Why Nigeria is unlike any other place I’ve worked – USAID boss

Stephen Haykin became the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director for Nigeria on June 23, 2017. He served as USAID’s Senior Development Advisor to the US Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute from September 2015 to April 2017. Prior to that, he had served as USAID’s Mission Director in Georgia, Democratic Republic […]

Stephen Haykin became the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director for Nigeria on June 23, 2017. He served as USAID’s Senior Development Advisor to the US Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute from September 2015 to April 2017. Prior to that, he had served as USAID’s Mission Director in Georgia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Madagascar. In this interview, he speaks on his experience as a diplomat in development agency and USAID’s programmes under his watch.

 

Daily Trust: Can you give us a brief account of your experience in Africa?

Stephen Haykin: I started working in Africa in 1981 when I went to Zambia to work on a survey and coincidentally, I met someone who is from the town. I have a long standing working experience in Africa but I never had the opportunity to work in Nigeria. So in my career, I worked as an economist in the development field and in some management positions. I have a wife with three children and three grandchildren as well.

DT: At what point did you decide to become a diplomat?

Haykin: I decided to become a development professional when I became interested in international studies at the end of college.  And I decided to go to the graduate school to study international relations and there I learned more about the work of USAID. After a few years I joined the agency and became aware of parts of the work of a diplomat in a development agency.

DT: You have served the agency in different capacities in different countries, which is the most remarkable and why?

Haykin: I have had tremendously rich experiences in each of them. So, it was a kind of learning from one experience and brings it to the other. It’s a little difficult for me to say which one stands out. I served in Congo before and that’s where I met my wife. Maybe that one stands out. But everything is remarkable. My professional experience in Madagascar was very good because it was the period I moved to a senior management position. With many of the different experiences and challenges that I have had professionally, I see a paradox here in Nigeria, that’s like bringing many things together. I’m looking forward to building on the experiences.

DT: The international community is describing the situation Northeast Nigeria as a potential famine, is that the accurate description?

Haykin: It is. A lot of it is food insecurity due to displacement of the population from the conflict areas. We do believe the population is really affected as they are not able to be on their farmland to produce as a result of the displacement.

DT: What is United States doing to help?

Haykin: We are doing a number of things. We have in mind, a long-term programme for the north eastern states. But in the short run, our first priority is to join efforts to save lives in the communities through food system and to help communities rebuild and make efforts to get people back home.     

DT: What are your plans during your tenure as USAID Mission Director?

Haykin: We have a very robust success programme for the whole country. We focus on specific programmes for a specific state depending on the need and the relationship we build with the state governments. So, we are looking at longer term development issues such as agriculture and other livelihoods and  power sector development. We are well aware that there are some needs in some parts of the country like conflict mitigation and management of crises.

DT: The Nigerian government is making effort to revive agriculture, what is USAID’s plan on this?

Haykin: We are doing a number of things from policy formulation, support of basic agricultural sector and agricultural research to assistance to farmers and helping to improve data systems and technologies. We are also giving assistance to entrepreneurs in the agricultural marketing chains which include transportation of goods.

DT: Development agencies have invested inn literacy among Nigerian pupils. Do you still consider this in your programme especially in northern Nigeria?

Haykin: Yes, this has been one of our priorities. We are working particularly in Sokoto and Bauchi states. In the north east states, we are running two different programmes to support formal primary education with emphasis on literacy.  And also on non-formal education, we are focusing on vulnerable youths and girls.

DT: Some Nigerians believe the development community is only focused on the northeast. What is USAID doing in other parts of the country?

Haykin: We are working in many parts of the country with the power distribution companies on providing electricity which is very important for improving the business environment across all sectors. And also, we are working on HIV/AIDS in some southern states. We are also doing conflict mitigation in the Middle Belt states. Unfortunately, we cannot be everywhere. We have to be selected on specific programmes.

DT: How did you feel about Nigeria before coming?

Haykin: What I have learned since coming here is that something you hear outside is sometimes undeserving. Presently, I have a better understanding and one of the things I understand better is that I have got to know Nigeria in the past few months, the richness in complexity and diversity of the country which I think is one of the strengths of Nigeria.                                       

DT: How would you describe your stay in the country so far?

Haykin: I have been here for more than two months and it is very friendly. I have had very productive introductions to many different contents, some federal and state government officials and people working in the private and non-governmental sectors. So, it is impressive.

DT: How would you like to be remembered at the end of your tenure in Nigeria?

Haykin: As a friend of Nigeria and as someone who works with Nigerian partners to develop lasting relationships and helping to create opportunities for Nigerians and making lives better.