A new dimension to enterprise development by Jonathan Nikori

 
The text of the book A New Dimension To Enterprise Development by Jonathan Nikori, published by AMBIK Press Ltd., Benin City (2012) has defined entrepreneurship as the “the willingness and ability of an individual to seek out investment opportunities, organize, establish a business or enterprise and bear the financial risk of the venture with a view to running the enterprise to fulfill the service gap identified and, in the process, make some profit from it.

Entrepreneurship in its various forms has been offered in this book as a most effective means of stimulating national economic development and self reliance through exploration of the vast natural and mineral resources and the immense pool of human resources represented by the large population of the country. Entrepreneurial or business venture development will greatly facilitate the optimal exploration and utilization of our rich national endowment for maximum improvement of the quality of life of the average Nigerian. Development of small businesses is responsible for 50% or more of the industrial and economic development of many countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Japan, Indian, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, etc.

Widespread entrepreneurial development in the country would create millions of new employment opportunities, especially jobs and income, which would engage our currently large population of unemployed young people, especially University graduates, and channel their youthful energies and initiatives into positive, productive engagement. A generalized socio-economic well being would promote political stability and minimize our national security challenges; it has worked well elsewhere and it will certainly work here in Nigeria also where our youths are reputed to be smarter than average. The development or entrepreneurship therefore would boost national socio-economic growth, wealth – measured as the gross domestic product (GDP), infrastructure and peace more than Government programmes alone can provide. No matter how benevolent the government and its programmes, there is no greater vehicle for promoting rapid, large-scale human development in the country than creativity and the spirit of individual or group enterprise.

The Nigerian agricultural sector is highlighted, in the book, A New Dimension To Enterprise Development, as offering an immense, largely untapped potential for the production of food, fibre and various industrial raw materials, which in itself, and as well as its value-chain development opportunities, provides perhaps the largest single niche for engaging and developing, local human resources and creativity.
A large national population also describes a large market with a wide range of needs that can be identified, exploited by entrepreneurship and the provision of goods and services leaving the majority with a range of opportunities of enjoying the good life.

The primary philosophy of the current national agricultural transformation agenda (ATA) is the persuasion that agricultural must be run as a business rather than as a Israel, etc. if it must succeed, be possessed by the people and be effectively pushed forward at their own pace in response to perceived markets and sink opportunities. The national agricultural transformation is to be achieved by opportunities-driven, economically viable enterprise development.

The description and analysis of the Nigeria economy of recent times in the introductory of the book A new Dimension To Enterprise Development by Jonathan Nikori is an essential exploration of the business environment which provides, both opportunities for prospective small-scale enterprise or businesses as well as the challenges they must recognize, monitor and adapt to, or effectively cope with, if they are to remain relevant and profitable. However, I am inclined to agree with Prof. Eghosa Osagie, then Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okoda that the Nigerian economy, is yet to be properly described since a large number of local businesses and human economic activities are unregistered, not formalized and undocumented.

The business concept and philosophy indicated in the book focuses on the needs of the customer and not the entrepreneur who, however, should regard the business enterprise as a game to be enjoyed and won by both parties. Success for the entrepreneur or business comes through timely, decisive action based on good objective judgment, knowledge and experience or skill, and is sustained by alertness, flexibility or adaptability, hard work and sacrifice.

The text of A New Dimension To Enterprise Development includes a wide range of topics which are treated in considerably detail, presenting in twenty-two chapters a comprehensive, full-boded coverage of entrepreneurship development practice; they range from a consideration of the relevant principles, processes and strategies of entrepreneurship, through business choices, and the planning, registration and organization procedures. The management of people, the most valuable asset and also the most challenging to manage of any business undertaking, leadership and development of personal effectiveness as well as an appreciation of products or services or their costing and marketing, and business relationship and networking strategies are among the wealth of entrepreneurial savvy offered by the text. With a characteristically keen eye for practical detail, Mr. Nikori has included a check-list and example for the business start-up undertaking and some coverage of information technology system routinely employed in modern business practice as well.

The chapters of the book discuss their subject matter in grea practical detail, with some examples to boot, and finish with apt, concise concluding summaries of the major issues discussed. The questions for review at the end of each chapter provide the reader with a valuable tool for objectively testing his or her comprehension of the essential elements of the content and a quick recapitulation when the study is conscientiously accomplished. Mr. Nikori A New Dimension To Enterprise Development therefore recommends itself at once to lecturers, examiners and students of formal professional education programme as well as for private studies in personal development of entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and inspiration for both the would-be entrepreneur and the practicing businessman or woman.

A particularly commendable inclusion in the book A New Dimension To Enterprise Development is the inclusion of testimonies of several well-known entrepreneurs of thriving, even burgeoning businesses, such as Aliko Dangote, Mrs. Dorcas Adeluwoye, etc. detailing their major challenging circumstances at inception and the principal winning strategies and attitudes they adopted. Such testimonies challenge and embolden would-be entrepreneur through the persuasion and consequent assurance that since some others have dared to start-up and are running successful enterprise of various scales, they can, likewise, also learn to start, run and succeed.

The style of writing in the text is some what familiarly conversational in essence and suits very well its seeming annotated pattern; this makes for easy reading at the readers own peace, eliminates considerable filler text and restrict the entire book to a convenient user-friendly size of only 274 pages. This is very well known in these days of the power-point presentation format.

The book A NEW DIMENSION TO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT has set out in careful detail all the essential practice information that the reader requires to plan and prepare, start –up and run a profitable and satisfying business and stabilize it. It also provides guidance on where and how to safety steer the business into growth phase or expansion, and diversification into other businesses; the key provided here is that selecting, location, starting-up and running a business profitably and into its maintenance phase or sustainability can be learned by almost anybody-as long as you choose a business enterprise are well suited. From learning to run a small business successfully through the use of this book, the reader would come to understand the secrets of how to begin and run any other additional business of their choice. Adaptation of skills learned from running a particular business to a different one after some time is quite similar to how top adapt-skill car to driving a bigger one, then one to a jeep, then a medium-size bus, a 30-seater bus, and over time even a 52-seater bus or a truck and, if you wish, you can set up and run a transport company as many have already quite successfully done!

Jonathan Nikoris book, which we are reviewing this afternoon, is a comprehensive text-an omnibus – is set out in such detail that I believe it contains virtually everything he has studied, researched, taught and learned over the past 25 years or so, first as a student, then as a worker at various odd shifts, a consultant human resources trainer, business trouble-shooter and service provider. What Nikori has crystallized and deposited in the 274 pages of this book in the essential, the core knowledge and skill of the man, a distillation of his several decades of experience in strictly knowledge-based business and management consulting. Thus, virtually everything that has been meticulously documented in this book has been performed by Mr. Nikori himself and by it he delivers to the reader the practical, invaluable knowledge and wisdom of first-hand experience, tested and proven in diverse setting over the years! This book, in my opinion, is a priceless initiative and the cover price is a bonus for those discerning members of the public who are fortunate to run into this first impression of A New Dimension To Development by Mr. Jonathan Nikori, managing Consultant and Director of Inter-Arc Consultants Ltd.

Mr. chairman, special and honorable guess, distinguished ladies and gentlemen and the general Nigerian public, both present and ably represented, to the glory of Almighty God, I present to you an exciting tour guide, a guide-book, a manual and a do-it-yourself handbook for successful and profitable business start-up and business make-over for virtually everyone, but especially those who desire to win in business. Dare to explore, move and run with it and your very life and those of your generation, and posterity also will never be the same again- A NEW DIMENSION TO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT by Jonathan Nikori MBA, CNA, MNIN, human resources and business development Consultant!
Thank you for your attention and support; God richly bless you all and others out there whom you represent, in Jesus Christ’s name!

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Nigeria.

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