Suggestions for President Buhari on technology – II

Note that problems persist even at the primary and secondary school levels – or maybe I should say they start there. Pupils (students) do not have textbooks; in some cases, there are not enough chairs or desks for the students to use, and many schools are without windows, doors, etc. Furthermore, primary and high school […]

Note that problems persist even at the primary and secondary school levels – or maybe I should say they start there. Pupils (students) do not have textbooks; in some cases, there are not enough chairs or desks for the students to use, and many schools are without windows, doors, etc. Furthermore, primary and high school teachers are not paid regularly – so why should anyone expect them to do their job well?
There are problems in federal, state, as well as private universities. Most institutions, including the federal ones, are grossly underfunded. For example, the amount of subvention for overhead at the federal schools is scandalously low, leading to a situation where universities cannot meet necessary obligations, and can therefore not focus on their core mission of educating the kids. Even the allocations promised are often not paid on time! Visit the laboratories of virtually all engineering schools in the country and you’ll almost weep because of the deplorable conditions. I visited a few libraries; some of them barely have more volumes than my own private library. Mr. President, you will need to fix the problems with Nigerian education.
Power generation
Equally important as education is the issue of power generation. Despite President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign promise at the penultimate election and the billions upon billions of dollars that were reportedly invested in the power sector, the power situation in Nigeria seems to be worse than when Jonathan took office. Without a permanent solution to the power problem, President Buhari’s legacy will be somewhat undermined.
Recruiting the president’s lieutenants
Any successful business owner knows that by far the most important task they can perform in their organization is hiring the right managers. This will apply to government as well. Please, Mr. President, appoint the most qualified and competent people to head the MDAs (ministries, departments, and agencies), even when you are challenged by the requirements of “federal character.” Avoid career politicians by all means. Please do not ask a primary school teacher to go and head Aviation, as an example.
Preferentially develop the North
Mr. President, your government needs to bring the North up to speed as far as primary and secondary – and therefore tertiary – education is concerned. Whatever it takes, please start the process. This way, our children in the North will eventually be able to compete with kids in the rest of the country. The kids in the North, like those in, say, South West of Nigeria, are extremely intelligent, and just need a sailor. Preferential investment in the North now, means human resources for the whole country, later. This will make the country stronger.
Nurture Obasanjo’s initiatives in IT, telecom, and banking
The trees of success in information technology (IT), telecom, and banking that President Obasanjo’s regime strategically planted are taking firm roots. Mr. President, please don’t let them wilt. Continue to water and nurture them, for they are turning things around positively for Nigerians. Do this by appointing highly qualified (and of course incorruptible) people to lead the associated MDAs.
Protect Nigeria’s big businesses
Mr. President, please protect the icons of Nigeria’s big business. That is, do not let anything happen to companies like The Dangote Group, GLO, Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, UBA, etc. They should be the pride of every Nigerian and they should therefore receive special attention. We could see these as Nigeria’s version of companies that are “too big to fail.” You see the commercials of The Dangote Group in CNN broadcast in Asia and elsewhere, and you feel some sense of joy and pride, with some perceived empowerment to boot. Let this not slip.
Be mindful of government project continuity problems
One serious problem in Nigeria is the fact that awarded (government) contracts usually do not survive leadership successions. When a boss is replaced, the new boss usually “comes with his own people,” often canceling contracts awarded by his predecessors. Mr. President, Sir, with the anticipated new order in your government, the turnover of ministers, DGs, directors, etc. is expected to be high, as you experiment to find genuine leaders that buy wholly into your agenda. My advice is this: Make project continuity an important performance metric for replacement managers. Failure to do this may be detrimental to your agenda.
Diversify the leadership of the financial MDAs
Finally, Mr. President, diversify the leadership of the financial sector – or any sector of the federation for that matter. For example, do not choose the Minister of Finance, the Governor of Central Bank, and the DG of the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) to come from the same village.  The president should be above board, be sensible, and should be seen as someone that has integrity. Fortunately, these are characteristics that are associated with you, Mr. President. These highly-connected sectors are particularly too critical for games.
To summarize, my suggestions include the following: Encourage locally-developed technology, fix the electricity problem, learn from South Korea, allocate money for research and developments in the STEM fields, revamp our schools at all levels, recruit the best people in your cabinet, preferentially develop the North in the area of primary and secondary education, nurture President Obasanjo’s initiatives in IT, Telecom, and banking; protect Nigeria’s big businesses, be mindful of contract continuity problems in your government, and diversify the leadership of the financial MDAs.