The political ecosystem will never improve until the economic and business climates advance. Because the promises of politicians are taxes on companies and citizens, the private sector must necessarily advance before the hopeful continent we desire for Africa. While we all desire a more efficient public sector, the fact remains that only governments which are funded by private sectors would have the resources to serve citizens and firms. Yes, you want roads in your village. Good desire, but someone has to pay taxes for government to have the resources to do just that.
People, nations rise when entrepreneurs emerge to pioneer new domains – Africa needs pioneers in markets to redesign our beautiful continent for good – and this can happen despite the paralysis in the political system! The Nigerian Nollywood – the film industry – grew with no political catalyst. Simply, someone anchored and seeded it.
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User – This looks simple but somewhat critical. “only government funded by public sectors”? What is separability? Between the government and the public who OUGHT to create the enabling environment? I am still wondering what a father who is rich but refuses to train the child expects of the child?
Ndubuisi Ekekwe – The father govt is severely poor at the moment!
Untrue sir. A thing can not be and be at the same time. Mbaise has one of the highest numbers of graduates in Nigeria and yet lacks virtually both, mineral and natural resources (no many lands). But they sacrifice to train their children. A hopeless Father looks at his savings before considering sending the child to school while a futuristic father works towards it. That’s against the law of thought. The poverty of the mind? Yes! Resources? No!
Having graduates does not make you wealthy. I work with many dropouts who hire professors to speak before them every quarter. The richest tribe in Africa – Nnewi – has the highest created wealth per year in school. What advances people is solving problems, not degrees. The great Aro in ancient Igbo in Nigeria were ace-traders who “colonized” all parts of Igboland through mastery of trade. Read Omenuko by Pita Nwana. If schools do not solve problems, degrees are useless. Mbaise is in Nigeria whose $24B budget for 200m cannot compare to $122B South Africa has for 57m people nor one company in SA buying all firms in Nigerian stock exchange with 30% of its value. https://www.tekedia.com/problems-inventive-societies-video/
Good argument. Can a good seed make it without a fertile ground? No! I am from Ike-Isu community, Isu town in Arochukwu LGA. I used school just as an illustration and not in place of education. The Nnewi guys are ‘educated’ – educo, educare(schooling is just an aspect of education). More educated than many. How is Arochukwu now? What about Omenukur’s family? Being an opportunist doesn’t make any a mastery of a thing. There is more to societal becoming.
My point is that those people advanced before government because they focused on solving problems by having skills that address problems in societies. Across human history, nations rise when problem solvers emerge. Carnegie built American steel. Rockefeller was the energy industry – out of his company, US created the sector. Mellon pioneered banking, teaching govt how far. Paulo and co built Nollywood before govt knew anything about it. Nigeria needs pioneers. If we have them, govt will adjust. Govts matter but they do not need to lead the party
This argument is more powerful and better sir. I bow with due respect
gaskiya
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Only those with builders mindset understand this, ordinary citizens get their own inspiration from the government, so when government appears clueless, then you have paralysis everywhere.
Nations are built by entrepreneurs, not politicians, we tend to overvalue the usefulness of politicians; they can influence things, but they can never build anything that will be sustainable. That thing called ‘enabling environment’ is a ruse, it doesn’t actually exist anywhere. People first rise and take bold steps, the outcome is what creates ‘enabling environment.’
In my piece on Nation of Entrepreneurs, I mentioned three categories of people you need, if you want your nation to rise. The first and most important are the builders, followed by managers, then you have the experts. Our inability to systematically produce each of these categories and scale them is why we keep drawing circles.
Policy without talent and resources to execute will always fail, governments don’t solve problems, they only know how to compound them.
Those who want something more usually make the first move, if you are waiting for the government to move first, then it means that you do not really know what you want. When you succeed, you lift the government!
The summary – “When you succeed, you lift the government!”