by Patrick Ogungbola
MD/ CEO, BLUEHEDGE REALTORS
Welcome to the brand new scintillating year 2016.
This is to congratulate everyone reading this for the successful journey that led us to the New Year. It is great to be alive and to be in good health to witness the beginning of another year. It is only the living that have hope of a better tomorrow. It is only those that are alive that knows the state of the economy, and on a lighter note, it’s only the living that can tell the difference between the taste of chicken at Mega Chicken to that of Chicken Republic.
It is always good to start the year on a clean slate, and be optimistic for goodies in the new year, amidst the unfriendly forecasts by economists.
During the week, I read a report compiled by the Economic Intelligence Unit of ‘The Economist’, a London-based magazine on the world economies forecast for 2016. On forecast for Nigeria in 2016, the report reads as follows:
Muhammadu Buhari has made a slow start to his presidency, with his cabinet only sworn in during mid-November. Ministers will take time to settle in and so the clearer policy lines investors want will then take into 2016 to establish. However, early signs are of a worrying resurgence of economic nationalism. Given policy uncertainties and a lower oil price environment, the Economist Intelligence Unit expects growth to remain well below recent averages throughout the 2016-20 forecast period.
In summary, the Economists forecast an ‘uninspiring/ poor’ year 2016 for the country, and according to them, this will extend to year 2020.
While their report may put us on the side of caution in our decisions throughout the year, it must never get into our psyche and subconsciousness. The question is, how has the economy benefited us when they predicted economic prosperity, if they ever did?
By and large, Nigerian economy has been uninspiring all these years, but against all odds, we have survived. In fact, we seemed to have developed a ‘survival mechanism’ to our economic situation to the extent that we have been so used to the system that we overlook the obvious difficulties and challenges.
All said and done, the year 2016, like every other year, is neutral; whether the year will be great or otherwise is a function of your decision and input. The quality of your input will be dependent on the resultant output. Many religious people believe that certain year holds certain lucks or fortunes, yes, I believe too, but the onus is on you to work and attract ‘the goddess of good luck’ as emphasized in the book – The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. Fortunes and good lucks are attracted towards those who have prepared and worked for it ahead of time.
No doubt, the year 2016 will be a great year in all ramifications. Nationally, our country will move forward. On an individually and corporate level, the level of output will be dependent on the input. Hence, let’s get to work and make the most of the year 2016.
We sincerely appreciate those of you that have patronized us in the previous year, as well as those that have referred families, friends and colleagues to us. We want you to know that ‘thanks’ is a short word, but it still means that your patronage and reference are much more appreciated than you could ever imagine. We promise to hold on to and improve on our core values of Integrity, Motivation, Professionalism, Accountability, Customer Satisfaction and Trust (IMPACT).
And as usual, we want to remind you that we care so much about you, and that when it comes to your real estate investment, we are always here to give you the very best service you can never get elsewhere. That is our promise, and will always be.
We wish you a Prosperous and Fulfilling Year 2016.
We remain;
Very truly yours,
