Are you worried about your candidate’s complicated personal life and you don’t know how to do a background check? Are you an employee that is serious about due diligence? Do you want to protect your brand’s name from getting dragged in the mud online?

Hiring the wrong person can be costly. The most expensive mistake of all is ignoring the signs that someone has a questionable past or dodgy credentials.

Background checks are a necessary evil in today’s business and are easy to carry out if you know the right plug. Doing a background investigation on candidates before employing them will help you weed out bad candidates, and you can focus more on making that new employee feel welcome in the office.

Platforms like Zuri Background Check, Truthfinder, and Goodhire help you find out about their potentially damaging digital footprint before it’s too late. They also provide a Full Background Report that’s fast and easy, so you can make better informed hiring decisions.

Why make assumptions when platforms like Zuri Background Check can add up to 100 search terms and conduct an exhaustive search on their online presence for you? 

Investigation into their past provides you as an employer with information on what they’ve been doing online, and if they are in a criminal past you should know about e.g. search sex offender registries in your area.

Whether you’re hiring, promoting, or just keeping tabs on your employees’ or candidates’ online activity, platforms like screenify or Zuri Background Check can guide you through the process so you can get to the truth in no time at all.

Join more than 240 businesses that use Zuri Background Check to find information on education, family status, friendships, behavioral patterns, and the like so you have all your bases covered before making that important hiring decision.

Nigeria marks 60 years since it became an independent country and as a result of the pandemic, there won’t be the usual fan fair and celebrations that usually comes with the occasion. 60 years truly warrants a celebration, but in the case of Nigeria, there is absolutely nothing worth celebrating as the it gradually falls into failed state territoty.

But incase you’re still optimistic and in the mood for celebration, below are 25 reasons not to.

1. Poverty

According to the National Bureau of Statistics over 82.9 million Nigerians are poor. This is a disappointing number especially when you compare it with the country’s estimated population of 180 million people. This poverty was most felt during the lockdown that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. The widespread poverty resulted in a plethora of social vices and insecurity. Simply pathetic.

2. Bad leadership 

From time immemorial Nigeria has always been plagued with clueless and uninspiring leadership, and unfortunately,  it doesn’t seem like it is going to end soon 

3. Insecurity

Sleeping with one eye open has become the norm, and people have been left to protect themselves from bandits and criminals. 

4. Terrible Electricity

5. Police/SARS

What more can be said? Police harass, intimidate and kill innocent civilians who they swore to protect and nothing is being done about it. Police is not your friend and be very afraid of them.

6. Politicians

Failed promises, deceit, corrupt, the list goes on and on

7. Insurgency

Boko Haram continues to ravage the North-east without an end in sight.

8. Ethnic killings

Southern Kaduna needs respite.

9. ASUU

Never forget that Nigeria celebrated 60 years of independence in the middle of an  ASUU strike

10. Debt

As of June 30, 2019, Nigeria’s total debt profile had risen to N31. 009 trillion, yet the country continues to borrow.

11. Low standard of living

Nigerian’s are living in complete discomfort, their basic necessities like food and jobs have become luxury, yet we celebrate 60 years.

12. Fuel price

Nigeria is a country rich in crude oil, yet petrol a commodity we’re supposed to enjoy  is sold at 151 per litre

13. Bag of rice at 40k

14. Corruption 

It has been a trend for every elected official in Nigeria to promise to eradicate corruption. “Fighting” corruption was top of President Buhari’s agenda during his campaign, but we all know how that has ended up, bullion vans and what not.

15. Sham democracy 

16. Brain drain

Every day, new sets of brilliant professionals across various fields exit the country in search of a better opportunities and a better life

17. Poor health system

When the president travels abroad to treat his ear, you know there is a problem.

18. Massive exodus of young people

19. Zero free speech

Under the guise of curbing hate speech, the government has stifled freedom of speech and any sort of criticism is met with punishment. In a Democracy?

20. Flawed Educational system

Strikes, inadequate facilities, decay of existing facilities and all out neglegence.

21. Disunity 

The idea of One Nigeria has proven to be a big fat lie.

22. Atrocious laws 

It is as if the government deliberately enact laws that inimical to the progress of its citizens. From pointless taxes to laws that infringe on fundamental human rights, the masses just can’t win.

23. Tribalism and Nepotism 

Opportunities are few and shared among a select few while those that truly merit theses chances are left reeling.

24. Zero human rights

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) guarantees human rights which include the rights to life, personal liberty, fair trial, freedom of thought, conscience and religion etc. But we all know the true story.

25. The future doesn’t look bright 

Nigerians have been known to be very optimistic people, but that optimism has gradually waned. People have realized that truly there isn’t any light at the end of the tunnel and we are in a free fall into oblivion.

Lagos is prone to flooding, and it is not difficult to understand why.  Global warming has led to rising sea levels which makes the situation even worse. However, it is possible to limit the excessive flooding and mitigate its effects. Coastal cities such as  Rotterdam, Dar es Salaam, Miami, among others are constantly putting measures in place to reduce flooding and the disaster that it creates, and Lagos should not be left out. 

1. Better drainage

For a state surrounded by water, the drainage system in Lagos could be a hundred times better. Poor drainage system has been the number one cause of flooding in Lagos because there’s simply no other place for the water to go other than roads and into homes. Hence, for Lagos to reduce flooding there has to be better drainage systems.

2. Higher roads

Another way of preventing flood is by building elevated roads in the surrounding areas. This has become a trend across coastal cities with constant flooding. This will prevent the water from flowing into homes and destroying property.

3. Restrict buildings

This is very unlikely because of the growing population of people living in Lagos. More so real estate companies have made it a habit of selling sand filled lands in these flood prone areas at very cheap prices making it even more appealing. However in order to prevent the disastrous effects of flood, especially when it is inevitable, the government needs to prevent or reduce the construction of houses in these flood prone areas. 

4. Better warning system

Every year the government sends out vague warnings of potential flooding without statistics and follow ups. More efforts such as sensitization, providing stats and facts, as well as follow up measures should be employed in a bid to sound the warnings louder.    

5. Build Floodgates

Floodgates, also called stop gates, are adjustable gates used to control or stop water flow entirely especially in cases of flood. Floodgates sometimes are also used to lower the water levels in a main river or canal channels by allowing more water to flow into a flood bypass when the main river or canal is approaching a flood stage. This will go a long way in preventing excessive flooding.