The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Catholic Church and Ebonyi governor’s ‘generosity’

    Catholic Church and Ebonyi governor’s ‘generosity’

    SIR: At the 2024 priestly ordination of the catholic diocese of Abakaliki held on July 6 in Ebonyi State, the state governor, Francis Nwifuru managed to steal as much spotlight as the 14 new priests raised to the presbyterate after nine gruelling years of formation as he admonished the new priests to flee from materialism. If his advice was a leaf from the book of the catholic bishop of Abakaliki, his presentation of 14 SUVs to the new priests was not.

     In a country where many politicians failing in their responsibilities to the people, typically identify with one religion or the other, and never hesitate to exploit religious events to score cheap political points, the Catholic Church in Abakaliki should have been more circumspect about receiving gifts from politicians.

     It is not the responsibility of the governor to buy vehicles for newly ordained catholic priests in the state. The church can afford to provide for its priests. The governor’s responsibilities lie elsewhere, and the church has the prophetic responsibility to remind him of that fact, no matter how costly or uncomfortable it may be.

    It was also reported that the governor at the occasion exhorted the new priests and other priests in the state to shun materialism and focus on God’s work. The priests should take this to heart. The ostentatious lifestyles and even debauchery for which some of them have become notorious for contradicts the gospel they bear. Inasmuch as they are also sent to politicians who may identify as Christians and Catholics, shunning materialism must also extend to eschewing any disposition that portrays them as available tools for desperate politicians.

     The governor must remember that the office of the governor which he fills is neither ecclesial nor divine. It is not God or any church that made him governor. He does not owe God or any church any debt which should be settled with public funds. His fidelity must lie to the electorate and the constitution only.

     In that wise, he must be more circumspect in doling out gifts to the Catholic Church or any church for that matter. Rather, he must commit every available resource to developing the state and combatting poverty which continues to run riot in the state.

    Read Also: Ebonyi adopts result framework, reporting template for OGP

    If the governor is inclined to give gifts of cars to men of God in the state, then certainly he should extend his generosity to the leaders of every religion in the state. The dangers of such a move would apparently discourage him.

     There is so much that can be done with public funds in the state that will be more beneficial than buying cars for catholic priests. The governor should concentrate on the business of governing the state and leave those people to sort the business of the gospel out. Mixing politics and religion will only serve a painful reminder of what happens when governance is muddled up with religion.

    Religious leaders in Nigeria must take their responsibilities more seriously. Many of those who have led and who continue to lead Nigeria as politicians identify as adherents of one religion or the other. The fact that leadership has been such a cataclysmic failure in the country should serve as cautionary tale to those who keep God’s gates.

    • Ike Willie-Nwobu, Ikewilly9@gmail.com
  • Human grenades in Gwoza

    Human grenades in Gwoza

    SIR: At Gwoza, Borno State, the image of mother as a guarantor of life spectacularly fell apart in the devastating terrorist attack of June 29. A woman with a baby strapped to her back was said to have detonated a bomb at a crowded motor park in the state. Two other bomb blasts also shook the state on the same day, killing and wounding dozens.

    The woman backing a baby and blasting an improvised explosive device (IED) evokes one of the most heart-breaking victim-hoods of conflict and terrorism.

    For Nigerian women, this insidious initiation into the theatre of war comes much earlier, even before the threshold of womanhood is crossed. In 2014, when Boko Haram observed that it was losing grounds in the ground and propaganda offensives launched by the government, it spectacularly turned the tables by abducting over a hundred girls from a secondary school in Chibok. Four years later, in 2018, the group repeated the devastating trick on another secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State.

    Some girls from the two attacks are yet to return home or be rescued years later. Many of those returned or rescued have come back with babies and chilling tales of sexual slavery serving as ruthless initiation into womanhood. Many of the girls became women in the hands of their captors, serving as wives and bearing babies for them.

    Read Also: How Boko Haram killed my son, two brothers — Gwoza resident who survived three attacks by deadly sect    

    In Our Bodies, their battlefields, author and British journalist Christine Lamb, writes of the chilling fate that awaits many women taken and raped by Boko Haram upon their return. Attempts to reintegrate them are often rebuffed by their immediate communities. They are typically shamed, stigmatized and shunned by their families and communities who are too ashamed to see their wives, sisters, or daughters as anything but irreparably damaged goods. Even their babies are marked for life, the ancient and universal covering of infant innocence cruelly peeled away by the daggers of discrimination.

    Nigeria is a country sorely in need of comfort, the kind of comfort that can only come from courage-the courage of its leaders to finally and forcefully confront those responsible for the immeasurable suffering of its people, especially those in the rural areas who have suffered incalculably. This need cannot and must not be corralled by the grim calculus of political expediency. Nigerians deserve to feel safe everywhere in their country. Anything less than this is a failure for the government.

    • Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com
  • ECOWAS and its break away members

    ECOWAS and its break away members

    Sir: It has been a little more than a year since military rebels in Niger Republic struck, ousted a democratically elected president, Bazoum Mohammed, and formed a military government.

    That coup d’état happened when it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that military rule is ineffective in addressing nation-building challenges is most regrettable. Up till this moment, no one can show any country in this world that developed under military rule.

    In contrast, military rule is the harbinger of political unrest including disruption of succession plan, perpetuation of sit-tight rule, stirring of rebellion, mutiny, more coups, civil war, and human rights abuses, among others.

    The Niger coup d’état has adversely impacted not only the economy of Niger itself, but also on the security, peace and stability of West African region.

    Remember, if the coup did not happen, Niger would still be a member of ECOWAS. Now the coupists are not only undermining ECOWAS, but are also instigating other member-states to do so.

    What is even worse is how the coupists have undermined ECOWAS at every turn. Several times, they have either ignored ECOWAS’s exhortations or called its bluffs. For instance, when the coup d’état occurred, ECOWAS made its stand clear on its zero-tolerance for military takeover. Later the body changed its position by lifting all the economic sanctions and embargo placed on the junta. However, the junta did not acknowledge this gesture. This appears to have bolstered their courage. Now, they continue to display a sense of arrogance, snubbing ECOWAS whenever they please.

    Read Also: Military incursion cause of Nigeria’s woes, says Afe Babalola

    The resolutions of last extra-ordinary summit of the Authority of Heads of Government and States were violated and vehemently rejected by all the ruling juntas of those countries. In the case of Niger, the junta, instead of releasing President Bazoum, removed his immunity in a bid to arraign him. All the political prisoners, human right defenders and journalists are still behind the bars. Meanwhile, there is no plan for a political transition programme.

    In Burkina Faso, the junta has since extended their tenure to six years.

    Meanwhile, terrorism and violent extremism have continued to escalate in these countries amidst silly propaganda.

    Now all eyes are on ECOWAS to see how it will handle this existential crisis. Whether ECOWAS will be answerable to military dictators and puppets of communists or not, only time will reveal.

    •Comrade Bishir Dauda Sabuwar,Unguwa Katsina.

  • On the quest for more states

    On the quest for more states

    Sir: Creation of states was a common feature of the past military governments in the country. Now the matter of state creation has come up again with members of the National Assembly debating the bill for the creation of some states. But at this critical juncture in Nigeria, and given the happenings in our polity, do we need more states? The indisputable fact is that most of Nigeria’s thirty-six states are economically unviable.

    Before the creation of states started in the 1960s, we had four regions. Regionalism, practised then, was a component of the parliamentary system of government that lasted between 1960 and 1966. At that time, all the regions in the country strove to outpace one another in diverse areas of national development.

    So while the Northern Region was known for groundnut pyramid, the Western Region excelled in cocoa production. And the Eastern Region thrived in palm produce. 

    In order to stop the secessionist bid of the Eastern Region, Yakubu Gowon split the country into a 12-state structure. His deft manoeuvring (creation of states) could be rationalised on the grounds that it was done to prevent the disintegration of Nigeria. But other successive military rulers, who ruled over our country, created more states supposedly to ignite our country’s development and ensure the inclusion of all tribes and ethnic groups in the governance of Nigeria at different strata of government.

    Read Also: Napoli to keep  Nigerian-born Folorunsho

    Cultural and religious affinities, economic viability, landmass, and population were touted to be the factors when they created new states. But a closer scrutiny of the states has shown that our leaders created the states, whimsically. Or they might have created them to achieve their own ends and please their friends.

    For example, there is a town in Enugu State which have kith and kin in Kogi State. So it can be seen that the creation of states has divided a people who share the same ancestral roots instead of uniting them. And a great majority of the states in Nigeria are so financially emasculated that they depend on the centre, perpetually, for their survival and sustenance.

    The proponents of the creation of new states have argued that creating new states would bring government nearer to the people and ensure that there is balance or parity as to the number of states in the geopolitical zones. And they posit that the creation of new states will lead to the establishment of states’ bureaucracy, which will employ new workers, thereby reducing the number of unemployed people.

    But they gloss over the fact that the creation of states brings about the vexed matter of boundary adjustment and the sharing of jointly-owned properties. Matters that border on demarcation of boundaries and sharing of jointly owned properties by two states are not easily resolved. Often times, the matters would degenerate into violence and shedding of blood.

    Again, state creation will, no doubt, lead to increase in the number of National Assembly members, which will jerk up the cost of governance. At present, Nigerian lawmakers receive humongous wages when compared to their counterparts in other countries. Reducing the cost of governance is the clarion call of well-meaning Nigerians. Our leaders should execute deeds that will better the lot of the citizens instead of carrying out policy actions that will stall our national development.

    So the stark fact is that the proponents of creation of new states in Nigeria want fiefdoms or political empires over which they will preside.

    •Chiedu Uche Okoye,Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State.

  • NITDA/NYSC model for youth empowerment

    NITDA/NYSC model for youth empowerment

    Sir: Nigeria’s youth unemployment crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing the nation today. More than half of the youth population is unemployed or underemployed. This high unemployment rate is not only a waste of human potential but also a significant barrier to the country’s development. The lack of job opportunities for young people has far-reaching consequences, including increased poverty, social unrest, and economic stagnation.

    It is against this background that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) chose to collaborate to provide digital training for 30 million young people aimed at tackling the pressing issue of youth unemployment and mitigate potential challenges that might arise from it.

    The partnership between NITDA and NYSC is centred on addressing the digital skills gap by training Nigerians in various digital competencies. This ambitious initiative is designed to equip youth with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy and reduce the high rate of youth unemployment. By leveraging the nationwide reach of NYSC and the technical expertise of NITDA, this program has the potential to make a significant impact on the job market and the economy.

    The primary goal of the NITDA-NYSC partnership is to provide comprehensive digital skills training to young Nigerians. This includes not only basic digital literacy but also advanced skills such as coding, data analysis, cybersecurity, and digital marketing. The program aims to reach young people across the country, including those in rural and underserved areas, to ensure that no one is left behind. By providing training that is relevant to the current job market, the program hopes to enhance the employability of Nigerian youth.

    Read Also: 11 players observe first  Falcons’ training in Spain

    This grand move by NITDA can be aptly described as a “checkmate move” for three key reasons:

    Given that participation in the NYSC program is mandatory for all graduates in Nigeria, and since acquiring digital skills has become a key component of the NYSC training, it implies that all graduates will possess digital competencies before entering the job market. This integration ensures that every young Nigerian entering the workforce is equipped with essential digital skills, significantly enhancing their employability and readiness to meet the demands of the modern economy.

    Secondly, in a country that produces approximately 600,000 graduates annually, it is imperative to equip them with skills that are not only in demand locally but also sought after on a global scale. Digital skills provide the solution because they encompass a wide range of competencies, including coding, digital marketing, data analysis, graphic design, cybersecurity, and more.

    These skills are increasingly in demand across various sectors, from technology and finance to healthcare and creative industries. As businesses and organizations continue to digitize their operations, the need for employees that possess digital skills will continue to grow exponentially. By acquiring these skills, youth can significantly enhance their employability and career prospects both locally and globally.

    Lastly, digital skills are instrumental in fostering entrepreneurship, providing youth with the tools and knowledge needed to start and grow their businesses. With the right training, they can leverage digital platforms and technologies to launch ventures that span a wide range of industries, from e-commerce to tech start-ups.

    Since a large portion of corps members are usually posted to rural areas, access to technology and internet connectivity is crucial, without that many will find it difficult to participate in the transformative training programs. This digital divide must be addressed to ensure that the program reaches all segments of the population.

    It should also, be noted that the digital landscape is constantly evolving. Training programs must be agile and adaptable, incorporating new technologies and methodologies as they emerge. Continuous professional development for trainers and curriculum updates are essential. Together, we can create a robust support system that empowers Nigeria’s youth, reduces unemployment, and fosters sustainable economic growth.

    •Shuaib S. Agaka, Kano.

  • Avoiding the pitfall of multiple budgets

    Avoiding the pitfall of multiple budgets

    SIR: A country’s budget is simply a projection of revenue and expenditure for a period. When expenditures exceed projected revenue, additional funding sources—such as borrowings are indicated; resulting in a deficit budget. Budget estimates should be realistic and achievable within the budget year. A country’s budget reflects the policies and priorities of the government. It is an essential planning tool and should align with the long-term goals and aspirations of the country.
    Supplementary budgets are meant to fund expenditure items that may have been omitted from the main budget or spin-off from unforeseen circumstances like war or pandemics, such as COVID-19. The budgeting process should be thorough to avoid omissions that might necessitate requests for supplementary budgets or the need to vire funds from one expenditure category to another. Wars and pandemics are however often unpredictable.
    It is public knowledge that the federal government has often extended the capital component of its annual budget into subsequent fiscal years, typically until March or May. However, the National Assembly’s approval to extend the capital portion of the 2023 Annual and Supplementary Budgets until December 2024 has raised eyebrows, as it seems somewhat unusual. Complicating matters further, the federal government is likely to submit 2024 Supplementary Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly for approval soon. This implies that, at some point, the country may have four budgets running concurrently. This situation could have been avoided with better budget preparation and implementation. Running multiple budgets simultaneously complicates monitoring and execution.
    Only the amount of expenditure likely to be expended within the year should be included in the budget. For example, if constructing a road costs N400 million and takes 18 months to complete, it would be incorrect to allocate the entire amount to the budget as the project would extend into the next year. Only the portion that can be completed within the current budget period should be budgeted.
    Additionally, when preparing the budget for the subsequent year, the portion of capital projects unlikely to be completed in the current year should be rolled over to the next budget. For instance, if N1 billion is allocated for a project in a year and it appears only N700 million will be spent by year-end, the remaining N300 million should be included in the subsequent year’s budget.

    Read Also: FG replies Peter Obi, denies running four budgets in a year


    A better approach to deal with the current scenario would be to consolidate the uncompleted portion of the capital component of the 2023 Annual and Supplementary Budgets into the 2024 Supplementary Appropriation Bill. This would prevent having four or potentially five budgets running simultaneously. We are only halfway through the year, yet a supplementary budget request will soon be made. What is the likelihood that another request will not be made before year-end?
    The national budget, as a planning and control tool, should be prepared with utmost diligence. The practice of extending budgets into subsequent years should not be encouraged. While requests for supplementary budgets are often unavoidable, they should be minimized. They should primarily be to take care of unforeseen circumstances rather than omissions. Achieving these goals requires better budget preparation and implementation. Running multiple budgets complicates monitoring and execution even future.

    • Kenechukwu Aguolu FcA Abuja.
  • Wike’s leadership model

    Wike’s leadership model

    SIR: Sometimes, we Africans because of selfishness and ego find it difficult to give honour to whom it is due. What further contributes to this mind-set is the erroneous thinking that leaders should always be criticized and not eulogized. It is only when they are dead that people begin to notice their positive qualities and then start organizing memorial lectures in their honour or award them with posthumous honours.
    Whether we are ready to say the truth or not, it is clear that in Abuja there is a new sheriff in town. Even from casual observation, one can easily notice positive leadership trait in the incumbent minister of FCT Abuja, Barrister Nyesom Wike. Since his assumption into office, Wike has continued to disappoint his detractors. Those who before thought he is a local champion who cannot replicate his Rivers magic in Abuja are now shifting ground.
    How I wish all Tinubu’s ministers will be like Wike! This is because Wike is conscious of time constraint and he is doing everything possible to leverage the little time he has to make maximum impact.
    Nigeria needs a leader who possesses sense of urgency, who understands that time flies. Procrastination is dangerous and any leader who wants to succeed must avoid this plague.
    Another good quality of Wike is he can work amidst distractions. Not many people can focus when they have to operate in the face of distractions and enormous pressures from all quarters. Imagine a former governor who faces betrayal from his protégés back home. While living in Abuja, people he groomed have become his bitter enemies, and doing everything possible to destroy him.
    Plus here in Abuja, many people who cannot get any personal favour from him have joined his traducers. Yet with all these distractions, Wike has not lost his head.
    Looking at the projects he either executed or completed in one year and the ongoing ones show that this is a great man.

    Read Also: Insecurity: Wike concludes plans to relocate Abuja mechanic village


    Leadership requires a courageous not a fearless person. Wike is both fearless and courageous. He has taken many actions that a lily-livered person cannot take. In fact, without this quality, he could not have issued stern warning to some untouchable contractors who had to return to sites to complete their projects. Many dishonest contractors that took Nigerians for granted in the previous administrations cannot dare approach Wike today because he has made it clear that he would not condone any shady deals. Wike is a micro-manager; Nigeria needs a leader who can micromanage because majority of Nigerians are looking for fast money and are therefore more comfortable with leaders who do not supervise and cross-check.
    Wike understands the concept of communication in the leadership context and thus he is always in the spotlight making sure that Nigerians know what he is doing as minister. He carries the media along. Those ministers who are relegating the media are now paying the price. Nobody knows what they are up to.
    Abuja under the last minister, Muhammad Bello deteriorated: Street lamps were inactive this provided cover for all sort of criminals to operate; manholes were stolen many people lost their lives by falling into pits; scavengers were erecting shanties even in the central districts with uncompleted buildings taken over by drug peddlers and other loiterers. Contractors collected mobilization fees and vanished. The city was rapidly becoming a typical capital of an underdeveloped country. It is this trend minister Nyesom Wike is trying to reverse.

    • Comrade Bishir Dauda Sabuwar, Unguwa Katsina.
  • Terrorist attack at a military check-point in Abia

    Terrorist attack at a military check-point in Abia

    Sir: The terrorist attack in Obikabia junction, (a suburb of Aba), Obingwa LGA, Abia State was a well-planned and coordinated terror attack by the pro-Biafran IPOB terrorists on the military check-point. They must have taken time to mobilise men and weapons for the operation. They, according to reports, came in three Toyota Prado SUVs with dark tinted glasses, and opened fire in coordination with their other members who were already hidden in the buildings surrounding the check-point.

    The soldiers stoutly resisted but were overwhelmed by the terrorists’ numbers and sustained fire-power. Five soldiers were killed (one managed to escape), and about six civilians were killed by the cross-fire stray bullets.

    Of course the terrorists must have taken their own casualties too. There is enough clues to track them.

    I think sometimes, deliberately crafted evil may reach a tipping-point and incur a backlash that may result in an unanticipated positive development, in terms of decisive resolve to fight and end a long-festering evil.

    The violent pro-Biafran brigandage in the Southeast is of course a creation of some leaders and elders of the zone in misleading the youths with false, twisted and one-sided narratives that promoted provocative rascality, hate propaganda and armed brigandage. And we are all now trapped in a situation of self-inflicted injury, caught in a net we weaved, and to which we have no solution to offer, other than talking from two different sides of the mouth in unclear equivocation, often interlaced with contrived victimhood narratives.

    Read Also: An official of the Union revealed that besides Lagos ports

    For so long, the situation has been treated with kids gloves of “minimum necessary force” concept, but the current incident has provoked the need for decisive military action to check the situation, otherwise things will get completely out of control and result in state of emergency. Any nation’s military force that is unable to take decisive and resolute action under this kind of situation is not worth its salt. There is no better time to act than now.

    Every such decisive military operation in history, ancient and modern, must have room for collateral damages; it can only be kept to the barest minimum, in consonance with the situation. The alternative is to allow a full-fledged armed conflict with overwhelming collateral damages and wide-ranging destructions.

    •Azubike Nass,Enugu.

  • A tale of two monarchs

    A tale of two monarchs

    Sir: In his ‘ Letter to my son, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’ the late Baba Ahmed Joda captured the reality and the core dimension of northern crisis. He wrote: ‘ The reality we must face in Northern Nigeria is that the evil forces of feudalism that have kept us in bondage for so long are still there and fighting. You have been the only voice that has been telling us this truth. These forces will fight you and you know it’.

    For the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III and Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II of Kano, they are heading the two most powerful and influential traditional institutions not only in Nigeria but also in Africa. While the Sultan has been rated as an African leader who leads peace and development initiatives, Emir Sanusi was included in the list of 100 influential people in the world by the Financial Times  magazine. They are more than traditional rulers because they violate norms and conventions to establish a point. Thus, their criticisms are constructive and awesome for those with original mind. It is for this factor that most of the northern political elites are not comfortable with them.

    In the contemporary north, two types of traditional rulers exist, the voiced and the voiceless. Sultan Abubakar and Emir Sanusi belong to the voiced category. They are impliedly advocating for the northern political leaders and other stakeholders to reflect on the 15 Laws of Growth postulated by John Maxwell. They understand that the north is not growing with leadership prospects to move forward. With North’s over population and massive infrastructures, yet it is not actually developing. In a nutshell, both royalists are responding to the agony of our underdevelopment.

    Read Also: Barau mourns 14 worshippers crushed by trailer in Kano

    The monarchs are fully aware that this is 21st Century. However, we don’t have a development benchmark to identify our strengths and know our areas for improvements. The north does not possess a balanced sheet for its sustainable development. It is as if we were living in the dark ages because of the horrors of the bandits and insurgents. The north is depreciating rapidly and is becoming like the animal kingdom where blood is cheaper than water. As it is now, the average northerner is dispossessed of defence in security, economy, education and prosperous future. This is where we are now!

    And we still don’t know where we want to be tomorrow.

    The Sultan and Emir Sanusi have been depicted in various terms such as sanctimonious and what have you. They are seen as ‘sinners’ by those who assume the status of ‘ puritans’ because they always call a spade a spade. Their ideological union is a threat to the conservative north. However, those who are not labelled as sanctimonious are jittery of calling a spade by its proper name. But the point is this: what messages are the Sultan and Emir Sanusi conveying and how are they resonating with the prevailing trends? Are we more concerned with the messenger or the message?

    I have known two politics taught by the late Uthman Fodio, ‘just’ and ‘unjust’ politics. While the former is for the general well-being, the latter is a political risk as it centres on egoism. These political elites who are at loggerheads with just politics will continue fighting individuals of high esteem. However, the good students of just politics are never lacking in political innovations and unbridled imaginations that transcend narrow perspectives to transform societies.

    In 2024, Jonathan’s credo to wit: “My political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian” still echoes. It is a comprehensive memo for the disgruntled politicians who are unmindful of the risk involved in the clash of personal interest with blood of the ordinary people. The current tension in Kano and Sokoto suffices here.

    •Abdu Abdullahi,Ringim, Jigawa State.

  • Benefits of artificial intelligence in project management

    Benefits of artificial intelligence in project management

    Sir: The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought about groundbreaking changes across various industries worldwide, and project management is no exception to this transformation. General Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), which refers to AI systems with the capability to perform any intellectual task that a human can, presents a substantial opportunity for enhancing project management in Nigeria. Its potential has been demonstrated in countries such as the United States and China, where GenAI has effectively enhanced project outcomes. However, leveraging these benefits comes with its own set of challenges that need to be addressed.

    GenAI has the ability to analyze large volumes of data more efficiently and accurately than humans. This provides valuable insights that can improve decision-making processes. In Nigeria, where project delays and budget overruns are common, AI can forecast potential risks and suggest mitigation strategies. For example, AI algorithms can detect patterns in project data, enabling managers to anticipate issues such as resource shortages or scheduling conflicts.

     Automating routine tasks is a key benefit. GenAI can manage repetitive activities like scheduling, reporting, and data entry, allowing human resources to focus on more strategic tasks.

     GenAI can enhance resource allocation by analyzing historical project data and current project needs. This ensures that resources such as labor, materials, and finances are utilized effectively, minimizing waste and boosting productivity. This capability is particularly valuable in a country where resource management is often challenging.

    Read Also: China willing to work with Nigeria on global initiatives, says YAN Yuqing

     AI-driven tools can facilitate better communication and collaboration among project team members. Features such as AI-powered chatbots and collaboration platforms ensure that team members are kept updated in real-time, promoting a more cooperative environment. This is especially beneficial for large projects involving multiple stakeholders across different locations in Nigeria.

    Adopting GenAI in Nigeria presents several challenges that need to be addressed for successful implementation. The adoption of GenAI in Nigeria is hindered by the need for robust infrastructure and reliable internet connectivity. AI systems require significant computing power and stable internet connections to function effectively. While urban areas may have better infrastructure, rural regions often face connectivity issues, limiting the widespread adoption of AI.

    Implementing GenAI requires a skilled workforce in AI technologies, which is currently in short supply in Nigeria. To address this, the country needs to invest in education and training to build a pool of AI talent. Partnerships between the government, educational institutions, and the private sector can help bridge this skill gap by developing relevant curricula and training programs.

    AI systems depend on large datasets to function effectively. However, data privacy and security concerns can hinder AI adoption. In Nigeria, clear regulations and frameworks are needed to ensure that data is collected, stored, and used responsibly. This includes protecting sensitive information and ensuring compliance with data protection laws.

    The initial cost of implementing AI technologies can be high, which may deter some organizations from adopting GenAI. Additionally, there are potential risks associated with AI, such as the need for continuous updates and maintenance, and the possibility of AI systems making errors. While the long-term benefits of AI can outweigh these initial costs and risks, securing the necessary investment and preparing for these challenges can be challenging, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.

    To fully exploit the potential of GenAI, it is imperative for stakeholders to collaborate in establishing the essential infrastructure, nurturing AI talent, and implementing robust data governance frameworks. Through these efforts, Nigeria has the opportunity to position itself as a frontrunner in AI-powered project management, paving the way for a more effective and innovative future. This highlights the significance of each stakeholder’s role and their capacity to influence the future of project management in Nigeria.

    •Oghenekevwe Kofi, kevwekofi@gmail.com