What I have experienced recently with the way the Igbo Nation responded to the just concluded elections is unbelievable, the unity displayed, the dedication and the collective committment to support Atiku and Peter Obi was World Class.
It says a number of things. First is that the Igbos are indeed very United. Secondly it shows that the Igbo Nation can be mobilized if there is a strong and focused direction guided by formidable leadership. However that MOBILIZATION must be in a tangible direction.
For some strange reasons, which I cannot understand, the leadership of Ndi Igbo ( and here I mean the social leadership such as Aka Ikenga, OHANEZE, NDI Igbo Ndigbo Lagos etc) do not take the drive to stimulate investment at home as seriously as they should. The political Leadership are not as serious either. And so both segments of Igbo Leadership pay lip service to this drive for investment in the southeastern part of Nigeria, once in a while they host one or two business meetings or investment conferences and then its back to business as usual. Nothing happens afterwards, there is no follow up. Everybody goes to sleep.
Then whenever there are ethnic troubles in the north or in Lagos as we experienced at Okota or Oshodi recently then everybody remembers the South East needs investment and the agitation starts to get Igbos to make Investment back home. Once the trouble is over the agitation dies down. As I expect it will die down in a few days even as this most recent incident blows over.
If investing in the South East is taken as seriously as the Igbo Nation took this last election the Igbo Nation can mobilize over $4 billion in four years from our own people and from other private sources coming from Igbos and friends of Igbos across Nigeria and across the entire World. And this $4 billion can be leveraged to over $12 billion. I don’t think any of the States in the South East will get this kind of money in 20 years from their FAAC feeding bottle.
These funds can cover a rail link for all the States, to carry goods and people, a new modern City in Anambra, it can fund a World class medical village at Awgu Enugu beside UNTH, and a few Industrial estates one mega industrial estate in Nnewi, one at ABA and one at Abakiliki Ebonyi State. It would also cover substantial investment in ultra modern 21st century education facilities as well as 21st century logistics facilities sited in each State. A super World class technology innovation centre, which would prepare our young people in skills such as artificial intelligence, nano technology, digital connectivity, autonomous mobility and lots more. These are all bankable projects that will target the World as its market. Already technology companies from Germany are recruiting Igbo technology talent from UNN directly, its happening, its uncoordinated and below the radar of our political leadership.
The mass migration back east will be smooth and swift once the investment starts pouring in. We do not need to have a Vice President or a President to accomplish this. And whereas restructuring of Nigeria is a desired political goal in the future it will not be necessary to wait for this. We can get off our asses, roll up our sleeves and *GET TO WORK* to put our Region on the map with or without restructuring of Nigeria.
Nobody should bother talking about a new sea port at this time, it would be a waste of money, there are enough sea ports in Nigeria, we should focus on building a rail link between Port Harcourt or warri and Onitsha that’s all. Then this rail line will link up to the rail connecting all 7 states ( including Delta and Rivers). Or we can dredge the River Niger up to Oguta or Onitsha to compliment an in country sea port, whichever is cheaper.
We can also raise another $600 million for the 2nd Niger Bridge ourselves. I am very surprised we still want the Federal Government to do this for us. The project is bankable and can pay for itself. A joint venture between Anambra State and Delta State should make this happen. And even if the Sovereign Wealth Fund claims they have put all the money aside for the 2nd Niger Bridge we should still raise our counterpart funding and buy the entire project off the Federal Government and its wealth fund.
There is nothing stopping this other than the lack of political will.
My advise to the Igbo Leadership ( both social and political) Let your Professionals help you to define a direction and a viable future for all our children. LETS Change our focus and use our strengths. Let’s stop crying, whining and Complaining.
Complaining is not a Strategy
Best Regards
Dr Nicky Okoye
Twitter: @nickyokoye
Instagram: @nickyokoye
Facebook: Dr Nicky Okoye
Advice to Igbo Leaders
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Dear Igbo Leaders
What I have experienced recently with the way the Igbo Nation responded to the just concluded elections is unbelievable, the unity displayed, the dedication and the collective committment to support Atiku and Peter Obi was World Class.
It says a number of things. First is that the Igbos are indeed very United. Secondly it shows that the Igbo Nation can be mobilized if there is a strong and focused direction guided by formidable leadership. However that MOBILIZATION must be in a tangible direction.
For some strange reasons, which I cannot understand, the leadership of Ndi Igbo ( and here I mean the social leadership such as Aka Ikenga, OHANEZE, NDI Igbo Ndigbo Lagos etc) do not take the drive to stimulate investment at home as seriously as they should. The political Leadership are not as serious either. And so both segments of Igbo Leadership pay lip service to this drive for investment in the southeastern part of Nigeria, once in a while they host one or two business meetings or investment conferences and then its back to business as usual. Nothing happens afterwards, there is no follow up. Everybody goes to sleep.
Then whenever there are ethnic troubles in the north or in Lagos as we experienced at Okota or Oshodi recently then everybody remembers the South East needs investment and the agitation starts to get Igbos to make Investment back home. Once the trouble is over the agitation dies down. As I expect it will die down in a few days even as this most recent incident blows over.
If investing in the South East is taken as seriously as the Igbo Nation took this last election the Igbo Nation can mobilize over $4 billion in four years from our own people and from other private sources coming from Igbos and friends of Igbos across Nigeria and across the entire World. And this $4 billion can be leveraged to over $12 billion. I don’t think any of the States in the South East will get this kind of money in 20 years from their FAAC feeding bottle.
These funds can cover a rail link for all the States, to carry goods and people, a new modern City in Anambra, it can fund a World class medical village at Awgu Enugu beside UNTH, and a few Industrial estates one mega industrial estate in Nnewi, one at ABA and one at Abakiliki Ebonyi State. It would also cover substantial investment in ultra modern 21st century education facilities as well as 21st century logistics facilities sited in each State. A super World class technology innovation centre, which would prepare our young people in skills such as artificial intelligence, nano technology, digital connectivity, autonomous mobility and lots more. These are all bankable projects that will target the World as its market. Already technology companies from Germany are recruiting Igbo technology talent from UNN directly, its happening, its uncoordinated and below the radar of our political leadership.
The mass migration back east will be smooth and swift once the investment starts pouring in. We do not need to have a Vice President or a President to accomplish this. And whereas restructuring of Nigeria is a desired political goal in the future it will not be necessary to wait for this. We can get off our asses, roll up our sleeves and *GET TO WORK* to put our Region on the map with or without restructuring of Nigeria.
Nobody should bother talking about a new sea port at this time, it would be a waste of money, there are enough sea ports in Nigeria, we should focus on building a rail link between Port Harcourt or warri and Onitsha that’s all. Then this rail line will link up to the rail connecting all 7 states ( including Delta and Rivers). Or we can dredge the River Niger up to Oguta or Onitsha to compliment an in country sea port, whichever is cheaper.
We can also raise another $600 million for the 2nd Niger Bridge ourselves. I am very surprised we still want the Federal Government to do this for us. The project is bankable and can pay for itself. A joint venture between Anambra State and Delta State should make this happen. And even if the Sovereign Wealth Fund claims they have put all the money aside for the 2nd Niger Bridge we should still raise our counterpart funding and buy the entire project off the Federal Government and its wealth fund.
There is nothing stopping this other than the lack of political will.
My advise to the Igbo Leadership ( both social and political) Let your Professionals help you to define a direction and a viable future for all our children. LETS Change our focus and use our strengths. Let’s stop crying, whining and Complaining.
Complaining is not a Strategy
Best Regards
Dr Nicky Okoye
Twitter: @nickyokoye
Instagram: @nickyokoye
Facebook: Dr Nicky Okoye
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