Three things are required to build a nation or a company, and they are People, Processes and Tools. You can have the people but without the processes and tools, you will still fail. Nigeria as a country has the people but the other two are missing at scale.
Processes are the rule of law which governs an ecosystem. Processes are merit-based systems which push people to put their best capabilities. Today, all the startups are “Japa’ing” at a faster rate than our medical doctors and nurses are doing. Yes, due to Nigeria’s failing processes, investors want the startups to be domiciled outside Nigeria. And as the processes fade, we cannot easily deepen and renew our existing process capabilities.
When I was a student in FUTO, there was an Institute of Erosion Studies staffed by Germans (the office was after FUTO’s old SEET building). That Institute was used to ensure roads built in the region had quality to overcome terrible erosion. I knew because the then Director of Works is my kinsman. FUTO ran a robust consultancy which helped in building erosion-resilient roads. Of course, Nigeria happened and those workers left!
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For Tools, you can have the people and processes, but do you have the tools? The tools are the platforms of commerce like postal systems, telecoms, electricity and those boring infrastructure systems. In 2022, South Korea’s total imports were $808.09 billion while Nigeria did about $60.35 billion for goods; South Korea is about 25% of Nigeria’s population. But if you check, South Korea imports were largely machinery, equipment, etc for production (i.e. Tools), while Nigeria’s were for finished goods. Also, in 2022, goods worth around $136.21 billion were imported to South Africa, with many of those industrial equipment. Simply, Nigeria does not have the tools.
Some countries have processes and decent tools and then import People (think of Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE) and they are just fine. Some have tools and people even as they improve processes (think of India), and they look promising. It is key to understand that the Processes are largely what works, on the grounds of pragmatism, and not an ideological partisan liturgy. Yes, you do not take a position, you focus on what is working. China has great processes. Germany has great processes. The UK has great processes. Because those processes work and they have the standard of living to prove.
Nigeria’s best leader is possibly going to be someone who can lead the nation to rebuild its processes and enhance the tools. It goes beyond building new universities to produce the People because this is a triple helix issue which must work symphonically to advance shared prosperity and abundance for all. I share a video here.
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