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Back home to arrest the unemployment monster
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When he left Nigeria in the early 80's for the United States of America, it was probably in pursuit of greener pastures couched in sound higher level of education. Perhaps, he was among the 'Andrews' who checked out of the country in those days of yore.
But while some of his colleagues were still wondering exactly where he was and what he was doing, Jude Eze Nosagie had already tiptoed into the legal profession and evolved as a service giver and social engineer after being licensed as a lawyer.
Spurred by the urgent need to solve the daunting unemployment conundrum in which the youths of the country have been enmeshed over the years, he left his lucrative practice in the United States for his father land.
Foremost in his mind at the time he was leaving Uncle Sam's country for Nigeria in the late 90's was to solve the unemployment matrix by creating more than 10,000 employment opportunities directly and indirectly.
“We were not actually looking for a hotel. We were just looking for anything out there that would give us the opportunity to create job opportunities. Fortunately, we got the information that the then Palm Royal was up for sale. Even in growing up in the city of Benin, I never knew there was any place called Palm Royal Hotel. But we bought it. Because the place is precious to us, we only added “precious” to its former name and now have it as Precious Palm Royal Hotel," Nosagie says.
And since 1999, when he opened shop after a landmark acquisition of the prestigious Palm Royal Hotel (PRH) in Benin City (renamed Precious Palm Royal Hotel, PPRH), after acquiring the place in 1996, he has also founded Prosperity Microfinance Bank Limited (MMFB), the platforms through which he has already created more than 200 jobs.
In addition to this, MMFB has been dynamic in the business of mobilising funds and bespoke business advisory services to empower the surging pool of micro- business entrepreneurs who are seeking to emerge as the third market, the engine room of the economy.
This is against the daunting challenges, odds and hellish operating environments unleashed by non availability of power supply that costs the more than 130 guest room hotel project at least N800, 000 in diesel consumption every three weeks (N13.9 million annually).This is what the hotel alone spends in servicing its 875KVA, 550KVA and 400KVA capacity generators installed to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
Other challenges spring from the fact that Benin is not a national capital like Abuja and Lagos to which most of the big corporate events have been tied over time. There is also the challenge of multiple taxation, which increases the cost of doing business."
Do not go near the hotel if you are obsessed with night clubbing. It is far more serious business and will not find any place for you. Perhaps, this explains why it is patronised by such global bodies as Pathfinder, UNICEF, Shell, Nigeria Gas Company (NGC), USAID, Chevron-Texaco, NNPC, National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), National Programme on Immunisation, and banks in the state.
Ordinarily, any casual observer visiting the hotel's premises would easily mistake it for a full-blown oil palm plantation. This may not be completely out of place. Its more than 45 hectare land mass is surrounded by palm trees. However, the missing link remains that the palm trees not only add to the beauty and serenity of the environment, but are also periodically harvested and sold to finance various scholarship schemes offered to staff and members of the host community, many of whom have graduated in medicine, accountancy, and other areas of professional calling.
Although PPRH came into being when the city of Benin could hardly boast 1, 000 hotel rooms even as a State capital, Nosagie recently told Business Day that he was happy that its presence in the city had had a spin-off effect, providing the push and pull factors that have brought other hotels into existence, shoring up competition level and increasing the number of rooms in the environment significantly.
"The more hotel rooms and facilities there are, the more business you have," says Nosagie.
Perhaps, this gives him sufficient conviction to embark on the construction of another wing of the hotel to add 200 guest rooms and bring the total number to 330, with exquisite halls, presidential suites ambassador, diplomatic, honeymoon suites and state-of-the-art information and communication technology facilities.
Asides these, Business Day also learnt there are research awards from PPRH to the College of Medicine, University of Benin every year, to advance the cause of medical science and improve the over all health conditions of the people.
That's not all. There are awards for excellence also in public service. Who says good name, integrity, credibility and transparency in public service do not command great value? And who says individuals cannot serve without spot, wrinkle or the dent of corruption that has become so endemic in the domain of public service in the country? For some years running, Nosagie says his institutions have identified Anao, a professor and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Justice Solomon Odemwingie Uwaifo, Eghobamien Nosakhare (Bakery), a man who once sold bread on bicycle, but has over time become the chairman of many companies, Hayford Ikponmwosa Alile, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), and Winifred Osaru Onyeonwu as winners of the Excellence Award in Public Service.
This man who refers to himself as Nigeria's unofficial ambassador told Business Day that he travels out of the country back to the United States of America and Europe every year to mentor, convince and mobilise well meaning Nigerians to bring back home their experience and expertise, and contribute to the growth and development needs of the country. All this while, his message to these Nigerians has remained "We need you in the country at this time." One of the numerous examples of the fruits of his labour in the effort at bringing back Nigerians to invest in the state is the Yawe brand of bottled water, which is not only visible, but also remains ubiquitous in the state.
Asked whether these public spirited services have no political colourations, he gives an emphatic no for an answer, maintaining that the challenge of creating 10, 000 job opportunities directly and indirectly in this environment is so consuming and engaging to give him time for political activities.
But while some of his colleagues were still wondering exactly where he was and what he was doing, Jude Eze Nosagie had already tiptoed into the legal profession and evolved as a service giver and social engineer after being licensed as a lawyer.
Spurred by the urgent need to solve the daunting unemployment conundrum in which the youths of the country have been enmeshed over the years, he left his lucrative practice in the United States for his father land.
Foremost in his mind at the time he was leaving Uncle Sam's country for Nigeria in the late 90's was to solve the unemployment matrix by creating more than 10,000 employment opportunities directly and indirectly.
“We were not actually looking for a hotel. We were just looking for anything out there that would give us the opportunity to create job opportunities. Fortunately, we got the information that the then Palm Royal was up for sale. Even in growing up in the city of Benin, I never knew there was any place called Palm Royal Hotel. But we bought it. Because the place is precious to us, we only added “precious” to its former name and now have it as Precious Palm Royal Hotel," Nosagie says.
And since 1999, when he opened shop after a landmark acquisition of the prestigious Palm Royal Hotel (PRH) in Benin City (renamed Precious Palm Royal Hotel, PPRH), after acquiring the place in 1996, he has also founded Prosperity Microfinance Bank Limited (MMFB), the platforms through which he has already created more than 200 jobs.
In addition to this, MMFB has been dynamic in the business of mobilising funds and bespoke business advisory services to empower the surging pool of micro- business entrepreneurs who are seeking to emerge as the third market, the engine room of the economy.
This is against the daunting challenges, odds and hellish operating environments unleashed by non availability of power supply that costs the more than 130 guest room hotel project at least N800, 000 in diesel consumption every three weeks (N13.9 million annually).This is what the hotel alone spends in servicing its 875KVA, 550KVA and 400KVA capacity generators installed to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
Other challenges spring from the fact that Benin is not a national capital like Abuja and Lagos to which most of the big corporate events have been tied over time. There is also the challenge of multiple taxation, which increases the cost of doing business."
Do not go near the hotel if you are obsessed with night clubbing. It is far more serious business and will not find any place for you. Perhaps, this explains why it is patronised by such global bodies as Pathfinder, UNICEF, Shell, Nigeria Gas Company (NGC), USAID, Chevron-Texaco, NNPC, National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), National Programme on Immunisation, and banks in the state.
Ordinarily, any casual observer visiting the hotel's premises would easily mistake it for a full-blown oil palm plantation. This may not be completely out of place. Its more than 45 hectare land mass is surrounded by palm trees. However, the missing link remains that the palm trees not only add to the beauty and serenity of the environment, but are also periodically harvested and sold to finance various scholarship schemes offered to staff and members of the host community, many of whom have graduated in medicine, accountancy, and other areas of professional calling.
Although PPRH came into being when the city of Benin could hardly boast 1, 000 hotel rooms even as a State capital, Nosagie recently told Business Day that he was happy that its presence in the city had had a spin-off effect, providing the push and pull factors that have brought other hotels into existence, shoring up competition level and increasing the number of rooms in the environment significantly.
"The more hotel rooms and facilities there are, the more business you have," says Nosagie.
Perhaps, this gives him sufficient conviction to embark on the construction of another wing of the hotel to add 200 guest rooms and bring the total number to 330, with exquisite halls, presidential suites ambassador, diplomatic, honeymoon suites and state-of-the-art information and communication technology facilities.
Asides these, Business Day also learnt there are research awards from PPRH to the College of Medicine, University of Benin every year, to advance the cause of medical science and improve the over all health conditions of the people.
That's not all. There are awards for excellence also in public service. Who says good name, integrity, credibility and transparency in public service do not command great value? And who says individuals cannot serve without spot, wrinkle or the dent of corruption that has become so endemic in the domain of public service in the country? For some years running, Nosagie says his institutions have identified Anao, a professor and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Justice Solomon Odemwingie Uwaifo, Eghobamien Nosakhare (Bakery), a man who once sold bread on bicycle, but has over time become the chairman of many companies, Hayford Ikponmwosa Alile, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), and Winifred Osaru Onyeonwu as winners of the Excellence Award in Public Service.
This man who refers to himself as Nigeria's unofficial ambassador told Business Day that he travels out of the country back to the United States of America and Europe every year to mentor, convince and mobilise well meaning Nigerians to bring back home their experience and expertise, and contribute to the growth and development needs of the country. All this while, his message to these Nigerians has remained "We need you in the country at this time." One of the numerous examples of the fruits of his labour in the effort at bringing back Nigerians to invest in the state is the Yawe brand of bottled water, which is not only visible, but also remains ubiquitous in the state.
Asked whether these public spirited services have no political colourations, he gives an emphatic no for an answer, maintaining that the challenge of creating 10, 000 job opportunities directly and indirectly in this environment is so consuming and engaging to give him time for political activities.
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