessons too. We witnessed the difficulties associated with economic stagnation and knew the importance of business activities in any economy.
From the angle of finance, the pandemic gave insights into the future of payments in Nigeria. A study by Accenture revealed the limitation of cash and the increase of digital payment during the lockdown periods worldwide. For Nigeria, this is especially true.
Even though people withdrew more cash than ever from ATMs around the country, less than 60% of that cash was actually spent. This was due to cash hoardings by people amidst not knowing when the lockdown would be eased.
Lack of physical cash gave boosts to online payments. Cashless and contactless payments became the norm so as to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
The long queues at ATMs were yet another factor. It was far easier to make payments digitally than paying in cash. Many individuals and businesses that could operate during the lockdown switched to electronic payment. All of these exploded e-payments around the country.
Just how much explosion? you might ask. In May 2020, e-payments in Nigeria jumped by 82% to ₦11.676 trillion from ₦6.421 trillion in April 2020. An all-time high!
Online retailers and payment platforms saw increases in patronage too, even as other consumer spendings decreased. This was evidenced by the increase in the number of online stores and internet marketers during the lockdown.
Now, as the country kick-starts full operations of economic activities, the question remains; would the rate of e-payments in Nigeria reduce, or would it increase in the coming months?
Why e-Payment would increase
Electronic bill payments for goods and services around the country are only bound to increase. Here are two major post-COVID reasons why this would happen:
Personal Precautions:
The crisis may be relaxed but the ‘panic’ still exists for many. Millions of people would still prefer to take the safer route when making bills payments – that is to pay online.
Many health experts have warned about the risk of contacting COVID-19 from unaware, new carriers not detected during the quarantine. As such, the need to protect personal self from contacting the virus through cash handling or contact payment would keep a lot of people on the online payment track for a very long time.
Convenience:
For many, the quarantine was their chance to experience online payment for the first time. Convinence has been the major driver of e-payments since inception; it’s no wonder why a large percentage of new users would want to stick with the system.
World Bank already predicted that 25% of all money transfers would be done electronically by 2025; a chunk of that increase coming from new e-payment users in Africa. Convinence and speed of payment are major drivers that would prompt these new users to switch paymently to e-transactions.
VTpass, driving e-payments in Nigeria.
Online bills payments are not reducing anytime soon. Instead, a lot more bill payers would make the switch from cash transactions in the future. You too can transit to paying bills online today.
Start by logging on to vtpass.com to pay bills in minutes. VTpass is Nigeria’s leading online payment platform that allows you to pay for the daily services you enjoy. You can top-up airtime or data, subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes, pay electricity bills, buy insurance, and do more.
Payments on VTpass are fast and easy and you get value for your money within minutes of transfers. Visit vtpass.com to get started or simply download the VTpass mobile app.
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.
