Religion and Culture: Any Meeting Point?

Religion and Culture!

Like seriously...

On the religio-cultural thing, Brother Ibraaheem Pharmacy aired his view with an initial deep hysteria: 

"Hmm, but Islam also make the culture as a judge in most of marital affairs and that is why statements like "..and live with them (بالمعروف) what is culturally good.
العرف محكم!"

"So, we can't really throw culture away.", he concluded. 

To me, it is a recount:

On my Nikaah Day, I was asked to "at least tilt a little" for the eldest Sheikh in my Zawj's...
I stood my ground... remained standing till the end...

Getting back home, my people ordered that the legs of 'Iyawo' should be washed before entering!

The reason for that wasn't  clear to me. So I refused...

Sometimes it takes one's religious understanding and commitment to address some cultural issues.

However, If we are benefited with  details behind some of our cultural things, we may come to realise that we could actually marry them along our Islamic practices.

24/01/2020
Bolaji M. Anifowose

...say something!

On the 22nd of January 2020 (Wednesday), I

got to school (DFS) at 7am and while seated in my class, I perceived a smoke-like cloud by the entrance...leading to the beginning of the narrative about a fire outbreak I once prevented! 

Therein, while still trying to make sense...a primary 6 pupil called out to me. Behold! A fire outbreak is warming up right before my eyes...possibly caused by wire-bridging in a socket.

I moved swiftly for a fire-extinguisher after assessing the situation and blocking possible means against extending the outbreak.

Handling the fire extinguisher away from the wall where it was hung, I straightened its opening to the direction of the burning socket and unleashed the cylinder content on the fire.

With 3 to 5 presses the 'alarmed situation' was put to normalcy!

Though we were lucky we had the fire extinguisher handy, the story might have been unattractive if the witnesses to this incidence were not proactive enough.

Thus the reiterated message to everyone remains:

"If you see something, say something!"

MARKET SAMPLING!

*MARKET RESEARCH & TESTING YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE*

*INTRODUCTION*
Achieving success at business requires desiring mutual satisfaction at both ends…the provider and the recipient.

*HOW COULD THIS BE ACHIEVED?*

1- *Based on Requests for the Product or Service* especially after well-wishers/ keen observers / critical analysts give their pass-marks on the exceptionality of the product or service.

2- *As a Result of Market Survey…* hinting you about the customers’ need for the product…also enabling you to mark your Minimum Viable Profit *(MVP)* against other similar competitive products.

3- *Independently Producing a Product or Designing a Service* as a result of feasible societal scanning revealing people need for such. E.g CBI @Jarus Hub, Mobile Money, POS, O-Pay and so on.

4- *Getting Experts’ Advice* at an idea you cut into that has fetched in positive feedback but desires regular monitoring leading to Apps Devt. for online tutorials, ask your doctor (e.g wellvis), cyber agents…

5- *Studying Meaningful On-going Competitions* should propel you to out-smart your competitors at discovering way(s) to do what they are doing better or even best. This is the target! E.g Pepsi Vs Coke.

6- *With Diversification of Products and Services* just as we can see with Dangote, successes are all over you...cement, spaghetti,refinery etc. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, though you do that wisely!

7- *Product Simplification (PS)* may be independent of existing endeavours as it’s aimed at creating a win-win situation that welcomes everybody on board. Peak milk Tins/Satchets, Certification Courses…

8- *Product Consolidation* must be in terms of viability and marketability like HandSet (phone, clock, calculator, alarm etc are combined in just a product) and not the likes of 4-in-1 pen of the old…

9- *Following Experts Analysis and Forecasting* that have become viable at job creations in recent time. E.g AI, Virtual & Augmented Reality, Software as a Service (SaaS) @Tax, Budget, Stock, FB, Whatsapp…

*CONCLUSION*
With purposeful stride at these *‘itemisations’* for a viable and excellently thought-out service/ endeavour, God-willing, the sky is the beginning of the story for the glory of every would-be business person/service provider !!!

Originally Presented by: *Olatuson, 'Abdul-Kabeer*

Summarised & Edited by: *Bolaji, M. Anifowose*

Wife Multiplication Project!

Al-hamduliLlaahi 'Alaa Kul-li haal!

Wa Allaahu Ta'aala 'A'lam!

Brothers talking on *'Wife Multiplication Project'*, I believe, their intention is driven towards encouraging us...

Though they based there analogy on what is apparent to them from their brethren dispositions...which is understandable.

Yet I presume we shouldn't be judgemental about that as perception varies.

In reality things are not or at least may not be as we are deeming...

No one can Know you more intimately than yourself o!

*Ohun ti Taye se t'ose ase'yege, ti Kehinde ba danwo olee buu l'owo!*

Since the understanding is there, *abuse buse!*

We'll cross the River - bi ithni Allaah - when we get there!

Aki awa Oni'waasi...aku akin;

Asi Ki awa Agbo'waasi pelu...k'osewu l'egberun ekooo...!

We ask Allaah to increase us with the love of what He loves...in speech and action...sincerely for His sake, aamiin.

Wa aakhiri da'waanaa Al-hamduliLlaahi Rabil-'aalamiin.

THINK CONSTRUCTIVELY...DON'T WORRY UNNECESSARILY!

It was asked :

"If a business is not striving and the owner is financially handicapped. what can be done to revive the business and make it profitable?

I replied:

You meant not flourishing?!

I would love you answer the questions of what and how?

*What* do you think warrant the unflourishness of the business?
- out of stock - locationally disadvantaged
- familial penetration  - credit sales
- inexperience in setting prices etc

*How* could the aforementioned...lead to unflourishness...?

1- Being out of stock will result in lost of customers and ultimately low sales. You have this... It's finished! What about that...they just bought the last...

2- Market location is a potential factor of sales...

3- When one is too simple and in the habit of willing to solve others headaches (especially family members) with the business income, such will not give business its due stride at growth...

4- Not keeping track of inventory stocking sales credits documentation-wise will make business growth bleak. Not being conversant with current prices of goods and products is not too good; if you sell higher than necessary you'll be loosing customers and if they buy lower than cost price you'll be running at lost.
So that is not mutually comfortable!

*Then the way out* is to act positively, uprightly and consciously in a way to provide a counter to those itemisations that can dwindle one's shot at business growth.

*Attempt a good study* of what innovative step to improvise to give the business a face-lift...unique from others of its kind.

*Try to be in-charge* of every transaction or at least let your representative be.

My *experiential comment* sincerely meant to ease your endeavours.

Buurikalakum!

THE PRESENT PAST

*The Aura of Campus...*

I was on with marking...
That of my students second C. A.
And to keep myself on with taqwa
I tune in my laptop's player with Husory

Therein I felt the aura of OAU Campus
Blowing on me the breeze of the present past
That reignite in me the memorisation zeal
That has once three-quartered the Book

Thinking that's all exclusive of me
But I was wishfully wrong with that
For my partner recounted same with me
While retiring the tired body...

I wish I could be back on campus
As vibrant as I was, once again!

BOLAJI M. Anifowose
16/11/2019

THERE IS RISK IN NOT TAKING RISK!

RISK MANAGEMENT

This is a core aspect of Project management. Though it has often been neglected, considering it means much for the anticipated  success of a project to be executed.

Risk could be positive whereby it's termed 'opportunity' and could become 'threat' from its negative conception. Either way it is considered, it's an adventure requiring full attention.

To be at the realm of affairs with risk management for a project, the following must be considered:

1- Risk Planning (having a conception of a project is enough a reason to start planning for or against its risk)!

2- Risk Investigation (this requires deep-thinking about any prominent, hidden and unforeseen threat/opportunity with executing a project).

3- Risk Analysis/Ranking (One needs to prioritise...which 'Risk' to be considered first...why this and not that...If this is delayed it may turn the whole project into a disaster...if that is forgone and this is considered we have a safe condition/situation to be able to have a platform to arrest other unsafe conditions).

4- Risk Response Implementation (This is in terms of strategies in procurement to put Risk at bay away from a project...timeliness, specificity, accuracy (i.e in terms of quantity or quality) are key here) &

5- Risk Control (making sure that no disruption comes in as project management itself is all about being proactive. Thus in the face of risk management while applying control one shouldn't be reactivate. The potential risk should be managed in such a way that its evident threat is turned an opportunity!