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Bangalore has moved on from pensioner's paradise to one of the top hi-tech cities of the world. From Indian IT majors like Infosys, Wipro, Tata consultancy Services and Microland to the world's leading IT companies like GE, Texas Instruments, CISCO, Digital, IBM, HP, Compaq, Motorola, Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Novell and several others in business process outsourcing (BPO) have made Bangalore their home. With nearly a thousand software companies employing over a hundred thousand IT professionals and 1000 IT companies including more than 150 multinational giants, Bangalore is certainly the undisputed IT capital of India, and is true with the whole of Asia. The city is also home to top of the line companies in other sectors like engineering, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food processing, apparel, electronics and automobiles. Bangalore's transformation has been swift and sensational; with a population of 5.54 million spread over 530 sq.

Welcome!Knowing us is a wise step in your plan to enter the Nigerian marketplace in 2012.Let us be your guide. We speak the language of the people; I mean the language of the Nigerian people. We understand you too! We are international business facilitators and market research consultants. Our mission is to help you with ease of doing business tools to facilitate your entry into the Nigerian marketplace. Our core competences include the provision of valuable market information, doing feasibility studies and locating agents and business partners. We propose to offer to you the following services: Counseling: •International Business Consulting •Basic Marketing Assistance In-Country Representation: •Short to Long Term Contracts •"Walk the Floor" Business Logistics •Ground support Market Research •Business Verification •Customized Market Analysis Marketing •Agent/Distributor Searches •Trade Fairs Participation •Foreign Trade Mission •Market Intelligence

This is how we address your inquiry: a. LOCATE prospective agents and distributors: • Advertise in relevant newspapers for national coverage • Access database of registered members of various chambers of commerce • Seek directory assistance • Engage in telephone contacts b. SCREEN companies by scrutinizing their information based on their expertise, experience, geographical spread and yearly sales turnover c. VERIFY companies registration and visit to the corporate offices of select companies d. INTERVIEW qualified companies e. CONDUCT business reputation analyses f. RECOMMEND not more than four qualified companies for your assessment, delivered within 26 working days. The following services are provided at extra charges: a. Market Research. b. Agency Performance Audit Contact us on inquiry@ibgnigeria.com or call +234 1 878 2864; +234 809 353 0007.

It's 4 days of thrilling paper presentations, breakout sessions, discussions, networking and a concluding gala night! Target Participants include: Economic Development Consultants and Facilitators, Bilateral and Multilateral Organisations, Governments and Investors. Email us on inquiry@ibgnigeria.com or call +234 1 8782864 for more information.

Have you heard? Melbourne has vaulted Vancouver to become the best city in the world to live, according to the latest Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Survey. Country City Top 10 Australia Melbourne Austria Vienna Canada Vancouver Canada Toronto Canada Calgary Australia Sydney Finland Helsinki Australia Perth Australia Adelaide New Zealand Auckland Bottom 10 Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Iran Tehran Cameroon Douala Pakistan Karachi Libya Tripoli Algeria Algiers Nigeria Lagos PNG Port Moresby Bangladesh Dhaka Zimbabwe Harare A liveable city is one that is pleasant to live in, fun to spend time in and creates a desire to invest. In these economic hard times and dwindling federal government allocations, good liveable indices put a city ahead of the comp

The Free Trade Zone is a catalyst to business growth and economic expansion. It is also known as the export processing zone, free export zone and special economic zone. Whatever name it is called should not bother us, as it has been noted that the different terms over time and space often reflect the specific activities carried out within a particular zone. What should bother us is why we have not taken advantage of this opportunity to grow our economy? Clearly defined, a free trade zone is one or more special areas of a country where normal trade barriers such as taxes, tariffs and quotas are eliminated and bureaucratic requirements are lowered to attract new business and foreign investments. Corporations operating within a FTZ may also be granted certain host country income tax breaks or holidays as an additional incentive. These zones are often located in an underdeveloped part of the host country, and the zones are expected to promote economic activities and thus reduce pover

Nigeria’s potential as a Business Process Outsourcing destination is very bright, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Rajan Swaroop, has said in a report by the Punch Newspapers. Swaroop, who said this at an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja, added that the mobile operator with Indian origin would help Nigeria to harness the possibilities of BPO in the country. According to him, through outsourcing, Nigeria can create over one million jobs within a short period of time if the potential is harnessed. The Airtel boss disclosed that one of its partners, Spanco, a specialist in BPO, planned to establish in Nigeria and use it as a hub of its outsourcing operations in the African region. He added that with increasing wages in India, which had a reputation as global outsourcing destination, Nigeria stood a good chance to reap from the global outsourcing business reckoned to be worth multi -billion dollars per annum.

In Nigeria, preowned cars take on the gloss of status symbol and have developed nicknames. The 2000 Honda Accord is widely known as "Baby Boy." The flashy 2003 Accord earned the sobriquet "End of Discussion." Then came the redesigned, equally impressive 2007 Accord: "The Discussion Continues."

Business experts at the just concluded West Africa Global Trade & Investment Forum in London advised current and potential investors in Africa "not to be caught up in the (business) hype" common on the continent reports 234next newspapers. David Cowan, chief economist and director of Africa at Citigroup, a multinational financial services company, said while "gold rushing (seeking for investment opportunity)" is important for investors in Africa, there are "simple rules" that need to be observed in order to succeed in business. "The first is, don't get caught up in the hype," Mr Cowan said. He said that the big hype at the moment around Africa is meeting the need of the middle class. "But there is no real middle class in Africa. There is growing wealthy elite and there is very rapidly growing poor population which in itself provides huge market opportunity for discerning investors," he added. Mr Cowan also said that invest

REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE CONCEPT. Definition: A Representative Office is an office established by a company to conduct marketing and other non-transactional operations, generally in a foreign country where a branch office or subsidiary is not warranted. Representative offices are generally easier to establish than a branch or subsidiary, as they are not used for actual "business" (e.g. sales) and therefore there is less incentive for them to be regulated. FUNCTIONS • Coordinate your company’s activities and schedule appointments • Establish contacts with local clients by personal visits, phone calls, emails etc • Assist in business networking and liaison with local clients and prospects and attend meetings • Provide local logistics support including hotels and vehicles reservations, airport protocols, security escort arrangements and visas facilitation • Relate with relevant professionals, trade associations and government institutions • Offer market research assist

This has become a familiar storyline... During a series of trips to Africa last year, Tim Solso had a realization: China was beating him at his own game. So the chief executive of Cummins Inc., a maker of truck and machinery engines, vowed to catch up. He plans to quadruple the company's sales in Africa to about $1 billion within five years, investing $15 million annually to train staff and build sales offices from Johannesburg to Casablanca. The company recently installed in South Africa an executive to oversee Africa operations, previously supervised from Europe and Indiana. Cummins joins a growing number of U.S. companies vying for a stronger foothold on the continent. Caterpillar Inc., the giant maker of construction equipment, is selling more trucks to Mozambique and Zambia. Harley-Davidson Inc. is opening dealerships in Botswana and Mauritius. General Electric Co. has its first aircraft-leasing office in Ghana for Central and West African airlines. Google Inc., Archer Dan

London, England (CNN) -- In a business culture where negotiations are fluid and what's agreed on Monday might not necessary mean the same thing on Tuesday, how do you get the job done? It's a challenge some foreigners encounter when doing business in Nigeria. However, things don't have to be difficult explains Dean Foster, president of the cross-cultural training company Dean Foster Associates and author of "The Global Etiquette Guide to Africa." According to Foster, as long as you understand the cultural etiquette, doing business in Nigeria can offer vast opportunities. But, he says, success comes down two key factors: contacts and commitment. " The bottom line is that you cannot expect to go into Nigeria, make the deal, turn around, walk out and expect things to go as planned ," Foster told CNN. "If you're committed to business in Nigeria you have to know that you're entering an environment that requires your constant attention and

Harvard Business Review: Did you know that Africa is one of the fastest-growing economic regions? Check out this infographic for reasons why: http://s.hbr.org/g6AAip

HarvardBiz: Did you know that Africa is one of the fastest-growing economic regions? Check out this infographic for reasons why: http://s.hbr.org/g6AAip

CTO 2011 -- Computers/Peripherals, Computer Software, Computer Services, Telecommunications Eq., Telecommunications Services Location/Date: MUSON, Lagos, Nigeria 05/09/2011 - 05/13/2011 Event Summary: The U.S. Commercial Service Nigeria will host CTO/NUSA 2011 from May 9- 13, 2011, at the MUSON Center in Lagos with a focus on the technology solutions available to the financial services sector. The CTO/NUSA exhibition is a market development tool of the U.S. Commercial Service in Nigeria that showcases the best technologies that U.S. companies and their Nigerian partners have to offer the region and this will be its 21st running. While the show began back in 1989 with a focus on encouraging office automation in Nigeria using computer and telecommunications technologies, it has since expanded to include the entire spectrum of high-tech U.S. products that often utilize a whole host of hardware, software, telecommunications, and on-line solutions that enhance trade and investment as the

To help governments especially in the Less Developed Countries have a policy direction in the pilot of affairs in their countries, the UN provided development templates referred to as the Millennium Development Goals and with a timeframe, 2015 to achieve these goals. The ‘mother’ of all the goals is universal education because of its multiplier effects. An educated person is less likely to suffer extreme poverty but more likely to embrace changes that bring about improved quality of life. One of the tools that is available in the 21st century and capable of fast tracking the process of achieving universal education is Information and Communication Technology, a combination of newer technologies of wireless phones, networked computer and the internet. According to Frances Caincross, 2001, in her book, The Death of Distance, ‘the revolution that have arisen as a result of communication is simply democratic and profoundly liberating as it levels the imbalance between large and small, rich

Water-related diseases such as Cholera are among the most common causes of illness and death, affecting mainly the poor in developing countries. They kill more than 5 million people every year, more than ten times the number killed in wars. According to experts at the National Council on Water Resources (NCWR) that met in Abuja recently, Nigeria currently has the highest prevalence of water borne diseases in the world. This, they added, has resulted in high infant mortality in the country; a discouraging report in the realization of the UN Millennium Development Goals on reduction of child mortality and improvement in maternal health by the year 2015. Women Villagers leave their homes in search of water. AP/Pervez Masih Tackling this epidemic should be of concern to all.The good news is that an Israeli company, CQM has come forward with a product capable of abating the incidence of water borne diseases especially in poor and rural communities where potable drinking water is rare. Howe

Mr Chris Newson, the chief executive officer of Stanbic IBTC, a subsidiary of South Africa's Standard Bank lent a voice to the growing number of voices proclaiming hope in the Nigerian economy. Check out the story below as reported by Next (www.234next.com). Stanbic optimistic on Nigerian loan growth Nigeria’s banking sector could see 20-25 percent loan growth over the next three to five years as demand for both consumer and infrastructure finance increases, the chief executive officer of Stanbic IBTC said. Chris Newson, head of the Nigerian unit of South Africa’s Standard Bank, said growth would be driven by Nigeria’s significant infrastructure finance needs as well as the emergence of small businesses and a growing middle class. “If you think about what would be a reasonable level of growth within risk assets across the industry, our sense is a 20-25 percent is not completely unrealistic,” Newson said on Monday in an interview as part of the Reuters Africa Investment Summit. Afri

Twelve countries in the West African sub-region are to benefit from a World Bank-assisted regional agricultural project under the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) reports Bassey Udo, Next Newspapers (www.234next.com) on its March 3, 2011 edition. Nigeria is one of the countries to benefit from the $300 million facility. Other countries under the scheme include Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Benin, Gambia, and Niger. The WAAPP project is expected to assist farmers in agro-processing and value addition for agricultural products. A major problem in agricultural production within the sub region is post harvest losses as the farming community mostly consists of small and marginal farmers. These farmers do not have the economic strength to retain the surplus produce till favourable market price and often compelled to sell their produce immediately after harvest when the prices are low. The solution to this problem li

The U.S. Commercial Service is facilitating an Executive-led Trade Mission from the United States to Nigeria, March 8-10. Members of the Trade Mission will spend March 8-9 in Lagos and March 10 in Abuja. They are highly interested in meeting potential partners and associates to discuss trade and investment opportunities in Nigeria. While the mission is in Lagos and Abuja, members will like to hold one-on-one sessions with potential Nigerian partners and end-users like you. If you or any of your members and associates is interested in meeting with members of the trade mission, please send your brief company profiles specifying your area of interest and the company you will like to meet to Anayo.Agu@trade.gov. The trade mission include participants from the following companies: Agribusiness: Reinke Aviation: Boeing Construction:IMS Engineering,Structuracasa Energy: MWP Industrial, Nilution Medical: Alliance Bio-Med, Prime Health, Skelley and STF. Security: Castle Shipboard Security, KD

From all indications, Nigerians growing preference for shopping in supermarkets is set to grow in coming years especially in the cities. With an expanding middle class, increasing number of repatriates and a rapidly growing number of foreigners living and working in the country, this hurricane would not abate soon. Uzochukwuamaka Otoh of the Nigerian Guardian Newspapers (http://www.ngrguardiannews.com) threw more light on this emerging trend in a report on the implications of supermarket consumption on Nigerians. Read on ... A walk into the Shoprite Supermarket at Surulere presents one with a steady stream of shoppers, who seem to have shunned the open market for the luxury of mega supermarkets. The long winding queue of people at the bakery section tells of Nigerian’s love and growing appreciation for the unique pastries, which can only be found in these mega supermarkets. The French Baget and German flat bread have come to be accepted as an especial variety and departure from the reg

Lagos, the city that never sleeps.

Have you been reluctant in making that decision to do business in Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa? Then, read the success story of a Zambian farmer that took the plunge two years ago. Story was by Will Connors, Wall Street Journal Reporter in Lagos, Nigeria. In a brief discussion with him at the 50th independence anniversary of Benin Republic in Lagos, he came across to me as someone with great hope in the future of Africa...Now he is showcasing the continent in his Africa Rising series for Wall Street Journal. Well done! Ndudi Osakwe Zambian Beef Processor Expands to Nigeria With Aim of Spreading Out Across the Continent. IKENNE, Nigeria—After driving two hours—skirting truck-size potholes, fording a flooded town and dodging a body—Pieter Swanepoel arrives at a dilapidated farm about 50 miles from Lagos, Nigeria. He has reached the launching pad for Zambeef Products PLC's $10 million expansion into Africa's most populous country. A few hundred yards from where the South African

Many of our clients are wondering why we have not reached them on possible areas to invest in Nigeria in 2011. Well, we waited to see the outcome of a gubernatorial rerun in one of the states whose election served as a litmus test to the newly inaugurated electoral body. 2011 is an election year in Nigeria and activities in this direction would commence with voters registration exercise, parties primaries, then campaigns for the elections slated for April, 2011. Reports emanating from various quarters indicate that this election would be like no other since the commencement of the fourth republic. Some northern elements within the ruling party is insisting on keeping the presidency in the North based on a zoning policy while the Niger Delta people in the party is of the opinion that their candidate already in the saddle of leadership as the president should continue in office. The other political parties looking to wrest power from the incumbent government seek candidates with credibl