Mustapha Umar, MBA.

I've spent 8 years working with founders, SMEs, and ecosystems across Northern Nigeria. I've held conversations with hundreds of business owners. Assessed their numbers. Heard their stories. Here's what nobody is saying loudly enough about Northern SMEs & Why we need to act!!

Currently serving as a judge at the Climate Innovation Ecosystem Development (CIED) Demo Day organised by @StartupKano in collaboration with @UKInternational Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE). Interestingly, 60% of the founders pitching are women. Just amazing

Since the past 24 hours that I made the tweet on child parenting solution, my DM has been buzzing. I checked them, and one thing was quite common to all: Parents who are not happy about their kid’s performance in school, and they have approached it the wrong way. If you fall in this category, this post is for you. Many of us use brutal force because expectations are too high, and the anger is just too much. The scholar Ibn al-Jawzi explained in his book Sayd al-Khatir that intellect is a Rizq (provision) from God, just like money or health. He said some people are born with a wide vessel and others with a narrow one. If you try to force the water of a whole sea into a small cup, you will only spill the water and ruin the cup. This is what many of us are doing. We are trying to force a "doctor's brain" into a child whose cup was designed for something else. By that, it causes a soul-crushing resentment in the child. Imam Al-Ghazali described this beautifully in Ihya’ Ulum al-Din. He warned parents about a state called “Al-Malal”, where a child builds resentment because they are pushed beyond their limit. Everyone wants the best for their child. No doubt. However, if you keep yelling at them for things they cannot grasp yet, you make them hate the very sight of a book. You are closing the door to their heart while trying to kick open the door to their mind. Then what is the solution? It is simple. Going forward, every parent should make efforts to start looking for the Fath (the opening) in their kids. What does this mean? This is the lane the Almighty has prepared for them. In our history, if a child is slow with grammar or math, the scholars don’t call them a failure. They move them to a trade, a craft or a service. How then do you identify this Fath (Opening) in your child? Please pay close attention to me… (1) The first phase is Observation. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned a concept called Istid’ad (natural readiness) in his book titled: Tuhfat al-Mawdud. This means you want to watch/observe/look at the child when they think nobody is looking. This is your first tool. For the next two weeks, stop talking about school. Do not worry yourself about how they perform on their homework. Instead, keep a "Strength Log." Every evening, write down one thing they did well that had nothing to do with a classroom. Did they fix a broken toy? Did they calm down a crying sibling? Did they organise their shoes? You are looking for their Istid’ad (natural readiness). If they are "book-slow" but "people-smart" or "hand-smart," that is where the key has been placed. (2) Introduce “Project or Craft” early on. Ibn Khaldun, in his Muqaddimah, argued that projects/crafts are high forms of intelligence that build civilizations. He argued that some minds are designed to understand the physical world better than the abstract one. Give them a "Project Day." Buy a basic tool kit, a sewing machine, or a coding starter kit. Give them a broken radio or a piece of furniture to fix. Delegate. Give them a real-world task that has a visible result. When a child who fails at math sees that they can build a table or bake a perfect loaf of bread, their internal shame starts to heal. They realize they are not stupid; they were just in the wrong room. (3) Kill the Comparison Virus. Imam Al-Zarnuji, in his classic work Ta’lim al-Muta’allim, explained that a student should only study what fits their nature. He said that forcing a student into a field they have no taste for is a waste of their life and the teacher's time. When you compare your child to others, you are catching a virus that blinds you to their path. Always filter. When family members start bragging about their kids' grades, you must be the shield. Tell them, "My child is mastering the art of (so so and so)." You are teaching your child that success is not a single ladder. There are many ladders to it. And if you do not value their ladder, they will stop climbing. (4) Prioritize Character Building. Put more efforts to praise your kids for their good character. Always tell them you love them when they behave well or show good character. Character recognition helps the child build a good self-image, which translates into self-confidence and barrier-breaking for the child. Prioritise this. (5) Don’t underestimate the power of your words. Always pray to God to grant them their opening. The scholars taught that the "opening" is a gift from Al-Fattah (The Opener). Supplicate. In your Sujud or in your prayers, stop asking for them to be a doctor/engineer, and what have you. Ask for the door that was made for them to be opened. Ask Him to show you the Fath so you can stop pushing them against a closed wall. Always remember, a parent who finds the "Fath (The Opening)" for their child has given them a gift better than a degree. You have given them a purpose. Start that journey NOW. It’s never too late… Thank you for your attention. Allah knows best.

Build-A-Thon returns this April as part of our commitment to nurturing the next generation of innovators. From coding to hardware and the Internet of Things, this holiday camp is designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills in children aged 10 to 18 across Enugu, Lagos, Ogun, FCT Abuja, Delta and Kano. I encourage parents and guardians to take advantage of this opportunity to give their children a strong foundation in the digital world. Register your ward via the link here: b.link/Build-a-thon-2… #BuildAThon

Attention 2026 UTME Candidates: This is to notify you that Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall. Kindly visit our website at jamb.gov.ng

An interesting platform to learn everything Agentic AI (mltut.com/best-ai-agent-…)

Get Microsoft Certified. Get Hired. Apply for the 3MTT x Microsoft Programme Free voucher • Data Analysis & DevOps • Career opportunities DevOps: tinyurl.com/teknowledge-de… Data Analysis: tinyurl.com/yebm3uh5 #3MTT #Teknowledge #Microsoft

Africa faces a development financing gap exceeding US$400 billion per year. The New African Financial Architecture (NAFA), championed by the @AfDB_Group as part of the Four Cardinal Points strategic vision of @AfDBPresident Dr Ould Tah, proposes a systemic framework aimed at reorganising how capital and risk are deployed across the African financial ecosystem to close this gap. On 9 April, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, the Bank Group will host a Consultative Dialogue on #NAFA under the patronage of H.E. President @AOuattara_PRCI of Côte d'Ivoire, and will be led by Bank Group President Sidi Ould Tah. ➡️ bit.ly/4mfDmCD

Our eldest sibling who was a book maniac and now a medical doctor used to take his book to the viewing center, once it's half time, he steps out to a specific spot to read. Like to jack book o?

@_Abdulakeem_ @FurqanAkeyede The difference is as clear as it can be. Well done @_Abdulakeem_ , you carried yourself very well.

I got updates from the beneficiaries not long ago, and they have all come out to post evidence of how well the new vendor delivered. And to also add, thanks to Abazz, they ended up receiving two jerseys each after he refused to collect back the first ones he sent, even after stating in his previous post that he would. This further proves the point that the first jerseys delivered did not meet the expected standard because why would he want to lose a whole 300k. This is to Abazz. When issues arise, there’s no need to act based on emotions. After I called you out for not allowing me pick the winners, every step that followed seemed driven by anger. You knew what you did when those jerseys were sent out, but you assumed people would accept them that way. Not everyone is willing to be cheated. If I hadn’t spoken up, those beneficiaries would have ended up with jerseys they couldn’t confidently wear. Imagine receiving something like that as a gift from a top footballer. Imagine the excitement of being selected, only to receive something far below expectation. That would have been disappointing. I’m sure you’ve learnt from this, because situations like this affect trust and brand reputation. I hope you do better going forward. To Abazz’s friends and supporters. I hope you can now see for yourselves what blind followership looks like. Many of you were quick to call me names without taking time to understand why I spoke up in the first place. I’m sure a good number of small accounts must have had similar experience but swept under the carpet. It’s high time everything stopped. At this point, it’s only fair to acknowledge what has been revealed. If you’re looking to get a quality jersey from a reliable vendor, kindly reach out to @Ayomide0078 , he has proven himself and delivered excellently. Thank you all for your attention throughout the saga. Sambo.

If you are a Nigerian 🇳🇬, you don't need to bribe anybody to get police character report for immigration. Go to this website:possap.gov.ng/p/login Fill out the form, then pay. They will send you a form to do your thumbprint, and you will get the certificate in 1-2 weeks. Confirmed!! RT

We’re hiring research firms and consultants across Africa! At Women's World Banking, we are expanding our research bench and looking to collaborate with experienced research firms and independent consultants across: 📍 Nigeria 📍 Kenya 📍 Uganda 📍 Tanzania 📍 Zambia We’re seeking partners with strong qualitative and quantitative research expertise to support work on women’s financial inclusion and economic empowerment. This includes a wide range of activities, from study design and data collection to analysis and insight generation. This is an opportunity to be part of a growing network of research partners, contributing to impactful projects across multiple markets over the coming years. If you or your organization have a strong track record in research and are passionate about driving evidence-based impact, we would love to hear from you. 👉 Apply here: lnkd.in/ebxSfqqs 🗓️ Deadline: April 30, 2026 Feel free to share within your networks!

Founders attention needed here! ⚠️ I've sat on tables trying to resolve founders dispute, and if shares had been vested, 80% of those problems wouldn't have existed.

This is mostly called a Vesting Schedule. Let’s say Emmanuel, Kehinde and Stephanie start a company and split equity 25%, 25% and 50%. That’s 500, 500, and 1000 shares. On paper it looks like they each own those shares from day one but in reality they can agree to earn those shares over time. That’s cofounder vesting. Simply put, vesting means you don’t fully own your shares immediately, you earn them gradually. The common structure is 4 years with a 1-year cliff. What does that actually mean? For the first 1 year nobody truly owns anything yet, it’s a test period. If Emmanuel leaves in 10 months, he gets nothing. Once they hit 1 year, 25% of their shares vest: •Emmanuel – 125 shares •Kehinde – 125 shares •Stephanie – 250 shares After that the rest comes in gradually. So if Kehinde leaves after 2 years, she only keeps 50% of her shares, and the remaining goes back to the company. If Stephanie stays the full 4 years, she keeps everything. There are different types of vesting: •Standard (time-based) vesting: You earn your shares gradually over time (monthly or yearly) after the cliff. •Cliff vesting: That initial waiting period (usually 1 year) where leaving early means you get nothing. •Reverse vesting: You’re given all your shares upfront, but the company can take back the unvested part if you leave early. •Graded vesting: Shares come in chunks (e.g., 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%) instead of evenly. Why does this matter? It keeps everyone committed, nobody walks away early with equity they didn’t earn. It protects the company and makes things cleaner for investors. And if someone leaves, those unvested shares can be used to bring in someone else without messing up the cap table. You’ll usually see vesting in a Cofounders’/Shareholders’ Agreement or a Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement with the company having the right to take back unvested shares if someone exits early. Bottom line is, these are not compulsory clauses, but for you to have a well structured shareholder’s or cofounder agreement, you need to state all these clauses clearly to protect the company and investors.

Join us for the ResearchRabbit Writing Room! It's a free, monthly 2-hour online writing session designed for researchers who want to make real progress on their work. 📅 Tuesday, 7 April 🕙 10:00–12:00 (GMT+1) 💻 Online luma.com/ngq22y6o

📚 UNESCO Remote Role 2026 💰 €10,500 total pay 🏡Fully remote 📖Editorial role (academic journal) 🌍Global exposure 📅 April 17, 2026 🔗 Apply: wp.me/p23f03-klD 💡 Tip: Showcase editorial experience! #UNESCO #RemoteJobs

Introducing the OpenAI Safety Fellowship, a new program supporting independent research on AI safety and alignment—and the next generation of talent. openai.com/index/introduc…

The economic case for investing in women-led SMEs in Northern Nigeria not as a social cause or philanthropy or giveaway, but as some sort of investment thesis: Women-led businesses in emerging markets show lower average default rates on small business loans than male-led equivalents Women employ proportionally more women, creating a multiplier effect in a region where female employment is structurally low Northern Nigeria has a vast informal women's trade economy that is almost entirely untracked, unrated, and unfunded For a patient, deliberate investor, the lack of visibility shouldn't be a red flag, rather it should be a signal. Any Northern investment initiative that doesn't have a deliberate process for sourcing and evaluating women-led businesses will miss some of the strongest opportunities available. Like I've always reiterated, the businesses are there. The infrastructure to reach them just has to be built, and now more than ever, I believe it will.

Call For Applications: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Internship Program 2026 (Monthly Stipend Available) msmeafricaonline.com/call-for-appli…

JUST IN! $100,000 non-dilutive founder fellowship global: fundingcake.com/directory-fund…

Allahu Akbar !