Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: After COVID-19, what will Africa look like in 2030 and 2063? | By: Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka

African leaders need to look in the mirror and ask where this continent will be in 2030 and 2063

The COVID-19 pandemic, one of the world’s most significant events, has resulted in cessation of economic activities that will lead to a significant decline in GDP, an unprecedented social disruption, and the loss of millions of jobs. According to estimates by the African Development Bank, the contraction of the region’s economies will cost Sub-Saharan Africa between $35 billion and $100 billion due to an output decline and a steep fall in commodity prices, especially the crash of oil prices.

More fundamentally, the pandemic has brutally exposed the hollowness of African economies on two fronts: the fragility and weakness of Africa’s health and pharmaceutical sectors and the lack of industrial capabilities. The two are complementary.

This is because Africa is almost 100 percent dependent on imports for the supply of medicines.

According to a recent McKinsey (2019) study, China and India supply 70 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s demand for medicine, worth $14 billion. China’s and India’s markets are worth $120 billion and $33 billion respectively. Consider a hypothetic situation where both India and China are unable or unwilling to supply the African market? Africa surely faces a health hazard.

Also Read: COVID-19 pandemic bolsters case for technology-based economic resilience | By: Stefan Nalletamby

The root of Africa’s underdeveloped industrial and health sectors can be encapsulated in three ways. First, some African policy makers simply think that poor countries do not need to industrialize. This group believes the “no-industrial policy” advocates who engage in rhetoric that does not fit the facts. The histories of both Western societies, and contemporary lessons from East Asia, run contrary to that stance.

Clearly, governments have an important role to play in the nature and direction of industrialization. Progressive governments throughout history understand that the faster the rate of growth in manufacturing, the faster the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

From the Economist magazine five years ago: “BY MAKING things and selling them to foreigners, China has transformed itself—and the world economy with it. In 1990 it produced less than 3% of global manufacturing output by value; its share now is nearly a quarter. China produces about 80% of the world’s air-conditioners, 70% of its mobile phones and 60% of its shoes. Today, China is the world’s leader in manufacturing and produces almost half of the world’s steel.” The keyword is “making”.

Two, rich countries therefore became rich by manufacturing and exporting to others, including high-quality goods and services. Poor African countries remain poor because they continue to produce raw materials for rich countries. For example, 70% of global trade in agriculture is in semi-processed and processed products. Africa is largely absent in this market while the region remains an exporter of raw materials to Asia and the West.

Lastly, African countries are repeatedly told that they cannot compete based on scale economy, and as well, price and quality competitiveness because China will outcompete them. For this reason, they should jettison the idea of local production of drugs, food and the most basic things.

The question is: How did Vietnam, with a population of 95 million, emerge from a brutal 20-year war and lift more than 45 million people out of poverty between 2002 and 2018 and develop a manufacturing base that spans textiles, agriculture, furniture, plastics, paper, tourism and telecommunications? It has emerged as a manufacturing powerhouse, becoming the world’s third-largest exporter of textiles and garments (after China and Bangladesh).

Vietnam currently exports over 10 million tonnes of rice, coming third after India and China.

How is it that Bangladesh, a country far poorer than many African countries, is able to manufacture 97% of all its drugs demand, yet it is next door to India, a powerhouse of drug manufacturing?

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed Africa. African leaders need to look in the mirror and ask where this continent will be in 2030 and 2063. Africa must adopt progressive industrial policies that create inclusive, prosperous and sustainable societies.

What then should be done? A three-pronged approached is urgently needed.

First, Africa needs a strong regional coordination mechanism to consolidate small uncompetitive firms operating in small atomistic market structures. With a consumer base of 1.3 billion and $3.3 trillion market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the continent has no choice but to bring together its fragmented markets.

Second, Africa needs to build better institutions, strengthen weak ones and introduce the ones missing. No better wake-up call is required than the present pandemic.

Third, one important institution that has been abruptly disrupted is the supply chain for medicines and food, for example. Logistics for transporting capital and consumer goods across the region need predictable structures. Building or strengthening supply chains involve fostering and providing regulations for long-term agreements and competences that leverage both private and public institutional challenges such as customs regulations.

Finally, development finance institutions (DFIs) such as the African Development Bank are mandated to, and are currently, trying to fill the gaps left by private financial institutions. There is an opportunity to Africa to rethink and reengineer its future. The Africa of tomorrow must look inwards for its solutions. – whether in feeding its own people, build industrial powerhouses led by African champions.

The African Development Bank stands ready to help target and push for deeper economic transformation. Africa needs to execute structurally transformative projects that generate positive externalities and social returns. Keep our eyes on the days after.

Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, is the Senior Special Adviser on Industrialization to the President of the African Development Bank. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering and Professorial Fellow, United Nations University. His recent book is “Resurgent Africa: Structural Transformation and Sustainable Development”, UK: Anthem Press, 2020.

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 Opinion

COVID-19 pandemic bolsters case for technology-based economic resilience | By: Stefan Nalletamby

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact globally, the African continent, while less affected, is preparing to undergo its own severe social and economic crisis. As of April 7, over 10,000 cases have been reported across 52 countries in Africa (less than 1% of cases globally).

Yet despite the slow onset, Africa’s fragile health systems will be overwhelmed if the virus continues to spread. To avoid this scenario, governments are implementing contingency measures with striking collateral damage in the form of shops and factories closing, workers being sent home, and jobs being cut, with the effect that an economic recession is looming.

In response, the African Development Bank has raised an exceptional $3 billion, three-year bond to help alleviate the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A portion of these funds will help finance access to health and other essential goods and services as well as the infrastructure needed to address the crisis and create favourable conditions for resilience.

The Bank believes that digital technologies can and will play a critical role in strengthening resilience by enabling fast responses to this crisis while helping alleviate its impact.

Also Read: Opinion: Africa cannot go back to ‘business as usual’ when COVID-19 pandemic is over

There are a number of specific use cases where digital technologies help create an enabling environment for human resilience during these difficult times.

A shift to a cashless economy

Physical money currently acts as a vector for the virus’ spread whereas technology makes payments possible and safe. Governments and start-ups across Africa are implementing measures to shift payment transactions toward mobile money and away from cash, as recommended by the World Health Organization. A case in point is Kenya, the pioneer of mobile money, where the payments industry has collaborated to ensure that digital payments can be made across the board, especially by the most vulnerable. For a three-month period, digital transactions below 1,000 Kenya Shillings ($10) will be free.

Ghana too has instituted measures to drive digital payments and combat the virus. The Central Bank of Ghana has directed mobile money providers to waive fees on transactions of 100 Ghana Cedis ($18) or less and has allowed for the opening of mobile money accounts using existing subscriber registrations with mobile operators. South African fintech start-ups are encouraging the use of contact-less payments through point-of-sale devices.

Online business (e-commerce)

Online business and e-commerce platforms help maintain social distancing and reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Online delivery applications have become the ideal medium to order food, groceries and medical supplies. E-commerce platforms, whether web-or app-based, are gaining new users.

Digital health infrastructure is helping communities safely navigate the pandemic. Telemedicine platforms based on chatbots enable people to ask questions about symptoms and treatment. These platforms also allow the public to assess the probability of infection. Other innovations, such as medical tips generated via sms or WhatsApp, advise recipients on responsible behaviors. Chatbots can also direct patients to nearby hospitals and enable healthcare professionals to track the pandemic’s spread in real-time.

Also Read: Opinion: The pandemic is no time for fiscal distancing | By: Akinwumi Adesina

Digital work and learning spaces linked by internet infrastructure and virtual platforms have increasingly become a mainstay for businesses and learning institutions as they connect remote workers and students across countries, regions and globally.

The pandemic has spurred innovative approaches that are helping society respond to and minimize its impact. Even before the global pandemic however, digital technology in general and digital financial services in particular had begun accelerating economic resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable. In 2019, the Bank partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Government of Luxembourg and Agence Française de Développement to set up the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI). ADFI is a blended finance vehicle that aims to scale up digital financial services in Africa to accelerate financial inclusion and ensure that digital financial systems include and empower everyone, especially women. 

Boost Africa is another initiative that is leveraging technology to spur inclusive growth. A partnership of the Bank, the European Commission and the European investment Bank, Boost Africa uses venture capital to support high growth SMEs that are tech-enabled and driven by disruptive technologies.

The Social Impact Investment Program (SIIPA), a joint initiative of the Bank and the European Commission, leverages technology to deliver social goods and services to underserved populations.

The COVID-19 pandemic is severe, and its economic effects are only just beginning to be felt in Africa. Still, innovative solutions and technology tools offer a glimmer of hope for human efforts to boost resilience and slow or halt the spread of the virus. We must seize upon the current urgency to rapidly develop and deploy digital services that are universal and inclusive, and which will help shield Africa’s most vulnerable from future economic shocks.

Stefan Nalletamby is the African Development Bank’s acting Vice-President for Private Sector,
Infrastructure and Industrialisation.

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Corona Virus pandemic
 Opinion

Opinion: Africa cannot go back to ‘business as usual’ when COVID-19 pandemic is over | By: Babatunde Omilola

Like every other pandemic that the world has experienced in the past, coronavirus will eventually come to an end. It will be defeated, and life return to normal. But it will teach us an important lesson: the need to invest in health infrastructure across the world, and particularly in Africa.

For centuries, global and national agendas have given premium to wealth creation and less attention to healthcare. Indeed, the pursuit of wealth has even come at the expense of the environment. Budgetary allocations for health have been woefully inadequate compared to other sectors. Just imagine this: if what we are experiencing today was a virus that attacked machines and not human beings, normal life would go on – handshakes, kisses and hugs would still symbolise friendship, love and comfort and not the threat of infection. From now on, we must prioritise human health collectively, not individually.

Globally, as at 6 April 2020, there have been 1,174,866 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 64,541 deaths, reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). We may not have reached the apex of this pandemic, and what we have seen so far from other countries suggests that Africa is a ticking time bomb. If advanced economies like Italy, Spain, the United States and France are struggling to contain the wrath of this pandemic, then it has a devastating potential in poor countries like Uganda, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Senegal, where lifestyle, beliefs, culture and economic conditions offer fertile grounds for disease to thrive.

One would have thought that the Ebola outbreak, which began in 2014, would have opened the eyes of key stakeholders in Africa to consider health system strengthening as a key priority. But this has not been the case. At the beginning of the Ebola epidemic, fear and panic prompted some African governments to pay attention to shoring up their health systems, yet, when the grip of the epidemic loosened, business as usual continued.

Also Read: Opinion: The pandemic is no time for fiscal distancing | By: Akinwumi Adesina

Africa cannot afford to go back to business as usual when the COVID-19 pandemic is finally halted. Such an attitude would be akin to settling down to sleep while our roof is on fire. There are too many health issues to be fixed – from an inadequate number of health care professionals to a lack of health infrastructure.

At present, Africa is home to more than 1.3 billion people and bears one-third of the global disease burden yet accounts for only 3% of the global health workforce. The average physician density in sub-Saharan Africa stands at two doctors per 10,000 people. This ranges from 0.6 in Burkina Faso to nine doctors in South Africa. Nigeria, which is the most populous nation in Africa, has physician density of three doctors to 10,000 population. Ethiopia has just one doctor per 10,000 people, even though it has the second largest population on the continent. In contrast, Italy, France and Spain, where COVID-19 is taking its heaviest toll, have physician densities of 40.9, 40.6 and 32.3 doctors per 10,000 population respectively.

There is also a huge health infrastructure gap. An assessment by WHO regarding the status of health infrastructure across the continent revealed woefully inadequate physical health infrastructure. Dispensaries and health centres are limited in supply. The shortage of these facilities makes access to primary healthcare a challenge to most rural residents. For instance, total hospital density per 100,000 population across the continent ranges from 0.06 to 0.17. The number of hospital beds, including intensive care unit (ICU) beds, are limited. A country like South Africa, even with its advanced public health systems has less than 1,000 ICU beds. In Malawi, 17 million people rely on only 25 ICU beds. Countries like Zimbabwe and Liberia have none.

Laboratory capacity in most African countries are equally bereft of modern facilities. The emergency medical systems across many countries in Africa can only deal with a fraction of those needing care. In some deprived communities in Burkina Faso, women requiring emergency care are sometimes transported on bicycles to health centres. Similar conditions can also be found in Chad, Central African Republic, northern Ghana and some rural parts of Nigeria. At the moment, the United States is battling with a limited supply of ventilators for COVID-19 patients. In Africa, very few countries can boast of having even 100 ventilators. There is an urgent need, therefore, to pay attention to health system strengthening in Africa.

Investing in quality health infrastructure makes sense from both economic and social perspectives. Indeed, there is enough evidence that shows that investments in health infrastructure create an avenue for resilient societies and drive inclusive growth. Development partners have a role to play. They can prevent the collapse of health systems in Africa by establishing special funding schemes to support the health expenditures of African countries. These must, however, be targeted and well defined. The support should aim to avoid overstretching existing health infrastructure while strengthening human resource capacity.

The starting point should be investments in digital health tools. Breakthrough innovations such as telemedicine, mHealth and drones are transforming healthcare in advanced countries, meanwhile their adoption in Africa have been rather slow. Supporting the scaling up of these technologies in Africa could help governments deal effectively with epidemics and the growing burden of chronic diseases. Supporting the construction of health posts, the purchasing of personal protective equipment and equipping medical centres with modern facilities can follow. There is no time to waste: while finding ways to battle the current pandemic may be daunting, it also presents an opportunity to focus on the strengthening of Africa’s health systems by adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach based on each country’s individual needs. Let us not go back to business as usual after this pandemic.

Babatunde Omilola is the Manager for Public Health, Security and Nutrition Division at the African Development Bank.

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Funke and hubby
 Entertainment, Opinion

Opinion: Why The Conviction Of Funke Akindele Cannot Stand In Law | By: Inibehe Effiong

The trial and conviction of actress Funke Akindele and her husband are legally flawed. The fact that they pleaded guilty does not foreclose a discussion on the case because the flaws I intend to highlight are constitutional and jurisdictional in nature. Issues of jurisdiction can be raised at any time. I have read the following: The Charge Sheet filed by the office of the Attorney General of Lagos State against Funke and her husband; the Public Health Law Cap. P16 Vol. 9 Laws of Lagos State, 2015; and the Lagos State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulations 2020. I submit that Funke Akindele and her husband (the defendants) were convicted for a non-existent offence. The charge sheet shows that the two defendants were arraigned on a one-count charge for gathering with more than twenty persons contrary “to the social distancing directives of Mr Governor of Lagos State.”

DEFENDANTS CHARGED FOR AN OFFENCE THAT IS UNKNOWN TO LAW:

The charge sheet against the defendants also states that the said social distancing directives contravened by the defendants were issued by the Governor in line with the regulations made by the Governor pursuant to the Public Health Law. In other words, the defendants were not charged under the Quarantine Act. They were charged under Section 58 of the Public Health Law of Lagos State. For clarity, Section 58 of the Public Health Law cited in the charge sheet provides as follows:

“For any contravention of the provisions of this Law or any regulation made under this Law for which no other penalty is provided, the offender commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000.00) or to any non-custodial sentence and if a corporate body, to a fine of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00).” The defendants were convicted for gathering with more than twenty persons. The material question is: is it an offence under the Public Health Law or Infectious Disease Regulations to do so?

There is no provision under the Public Health Law or Infectious Disease Regulations that makes gathering with more than twenty persons a criminal offence. The Infectious Disease Regulations purport to give the Governor the power to issue the social distancing directives. The legal defect in the directive on gathering is that it cannot be the basis for criminal liability. A subsidiary legislation like the Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulations 2020 derives its authority and validity from a substantive law (the principal legislation). The regulations cannot extend such authority. Since the Quarantine Act and the Public Health Law of Lagos State specifically limit offences to the contravention of regulations made by the governor, it is outright illegality to charge Funke Akindele and her husband for contravening a directive of the Governor (which is outside the regulations itself). See Din V. Attorney-General of the Federation (1988) 4 NWLR (Pt.87) 147.

Also Read: Court sentences Funke Akindele and hubby to 14 days of community service.

An act or omission is only a crime if it is so prescribed in a written law. By virtue of Section 36 (12) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), every person is guaranteed the fundamental right not to be convicted unless the offence is defined and the penalty is prescribed in a written. It states as follows: “Subject as otherwise provided by this Constitution, a person shall not be convicted of a criminal offence unless that offence is defined and the penalty therefor is prescribed in a written law and in this subsection, a written law refers to an Act of the National Assembly or a Law of a State, any subsidiary legislation or instrument under the provisions of law.” Let me reiterate that the Governor’s social distancing directive that restricts gathering in Lagos State which the defendants purportedly contravened is not an Act of the National Assembly, or a Law of the Lagos State House of Assembly, neither is it a subsidiary legislation or an instrument under the provisions of the law.

Therefore, by the authority of Section 36 (12) of the Constitution, and the Supreme Court decision in Aoko V. Fagbemi & Ors. (1961) 1 All NLR 400, the conviction of Funke Akindele and her husband is unconstitutional. As I contended earlier, there is no provision in the Public Health Law of Lagos State or the Infectious Disease Regulations that makes a gathering of more than twenty persons or any gathering for that matter a criminal offence.

Regulation 8(1)(a) of the Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulations 2020 cited in the charge sheet against the defendants provides thus:

8(1) “The Governor may – (a) restrict or prohibit the gathering of persons in the Local Area, such as conferences, meetings, festivals, private events, religious services, public visits, and such other events, save where the written approval of the Governor is obtained for such gathering.” The above provision does not codify any offence. It only empowers the governor to restrict or prohibit gathering. The Infectious Disease Regulations 2020 should have expressly and specifically prescribed that gathering is restricted and prohibited in Lagos State before it can be relied upon to convict a violator in line with Section 36 (12) of the Constitution. Since neither the Public Health Law of Lagos State nor the Infectious Disease Regulations have prescribed that gathering is an offence, the purported directive of Governor Sanwo-Olu remains an advisory. The Court of Appeal in the case of Faith Okafar V. Governor of Lagos State & Anor. (2016) LPELR-41066 (CA) made it abundantly clear that the directive or order of a governor is not a law & that violation of same cannot result in criminal liability. Read more

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 Opinion

Opinion: The pandemic is no time for fiscal distancing | By: Akinwumi Adesina

The African Development Bank estimates that Covid-19 could cost Africa a GDP loss between $22.1 billion and $88.3 billion in the worst case scenario

These are very difficult days, as the world faces one of its worst challenges ever: the novel coronavirus pandemic. And it seems almost no nation is spared. As infection rates rise, so does panic across financial markets, as economies drastically slow down and supply chains are severely disrupted.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As such, it can no longer be business as usual.

Each day, the situation evolves and requires constant reviews of precautionary measures and strategies. In the midst of all this, we must all worry about the ability of every nation to respond to this crisis. And we must ensure that developing nations are prepared to navigate these uncharted waters fully.

That’s why I support the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ urgent call for special resources for the world’s developing countries.

In the face of this pandemic, we must put lives above resources and health above debt. Why? Because developing economies are the most vulnerable at this time. Our remedies must go beyond simply lending more. We must go the extra mile and provide countries with much-needed and urgent financial relief — and that includes developing countries under sanctions.

According to the independent, global think tank ODI in its report on the impact of economic sanctions, for decades, sanctions have decimated investments in public health care systems in quite a number of countries.

Today, the already stretched systems as noted in the 2019 Global Health Security Index will find it difficult to face up to a clear and present danger that now threatens our collective existence.

Only those that are alive can pay back debts.

Sanctions work against economies but not against the virus. If countries that are under sanctions are unable to respond and provide critical care for their citizens or protect them, then the virus will soon “sanction” the world.

In my Yoruba language, there is a saying. “Be careful when you throw stones in the open market. It may hit a member of your family.”

That’s why I also strongly support the call by the UN Secretary-General that debts of low-income countries be suspended in these fast-moving and uncertain times.

But I call for even bolder actions, and there are several reasons for doing so.

First, the economies of developing countries, despite years of great progress, remain extremely fragile and ill equipped to deal with this pandemic. They are more likely to be buried with the heavy fiscal pressure they now face with the coronavirus.

Second, many of the countries in Africa depend on commodities for export earnings. The collapse of oil prices has thrown African economies into distress. According the AFDB’s 2020 Africa Economic Outlook, they simply are not able to meet budgets as planned under pre-coronavirus oil price benchmarks.

The impact has been immediate in the oil and gas sector, as noted in a recent CNN news analysis.

In the current environment, we can anticipate an acute shortage of buyers who, for understandable reasons, will reallocate resources to addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. African countries that depend on tourism receipts as a key source of revenue are also in a straightjacket.

Third, while rich countries have resources to spare, evidenced by trillions of dollars in fiscal stimulus, developing countries are hampered with bare-bones resources.

The fact is, if we do not collectively defeat the coronavirus in Africa, we will not defeat it anywhere else in the world. This is an existential challenge that requires all hands to be on deck. Today, more than ever, we must be our brothers and sisters’ keepers.

Around the world, countries at more advanced stages in the outbreak are announcing liquidity relief, debt restructuring, forbearance on loan repayments, relaxation of standard regulations and initiatives.

In the United States, packages of more than $2 trillion have already been announced, in addition to a reduction in Federal Reserve lending rates and liquidity support to keep markets operating. In Europe, the larger economies have announced stimulus measures in excess of 1 trillion Euros. Additionally, even larger packages are expected.

As developed countries put in place programs to compensate workers for lost wages for staying at home for social distancing, another problem has emerged — fiscal distancing.

Think for a moment what this means for Africa.

The African Development Bank estimates that Covid-19 could cost Africa a GDP loss between $22.1 billion, in the base case scenario, and $88.3 billion in the worst case scenario. This is equivalent to a projected GDP growth contraction of between 0.7 and 2.8 percentage points in 2020. It is even likely that Africa might fall into recession this year if the current situation persists.

The Covid-19 shock will further squeeze fiscal space in the continent as deficits are estimated to widen by 3.5 to 4.9 percentage points, increasing Africa’s financing gap by an additional $110 to $154 billion in 2020.

Our estimates indicate that Africa’s total public debt could increase, under the base case scenario, from $1.86 trillion at the end of 2019 to over $2 trillion in 2020, compared to $1.9 trillion projected in a ‘no pandemic’ scenario. According to a March 2020 Bank report, these figures could reach $2.1 trillion in 2020 under the worst case scenario.

This, therefore, is a time for bold actions. We should temporarily defer the debt owed to multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. This can be done by re-profiling loans to create fiscal space for countries to deal with this crisis.

That means that loan principals due to international financial institutions in 2020 could be deferred. I am calling for temporary forbearance, not forgiveness. What’s good for bilateral and commercial debt must be good for multilateral debt.

That way, we will avoid moral hazards, and rating agencies will be less inclined to penalize any institution on the potential risk to their Preferred Creditor Status.  The focus of the world should now be on helping everyone, as a risk to one is a risk to all.

Also Read NCDC distributes supplies from Jack Ma foundation.

There is no coronavirus for developed countries and a coronavirus for developing and debt-stressed countries. We are all in this together.

Multilateral and bilateral financial institutions must work together with commercial creditors in Africa, especially to defer loan payments and give Africa the fiscal space it needs.

We stand ready to support Africa in the short term and for the long haul. We are ready to deploy up to $50 billion over five years in projects to help with adjustment costs that Africa will face as it deals with the knock-on effects of Covid-19, long after the current storm subsides.

But more support will be needed. Let’s lift all sanctions, for now. Even in wartime, ceasefires are called for humanitarian reasons. In such situations, there is a time to pause for relief materials to reach affected populations. The novel coronavirus is a war against all of us. All lives matter.

For this reason, we must avoid fiscal distancing at this time. A stitch in time will save nine.

Social distancing is imperative now. Fiscal distancing is not.

*Akinwumi A. Adesina is President of the African Development Bank Group

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 Opinion

Opinion: When the Devil is not to Blame! – By Tony Ogunlowo

Before we go any further let me state that I’m neither a Devil worshipper, a member of the Church of Satan or intend to glorify him. I’m a Catholic, born and bred, and intend to stay so.

The Devil is the most vilified person ( or entity) in the world and is blamed for everything we do wrong,  ever since the First Sin in the Garden of Eden.

When you steal something – it’s the Devils fault!

When you kill somebody – it’s the Devils fault!

When you do anything wrong – it’s the Devils fault!

Leave the ‘poor’ Devil alone and own up to your mistakes! Its not as if he put a gun to your head and forced you to do it.

During the Temptation of Christ if Jesus had LISTENED to the Devil he would have turned stones into bread, leapt off a high mountain and bowed down before Satan, but he didn’t. it would have been a different story if he did: can you imagine him telling his Father in Heaven that it was the Devils fault that he bowed before him and did all the other things?

Also Read: Opinion: “2019: Time to Disrupt the System” ~ By: Tony Ogunlowo

If the Devil, speaking in your head, tells you to do something you do it without hesitation (-if you’re that bad and stupid!) but if I tell you to slap the person standing  right next to you, you’ll look at me as if I’m a madman and probably slap me! So why listen to him?

The Devil, theoretically speaking, has done nothing wrong in this world – it is MAN who is guilty of committing sins. The Devil may suggest, brainwash or intimate but doesn’t actually do anything. It is those who LISTEN to him who are guilty. Here’s another scenario: if I tell you to go and rob a bank and you get caught who will be sent to prison? You of course and the Judge will probably tell you how stupid you are to listen to me in the first place.

Despite the fact we’ve been given a clear reasoning head and KNOW the difference between right and wrong we’ll still do whatever the Devil tells us to do and when we get caught out – it’s the Devils fault!

Also Read: A Lesson in Resilience

Till the end of Time the Devil and his legion of fallen angels will continue to give us bad advice and tell us to do the wrong things and that will be anything that contravenes The 10 Commandments.

Whether the Devil can manifest himself into a person to commit evil is still subject to debate but don’t get me wrong; a person can be possessed by the Devil in the same way a person can be filled with the Holy Spirit. It depends on the individual and what they’re susceptible to. So if you’re bad you will have devilish intentions and do bad things or you can listen to God and do good things. Neither will force your hand.

So for all the people who blame the Devil for all their mistakes STOP IT! It’s your mistake, your sin, your mess and you should put up your hand and admit to it instead of trying to pass the blame on: the Devil will urge you to do bad things but you have the freewill to choose to ignore him. If Jesus could ignore him so can you!

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 Opinion

An Emir, The Egungun and a Cultural Express ~ By: Wole Temidire Aguda

“Egungun be careful, na express you de go” is perhaps the most confounding entertainment rebound of our generation in Nigeria today. In almost magical fashion, a subtle but firm warning against indiscretion in conduct occasioned by wealth, ability, privilege or opportunity has sipped into our sociosphere and raving. Fuji Musician, Abass Akande, had loosely but energetically deployed creative imagery of an Egungun (an elaborately dressed masquerade in this case) whose stock in trade is amusement from a cheering crowd and perhaps tokens earned from performances to depict men and women in places of social recognition and attention.

Extendable to any phenomenon that is cynosure of all eyes, caution and moderation is preached by this popular musician of Yoruba extraction in that musical stretch. Obesere as the musician is popularly called, laced warning for the ‘Egungun’ with proverbial insight of the consequences of discarding restraint and caution during performances. 20 years after, and basking in the emerging euphoria of this rather strange comeback, I am quite certain that Obsesere held little or no premonition of the relevance of his musical satire in the class duel that would envelope power junctions in Kano State as observable over the last 3 years.

Read more

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 Opinion

Opinion: “2019: Time to Disrupt the System” ~ By: Tony Ogunlowo

We’ve all made it through to the year 2019. Thank God!

Now it’s time to disrupt the system!

Donald Trump is  still the President of the United States of America as is Theresa May still the PM of Great Britain as is Mohammed Buhari still the President of Nigeria: in the land of the blind the one-eyed man will continue to be King! In the absence of credible leaders the world will be continually ruled by hapless Heads of States. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world all these hapless leaders’ rules are creating hardship, inequality and uncertainty. Jobs are at risk (- or non-existent!), peoples’ dignity and Sovereignty is being stripped away from them and people have been turned into automations living day-by-day unsure of the future.

The future is only going to be bright for the mavericks who are brave enough to disrupt the system.

It’s time to go it alone! No government, no religious institution or belief is going to enable you to fulfil your full potential: they just exist to enslave you!

To declare your independence you have to free yourself from the System. You’ve got to be able to show the System you can thrive and prosper without it. We always blame all our shortcomings on the government, on our religions, on our upbringing, on our ethnicity – on everything!

It’s time to take full responsibility for ourselves and our actions: if one lemming jumps off the cliff and drowns in the sea below must the rest follow?

To disrupt the System you must find ways to circumvent whatever the system is throwing at you. For instance if there is a recession learn how to create employment or additional  income for yourself. During the Great Depression in America in the 1920s it didn’t stop some people, who had nothing to start with, to become rich and famous.

To be able to disrupt the System and become independent of it you need the following 4 things:

 

1, Accept Yourself for who you are.

2, You need to believe in yourself.

3, You need to be self-motivated.

4, You have to stop caring about what others think of you (- within reason!)

1, Accept yourself for who you are.

We all want to be like somebody else – a movie star, a Premier League footballer, a top musician, anybody who is up there as rich and famous. We marvel at their fantastic lives and can only dream about what it’ll be like to be like them…

Why can’t you just be yourself?

The mere fact that a person is rich and famous does not necessarily mean that they are happy and content: just take a look at the number of high profile suicide cases in recent years.

You as a person are unique: there are over 7 billion people living on Planet Earth and no two persons are alike.

The mere fact that you are not rich and famous does not mean you’re not special. Take a good look at yourself, see what you’re good at and work on it!

2, You need to believe in yourself.

The one thing most people suffer from is a lack of self-belief: I call it the “Me Ke?” syndrome (- which is an admission of self-doubt when faced with impending greatness. It’s a bit like Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus scenario). We always believe we can’t do something and run away and hide in our nondescript lives. Instead of taking the plunge and hoping for the best we take the easy way out by not doing anything because we’re too scared to try and don’t believe in ourselves. If you don’t believe in yourself and your abilities who else will?

3, You need to be Self-Motivated.

We all need the proverbial kick up the backside occasionally to get us moving.

A lot of people are not self-motivated; they need others to push them. How many people pay good money to be motivated by their pastors, motivational speakers, life coaches and shrinks? Anthony Robbins has made a fortune just by telling people what to do.

Why can’t you self-motivate yourself? Why do you need some self-proclaimed ‘Guru’ to motivate you when the same information is lodged somewhere inside your own head? What these people are peddling is simple common-sense which you should already know!

Learn how to self-motivate yourself.

4, You have to stop caring about what others think of you (- within reason!)

When you strike it out on your own you become a maverick, an outsider. You’re about to do something nobody has done before and people are going to laugh at you, criticize you and condemn you.

Man’s progress in this world was not built on the shoulders of Men who were scared to do something because they were too scared of what people might say. The Wright Brothers would not have achieved Man’s first powered flight if they cared about what people might say. Blacks in America would not have had their independence if people like Marin Luther King and others didn’t believe in themselves and what they were doing and were more concerned about what people might say. Mavericks like Elon Musk and Richard Branson wouldn’t have got to where they are today if they cared about what people thought about their often outlandish projects.

Now, a word of advice here! Whilst I might be preaching about going solo and not listening to what people might say you need to exercise caution!

Sometimes you might need to listen to somebody – even if it’s just that tiny little voice in your head. Before you jump off that cliff into the unknown you need to be a 100% sure of yourself and what you’re doing because if you get it wrong you’ll end up more screwed up than when you first started!

To this end try and assemble a group of knowledgeable confidantes who can honestly advise you. Your ideas might be crazy and out of this world but there’s bound to be someone out there who thinks the same way as you and can help you to make the “go” or “no go” decision. Only then proceed.

So there you have it! To be independent and disrupt the System you need to be yourself: independent, resilient, decisive and resourceful.

For the foreseeable future no government, anywhere in the world, will be able to help its citizens to live a better life.

It’s up to you.

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 Opinion

How about 3 Sitting Presidents for Nigeria? |By: Tony Ogunlowo

The 2019 Nigerian Presidential elections are just around the corner and the electorate are going to be faced with the age-old problem of electing one from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly( – and I’m not providing any clues to who is who!)
Whoever gets elected will face the age-old problem of tribalism, Corruption and Religious differences that has dogged Nigeria as a nation since 1960. Faced with all these problems any new President will spend his entire 4-year tenure battling them instead of doing anything positive for the nation: as a result progress will become stagnant, nothing gets done and all existing problems remain.
Recently an interesting thing happened in the formally war-torn country of Bosnia and Herzegovina – they elected THREE PRESIDENTS to run the country!

It what seems to be a ludicrous political joke it is aimed at promoting peace and keeping the country together : the position is pro-rata and each elected President will spend 8 months at the helm of affairs before passing on the baton to the next.
Bosnia, just like Nigeria, is a 3-nation state rather than one: they have three major ethnic groups – Bosnians, Serbs and Croats – who rarely get along and lead to the bloody civil war that engulfed the country in the 90’s.
Nigeria has naturally been divided into 3 regions since time began by the Rivers’ Niger and Benue creating the North, the West and the South-East. Also the people are different – the Hausa, the Yorubas and the Igbos – have carved out their own territories; Religiously, Muslims are predominantly in the North and the Christians in the South.
There have been several attempts to carve up the country that led to a civil war and constant civil unrest. Unfortunately we’re still stuck together, Nigeria will always be one nation, kept together by greed (- Oil!) rather than anything else.

The politics of Nigeria will always be dogged by religious and tribal issues so why not have 3 sitting Presidents? This will be a throwback to the past when there was a Premier for the West, East and North only that they will have full Presidential powers. It’ll take a major re-working of our constitution but the results will be worth it( sic – I’m not sure the pro-rata thing will work: they might all have to rule at the same time!

So the Presidency which is usually the domain of a single person will be de-regulated to accommodate three and the position of Vice-president will become obsolete. So, at the same time, you’ll have a Yoruba President, an Igbo President and a Hausa President – all with equal powers- running the country; hopefully from different political parties! Eventhough their different ideologies and inability to control corruption might still be a problem.
So instead of the Federal Republic of Nigeria you’ll have  the Confederation of Nigeria where all will come together for the betterment of  the country(- perhaps?) and all major ethnic tribes will all be equally represented at Aso Rock. So nobody will be able to complain when things are bad and not working because there’s a Muslim, Christian, Northerner or Southerner as President.

Considering Nigeria has tried every form of government known to Man in an effort to find what is suitable to us  – parliamentary, military dictatorships, federal( we haven’t tried communism or socialism yet but if we do its obvious who the Fat Cats will be!) – to no avail, having 3 sitting Presidents wouldn’t go amiss in our efforts to find a viable way to govern an un-governable nation.

Tony blogs at http://www.archangel641.blogspot.co.uk
Photo Credit: BBC

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 Opinion, Technology

Why Most Online Businesses Fail ~ By: Tony Ogunlowo

Even though  e-entrepreneurship is the new gold rush of the 21st century 90% of start-ups fail within their first year.
Why?
Lots of people try to make money online because in comparison to traditional businesses it’s relatively easy to set-up and it’s not capital intensive. The belief is you can make a lot of money in a short period of time. 

This is where people get it wrong – they want to make a lot of money in the shortest time possible. Think this way and you’ll crash within months! All the top internet giants of today – Facebook, Google – didn’t make any money in their first few years of operation. It takes time for you to build up your brand and make it profitable. This cannot be done overnight and there’s a lot of things to learn, learn again and keeping on learning.

You need to have a passion for what you’re doing and be prepared to work very long hours, sometimes probably 24/7, for months on end, perhaps even years without the prospect of a pay check at the end of the day.
Do it because you love what you’re doing and you’re prepared to commit your everything to it before you break even. If you can’t do this stick with the 9 – 5 job!

Another thing that makes a lot of online businesses fail is what I call the ‘Copycat Syndrome’. The mere fact somebody is making it big as a blogger, vlogger, apps developer or affiliate marketer doesn’t automatically mean you can duplicate their success; a lot of undocumented hard work would have got them to where they are now – this is the ‘secret’ they don’t share with you!

Stick to what you know best and what you’re good at and don’t copy others. All those who tried to copy twitter, Facebook and even Linda Ikeji have all disappeared over the years. Be original.
Watch the pennies: start small and grow gradually. I had a friend who wanted to set up an online media portal. Even before he had his website up and running he had hired 6 staff and rented a big office. With only a little money trickling in from sponsorships and advertising he soon found himself in the red and debt and had to close down. Only hire people and premises when you need to. Most of the time all you need is a laptop with internet connection. Keep it simple and small in the beginning.

Time: most people become entrepreneurs because they believe they will have more time for themselves – wrong! Until you’re making mega-bucks being an entrepreneur is a 24/7 affair – no time off, no holidays, no social life…nothing! You’ll literally be working all hours. So if you want more time off you better stick   with your current job where you’ll only work 9 – 5, have the weekends off and 2 weeks holiday per annum!
You also need to watch out for the competition: whatever you are doing there is bound to be somebody else doing the same thing somewhere else in the world which means you have to be innovative and on top of your game; look at the competition Uber is facing around the world from other copycats? If you let the competition get the better of you, you’ll sink like a stone in water. Look how Google destroyed AOL,Yahoo and Hotmail and relegated them to the back of the queue.

So to re-cap if you want to be a successful e-entrepreneur you can’t be motivated solely by the money you can make, be unique and don’t copy others(-blindly!), watch your budget – and your competitors and be prepared to work extremely hard.
Goodluck!

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