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Towards the Restoration of Nigeria:
Our Newly Published Book
Hadiza Wada, DBA ...August 7, 2010
This is an interview conducted in the process of putting together a “Book Trailer.” A book trailer video is an increasingly popular way of capturing and promoting a newly released book.
Q: I think the most curious thing is the title of your book itself. So when you say Restoring Nigeria, does that imply that the nation has broken down or is tattered in some way?
Author: The title was a process of wider discussions with others in an effort to capture the essence of the book. But to answer your question directly, we will just delude ourselves when we assume that Nigeria is a healthy nation growing at a healthy rate. And this is not just our opinion. The most basic of people’s rights continues to be denied Nigerians. The nation is deteriorating at a fast rate. Health, education, portable water and simple electricity, you name them. Just recently after South Africa was able to become the first African nation to impress FIFA and the world to host world cup, the Netherlands team who felt so enthused on reaching the world cup finals decided to travel by road across the continent. The team further snubbed Nigeria big time when they cited insecurity as a reason for avoiding the country. And if you recall during President Barack Obama’s first trip to the African Continent, he too avoided Nigeria, and instead in West Africa chose Ghana, a nation he believed is trying harder to credibly develop itself, its democracy and its people. One may not like to hear it, but if the nation does not admit that it has such daunting problems that is preventing it from reaching its full potential, it will be hard to even attempt to seek and apply any remedy.
Q: Many people hold the opinion that leadership is what Nigeria principally needs. What perspective or view did your book take?
Author: I do agree only to an extent. As described in the book, people tend to simplify the nation’s problems, and in the process propose simple solutions only to be disappointed when such solutions also fail. (a) Yes leadership is lacking and it is a serious challenge, but equally serious is finding the right solutions to it. And I cannot stress this enough. Our perspective on the issue was introduced (as item number 9 on page forty (40) and explained in more detail from pages 156 to 162. Simply put ( i) we oversimplify the issue and (ii) we fail to adequately and seriously search for a good leader. The qualities or characteristics of good leadership are many, each one of them very important to a well rounded and qualified leader. Usually however, simple reasons are articulated for agreeing to one's candidacy for important positions. “He is a good person.” And that simple qualification opens the door for that person to test his skills on the nation for a great part of our lifetime, only to disappoint us. Eight years is a long time for someone destined to live for sixty to seventy years. The average life span of Nigerians according to World Health Report 2000, is actually in the fifties.
Q: But isn’t being good a prerequisite since you will need such a person to help control any intrusion and abuse of office by others that come in with bad intentions. Briefly can you tell us how your book or analysis differs with this thinking?
Author: Well I can give you a typical example. I believe that is more practical than just transient words. Right now people have put all their hopes in Professor Attahiru Jega as the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Chair. Professor Jega may be better than Professor Maurice Iwu, the Former Chair, but I know one thing for certain; people may also be disappointed in Jega if others do not complement whatever efforts he might give the important issue of credible elections. So (a) one man can only do his best individually. We have to realize that Jega needs an equally serious team of hard workers and equally credible and dedicated team to work with. He should not be barred from picking his team, all credible people he believes he could work with. (b) He also needs the full unwavering support of his employer. By that I mean true support and commitment, backed by the full authority and independence required to be effective. So in short leadership effectiveness goes well beyond the immediate leader’s abilities on the one hand.
On the other hand the leader himself needs more than good will and good character. (We have a chapter on political challenges and another whole chapter on leadership where we discussed such things.) A leader needs for example (i) good moral bearing to help him stick and stand by what is right (ii) courage to put aside the consequences of doing the right thing versus say, caving under the threat of losing the position. Many people today do not do the right thing that will develop the country and its people. Alleviating the suffering of millions is not their utmost priority.
(iii) He also needs experience from his past to draw from. This quality should never be compromised. You should never try as a President for example, a leader with no credible previous experience on the job when he will actually command in his hands the lives, resources, and properties of over 140 million people. He might start off by being a state governor for example, or a minister at federal level who has proven his mettle and abilities in the past. If possible get some people from the previous administration and beyond who have held positions for eight years or more and have remained effective and credible for that duration.
For example, being able to balance the budget consistently at a very trying time, was one primary reason that pushed William Jefferson Clinton ahead of other seekers of the office to gain the nomination of his Democratic Party for the Presidency in the 1992 elections. He was nominated at a time of savings and loans bank crisis the country was facing, while a governor from Arkansas state. So experience should never be discounted. (iv) Prudence in spending and the courage to check, mark, expose and eradicate corruption should be another criteria to be searched for in people likely to gain nomination. This is particularly true for Nigeria more than any nation. The nation needs to save and redirect such funds to resuscitate its major institutions that are fast deteriorating, such as education, healthcare etc that are in crisis.
Q: What then are the few or top challenges?
Author: Though we have ten chapters each taking up a specific challenge that was presented and analyzed based mainly on statistical records and figures, I would pick the two most serious in my opinion. They are (a) Electricity and (b) Security. I do realize that the nation faces many problems that are so pervasive which actually gives the impression that they may be insurmountable, but personally I do not believe they are insurmountable. I remember talking to some Nigerian Foreign Service staff once on ways to confront Nigeria’s problems, and he told me somewhat in these words “you probably have not been to Nigeria lately. The problems are so overwhelming that those on top care only for how to make ends meet, including myself. As you see me, many think I have made it, but I have to confront issues of funding when my children come home for vacation and are on their way back to school. And if I face that, think of other ordinary Nigerians.”
To me however, the seriousness you give any problem is the degree to which you may be able to work towards its solution. There are many challenges, that was probably why the present administration came up with up to seven point agenda. Even then, while some say it was too much, that just a few will do; others yet claimed that some significant problems have been excluded.
So while we brought up and analyzed the major challenges, the two (Electricity and Security) to me are the topmost. We discussed electricity in some detail from pages 68-81. In fact electricity is one of the most thoroughly discussed topics and most of its statistical data were obtained from such organizations as International Energy Agency, United Nations Development Project UNDP, various encyclopedias, journals and other periodicals. For example, we focused on the real issues such as silt deposits for the hydro powered plants that need dredging, we touched on decentralization to a degree, where states find their own alternative generating sources to complement the national grid, bringing in as an example NESCO which was basically a regional generating energy source for tin mining from pre-colonial times. NESCO was separate from the national grid then named Electric Corporation of Nigeria ECN. NESCO helped complement ECN, instead of taking from it.
Based on what we presented, overall, it appears that solutions may not be capital intensive, but manpower intensive. Anyway, by the time you get through the narrative on electricity, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue. We identified the problems, capacities, what is chipping away at these capacities and what options are available for overcoming the challenge.
So electricity in my opinion, is a major challenge because it affects each and every sector of life. From that of an industrialist at his factory, to that of a housewife in her home, the doctor in the hospital, the student in his class, laboratory or dormitory, even the new born baby who may critically require an incubator for survival. Everyone is negatively affected.
(b) Equally serious is the security problem or lack thereof. In fact it is one of the problems further impacting electricity generation and permeates social, economic, political and all aspects of life. It denies the people and businesses the peace of mind required to carry on each and everyday, which in fact is a right everyone deserves to get. Without peace you can have no development period. We analyzed all that with figures and records on pages 128 – 154.
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