Let me congratulate the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the three-day retreat for Nigerian governors in Kigali, Rwanda from August 24–26, 2023. Sure, great speakers must have presented development cases which the Excellencies are expected to take back to Nigeria, to advance our citizens.
Nonetheless, let me add three things as part of my unsolicited contributions on what makes Rwanda amazing:
1.Pursuit of Zero Corruption: Rwanda has done well on building institutions and those institutions are designed to be supreme, above the citizens. If you walk into the Rwanda Development Board, you may think you are in Goldman Sachs, on their quality, and execution capabilities. I had the privilege of contributing to their technology roadmap. They have a clear playbook to make corruption insignificant on the affairs of the nation. (Message: kill corruption in states)
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2.Pursuit of Diaspora: Rwanda possibly knows every Rwandan studying abroad, and has a plan on what that person could do for the nation upon graduation. As you might have seen, most of the young Rwandans running the government came back because the government has a plan for them. (Message: what plans do you have for the youth of your state?)
3. Accumulation of Capabilities: This is where Rwanda is unparalleled in Africa. They look around the world, enticing capable people to come and help them. Nigerians are always available. From Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, I was on for the Rwanda campus extension. Prof Egiebor was the deputy vice chancellor of the University of Rwanda. Prof Ogwu was the rector of Kigali Institute of Technology, Rwanda. ETC. (Message: look for capable people because every Nigerian could be an Abian, Lagosian, etc and use the best to advance shared prosperity in your state)
Please add these three components as you transform our Nigerian states.
Comment on Feed
Comment 1: What is the strategic reason for Nigerian Governors’ Forum to have a retreat all the way in Rwanda??
Comment 1R: it was important for them to see a live case of an African country that actually works. It’s different from speaking about these things like it’s a dream or fantasy. Hopefully they got the point
Comment 1R: I want to believe it’s for Environmental influence on human psychology reasons,it’s a welcome development,going outside your common ecosystem to learn,see and witness something uncommon to your usual terrain. Rwandan being one of the fastest growing African economies isn’t a bad place for such,I hope they also do same by visiting Egypt and even inviting the Leaders of UAE ?? to such gatherings to help change their leadership mentality and switch priorities from what it use to be to what it’s supposed to be.
Comment 2: Insightful points! Rwanda’s approach to corruption, diaspora engagement, and attracting capabilities is indeed remarkable. These lessons hold immense value for advancing our Nigerian states. Thank you for sharing this perspective.
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You have advised the governors well. Each state here can be a Rwanda, because by population size, we have handful of individual states that are more populated than Rwanda. We believe that by hearing directly from the man doing it in Rwanda, with the probable questions they must have asked him, they are not left with any doubt that such is possible in Africa. Some things are better when seen and experienced, instead of just reading about them.
As to your Point 3, what I will say is that we are too tribal as a people, it is not just at national level, but within states and regions, you still see tribalism to point of self-destruction. Once someone is brought from a different state to help another state, you see the local people agitating, questioning whether there’s no ‘capable’ son or daughter of the soil to do the job. But the truth is that you cannot always have all the capable hands from the state, in fact it’s almost impossible, some require people with different mentality and perspective, without any form of entitlement.
We need to grow in so many areas as humans, both leaders and the followers; there are too many things that undermine development and progress that are commonly seen among our people, we can do much better.