Mission to Eldorado: One Street per time!

 

 

 

The labour of fools weary them because they do not know HOW to get into the city.

 

 

If this was a white paper resulting from a scientific activity, one would be required to begin to refer to an eternity of primary and secondary data, bibliographies e.t.c but for the purpose of this piece which is nothing other than a patriotic counsel of a passionate citizen, I am granting myself an exemption. However, this exemption does not in any way defeat the intellectual merit of the views expressed.

 

So how exactly can we achieve progress in the macroeconomic environment called Nigeria? What exactly must happen in order for us to migrate from where we are to where we ought to be? What must align in time and space for us to evolve a formidable socio-economic and political system? These are pertinent questions on the minds of many.

 

It is no longer news that we have all it takes as a people to build a nation of sterling pedigree. The sheer size of our human resources which largely remains untapped is a concern for many. What many of us differ on is the approach most pragmatic for us to go about articulating the vision of building a lofty enterprise.

 

For many, they expect an overnight transformation. Some look forward to a messianic government to come and save them. For this group, they have reduced governance to an arrangement whereby the government of the day has the ultimate responsibility of fighting poverty and its variants perennial cousins. There is nothing wrong with this thinking other than the fact that it remains largely an utopian. It is just impractical for the government to solve all the problems. It is expedient to state however that government at all levels must show commitment in all material respect to empowering citizens.

 

There are other theories on how to achieve the critical mass of growth and development required to change our fortune as a nation. For the most part, it is safe to conclude that most of these positions are mere daydreaming and hallucinations based on inter-galactic interventions. Nigeria will only move forward when Nigerians at the micro level of the society take the bull by the horn. This is the subject of this piece. I believe that the passport to the Good Life for Nigerians amongst other considerations is locked in the lowest unit of government. This approach is essentially street wise.

 

For those who are familiar with the strategy domain, it is often so that most successful insights that result in outstanding change and performance infact come very simple and unassuming. Leonardo Da Vinci posited that Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. The best insights on making ideas happen don’t necessarily announce themselves by the degree of sophistication. According to Richard Rumelt (Author, Good Strategy Bad Strategy), the essential kernels of strategy revolve around having a clear insight about the true nature of a business challenge and evolving clear course of action to deal with the challenge. My proposition on transforming Nigeria takes a lot of cue from Richard’s thinking. In my opinion many of the approaches deployed so far in tacking our national challenges are heavy on aspiration but heavily weak with respect to affirmative action. The vision 2020 is not unaffected by this folly.

 

I hereby posit in this piece that a collaborative approach remains the most sustainable methodology to move us to our destination provided that we have defined that as clearly as possible in such a manner whereby people running can read it. A vision must contain the essential ingredient of inspiration without which nothing much can be achieved. Our people must be able to relate to whatever we are trying to achieve from a common platform. Such a platform must indeed be reflective of the true aspirations of a greater environment. Dreams are the seeds for tomorrow’s harvest.

 

We have heard said countless number of times that the family is the smallest unit of a society. This is true and instructive to say the least. It goes without saying therefore that every society is built on the institution of family. The strategy for building Nigeria will rest on this pinnacle. I warned you that the strategy is not out of this world. It is only street wise.

 

I have chosen to adopt Richard Rumelt’s three step methodology. The three step methodology contains the kernels of strategy. Kernels are the active ingredients in a bullet. A bullet isn’t worth the fuss without the kernels. The kernels are:

1.  Establishing Context

2.  Insights

3.  Action

 

Establishing Context
 

An appreciation of the challenges within the Nigerian governance framework indeed reveals a great deal of lacuna coupled with a negative widening gap in the social structure. I say this as a member of a think tank group (Global Frontiers Project) which studied this phenomenon globally. This challenge (widening expectation gap) plaques most nations (developed and developing alike).

 

Putting it aptly, the government can’t just seem to step up to the plate when it comes to meeting citizen’s needs. For those countries with responsible entities, the bone of contention revolves around how to bridge the gap. The same cannot be said for countries where governance is a challenge. For those countries where red tapes and corruption seems to be stock-in-trade, the primary challenge is to enthrone best practices and build social capital(trust). Nigeria falls into the category of those countries where accountability and responsibility must begin to find a place in governance. We must evolve a regime in which people are held responsible for their actions and inactions. Under such a regime, the cost of corruption to a perpetuating entity must become weighty. There must be clear deterrents. This is not going to be a 100 meters dash but we must set forth at dawn.

 

What currently obtains today within the confines of our constitutional provision as the closest administrative units of governance are the local governments. If you must know why government is not working, look no further than to yourself. You and I are culprits. Many of us citizens don’t even know who our local government chairpersons and ward counselors are. We are too busy abusing the state and federal government administrators. We don’t demand accountability so we don't get it. We are not partnering with them so they are running wild. That’s why we are where we are.


It appears that some goons are trying to stiffle and indeed eliminate the independence of the local government system. This must never be allowed to happen. God forbid the day the states will have the constitutional empowerment to lord it over the local governments. It is a shame that already, some state governors are abusing the constitution in the respect. Take it from me that the day local governments lose their autonomy, that day marks the demise of democracy in Nigeria. I hope that day never comes.

 

Insights
 

Earlier in this piece, I asserted that the solution to our current challenges will not imported. This is being true to the clarion call of creating our own solutions. The solution we seek is not far away from us. Infact, the solution is right on our nose. I know this as a Consultant. My experience with working with clients to evolve solutions has taught me that the solution often lies with the client. For the most part what the consultant brings on board isn’t much of a deluge but a methodical approach (project management) mixed with a repository of tools and knowledge with which he (the consultant) approaches a business challenge. The moral of this digression is simple: NOTHING IS NEW UNDER THE SUN.

 

The strategy for building Nigeria will rest on the pinnacle of a street-wise approach. The eventual solution to our current challenges will have to leverage significantly on the current political structure whereby stakeholders will have to come together to solve real problems. I must warn that a bias for action is a non-negotiable requirement. We cannot afford to begin to set up committees. The practical steps to be pursued will be highlighted subsequently. It is expedient to state that the culture element of our society must be re-engineered to the extent that people embrace the values and virtues necessary for building a nation.

 

The practical insight is based on an approach I have chosen to call #NaijaOneStreet (#NOS). #NOS is a bottom-up strategy. Under this regime, citizens residing in the lowest unit of government (The Street Level) will have to design the future of their respective streets. This thinking is radically different from what currently obtains. Under the current regime, most of us citizens are not perturbed by politics at the local government level. The non-participation of citizens in local government affairs remains a significant threat to our national growth.

 

 

Action

 

1. The first action step consistent with the need for people to get involved in governance is for people residing in the streets to up the ante with respect to the formation and effectiveness of Resident Associations. It is advised that in a situation where there exists a Landlord Association, the Resident Association should seek to foster a working relationship with the former with a view of creating a formidable unit. The #RA is not a platform for domesticated and personal issues but should serve as a critical unit for moving the street forward in all matters of civic development including sanitation and empowerment of youth. It is recommended that clear terms of reference be articulated.
2. The #RA should identity the stakeholders in each street. The stakeholders in each street range from the religious to business entities. The #RA must seek to partner with these entities in the spirit of developing a sustainable framework for growth. The entities especially the religious entities must seek to play more active roles at the street level. This goes beyond an appeal but it is a sure business case for these entities.

1. The #RA should engage the local government authorities. Since a ward is a collection of streets, the #RA should interface with the ward counselors. Residents must be accorded the opportunity to input and contribute their quota in the governance process. The #RA must demand accountability from the respective counselors.

 

There must be a radical departure from the current regime of sidon-look to a pragmatic one in which citizens lead an affirmative call. This process begins from the bottom up. This approach requires collaboration and patriotic commitment of all and sundry. As with every strategic vision, there are underlying assumptions in time and space that determine the outcome. The singular most critical assumption for this strategic articulation revolves around the will of the people to create a society where things work. Success is predictable. If we will eschew our differences and embrace a noble cause of creating a society built on love (decision to better the lot of others), we will rise above every valley of desperation and become a nation of goodness.

 

Everything Good Will come.



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