The article you are about to read does not suppose that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is nepotic as it is too early to conclude, but it is a preemptive piece to nudge him to exploit the EDI capability of Nigeria to progress Nigeria towards nationhood. With this guided preface, let us begin.
Mathematics is the language of the universe. Anything that will endure must be embedded in Mathematics. What we refer to as the norm is embedded in mathematics, and it has the same root with normal, normalise or normal distribution. A normal distribution is a statistical profile that must exist if you collect data from a source with inherent variations. The mean (or average) would be at the centre, and the lowest value would be at the left whilst the highest value would be at the right. As a teacher, I always intend to produce a normal distribution skewed to the right in my students’ results. If the distribution skewed significantly to the left, I needed no magician of the Harry Porter type to inform me that something went wrong. Spontaneously, I would launch an investigation and reflective sessions to understand why the distribution skewed towards the left instead of right. The distribution should at least form a normal Poisson’s distribution with the mean above 50%.
Another thing that makes mathematics beautiful is its power to predict the future with a reasonable degree of reliability. With Mathematics, I believe more in science than in witchcraft or African magic. The first irritation in mathematics may be when one starts dealing with subtraction of a bigger number from a smaller number in algebra. That is the first time students would start accommodating abnormal thinking. If you doubt this, ask any child in primary school the answer to 5 – 8 (i.e. five take away eight). The child may try to rearrange this to 8 – 5 so that he/she can answer 3 (but this is against the rule of algebra). A mathematically confident child may assert that it is a mathematical impossibility, particularly when you convert the mathematics to money maths. For instance, if you illustrate that the child has N5 and someone takes away N8 from him/her. I can imagine the strange look on the child’s face and the faltering voice as (s)he rehashes the question to check if you made a mistake. Adults who are not knowledgeable in accounting may not know the implication of N5 – N8. The answer is that you will have a liability (or be in debit or owing) whenever you take away a bigger number from a smaller number in accounting and finance. In this case, N5 – N8 would be – N3 (i.e. you will be owing N3). Away from mathematics to nationbuilding but have this mathematical background in mind as we will come back to them later.
I had an opportunity to make a presentation in the UK during an EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) event in my School. I titled it “Nigeria: Giant of Africa.” Please send a request to Chukwumao@oef.org.ng to get a copy of the slides. Because I was to make this presentation to intellectuals at the university, I worked very hard to leave no stone unturned to the best of my ability and I covered diverse topics about Nigeria including history, climate, geography, culture and people, natural endowment, and a projection into the future about the place of Nigeria in Africa and in the global scheme of influence. As a Scholar with a pedagogical ideology that learning occurs in the process domain of Questelligence, I can state for a fact that the research process for the presentation improved my thinking about my Nigerian heritage and deeply endeared me more to her as my motherland. I am also in my departmental committee on EDI. So, over the years, I have become more aware of the power of harnessing EDI in groups ranging from the level of family, community, organisation, state, nation, or at a global level. In my recent book, LEAN and AGILE SERVICES: Inspiring Service Industry Change Through Story: The Lean Thinking Way ( https://amzn.eu/d/eppCMmG), I narrated that the medical team that performed a surgery on me in a UK hospital was diverse in terms of gender. I went on to infer that any nation that harnesses gender inclusion is more likely to be developed compared to nations that exclude women and youths. Let us also logically establish, based on the governance configuration of Nigeria that any state that includes all its local government in a sustainable development plan is likely to be more developed than any state that excludes some local governments. By extensions, Nigeria would develop faster, collaboratively and holistically if its development plans included genders, states, ethnic groups, regions, religions, demographics, etc. The keyword is inclusion that accommodates diversity and a sense of equality in nationbuilding. I can never forget when I paused during my EDI presentation, looked at the audience and stated with dramatic effects that ” the greatest asset of Nigeria is its rich diversity.”
Talking of equality, the Nigerian Constitution (1999 as amended) appeared very futuristic because the principle of federal character was about equality, diversity and inclusion. This was even before the modern emphasis on EDI in organisations and nations. So, Nigerians have inherent instincts of what is inclusive, what is diverse, and what is egalitarian. This was why it was a season of outrage when former President Muhammadu Buhari mentioned at the White House to former President Obama, howbeit implicitly that the Southeast that gave him 5% votes should not expect much from his government. It was like an official policy as the Southeast appeared worse off at the end of Buhari’s administration. I recall a time that he received so much push back from Nigerians, and he retorted that the Southeast should at least expect inclusion to the extent that the Constitution guarantees them ministerial appointments from the five states from the Southeast. I stopped discussing EDI during the regime of former President Buhari when he stated on a national TV interview that the reason he excluded Southeast from the railway project but included Niger Republic (Maradi) was to boost the economy of Nigeria since Niger can link up to Lagos via train to export their goods through Lagos. Moreover that he has his cousins in Niger. Like a primary school pupil, I was hearing 5 – 8 as I was listening to the explanation from a president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Everyone from Nigeria knows that the Southeastern part is so business-oriented that a single snake-like train passing through Lagos, Edo, Asaba, Nnewi, Onitsha, Enugu, Abakaliki, Aba and terminating at Portharcourt could be more profitable for Nigeria compared to the Maladi route. I did not wish to contemplate that the money borrowed from China to construct the railway to Niger Republic was expected to be repaid with taxes from all the regions in Nigeria, including the Southeast. I do not believe that a taxpayer in Kano or Ekiki or Bayelsa would prefer to build a railway to Niger instead of linking Southeast. I know this because I still remember how former Minister Rotimi Amaechi could not defend this at the Senate’s investigation of the Chinese loans. The federal government was comfortable to borrow or take taxes from Nigeria to improve the economy of another country whilst still in dire need of the same infrastructure within its territory.
Remarkably, it was under the regime of former President Buhari that nepotism was normalised in Nigeria. When President Bola Tinubu assumed the seat of the President on May 29, 2023, he swiftly made appointments that appeared like a RENEWED HOPE. His appointment of service chiefs reasonably reflected the EDI of Nigeria and many of us praised him, and we felt that Daniel had indeed come to judgement and Nigeria was about to normalise its EDI capability. President Tinubu went even further to appoint young people (e.g. Bosun, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy) and women. The hailing was sustained until recently that it appeared that some people reminded President Tinubu that he was deviating from the new normal established by former President Buhari. I would imagine that someone may have even childed him as to whether he has forgotten the meaning of “emilokan” which they may add emphasis to mean “Yorubalokan”. Suddenly, a pattern of exclusion is began to emerge in which the ministry of finance and revenue generating agencies and CBN, EFCC and other key positions in security have to go to the Yoruba ethnic group. Emiefele and Bawa were fired, and they did not complete their tenure, but replacements came from the President’s region. EDI perception in Nigeria is very sensitive, and it is often at risk for little acts as this.
I forgot to mention that when children understand that 5 – 8 is mathematically plausible, it becomes normalised in their mind. Yes, it is possible to normalise abnormalities in the mind, just as we have to assume some states in Maths in order do Maths. To cure the 5 – 8 arithmetic, which deviates from the normal 8 – 5, a negative (-) was invented. Although former President Buhari left nepotism in Nigeria’s nationbuilding fabric, today, Northern Nigeria is nowhere a heaven on earth and the overall state of Nigeria as a country appeared to be in a state of liability compared to when former President Buhari took over from former President Jonathan in 2015. Clearly, the value of EDI in nationbuilding, particularly for Nigeria, should be in a special class of “critical intangible asset”. Eroding the principle of EDI in Nigeria is like executing 5 – 8 as less valuable appointments (5) would be eroding Nigeria’s EDI capability (8), thereby generating unneeded liabilities (-3).
Since nepotism was not invented and normalised by President Tinubu, it may appear normal to many Nigerians if he gave appointments along ethnic grouping even if it degrades EDI capability of Nigeria. Anyone that complains would be referred to the Buhari’s regime. As indicated in the preface, it is still too early to conclude whether President Tinubu improved or degraded Nigeria’s EDI capability as he is just starting, but the preemptive value of this article should not be underestimated. Personally, appointments are not really an advantage for any ethnic group. Nonetheless, the reason appointment is an indicator of EDI perception in Nigeria is that the system is badly skewed away from merit but towards the exclusion of the unrepresented. Once you are not represented, it is difficult to expect anything from programmes and projects of the powerful federal government. My understanding is that EDI is a soft asset, and I think that President Tinubu’s team and influencers need to realise this as quickly as possible. Nigeria may go deeper into EDI liability if care is not taken to deliberately build it. The polity will be heated up if governance is based on ethnic groups and people simply wait for their turn to do as they wish. This should not be normalised because Nigeria will become a nation of Yorubalokan, Hausalokan, Igbolokan, Fulanilokan and other lokans. This is certainly not the way to build a diverse country like Nigeria. The best approach was demonstrated by former President Obasanjo, and Nigeria has never been better on EDI since then. Like former President Obasanjo or hate him, he remains a model leader that PanNigerians and PanAfricans should emulate. Late General Abacha was EDI sensitive and he created Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Ekiti and other states to enhance inclusive development. We cannot ignore the fact that Abacha’s inclusive ideology has enhanced the development of Nigeria via the development of the states he created. So, any thesis on EDI will included past leaders that took decisions that enhanced the EDI capability of Nigeria towards nationhood or true federalism.
The purpose of this article is to nudge President Tinubu to stick to his first love of thoughts (philosophy) about teambuilding. That state of mind he was when he appointed former Governor Nyesom Wike as FCT Minister. The state of mind he was when he appointed former Governor Dave Umahi as the Minister of Works, Mr Edun as Finance Minister, and so many other merit-based appointments. I was delighted that President Buhari appointed Ahmed Galadima Aminu who was the General Manager, Education and Training, PTDF as the new Executive Secretary of PTDF because he is preserving the institutional memory of PTDF compared to appointing an external person. Of course, the Yorubas must not be excluded in bid to appear EDI compliant. Every part of Nigeria should be included in appointments for appointable positions as well as projects and programmes. After appointments comes project allocations. The government needs to support Northern Nigeria to mainstream Agriculture into the Nigerian economy at a commercial scale. The Southeast needs to be integrated into the supply chains at the North, West and South so that the value chain of manufacturing in Southeast can create wealth across the nation. Nigeria should be looked at as a system that needs to harness the endowments within Nigeria to make progress.
Some may ask why I wrote this article. I had – 5 and Nigeria gave me 8. So, Nigeria puts me in credit as a person, and I feel indebted to the Nigerian state. I am simply wishing that Nigeria gets its nationbuilding right. Otherwise, President Tinubu will consolidate former President Buhari’s nepotism and would barely employ Yorubas to earn more incomes as individuals whilst creating more EDI liabilities for the country.
Lastly, I have written this for current leaders in Nigeria at all levels and future leaders of Nigeria, including young people. Those that have ears, let them hear. With similar dramatic effects during my EDI presentation at my school, I reiterate that “the greatest asset of Nigeria is its rich diversity.”
