Innovation As Elixir To Economic Hard Times In Governance
The Oasis Reporters
May 29, 2021
By Sir Don Ubani; KSC, JP
Okwubunka of Asa
Hard times come once in a while. They could be as a result of war, pandemic, diplomatic sanctions or mismanagement of both human and material resources by those at the helm of affairs in a country, State, Society or even family.
In present day Nigeria, hardship has taken a very devastating dimension and her citizens have become among the most pauperized in the world. A country blessed abundantly with both human and natural resources has now become the World Capital of Poverty.
No other reason accounts for the current economic situation in Nigeria other than leadership failure at its national hierarchy.
Starting from the 1999 Constitution that was forcefully imposed on Nigerians by a military dictator, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, unacceptable inability of Nigerian leaders to have diversified the country’s mono-cultural oil economy to unprecedented unhidden policy of nepotism and religious bigotry of the present Government at the Centre, it was clear that Nigerians would experience what they are painfully going through today.
All economic indices point at Nigeria as a country that is in a terrible quagmire. Unfortunately, the Buhari APC-led Federal Government, does not have the required patriotism and competence to pull the country out of the woods.
A special situation requires special approach. Nigeria’s unprecedented level of economic deterioration and hopelessness requires special application if the situation should be reversed. It calls for injection of men and women with special managerial acumen. Nigeria’s economic devastation goes beyond economists that are mere products of the quota system of moribund Nigerian educational contraption.
What Nigeria needs today is a holistic strategic review of her mindset in areas of economic policy thrust. Of course, for this to be achieved, effective diversification of her economy must be key. Oil and its gargantuan revenue that accrued therefrom have, unfortunately, failed to place Nigeria on the Map of countries that are self-sufficient. The failure is not the fault of Oil and Gas but purely attributable to mismanagement.
Precarious economic situation in Nigeria, strictly resultant of nepotism, ineptitude and corruption has given birth to present-day insecurity in the country. After all, where there a teeming population of unemployed youths, the outcome tilts towards anarchy. This is exactly what is happening in Nigeria.
This danger can only be averted by systematic intervention of Philosopher-Kings in the affairs of the Society. In this case, a close observation and study of proven elements of application of philosophy in leadership by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State will be considered.
Being endowed with a pragmatic philosophy of leadership, Governor Ikpeazu has continuously appreciated the fact that any society which economy is mono-cultural, as is the case with Nigeria, is almost doomed. He knows that the only recipe to his State’s economic uncertainty is strategic diversification that is based on skill and productivity.
Knowing that Agriculture and Manufacturing are the most secured areas of investment, his government created a platform for interested Abia Youths to be efficiently trained in poultry. They were also groomed in the rudiments of management, including financial records. Thereafter, his administration established Poultry Clusters in the three Senatorial Districts of the State and entered into strategic partnership with the said successful trainees. These people are today not only self-employed but equally employers of labour.
Leveraging on the successes of Dr Michael Okpara’s Oil Palm Revolution as Premier of defunct Eastern Region of Nigeria, Governor Ikpeazu, using his knowledge as an iconic biochemist who knows that dependence on oil is not sustainable, has gone ahead to procure about Four Million Tenera Palm Seedlings and encouragingly made them available to Abia farmers at a highly subsidized rate.
Comparatively-speaking, while a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (fuel) currently sells below Two Hundred Naira, a litre of Palm Oil sells between Four Hundred and Fifty Naira and Five Hundred Naira. A well maintained Tenera Palm Tree is capable of producing Two Hundred Litres of Palm Oil in a year. This gives between Ninety Thousand Naira and One Hundred Thousand Naira in a year. A plot of land ideally accommodates Eight Palm Trees. Let us imagine a farmer using Ten Plots for the cultivation of Palm Trees. This would give Eighty Palm Trees and if the value is multiplied by Two Hundred Litres, it would amount to, at least, Seven Million and Two Hundred Thousand Naira.
The above projection is only from the Oil. Kernel produced from such quantity of Palm Fruits, could yield, at least, One Million Naira. Who says a farmer in this category will not comfortably live up to his obligations in both his family and society at large and feel fulfilled?
His administration has revived Agricultural Extension Services for farmers in the State. According to the Holy Bible, our people perish because of ignorance. Because of ignorance, many persons do not know that Agriculture is a gold mine. Inquiries made at any office of Agricultural Extension Services will certainly leave the farmer more informed and richer.
The Northern part of Abia is largely a Rice Belt. The farmers were, however, not getting the benefit of their enterprise as they had to travel to Ebonyi State to mill their rice. In order to help the farmers enjoy optimum satisfaction of their labour, Governor Ikpeazu built two rice mills over there. Subsequently, their story, like Professor Uche Ikonne would say, has changed.
Still in pursuit of Governor Ikpeazu’s vision on Diversification of the State’s Economy, his administration sponsored thirty shoemakers to China to improve on their skills. The Governor has also successfully ordered Automated Shoe Machines, they have been installed and Manufacturing of shoes has effectively commenced at Aba.
Still determined to effect quantifiable diversification of the economy, the Ikpeazu Government has carefully concluded arrangements for the establishment of Enyimba Economic City, a conglomeration of Manufacturing Giants and many other assorted business ventures.
Conscious of the fact that road infrastructure is the cornerstone of any economy, the Ikpeazu Government has been unrelenting in Infrastructural recovery and development.
Only a few days ago, the Governor sponsored a Two-Day Leadership Summit for Entrepreneurs in Abia State. The Summit attracted the active participation of many captains of industry and notable academics. Former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of COSCHARIS, Chief Cosmos Maduka, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Leadership Values, Prof Pat Utomi, a former Minister of Power and Chairman Chief Executive of Geometrics, Mr Darl Uzu, Ide John Udeagbala and President of Aba Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture, Chief Obeta were among the personalities that graced the occasion. Their speeches were motivational.
Golden Guinea Brewery was one of the legacies the late Premier of defunct Eastern Region, Dr Michael Okpara, bequeathed Abia State. For more than sixteen years before the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the brewery was on its knees. It was completely dysfunctional. Knowing what role the brewery could play in turning the economic fortune of the State around, including employment, the Governor successfully insisted that it should be revived.
Innovation is the recipe for economic hard times. The prevailing difficulties in our society calls for leaders that are capable of thinking outside the box. That is exactly what Governor Ikpeazu has amply showcased in Abia State.
No matter what difficulties that confront a society, a leader that thinks outside the box would leave stories of success behind him.
After the devastation of Japan during the Second World War, the country’s leader, Emperor Hirohito, rallied round his people and told them that they would, thenceforth, make no more wars but create wealth upon wealth. Today, Japan’s economy is one of the best managed in the world, with her currency, Yen, as one of the most stable in the universe.
Wherever there is a leader that is worth his salt, there must be records of satisfactory accomplishments. Take for instance, a Chairman of a Local Government Council in the South-East of Nigeria who has passion for his people and capacity to think out of the box could make his Council the envy of other Councils. A Local Government Council could, through strategic thinking and planning, build a two thousand- capacity Pig Farm.
In this case, the Council would not hire workers to work in the farm because there are a good number of workers in the Council’s Agricultural Department who are being paid by the government, even in their obvious case of redundancy.
The times in which we have found ourselves are hard but being visionary, innovative, focused and transparently determined to succeed are simply the elixir to our challenges.
Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State.
