I reckon we lost about 15-20 years of progress thanks to @MBuhari and his cohort. It is extremely painful.
Canada became a massive issue under this govt and no serious attempt was made to manage the narrative. To the best of my knowledge, Nigerians are reluctantly emigrating in droves more than ever before. I am talking gainfully employed folks. Our companies are now talent farms!
Extremely successful folks are even tired of using mopols to chauffeur their kids around town. Things aren't adding up for many.
Since I started employing across #Africa, I have come to realise how extremely unstable we are compared to the talent pool from across the continent. We classified it as being ambitious but the truth is we've been traumatised. The shit is deep.
The backbone of the economy is being decimated daily - companies who pay taxes locally are struggling. Only well-funded businesses can compete for talent globally from Nigeria - and most of these companies aren't truly domiciled in the country anyway.
The dynamics of the world we live in today are bloody too complex for the leaders who still struggle and fight to lead our nation. They do it for power and wealth but they destroy lives - many lives in the process. It is excruciating to watch without seeing a way out 😭
I spent the last 11 years building and contributing to what I strongly believe could help lift #Nigeria. The result and evidence show it indeed can but the pain that comes with seeing that work being pulled down directly or indirectly feels like a constant stabbing in the back.
We can't give up but I am extremely appalled and sad. To see this is what @MBuhari fought tireless to gain power for? Why struggle so much to gain power only to destroy a nation?
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Pantami's identity has always been known to the elites. Young Nigerians - don't fall for it. This is not a religious war, the docs are likely being released by insiders. It took the most random google search when he was first appointed in 2016 to see the dirt.
The real question should be on how people placed in positions of authority in our country are vetted. We currently don't have leaders - all we have are thugs conspiring against our future. They drag us back 200 steps whenever we take 2 steps forward.
He's probably the single most powerful Minister (politically) in this govt. They know that a good percentage of young Nigerians will stand on this hence these releases. The thugs in power are collectively united in their mission to destroy whatever is left of the country.
There are 2 important issues in this pandemic for entrepreneurs; cash flow and people management. The first will often get your attention because it is extremely important but the secret to surviving at a time like this "may" be in the latter!
We took the decision to shut down most @STEM_Cafe locations almost 4 weeks ago. We were at 5 locations with the 6th on the way. I was a little confused and I could sense some of my team members were worried. We then came up with the idea of posting project materials to families.
We invested some of our resources into materials before lock down became a thing. A week after, countries started shutting down and it got to #Africa. That approach clearly won't work. Our little cash wasted!
I applied for a Chinese visa in London yesterday. With my British passport, I was categorically told my express application will take precisely 3 days. While going through my papers, the officer realised my company is a Nigerian based company and the story changed!
I was asked to produce my Nigerian passport & not eligible for express service as the office in China will have to run a special check on my application. Average turn around time is 4 days but no guarantee as it depends on "what they find". From being 0 risk to potential criminal
My Nigerian passport automatically qualifies me for criminal check in China. I am now going to miss 2 potential investors meeting in Paris (hopefully not more). This is untop of the cost of returning to London with "The Nigerian" passport.
The battle for Africa is real! However, talented and creative people on the continent are missing the opportunity to provide real leadership for our collective ambition. We don't just need successful entrepreneurs, we need "Unlikely Leaders" who will drive and protect our future!
A lot of creative, well educated & smart folks are either busy building own empire or criticising the continent. We have less people working in our collective interest. Africa is at a different phase in its evolution. We need people who will be obsessed about building the future!
Building businesses won't be enough. A lot of the problems we face are wicked problems & they will need dedication for us to crack them. However, if we crack them in sustainable ways - we can leapfrog & become the hotspot for growth in the world. We can become super competitive!
@africatechie It is only sad because we are lazy and can't see it as a huge opportunity. It is why I can never forgive the current president of Nigeria for his appointments in tech, science & tech and education. This is a unique time in history. We can't stop the exodus - we can milk it!
@africatechie The world is desperate for tech talent - we have a pool of driven young people. We should educate them en-masse. Aim to train much more than the foreign market can absorb and create a bridge between those leaving and local market. The effect in less than 5 years will be HUGE.
@africatechie ...and NO - i am not talking about more @Andela (s). We need a concerted effort that will leverage existing academic infrastructure. Revamp CS curriculum with a strong creative spin. Set up a separate board to invest in CS education (for start) with a mandate to demonstrate ROI.