Shock actually begets me when I reviewed the data from a Microfinance research on business outfits with the highest weekly turnover in my area (which I can regard as a suburb). I could see the relevant of this type of research to a Microfinance bank whose sole interest is in preventing bad loans but for someone like me; my primary focus is in the right business to invest in. the data was actually revealing with Church ranked as number one business outfit with the highest weekly turnover and Baba Ijebu was ranked number 2.
My assumptions of peoples’ need prior to reading this research was very wrong; I realize that it is these assumptions that have made me loses in some of my business undertakings. This revelation further confirmed to me that no matter how juicy a business deal may sound or appear, research is very important; no assumptions, no emotions, just plain fact! I assumed the highest ranked would revolve around the basic needs of a Nigerian like food, shelter, clothing, communication, transportation and education. Wow! I was even more shocked when I saw the 3rd ranked – Beer parlor/prostitute joint (well, that’s the way they placed it).
Ok, let’s forget about this data for a while and concentrate on my topic today – Baba Ijebu. For most of you who do not have the faintest idea of what Baba Ijebu is, let me attempt to define it as “lay manish’ as possible, Baba Ijebu is a local lotto outfit where you can play with as little as ten naira and win from thousands to millions. Their offices are characterized with small kiosk and a red machine based on smart card technology for placing your number. Why is this local lotto business doing well when a large lotto business like the Lagos Lotto floated by the Ibru family failed? (A food for thought!).
My main concern is not actually with the business but the consumers that make the business exist in the first place. Why do people patronize this stuff a lot? I quizzed some mechanics and petit traders, who are obviously fans of Baba Ijebu and their answers were similar and boils down to the fact that they can reap a lot without going through the process of building anything. This is thus the psychology of an average Nigeria and it is safe to say the Baba Ijebu exist in human nature. Why build when you can circumvent the process and any platform that can help you circumvent the process is a winning formula.
As I thought hard and long about the two speaking engagements I was invited to this coming weekend (one in Lagos and the other in Enugu), I realize the importance of shaping the minds of youths. I realize that if we can shape people’s expectations, then it would be easy to transit the challenges of building. Building (whether relationships, business, career, family, etc) is regarded as a hard, painful (removing you from your comfort zone) and a long process so many people try as much as possible to avoid it. Anything good that is accompanied by joy and fulfillment follows the following five stages:
The Inspiration Stage:
This is the phase that you get inspired to pursue a dream; indecision becomes your best pal; should I ask her out? Is it the right time to start the business? My heart leans towards this course but I have hardly seen any successful person that followed this path. We are mostly held back because the dream seems far ahead but just when we are about to give up, miraculously we start getting confirmation from various sources. This particular stage is very important because voices are quite deceptive; you cannot tell which one is from within or which one you picked from your physical environment. This stage acts as the foundation of any building so it is important not to jump the gun. Spend time with God and you will get a confirmation that would drain all doubts.
The Honeymoon Stage
This is the stage when you finally take the plunge and you are finally excited about your decisions. You will be wondering why you spent so much time in the Inspiration Stage. For a young believer, this is when everything he petitions for works our favorably; for lady that just got married, her husband is the best thing that has ever happened to her since slice bread. This stage can last from one month to as long as five years. Everything is exciting, everything is new, and you’re running on adrenalin. You infatuate over the idea of your new venture; if it’s business, you will be dreaming of the mountains of wealth you are going to create with it.
The Reality Stage
In this stage, you realize things are not as rosy as you envisioned; panic sets in – the business isn’t making nearly as much money as you thought it would. In fact, it’s either losing money big time or barely breaking even. As if for the first time, you noticed the flaws of your spouse and these flaws are affecting you big time. From the point where you stood, everything looks grim and there seem to be no hope in sight. For employees who gave up their jobs to start business; they start freaking out and contemplating going back to beg for their old job back. This phase is where most people give up and quit; this is where the men are separated from the boys. This is where intimacy is lost in a marriage for most Nigerians but for guys in the developed countries, divorce is imminent.
The Judgment Stage
If you are persistent enough to get to this stage, the question that would continue to arise from your heart is “is it worth it?†The business is starting to take off, but unlike you fantasized during the honeymoon phase the business isn’t as easy to run as you thought. You get constantly challenged, and they start to weight your options. You would realize the enormous responsible of being in a relationship and the question keeps haunting you “is it worth it?†And after a while, the question stops then acceptance. The acceptance that the fantasy you once envisioned during the honeymoon stage didn’t come to fruition, but after all the hardships and all the hard work you realizes that it has been worth it. Every moment has been worth it. You would naturally move to the next stage.
The Comprehension Stage
You now have a good understanding of what it means to be free because you would emerge to a new playing field. If you are in business, you would start to make more profit in a week than most people make in a year. If it is a marriage relationship, you would understand the importance of a spouse and how you can leverage to create the happiness you deserve. You would be on autopilot and you would be on the “escape velocity†frame. You would boldly tell guys to join you on this exciting path (well, you did not think it was exciting in the Reality Stage). You would easily forget what you went through to get to where you are and you would have the Midas touch in this particular field.
I realized that I have stopped at the Reality Stage for some projects in my life and the successes I have in life is when I transit the Reality Stage. Transiting this stage does not mean doing nothing and expecting to jump to the Judging stage; it requires giving the same thing another shut with an innovative perspective. Most people are deceived by marriage; because people are living together does not mean they are fulfilling the marriage requirement; the marriage may have ended and they are living together due to either children or social pressure. The reality stage is what most guys cannot just get through; they quit and look for another project to keep them from facing the reality and when this other project reaches the reality stage, they also quit. The pattern becomes so eminent that Baba IJEBU seems like the way out. Which particular stage are you?
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31 comments
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June 15, 2009 at 6:54 am (UTC 1)
Firsssssssssssttttttttttttttttttttttt…….
Off to read…..lol
Morning this morning Dipo.
June 15, 2009 at 6:58 am (UTC 1)
Waoh….
Infact triple waoh!
Nice atticle I must commend, we all want to jump to the “Comprehension stage” though not wanting to get thru the stage that will lead us dere…
xxx
June 15, 2009 at 7:39 am (UTC 1)
Dipo ! Good morning. This write up is directly from God Himelf for me and my family.
I’ve abandoned 2 projects at the reality stage and was contemplating doing same now as my wife is putting pressure on me. i left my job some few months back to mind my own business but we’re at the reality stage that bills are pilled up unpaid and trust woman, she now prefers the former comfort zone where i was a servant.
i’ll print this out for her to read so that jointly we cross over to judgement stage and eventually the comprehension stage.
Chairman, once again thanks for this heaven sent message. Keep on doing the good work.
June 15, 2009 at 8:06 am (UTC 1)
its a wonderful piece, lovly as usual.
June 15, 2009 at 9:56 am (UTC 1)
Dipo, Nice post at the right frame of mind.I think there ia a great lesson to learn from this post of us.Gud morin Dee BABA!
June 15, 2009 at 10:25 am (UTC 1)
Hello Dipo,
While time is always critical in decision making i agree that it is always rewarding to be patient , analytical and calculative when it comes business decisions.
Some things are not really as good as they seem . Some could be better if properly approached . But in all, it is never a bad idea to seek advice from people who know better.
Experts can help in giving you a decent direction ; not necessarily a simple one but one that is realistic and achievable.
The most successful people in the world all followed the same rules. Nothing new !
The points you have analyzed in this article have been there and will remain relevant for ever.
I will like you, Dipo, to enumerate more on the ‘The Judgment Stage’ .I chose this stage because it is here that our determition sees it biggest challenge.
Cheers
June 15, 2009 at 6:24 pm (UTC 1)
thanks dipo.
the exciting thing about baba ijebu is that the state govt initially tried to kill it when it perceived it as a threat but has now partnered with it in recent times and legalised its operation so to speak. Recently the state govt in its resolve to tax this sector heavilly joined it in reducing the commission received by its local agents from 25% to 15% so it could receive the spread, this caused a lot of uproar but soon died down when the chief baba ijebu stuck to his gun explaining that he had to make payments to the state govt. the state govt the next day made an anouncement confirming the reduction in commission payable and outlawing higher commission paid by some of baba ijebu’s competitors. talk of getting money by any means.
balogun
June 18, 2009 at 3:43 pm (UTC 1)
well said..nice post..i’m at the reality stage..its not been easy though.
June 20, 2009 at 8:59 am (UTC 1)
please can you tell me how BABA IJEBU is being played and who exactly is BABA ijebu?
June 20, 2009 at 1:37 pm (UTC 1)
Hello Everyone,
This is a great post.
As for me, am in the ‘The Judgment Stage’. It has not been easy, but i just can’t give up now.
Thanks
Christian
June 20, 2009 at 2:02 pm (UTC 1)
Read this earlier. I had to come back to make this comment…
I guess people are really looking for a means to ease themselves. That is why you have the statistics. Depending on something to get going.
I will say, only God and not baba Ijebu is worthy to be depended on
June 23, 2009 at 7:41 am (UTC 1)
@Musa – Baba Ijebu is a local lottery played weekly in Lagos (to the best of my knowledge). It is owned by an individual.
@All – There is no short cut in life. It requires perseverance and wisdom. The Pebble of Success is the rich story of perseverance and wisdom. In a desperate search for diamonds in 1942, Rafeal Solano got physically exhausted and defeated. As he sat on a boulder in the dry river bed he announced to his companions, “I’m through. There’s no going on any longer. See this pebble. It makes 999,999 I’ve picked up without finding one diamond. One more pebble makes a million, but what’s the use? I quitâ€
The exploration crew had spent months prospecting for diamonds in a Venezuela watercourse. Solano’s colleagues were equally exhausted. “Pick up one more and make it a millionâ€, one man said. Solano did and pulled out a stone the size of a hen’s egg. It was diamond and Harry Winston, a New York jewel dealer, later bought it from Salano for $200,000. The stone was named The Liberator and to date is the largest and purest diamond ever found.
In the book “Who Moved My Cheese?†by Spencer Johnson, the spirit of wisdom and perseverance were tested by two mice (Sniff and Scurry) and two “little people†(Hem and Haw). The mice always explore their surroundings and are looking for change. They were not completely surprised when one day the cheese disappeared. They noticed the supply had been dwindling and eventually gone. Sniff lifted his nose and decided upon a direction. Scurry took off in the same direction. The mice went looking for new cheese in the maze. They didn’t try to hold on to a past that no longer existed. The mice didn’t analyze things too much. Change happens. They knew they had to deal with it. The little people were different. They bragged about it. They felt it was theirs. They were outraged, shocked, scared, and befuddled when the cheese disappeared. In their comfort, they didn’t notice the cheese supply had been dwindling, nor that it had become old and smelly. They had become complacent. One should understand that nothing is constant in life except change.
July 11, 2009 at 2:27 pm (UTC 1)
plz. i have been konw wath baba-ijebu means but i’m in kano now i cant get the reasult of all last two years plz. if u can fowword it too my e-mail add. i’w be glard, 4rm 2007 -2009. this realsut : M.S.P , LUCKY MID/W, FORT, NAT, BONAZ, KEY. than’s.
July 15, 2009 at 4:41 pm (UTC 1)
Well done sir. I really enjoyed the Master-Mind meeting.It was great in deed.Thanks so much. I wish all Nigerian graduates can attend this kind of meeting.Then, the cry for massive unemployment shall greatly reduce.
About Baba Ijebu,many people thinks that Baba-Ijebu is the way out but it’s realy not.Many people plays Baba- Ijebu because its a way by which you make money that you don’t labour for. Sincerely,things does’nt work out that way.For people that plays the game, if you compare the gain with the losses, it’s really not a good game. My own advise is this:Let us workharder, acquire more financial knowledge and education & invest with the little money we have and God with us,we will be succesfulin deed
August 7, 2009 at 2:44 pm (UTC 1)
we will like to link our website to ur own, cos is a student web site
September 11, 2009 at 3:18 pm (UTC 1)
I which to win baba ijebu one day but i dont win why me i dey play every day
Love baba ijebu because is very nice game
September 13, 2009 at 4:41 pm (UTC 1)
i need lotto numbers on my mail. thamks
September 13, 2009 at 4:41 pm (UTC 1)
i need lotto numbers on my mail thanks
September 14, 2009 at 6:44 pm (UTC 1)
When am i going to win a friend of my win #500,000 last week why me
November 10, 2009 at 1:33 pm (UTC 1)
pls i need money for admission pls snd babaijebu number to my mail plsssssssssssss.thanks
November 10, 2009 at 1:44 pm (UTC 1)
pls snd this some of the lucky number to my mails for this month of november.thanks
February 5, 2010 at 8:42 pm (UTC 1)
my name is Kenny, from Lagos, what i want to know is that how i can baba ijebu lotto please send the national tomorrow number to my email waiting to hear from you please
February 5, 2010 at 8:51 pm (UTC 1)
if you can give me Monday special on Monday please just give me to
February 11, 2010 at 8:04 am (UTC 1)
this game give winning each time i play with small money,but a fat lose when i try to play with like 5k.so i need a very good forcast.to collect my share in baba ijebu lotto
February 17, 2010 at 5:54 am (UTC 1)
i need national winning number pls send it to my private email sharonkalos@yahoo.com …i need money to go to school ,,,i like unilage pls
thatnks sharon
February 17, 2010 at 8:35 pm (UTC 1)
pls if anyone has game pls send any game to me pls…..sharonkalos@yahoo.com
March 3, 2010 at 1:45 pm (UTC 1)
I so much appreciate your effort for the context of your site , but the only thing that is confusing is to get through the reality stage for some one that every thing has stop working for i.e no money no food and no good job to raise capital to start up a business before thinking of how to attain the judgment stage.
Please can you send me a catalog on how to study the workings of your machine so as to read your so called baba ijebu game .
I will be so grateful if this could be forwarded to my email within the next 24 hours.
regards
S.R Omotayo
July 4, 2010 at 2:08 pm (UTC 1)
Pls baba ijebu,i want you to help me,i want to pay my school fees,i dont have anyone to help with it,God will surely continue to bless you.pls send me two sure number which i can play for key on every sunday evening.
April 23, 2011 at 1:46 am (UTC 1)
Please send me any 2 sure 4 monday special dat 25 of april 2011 send it 2 my box toyintorrex@yahoo.com and indicate if it is morning or evening game
November 15, 2011 at 11:52 am (UTC 1)
I need 3direct for babaijebu saturday national!
November 15, 2011 at 12:00 pm (UTC 1)
Please, I need 3direct for babaijebu saturday national!