The population of India is 1.4 billion. The population of Africa is 1.3 billion. The GDP of India is $3.1 trillion. The GDP of Africa is $3 trillion. Did you notice something? Africa and India are just in the same pot, underperforming, despite the perception that India has higher productivity or efficiency. Indeed, the economic efficiency difference between India and Africa is the type which exists between 12 and a dozen. Sure, Africa has more natural resources. But yet, India enjoys one border which has an efficiency factor against Africa.
Why this post? The politicians are throwing technology, technology and technology in their campaigns in Nigeria. One gubernatorial aspirant is all over the place with blockchain for agriculture. People, what African agriculture needs is electricity to power silos, storage systems, etc; water systems for irrigation; and accessible road networks. And of course the big one: security!
I am a techie and I am conscious to write that the buzz of tech does not solve fundamental problems without a policy framework or business model. You can have all the tech experts in the world, and yet underperform on national productivity. That vision is what makes technology deliver big time.
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Yes, politicians in Nigeria should focus on big picture policy designs because that is where the real national revolution and evolution can happen. Sure, when those are designed properly, the techies can help to execute them.
America’s edge is not just having techies but having the world’s finest policy making instrument. The US Congress is an engine of innovation with the capacity to invent the best technologies today and tomorrow even though most people there do not code! I have a case study:
The US Congress which documented the anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act quoted me: “For me, Bayh-Dole Act is the most important business legislature of the last century in the United States. And this is American Congress at its very best moment. It delivered through legislature and transformed the pace of innovation by providing a fluidic system that enhances U.S competitiveness.”
The Bayh-Dole Act as I wrote and spoke was fundamental to modern US competitiveness. Largely, it made it possible for private citizens to commercialize inventions funded by US taxpayers. Without it, there will be no Google*. The evolution of web3, modern AI, blockchain, etc are all encapsulated in that Act even though they were not mentioned therein.
Politicians should think about the big picture and leave the operational tech stacks for the techies. Without those big visions, even the tech will not deliver much, despite the effervescence and exuberance of tech buzz. Indeed, even tech will not save India; only great visions will do. Tech can only help in executing the grand visions.
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Comment 1: “Blockchain for Agriculture”, I heard him say that, my annoyance was triggered. Person never chop, na blocking the chain of yam, cassava, etc. is the order of the day. Africa needs sound leadership — people who understand how things work with simplicity. Let them start implementing policy innovations of developed countries first (like “copy and paste”). Let’s even start from there. Great post, Prof. Ndubuisi.
Comment 2: You cannot proffer solutions to problems till you have got quality data. The majority of African poor particularly Nigerian are in the villages. Technology and innovations among the rural dwellers is a little above zero, hence productivity is extremely low, resulting in high level of poverty. If the government can work on quality input delivery to the farmers by encouraging the establishment of adequate technology such as quality fertilizer, high yielding seeds, labour reducing technologies such as hand driven tillage machines and planters, productivity in the rural sector will thrive, and this will attract agro processors to the rural areas, and the chains will lead to the multiplication of service providers including banking in the rural areas, hence thriving the rural economy, reducing import, improving export and dislodging people from overchoked cities
My Response: “You cannot proffer solutions to problems till you have got quality data.” – it seems you are copying Harvard, MIT, Wharton. That is not applicable to Africa. Everyone in my village and yours know that we need constant electricity, clean water, good roads, security and decent healthcare. What data do you need to offer those? While Harvard etc can write that Boston needs better data, Nigeria does not need that. Why? Boston is moving from 98% to 99% and needs data to drive that. But Nigeria is at 5% and to get to 40%, it has enough data to do that.
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You wrote like who got a knock from an angel last night. Is this you or an ancestor writing through you? Well, either way, let me congratulate the angel for a job well done.
The only small tweak I will make to your piece is in the paragraph where you charged our legislators to see the big picture and think big. I will suggest that rather than hoping and waiting for them to see big picture and think big, they can simply align with big thinkers who are not politicians, to help them with the seeing and thinking, while they just sign off, without asking mundane questions.
Some of us have been singing the song for a long time now, and it’s not clear who’s listening and their capacity to comprehend. Those with capacity to do things are are working, and politicians can as well stand and watch, without interfering. Whenever a piece of legislation is needed, they should just listen and deliver as told.
We are in a country of small minded people, so we have to first understand our level. We were not well prepared for democratic governance, because its success demands some intellectual rigours, which we are never suited for. Our universities were not given responsibilities, and the politicians see political governance as entertainment.