Garden city, Eleka and other stories

I eagerly anticipated my trip to Port Harcourt. I was prepared to be surprised by the Garden City but  was disappointed. For a city that is deemed a "major city" like Lagos and Abuja, I was reminded of Ibadan and Abeokuta as we drove into the city.
Despite the disappointment, Port Harcourt provided hilarity. It typified the religiosity and over-familiarity with God Nigerians possess. The day ended with an encounter with Port Harcourt police. One can conclude that from West to South South, Nigeria's police force have similar thinking patterns.

War of Billboards.
I took no notice of the large bill boards that dotted the city. One read: "God ordained leadership is better than  imposed leadership, let's pray for it". I did not think much of it till I saw:"A greedy shepherd sacrifices her sheeps; a good shepherd protects her sheeps. Rivers State is not a sacrificial lamb". I realized it was a battle of billboards when I spotted: "Oh Lord deliver! set free! and liberate Rivers State". I visited different areas of the city and these billboards were everywhere.
Rather than promote propaganda through expensive billboards, interest groups in the state should use  the money on the citizens they intend to persuade. 

Eleka Police Station
As I toured Port Harcourt, we -I was with a friend- were stopped by policemen and the following conversation (paraphrased) ensued:

Police Officer:  You did not stop when we asked you to stop

Friend:   I did not see your hand signal. This truck was in front of me and I stopped when I saw you

PO (entering car): Please move forward and park here. 

Another police officer entered the car and we began an exchange that lasted about 30 minutes on how friend did not stop for a manual hand signal.Police officer demanded for driver's license and he was given. Friend refused to play ball and  Police officer II said we should go to the station. 

Me: Are we going to a proper station?

PO II: Yes, is there a fake station? 

Me: well. 

We drove for 20 minutes in the traffic (whilst in traffic, another uniformed police officer enters the car) back to the point we were arrested. The uniformed police officer (UPO) asked friend to park. Friend demanded to know why as we were to go to the station. UPO said he wanted to tell his colleague he was off to the station. We said no, he should call the colleague. Friend mentioned and insisted that no other officer is allowed to come into the vehicle. UPO flared up and said we had no right to command him. PO II continued on how we are obdurate. He  got off the  car and left UPO. About 2 minutes later, we were told to go. Friend made a U-turn and before UPO disembarked his female superior called

Madam PO: "anything"?

UPO: Nothing ooo, dey be Oyika, just dey speak grammar

Madam PO: Ok. 

My thoughts: I have had a number of experiences with uniformed men and have learned:

1)  Always carry valid and complete car documents and driver's license 

2) Never be in a hurry to resolve an issue, they prey on your impatience and you continue the cycle of corruption by giving a bribe just to leave the scene. If you have contravened the law, be ready to bear the consequences. 

3) Police officers, LASTMA etc are not allowed to enter your vehicle, if they are making an arrest, they should follow you in their own vehicle. If they have to enter your vehicle, let them know they are breaking a law

4) Be civil, polite and clear(clear that you are willing to follow the issue to it's conclusion) in your communication. It's easy for the issue to go from "not taking a right turn" to "insulting a police officer"

5) If you want to record the incident, do it discreetly- in the books of Nigeria's security and transport authorities, transparency whilst they carryout their duties is a crime. 

On Ekiti and Osun State  Elections
In June, All Progressives Congress (APC) lost to People Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti's governorship election. APC leveled with PDP in Osun State yesterday. I am of the opinion that the elections did not represent an acceptance of either party but an acceptance of the candidates. Populist politicians are accepted by the people even if they act against the interests of the people as seen in Ekiti State where the governor-elect's promise is to empower citizens by giving out contracts. Thus, for politicians who mean well, they have to learn to connect and understand the people they want to lead. 
Also, popular governors like the governors of Osun and Ondo States should begin to introduce and groom those they wish to succeed them. Otherwise, their opponents in the 2013 and 2014 elections- should they recontest- will have a smooth sail into government house. 

Deuces  

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On my radar: Africa50

A recurring theme at African Development's Bank annual meeting is that after insecurity, the continent's infrastructure deficit is responsible for the difference between her positive growth rate on paper and the realities of her people.Africa is growing yet that growth is not meaningful for her people due to poor and unavailable infrastructure. For instance, high prices of food items is associated with high transport costs occasioned bad road conditions. 

Africa Progress Panel Report 2013 notes that "Like financial systems, infrastructure occupies a pivotal position in social and economic life. Companies use energy to produce the goods and services on which employment depends. Transport systems link people and markets. Social infrastructure – such as water and sanitation – enables people to avoid health risks. But Africa’s poor infrastructure acts as a bottleneck constraining growth, driving up the costs of producing and marketing goods. The costs are spread across society, but the poor, smallholder farmers, and small and medium-sized enterprises bear the brunt." 

To become infrastructure-compliant, the continent needs about $100 million annually to fund the provision of basic amenities. Of that amount, $50million is provided by governments and development finance institutions (DFIs) and $50 million is unfunded. That amount remains unfunded because African countries do not have financial means to provide it. On this account, the African Development Bank has come up with a financing medium labelled Africa50 to provide funding.

What is it?

According to Donald Kaberuka,AfDB's president, Africa50(which has been approved by governments and the AU and launched in partnership with the Made in Africa foundation in 2013) is about " transformational, commercially viable projects of regional significance. It is about using Africa's savings to leverage the private sector".It is a financial pool of resources from the reserves of central banks across the region, the AfDB, private African investors that will provide private financing for projects to accelerate the speed of  infrastructure delivery across the continent with the aim of fast tracking growth. It promises about 10/100 rate of return. It seeks investors such as SWFs, pension funds and other interested parties to invest in Africa rather than Euro and US bonds 

Why is it different from it's parent DFI? 

Infrastructure projects are perceived as risky thus AAA organizations like AfDB shy away from investing in such projects. 

Why Africa50?

- A number of projects are not bankable that is, they are not presented in a manner that  will attract investors to the project. Thus, while they may look good on paper, they do not become reality. Africa50 will help translate projects into feasible  projects and de-risk (i.e provide initial financing) for a project to make it appealing to other investors. Project preparation which is vital to implementing any plan is also lacking. Africa50 through AfDB will close that gap by providing expertise. AfDB will act as the bridge between investors and the government 

- It will help reduce the perceived riskiness of investing in Africa. When investors begin to see returns, the fear of investing in the continent will be reduced. 

- It will make it easier to demand for reforms: Aids/loans provided by DFIs usually come with some reform riders which may or may not be acceptable by the recipient country. in the case of investments, it is easier to tie reforms with investment and this results in a win-win situation. 

What is the Business model?

There are no specifics yet on the business model and how it would run. However, investments will be on a first come first serve basis in terms of project readiness and not by the equity provided by countries.

Is it too good to be true?

Though the instrument has been hailed as an innovative and creative answer to the Continent's lack of amenities, how to balance profitability for investors without impacting the people it seeks to help remain unclear. For instance,if investors provide equity for a regional road project, how will the investment be recouped without pricing out lower-income citizens via tolls? Would a government that accesses the loan also subsidize usage for her citizens? Equality issues such as this have to be addressed to ensure that the poor  that are being targeted are not further mired into poverty.What  measures will be put in place to ensure that governments are not at the losing end of whatever agreements are reached?

What does this mean for me?  

Someone once noted that three factors are required to drive the change needed in Africa. They are: capital and financial resources, human capital and  insights. The last two- human capital and insights- depend on each individual. There are entrepreneurial spirits amongst us. We should hone in our skills and develop them. Who knows, they may be useful for the next big project

More readings:

An introduction to Africa50

Africa50: fixing an infrastructure crisis

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Il était une fois

This video clip of Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa's trip to the United States in 1961 shows the promise and hope Nigeria once had as a nation. I am unsure any other Nigerian ruler has been a recipient of the treatment the Prime Minister received.
It is unimaginable that Americans will line up the streets to welcome a foreign ruler or that the Congress will warmly welcome an address by a foreigner in its chambers. It is even more poignant and astonishing that the Prime Minister enjoyed this hospitality in a period where Black Americans were denied their civil rights.
I'd let the  clip tell its story...

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Bits and bobs

Just before I sign out on probable links between the insurgents in Kenya and Nigeria, this article from Time  magazine tells how potential native terrorists are on the radar of their nipping future threats.  The alleged mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blast had been identified as as a potential terrorist. He was arrested in 2011 on terrorism charges but was released and Nyanya happened. Similarly, Asari Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force,was trained under Muammar Ghaddafi to sponsor conflict in Nigeria. Ghadaffi's student in the 1990s became Nigeria's problem in the 2000s. Is someone keeping track of potential security threats? 

On another note, the ongoing talkshop has recommended rotational distribution of electoral positions from the Federal to local government levels. I had my 1st experience with federal character (what the principle of rotation connotes) in primary 6. I scored 529/600 in the Federal Common Entrance examination yet didnot get into the  unity school of my choice because as a someone from the South West my scores were low whilst my mates with lower scores from other geopolitical zones were able to get in to promote education. Even now, I know people who qualify for positions in public institutions who do not get those jobs because they are not from area the position has been allocated to. I recall the experience of someone who was told something along the lines of: if you had applied last year, you would have gotten the job, it was allocated to your LGA
That we are still in the phase of promoting federal character shows that tribalism and ethnicity will continue to be promoted over merit and competency and we may never truly become unified. People should compete for positions not because of where they come from but what they can do. Federal character has gave us presidents Obasanjo, Yar'Adua and Jonathan. Where did that get us? For progress sake we need move to merit and competency. Federal character looks good in principle but is bad in practice because it not rectifying a past wrong but entrenching entitlement and incompetency . 

The talkshop also recommended the creation of an additional 19 States to the present 36 States. Considering that most states are civil service states without any tangible form of internally generated revenue are additional states the answer to agitations for recognition and independence?

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Transforming Makoko

Makoko. Credit: Daily mail

Lagos aims to be a mega city.  In terms of population, it is already one but it is not inclusive. An inclusive city is defined as “one that values all people and their needs equally. It is one in which all residents—including the most marginalized of poor workers—have a representative voice in governance, planning, and budgeting processes, and have access to sustainable livelihoods, legal housing and affordable basic services such as water/sanitation and an electricity supply.”  In addition to being non-inclusive, research estimates that 70% of Lagos residents  live in slums i.e dwellings deplorable and unfit for humans. 

To address the "problems of slums", the state government embarked on slum demolition projects especially in  Makoko (a floating slum near Ebutte- Meta, population:100,000) in 2012. Rather than resolve the issue, the demolition worsened housing problems for residents as some converted their canoes to houses whilst others live under the bridges or school buildings.

An alternative to slum demolition is to reconstruct the slum as a floating community. The notion of floating homes is not new- it has been around for years and became popular after WW1 as an alternate source of housing due its affordability. It  exists in Asia, USA and Netherlands. A floating home is  a structure similar to land houses permanently attached to a dock. Houses can be built such that it rises under flood situations while it remains normal during non-flood times. To ensure that the homes are sturdy and resilient, researchers have advised that the foundation of  these  houses are made of water tight concrete and stone with a column-and-sleeve- unit for restraint. Well built floating homes survive floods.  For instance, a community built on river Maas in Netherlands in 2005 survived a flooding  in 2011. 

Concerns around amenities are addressed because sewage facilities  and utilities can be provided onshore. 

Floating home kitchen. Credit:http://www.nachi.org/inspecting-floating-homes.htm

The benefits of transforming the slum into a floating community include:

• Its affordability: After WW1 and till date, floating homes are popular in the United States. 
• The human dignity of residents will be restored: they will have access to social amenities and no longer have to bath or defecate in public.
• For the aesthics-driven government, a row of well built houses like below on the Atlantic speaks to its “progressiveness” and “meganess

Can Lagos State think of transforming Makoko to this?

Credit: designsigh.com

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