The class was eerily silent as Dr. Anyaeji delivered his lecture last Tuesday. It wasn’t surprising. Our brilliant lecturer was at his controversial best. In response to a classmate of mine who mentioned that the writing on the board was barely visible (the marker had almost dried off), he smiled wryly, retrieved his phone from his breast pocket and with his characteristic bellowing, he burst into a diatribe, “This morning I received a text message from some creatures that call themselves the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I hope it is the last of this kind of texts I would ever receive in my lifetime.” He had everyone’s attention. “Nigeria: Good people, Great nation” he read. By this time my easily excitable course mates were reeling with laughter. “It is great nation that caused the marker not to write clearly on your white board, not me” he answered with finality. That was the first time I heard the new slogan for Nigeria’s latest foray into the discipline of “brand engineering”.
Unfortunately, my sensational lecturer is not the only skeptic- and rightly so too. Nigeria’s previous attempts at rebranding have been misadventures. A case of ill-branded men branding (or rebranding) an ill-branded nation. Perhaps in that regard this particular case is an exception. The initiator of this move – the inimitable Dora Akunyili – has perhaps the strongest personal brand amongst Nigeria’s government elite. Whether that translates into any advantage at all is left to be seen.
It is generally agreed that amongst other objectives, a good brand must
1. Send out a clear message
2. Confirm its credibility, and
3. Tap into the emotions of its target prospects.
Even though some have argued that the budget of N150 million budgeted for the rebranding exercise is paltry, I believe that with effective and transparent management, an effective campaign strategy and with support from relevant bodies, a clear message could be sent and thus objective1 could be satisfied.
Achieving the other two objectives is another ball game. They cannot be achieved even if the budget is quadrupled. Reason: Credibility cannot be bought; it must be earned. Even Mrs. Akunyili cannot single handedly spearhead the realization of this objective as was the case at NAFDAC. No matter how honest her intentions are, it wouldn’t make sense to the greedy godfather who wants returns on his investments in his godson; neither would it make sense to the governor who wants to stash away as much cash as “stashable” so that his offsprings down to the fifth generation can retire at birth. You see, the ability of this brand to confirm its credibility will depend on those with higher security clearance than Madam Minister e.g. Oga president. And if those above continue to be above the law, it is enough incentive for the “yahoo boy” or the drug peddler or the bunkerer to continue treading in his own path. It is a simple case of follow the leader.
Tapping into the emotions of Nigerians or outsiders for that matter could even be more difficult. It was Dr. Anyaeji again who said “Patriotism isn’t an input, it is an output.” Personally I think it is a bit of both. But pray tell me how to tap positively into the emotions of my friend’s mom who spent the night changing spots so that the rain from the leaking roof wouldn’t wet her new born; or my classmates who have been made to believe that simple learning aids like markers or dusters for the board are inaccessible. How do we lash into the emotions of the man who spent 3 hours in traffic for a 30 minutes journey; or Dr. Anyaeji who believes that blacks are monkeys because of the consistent disappointing episodes he has seen in his life time? No marketing technique can do that.
However, let me quickly add that we must play our part in giving this initiative a chance to succeed. Do your own bit. Support the government. That is your input part of patriotism. See the slogan “NIGERIA: GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT NATION” as a statement of faith that could be reality in our time. Don’t be quick to write it off as some have so hastily done. On that score, I disagree with Dr. Anyaeji.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
FOR 'CRUNCH' SAKE
The crunch! From Iceland to Ireland, America to Costa-Rica, everywhere you go, the tale of woe is the same –record losses, job cuts, and nationalization of financial institutions. Thanks to the economic meltdown, words and terms like ‘credit crunch’, ‘global financial crises’, ‘recession’, ‘depression’, and ‘bail-out’, have become permanent components of our lexicon. Only a first time visitor to planet earth would not have come across any or all of these words. Contrary to our initial expectations, Nigeria is badly hit. The effect of the crisis on Nigeria is becoming increasingly devastating –low oil prices, a depreciating naira and declining revenue. The revenue to government is declining at such a rate that it is becoming increasingly difficult for many states to even meet the wage bill of their workers. Perhaps certain governors - like the one in the Adamawa state government house with his whopping 13000 special assistants - would begin to think of more productive ways to engage the creativity of the populace for increased revenue.
The crush! Not like this is any consolation, but last week Forbes magazine released its list of the world’s dollar denominated billionaires and the verdict is that the rich also cry. All the billionaires in the top 10 saw huge losses in their worth this past year and they weren’t the only ones. Whereas the Forbes list contained 1,125 billionaires last year, it’s just 753 this year. And as the facts show, when the big boys lose cash, they lose big cash – cash that could finance nations. Warren Buffett and Carlos Slim - No.2 and No.3 respectively - both lost about $25 billion, roughly equivalent to the GDP of Nigeria. This made me reconsider a particular audacious remark I heard some time ago, that a time would come when nations would be sold off to powerful rich individuals who would then oversee these nations as their personal estate. Is that possible? I would like to know what you think.
The lunch! Two Nigerians, despite the crunch were not crushed, as they made it into the exclusive list. They were Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Femi Otedola. Whereas Otedola is a new entrant, Dangote’s rating on the list improved from 334 last year to 261. As my mentor, Johnson Abbaly would say, “crunch or no crunch, those who have the stuff will always have lunch.” And as the Bible says, “When men are cast down, there is a lifting up.” This should serve as lesson for Nigerians - people and government alike – that much progress can still be made even in the midst of the famine. The truth is that a new world order would most definitely emerge after this crisis and the nations and people who will set the pace then, would be those who are driving onwards now to that future with determination and a plan. It’s going to be a case of getting shaped up or getting shipped out. Dare or be doomed.
The punch! For some time now, the chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal commission (RMAFC), Engineer Hamman Tukur, has been involved in a running battle with his commissioners. There have been accusations and counter-accusations. While he has been accused (by them) of unconstitutional handling of the commission’s affairs and high-handedness, they have been accused (by him) of partaking in an illegality by collecting an allowance that was more than their due and yet refusing to refund. Last week, things got a whole lot messier. A meeting convened by the chairman to discuss President Yaradua’s proposal that the commission come up with a workable formula for the downward review of the salaries of political office holders turned into an avenue to showcase brute force and gang rascality. According to reports, in the course of the meeting which was held at the national headquarters of the commission, a heated argument ensued culminating in the beating of the chairman by at least 20 of the commissioners. After raining enough punches on their chairman, the ‘distinguished’ commissioners fled the scene of the incident just before the arrival of the men from the Nigerian Police Force. Ouch!
The hunch! On a lighter note, I finally get why my secondary school English teacher was insistent that I learn the right pronunciations for words ending with ‘ch’ and ‘sh’. She had a hunch that I’ll need to use them often in times like this.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
ON LETTING GO.
Only the die-hard followers of this blog (if any) would have noticed that the ‘ABOUT ME’ section in my profile on this page has undergone a minor surgery. For those who didn’t notice, it used to read thus: ‘I currently serve as the Chief Strategy Coordinator of Achievers Consortium Int. in the University of Benin.’ Now, there is no trace of that line.
I recently served out my tenure as the Chief Strategy Coordinator of Achievers Consortium, University of Benin nexus. And, if truth be told it was the most exciting, exhilarating, daunting and daring one year of my life. For clarification purposes, Achievers Consortium is a purpose base, Christian, intellectual movement that is set to bring about, is bringing about and would bring about the change that Africa and Nigeria needs. We’ve always believed that the change we need would not come from abroad or afar and most definitely would not be brought about by angels, apes or aliens. If we must see change, then we must be that change. So by combining sound intellectualism, practical skills and creative enterprise with sound passion, belief and deep spiritual truths, we cause divinity to meet humanity.
Certain events that transpired and thoughts that crossed my mind in the weeks preceding my hand-over, caused me to see firsthand the reasons (at least some of them) why men like Yoweri Museveni, Robert Mugabe, Muammar Al-Qaddafi and Olusegun Obasanjo try everything within their means to keep power. It isn’t so much because they need to milk the state some more of its resources, or because they are too materialistic in their pursuits. But many times, it actually is as a result of a certain messianic complex that begins to form within man when he occupies these kinds of positions, where he begins to see himself as the very embodiment of salvation for his people. He begins to see this institution that he has worked so hard for and invested his emotions and time into, as his personal property, to be guarded by every means possible and by any method obtainable. Apart from that, he begins to fear – fear what history would say about him, his mistakes, his weaknesses etc. And he reasons that his interest would be best served by staying put and trying to correct all the ‘correctables’ and straighten all the rough edges. Unfortunately, he would never succeed.
I don’t have all the answers, but I believe the solution to this, at least from the individual’s perspective lies in trust. Trust in the source of the mandate. If the mandate comes from the people, trust their constitution (the constitution of the land) and let go. If it comes from God, trust Him and let go. Because letting go is not losing out. It is letting God.
Congratulations to the new leaders of Achievers Consortium, Uniben nexus, especially my friend and dear brother, Isaac Ajamah, who was a pillar of support to me and now my successor. Isaac, you are more than capable. And when the God factor is added, you are in fact a super-man. It has been a long time coming. Kpele.
Monday, March 2, 2009
RHAPSODY OF ABSURDITIES.
If ‘Nigeria’ was the name of a blogger, I am certain that he (Nigeria) would have chosen a grandiose title for his blog page. He would no doubt have gone for a title that lends credence to his colossal aspirations but says nothing about the how of getting there. A title like READY OR NOT, 2020 HERE I COME WITH MY VISION 20 2020 or perhaps ALL HAIL THE BIG BROS would do just fine for him. But if he was an honest blogger, he would settle for a more befitting title like RHAPSODY OF ABSURDITIES because in Nigeria, absurdity is produced and packaged at the speed of light.
ABSURDITY 001: MERRIMENT AND MOURNING ARE PERFECT BEDFELLOWS. NEVER HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.
Last week, Olusegun Mimiko was pronounced governor of Ondo state by the Appeal court after a protracted legal battle with the then incumbent, Olusegun Agagu. As should be expected, there were celebrations galore in the state. Then the illogical occurred. Three men died and two others were injured in the victory celebration. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident. When the comrade governor, Adams Oshiomhole was declared as governor of Edo state last year, 5 persons died. Two died as they were celebrating along the road, two others fell off a moving trailer and died while celebrating on it, while the last –a motor cyclist- lost his life after he ran into a ditch while celebrating the victory. Not even Obama’s momentous victory was so received. That perhaps explains why we are the happiest people on earth.
ABSURDITY 002: NOTHING IS SACRED. EVERY THING HAS A PRICE TAG, INCLUDING YOUR SOUL.
Fallout from the Appeal court judgment last week was the revelation that the ex-secretary to the Ondo state government accepted to pay compensation to a 300 level student of the University of Ibadan who was killed while rigging elections. I silently wondered how much compensation would be worth that life and cursed the foolishness of the student, as well as the poverty of the land. Not the material poverty per se, but, the pervasive moral poverty- the poverty of the mind. A poverty that stems from the defective education received by Nigerians- an education that has failed to instill patriotism and moral values in the Nigerian child.
ABSURDITY 003: CATCH THE SCAPEGOAT. ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY IS BAD FOR BUSINESS.
ABSURDITY 004: DEIFY WHATEVER YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND OR CAN’T FIGURE OUT.
Never before has the word ‘scapegoat’ been applied so literarily than in Kwara state, Nigeria, where a goat was arrested and paraded before the media as a robbery suspect. I wish I could sugar-coat this to make a bit of sense, but I can’t. It’s as ludicrous as it sounds. It so happened that last month, men of the Kwara state police command arraigned a goat as a suspect for the attempted theft of a ‘Mazda’ car. According to the Force public relations officer, Mr. Tunde Mohammed, the goat was a man who in an effort to escape arrest while trying to steal the car, transformed (or is it transmuted?) into a goat. Need I say more?
Monday, February 23, 2009
WATS GUD 'BOUT NAIJA.
To those who never see any reason to be proud about Nigeria, I have three words for you: SHINE YA EYE. Despite our knack for the absurd, our penchant for greed and avarice, our collective amnesia and gross inability to learn any lessons whatsoever from the past, there is still lots of good being done by the "Nigerian" ,albeit hardly mentioned. From time to time, I intend to celebrate Nigeria, Nigerians, Nigerian brands, the Nigerian dream, “Nigerianness”, and everything Naija because I am a passionate believer in MADE IN NAIJA; CELEBRATED WORLDWIDE. So if you are like me, you could post a comment on your proudly Naija moments or brands or people. It would be there for all to see and I would highlight some spectacular ones in the future. Read on.
Does this name- Dr. Louis Obyo Nelson – ring a bell? If it doesn’t now, soon enough it would. REASON: Diabetes sufferers all over the world are estimated to be in excess of 100 million, and this Nigerian - from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of AkwaIbom state - has produced a drug, officially recognized as cure for the dreaded disease. That’s what I call demanding the impossible. Dr Nelson has already received a patent for the drug by the United States patent office, in addition to getting initial nods from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
As is to be expected in Nigeria, this announcement has generated mixed feelings. While some have extolled the good doctor to high heavens, others have thrown all caution and condemned with venomous intensity. Even the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has not been left out as it expressed reservations over the discovery. In a strongly worded statement from its president, Mr. Anthony Akhimien, it (PSN) said among other things that medicine is still battling with the disease and that “there is no cure.” The statement sounded as though diseases come pre-packaged with their cure. It is instructive to note that at some point in their history –even if for just a second – every disease was incurable until men like Dr. Nelson did something about it.
I don’t care about the politics of the discovery and even though there still remains a clinical trial before it is rolled out, am just enthralled by the “Nigerianness” of it all. Check this out.
The man – Dr. Louis Obyo Nelson – is a Nigerian. His first degree and doctorate degree in molecular and computational chemistry were both acquired from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The drug –AD1, a herbal anti-diabetic phytopharmaceutical – is produced from a herb predominantly found in the eastern part of Nigeria. The laboratory work and research were done using facilities at the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Idu Karmu, Abuja, Nigeria and the University of Calabar, Nigeria. The researchers were/are Nigerians. The production of the drug will be in Nigeria. Finally, the drug would be marketed worldwide from Nigeria by a Nigerian company. What more is there to be said?
In his inaugural address on May 29, 2007, President Yar’adua said, “We are Nigerians! We are a resourceful and enterprising people and we have it within us to make our country a better place. Let us set aside cynicism…Let us discard the habit of low expectations of ourselves…Let us stop justifying every shortcoming with that unacceptable phrase ‘The Nigerian Factor’ as if to be a Nigerian is to settle for less.” The way I see it, I agree with him – hook, line and sinker.
Does this name- Dr. Louis Obyo Nelson – ring a bell? If it doesn’t now, soon enough it would. REASON: Diabetes sufferers all over the world are estimated to be in excess of 100 million, and this Nigerian - from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of AkwaIbom state - has produced a drug, officially recognized as cure for the dreaded disease. That’s what I call demanding the impossible. Dr Nelson has already received a patent for the drug by the United States patent office, in addition to getting initial nods from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
As is to be expected in Nigeria, this announcement has generated mixed feelings. While some have extolled the good doctor to high heavens, others have thrown all caution and condemned with venomous intensity. Even the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has not been left out as it expressed reservations over the discovery. In a strongly worded statement from its president, Mr. Anthony Akhimien, it (PSN) said among other things that medicine is still battling with the disease and that “there is no cure.” The statement sounded as though diseases come pre-packaged with their cure. It is instructive to note that at some point in their history –even if for just a second – every disease was incurable until men like Dr. Nelson did something about it.
I don’t care about the politics of the discovery and even though there still remains a clinical trial before it is rolled out, am just enthralled by the “Nigerianness” of it all. Check this out.
The man – Dr. Louis Obyo Nelson – is a Nigerian. His first degree and doctorate degree in molecular and computational chemistry were both acquired from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The drug –AD1, a herbal anti-diabetic phytopharmaceutical – is produced from a herb predominantly found in the eastern part of Nigeria. The laboratory work and research were done using facilities at the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Idu Karmu, Abuja, Nigeria and the University of Calabar, Nigeria. The researchers were/are Nigerians. The production of the drug will be in Nigeria. Finally, the drug would be marketed worldwide from Nigeria by a Nigerian company. What more is there to be said?
In his inaugural address on May 29, 2007, President Yar’adua said, “We are Nigerians! We are a resourceful and enterprising people and we have it within us to make our country a better place. Let us set aside cynicism…Let us discard the habit of low expectations of ourselves…Let us stop justifying every shortcoming with that unacceptable phrase ‘The Nigerian Factor’ as if to be a Nigerian is to settle for less.” The way I see it, I agree with him – hook, line and sinker.
Monday, February 16, 2009
MY PROBLEM WITH MTN
They say people mimic the opinion you have of them. As I walked home after my latest visit to their office, I could hardly suppress my anger because MTN Nigeria had succeeded -once again- in validating that statement. I must confess that I have never liked MTN. Initially it was as a result of hearsay but gradually my irritation began to stem from available facts. However, I still went ahead and bought an Mtn line precisely four months ago. Frankly, nothing I heard or read could have readied me for my experience ever since.
After my first two days in the MTN family I was sure my worst fears had come upon me. My entry coincided with a massive technical malfunction where there was hardly anyone on the network (at least in Benin) that could successfully load an MTN recharge card. I felt it was a befitting welcome to their critic number one and so brushing it aside I moved on. But how can you beat the fact that for four months, I have been unable to connect with their customer care lines despite trying repeatedly. The way i see it, no matter how populous a network is, that is totally unacceptable. Yet this was nothing compared to my most recent experiences.
The difference between 10 and 100 is a whole lot especially in monetary terms. But MTN either doesn’t agree with this or is grossly incompetent or worse still, dubious. There is no other way to explain why (or how) on checking my account balance, MTN’s invitation that I join the MTN treasure hunt stated that all texts cost N10 (ten naira).I sent the text, checked my balance and received two shockers. First, my call credit was N100 short and second, as if by magic the invitation now read differently. In the place of “all text cost N10” was “all text cost N100”.Immediately I caught the drift and despite their repeated entreaties to play more and win more, I counted my loss and avoided that game like a plague. But trust MTN to locate you “everywhere you go”. I came to Port Harcourt and as if I had not had enough, I fell right into their hands again. This time I mistakenly scratched off some of the numbers on the N200 recharge card I bought. In spite of their antecedents, I honestly thought rectifying that fault would be a routine affair. I was wrong. As usual connection with their customer care line was impossible (I tried for 2 days).So I set off for their office along Aba road in Port Harcourt. I don’t know what offended me the most-the fact that they could not take care of it right away or the sheer arrogance of the representative who attended to me. Anyway, after I had written my name, address and phone number he promised that my account would be credited with N200 before the close of the next working day. I had to exercise all the restraint I could muster to keep them from fouling my mood. As I turned to leave, I said to him (the customer care rep),”I hope I would not need to come here again to complain on this issue”.”No, you won’t”, he said, “Unless you just feel like coming”. Just as I feared, it was not done and I had to go back to that office even though I didn’t “just feel like coming”. By now, I had come to expect only the most bizarre from MTN and so I wasn’t the least bit surprised when I arrived at that office, made the same complaint, and was told that my line had an error (whatever that meant).He offered to load the card into his phone which was error free (I suppose) and then transfer it into mine before the end of the working day. Of course he did not deliver and so I had to visit that office for the third time over the same issue. This was the final straw.
Mr. Customer care kept me waiting for 20 minutes because he couldn’t locate my recharge card anywhere. I decided that -rather than going through another cycle of empty promises-if the recharge card is found, I’ll take it and leave. He found it and gave it to me, I said a nice thank you to him and walked away half expecting him to call me back and offer an apology. He didn’t. So I walked home, with my worthless recharge card tucked away in my wallet as a souvenir.
After my first two days in the MTN family I was sure my worst fears had come upon me. My entry coincided with a massive technical malfunction where there was hardly anyone on the network (at least in Benin) that could successfully load an MTN recharge card. I felt it was a befitting welcome to their critic number one and so brushing it aside I moved on. But how can you beat the fact that for four months, I have been unable to connect with their customer care lines despite trying repeatedly. The way i see it, no matter how populous a network is, that is totally unacceptable. Yet this was nothing compared to my most recent experiences.
The difference between 10 and 100 is a whole lot especially in monetary terms. But MTN either doesn’t agree with this or is grossly incompetent or worse still, dubious. There is no other way to explain why (or how) on checking my account balance, MTN’s invitation that I join the MTN treasure hunt stated that all texts cost N10 (ten naira).I sent the text, checked my balance and received two shockers. First, my call credit was N100 short and second, as if by magic the invitation now read differently. In the place of “all text cost N10” was “all text cost N100”.Immediately I caught the drift and despite their repeated entreaties to play more and win more, I counted my loss and avoided that game like a plague. But trust MTN to locate you “everywhere you go”. I came to Port Harcourt and as if I had not had enough, I fell right into their hands again. This time I mistakenly scratched off some of the numbers on the N200 recharge card I bought. In spite of their antecedents, I honestly thought rectifying that fault would be a routine affair. I was wrong. As usual connection with their customer care line was impossible (I tried for 2 days).So I set off for their office along Aba road in Port Harcourt. I don’t know what offended me the most-the fact that they could not take care of it right away or the sheer arrogance of the representative who attended to me. Anyway, after I had written my name, address and phone number he promised that my account would be credited with N200 before the close of the next working day. I had to exercise all the restraint I could muster to keep them from fouling my mood. As I turned to leave, I said to him (the customer care rep),”I hope I would not need to come here again to complain on this issue”.”No, you won’t”, he said, “Unless you just feel like coming”. Just as I feared, it was not done and I had to go back to that office even though I didn’t “just feel like coming”. By now, I had come to expect only the most bizarre from MTN and so I wasn’t the least bit surprised when I arrived at that office, made the same complaint, and was told that my line had an error (whatever that meant).He offered to load the card into his phone which was error free (I suppose) and then transfer it into mine before the end of the working day. Of course he did not deliver and so I had to visit that office for the third time over the same issue. This was the final straw.
Mr. Customer care kept me waiting for 20 minutes because he couldn’t locate my recharge card anywhere. I decided that -rather than going through another cycle of empty promises-if the recharge card is found, I’ll take it and leave. He found it and gave it to me, I said a nice thank you to him and walked away half expecting him to call me back and offer an apology. He didn’t. So I walked home, with my worthless recharge card tucked away in my wallet as a souvenir.
Friday, February 6, 2009
AN ENCOUNTER TO REMEMBER.
It is true that all 140 million Nigerians think we know all of Nigeria’s problems and all the possible solutions to all the problems, all the time. There is no other explanation as to why we argue and analyze with so much fervor and conviction. Our values determine the tenor of our arguments, and that unfortunately, is where we have a serious problem.
Yesterday, I had to embark - once again - on a 5hour journey from Port Harcourt to Benin by road. Not the most delightful experience to look forward to. As usual, I carried along a book. I reckoned that if I was going to be stuck in a bus for that long, I might as well make it productive. It wasn’t to be, thanks to Jaja - the very loquacious fresh graduate who sat next to me in the bus. Immediately we set off, he engaged the driver in a ceaseless discourse on the state of the states from Edo to Delta to Rivers. I recognized that trying to read under those conditions was foolish, so instead, I listened with sealed lips as their discussions progressed. What broke my stoic silence was a point Jaja made with so much passion. I felt right away that it was my duty to correct - or at least attempt to correct - such a flawed (in my opinion) value placement.
According to him, the best way to empower youths was to send them abroad to universities and colleges on scholarships, so they could gain the “much needed exposure”. “Why not invest in your own schools?” I asked, “That way, you empower as many, as against a few that could be sent abroad”. His ‘brilliant’ response was that Nigeria still has a long way to go and so instead of intervening in universities, we should develop other sectors of the economy and then, foreigners will come here and set up befitting universities. I cringed in disbelief. He was supposed to be a graduate. How many can be sent abroad? 100? 1000? 10000? What is that against so many? I pointed out to him that no great nation on the face of the earth became what it is today without having first placed a priority on education. He wasn’t convinced. I brought to his notice a statement made by the mayor of Newyork, Michael Bloomberg in an article he sent to Newsweek magazine which appeared in the November 3rd 2008 edition. He said, “America became an economic superpower because we have always welcomed the best and the brightest and because our top quality schools have always produced the best and the brightest”. These developed nations will do all in their power to retain the smartest among those we send, to power their own economies. Jaja remained adamant and even posited that exposure was the reason companies like Shell still spent millions yearly in re-training graduates abroad. Not even the words of the CBN governor - that over 60% of Nigerian graduates are unemployable and so need to be retrained if they manage to find a job - could persuade him otherwise. He is a Nigerian-we all think we know all the solutions to all the problems, all the time. I rested my case.
Don’t get it wrong. I have no problems with the government sending young, smart Nigerian students abroad on scholarships for the exposure and experience. I even have friends that have benefitted and remain grateful. Also, well established tertiary institutions all around the world do exchange programs, while not ignoring their own development. These are all win-win situations. However, the way I see it, in the absence of a win-win situation for all parties, a choice between a few and the many is no choice at all. Because when it comes to developmental issues, government is obliged to align its policies to the yearnings of the greater majority. The fact that nations like Ghana, Botswana and South Africa allocate amounts to their education sectors that as a percentage of their total budget, is more than double what Nigeria allocates, is worrisome enough. As a nation, our attitude towards education must change if we would stand a chance in the world system presently shaping up. Education is not an abstract phenomenon to be considered after every other thing. It is priority. But then, this is my view and I am one of the140 million Nigerians who think we know all of Nigeria’s problems and all the possible solutions to all the problems, all the time. So, what do you think?
Yesterday, I had to embark - once again - on a 5hour journey from Port Harcourt to Benin by road. Not the most delightful experience to look forward to. As usual, I carried along a book. I reckoned that if I was going to be stuck in a bus for that long, I might as well make it productive. It wasn’t to be, thanks to Jaja - the very loquacious fresh graduate who sat next to me in the bus. Immediately we set off, he engaged the driver in a ceaseless discourse on the state of the states from Edo to Delta to Rivers. I recognized that trying to read under those conditions was foolish, so instead, I listened with sealed lips as their discussions progressed. What broke my stoic silence was a point Jaja made with so much passion. I felt right away that it was my duty to correct - or at least attempt to correct - such a flawed (in my opinion) value placement.
According to him, the best way to empower youths was to send them abroad to universities and colleges on scholarships, so they could gain the “much needed exposure”. “Why not invest in your own schools?” I asked, “That way, you empower as many, as against a few that could be sent abroad”. His ‘brilliant’ response was that Nigeria still has a long way to go and so instead of intervening in universities, we should develop other sectors of the economy and then, foreigners will come here and set up befitting universities. I cringed in disbelief. He was supposed to be a graduate. How many can be sent abroad? 100? 1000? 10000? What is that against so many? I pointed out to him that no great nation on the face of the earth became what it is today without having first placed a priority on education. He wasn’t convinced. I brought to his notice a statement made by the mayor of Newyork, Michael Bloomberg in an article he sent to Newsweek magazine which appeared in the November 3rd 2008 edition. He said, “America became an economic superpower because we have always welcomed the best and the brightest and because our top quality schools have always produced the best and the brightest”. These developed nations will do all in their power to retain the smartest among those we send, to power their own economies. Jaja remained adamant and even posited that exposure was the reason companies like Shell still spent millions yearly in re-training graduates abroad. Not even the words of the CBN governor - that over 60% of Nigerian graduates are unemployable and so need to be retrained if they manage to find a job - could persuade him otherwise. He is a Nigerian-we all think we know all the solutions to all the problems, all the time. I rested my case.
Don’t get it wrong. I have no problems with the government sending young, smart Nigerian students abroad on scholarships for the exposure and experience. I even have friends that have benefitted and remain grateful. Also, well established tertiary institutions all around the world do exchange programs, while not ignoring their own development. These are all win-win situations. However, the way I see it, in the absence of a win-win situation for all parties, a choice between a few and the many is no choice at all. Because when it comes to developmental issues, government is obliged to align its policies to the yearnings of the greater majority. The fact that nations like Ghana, Botswana and South Africa allocate amounts to their education sectors that as a percentage of their total budget, is more than double what Nigeria allocates, is worrisome enough. As a nation, our attitude towards education must change if we would stand a chance in the world system presently shaping up. Education is not an abstract phenomenon to be considered after every other thing. It is priority. But then, this is my view and I am one of the140 million Nigerians who think we know all of Nigeria’s problems and all the possible solutions to all the problems, all the time. So, what do you think?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
THE WAY I SEE IT.
Things happen every day, every second. In my life. In yours. In this world. The child is born, the man dies; the book is launched, the reviews are bad; the old order change, the new is heralded; the governor is recognized, the people don’t give a hoot; violence erupts, a state of emergency is declared. Things happen every day, every second. Some make the news, many don’t. Who cares? I do. And sometimes taking it all in is rather overwhelming. So with this blog and my entrance into the blogosphere, I finally have the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with any one else who cares, on some of the goings-on that I think are worthy of my thoughts. In my life. In yours. In this world.
The way I see it is strictly going to be that- the way I see it. I don’t claim to know the way it is or even the way it should be. What I do know is how I see it. Because many times, the way we think it is, is unwittingly shaped by intense propaganda and excellent PR gimmicks. And the way we think it should be is more or less determined by our peculiar ideologies and idiosyncracies, traditions and conventions. This blog is going to be shaped by some of that as well, and that is why it is the way I see it, after all has been said and done. So, if you think you’ve got the balls to stomach my point of view without having bellyache, then check this space. Let’s do this.
The way I see it is strictly going to be that- the way I see it. I don’t claim to know the way it is or even the way it should be. What I do know is how I see it. Because many times, the way we think it is, is unwittingly shaped by intense propaganda and excellent PR gimmicks. And the way we think it should be is more or less determined by our peculiar ideologies and idiosyncracies, traditions and conventions. This blog is going to be shaped by some of that as well, and that is why it is the way I see it, after all has been said and done. So, if you think you’ve got the balls to stomach my point of view without having bellyache, then check this space. Let’s do this.
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