EDITORIAL
COMMENT : |
First
Nigerian: Mr. Kase L. Lawal, President and Chief
Executive of US-based energy group CAMAC. Second
Nigerian: General Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. Both men are featured
extensively in this edition. Obasanjo on page 18 and
Lawal on page 50. Sixteen
years ago, Kase Lawal was just another of the thousands
of Nigerian-born African-Americans trying to make ends
meet in the USA. Today, he is recognised and celebrated
as the founder and owner of the largest black-owned
business in America. In a few years Lawal and his
employees have confronted the visible and invisible
business barriers that stand in the way of
African-American progress. He has achieved his corporate
ambitions despite the daunting tasks. In his word the
key ingredient for his success has been
"focus". Focus on the key objectives of his
company; focus on the needs of his customers and the
obligations imposed by the partnerships he has struck. Against
the overwhelming odds, Lawal is 'focussed' and growing.
Last year CAMAC generated nearly one billion dollars in
revenue. This record has been achieved only once in the
last 30 years of African-American business growth.
Lawal's business is currently expanding into Africa. The
group already employs 1500 people in Southern Africa,
with a further 2000 jobs expected in the region next
year. This magazine congratulates Mr. Lawal for showing
a shining example of decisive leadership in the face of
difficulties. The
growing problems have tested Obasanjo's leadership
abilities from every angle. In the latest of his
presidential headaches, the House of Representatives
voted to ask Obasanjo to resign for abuse of office.
Yes, there is no love lost relationship between the
Presidency and the House of Representatives. But we
believe that Obasanjo's problem with the National
Assembly is largely self-inflicted. He has virtually
ignored them, refusing to make an effort to cultivate
the reasonable ones among them. Commentators have
consistently reminded Obasanjo that he is running a
democratic government, and not a military dictatorship.
His failure to build allies in the legislative branch of
government is primarily what the lawmakers are
exploiting. Obasanjo seems to have angered more
Nigerians in his handling of the problem by issuing a
statement saying their concerns were an 'unnecessary
distraction". Speaking
at a recent conference, former head of state. General
Abdusalam Abubakar warned that "political actors
have not leant from nor forgotten the negative
anti-democratic, potentially destructive trails of our
unflattering political past". A reference not only
to the attitude of the lawmakers but to the poor
management of critical issues by the executive arm of
government. While
we concede that leading a nation of millions of people
with competing demands is not the same as running a
modest multinational company. President Obasanjo can and
should learn that successful leadership requires focus.
Focus on Nigeria's priorities. Focus on finding
clear-cut solutions to the growing political and
economic problems of Nigeria. Nigerian
number two; General Obasanjo was elected President of
the federal republic three years ago. Previously he had
been a soldier,
a military head of state, an eminent African
personality, a farmer and a political prisoner. Plenty
of experience, you would say. Since becoming President,
Obasanjo has not enjoyed a smooth ride. Who says solving
Nigeria's myriad problems created by several years of
waste, corruption and neglect is easy? In
the same vein, who can blame ordinary Nigerians who were
promised relief at the start of Obasanjo's term from
questioning government delivery. The Nigerian economy is
in bad shape. The privatisation process is in a mess,
and portfolio and foreign direct investment are drying
up. Nigeria is facing a food crisis much worse than when
the country was at war 30 years ago. The
growing problems have tested Obasanjo's leadership
abilities from every angle. In the latest of his
presidential headaches, the House of Representatives
voted to ask Obasanjo to resign for abuse of office.
Yes, there is no love lost relationship between the
Presidency and the House of Representatives. But we
believe that Obasanjo’s problem with the National
Assembly is largely self-inflicted. He has virtually
ignored them, refusing to make an effort to cultivate
the reasonable ones among them. Commentators have
consistently reminded Obasanjo that he is running a
democratic government, and not a military dictatorship.
His failure to build allies in the legislative branch of
government is primarily what the lawmakers are
exploiting. Obasanjo seems to have angered more
Nigerians in his handling of the problem by issuing a
statement saying their concerns were an ‘unnecessary
distraction’. As
expected of the leading international magazine on
business in Africa, this edition is packed with high
quality information. In Transition Trauma (page 40), our
correspondent in Ghana examines the growing rift between
incumbent Ghanaian President Kufuor and his predecessor
Jerry Rawlings. The
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is
gradually gaining acceptance. On page 59, a European
investor undertakes a SWOT analysis of Africa's new
economic blueprint. There are articles on the
environment, banking technology, telecoms, and Angola;
all written and presented in the style you have come to
expect of us.
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