Existential Realities of Nigerian Project

By Frank Nweke Jnr.

Since the arrival of Europeans on the Nigerian soil centuries ago, the pathways of Europe and Nigeria, indeed Africa, have intersected in fundamental and fascinating ways. Today, the world is a global village - a phenomenal remapping of worldwide political, economic and social relations.

This reality, marked by the collapse of time and space, is profoundly mainstreaming as well as readjusting global boundaries in such a way that all countries irrespective of political ideology, racial distinctiveness, religious creed, or whatsoever could be a dividing line, are inextricably and involuntarily annexed together. Thus, the realism is that, happening in one country could cause a ripple effect in another country. The implication of this globalizing effect obviously is that NO country however, it is perceived to be great, can exist in isolation.

It is instructive to note also that with globalization has come the increasing movement of human traffic, especially from developing to developed nations, perhaps in search of greater opportunities, in all human endeavours. Your presence here is an eloquent testimony to this reality. Indeed, you - men and women of distinction - have been described by one of Africa's best literary icons, Nigeria's Isidore Okpewho, as the new African Diaspora, who can be distinguished from the traditional Diasporas, who were dispersed from their homeland by a traumatic, even catastrophic use of coercion or violence.

The New African Diasporas, to which, my brother, my sister you belong, places you at a unique vantage position of influence, affluence, and responsibility. As a Nigerian extraction of the African Diaspora community, your status bequeath to you, a moral burden to our father land, Nigeria - the Heart of Africa - a social, economic and political burden that you CANNOT possibly deny.

Fellow country men, Nigeria calls. More than ever, you need to pick up the gauntlet of being part of the momentous and unprecedented development unfolding at home. YOU! YES, YOU are needed to actively engage, through your expertise, in the reconstruction process that our country is witnessing under the present democratic order.

Compatriots! You will recall that once upon a time our country was a pride to all of us, the golden years when people used to flock to our country. Then came the reversal which set in and peaked in the decade and a half preceding 1999. Today, Nigeria is fast rolling back the years of the locusts as we have migrated from the era of despair to concrete repositioning of our nation, for sustainable growth and development.

The impact may not have percolated all nooks and crannies of our society as fast as many people expected it to be - this is not unusual. No one should expect decades of decadence, as we experienced, to be totally reversed in a few years. It will be therefore unkind, unAfrican and unGodly to deny the reality of the unimaginable, positive and measurable leap we have recorded in pursuance of national development.

A few reminders are pertinent here. In 1999, there were about 400,000 functional telephone lines in Nigeria but now we have about 22 million functional telephone lines. Expenditure on water supply has increased by 65 percent. And as a testimony to our growth, you, as well as our compatriots and other viewers in the United States and others in the Diaspora will soon be able to receive the signals of the Nigerian Television Authority. The agriculture sector has taken a quantum leap with an annual growth rate of eight percent and set to reclaim its status as a major revenue earner, just as the health sector has shed its hitherto moribund garb, and industrial capacity utilization is picking up. We have also witnessed remarkable changes both in number and quality of roads and other resources of our transportation systems.

Also as a demonstration of the value the present administration attaches to the lives of our people, NAFDAC has been strengthened to smash the horde of syndicates manufacturing fake drugs and other consumables.

Complaints still abound on the inadequacy of regular power supply in our country. The complaints are legitimate especially as the power sector had no new investments for at least a decade before the return of democracy. It must be noted however that power generation increased to an unprecedented height since 1999. As I speak, the Federal Government is undertaking 19 new power projects (reputed to be the largest in the world) either solely or in partnership with State governments and corporate organisations. By 2010, Nigeria will comfortably generate electricity in excess of 10,000 Mega Watts.

Nigeria is on the rise again, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. Only few months ago, Nigeria was rated BB- (BB Minus) by Fitch, one of the world's best major credit rating agencies and unarguably the leader in providing ratings on debt issues by countries. A similarly spectacular rating also came from Standards and Poors. Nigeria's 35 percent rate of returns on investment has been rated one of the global highest and our foreign reserve is in excess of 30 billion dollars. Our nation's current debt profile is equally a matter of pride to all of us.

Just last Friday, President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed his delight at the announcement of Nigeria's removal from the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list of Non-Cooperating Countries and Territories. Nigeria was placed on the FATF list of non-cooperating countries in July 2001, having been adjudged to be in substantial non-compliance with a set of 25 criteria including weak anti-money-laundering legislation, inadequate regulation and supervision of the financial sub-sector and the absence of a Financial Intelligence Unit for receipt and analyses of reports of suspicious transactions from financial institutions.

The country's de-listing by the FATF is in recognition of the significant progress which the Obasanjo Administration has made in sanitizing the country's financial sector and implementing the National Strategy Against Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. With the de-listing by the FATF, Nigeria is now free of encumbrances that have the capacity to stifle the inflow of investment and economic growth.

Furthermore, as a consequence of the unprecedented re-engineering of the private and public sectors, it is now possible for people and institutions in other countries to successfully transact business with agencies of the Nigerian government electronically. Also, the banking sector has been revolutionized and strengthened to support our status as Africa's largest and fastest growing economy as well as a continental hub of business.

Brothers and Sisters, let me quickly remind us that the Nigerian Government has also established its commitment to the principles of freedom, transparency and accountability - the defining matrices of good governance and development. Evidence of freedom abounds in the culture of debate, which has engulfed the political landscape since the dawn of our democracy. Our belief in the doctrines of transparency and accountability also found the best expression in the fact that the geography of the anti-graft war has expanded to embrace the hitherto invincible.

The potential inherent in our solid mineral resources is unfolding beyond our imagination and service delivery has been institutionalized as an articulate demonstration of our belief in the philosophy of Social Contract. All these are happening simultaneously with the restoration of sanity to the procurement process in the conduct of government business. This Due Process mechanism has saved government billions of naira and reduced the incidence of corruption.

The deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry has guaranteed regular supply of petroleum products and opened a floodgate of employment opportunities. In the next three years, Nigeria will be spending $67 billion in the oil sector to expand the frontiers of opportunity for our people to optimize their potential and accentuate national growth. Internationally, Nigeria can hold its own in the comity of nations and our intervention in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire and Sudan, are demonstrations of our commitment to peace and security.

Friends, brothers and sisters, it is evident that our country is growing in leaps and bounds in all sectors due largely to the pragmatic and visionary leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo and a resourceful citizenry.

However, in spite of these achievements, we cannot deny the truth that there is a wealth of expertise - financial, technical and intellectual - in the Diaspora. Nigeria and indeed many of our kinsmen scattered all over our native land require your help to overcome the challenges of development such as environmental degradation, food, security, energy supply, HIV/AIDS and other health problems, equitable economic growth and sundry social realities threatening to hold us in backward conditions. You need to take your place at home to develop integrated strategies that will fast track our development efforts. As professionals, you need to take concrete steps to liaise with your professional kith and kin at home to ensure a symbiotic strengthening of capacities needed for the challenge of development.

As ambassadors of our great country, Nigeria - The Heart of Africa - you are also in a position to counter the negative image and apocalyptic pictures that western media have constructed of our dear country. Kinsmen, we cannot continue to leave the image of our dear country in the fickle hands of the western media. We must fight to present our beloved country in its true, glorious colours. To do so, those of you in the Diaspora would have to forge an alliance to counteract negativity and replace it with a positive, shinning image of our great country, Nigeria - The Heart of Africa.

However, you must comport yourselves well and carry the banner of the great traditional African values that differentiate and distinguish us from the rest of human civilizations. You must refuse the temptation to indulge in aberrant actions in order to roll back the uncharitable, stereotypical and ethnocentric labels which some people try to force on us.

This task will also demand of you to offer a superior logic to our compatriots who may want to provide the requisite weapons for the enemies to mudsling and destroy our chequered heritage. You will do all these and perhaps many more in order to reclaim our place among the galaxy of civilizations but importantly, you must challenge any attempt, overtly or covertly, to treat you unfairly.

Finally, I urge you, once again, to please put an end to any pessimism and apathy to your homeland. It remains the only one you have. As the late President John Kennedy told Americans in his immortal inaugural address on January 20, 1961, I also urge you, fellow Nigerians "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country" and never deny her, what is due of your invaluable contribution to her well being. I equally implore you as President Kennedy did to Americans on that fateful day in 1961, to "ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you." Feel free to offer advise if you feel things are going wrong with our country - you have a right and a duty to do so. And who knows but that you are bestowed with your present positions of influence and responsibility for such a time as this.

Thank you very sincerely for your kind invitation and for your attention.

God Bless Nigeria.

Being text of a keynote address delivered by The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Frank Nweke Jnr, at a seminar organised by Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe ( NIDOE ) held in London on June 29, 2006.