TheNewsGuru

Tag: Leadership

  • Otuaro Salutes Ibori’s visionary leadership at 67

    Otuaro Salutes Ibori’s visionary leadership at 67

    Former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, has paid glowing tribute to former Governor Chief James Onanefe Ibori, describing him as a transformational leader and cornerstone of the state’s political evolution.

    In a message commemorating Ibori’s birthday, Otuaro lauded the ex-governor for his visionary leadership, which, he said, laid the groundwork for Delta State’s modern development and continues to influence its political direction.

    “On the special occasion of your birthday, I stand with fellow Deltans to honour a man whose name is etched in the foundation of our state. Chief James Onanefe Ibori, your leadership was not just effective—it was transformational,” Otuaro stated.

    According to him, the former governor’s administration set the tone for infrastructural growth, human capital development, and political stability in Delta State. He credited Ibori with building the foundational pillars on which the current successes of the state are anchored.

    “You built the pillars on which today’s Delta stands, and your legacy still directs the compass of our progress,” Otuaro added.

    He also expressed personal gratitude to Ibori, acknowledging the pivotal role the former governor played in shaping his own political journey and public service career.

    “As a leader and mentor, your influence on my journey in public service has been immense. You are a father to many and a cornerstone of our political history,” he said.

    Otuaro concluded by wishing Chief Ibori continued good health, wisdom, and grace in the years ahead, noting that his legacy remains a guiding light for present and future leaders.

    “May your days ahead be filled with health, wisdom, and enduring grace. Happy Birthday, Your Excellency,” he said.

  • Wike identifies greatest challenge confronting Nigeria

    Wike identifies greatest challenge confronting Nigeria

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has identified the plague of bad leadership as the greatest challenge confronting Nigeria and militating against its development.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Wike to have said this in his 2025 Distinguish Personality Lecture, titled, “The Nigeria of our Dreams” presented at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Thursday.

    Wike agreed with Chinua Achebe, whose seminar, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’, graphically captured the challenge, when he stated that ‘the trouble with Nigeria is fairly and squarely the absence of proper leadership’.

    “This statement, damaging as it may appear, is extremely difficult to controvert.

    “Our leaders have, in the main, emerged through self-serving conspiracies that have little or nothing to do with national interests and development.

    “This has been the case in both military and civilian contexts,” he said.

    He, however, said the country needs leaders like President Bola Tinubu to achieve the “Nigeria of our dreams”.

    He explained that Nigeria needs a leader that was prepared to lead with sound character and resilience in the face of challenges.

    He added that the leader must also be a person who believes in the infinite possibilities that the Nigerian nation exemplifies, while taking solid, proactive, logical and well-informed decisions that would maximally actualise her potential.

    This leader, he said, must have the courage and audacity to act, build, innovate and generally expand the frontiers of development with a hands-on approach that would emphasise excellence over mediocrity.

    He added that more importantly, the leader of Nigerians’ dream must create a society of free and responsible citizens whose potentials flow freely and free enterprise thrives.

    Wike stressed that Tinubu had stood out as the leader the people need to drive Nigeria to progress and prosperity.

    “Let me make bold at this juncture to state that today, in our country, we have such a leader in the person of Tinubu.

    “He has shown in several ways and at different times, a stout commitment to the enthronement of democracy in our country, to the extent of even putting his own life on the line in the process.

    “He has shown great capacity for engendering development as captured in the unprecedented rapid and exponential development of Lagos state under his watch and even beyond,” he added.

    He also said that Tinubu has demonstrated a rare courage by removing fuel subsidy on his first day, upon being sworn in as President.

    According to him, leaders before him all spoke about the evil of fuel subsidy, but none had the courage to dare the blackmail of removing it.

    “Tinubu did and is fittingly grappling with the inevitable, unintended and sometimes orchestrated consequences of this removal.

    “Today, our states have far more resources to develop, the debts are no longer piling and the price of petrol is gradually but steadily adjusting downwards in tandem with the forces of demand and supply and the strict implementation of regulatory conditionalities.

    “Also, the overwhelming cry of over-centralisation of power and resources at the national level and the attendant abuse of the doctrine of federalism is being systematically addressed.

    “This is being addressed through the creation of zonal/regional commissions empowered to devolve developmental impetus to the respective zones and regions, so that power can truly return to the people.”

    On security, Wike said that the situation was being addressed through proper funding and the training and retraining of security forces.

    The minister added that Tinubu’s approval for the recruitment of forest guards across the country to take charge of the nation’s forests, bandits and terrorists would no longer find incubation points and free territories to operate.

    “Put simply, the era of banditry and terrorism would soon come to an end.

    “These and many other policies and measures are being put together by Tinubu to reposition our country on the path of progress and development,” Wike said.

    Earlier, Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun, described Wike as a straightforward politician, adding that his wealth of political experience and leadership style was exemplary.

    Represented by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, the governor said that the minister’s infrastructural transformation in the FCT was visionary.

    Also, the Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof. Adebayo Bamire, said that the theme of the lecture, ‘’Nigeria of our Dream” was timely and thought-provoking.

    “At a critical juncture when our nation’s democratic journey, when the challenges of governance, civic trust, and equitable development are at the forefront of public discourse, this lecture offers a vital platform for reflection, engagement and forward thinking.

    “It calls us to interrogate the structures that uphold democracy, the principles that guide responsible governance, citizenship and the strategies that can unlock Nigeria’s development potential,” he said.

    The Royal Father of the Day, Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said he has deep respect for Wike because of his fearlessness.

    He described the minister as an “upright politician” who “said things as they are.

    “Hate him; like him – what will be will be.”

  • A Pope’s funeral and new leadership paradigm – By Dakuku Peterside

    A Pope’s funeral and new leadership paradigm – By Dakuku Peterside

    The world came together on a warm April morning in Rome. Under Bernini’s wide colonnade, a simple wooden coffin lay, almost shy against the grand marble of St. Peter’s. It held the body of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known as Pope Francis; it also carried a final message, passed without words. As I watched the funeral, I wondered if the message would be clear to leaders in places where leadership is often about show instead of service. Nigeria, my country, came to mind, because its people long for leaders who serve with humility rather than rule with power.

    At first glance, comparing a pope to political leaders might seem unconventional, but important commonalities exist. Upon reflection, parallels are audacious: a Catholic pontiff and a republic’s president inhabit very different orbits. Yet both preside over institutions that store immeasurable wealth-monetary, cultural, spiritual, and both command loyalties that can bless or wound the human spirit. The difference lies in the currency they spend. Francis traded almost exclusively in moral capital. His motorcade rarely stretched beyond a small Fiat. He lived in a guesthouse, took meals in a communal dining hall, and instructed that his funeral expenses be redirected to shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

    In stark contrast, many political leaders, notably in Nigeria, have consolidated power through patronage, wealth accumulation, and coercion, severely damaging their credibility and the public’s trust. Nigerian power, by contrast, is often measured in sirens, convoys, and security votes, in the distance a public office holder can place between themselves and the exhaust of everyday life. The funeral invited a radical thought: what if legitimacy flowed from humility, not from the choreography of importance? This stress on the importance of humility in leadership could enlighten and provoke reflection on governance.

    Humility, though, is not a mannerism. It is a decision made daily, a refusal to situate oneself above the collective story. Francis’ last request, “bury me outside the Vatican walls”, was a slight tectonic shift, the first such break with tradition in over a century. It told pilgrims and presidents alike that holiness is not the property of marble tombs but of living deeds. Pope Francis was buried in a simple wooden coffin instead of the traditional three-nested casket, symbolising a life dedicated to humility and service. This act is probably the first of its kind in papacy history. This powerful statement of reform and decentralisation challenged entrenched traditions that maintain privilege.

    Nigerian leaders, accustomed to the trappings of power and privilege, could profoundly benefit from embracing servant-leadership that prioritises citizens’ welfare above personal gain. Imagine for a moment a Nigerian governor choosing to sleep occasionally in the wards of a rural clinic that lacks electricity, a senator commuting without escorts, or a budget speech opened with an apology to those whose dreams are still postponed. Such gestures, inspired by Pope Francis’ humility, would earn ridicule from cynics trained by years of theatrical piety, yet they might also crack the granite of distrust that politics has laid around the citizen’s heart.

    Throughout his papacy, Francis consistently demonstrated simplicity, living modestly, rejecting extravagance, and continuously expressing empathy for ordinary people. For Nigerian political leaders, adopting similar modesty could substantially enhance their legitimacy, distancing them from the extravagant lifestyles that alienate them from the realities of the people they govern. By following Pope Francis’ example, Nigerian leaders could bridge the gap between themselves and the citizens they serve, fostering a deeper connection and understanding.

    The scenes in Rome offered other lessons as subtle as incense. Refugees and cardinals knelt side by side; presidents exchanged the sign of peace; atheists joined murmured prayers. I thought of the Plateau and Benue, of plains made fertile by rivers and yet stained by cycles of reprisal killings, each side armed with grievances as old as maps. If a pope’s funeral could fold the devout and the doubtful into the same silence, perhaps state ceremonies in Nigeria could be reimagined as platforms for reconciliation rather than patronage. Symbols matter because they reach the imagination before the policy can touch the pocket. A wooden coffin whispered more convincingly than any communiqué on inclusive governance ever could.

    None of this is to canonise a man in hindsight; Francis was criticised, resisted, and sometimes misunderstood. Reform always bruises the edges of comfort. But in death, he achieved what many living leaders rarely managed: he convinced opposing camps to pause their quarrels long enough to say, “Thank you, Father.” The applause that rippled through St  Peter’s Square did not celebrate power captured; it celebrated power surrendered. How extraordinary and disconcerting to think that the shortest route to influence might be the surrender of privilege.

    I wish to reference the testimony of Vinod Sekar, the Hindu philanthropist who once described being in the presence of “someone relentlessly good” pointing to Pope Francis. Sekar confessed that holiness ceased to be a place, temple, mosque, or cathedral, and became instead a verb: to shelter, to include, to feed. Nigeria’s streets are crowded with worship houses, yet the mood often tastes of scarcity- scarcity of trust, of light, of potable water, of the belief that tomorrow might be gentler than today. What if holiness were measured not by the decibels of our prayers but by the quality of our public schools and hospitals ? What if fiscal policy became a beatitude, not just a technical tool or to score cheap political point but a source of broad social good?

    Authentic goodness, the kind that disarms calculation, cannot be legislated; it must be modelled. Leaders who publish their asset declaration unprompted, reject grandiose titles, and break bread with market women without cameras in tow begin to tilt the atmosphere. And atmospheres are contagious. When a pope chooses simplicity, bishops take notice; when a governor chooses public transport, commissioners start to wonder whether the show of might is worth its cost. A single act does not topple corruption, but it can short-circuit the logic that sustains it.

    Critics will argue that symbolism is cheap and that coffins and cassocks cannot patch roads or fund hospitals. They are right, unless the symbol changes the story, and the story changes the budget. A nation cannot legislate self respect into its citizens while its leaders accumulate properties in distant capitals. Neither can it ask for sacrifice while official lips sip champagne at state banquets. The funeral in Rome stubbornly insisted that credibility is the one commodity no treasury can purchase; it must be earned in increments of integrity.

    As I write, the image of that lone coffin lingers, framed by sunlight and the tear-streaked faces of strangers who felt seen by a man in white. Power looked strangely like the vulnerability that morning, and history tilted, not dramatically, but perceptibly, toward the possibility that public office might again be synonymous with public service. I imagine a version of that morning unfolding on Abuja’s Eagle Square: no imported SUVs, no choreography of arrival times to signal rank, only leaders standing shoulder to shoulder with nurses, farmers, students, and the internally displaced. I imagine a moment when applause signals not relief that the ceremony is over but gratitude that the example is true. Perhaps that is naïve. Yet every durable reform was once a naïveté stubborn enough to outlive its ridicule.

    The cypress boards of Francis’ coffin will one day fade, but the memory of his choices will migrate from anecdote to folklore, from folklore to benchmark. Nigeria, a country whose anthem pleads to “build a nation where peace and justice shall reign”, needs new benchmarks more urgently than new oil blocks. It requires the quiet scandal of servant leadership to make corruption look as outdated as a triple-nested casket. Nigerian leaders should embrace key principles drawn from Pope Francis’ life and funeral rites: humility that transforms rulers into servant-leaders; real and courageous reforms dismantling corruption; moral authority grounded in integrity and humility; inclusivity that fosters unity across ethnic and religious divides; and a legacy defined by public trust rather than accumulated wealth.

    Ultimately, Pope Francis’ funeral provided a profound narrative on leadership that Nigerian political figures must internalise. By embodying these principles, they can cultivate a governance system rooted in moral authority, transparency, and service, genuinely transforming their nation and securing a legacy that endures beyond wealth or power. I end where I began, in the quiet of that Roman square, listening to chants swell like a rising tide, watching a coffin slip into the basilica, and feeling the strange comfort of a paradox: the smaller the ego, the wider the circle of souls who find shelter beneath its shade. This truth, more than any doctrine, is the gospel political leadership must embrace if it hopes to bury an age of hollow grandeur and awaken a season of genuine hope.

  • Afenifere hails new Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership, says it’ll enhance SMBLF alliance

    Afenifere hails new Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership, says it’ll enhance SMBLF alliance

    HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, the Deputy Leader of Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba socio-political group, has congratulated the new President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, and all the new National Officers.

    In a statement released by the Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye, Afenifere also welcomed the new Ohanaeze executive to continue their bilateral partnerships in restructuring agitations, as well as partners in the South and Middlebelt Leadership Alliance created for cultural, political economic justice in Nigeria.

    The Afenifere Deputy Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, stated that Ohanaeze had been a major ally in the pursuit of good, fair and just governance. It is recalled that recent past Ohanaeze leadership have been friendly working partners, from bringing about The Handshake across Niger, to the push for rotational presidency to the South East in the last election.

    “Ours is not a relationship based only on current political expediencies, but as shown during the Handshake across Niger in Enugu, there is the long history of Yorubas and Igbos relationships, starting from being the closest genetic cousins, to traditional institutional leaderships of Obi and Oba being slight dialect variations, to initiating the pro-independence movements in the 1930s and 1940s.

    “Therefore Afenifere and Ohanaeze have a historic moral obligation to represent the similar cultural values of egalitarianism that can only be achieved by focusing our synergies on restructuring Nigeria to be just and fair to every Nigerian ethnicity.

    “So, we at Afenifere warmly welcome the new Ohanaeze executive leadership not only as mutual partners but taking its place as a major partner within the South and Middlebelt Leadership Alliance, to strengthen our collective voices for equity and justice through restructuring.

  • Strategic leadership in Nigeria: Transforming challenges into sustainable success – By Alim Abubakre

    Strategic leadership in Nigeria: Transforming challenges into sustainable success – By Alim Abubakre

    In my fourteen years as the Founder of TEXEM, UK, and previously as a Director of Strategy in Cambridge, I have engaged with thousands of leaders across multiple continents. Amid these interactions, the exceptional creativity and tenacity of Nigerian leaders stand out.

    Yet the billion-dollar question persists: why, in spite of its abundant natural resources and immense population, has Nigeria not achieved more transformational success at both national and organisational levels? The answers lie in a tapestry of interwoven challenges—from insecurity and weak infrastructure to policy inconsistencies and corruption.

    Nevertheless, these issues, while daunting, are by no means impermeable. Through visionary leadership, focused governance, and impactful collaboration that bridges public and private sectors, Nigeria has the potential to transcend prevailing obstacles and forge a brighter future.

    Nigeria at a Defining Juncture

    Nigeria’s moment is now. Despite difficulties ranging from economic volatility to a pronounced digital divide, history demonstrates that leaders who harness adversity can spawn remarkable progress. Many nations have done precisely that, though their solutions must be adapted to Nigeria’s diverse contexts. Comprising over 200 million people from numerous ethnic backgrounds, the country presents a federal system with both benefits and complications. Strategic governance that nurtures peace, fosters inclusive growth, and upholds transparency can help Nigeria convert untapped promise into tangible gains for its citizens.

    Insecurity as a Spur for Rethinking Governance

    Security remains paramount for sustaining growth. When communities live in perpetual fear of insurgency, kidnapping, or communal unrest, the entire social fabric begins to unravel. Companies delay expansion, foreign investors waver, and communal hopes dwindle. Yet examples from Rwanda, Colombia, and India suggest that security challenges are not immovable. Rwanda reduced crime by integrating high-tech surveillance with community-focused policing; Colombia pivoted from decades of insurgent conflict by empowering local stakeholders and directing more resources to inclusive peacebuilding; India diminished fraudulent practices by introducing digital identification systems for public services. These successes highlight the importance of matching technology with grassroots initiatives, but Nigeria’s vast size, deep diversity, and entrenched patronage networks pose added complications.

    Adapting these global experiences is essential. Inter-agency cooperation would help coordinate responses to threats, while bridging the mistrust between different arms of government. Community support programmes that include ex-combatants or disadvantaged youths could draw people away from radical or criminal activities. A renewed emphasis on transparency in security funding—ensuring that resources reach frontline efforts rather than vanishing into bureaucratic voids—would reinforce public trust. By tailoring foreign insights to Nigeria’s own socioeconomic realities, security can become more than just the absence of violence; it can catalyse development, attract investment, and infuse life back into communities.

    Diversifying Beyond Oil: A Route to Resilience

    For many years, Nigeria’s heavy dependence on oil revenue has cast a long shadow over its economy, rendering it vulnerable to fluctuations in global prices. Repeated budget crises attest to the perils of failing to diversify. Indonesia’s example serves as an antidote to complacency. That country’s leaders strategically shifted their focus from oil to manufacturing, agro-processing, and tourism, ultimately boosting GDP to over one trillion dollars.

    Nigeria can emulate this by committing to broad-based growth in sectors beyond oil. Agricultural modernisation is an urgent priority. Through initiatives such as agro-industrial parks and upgraded processing facilities, farmers could convert perishable commodities—like cassava—into marketable products such as biofuels or starch. Harnessing these opportunities requires stable conditions: ongoing conflicts in rural areas directly affect farm output, distribution routes, and export logistics. A secure environment, in tandem with policies that encourage public-private partnerships and efficient transport networks, would improve revenue streams, create jobs, and reduce dependence on oil.

    Empowering the Youth: Turning a Demographic Wave into an Engine of Growth

    Nigeria’s youthfulness is one of its most substantial assets: well over half the population is below the age of twenty-five. However, a mismatch between education and employment frequently traps young graduates in frustration. India’s leap into global IT leadership provides a relevant lesson. The introduction of tech hubs, investment incentives for startups, and a focus on digital literacy empowered a generation to reshape the country’s economy.

    Nigeria can replicate this trajectory by concentrating on technical education and entrepreneurship support. The government’s 3MTT programme already offers a framework, but more significant input from both private and public partners is necessary. Universities can realign curricula to include the technical, creative, and entrepreneurial skills needed in a rapidly evolving world. Incubation centres and venture funding would propel ideas into viable enterprises, sparking innovation among young Nigerians. However, such growth hinges on security—entrepreneurship cannot flourish in areas plagued by kidnappings or armed groups. Securing these regions, establishing reliable electricity and internet provision, and reducing bureaucratic red tape would enable the nation’s youth to channel their energy into productive enterprises rather than succumbing to disillusionment and crime.

    Confronting Infrastructure Deficits

    Infrastructure—both physical and digital—is a backbone for sustainable development. Unreliable power cripples factory output, poor road networks delay the transport of goods, and spotty internet blocks opportunities for remote work and online services. Rwanda’s strides in partnering with private investors to improve infrastructure underscore the merits of a methodical approach, yet Nigeria’s size dwarfs that of Rwanda, necessitating an even more comprehensive plan.

    A modern railway that connects each state capital could strengthen trade links, reduce accidents on congested roads, and accelerate travel for millions of citizens. Expanding broadband access, especially through a project covering all 774 local government areas, can ignite a digital revolution in e-commerce, telemedicine, and online education. Such large-scale initiatives must factor in security from inception. Infrastructure without security remains vulnerable to vandalism and looting, but secure infrastructure fosters trust, investment, and a spirit of optimism about the country’s future.

    Building Trust Through Transparency

    Corruption is a debilitating force that stalls progress. When bribes and favouritism dominate, faith in institutions crumbles, deterring foreign investors who expect fair markets and clear regulations. Botswana’s experience proves that embedding accountability into national culture is possible, though it demands steadfast leadership. Digital tools can drastically lessen human-driven corruption by automating transactions and allowing for real-time oversight. For Nigeria, piloting blockchain technology to track financial flows, digitising procurement processes, and reducing face-to-face administrative touchpoints offer promising solutions.

    Ultimately, transparency must begin at the top. Leaders must embody the values they champion, sending a clear signal that no individual is above scrutiny. Whistle-blower protection laws and diligent enforcement agencies can amplify this ethical revolution. Deploying technology in tandem with well-publicised legal reforms would help win public support and bolster the economy, creating a virtuous cycle in which integrity drives security and development.

    Cultivating Human Capital for the Knowledge Economy

    No matter how sophisticated the infrastructure or how advanced the technology, a country’s real competitive advantage lies in its people. Nations like South Korea, Singapore, and Finland invested heavily in education, research, and continuous learning to foster citizens equipped for the modern world. Nigeria could join their ranks by tailoring educational systems to contemporary market needs, rewarding both academic excellence and creative thinking.

    Collaborations between universities and businesses—locally and internationally—would facilitate targeted research, leading to innovative solutions with commercial potential. Offering scholarships, research grants, and awards tied to national development goals could spark a surge in problem-solving initiatives. Yet this endeavour again hinges on security: scholars and entrepreneurs are loath to risk their personal safety or see their labs destroyed by conflict. A steady environment not only entices foreign experts but also persuades ambitious Nigerian graduates to remain at home, helping to strengthen research capabilities and foster local entrepreneurship.

    Tackling Root Causes of Insecurity

    While bolstering police forces and armed responses have their roles, sustainable security emerges from addressing deep-rooted social and economic disparities. Colombia’s approach to community-driven peacebuilding stands out as a model. By extending development projects and livelihood opportunities into vulnerable areas, Colombia drew communities away from insurgent groups.

    Nigeria could adapt a similar strategy: communities that feel marginalised or neglected may respond positively if offered genuine pathways to economic participation. Well-administered digital identification programmes could ensure targeted delivery of welfare and poverty alleviation schemes, especially in conflict-prone zones. This reduces the appeal of criminal or extremist factions that often thrive in socio-economic vacuums. By bringing healthcare, education, and employment prospects closer to those who lack them, the government could gradually reshape attitudes and nurture genuine partnerships with citizens in forging security solutions.

    The Virtuous Cycle of Security and Investment

    Enhanced security encourages entrepreneurs to innovate, creates confidence for multinationals looking to invest, and allows local firms to operate unimpeded. In turn, growing businesses expand the tax base and generate employment, which strengthens security further as citizens sense renewed hope and have less motivation to engage in wrongdoing.

    Rwanda’s gains in stability, Colombia’s shift toward reconciliation, and India’s focus on inclusive digital frameworks illustrate that no country is inherently doomed to insecurity. Nigeria has a wellspring of entrepreneurial spirit waiting to be tapped. Once business owners trust that their assets and staff are safe, and that regulatory processes are fair, many more will contribute to the economy’s diversification—whether in agriculture, tourism, technology, or manufacturing.

    Visionary Leadership as the Cornerstone of Change

    Bold, ethically grounded leadership remains essential to unravelling Nigeria’s challenges. Leaders in government, civil society, and business must be prepared to question long-standing norms, embrace accountability, and marshal data-led strategies. This approach transcends rhetorical commitments, requiring tangible strides in infrastructure, support for youth, and unwavering anti-corruption campaigns.

    An empathetic stance that values grassroots input can transform the nation’s varied cultural tapestry into a unifying strength. Decision-makers must identify and empower competent, integrity-driven individuals across society, including women, youth, and underrepresented groups in the critical implementation phase. Innovative ideas often originate from the margins rather than the centre, and an inclusive leadership style that channels these insights can spark a collective sense of ownership and engagement in the national project.

    Conclusion: A Collective Journey Towards 2025 and Beyond

    Nigeria has the critical ingredients of a remarkable success story: vast natural resources, an energetic and youthful population, a dynamic entrepreneurial scene, and strategic influence in Africa. Translating these advantages into real-world prosperity, however, hinges on systematic efforts to quell insecurity, modernise infrastructure, and eradicate corruption. When trust in institutions grows, communities become safer, and talents are harnessed in service of progress, the nation stands on the cusp of a profound transformation.

    By adopting the lessons of Rwanda, Colombia, India, Indonesia, and other nations—while calibrating them to Nigerian realities—leaders can build genuine momentum for change. Diversifying beyond oil secures economic stability. Fostering youth entrepreneurship creates pathways out of poverty and channels youthful zeal into productive endeavours. Modernising infrastructure enables businesses to operate seamlessly, while robust transparency measures rebuild faith in governance. Strengthening human capital fuels, a leap into a globally competitive knowledge economy. At the same time, addressing deep-seated grievances through community-led development and inclusive policies strikes at the heart of insecurity, replacing despair with opportunity.

    Under visionary leadership that is firmly rooted in empathy, accountability and effective as well as efficient implementation of well thought out policies, Nigeria can break free of its historical constraints. The global community, including investors, researchers, and development partners, is more likely to commit their resources and expertise to a country that consistently proves its dedication to transparency, stability, and innovation. As Nigeria continues along this journey, it has the potential to radiate positive influence throughout Africa and beyond, providing a blueprint for how strategic leadership can convert manifold struggles into a legacy of shared prosperity.

     

    Dr Alim Abubakre is the Founder of TEXEM, UK (www.texem.co.uk), a senior lecturer at Sheffield Business School, Member of the Advisory Board of London Business School Africa Society and Non-Executive Director of Business Council for Africa.

  • LEADERSHIP: A story still telling 20 years after – By Azu Ishiekwene

    LEADERSHIP: A story still telling 20 years after – By Azu Ishiekwene

    Several good things happen in the bedroom, often the place of rest and renewal. Sometime in 2004, Sam Nda-Isaiah and his wife Zainab conceived the idea of a newspaper there. 

    She told the story before of how her husband got up in the wee hours, scribbled a few things in a jotter, and asked what she thought of the names and the sketch. That was not the day the newspaper started, of course. But it was only a matter of time.

    That idea, which later became LEADERSHIP, has evolved from the feisty flimsy of decades ago into a news content company with a stable comprising some of Nigeria’s most fearless and authoritative news brands. Let’s walk back through the years that fostered this growth.

    The pharma’s lab

    Sam, as the founder was fondly called, was a journalist who happened to be a pharmacist. His father, Clement, was one of Northern Nigeria’s most durable newspaper deskmen with a strong interest in sports. He worked in New Nigerian Kaduna, but his influence and reputation went far and wide. 

    His son, Sam, branched off into journalism after studying Pharmacy at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ife and working briefly at Pfizer. The transition might have been a vocational accident. I think, more appropriately, it was a triumph of the genes. He first joined Daily Trust, then in its infancy, as one of the newspaper’s columnists. 

    After years of column-writing, he compiled his selected works into a book, Nigeria: Full Disclosure, before launching a newspaper. It took a lot of work, though. Before the newspaper, he started a newsletter, LEADERSHIP Confidential, a highly-prized window on life, politics and powerplay among Abuja’s high and mighty, patronised by embassies and the political glitterati. 

    Confidential mafia

    Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Malam Abba Kyari, Adamu Adamu, Mamman Daura, Abba Mahmood, and Adamu Suleiman, people who knew the dark secrets of government, were among the most valuable anonymous contributors. But the newsletter wasn’t enough for Sam, the man of big ideas. He wanted to do more. 

    He gathered the money from the launch of Full Disclosure, which was about N20m then. With a small team comprising Nnamdi Samuel, Abraham Nda-Isaiah, Uche Ezechukwu, Demola Abimboye, Winifred Ogbebo, Douglas Ejembi, Audee Giwa, Kingsley Chukwu, among his earliest staff, he released a preview towards the end of September 2004, before the maiden edition on October 4, dedicated to God and country. 

    God and newspapers

    I’m not sure God reads newspapers. But countries pay attention. A few notable newspapers have significantly affected the course of their countries for ill or for good. When Rudolph Hearst started the New York Journal, his motive was clear: how to run Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World out of town. 

    That rivalry inflamed one of the most hysterical eras in American journalism, including Hearst’s use of his press to instigate deadly conflicts with Spain.

    However, the US press also had its unlikely heroes, one of the most remarkable being Katherine Graham, daughter of the founder of The Washington Post. 

    Whatever Jeff Bezos may have unmade of the brand today, ThePost, on Katherine Graham’s watch, was the newspaper that defied the US government to publish the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate story, two of the most consequential scoops of the 21st century. 

    Loaded gun

    I’m not saying LEADERSHIP is The Post. Not yet. I’m saying that newspapers can affect their countries’ trajectory one way or the other. Lord Beaverbrook eloquently said, “[Press power] is a flaming sword, which will cut through any political armour…that is not to say that any great newspaper or group of newspapers can enforce policies or make or unmake governments at will, just because it is a great newspaper.

    “Many such newspapers are harmless because they do not know how or when to strike. They are in themselves unloaded guns. But teach the man behind them how to load and what to shoot at; they become deadly.”

    The youngest and longest-serving Former British Labour Party Prime Minister, Tony Blair, knew this. For most of his years in Number 10, whenever the media mogul Rupert Murdoch called once, Blair answered twice.

    But again, LEADERSHIP is not SUN or Times of London. Nor is Olusegun Obasanjo, Blair. Yet, Nigeria’s President Obasanjo would not forget LEADERSHIP in a hurry. In Too Good to Die: Third Term and the Myth of the Indispensable Man, the epic catalogue by Chidi Odinkalu and Aisha Osori, we read about the daring ambition of the former president to wrest an illegal third term. 

    Beacon, always

    Even in its infancy, LEADERSHIP was perhaps the most consequential newspaper that frustrated Obasanjo’s ambition. It has remained just as much a scourge of crooked leaders as a champion of Nigeria’s unity. 

    For example, Imam Abubakar Abdullahi came to the limelight after the company’s awards and conference subsidiary recognised the cleric for sheltering Christians in his mosque at the height of the deadly sectarian violence of 2018 in Jos. 

    Again, this year, Auwalu Salisu, a Kano-based tricycle rider awarded by the newspaper for returning N15m to the owner, received an avalanche of praise, including a cash award of N250m by the Niger State government, which Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has redeemed and kept in the care of the Sam Nda-Isaiah Foundation.

    The newspaper remains fervent in its fight for press freedom, regardless of which Witchfinder General wants to undermine the press. Its dogged pursuit of the “unidentified” persons who murdered Nigerian journalist James Bagauda Kaltho in 1996, for example, led it through a labyrinth of minefields from Durbar Hotel, Kaduna, where he was bombed, through the trail of one Russell Hanks believed to have been a US envoy in Nigeria, and back to the US Embassy. The murder is still unresolved.

    Neighbour-to-neighbour

    There is another moment that bears retelling. In the heady days after the 2015 general elections, when the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, besieged INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega and threatened hell as the final results were being announced, the rogue economic wing of the PDP under the auspices of Neighbour-to-Neighbour, offered publishers vast sums of money to publish an advert that President Goodluck Jonathan had won the election. 

    An unsuspecting LEADERSHIP staff collected the money and gleefully called the publisher to inform him that the newspaper’s bread had been buttered. Sam, whose fury, even at the best of times, was like a raging storm, was on another level of fury. He ordered that the bag of cash be returned immediately. Not long after the money was returned, Muhammadu Buhari was announced the winner, and Jonathan conceded defeat within the hour. 

    Ghana-Must-Go!

    In these 20 eventful years, LEADERSHIP readers have had an unfailing companion – Ghana-Must-Go, the irreverent cartoon strip on the back page. In my time here, I can only remember once when GMG was stricken and bereft of wit: December 11, 2020, when Sam passed. The cartoon character was, understandably, devastated: Its life, the life of the newspaper and many who depended on it, was suddenly hanging by a thread!

    The last twenty years have been quite an odyssey, with the fast-changing media ecosystem, the increasing adoption of generative Artificial Intelligence, Big Tech’s abuse and misuse of content, rising costs, and changing audience demographics forcing the industry to recalibrate. 

    Overall, though, the journey that started in the bedroom over twenty years ago has made significant strides for God and country!

    And long may it live!

     

    Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the new book Writing for Media and Monetising It.

  • Towards a thinking leadership in Nigeria – By Uche Akunebu

    Towards a thinking leadership in Nigeria – By Uche Akunebu

    By Uche Akunebu

    “No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking” – Voltaire, writer, philosopher, dramatist, Historian and polemicist.

    The great philosopher plato at around 375 BC in his work the “Republic ” argued for what he called “philosopher-Kings ” as political heads . It was a theory that combines political skills with philosophical knowledge. Plato ,was of the view that it was the duty of this kind of leaders to always put on their thinking caps ,when confronted with challenges, and to think for the uncritical mass.

    Marcus Aurelius , who was also the last of what the 18th century English historian, Edward Gibbon, termed the “Five Good Emperors of Rome” from every indication was a classical case of what a philosopher king looks like . When he became emperor in I61 CE in Rome ,he encountered many challenges, but being one with great thinking ability, he was able to surmount most of the challenges. His intellectual work “The meditation ” is still one of the most valued philosophical works available and referenced by philosophers .

    In the Christian holy Bible as recorded in the book of Kings 3:16 -28 ,readers are regaled with the story of how King Solomon turned out to have unsurpassed wisdom ,after asking God for it. With such wisdom he was able to resolve a case of claim to newborn child by two women ,without conducting a DNA test ,by just knowing the true owner of the child ,with the different ways they reacted when he threatened to divide the child into two and share to the dueling women.

    King Solomon, was a thinker ,as he published so many books in the bible . His unfathomable knowledge attracted people from far and near . Queen Sheba of Ethiopia, had to leave town to come and sip from the spring of King Solomons knowledge.

    Apart from the two examples cited ,the world is replete with names of leaders who came to political office ,with great thinking, that transformed their societies.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States of America, can rightly be said to be one of such leaders.

    President Roosevelt led the United States through two of the greatest crises of the 20th century: the Great Depression and Second world War.  It was to his credit that that the powers of the federal government was expanded ,which led to series of programs and reform known as the “New Deal”. Roosevelt, succeeded in power ,because he was a great thinker.

    Talking of thinkers in power ,another name worthy of mentioning is Lee Kuan Yew, a Cambridge trained lawyer, who is globally recognised as the founding father of modern Singaporean State . Serving as prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990 ,Yew Kuan Yew ,the world leadership expert who wrote the book ,”From Third World to First :The Singapore story;1965-2000 “, was able to transform his country economy into a highly developed one . Lee who walked out of law school with first class ,was a thinker ,who uses his fertile thought to transform his country.

    Coming to Nigeria ,our beloved country, it does appear that leaders with such thinking capacities like Marcus Aurelius, King Solomon, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lee Kuan Yew and the rest appears to be in short supply;culminating in the underdeveloped status of our nation.  It wasn’t so much the situation in the first and second Republic.

    In the first Republic for instance , we had a thinker who was a leader in the person of the late sage ,Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the former premier of Western region. Chief Awolowo, as Premier of the Western region, introduced free education in the Western region, that made it possible for a lot of great names we hear today, to be possible.  He built the Cocao house and the first television station in Africa . The late sage was able to register his name in the pantheon of history, By virtue of being a great thinker. He did not only use his fertile mind to churn out books ,but also to  think on how to bring about development to his people.  It was not for nothing, that the Oxford born wordsmith, the Ikemba Nnewi ,Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu ,once described Awo as popularly known as “the greatest president, Nigeria never had”.

    As there existed a thinker of a leader in the Western region, there was also a leader in the Eastern region ,that came to power not forgetting his thinking cap . That leader was the late Dr Michael Okpara popularly known as MI power by his admirers. A medical doctor by training, Dr Okpara as Premier of Western region was able to thought out projects that endured after his tenure . He made palm oil produce to rake in enormous revenue for the region, and built industrial complexes in Port Harcourt and Enugu that made businesses to blossom.

    The northern region was not left out as Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of the region also was able to prove that he was a leader and thinker,by his Agricultural programmes that sustained the region . In his time the groundnut pyramid was a thing of pride and textile industries flourished in places like Kaduna and Kano.

    In the second Republic, we were fortunate to have a leader and thinker in the person of late Dr Sam Mbakwe, the former governor of old Imo state . Here was a man who all he did was to think of the people and projects that will better their standard of living that he was nicknamed the “Oliver Twist ” and the”Weeping governor ” by the opposition. As a thinking leader, his legacy projects in Old Imo state ,still speaks volume of his greatness and place in history.

    With passage of time ,we no longer have leaders who are thinkers ,and that appears to be among the woes of our democracy. The leaders we are churning out of late are interested in what the renowned authority in political economy ,the late professor Claude Ake calls “primitive accumulation of wealth ” which is why after serving as governors, ministers, Local government Chairmen, etc ,the Economic and financial crime commission (EFCC) start chasing them up and down to come and explain how monies developed wings and flew off.

    It is the absence of a thinking leadership that have occasioned a situation whereby state governors rely on federal allocations to survive ,when they can think inwards and do much for their states. Dr Ike Ekweremadu ,former deputy senate president, in deprecating such an anomaly, described our federalism as ” feeding bottle federalism ” a situation where States waits to be fed by the federal government.

    We are bereft of a thinking leadership ,which is why some states endowed with enormous mineral resources are still struggling with poverty ,when they are supposed to be swimming in stupendous wealth.  The governors of these states have their mind fixated on oil money ,when mineral resources that could transform their economies are left unattended. What a tragedy!

    How can we practice unbroken 25 years of democracy without previous governments considering it a sina -qua- non  to build fresh refineries ,but rather prefer to be refining Nigeria crude abroad? It is only an unthinking leadership that would allow such to happen. Cashing in on lack of thinking on the part of previous governments ,a thinking entrepreneur ,Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is now building a refinery  that government could not built.

    Some states have land mass that doubles the size of many countries, but they do not know what to do with it ,as a result of an unthinking leadership.  Israel ,a small country of nine million people, with small land mass is feeding their population and most countries of the world by revolutionising their agriculture, but here even when state government goes into agriculture, it is all about fertiliser distribution and nothing more.

    Labour today is demanding for better wage ,and both federal and state governments are proposing provocative wage ,claiming inability to shoulder higher wage payments.  A thinking leadership, should have thought of more creative way of cutting down on wastages and thinking out of the box on how to drive development, which ultimately leaves them with huge financial outlays .

    We cannot continue as a country to ignore a thinking leadership, if we must enjoy democracy and development. Every country that has prospered stood on the shoulders of thinking leaders. As we grow in this democracy, let men and women who are ready to beat their chest like Augustus Ceasar, when he opined ” I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marbles ” Come forward.

    Dr Uche Akunebu is the Head of poets of the world (Poets dek mundo) and Editor of African book series of the international human rights arts Festival based in New York.

  • Redefining leadership by honouring leaders from the streets – By Magnus Onyibe

    Redefining leadership by honouring leaders from the streets – By Magnus Onyibe

    Vox populi, vox dei, translated into English language from latin, simply means, the voice of the people is the voice of God.

    For too long Nigerians have been conditioned into thinking that leadership can only emanate from those in the corridors of political power-government. So,majority of the populace assume that without government taking the initiative , progresive actions to improve their living conditions can not be undertaken for the good of the individuals in particular, and the nation in general. Hence, for instance ,more often than not, until the national budget is passed annually, the economy of our country suffers a paralysis of sort, as literally everyone depends on the bureacracy for sustainance. In the developed climes, government serves only as a catalyst for entepreneurship and plays the role of providing level playing field as well as serves as the guarantor of security and safety for all members of society to thrive.

    As evidence that leadership is not only from those elected into public office, but positive change can be made by individuals and as a group, six (6) outstanding Nigerian firms and individuals who have been leading from the streets by making positive impact on society were singled out for the conferment of the Leading From The Streets merit awards. The Nigerians who merited the honor are:

    Prof. Wole Soyinka: He was leading from the streets when he was jailed for 22 months by the military because of an article he wrote and published in the mass media, where he stood against the looming civil war. Our dear professor was incarcerated for speaking against the war that eventually consumed an estimated one million souls over three years (1967-1970), during which his liberty was taken away from him.

    It was no surprise that his outstanding leadership, dedication to humanity, and professional expertise did not go unnoticed internationally. Hence, in 1986, he became the Nobel laureate for literature. Prof. Soyinka could have leveraged his popularity to enter politics, as did fellow teacher and former president  Nwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania who started off as a teacher activist. However, he did not choose that path to leadership. Instead, he continued leading from the streets. For that reason, he qualifies for the Leading From The Streets award.

    Col. Dangiwa Umar: He was also leading from the streets after leaving the military while still immensely popular for his disciplined leadership style and high moral standards. Remarkably, he resisted the allure of joining politics, unlike his bosses, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who became presidents of Nigeria after their military service. Instead, he chose to stay out of government, leveraging his influence to shape policies that promote unity among Nigeria’s multiple ethnic nationalities.

    One recent occasion when he did so was when he wrote an open letter to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to resist the temptation driven by primordial ethno-religious sentiments to delay or fail to appoint Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem as the President of the Court of Appeal, where she was the next highest jurist in the hierarchy after the retirement of the incumbent.

    Following Col. Umar’s open letter, President Buhari confirmed the appointment of Justice Dongban-Mensem, a female Christian from Plateau State as Appeal Court president. That intervention, and several others in the interest of the masses, have earned Col. Umar the Leading From The Streets award.

    Barrister Allen Onyema: The chairman and CEO of Air Peace is renowned for rescuing Nigerians abroad during times of crisis or war, resulting in their being stranded in a strange land.

    He organized rescue missions with his airplanes to Libya, Sudan, and South Africa during internal crises in these countries, including during xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. He repeated the same feat by flying his aircraft to Ukraine to rescue Nigerians trapped when Russia invaded the country.

    To crown it all, he recently lowered the price of airline tickets to the UK by offering his flights at substantially reduced rates compared to the exorbitant amounts previously charged by foreign airlines monopolizing the routes. Another profound gesture was the rebate on ticket costs that Airpeace offers to Nigerian students to encourage them to return home during holidays.

    In his reckoning, the high cost of tickets had compelled some not to return home for many years. It is remarkable that the last time one heard of ticket rebates for students was in the days of Nigeria Airways. Barrister Onyema did all these philanthropic gestures out of love for our country, without being in the corridors of political power. As such, he qualifies to be recognized as one of the Nigerians Leading From The Streets.

    Chief Mike Adenuga, with his Globacom mobile telecommunications services, revolutionized GSM telephone costs by introducing per-second billing instead of the per-minute template operated by MTN and Econet (now Airtel) since the commencement of the service in Nigeria in 2000. With the per-minute billing system, Nigerians were burdened by the high cost of making GSM calls, as they had to pay for minutes even if their calls lasted only seconds, which was an unfair practice.

    After initial setbacks in obtaining the license to operate due to technical hitches created by bureaucracy, Chief Adenuga’s Globacom, the only indigenous GSM service provider, entered the telecommunications space with revolutionary per-second pricing, to the relief of Nigerians who could not be rescued from the exploitation by the regulatory authority, the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC).

    Chief Adenuga’s Glo also reduced the cost of SIM card packs from N15,000 to N5,000. Thus, without being in the corridors of power but from the streets, Chief Mike Adenuga has positively impacted the lives of Nigerians. Therefore,as the owner of Globacom, he merits being identified as someone Leading From The Streets and is receiving the award.

    Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, a lawyer, human rights advocate, and one-time President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has been leading from the streets. He began doing so when he led the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) in pushing for the military to relinquish their hold on political power, which began with the 1966 coup that toppled the First Republic.

    Despite personal risks to himself and fellow advocates, they dared the military, got arrested, and were consequently bludgeoned. However, they persisted until the men and women in khaki, who were usurpers of political power, were compelled to relinquish political power and retreat to their barracks. Dr. Agbakoba made all those sacrifices selflessly in the interest of the critical mass of Nigerians who were craving democratic rule, which they had been denied by the military juntas.

    Due to his immense popularity after successfully helping to end military rule, he could have ventured into politics to justifiably benefit from his hard work, as other ex-NBA presidents have done by possibly vying for the governorship of his state. Perhaps he might have succeeded in becoming the governor of Anambra State, as Akeredolu (of blessed memory) did in Ondo State after serving as NBA president. But he did not; instead, he preferred to continue Leading From The Streets, hence he is receiving the award.

    Alhaji Aliko Dangote is the foremost Nigerian leading from the streets. With his Dangote Group of companies that has touched many lives , and which began with the importation of commodities into Nigeria, he has transitioned into the largest manufacturer of the items his firm used to import. By doing so, he became the largest employer of labor in Nigeria and, by implication, the highest taxpayer. He recently remarked that 52% of the cost of cement goes to government as tax.

    Currently a multi-billionaire in dollars and the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Dangote’s latest investment in a mega refinery ($20 billion and 650,000 barrels per day capacity) in Lagos is so revolutionary that it is about to result in the shutdown of some refineries in Europe, which mainly relied on West African countries as a market for their export of petrol and diesel to power factories and homes in the region, especially in Nigeria.

    For having the confidence to invest an estimated twenty billion dollars in the 650,000-barrels-a-day refinery and fertilizer company that would not only help Nigeria but the entire continent of Africa conserve foreign exchange that was previously being sent to Europe for the importation of petroleum products and food, he is Leading From The Streets.

    To cap it all, Alhaji Dangote recently reduced the price of diesel oil from about N1,650 per liter to less than N1,000, representing about a 40% drop in price. That’s not all; with his immense wealth, he recently invested a whopping N15 billion to obtain rice and other palliatives for distribution to the vulnerable in our society and help alleviate the hardship triggered by the ongoing socio-economic reforms aimed at stabilizing our country. Africa’s most affluent man could have leveraged his popularity and vied for the presidency of Nigeria, and he might have won.

    If he did so, Dangote would have been following in the footsteps of the fabulously wealthy Chief MKO Abiola (of blessed memory), who was the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential elections. Even the current South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, was one of the richest men in his country, estimated to be worth $450 million, before he contested and became president of his country in 2018.

    But Alhaji Dangote elected not to go in that direction and has been Leading From The Streets. It is for these reasons that Africa’s richest man, with a net worth of $15.5 billion and ranked 107th richest in the world, is being honored with the Leading From The Streets award.

    These individuals that have been honored, exemplify leadership through their actions and dedication to society, proving that impactful leadership transcends public office.

    It is remarkable that the honor is not bestowed only on entrepreneurs, but also on those that have demonstrated leadership through advocacy for democracy, human rights and inclusiveness of all Nigerians in the scheme of things.

    Without equivocation, the Leading From The Streets award is our own small equivalent of the Nobel Prize, and it carries the goodwill of appreciative Nigerians. It is also similar to Mo Ibrahim’s leadership award for good governance, which recognizes public officials in Africa who lead with integrity. However, unlike the Nobel and Mo Ibrahim leadership awards, the Leading From The Streets honor has no monetary value but confers social values such as respect and admiration on the recipients from all people of goodwill in our society.

    Certainly, the list of Nigerians leading from the streets who merit the award is not exhaustive. But we are starting with these six exemplary leaders. When we publicly present our forthcoming book, “Africa, Exporting Wealth, Importing Poverty,” we will unveil our next laureates, recognized not for their services to our beloved country from the corridors of political power, but for Leading From The Streets (outside of government) by breaking national barriers to deliver goods and services from Nigeria to the rest of Africa and beyond.

    For clarity, the award will feature not just those who have positively impacted our society through activities outside of government, such as the revolution of business practices leading to employment creation, whom we have just honored.

    But in the next edition of the award, we will go beyond that by also honoring those whose businesses have become conglomerates in Africa by exporting Nigerian goods and services, similar to how South Africa’s MTN and DSTV have been exported to Nigeria and the rest of Africa; Kenya’s tea, flowers, and coffee are exported to other African nations, Europe and the rest of the world; Egypt’s export of nitrogenous fertilizer around the globe; and Cote D’Ivoire’s and Ghana’s export of cocoa to the rest of the world.

    The truth is that there are firms in Nigeria fast becoming like European and American conglomerates that need to be recognized and encouraged as economic growth drivers. For instance, apart from some of the first tier banks-Zenithbank, UBA, Accessbank , Gtbank that dominate African banking landscape and with presence in Europe , Middle East, North America and Asia, there are the likes of Flutterwave and Paystack, founded by Nigerian youths and exported across the world.

    Against the foregoing backdrop, I have no doubt that Nigeria possesses the capacity to export all the products currently being exported by the fellow African countries mentioned earlier. However, our country has been hobbled by a fixation on oil and gas exports as the main source of foreign exchange income. That is a limitation responsible for Nigeria’s apparent arrested development.

    Hopefully, by rewarding those making waves in areas other than the well-beaten path of wealth creation—mainly through harnessing oil and gas resources and government contracting—they will be encouraged to continue focusing on productive paths. This includes adding value to natural raw materials, such as refining crude oil into fuel and processing raw cocoa into chocolate, as well as delivering innovative products and services like financial technology (Fintech) applications and other innovative activities such as deploying artificial intelligence, to catalyze the progress and development of our country.

    I am convinced beyond any doubt that our country is currently punching below its weight. But with the right people leading the nation,Nigeria  can get out of the woods sooner than anticipated.

    That is especially if the Renewed Hope agenda of the incumbent administration is pursued with more empathy and through leading by example as well as  concerted efforts made to carry the critical mass of Nigerians along by making them strategic partners in the socioeconomic reform agenda of the incumbent government.

    That can be achieved by getting the citizens to own it so that it would be less painful, as opposed to the current situation whereby the reforms are looking like they are being forced down the throats of the masses , willy-nilly.

     

    Magnus Onyibe,an entrepreneur,public policy analyst ,author,democracy advocate,development strategist,alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,Tufts University, Massachusetts,USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.

    To continue with this conversation and more ,please visit www.magnum.ng

  • Leadership lessons from public presentation of “Leading From The Streets” – By Magnus Onyibe

    Leadership lessons from public presentation of “Leading From The Streets” – By Magnus Onyibe

    The much-awaited public presentation of the book, “Leading From The Streets: Media Interventions By A Public Intellectual, 1999-2019,” authored by myself, took place at the prestigious Alliance Française/Mike Adenuga, Ikoyi, Lagos, with aplomb on Wednesday, 8th May 2024.

    It was a three-in-one event that featured the unveiling of the book, a panel discussion on the theme “Tinubunomics: What’s Working, What’s Not Working, Why, And Way Forward,” and honors bestowed on six exemplary leaders from outside the corridors of power for their contributions to society by Leading From The Streets and not corridors of political power.

    The public presentation and unveiling of the book were attended by Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who served as the chairman of the occasion, the former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba, a media royalty, former Cross Rivers State governor, the effervescent Mr. Donald Duke, and the man who charted a path for me in politics, former Delta State governor and irrepressible national political leader, Chief James Ibori. Intellectual governors, Prof. Charles Soludo of Anambra State, and his Edo State counterpart, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, were unavoidably absent as they are outside the shores of our country, but they sent words and representatives.

    The private sector was also well represented, with the Chairman of HEIRS Holdings/UBA, Mr. Tony Elumelu, represented by the company secretary of UBA, Mr. Billy Odum, as well as Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, GMD/CEO of First Bank Holding, in attendance, personally amongst many others such as Mr. Henry Imasekha, an investment banker/Chairman of Berkely Group, and Mr. J.K Randle, one of the foremost accountants in our country. Other private sector players, too numerous to list in this short piece, were well represented, and we are most grateful to all of them.

    As one of the readers of the book pointed out, because it captures the socioeconomic and political developments in Nigeria between 1999 and 2019 in one volume, any researcher who wants to learn about the dynamics of change in the evolution of politics, societal issues, and the economy of Nigeria should plan to have the book as a companion because it would be a useful compass.

    Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who is the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, was unable to personally attend the event due to prior engagements but offered to send a representative to attend on his behalf. In a letter affirming his support for the book, he made the following observation: “By documenting history in books, we make ourselves part of the timeless fabric of humanity. That is as close to immortality as we can hope for.” He then concluded by stating: “For many years, you have been one of the preeminent public intellectuals in our country. I’m glad that your contributions through the years are now available in one easily accessible volume, and I congratulate you on this publication.”

    The Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila’s complimentary statement provides the answer to the question that has been agitating the minds of some Nigerians who have been wondering why I published “Leading From The Streets,” which was presented to the public on 8th May. As the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu rightly noted, the book chronicles my personal contributions to nation-building through media articles spanning two decades of Nigeria’s return to multi-party democracy now encapsulated in one tome.

    The hope is that the nuggets of wisdom contained in the book would give confidence to the masses and nudge long-suffering Nigerians towards pulling their skills and resources together for the prosperity of the nation and her people. It is also expected to guide those leading from the corridors of political power presently and in the future to learn from the documented past records of their predecessors so that they can avoid the mistakes of the past occupants of the seats that they presently occupy.

    There is a popular aphorism: “If you want to hide something from the black man, hide it in a book.” To the best of my knowledge, no convincing evidence has been produced to back up that adumbration.

    So, I do not subscribe to that notion; hence, I embarked on the mission of democratizing access to the book, “Leading From The Streets,” by distributing over two hundred copies nationwide free-of-charge to governors, National Assembly members, the Presidency – Vice President’s office, and the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

    The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of major private sector firms in telecommunications, oil/gas, including major players in the financial services sector, as well as heads of development and money deposit banks, are also among those to whom invitations were extended and copies of the book were sent.

    A significant number of ministers, heads of departments, and agencies of the government were also sent copies of the book via GiG Logistics, which is an indigenous courier firm competing with multinational logistics firms like UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc. For patriotic reasons, GiG is my preferred choice for distributing the books.

    In fact, the preference for GiG is my way of promoting the “Made in Nigeria” or “Nigeria First” mantra, which, in my view, should define the government at this point in time when Nigerians are groaning under the yoke of hardship arising from ongoing reforms in the economy, especially as the masses are complaining about the high cost of governance and the increasing burden of more taxation being imposed on them.

    After the unveiling of the book by Gen. Gowon, GCFR, alongside other dignitaries, the panel discussion on the theme “Tinubunomics: What’s Working, What’s Not Working, Why, and the Way Forward” commenced. It generated tension as one of the panelists, Mr. Bala Zarka, a chartered accountant and leader of the Ikeja Lagos district of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), declared that “Tinubunomics” (an encapsulation of the reform politics of President Tinubu) was not working.

    He became emotional in denouncing the reforms and almost drowned out the voices of the other panelists, including the moderator, Prof. Anthony Kila, Ms. Ayo Obe, a renowned civil rights lawyer, Mr. Sam Omatseye, Chairman of the Editorial Board of The Nation newspaper, and Dr. Dakuku Peterside, former NIMASA Director-General, who was co-opted into the panel.

    As the other panelists pointed out, some of the policies are working, such as the removal of a substantial part of the subsidy on petrol pump prices and the devaluation of the naira, which are responsible for more money currently flowing into governments at subnational levels. Hopefully, the funds would be optimally utilized by governors through channeling it into developing the rural areas where the masses reside.

    Petrol subsidy removal is also programmed to be the source of funding for the recently introduced Student Loans Fund, with Mr. Akintunde Sawyer as the Executive Secretary and Mr. Jim Ovia, the founder/Chairman of Zenith Bank, serving as the Chairman of the board. Without being said, it is expected that Mr. Ovia, who birthed Zenith Bank as the founder, a financial institution that has been a phenomenal success, will bring his magic touch to bear on the student loan initiative.

    In my estimation, the positive effect of that policy can only be equated to the late sage Obafemi Awolowo’s introduction of free education in the Western Region when he was the premier, which leapfrogged the region into the stratosphere of prosperity in terms of education and socioeconomic development compared to her peers in the Eastern and Northern regions.

    Overall, while Bala Zarka’s outburst reflects the anger of a sizable proportion of Nigerians on the streets who deem “Tinubunomics” (the incumbent government’s reforms) as not working, a significant number of Nigerians, represented by other members of the panel, see “Tinubunomics” as working, though not perfect. They emphasize that one year is too soon to objectively assess government policy. In light of the hightened level of hardship the policies are wreaking on the masses, in their view, some of the policies aimed at correcting past mistakes can be better implemented.

    Remarkably, President Tinubu has proven to be a listening leader, as he has made efforts to give a human face to some of his policies by adjusting the amount of subsidy removed in petrol prices and naira devaluation. He has also done so by slightly adjusting the electricity tariff recently increased for those in the higher rung of society—band A consumers. He has just suspended the obnoxious cyber security levy which the CBN had imposed on the banking public while he (the president) was abroad wooing potential investors into our country.

    The administration is also easing the palpable pains being experienced by the vulnerable members of society by way of palliatives handed to the masses directly and granting bridging loans to state governments as a buffer against the rising cost of living. With the incumbent government promoting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) use for mass transit buses to ease the cost of transportation, the masses may soon heave a sigh of relief.

    Although some of the highlighted initiatives are still in the conceptualization stage, they hold promises to alleviate and ameliorate the pains currently being endured by a critical mass of Nigerians.

    Understandably, the most critical element currently missing is patience, which is required from Nigerians to enable the policies driven by Tinubunomics to attain maturity. And l join the incumbent administration in pleading with our compatriots for time to enable Tinubunomics  attain maturity.

    On the flip side, the masses who are fast running out of patience are also demanding good governance and accountability via reduced cost of governance from the incumbent administration.

    And president Tinubu has committed to that, but typical of government policies, they take time to manifest.

    As the 35th president of the United States of America, John F. Kennedy, stated during his inauguration in 1961: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, But Ask What You Can Do For Your Country.” Our country appears to be in a similar socioeconomic and political situation that the US was in when President Kennedy made the speech that inspired Americans to resolve to pull the country back from the brinks economically. Similarly, for the good of all Nigerians, both those leading from the corridors of power and the ones leading from the streets, we all have to find a common ground/equilibrium so that our economy and country can take the much-awaited leap forward.

     

    Magnus Onyibe,an entrepreneur,public policy analyst ,author,democracy advocate,development strategist,alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,Tufts University, Massachusetts,USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.

    To continue with this conversation and much more, pls visit magnum.ng.

  • Tinubu-Akpabio partnership: A model of cooperative leadership for inclusive development – By Emeka Nwosu

    Tinubu-Akpabio partnership: A model of cooperative leadership for inclusive development – By Emeka Nwosu

    By Emeka Nwosu

    Since the emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly, the nation has seen a commendable improvement in the relationship between the National Assembly and the Executive led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In the past, the relations between these two critical arms of government have been characterized by unbridled tensions, gross misunderstanding, bad blood, aggravated rancour and undue mistrust.

    At the inception of this political dispensation in 1999, the relationship between the National Assembly and the Executive led by President Olusegun Obasanjo was largely adversarial. The overbearing nature of President Obasanjo and the propensity to meddle in the internal affairs of the national legislature at that early stage brought the National Assembly and the Executive into collision. This was the foundation of the crisis of confidence that followed and the subsequent instability in the leadership of the National Assembly.

    Within this period, the attrition rate in the leadership of the National Assembly, arising from externally induced impeachments, was very high and embarrassing. It got so bad that under an eight year period, between 1999 and 2007, the Senate witnessed a turn-over of five Senate Presidents. The House of Representatives was similarly not spared in the leadership crises where a serving Speaker was forced to resign.

    The National Assembly, in subsequent years did not fully recover from the seeds of discords and instability that were sown at the beginning. Under Presidents Umar Musa Yar`Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, there were some little improvements in the relationship between the Assembly and the Executive. However, it was not totally free of frictions and rancour. At different times, both Presidents were threatened with impeachments over the issue of budget implementation.

    In the first four years of the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, the relationship between the Executive and the National Assembly under the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki was anything but cordial. It was, at most, cantankerous and adversarial. No meaningful social and economic development could be achieved by the Buhari administration as a result of the fractured relationship that existed between the National Assembly and the Executive at that time. The second coming of Buhari saw to the emergence of a pliant and subservient National Assembly leadership that was too beholden to the whims and caprices of the Executive. It could, therefore, not maintain the balance in government which was expected of it.

    Today, the story is different under the charismatic leadership of Senator Akpabio, popularly known as the uncommon transformative leader. He has developed a close and cordial relationship with the Executive arm of government without compromising the independence of the National Assembly. He carries himself with admirable respect and uncommon dignity. He is ready to support policy proposals and initiatives once they are in the best interest of the nation.

    The growing rapprochement between Akpabio and Tinubu is already yielding positive results for the nation as evidenced in the functional and speedy take off of key national institutions following the legislative backing of the National Assembly. The nominees of President Tinubu to the headship of critical institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have been successfully screened and passed.

    We also saw the mature and professional manner the Senate, under Akpabio, handled the screening and confirmation of Ministerial nominees. In spite of what critics may say to the contrary, the Senate showed diligence and thoroughness in the exercise. We did not see a situation of garbage in and garbage out. Some of the nominees could not scale through in spite of partisan pressures that were brought to bear on the Senate. This shows that the 10th Senate under Akpabio is not a rubber stamp. It is a Senate that is driven by a higher desire to serve the best interest of the nation.

    Akpabio`s dynamism and his strategic partnership with President Tinubu is also opening new vistas of opportunities for our nation on the international stage. Just last week, he led the Nigerian parliamentary delegation to the 147th session of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly which took place in Luanda, the Angolan capital. The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments founded in 1889, and dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.

    After a successful participation, he was elected as a Member of the Executive Committee of the global parliamentary body. By that election, he has broken a 59 year-old jinx in the history of Nigeria`s involvement in the leadership of IPU. The last time a Nigerian held such a ranking position in IPU was in 1964. This is historic and highly commendable. The feat, however, could not have been achieved without the strategic Tinubu-Akpabio partnership which is working for the common good of our country.

    Speaking on the essence of his election into the governing body of the IPU, Akpabio highlighted the benefits that would accrue to the nation: “A lot of employment opportunities will be created. A lot of offices will be opened. Sub-national offices will be opened and a lot of children who wish to be diplomats will have the opportunity of working there and it will also attract foreign direct investments in the area of training and retraining and capacity building not just for the legislators but for people who are in different fields. It’s quite a lot actually. The benefits are enormous. We thank God.”

    The Senate President rightly dedicated his victory to President Tinubu, noting that the Nigerian delegation was consulting and briefing him on what was going on. He stated: “There were very critical decisions we had to make sure that he was involved as the President of the country because that was an international body. You can’t take a wrong step.”

    The Tinubu-Akpabio partnership is a political model that deserves celebration. As a former Senator himself, Tinubu obviously understands the dynamics and configurations of power in the National Assembly. With the pragmatism of Akpabio, the combination will definitely deliver inclusive development to the nation.