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Leveraging innovation to unlock Nigeria’s huge potential

For Nigeria’s burgeoning tech-savvy youths and entrepreneurs, a new dawn propelled by the transformative and limitless power of innovation, science and technology beckons. This is on the strength of the implementation of the Presidential Executive Order No. 5, which is a local content policy designed to drive innovation, promote science and technology and, ultimately, catalyse economic diversification to create jobs and reduce poverty. With the policy, as well as other programmes, the Bola Tinubu-led administration is inching closer to creating a conducive environment that supports the innovative spirit of youths and entrepreneurs. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

A more dynamic, result-driven tech ecosystem is fast evolving, and it promises to propel Nigeria to new heights of innovation and technological advancement while also pushing immense possibilities into the hands of youths and entrepreneurs in virtually all the sectors of the economy.

At the centre of the emerging tech ecosystem, which has already put members of the tech community in exuberant and expectant mode, is the Federal Government’s commitment to prioritising policies that encourage the development and deployment of innovation, science and technology to unleash Nigeria’s huge but largely untapped potential.

The exuberance and expectation are hardly surprising, considering that President Bola Tinubu had, even before mounting the saddle on May 29, been evidently bullish on the potential of Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. Accordingly, he has never hidden his intention to leverage it to midwife the birth of a new and prosperous Nigeria, under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

So, when, for instance, the Federal Government under his watch recently indicated its readiness to implement the Executive Order No 5, to propel Nigeria to new heights of innovation and technological advancement, the move sure gladdened the hearts of various operators and stakeholders in the nation’s burgeoning tech space.

An inward-looking policy strategy, the Presidential Executive Order No. 5 was geared towards achieving self-reliance and self-sufficiency through local content development. It was signed in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, but the policy now enjoys full backing and implementation by the Tinubu-led administration.

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Uche Nnaji, who is the arrowhead of the policy’s implementation, described it as a transformative policy designed to drive innovation, promote science and technology, and catalyse Nigeria’s economic diversification, technological advancement, promote domestic and foreign investments.

The Minister added that it will also reduce dependence on foreign goods and the strain on the Naira, facilitate massive job creation and industrial growth. Nnaji, who spoke at a briefing in Abuja, on Friday, October 6, where he discussed the strategic implications, promise, and readiness for implementing the order, emphasised that the order aligns with and catalyses the eighth-point agenda of President Tinubu.

“The implementation of the Presidential Executive Order No. 5 is a defining moment in Nigeria’s history. It will create jobs, reduce poverty, and drive innovation,” the Minister stated. He also gave some insight into how leveraging innovation via the implementation of the order will help unleash Nigeria’s huge potential.

Nnaji said, for instance, that Nigeria boasts bountiful human and material resources, noting that Nigeria’s predominantly youthful population is not only the largest in Africa but also ranks among the largest globally. The Minister, who also said geographically, Nigeria stands at Africa’s heart, however, regretted that despite these assets, youth unemployment remains a massive challenge.

“We constantly export domestic jobs by importing many products we could competitively produce locally,” Nnaji regretted. He, however, expressed optimism that the Presidential Executive Order No. 5 will address these challenges by providing support for Made-in-Nigeria Goods and Services (MNGS), for instance.

According to him, it will also support the development of homegrown capability, and the capacity to maintain, redesign, reproduce, rededicate, and duplicate any infrastructure built in Nigeria for self-reliance and development. The order, he added, also seeks to closely monitor and promote the capacity of Nigerian professionals and contractors in science, engineering, and technological programs to compete with their counterparts globally.

The Nation learnt that on hand to operationalise these objectives is the Strategic Implementation Task Office of the Executive Order (SITOPEO-5), with its Presidential Monitoring and Evaluation Council. There is also the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) charged with maintaining a database of professionals for project execution.

It was also learnt that as part of the broader strategy, various policies and programmes are already in place and have reached advanced stages of finalisation. One of them is the National Strategy for Competitiveness in Raw Materials and Products Development, to facilitate the shift from an oil and gas-dependent economy to harnessing the diverse raw materials and other resources for high-quality Made-in-Nigeria products for local consumption and export.

There is also the Nigeria National Innovation Commercialisation Programme (NICP), which fosters scientific research and technological innovation commercialisation and mainstreaming the Made-in-Nigeria Goods and Services. The NICP drives economic growth and development by supporting the transformation of innovative ideas into viable products and services.

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Similarly, under the Clean Technology Programme, the ministry recognised the global challenge of climate change and the urgent need for action. This initiative will, therefore, promote home grown startups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), innovatively tackling this problem with cutting edge technologies, products and services, especially in the energy transition and renewables space

Also at an advanced stage of finalisation is the National Policy on Welding and Related Fields, under which the national policy on the welding agenda addresses the influx of foreign welding personnel and promotes the training and certification of welders as per global standards. “This programme will extend to other artisans areas, too as we move to standardise service delivery in the artisinal, technical and vocational spaces,” Nnaji assured.

He listed other policies and programmes to include the National Leather and Leather Products Policy (NLLPP), aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s leather industry by shifting from raw material export to producing high-quality finished leather products; Technology and Innovation Centres, created to unify stakeholders in the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.

“These centres aim to transition Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge economy,” the Minister explained, adding that another programme, the Methanol Fuel Technology Programme, seeks to revolutionalise the methanol economy by harnessing the vast potential of methanol as a clean and sustainable energy source and position the nation as a leader in Africa’s energy transition.

“Revolutionalising the methanol economy can potentially create over 40 million new employment opportunities in two years and complement other efforts in curbing the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the populace, Nnaji gleefully announced, promising that in the coming weeks, the ministry would be releasing a more detailed road map and work plan to achieve the afore-mentioned objectives.

SkillupImo attests to power of innovation, creativity

The recent graduation of the second batch of 15,000 youths from SkillupImo, the flagship human capacity development scheme of the Imo State Government, perhaps, attests to the transformative power of leveraging innovation and creativity to unlock Nigeria’s potential.

SkillupImo is an initiative of the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led administration in Imo State. The rich and interesting programme, which has great potential to technologically revolutionalise the Southeast state, targets to empower 300,000 Imo youths with cutting-edge digital and employability skills to thrive in today’s global digital economy.

The initiative also has the potential to take the state into the Silicon Valley by nurturing tech talents the state can export to other countries of the world. It will build up self-employable skills of youths to reduce their involvement crimes and make the state the technology hub of Nigeria.

The second batch of 15,000 brilliant and ambitious youths from SkillupImo graduated after receiving knowledge and skills. They became torchbearers of change and innovation, having possessed the tools to shape the future, drive growth, and contribute to the development of Imo State and Nigeria.

At the Skillupimo Cohort 2 graduation held at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on September 27, 2023, Nnaji charged them to continue their journey toward learning and innovation. “The digital world is ever-evolving, and your ability to adapt and innovate is your greatest asset,” he said.

The Minister, while urging the 15,000 graduates to be ambassadors of SkillupImo’s transformative impact, said their success stories will inspire countless others to dream big and relentlessly pursue their aspirations.

“The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, in pursuit of the President’s eighth-point agenda, is re-energising its engines to more impactfully facilitate scientific research and technology innovation, most of which are driven today by digital processes.

“Therefore, you are ripe partners with our Ministry, and we extend our hand of fellowship to Imo State to explore how SkillupImo graduates can be involved in what we do,” he stated, noting that with the Imo State Government’s unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s youths and future, “we will, undoubtedly, build a country where robust digital technology and innovation reign.”

The Federal Government renamed the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. That was on August 6, 2021. And the name change, according to the former minister in charge, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, was to reposition the ministry to drive innovation agenda and catalyse Nigeria’s economic growth.

“This change of name will help meet the needs of other sectors of the Nigerian economy and all stakeholders, by supporting the generation and application of knowledge and innovation to solve socio-economic challenges, as well as providing a policy and funding environment that will establish the National System of Innovation (NSI),” Onu had explained.

Fast-forward to August 16, 2023, when President Tinubu appointed Nnaji as Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, he (Nnaji) has, at various local and international fora, continued to proclaim that science and innovation are the engines that drive economic growth, transform societies, and elevate countries onto the global stage.

For instance, at the ‘US-Africa Business Expo 2023’ held recently in New York, where he delivered a keynote address on “The Role of Science and Innovation in National Wealth Creation,” Nnaji said countries (Nigeria inclusive) need comprehensive and coherent strategies to stimulate innovation and drive economic growth.

According to him, piecemeal approaches and short-term objectives are insufficient for creating an environment conducive to innovation. “For instance, the Nigerian Government developed the 2017 National Science, Technology and Innovation Roadmap (NSTIR 2030) to effectively and progressively leverage the power of innovation, science and technology for robust economic transformation,” he informed.

The Minister emphasised that science and innovation present the most veritable channel for harnessing Nigeria’s potential and Africa generally, as well as the leeway out of the challenges facing the country and the continent, and the ladder to long-term competitiveness, wealth and prosperity.

October 10, 2023
Nigeria to host international gaming conference

The federal government has approved enhancing the annual gaming conference of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to international standards in an effort to broaden the nation’s economic horizons and increase wealth for Nigerians. This will help the conference draw in more foreign capital and other resources.

Director General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Lanre Gbajabiamila yesterday addressed the preparations for the conference’s 2023 edition, which was scheduled for October 31 and November 1.

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Gbajabiamila said this year’s edition will include some of the most influential figures in the gaming business from Africa and other parts of the world, following the enormous success of the conference’s inaugural edition, which exclusively featured important Nigerian stakeholders and players in the industry.

According to him, the lottery commission apparently made it a point to provide possibilities for Nigerian gaming industry leaders and potential investors to network with international gaming industry leaders in order to advance their operations, attract more funding, and increase Nigerians’ winnings.

The 2023 international gaming conference will take place at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos, with the theme Innovation and Disruptions: Core Strategies for Success. The event will include presentations, exhibitions, panel discussions, and a Gala Night where awards would be given to outstanding stakeholders and players in various categories

October 9, 2023
Cricket: Nigeria’s unbeaten run continues at West Africa Trophy

The Nigerian national men’s cricket team, the ‘Yellow-Greens’ has maintained their unblemished record at the ongoing West African Trophy, taking place at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.

The event has Ghana, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and host Nigeria, taking part in a T20i format game. And, ten of the twenty matches have been completed so far, since the event started on October 4, 2023.

Nigeria stands head above other competitors with 10 points from five wins in five matches. Ghana are in second place with six points from three wins in five matches too. Rwanda has four points from two wins, while Sierra Leone has lost all five matches at the event so far.

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The championship will observe its first break today, but play resumes tomorrow with a second tie between Nigeria and Rwanda, while Sierra Leone will be seeking her first win in their second tie with Ghana at the tournament.

Nigeria’s head Coach and High-Performance Manager, Steve Tikolo, said that the matches are key for his side, ahead of the preparation for the final World Cup Qualifier in Namibia later in the year.

“We are winning, but what is key here is that the team is having playing time, and that is important to implement all the drills we have been doing in practice. The games in Namibia are going to have a different feel altogether,” he said.

The Yellow-Greens have not had an international encounter in nine months as two international events they had camped for were postponed.

The West African Trophy has been put together by the Nigeria Cricket Federation in conjunction with Dafabet and supported by Sparkle, and the Lagos State government.

President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, added that the tournament is a big gain for Nigeria and a test of her capacity for event management on a bigger scale.

“We have been on a strategic drive to grow the game of cricket and one of our objectives is to grow the capacity of our personnel to align with our purpose of delivering commensurate values to every stakeholders invested in us. This event helped us tick the column on global exposure for partnering brands as all our matches have been streamed seamlessly, from the first day, to millions of fans across the world.”

The event will be concluded on Sunday, October 15, 2023, when the winner of the two semi-final matches lock horns.

October 9, 2023
5G: Nigeria, others to account for 13% of global subscriptions

Nigeria and nine other countries in sub-Saharan Africa that have carried out commercial launches of the fifth generation (5G) technology services will account for only 13 per cent of the global total subscriber base of 1.5 billion mark this year, growing by 500 million in just one year.

The growth comes in spite of a challenging macro-economic climate. Globally, around 240 commercial 5G networks have been launched so far, and service providers in the top 20 5G markets have enjoyed growing revenue that correlates with growing subscription penetration, according to Ericsson Mobility Report.

Despite the launch of 3G and 4G before 5G, 2G has remained an important technology in the country due to, among other factors, low-priced devices, affordability of service plans and a large number of rural subscribers.

According to August 2023 stats released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 60.3per cent of subscribers in the country are still on 2G while 10 per cent of the over 220 million subscriptions were on 3G, a higher generation of network launched in 2007, which birthed the use of video calls and had higher data transfer, operating at a speed of up to 2mbs, and increased bandwidth compared to the 2G network.

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According to NCC, 4G subscriptions, which the telcos started rolling out in 2016 still stood at 28 per cent as of August, while the latest technology launched in 2022 accounted for 0.83 per cent of subscriptions in the country.

While the telcos boast of over 80 per cent of 4G reach, the low speed of migration by subscribers is attributed to device constraints.

Ericsson report said 2G subscriptions are projected to continuously decline between now and the end of 2028, at which point they will account for just 29 per cent of total subscriptions.

However, the Executive Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the country’s 5G subscriptions have crossed half a million mark while broadband penetration has risen to 47.01 per cent as of July 2023.

Three operators have so far been licensed to provide services to subscribers riding on the 5G technology.

They are MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communication Ltd and Airtel Nigeria. The three operators have since announced commercial roll out amid the challenging macro-economic environment which had stalled investment in infrastructure expansion in a country with a large youthful population and a high demand for connectivity. This has also denied the operators growth opportunities that would have been driven by advanced mobile data and value-added services such as mobile banking and payments.

In July, Prof Danbatta had stated that 5G subscriptions had grown to over 60,000 subscriptions in the country. According to him, the country was aiming to achieve50 per cent broadband penetration by the end of 2023, and 70 per cent broadband penetration by the end of 2025.

“Also, from eight per cent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product in 2015, telecommunications sector now contributes 16 per cent quarterly to the Nigerian economy as of the second quarter of 2023.

“Besides, following the authorisation of more telecommunications companies to operate in Nigeria’s telecoms sector, the investments profile has increased tremendously from $38billion in 2015 to $75billion currently and this keeps growing daily. From the sales of 5G C-Band Spectrum, the NCC has generated over $847.8million for the Federal Government,” Prof Dambatta had said in Kano, Kano State.

Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mohammed Rufai, acknowledged the fact that many subscribers are still on 2G and 3G network, underscoring the need for investment in these technologies.

“The fact that we are going to 5G does not mean we will not cater to the needs of subscribers that require the lower technology.

“As you are aware, devices have to be compatible with 5G for them to be used. We have many subscribers in Nigeria who have 2G and 3G devices, and we will continue to cater to the needs of those subscribers.

“So, while we are investing in new technology, we must also maintain the other technologies that are needed by the people that use them and the people that don’t yet have the devices for the newer technologies.

“This is the reason why we are still investing in and expanding on the old technologies, and also because the spectrum, the license allocated by NCC, and the network resources that are used for 3G can also be used on other technologies in the future, so the investment is still usable for the higher technologies when the devices are ready,” he had said against the backdrop of the acquisition of new spectrum licence.

Ericsson sees a strong growth in 5G subscriptions from 22 million subscriptions in 2022 to 290 million subscriptions in 2028, accounting for 32 per cent of the total subscriptions in 2028 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This growth forecast is a result of more countries issuing licenses and spectrum to enable 5G network investments.

Communication service providers are continuing to invest in 4G and are predicted to see subscriptions rise by four per cent annually from 730 million in 2022 to 880 million in 2028, to account for 60 per cent of the total subscriptions base in the region at the end of the period.

The focus is on 4G and 5G, driven by the exploration of service offerings requiring high bandwidth and low latency, and the availability of a wide range of devices at attractive price points. As a result, 2G subscriptions will experience a significant decline between 2022 and 2028, to account for around five per cent of total subscriptions at the end of the period.

In the region, data traffic growth will similarly be driven up as more subscribers are transitioned to 4G, and current momentum in 5G coverage increases uptake, in addition to attractive service offerings and more affordable smartphones. Total data traffic is forecast to rise by 27 per cent annually between 2022 and 2028 with monthly data usage per smartphone at 37 GB at the end of the period. This will be driven by growing uptake of data-intensive services. Various industrial use cases for 5G will also contribute to a rise in total data traffic.

Vice President and Head of Saudi Arabia and Egypt at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, Håkan Cervell, said: “The Ericsson Mobility Report provides a range of insights into the growth of data, voice traffic and mobile subscriptions, including annual forecast data updates. In the June 2023 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, we see exponential growth in the number of subscriptions in both the 4G and 5G technologies. Service providers are uniquely positioned to support the digital transformation of a wide range of industries with evolving cellular technologies, as they enable industries to become truly data driven, efficient and sustainable to further contribute to a better society.”

The report noted that globally, around 240 communications service providers (CSPs) have launched commercial 5G services and about 35 have deployed or launched 5G standalone (SA). The most common 5G services launched by service providers for consumers are enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), gaming and some AR/VR-based services, such as training and education.

More than 100 CSPs, comprising about 40 per cent of FWA service providers, currently offer FWA over 5G. By 2028, 5G is estimated to account for almost 80 per cent of all FWA connections.

October 9, 2023
Changing ‘public’ in public services and implications for reforms in Nigeria
- Tunji Olaopa
The public service has been at the core of the theories and practice of public administration for centuries. And this is because it is key to defining the successes or failures of any state or government. Indeed, and most specifically in contemporary times, the critical transformations that have attended the idea of governance has led to further iterations of what the public service could mean in any contexts. What is called the “new governance paradigm” emerged within the historical context of the fall of the former USSR and the simultaneous rise of the neoliberal orthodoxy that decreed the redefinition of the role of the state in the economy and in governance. With the neoliberal insistence that the state must be a minimal one, the governance space became enlarged in ways that dislodge the hegemony of the state in governance. In other words, once the space of governance is expanded, two significant developments became possible. One, government’s role in governance became essentially regulatory, and this enables the possibility of delivering non-core functions through the exploration of alternative models of service delivery, as well as a mx of corporatization, privatization, lease contracting, agencification and commercialization. Two, the expansion of the governance space brings in nonstate and nongovernmental actors to complement government’s capacities and capabilities.

From this historical and theoretical perspectives, it becomes immediately clear why the idea of the public service has equally gone through a similar rethinking such that it becomes also possible for service delivery by the public service to be undertaken by independent, voluntary and non-profit organizations and agencies. This begins to affect our understanding of what is “public” if the essential services that are meant to be delivered by the public service have now been either transferred to nonstate or private sector, or they are delivered through a public-private partnership (PPP) contract. Unfortunately, the understanding of the idea of the public service that operates in states like Nigeria derive from an almost fossilized version enshrined in critical legal instruments like the constitution and the public service rules and other legal instruments that govern the operational and administrative logic of the institution.

This therefore not only raises the prospect of a disjuncture between theoretical, administrative and practical concerns in the way the meaning of the public service has evolved. Put in other words, if the government fails to take notice of the changing connotation of what we call the public service, there is the probability that its understanding of its nature will always be lacking. This is because transforming the meaning and nature of the public service through the imperative of institutional and modernizing reforms are meant to make the public service more flexible and hence more efficient in the task of service delivery to the citizens.

This reflection then inevitably leads us to raising fundamental questions that no government can afford to smoothen over in the rush of political and developmental exigencies. These questions include: What is the “public” in the public service? What makes the “public” public? Are the public service and the public sector synonymous? What is the relationship between what is public and what is private? These are crucial questions that could assist a government in situating the fundamental significance of the public service, within the changing parameters for doing public administration across the world, and thus in adequately outlining the requisite reform frameworks that will greatly improve the capability readiness of the system to deliver goods and service.

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The usual ways the public service is designated is functionally, through what we perceive the public service to be doing. And this includes (a) the public functions of government like the public healthcare, law enforcement, security, etc.; and (b) activities that are specifically performed to benefit the public, like education, road maintenance, and other infrastructural services. This descriptive assessment of what a public service does seems straightforward. But it does not do enough for our understanding of how the public service can become the engine room for transforming the citizens’ lives. One reason for this is that these activities that are ascribed to the government are not often in the domain of the government. Some of them can pass off as commercial activities provided by individuals or private organizations.

But more important is the argument that the public service should be denoted normatively—we understand the public service by what it should be doing, and what its structures, procedures and organizational modalities ought to be. What makes a public service speaks to a value judgment about what activities it should perform. For example, is the railway necessarily a public service even though it serves the public? Pharmacies serve the public, but should they not be a public service? This immediately tells us that what we call the public services do not necessarily fall within the purview of the government, even though the public sector is solely controlled by the government. Universities usually fall under the public sector, but are also usually provided by private independent actors and agencies.

So, the first thing to note is that what we call the public services are defined as essentially provisions for the public. It is secondary whether those services are provided by the government or private agencies. Of course, the government has a grip on what is provided by the government; the point is that these activities are not entirely confined to the government. The provision of these services straddles the government and nonstate organizations. The second point is that the publicness of the public service stems from the fact that they derive from carefully calibrated public policy—from critical stakeholders in the governance space—that objectify the intentions of the government for the citizens. The other side of the coin is that the “service” the public service provides are meant for the citizens—the public service provides services that are critical for improving welfare and well-being. The literature has also identified the idea of the redistributive nature of the public service: there is a difference between those who pay for the services and those who benefits from it. And the last critical point: government, even though not solely, holds the responsibility of trust for providing these services.

What then are the necessary lessons to draw from these definitional issues around what makes the public service “public” and a ‘service”? Let us recall that we began this piece by situating the public service within the context of the new governance paradigm. This implies that institutional reform must factor in the government and the public sector on the one hand, and the nonstate actors on the other. For the government, the challenge is to deepen the institutional reform of the public service. Essentially, the most significant involve instituting competency-based HR, installing performance management and accountability culture, deepening project management praxis, transforming the wage and incentive structure, enabling talent management system, and establishing the senior executive service (SES) as the core of beefing up the system’s IQ. This systematically leads to the second level of reform which has to do with structurally articulating and enhancing the professional environment to enable a public private sector integrated governance model according to a globally adapted practice. This demand building up the managerial and institutional capacities of the public service to achieve efficient service delivery; and second, enhance and solidify its collaborative capacities for partnerships and networking. These partnerships require shared learning platforms that make for coherent frameworks that align corporate and public governance structures.

The second dimension of the institutional reform targeted at the public sector, and specifically the public service, is that there is a need to re-professionalize the public service and the public manager in ways to fit into the new partnership imperatives demanded by the new governance paradigm. This will require that the manager’s capacity for understanding and adapting to systems thinking, deploy big data for policy intelligence, create foresight techniques for generating scenarios that strengthen the policy design dynamics to be resilient is deepened sufficiently. The new public manager also needs composite competences to, one, be able to first manage third party service providers (through service contracts, grants to non-profit organizations, social impact bonds, and other contractual obligations which require a range of commercial, legal, and regulatory skills), and then learn to design contracts that embed performance indicators and deliverables which help in tracking values for investment; two, be better at smartly managing citizens engagement by leveraging the benefits of the social media, opinion research, user-data analytics, crowdsourcing, etc.; and finally be trained adequately in acquiring the skills needed in effectively managing the change management programs that facilitate proper implementation trajectories.

The other side of the reform expectation involves the participation of the nonstate and nongovernmental agencies and private sector professionals in the governance space. Given the difficulty that has been experience in the relational pattern between the public servants and private sector professionals, especially those we regard as cross-over professionals, there is the urgent need for the nonstate agencies and professionals to recognize the structural imperatives of the public service as a profession in its own right with its own unique code of practice and ethics. Secondly, reforms must be targeted at developing and enhancing collaborative parameters and structures that enable technocrats, professionals and bureaucrats to work productively together.

The public service is the fulcrum that services the social contract between the government and the citizens. If a government must be developmental and democratic, the public service system must be the focus of ensuring that infrastructural development and public services are distributed effectively and efficiently to facilitate the well-being of the citizens.
October 8, 2023
Dystopia and the invention of Nigeria
- The road to Ihube
Suddenly, Ihube has acquired a fearsome reputation and reinvention in the nation’s political imaginary as a secessionist stronghold; a hotbed of IPOB’s guerilla activities and a dreaded enclave of murderous abductors. The charred remnants of vegetation and incinerated farmsteads spoke to unrelenting aerial bombardment and a new passage of thunder. But the Ihube that remains in the imagination of this writer is totally different.

   Forty eight years ago when yours sincerely served as a Youth Corper in the area, Ihube was an idyllic and somewhat somnolent agrarian community lying just off the main road that connected Okigwe to Enugu through Awgu. The place was bursting with farm produce from the outlying villages. Just after the elite Ihube-Okigwe Boys Secondary School was a lonesome unpaved road that slithered through sand and dust to the Mbala-Ngodo-Isuochi community and beyond.

If you kept going at it in the right direction, you might find yourself in Arondizuogu and its famed People’s Palace. The other direction might eventually land you in Orumba North District and Alex Ekwueme’s Okoh community.

Although the regnant scars of the civil war were still visible then, the remarkable people were making a remarkable comeback. It was only a question of a short time. Now, there is a clear danger that it may all end in tears again.

Nigerians are an awfully inventing and inventive lot. In the course of inventing and reinventing others, they also get invented and reinvented. People and places and nations collect a lot of sobriquets, nomenclatures and nicknames in the course of their existence in most cases as a response to existential pressures and historical exigencies.

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All entities, both human and non-human, are constantly imagined and their images redrawn in the universal imaginary. It is said that those who enjoy raiding rabbit warrens also have their own hind thoroughly frisked by divine retribution.

But while negative profiling and hostile “inventions” of others, particularly rival nations, is the norm in adversarial international relations, they can only stick if the reality on ground matches the adversarial portrait. No amount of “bad mouth” and negative profiling can remove the anodyne sweetness of honey, just as no amount of treatment and reprocessing can remove the sharp and nettling taste of raw pepper.

By this same token, positive and imaginative self-profiling by a nation can only succeed if the reality on ground matches the self-projection. For example, how did the word “Teutonic” come to be associated with German precision of tools and the ruthless efficiency of its industrial workforce?

Originally, the word denoted a person of Germanic ancestry. But by the time the tough Germans erupted on modern civilization, the word had acquired added meaning as a result of steely performance based on rational evaluation and militant self-belief.

The positive self-profiling by Americans of their country’s Exceptionalism, its manifest destiny as a covenanted nation and its occult valorization as a little city shining on the hills whose light cannot be obscured or occluded is validated by the concrete reality on the ground as America took centre stage as the global exemplar of a functioning democracy and accelerated national development.

One sure thing about all this is the fact that stirring tropes are impossible without elite unanimity about the destiny of the nation. This critical consensus among ruling groups is the glue that binds all exceptional nations together irrespective of ideologies: the western liberal democracies, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, China, Russia, Japan etc. Without it, nations merely toil in vain and are nothing but sheer geopolitical agglomerations of anarchic ethnicities such as we have in postcolonial Africa.

It has been observed by some shrewd commentators that Nigeria is a wonderful tribute to the subversive genius of the colonial masters. If such a big resource-laden country in the heart of Africa did not exist in the colonial imagination, it would have had to be willed into existence by postcolonial patriots thrown up by the decolonizing project.

Many have noted that this rosy projection exists mainly at the level of imagination and child-like fantasy. Out of nothing, nothing will come. The postcolonial elites of Africa have willed nothing substantial into existence and are unlikely to do so in the nearest future if the current political sterility, economic and spiritual anomie continue.

All the extant nations on the continent, except Ethiopia, are creations of colonial fiat. No new African country has been created by pan-African concert and consensus. Eritrea and South Sudan were international projects rather than local initiatives. In Nigeria, the continental behemoth, the major nationalities were boxed together and coerced into nation-hood by sheer colonial firepower.

The attempt to sustain this colonial contretemps at the level of internal colonization by the last indigenous empire met with military doom on the plains of Jukunland, the Jos Plateau and the Osun River in what is known as Jalumi War. Thereafter, the local superpower resorted to political intrigues and subterfuge to recoup what it lost on the battle ground.

This war of hegemony among the major nationalities in Nigeria, now overt and now covert; now brutally frontal and now by superb proxy is at the root of the dystopia which has made it impossible for the nation to make any meaningful progress since independence either on the political or the economic front.

Elite consensus on the political and economic destiny of the nation is a prerequisite for any major economic or political breakthrough, particularly in multi-ethnic nations. This is why coerced national consensus, such as we have seen in Rwanda, Equatorial   Guinea, Namibia and Uganda, can feel like a harbinger of peace and prosperity.

   Unable to arrive at a consensus on any major national political project or programme for the economic resuscitation of the nation, the Nigerian elite resort to spectacular stealing schemes and raids on the exchequer so daring and outlandish that they must call to question the mental wellbeing of the perpetrators.

   But the chicks may be coming home to roost. The auguries are dark and foreboding. With the economy stretchered and on a life support machine, it is obvious that some endgame is approaching. The nation is roiling in dysfunction and disequilibrium. It will be foolish for anybody to dismiss this as mere apocalyptic scaremongering.

   Last week, the nation marked its sixty third independence anniversary in a dark and sombre mood. Almost everybody wore forlorn and mournful looks. With inflation hitting the roof and with the purchasing power of the national currency sharply reduced, it will require an economic wizard with formidable political balls to get Nigeria out of the wood.

To compound and deepen the trauma of the nation is the political anomie foisted on it by an errant political class. Isn’t it a source of pain and misery and a fountain of national embarrassment that several months after a presidential election held and a winner declared, the main political combatants have refused to sheathe their swords?

More than six months after, the rancor persists; the hate-filled propaganda and no-holds barred dissemination of fake news continues. The foul and fetid odor of political muck-raking assaults the nostrils at every turn turning the country into an object of international ridicule and global obloquy. Any rational objection to the theatre of political absurdity is met with indignant howls of derision and disdain.

If you meet with the core supporters of the losing candidates and you insist that based on the current political configuration of Nigeria, the extant balance of electoral power, the patchwork alliances and the disposition of judicial forces on ground the outcome was unlikely to be different, you are likely to be assailed as an enemy of democracy, peace and progress.

Amidst so many violently colliding notions of the truth and of justice and democracy, the invention and reinvention of Nigeria also proceeds apace. If this were to be a secondary school, even the senior prefect would have been subjected to brutal assault in the consuming chaos and anarchy of wild and untamed private desires.

   Politics is the canalization and channelization of wild private desires for public order and national good. In order to escape the Hobbesian state of nature such as we have in contemporary Nigeria and much of postcolonial Africa, individuals and groups must be willing to surrender their private desires for public good or it will be done for them by an implacable homogenizing Leviathan, failing which it will be the turn of disruptive forces of disintegration to try their luck.

The impatience with natural disorder was what made Hegel, the great conservative German philosopher and ardent fan of Prussian military hegemony, to declare that what is real is rational and what is rational is real.

A great nation is often the triumph of public order however harsh and autocratic over contending private fantasies however egalitarian and republican. The French and Russian revolutionists learnt this lesson the hard way.

   We can now begin to plot our way out of the conundrum and the paradox of a nation that underachieves where the state and modern governance is concerned but overachieves where individual talents and the exploits of private citizens are concerned. Immigration officials at global entry points who profile prospective entrants speak in unison of Nigerians and their proud, imperious and lordly bearing in contrast to most other Africans. That is not taught by the state.

The spectacular explosion of talents in the arts, music, fashion and sports as well as the exploits of Nigerians abroad in their various fields of human endeavor speak to a fundamental disjuncture. Why is it that it is when the state and governance are left out of their business that Nigerians tend to come into their own?

Do we then ask the stunted and underachieving state to leave us severely alone? Not so fast and not on your life. In the absence of a potent and viable state, Nigeria will become a nursery bed and humongous hatchery for transporting and exporting talents to more viable nations abroad. The remittances will dry up and stop completely in the second generation. This is the iron law of emigration.

The problem with the postcolonial state in Nigeria is the weak national consensus on which it is anchored and the genetic indiscipline of the political elite. Rather than retreating in order to live to fight another day, the opposition appears bent on bringing the roof down. In the controversial presidential election of 2000, Al Gore was the winner by more than half a million votes and was only denied the presidency by some electoral skullduggery.

   But he bravely and nobly refused to bring the system down. The nation was far more important. The Democrats went back to the drawing board and kept at it. Eight years after, they emerged from the shadows and through the instrumentality of the Barack Obama phenomenon they were able to put the Republicans out of their misery. The ping pong has continued.

   What Nigeria needs is urgent constitutional reform which is impossible without fundamental elite amity. Our brothers, sisters and compatriots from the east should not allow their people to be made to carry the can for a dysfunctional and malfunctioning Nigerian postcolonial state once again. Their leading lights must come up with a comprehensive blueprint for achieving peace in the restive region. This writer counts many of them as his personal friends. The bloodletting and economic self-emasculation has gone on for far too long.
October 8, 2023
Nigeria remains huge investment destination – Ex-ECCIMA president

A former president of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mining and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir Robert O Anwatu has said that Nigeria remains a huge destination for investment.

Anwatu spoke at the 2023 Enugu Business Summit, organized by Amadeo Foundation at the Amadeo Events Centre, Enugu with the theme: ‘Unveiling your inner capacities.’

According to Anwatu, who is the CEO of Roban Stores nationwide, there are huge potentials yet untapped in the informal sectors of the nation’s economy, adding that Nigeria is almost a virgin land, waiting for tremendous opportunities of investments in different sectors of the economy.

He expressed concern that many Nigerians do not seem to see the huge business opportunities Nigeria presents, hence the craze for greener pastures abroad.

“Don’t be afraid of competition. Just mind your business. You can always compete with anybody. The market is too big for anyone to run out of business.

“We have so much in this country. Nigeria is a virgin land. It’s still yet to be tapped. When I see our brothers running away from this country in the name of ‘Japa’, I get concerned. This is because everywhere you turn in this country, you have huge opportunities. In fact, there’s so much money here. Nigeria is a virgin land. It’s still yet to be tapped”, he said

Anwatu, who advised the federal and state governments to deemphasize frequent searches for foreign investors, insisted that there is nothing special about foreign investment.

According to him, the only thing the government should do to force Nigerians and foreigners to invest more in the country is to make the business environment friendly.

In his keynote address, the president of Amadeo Foundation and group CEO of COPEN Group, Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, said the Enugu Business Summit was part of his modest effort to impact lives and alleviate multidimensional poverty.

“AMADEO means lover of God or for the love of God. Thus, AMADEO Business Summit is about those who have decided to selflessly live for the love of God and as lovers of God. It is a platform for those who, because of God, seek to empower other people to succeed in their various endeavours”.

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Speaking on the topic, ‘Leveraging your inner capacities for public and private engagement”, a former minister of power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said Nigeria’s quantum leap to development could only be possible if the private sector especially the small and medium businesses begin to take their place in the economic development of the country.

He urged young business owners to think about solution-solving businesses or services and pursue such with vigour.

“Unless you unveil your inner capacities yourself, you cannot succeed in your business. God has deposited something in every human being. You must have something to unveil that will attract patronage.

“It’s only when you put those potentials to action to enable it to begin to work that God will begin to bless you. God cannot give you a task you can’t accomplish,” he said.

Speaking on the topic, ‘Leveraging your inner capacities for a public and private engagement,’ a former minister of power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said Nigeria’s quantum leap to development could only be possible if the private sector especially the micro, small, and medium businesses begin to take their place in the economic development of the country.

He tasked them to show more commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship to be able to play a significant role in shaping the economic landscape of Nigeria.

Nebo said the wheels of the Nigerian economy are kept running by the dynamism of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and urged young business owners to think about solution-solving businesses or services and pursue such with vigour.

“Unless you unveil your inner capacities yourself, you cannot succeed in your business. God has deposited something in every human being. You must have something to unveil that will attract patronage.

“It’s only when you put those potentials to action to enable it to begin to work that God will begin to bless you. God cannot give you a task you can’t accomplish,” he said

October 7, 2023
Cricket: Nigeria brushes aside Rwanda as Sierra Leone faces Ghana

Nigeria’s national men’s cricket team, the “Yellow-Greens” has won their opening two matches against Rwanda and Sierra Leone, at the on-going West Africa Trophy, going-on at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos.

At the opening match, Nigeria edged Rwanda with 57 runs in the 20 overs four-nation event. Daniel Ajekun (28) and Captain Sylvester Okpe (20) led the charge for Nigeria in the encounter that had them posting 127 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. The Rwandans were all out for 73 in 18.1 overs.

In the second match of the event, Ghana opted to field after winning the toss against Sierra Leone and limited them to 95 for the loss of nine wickets, a score they upturned in 17.2 overs.

Nigeria again returned on the second day to pick their second victory against Sierra Leone. The Yellow-Greens left 155 runs for the Sierra Leonians to defend. The ‘Saros’ were all out in 18.5 over with 92 runs. Suleiman Runsewe, put 79 runs on the board, which earned him player of the match. Ghana also won their second match after a Super-over with Rwanda.

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Nigeria will face Ghana today, with both teams having an unblemished score at the event so far.

Ghana’s Captain, George Edward Ngegba, said his team is looking forward to the encounter, and they know it would not be easy, but are mentally prepared for it.

“When we play Nigeria, It is a big deal. We know how important it is, and we are very ready for the game.”

Rwanda and Sierra Leone will slug it out later today.

Vice-President of Nigeria Cricket Federation, Wale Obalola, said that the event is a test of the Federation’s capacity for event management and live broadcasting, which, so far, has been very commendable, going by feedback.

“While the players compete for honours, we as NCF are very determined to leverage the opportunity presented here to grow our administrative capacity. It will also help our team develop requisite skills needed for the internationalisation we are positioning our cricket for,” he said.

October 6, 2023
Falode: My march through Nigeria Women’s Football League

For Aisha Falode, a TV Diva turned football administrator, there is indeed no gain without pain, as she admitted that managing the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) for five years between 2017 and 2022 was not a ‘piece of cake’.

The domestic women’s football was in moribund state prior to Falode’s appointment in January 2017, but she would soon bring her Midas touch to bear with aplomb.

By March 2020, the governing body of the professional women’s association football in Nigeria announced the re-branding of the women’s league by unveiling a new logo and renaming the three tiers of the league under the tutelage of the NWFL.

With the rebranding, the Nigeria Women Premier League came to be known as the NWFL Premiership; the second-tier league changed to NWFL Championship (formerly NWFL Pro-League), while the third-tier division became the NWFL Nationwide (formerly NWFL Amateur League).

Aside, there was also an end- of-the-season playoff, first as Super Four and later Super Six, with the participants and winners of the NWFL Premiership cashing out at the end of the month.

But at her ‘Brunch Meet Up With Aisha’ on Tuesday in Lagos, an event put together to render her stewardship at the NWFL as well as thanksgiving to the public and press since her foray into the media and football administration, Falode was at her enthusiastic best.

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“It’s symbolic for me to come back to the Radisson Hotel Ikeja, to thank you all, because it was this same venue and room that brought the media and other supporters to intimate you about the assignment from the NFF when the journey started in 2017,” Falode, a former CAF Media Committee member, said with a breathy purr. “I am delighted to report to everyone that supported me in my journey as Chairperson of the NWFL, that, together, we had a great scorecard that helped change the face of women’s football not only in Nigeria, but also at the continental and World levels.

“We gave the job our best shot, despite the peculiarities associated with the women’s league. For a league that had no sponsor, we ensured the payment of indemnities of match officials because most of the clubs could not afford to pay such. Most were unable to honour even their home matches.

“With time, we got two major sponsorships in a single season from the Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd and the Tulcan Energy Resources; which was the first time in the history of women’s football in Nigeria.

“The growth of the NWFL as well as the girl-child was also there for all to see. For instance, at the Women’s Nations Cup in Ghana, the Super Falcons team featured seven home-based players from the NWFL.

“These same players made it to the FIFA World Cup in France and it is interesting to say that all these seven players got foreign professional contracts immediately after the World Cup, and today we have several players from the NWFL that have since joined the foreign legion,” she explained.

Even at that, Falode was quick to admit her inability to uphold the governance structure of the women’s league because of the peculiar stereotypes; she said that she would have wished for a 100 percent pass mark.

“We broke many grounds during my tenure at the NWFL, but how have I failed?” Falode rhetorically asked. “From day one, we ensured things were done properly because we were guided by the five pillars for the women’s game as encapsulated by FIFA. But I wish I was able to drive through the governance structure much better.

“I was taken aback with the unprofessional conduct of some stakeholders, especially during our last Super Six in Benin, when some refused to wear branded jerseys of NWFL sponsors despite initial agreements.

“We even had to reorganise the fixtures because the teams were not ready to play under floodlights, thinking we were out to favour Edo Queens. But in spite of these setbacks, we are really proud of what we achieved under my tenure at the NWFL,” she noted.

Of course, Falode’s giant strides did not go unnoticed by the critical stakeholders who came in their numbers to be part of the celebratory event.

“It’s never enough to speak about Aisha Falode,” former NFF President and FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick, said.

“She’s one person that loves Nigerian women football beyond comprehension. She has done a lot for Nigerian football.

“For her, if you are not on top, you can never be a topic. Everything about Aisha Falode is superb. She believes strongly that if you don’t make the changes, you cannot see the difference.

“She was like the heartbeat of the last administration of the NFF when I was the president. Throw Aisha into any space, she will give you the best.”

Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, former NFF 1st Vice President, also quipped: “With Aisha Falode, the women national team became the second biggest in Nigerian football after the Super Eagles. The last NFF brought Aisha to close the gap between the men’s and women’s football and she eventually gave us the best.”

Dr. Larry Izamoje, the founder and chairman of Lagos-based sports radio, Brila FM, noted that because of Aisha Falode, the life stories of Nigerian women footballers have changed for the better, adding that she helped repair the life stories of the players’ families in Nigeria.

“Today, we have a better Super Falcons team open for everyone to see, going by the team’s performance at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

Prominent Super Falcons’ lasses, who were direct beneficiaries of the positive changes wrought by Aisha Falode’s women football revolution, commended Falode, through recorded video messages from their various places in Europe.

Barcelona striker, Asisat Oshoala, said Falode gave the NWFL a big boost to strengthen the female national team with budding stars: “Many players came up from the league and they were so talented and hungry for glory. The league witnessed a rebirth under madam Falode. I wish her luck in her future endeavours.”

Rasheedat Ajibade also said Falode was a game changer in the history of women’s football in the country, just as goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie said she was proud to be one of the products of the Super Six which Falode introduced.

Monday Gift stated that Falode’s dedication stood her out and it empowered many young talents to develop into super stars today.

Former national team captain, ‘Mathematical’ Segun Odegbami, said he met Aisha Falode some 30 years ago as a sports broadcaster in Lagos, stating with what she has done positively over the years to take women’s football to the next level in Nigeria, the world will definitely be her oyster.

October 6, 2023
Nasiru Sule: Meet player-coach behind Nigeria’s march to Paris Paralympics

Nasiru Sule, 56, is one of the pioneer para table tennis athletes who debuted for Nigeria at the 1991 All Africa Games in Egypt. At that first outing, Sule bagged three gold and one bronze medals. From 1991 till date, Sule has featured in four Paralympic Games with a bronze medal to show for his efforts at Atlanta ‘96. As a member of the team to the just-concluded ITTF African Para Championships in Egypt, Sule believes that with better support for para table tennis, the country can win more medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in France, OLALEKAN OKUSAN writes.

Nasiru Sule contracted polio at a tender age, hence his physical challenge. However, it was not enough to stop a highly determined Sule whose passion for table tennis was there for all to see as a primary school pupil. Such was his talent that Sule became champion at Jamaat Islamiyah Primary School on Lagos Island in the late 1980s.

From being a school champion, Sule rose to become national and continental champion.

Today, Sule is a player-coach and his role in the qualification of nine Nigerian Paralympians to the Paris 2024 Games at the just-concluded 2023 ITTF African Para Championships held in Egypt cannot be overemphasised.

As player-coach he was the toast of the players in Egypt and his inspirational performance inspired the likes of Isau Ogunkunle and a host of others.

“When I started table tennis, it was not intentional as I just wanted something that would give me a chance to dissipate my energy due to my challenge,” Sule recalled his humble beginning.

“On the Lagos Island then, table tennis was very popular, and I started playing the game on the street. When I got to school, I became one of the star players at Jamaat Islamiyah Primary School.

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“People wondered how I was able to compete well with able athletes. My parents were not against my decision to play table tennis as the victories that accompanied my participation became the talk of the town,” Sule revealed.

Sule, a certified Level 2 ITTF coach cum international umpire, said his first stint with the national team in 1991 galvanised him to the top of the sport.

“Since I made the national team in 1991, I have been part of the team to several international tournaments, including four Paralympic Games and several continental tournaments. Despite the little attention paid to the sport, we have been able to win several medals for the country. And for me, I earn my living through table tennis. Even now I am into table tennis equipment; my life revolves around the sport,” he said.

Apart from the many laurels which the sport has showered on Sule, the 2003 African Games medalist said meeting Nigerians Presidents also served as a source of joy in his career.

“I could not have imagined that I would be meeting the Presidents of Nigeria when I started playing. My first meeting with a Nigerian President was after my bronze medal feat at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games. We were hosted by then the Head of State, Gen. Sanni Abacha. It was a big moment for me when I shook hands with him. Not everybody has such an opportunity but through table tennis I was able to meet the President of Nigeria,” Sule disclosed.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist added: “The second most memorable moment was meeting President Muhammad Buhari after our performance in Birmingham. This was another moment I would forever cherish because we were hosted by the President and treated to a lavish reception in Abuja. This is what every athlete desires and I am happy that I have been able to achieve this, and my life has changed for the better.”

For his bronze medal feat at Atlanta 1996, Sule was conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of Niger (MON).

“I am also grateful that through table tennis, I have the privilege of being conferred with a national honour by General Abacha. I am one of the few para-athletes with such honour in the country,” Sule said.

Besides the honour and fame that table tennis has brought Sule’s way, the former African champion said the game has given him a lot more: “When I started playing table tennis, I realised that my life changed for the better. It gave my life a new, better direction and I was able to pick some virtues through the sport. These include discipline, respect and responsibility.

“Table tennis is more than a game. Health-wise, it has helped me to be active despite my challenges. Being the fastest sport in the world, table tennis has helped my mental alertness. It makes me think fast and make the right decisions. I don’t regret taking up table tennis because it has given me all life could offer. I am happily married and fending for my family through the sport,” Sule stressed.

Following the feat achieved by Nigeria at the just-concluded ITTF African Para Championships, the 56-year-old believed more support should be given to the players as the team has the potential to dominate the continent and conquer the world at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in France.

His words: “I have been part of the team to several continental tournaments which served as qualification to the Paralympic Games. This is the best performance we ever had. This is the first time we qualified more players for the Paralympic Games.

“The highest number before was at Sydney 2000 when we had seven athletes qualifying. But now, we have nine making it to Paris 2024. I have confidence in this team. With enough preparation coupled with support for the athletes, they can win more medals than our previous outings. We have never won a gold medal in table tennis at the Paralympic Games, but this team has the quality to break the jinx and win gold medals.”

Sule disclosed that he took to coaching the game because he “wanted to impart the knowledge I had acquired in the sport into the upcoming players and I am doing this while also playing. But I am ready to take up the gauntlet of leading this team to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games if given the chance and opportunity as experience counts a lot.”

Apart from playing and coaching, Sule is also into officiating.

On why he added umpiring to his involvement as player-coach, Sule said: “I love table tennis and I wanted to ensure my life revolved around it. This inspired me to want to know every aspect of the sport. As a player, knowing the rules of the game coupled with understanding the tactics have helped me to stay long in the sport as well as become one of the most respected players in Africa. I don’t regret taking up table tennis because it has given me more than I wanted in life. I have travelled around the world and met several dignitaries, including two Nigerian Presidents. I thank God for using the sport to turn my life around positively.”

October 6, 2023