Muhammad Babangida | Philanthropy

Muhammad Babangida is a committed philanthropist from Nigeria

Important Ways Technology Impacts Productivity

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On March 1, 2022

In Community Engagement, Muhammad Babangida

 

Although there are arguments about technology leading to multiple distractions for employees, there are also many examples of technology having positive impacts on productivity. Let’s take a look at some of the important ways technology is improving productivity in workplaces around the world, with information featured from an article on Beekeeper.

  1. Communication improvements

Previously, we have seen workplace communication revolve around email threads and one-on-one meetings. However, when the Covid19 pandemic hit, it was clear that businesses had to integrate other ways of communicating so that operations could still continue without people in the office. Now, it is popular for employees to communicate over skype instant messaging, and Zoom video conferencing. Technology has allowed workplace communication to become quicker, more efficient, and more thorough than ever before. 

  1.   Peer-to-peer communication

Along with better workplace communication as a whole, colleagues are able to communicate with each other more effectively as well. Skype instant messaging, Slack and other communication platforms have made it so that team members can speak with anyone in the company quickly without having to exchange personal phone numbers. Employees are able to use these online platforms to share videos, links, messages, images, and documents with each other with ease. With responses being quicker, there are fewer headaches and miscommunications throughout the office and productivity actually increases. 

  1.   Improved employee satisfaction.

Employee satisfaction is important for multiple aspects of running a smooth operating business. Unhappy employees tend to be less engaged, less productive, and add to a high turnover rate. Employees are starting to become more and more concerned about their values and happiness when it comes to placing themselves at jobs, and companies need to take that into account for their own good and success. One way businesses can increase employee satisfaction is by recognizing their individual employees for various achievements, random uplifting, and even special events like birthdays and pregnancies. Receiving zero communication from leaders and other members of the team can make employees feel like they are not a vital part of the organization. Allow employees to have a voice in different online platforms and keep them informed about various policy changes, workplace incidents, and other information that would benefit them to know. 

 

How to Find Purpose in Your Projects

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On February 23, 2022

In Community Engagement, Muhammad Babangida

Some projects may not fully project their purpose during conception. However, these projects become helpful with time, and they manifest their usefulness in their implementation. Therefore, it is important not to judge any project before it is implemented because you cannot tell what it will yield in the future. It is therefore essential to evaluate business projects.

 

The following are key points to help you find purpose in your business project.

  • A Good Starting Point

The purpose of the business is the crucial point to determine the project’s value. However, with time the business executives may opt to find the actual use of the project case. The value of the project is not measured with the gains it’s giving back to the company at the moment, but the real gains it will bring to the company in the future. A project is not set for short-term goals but long-term goals. 

 

Some projects may go beyond the constraints of the projected budget, but it does not mean that they are not worth investing in. This is because other projects went way far beyond their projected budget, and they still stand to date as iconic monuments worth the investment. However, if they could have been cut short, their importance could not be celebrated today.

  • Why Business Case Is Not the Only Rationale

Business executives should invest in building the case for a project. Still, they must be conversant with the project and understand its potential impact on its development before implementing it. They will be required to conduct in-depth research to ensure adequate information on what the project can offer. However, this approach requires a viable use case on top of its purpose. However, only 2.5 percent of the companies can complete their projects in this approach.

  • Building Purpose Into a Project

To ensure that you have built the true purpose in a project, you will have to ensure that you have established the reason why the project exists. This way, you will identify the importance of business on the owners and the employees. These are the key issues that give the project meaning beyond its profitability.

  • Finding Out the Why of a Project

The most effective way to understand the purpose of a project is by answering the recurring questions. If the business cannot answer the endless questions, it may not have any practical purpose. Therefore, a good project must give answers to ensure that it has saved huge expenses and avoids losses.

 

How to Make the Most of Crowdfunding

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On February 23, 2022

In Muhammad Babangida, Philanthropy

Many organizations rely on crowdfunding to raise money in today’s economic climate. In the case of organizations like museums and other cultural institutions, crowdsourcing is a viable option that they can use to create an educated and diverse audience and a robust network of financial supporters. How then can they make the most of crowdfunding?

 

Deciding What to Crowdfund

Before going any further, it is essential to understand what they are attempting to get funding for. Depending on the nature of the project and its level of interactivity, several different goals could be established. From an institutional perspective, one could create a foundation for future development or provide a platform for current events.

For an individual project (such as a film), the backing would be used as an element of motivation or perhaps as seed money to get things moving in the right direction. Other objectives, such as those that are more altruistic, might include using crowdfunding to start or bolster nonprofit initiatives or simply bringing in additional funds to support an important cause.

 

Selecting the Right Crowdfunding Platform

There are several different crowdfunding platforms and sites available to use. One option would be to set up and run one’s platform. However, this is often impractical if one attempts to raise capital for an event or project that can occur over a reasonably short period. For that reason, several options are available to help facilitate the project and meet the funding goal. One option would be to partner with a platform that has already built up a large volume of backers and investors. Of course, in some cases, the platform may not have the right features, or it may not have enough of them to meet the required specifications. In that case, it may be better to create a site of one’s own.

Whatever the case may be, it is vital to have a platform to meet the project’s needs. In some cases, this will mean integrating crowdfunding into an existing site or creating a dedicated platform for crowdfunding. Regardless of the potential drawbacks and costs associated with such action, the end goal should be getting as much money through crowdsourcing channels as possible.

 

Identifying Potential Backers

Backers are located once a crowdfunding campaign is launched and the goal is set. There are a variety of methods that they can use to identify backers. One can use a dedicated page for advertising the project by reaching out to various groups and organizations or social media. Another option would be through a site that has been designed exclusively for this purpose.

These sites often require a small fee for the use of the platform. However, getting a single site to handle all needs can be worth it. The site also serves as an excellent way to update backers and keep them engaged throughout the campaign. It is essential that backers are kept informed about the project and provided with opportunities for involvement in both aspects and events related to said project.

How Music Affects the Brain

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On December 30, 2021

In Muhammad Babangida

Music is one of the most influential factors in our lives. It can influence us daily in achieving our goals in life, especially in each day’s work or study. Although, at times, it can have an adverse effect on you when used excessively with no specific objective (e.g., addiction), music still affects every person’s brain. This article highlights five ways how music affects the brain.

 

  1. Music reduces stress:

 

Tension, anxiety, and stress can be overwhelming in our daily activities. Music is a good way to alleviate the feeling of tension in everyday stressful activities. Listening to music releases dopamine which is associated with pleasure. This leads to relaxation or peace of mind, which reduces or relieves stress.

 

  1. Music relieves pain:

 

Many studies have been done on the effects of music in relieving pain. It has been found that listening to music can reduce the feeling of pain altogether! Some results from a study show that infants feel less pain when exposed to classical music than those not exposed. This applies more to adults, with scientific evidence showing that many surgeries were performed without anesthesia when patients listened to their favorite songs or melodies!

 

  1. Improves mood:

 

Music affects your emotions and mood in different ways each day. When you listen to sad songs, it makes you feel sympathy for the artist and makes you feel down in times of hardship. If you play upbeat and happy songs, you will be happier and motivated to achieve your goals in life.

 

  1. Music reduces mental fatigue:

 

Mental fatigue can be caused by certain factors like stress, anxiety, and many more. Some research shows that music has the ability to reduce the tiredness of the brain, which leads to concentration in accomplishing your goals. This is attributed to the fact that when you listen to music, your mind gets absorbed into it without noticing or thinking about anything else other than what you are listening to.

 

  1. Helps in learning:

 

If people want to learn something new, listening to music while studying helps them memorize easier because of its fast rhythm. Also, listening to melodies or songs that remind you of a particular person or thing while studying will help you remember that person or thing better!

 

Conclusion:

 

In a nutshell, music is a tool that should be used daily to bring the best out of us. With this knowledge, we can now apply it in our lives and see how it helps us achieve our big or small goals.

AI in Healthcare

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On December 30, 2021

In Muhammad Babangida

Artificial intelligence has found its way into the healthcare sector in different dynamics. Deep learning plays a pivotal role in the diagnostic. Researchers are exploring ways to make it efficient enough to be used as part of standard practice.

 

This tech is developing solutions for the healthcare domain, especially in diagnosis. It helps physicians or doctors prioritize their time more efficiently and reduce their wait times for patient consultations using chatbots for this purpose.

 

The impact of AI on mental health is enormous, with chatbots that remind patients to take medication or therapists to predict their patient’s moods based on their speech patterns.

 

In healthcare operational cost management, machine learning algorithms predict healthcare supplies or equipment demand. AI systems can monitor the physiological data of patients, especially in ICU and delivery rooms, for early prediction of complications. Using data AI can quickly help reduce operational costs with proper supply-demand management.

 

It has helped the medical research community to find solutions for chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Deep learning is used in radiography to detect pneumonia in the lungs. Using neural networks, AI can diagnose diseases using retina scans as its input parameter based on if they have diabetes or not. AI does even treatment of cancer with a high accuracy rate.

 

Clinical decision-making is another area where AI can help doctors with its capabilities. IBM Watson for Oncology is an AI system designed to give treatment options after the doctors enter the patient’s data. This helps create personalized medicine or treatment plans for patients who have cancer.

 

AI has also started reducing human errors in medication dispensation at hospitals by suggesting the correct dose based on weight, age, and other relevant parameters. It also monitors the patient’s health condition during medication for any adverse effects or side effects, which can be avoided by early detection.

 

AI’s various roles in the healthcare sector cannot be overlooked. The list of positive impacts is much longer, but the above points are enough to emphasize how important it is.

 

However, despite all these benefits, there are some challenges for AI in healthcare. The first one is the unavailability of a massive amount of data required for deep learning systems because most healthcare information comes from private clinics that are reluctant to share their data for research purposes.

Growing Community Engagement For Your Small Business

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On November 5, 2021

In Community Engagement, Muhammad Babangida, Philanthropy

Just as your business is integral to building a thriving economy for your community, a community is vital to succeeding as a business at all. Community involvement allows businesses to build relationships with their consumer base, increase brand awareness, and further their visibility and outreach. No matter how it’s done, business owners should encourage community members to get involved with their business to build customer loyalty and increase the overall benefits for both the community and the business. 

 

That being said, it’s not as easy as someone snapping their fingers to create an engaged community, nor can a business expect its community to engage with it at every opportunity presented. Business owners need to put in work if they want their community to actively engage with them and further their presence in the community.

 

One thing many business owners forget is that their community is made up of people. Social media makes it easy to forget that a community is more than accounts on a screen; though beneficial, the human aspect of engagement should never be forgotten. This goes for both the consumer and the employees running the social media accounts: everyone is human, so everyone should be treated as such. Additionally, social media takes away the all-important face-to-face interaction that many clients and businesses need to build a lasting relationship. When possible to meet face-to-face safely, encourage in-person interactions, and take advantage of the human aspect of relationships.

 

Engagement doesn’t all fall onto the business owner, however. Employees are just as vital in creating community engagement and connecting with others, so they should be encouraged to become involved with local organisations related and unrelated to work. Connections aren’t kept to one place—they can form anywhere. It’s vital that businesses support their employees, then, so that they can pursue interests outside of work and create these lasting connections.

 

Another way to engage with the local community is by being completely transparent with customers and overcommunicating. If there are big changes coming to the business, communicate those changes and the reasoning behind said changes prompt; if possible, let people know about it in advance. Overcommunicating is better than under-communicating, and customers deserve to know what decisions are being made. If they are kept in the loop, they are much more likely to be supportive of a business. 

 

For the biggest impact on a community, business owners should get themselves involved in community initiatives. These can often be found on the local municipality website; cities, villages, and townships are likely to post important initiatives to their municipality site. If any questions arise, simply talk to the local city administrator or clerk to ask how to get involved.

How Your Company Can Include Philanthropy in its Culture

By

On November 5, 2021

In Community Engagement, Muhammad Babangida, Philanthropy

Corporate philanthropy can be extremely beneficial not just for your community, but for your business’s visibility and reputation within the community you’re located in as well. Whether you’re volunteering in your community, supporting causes you care about, or donating to charitable causes, partaking in corporate philanthropy has an abundance of positive benefits that make it worth considering. You can build a strong sense of community with your employees and customers, give back to your community at large, and become more appealing to younger employees who seek out businesses that hold philanthropy in high regard. 

 

How can you start getting involved in corporate philanthropy?

 

An easy way to start on your business’s philanthropic journey is to offer volunteer time off to your employees. This will give your employees time to support organisations and causes that they hold dear to their hearts while not having to worry about using up precious PTO or taking an unpaid day off to get involved. Having volunteer time off, or VTO, will encourage your employees to become socially responsible and dedicate their time to charitable causes. It will also help attract and retain talented employees for your business.

 

More internally, corporate philanthropy should start with ethical labour practices. You must adopt fair pay for the work your employees put in—their time isn’t worth nothing, after all. Once you adopt ethical labour practices, you can go to your company’s social media pages and encourage your followers and other industry leaders to follow in your footsteps. You can even take it a step further by creating and hosting events that surround this topic for other companies.

 

Perhaps your product or service will be beneficial to others when offered charitably. Businesses can participate in philanthropy by offering their services to others pro bono; ideally, you’ll be offering these services to organisations that are involved in charity work. It’s a great way to build awareness for a cause you care about while helping those around you by doing something within your field of business.

 

Lastly, you could partner your business with a charitable organisation that means something to you. This will offer ongoing opportunities to become involved in philanthropic deeds and show your community that your business is committed to giving back. Charitable organisations can become an integral part of your business model and give new meaning to yourself, your products or services, and your efforts at large.

6 of the Best Charities to Donate to Today

By

On October 30, 2020

In Community Engagement, Muhammad Babangida, Philanthropy, Uncategorized

After deciding to support a charitable organization financially, the next procedure is looking for a legitimate non-profit organization that will use the donations to make meaningful impacts. Sorting out through the hundreds of non-profit making organizations to verify their credibility may be cumbersome. However, the following are the best charities to donate funds to.

United Way Southeastern Michigan

It is an organization that specializes in the mobilization of Southeastern Michigan and Detroit’s caring power. Besides, they are improving individual and community lives in lasting and measurable ways. They achieve their goal by empowering and improving each family’s lives to become successful through health, economic prosperity, and education.

Hand and Feet 24/7

The Hands and Feet 24/7 mission has established a gathering space beneficial to the SC and Taylors. Additionally, the organization has been formed to establish and facilitate job training, promoting Gospel-centered education and community development programs.

Keeping Blues Alive

The Blues Alive foundation aims at fueling the music passion through the funding of scholarships and programs. It helps the teachers and students who have musical talent, but resources deny them the chance to achieve their desires.

Wishwall Foundation

Wishwall is a non-profit organization. The organization’s principle is giving voice to the voiceless and assisting them in making their wishes come true. Besides, the Wishwall foundation is known for its multi-faceted nature. It mainly consists of Wishwall in all cities and the Wishwall online. It gives individuals the chance to show their wishes. The foundation also encourages people to help one another and ensure all people achieve their desires and dreams.

Kyyba Kidz Foundation

Foundation formed as a dedication in assisting the underprivileged individuals and orphans in raising the required resources using community participation. They help kids achieve great heights by ensuring they are active partners by participating fully to get the necessary capital for orphan’s education.

Global Giving Foundation Inc

An organization that connects the companies, donors, and nonprofits to donate. They help the nonprofits from Zimbabwe to Afghanistan access the support, training, and tools they require to make the world more convenient.

Conclusion

Having gone through the best organizations to donate your donations to, you can now make your choice. The donations will be used in the right manner and greatly help many needy people.

Agricultural Investing and Food Security

By

On October 29, 2020

In Community Engagement, Muhammad Babangida, Philanthropy, Uncategorized

On a planet that is sustaining more than seven billion people, producing enough food to feed them all is a major challenge. However, producing enough food is not the primary problem. Rather, it’s the distribution, affordability, and access to all the food that is produced that causes food insecurity for millions.

In fact, more than nine million people a year die from famine, according to Mercy Corps, an international relief agency.

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reports that the number of people facing food insecurity rose by 60 million between 2014 and 2019. The situation is even more confounding considering that, in modernized nations, from 30% to 40% of all food is simply tossed in the trash because it goes unused.

The challenge of achieving even food distribution globally is considerable. Experts say a key area where this problem can be attacked is in the realm of agricultural investment. This process can be handled in multiple ways. One of the biggest factors is the funding provided by governments. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the FAO with $529 million contributed in 2019 alone.

This money is used to support things like crop forecasting, sustainable agriculture, disaster relief (as in the case of famine), food safety, and more. The FAO funds collaborative research efforts between nations seeking to increase food production. More importantly, it works on ways to get food where it is needed and to make it affordable.

Industry observers say that investing in agricultural technology must be a high priority going forward. That’s because there are a series of factors that are putting pressure on growing enough food for everyone. For example, climate change is producing longer periods of drought that destroy crops. That can be countered by technological advances that produce food varieties that can sustain warmer and drier growing conditions.

The central thing to remember about bolstering ag-tech is that it costs money. That’s the role of agricultural investment. Governments, corporations, local farmers, and communities must put more financial resources into creating advanced food-growing technologies that will sustain food production in the coming years.

Additionally, geopolitical factors, social factors, and government policy all play a role in producing food and getting it to the tables of all those who need it around the world.

Investing With Your Children in Mind

By

On October 1, 2020

In Community Engagement, Muhammad Babangida, Philanthropy, Youth Philanthropy

It’s instinctive: parents always want the best for their children. And whether it’s the top-of-the-line baby food or a four-year degree in the United States, children are certainly expensive. Don’t be discouraged. There are ways to invest in your child’s future while planning for retirement or paying off the mortgage.

Start Planning Early

When you’ve just returned home from the maternity ward and holding your newborn, planning for an expensive college is probably not the first thing you have in mind. But it helps a lot to start early. This is because of the effect known in the investing world as compounding. Think of it like pushing a snowball up a hill. Every year, not only do you get paid interest on your principal but also any previously accumulated interest. It’s minuscule over a short period but can add to massive amounts of capital over two decades.

Try to set aside a fixed amount every month to dedicate to savings towards your child. This takes the guesswork and stress out of it. By investing every month, you’ll benefit from what is known as dollar-cost averaging. You’ll benefit from market fluctuations because you’ll be purchasing at periods when the stock market is low.

Additionally, many countries have tax-advantaged savings accounts for education. For example, in the United States, this is known as the 529 Plan. This will add a big boost to your savings.

Invest Your Savings

Inflation will eat at your savings. So although a savings account might seem to pay a high rate, in reality, the rate is much lower. You’ll want to invest in the stock market. Find a financial product that suits your risk appetite and time horizon. Alternatively, you could talk to a financial advisor. If so, you might want to go for a fixed fee consultation rather than paying a percentage. You’ll pay less in service fees in the long run.

Save Money

Being thrifty has a bad reputation but it pays off in the end.

Some people like to focus on the big things. For example, a smaller apartment in a less swanky part of town could save you big. A used car is a fraction of the price of the new one.

Others like to focus on expensive daily habits. That daily latte is hurting your wallet (not to mention ballooning your waistline.)

Saving for your child’s future is an intimidating task. It doesn’t have to be if you plan, invest, and be thrifty.

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