Africa has more than 900 million consumers. Despite the challenges, every day they need to eat. They need clean water. They need shelter, Clothing and medicine. They want cell phones, bicycles, companies, automobiles and education for their children. Businesses are already seizing these opportunities to build markets across Africa.

New York Times, May 2006.

We are in a time and age where we are dealing with Nations that are major competitors for emerging economies that lack wisdom and many developing countries that have not articulated their own position of what they are seeking for. The resources of our Nation have been placed in our Nation, for the prosperity and upliftment of our people.

          Unfortunately, Africa though covering about 15% of the earth surface and two third of the world population with an estimate of 900million consumers, may be slipping into another brand of colonialism with its growing bilateral ties with china, dominating presence of European and American companies, increasing incursion of Indian firms and host of others. Trade between china and Africa is reputed to have increased more than six-fold during the past decade, rising to a record of $120bn in 2011.

The Chinese have not hidden their interest in Africa’s natural resources and seem to be putting their money where their mouth is by investing huge sums in Africa’s infrastructure. Roads and bridges are being built by Chinese firms at a good pace across the continent. From Liberia to Zimbabwe, Ethiopia to Sudan, Nigeria to Niger and Egypt. The Chinese have entered into business partnerships to increase their stand in Africa. Surprisingly, a substantial part of the manpower and material used for the project are imported from china. Beijing’s penchant for maintaining strict business relationships has endeared them to most Africa’s remaining dictators.

“It is clear to us that any global firm interested in growth must see Africa as an essential part of its portfolio”. 

E. Neville Isdell,

 Chairman and CEO , The Cola Cola Company USA.

Other companies are stepping up their presence in Africa. Unilever, facing increased competition and declining profits in the united states and Europe (where sales growth fell from 5 percent in 1998 to 0.7 percent in 2004), announced plans to step up its business in the developing world, including Africa, where it is already firmly established. Nestle caught between forecasts of growth of only 1.5 percent annually in developed market and its target of 5 percent to 6 percent organic growth, announced plans in 2006 to step up operations in west Africa and other developing markets to make up the difference

The Coca–Cola company which has been in Africa since 1928, has seen its business on the continent increase steadily over the past two decades, despite the ups and downs of individual countries. The company now sells 93 million servings of its beverages every day across Africa, generating about $4 - $5billion in system revenues for the company. As a sign of its development, in June 2007, Coca-Cola relocated its African headquarters from Windsor, United Kingdom to Johannesburg, South Africa.

“I believe that our business in Africa should be managed locally, by Coca-Cola associates who live and breathe the continent. Johannesburg is an ideal location for our new office since it has excellent business infrastructure network with the rest of the continent.”  

Muhtar kent

President and Chief Operating Officer, Coca-Cola Company

                                                                  

“On a per-unit basis, Africa is the third most profitable market in the world.

The African market is quite attractive for the company and for most multinationals if they look at it with the right lens. Most people only see the negatives of Africa. You have to get beyond the perception to see the opportunities. We estimate that 350 million to 500 million people would potentially be market for our products. That’s a lot of people. The returns in Africa are as good as, or better than, they are in a lot of BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) in the medium and short term. And the African market is not as competitive as BRIC countries. We have a significant opportunity to shape beverages in Africa and see the results.”

Alex Cummings

 President, Africa Group of the Coca-Cola company.

I leave us this week with a question. Can only Africans save Africa? Cheers!

Obele Gospel Jesuite

CRO- Project Change Initiative 

          A 21^st century leadership, organizational and economic development strategist.

For comment, please visit Obele Jesuite on facebook, @OBELEObele, on twitter to Gospel _ obele@yahoo.com, or contact  08130070991. 

Happy Independence Nigeria! I begin this week by telling us a story.

On a certain day, a friend and I visited a teaching hospital. As we approached the maternity ward, we met a young woman, whom the nurse told us could not be discharged due to inability to pay her hospital bill. As if that was not enough,  we saw her new born baby, lying on an old carton on the ground with the woman’s wrapper spread beside the baby serving as her “mattress.” Looking at this experience and thinking through, tears filled my eyes, as only the creator knows who that baby is destined to be. By privilege, we had to do the little we could to help the situation

Further findings have revealed that:

·         About 2500 children under age 5 in Africa die on a daily basis due to malaria

·         By estimates, 250 deaths out of 1000 birth are recorded due to poor maternal health.

·         Over 70% of Nigerians live below the poverty line.

·         Economic growth in Nigeria has not translated to improved standard  of living but rather increasing costs of living, unstable macroeconomic environment, unfavorable discretionary policies, bad political and socio-economic structures, poor educational system, business failures, unemployment and youth restiveness, etc has been the order of the day. Obviously, what we see and experience are not consistent with the core values of development (sustenance, self esteem and freedom from servitude) and the objectives of development (to increase the ability and widen the distribution of basic life sustaining goods, to raise standard of living and to expand the range of economic and social choices).

The big question is where and how do we change the game plan?.

              “What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are little matters compared with what lies within us”

                                                                        Oliver Wendell Holmes.

“The eyes that look are many, but the eyes that see are few”

The spot for change lies in our hearts, and this can only be possible when we begin to see (with the eyes of our heart) and  create the Nigeria of our dream.

“The creation of a new Nigeria must begin with a New vision”

                                                                                                Sam Adeyemi

The moment we begin to see and hold consistently, the new Nigeria dream in our hearts, it would

·         become the basis for which  internal motivation comes  for personal and national transformation.

·         become the basis for socio-economic, and political decisions making process.

·          aid clear individual and National direction.

·         It would aid cultural revolution .

“Every generation has problems and challenges, which makes that generation specially assigned to solve its problems. Refusal to solve or being ignorant about these problems would rob generations to come, the privilege they should enjoy”.

                                                                                      Obele Gospel Jesuite.

The challenges inherent in our societies are opportunities  for us to innovate and make our marks in history. Think about it!

I encourage you to please find your place in the nation. You were designed to solve a problem. You have abilities that you have not discovered and you can do more than you think.  It’s our season of change. Change agents are known for;

v  Having a good sense of purpose

v  Deploying their talents

v  A genuine passion for change.

v  They are full of insight

v  Being Good communicators

v  Success

Let’s come together and work towards a new Nigeria, where 

v  The core value and objectives of development would be natural to our system.

v  The average citizen would not have to worry about what to eat even if he or she is temporarily out of work.

v  Where there will be quality of health care, sound education system, uninterrupted power supply.

v  Strong and lasting political and socio-economic structure etc.

Lastly, I urge us to please visit for more on the Nigeria dream. Together, we will succeed!

                                                      Obele Gospel Jesuite

CRO-Project Change Initiative

A 21^st Century Leadership

Organizational and economic development strategist

For comment, please visit Obele Jesuite on Facebook or @Obeleobele on twitter and contact how at Gospel_obele@yahoo.com, on 08130070991.

Happy independence and have a great week ahead!

INTRODUCTION: THE GENESIS

It was a redefining moment in the history of the World and Africa in particular. Our noble heroes had fought gallantly and freed their own great nation from the hands of White colonialists and imperialists. The era of exploitation was over and there was a tumultuous herald of a new dawn. Men and Women took to the streets, dancing and singing. The youngest of babies were not left out of the celebration and the most glorious speeches in history were delivered. It was October 1, 1960 and Nigeria had been officially declared an independent state. The course of history was changed as nations heralded the arrival of the black hope.

We took off on a good note as a nation with our own people now in charge of our affairs. Expectations and hopes were high. The people at the helm of affairs were focused and committed to nation-building and commendations were coming from far and near. In fact, as Federal Minister of Mines and Power in the first Republic, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule recalls that there was an International Development Review Report released during the period which stated that in 15 to 20 years, three developing countries would join the league of industrialized nations (The Guardian, July 27, 2013). These countries were Brazil, India and Nigeria. This as the report observed, was as a result of the quality leadership delivery in these countries. Nigeria was the world's blue- eyed boy and Africa's emerging economy and almost every country wanted to associate with us.

THE NATIONAL DRIFT

Unfortunately, the atmosphere of blissful hope was to last only a while as the rudder of the Nigerian ship suddenly began to drift. Issues that were not in our original national agenda began to manifest. Personal and tribal interests began to replace national interest. Nepotism started creeping in. Bribery and corruption was fast raising its ugly head and our national values and ideals were fast being eroded. Conflicts and controversies began to rise from everywhere slowing efforts at developing the country.

NIGERIA: STILL A LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES

In spite of all our mistakes in the past, I still see Nigeria as a land of opportunities as every indicator points to this fact. For example, despite the tension created by insecurity in the country, Nigeria has for the second time in two years retained its position as Africa’s number one destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), according to the global FDI report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (The Punch, June 27, 2013). In the same vein,  a recent report undertaken by KPMG rated Nigeria as one of the countries sought for by foreign investors as a result of the consistent improvement in investment yields, which are also attributed to a cocktail of reforms put in place in recent times (Thisday, March 17, 2013). The ranking by one of the world’s foremost audit, financial and tax advisory firms, KPMG, placed Nigeria among the four major investment destinations and growth areas in the world following the disappointing returns by most of the emerging global economic powerhouses of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

There must be something that these foreigners are seeing that Nigerians themselves are not seeing and that is the fact that Nigeria is a land of immense opportunities which we must take advantage of to build a prosperous society.

WAY FORWARD

For Nigeria to actualize its full potentials, the following suggestions should be considered.

A CASE FOR NATIONAL RECLAMATION

There must be a way forward for Nigeria. First, we must shun pretence and admit that we are still far away from our hopes and aspirations as a people. Then, we can make deliberate efforts to set this country on the path of honour. We can begin by redefining the nationhood of this country. In doing this, Nigerians must have unity of purpose. We must abandon our primordial attachments for a new Nigerian relationship. We must seek unity and discourage anything that promotes disunity. We must break down every dichotomy that has held us down as a people. Our diversity should be no cog in the wheels of progress of this country; rather, it should be harnessed to lubricate our state machinery and give us leverage over other nations. What we need now is the unity of marriage; such unity that brings differences together to bring forth increase (Ojukwu, 1989). Until the Nigerian polity is completely reconciled with itself, the quest for national rebirth may remain a daydream.

RESOLVING THE LEADERSHIP DEBACLE

Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in quality leadership. We must re-conceptualize leadership to emphasize on development rather than chaotic politics and allow for a system that will enable us put our best foot forward. This, of course will come to bear when we elevate meritocracy over ethnicity.

In the same vein, the current notion of leadership as the most lucrative 'business' in Nigeria should be expunged. In fact, we should start making efforts to make leadership less attractive. The business of leadership is a serious one and should be left to only serious-minded people. When this is done, it will see to the emergence of leaders that will be ready to build for posterity and not breathlessly scouting for personal gains.

THE ROLE OF THE CITIZENRY

The problem with Nigeria has not all been about failed leadership but also of bad followership. In fact, it is said that bad followers make a bad leader. Nigerians should recognize that the task of building a great nation is a collective responsibility and should not be left to any one individual or group. The usual posture of 'looking the other way round' adopted by most Nigerians on issues bordering on the advancement of this country should be dispelled. It is the thundering followers that constitute the power of the masquerade.

THE CATALYTIC ROLE OF YOUTHS IN NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Not much progress can be made in the quest for nation-building if the youths are not integrated into the scheme and this is where citizen-based groups like the Project Change Initiative (PCI) come in. PCI is an initiative pioneered by my friend, Obele Gospel and I and other like-minded young people that is heavily involved in advocacy and sensitisation of the Nigerian youth (from secondary schools to tertiary institutions) to be concerned with 21^st century cultural thinking of value creation by locating and utilizing opportunities and maximizing talents than becoming infested with the get-rich-quick syndrome in society. The basis of this advocacy is that amassing wealth only satisfies an individual’s self-interest but value creation is the 21^st century cultural pattern that does not only guarantee wealth but most importantly enhances the life of other individuals, organisations, nations and the World in the manner that Bill Gates has done with Microsoft Inc. and Larry Page with Google Inc. 

REVIVING OUR VALUE SYSTEM

 We must resuscitate our value system which is anchored on integrity, hardwork and enterprise. In this regard, I suggest that this should be entrenched as a constitutional role of our traditional institution. This would be a sure way out of the menace of corruption and general inefficiency.

We thank God for the new wave of awareness and enthusiasm that is being created in the mind of Nigerians at the moment by agencies including the National Orientation Agency (NOA). We urge the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to join the NOA to do more in this regard. This is quite strategic for us as it is said that the recognition of a problem is a basic step in solving such a problem.

CONCLUSION: NIGERIA - THE WORLD POWER-IN-WAITING

We should not dissipate so much energy on the past because we cannot buy it back. We should forgive ourselves and redirect our attention to build a new Nigeria.  The quest for national development is not a sprint but a marathon. In the quest to move forward as a people, we must be ready to endure many twists and turns and be ready to make individual sacrifices for this country. It was President John Fitzgerald Kennedy who said 'ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.' As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, each of us should carve out our own small piece of Nigeria in our workplace, home, church, mosque and make it the ideal of our dreams. By doing this, the sum of our individual efforts will add up to the Nigeria of our dreams. Yes, we can! Day by day, everything I see around me makes me believe Nigeria is the World power in-waiting. When a man decides to embark on a worthy venture, the gods would necessarily back him up.

Daniel Chimezie is a student, Author, Social Commentator and Co-Pilot, Project Change Initiative (PCI).