When it comes to doing business in Nigeria, the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria are number one. You cannot compete with them. You find them in every good business from retail to shipping, hotel, hospitality, import and export. They are always there. As in their adrenalin for doing business is out of this world. From the old to the young ones, they blessed with natural business acumen and they have hugely taken advantage of it to create wealth for themselves. In line with this, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency identifies 5 reasons why Igbo have strong business spirit.

They are willing to travel to do business

You should envy the ingenuity and knack for business by the Igbos. Where other Nigerian tribes can never go, you will find the Igbos there. They are on ground fearlessly and painstakingly doing their business. They blend and embrace the culture that you begin to think they are one of them. This is not restricted to the borders of Nigeria.

They don’t struggle with hands on experience

Igbos don’t need or struggle with hands on experience to start a business. They are already set up for success because they haves uncles, aunties, and seniors who are doing business. Hence, they can ease in without stress. They only need to discuss with their significant other that they want to work with them.

They are patient and willing to learn

Despite the fact that they don’t struggle with hands-on experience, they still take time out to learn the tricks of the business they desire to do. You will be shocked that they wait as much as 2 years to learn the business. This is why they are very good entrepreneurs and business men/women.

They love what they do

The Igbos love what they do that is why you find them everywhere. From Yaba to Oyinbo and Ladipo, you find them there. They love what they do and it is also a way for them to survive.

They are natural businessmen and women

You can’t argue with this, the Igbos are blessed with excellent and awesome business men and women.

By Adeniyi OGUNFOWOKE
PR Associate at Jumia Travel

It’s funny that “the one organ in our brain that thinks is often the one we think less about”. The brain is the most important organ in our body and it’s time we pay more attention to its health and welfare. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 8 habits that harm your brain.

Not Sleeping Well

Lack of proper sleep is a bad habit that can significantly hurt your brain. It negatively affects the hippocampus causing a deficit that leads to forgetfulness.

Having Too Much Time to Yourself

Alone time can be great for thinking, reflection and mapping out your dreams and goals. However, when the solitude is too much it can damage the mind and body. It can typically cause brain decline, affect the quality and efficiency of sleep making it less restorative, erode arteries, create high blood pressure, undermine learning and memory and generally take a toll on health; although, most of these effects are gradual and experienced over the course of time.

Eating Too Much Junk Food

Regardless of the fact that you are the kind of person that can eat whatever you like and remain in shape, it is important not be excessive in your intake of junk foods. This is because parts of brain linked to learning, memory and mental health are smaller and less developed in people who excessively consume junk foods. Natural foods like berries, whole grains, nuts, green leafy vegetables preserve the brain function and slow mental decline.

You Play Loud Music with Earphones or Headphones

Placing the volume of your earphone or headphone at full volume can permanently damage your hearing. It can also cause brain problems involving loss of memory or inability to remember things easily, and loss of brain tissue in your later years. This is most likely because the brain has to work so hard to understand what’s being said around you that it can hardly store what you’ve heard into your memory.

Immobility

The body was made to move and the longer you remain unmoving and inactive the more likely you are to suffer from diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, dementia and high blood pressure which can all negatively affect the brain in the long run. You don’t have to start high intensity workouts or start running marathons, just take a walk around your house more often or engage in an activity that gets you moving.

Smoking

At this point, it has already been established that smoking is bad for your body. Aside causing lung problems, smoking also shrinks the brain. It makes your memory worse, makes you more forgetful and leads to problems like heart disease, dementia, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, lung cancer etc.

Overeating

We are familiar with the saying, “too much of anything is bad”. Too much food, even of the right and healthy kind of food, can hinder the brain from building up a strong network of connections to help you think and remember. Overeating can also lead to obesity which is linked to a number of brain problems like food addiction, impulsive and disinhibited eating and in some cases cognitive problems.

Staying Indoor or In the Dark for Prolonged Periods

For the optimum health of the brain, it is important you expose yourself to natural light as often as you can. This helps to prevent depression and keep your brain working well. Staying in the dark or without natural light for prolonged periods, can slow your brain and cause a decline in the brain.

By Damilola Ojo
PR Associate Jumia Travel
+2348101556883

Today’s Scripture: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – (Matthew 5:6, NIV)

Topic: Get Filled Up! [Thursday March 30, 2017]

Sometimes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in taking care of the people around us. You may find that you’re always giving, taking care of the children, working overtime at the office, or helping that friend who is struggling. And that’s all good. But if you’re not careful, you can end up feeling rundown. That’s why you have to take time every day to get filled back up. Your first priority should be taking care of yourself and making time to get into the presence of Jesus. Throughout scripture, we see that in God’s presence, there is fullness of joy, fullness of peace, and fullness of victory. In His presence, you’re refreshed and restored. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to read your Bible and meditate on His promises. We have to be diligent to have quiet time with Him.

Today, take time to get alone with God and just say, “God, I love You today. Thank You for my life, for my family, for the opportunities You’ve given me. Lord, I know every good thing comes from You.” When you live like that, with your heart connected to His, you’ll be refreshed, restored and filled up for the journey of life ahead!

A Prayer for Today: “Father, thank you for filling me with Your strength. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, so that I can be righteous in You. I hunger for Your truth and seek You first. Draw me to You and keep me close to You always in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Topic: The Cure to Offences [Thursday March 30, 2017]

These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended. – John 16:1

Offence is a master-killer.

Living in offence is living with death without knowing.

At first it looks friendly in satisfying your emotional need but suddenly turns into an unfriendly killer-cancer. Hebrews.12:15

The cure to offence is knowledge.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Knowledge prepares us against every form of offence.

Knowledge will grant to you unexplainable peace and cheerfulness in the face of offences.

To be filled with knowledge is to live less and free of offence.

You cannot be filled with knowledge and at the same time be filled with offence.

So go for knowledge to go off offence lane. Increase your knowledge to decrease in offence.

Topic: Season of Dominion [Thursday 30, March 2017]

Memorise: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. – Psalm 72:8

Read: Psalm 72:4-9 (KJV)

4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

Bible in One Year: 37-38, Jeremiah 4:19-31

MESSAGE:

Beyond fruitfulness, part of the first mandates of God to mankind is to subdue and have dominion over all creatures He has made. Genesis 1:28 says,

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

To dominate is to be in charge or to take control. If God did not want you to take charge, He would not have mandated you to dominate. By the time God stepped into the appalling slavery situation of the Israelites, Pharaoh, who was once in control, became the one begging for help (Exodus 12:30-32). He even asked Moses to pray for him. In that situation where you have been the underdog, God is turning things around and putting you in charge in Jesus’ Name. It is now time for you to suppress your oppressors and tormentors, and to subdue under your feet those who had earlier taken you captive. I command the tables to turn for your good today in Jesus’ Name!

Meanwhile, it is good to know that since God has once turned around the situation of the oppressed, He can do it again. Even if nobody has ever had dominion before in your family, it will start with you. Fear not! In Joshua 10:12-14, while fighting the Amorites, the sun was about to set when Joshua interrupted it. The problem is that most of us run from the enemy rather than confront him. David did not run away from the lion, the bear or even Goliath. Rather, he confronted and fought against them all. In January of a particular year, I went to preach in Denver, Colorado. At that time it was very cold, and I don’t like it cold. Maybe that is partly why God made me a Nigerian. I prefer the Nigerian weather. On receiving the invitation, I asked my Daddy if I should go, and He said yes. I asked Him, “What are we going to do about the cold?” God then assured me that He would go with me.  From the first day I arrived until the day I left, people were wearing T-shirt because summer replaced winter. To know that this was not just a coincidence, within two hours after my plane took off at 5pm, more than 10cm of snow fell. You too can tap into God’s mandate to dominate situations and circumstances around you from today. You will dominate sin, your passions, your body and your finances from today in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, because it is my season of dominion, please arise and subdue all contrary forces working against me.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Topic: Iniquity Vs. Love [Wednesday March 29, 2017]

…Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. – Matthew 24:12

The ultimate intention of satan for introducing iniquity is to frustrate and destroy the love of God in the believer’s life.

Multiplication of iniquity is a sign of departure of the love of God.

The more one lives in sin the colder his love for God becomes.

Conversely, the love of God is the destroyer of iniquity. The more you love God, the more you hate sin.

Holiness is hot love for God and perfect hatred for sin.

You can’t truly love Him and be comfortable living in sin.

Love for God will certainly make you develop hatred for sin.

Get back on love track and you will depart from sin lane.

Topic: Enjoy the Pursuit [Wednesday March 29, 2017]

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who considers the weak and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of evil and trouble. — Psalm 41:1

Do you ever feel that no matter where you go, somebody pursues you and hunts you down? Does someone seem to need something every time you start doing what you set out to do? Someone needs a ride to school, or somebody forgets their lunch, and before you know it, half your day is wasted.

Jesus knows what it is like to be pursued, but He was never upset by it. As soon as He ministered to everyone in one place, He went to the next town to find more people who needed Him. He never said, “Leave Me alone.” Ask God to show you the needs of people through the eyes of Jesus today, and your days will never be wasted.