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How Do We Save Nigeria from Completely Falling Apart?
By Joel Popoola
The 2023 election may feel like a long way off, but the battle to succeed President Buhari is already underway.
But who would want to step into his shoes?
Just this week the influential international news agency Bloomberg asked the question “is Nigeria falling apart?”
It’s hard to argue that it isn’t.
The real question is “how are we going to fix it?”
How are we going to fix an economy where unemployment is 33% and inflation is running at 18%?
What are we going to do to improve the lives of the 80,000,000 Nigerians who live on the equivalent of less than $2 a day – a figure the World Bank predicts may rise to 100,000,000 following COVID-19?
How is a nation economically dependent on oil going to face up to a post-oil future?
What is to be done to repair an education system where more children are out of school than any other country on Earth?
And critically, how are we to unite a nation which has in recent months seen youth clashing with police, jihadist attacks in the north east, herder attacking famers in the central belt, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, separatism in the south east and kidnappings and corruption pretty much everywhere?
People complain that President Buhari has no answers to any of these issues – but does anyone?
Perhaps Nigeria can be healed with a combination of the technology of the future and a traditional south-eastern practice of the past – the Igbo Apprenticeship System.
The Igbo Apprenticeship system has been described as an example of “stakeholder capitalism”– an economic system in which the aim of businesses is not just to make money, but to elevate their communities and where successful businesses aim to support the growth of other businesses in the local area and supply chain, rather than crushing the competition.
Stakeholder capitalism is underpinned by the idea that instead of accepting a society where a handful of businesses or individuals are super-powerful, we aim for a society where everyone is dependent upon each other, where everyone has an incentive to co-operate, where everyone is involved and where everyone has a say.
The idea that we will all achieve more if we work together is so basic we all teach it to our children practically from birth. So why has the concept become so alien in our economy!
Inclusive growth leads to shared prosperity by encouraging co-operation aimed at economic growth – and everyone benefits!
More importantly, the benefits to stakeholder capitalism aren’t measured in money. While Nigeria has average literacy rate of 62%, states where it is commonplace regularly record literacy rates in excess of 90% Nigeria needs a stakeholder society – a society where everyone has a say.
People need to know that their voices will be heard. Leaders need to listen. But in a complicated, diverse and dispersed modern world both sides need technology to make that engagement possible.
At the digital democracy campaign I lead, we’re trying to develop the digital platforms necessary to deliver a stakeholder society.
We have created a free smartphone app called Rate Your Leader which puts people in direct contact with their elected leaders – making sure their voices are heard by the people who take the decisions which affect their lives.
To make sure that the conversation is courteous and constructive, Rate Your Leader’s abuse-proof technology also makes insulting or offensive messages impossible.
Rate Your Leader also allows other registered local voters to contribute to these discussions – letting local leaders know what matters most to the people who elect them and accurately assess how widespread these views are. And voters can even rate their elected officials on transparency and accessibility – helping their peers to see what candidates are worth voting for.
The app empowers electors and elected to come together to address matters of community concern and to collaborate to make local areas better, as well as immediately highlighting issues in need of addressing to the people with the power to address them.
This sort of engagement, which can be carried out from the comfort of the home at the touch of a button, could be the first step towards a truly stakeholder society.
The problems faced by our nation can feel insurmountable. But they are not, as long as we aim work together and utilise the technology of the digital age to bring us together.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and digital democracy campaigner. He is the creator of the Rate Your Leader app. Follow Joel on Twitter @JoPopoola
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of the just concluded Ondo State governorship election, held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
The Returning Officer for the election Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State declared Aiyedatiwa winner of the election on Sunday, extending the governor’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure.
Governor Aiyedatiwa polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival and a former deputy governor of the state Ajayi Agboola who flew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag. He scored 117,845 votes, more than twice lower than the APC candidate.
“That Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the returning officer said at exactly 2:30 pm at the INEC collation centre in Akure.
The declaration came hours after the collation of results for the election began in the early hours of Sunday. Although the collation centre went on breaks, the APC took a commanding lead with over 200,000 votes ahead of the PDP.
The final results showed that the APC won the election in a landslide, clearing all 18 local government areas.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There is no gainsaying the fact that everyone desirous of making impact in life must live a life of purpose. This is where knowledge and information come to play. It is these knowledge and information that will set an individual apart from his contemporaries.
I strongly believe, if one is not informed, they are ill-informed, and when they are ill-informed, they can’t perform well in any given endeavour. This is because information leads to reformation and transformation. We can therefore, confidently say that information leads to formation because everyone is a product of what they know.
Knowledge acquisition is one of the best things that can happen to anyone. People with knowledge are revered, and highly respected. Having knowledge is like having money. People from all walks of life will seek you.
There are different kinds of knowledge, and they include Revealed Knowledge, which comes from those who wrote the Bible and Intuitive Knowledge, which comes from the mind. It is the ability to gain knowledge without conscious reason or explanation.
Others are Empirical Knowledge, which is information gained through observation, experimentation, and direct experience, rather than through theoretical reason or intuition; Authoritative Knowledge, which is the knowledge a man has because of his expertise in a particular field; and finally but not the least, Rational Knowledge, which is a form of knowledge that uses reasoning and philosophy to understand the world.
From this illustration, a decisive mind can see that knowledge is priceless. Knowledge is like education. It can provide security and access. Even the Book of life says in Proverbs 4:13, “your education is your life, guard it very well”; and in Hosea 4:6 that “my people perish for lack of knowledge”.
From my personal experience in life, apart from death, one of the greatest levelers of all time is education. This is because the child of a certified pauper can become a man of means tomorrow if properly educated. That explains why children from humble backgrounds ought to take their education very seriously, especially if they don’t have affluence.
On a personal note, I come from a very humble background, my late parents didn’t have the opportunity of acquiring a decent education, but they knew the value of education and endeavored to give me and my siblings a decent education. In retrospect, when I look back and see some of my contemporaries whose parents couldn’t give them a decent education, I bless my late parents because education has exposed me to lots of opportunities in the United States, and the global world in addition to granting me an audience with the high and mighty in society.
Sometimes, when I look at my modest achievement, I’m deeply humbled because I know it is the grace of God. Who am I to author two amazing trailblazers’ books, get featured and profiled by the New York Times, engage in high level conversation with leaders of thought and captains of industries. Apart from the grace of God, intentional seeking of knowledge, and wise counsel from mentors and strategically positioning myself have been some of the cornerstone to my success.
Imagine if my late parents didn’t give me a decent education and opportunity of travelling to the United States, most of these opportunities and exposure wouldn’t have been readily available.
When one is decently enlightened, educated and informed about life, their level of reasoning and understanding differ from an ordinary man. If one desires to go far in life, one must seek knowledge.
It is your knowledge that sets you apart from others.
According to Dr. Yomi Garnett, an accomplished Ghostwriter, “If you are a man of great knowledge, people will have great respect for you. If you are a man of great wisdom, people will have great reverence for you. And if you are a man of both, great knowledge and great wisdom, you will be the most eminent of men. But in real terms, people don’t care how much you know, or how much wisdom you have, unless they know how much you care.”
The moral of this quote is that despite the knowledge and information at one’s disposal, if one lacks empathy, their knowledge, experience and whatever they have mean nothing.
The importance of knowledge cannot be overemphasized. In our contemporary society, a fast way of attracting opportunities is by showcasing the knowledge at one’s disposal. It is so sad that many people don’t take time to read, research and learn new trends applicable in their industry, and in the world generally and as such, they find it difficult to fit in and grow.
It is instructive to note that when you seek knowledge, opportunities will seek for you. A major reason people are poor is simply because they are not solving problems and to solve problems, one ought to have understanding. Do you know that if you don’t have money, the reason is often because you are not solving a problem, or you are not solving enough problems, or you are not solving the right problem or you are not solving problems for the right people. Generally, we make money because we have something unique to offer to the world. Therefore, to solve problems, one must have knowledge and information.
We currently live in an age of technological, where skills, talent and creativity are in high demand. Any progressive being that desires to go far must be intentional in seeking knowledge. Successful acquisition of knowledge, information and understanding can lead to discernment and wisdom.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, if you want to make an impact, seek opportunities, and earn more money, do yourself a favour by endeavoring to seek knowledge, wisdom, and information. You can’t get these by sitting on your sofa or staying in your comfort zone.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications (State House).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced this in a statement, on Thursday.
A former aide of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Bwala worked actively for his former principal who lost to Tinubu.
However, after the elections, he worked his way into the camp of Tinubu, sparking controversy.
Onanuga also announced the appointments of three directors-general of various agencies.
They are:
(1) Mr. Olawale Olopade — Director-General, National Sports Commission
(2) Dr. Abisoye Fagade — Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
(3) Dr. Adebowale Adedokun — Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement
Olopade, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, is a sports administrator with many years of experience in the sector.
He served as commissioner of youth and sports in Ogun state and was chairman of the local organising committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival.
The new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Dr. Abisoye Fagade is a marketing communication professional. He is the founder and managing director of Sodium Brand Solutions.
Adedokun, the new helmsman of the Bureau of Public Procurement, was the director of Research/Training and Strategic Planning at the bureau before his appointment.
Daily Trust
