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09.07.2012 Interviews

Grand Plan Interview

By abdul abdul
Grand Plan Interview
09.07.2012 LISTEN

1. Can you give us an overview of GRAND PLAN?
Grand Plan is an idea creation center, we help people plan what they aim and help them implement it to become a reality. Many people have good business ideas or aim, but don't know how to turn it into a business. Grand Plan is like a factory of idea where initiative is created for business development and success. Just like Dangote produces cement, Microsoft produces computers, we produce ideas and help other use theirs. We are so new to bring fresh ideas, for that is our uniqueness, so young to impact your destiny, for that is our strength, so old to guide your path, that is our experince,we are so challenged to create solution, that is our knowledge, so developed to help you grow, that is our understanding, so robust to keep you going, that is our tenacity and so dynamic to change for that is our innovation.

We work on every information to create opportunities for positive transformation as well as use the same information to end challenges confronting organizations, be it in public or private organizations; we help them do their work better for the best results.

We are an initiative entrepreneurship company, providing services through Idea Creation, Keynote speaking, Business Innovation, Project Coordination, policy formulation, human right education, information analyst, Community development and youth empowerment promoter, Leadership orient, Entrepreneurship and business development, personality promoter, strategic and initiative analyst and a management assessor. We operate under our motto (AIMPI) or (AIM planning and implementation, which signifies our services, in a nutshell, we advice, initiate, manage and plan for implementation.

2. How would you assess Nigeria's business environment?

Doing business in Nigeria is like doing business in paradise, it is a place of no loss no matter what. But as you already know, getting to heaven is a difficult task, which is the task, required to do business in Nigeria. The environment is so bountiful with so much opportunities to harvest and it is still growing slowly and gradually, but harvesting the fruit of Nigeria require much more effort than we are giving it at the moment, it require cultivation,protection,coordination and revalidation both from the private organizations and the government. With a proper interpretation of the environmental opportunities, the easy effort required to invest and make great profit, the Government would give it all the attention it require to grow.

3. One of the Grand Plan core areas of interest is information analysis; how would you rate Nigerian entrepreneurs on this critical aspect of business?

Not just the enterprenuers, even the Nigerian government. The inability of the Nigerian government to give the business environment the require attention is due to inadequate critical informal analysis. Till this moment, the government could not understand the reason to give this sector the required attention; they could not see the fruit as worthy to concentrate on which is a lack of proper information analysis. Entrepreneur on the other hand still has a lot to do. Most businesses do not give value to information analysis, but this could only mean that they are happy loosing when they are suppose to have achieved more greater benefits. The better an information is properly analyzed or interpreted, the greater the effect for achieving success. You would remember a popular quote which says information is power, but little did many know that not the information itself is the power, but the analysis of it. The better an information is properly analyized, the more profits is brings to your business. If poorly interpreted as it has been in most cases, you may be happy with the result of your existing interpretation, but you would have been happier with a better interpretation which would mean more profits with the same efforts.

4. What in your opinion is responsibly for SMEs demise in Nigeria?

Three factors are responsible for this decline,1. Environmental factors, 2. Policy and implemntational factor and 3. Poor information analysis and management by the entrepreneurs

1. The environmental factor is obvious in the lack of enabling independent envioment, which usually affect every business 2. The policy and implementation is also another factor, the government needs to reassess the reality of its policies, rather than continue on paper policy without realistic approach. On this factor, the effect of information analysis needs to be restated. For any policy to be effective, it must be realistic. That is why they say policy is nothing without implementation. A policy may be good on paper, but may lack realistic approach. This is why the government should work harder on information analysis to scrutinize all government policies before embarking on its implementation. Every participant in policy implementation must be able to understand the portion of information at his or her disposal, because if any member wrongly interprets any part of the information, it affects the overall product of the policy.

3. And the third factor which is poor information analysis and management by the entrepreneurs is a key factor. The entrepreneurs must invest in information gathering so as not venture into unfavorable projects due to poor information analysis. This would go along way to prevent wasteful involvement and reduce risk.

5. What are the critical aspects of initiating business?

The first aspect is information seeking or research as we call it, the second is education on such information inform of proper analyzing and looking at the realities,obstacles,benefits and determining how best to approach it. And the third is deciding based on facts with assurance not guess. A successful business is a SURE business, You must be sure to start it. If you are sure, it would always pay off, if case of difficulties in the course of doing it, all you need to do is go back to your plan to see what you have done wrong in the process of working, if all is right, you are good to go,the breakthrough would come but if not, correct your missed steps and keep going.

6. The place of ICT in business management?

ICT is management itself, it helps you to be everywhere on a spot,helps you controlling everything on a sit and helps you coordinate your team in your room. It helps you keep a function exactly as you want it with no one changing it, it gives you the confidence of being sure of everything. It saves you time and money. In a nutshell,it make you functionally more effective and efficient.

7. How would this platform help in curbing unemployment?

As I have said earlier, we are idea creators, We initiate various ideas to end unemployment, we create ideas for people to grow. Many people on their own have various ideas but lack the process to turn it into a business that pays, we help them turn it to a business and everyone would be happy. This include creating ideas for job creation, self empowerment, swell as assist government with idea of mass job creation in an independent capacity which help new graduates be employed in their own field. We train youths on business development in their own field of study and women with skills acquisition.

8. '…every Business establishment is constantly in search of better ways of winning,' that is from your statement, then, who do you think should be help responsible for business failures: the initiators or implementers?


Both should be in my opinion. The initiator has done nothing if the implementer fails. For this reason, every initiator must ensure the success of implementing his or her ideas. The initiator has a huge role to play in implementing an idea, he should continue to provide advice and guide against breaking away in implementation steps and ensure the interpretation of the idea is correct in all aspects. We believe that the implementor as limited blame, since he or she is only implementing based on his or her understanding of the interpretation presented to them. The only blame that should go to the implementor is not asking question when they are not sure about any part of the ideas in the course of implementation.

9. Are you satisfied with the level private sector (PPP) engagement by the government in projects developments in Nigeria?

Of course not. If this engagement is done right, Nigeria should by now be among the top 10 economic nation in the world. We have more than any nation in term of opportunities, but ripping less because of the disconnect between the private sector and the government. The Government only concentrated on its relationship with the big guns, I mean the already big established companies, but that is not what Nigeria need at this moment. Nigeria need a well coordinated approach to SME development through dedication and adequate partnership. The inability of the PPP to effectively make their engagement work to its maximum capacity is still about information analysis and information seeking. The government need to focus it energy in making partnership works by properly seeking the right information and interpreting every relation, identify the loopholes, see the opportunities left on tapped and work on using it positively. I have to state that the Nigerian government can not take Nigeria anywhere alone economically, only the private sector can through proper facilitation and support. This is why I am calling on the Government to engage the private sector to achieve it set goals.

10. What impact does GRAND PLAN tends to create in our environment?

Grand Plan shall impact in the following ways 1. Creating ideas, Information seeking and interpretation, policy scrutiny, aim planning and implementation, research, offer training for efficiency and productivity, guide in policy implementation and policy scrutinization, advice on team management and project coordination. As you know, Initiative creation as an area of specialization is new in our world, hence we are new creation. We bring new ideas; approach and focus which will make businesses stand out in the midst of business competition. To stand out, you must be the best and being the best can only happen by thinking fresh.

The need for our services can not be over emphasized because every business establishment is constantly in search of better ways of winning, seeking out for more realistic ways of policy implementation, increasing productivity, creativity and creating more customer friendly products & services. Grand Plan's AIMPI is to assist them do their work better for the best results.

We initiate ideas for your implementation, provide solutions to your challenges, and create new approaches for your progress.

We access your policy, business, organization, product, services and proffer better way of delivering with more efficiency. We help you be more productive with new ideas and initiative leadership, We look into your businesses; determine what is needed to improve on in term of management, working capacity, leadership and product or service content, We access your business specialty, so as to create additional specializations under your specialty with little or no cost for more profits, We access your existing or new project plan for best practice, We coordinate or manage your project implementation, We advice on policy implementation processes, We conduct research & survey about your product or services and give advice, We organize workshop seminars, training and conferences to share new ideas, We AIMPI (advice, Initiate, Manage, Plan and Implement)

11. Nigeria is a country where research & survey are still at their lower ebb, how do you intend correcting the template?

Research is one of the best mean to develop the private sector; It gives you a raw information of opportunities to transformation into profit. If it is information research, it helps you in policy making and future forecast, but scientific research gives you the scope of a new method to cash on and technological research gives you the innovation of new product to produce to generate revenue for your business. In abroad, it is the private sectors that fund research more, this is due to the huge benefit they derive from it, and we must do the same here both in the private and public sector.

Many organizations do not know what they tend to benefit from research, how then do we expect them to invest in it? This is all about information interpretation. We shall work on educating various establishments on their benefits on research, effect on their business both present and future and hope that they understand and take the bold step to stand out.

12. Who is Abdulrazaq O. Hamzat? (Your Background) Abdulrazaq Oyebanji Hamzat is an Initiative Creator, Human Right Ambassador and a freelancer. Born in the north, though from the south. Attended the Federal Airport Authority Staff School in kano, and later went to Ilorin Grammar School and Stephen Fountains College in ilorin,kwara State. Studied Information and Communication Technology and now Studying Peace Studied and Conflict Resolution at the National Open University of Nigeria. The Kind of environment you grow impact your skills and your life experience develop your talent, this implies that my skills and ability is mostly self developed. Believe me, self development is the best institution.

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