Prime Business
By Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR
PROTOCOL
Dear Friends, let me begin by appreciating one of Africa’s finest amazons and founder of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), my sister Dr. Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili (Oby) for continuing to be a key change maker in Africa. Graduating the first class of the SPPG today is like planting many seeds in a wide field: some may end up as iroko trees, others as shrubs, but we hope that together, they will all bond into a visible and impactful forest. When I received Oby’s letter some five days ago, I concluded that given my punishing schedule at the moment, I would just come and make a few ex tempore remarks. But I decided last night to scribble a few talking points— to avoid being misquoted. Therefore, if I appear incoherent, please forgive me.
The Graduation Theme is “Emergence of Unconventionals”. I understand that SPPG was founded to radically and deliberately transform the quality of political and public leadership in Nigeria and Africa, with a view to building a pipeline of value-based and disruptive thinking political class equipped with requisite knowledge and skills to solve complex problems of development in order to reposition Africa in the 21st Century. This is music to my ears and Africa is grateful to Oby.
In 1999, I co-authored a book entitled “Our Continent, Our Future: African Perspectives on Structural Adjustment”. In 2000, I was the long-term consultant in a pan African project that resulted in a book published by the World Bank entitled “Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?” In both books, we identified the centrality of disruptive leadership and a developmental state in Africa’s renaissance. A little over 20 years later, the SPPG has set out to walk the talk by working to deliberately orchestrate the emergence of leaders with knowledge and capabilities.
You can therefore understand why I am personally elated to be speaking at the first graduation ceremony of this cohort of emerging unconventional leaders. Congratulations to you all, and in a few seconds, I will be commiserating with you as well. You volunteered to be in this team, and my charge to you is to go out and make the difference: be the change you have offered to see. Africa is waiting for you. Africa is watching you. Do not let us down.
On leadership, Africa has had a chequered history. While some see only the dark spots, I actually see multi colours of the good, the bad and the ugly. While the bad and the ugly dominate, I always try to avoid what our other sister, Chimamanda Adichie called the “single story” of the African narrative. In some ways, part of our future is in our past. When I read about the plans, values, passion, and accomplishments of some of Africa’s liberation/independence leaders such as Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Patrice Lumumba, Nnamdi Azikiwe, etc I have cause to smile as an African. Back home, I am inspired by the examples of Aminu Kano, M.I. Okpara, Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, etc in our first republic. We can fill up hundreds of pages as eulogy to our gallant and patriotic past heroes and heroines, including those distinguished civil servants, captains of…
