 Ekonomik blues as Nigeria celebrates a 63rd independence day anniversary and four eye calls for energy transition to forceful alternatives. I am Bola Oba and this is Plus Politics. Nigeria marked as 63rd anniversary as a sovereign nation since gaining independence from the United Kingdom. However, there has been a mixed trail of reactions from its citizens with many citing the economic hardship and poor governance even as the nation celebrates 63 years of independence. To alleviate the plight of many Nigerians with needs such as a thriving and stable economy, quality infrastructure, good education and a security system that works, Nigeria requires good leadership. And how can Nigeria's leadership recruitment process be strengthened is the primacy to good governance even as Nigeria turns 63. Joining me to discuss this is Kola Aregbe, public analyst, project management consultant and a veteran leadership and management mentorship expert. Kola is both based in the Nigeria Kingdom where I got to know him some years back as he celebrated leadership mentorship awardee and indeed if frequent coming on regularly these days I wouldn't know what is up to but Kola welcome to Plus Politics. Thank you very much. It's been a bit of for most Nigerians it's been a bit of a very tough season especially in the backdrop of some of the recent policies by the incumbent administration as a leadership development expert and a leadership radar watcher. What would you want to suggest as panacea to some of the troubling situations in the country now? Thank you once again. What can I say? I mean we're all feeling it aren't we? Economic wise, security wise and we've been at it really for a great while. And from my experience from what I've seen and Nigeria is my exception where we've had to go in and meet with the leadership of organizations when you then ask them give me the first three or the top three issues that you think you're facing as an organization. And I can bet my last bottom dollar that communication will be one of them if not the first one to be the second one. I say this because if you look at some of the challenges of the current even the past government or past governments they've been having it's around the ability or the challenge in having to communicate what they exactly trying to do. Don't forget that a lot of the issues that we have you know currently like I said they've been there for years and many of us you know when I say us many I mean many of us may not necessarily understand the genesis of those. Now of course they say government is a continuum but it's important though that when government coming they're able to communicate the baseline you know as in this is what we are inheriting as we come in. So that that way they start managing expectations because soft tough decisions have to be taking some tough decisions are being taken at the moment. The ability to actually communicate those tough decisions even before they are taking so that people are well aware of the potential impacts of those decisions will go a long way to help. There is a figure out there at the moment for example that by 2025 75% of the workforce will be the millennia. This is the people between the ages of say 81 to 1981 to 1996. Now if you ask these people what was the understanding of the civil the Nigerian civil for example they probably will struggle to tell you because they weren't there. Many of them even protested against renaming the University of Lagos because they couldn't connect. This is what I'm saying so communication is important you see we must get better at doing that at all levels. What then specifically would you suggest as the methodologies or the strategies of communication that you think will work in an environment like Nigeria with the peculiarities we have. Largely uneducated citizenry unlike in the UK where you function a polity that is divisive on its own because of primordial sentiments that are ingrained. What would be the communication strategies and methodologies that you would want to profile. Interestingly you said unlike the UK you see even within the UK there are you know segments or sections of people the populace that actually will not necessarily find it convenient to you know to actually read or have access or access to the information that you have there so you need to make. Additional provisions for them and actually required by law that you do do that for example not everybody will read English. Not everybody understand English you know not everybody will speak it so you are required to make provision for those people. In our case okay we speak in English but even within that there are people that will struggle to understand that so certainly we must start looking at how to access all these people we need to access information. Now in the days you know in this one we're growing up the I'm not sure whether it was still it was the was it the ministry for orientation. There were certain poems and citations that we read we didn't realize that they were actually molding us. They were actually embodying values inside us then we thought we're just singing or we're just you know singing rhymes. But in actually they influenced us you know in the some of the way in our local languages TV and Koko Kairi to a baka where but you know that actually you know so immediately think hang on if I don't go to school my but I will not do Koko Kairi basically you won't be able to afford kushu. You won't be able to put on koshu. So so so we need to start looking at such things again you know again you see some of this stuff is not actually doing extraordinary things I always say whether to you know. How would you reconcile some of these some of these suggestions you're making with the reality of our circumstances now when we're growing up there were monolithic b-mots of communication organs you know the TV stations were just before. But now you have the platform of channels on the Internet and just there is an information information stampede of a sort. How would you again again it speaks to the leadership topic that we're trying to to look at isn't it. Yes now now now if if if we're really serious about developing future leaders or strengthening in our leadership development or recruitment then really we should be looking at what are the needs what our current needs what our future needs. That should inform the the leadership strategies or leadership recruitment strategies that we are back on. For example like I was like I said earlier if 75% of the workforce by 2025 will be millennials. Now these guys have their own peculiarities they're on the Internet all the time. Now the type of leaders that we have they're going to bring up policies you know they're going to make decisions shouldn't they be Internet savvy as well. Colour let me get a bit let me get a bit naughty with you at this juncture and take you directly to the newly constituted federal cabinet. What would be your take on and I know you're always very circumspect on issues of politics but we can't but visit that station at this juncture. What would be your opinion of the the panoramic shot of it and speaking also beyond the panoramic shot of it to specific individuals and the responsibilities are a lot of them. I think the current administration they've had a stab you know it's fulfilling some of their promises are you know inclusion of the younger generation youth in the government women because I don't really know. The put it this way all over the world all over the world the the the gen X. I.e. those between 1965 and 1981 hold most of the leadership positions all over the world all over the world all the elite leadership positions I held by these groups in 1965 to 1981. Now so if we take that and we put that against you know the the current crop of should I say ministers and special advisers how have we fed. That is one because I don't really know you know close in the nitty gritty of some of the skill sets of many of the of those in the cabinet it's difficult for me to say but certainly I can see clearly efforts of the government to actually start addressing that guy because England if most of your population there of this particular age bracket and they have the particular peculiarities then it goes to reason that really the closest age group to that lot should actually feature over some men of them. She feature in your leadership positions because they will have the best opportunities to communicate speak their language speaking to pace speaking to inclusivity engagement. It's just that as a if or she campaigner I must be very honest with you color I'm a bit disappointed with the percentage of the women for gender cabinet is relatively better than the immediate past administrations but not quite. For me it doesn't seem to match what Dr. Goodlock ability genitals administration had in percentile terms but I haven't said that inclusivity is quite desirable in the way this cabinet has been constituted specifically now to ministerial roles and responsibilities. In the backdrop of the fact that Nigerians are feeling scoshed economically feelings cost in many respects what would be your take also to reconcile it with the issue of communication with which you used to add your analysis. Okay I'll tell you this you see when we when you have challenges like this you know I mean again it's not peculiar to Nigeria as an entity is not you know organizations large small have the same thing we need to revisit exactly what our visions are what our vision is what exactly is our vision as a country. You're making me laughing you're making me laughing vernacular how would we need we need well this is what I'm saying we see and I'm coming to the to the appointment of the of the ministers that that vision and I know that the current administration. They've got a document in a manifestor where they tried to articulate that but again if you were to ask even the civil servants what is the vision for Nigeria say our vision say by in another 30 years and they tell you and these are guys this are civil servants are supposed to make it happen help you make it up can they actually say what the vision is. Now so we need to sell the vision first and let us let us all be familiar or at least most of us be familiar with the vision. This is that I will then inform everything else that we do in color unlike unlike in most private organizations in a polity such as Nigeria's even in the UK I was actually talking to somebody this afternoon and I was telling them that when I was a young man going up and functioning in the UK and even as a politician in the UK. I never could have ever thought that in five years the United Kingdom would have traded five prime ministers and to be speaking to the fact that in Nigeria multi ethnic. Primordial sentiments as long as the tail of the crocodile you I would I don't look without vision 2020 vision 20 vision 2020 plus vision. Let me speak to that as well again. You know it's not about just having it written. It's not about not and there's something I'm going to say at this station. I've said it privately to friends and colleagues but I think I'm going to say it here and I hope people that need to hear the need to hear. It's not just about saying it is but ensuring that it's that connectivity at all levels. Let me give you this example. If we could have a scheme where the government of the center says this is our vision. These are our objectives. Yeah. And the regional you know the states then design their own vision and objectives around that. You know because really the the the center is not on its own isn't it. The people actually in the states isn't it. So on the states they design their objectives and show how they're contributing to help achieve that those national objectives. Now note that they would not necessarily be able to contribute to every single one. So for example Lagos State may be able to contribute about maybe three or four say of about six of the objectives. If Lagos State are able to do that and current states are able to pick three or four of those. This is a federation. By the very organic definition and nature of federation they can't sing to the same hymn book. And this is what I'm trying to say. This is what I'm saying with the right leadership. Again this is the federation but we want to all we all we all clamping. Well we will all desiring a better Nigeria isn't it. So if we can all collectively as in the federation units collectively agree that this is our vision. That's the first task. Now we can then say OK individually as a unit these are the beats that we can contribute to and we concentrate on those. Now the center can then incentivize which is what they do here. Can then incentivize you as you contribute to helping them achieve in those missions. That does not affect your allocations and what have you. But there are ways you can still incentivize units when they help you to achieve because really when the country as a whole is better. For example if the narrow if the narrow is longer and I'm not necessarily the one pushing for a stronger excessive stronger narrow because I don't think the issue is about the strength of the narrow but about taking advantage of that. The advantage of whatever the value narrow is if narrow is not is really if too strong people will not buy from us. So it's about increasing productivity rather than you know strength of the narrow strength of the narrow. So so I'm just using that as an example. If we have better a more stable narrow let me put it that way then everybody in the country will win it. So how do we achieve that if productivity across the country increases. Then it's better for all of us. Now we play to our strength each unit if I'm good at providing certain services or products then I concentrate on those and you concentrate on yours now. Let me let me let me let me be cynical at this juncture. Be cynical because OK is wonderful to speak to increase in productivity. But an average cynic and average skeptic will be telling you what has been the investment of the Nigerian state in the Nigerian in the Nigerian citizen. And you know what garbage in garbage out when you have not when they have not given quality education to your citizen when you have not provided social welfare for them. The structure that will hold the citizen to self fulfillment. How can productivity that is ironically why an average South African produces what three Nigerians produce. If you look at the GDP of Nigeria and South Africa's and you look at the population of Nigeria and South Africa's you discover that an average South African citizen produces what three Nigerians. Again I'm going to try and relate it to the real subject matter of which is the leadership. You know that was that we were talking about now now increasing productivity again with the right leadership and again. How do I bring this in because I don't want to submit the focus of the actual issue here and I was trying to address the leadership recruitment. Leadership is at all levels not just necessarily you know the federal government or you're not even the state government. You know you have the local government. I actually I actually often I often tell my friends that leadership is the cumulative efforts of those of us who control things in the private sector. We are the leaders of society. Why I quite agree with you. OK. So so so so that we can relate whatever we're saying to that. So in in in various local like localities i.e. the units level what level is the level private sector public sector. There are leaders there. So the challenge is how we identify these leaders. This leaders the challenge is how we support and grow these leaders. The challenge is how we ensure that these leaders are fairly rewarded and not penalized. And all these mechanisms all these mechanisms are there to be to be in the formal leadership leadership processing system. Or they just have to be across the across the value chain. Formal informal bureaucratic bureaucratic religious moral social absolutely. I mean you I'm sure you know this that number one skill set now and for the future. At least for as far as we know now is leaders having skill set in emotional intelligence. You want to be particularly you want to be a bit you want to be a bit helpful to define emotional intelligence for some of our viewers. Yes. Yes. Basically is understanding your own should I say peculiarities emotions limitations believes values tolerance. So to speak as well as those of others hearing what they're not necessarily saying. You see. Not necessarily saying knowing as much as possible about yourself as well as others. There's something also called Johari window which is basically you know it's like a square and then four segments. One is about what you know about yourself and others know about you. And the other is the second one is what you know about yourself and others don't know about you. Then there's another one what others know about you that you don't know about yourself. Then the fourth one is what you don't know about you and others don't even know about you. Again the idea is that you want to minimize as much as possible the unknown. And it's a skill set that you need to have as a leader. Reminding me of a former American Defense Secretary who was quoted as saying the non-nones and the non-non-nones. Yes. So now if you can do that if you can minimize the unknowns you find it easier to influence and carry people along. It's important you know you find it easier to so because now there's a lot of I mean like you know that is you know the artificial intelligence coming into everything that we do at the moment. There is a lot of automation so you're using less and less bodies to deliver stuff. But you need to even be able to carry people along to even embrace that. You know as a way of increasing productivity improving quality outcome as a way of let people see how else they can add value to what we are trying to do. So yes it's going to be formal it's going to be formal. You have touched on a very very interesting subject. The wave of AI as it is sweeping into human existence you know be it at the workplace be it in our social dispositions. And ironically the generational golf between the technology natives the youngsters below the age of 35 and below and the technology immigrants like those of us you know many in our age bracket you know 40 and above. And yet the inevitability of the dominance of artificial intelligence is here to stay. You are one processing you want to send a message to your friend and the whole the app takes it over from you. You may want to type a particular word the app presumes the AI have presumes and you know wrong messages sometimes have been sent. Then so and these two further complicates the issues of leadership. Yes exactly and that's the point I was trying to make now knowing fully well that is here now and it's only going to be even become more prominent. Now how are we sourcing our leaders to take advantage of those. What many of them ironically are even alienated from comfortably. You know exactly how we sourcing our leaders. Do we have at all levels again are we preaching succession planning at all levels. Are we preaching that if we're preaching that what structures what arrangements do we have in place again at all levels to make that happen. You know what support systems do we have in place what mentoring coaching arrangements we have at all levels. What you know what you know I talked about you know giving rewarding fairly as well. I can't overemphasize that. I think it's very very very important. Colour their reward is important but again. Colour we need to be costing them now time is not quite the friend of a program like this interesting as you sound. How would you want to wrap it up in the in the fact you know given the fact that many Nigerians are presently feeling at rest. I'm feeling like the government especially the federal government in the backdrop of the subsidies gone phrase phrase pronounced by the president that is inaugural feeling like the government is trying to ring blood out of the out of the stone the stone that they think they are now. How would you want to wrap it up. Well perhaps like I said at the beginning I'll encourage those at the hems of affairs in the private sector public sector at all levels federal state government. MDAs agencies to improve in their communication efforts. Yeah not just before policies are not just after policies before policies during policies and after policies to improve on that understand the demographics better understand the needs of the demographics better so as able to be able to respond to those needs. I also encourage the agencies and the millennials to take time out and actually understand where the country has been and where we've been where we're coming from. So and also get themselves ready acquire relevant skill sets for the future. Thank you very much. This is where we have to leave it time that dictator of program like this is telling us about how we handle it. Thank you. Thank you. My pleasure.