Author: ARM

In the news: NSE’s indices soar by N370 billion

PUNCH Manufacturing index hit 56.3 points in February – CBN The Central Bank of Nigeria’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index hit 56.3 index points in February, the CBN’s PMI survey report showed on Wednesday. MTN eyes $5.2bn NSE listing in July MTN Group plans to list its Nigerian unit worth $5.23bn by July in a debut Initial Public Offer on the Nigeria Stock Exchange and will raise fresh funds to reduce debt, according to pre-IPO presentation seen by Reuters. Again, CBN warns against investment in Bitcoin, others The Central Bank of Nigeria on Wednesday cautioned Nigerians to be wary of investments in cryptocurrencies, stating that virtual currencies were not legal tender in the country. SEC’s free e-dividend registration ends The free e-Dividend registration exercise for shareholders of publicly-quoted companies in Nigeria has finally ended. $2bn needed to revive Lagos-Kano rail line – Osinbajo Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday said Nigeria would need $2bn (N610bn) to revive the Lagos-Kano rail line as part of efforts to boost local and international trade along the northern and southern zones. Nigerians are getting poorer, says IMF Nigeria’s people are getting poorer despite the country’s slow recovery from recession and economic reforms are urgently needed, the International Monetary Fund has said. THE NATION Nigeria gas reserves up by 4.067tcf, says NNRC Nigeria‘s natural gas re-serves have risen by 4.067 trillion cubic feet (tcf) from 187.998tcf in 2014 to 192.065tcf in 2015, the Nigerian Natural Resource Chapter (NNRC) has said. Shrinking oil demand: SPE calls for investment in renewables As global demand for fossil fuels begins to dwindle, Nigeria needs to increase its investments in renewable energy, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigeria Council, has advised. Africa Prudential, United Capital declare N2.9b dividend Shareholders of Africa Prudential (APR) Plc and United Capital Plc will receive N2.9 billion as total dividend payout for the immediate past business year. THISDAY Seplat Recovers from Loss, Posts N81bn Profit After Tax Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc thursday announced its audited results for the year ended December 31, 2017, showing a recovery from the loss posted in 2016. CBN Urges Risk Managers to Support Economic Growth The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele has advised risk managers in the country to ensure that their activities in their respective institutions support government’s efforts towards achieving sustainable growth. Over 100 Foreign, Local Firms Bid for Ibom Deep Seaport Following the increased interest by the federal government, more than 100 local and foreign companies have reportedly indicated interest in the development of the Ibom Deep Seaport in Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. THE GUARDIAN CBN disburses smaller naira notes to traders to end scarcity To check rising inflation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Tuesday began the disbursement of smaller naira notes to traders in order to improve the circulation of N5, N10, N20, and N50 in the market. NSE’s indices soar by N370 billion Ahead of the full year result of listed companies, investors increasing demand for fundamentally sound dividend paying stocks, coupled with high expectations of improved dividend yield, yesterday, buoyed transactions on the trading floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), as market capitalisation soared significantly by N370 billion.

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A ‘Black Panther’ moment for Nigeria

Gross Domestic Product: Q4 2017  We apologise if you are yet to see the movie. We hate spoilers too but the recent trends in Nigeria’s economic growth remind us of Black Panther. Keep reading and you’ll get the link. The pace of economic growth picked up with data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reporting Nigeria’s GDP for Q4 2017 at 1.9% YoY, 80bps above our expectation of 1.1%. For us, while a growth in the quarter was widely expected, the drivers of growth –  which varied from consensus expectation of an oil-led growth – points to some positive on economic diversification and improvement in the productive sectors. For context – in contrast to prior quarters wherein the oil sector led growth (a case of oil production recovery) – accelerated growth in Agriculture (4.2% YoY, Q3 17: 3.1%), recovery in Trade (2.1% YoY, Q3 17: -1.7%) and slower contraction in Services (-0.8% YoY, Q3 17: -3.1%) largely drove the overall economic growth in Q4 17. Accordingly, the non-oil sector (93% of GDP) returned to growth (+1.5% YoY) in the quarter from a contraction of -0.8% YoY in the third quarter. The foregoing, combined with oil sector growth of 8.4% YoY (Q3 17: 25.9% YoY), drove the faster growth of 1.9% YoY in Q4. Consequently, 2017 economic growth prints at 0.8% YoY (estimate: 0.6% YoY).  Just like the film ‘Black Panther’ with near-record crowds descending on theatres across Nigeria, the growth picture in Q4 17 requires some cause to cheer, and also moderates the concern on fragility of economic recovery. Non-Oil Sector: Back from the brink. As earlier stated, non-oil sector recovered from the contraction in the prior quarter with support stemming mainly from Agriculture (Q4 17: 4.2% YoY). The growth reflects the main harvest season in which FEWSNET reported that harvest in the period was above average. For us, we perceive favorable weather, increased cultivated land and sustained focus of the FG on the sector via various support programs as key drivers for increased output during the quarter. Another support to the positive non-oil growth was trade, as it rose 2.1% YoY in Q4 17 following five consecutive quarters of negative growth. The rebound in trade was on the back of increased dollar availability, with sector overall contribution increasing to 16.8% (Q3 17: 15.9%). Elsewhere, the services sector also saw a slower contraction of -0.3% (Q3 17: -1.1%) during the review period which stemmed from the ICT sector (Q4 17: -1.5%; Q3 17: -4.5%). Though data from the Nigerian Communications Commission revealed a downturn in industry voice calls (-7% YoY to 142 million active subscribers), mild growth in data services (YoY: 3% to 95 million subscribers) was able to tame its effect on the industry’s total output. Although oil refining remained in negative territory, losing -46.2% YoY, faster growth in food, beverage and tobacco (YoY: Q4 17: +2.2%; Q3 17: 0.6%) and Textile, Apparel and Footwear (YoY: Q4 17: +1.6%; Q3 17: 0.2 %) served as pillars in pushing the manufacturing sector back to a positive growth of +0.1% (Q3 17: -2.9%). Oil Output expanded at a slower pace: Relative to the double-digit growth (+25% YoY) reported in Q3 17, the pace of Oil growth slowed in Q4 17 (+8.4% YoY), reflecting a higher base in Q4 16 relative to Q3 16. According to NBS, oil production for the quarter averaged 1.9mbpd, +8.5% higher than 1.76mbpd.

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Before you ask me to marry you…

I’ve loved Bosun for three years and for those number of years we’ve been together, I have imagined him proposing in so many different yet enchanting ways.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not desperate – I’m just a planner. I love to have things planned out in my head before executing them.

The other day I came over to Bosun’s place for the weekend and while doing chores, I noticed this shoe box in the wardrobe. I’ve always seen it but this time, I was curious to know what was in it.

I opened it gently and saw a ring box. My heart started beating rapidly like the beats from a rap music. I held my chest afraid my heart would jump out. Then I opened the box to see the most beautiful engagement ring I’ve ever clapped eyes on. Tears filled my eyes, Bosun was finally going to do it!

Finally, what I’d dreamed would become a reality. I closed my eyes to imagine our future but opened it right back in shock. I saw love, but I also saw disorganization – a life without focus.

Nah! That’s not me. Before Bosun asks me to marry him, I need for us to deal with these issues:

Outstanding debt

Roll not your eyes oh ye ‘judger’ – this is serious business. I want both of us to come clean on who has any outstanding debt and what plans we have to pay them off. Because face it, would you like to marry your spouse along with debt you didn’t know existed?

Managing household finances

I have watched enough marriages to know that committing to a lifetime together means committing to saving for long-term goals, supporting each other’s career changes, planning for retirement and how to raise children together.

That said, I’ll really like Bosun and I to be on the same page regarding how finances are managed. At least we should deal with issues like

• Do we divide expenses evenly or based on earnings?
• How do we track our spending?
• What should be priority for our budget?
• Do we pool our finances in joint or separate accounts?
• What happens if one person loses their job?

I strongly believe that it will help us plan together responsibly. Even though the plan can always change as our lives change, it is a good first step as our lives together begin.

 

Short and Long-term goals

I’m a saver while Bosun on the other hand is a spender and that means we have to figure out what our priorities are to ensure our goals are aligned.

Our plan will help us identify what our short-term goals are, make plans to meet them while we dream together about what we want the future to look like, and plan towards making it a reality.

While we’ll need to pay rent, we should also dream of having our own home. While we’ll need to buy this and that, we need to remember the place of investment and retirement.

We both need to decide how much we can afford to put aside for our goals each month and get it directly debited into a savings account automatically.

Children

My sister wanted two kids, but her husband wanted four. They didn’t agree before marriage and I know the fight it caused and is still causing till date. I don’t have energy for fight, so we must agree before the journey begins.

Second to how many children we will have, we also need to agree on what level of education we want for them, what kind of schools (foreign or local), will they do Masters here or abroad – then whatever we decide, it will be ideal to plan towards opening an education savings account to make that plan happen.

Will, insurance, demise

Please don’t call me a pessimist – I’m simply being real. Everyday we see families torn apart and lifestyles changed for innocent kids because their parents didn’t expect demise, but it happened. I have no qualms about getting life insurance and writing a will, and I want to be sure Bosun is okay with that too. We both need to plan especially for the children we will have. God forbid one of us passes, that shouldn’t affect the life we foresee for the kids.

Division of household labour

Bosun has always shoved the idea of getting a live-in nanny under the carpet especially with all the nanny-from-hell horror stories in the news. Seeing as he and I work full time, I reckon it will be appropriate to decide who does what in the house.

If he doesn’t like the idea of doing chores, then now will also be the right time to decide if we’ll get a nanny that comes and goes or something else that can work for us both.

Location

A change of location due to work transfer may never happen, but it’s still worth discussing just in case.

 

I’m looking forward to getting all these sorted with bae because I already see our future now and it looks awesome. Meanwhile, you need to discuss these things too and plan ahead to avoid unnecessary fights in the future (You can start here…thank me later).

I hear him coming, let me hide the ring and pretend I haven’t seen it.

Later…

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Hire a Bridesmaid; help me hit my financial goals

My name is Joke and I am a serial bridesmaid.

Half of my wardrobe is filled with bridesmaid dresses, customized bridesmaid robes from wedding mornings, tulle skirts and other costume from bridal showers. Yes, I love weddings and all the hullabaloo that come with them, but it is beginning to look like all these weddings will be my ruin.

The foundation of the problem is that I have too many friends. Other than myself, I don’t know anyone who is still close to their primary school class mates. Let’s not even talk about secondary school colleagues or my university peers. Not to talk of the friends I met randomly and the friends of other friends who later became my friends.

The implication of all these friendships is that there is hardly any weekend when I don’t have a wedding to attend, sometimes more than one. I am not proud of this, but I am a bridesmaid at least twice a month, every month. Apart from the fact that my weekends are never mine, my wedding involvement is having a fatal effect on my finances.

Ordinarily, I should be quite comfortable. My job pays relatively well, I do not pay rent and my parents still send me a stipend every now and then. You would imagine that I must have a nest egg growing somewhere, investment or at least savings with which I can fund my dreams. Unfortunately, I don’t. If anything were to happen to my job right now, I would be stranded. And it’s all because of all these weddings I am entangled with.

Bode, a friend I made at a wedding where he was himself a groomsman, has appointed himself my deliverer, he is committed to healing me of my wedding fever. The other day, we calculated the financial implication of being a bridesmaid and it was alarming. Way before the wedding, there will typically be a bridal shower where we (bride’s friends) all contribute money to buy the bride cake, desserts, a gift and a new dress (because the shower is often an expected surprise). Of course, there will be a shower theme and if it’s something unusual like an ‘Hawaiian sunset’, I’ll have to buy myself new clothes for the shower. As the wedding approaches, we’ll pay for the bridesmaid dress, shoes and jewelry (that’s how I came to have six pairs of pink shoes). There is also the wedding morning robe and sometimes aso ebi for the trad. All that does not cover transportation to the venue, God help you if it’s a destination wedding. Wow, how will I ever be able to take charge of my finances when I am so committed to financing other people’s weddings.

Bode says I need to master the art of saying no when I am so graciously asked- would you be my bridesmaid? But it seems too hard. He even made me download this app, PayDay Investor, an investment app that makes it easy to put money aside consistently and helps me invest in a mutual fund. Bode said the mutual fund has good returns and I’ll be surprised at how quickly my money will grow. I don’t know o, I am still yet to recover from telling Tito I cannot be her bridesmaid. Last Saturday, I attended Bianca’s wedding in a dress I already had. I would not have been able to make it if Bode had not gone with me. Now I am preparing to tell Teju I cannot travel to Cape Town just to watch her say ‘I do’. I wonder how she will take it.

But I am also loving the feeling of responsibility and assurance that comes with investing. That PayDay Investor app has automated the whole investing thing for me. All I had to do was authorize it to invest on the 28^th of the month and it automatically transfers money from my salary account to my PayDay account on that day. That way, I don’t even have excess money to expend on weddings anymore.

It’s just been a little over a month, but I am loving this new feeling. Perhaps it’s time to start investing towards my own wedding. Wait, hold that thought… that’s Bode calling my phone.

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In the news: PFAs invest N5.2tn of pension fund in FG securities

PUNCH Reps move to legalize Excess Crude Account The House of Representatives on Tuesday moved to legalize the controversial Excess Crude Account by proposing a bill to capture all excess revenue in a new account to be called Excess Revenue Fund Account. PFAs invest N5.2tn of pension fund in FG securities Out of the total N7.52tn total pension assets as of December 31, 2017, about N5.29tn, representing 70 per cent of the entire fund, was invested in Federal Government securities by Pension Fund Administrators. T-bill yields drop as Eurobond addresses debt maturities Short-term Treasury bill yields fell by 0.5 per cent on Tuesday on expectations the government would sell less debt at auctions in the second quarter after raising $2.5bn via Eurobond. Scarcity: We’ve imported $5.8bn worth of petrol, says NNPC The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Tuesday said it had imported 9.8 million metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, worth $5.8bn to combat the fuel crisis that resurfaced late last year. THISDAY Non-interest Banks to Bear Customers’ Repayment Risk in CACS The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has amended the guidelines to the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) which was set up to promote commercial agricultural enterprises in the country. FG to Preserve $1bn FX with Inauguration of Africa’s Largest Egg Plant The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu are expected to in the coming days, jointly inaugurate a new Egg Powder Plant in Emure-Ile, near Owo, Ondo State established through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement between the Ondo State Government and Greenfield Assets Limited soon. GUARDIAN Despite assurance of no increase, petrol sold at N190.9/litre in January Despite assurances from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNP), that the Federal Government has no intention of increasing the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, the product actually sold for N190.9 per litre in January. Nestle, Dangote Cement, others lift NSE index by 0.4% Transactions on the trading floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), closed in upbeat yesterday, following price gains recorded by major highly capitalized stocks, especially Nestle and Dangote Cement, as the All-share index appreciated 0.4 per cent.

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In the news: Nigeria external reserves to hit 54 months high

PUNCH CBN bars banks with huge bad loans from paying dividends The Central Bank of Nigeria has stopped the payment of dividends to shareholders by Deposit Money Banks and discount houses with huge bad loans and low capital base. Reps demand N800bn supplementary budget for fuel marketers The House of Representatives is unhappy over the lingering scarcity of petrol in the country and has asked the Executive to submit a N800bn supplementary budget to the National Assembly to offset the debts allegedly owed fuel marketers. FG, states fail to fund workers’ retirement accounts Many workers who are retiring under the Contributory Pension Scheme are either unable to get their pensions or earning ridiculously low stipends because the government has been inconsistent with the remittance of its deductions into their Retirement Savings Accounts. IPPs: FG, states, LGs miss out on $2.7bn profit Fluctuations in the exchange rate of the naira to the United States dollar, vandalism of gas pipelines and violence in parts of the country are preventing the sale of 10 electricity generation plants under the National Integrated Power Projects. Scarcity: NBS puts average price of petrol at N191/litre Many Nigerians are still paying far above N145 per litre pump price of petrol approved by the Federal Government for the product, a report of the National Bureau of Statistics has indicated.   GUARDIAN Relief for importers as government relaxes rule on palletisation policy The Federal Government has relaxed its new cargo import policy on palletisation, urging all importers to comply with international standards and stacking prescription by the original manufacturers of products. ‘70 million Nigerians still locked out of micro-pension scheme’ Despite the huge funds expended on the micro pension initiative by the National Pension Commission (PenCom), it could not keep to its assurance of commencing the scheme by the end of 2017.   VANGUARD Eurobond: Nigeria external reserves to hit 54 months high of $45bn Nigeria’s external reserves will  rise to 54 months high of $45 billion this month following the conclusion of federal government’s $2.5 billion Eurobond this week. The Eurobond, which commenced last week with the announcement of its pricing on Thursday, will be concluded on Friday. 64% of vehicles on Nigerian roads run on fake insurance — NIA Only about 36 percent of vehicles plying Nigerian roads are currently insured as records indicate that most of the vehicles run on fake insurance certificates.

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In the news: Stock market appreciates by N166bn

PUNCH Inflation dropped to 15.13% in January – NBS The National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday released the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation, with the rate dropping year-on-year by 0.24 basis points from 15.37 per cent in December to 15.13 per cent in January. Anchor Borrowers’ scheme: CBN disburses N55bn to farmers In the last two years of the implementation of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, a total of N55bn has been disbursed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to over 250,000 farmers under the scheme. CBN, others launch mortgage law for informal sector The Central Bank of Nigeria, in conjunction with the Mortgage Banking Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, on Wednesday launched the uniform mortgage underwriting standards for the informal sector. Stock market ends losses, appreciates by N166bn The Nigerian stock market, on Wednesday, halted a seven-day bearish trend after the Nigerian Stock Exchange market capitalization (equities) appreciated by N166bn. TCN increases power transmission with 200MVA transformers The Transmission Company of Nigeria says it has increased its power evacuation capacity through the installation of two 100 Mega Volt Amps transformers in different transmission substations. South African President, Zuma, resigns South Africa’s embattled President Jacob Zuma has resigned his office with immediate effect.   THISDAY FG Raises N176bn in Treasury Bills Sale Nigeria has raised N176 billion worth of treasury bills at an auction on Wednesday, traders said. The central bank offered N6 billion of three-month paper, N30 billion of six-month bills and N140 billion of one-year notes. Senate Gives Agencies One Week to Submit 2018 Budget Details The Senate has issued a one-week ultimatum to 63 government agencies who are yet to submit details of their 2018 budget proposals. Foreign Reserves Rally to $42.8bn Nigeria’s external reserves rallied to a new high of $42.8 billion on Tuesday with confidence returning to the economy as the continuing intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) draws various exchange rates to convergence point.   GUARDIAN Uproar as Senate reverses election sequence of 2019 Intrigues ahead of next year’s general election took a fresh twist, yesterday, with the Senate’s approval of a new sequence for the polls. The schedule released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, February 16, 2019, while governorship and state Assembly elections come up Saturday, March 2, 2019. CBN ex- chief calls for N500b venture capital fund to boost entrepreneurship Former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has called for the creation of a N500billion Venture Capital Fund, to support entrepreneurship in Nigeria, to boost the economy. Indonesia-African forum to attract FDIs as trade with Nigeria hits $2.5b The International Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) Lagos has stated that the trade volume between Nigeria and Indonesia hit over $2.5 billion in 2016. Presco targets sustained growth, dividend through expansion Presco Plc has reiterated its commitment to sustain ongoing expansion agenda, as part of measures to generate more job opportunities, and create value for shareholders.

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ECONOMIC UPDATE: Proactive or Defensive CBN?

In the month of January, daily average turnover at the Investors and Exporters Window (IEW) touched an all-time high of $274million, 35% higher MoM with a total of ~$6.1 billion sold. Notably, although the CBN has been a net buyer in the market since August 2017, (~$569 million average net purchase from August – December 2017), the apex bank mopped up sizable dollar flows in the month of January – net purchase of $1.3 billion.

Basically, supply in the IEW has consistently outpaced demand, providing the CBN with scope to shore up its external reserves. As at 31st January 2018, the apex bank reserves grew by +5% MoM to $40.7 billion. In our view, the CBN is taking pre-emptive measures for any expected outflows stemming from global monetary policy normalisation and domestic political risk. However, this observation begs the question on why the excess supply has yet to force a noteworthy appreciation in the naira, especially when the CBN accounted for ~22% of transactions in the window. Is the CBN trading off between an appreciation in the value of the naira for currency stability over 2018?

Further analysis into trading activities in the market reveal increased dollar inflows as client sales to the I&E Window jumped 27% to $2.3billion while member (dealing banks) purchases declined 19% to $848 million – indicating increased FX liquidity in the window. The CBN also increased sales across other segments of the market in a bid to close market spread. Precisely, the apex bank increased its sales to Wholesale, retail SMEs and invisibles’ market by 25% to $1 billion.

Over the rest of the year, we do not see any shock to the currency as our analysis reveal the expected monthly oil and non-oil inflow as well as the current build-up of the country’s reserve puts the apex bank in a better position to defend the naira. Underpinning our view is a scenario analysis carried out on the potential impact of a capital flight from the fixed income market as we believe foreign investors will remain attracted to the equity market. We look at maturing bills for the rest of the year and assume foreign investors hold back from rolling over their maturing bills because of expectations of lower return and election risk.

Furthermore, on the basis that foreign investors hold 30-50% maturing instruments, we overlay the expected outflow with our expectations on oil and non-inflow for the rest of the year. For us, despite the higher outflow in May 2018 due to the maturing bond worth N302 billion ($838 million) – the current build up in reserve ($40 billion) as well as the move by CBN to take up the excess FX supply at the I & E window takes out thought of a depreciation in the currency.

 

VIEW FULL REPORT HERE

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Valentine for three…

If I wanted that life, I could easily be a ‘baba for the girls’. Easy on the eyes, good job, great personality, many ladies have referred to me as the possible answer to their prayers. But I am all about one girl. Cynthia has been with me since before I was me. I have fond memories of her traveling to visit me in the one room I shared with three other guys while I served my country. She was the one who ironed the shirt I wore on the first day at my first job. She sent me the link advertising my current power job. When I could finally afford a place of my own, she was the one who chose the two bedrooms flat in Thomas estate where I currently reside.  The decoration screams her name, but I will have it no other way.

Another good thing about Cynthia is her simplicity and prudence. While I would like to take her on a short vacation somewhere for Valentine, she would never agree. Her reason- why spend so much on a 24-hour event when we could do much more with the money. Smart girl, my Cynthia. So, our Valentine routine is simple; a day in, just the two of us, no outing, no dates, no friends or family- just us. And it is always super cool. Until about 5 pm when my landlord and his family members return home from their offices and schools. Then everything scatters.

You see, my landlord is a polygamist,  two wives and seven children and they make the loudest noise you can imagine just going about their day. Unfortunately for me, their kitchen is just behind my bedroom window, so I am usually able to catch all the action live. If the wives are not arguing over whose turn it is to make landlord’s dinner, one child will be accusing another of stealing his drink in the fridge while another set of children are fighting over what television station to watch. On some days, I do not mind the noise, I try to mentally tune them off and enjoy the comfort of my house but not on Valentine’s day.

Three years ago, the eldest son came to borrow my spanner while Cynthia and I were watching our Valentine movie. Let’s just say he ended up watching the whole movie with us and even stayed to share his opinion of the story. Two years ago, Cynthia was trying out the ayamase recipe she just discovered for our special Valentine lunch, baba landlord’s junior wife perceived the aroma while she was picking clothes from our shared laundry line and decided to stop by to ask about the source of the aroma. We eventually shared our Valentine lunch with her.

The most annoying of all Valentine fiascos was last year’s episode. I had planned to propose to Cynthia on Valentine’s day last year. I had a selection of carefully hand-picked songs. Songs that had meant something to us at different points of our journey together. The way I envisioned it, the songs would tell a story and eventually lead to the perfect moment. Alas, Baba landlord and his family won’t allow me be great. They chose that hour of the day to have a ‘don’t forget the lyrics’  contest. The jeers and cheers from the other children as each child had his/her turn were so loud Cynthia and I could hardly hear each other, not to talk of the soft music I was playing. When I increased the volume in an attempt to drown out their noise, she decided the sound collision could not be healthy and proceeded to turn off my music player since we could control that sound. The ring immediately felt heavier in my pocket as I saw my proposal plans scatter. I eventually had to plan an entirely different proposal, this time, not situated in my home.

This year, as we look forward to our wedding, I want nothing more than to give my babe the Valentine she has always wanted- intimate, void of disturbances, focused on just us but I cannot dare hope. My landlord’s children cannot be trusted. I wonder how we will cope when we marry, all this noise and interference cannot be good for a young marriage.

As always, Cynthia saved the day. She sent me a link she had found online. It said I could fire my landlord with just 1.2 million. We knew the opportunity was for us and jumped on it.  It’s ok whatever stunt the landlord’s family pulls this year, we can’t be bothered much- we are looking forward to our happy intimate life in a house that will eventually be 100% our own.

 

Nothing says I love you like offering her peace of mind in a home that is completely yours. Make your babe happy, fire your landlord with just 1.2 million and start the rewarding journey of living in your own home.  How does it work? Find out here.

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