Showing posts with label FEEEDS Pillars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FEEEDS Pillars. Show all posts

Friday, July 9, 2021

FEEEDS-GALLUP 8th Annual Africa Forum - Join Us! - "Africa's Business Economy & the AfCFTA — The Key Role of SMEs"

This Press Announcement First Appeared in Allafrica.com

FEEEDS Initiative (Washington, DC)
ANNOUNCEMENT

Date: Thursday, July 15, 2021
Time: 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Time Zones: 3:00 p.m. (Cairo & Jo'burg); 4:00 p.m. (Addis & Nairobi); 2:00 p.m. (Lagos & London)
Duration: 2 hours

Event Theme: "Africa's Business Economy & the AfCFTA — The Key Role of SMEs"

Register Now

Co-Hosts Ambassador Robin Sanders and Gallup Global Managing Partner Jon Clifton, in partnership with allAfrica.com, the African & Caribbean Business Council (ACBC), United People for African Congress (UPAC) and U.S.-Africa Trade Council, invite you to the 8th Annual FEEEDS-Gallup Africa Forum: Africa's Business Economy & the AfCFTA — the Role of SMEs.

This is an opportunity to hear firsthand from the event's honored featured speakers: Dr. Hippolyte Fofack of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Dr. Francis Mangeni, advisor to the Secretary General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Each will discuss how their institutions support the critical role Africa and the Africa diaspora's small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) serve in the region's economy and the broader success of the AfCFTA. Gallup's leading Africa research director, Magali Rheault, will scene set with relevant polling data on the current business environment for Africa SMEs and regional economies.

SPEAKERS
Ambassador Robin Sanders
CEO of FEEEDS
Ambassador (Dr.) Robin Renee Sanders served as one of the U.S. Government's top diplomats on African issues over a long career in the United States Diplomatic Corps reaching senior positions ranging from Ambassador to the Republics of Nigeria, Republic of Congo, two stints – NSC Director for Africa at the White House, and U.S. Permanent Representative to the West African Regional Organization ECOWAS. Dr. Sanders received her doctor of science degree from Pittsburgh's Robert Morris University, where she also holds the title of Distinguished Public Service & Rooney Scholar; has MA and MS degrees from Ohio University; and, a BA from Hampton University. She is a recognized thought-leader on Africa's political, economic, technology, security (e.g. Boko Haram, Al Shabab) and policy issues, as well as on region's thematic topics such as SDGs, food security, democracy/elections, education & climate change. She has testified before the U.S. Congress on these topics. Her advisory firm is divided into two parts: The FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative and FE3DS, LLC. FEEEDS focuses on Africa economic development, Diaspora, Entrepreneurship/SMEs issues. FEEEDS also advises several organizations; co-hosts the annual Africa event with Gallup World Poll; and publishes @The FEEEDS Index. Sanders' national security expertise is based on her work at the White House; as Deputy Commandant-Eisenhower College, the National Defense University, the U.S. military's premier institution for strategic studies; her diplomatic postings; and her work on global issues. She is sought after by media such as Al Jazeera, China Television, VOA, and CNN for her Africa expertise. FE3DS, LLC provides business strategies on Africa trade, technology, power, renewables, affordable housing and aviation.

Jon Clifton
Global Managing Partner, Gallup
Jon Clifton is the Global Managing Partner of Gallup, an advisory firm that specializes in big data analytics of employees, customers, students and citizens. Jon's mission is to help 7 billion citizens be heard on their most pressing work and life issues through the Gallup World Poll, a 100-year initiative spanning 150 countries. Because of his expertise, Jon has been interviewed on BBC News, C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and Al-Jazeera, and has testified in front of the U.S. Congress on the state of American small business and entrepreneurship. He is a frequent contributor on Gallup.com and has written for The Hill, The Diplomatic Courier, and The Global Action Report.

Dr. Hippolyte Fofack – Honored Featured Speaker
Chief Economist, Director of Research and International Cooperation, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
Speaker Topic: "How Afreximbank Leverages Its Programs to Support the SME Sector."
Dr. Hippolyte Fofack has more than 20 years of experience in development economics, international trade, banking and international finance and academia. Prior to joining the African Export-Import Bank, he was with the World Bank Group, where he served in several capacities, including as senior economist and head of the Macroeconomic and Growth Research Program. In 2005, Dr. Fofack was elected to the African Academy of Sciences, a continental organization dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for economic development and welfare improvement. He has served on the advisory board of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and is a member of the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa Board of Directors. He is also a member of several leading professional and scientific organizations, including the American Economic Association and the African Finance and Economic Association. Dr. Fofack has been a guest editor of several prominent journals, including The World Bank Economic Review and Economic History of Developing Regions. Dr. Fofack has been published extensively, is Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Issues in African Trade and Trade Finance (CIAT) and is a member of several editorial boards, including the Journal of African Development, the Journal of African Trade and the Gulf Economics Journal.

Dr. Francis Mangeni – Honored Featured Speaker
Head of Trade Promotion & Programs, Advisor to AfCFTA Secretary General
Speaker Topic: "AfCFTA: How It Supports SME Participation in Regional Trade."
Dr. Francis Mangeni has worked and consulted extensively on the multilateral trade system and African economic integration. He is a senior fellow with the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and has served as head of trade promotion and programs with the AfCFTA and director of trade customs and monetary affairs with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. He has served as advisor to the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the government of Malawi, senior economist at the Permanent Delegation of the African Union to the United Nations and regional trade policy advisor at the Commission of the African Union, and acted as a consultant for numerous regional and international organizations. His analytical work has focused on the social and economic implications of economic reforms, negotiation preparation and trade opportunities. Dr. Mangeni's analyses have informed key initiatives for economic integration throughout Africa and served as a basis for advice to African diplomats attending World Trade Organization conferences and trade negotiations with Africa's major partners.

Magali Rheault
Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Gallup World Poll
Topic: "Current Africa Business Environment for SMEs & Regional Economies."
Magali Rheault is Regional Research Director for sub-Saharan Africa for the Gallup World Poll. As the largest independent source of global survey research, the World Poll measures the most important issues people around the world face. Ms. Rheault leads survey research operations across the African continent and is responsible for sampling, questionnaire design, field staff training and quality control. Her main research interests focus on the intersection of governance, economic growth and human development in sub-Saharan Africa. As an academically trained urban planner, Ms. Rheault focuses on big-picture thinking to better understand how people's surroundings shape their perceptions and opinions. She is passionate about translating data into information and knowledge to help clients incorporate survey findings into impactful initiatives.

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Friday, July 28, 2017

Dr. Sanders on Mandela Fellows Panel July 28,2017 at US Chamber on Impact of Africa's SMEs



Dr. Sanders' participated in a panel on the important roles that Africa small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) can play for the group of the 2017 Mandela Fellows at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on July 28, 2017.  Highlights also included roundtable discussions on the Mandela Fellow's vision for the future on issues ranging from development to education. A book signing of Sanders' work "The Rise of Africa's Small and Medium Size Enterprises was held as part of the day-long event. This group had attended the University of Virginia, and their visit had been organized by the Presidential Precinct.







Book signing with Mandela Fellow. Sanders had created special downloadable version's of her book with active links for the Fellows to have and use for research and reference purposes.


Below is the extensive media coverage to date on her book on Africa SMES, which she also addressed at the U.S. Chamber hosted event as well as held a book signing
















The Rise of Africa Small and Medium Size Enterprises: Spurring Development & Growing the Middle Class

Book’s Print Media Coverage

African Union:
Allafrica.com links:





Also see other FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative Stories on Allafrica.com: www.bit.ly/FEEEDSArticlesonAllafrica
Nigeria's Guardian Newspaper:

Television Continental (TVC):

Book’s Video Link:

Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders, The Africa Post (TAP) for FEEEDS: Ambassador
Sanders' Book Video on "The Rise of Africa's Small and Medium Size Enterprises"
www.bit.ly/Video-SMEBook or on the FEEEDS Youtube channel at:

Book’s Press Release Placement List in sector-specific media:

A.) Banking, Finance & Investment Distribution Channel





























B.) Books Distribution Channels


C.) Business & Economy Distribution Channels













A FEEEDS ® Blogspot




​

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Saturday, December 7, 2013

Sanders FEEEDS Groups works with Nigeria's Bank of Industry on SME Development

BOI, OTHERS MOVE TO REDUCE SME’S MORTALITY RATE - Nov 7, 2013
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/business/business-news/137869-boi-others-move-to-reduce-smes-mortality-rate
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Thursday, December 6, 2012

Mobile Services & E-Empowerment -- The Developing World Has the Advantage

A FEEEDS blogspot - The developing world and emerging countries such as China and India are far ahead of the U.S. and Europe in creating services available to mobile phone users -- providing technology-based empowerment (or e-empowerment) to customers who typically fall outside of formal sectors such as banking.

Mobile services such as sharing credits, providing cash, paying bills, supporting small and medium (SME's) enterprises, and sharing health information from HIV/AIDS to prenatal care -- all have become the order of the day for many in the developing world. In fact mobile phones in Africa, China, and Asia have become cradles of innovation for mobile services; mobile phones are used less for talking, and more today as platforms to support daily living, and improving quality of life. Today nearly half of the world's population has access to mobile phones, both pre-paid and post-paid services, growing from fewer than 1 billion in 2000 to over 6 billion, of which nearly 5 billion units are in the developing world.

Africa -- The Most Wired Continent:

Africa hails right now as the continent with the most mobile phone users topping the list with around 649 million subscribers making it the most wireless region in the world. This represents about 65 per cent penetration of the region's population, with future uses at year’s end and into 2013 reaching 735 million. Nigeria reportedly leads the way with more than 100 million subscribers. China follows but also has the unique distinction of adding 8 million new mobile phone subscribers per month, while India pulls in about 7 million new subscribers per month. These sheer numbers have produced unique e-services, turning the mobile phone into a life line for many people living at the poverty level or striving to enter the lower and middle income tiers. As more people in these regions move into the middle class, more services will be available to them on their mobile phones. In addition to mobile services the application world (or apps) in these regions has also exploded. According to Information and Communications for Development 2012, more than 30 billion "apps" were downloaded in 2011. One interesting factoid which underscores Bangladeshi cellphone czar Igbal Quadir who said "connectivity is productivity," a 2005 London Business School report said that when 10 people out of 100 use a mobile phone GDP rises about .59 percent

Innovative Mobile E-Services:

Here is a look at some of the e-empowerment uses of mobile phone-based services that underscore the innovative paradigm shift taking place in the developing and emerging worlds over the West in mobile technology services.

Let's start with subsistence agriculture for small farm holders – a sector which employs most in developing world. In countries like Benin, Tanzania, and Kenya small holder farmers are able to get commodity prices and yield information on their phones determining where best to sell their goods -- e-empowering rural farmers who use their mobile phones like a mini mercantile exchange. There are apps such as TradeNet, now available in 17 countries, providing information about agricultural goods and micro-insurance for agriculture products, while the “iCow” app -- billed as "the world's first mobile phone cow calendar," uses text messaging and voice services to track gestation for dairy farmers and give tips on breeding and cow nutrition.

Mobile Financial Services and Banking for the Unbanked:

Some of the greatest out of the box efforts from Ghana to Bangladesh in mobile services have been in mobile financial and banking services for the unbanked (meaning mobile customers not in the formal banking sector). For example, an array of cloud-based secure financial services for SME’s are coming on line for mobile phones, particularly for keeping track of credit scores, data sharing with micro finance institutions, and accountancy applications. These mobile services help better managing resources and save money for the small business person. In Venture , with offices in Bangalore, M-Cloud IT Solutions in Ghana, and Cloud Kenya are just a few services, which help SMEs manage and save resources.

Both feature phones (non-smart), and smart phones in the developing and emerging worlds are sporting enhanced SIM cards which allows for a range of payments for household and business expenses, or provides credits to send cash to family. Users can also turn over minutes to a cell phone vendor, who in turn gives the equivalent amount of cash to a designated individual, minus a small fee. With enhanced SIM cards, mobile phone owners can go to kiosks, bars, or small restaurants to get credits added to their SIM cards, or transfer money such as with M-Pesa in Kenya. In South Africa these are called a variety of things from “bank shops” to “banks of corrugated metal” to “kiosk banks.” Companies like Safricom, Vodafone, MTN, Standard Charter, Western Union, Visa and others are taking advantage of these platforms to reach new customers. The key is that even with less technology-enhanced feature phones someone with a daily budget as low as $2-10 per day can up their phone credits or pay their household bills. Zoona, with agents functioning like ATM’s in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi, allow people to store savings, receive insurance payouts, and repay loans.

In Bangladesh, there is an EBay like mobile service called Cellbazaar, known as “market in your pocket” listing mobile numbers of those looking to buy or sell everything from rice to a goat, while in Palestine, Souktel’s JobMatch service is helping young people find jobs.

Mobile Services: Education and Health Also in the Mix:

In South Africa MoMath , launched by Nokia, is teaching mathematics via a teaching tool on Africa’s Mxit social media platform, while Info Dev, a Finnish Government-Nokia collaboration, has established five regional mobile innovation labs (mLabs) in Armenia, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa, and Vietnam, using social networking to bring entrepreneurs together with stakeholders in mobile hubs or mHubs. On health care, Medic Mobile is helping provide prenatal care to rural mothers in Malawi using text messaging, and USAID, Johnson & Johnson, and mHealth have developed the text-based Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) providing information from swaddling to breast-feeding to over 20 million expectant and new mothers in 35 countries (e.g. South Africa, Indonesia and Bangladesh).

It is clear that south-south countries are far advance in using mobile services, and also creating new ways to address poverty, raise standards of living, and improve socio-economic issues in innovative ways. We in the West certainly need to play catch-up!
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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Agriculture as Part of An Eco-System, and not a Sector & Using PPPP’s

A FEEEDS Series
 
I have previously discussed new and innovative approaches to both agriculture and public-private partnerships (PPP) - arguing actually to expand the matrix of PPP's to include public-to-public sector partnerships or adding a fourth P (The Africa Post - http://bit.ly/4-Ps ). There is a need for more public sector entities to come together to share both resources and expertise to get development accomplished.  Public sector entities that have responsibilities for improving agriculture, housing, water and sewage management, the environment, and spuring manufacturing should move out of their stove piped bureaucracies and develop PPPP vehicles that cut across their sectors. This type of innovative thinking needs to be done particularly in agriculture in order to address food security -- especially in Africa -- since land, water, and environmental management are not separate from agriculture or long term food security. 

In essence the PPPP approach (meaning adding public-to-public sector projects and policies) views agriculture as part of an eco-system, and not a stand-alone sector, which of course it is not.  These public sector-to-public sector approaches can be linked with getting expertise from non-profit and for profit organizations, companies, and international donors with the flexibility to work in a synergistic manner across sectors.  Very few large international donors have this flexibility, but the British development agency DFID probably comes closest. Country donors like the Japanese and south-south nations like Vietnman are closer than others to appreciating the seminal point that agriculture is part of an eco-system.


One such model that is pioneering this new thought is - Songhai Integrative Farms Systems in the Republic of Benin. It presents the answer to changing the age old paradigm of vertical agricultural development. Although this old paradigm served as the model for decades, it did not worked; was ineffective; and in the end, was detrimental to the overall GDP of nearly all African countries pursuing this standard historical approach to agriculture after their independence in the 1960s. Historically, donors equally have been guilty of  not thinking out of the box, or even next to the box on agriculture, although that is changing with more value chain focused agriculture projects like USAID’s Markets Initiative http://1.usa.gov/XhDnHF ).

 Songhai sees the importance of a systems approach to agricultural development adding training and technology as well as an incubator framework to help farming entrepreneurs, and build linkages with academic and research institutions around the world in support.  There are more and more new thinkers coming on board and seeing agricultural as part of a system as opposed to a sector.  But they are far and few in between. Efforts to really have food security spur agricultural self-sufficiency and truly have a workable, sustainable value chain to support commodities, advance regional trade, and combat the cycles of drought and famine that we have seen in both East and West Africa, and the world are not being wholistically addressed or viewed by many development entities as connected issues. 

The Eco-System, rather than the Sectoral approach to agriculture needs to be pursued by a lot more countries, donors, and agriculturally focused non-government organizations and companies with this CRS manadate for their truly to be a paradigm shift and success in agricultural development.     
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Sunday, March 4, 2012

“The Value, Role, & Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Africa"

FEEDS, FE3DS series

Remarks by Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders
International Affairs Advisor, AFRICARE
At
Robert H. Smith School of Business
Social Enterprise Symposium on Africa Public-Private Partnership Conference
University of Maryland
March 1, 2012

What is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP’s) and what value does this development paradigm have for Africa? Public-private partnerships (PPP’s) can take many forms, and can be projects and programs not just with the private sector. PPP's are one of the more innovative ways to address development, economic growth, unemployment and training (particularly for African youth, and women), and also can serve as a better mechanism to assist both African Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME’s), as well as a more propitious way to engage the dynamic African Diaspora. Traditionally, PPP’s in general are defined as an agreement (Memorandum or Contractual) for resources (financial and human, or a mix) between private and public sector entities. Organizations like the National Council on Public Private Partnerships (NCPPP) says a PPP exists through an “agreement [when] the skills and assets of each sector (public and private) are shared in delivering a service or facility for the use of the general public…including sharing the risks and rewards in the delivery of the service or facility.” (www.bit.ly/TNCPPP)

Although we are seeing a lot of improvements in the types of PPP’s, there remains a lot more room for improvement and creating non-traditional PPP's. For Africa, as long as donors have been in the development game there, many (not all) of the past development models have produced little-to-no sustainable success nor provided a lot of long-lasting results that fundamentally changed peoples’ lives and country challenges.

For Africa today, changing peoples' lives is so critical especially given the future demographics that are on horizon there. In using the year 2050 as a pivotal timeframe or value proposition year, let’s look at a few of the looming stats on Africa’s population and where the critical fault lines are, which will call for more and different types of development executed at a faster pace:

1. Africa will be the most populous Continent in the world, with a population of over 2.1 billion;

2. Youth workforce between the ages of 15-34 will be in excess of 1.1billion -- surpassing China and India’s workforce;

3. Between now and 2050, nearly 3 million new people become new entrants onto the Continent’s poverty matrix. (www.bit.ly/AFpop);

4. Africa will see its middle class continue to grow at a rate of 34.3% or more, possibly tripling its current 313 million middle classers. (www.bit.ly/Afmiddle);

Therefore What are the best development paradigms to assist the African public and private sectors, and its communities with these key demographic issues. PPP’s are a way to help, but we must get the right mix when creating them so they are not one-off wonders.

So let’s start with widening our PPP lens as to what a PPP is and be more creative about the players and the types.

Let’s Add Another P to the PPP Paradigm:

Innovation, Cutting-Edge Thinking, Adding New Players

Innovation – New partnerships need to be created, particularly with SMEs, MMEs (enterprises with less than 10 people), and the African Diaspora. A good example of this is the African Diaspora Market Place project, or ADM(www.bit.ly/AFdiaspora). ADM is a new partnership which includes NGOs, a U.S. private sector company and its foundation, and USAID focusing strictly on helping and providing grants to Diasporan SMEs.

Cutting-Edge Thinking – A number of creative programs are cropping up such as: the General Mills-USAID effort using PEPFAR-HIV/AIDS monies to increase capacity of African food companies(www.bit.ly/GenPep); International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) work with the Nigerian State of Cross River addressing hospital delivery services, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) work in Kenya on small farm holder horticulture projects (www.bit.ly/AF-IFAD).

Adding New Partners to the PPP Matrix - Stepping out of the traditional public-to-private sector framework, PPP’s today should and can look quite different. In fact we should be expanding the model more to include:

A.) Public Sector-to-Public Sector: Partnerships between in-country public sector entities or a public-to-public sector project where a cross-fertilization of budget resources among public sector entities can be used for a synergistic program. For example, Housing and Power Ministries could combine parts of their budgets to provide affordable, energy-efficient housing. In this case, the African public sector entities are both donor and stakeholder.

B.) Donor-to-African sub-sovereign: Donor partnerships that are directed to states/districts/parishes with in a country, or toward municipalities, or community governments – basically any governing body below Federal. Some donors are just beginning to look at this, particularly if there is good governance by local leadership.

C.) NGO-to-public sector: NGOs should begin to look more at working with any of the sub-sovereign public entities noted above, particularly in the area of community training – keeping in mind that partnerships also can include community in-kind contributions.

D.) NGOs-to-private sector: This is an area where Africare is leading the way as we have a number of private sector partnerships. Africare’s $1.5 million Coke Cola Company-funded South African HIV/AIDS clinic; our work with ExxonMobil to assist Chad women making shea butter; policy seminars with Chevron; and, a Benin water-sanitation project for schools with African vocalist Angelique Kojo, are just a few examples of innovative efforts, cutting-edge thinking, and adding new partners to the PPP paradigm.

What are the Positives of PPP and PPPP’s:

So maybe we need 4 P’s (PPPP) -- or a quadruple P -- instead of just three to describe these new kinds of partnerships, but what are the challenges to success? For success, the following elements are critical: the right mix of partners, risk-sharing, sufficient resources, agreed upon outcomes, leadership commitment, and above all stakeholder buy-in/contribution. What does this mean? Fundamentally, a positive outcome is unlikely if somewhere along the partnership link noted above there is (to use a common phrase differently) a value chain problem. For example my team in Nigeria and I moved some of our partnership efforts to the sub-sovereign level, meaning working with several of Nigeria’s states on specific sector development in both agriculture and education. In some cases we had great successes, and in others not because one or more of the links in the PPP value chain failed.

In the end, the partners have to believe in each other, know each other well, and be willing to make project adjustments as needed in order to move past the one-off wonders, and truly add more value and impact to the PPP development paradigm for Africa so that by 2050 sustainability can be achieved.
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Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Advocacy Initiative called FEEEDS/FE3DS®

There are several key global issues of our day that require constant advocacy and dialogue to ensure that we as a nation and as a global community are doing our utmost to make the world a better place for the next generations. I believe that some of these issues are: Food Security, Education, Environment-Energy, Economics, Democracy- Development, and Self Help, or FEEEDS.
What does FEEEDS/FE3DS® mean?
-- Food Security – meaning availability and access to not just food but nutritional food;
-- Education – representing the entire range of education from knowledge learning to knowledge management to knowledge usage, which also includes training, retraining , entrepreneurship (SMEs), and formal education;
-- Environment-Energy – enabling environments for communities to thrive, as well as a focus and realization of the importance of renewable energy and alternative energy resources;
-- Economics – enhancing living wages, and on the macro level, ensuring governments, and community leaderships manage budgets and tax payer dollars not only effectively, but efficiently in order to address social service needs;
-- Democracy-Development – linking these two symbiotic issues are key to improving life-quality, especially for people of color; and,
--Self-Help – realizing that identity for anyone provides self esteem, but for nations and people of color this also represents both power and empowerment.
In Pursuit of Change:
What and how do we proceed in communicating or educating our diverse world population (now@7 billion) on the challenges of these global human FEEEDS® issues? How do we overcome or shift the paradigms that have been pre-scripted for our families, our communities, and for some nations? There are things that are pre-destined, but the negatives on FEEEDS® are not; thus we can help change these negatives. Let’s begin with communicating and educating about the challenges:
Food Security Most of the world population, particularly of color, and especially women and children, fail to get enough nutritional food to eat every single day. Most of us have heard the adage that many things in life are about “quality not quantity;”thus, this adage also applies to food security. There is a lack of consumption of the key food groups not just daily, but at every meal for many global communities. What we seem to be missing is the focus on and access to good nutrition. The examples seen around the world in communities, particularly those of color are similar as regards to food security, with the seminal issue being: access to nutritional food.
The FEEEDS/FE3DS Enabling Platforms: What are they?
1.) Education: Although many global challenges are connected to FEEEDS/FE3DS®, the way forward on many issues is education, specifically training (also vocational), retraining, formal education, entrepreneurship (SMEs), knowledge sharing, usage and management, discussion, and creative and enterprising development and design solutions, particularly for youth and women. We need to think of education as our new Frontier Enterprise where dynamic development design strategies are created to respond to FEEEDS. Education is not static, and includes more than just basic and/or formal education.
2.) Environment-Energy: These two issues are linked, and we should focus on the need to improve both sectors. Simply put – they are symbiotic and affect quality of life. Here community is being used in the big “C” sense -- meaning at the family, local, state and sovereign levels. The environment is both where you live, and how you live in your community. Where one lives must provide an “enabling atmosphere” where one feels safe and confident to thrive as a person or a culture. We must also take the responsibility to treat the living nature around us with more respect. This includes using and advocating for renewable energy, particularly using alternative resources for daily living. Here knowledge sharing will be important even on the simple things like knowing which action is greener than another. Here is a simple test: Is plastic or glass recycling greener; is flying at night greener than day flying; and, is wearing organic cotton greener than wearing recycled bamboo? (answers appear at the end)
3.) Economics: Economics plays a key role in everything – personal, family, community, and government. If the economic sure-footing is not present then it detracts from progress, vision and future planning. Enhancing living wages, ensuring government leaderships manage budgets and tax payer monies effectively and efficiently to address social service needs – are part of the fundamentals. A reliable, stable economic environment is not only empowering, but powerful and is a pillar of both a strong government, and personal identity, where self-reliance and self-esteem are the order of the day.
4.) Development-Democracy: There is also a linkage of these two themes because democracy – as defined as transparent rules, regulations, stable institutions, and equal access to social services – are a “must-have” to develop communities and address global human values, and improve life-quality – all hallmarks of democracy.
5.) Self-Help: Self-help, a pillar of leadership, is the center-beam. Countries should not always want (or expect) outsiders to always provide, guide, direct, or frame (meaning explain and resolve through their world lens) what the responses to FEEEDS® are. These issues for many nations will need to be driven by country-specific self-help by way of innovative, creative, and sometimes culturally-specific means.

Green answers: Recycled glass over plastic requires less energy as recycled plastic continues to degrade in quality; flying during the day; organic cotton over bamboo (Source Washington D.C. NBC local news 9/25/2011).

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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Nigeria’s 2011 Elections: What’s on the Post-Election To-Do List? Improve Education & Health; Build Agriculture & Transform Energy Sector

The majority of international and local civil society observers saw the results of Nigeria’s election series on April 9, April 16, and April 26, 2011, as credible. However, they, along with the opposition also noted irregularities such as underage voting, improperly used ballots, and mishandled/misplaced ballot boxes, coupled with the sad fact of election violence killing nearly 800 as noted by Human Rights Watch (HRW http://tinyurl.com/HRW-Election-Violence). Many of these same irregularities have been cited in past elections since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. However, in 2011, these improper actions were significantly reduced with much of the credit for this positive change going to the well-respected Chairman of Nigeria’s election Commission -- Professor Attahiru Jega.

With a credibility stamp on the overall 2011 election results, even with the irregularities and violence, the post-election landscape is going to be equally as important with the need to address some of the underlying development issues that could have contributed to election violence.

So how to reach out to all Nigerians, particularly the youth and especially the northern youth, so that they feel, as one nation, they can play a part in the country’s future? There are about 45 million youth in today’s Nigeria. And, from now to 2025 that 45 million is likely to reach 62 million if Nigeria’s population trajectory remains on track (http://tinyurl.com/The-Africa-Post-blogitrrs). The post-election landscape will have to focus on some of the FEEEDS® issues, especially food security, education, development, and addressing evolving democracy efforts (e.g. anti-corruption).

Social sector reform in education, health, and housing as well as transformative institution building in those same sectors is needed so that youth and women, in particular, can play key roles in the country’s future. Transparent investment and value chain development in sectors such as agriculture, energy, and infrastructure, including taking renewables and appropriate technology into account, will be fundamental to Nigeria’s advancement over the next 20 years -- or more simply put -- for the nation’s next two generations. Changes in these areas will ensure self-sufficient food security, but also maximize the export potential of key commodities from rice and cassava to maize and cowpeas, including increasing trade of unique national products such as shea butter, palm oil, and coco, to northern Fulani and Hausa crafts, and indigenous textiles like indigo-based adire or ashoke. Addressing all of these issues will create two things: an educated and trained citizenry, and entrepreneurs and/or jobs.

If one travels throughout Nigeria (and I have to all 36 states), particularly in the North where negative human index indicator numbers are much higher (infant mortality, out-of-school girls, malnutrition), there is a visible need to respond to these socio-economic issues to meet the aspirations of young people at the poverty level or in the middle class. The youth, as well as Nigeria’s 74 million women, will need to have employment opportunities (entrepreneurial, vocational, or formal private sector). The young will need to feel hopeful about opportunities -- or at least know there are transparent frameworks (institutions, processes, and regulatory environments) -- allowing them to outline a way forward for their future. People are hopeful when transparent frameworks are in place. Without them, without hope, then there are few alternatives, leading to frustration or in some cases violence that breaks down often along religious and ethnic lines.

Looking at the violence that mostly took place in the North, and the fact that the 12 core Northern States went to opposition presidential candidate, retired General Buhari, (see stark red & green map http://tinyurl.com/Election-Results-Map), underscores the outreach still needed in the region. Two predominately Muslim states in the East, Adamawa and Taraba, went to the President-elect.

It is okay to have political differences within a nation -- most democratic countries do -- as democracy also means respect for differences in views, culture and religion. But differences cannot also include hopelessness because social sectors needs are not met for parts of the population. So what should be on the Post-Election To-Do list?

• Foster transparent frameworks (institutions and societal structures) so that Nigerians, no matter where they live, or what their political, religious or ethnic backgrounds are, believe that they have a level playing field allowing for a better future;

• Rebuild and resource education, adding possibly a universal program similar to nations like Uganda, and certainly include vocational and entrepreneurial training (too few donors assist with these);

• Creative value chain development using models such as Benin’s Songhai, Backpack farms, and programs like MARKETS (see TAP@blogitrrs http://tinyurl.com/The-Africa-Post-Food-Security);

• Improve micro credit and finance mechanisms; Current programs do not meet the high demand, and requirements for lending are too tough for many, especially for small holder farmers, women and entrepreneurs;

• Establish a more reliable and affordable mortgage program so anyone at any point on the social economic scale can count on a framework that provides housing. A viable and affordable mortgage system, available to all, does not exist in today’s Nigeria; Housing is a big issue for many.

All in all, Nigeria’s post election environment represents an opportunity for the country’s leadership to change the key paradigms that will provide a new enabling environment for a new Nigeria. Despite the good macroeconomic news in Nigeria and some visionary Governors (e.g. Lagos, Katsina, Akom Ibom, Rivers, Gombe, etc.), there are real poverty issues for many. I have also seen this poverty firsthand. Also, few job options exist for the educated. If some of the frameworks noted above are transparently addressed, then hopefully, this election -- with its international stamp of credibility -- will be a turning point for many in this nation of 152 million people.
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Monday, August 16, 2010

Nigeria’s Youth Discuss Country's 2011 Elections & Development

This blogspot is part of the series: The Road to Nigeria's 2011 Elections

Nigerian Youth 18 and older must believe in the future of their country, and believe in the nation’s elections process. This was the message on World Youth Day August 12, 2010, in Abuja, as youth gathered in different venues around the country to take stock of their role in the future of Nigeria. On the heels of returning from President Obama's African Young Leaders Forum (AYLF), the three Nigerian participants - Taiwo, Ruth and Bako - joined me on World Youth Day to discuss the Nigerian 2011 elections to encourage young Nigerians to take part in the development of their country on the FEEEDS™ pillars (Food Security, Education, Environment-Energy, Economics, Democracy, and Self-Help - http://blogitrrs.blogspot.com/p/feeeds.html) which starts first with participation in and belief in the election process.

Many of the 70 young people 18-35 years, who gathered for the discussion, noted their concern about fraud and vote rigging and wanting their votes and their voices to make a difference and count. Many recounted their past experience as voters in Nigeria’s 2007 election when they believed their votes did not count, and wanted to know what would be different in 2011. Nigeria today has nearly 45 million young people with estimates that by 2025 that number will reach 62 million (http://www.prb.org/).

The three Obama AYLF participants, in discussing the importance of the FEEEDS™ pillars, stressed that the 2011 election is where young Nigerians must start to change the path of the nation by voting for leaders who put the nation first over self interest. The Food security, Education, Democracy and Self-help aspects of FEEEDs™ where highlighted as the first steps in building a Nigeria that provides access to basic education for all (primary schools have a deficit of girls 10-14 years) and adequate and available food. In addition, the sheer size of Nigeria’s population (152 million, with a current growth rate of 2.5 %) makes the emphasis on entrepreneurial discovery the route that many Nigerian youth must take not only to secure their futures, but also because entrepreneurship can provide a vehicle to give something back to the nation on FEEEDS™.

Obama AYLF participants Taiwo, Bako, and Ruth outlined their backgrounds and how each used their entrepreneurial skills to address one of the FEEED™ pillars. Ruth focuses on education (particularly for girls), Taiwo on the environment (with his waste management company), and Bako’s Foundation also emphasizes education and poverty alleviation. The outcome of the Youth Leadership Discussion on the 2011 election was that Nigerian Youth must begin to believe that their votes will not only count, but be counted freely and fairly. The deliverable from the roundtable held at the Abuja Ken Namani Leadership Center was a message for the Government of Nigeria and the Independent National Election Commission (INEC): Make the 2011 election a time to show Nigeria’s Youth that their forthright desire to be heard and have a credible and issue-oriented election will become the order of the day.


The Deliverable: The Youth Discussion Group decided to deliver a white paper to the Government on the importance of the role of Youth in the 2011 election.
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