The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian

  • The tragedy of the Nigerian youth (II)

    As stakeholders of this country, it is important that we should not leave the affairs of the country to the government alone. Everyone has a coefficient of productivity to give and your productivity is determined by your participation. The world, like Nigeria, has gone through very testing moments in history; hence, we need to deliberate and fashion the way forward in our national history.”

    These were the words of Dr. Christopher Kolade, former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom while delivering the opening address at the 2014 BrandiQ symposium with the theme: “Politics, Business & 2015 General Elections: Driving Stakeholder’s Participation Through Deliberative Engagements.”

    I was glad to witness hundreds of undergraduates from the University of Lagos, Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State, Bells University, Ota, Ogun State, Pan Atlantic University Lagos, Lagos State University and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos who actively participated in the symposium. Students from other tertiary institutions across the country attended but not in large numbers like the institutions I mentioned.

    One thing struck me at the event. It may be true that most Nigerian youths are wary of politics because of the exclusionary nature of the brand of politics we play here. However one thing is clear; they want to be part of the process but do not know how to get actively involved.

    Those that get involved are disenchanted by the fact our undergraduates are really not different from party stalwarts that they encounter in places like Mushin, Abule Egba and other hot spots across the country. To their dismay, they find out that their elections on campuses are not different from the party conventions in Nigeria.

    It is therefore sad that our campuses now reproduce the traits of power and corruption that our elders exhibit. It is little wonder that we now only see NANS marching in solidarity with government as opposed to marches against the oppression of Students, joblessness, social conditions, or even Boko Haram. They could not even stage a protest over the job seekers that died in the last immigration recruitment scam!

    How will any positive thinking Nigerian not bemoan the situation where students in our tertiary institutions fall over each other seeking for politicians to adopt all because they want to be “Youth Leader” both within and outside the Campus.

    I grieve to see Student Union Executives reproducing the same corrupt dynamics that are prevalent in the society. Vices like highly corrupted electoral processes, imbibing the same corrupt tendencies of the political elites, appropriation of the paraphernalia of dubious power such as having security men, moving in convoys, joining cult gangs to disrupt lectures and examinations, serving as hit men to eliminate “tough lecturers” are now the norm.

    Is it not therefore strange that the Universities have become graveyards where neither corruption in high places, neglect of students’ conditions are no longer issues? In time past, accommodation crisis, lack of adequate funding for libraries, laboratories, health facilities and other sundry issue are often on the front burner. What Student Leaders should be agitating for are no longer mentioned. How did our Universities deteriorate to graveyards of silence? I am not agitating for protest for the sake of protest, but student Unionism was always about a better life for students. When handled properly, its leadership should be a place of practice for the grooming of leaders of tomorrow.

    Apostle Hayford Alile, former Director General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) – who was the chief host of the event – reminded the students of his days as an official of the proscribed National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) – the forerunner of NANS. He told the audience of how the union was able to confront then Prime Minister of Nigeria, the late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa over the activities of a former Minister for Foreign Affairs. They did this as students and were assured by the PM that he will do everything possible to ensure that their allegations were looked into and if the minister is found wanting he would not remain in the cabinet.

    True to his words, Apostle Alile said the minister was not returned after a cabinet reshuffle. He thus challenged the students to know that they have power in their hands.

    Dr. Christopher Kolade – in his submission – reminded the audience that democracy is a participatory exercise and should be treated as such. Others speakers who lent their voices include the Guest Lecturer, Prof. Emevwo Biakolo and discussants such as the Editor of The Guardian, Mr. Martin Oloja; the Editor-in-Chief, BusinessWorld, Mr. Ray Echebiri; Former APCON Regisrar, Dr. Josef Bel-Molokwu;  and former Lagos State   Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire.

    Prof Biakolo who set the tone for the day’s intellectual deliberation examined the Nigerian State and the political malaise bordering on political participation. He proposed that Nigerians and stakeholders mediate and mitigate the areas contestation while also fast-tracking the process of forging a common sense of destiny for the country. “We must also engage politicians seeking our votes to enunciate their contribution in the empowerment of the populace. The secondary mediation role must be seriously done by stakeholders within the media sphere and its other adjuncts that help in shaping public opinion,” he said.

    Responding to some of the pungent issues raised by Prof. Biakolo, one of the discussants, Mr. Echebiri spoke on the impact of politics on business. He gave extensive data from the NSE to show the extent politics, and by extension, government policies, have on the business climate of the country.  “Clearly, the decline in the Nigerian stock market demonstrates that politics affects business. Most foreigners are leaving the country because of the tensed and gloomy prediction about Nigeria on the 2015 elections. Because of this most stock brokers are experiencing difficult times.” He explained.

    Speaking from the context of the media and politics and its impact on the subject matter of driving deliberative engagement, Mr. Oloja, stated that every Journalist and PR practitioner should understand the complex Nigerian history of multicultural diversity.  “It will be suicidal to report Nigeria without understanding the historical nuances of the country. Today, the ubiquity of the social media and other agents of technological innovations have made research a major tool of distinctive journalistic activity. This is because every issue imaginable has been treated and it is only research, analytics and infographics that makes journalism relevant today.”

    He stressed that the use of analytics is not only very vital to journalists but also to politicians who would want to measure the impact of their projects. He stated that whatever gets measured gets attention, Hence, the need for everyone – especially the youth – to embrace the reality of deploying analytics and research in engaging our intellectual enterprise.

    In the same vein, communication expert and strategist, Mrs. Chioma Agwuegbo urged the youths to take advantage of the immense opportunity which the forth-coming election presents. “We cannot make meaningful and optimal contributions to the Nigerian state if all we do is criticise and decry government without taking ownership of the country that belongs to us all. Every youth can influence society positively by fully utilising the opportunity which the social media presents. Some great Nigerian youths like Linda Ikeji, Japheth Omojuwa, Tolu Ogunlesi and others are agents of change in the country today because they have deployed their creative energy through the social media. Social media is a means to an end and not an end in itself.”

    In his presentation, Dr. Muiz Banire stated that the missing link in the Nigerian challenge begins with citizen’s lack of commitment to the Nigerian project. “Our level of engagement starts from belonging to a political party. This is non-negotiable if we are to make any meaningful impact in the political history of Nigeria. There is a huge deficit of quality people in Nigerian politics. Nigerian youths should be actively involved in election activities and political process. Although the issues of god-fathers and candidate imposition makes the challenge even more daunting for the discerning Nigeria youths, all hope is not lost. The Nigerian psyche has been so abused that the average person has a low self-esteem about himself in terms of making meaningful contribution in politics.” This, according to him, shouldn’t be.

    In his closing remark, Dr. Kolade urged the youths to show a more collective and coordinated approach in engaging the political parties and governments. He remarked that only a cohesive and structured citizen political participation can act as a catalyst for improving the lot of Nigeria as a country.

     

     

     

  • Foreign investors dump Nigerian equities

    •NSE loses N1.44tr

    Foreign investors are scaling down their Nigerian portfolios as global concerns about Nigeria’s macroeconomic, political and security outlook pressured the stock market to a whooping loss of N1.44 trillion last week.

    Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped to N11.001 trillion at the weekend as against its opening value of N12.437 trillion for the week, representing a loss of N1.44 trillion.

    The All Share Index (ASI), the main composite index that tracks all quoted equities, dropped by 11.54 per cent to 33,216.31 points compared with 37,550.24 points recorded as index-on-board for the week. The spiral decline exacerbated the bearishness that had gripped the market in October.

    Nigerian investors lost an average of 8.88 per cent in October, equivalent to about N1.17 trillion, as the stock market set on a grueling fourth quarter that looks to exacerbate the recession at the equities’ market.

    Aggregate market value of all quoted equities closed October at N12.437 trillion compared with the opening value of N13.607 trillion for the month, representing a loss of N1.17 billion. The ASI closed October at 37,550.24 points as against 41,210.10 points recorded as opening index for the month.

    The decline in October pushed the average year-to-date for the past 10 months to -9.14 per cent. This simply amounted to a loss of N789 billion, although the average decline in market capitalisation was moderated by new listings.

    The average-year-to-date return last week rose to 19.63 per cent.

    Stockbrokers attributed the steep decline to the open market orders by foreign investors exiting their positions in Nigerian equities.

    Analysts at Cowry Asset Management Limited, a top investment banking firm, said the continued onslaught on Nigerian equities was “due to outflows of foreign portfolio investments”.

    A six-month report for the first half ended June 30, 2014 showed that foreign investors accounted for 60.84 per cent of total turnover value in the Nigerian stock market as against 39.16 per cent recorded by Nigerian investors.

    Total foreign transactions stood at N705.15 billion as against N453.91 billion by Nigerian investors. Total transactions during the period thus stood at N1.159 trillion. However, there were more outflows than inflows with net foreign deficit of more than N100 billion. Total foreign outflows stood at N402.63 billion as against foreign inflows of N302.52 billion.

    Earlier reports had indicated general decline in foreign investments as the overall trend continued to show net deficit with outflows more than inflows. While foreign participation declined from 75.25 per cent in April to 45.56 per cent in May, domestic participation more than doubled from 24.75 per cent to 54.44 per cent.

    The five-month report for the period ended May 31, 2014 detailed month-on-month as well as periodic transactions by both foreign investors and Nigerian investors.

    According to the report, the quantity of total foreign transactions dropped by about N47 billion in May to N91.9 billion, its lowest position in four months. Besides, the inflow- the buy side of the foreign transactions, declined by about N24 billion from this year’s high of N65.1 billion in April to N41.3 billion in May, its lowest position in three months.

    Total transactions trended to its high of N201.61 billion in May, driven largely by significant increase in transactions by Nigerian investors, which rose from N45.64 billion in April to N109.75 billion in May.

    Five-month cumulative analysis however still underlined the dominance of foreign investors, who accounted for about 63 per cent of the turnover on the NSE during the period. Aggregate turnover during the period stood at N933.55 billion, consisting of N587.15 billion from foreign investors and N353.41 billion from Nigerian investors.

    Buy-sell analysis of the foreign transactions showed that foreign investors had taken out more than they invested during the period. Foreign outflows stood at N353.41 billion within the period as against inflows of N233.74 billion.

    In April, foreign investors traded N138.79 billion worth of shares including sales transactions of N73.73 billion and buy transactions of N65.06 billion. Total domestic transactions stood at N45.64 billion. Total transactions during the month stood at N184.43 billion.

    The foreign sale-buy trend in April followed the same trend in recent months, although the momentum of buy transactions appeared to be picking up. In the first quarter, nearly two-thirds of foreign portfolio transactions were on the sell side.

    According to the NSE, total foreign outflows stood at N229.03 billion in the first quarter, representing some 64.2 per cent of total foreign transactions during the period. Total foreign inflows stood at N127.41 billion. Altogether, foreign investors’ deals accounted for N356.50 billion during the three-month period, more than 65.11 per cent of total transactions of N547.51 billion. This indicated that Nigerian investors accounted for N191.01 billion, 34.89 per cent of total transactions, during the period.

    Month-on-month analysis showed that there was increase in the momentum of foreign transactions in March 2014, with increases in both sell and buy orders. However, the downtrend continued to dominate transactions. Total foreign outflow in March 2014 stood at N75.42 billion as against inflow of N55.13 billion, totaling N130.55 billion. Foreign investors accounted for 78.25 per cent of total transactions-foreign and domestic, of N166.84 billion in March 2014.

    The flow of investments in March 2014 contrasted sharply with the situation in March 2013 when there were more inflows than outflows. Total foreign inflows totaled 53 per cent of total foreign transactions in March 2013. Total foreign transactions stood at N80.14 billion in March 2013, consisting of inflow of N43.13 billion and outflow of N37.01 billion.

    Month-on-month, the outflows in February are about 107 per cent higher compared to January 2014 and about 183 per cent compared to February 2013. While total transactions at the NSE increased from N181.97 billion in January 2014 to N198.70 billion in February 2014, foreign outflows accounted for the increased tempo of activities and the higher proportion of foreign participation to local participation.

  • Osunkeye: ‘Odds stacked against Nigerian businesses’

    Osunkeye: ‘Odds stacked against Nigerian businesses’

    Chief Olusegun Oladipo Osunkeye, a one-time CEO of Nestle Plc is boardroom guru who sits on the board of several blue-chip companies. He  is currently President and Chairman, Board of Society of Corporate Governance Nigeria. In this interview with Assistant Editor, Bola Olajuwon, he speaks on the loss of values and ethics as well as offers solutions to challenges facing businesses and how corporate governance, effectiveness and best practices will promote Nigerian businesses. Excerpts: 

    What do you think is lacking in management of public and private institutions?

    Private institutions are big and small – the big multinational companies, the companies in the list of stock exchange and the small institutions. Those are the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The SMEs should be the bedrock of a nation economically, because we should have thousands and thousands of them, starting with even what I call the corner shop to the artisans and the vocational people. But we don’t have enough of that. We have not enabled and empowered them. For the big institutions, there are hosts of corporate governance in place and they are trying in imbibing that code to put them in good steps. Big companies have facilities and the wherewithal – whether it’s finance or engaging the best hands and best brains. We should think also more of the small private institutions, which we call the SMEs and the one-man businesses that need to be helped. It has been said that we as a country should build institutions and not personalities. By so doing, institutions can then work on themselves irrespective of who happens to be at the head or an officer at that time. We need a lot of work to do there; to build regulatory authorities and other institutions, which regulate our affairs and which should also help and support other private institutions or even public institutions. We need a lot of capacity-building and that can only come from good education.

    We need learning and development capacity for people to continue training themselves to improve themselves. Corporate governance, of course, is omnibus; whether it’s for public sector or private sector. I am happy to add, too, that a new code of corporate governance will come out hopefully before the end of the year. It will be for the private and the public sector, so that both in the economic and the socio-economic field, we will be talking from the same page. Corporate governance involves good corporate behaviour and good corporate behaviour stems from good private behaviour. In other words, the standard of performance of the individual makes up for the corporate governance of an institution or a company. So, that code will be able to help us move forward. For instance, the public sector is there to assist the private institutions and private sectors. If we also share from the same code of performance of behaviour, then it will help the private sector as well as the public sector and the nation at large.

    How do you see corporate governance in public and private institutions?

    Let me go back to education. We have seen deterioration in educational standards over the years; it’s getting worse and therefore you can only think from what you know, if you don’t know, you cannot think too far. Many companies are lamenting that many graduates they engage cannot even write correct English. We also find out that many graduates are even lazy. On ethos of the ethics, they cannot see why they should be punctual; they cannot see why they should work hard; they cannot see why they should take the job as their own and work loyally in a committed way.  So, that is even before corporate governance and before you bring them to the mainstream. Now, let me ask: Who are we bringing to the mainstream? What is their character? What are their characteristics? Are they well-prepared? Have they been to school? Unfortunately, many of the schools have deteriorated.

    Many companies now have to train graduates for about 18 months before they can be useful for their purpose of employment in the organisation, it wasn’t so before; 25 to 30 years ago, companies were going to universities to interview the students and when they take them from the institutions, they can be up and ready to go. Education should be the basis because that is the actual starting point. On artisans, we don’t have them these days – the bricklayers, the welders, the carpenters. The old ones we have are still surviving, but they are dying. Who will replace them? When you request for their service, the ones you see are not that competent; their work ethics is low. Instead of doing eight hours a day, he will end up doing four to five hours because he gets to work at 10am and wants to close at 3pm. So, we can go back to education and do something now for the future. The present generation has been lost virtually. But it can’t be like this forever. We need qualitative schools and qualitative education; all-round education. We should pay attention to vocational schools because it is from vocational schools and vocational trainings that we have self-employed persons that will establish ultimately the SMEs and some will even metamorphosis into very big organisations. But we have to get it right through qualitative education and qualitative training. About 30 to 40 years ago, there were many technical institutions which produced sound technicians. Are they still doing that today? Do they still have the right equipments? Are the teachers conscious? Are they being paid well, so they can be committed? Because teachers are the gateway, if they are competent and committed, the students will be competent for the future.

    What is responsible for the collapse of organisations?

    It is poor manpower. In the sense that there are no good hands to help, no work ethics, no loyalty and no commitment. Any of the workers will rather cheat their employers or engage in shady deals. Poor infrastructure is another cause and it’s not helping at all. The roads are bad and vehicles, which should last five years, probably last one year because of poor road network. On power and energy, virtually every business needs consistent and constant electricity to do their work. Electricity is key, even if it’s the work of the hairdresser, the welder or the vulcaniser. Many companies are battling with lack of electricity. They have to now generate their own power, buy a generating set, buy diesel and run their own electricity. Before they start the production of even the first package, the cost of doing business is very high and many companies cannot just survive. Some government policies are favourable while some are not and that is why we have advocacy groups like the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association to make government aware of their problems with a view to solve them.

    A lot of odds are stacked against businesses and we must try to unravel and help businesses create the enabling environment. Good manpower, good infrastructure, good roads, water and electricity will bring the cost of doing business down. SMEs should be allowed to thrive. They are suffering right now and I hope that the policies that are put in place will be effective to enable them to grow. I have sympathy a lot for SMEs. The difficulties are so much. To surmount this, you need to have stamina and staying power. SMEs find it very difficult to get finance. And fortunately, the government is looking at that through the banks and other institutions. But the cost of accessing finance is also very high. SMEs maybe paying like 20, 22 or 24 per cent and the big companies can pay like 15 per cent. So then, you can see even between the big multinationals that have the class and the financial muscle versus the SMEs, the odds are not the same.

    How do you think the government can diversify the economy from oil?

    I fully subscribe to the notion that we should diversify our economy. At present, we are a mono-culture economy – we depend largely on oil. There are speculations that oil revenue is about 90 per cent. Oil is a wasting asset; it will not last forever. Even if new reserves and the likes are discovered, it is still a wasting asset. Like the Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway, do, we should have an active sovereign fund. I use the word active, where we are disciplined enough not to touch what we put into the sovereign fund for future generations.

    Future generations start from even those who are already born now. They are under the age of 20. At the time that they are 30-45, who will they rely upon? For the past 30 to 40 years, we have been living on this oil; this present generation has been consuming the wasting asset without thinking of the future.

    I think what we are spending now should be spent on income yielding assets and resources. For instance, are we putting enough of this oil money into agriculture? As a nation, we are about 170 million people today and maybe in 20 years time, we will be 200 million people. We must eat and food security will become an issue. If we can use oil money to diversify to ensure that we can feed ourselves now and in the future, it will be well spent. Oil money should give us good roads, good education, good hospitals with the equipments and personnel that are well-trained and competent that will take us farther into the future. So that 25 to 30 years from now, if we don’t have oil, we would have enough resources that are self-sustaining like agriculture as well as sovereign wealth fund, which should continually be replenished or augmented so that the future generations can fall back on that; even when you are spending something now for current living and expenditures. Our economy must be diversified away from oil. The oil money is by providence; we have not worked for it. It just came from the soil and we applied technology. But when it dries up, what do we have? So, it is a must that we diversify economy and we have been saying this for the past 20 years. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to have achieved much and that is lamentable.

    Is that why the code of corporate governance is being extended into the public sector?

    Yes, because corporate governance is at the end of the behaviour. We are talking of behaviour, transparency, honesty, accountability, integrity and if all these are imbibed, you are closer to corporate governance. And if all of us subscribe to that, our nation and companies will be better. If all of us – the private sector and the public sector – have a code of corporate governance, which we all subscribe to, it will be good for us, our economy, social co-existence, efficiency of people, business and investment. Because if I know you imbibe good governance and best practices, where you are coming from, I will trust you more and we can then become partners in business and investment. This is what we are looking at. Therefore, if the public sector has a code of corporate governance, for instance on standard of performance, it will be good for the economy, our cohesion, standards and we will be able to do business together among ourselves as domestic investors and investors abroad would want to come here and put their money. Because they trust that our code of corporate governance, which embodies both the private and public sectors, they can subscribe to it because it’s the same with what they have abroad.

    Can you throw more light on the activities of the Corporate Governance Society of Nigeria?

    The society was formed about nine years ago by a group of public-minded individuals, of which I’m among, and we invited others to share its vision and that is why it is on good standing today. It is a qualitative society and part of our functions is to have conferences, where we talk about good corporate governance, best practices, bring in best speakers and share experiences. Also, we publish qualitative journals on various aspects of corporate governance. The idea, of course, is to move us forward as a nation. Where more persons are sharing their views on good corporate governance and best practices, it is good for themselves, their businesses and the nation. And now that we are extending it to the public sector, I think it will assure foreign investors and private investors as well within the country that we are all talking from the same page and it will help the economy. So, we train, we do board enhancement programmes, if the society is invited by companies to come and demonstrate or make presentations on the practice of corporate governance, effective and best practices. We do that and we are trying to imbibe others, get companies to know why we are doing this and we have succeeded in the places we went, their performances are better and they are going forward.

  • The tragedy of the Nigerian youth (I)

    In 1989, I was inside a cab with three other students on our way to the main campus of the University of Jos when we encountered a large group of protesters, mainly youths and fellow undergraduates. Our cab was forced to stop because we couldn’t proceed beyond the Jos main market. Hours later, we learnt that the protest we encountered happened nationwide.

    It was later dubbed the “anti-Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) protests.” Nigerians trooped out in their millions to vent their displeasures and anger on General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime for the adverse effect SAP was having on them. It was spontaneous and did not have a clear cut leader or organisers’. Nigerians were simply angry and they made the government realise this.

    Being the smart and cunning ruler he was, Babangida immediately carried out remedial and palliative measures that ended up giving SAP “a human face” different from the earlier “face of a demagogue.” This new “face” calmed frayed nerves and he was able to remain in the saddle of power until events of the post 1993 election forced him to step down a day earlier than necessary. This was the power of protest in its finest.

    Fast forward to 2011; Time magazine, an international news magazine of repute often take its time when it comes to nominating its “Person of the Year,” and whenever it does, few doubt its choice. In 2011, the magazine made the “Protester,” its “Person of the Year.” The October 20th issue of the Magazine was titled: “The Face of Protest.” The reason for this was not farfetched.

    On 17 December 2010, a young Tunisian street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest of the confiscation of his wares and the harassment and humiliation that he reported was inflicted on him by a municipal official and her aides.

    His rare act became a catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the wider “Arab Spring,” inciting demonstrations and riots throughout Tunisia in protest of social and political issues in the country. The public’s anger and violence intensified following Bouazizi’s death, leading then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down on 14 January 2011, after 23 years in power.

    The protest did not end in Tunisia as Libya’s long standing ruler and the boisterous Muammar Gadhafi as well as Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak was overthrown. Bashar Al Assad of Syria is still battling his own demons, an act that has probably set back a century back, according to some analysts. Few doubt that the season was indeed the season of the protester.

    The domino effect of these were also felt in Nigeria with the emergence of the “Occupy Nigeria” group which eventually fizzled out after government invaded their meeting point after an ill-advised break.

    The lesson for us is that there will always come a time that people feel they’ve had enough and will insist on change. Only a week ago we saw how the people of Burkina Faso took to the streets and burnt down their parliament building following reports that Blaise Campaore, their ruler of 27 years, was bent on tampering with the constitution yet again to extend his rule. He resigned three days later. Again the protesters won.

    While the youths of other countries take their destinies in their hands and call for authentic change, it is disheartening to see our own youth’s busy giving award after award to dubious and questionable characters in the name of “progress.” They are also at the forefront of “endorsement” of one candidate or the other as 2015 inches closer. Student bodies that ought to know better – to me – seem to be the worst culprit.

    Why are our youth no longer angry at certain situations? What future do we really have? Let me make it clear before I proceed that my intention is not to call for violent protests or revolution, but peaceful protests that would compel those in authority to listen, and by listening we can begin to put our heads together to find solutions for the plethora of problems confronting us. There are critical issues that demand the attention of our youths because the future really belongs to us.

    I am seriously concerned about the growing insecurity in the country, by this I mean the Boko Haram (BH) insurgency and the spate of kidnapping for ransom. And why am I concerned? Development and economic progress can never take place in an insecure entity. Investors simply love peaceful places where their investments are secure. The United Arab Emirates created their paradise because of peace and security, and today, their cities are the toast of the capitalist world and the playground of corrupt African officials. They put their house in order first.

    Who are the foot soldiers of BH? Mainly the youths, in essence it is a Youth war. So, why would sane Nigerian youths not feel a sense of revulsion given that it is their collective future that is apparently going up in flames? The sad fact is that most of our youth feel BH is a “Northern problem,” rather than a Nigerian problem. While there are cries of conspiracy theories and the activities of fifth columnists’, it is high time we confront this monster before it consumes us all.

    By now, I was hoping to see massive peaceful youth protests against the excesses of BH which has the potentials of destroying the seeds of our collective future. Sadly, comedy, Nollywood and music have sucked and seduced our youth into a false sense of security and prosperity. There is an urgent need to channel youth frustration into a more productive means of engaging government across the board.

    Most of our past leaders assumed leadership positions in their early 30s, some even younger. But today, some youth of that age still depend on their parents or family members for support; such is the tragedy of the Nigerian youth which the insurgency is further aggravating. This is the main reason they shouldn’t see BH as other people’s problem.

    Another reason for my concern is that we are gradually building a generation of crises prone youths. As a historian, I am familiar with studies of post conflict societies where children who have been through war in such places as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Somalia, Serbia, Afghanistan, Bosnia or Syria have a tendency to express themselves in war metaphors. They draw guns, bombs, and armoured tanks as a past time. They take pleasures in these weapons of mass destruction rather than their books.

    Today’s youth, rather than being obsessed with just making money and craving for champagnes, fast cars and luxurious apartments, must begin to critically ask how today’s bitterness will affect his tomorrow. A time will come when entertainment and music will make no meaning.

    I’m concerned about this critical constituency because they are the once that effect change elsewhere. For instance, the American youths were angry about Vietnam. They took to the streets in revolt when thousands of their fellow citizens were being killed in a senseless war. The youth in China were angry about the lack of openness in their society and they took over Tiananmen Square.

    Do we still remember the picture of the young man facing the armored tanks in Tiananmen Square or the Burkinabe facing AK 47 wielding soldiers only last week in Burkina Faso ? Also, in 1976, youths in Soweto were angry about being asked to learn Afrikaans by force even though their teachers did not know the language and it was the language of domination. They revolted. Today, the iconic picture of the dead body of Hector Pieterson remains in public memory worldwide.

    Perhaps I should continue? Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban on her way back from school is today, at 17, an iconic young girl. She has gone down in history as the youngest person to receive a Nobel Prize. Understandably, the award has elicited controversial reactions, but that is not the issue. She now has a Malala day marked on the international calendar to remember her heroic achievement.

    Did you, by chance, listen to her recent speech at the United Nations?  This young lady said she drew inspiration from Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Buddha, Gandhi, Mohammed, among others, despite being a little Muslim girl. As far as I’m concerned this is clear evidence of a young mind that had opened up and escaped the bondage of prejudice and hate.

     

     

     

     

  • Nigerian aviation to grow by 5% in 20 years

    The contribution of the air transport industry in Nigeria is expected to grow by five per cent in the next twenty years with increase in demands that will enable airlines contribute about USD $O.4 billion and 61,000 jobs for emerging Nigerian economy .

    The estimated growth is contained in a paper entitled :” Sustainable aircraft maintenance hangar the imperative for the Nigerian aviation industry “, at a seminar organised by aircraft pilots in Uyo .

    The paper was presented by Dr Titus Kehinde Olaniyi , a resource person from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology ( NCAT), Zaria.

    Olaniyi said the air transport industry generates and supports 6.7 million jobs in Africa contributing about $67.8 billion to the continent’s gross domestic product .

    According to  Olaniyi the air transport in the country has been growing since mid 1980’s and 1990’s with deregulation and emergence of domestic airlines in GDP.

    He regretted that despite the forecasted growth, numbers of airlines in the country depreciated to the extent that most of the early starters no longer existed adding that out of the 30 airlines operating in the 1990’s only about seven schedules flights in 2010.

    Olaniyi explained that inconsistent regulatory policies, deteriorating infrastructures with obsolete facilities, negligence and managerial incompetence contributed to the failings.

    He noted that airlines negligence of industry best practice in aircraft operations and maintenances has contributed to several aircraft cashes and folding up of the airlines while managerial incompetence led to fund misappropriations, manpower

    mismanagement and high indebtedness.

    According to him, the lack of sustainable aircraft maintenance hangars has negatively impacted on Nigerian airlines and their ability to operate sustainable in an inherently  complex and dynamic global air transport industry.

    Olaniyi explained that the systematic failure of the airline industry could be traced to unsustainable aircraft maintenance policies resulting from ageing aircraft, lack of appropriate maintenance personnel, non availability of aircraft hangars where proper checks or maintenance can be carried out.

    He noted further that the provision for maintenance facility of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) was currently inadequate for the nations needs, tracing the demise of Okada airline to the exorbitant cost of heavy maintenance tasks that could have been avoided assuming the maintenance hangars were present in Nigeria.

     

     

     

     

  • At the National Education Summit (NES 2014): Is there a dividing line between the failing Nigerian state and its utterly failed educational system? [For Dipo Fasina, the Convener of NES 2014]

    At the National Education Summit (NES 2014): Is there a dividing line between the failing Nigerian state and its utterly failed educational system? [For Dipo Fasina, the Convener of NES 2014]

    The National Education Summit (NES) that took place in Abuja this week is unquestionably the most comprehensive and radical response that has ever been made to the colossal educational crisis in our country. Of course, since I was the Chairman at the Summit, it can be said, quite truthfully, that I make this observation not as a disinterested and neutral reporter who is looking back at an event at which he was not a participant, not an interested party. But as the reader will soon find out from my report and reflections in this piece, even persons and organizations opposed to both the organizers and objectives of the Summit will find it hard to fault my assertion at the very start of this piece that in NES 2014, we had something that is without precedent in the history of attempts to respond appropriately to the terribly dysfunctional state of education at all levels in our country at the present time. First, a word on the range and diversity of organizations and stakeholders that were both responsible for and present at the Summit.

    Officially, all the four Unions in our universities were listed as the organizers of the Summit. These are the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT); the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU); and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). But consider the fact that these four unions not only worked together to make NES 2014 happen, they also collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Ministries of Education of all the states of the federation and virtually all the major non-governmental and civil society organizations in the country that have anything to do with education at all levels in Nigeria.

    Indeed, in planning for and inviting participants to the Summit, all the governing councils of all universities in the country were contacted and invited, as were student bodies of all the universities in the land. Moreover, bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Committee of Vice Chancellors, the Committee of Pro-Chancellors that usually regard themselves as serving interests and constituencies that own or regulate our educational institutions and those who work in them were consulted, invited and did actually send representatives to the Summit. Finally, associations of professionals like lawyers, doctors were also invited to the Summit and many of them sent representatives.

    I have meticulously gone over this comprehensive list of organizations and institutions consulted and invited to the Summit not merely in order to impress the reader with sheer numerical scale but, far more importantly to underscore the fact that at NES 2014 itself, not a single group, organization or person among this long list enjoyed any special privilege over others. The protocols of formal courtesy and deference did not last beyond the ceremonial opening session on Monday. Pro-Chancellors, Vice Chancellors and Deputy Vice Chancellors got no special treatment of any kind that distinguished them from students and non-academic staff present at the Summit. I personally keenly felt and secretly enjoyed this radical overthrow of Nigerians’ great love of deference to status, authority and privilege. As the Chairman of the Summit, the expression of formal or symbolic deference to me did not last beyond the first day of the Summit; from the second day to the fifth and final day, I was just another delegate and any courtesies or expressions of respect to me came from junior colleagues and was based solely on their sense of my professional work. Very distinguished professors and highly respected public figures mixed very freely with everyone else as if we were not in Nigeria but in another nation in a different region of the planet. I was particularly bemused to watch some Pro-Chancellors, VCs and DVCs being denied the countless acts and expressions of exaggerated obeisance to which they feel entitled and which they normally receive; they put on a brave face and acted like genuine, born-again democrats! [Normally, the only time this ever happens in our universities is when protesting students corner a VC, DVC or Chairman of Council in a rough patch of a campus that is in the grip of militant or violent turmoil]

    In case the point I am making through this profile of a radical practice of popular democracy at NES 2014 is not clear and unambiguous, permit me to make it explicit. In seeing some of the most highly placed officials of our tertiary institutions in free and open dialogue with senior professors, mid-career lecturers and the most humble members of our academic communities together with concerned citizens and organizations outside the educational sector, it felt as if we were in the only truly liberated space in Nigeria, a space in which what mattered, what motivated everyone present was not hierarchies of power, status or perquisites but the rescue, the liberation of our country’s educational system from its present near comatose state. Indeed, I solemnly testify here that in at least the last decade, I have not been anywhere of, or read or heard about any assemblage of people and organizations as in NES 2014 where Nigerians were gathered, not to give praise to God, not to jockey for money, position or power but simply and only to reflect on what needs to be done to liberate our country from its present dire and worsening conditions.

    This observation leads me directly to the two distinct but interlocking ideas that served as a sort of intellectual and ideological motive force for NES 2014, these being the liberation of Nigeria itself and a liberating education for all Nigerians, especially the pupils and students of our primary, secondary and tertiary institutions and the teachers who work in them. Please note that in the last sentence of the previous paragraph, I speak of the liberation of our country. This is significant, given the fact that the actual theme of the Summit was the liberation of the system of education in Nigeria at all levels from the forces that currently keep it backward, dysfunctional and crisis-ridden. The liberation of Nigeria; the liberation of education in Nigeria: these were the animating ideas of the Summit. Some of the most brilliant and penetrating presentations at the Summit astutely merged these two ideas.

    Without in the least intending any departure from the practice of radical popular democracy at the Summit, I mention here particular presentations and interventions from the floor in which these two ideas were brilliantly and compellingly fused and articulated and these were presentations or interventions by Emeritus Professors PAI Obanya and Otonti Nduka, Professors Toye Olorode, Asisi Asobie, Abdulai Sule-Kano, Demola Popoola and Comrade Biodun Aremu. In this context, I should mention here the many powerful presentations on gender within the framework of the linked projects of liberating Nigeria and a liberating education for Nigeria; regrettably, I must record the fact that quite a large number of male delegates to the Summit were openly derisory or even plainly hostile to this particular category of presentations. From this, one can conclude that Nigerian male academics are in dire need of liberation from a Neanderthal-like conservatism in matters of gender equality!

    There are formidable theoretical and ideological challenges to providing the link between, on the one hand, liberating Nigeria and, on the other hand, a liberating education for Nigeria and Nigerians, even though for most of those at the Summit who argued passionately for linking the two together, those links are pretty obvious. I happen to be on the side of those who took this position at the Summit; the point, though, is that I don’t think that we should complacently feel that since we feel that those links are pretty obvious, those who don’t think so are dumb or of necessity reactionary. Indeed, it is precisely because of this factor that the title of this essay has the phrase, “a failing Nigerian state and its utterly failed educational system”. For if you think, as most parents and employers of labour do, that the crisis of the massive production and reproduction of mediocrity and illiteracy in our schools and universities is one which can be simply corrected by holding the feet of federal and state governments and of teachers and lecturers to the fire of responsibility, accountability and patriotism, then you are not likely to think that you need to worry yourself about the liberation of Nigeria. For the great majority of those who take this position, great reform in policy, policy implementation and governance in our educational system is all you need; all talk of decolonizing the failing, neocolonial Nigerian state is ideological extremism as a means of hiding the collusion of teachers, professors and university administrators in the total debacle that has overtaken education in our country.

    But this view is a dangerous half-truth and the questions raised by and in the phrase “the failing Nigerian state and its utterly failed educational system” will not simply disappear. The line that separates one from the other is so thin that it barely exists. This is because it is the same alliance of interests and forces that are looting the Nigerian state dry and crippling it that are at the base of the corrupt, unethical and unprofessional processes that are ruining our educational institutions. If the Nigerian state is still failing and not yet completely failed as the educational system has, that is only because it is the senior partner, the hegemonic force in the relationship between the educational system and the federal and state governments. Without oil revenues and a largely volunteer army whose payroll is still assured for the foreseeable future, the Nigerian state would be as nearly fatally crippled as the Nigerian educational system. In their barracks, our soldiers live in conditions that are nearly as sub-human, insanitary and primitive as the conditions under which most of the students at our university campuses live and study, but at least the soldiers regularly and unfailingly get paid. Remove this dividing line and then the stark underlying reality would be revealed: the failing Nigerian state and the utterly failed Nigerian educational system are mirror images of one another. You cannot deal radically and effectively with one without dealing with the other. At any rate, at NES 2014, reform and revolution were not separated from one another; but neither was one confused with the other.

     

    – Biodun Jeyifo

    bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu      

  • Nigerian varsities to make top 50 soon, says TetFund boss

    Nigerian varsities to make top 50 soon, says TetFund boss

    The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund), Prof Elias Bogoro has said that the agency is working assiduously to ensure that Nigerian tertiary institutions are rated amongst the first 50 in the world.

    Speaking when the fund won “the most outstanding public institution, 201 3/2014 for effective and efficient service delivery as voted by Nigerians” organised by the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring group (ISDMG) in Abuja, Bogoro said that the award was a testimony to its unrelenting commitment in discharging its mandate of providing focused and transformative intervention to public tertiary institutions in the country through funding and effective project management.

    On his part, Chairman, Board of Trustees  of the fund, Dr. Musa Babayo, revealed that the sum of N27 billion was released by the fund to tertiary institutions across the country as intervention fund which provided over 30,000 educational infrastructural projects in all the tertiary institutions across the country.

    According to him,   “Because of our level of commitment to service delivery, probity and accountability, other nations of the world have started the TETFUND model and have established a similar organisation in their respective countries. Today, we have Ghana Education Trust Fund modelled after our own concept.”

    Executive Director of ISDMG, Dr. Chima Amadi, said the group through the Freedom of Information act, scrutinised about 400 public organisations on the their service delivery.

    He disclosed that TETFund emerged the overall best public organisation in the country through a voting exercise via SMS, e-mail and questionnaire.

    He said the key indicators for the selection was transparency in conducting government business, accountability, policy and programme implementation, fiscal discipline  and prompt response to correspondence, amongst others.

    Amadi said: “these organisations have shown that the Nigerian spirit when proper kindled is insurmountable; proved that the panacea for our under-development lies within us as a people; foregrounded the belief that our nation is blessed with human capital necessary to lift her out of the doldrums.”

    He stressed that the group has been assisting the government and the citizens of Nigeria in ensuring that effective services are rendered by government institutions, especially those that have been mandated with specific statutory functions.

    Other public institutions that received award include the Federal Road Safety commission (FRSC), Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust fund (NSITF) national Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Corporate Affairs commission (CAC) among others.

  • APC: we want to produce real Nigerian president

    APC: we want to produce real Nigerian president

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it is poised to produce a Nigerian President who will be acceptable to all citizens as an upright person with commitment to the ideal of a united nation, irrespective of their tribes or religions.

    APC National Secretary Alhaji Mai Mala Buni addressed reporters at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

    He said APC, being the best thing to happen to Nigeria, was not interested in producing a Northern or Southern President but a true Nigerian President.

    Buni noted that the level of poverty and degradation in the country had no boundary in the South or North, Christian or Muslim.

    The party chieftain said what the nation needed was a President who could fight insecurity and restore peace and progress in all communities.

    He said: “It is not about producing a Northern or Southern President. We want to produce a Nigerian President; we want to produce a President who will work for the country, sacrifice himself for the country and be selfless in discharging his responsibilities to the country. We want a President who will be acceptable to every Nigerian as an upright person; who can fight corruption and bring development to the country.

    “That is what we want. It’s not about the South or the North. Let me tell you that the level of poverty and degradation and impoverishment in this country has no boundary of South or North, Christian or Muslim.

    “We are all suffering; nobody is left out. Everybody is desirous of change. That is why the APC is poised to produce the best President for this country. We want to have somebody who will fight corruption because it is the major dent on this country, which is underdeveloping the country.

    “We want somebody who can fight the insecurity and restore peace, harmony and tranquillity in all communities. This is our hope. I don’t think we will now restrict this to either the South or North. These are political boundaries.

    “APC is poised to give the best President who will be read to address the problems militating against the development of Nigeria. This is our common problem; it is our common challenge. So, it is not about where the person comes from.”

  • Chelsea debut excites Nigerian starlet Solanke

    Chelsea debut excites Nigerian starlet Solanke

    • As Mourinho vows to continue fielding player

    Nigeria-born teenager Dominic Solanke was delighted to make his first-team debut for Chelsea at a bigger stage when he was thrown into the fray against Maribor in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

    At age 17, the midfielder lasted for 18 minutes. He was first named in the first team last weekend against Crystal Palace where he was an unused substitute.

    “Wow. What a moment. Making my debut for Chelsea in the champions league! Thank you so much for all the messages and support! #CFC,” Dominic Solanke tweeted.

    He may now make his English Premier League debut against Manchester United on Sunday

    Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has said that  fielding Anglo – Nigerian striker Dominic Solanke in the Champions League will not be a one-off incident.

    Speaking to reporters, Mourinho said : “Solanke is at a level where we know he has the talent but he’s far away.

    “For him it was a perfect situation; the legs were tired even before he came on, the heartbeat was there before the first run but it’s a night he will never forget.

    “For sure, he’s going to play many Champions League matches because he will be a good player.”

    Dominic Solanke, an England youth – teamer, was the top scorer at the European Under 17s staged in Malta this summer.

  • Nigerian is Entrepreneurship Ambassador

    THE Managing Director, Montgomery West Africa and Founder of  WOWe (Women of West Africa Entrepreneurship Conference) Tori Abiola, has been appointed as the Nigerian Ambassador for United Nations-United States-based Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, expected to be the largest gathering and recognition of women entrepreneurs globally.

    The Global Ambassador Initiative and Miss Abiola, will work with top colleges and universities, including Stanford, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Babson and Oxford, to engage and enrich local communities with the WED movement.

    On the appointment, she said: “ For the past two years, the WOWe conference has been working to raise the profile of women entrepreneurs in the region, by focusing on increasing entrepreneurship capacity and networks for women, providing access to finance and empowering women as the economic drivers of their communities and greater societies

    “My role as an Ambassador for WED Global Initiative for Nigeria, will create an international platform and access for over 30,000 women and men who follow WOWe activities online/via social media, and for our annual event participants and partners, as well as thousands of other men and women who are committed and interested in driving entrepreneurship skills and capacity for women in Nigeria.

    ‘’We are confident that working with WED Global initiative will equip us with the opportunity to garner more support and resources for Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria in terms of delivering them with the necessary tools required to realise their entrepreneurship ambition.

    ‘’Our focus will be to create viable market places and networks for women entrepreneurs to thrive, as WOWe launches its own online membership community in 2015, it is only right that we form part of this global initiative to empower women.”