Category: Arts & Life

By Yushau A. Shuaib

Air Vice Marshall Sayo Olatunde, the Commandant of the Nigerian Airforce War College, Makurdi, Benue State, is an excellent host any time I am in the college as a guest lecturer on crisis communication and social media engagement.

We often discuss extensively on contemporary issues on the hard and soft power policies of the military, as well as the place of the media in psychological operations.

In October, he requested me to review his new book, “Analytical Frameworks for Applying Critical Thinking To Operational Planning and Resolving Insurgency With Net Assessment.” Since I am a writer, I gladly accepted to write and have the press publish a critique of his very crucial and significant intellectual intervention to the rooting out of a debilitating national malaise.

A multiple award-wining officer, AVM Olatunde is a member of 39 Regular Courses of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and he holds a First Class Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. His Master’s is in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos. He started out as an engineering officer before becoming a pilot in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

This amiable engineer-cum-fighter pilot is very passionate about the utilisation of net assessment in counterinsurgency strategy and operations. Although the notion of net assessment could sound like an economic, financial or political term, it is actually the comparative analysis of military, technological, political, economic, and other factors governing the relative military capability of nations.

The purpose of net assessment is to identify problems and opportunities that deserve the attention of senior defence officials. In seeking to contain insurgency through net assessment, Olatunde recommends associated analytical tools with a view to promoting anticipatory rather than reactive operational planning and management in the Armed Forces of Nigeria, as a vital anchor of counterinsurgency operations.

A few weeks after our discussion, I received a copy of the War College commandant’s book, whose Foreword was written by the Defence Minister, Major-General Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd).

The highly admirable 337-page book is structured into three sections, comprising, “Harnessing the Potentials of Analytical Frameworks with Critical and Analytical Thinking”; “Resolving Insurgency With Net Assessment” and “Communicating Operational Plans Effectively.” These interesting sections consist of 12 chapters dealing the “Habits of Mind in Critical and Analytical Thinking”; “Techniques for Making Analysis”; “Skills with Analytical Writing, Theoretical Frameworks for Insurgency and Counterinsurgency”; “Overview of Net Assessment and its Methodology in Counterinsurgency”, and “Environmental Scanning.” Also, there are the “SWOT Analysis and Short-term Strategies”; “Scenario Planning and Long-term Generations” and “Communicating Operational Plans Effectively: Avoiding Common Errors in Writing.”

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Besides the articulate Foreword of General Magashi (rtd.), this vastly insightful book is also commended and praised by the top brass of the military, including Chief of Defence Staff, General Leo Irabor; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Oladayo Amao; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Samuel Adebayo; and Commandant of Nigeria Defence Academy, Major General I.M. Yusuf. The book has been further acclaimed by the Commandant of National Defence College, Rear Admiral M.M. Bashir; the Commandant of the Army War College, Major General B.A. Alabi, in addition to a raft of senior officers, academics and communications strategists.

As I subsequently congratulated the author on his no mean accomplishment, he informed me of his preparations to present the book to the public.

“Next week, I will unveil the book at the Army War College, Abuja, and the Defence Minister, Chief of Air Staff and General Buba Marwa (rtd.) have all agreed to grace the occasion.”

“This is great news”, I replied, expressing my delight at the information given. Then he added: “You have been selected to be the book reviewer at the event!”

WHAT?!!! I, a reviewer of a book on military strategy and operations on the revered grounds of a military college and in the midst of military generals? I was quite alarmed and attempted to duck this, as I reeled out a catalogue of excuses. AVM Olatunde simply pointed out that a number of officers had actually recommended me as the one to do the review.

Although I had made presentations in interactive sessions between military/security officers and senior editors in the media, especially in the presence of the current charismatic Chief of Defence Staff, General Leo Irabor and also before the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), I had then never addressed a purely military gathering.

I cautiously accepted the invitation on the broader consideration that the book is not a purely military literature but equally a managerial handbook on leadership that can also enhance the critical and analytical thinking capabilities of strategy planners, political office holders and other decision-makers, while equipping them with the requisite competencies for creative problem-solving.

To guide my review, I checked out the major keywords used in the book, and surprisingly discovered that Boko Haram is mentioned only once, ISWAP twice, and terrorism 17 times in the book. Meanwhile, insurgency is mentioned 217 times; net assessment, 182 times; military, 225 times; government, 212 times; problems, 129 times; and solution/solve (45/62) 107 times.

In addition, I sought an understanding of the context of application of the operative concepts in the book. When I checked on the notion of ‘insurgency’, which is simply defined as “an active revolt or uprising,” yet a scholar quoted in the book urges that “an insurgency should not be confused with a peaceful demonstration that might evolve into acts of civil disobedience, even if the demonstration leads to riots, looting, destruction of property and physically challenging law enforcement.”

Quite interestingly, I was to find out that some scholars categorise insurgency on the basis of goals. In fact, some of them offer descriptions such as revolutionary, reformist, separatist, resistance and commercialist insurgencies, among the utilisation of other seemingly positive and sweet nomenclature. These categorisations made me wonder under which categories the activities of IPOB operatives, Oodua nationalists, Boko Haram members and even EndSARS protesters would fall into within this sort of methodology.

A day to the event, I was reminded that the Chief of Air Staff and NDLEA Boss would be gracing the occasion! Hence, that night, I slept with the book and my laptop on both sides of the bed… I had sweet nightmare, while intermittently waking up, reading and typing.

In this book, AVM Olatunde lists and explains how the military and non-military components could be deployed for counterinsurgency strategy and operations.

On the military components, the author points to: the quality leadership of the military; tactics and strategies; military intelligence; troops’ behaviours; air and naval support to the ground troop; civil-military relations; and the popular militia, which I believe could be similar to Civilian JTF in the North-East.

Meanwhile, the non-military components of counterinsurgency activities include police operations, civilian intelligence, psychological operations (media/information), political framework, improvement of rural conditions (soft-approach programmes) and legal reform, which can include special laws and regulations specifically designed to counter and suppress insurgency.

I slept off again but quickly woke up thereafter. To beat the vehicular traffic on the roads, I left home very early in the morning and arrived the venue at exactly 9 a.m. and was the first person to register at the event. I used the ensuing time to assess the hall and the seating arrangement.

“Today Na Today!” I breathed gently.

I checked my presentation over, and again, while considering the likely comments to make outside the text. I thought about the books that my organisation had produced on “Boko Haram Media War: An Encounter with the Spymaster,” as well as “101 Fake News on EndSARS,” which won Africa and Golden World Awards, and whether these could excite the audience.

While ruminating on the form that my opening remarks should take, the arrival of General Abubakar Ndalolo of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Dr Peter Afunanya of Department of State Services (DSS), and AVM Kingsley Lar (rtd.), the immediate Chief of Administration in the Air Force, disrupted my thoughts.

After exchanging pleasantries with some of them, I retreated to the extreme end (backstage) of the hall to reexamine the major contents of the new book to be unveiled. I am aware that there are some analytic frameworks employed in decision-making processes in the Armed Forces of Nigeria, with the common ones including problem-solving techniques, the estimate process, campaign analysis, joint operational planning, and strategic estimate.

While there are many books on these frameworks, the emphasis in Air Vice Marshal Olatunde’s book is not to repeat what is already out there, but on how to make effective use of them through the application of critical and analytical thinking skills.

Olatunde therefore reinforces the seven positive critical thinking habits, comprising truth-seeking, open-mindedness, analytical reasoning, systematic analysis, confidence in reasoning, inquisitiveness, and judicious approach to problems for plausible solutions.

I could then hear the voice of the MC asking us to rise up in respect at the arrival of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao; Chairman of NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd.); Major General A T. Jibrin, representing the Minister of Defence, and other top military officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force.

As the national anthem was being rendered, I quickly scanned the venue again and realised that more than half of the audience were serving and retired military generals.

“Please can the book reviewer come forward,” the MC rang out through the microphone.

As I strutted towards the place reserved for me, I noticed on the front row seats, my uncle, retired General Wahab Garba who is the Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), alongside Air Commodore Darlington Abdullahi (rtd.), the current President of the Alumni Association of National Defence College, Nigeria, who beamed an encouraging smile at me.

The tools of the paparazzi, the cameramen, which momentarily took the form of AK 47 rifles, appeared so intimidating as they took my pictures and videos even after I sat down.

General Buba Marwa made a very articulate opening speech, which reinforced the author’s perspective on critical and analytical thinking, involving the questioning and reflection upon ideas. An author of many military books, Marwa reiterated the argument that military officers and decision-makers are expected not only to understand what they read or hear but also to dissect, question and assess such things. He consequently exhorted military officers to write books such as Olatunde’s.

Even though he offered some perspectives on the book, like the professional that he is, he summed up that, “I am very sure that our distinguished reviewer and writer here will do justice to the book when he come on stage.”

For me, if Marwa had elaborated any further, I would have used that as an excuse to inform the audience that the NDLEA Chairman had already done the book review, after which I would just thank him and return to my seat.

Immediately the MC finished a citation on the author, AVM Olatunde, he called me to mount the podium. I thereafter looked to the left, right and centre and saw ALL eyes trained on me across the military colour spectrum – white, green, dark blue – as if I was facing a firing squad.

Luckily enough there were many good faces that I could look into to brace up and energise for the task called on to. I started by publicly acknowledging the NDLEA Chairman for the opportunity of still being regarded as a reviewer, despite the excellent appraisal of the book and its crucial themes he had already done.

I then set off by generally agreeing that the pervasive insecurity in the country calls for the need to think outside the box to resolve it effectively, through a renewed emphasis on critical and analytical thinking at the individual and institutional levels.

I reiterated the fact that there is need to reconsider the strategy currently being employed in prosecuting the counterinsurgency campaigns, as the troops tackle violent social unrest evolving from restive youths, coupled with the internal aggression of bandits, terrorists, and militias, among diverse criminal elements.

As a security and crisis communicator, I emphasised my conviction that Air Vice Marshal Olatunde’s work will go a long way in equipping commanders and leaders with the know-how to proactively resolve insurgency through net assessment, in a manner that enhances our national security. And more profoundly, it will boost their capacities for the effective communication of operational plans in both verbal and written forms.

In the end, this ‘bloody civilian’ managed to speak to counterinsurgency in Nigeria in a manner that drew the applause of military Generals.

Yushau A. Shuaib, Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster and Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies

After making a success of its debut outing early this year, ArtMiabo International Art Festival (AMIAF) returns for the second edition in more inclusive creative contents, writes Edozie Udeze

CEO/Founder, Miabo Enyadike disclosed that the colours that connect visual arts and Afrobeats music is the pedestal on which the creativity of the second edition will be mounted. During a preview for the second edition of AMIAF, in Lagos, Enyadike recalled how the 2022 event, which featured visual artists from Africa and Europe has inspired, not just the organisers, but participants too as well as visitors. The last edition themed Remake the World and held at Ebonylife Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, featured 24 artists from Africa and Europe. Among the galleries representation of artists in the last edition were those from France and South Africa.

Enyadike announced Art in Afrobeats as the theme For the 2023 edition. She expressed satisfaction that the last edition has been of tremendous experience, noting that the dynamics of the culture environment, in general cannot be left out of visual arts. Enyadike explained that the theme of AMIAF 2023, is to celebrate Afrobeats, as a proudly Nigeria’s big music export to other parts of Africa and the world in general.

“The theme is Art in Afrobeats, celebrating the popular music genre from Nigeria that’s making waves not just across Africa, but outside the continent,” Enyadike stated with enthusiasm and high hope. Noting that as a music genre, Afrobeats which was made popular by late Fela Kuti, still “has its colours of which exist abundantly in fine art. and this is exactly what the artists will be exhibiting at AMIAF 2023.”

Enyadike said: “The 2023 edition, holding on 27 April-May 1, 2023, at Ebonylife Centre includes a workshop on the theme of the art festival. Again, the yearly AMIAF features 24 artists from different parts of the world as well as others inspired by Afrobeats, Enyadike said. “We are hoping to exhibit Art that has Afrobeats feel; something that radiates street expressions and reflects the vibrancy of the Afrobeats music genre.”

At the preview, Enyadike also used the occasion to unveil the curator of AMIAF 2023. “Yusuf Durodola is the curator of ArtMiabo 2023 and he will be bringing in a youthful fresh multi-diverse art energy into the festival. He will have full creative licence and support from ArtMiabo.

“As curator, Durodola will oversee artists participation, graphic design, exhibition layout and all that is necessary to create an international art exhibition experience.” She assured that managing the creative contents of AMIAF 2023 is safe in the hands of Durodola, who is a performance and video artist.

Durodola’s work as the curator of the festival, perhaps, would be easier based on his experience as an artist who has made input at different levels into quite a number of exhibitions. The curator also exhibited at the first edition of AMIAF early this year.

“It’s a privilege for me to be the curator, particularly being an artist and knowing that the show is all about fine art,” Durodola said excitedly. He noted that the contents of AMIAF 2023 is fine art, but agreed that, “yes music is the influencer.”

The panel of discussants did not hide the core issues of cultures and gastronomy as the most appropriate indices to ginger tourism. This was at the just concluded United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Conference in Nigeria. Discussants came from different nations, professions and backgrounds all involved with the tourism business world-wide. Edozie Udeze reports.

The most intriguing part of the just concluded United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Conference, was the meeting of the key players in the sector.  At the panel discussions most of the salient issues affecting the tourism business world-wide became topical to the discussants.  On the panel were: Alhaji Lai Mohammed of Nigeria, Herve Abimbola, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Benin Republic, Siandou Fofana, Minster of Culture, Ivory Coast.  Others were, Chef Caco Rainarhi from the Congo Democratic Republic, Serifo Jaquita, a Human Development Coordinator and Sven Leivaag, Vice-president of AMADEUS.

Most of the issues tackled revolved around gastronomy, effects of covid 19 on tourism, roles of cultures and heritages in making tourism more marketable and lots more.  The current levels of the development of tourism site, in certain countries and what different countries do to accelerate policies towards making tourism one of the highest revenue earners dominated discussions.  Beyond that however, other countries like Togo, Gabon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and others who were in attendance drew attention to the ever relevant issue of gastronomy.  Gastronomy, the food culture aspects of the tourism business constitutes one of the main core values of tourism potential, tourism hub.

With the proper food culture by a host nation, tourists tend to feel more at home.  The discussion even went ahead to situate the next meeting of UNWTO forum on gastronomy tourism which will take place soon.  Emphasis was placed on the importance of foods because it is one of those main reasons why people love to travel, mix, exchange visits in different parts of the world.  This is why you’d always hear a tourist say – ‘oh the country I visited provided me with some of the best food entertainment ever’.  So, the culture of food, the habit of providing the best cuisine, entertainment to a visitor cannot be separated from the tourism business.

As the discussants tackled some of these troubling issues, it became clear that without culture properly preserved, developed and promoted, tourism is almost meaningless.  Culture and all its properties will always form the basic part of tourism.  People visit other climes to experience strange issues, ideas that are not present in their own environments.  This is where the intrigue lies.  It is that strange aura of seeing and experiencing what is new and foreign to you that makes tour and travelling stimulating, fascinating and ever afresh.

Mohammed was more intrigued by the harvest of dances by Nigerian troupes that thrilled guests.  “What we watched here a few hours ago”, he teased, “is one of the core values of culture tourism”.  Inside dances, you have some of the messages espousing what the people believe in.  Apart from its therapeutic effects, dances, cultural displays and performances energise and stimulate nerves.  In fact, it is fondly referred to as tangible tourism.  In it, people do not only see and appreciate the value of what they have, the advantages are huge.  As people come and go, travelling round the globe for one reason or the other, it is important to see in it all that tourism is a contact point of diverse people.

Here it is proper to identify the ingredients of travel tourism.  What is the purpose of this?  Countries, in adopting or applying policies must aspire to inculcate friendly ideals that appeal to visitors.  They need to apply policies that are tolerable, easy for other peoples to understand in order to see reasons to patronize their tourist sites.    In doing this, however, Mohammed agreed that public and private sectors partnership with the government is absolutely necessary.  “Government must be ready to create an enabling environment that will help the sector operators to function well”, he said.

In addition, the panel took a swipe on education.  The Congolese, Caco, insisted that for tourism to rise from the level of mundane, government must create conducive atmosphere for people to go to school.  “Yes”, he said “we need people with sound education to be able to practice, promote and encourage tourism.  Tourism in whatever guise is not for illiterates.  So also is the issue of foods.  What we eat says a lot about who we are.  Food is what defines a people.  In Africa, for example, we love foods; we take time to prepare and cherish what food we have.  Therefore for us to develop millions of tourism businesses, the urgent need to open people to the appropriate food culture, sound education and more has become necessary”.

In terms of security, experts harped on the role of government to do so without delay.  In the areas of roads, good hospitals and others, they called on governments all over the world to do the needful to encourage the sector to function better.  In doing this, Nigeria’s Mohammed, explained that the government should not be emotional about it.  Government should not be too emotional when it is called upon to provide the necessary things to ensure that people feel at home, to travel, to visit and interact and socialize with one another.

It was clear nonetheless that countries share some certain situations and experiences.  For instance, it is not clear yet how some local people have been educated enough to cherish, and promote their local crafts and heritages for tourism business.  It is clear somewhat that most people are yet to understand the intrinsic value of the local art materials at their disposal.  So it all boils down to enlightenment, proper exposure to enable them appreciate what they have.

Also the role of digital technology was highlighted.  As it is today, technology has made information not only quicker, but more easily available to the public.  With enough digitalized materials, tourists now assess whatever information they need to move on.  It is proper as well for countries to provide proper and accurate information to make it easier for people to come to terms with what they need whenever they want to travel out.

Topical to the panel also was the issue of having the right frame of mind by tour operators.  Tour operators have to be well trained on how to adequately treat visitors.  However, it was unfortunate that as this discussion was going on the ushers elected to handle the issues of the distribution of the conference kits did not want to share them equitably.  Apart from hoarding them and often giving them out to those they were favourable disposed to, most people did not get the bags or writing pads.

Yours truly did not get either the bag or the writing pad.  And it has been made clear that some of the remaining kits have been traded.  With this sort of unfortunate attitude, how does tourism become free from acrimony?  Away from that, the private security personnel employed by the ministry to handle guests did well.  They displayed deeper sense of decorum.  They handled guests with respect and courtesy.  Where necessary they guided people with caution and dignity.  At least there were no recorded cases of undue molestations or harassments.  This also spoke volumes about the urgency Nigeria attached to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Conference held at the iconic National Theatre, Lagos.  It was all’s well that end well.

A new book to help position leaders in corporate and non-corporate spaces as well as help employees and managers navigate through organisational politics has been launched.

Titled: Leadership and organisational politics: How to win office politics and thrive in a competitive environment, the book sets out to equip those who want to lead in their fields with principles of effective leadership with practical examples.

Written by Toye Sobande, who is the Lead Consultant and President of Stephens Leadership Consultancy LLC, the book discusses personal leadership, organisational conflicts , workplace politics and leadership growth.

Sobande, who is a lawyer and public speaker, said : “Politics plays out in every area of human endeavour. Wherever there are two or more people, there will be politics and as a direct result, conflict is inevitable.

“Differences in personality, leadership style, culture, and value system make this so. Accordingly, personalities will often clash in organisations where this diversity is inevitable. However, individuals, I mean leaders, can manage clashes effectively.

“Like it or not, no office or organisation is free from politics. Man is, by nature, a political being. Thus, he is innately wired to compete, so, naturally, there will be politics, competition, and conflict between two or more people.”

The 254-page book is intended to be a reference material for people who want to gain valuable insights into improving their leadership effectiveness while effectively managing organisational politics and conflicts.

The author noted that the book fills an important gap in the literature on leadership development programmes in organisations. “Most of the existing literature omits lessons on leadership conceptions of followership; the focus is on educating, training, and developing the leader, not the follower, the superior, not the subordinate.

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“Also, most leadership development programmes fail to reckon that leadership is a process of influence that involves an ongoing transaction between a leader and followers. Each of whom was likely to shift from being in the role of a leader to being a follower.”

He further stressed that the key to effective leadership is building a harmonious relationship between leaders and followers. While most attention is given to the leader, leadership depends on more than one person to achieve group goals.

“Therefore, the followers and the leader are vital to understanding leadership development as a process. Thus, the book considers leadership development from a follower’s perspective and attempts to provide answers to relatable questions, ” he declared.

On the style of presentation, Sobande who is also the Executive Director of the African Leadership Journal, said the strategies and principles are delivered practically with a blend of storytelling and case study analysis to deliver its message, taking its readers on an immersive journey through personal leadership and organisational politics.

This book will equip readers with the principles of effective personal leadership while gaining insight into the application of personal leadership principles as a strategy to navigate organisational politics.

Sobande holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University, Virginia Beach, USA and is also the author of “The Leadership Myth: Why Leadership Principles Do Not Work in Sub-Saharan Africa.” He is a Certified Management Consultant and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants.