In the Grandiose Parlor…

Makoko, Lagos Nigeria. Photo: Ale Ramirez on FLICKR

Slum on stilts is the description for the 50,000+ strong fishing community called Makoko that abuts and stretches into the Lagos lagoon. Some have called it ugly, “ugly(” Idowu Ogunleye, photo journalist, Lagos), and even “dangerous and volatile” (John Vidal, Guardian).

Looking from outside, either though photographs, or from above while driving across the adjacent bridges, I see something different: I marvel at the resiliency of the inhabitants. Continue reading…

Child defecating in a canal in the slum of Gege in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria (Photo: Adebayo Alao, Sept. 2007)

It has taken some 30-50 years for the environmental abuse in the Niger Delta to creep into the consciousness of the nation and the international community. As sad as this may be, it’s even sadder that payback for this long wait is now being paid at huge costs to all.

Now, I’m wont to ponder if Nigeria is not already at the brink of another environmental disaster, which, this time, will extend well beyond the boundaries of the delta creeks. Nigerians have been getting high on waste, all sorts of waste and pollution — domestic and industrial in origin. From the innocuously discarded, non-biodegradable ‘pure water’ plastics — the ubiquitous, quarter-liter, mass produced, plastic water-in-sachet available everywhere in Nigeria, to the less visible lethal industrial waste waters, the obvious signs of failed — or nonexistent — waste management/environmental protection policy is clear for all to see.

Sadly, as the waste heaps is building up around the cities, the countdown to disaster is running down as well, surreptitiously bringing us closer to an explosive threshold. The truth is we are closer to the tipping point than ever.

Perhaps, this scenario isn’t all too obvious to many in the home country, who because of other ‘competing interests’ have become blunted to the sight of mounting roadside filth, the plastic bag-clogged gutters, or oblivious to what’s being flushed down the gutters and streams by the industries across the street.

I’m convinced this is the time for environmental angels — social entrepreneurs or better still ecopreneurs — to emerge and start the work of cleaning and saving our environment and societies.

The key words must be innovation, advocacy, and government backing. Their tactics must be bold, complementary and sustainable. These — plus government backing in policies formulating regulation enforcement — can guarantee tangible rewards.

As our colleagues in other worlds are exploring concepts that mitigate environmental distress, so must we pay attention, and be ready to tap into pockets of resources to create tangible value-adding ventures that halt the environmental decay and push back the blind sprint toward doomsday. Nigeria can’t afford another ‘Niger Delta-like’ mishap.

Some worthy areas to explore:

• Turning biodegradable municipal and industrial waste to organic fertilizer
• Use of renewable resources (solar, biofuel),and wastes to generate power, this is ideal for small scale off-grid power projects
• Production of biodegradable plastics; a promising though nascent technology that packs huge rewards.

And there several more can-work business/policy/public health ideas in the areas of municipal water supply, eco-friendly urban renewal projects, livestock/abattoir management, biodiesel production using industrial waste, etc.

Any ecopreneurs in the house? By the way, I know only of one

Watch Ayodeji Megbope, founder of “No Left Over”, a local eatery in Lagos talk about her experience pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams on CNBC with Erin Burnett.

The first ever Nigerian ICT barcamp held last weekend in Lagos, and from what I’ve been reading, it was a success.

One the innate problems I think most Nigerians have — based on my experience and observations since 2005 — is the lack of cohesion and reluctance to pursue common purpose goals. These limitations, plus the over-aching lack of focus of the top national policy makers — as Oro blog points out, have resulted in a Nigerian ICT sector that has repeatedly failed to live up to expectation, particularly in comparison to other African countries like Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa.

It is uplifting to read about the BarCamp Nigeria; my hope is that the event will translate into a series of ripples that invigorate the entire nation, both private and public sectors.

As the most populous African nation with a burgeoning base of Internet users, (Nigeria is currently second to Egypt at 10 million internet users), nature and geography have bestowed on Nigeria the ability to take huge strides; it is an absurdity that Nigeria lacks a national agenda on ICT.

One area I think Nigeria stands to gain the most is the use of web and related technologies in effecting/augmenting/facilitating changes at the social, economic and political levels of endeavor. The emphasis should not be ‘clone-hatching’ of existing works, but a creation of value-adding applications, deplorable at the enterprise level.

A great example of a value-adding venture is the Taiwo Ayedun/Fola Adeola-led Credit Registry, Nigeria’s pioneer private credit bureau. Credit Registry is unique in its use of biometrics to address identity fraud and the country’s lack of national ID numbering system. See Grandiose Parlor profile of CreditRegistry.

In closing, it will nice if the organizers of the event would release and post a communique of the event and future ideas and plans.

One of the fantastic qualities of blogs and other social media is the wealth of information — or should I say the chain of information –it create via hyperlinks. OK, check out this example of turning waste to wealth: plastic bags sorted from garbage are being used to make road pavestones (paving stones or paver stones) in Mali.

The process is simple: plastic bags and other plastic pieces sorted from garbage are burnt and mixed with sand. The resulting paste is poured while hot into a special mold and compressed. After a few minutes a pavestone is ready.

Aside from the unhealthy fumes from the plastic combustion, the idea is a fantastic way of using and turning what normally constitutes environmental nuisance into something useful. Pavestones are great way to control erosion, and are quite appealing when laid properly.

Hat-tips to Sociolingo’s Africa for starting the chain of information, and Timbuktu Chronicles and AfricanLoft Lounge (video of the process) for propagating it further. Original story from France24.

I would love to lead or see an experiment that implements this idea on a larger scale in Nigeria, particularly Ondo State. With the perpetually rising cost of cement, the tar resulting from the combusted plastics makes a great and cheaper alternative to making paving stones.

This link — Wiki your Town Council goes to a story published on Technology Review where social media is being used in for civic purposes. The story discusses some ideas one of which is how users of the sites can “rate the [elected] officials on job performance, create social-networking functions around local issues, and let users make free Internet-based phone calls to the [elected] officials”. The story encapsulates what I would love to see emerge from the Nigerian community of web enthusiasts and social advocates, and the hordes of political and social commentators operating at home and abroad.

“For democracy to be meaningful and thrive, the governed must be informed, proactive, forward thinking, and able to monitor the activities of their elected officials.” – Grandiose Parlor, August 2007.

In that August ’07 posting, I mentioned Nigeria needs a similar web application – the “Nigerian Legislative Scorecard (NLS)”, as I tagged it then.

“The idea is to acquire and assemble those pieces of information in a manner that can be easily used to assess the performance of Nigerian legislators at the end of their terms.”

Even though I asked and didn’t receive any input on the idea then, the fact that a similar –- though much more elaborate -– concept is being developed elsewhere confirms my vision — and also tells the doubting Thomas out there that the idea is solid and should be explored further.

There is one fact all Nigerian pundits must face: punditry — whether online, televised or in print –- has a limit, especially within the viscous Nigerian milieu of executive arrogance and social irresponsibility. They can’t keep writing and talking about the same topics — poor governance, bad leadership, corruption, etc, day-in and day-out and expect to see changes. Not in Nigeria most certainly.

Nigerians have written volumes of commentary on political issues, appraised government policies, and even staged protests and demonstrations, but there is one thing they have yet to do: Grab elected officials by their throats and hold them accountable. Nigerians have failed to look at them eyeball-to-eyeball and ask questions. And in few times they did ask and got unsatisfactory answers, they have lacked the courage to wrestle them down and kick then out.

Nigerians must be able to assess their elected officials via their voting records, public statements, issue positions, and constituency engagements. These data can be aggregated and refined into blocks of information to demonstrate how well elected officials have served.

These are the kind of efforts that must be in play in Nigeria of the 21st century.

The good thing is that there are several templates to explore…what is needed is the will to start.

This is a continuation of the series examining a turnaround strategy called the “80-20 3 Level” concept, an alternative mode of “doing things in Nigeria”. The series is spurred by the need to move Nigeria forward, from what has been described as ‘persistent psychological paralysis‘ – a state of ineptness secondary to the failures of the Nigerian political class, and apathetic tendencies of the Nigerian people.

Part 1 of the series provides some background information and the framework of the “80-20 3 Level” concept, which can summarized as follows:

It is not necessary to have 100% participatory rate to initiate change; as little as 20% engagement rate is enough, according to the Pareto’s Principle (the 80-20 rule). Lets call this 20% the “change seekers“, they needed to be identified and mobilized to operate on three (3) specific levels within the Nigerian economic and sociopolitical spheres. It is expected that the activities of the social changers – direct and indirect – will bring about positive within their spheres of operation.

The key factor is being able to identify the change seekers, and mobilize them within the three levels of the Nigerian society, as listed below.

What does it mean to operate on three (3) levels? And what caliber of Nigerians are required?

Level 1 – The Public servants / Public Sector. Imagine people with the mindset of:

• Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the former Finance Minister;
• Late Dr. Olikoye Ransome Kuti, the former Health Minister;
• Dr. Dora Aduyili of NAFDAC;
• Abike Dabiri, a member of Federal House of Representatives, and the sponsor of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill;
• Malam Nasir EL-Rufai, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Common Traits: Public service, intellectual, technocrat, experience, passion.

Level 2 – Captains of Industry. Imagine the likes of:

• Oba Otudeko, the Chairman of Honeywell Group and a former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange;
• Fola Adeola, the founder and chairman Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and FATE Foundation;
• Michael Ibru, head of the Ibru Organization, one of the largest conglomerates in Nigeria;
• Dr. Bart Nnaji of Geometric Power; an indigenous private-sector driven power solutions provider. It’s vision is be the premier power solutions provider in sub-Saharan Africa;
• Bode Akindele of Modandola. A self-made man entrepreneur and founder of the Aramed Medical Center;

Common Traits: Private sector, industry, wealth, business-savvy, self-starter, passion.

Level 3 – Social Activists, the “Town Criers”. Imagine the likes of:

• Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate;
• Toyosi Akerele, founder of the Rise Networks, a youth empowerment organization;
• Omoyele Sowore, founder of the independent and investigative Nigerian news website, Sahara Reporters ;
• Femi Falana, social activist and lawyer;
• Gbegan Sesan; a newly inducted Ashoka Fellow and initiator of Ajegunle.Org, a collaborative venture designed to connect the youth population of largest slum with life-changing and wealth-creating opportunities.

Common Traits: radicalism, creativity, young blood, passion.

Enough of name dropping, but I hope you have a sense of the kind of personality each level requires. Be free to expand the list as you deem fit.

Why operate on three levels?

The usual modus operandi of governance is typically limited to the top; Level 1. Even when matters of national interest are discussed among the grassroots, it’s often done with reference to the top, the so-called “government”.

What differentiates the “80-20 3 Level” concept from other ideas is that it recognizes the multi-dimensional characteristic of initiating change, within the context of governance, and with the intent of bringing about a national renaissance. This is achieved by making allowance for the roles of the public sector (Level 1), the private sector (Level 2) and the social activist-community (Level 3), and not just focusing on Level 1, which just constitute a 1/3 of the system.

That we have identified elements for each level, the next question is: what is their mandate?

How would these personalities operate, work towards the goal of moving the nation forward, and by extension, motivate the Nigerian masses and energize them?

This will be discussed in Part 3 of the series, with specific examples as needed. Part 3 will address the role of social business within a capitalistic setting, and the relevance of social advocacy and grassroots engagement.

Related:
Nigeria: Land of Opportunities…and Nightmares