ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

M A G A Z I N E 

APRIL 2024 

FOOD CRISIS: 

NIGERIANS 

SHOULD SEEK NEW 

WAYS TO BOOST 

AGRICULTURE 

Buhari, 

Tinubu & 

Nigeria's 

Money 

AI Chatbots: 

The Future 

of Customer 

Service or a 

Conversational 

Cul-de-Sac 

2024 US 

ELECTIONS: 

HOW WOULD 

THE OUTCOME 

IMPACT AFRICA? 

CEO INTERVIEW - 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: 

Robust Advocacy to 

Replace Rote-Learning 

with Cutting Edge Education 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): 

BUILDING STARTUPS FOR 

AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT

Contents 

April 2024 

Team 

EDITOR 

DIIYI WILLIAM-WEST 

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 

HARRY CHOMS 

SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS 

IKENNA NGERE 

TOLULOPE AKINRULI 

ADEBAYO AFOLABI 

WEB MANAGER 

BEN FUJA 

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLER 

MONICA EFEOTOR 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS 

NGOZI UKPAI 

IMIOMOZO DAN ANYIAM 

BUSINESS ANALYST EXECUTIVE 

NGOZI EZE 

54 

10 33 

MARKETING DIRECTOR 

OGEHENETEGA DIAGBARE 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

CHARLES KAMMA 

PUBLISHER / EDITOR IN CHIEF 

REMI DIAGBARE 

For advert enquiries, please contact 

Marketing Director, Ogehenetega, 

Remmy +44 7424 594773 

(Whatspp only) 

or email, accomplishentrepreneurng.com 

To reach the Editor, 

send your email to: 

editor@theaccomplishmagazine.com 

OUR VISION: 

To be the go-to publication for information and 

inspiration in pursuing life’s attainments. 

OUR MISSION: 

To profile and celebrate the achievements 

and lifestyle choices of outstanding leaders 

and influencers in business, manufacturing, 

agriculture, academia, administration, 

entertainment and innovation in Nigeria, 

Africa and, indeed, globally. 

FOLLOW US @ ENTREPRENEUR NG 

COVER 

10 H. TOMI DAVIES (TD): 

Building Startups For Africa’s 

Development 

NIGERIA: BITS & BOBS 

4 As Inflation Reaches 31.7%, 

Government Urged to 

Address Insecurity 

& Other Stories 

CEO INTERVIEW 

22 Dr. Peter Ogudoro: Robust 

Advocacy to Replace Rote- 

Learning with Open-minded, 

Cutting Edge, Democratised 

Education 

FEATURE/ANALYSIS 

30 Buhari, Tinubu & Nigeria's 

Money 

32 Food Crisis: Nigerians Should 

Seek New Ways to Boost 

Agriculture 

36 2024 US Elections 

38 How Nigeria's Economy 

Affects Families 

42 Military Ethics and Nigerian 

Citizens 

44 World Health Day: Can 

Nigeria Become A Medical 

Tourism Hub? 

48 Parliamentary System or 

Restructuring 

GLOBAL INFO DIGEST 

50 You Too Can Overcome 

Addiction! & other stories 

REALTOR’S AVENUE 

56 4 Ways to Ensure High ROI in 

Real Estate 

THE INCUBATOR SERIES 

60 What Does Honesty Meant to 

You? 

AFRICA RISING NEWS.... 

62 Economic Hardship Hits

Niger Amid Ramadan...& other 

stories... 

GLOBAL NEWS... 

62 United Airlines Plane Loses 

Exterior Panel Mid-Flight 

& other stories... 

LIFESTYLE 

64 AI Today & Tomorrow - AI 

Chatbots. 

66 Alternative Medicine - 

Getting Rid of Intestinal 

Parasites 

68 Autism Awareness Day 

70 ARTS & THE MASTERS - 

Richard Serras $2 Million 

Masterpiece Steals the Show 

at Frieze Los Angeles 2024. 

TRAVEL & LEISURE 

72 Take a Cruise 

From The Editor 

CORPORATE SUITE 

74 FLUTTERWAVE: 

Revolutionising Payments in 

Africa 

53 

56 

64 

It's April! A confirmation that we're in 

the second quarter of 2024! Have you 

done your own Q1 self appraisal? It 

could determine what and how you do 

things for the rest of the year. 

While you ponder on that, we're 

pleased to present Harry Olatomi 

Davies, more popularly known as 'Tomi 

Davies (TD), the influential and versatile 

'Africa's Top Angel' who's working 

assiduously with other investor-angels 

to maximise the capacity of young, 

innovative African entrepreneurs in 

order to change the decades' long 

narrative of Africa's ultra-dependence 

on foreign aid, products and services. 

'Tomi Davies and his colleague angelinvestors 

are ensuring that start-ups 

aren't bugged down by financial and 

structural constraints. 

In another breath, the lessons TD 

learnt from his late father, Chief H. O. 

Davies, a pre-Independence nationalist, 

stand out as key points of our chat with 

him. You have to read it up! 

Still on the subject of giving fillip 

to youth empowerment, we got Dr. 

Peter Ogudoro for this edition's "CEO 

Interview". For over three decades, 

Ogudoro has engaged in robust 

advocacy to replace rote-learning 

with open-minded, cutting edge, 

democratised education. His story 

shows that whether one is born with a 

silver spoon in one's mouth or not, good 

success is possible with revolutionised 

teaching methodologies from the 

primary level and onwards. 

As always, we have objective 

analysis of how policies of government 

and global or national developments 

affect us. One of such is the manner 

of unprecedented economic malaise 

wheeled-in by the last administration 

in Nigeria. It is captured in Dr. Chido 

Nwangwu's "Buhari, Tinubu and Nigeria’s 

Money". You should read it. 

Dave Baro-Thomas asks relevant 

questions in "Parliamentary System 

or Restructuring: A Country at Self- 

Inflicted Crossroad" just as Chief 

Victor Olenwunne's "Military Ethics and 

Nigerian Citizens" does. 

Dr. Harry Choms, our Contributing 

Editor, and Senior Correspondents - 

Damian Ikenna Ngere, Adebayo Afolabi 

and Tolu Akinruli - have various pieces 

you want to explore. Let's get going! 

Disclaimer 

72 

• Please note that all photos used in this 

special digital edition of the ACCOMPLISH 

Magazine were sourced freely online. 

We maintains no rights over the images/ 

photos, while we have tried to give 

appropriate credit where due, we are 

aware some artistes were not credited. 

We remain committed to supporting 

intellectual property and creativity. 

© 2023 Tegali Communications 

• The opinions of contributors (people 

whose opinion we publish) are not the 

opinion of Accomplish Magazine or the 

opinion of the management or staff of 

Accomplish Magazine. 

DIIYI WILLIAM-WEST 

Editor 

: editor@theaccomplishmagazine.com

NIGERIA: 

BITS & BOBS 

By Ikenna Ngere 

BUSINESS AND FINANCE 

difficulties caused by the high 

price of the product. The House 

resolution followed the passage 

of a motion titled "Arbitrary 

Increase in the Price of Cement 

by Manufacturers of Cement in 

Nigeria" on Wednesday, March 

13 during plenary. The motion 

was proposed by Mr. Gaza 

Gbefwi, the representative for 

the Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal 

Constituency in Nasarawa State, 

and Mr. Ademorin Kuye, the 

representative for the Shomolu 

Federal Constituency in Lagos 

State. 

• As Inflation Reaches 

31.7%, Government 

Urged to Address 

Insecurity 

In order to control the country's 

rapidly rising inflation, economists 

have advised the government 

to address issues brought on 

by high energy costs, insecurity, 

which has slowed down food 

production, and foreign exchange 

volatility. The country's inflation 

rate increased to 31.7 per cent 

in February from 29.9 per cent 

in January 2024, according 

to the most recent Consumer 

Price Index and Inflation Report 

released by the National Bureau 

of Statistics on Friday, March 15.. 

• Reps Summon 

Dangote, BUA, Others 

Over Cement Price Hike 

The House of Representatives 

has decided to call cement 

manufacturers, such as BUA 

and Dangote Cement, to 

testify before them so that they 

can discuss solutions for the 

• CBN Initiates N100bn 

Fertiliser Programme 

to Enhance Agricultural 

Productivity 

To increase food production 

around the country, the Federal 

Ministry of Agriculture and Food 

Security received N100 billion worth 

of fertilisers from the Central Bank 

of Nigeria on Wednesday, March 

13. At the FMAFS headquarters in 

Abuja, CBN Governor Olayemi 

Cardoso, gave the Minister of 

Agriculture and Food Security, 

Abubakar Kyari, the 2.15 million 

bags of fertilisers. During the 

handover ceremony, Cardoso 

emphasised that maintaining 

price stability was a primary duty 

of CBN, and that the cost of food 

was a significant factor in inflation. 

This is because food and nonalcoholic 

beverages account for 

a sizeable amount of household 

spending in Nigeria, the head of 

CBN said. 

4 | www.theaccomplishmagazine.com

POLITICS 

•Senator Abdul Ningi 

• ACF Slams Senate 

for Suspending Ningi 

Over Budget Padding 

Controversy 

The Arewa Consultative Forum, a 

pan-northern socio-political body, 

criticised Senator Abdul Ningi's 

suspension on Saturday, March 16 

due to the Senate's purported N3.7 

trillion budget padding for 2024. 

The accusation that led to Ningi's 

three-month suspension was 

made by him during an interview, 

which the Senate later determined 

to be baseless. 

The pan-northern organisation 

expressed sadness, nevertheless, 

and stated that the Red Chamber 

ought to have permitted an 

impartial inquiry into the situation 

rather than suspending the 

senator who represents Bauchi 

North. 

In a statement released in 

Kaduna, the ACF, represented 

by Prof. Tukur-Baba, its National 

Publicity Secretary, claimed that 

the procedure that led to Ningi's 

suspension was hurried and 

focused more on the messenger 

than the message. 

• Benue PDP Presses 

Governor Alia for 

Transparency on 

N44bn Intervention 

Funds 

The Governor of Benue State, Rev. 

Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has been urged 

by the Peoples Democratic Party 

to account for the N44 billion in 

special intervention funding that 

he received from the Federal 

Government between August 

2023 and 2024. 

Through its State Publicity 

Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, 

the opposition party in the 

state made the call in response 

to the submission made by 

Senator Tilley Gyado, the leader 

of the All Progressive Congress 

in the state, detailing that the 

state had received N44 billion 

in intervention funds over the 

previous nine months. 

•Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP 

overall. 

He was represented by Johnson 

Michael, the company's chief 

general manager, at the 

Dangote Cement Ibese facility 

on Wednesday, March 13. The 

beneficiaries received certificates 

and empowerment tools worth 

N1,000,000 apiece. 

• Dangote 

• Dangote Champions 

Youth Empowerment 

in Ogun States’ Leather 

Industry 

Thirty recipients of the 2023 

Community Youth Empowerment 

Initiative, which was run in 

collaboration with Industrial 

Training Fund (ITF) in Ogun State, 

received beginning packets for 

leather work from Dangote 

Cement. Mr. Nawabuddin Azad, 

the Director of Dangote Cement 

Plc's Ibese facility, reaffirmed 

the company's dedication 

to youth empowerment and 

other programmes that can 

improve the socioeconomic 

development of both the host 

communities and Nigeria 

DAMIAN 

IKENNA NGERE 

AUTHOR’S BIO 

Ikenna is a graduate of Physics 

and Education, who works as a 

freelance writer. He has interest in 

technology, humanity and sports. 

www.theaccomplishmagazine.com 

| 5

COVER 

'Africa's Top Angel' Leading 

Other Investor-Angels 

H. TOMI 

DAVIES (TD 


COVER 

) 


| 7

COVER 

By Diiyi William-West 

It is no longer news that Africans have become more passionate about 

upturning the narrative that the continent has no hope of rising above 

poverty and avoidable dependence on overseas aid. A major front for 

turning the tide has also become clearly manifest: African countries 

must roll up their sleeves to reasonably exploit their natural and human 

resources in order to build up needed external reserves. The nub for 

attaining this goal is attracting investors to African start-ups, particularly 

angel investors. 

A key player in this field is Harry 'Tomi Davies (more widely known as TD). 

He is the Collaborator-in-Chief (CiC) at TVC Labs, a technology-enabled 

innovation hub in Lagos, Nigeria. Born into the family of one of Nigeria's pre- 

Independence nationalist legends, Chief Hezekiah Oladipo Davies, on June 

9, 1955, he is also a co-founder of Zeitec, an investment firm that focuses on 

venture capital assets in Africa; founder of the Lagos Angel Network (LAN); 

founding President of the African Business Angel Network (ABAN); board 

member of the Global Business Angel Network (GBAN) and much more. 

These strides have earned him the sobriquet "Africa's Top Angel', showing 

his passion to see African entrepreneurs get needed knowledge and 

empowerment in order to make the continent attain all-round economic 

bouyancy at the shortest possible time. 

Driven by intellect, innovation, integrity and collaboration, TD passionately 

supports Africa's start-up ecosystem. He champions technology as a 

catalyst for improving lives and empowering innovative start-ups creating 

economic value that generates social impact across the continent. TD 

underscores the pivotal role of international support in accelerating the 

growth of innovation hubs and business angels which are critical resources 

shaping the future of African startups! 

One of his 4 books, “The African Project Manager” deepens the inspiring 

work he has done in technology and related fields and for which he was 

named as one of the “100 Most Influential Africans of 2021” by New African 

Magazine. His most recent book, “Investment Worthy Startup: Building 

Business Ventures Investors Want to Fund” published in 2023 lays out his 

'POEM Framework' as a tool for founders and investors working on techenabled 

start-ups in Africa. 


COVER 

TD AT THE WORLD BUSINESS ANGELS INVESTMENT FORUM IN TURKEY 

It is noteworthy that TD is also Chairman of Powerstove (renewables) and 

Non-Executive Director at MBO Capital (private equity) and sits on the 

boards of Big Cabal Media (media and entertainment), Trove (fintech), 

Omnibiz (eCommerce) and Laptops4Learning (L4L) Nigeria (edutech 

NGO). He also chairs the Innovation Committee of the Lagos State Science, 

Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC). 

In this interview, he speaks about his inspiring involvement in several fields 

of endeavour in different continents and how the pursuit of excellence can 

be a lifestyle. Retelling the story of his personal experience while tackling 

the stench of corruption in government circles in Nigeria was clearly a low 

point of the interview because of the depravity that came to play in an 

attempt to get rid of him! 


| 9

COVER 

Accomplish Magazine: 

Let's begin by asking you to, please, introduce yourself to 

our readers. 

H.Tomi Davies(TD): My name is Tomi Davies. I'm an 

angel investor. I'm known as Africa's Top Angel because 

I'm the founding President of the Africa Business Angel 

Network. I invest in and mentor early-stage African startups. 

I am also the Collaborator-in-Chief at TVC Labs, which 

is a Lagos-based technology business accelerator that 

supports budding African entrepreneurs. In addition, I'm a 

speaker and an advisor. I've been told I'm an inspirational 

speaker, but my topics are Entrepreneurship, Investing, and 

Innovation on the African tech landscape. 

I also advise quite a number of tech companies. And 

finally, I'm an author. My fourth book was published last 

February. It's called "Investment Worthy Startup: Building 

Business Ventures Investors Want to Fund.". It's a book 

offering practical advice for African entrepreneurs. 

Accomplish Magazine: Readers would like to know your 

academic background, the schools you attended, your 

achievements in school and all that. 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): Okay, I started out in a private 

school called Corona Schools, Lagos. My first secondary 

school was King's College, Lagos. From there, I transited 

to St. Gregory's College, Obalende, Lagos and from St. 

Gregory's College, I ended up at the University of Miami 

where I got a bachelor's degree in Systems Analysis. I did 

my post-graduate work in Operations Research - around 

Stochastic and Probabilistic Models; calculating the reentry 

orbit for the United States space shuttle. 

I returned to Nigeria to do my NYSC at Elf Aquitaine, 

where we used artificial intelligence for seismic exploration. 

The French liked me, I think, a bit much to the point where 

I became Head of Data Processing of the new marketing 

company, Elf Marketing, in Nigeria. I built the first data 

centre for them at 33 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. 

Then, my dad died (in 1989) and I came back to the United 

Kingdom where I was born. I was head-hunted by Marks 

& Spencer. At Marks & Spencer, I became the Head of IT 

Research, and registered MarksandSpencer.com and I 

built the very first Marks & Spencer website. But the M&S 

board wouldn't let me sell on it so I wrote them the Clueless 

Manifesto and joined Ernst & Young. I built the Ernst & 

Young e-commerce practice which did relatively well 

because, while I was doing all of that, the .com era came 

along and we even created a new company for Ernst & 

Young incubator called FutureWealth. We incubated firms 

like Egg Banking for Prudential Plc in the UK which was 

a response to what was called First Direct at that time. 

Unfortunately, while all of this was happening, the Enron 

case came to the fore and the audit practice of Ernst & 

Young had to sell the management consultancy to which I 

belonged. 

They sold it to Capgemini but I was not impressed so I 

took my team of 10 and we became the strategy practice 

for a software engineering company called Sapient. I, 

subsequently, recruited the gentleman who is the current 

managing director/CEO for Sapient and we eventually 

sold Sapient, in 2016, for three and a half billion US dollars 

to Publicis Groupe. But while all that was happening at the 

turn of the century... Sorry, at Sapient, one of the things we 

also did was building direct.gov for the UK government. 

I built a opodo.co.uk, a travel site. Because of my 

involvement with direct.gov.uk, when the Obasanjo regime 

came into power and they asked the UK government for 

help, guess who was one of the people transited to Nigeria 

to come support the Nigerian government. 

I was the person that put in, as a pilot project, the 

biometric system, IPPIS, the Integrated Payroll and Personal 

Information System. I discovered 20,000 ghost workers in 

that system and the civil servants were not amused. They 

asked me not to remove them but I did, and I was sent 

packing out of Abuja in the most ferocious of ways. I was 

actually (brutalised and) had to be rushed to a hospital 

because those involved sent people to... And, I was told, 

"They said we shouldn't kill you but we don't want you 

here..." 

The good news is, or the unfortunate news, is that 

system has subsequently put quite a few people in 

jail - including the last two accountant generals of the 

federation - for corrupt practices because IPPIS is what we 

call a self-healing system; so, you can make changes to it 

but it will be reporting changes you made. 

So, I left Abuja, went to East Africa where I helped to 

create the African Agriculture Technology Foundation, and 

Biosciences for East and Central Africa, amongst a few 

other things. Then, I got bored with East Africa because the 

food was bland. A friend of mine invited me to join him and 

I worked in Accra, Ghana, as a senior vice president for SW 

Global, where we built different platforms for the Ghanaian 

government, the Nigerian government, and a few others. 

We eventually sold that to the Indians and I returned to 

TOMI DAVIES(TD) 

10 | 

www.theaccomplishmagazine.com

COVER 

TD AT THE TVCLABS HANGOUT 2023 

Nigeria as the chief operating officer 

for the first data play in the country 

which was an off-the-shelf company 

called Mobitel. We deployed about 

100 base stations and got to about 

two and a half million users in Lagos 

before the big boys decided that they 

didn't want us to play and essentially 

took us out. 

So that was it for me for corporate. 

I decided I'd had enough and started 

focusing on my start-ups because, 

by then one of my earlier start-ups 

called Supa Strikas... (Diiyi, you worked 

with us as General Manager. Do you 

remember that?) 

Interviewer: Yes. 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): Do you 

know it now belongs to Disney? 

Interviewer: No, I didn't. 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): We sold 

it to Moonbug in 2018/19. Then, 

Moonbug turned around and sold it to 

Disney. So it's now a Disney property. 

It's got about three million users on 

YouTube. And, it's now in at least 

eight different languages, including 

Polish. The fact that you can build a 

company that Disney buys says it all, 

you know, so to speak. 

Then, in 2010, 2011, some Kings 

College old boys and myself got 

together to form what was called 

the King's College Lions, sort of like a 

dragon's den investment syndicate. 

I was also running something called 

Mobile Monday. I was doing quite a lot 

in the ecosystem. A delegation came 

and said, "Guys, you can't be doing 

this elitist KC boys' thing only. This 

has to be a Lagos thing." So, I agreed 

and that's how we created the Lagos 

Angel Network in 2012. 

We then looked around as we 

started to invest, and we couldn't find 

any angel network. We found our that 

there were only five angel networks 

on the African continent! So, in 2015, 

we created the Africa Business Angel 

Network, courtesy of my big sister, 

who at that time was the president of 

the European Business Angel Network, 

Candice Johnson. She invited all of 

us to Helsinki in Finland in 2014 to 

say, 'Hey guys, we've got a European 

Business Angel Network. Why isn't 

there an African one?" And that's 

when it was created. So this year will 

make it 10 years. 

After that happened, I spent 2015 

to literally 2020 criss-crossing Africa. 

Remember, I told you there were only 

five angel networks. Today, we have 

over 68 angel networks in 38 African 

countries and we have over 2,000 

angels on the continent! 

We don't only have the Africa 

Using technology 

for open data, 

e-governance and 

digital platforms 

can promote 

transparency and 

hold institutions 

accountable. 

Business Angel Network (A-BAN), we 

have the African Angels Academy 

that has trained literally hundreds of 

business angels across the continent. 

We also have the Catalytic 

Fund, which is a matching fund that 

matches - when an angel investor 

from A-BAN invests in a start-up 

that's been through a programme 

run by an innovation hub that 

belongs to Afri Labs, we actually 

match their funds as a grant to the 

start-ups to accelerate the economic 

development of the area. I think I've 

probably missed out quite a fair bit, 

but that's a thumbnail sketch. 


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COVER 

H. 

TD IN SENEGAL 

Accomplish Magazine: Can you 

describe the objectives of TVC Labs? 

What influenced your decision to set 

it up? 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): TVC Labs 

actually came out of... It wasn't 

an original idea. In 1998, I had the 

privilege of meeting Bill Gross. Bill 

Gross is... It'd be arrogant of me to say 

my American equivalent... Bill Gross 

is Bill Gross. He created Idealab**. 

And, Idealab is just phenomenal! 

And, that's what gave birth to the 

concept of TVC Labs. It was helped 

along by the late Calestous Juma, a 

professor at Massachusetts Institute 

of Technology (in the United States), 

who helped me flesh out my thinking 

of the concept. 

TVC Labs, in essence, is an 

entrepreneurial support organisation 

providing strategic and operational 

support to innovative early-stage 

African tech-enabled founders and 

their start-up ventures through our 

syndicate of angels and the TVC Labs 

team. Our vision is to sustainably 

enable technology-led innovation 

and independence for new ideas on 

the African continent, especially West 

Africa. 

The purpose of TVC Labs is to 

find, fund and then follow-to-exitinnovative 

African founders who are 

to build Africa's future together. When 

I say to find, I mean: locate, spot, 

pinpoint, unearth, detect, stretch out, 

crack out, come across, chance on, 

happen on, stumble on, encounter, 

run across, run into, come upon, any 

which way, but to find these amazing 

founders. 

And, once we found them, 

the next thing is to fund them by 

supplying expertise, monetary or 

other resources for specified events, 

activities, or operations. It's dispensemoney 

on which the start-up venture 

can be supported. And, once we've 

found them that money by which 

they could use to build and grow, 

the next thing is to take an active 

interest in supporting them; giving 

them guidance and direction as 

they build; which is constructing the 

structure, assembling and joining 

the parts together and making 

sure all the strategic areas work in 

an innovative way. The whole idea 

- and that's why my formal title is 

Collaborator-in-Chief - is that we do 

this together; that is in combination, 

collectively, in companionship and 

close association with the founders 

and their teams. That's what TVC Labs 

is all about. 

We actually have some core 

values that are non-negotiable, if I 

may share. 

Accomplish Magazine: Yes, please. 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): I call 

them the four 'I's and 'C'. It starts with 

Intellect. I don't suffer fools gladly, 

as you know. We make the abstract 

concrete by researching, reviewing, 

and assessing to provide insights 

that inspire action. We bring talents 

together that use critical thinking to 

drive change. We partner with the 

people we work with to build the 

capacity required for sustainable 

competitive advantage. That's why 

we value intellect. 

Innovation is the second 'I'. We're 

constantly on the look out for new 

ideas, devices, and methods that 

can be applied for better solutions 

that meet new requirements on 

articulated needs or even existing 

market needs. Because for me, you've 

worked with me... You know, being 

good is not good enough. Why? It can 

always be better. 

The third 'I' is Independence. 

Whether required thinking is logical or 

creative, being independent thinkers 

enable us to increase performance, 

productivity, and efficiency. 

Independent thinking is the tool I 

use to open doors to opportunity for 

commercial expression. 

The fourth 'I' is Integrity. I strongly 

believe Integrity is not just a core 

value, but that it is the fabric of every 

core value. It is the foundation on 

which we build relationships and trust, 

and it is a non-negotiable value we 

seek to always demonstrate and find 

in all people we engage with. 

The 'C' is Collaboration. We are a 

member of a vibrant, emerging, 

evolving ecosystem that requires 

knowledge, expertise and financial 

exchanges so our successful 

participation as those of others 


COVER 

requires an ability to collaborate 

effectively and efficiently to the 

benefit of all. 

Accomplish Magazine: What 

influences how you deal with 

leadership or management issues? 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): First 

and foremost is, are we having a 

discussion? What is the context of 

the discussion? Because if I'm looking 

at a start-up for investment, I have 

a well-drawn out criteria for that. 

If I am looking at an employee for 

employment, I have well-drawn out 

criteria for that. If I'm looking at a 

partner for a business opportunity, 

there's a totally different set of criteria 

for that. 

Accomplish Magazine: Who are your 

leadership and management role 

models? 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): Oh, there's 

a long laundry list because of my 

voracious, and, sometimes - my 

wife says - annoying reading habit. 

But they go from Warren Buffett 

through to Isaac Asimov. I've dove 

into things as wide as... I don't know if 

you know who Paul McKenna is. But 

even Keith Richards, who used to run 

Guinness Nigeria Plc. in Lagos, is one 

of the people whose style... I loved 

his intimate style and approach. 

Yeah, there are quite a number of 

people on that list with varying levels 

of influence on my style. I trust that 

helps. 

Accomplish Magazine: Having 

mentioned these names, we'd like to 

ask you, did mentorship play a part 

in preparing you for the successes 

you recorded? 

Tomi Davies(TD): Very, very 

much so. I've had the privilege and 

the benefit of some amazing mentors 

throughout my life. Right from the 

very, very early beginnings where I 

had the privilege of being mentored 

by the Late Reverend Tope Johnson. 

Then, moving on to university where 

my mentor was a gentleman by the 

name of Prof. Lionel Howard. And, of 

course, the Late Femi Johnson, who 

built Johnson Insurance, was also a 

mentor. 

And in terms of inspiration, I had 

people like Chief Livinus Ike Onunaku, 

Gamaliel Onosode, Philip Asiodu, 

and Yetunde Emmanuel; people 

whose lives I looked at and wanted to 

emulate. 

Internationally, I've been influenced 

Have a clear vision 

of what you want to 

achieve and stay 

true to your core 

values. This will 

not only guide your 

decision making 

process but also 

inspire a team and 

attracts customers 

who share 

your values. 

by people like Steven Covey, Brian 

Tracy, who I co-authored a book 

with, Candice Johnson, the former 

president of the European Business 

Angel Network. And, for angel 

investing, my mentor has been David 

S. Rose, who is the founder of the New 

York Angels and, of course, the builder 

of Gust. 

BOOK SIGNING IN CAPE TOWN 2023 

Today, I'm Collaborator-in-Chief 

at TVC Labs. TVC Labs was inspired 

by Bill Gross, who I had the privilege of 

meeting in 1998 and, therefore, in 1999 

started TechnoVision to emulate what 

he was doing with Idealab. Those are 

the inspirations of mentorship I've had 

throughout. 

Accomplish Magazine: Let's go to 

your family pedigree. You are the 

son of the Late Chief H. O. Davies we 

were reading about in History and 

Government textbooks back in time. 

Your family pedigree and business 

accomplishments must have given 

you some insights about why Nigeria 

is the way it is now. We'd like to know 

what you think about what Nigeria 

has turned out to be. 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): What 

Nigeria has turned out to be is what 

Nigerians expected it to be. I am not 

a religious person but I'm relatively 

spiritual. So, I believe in the concept 

of affirmations. You are what you 

believe. You are what you think. 

You are what you do. Those are 

fundamentals of human life. 

Our lives have a way of 

manifesting our thoughts. My late 


| 13

COVER 

father wrote a book in 1958 or 1959 

called "Nigeria: The Prospects for 

Democracy." I commend it to you 

because it's almost like somebody 

decided they were going to follow 

what was written in that book. Before 

we had a parliamentary system, he 

had predicted we would have military 

dictatorships and subsequently an 

American style democracy which 

would then proceed to a single party 

state! He wrote it while he was at 

Harvard. 

Accomplish Magazine: And, it just 

happened as if it was a prophecy... 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): Well, some 

could call it that. You might want to 

TD 

talk to someone like Dele Ogun, as 

we proceed on this journey together. 

He's written quite a number of books 

in this area. And he's a better mind 

than mine on exactly the challenges 

of Nigeria, right from origination. 

And, he has what I consider excellent 

solutions. I would recommend that 

you should have a chat with him. I 

think his latest book is called "The 

Slave Ship Called Jesus". And he's also 

written books like "50 Years A Briton" 

amongst other books. 

Accomplish Magazine: Okay, in 

your view, do we have the potential 

solving the myriad problems we 

have in Nigeria, politically and 

economically, especially? 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): Well, 

everybody that's a thinker from 

Nigeria, I'm quite sure, has thought 

of different or maybe even the 

same solutions. For me, I do not 

claim to have an over-arching 

"thou must". But this, I would like 

to provide, as complementary to 

whatever solution people may have 

in mind. And, there are two critical 

aspects that I want to contribute 

to this narrative of positive change 

in Nigeria. The first is around citizen 

education. We need to emphasise the 

importance of investing in education 

that fosters responsible, informed, 

problem-solving citizens. What do I 

mean by that? This includes critical 

thinking skills. The ability to analyse 

information, identify biases, and form 

independent judgments is crucial 

for making informed decisions and 

holding leaders accountable. We're 

lacking on that front. 

Second, civic engagement. 

Understanding different perspectives, 

participating in public discourse, and 

actively engaging in the democratic 

process are essential for shaping a 

better future. Yes, I will go back to 

History. When I was growing up, we 

were taught Civics. It was a subject... 

Okay, last but not the least, is ethical 

values; building a strong foundation 

in ethics. It fosters responsible 

behaviour, discourages corruption 

and promotes social cohesion. 

So, my submission is investing 

in accessible and high quality 

education that cultivates these 

skills and empowers citizens to 

take ownership of their country's 

development and hold themselves 

first and then their leaders 

accountable; which is what we're not 

doing. So that's my first point. 

The second, and I would say 

this: let me put all the disclaimers. 

You know me well enough - my 

background, even from secondary 

school, I was into technology. 

My university education was in 

technology. My life has been in 

innovation and technology. However, 

having said all of that, technology can 

and is a powerful tool for progress. 

Its effectiveness depends on the 

foundation of engaged and informed 

citizens. 

How can technology play a 

role? Well, let me just give you 

three of them. Transparency and 

accountability that we've be shouting 


COVER 

TD 

about. Using technology for open 

data, e-governance and digital 

platforms can promote transparency 

and hold institutions accountable. 

The hard nut to crack - economic 

development - fostering innovation 

in sectors like agriculture, agritech. 

I wrote about that just in January. 

Healthcare, I'm writing about that 

now. I just published the lead article 

on that series. And energy, that's next 

- can create jobs, improve livelihoods 

and drive economic growth. 

And yes, I spoke about it earlier. 

Technology can facilitate access 

to education - information and 

communication, empowering citizens 

and fostering participation, which is 

what we lack. 

Now, like I said, I'm going to put 

some disclaimers. Technology alone 

is not a magic bullet. It's crucial to 

ensure we've got equitable access 

and affordability. Not everybody has 

access to tech and its costs can be 

prohibitive. Look at what's happening 

with data costs. Yeah, so investments 

in infrastructure and digital literacy 

are essential. Technology can 

be misused. It can be abused. 

That is, misused for surveillance, 

manipulation, discrimination... 

We've got to be sure we safeguard 

privacy - data security - and we 

have measures in place for ethical 

application; very crucial. 

I can't over-emphasise this... 

We've got to focus on societal needs. 

Technological innovation should 

be driven by solving real-world 

problems. I'm going to be talking 

about this tonight at the AfriTech Base 

Camp here in London. We should be 

addressing the needs of citizens, not 

just profit motives. 

I was talking to one company earlier, 

just 10 minutes ago, and they were 

telling me, I want to do this and it'll be 

revenue-driven. I said, "Stop talking 

about revenue-driven. Look at valuedriven! 

Revenue is just a measure of 

value delivered." 

In conclusion, my statements 

highlight two interlinked aspects 

that could contribute to progress 

in Nigeria. While neither provides 

a complete solution, investing in 

citizen education and harnessing 

technology responsibly, in my opinion, 

will empower individuals to promote 

accountability and drive sustainable 

development. But remember, 

there are several complex and 

interconnected factors contributing 

to Nigeria's challenges. So, addressing 

these issues - they require the multifaceted 

approach that considers 

diverse perspectives and prioritises 

well-being and participation of all 

citizens. 

Accomplish Magazine: Alright. A 

question just crossed my mind. 

What did you learn from Chief H. O. 

Davies, your father? 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): Ah! What 

I learned from Chief H. O. Davies, my 

dad, is encapsulated in a poem by 

Max Ehrmann called Desiderata. 

That's one thing I've had the privilege 

of being able to think about long 

and hard. And there are two different 

poems that encapsulate my dad's 

influence on me or my memories of 

him. The first like I said is Desiderata. 

And the second was one which he 

knew off heart and recited to me 

often. And that is If by Rudyard Kipling. 

If by Rudyard Kipling says: 

If you can keep your head 

when all about you 

Are losing theirs and 

blaming it on you, 

If you can trust yourself 

when all men doubt you, 

But make allowance for 

their doubting too; 

If you can wait and not be 

tired by waiting, 

Or being lied about, 

don’t deal in lies, 

Or being hated, don’t give 

way to hating, 

And yet don’t look too good, 

nor talk too wise: 

If you can dream—and not make 

dreams your master; 

If you can think—and not make 

thoughts your aim; 

If you can meet with 

Triumph and Disaster 

And treat those two 

impostors just the same; 

If you can bear to hear 

the truth you’ve spoken 

Twisted by knaves to 

make a trap for fools, 

Or watch the things you 

gave your life to, broken, 

And stoop and build ’em up with 

worn-out tools: 

If you can make one heap 

of all your winnings 

And risk it on one turn 

of pitch-and-toss, 

And lose, and start again 

at your beginnings 

And never breathe a word 

about your loss; 

If you can force your 

heart and nerve and sinew 

To serve your turn long 

after they are gone, 

And so hold on when there is nothing 

in you 

Except the Will which 

says to them: ‘Hold on!’ 

If you can talk with crowds 

and keep your virtue, 

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the 

common touch, 

If neither foes nor loving friends can 

hurt you, 

If all men count with 

you, but none too much; 

If you can fill the unforgiving minute 

With sixty seconds’ 

worth of distance run, 

Yours is the Earth and 

everything that’s in it, 

And—which is more—you’ll be a 

Man, my son! 

That's If by Rudyard Kipling - handed 

to me by my late father. 

Accomplish Magazine: It says quite 

a lot. Listening to you, one can 

imagine what was going through 

your mind as a very much younger 

Tomi Davies when you heard those 

lines. The poem gives me quite some 

perspective! What is your advice to 

upcoming entrepreneurs? 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): I've written 

a book on this topic. It's called 

"Investment Worthy Startup", and I 

recommend it to all your readers. It's 

available on Amazon and in Nigerian 

book stores. Having said that, my 

advice for upcoming entrepreneurs 

centres on several core principles 

around my POEM Framework. 


| 15

COVER 

TD WITH FADILAH TCHOUMBA, CEO, AFRICAN BUSINESS ANGELS 

NETWORK (ABAN) AND JONATHAN ORTMANS FOUNDER AND 

PRESIDENT OF THE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP NETWORK (GEN) 

AND ALEJANDRA MOLINA OF GEN 

TD WITH CFA AT THE LAUNCH OF FOUNDERS INSTITUTE LAGOS 

TD WITH DR NDIDI NNOLI-EDOZIEN AND THE SCALE UP EUROPE CONFERENCE 

TD AT THE AFRICAN EARLY STAGE 

INVESTMENT SUMMIT (AESIS) 10TH 

ANNIVERSARY IN CAPE TOWN DEC 2023 

TD WITH THE SUPER ANGELS RAJ KULASINGAM OF DENTONS 

AND VISHAL AGARWAL CHAIRMAN & CEO OF FULL CIRCLE 

These are principles that have consistently proven to be 

fundamental in navigating that intricate journey of building 

and steering a successful start-up. 

It starts with a clear vision of core values. Have a clear 

vision of what you want to achieve and stay true to your 

core values. This will not only guide your decision making 

process but also inspire a team and attracts customers 

who share your values. 

Now, you've got to understand your market. Deep market 

understanding and insights are crucial. Invest time in 

market research to comprehend the dynamics of your 

industry and the needs of your customers. This knowledge 

not only informs product development, but it's also going 

to guide your marketing and sales strategies. 

This one I can't over-emphasise. Prioritise customer 

satisfaction. Happy customers are the best advocate 

for your business. You've got to strive to provide 

exceptional service and build strong relationships 

with your customers. Listen to their feedback and be 

willing to make changes to meet their needs better. 


COVER 

TD 

And, you see, you got to focus on solving real problems. 

Most successful start-ups are those that address real, 

tangible (problems). 

We were talking about value earlier, value creating 

solutions. You've got to spend time understanding 

the pain points of your target customers. This not only 

ensures your product or service is in demand, but also 

helps in building a solution that truly resonates with 

them. 

You need to build a solid team. Your team is your 

start-up's backbone. You've got to focus on assembling 

a diverse group of individuals who not only share your 

vision, but also bring unique skills and perspectives 

to the table. A well-rounded team fosters innovation. 

They effectively solve problems and is more resilient in 

the face of challenges. You got to cultivate resilience 

and persistence. Like I said, this is a journey and it's 

fraught with challenges and setbacks. Resilience and 

persistence are keys to overcoming these obstacles. 

You've got to learn to view failures as stepping stones 

rather than a road block. What did I learn from this 

failure? All right, what do I do better? Remember, 

perseverance is often what separates successful 

entrepreneurs from the rest. 

Of course, I'm going to say this. You've got to 

embrace technology and innovation. In today's digital 

age, leveraging technology and innovation can provide 

a significant competitive advantage. You've got to stay 

abreast of technology advancements that can improve 

your operations, enhance your product and streamline 

your customer service. 

Now, you've got to be mindful of money. Financial 

prudence (or otherwise) can make or break any startup 

anywhere in the world. Be diligent in managing 

resources, keep overheads low, and always, always 

plan for contingencies. Understand the basics of 

financial management even if you have a CFO or an 

accountant. It's essential for making informed decisions 

about your start-up's growth and sustainability. 

Now, as an entrepreneur, you've got to know that 

it's a continuous learning process. I've been at it 

forever and I'm still learning today. Stay curious. Be 

open to new ideas, and always be willing to adapt. The 

technology landscape is ever evolving and so should 

your understanding of your industry. Read extensively, 

attend workshops and seminars, and never pass up an 

opportunity to learn from others or teach as the best 

way of learning, especially from your failures. 

Finally, build strong relationships within the startup 

ecosystem because that's going to provide you 

invaluable support, mentorship and opportunities. 

Engage with other entrepreneurs, investors like myself 

and other industry experts. Attend networking events, 

participate in forums, and don't hesitate to reach out for 

advice or feedback. Well, while there's no one-size-fitsall 

formula for entrepreneurial success, these principles 

will provide you a solid framework. 

Remembering it's a marathon, not a sprint. Stay 

focused, be patient, and keep pushing forward with 

determination and passion. I trust that helps. 

Accomplish Magazine: What will you advise the 

present administration of Bola Tinubu Nigeria? And, in 

one sentence to describe Harry 'Tomi Davies. 

H. Tomi Davies(TD): I'm not into political advice, so 

I wouldn't be giving any other than to say I respect the 

Presidency. And I expect that they will do whatever is 

prudent and right to the Nigerian public. 

To describe myself, I'll say I am a Lagos geek turned 

London grandfather! (Laughs) 

**Editor's Note: Founded in 1996, Idealab is the 

longest running technology incubator. They have 

created over 150 companies with more than 45 IPOs 

and acquisitions. (Source: www.idealab.com) 

DIIYI 

WILLIAM-WEST 


More fondly known as DDWEST, he has several years 

of media practice experience spanning magazines, 

newspapers, television and radio; laying emphasis 

on maintaining standards in media practice. He 

practised and lectured Public Relations for nearly a 

decade before going into leadership consulting and 

real estate consultancy. 


| 17

COVER 

Tomi Davies(TD) 

His Career 

Accomplishments 

By Adebayo Afolabi 

Harry Tomi Davies, or simply 

Tomi Davies(TD) as he's 

known to many, is a 

powerhouse in the world 

of technology, especially 

when it comes to Africa. His journey 

is a fascinating one, spanning 

continents, sectors, and roles. From 

corporate leader to angel investor, 

entrepreneur, and philanthropist, 

Davies has a relentless passion 

for using technology to empower 

people and places. 

Davies' story starts after graduating 

from the University of Miami. He 

began his career as a Systems 

Engineer at IBM, a solid foundation 

for the tech expertise he'd cultivate. 

But his heart, it seemed, was calling 

him back home to Nigeria. He joined 

Elf Aquitaine, an oil giant, and quickly 

rose to become the Head of Data 

Processing. This early experience 

gave him valuable insights into 

managing technology within a large 

organisation. 

Seeking new challenges, Davies 

returned to the United Kingdom 

in 1990. He landed at Marks & 

Spencer, a major retail brand, 

where he became the Head of IT 

Research. This role placed him at 

the forefront of a burgeoning trend 

– the internet. Under his leadership, 

Marks & Spencer secured its domain 

name and built its very first website, 

a pioneering move at the time. 

Davies' talent for navigating the 

ever-evolving tech landscape was 

evident. 

He later transitioned to Ernst & 

Young, a prestigious consulting firm, 

where he served as an Executive 

Consultant. Here, he honed his 

strategic thinking and business 

acumen, working with leading 

companies like AB&B, Legal & 

General, and Novartis. 

The late 1990s saw the rise of 

the dot-com boom, a period 

of explosive growth in internetbased 

businesses. Recognising 

the potential, Davies jumped 

at the chance to be part of this 

revolution. He became the Chief 

Operating Officer of Futurewealth, 

Ernst & Young's business incubator 

dedicated to nurturing new tech 

ventures. When Futurewealth was 

acquired by Cap Gemini, Davies 

and his team took their expertise 

to Sapient, another major tech 

player. There, Davies wore the hat 

of Head of Strategy, and his team 

played a role in building direct. 

gov.uk, a pivotal website for the UK 

government. 

Davies' commitment to his home 

country remained strong. He 

returned to Nigeria to serve as 

the Chief Operating Officer of 

Alteq, a public-sector consulting 

firm. Here, he spearheaded the 

implementation of a ground 

breaking project – the first-ever 

biometric-based Integrated 

Payroll & Personnel System (IPPIS) 

for the Nigerian government. This 

innovative system, funded by 

the World Bank, aimed to bring 

transparency and efficiency to 

government payroll processes. 

In 1999, he founded TVC Labs where 

he serves as Collaborator-in-Chief 

(CiC). TVC Labs is a technologyenabled 

innovation hub in Lagos, 

Nigeria. 

His influence extended beyond 

corporate roles. In 2012, he cofounded 

the Lagos Angel Network 

(LAN). This organisation is a gamechanger, 

connecting individuals and 

organisations with the resources to 

invest in and mentor promising tech 

start-ups based in Lagos, Nigeria. 

Recognising the potential across 

the continent, Davies went on to cofound 

and become the President of 

the African Business Angel Network 

(A-BAN) in 2014. This pan-African 

organisation works tirelessly to 

support the development of earlystage 

investor networks, fostering 

a vibrant tech ecosystem across 

Africa. 

Through A-BAN, Davies has become 

a respected figure, travelling to 

various African countries to share 

his knowledge and expertise. He 

actively participates in educating 


COVER 

local investors, empowering them to 

identify and nurture promising tech 

ventures. 

As would be expected, his 

commitment to tech extends 

beyond just investments. In 

1999, he co-founded 

TechnoVision, a 

technology advisory 

and solutions 

company that 

caters to both 

private and publicsector 

clients 

across its offices in 

London and Lagos. 

This company 

provides a 

vital service, 

making sure 

businesses and 

organisations 

have access to 

the guidance 

and support they 

need to thrive 

in the everchanging 

tech 

landscape. 

In 2009, Davies 

took on the 

role of CEO at 

TechnoVision, 

demonstrating 

his leadership 

abilities and 

commitment 

to the company's 

mission. Additionally, he 

played a pivotal role in 

reviving Mobitel, a mobile 

telecommunications 

company, serving as its 

Chief Operating Officer 

from 2010 to 2012. 

Davies' entrepreneurial spirit 

shines through in his involvement 

with SupaStrikas, a fantasy 

football league comic book, which 

after doing well in Africa, was first 

acquired by Moonbug and is now 

the property of Disney. Davies 

has also invested in and helped 

develop the business model of 

Sproxil Nigeria. He served as the 

company's first managing director 

and remains a shareholder. 

In addition to his corporate 

endeavours, Davies is deeply 

committed to philanthropy 

and social impact. He co-founded 

Laptop4Learning, an initiative 

aimed at providing screen-based 

technology to under-privileged 

primary school children and 

teachers in Nigeria. Through this 

initiative, Davies has championed 

digital inclusion and educational 

equity, empowering the next 

generation with the tools they need 

to succeed in an increasingly digital 

world. 

Davies' dedication to his work hasn't 

gone unnoticed. He has received 

numerous awards, including 

the Icon of Hope at the Comic 

Panel Hero Award 2014 and the 

Distinguished SME Partner Award 

by Fidelity Bank Nigeria. He's also 

been recognised as an Information 

Technology Champion by the 

Institute of Software Practitioners of 

Nigeria (ISPON) and even named 

one of the "100 Most Influential 

Africans of 2021" by New African 

Magazine. 

Tomi Davies' story is one of 

innovation, dedication, and a 

deep-seated belief in the power of 

technology to transform lives. He's a 

bridge builder, connecting investors, 

entrepreneurs, and communities 

across Africa, and his work is paving 

the way for a brighter future fuelled 

by technology and the continent's 

own talent and potential. 



I am a passionate business writer 

with a knack for translating 

complex concepts into accessible 

content. With a keen eye for 

detail, I deliver compelling 

content that educates, inspires, 

and drives positive change in the 

realm of finance and business. 


| 19

COVER 

SELECTED 

QUOTES 

OF TOMI 

DAVIES 

(TD) 

My 

mission, my 

personal goal 

in life is to find, 

fund and 

follow 

By Ikenna Damian Ngere 

You 

have a 

stock of vision, 

and it's really 

a star of vision, 

then the POEM 

brings it to 

life 

You've got to 

learn to view failures 

as stepping stones rather 

than a road block. What did 

I learn from this failure? 

All right, what do I do 

better? 

Every startup 

begins with the 

founders, those amazing 

individuals like you, 

inspired enough to dedicate 

time, effort and money 

towards bringing their 

vision of a start-up 

venture to life.” 


COVER 

Economics, 

are the 

measures of the 

start-up’s use of 

available capital 

for funding 

expenses that 

generate 

impact 

Operating 

sustainably is 

not an option. It is a 

business imperative. 

Leaders and business 

owners are under 

intense pressure to build 

sustainable organisations 

that provide financial 

value and societal and 

equitable impact for 

all stakeholders. 

I 

must know 

my customers 

better than 

they know 

themselves 

Becoming 

familiar with your 

market is a critical step 

in the process of initiating 

your start-up because it 

determines whether or 

not there is enough 

room for growth 

Capital 

is the lifeblood 

of a start-up, but 

expenses are the 

fuel that fires the 

income engine 

Successful 

founders really 

understand their 

customers. Knowing your 

target customer is half the 

battle when it comes to 

developing a successful 

start-up 

You 

need to 

understand 

your customers 

enough to know 

what they 

value." 

The 

question of 

what exactly it 

is you’re building, 

assessing and 

learning should 

start with some oldfashioned 

thinking 

about what you 

see in the 

future.” 


| 21

Picture 

TD AT HIS DAUGHTERS WEDDING 

TD WITH GOVERNOR AD 

OF THE NIGERIAN CHOC 

TD WITH RAUF AREGBESOLA THEN GOVERNOR OF OSUN STATE 

TD WITH RUFAI OSENI OF ARISE 

WITH THEN VP YEMI OSINBAJO 


TD WITH SONS BEST FRIEND, WIFE AND CHILD 

TD WITH GODDAUGHTER 

ELEKE AND THE LAUNCH 

OLATE BRAND 

TD WITH ST GREGORY_S COLEGE CLASSMATES, DOLAPO 

BALOGUN (FORMER CHAIRMAN, NIGERIAN INSURERS 

ASSOCIATION AND CAPTAIN KAYODE LAMBO (EX AMCON) 

TD AND LOLA DAVIES WITH LATE 

MOTHER-IN-LAW MRS IRELE 

TD WITH SON AND SON-IN-LAW 

TD AND HIS SON AT 

GRADUATION 

TD & LOLA DAVIES 

TD WITH DR SUKANMI KOLA-DAISI AT THE 

FUNERAL OF THE LATE MRS TEJUOSHO 


| 23

CEO INTERVIEW 


CEO INTERVIEW 

Dr. Peter 

Ogudoro: 

Robust Advocacy to Replace Rote 

-Learning with Open-minded, Cutting 

Edge, Democratised Education. 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: Robust Advocacy to Replace Rote-Learning with Openminded, 

Cutting Edge, Democratised Education. 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro, a leading figure in the field of education and human 

capital development, brings over three decades of experience to the forefront 

of empowering teachers and enhancing educational systems. As the founder 

of the Nigerian Teachers Community, boasting over half a million members 

worldwide, Dr. Ogudoro's journey is a testament to the transformative power of 

education. 

From modest beginnings and unshaken committed to access higher education, 

Ogudoro has risen to attain a Ph.D. from the esteemed University of Reading, 

United Kingdom. His career trajectory encompasses roles in both public 

and private sectors, including a notable tenure at the then National Electric 

Power Authority. In addition to academic qualifications, he had acquired full 

professional certifications in Public Relations, Marketing and more before 

moving to the United Kingdom for his doctorate degree. 

Propelled by a fervent commitment to education advocacy and influenced by 

the egalitarian models of Scandinavian countries, Dr. Ogudoro has devoted 

himself to democratising access to quality education, particularly in Nigeria. 

Through initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Enhancement Project and the 

Study Abroad Bootcamp, he aims to revolutionise teaching methodologies and 

offer international educational opportunities to talented youth. 


| 25

CEO INTERVIEW 

Dr. Ogudoro's impactful work has 

garnered widespread recognition, 

including prestigious awards like the 

Facebook Community Accelerator 

Award. 

Looking ahead, he remains steadfast 

in his dedication to fostering 

responsible global citizenship and 

advancing sustainable development 

through innovative educational 

practices. 

In this interview, Dr. Peter Ogudoro 

lays emphasis on the need for openminded 

and knowledge-driven 

democratisation of education so that 

the systemic development of Nigeria 

would rise above lip-service. Let's go! 

Dr Peter Ogudoro at NT Conference 

Accomplish Magazine: For our 

readers who may not be familiar 

with your extensive work, please 

introduce yourself and give us 

a brief overview of your career 

trajectory. 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: I’m the founder 

of Nigerian Teachers Community 

which now has over half a million 

members from around the world. We 

are a community of teachers with 

the mission to empower teachers 

to make learning engaging and 

functional while ensuring that 

teaching is attractive by giving 

teachers the recognition and 

adequate compensation they 

deserve. That community is one 

of the products of my doctoral 

research which I did, primarily, at 

the University of Reading in the 

United Kingdom with fellowship 

opportunities at over ten researchintensive 

institutions across the 

world including at Cambridge 

University, London, and Johannes 

Kepler University in Austria. I 

have been in the human capital 

development space for over 

three decades, doing education 

advocacy and helping individuals, 

communities and governments 

discover their gifts and natural 

endowments and find the resources 

to maximally utilise them. 

I was, at some point, in the 

administration arm of the then 

National Electric Power Authority 

but had to leave after about 

ten years to focus on what I’m 

doing now which is international 

development practice that enables 

me to promote responsible global 

citizenship through helping teachers 

to adopt the right pedagogical 

approaches in the promotion of 

learning. I do this in collaboration 

with our international partners and 

supporters who are in countries 

such as the United States of 

America, the United Kingdom, 

Canada, Germany, Sweden, and 

Finland. I find what I’m doing very 

fulfilling. 

Education remains that one 

thing you fix, and you pleasantly 

discover that all the other obstacles 

to development disappear. 

Accomplish Magazine: Your 

dedication to education advocacy 

and the democratisation of 

access to higher education in the 

developing world is inspiring. Can 

you share with us what initially 

motivated you to focus on these 

areas, and how your background 

influenced this path? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: My parents 

couldn’t give me more than 

secondary school education 

because they didn’t have the means 

to do more than that, but they 

ensured that I had excellent primary 

and secondary school education 

in their context. I entered paid 

employment soon after I completed 

secondary school and graciously 

discovered short cuts to higher 

education and its funding. I took 

advantage of them and now hold a 

Ph.D. in Education from a world-class 

university in England. My education 

has uplifted my family and millions 

of people who benefit from my work. 

That’s proof that education tends to 

have multiplier effect when it’s truly 

functional. I have, through research 

and experience, discovered that 

the route out of most of society’s 

challenges is democratisation of 

access to good quality education 

and ensuring that as many people 

as possible get opportunities to 

go as far as the tertiary level that 

is adequately staffed, funded, and 

managed. That’s a game changer. 

Half of the money 

we are wasting 

on politicians 

can fix Nigeria 

through functional 

education. 


CEO INTERVIEW 

Amazing-Team 

I do education research in the 

Scandinavian region which includes 

countries such as Norway, Sweden, 

and Finland. They are among the 

best organised societies in the 

world and rate very high on equity, 

fairness, and justice and with very 

low crime rates. I have interrogated 

their socio-economic and political 

system and discovered that they 

started their journey to the beautiful 

countries they have become from 

democratised access to good 

quality education. 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro, UK 

AlumniCelebration 

Their governments have taken 

responsibility for the education of the 

citizenry. Their teachers are superbly 

trained and empowered, using 

public funds, and everyone who has 

the intellectual capacity to benefit 

from the great education they offer 

gets the opportunity to do so. This 

goes all the way from kindergarten 

to doctoral level. So, I know some 

interesting things education can 

do for Nigeria and the rest of the 

African continent and now striving 

to get all stakeholders in the system, 

especially relevant government 

agencies, to give it a strategic 

place in the scheme of things. You 

can’t get it wrong with good quality 

education! 

Accomplish Magazine: The 

Nigerian Education Enhancement 

Project is a pivotal initiative under 

your guidance. What are the key 

objectives of this project, and 

what impacts have you observed 

or hope to achieve through its 

implementation? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: The Nigerian 

Education Enhancement Project 

is pooling resources, especially 

intellectual leverage, from around 

the world to train school owners 

and leaders on modern leadership, 

and equipping teachers to run 

their classrooms in ways that 

truly transform lives. There is too 

much rote-learning going on in 

Nigeria - meaning that effectively 

speaking, not much learning is 

being promoted through most 

classrooms in Nigeria. There is too 

much focus on preparing students 

for examinations so they can get 

diplomas we interpret as meal 

tickets. This unfortunate situation 

accounts largely for the high 

unemployment rate in Nigeria and 

the shameful pervasive poverty in 

our country. 

Half of the money we are 

wasting on politicians can fix Nigeria 

through functional education. Train 

teachers well. Give them autonomy 

to run their classrooms. Give them 

recognition for the extra mile they 

go to serve society and compensate 

them adequately for their efforts. Put 

those conditions in place and watch 

miracle happen. 

Our project is leveraging the 

resources our partners are 

graciously providing us to pursue 

those goals, primarily, through 

the creation of awareness on the 

need for stakeholders to empower 

teachers to become learner-centred 

and jettison the labourious, and 

anachronistic lesson plans that have 

been at the root of poor teaching 

and learning in Nigerian schools. 

Over half a million teachers are 

hearing this from our various media 

platforms and are adopting better 

teaching approaches. We won the 

Facebook Community Accelerator 

Award for year 2021 on the strength 

of the impact we are making on 

the Nigerian education system. The 

British Council celebrated us publicly, 

in Lagos, last year in appreciation 

of our outstanding social impact. 


| 27

CEO INTERVIEW 

Events Team and Teachers at Goshen 

Finland-Biology-Teachers-Training 

The University of Reading in the UK, 

my alma mater, are happy that the 

great education they gave me is 

bearing great fruits. They celebrate 

me whenever they can do so. 

We are touching the lives of millions 

of people across the world positively 

every day. Unfortunately, relevant 

government agencies are laggards 

in adopting the kind of policies and 

practices we are promoting. It is my 

hope that they will move faster. 

Accomplish Magazine: Beyond 

your work in education and 

advocacy, you've also authored 

best-selling books like "Success 

Mindset" and "Right Thinking, Right 

Actions." What key messages do 

you hope readers take away from 

these publications? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: Those books are 

products of a radio show I used to 

host. I started it in the 1990s when we 

didn’t have multiple radio stations 

in Nigeria. I was reaching millions 

of people, every morning, with 

inspirational messages that kicked 

them out of despondency and into 

positive actions that improved their 

lives and benefitted their families 

and society. 

Success has its laws and 

principles. Most people in Nigeria 

want success but are unwilling to 

drop the useless beliefs that have 

kept them in penury. For example, 

you hear people say that you don’t 

put all your eggs in one basket 

and that multi-tasking is proof of 

high intelligence quotient. Science 

debunks all that. 

Most successful people are 

focused on what they have gifts 

for and hire other people to handle 

what they don’t know. There are 

so many of such misconceptions 

and misperceptions. Those books 

have addressed them and provided 

recipes for life of significance. That’s 

why readers carry them about 

and consult them when they find 

themselves in difficult situations. 

They are on Amazon, helping people 

who get access to them. 

I’m happy to have made those 

contributions. Life is richer and more 

meaningful when your gifts are 

released to the service of society. 


career has spanned a variety of 

roles across different sectors and 

countries. How do you navigate 

the challenges and opportunities 

that come with such diverse 

experiences, especially in 


CEO INTERVIEW 

adapting to different cultural and 

professional environments? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: Life becomes 

interesting when you stop using only 

one script to run your life. Problems 

come when you move around with 

stereotypes that prevent you from 

questioning what you hear. Healthy 

skepticism is a good philosophy. Go 

everywhere with an open mind. Don’t 

judge people based on what you 

have heard about them. Have the 

courage to experience them with an 

open mind even when they appear 

difficult. Most suffering people in the 

world move around with fixed beliefs 

and fail to use new scripts when 

playing new roles. That’s why they 

don’t see the opportunities that stare 

them in the face all the time. 

Problems are opportunities. 

Strange lands, and people offer 

a lot that can empower you. Any 

time you must choose between 

what you are familiar with and 

new environments, choose new 

environments. That’s where you 

are likely to find what will make 

you rich. I’m not recommending 

that you fail to mine the diamonds 

under your feet. After you have 

exhausted what is available in your 

familiar environment, move out 

and talk to strangers and search 

for opportunities without greed and 

selfishness. You don’t need all the 

money in the world to be happy. Stay 

in your calling but be adventurous. 

These are paradoxes and seeming 

contradictions. The capacity to 

resolve those riddles without being 

confused will take you far in life. 

Those are mindsets that have 

worked for me. They have taken 

me to countries most Africans don’t 

consider when they are thinking 

of where to study and where to go 

on holidays. That’s how come my 

favourite countries are those in the 

Scandinavian region. They have 

empowered me a lot. I recommend 

them to you. 

Accomplish Magazine: The Study 

Abroad Bootcamp is a fascinating 

project aimed at enabling young 

individuals to access quality 

education internationally. What 

inspired this idea, and what 

Finland-Dean-Prof-Gunilla 

success stories can you share from 

participants who've gone through 

the programme? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: Science has 

liberating power. It encourages 

you to look before you leap and 

take decisions based on evidence. 

Religion without the balance that 

science brings is slavery. There is so 

much superstition being peddled 

as religion in our land. Millions 

of our people are victims of this 

unfortunate situation. 

The bootcamp you referred to 

targets outstanding teenagers who 

are high achievers in Mathematics 

and sciences. We prepare them for 

relevant international examinations 

and help them acquire the 

leadership skills they need to 

become globally competitive. We 

use our international networks to 

help them secure scholarships for 

undergraduate studies in the USA, 

and Europe. The programme runs 

for about one month during the long 

school holidays. The one for this year 

will be held in August. 

Henley Business School, the 

United Kingdom’s oldest business 

school, which is part of the University 

of Reading is collaborating with us 

to run the one for this year which 

will cater for 100 teenagers in their 

last two years in secondary school. 

Most of them, just like previous 

beneficiaries, will go to Europe 

and North America for courses in 

Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics. Selection into 

the programme is competitive 

because of its very high empowering 

capacity. We encourage them to 

return to the country after their 

studies to help build Nigeria. 

I’m happy that this contribution 

is bringing hope and happiness to a 

lot of families and helping Nigeria to 

develop the needed human capital 

for national development. 


achievements have been 

recognised with numerous awards 

and accolades. Is there a particular 

honour or achievement that 

stands out for you personally? If so, 

why? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: The Facebook 

Community Accelerator Award 

which came in the year 2021 

was a game changer for me. It 


| 29

CEO INTERVIEW 

Pharmacy. They should use career 

services to arrive at what they 

should go into and be willing to 

study in line with their gifts, not just 

in pursuit of money. Focus should 

be on acquisition of principles that 

endure; principles you can use 

to pivot into new industries and 

opportunities as times change. The 

world is in a state of flux. They must 

move with the times and take their 

parents to career experts to avoid 

being compelled to study what 

those parents missed. 

Children don’t have to study what 

parents like. They should study in 

line with their gifts and in recognition 

of the opportunities of today and 

the future. Children will still be here 

decades after their parents are 

gone. They can’t afford to sacrifice 

their happiness and future just to 

make their parents happy. This is 

an exciting time to be alive and in 

school. 

Dr-Peter.Ogudoro-Timo-Kimmo-Workshop 

advertised my contributions to 

the development of the global 

education industry. That drew 

global attention to my work and 

made more government agencies, 

educational institutions, and the 

media pay attention to what I am 

saying. It helped our teachers’ 

community to grow exponentially. 

Prior to the award, we had a 

membership of about one hundred 

and eighty thousand. We now have 

a membership strength that is 

significantly above half a million. 

That award has attracted other 

awards and opportunities from 

both within and outside Nigeria. I’m 

grateful to Facebook for it. 

Accomplish Magazine: Looking 

at the future, are there any 

new projects or goals you're 

particularly excited about in 

the fields of Education, Public 

Relations, or any other area of your 

expertise? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: We are working 

towards sending about one 

hundred teachers to Finland in 

September this year for training in 

modern pedagogy so we can, as 

a country, pivot to learner-centred 

and functional education. The 

beneficiaries will return to Nigeria 

to champion new and modern 

teaching practices that will move 

us away from diploma-disease to 

analytical thinkers, and knowledge 

creators. 

I’m also in conversations 

with some German and Swedish 

organisations for fellowships that 

will help us promote environmental, 

sustainability, and governance 

education in Nigeria. I trust that 

those conversations will end well so 

we can start using our education 

system to promote responsible 

consumption and care for our 

environment in posterity’s best 

interest. 

Accomplish Magazine: Many 

young people, today, are facing 

uncertainty about their career 

paths. Based on your experience 

in career-advising and your own 

diverse career journey, what 

advice would you offer to those 

trying to find their way? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: As I have already 

emphasised, open mindedness is 

critical for career success. Young 

people seeking higher education 

should not be dogmatic about what 

they want to study. They should not 

allow the noise in the environment 

make them believe that the only 

courses they can study are Medicine, 

Engineering, Accountancy, and 

Accomplish Magazine: Finally, for 

anyone interested in joining your 

vibrant online communities or 

learning more about your work, 

what's the best way for them to get 

involved or reach out to you? 

Dr. Peter Ogudoro: We share free 

resources for effective teaching 

at www.facebook.com/groups/ 

nigerianteachers. The books you 

referred to earlier, which are helping 

a lot of people to navigate their 

way out of financial insecurity, are 

available at www.amazon.com/ 

author/peterogudoro. My profile, and 

more information about my service 

to society are accessible at www. 

nigerianteachers.org/drpeter. 

DAMIAN 

IKENNA NGERE 




freelance writer. He has interest 

in technology, humanity 

and sports. 


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| 31

FEATURE / ANALYSIS 

• Wale Edun 

BUHARI, 

TINUBU AND 

NIGERIA’S 

MONEY 

• Muhammadu Buhari 

criticism of Buhari who handed 

over power to Tinubu. 

Dr. Chido Nwangwu 

Nigeria’s Minister 

of Finance and 

Coordinating Minister 

of the Economy, Wale 

Edun, has blamed 

the immediate 

past administration of President 

Muhammadu Buhari, a retired 

army general, for the country's 

financial woes especially the high 

rates of inflation. Edun, a confidant 

and key figure in President Bola 

Tinubu team delivered what could 

be seen as the harshest public 

Edun argued that Nigeria’s 

problems were complicated by 

Buhari whom he criticised for 

“aimlessly” printing trillions of the 

Naira “without productivity.” He 

stated that it happened under 

Buhari’s presidency: “The N22.7 

trillion printed by the Central Bank 

of Nigeria (CBN) through Ways and 

Means overdraft for the federal 

government from 2015 to 2023 

landed Nigeria into hyper-inflation. 



• President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 

We talked about inflation. Where 

has it come from? It came from 8 

years of just printing money not 

matched by productivity. What 

happened was that for eight years, 

the weak were left to their own 

devices. It is the privileged few that 

took everything. That is the reality. 

So that money supply must be 

brought back.” 

It is obvious that Edun has spoken 

with unusual forthrightness and 

without any reservations about 

whose ox or cattle is gored! He 

spoke on Wednesday, March 

6, 2024, to the Nigerian Senate 

Committee on Finance and 

noted that “You have given us the 

mandate to raise N7 trillion which 

we will do by sucking money from 

the market, using it to pay back the 

CBN and giving the government 

a balanced book. We are going to 

audit even the N22.7 trillion printed 

aimlessly.” 

It was Peter Schiff, an American 

investor, stockbroker, author and 

commentator on financial matters 

who warned that “Printing money 

is merely taxation in another form. 

Rather than robbing citizens of 

their money, government robs 

their money of its purchasing 

power.” 

Edun’s formal, influential and 

expansive ministerial designation 

is the same as that given first to 

the highly accomplished Dr. Ngozi 

Okonjo-Iweala, currently, the 7th 

The N22.7 trillion 

printed by the 

Central Bank of 

Nigeria (CBN) 

through Ways and 

Means overdraft 

for the federal 

government from 

2015 to 2023 landed 

Nigeria into hyperinflation 

Director-General of the World 

Trade Organisation (WTO). She 

assumed this latest position on 

March 1, 2021, and became the 

first woman and the first African 

to serve as such. Mr. Edun, a 

technocrat, had as his immediate 

predecessor (during the Buhari 

era) Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed 

who held an expansive but 

different designation (for 4 years) 

as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, 

Budget and National Planning, 

from 2019 to 2023. She served as 

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, from 

2018 to 2019. She’s a sibling of the 

immediate former Governor of 

Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai. 

Sadly, as I stated in previous 

analyses, Nigerians gave Buhari 

their trust, their sacred votes 

and their last drip of hope but 

he disappointed them. The 

bitter truth remains that despite 

the Goebbelian propaganda, 

Nigerians endured 8 long, bloody 

and difficult years of insecurities, 

religion-based conflicts/killings, 

the banking fiasco and truckloads 

of palaver. For millions of Nigerians 

who live, these days, months 

and years, a tormenting life of 

hardships, blood, sorrow and tears, 

Edun’s weighty allegation is yet 

another reminder of the ruin and 

seemingly endless incompetence 

of the Buhari regime. 

IF what Mr. Edun has alleged as 

examples of former President 

Buhari’s actions which ruined 

Nigeria’s economy and unleashed 

inflationary rates to the sky, 

and caused the exponentially 

unprecedented decimation of the 

value/exchange rate of the Naira, 

I think he should be accorded the 

privilege to respond; as should his 

financial/economic teams and 

Central Bank leadership during the 

8 years of the Buhari presidency 

— a presidency of small things, 

of petty malice and ancient 

grudges, of crass nepotism and 

clannishness, of moral corruption 

and assorted inequities, of 

impunity and incapacity! 

CHIDO 

NWANGWU 


Dr. Chido Nwangwu, author 

of the forthcoming 2024 book, 

MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, 

Leadership and Identity, is 

Founder of the first Africanowned, 

U.S-based newspaper on 

the internet, USAfricaonline.com. 

He has appeared as an analyst 

on CNN, ALJazeera, SKYnews, 

etc. Follow him on X (Twitter) @ 

Chido247. 


| 33


FOOD CRISIS: 

NIGERIANS SHOULD 

SEEK NEW WAYS TO 

BOOST AGRICULTURE 

By Ikenna Ngere 

Nigeria, the most 

populous nation in 

Africa and boasting 

the continent's largest 

economy, finds itself 

grappling with a 

severe threat of food insecurity 

and malnutrition. According to 

the latest report from the World 

Bank on Food Security, projections 

indicate that seven states across 

the North West and North East 

regions are poised to reach crisis 

levels of food insecurity in 2024. 

This alarming forecast, primarily, 

stems from persistent insecurity 

and armed conflicts, which have 

severely disrupted agricultural 

activities and livelihoods in these 

regions. 

Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Katsina, 

Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara 

are the most affected states. 

Additionally, specific areas within 

these regions, such as Abadam, 

Bama, Guzamala, and Marte, 

are expected to face emergency 

levels of food insecurity. Limited 

household food stocks and 

restricted access to markets and 

humanitarian aid exacerbate 

these predicaments. These areas 

are already in the throes of a 

large-scale humanitarian crisis, 

with approximately 8.3 million 

individuals requiring urgent 

assistance. Without prompt 

intervention, the number of people 

afflicted by acute malnutrition in 

these states is poised to escalate. 

How did Nigeria end up with a food 

crisis? 

Precarious and deteriorating 

food security conditions in the 

aforementioned states have 

marked the journey towards 

this impending food crisis. Over 

recent years, all seven states have 

witnessed a surge in violence and 

banditry, resulting in significant 

crop losses, rampant livestock 

theft, and the tragic loss of 

numerous farmers' lives. Notably, 

Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe have 

borne the brunt of the Boko Haram 

insurgency and the crisis in the 

Lake Chad Basin, which have 

wreaked havoc on local livelihoods. 

The severity of the situation is 

underscored by the findings 

of the 2021 Cadre Harmonisé 

analysis, a comprehensive 

regional framework assessing 



food and nutrition security in the 

Sahel and West Africa. This analysis 

revealed that approximately 12.9 

million people across 21 states in 

Nigeria, including the seven states 

above, were grappling with acute 

food insecurity from October to 

December 2021. This marked a 

staggering 77% increase compared 

to 2020, when 7.3 million individuals 

faced high levels of acute food 

insecurity. These stark realities have 

led to these states being classified 

in IPC Phase 3 or above, indicative 

of severe food insecurity reaching 

crisis, emergency, or famine levels. 

In the past four years, Nigeria's food 

security landscape has been further 

destabilised by soaring food prices 

and inflation, significantly eroding 

the purchasing power of countless 

households. The latest Consumer 

Price Index (CPI) report from the 

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) 

revealed that food inflation has 

surged to over 33%, the highest 

in approximately two decades. 

Moreover, since the onset of the 

COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, an 

• Farmers 

alarming 78% of Africans have 

found themselves unable to afford 

a nutritious diet. Beyond the seven 

mentioned states, the Food and 

Agricultural Organisation (FAO) 

has warned that around 5 million 

Nigerians will remain at risk of 

hunger in 2024. 

Despite governmental efforts 

to address the crisis, including 

President Tinubu's declaration of 

a food insecurity emergency last 

July, tangible outcomes still need 

to be seen. Recent events, such as 

the revolt in Niger State triggered by 

soaring food prices and starvation, 

underscore the urgency of the 

situation. 

President Bola Tinubu has 

temporarily alleviated the crisis 

by authorising the release of over 

102,000 metric tons of various grains 

from the National Food Reserve 

and the Rice Millers Association of 


| 35


• Food market 

Nigeria. 

However, a multifaceted 

approach is imperative to truly 

address the root causes and 

ensure lasting impact. This 

entails immediate relief efforts 

and sustainable interventions 

aimed at bolstering agricultural 

resilience, fostering peace and 

security, and mitigating the 

economic disparities exacerbating 

the crisis. Collaborative efforts 

involving governmental bodies, 

humanitarian organisations, local 

communities, and international 

partners are essential to navigate 

Nigeria's food crisis's complexities 

and safeguard all Nigerians' wellbeing. 

Sustainable food systems in the 

face of crisis 

To prevent a food crisis, many 

countries have adopted various 

measures to address the specific 

challenges they face. In 2016, 

Colombia faced a severe food 

crisis triggered by prolonged 

drought and violent conflict, 

President Bola 

Tinubu has 

temporarily 

alleviated 

the crisis by 

authorising the 

release of over 

102,000 metric 

tons of various 

grains from the 

National Food 

Reserve and 

the Rice Millers 

Association of 

Nigeria. 

disrupting food production and 

access. To combat this, Colombia 

initiated a multi-faceted approach. 

Firstly, a peace agreement was 

signed, ending the armed conflict 

between the Government and 

FARC rebels, aiming to tackle the 

root causes of conflict and improve 

food security. 

Subsequently, the National Food 

and Nutrition Security Policy 

was implemented, involving 

collaboration across sectors like 

agriculture, health, and education. 

The government also launched 

The Zero Hunger Pact, mobilising 

resources from various sectors 

and international cooperation. 

As a result, Colombia witnessed 

significant improvements, with 

poverty rates declining from 28.5% 

in 2016 to 17.5% in 2019 and undernourishment 

rates dropping from 

8.1% to 6.4% between 2014-2016 and 

2017-2019, respectively. 

Supporting family farming is a 

common solution for countries 

grappling with food crises. 

Family farming, reliant on family 

labour and management, is 

crucial in preserving traditional 

food products, maintaining 

agro-biodiversity, and ensuring 

sustainable resource use. 

Particularly vital in nations with 

expanding populations, small 

family farms serve as bastions of 

resilience. For instance, in Tanzania, 

the average small family farm 

generates a gross income of 

approximately $5,032 annually, 

predominantly through on-farm 

activities like crop cultivation and 

sales. 

Addressing escalating food prices 

demands innovative strategies 

surpassing mere food inflation 

interventions. India, for instance, 

introduced a minimum support 

price (MSP) for 22 crops in 2020, 

ensuring price stability and 

providing farmers with guaranteed 

incomes. Similarly, Nigeria is taking 

proactive measures, including 

releasing food from strategic 

reserves and curbing food 

hoarding. 

Nonetheless, there's no one-sizefits-all 

solution to rising food prices. 

Urgent intervention is needed 

in Nigeria's food security and 

nutrition landscape, necessitating 

comprehensive measures 



addressing multifaceted factors 

affecting food security. 

How can Nigeria’s food crisis be 

tamed? 

To effectively address Nigeria’s 

food crisis, the current government 

should consider the following six 

issues: 

* Restoring Macroeconomic 

Stability 

To combat Nigeria's food 

crisis effectively, the current 

administration must confront two 

significant issues: the unstable 

foreign exchange rate and 

prevailing insecurity. This involves 

cracking down on crude oil theft, 

intensifying security measures, 

and resolving underlying 

ethnic and resource-based 

tensions nationwide. Prioritising 

diversification of the economy 

away from heavy reliance on oil 

revenue, with a special focus on 

agricultural investments, should be 

a top national agenda item. 

* Strengthening Policy 

Coordination 

Strong political commitment and 

improved policy coordination are 

critical to success. Establishing 

a High-Level Presidential Food 

System Delivery Unit to oversee 

policy implementation and 

data-driven decision-making 

is imperative for progress in 

addressing the food crisis. 

* Scaling, Speed, and Efficiency 

Substantial investments are 

needed to boost agricultural 

productivity, enhance 

infrastructure, and fortify market 

systems. While these investments 

may surpass the government’s 

capacity, leveraging financing 

from various stakeholders, 

including the private sector and 

development partners, is crucial. 

The government should lead by 

example by increasing the federal 

budget allocation to agriculture, 

moving closer to the 10% target 

set by the Malabo Declaration. 

Developing bankable National 

Agricultural Investment Plans 

and fostering collaborations with 

development finance institutions 

can also mitigate risks associated 

with private sector investments. 

* Temporarily Suspending Import 

Restrictions 

Evaluating and potentially easing 

• Food market 

• Food trader 

import restrictions on key inputs 

and food items can help stabilise 

prices without excessively relying 

on imports. During this interim 

period, the government could 

assume the role of sole importer 

through a dedicated food board 

to regulate supply and prices 

effectively. 

* Incentivising State Governments 

State governments should be 

incentivised to invest in bolstering 

their agricultural competitiveness 

through revenue-sharing 

programmes funded by corporate 

income tax contributions. This 

incentivisation can prompt 

state governors to prioritise and 

actively engage in agri-business 

development, thereby enhancing 

food production. 

* Prioritising Resilience Building 

Establishing social safety nets, 

investing in climate adaptation 

and mitigation, and creating food 

reserves are essential to reduce 

vulnerability to external shocks and 

ensure long-term food security. 

Nigeria's food crisis presents a 

critical challenge with profound 

implications for the nation's 

social and economic well-being. 

Urgent and well-coordinated 

efforts are required to alleviate 

current hardships and prevent 

further suffering. All stakeholders 

in Nigeria's agri-food system must 

prioritise actions to promote food 

security for all citizens, with the 

government taking a lead role in 

policy formulation and investment. 

With the current administration 

well into its first year, time is of the 

essence. 

DAMIAN 

IKENNA NGERE 




freelance writer. He has interest 

in technology, humanity 

and sports. 


| 37


TRUMP 

BIDEN 

As the world watches the 

unfolding drama of the 

2024 United States 

elections, many 

wonder about its 

impact on Africa, a 

continent often affected by the 

decisions of global superpowers. The 

outcome of these elections could, 

indeed, hold significant implications 

for Africa across various spheres, 

including politics, trade, and 

development aid. 

The 2024 US presidential election is 

steeped in anticipation, with two 

prominent figures dominating the 

landscape: President Biden and 

former President Donald J. Trump. 

These political heavyweights, who 

clashed in the fiercely contested 

2020 election, continue to exert a 

significant influence on the current 

campaign, shaping its trajectory. 

In particular, the resurgence of 

Donald Trump as the Republican 

front-runner has garnered scrutiny. 

Despite facing criticism for his 

controversial policies, Trump's base 

remains fervent, propelling him to 

prominence within the GOP. However, 

Trump's past remarks, including his 

widely reported derogatory language 

about certain parts of Africa during 

discussions on immigration, have 

2024 US 

ELECTIONS: 

HOW 

WOULD THE 

OUTCOME 

IMPACT 

AFRICA? 




sparked concern, both domestically 

and internationally. 

In 2020, Trump implemented visa 

restrictions on Nigeria and three 

other African nations, exacerbating 

challenges for young Nigerians 

aspiring to study and work abroad. 

Despite this, the desire among 

Nigerian youth to pursue 

opportunities globally has only 

intensified. Throughout his tenure, 

President Trump's policies often 

proved unfavorable to Africa, 

particularly regarding immigration 

and visa regulations. 

In contrast, President Biden's 

administration has taken steps to 

champion the rights of marginalised 

communities, including those who 

identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+). 

Through economic and development 

cooperation policies, Biden has 

sought to promote inclusivity, 

sending a signal of support to 

LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide. 

However, perceptions of these efforts 

in Africa may vary, reflecting the 

complex socio-cultural landscape of 

the continent and differing attitudes 

towards LGBTQ+ rights across various 

nations. 

One of the ways in which the US 

elections could affect Africa is 

through foreign policy. The US 

government plays a pivotal role in 

shaping international relations, 

including its engagement with 

African nations. Depending on which 

party wins the presidential election 

and its priorities, there could be shifts 

in US policy towards Africa. 

From a security standpoint, the 

United States holds a crucial role as a 

cornerstone in the global efforts to 

combat insurgencies across 

numerous African nations, 

particularly in the sub-continents of 

West and East Africa. The US provides 

support through various means, 

including intelligence sharing, military 

training, logistical assistance, and 

diplomatic engagement. 

This partnership is instrumental in 

bolstering the capabilities of African 

governments and regional security 

forces to address threats posed by 

insurgent groups such as Boko 

Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabaab in 

Somalia, and various militant factions 

in the Sahel region. 

The outcome of the 2024 US 

presidential election holds significant 

implications for Africa's security 

landscape, as it will determine the 

In 2020, Trump 

implemented 

visa restrictions 

on Nigeria and 

three other 

African nations, 

exacerbating 

challenges for 

young Nigerians 

aspiring to study 

and work abroad. 

continuity or shifts in US foreign policy 

priorities, military engagements, and 

aid allocations to address security 

challenges on the continent. A 

change in leadership could lead to 

adjustments in strategy or levels of 

commitment, impacting the 

effectiveness of counter-insurgency 

efforts and regional stability in Africa. 

Trade is another aspect to consider. 

The United States is a major trading 

partner for several African countries, 

and changes in US trade policies can 

have far-reaching consequences. 

The imposition of tariffs, changes in 

trade agreements, or shifts in 

economic priorities could impact 

African economies, affecting 

industries such as agriculture, 

manufacturing, and technology. 

Moreover, trade policies influenced 

by the US elections could either 

promote or hinder Africa's integration 

into the global economy. 

Furthermore, the outcome of the US 

elections could influence 

development aid and investment in 

Africa. Historically, the US has been a 

significant contributor to 

development-assistance 

programmes in the region, 

supporting initiatives related to 

health care, education, infrastructure, 

and poverty alleviation. Depending 

on the priorities of the incoming 

administration, there may be 

changes in the allocation of foreign 

aid budgets or the focus of 

development initiatives. This, in turn, 

could affect the trajectory of social 

and economic development in 

African countries. 

Beyond these tangible impacts, the 

US elections also have symbolic 

significance for Africa. The outcome 

would send a message about the 

values and priorities of the American 

people and their leaders. It would 

shape perceptions of democracy, 

governance, and human rights on 

the global stage, including Africa. 

Moreover, the actions and rhetoric of 

US leaders can influence political 

dynamics within African countries, 

inspiring or emboldening certain 

movements. 

While the US elections hold 

significance for Africa, they are just 

one piece of the puzzle. African 

nations also have agency and 

autonomy in shaping their own 

destinies. They engage in bilateral 

and multilateral relationships with a 

range of global partners, pursue their 

own domestic agendas, and 

navigate geo-political dynamics in 

their own right. These, too, will play 

significant roles in how the outcome 

of the US elections would impact 

Africa. 











www.theaccomplishmagazine.com | 39


HOW 

NIGERIA'S 

ECONOMY 

AFFECTS 

FAMILIES 

By Tolulope Akinruli 

So much is being said 

about the current 

state of Nigeria's 

economy and it's 

only natural for 

analysts to begin to 

consider how the 

situation affects households 

nationwide. With a population 

of approximately 200 million, 

Nigeria stands as Africa's most 

populous nation, boasting a 

diverse economy propelled by 

sectors such as oil and gas, 

agriculture, and an expanding 

service industry. 

The policies of the 

incumbent federal 

administration has led to 

severe hardship, unimaginable 

poverty, unemployment, 

frightening insecurity, spiraling 

increases in prices of food and 

other basic needs, and even 

scarcity of food and basic 

goods. For many people, the 

policies - including policy 

flip-flops - have made the 

current state of affairs 

inevitable. Yet, there are others 

who opine that what is being 

experienced now is the result of 

maladministration of decades 

past though the incumbent 



administration may have 

wrong steps that worsened 

things. The former group point 

to the removal of petroleum 

subsidy without first making 

provisions that will mitigate the 

outcomes and the floating of 

the United States' dollar. They 

also allude to increasing 

electricity tariff and poor 

handling of food scarcity. This 

group allege that the 

government of President Bola 

Ahmed Tinubu is working 

against its own agenda of 

economic recovery by the way 

it has gone about its 

implementation. 

Truth be told, these negative 

economic showings didn't 

begin with the Tinubu 

administration but it's clear 

that the economic situation of 

the average Nigerian has 

gotten much more terrible 

under Tinubu's watch. Since he 

took the reins of office, Nigeria 

has experienced its worst 

economic recession, resulting 

in job losses and reduced 

household income for many 

families. 

A perceptive observer would 

note that the disturbing 

realities span all six geopolitical 

zones of the country, casting a 

shadow over the lives and 

well-being of citizens. In 

response to rising public 

discourse on the subject, 

Accomplish Magazine decided 

to find out how the economic 

situation is affecting families in 

the geopolitical zones. The 

respondents include Mrs. 

Deborah Olorunshe, a retail 

trader from Kogi State (North 

Central); Mrs. Aishat Jallor 

Abubakar, a social worker from 

Adamawa (North East); Mrs. 

Zainab Abdulrahman, a 

microbiologist from Jigawa 

(North West); Mrs. Cynthia 

Egboh, a chef from Enugu 

State(South East); Mrs. 

Oberhirhi Okogun, a marketer 

and dentist from Delta State 

(South-South); and Mrs. 

Omolara Adebiji, a chemist 

(South West). They shared how 

their respective families have 

been affected by the economic 

crunch. 

Mrs. Deborah Olorunshe 

Accomplish Magazine: How has the 

economic situation in the North 

Central geopolitical zone impacted 

your family in terms of job 

opportunities and income stability? 

Mrs. Deborah Olorunshe: 

One of the major issues affecting job 

opportunities is the lack of 

industrialisation and investment in key 

sectors. The zone has predominantly 

been reliant on agriculture, and while 

this sector employs many, it is largely 

informal and does not offer stable 

income opportunities. Many families 

struggle to make ends meet, as a 

result, leading to increased poverty 

levels and societal unrest. The lack of 

job opportunities has also forced 

many individuals to seek 

employment in other parts of the 

country or even abroad, leading to a 

separation of families and further 

economic strain. This hurts family 

stability and cohesion, as individuals 

are forced to leave their loved ones 

behind in search of better economic 

opportunities. 

Accomplish Magazine: What 

should the government do to 

mitigate the economic challenges 

faced by families in the North 

Central zone? 

Mrs. Deborah Olorunshe: 

The government has a responsibility 

to create an enabling environment 

for businesses to thrive and create 

job opportunities. This can be 

achieved through investment in 

infrastructure, improving the ease of 

doing business, and providing 

incentives for private sector 

investment in the zone. They can 

also play a role in providing social 

safety nets for families facing 

economic hardship by providing 

cash transfer programmes, job 

training initiatives, and support for 

small businesses. By providing these 

interventions, I believe the 

government can help to alleviate 

the financial burden on families and 

improve their overall economic 

stability. 

Accomplish Magazine: What are the 

main challenges families in the North 

East zone are facing regarding the 

economy, and how are they coping 

with them? 

Mrs. Aishat Jallor Abubakar: The 

ongoing conflicts has disrupted many 

businesses and industries in the 

region, leading to high levels of 

unemployment. Boko Haram 

insurgency has resulted in economic 

and social disruption, widespread 

displacement, loss of lives, destruction 

of infrastructure, and a severe strain 

on the region's economy. As a result, 

families in the region are having a 

hard time coping with the economic 

hardships and lack of access to basic 

amenities and infrastructure. 

Mrs. Aishat Jallor Abubakar 


| 41



How are families in the North East 

zone adapting to the economic 

situation in terms of access to basic 

amenities and infrastructure? 

Mrs. Aishat Jallor Abubakar: 

Well, families have to rely on 

alternative sources of water, such as 

rivers and wells, which may be 

contaminated and unsafe for 

consumption. Some others have to 

invest in water purification methods or 

travel long distances to access clean 

water, invest in alternative sources of 

energy, such as generators or solar 

panels, to meet their energy needs. 

Sone support has also come from 

humanitarian organisations and 

government assistance programmes 

to meet their basic needs, among 

many others. 


How has the economic 

downturn affected the 

standard of living for families 

in the North West zone? 

Mrs. Zainab Abdulrahman: 

The fact is that many families 

have lost their sources of 

income as businesses have 

struggled to survive in the harsh 

economic climate. This has led 

to a decline in the standard of 

living. Families are unable to 

afford basic needs such as 

food, shelter, and health care. 

The lack of economic 

opportunities has also hurt 

education, as they are unable 

to afford school fees and other 

educational expenses for their 

children. 


What initiatives are in place to 

support families in the North 

West zone to overcome the 

economic hardships they are 

facing? 

Mrs. Zainab Abdulrahman: 

Government and some 

organisations are making 

efforts to support small-scale 

businesses and agriculture by 

providing access to microfinance 

and credit facilities to 

help entrepreneurs and farmers 

rebuild their businesses. The 

government has been investing 

in infrastructure and 

development projects in the 

region, to create more 

economic opportunities for 

families in this zone. 


In what ways has the economic 

situation in the South East zone 

affected families in terms of 

entrepreneurship and business 

opportunities? 

Mrs. Cynthia Egboh: 

The lack of infrastructure, 

government support, and access 

to capital has made it difficult for 

entrepreneurs to start and 

sustain their businesses. Many 

families have had to either shut 

down their businesses or 

downsize to survive. This has not 

only affected families' income 

and financial security but has 

also hurt the overall economy of 

the region. 


How are families in the South 

East zone coping with the 

economic challenges in 

terms of securing stable 

employment and financial 

security? 

Mrs. Cynthia Egboh: 

Many individuals have turned 

to small-scale farming, 

trading, and artisan work as a 

means of generating income. 

This has allowed families to 

sustain themselves and 

provide for their basic needs, 

albeit with much difficulty. 

While some others had to rely 

on the support of extended 

family members and 

community networks to 

survive. 

Mrs. Cynthia Egboh 




What are the main economic 

challenges facing families in the 

South-South zone, and how are they 

managing to overcome them? 

Mrs. Oberhirhi Okogun: 

There are high unemployment rates, low 

wages, a lack of access to basic 

amenities, and much more. But, many 

families came together to provide 

financial assistance, share resources, 

and offer emotional support during 

tough times. This sense of communal 

unity and cooperation has been 

instrumental in alleviating the economic 

burdens faced in the zone to some 

extent. 


What measures have been 

introduced to alleviate the economic 

burden on families in the South- 

South zone, and how effective have 

they been? 

Mrs. Oberhirhi Okogun: 

It is very obvious that the South-South 

zone is a major hub for the oil and gas 

industry in Nigeria. The government has 

introduced measures to ensure that the 

region benefits, somewhat, from the 

revenue generated from the oil and gas 

sector, through the implementation of 

policies such as the Niger Delta 

Development Commission (NDDC) and 

the Presidential Amnesty Programme. 

These programmes aim to address the 

socio-economic and environmental 

challenges facing the region and 

empower the people through skills 

acquisition and human capital 

development. If executed well, they will 

be effective investments in roads, 

electricity, and other critical 

infrastructure that is essential for 

economic development. 

Mrs. Oberhirhi Okogun 

Mrs. Omolara Adebiji 


How are families in the South West 

zone being impacted by the 

economic situation in terms of 

education and health care 

accessibility? 

Mrs. Omolara Adebiji: 

The increase in school fees and 

related expenses has made it difficult 

for many families to enroll their 

children in schools. Moreover, the cost 

of educational materials and 

textbooks has also risen, placing a 

heavy financial burden on parents. As 

a result, many children from lowincome 

families are being forced to 

drop out of school or are receiving 

substandard education. 

Many families are unable to afford 

basic medical care and essential 

medications and many preventable 

illnesses are often left untreated, 

leading to increased health risks for 

children and their families. 


How has the economic situation in 

the South West zone impacted 

families in terms of social welfare 

and support systems? 

Mrs. Omolara Adebiji: 

One of the major impacts of the 

economic situation is the strain it has 

placed on families' ability to get basic 

needs. High unemployment rates, 

inflation, and a lack of access to 

affordable housing have led to many 

families struggling to make ends 

meet. This has resulted in increased 

stress and anxiety within households, 

as parents struggle with the pressure 

of providing for their children in an 

increasingly difficult economic 

climate. 

Conclusion 

From the views of the women 

interviewed, it is clear that Nigeria's 

struggling economy is having a 

frustrating impact on families 

across the six geopolitical zones. 

The economic challenges have led 

to increased poverty, limited access 

to basic services, and heightened 

financial stress. The federal, state 

and local governments must 

intentionally prioritise economic 

development and diversification to 

alleviate the burden on families and 

create opportunities for a truly 

brighter future. 



My love to impact knowledge 

to the young and old led me to 

research and writing. Also, l 

have been business-oriented, 

right from childhood, which 

made me focus more on driving 

the business world and also to 

help people grow their business. 

As a writer, I aim to create an 

insightful image in the minds 

of every reader for maximum 

wealth and health. 


| 43


MILITARY ETHICS 

AND NIGERIAN 

CITIZENS 

By Victor Olewunne 

Military ethics refers to the moral 

principles and values that guide the 

conduct and behaviour of individuals 

within the armed forces, as well as 

the ethical considerations that shape 

military operations, decision-making 

processes, and interactions with both enemies 

and civilians. These ethics encompass a range of 

principles. An analysis of how these principles are 

applied on Nigerian citizens present nothing but sad 

memoirs. 

In Nigeria, the intersection of military ethics and 

civilian life has become a contentious and complex 

terrain. The foundational principles of military ethics, 

designed to guide the conduct of armed forces with 

integrity and justice, face numerous challenges 

when applied to Nigerian citizens. This analysis looks 

into the application of military ethics within Nigeria's 

socio-political context, highlighting the failures in 

upholding these ethical standards. 

Respect for Human Dignity 

At the heart of military ethics lies 

the principle of respecting human 

dignity. However, instances of human 

rights abuses, extra-judicial killings, 

and brutal crackdowns on protests 

have tarnished this principle in 

Nigeria. Citizens, especially in conflictaffected 

regions or during civil unrest, 

often find themselves subjected to 

egregious violations of their dignity by 

security agencies. The shocking public 

massacre of IPOB protesters in Aba 

and EndSARS protesters in Lagos by 

the Nigerian military is still fresh in our 

minds. These actions not only betray 

the trust between the military and the 

populace but also undermine the very 

essence of ethical conduct expected 

from armed forces and other security 

agencies. 

Integrity and Accountability 

Integrity and accountability form 

the bedrock of a trustworthy military 

institution. Regrettably, Nigeria 

has grappled with allegations of 

corruption, impunity, and a lack of 

accountability within its armed forces 

and security agencies. Allegations 

in certain circles claim that military 

budgets end up in private accounts. 

Cases of embezzlement, bribery, 

collusion with oil thieves and other 

criminals not only erode public 

confidence but also weaken the 

moral fabric of the military. Without 



sectional, economic or personal 

interest? This underscores the need 

for greater accountability and 

adherence to ethical norms. 

Conclusion 

The application of military ethics 

to Nigerian citizens is fraught with 

challenges, double standards and 

contradictions. While the principles of 

respect for human dignity, integrity, 

protection of non-combatants, and 

ethical decision-making offer a 

framework for ethical conduct, their 

realisation remains elusive in many 

instances. To truly honour the ethical 

obligations owed to Nigerian citizens, 

there must be a concerted effort to 

address systemic issues of injustice, 

corruption, impunity, and lack of 

accountability within the military. 

Only through genuine commitment 

to upholding these ethical standards, 

fostering transparency, and 

respecting the rights and dignity of all 

citizens can the Nigerian military fulfill 

its duty to serve with honour, integrity, 

and justice. 

robust mechanisms to ensure 

transparency and hold perpetrators 

accountable, the ethical standards 

upheld by military ethics remain 

hollow promises to Nigerian citizens. 

Protection of Non-Combatants 

(Civilians) 

The protection of civilians is a central 

tenet of military ethics, enshrined 

in international humanitarian law. 

Sadly however, civilian casualties 

resulting from military operations 

have become distressingly common 

in Nigeria. Conflict zones witness 

the tragic toll of violence, often with 

civilians bearing the brunt of military 

actions. The recent killings by the 

military at Okuama in Delta State, 

justified by military apologists as 

act of loyalty to fallen colleagues, 

stand out as gross violation of 

military ethics taken too far. Women, 

children and the elderly were not 

spared. The failure to adequately 

safeguard non-combatants not only 

violates ethical standards but also 

perpetuates cycles of suffering and 

mistrust among Nigerian citizens. 

The point must be made that the 

killing of 16 Nigerian soldiers is very 

unjustifiable and callous but does the 

all-out reprisal killings of unarmed 

civilians and the razing of Okuama 

instead of fishing out the perpetrators 

of that dastardly act for justice match 

international standards of military 

ethics? 

Ethical Decision Making 

Ethical decision-making is imperative 

for military leaders, especially in 

complex and high-pressure situations 

that have become inevitably 

prevalent in Nigeria. Political problems 

are addressed with sledge-hammer 

military action. Yet, concerns persist 

regarding the transparency and 

ethical rigour of decision-making 

processes within the Nigerian 

military. Political interference, lack 

of consultation, and skewed or 

opaque decision-making often cloud 

the judgment of military leaders, 

compromising the ethical integrity 

of their actions. This raises questions 

about whose interests are prioritised 

in military decisions: ethnic interest, 

VICTOR 

OLEWUNNE 


Victor Olewunne, the Ethicist, 

is a public affairs analyst and 

Founder, African Foundation for 

Ethics and Social Responsibility. 


| 45


World Health Day 

Can Nigeria 

Become 

A Medical 

Tourism Hub? 

By Harry Choms 

Every year, on April 7th, the global community commemorates World 

Health Day, a significant event sponsored by the World Health 

Organization (WHO) and other affiliated organisations. The first 

World Health Assembly established the inaugural celebration in 1950, 

marking the anniversary of WHO's founding. This observance serves as a 

platform for WHO to draw attention to critical global health issues, joining 

the ranks of its other flagship campaigns such as World Tuberculosis Day, 

World Immunisation Week, and others. 



The Essence of World Health Day 

World Health Day is more than just a 

date on the calendar; it symbolises 

a moment of reflection on the 

prevailing health challenges 

worldwide and the progress made 

in addressing them. It unites 

stakeholders from various sectors to 

advocate for sustainable health 

policies and practices, fostering 

collaboration towards better health 

outcomes. 

2024 Focus: Global Action for 

Universal Health 

In 2024, the theme for World Health 

Day emphasises the urgent need 

for universal health coverage, 

ensuring that everyone, regardless 

of their circumstances, can access 

essential health services without 

financial hardship. This call to action 

aims to bridge global health equity, 

access, and quality gaps. 

Objectives of World Health Day 

2024: 

• Advocate for Universal Health 

Coverage: Emphasise the 

necessity of accessible, 

affordable, and high-quality 

health care services for all 

individuals, regardless of 

geographical location or socioeconomic 

status. 

• Promote Health Equity: Address 

disparities in health access and 

outcomes, particularly among 

marginalised populations, to 

ensure everyone has an equal 

opportunity to lead a healthy life. 

• Encourage Healthy Behaviours: 

Raise awareness and promote 

the adoption of healthy lifestyles 

to prevent diseases and enhance 

overall well-being, contributing to 

a healthier global population. 

• Strengthen Health Systems: 

Support the development of 

robust and resilient health 

systems capable of effectively 

addressing existing health 

challenges and emerging crises. 

Aligning with Sustainable 

Development Goals 

Celebrating World Health Day aligns 

with the broader agenda of 

Sustainable Development Goal 3: 

Good Health and Well-being. It 

underscores the vital role of health 

in building prosperous and 

sustainable societies, emphasising 

its inter-connectedness with other 

sustainable development 

objectives, such as reducing 

inequalities and fostering 

meaningful partnerships for global 

health improvement. 

Can Nigeria Become A Medical 

Tourism Hub? 

As the global health care landscape 

evolves, countries are exploring 

opportunities to enhance their 

medical tourism sector. With 

growing health care infrastructure 

and services investments, the 

question arises: Can Nigeria 

become a medical tourism hub? 

Accomplish Magazine delves into 

the current state of medical tourism 

in Nigeria, assessing the factors 

influencing its potential as a key 

destination, and exploring the 

challenges and opportunities 

ahead. 

The Current State of Medical 

Tourism in Nigeria 

Nigeria has significantly developed 

its health care infrastructure, 

attracting patients from 

neighbouring countries for 

specialised treatments. Top-tier 

hospitals and medical facilities in 

cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port 

Harcourt and Enugu offer various 

medical services, including 

cardiology, oncology, and 

orthopaedics. However, the 

country's medical tourism sector is 

still nascent, facing stiff competition 

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 

from established hubs like India, 

Singapore, and Thailand. 

The country is committed to 

addressing the issue of health care 

brain drain by establishing cuttingedge 

health care infrastructure. This 

move aims to reduce the need for 

Nigerians to seek medical attention 

abroad, thereby conserving foreign 

currency reserves and fostering 

employment opportunities. The 

concern arises from statistics 

indicating that Nigerians spend a 

significant annual sum, ranging 

from $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion, on 

medical trips overseas. 

Medical Expertise 

Nigerian doctors and specialists are 

well-regarded internationally for 

their skills and expertise in various 

medical fields. Many have been 

trained in prestigious institutions 

worldwide, bringing back invaluable 

experience and knowledge. 

Advanced Facilities: Several 

world-class hospitals and clinics 

have state-of-the-art technology 

and facilities in major Nigerian cities. 

These facilities adhere to 

international standards and offer 

various medical services. 

Efforts to Tackle Health Care Brain 

Drain 

Nigeria has a rich pool of highly 

skilled health care professionals 

trained in esteemed institutions 

globally. This ensures top-notch 

medical services for those seeking 


| 47


treatment within the country. 

Nigeria takes pride in its advanced 

health care infrastructure, which is 

among the most sophisticated in 

Africa. These modern medical 

facilities offer a comprehensive 

range of surgical procedures and 

treatments, attracting medical 

tourists seeking specialised care like 

cardiovascular surgery, cancer 

treatment, and organ transplants. 

Strain on Foreign Exchange 

Reserves 

This substantial expenditure has put 

considerable strain on Nigeria's 

foreign exchange reserves. Despite 

its robust economy and abundant 

resources, Nigeria's health care 

system and infrastructure have 

consistently received poor ratings. 

The inadequacies in the health care 

system are often overlooked due to 

the political elite's preference for 

medical tourism. Experts caution 

that the government must actively 

address the medical, legal, and 

social issues associated with clinical 

tourism. Furthermore, attention 

must be given to the financial 

burden faced by individuals unable 

to access medical treatment within 

the country. 

Economic Benefits of Medical 

Tourism 

It's important to highlight that 

medical tourism can positively 

impact Nigeria's economy by 

generating foreign exchange 

revenue, creating job opportunities, 

and boosting investments in health 

care. The expansion of clinical 

tourism sets the stage for improved 

health care systems and enhanced 

patient care, benefiting both 

domestic and international 

individuals. Moreover, this growth 

facilitates the exchange of valuable 

medical knowledge and practices, 

allowing Nigerian health care 

professionals to collaborate with 

their global counterparts and 

ultimately improve health 

outcomes. 

Driving Factors and Enhancements 

Nigeria's readiness to embrace 

medical tourism stems from 

advancements in clinical 

technology, disparities in health 

care regulations, global economic 

imbalances, and globalisation. To 

maximise this potential, there is an 

emphasis on retaining immigrant 

health care professionals within 

Nigeria and ensuring that the 

country's health care facilities and 

personnel meet international 

standards. Fair remuneration and 

the contributions of organisations 

like Duchess Worldwide are crucial 

in enhancing employment 

prospects and attracting medical 

tourists. 

Factors Influencing Nigeria's 

Potential as a Medical Tourism Hub 

1. Geographical Location: Situated 

in West Africa, Nigeria enjoys 

strategic proximity to countries 

with limited health care resources, 

making it an accessible 

destination for patients seeking 

quality medical care. 

2. Diverse Health Care Services: 

Nigeria boasts a diverse health 

care landscape, with hospitals 

and clinics equipped to handle 

complex medical procedures, 

from organ transplants to fertility 

treatments. 

3. Government Support: The 

Nigerian government has 

recognised the potential of 

medical tourism as a revenuegenerating 

sector and is 

implementing policies to attract 

foreign patients and investment. 

4. Cultural Heritage: Nigeria's rich 

cultural heritage and warm 

hospitality add value to the 

patient experience, making it an 

attractive destination for medical 

tourists. 

How We Can Position Nigeria As A 

Medical Tourism Hub? 

Championing Our Health Care 

Heroes 

Nigeria's journey to becoming a 

leading medical tourism destination 

hinges on a transformative shift in 

our health care narrative. It calls for 

a collective embrace of gratitude 

towards our health care institutions 

as we bid farewell to subpar 

standards of care. A compelling 

insight emerged from my recent 

discussions with a passionate 

health care professional dedicated 

to elevating Nigeria's medical 

landscape. He observed a 

significant surge in Nigerian doctors 

actively pursuing global medical 

standards and staying updated 

through international conferences. 

This underscores a prevailing 

commitment within the medical 

community towards excellence. 

Notably, the Nigerian Medical and 

Dental Council (MDCN) hosts an 

annual medical exhibition where 

hospitals showcase their 

advancements, signalling progress 

in the medical domain. 

Hence, it's imperative to endorse 

and utilise Nigerian health care 

facilities. 

Hospitals Need To Focus on Selling 

Value Propositions & Their Potential 

A critical hurdle lies in the regulatory 

constraints of medical governing 

bodies. The Nigerian Medical Ethical 

Conduct Guide by the MDCN 



imposes restrictions on hospitals, 

prohibiting them from advertising 

their services. While we anticipate 

the overdue review of these 

restrictions to amplify health care 

facilities' visibility and knowledge 

dissemination for patients and 

practitioners alike, there are 

strategic avenues hospitals can 

explore to promote their services: 

*Building Robust Brands: Hospitals 

should cultivate strong brand 

identities through online and offline 

presence, fostering trust and 

reliability. Regularly disseminating 

informative content can effectively 

communicate their value 

proposition. 

*Establishing Patient Liaison Roles: 

Implementing dedicated patient 

liaison roles ensures prompt and 

satisfactory responses to inquiries 

and concerns, enhancing overall 

patient experience. 

*Adaptable Sales Strategies: 

Hospitals can devise flexible 

payment plans catering to diverse 

income brackets, collaborating with 

insurance organisations to broaden 

accessibility to health care services. 

Public-Private Collaboration 

The government and private sector 

synergy is pivotal to fortifying 

Nigeria's health care ecosystem. 

This collaboration must span policy 

formulation, infrastructure 

development, and educational 

enhancements. It encompasses: 

*Quality Evaluation of Medical 

Professionals: Rigorous vetting 

processes for doctors must be 

instituted to mitigate sub-standard 

care instances and deter brain 

drain. Additionally, incentivising work 

conditions can curb attrition rates. 

*Government Patronage: Policies 

must be enacted to ensure 

government support and utilisation 

of local health care services, 

fostering development and 

accessibility, particularly for 

underserved populations. 

*Combatting Corruption: Vigilance 

against corruption is paramount to 

prevent the misappropriation of 

health care funds, ensuring efficient 

resource allocation for 

infrastructure upgrades and service 

enhancement. 

Embracing Innovation 

Embracing innovative initiatives is 

instrumental in propelling the health 

care sector forward. Facilitating the 

emergence of medical start-ups 

and fostering technological 

advancements can revolutionise 

health care delivery. Digital health 

start-ups like NEWMED, DoctorNow, 

and Flying Doctors Nigeria are 

pioneering accessible health care 

solutions across demographics. 

Future Outlook 

With continuous efforts to overcome 

challenges and leverage 

opportunities, Nigeria can position 

itself as a premier destination for 

medical tourism hub in Africa and 

beyond. By harnessing its medical 

expertise, advanced facilities, and 

cultural appeal, the country can 

provide high-quality health care 

services to diverse patients. 

Nigeria can emerge as a prominent 

player in the global medical tourism 

industry. The country is poised to 

attract patients worldwide with a 

strong health care infrastructure, 

government support, and a 

commitment to quality care. By 

addressing challenges and 

leveraging opportunities, Nigeria 

can capitalise on its strengths and 

transform into a thriving medical 

tourism hub. 

Let's support and promote 

Nigeria's journey towards 

becoming a preferred destination 

for medical travellers. 

So, this World Health Day, let's 

envision Nigeria's journey towards 

becoming a beacon of health care 

excellence in international medical 

tourism. 

HARRY CHOMS 


Harry Choms is a freelance writer 

with a passion for words and a 

keen eye for details, an editor, and 

an avid tech believer. His works 

can be seen on EntrepreneurNG. 

com, Imautomator, Secureblitz, 

Withinnigeria, Feelgospel, 

Kemifilani, and Glamsquad 

Magazine. He is the Webmaster 

and sole owner of Matrismart.com 

and biowiki.com.ng. 


| 49


Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas 

NASS 

Parliamentary 

System or 

Restructuring: 

A Country at Self- 

Inflicted Crossroad 

By Dave Baro-Thomas 

For a country rocked 

violently by massive 

hunger and increasing 

security breaches, 

countless solutions 

abound for getting out 

of the woods, and one of the most 

ludicrous prepositions is to revert 

the country to the parliamentary 

system of government. A system 

of governance truncated almost 

60 years ago is, today, being 

sponsored by 60 members of the 

Green Chambers of the National 

Assembly, and the bill is already on 

its second reading! 

The most potent argument against 

the current presidential system 

is that it is too expensive, but is 

the parliamentary or presidential 

system of government the problem 

of this country? Whose interest are 

these 60 lawmakers projecting? 

This agitation for a parliamentary 

system is simply a wild goose 

chase orchestrated to toy with 

the emotions of Nigerians, and it 

is a charade taken too far. Can 

these lawmakers, honestly, return 

this country to a unicameral 

parliamentary system if cost-cutting 

is the motive? Can they muster the 

required votes to realise this? 

Let us assume that by a stroke 

of luck, this sham sails through, 

can Nigerians trust a few 

parliamentarians to produce a 

government that will truly reflect 

the wishes of the people, or would 

we transit from an era of filling the 

pockets of a few allegedly corrupt 

judges/legislators/ministers to 

making new sets of fewer, illicit 

billionaires in the parliament 

alongside their acolytes in the other 

arms of government and reenacting 

the days of the Wild-Wild-West? 

Great Britain, the mother of all 

parliamentary democracies and 

the American-invented presidential 

system have been around for 

centuries and still serving their 

respective purposes around 

the globe. Indeed, the call for a 

parliamentary system is a futile 

exercise that the purveyors know is 

dead on arrival, and as usual, the 

charade will go through the House 

of Representatives, but the Senate 



will shoot it down like a misguided 

meteorite because it is all prearranged 

to keep the proletariats 

busy. 

The presidential system is not the 

problem. The age-long parasite 

killing the country is CORRUPTION! 

Pure and simple! 

The biggest worry for some sections 

of the country is restructuring: a 

loose federalism, or an outright 

confederation, given the fall-out of 

some ethnic-sensitive questions 

grossly mismanaged by the 

penultimate administration. It has 

deepened the restiveness and 

ethnic nationalities' consciousness 

in addition to the age-long underbellies 

of resource control pushed 

by a segment of the country, and 

understandably so. 

For many, the indisputable 

roadmap to a restructured Nigeria 

is a dispassionate constitutional 

reform. Therefore, dismantling the 

1999 Constitution is inevitable. So, 

whether it is called devolution of 

power or restructuring, the matter 

is straightforward enough – 

strategically depopulate the content 

of the Exclusive List and provide 

greater latitude and influence for the 

federating units by expanding the 

Concurrent List. 

Studies affirm, and it is public 

knowledge on the website of the 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that every 

state in the federation is endowed 

with significant amounts of natural 

resources to make them viable. 

Sadly, the current constitution 

supports these kwashiorkor-like 

states to come begging with caps in 

hand every month for undeserved 

victuals/manna from the centre. 

So, we are at a self-inflicted 

crossroad because it is difficult to 

understand how people can be 

afraid to move forward, conquer 

their spaces, and set in motion a 

guaranteed better destiny! The key 

to the great possibilities in front of 

this country is restructuring if we can 

approach it with mutual respect, 

sincerity, and support, and a mind of 

collective destiny as a people bound 

together by providence. 

The most profound obstacles to 

restructuring in this country are 

suspicions and unfounded fears. 

Every segment of this country will 

thrive with restructuring, but haters 

and narrow-minded Nigerians 

should purge themselves from 

unpatriotic tendencies. 

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio 

DAVE 

BARO-THOMAS 


A Banker, Special Project 

Executive (BusinessDay Media) 

and Event/Conferences Manager 

(Vanguard Newspapers). A 

Producer, Editor, Author/ 

Publisher, (Development 

Post & Agrobusiness Times) 

Columnist, Voice-over artist, 

Content Specialist (Pan Atlantic 

University), Trainer, and 

Media Entrepreneur (GreenStel 

Communication/Zemeef 

Communications) with a strong 

flare for marketing 

and research. 


| 51

GL BAL InfoDIGEST 

You Too Can 

Overcome 

Addiction! 

(A story in pictures) 

Me, completely broken, 

93 pounds, living on the 

streets, living in fear, in 

pain, addicted to meth 

and heroin, and ready for 

my life to finally end. I had 

endocarditis twice from 

using meth and I had a 

hole in my heart. My mom 

took that picture when 

she went to rescue me. 

I took this picture 

recently. Didn't care 

about angles. Just 

wanted to show my 

happiness. Nine 

months clean! I fought 

hard for months in the 

hospital, survived 

heart surgery, gained 

40 pounds, got a place 

to live, and I have my 

family and my two 

cats that help me. 

I've posted the "Before" picture a lot but my 

story is important. Recovery is possible and it 

is worth it! 

Editor's Note: This piece was originally written by Tiana 

Sullivan without a title and published by Quora.com. 

Forget Abo 

on Building 

If you’re just starting 

your entrepreneurship 

journey to build an 

awesome product, I 

bet you don’t like this 

quote: Even the greatest 

ideas need a 

megaphone. Without 

marketing, they’re just 

whispers in the wind. - 

Jeffrey Eisenberg in "The 



projects on the side. No 

shareholders are dictating 

any road map. I do not 

financially rely on my 

product’s success. To put it 

another way: I am not 

dependent on the financial 

success of my side projects 

and can let time play for 

me. I’m not a pro marketer 

yet, and I know marketing 

does matter. However, I still 

wanted to get improvement, 

so I focused on what I could 

control: the quality of my 

product. 

"Generally, I don’t let 

my business make 

me too happy, so 

that it can’t make 

me too sad." 

- Sahil Lavingia in ,"The 

Minimalist Entrepreneur". 

ut Marketing. Focus 

An Awesome Product. 

Rice and Beans Millionaire". 

Or, this one: "Great products 

don’t sell themselves; 

marketing is the story teller 

that brings them to life." - 

Seth Godin in "This Is 

Marketing". 

Don’t we all wish to create 

a product without the extra 

hassle? In this article, I want 

to share the words every 

indie hacker dreams of 

hearing: Sometimes, you 

just need to take a seat and 

BEGIN CREATING. Improve 

your product, create 

something incredible, and 

let time do its thing. 

First, a quick side note: I 

am a developer building 

What Made Me Write This 

Article? 

Isn’t it strange how quickly 

people can change their 

minds? Just a few months 

ago, I was emphasising the 

significance of SEO in my 

articles, but now, I’m 

suggesting that, sometimes, 

it’s better to concentrate on 

creating a fantastic product. 

If you don’t change your 

mind frequently, you’re 

going to be wrong a lot. 

Editor's Note: : This piece 

was written by Marius 

Bongarts and published 

on Medium.com 


| 53


Stop Telling People Everything 

Most people today 

can’t shut up. It 

doesn’t matter 

what they’re talking 

about, they’ll let you 

know about it. Whatever 

it is, people will always 

tell others too much. 

This may seem fine 

on the surface, but it 

isn’t. You shouldn’t tell 

people everything. 

Especially your plans. 

When you tell people 

things without a filter, 

you’re putting yourself 

in a vulnerable position. 

The person you’re 

speaking to may 

appear to be a friend. 

But in truth, they could 

You Could Serve as the Leverage for 

Somebody's Rising! 

This fine young man 

came into my life 5 

years ago. He walked up 

behind me with a hair cut 

that was 5 months past due 

and a big hole in his shirt and 

one sock on his foot. He 

tugged on the back of my 

shirt and said, "Sir, can you 

teach me how to play 

football? I responded, "Son, I 

teach a lot more than just 

how to play football. 

His response was, "Okay". I 

then said, "Son, where are 

your mom and dad? Football 

isn't cheap." He responded, 

"My mom died and I don't 

know where dad is. But, my 

Auntie takes care of me." 

God spoke to me that second 

and told me to take care of 

him in every way. God said to 

me, "Be a shepherd." 

I didn't know that that day, the 

Lord gave me another son 

who would change my and 

his forever. I have never been 

more proud to sit at an 8th 

grade promotion as I was 

recently. I reflected on the 4 

national titles and all the 

state championships we won 

together. But I reflected most 

on how Jesus dropped him 

into my life like a stork from 

the sky and how far he has 

come since that day. God 

gave him the best Aunt you 

can ever ask for. I love you 

Marquise! And the Lord gave 

us 4 more years of high 

school football together! 



be a secret enemy. 

How many marriages have ended 

because of an affair with a “best friend”? 

How many lives have been ruined by 

unexpected betrayals? The 

uncomfortable answer is: A lot. Endlessly 

running your mouth to everyone is stupid. 

It doesn’t matter what the content is. 

If you have a habit of speaking without 

thinking, you’ll one day reveal sensitive 

information to someone who shouldn’t 

hear it. Imagine if James Bond didn’t have 

the power to conceal his intentions. He’d 

have been annihilated by Blofeld in 

minutes. 

If you never want to reveal all your 

secrets, don’t let your tongue run wild 

everytime you speak to people. If you do 

this, it will be very hard for anyone to 

conspire against you. 

Never reveal your hand! 

Editor's Note: This piece was originally 

written by Godfrey The Great and posted on 

Medium.com. 

Sarki Abba 

Nigerians Are 

Brilliant 

Meet Sarki Abba from Kano State, 

Nigeria, the genius that was made to 

rewrite WASCE after scoring 9 distinctions in 

1984. Then, 16-year old, Abba was a student 

of Science Secondary School, Dawakin Tofa, 

Kano State who scored 9 distinctions (8 A1 

and 1 A2) in his West African Senior 

Certificate (WASCE) examination. 

Examination authorities in Lagos didn’t 

believe Abba made those excellent scores 

without cheating. The authorities provided 

a car that took Abba to Lagos in order to 

retake the examination. Abba was made to 

take the 9 subjects in a duration of 3 days, 

under heavy supervision. After marking the 

rescheduled examinations, he scored 9 A1 

(the only ‘A2’ he had in English Language 

before the retake became ‘A1’, leading to 9 

A1). Faced with shock, the authorities 

apologised and instituted the National Merit 

Award. And, rightfully, Sarki Abba was the 

first recipient of the award. In the 1989/90 

school session, Sarki Abba graduated as 

overall best medical student and overall 

best graduating student at Ahmadu Bello 

University, Zaria. He was just 21. 

Editor's Note: This story was posted by 

Frank Abah on Quora.com. 


| 55

GRAND DESIGN / ARCHITECTURE 

By Damian Ikenna Ngere 

• Innovative Architecture: The World’s First 3D Printed 

Mosque Unveiled in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

The first 3D-printed mosque 

in the world, measuring 5,600 

square metres, is now located in 

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 

mosque honours the late equestrian 

Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly and is 

situated in the Jeddah suburb of Al- 

Jawhara. Forsan Real Estate's project 

makes use of state-of-the-art Guanli 

3D printing technology. 

Under the direction of Wajnat 

Abdulwahed, the late Abdulaziz 

Abdullah Sharbatly's husband, 

the mosque was built in less than 

six months. The mosque's unique 

minarets and integration of natural 

light are intended to promote 

tranquilly among worshippers 

while making it a landmark in the 

community. 

The mosque's opening puts Saudi 

Arabia as a centre of technology, 

ahead of schedule compared to the 

United Arab Emirates for a project of 

a similar nature. In May of last year, 

Dubai declared its intention to build 

the first 3D-printed mosque in history. 

The successful completion of the 

world's first 3D-printed religious 

infrastructure shows promise for the 

development of architecture and 

design in the future as a novel and 

sophisticated approach. 


GRAND DESIGN / ARCHITECTURE 

• Design For Geology-Inspired Sports Arena 

in Saudi Arabia Unveiled by HKS Architects 

HKS Architects has unveiled the plan for a 

new multi-sport arena in Diriyah, which was 

commissioned by the Diriyah Company. The 

20,000-seat arena, which is envisioned as a 

catalyst for the entertainment industry and 

local culture, will be situated in the heart of 

The City of Earth, a 76,000-square-metre 

development in line with Saudi Vision 2030 

that aims to become one of the most alluring 

tourist destinations in the Middle East. 

The new arena's architecture is influenced by 

the natural geology and geography of the 

area, paying homage to the long-standing 

tradition and customs of local construction 

while also attempting to encapsulate the 

traditional Najdi architectural motif. The 

location also incorporates cutting-edge 

technology that enables its design to be 

altered in a matter of hours, providing 

flexibility to accommodate a rapid succession 

of diverse events. 

Ample retail spaces and a shopping and 

dining district open to the larger Diriyah 

neighbourhood are features of the adaptable 

arena designed to facilitate an extended 

entertainment experience. Next to the 

arena, an open plaza will carry on the 

event programming outside, enabling the 

organisation of pop-up and live performances 

in addition to an urban park for the use of 

locals and guests. 

DAMIAN 

IKENNA NGERE 


Ikenna is a graduate of Physics and Education, 

who works as a freelance writer. He has interest 

in technology, humanity and sports. 


| 57


4 

Ways to Ensure 

High ROI in Real 

Estate. 

By John Abiodun Olaitan 

First of all, what is ROI? This means “return on investment”. It tells you 

how much money you’ve made (or lost) on an investment or project after 

accounting for its cost. Real estate investments usually have a good ROI 

but not all real estate investments have a high ROI. 

Here are 4 ways to ensure that your real estate investment has a high ROI: 



1. Finding the right 

properties: 

The first step is 

to find the right 

property. 

This includes finding 

a property in a good 

or emerging location. 

Sometimes, it’s best to invest 

in an emerging location 

because these properties 

are usually undervalued and 

those who can invest in those 

areas early can earn a high 

ROI in the future. 

You can also buy deficient 

homes that require fixing up; 

you fix up the property and 

sell at a higher rate. 

2. Start Early: 

Start as early as possible. 

It doesn’t have to be a big 

purchase. It can be a piece 

of land or a one-bedroom 

apartment. Start as early as 

possible to ensure you have 

time to learn the ropes about 

the sector. This would also 

ensure that your investments 

have more than enough time 

to mature in order to gain a 

high ROI. 

4. Buy and Hold: 

It's common knowledge that 

real estate appreciates over 

time. The best way to have 

a high ROI is to buy and hold 

the property for some time. 

If you buy a property in an 

emerging location, hold the 

property till that location is 

more developed before you 

sell. The longer you hold the 

property, the higher your ROI. 

Wait until land in that 

particular area is becoming 

limited, infrastructure 

development projects are 

being planned, and major 

business hubs, tourist 

attractions, etc. are being 

developed in the area. These 

factors will ensure high 

appreciation of the value of 

the property 

In conclusion, real estate is 

a growth investment tool. 

The sooner you invest, the 

higher your investments will 

appreciate in the long run. 

3. Develop the 

property: 

You can purchase a large 

2-bedroom apartment and 

expand it to a 3-bedroom 

apartment as long as you 

do not have to destroy the 

house layout. Expanding 

the property automatically 

increases the price you can 

sell it, thereby increasing your 

ROI. 

JOHN 

ABIODUN OLAITAN 

AUTHOR BIO 

John Abiodun Olaitan is a real 

estate consultant, realtor and 

emerging developer and CEO 

of Arklanded Properties Ltd. 

He diversified into real estate 

after decades of experience 

in the oil and gas sector. He’s 

happily married 

with children. 


| 59

DIASPORA AFRICAN 

Adebayo 

Ogunlesi: 

Nigerian-American Lawyer And 

Global Investment Banker 

By Harry Choms 

In 2016, Adebayo Ogunlesi 

received a significant nod 

when then-U.S. Presidentelect, 

Donald Trump, 

appointed him to a select 

group of business leaders. 

Tasked with providing frequent 

counsel on economic affairs, 

this assembly, dubbed the 

"President’s Strategic and 

Policy Forum," pooled the 

expertise of some of America’s 

most esteemed business 

minds to guide Trump’s 

administration towards its 

objectives. 

For many young folks, Ogunlesi 


entered their consciousness 

through Burna Boy's track 

"Wonderful," released in 2020 

as part of his Grammywinning 

album "Twice As Tall." 

In one verse, Burna Boy sings, 

"As I hustle like Adebayo 

Ogunlesi (No go talk say me I 

too lazy)," prompting curiosity 

among listeners to learn more 

about this influential figure. 

Fast forward to today, Ogunlesi 

garners attention once again 

for a commendable milestone: 

the acquisition of Global 

Infrastructure Partners (GIP), 

the private equity firm he 

founded and chairs, by 

BlackRock Inc., the world’s 

largest asset manager 

according to Bloomberg, for a 

staggering $12.5 billion. 

As per Reuters, BlackRock, 

currently overseeing $10 trillion 

across global markets, will fork 

out $3 billion in cash and 12 

million BlackRock shares 

(equivalent to around $9.5 

billion) to GIP, which presently 

manages assets exceeding 

$100 billion. This landmark deal 

not only cements his position 

but also sees him joining 

BlackRock’s board and global 

executive committee, as 

reported by Bloomberg. 

Susan Olorunfemi Peters, contributed 

to his education as a tutor at CMS 

Girls’ School in Lagos. His upbringing 

was steeped in Christian principles. 

Adebayo Ogunlesi pursued his 

education at esteemed institutions, 

including Harvard Law School, 

Harvard Business School, and King’s 

College, London. His academic 

journey culminated in his graduation 

from Lincoln College, Oxford, United 

Kingdom. 

Family 

Hailing from Sagamu, Ogun State, 

South West Nigeria, Ogunlesi is the son 

of the pioneering Prof. Theophilus O. 

Ogunlesi. In 1985, he tied the knot with 

Dr. Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi, a Britishborn 

optometrist who relocated to 

the United Ststes after establishing 

her practice in London. Their union is 

blessed with two children: Geoffrey 

Ogunlesi, a music executive, and Carl 

Ogunlesi, a music producer. 

Education 

Ogunlesi's academic prowess shone 

as he secured a first-class Philosophy, 

Politics, and Economics degree from 

Oxford University after attending 

King’s College, Lagos. Subsequently, 

he pursued a JD-MBA from Harvard 

Law School and Harvard Business 

School in 1979. 

Career 

During his studies, Ogunlesi ventured 

into Corporate Law with the New York 

City firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. 

Following this, he served as a law clerk 

to Associate Justice Thurgood 

Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court 

from 1980 to 1981. 

DIASPORA AFRICAN 

Columbia Bar Association. While 

working at Credit Suisse First Boston, 

he was a lecturer at Harvard Law 

School and the Yale School of 

Management, where he taught a 

course on Transnational Investment 

Projects in Emerging Countries. In 

October 2012, Ogunlesi was appointed 

to the Board of Directors at Goldman 

Sachs. On July 24, 2014, he was named 

Lead Director. In December 2016, it 

was announced that Ogunlesi, 

among other business leaders, would 

be part of Donald Trump’s Strategic 

and Policy Forum, which was 

disbanded on Aug 16, 2017. 

Membership Recognitions 

Harvard Business School: 

Member, Board of Dean’s Advisors; 

Harvard Law School: Member, 

Leadership Council of New York; 

Harvard University: Member, 

Global Advisory Council; 

NAACP Legal Defence and 

Educational Fund: Member, 

National Board of Directors; 

New York–Presbyterian Hospital: 

Member, Board of Trusteess; 

Partnership for New York City 

Fund: Member, Board of Directors; 

King’s College Old Boys 

Association: Member. 

Early Years & Education 

Born on December 20, 1953, in Makun, 

Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria, 

Adebayo Ogunlesi is a luminary in Law 

and Investment Banking, rooted in the 

rich heritage of Yoruba culture. His 

family boasts remarkable individuals, 

including Folasade Ogunlesi, a 

distinguished pediatric pulmonologist 

in Washington DC; Lanre Ogunlesi, the 

visionary behind Skin Beauty 

Cosmetics; Kayode Ogunlesi, cofounder 

of Skin Beauty Cosmetics; 

and Adegbola Ogunlesi, an 

industrialist and co-founder of the 

men’s fashion label, Sofisticat. 

His father, Prof. Theophilus O. Ogunlesi, 

etched his name in history as Nigeria’s 

first professor of Medicine at the 

University of Ibadan, Oyo State, 

Nigeria. At the same time, his mother, 

In 1983, he delved into project finance 

at First Boston, advising on global 

transactions. His tenure at Credit 

Suisse saw him ascend to roles like 

Head of the Global Energy Group and 

Global Head of the Investment 

Banking Division. 

In 2006, he founded GIP, focusing on 

infrastructure investments worldwide. 

Under his stewardship, GIP acquired 

significant assets like London City 

Airport, London Gatwick Airport, 

Edinburgh Airport, and Nuovo 

Trasporto Viaggiatori. His stint at 

Goldman Sachs commenced in 2012, 

where he served as director before 

assuming the position of lead director 

in 2014. 

Noteworthy Acquisitions 

Ogunlesi is a member of the District of 

HARRY CHOMS 


Harry Choms is a freelance writer 

with a passion for words and a 

keen eye for details, an editor, and 

an avid tech believer. His works 

can be seen on EntrepreneurNG. 

com, Imautomator, Secureblitz, 

Withinnigeria, Feelgospel, 

Kemifilani, and Glamsquad 

Magazine. He is the Webmaster 

and sole owner of Matrismart.com 

and biowiki.com.ng. 


| 61

THE INCUBATOR 

with Diiyi William-West 

SERIES 

What Does 

Honesty 

Mean To You? 

Honesty is the first chapter in the 

book of wisdom. - Thomas Jefferson 

In recent years, the issue 

of honesty has remained 

a matter of widespread 

concern. Someone may say 

that, directly or indirectly, 

honesty has become 

one of the most analysed 

subjects in forms and levels 

of relationship. This is not 

because honesty has become 

a dearly loved and embraced 

subject but because its 

quite frequent repudiation 

has broken many hearts, 

partnerships, investments 

and organisations. In fact, 

the arbitrary manner leaders 

of families, organisations, 

communities and countries 

alongside their 'kitchen 

cabinets' have shoved honesty 

into absence without leave 

(AWOL) has ensured that the 

subject prevails more and 

more in lip-service than in 

heart-service. 


THE INCUBATOR SERIES 

Two explanations of the word 

fits the context of this write-up 

viz. "adherence to the facts" and 

"fairness and straightforwardness of 

conduct". These explanations from 

the Merriam-Webster Dictionary 

show us that no reasonable person 

can have a sustainable justification 

to shoot down honesty; meaning 

that even people who profit from 

dishonesty don't like to be at its 

receiving end. Therefore, if dishonest 

people dislike being victims of 

dishonesty, there is so much for all to 

gain from honesty! Wow! Doesn't this 

mean so much to each of us? Wait 

a minute... Isn't it likely that majority 

of the wars, civil tension, domestic 

dysfunction and organisational 

crisis would never happen where 

everyone places honesty as a top 

priority? In order words, numerous 

crisis that have led to loss of lives, 

livelihood or property could be 

resolved if all affected parties come 

to the discussion or negotiation 

table leaning on honesty? 

For instance, this writer is among 

the people who believe that is if 

the parties that went to discuss the 

deteriorating Nigerian situation in 

Aburi, Ghana, had gone bent on 

honesty and returned to pursue 

same, majority of the peoples of 

the South East and South South 

geopolitical zones who died 

needlessly wouldn't have died. Better 

still, Nigeria would have become the 

true giant of Africa it was perceived 

to be and gone on to join the comity 

of 'first world' nations. 

In much the same way, many of the 

banks that went extinct in Nigeria 

would have remained and, perhaps, 

through mergers, become giants 

in the finance sector. Taken further, 

it also means that on account of 

honesty, many relationships would 

not have happened, in the first 

place, thus saving the latter victims 

from all the pains and distress of 

heart break! 

Another issue is the temptation to 

yield to telling half truths. Please, 

spend time to reason this with me: 

Do half truths cause less pain in the 

long-term? The words of this Yiddish 

proverb amply and aptly answers 

the question: A half truth is a whole 

lie. Let us face facts... How do you 

feel when you find out that you took 

certain relationship steps on the 

basis of half truths you were told and 

wish you could undo the actions? 

Please, spend a few minutes reading 

and considering these quotes about 

honesty: 

Integrity is telling myself 

the truth. And honesty is 

telling the truth to other 

people. 

- Anonymous 

It is discouraging how 

many people are 

shocked by honesty and 

how few by deceit. 

- Anonymous 

Now, truthfully answer this question: 

Is your mind throbbing on account of 

guilt or do you feel peace which truth 

(honesty) always brings? Has reading 

this piece and the various quotes 

about honesty roused a strong desire 

to remain on the plus side of honesty 

or did you just determine to dive 

further to the negative side? Mark you... 

There will always be consequences 

on whatever your choice is. And, 

consequences are like the branches 

of your favourite fruit tree! They grow 

wider than stems carrying them! Plus, 

they are relentless in showing up and 

sustaining their effects! 

So, here goes the question again: 

What does honesty mean to you? Just 

remember one reason you must love 

and embrace honesty. It's the only 

way to build and sustain trust! You say 

someone doesn't trust you? How did 

you shove trust away? 

DIIYI 

WILLIAM-WEST 


More fondly known as DDWEST, 

he has several years of media 

practice experience spanning 

magazines, newspapers, television 

and radio; laying emphasis 

on maintaining standards in 

media practice. He practised 

and lectured Public Relations for 

nearly a decade before going into 

leadership consulting and real 

estate consultancy. 


| 63

AFRICA RISING: NEWS ABOUT AFRICA 


BUSINESS AND FINANCE 

Control of the US Department 

of the Treasury blacklisted 11 

people, including Mnangagwa, 

and three organisations on 

March 4th "for their involvement 

in corruption or serious human 

rights abuses" in Zimbabwe. 

POLITICS 

Economic Hardship Hits 

Niger Amid Ramadan 

Muslims in Niger are 

beginning the holy month 

of Ramadan, but the 

country's residents are 

facing crippling inflation, 

which makes it harder and 

harder to buy necessities. 

The country's economy 

is in disarray following 

the change of leadership, 

which has been made 

worse by an almost eightmonth-long 

embargo 

imposed by surrounding 

nations. 

A glimmer of optimism 

was provided by the 

embargo being lifted mere 

weeks before Ramadan, but 

the situation on the ground is 

still severe. For many Nigeriens, 

the cost of basic essentials like 

rice, sugar, oil, and milk - which 

are necessary for observing 

Ramadan - has become 

unaffordable. 

Zimbabwe-US Relations Reach 

Breaking Point with Latest 

Sanctions 

Following the Joe Biden 

administration's sanctions 

against Zimbabwe President, 

Emmerson Mnangagwa, 

and other key leaders and 

accusations against his 

government for allegedly 

detaining and deporting USAID 

officials and contractors, 

Zimbabwe's ties with the United 

States have reached a new low. 

The Office of Foreign Assets 

Senegal’s Businesses 

Rattled by Electoral Turmoil 

President Macky Sall declared 

on February 16 that elections 

would be scheduled as soon 

as feasible. The news was the 

second significant setback for 

Senegalese companies in as 

many weeks. Elections were 

initially scheduled for February 

25. 

President Sall had announced 

on February 3 that the 

elections would be postponed, 

which caused significant 

worries about both the 

integrity of Senegalese 

democracy and the country's 

ability to do business. 

President Sall eventually 

said in July that he intended 


to leave power, although he 

had raised some doubts about 

whether or not he would run 

for an illegal third term in 2023. 

The announcement calmed 

demonstrators who had become 

agitated over his possible bid for a 

third term. 

TECHNOLOGY 

Ethiopia and Kenya Strengthen 

Economic and Diplomatic 

Relations Amidst Obstacles 

President William Ruto of Kenya 

practically sprinted to shake hands 

with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy 

Ahmed when the latter landed 

on February 28 at Jomo Kenyatta 

International Airport in Nairobi. 

The cordial embrace was 

symbolic of what might be the 

start of a better period in ties 

between the major diplomatic and 

economic forces in East Africa. 

African Nations Hold Firm Against Solar Geo-engineering 

Proposal at UN Environment Assembly 

At the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, African nations 

spearheaded a successful campaign against solar geo-engineering, 

which involves reflecting sunlight back into space to halt climate 

change. One type of geo-engineering that has been considered 

in response to rising global temperatures is "solar radiation 

modification," which involves reflecting solar radiation back into 

space. An example of this would be releasing sulphur dioxide on 

purpose to prevent sunlight from reaching Earth. The extraction of 

carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is a further suggested strategy. 

Proponents of these technologies think they might help mitigate 

the effects of climate change. Critics have cautioned, however, that 

if geo-engineering methods don't perform as planned, a number of 

disastrous effects might materialise. 

DAMIAN 

IKENNA NGERE 


Ikenna is a graduate of 

Physics and Education, 

who works as a freelance 

writer. He has interest in 

technology, humanity 

and sports. 


| 65

TECHNOLOGY 

GLOBAL NEW 


an airline post-landing check of 

the 25-year-old aircraft. United 

declared it will look into it as well. 

It stated that since there was no 

indication of damage during the 

trip, no emergency had been filed. 

Apple Expands AI Capabilities with Purchase of 

Canadian Startup 

In order to bolster its technological arsenal in advance of a 

major push into generative AI in 2024, Apple Inc. has bought the 

Canadian artificial intelligence start-up DarwinAI. Several 

employees of DarwinAI have joined Apple's artificial intelligence 

section after the iPhone manufacturer acquired the company 

earlier this year, according to sources with knowledge of the 

situation who asked not to be named since the deal hasn't 

been made public.. 

BUSINESS AND 

FINANCE 

United Airlines Plane 

Loses Exterior Panel 

Mid-Flight 

The United Airlines Boeing 737- 

800 lost an exterior panel before 

making a safe landing in Oregon, 

and the US Federal Aviation 

Administration is looking into how 

that happened. After taking off 

from San Francisco, United flight 

433 arrived at Medford airport at 

approximately 1:45 p.m. on Friday, 

March 15, with 139 passengers 

and six crew members, according 

to the FAA and the airline. 

The FAA reported that a 

missing panel was found during 

Lyft and Uber Suspend 

Services in Minneapolis 

Following New 

Minimum Wage Law 

The minimum pay for rideshare 

drivers was vetoed by the mayor 

of Minneapolis, United States , but 

the city council over-rode the veto. 

Therefore, Lyft and Uber will no 

longer operate in Minneapolis as 

effective May 1. 

On Thursday, March 14, the 

over-ride was approved by the 

city council by 10-3 votes, enabling 

rideshare drivers to receive the 

$15.57 per hour local minimum 

wage. 

Mega Millions Prize 

Swells to Staggering 

$875M Since Nobody 

Wins Grand Prize 

As of Friday, March 15, there were 

no tickets that matched the 

winning numbers in the Mega 

Millions drawing, and the jackpot 

66 | 


S ROUND UP 

ENTREPRENEUR 

is currently valued at $875 

million. With a Mega ball of six, 

the winning numbers that were 

drawn were 13, 25, 50, 51, and 66. 

5X was the Megaplier. 

One player in New York matched 

all five white balls to win the 

game's second-tier reward of $1 

million, but no one took home the 

$792 million grand prize. 

POLITICS 

Vaughan Gething 

Makes History as 

Wales First Minister 

and Europe's First 

Black Welsh Leader 

After winning the Welsh Labour 

Party leadership election on 

Saturday, March 16, Vaughan 

Gething will lead Wales's semiautonomous 

government as 

the first Black leader. Gething, a 

native of Zambia, will take over 

from incumbent Mark Drakeford, 

who announced his resignation in 

December 2023 after five years in 

charge of the Welsh government, 

which is in charge of a few 

devolved sectors like education 

and health. 

Deadly Attack on Gaza 

Aid Recipients by 

Israeli Forces Kills 21 

According to government 

sources, Israeli soldiers opened 

fire on thousands of Palestinians 

in Gaza City who were waiting for 

help in the same location that 

had been hit hours before, killing 

at least 21 of them. More than 150 

people were injured in the latenight 

attack on Thursday, March 

14, according to the Gaza Ministry 

of Health, which called it a "new, 

premeditated massacre.". 

Heroic Firefighters 

Extinguish Massive 

Blaze at Russian 

Refinery After 

Ukraine’s Strike 

The latest of numerous 

destructive strikes, this week, on 

Russia's crude oil processing 

plants occurred on Saturday, 

March 16, when a fire started at 

a Russian oil refinery and burned 

for hours before being contained. 

The attack was carried out by a 

Ukrainian drone. 

The emergency ministry 

was cited by the news agency, 

Interfax, as saying that although 

"open burning" at the Syzran 

refinery had stopped, efforts were 

still being made to totally put it 

out. 

Elon Musk Threatens 

Legal Action Against 

Microsoft for Twitter 

Data Use 

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, 

has vowed to sue Microsoft, 

claiming that the tech giant is 

improperly utilising data from 

his social media firm. In 

response, Mr. Musk discussed 

Microsoft’s intention to drop 

Twitter from its corporate 

advertising network. 

The business had already 

announced that from Thursday, 

April 25, it would “no longer 

support Twitter” on its 

advertising platform. 

Therefore, using Microsoft’s 

social management tool to 

access their Twitter accounts 

would be unavailable to ad 

purchasers. 

DAMIAN 

IKENNA NGERE 


Ikenna is a graduate of 

Physics and Education, 

who works as a 

freelance writer. He has 

interest in technology, 

humanity and sports. 

www.theaccomplishmagazine.com | 67

Ai TODAY & TOMORROW 

AI Chatbots: 

The Future of 

Customer Service or 

a Conversational 

Cul-de-Sac? 


Imagine having a friendly digital 

assistant at your beck and 

call, ready to chat with you 

anytime - day or night. That's 

where AI chatbots come into 

play! These clever programmes 

are like virtual helpers designed 

to respond to your messages 

just like a real person would. 

They use artificial intelligence, 

which is like their brain power, to 

learn from conversations and 

get better at helping you over 

time. 

Customer service is the heart of 


Ai TODAY & TOMORROW 

every business - it's what keeps 

customers happy and coming 

back for more. When you 

buy something or need help, 

good customer service makes 

all the difference. It's like having 

a friend on the other end 

of the line, ready to listen and 

solve your problems. Without it, 

businesses risk losing customers 

and their reputation taking a hit. 

That's why companies invest so 

much time and effort into making 

sure their customer service 

is top-notch. 

Now, when it comes to the 

debate about AI chatbots, it's 

like a clash of two worlds. On 

one side, you have people who 

see AI chatbots as the future, 

a game-changer in customer 

service. They talk about how 

these smart bots can save time 

and money, offering instant help 

around the clock. 

But then, there are others who 

raise concerns. They worry 

about losing that human touch, 

the warmth and understanding 

that only a real person can 

provide. Some fear that relying 

too much on AI chatbots might 

end up driving customers away 

instead of bringing them closer. 

It's a tug-of-war between convenience 

and connection, and 

the verdict is still out on which 

side will win in the end. 

AI chatbots hold incredible potential 

and can offer efficiency, 

providing instant assistance to 

customers around the clock. 

However, they do face some 

limitations. One major concern 

is the lack of human touch and 

empathy in interactions. While 

AI chatbots can mimic human 

conversation to a certain extent, 

they often fall short in truly understanding 

and empathising 

with customers' emotions and 

concerns. Also, language and 

comprehension limitations can 

hinder effective communication, 

leading to frustration on both 

ends. Technical glitches and 

errors further compound these 

challenges, disrupting customer 

interactions. 

Privacy and security concerns 

loom large in the realm of AI 

chatbots and customer service. 

While these bots offer convenience, 

they also raise valid 

worries about the safety of personal 

data. Customers may feel 

uneasy about sharing sensitive 

information with AI chatbots, 

fearing breaches or misuse of 

their data. Moreover, there's a 

risk of unauthorised access to 

confidential information if proper 

security measures are not in 

place. 

Human intervention plays an 

important role in ensuring a 

positive customer experience. 

Human intervention helps addressing 

complex issues that 

AI chatbots may struggle to 

handle independently. Hybrid 

models that blend AI chatbots 

with human support offer the 

best of both worlds, combining 

the efficiency of automation 

with the empathy and understanding 

of human agents. 

By leveraging the strengths of 

both AI and human intelligence, 

businesses can deliver superior 

customer service that meets the 

expectations of their customers. 

The future trajectory of AI chatbots 

in customer service will likely 

involve continued advancements 

in technology and a 

greater emphasis on human-AI 

collaboration. 












| 69

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 

GETTING RID 

OF INTESTINAL 

PARASITES 

By Joel N. Logbo 

What is this plant called in 

your own native language? 

I know it as a 'sturborn grass' 

because it's a plant that is 

very difficult to get rid of from 

farms. It grows everywhere, 

especially along paths leading 

to communal farms and open 

fields. 

Paragis (eleusine indica) is 

a type of grass that is widely 

regarded for its various 

medicinal benefits. Paragis is 


ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 

an erect, tufted, and glabrous 

grass specie with long and 

tapered leaves. It can grow 

between 10 centimetres and 1 

metre in height. 

Personally, I used to hate 

this grass growing in our 

compound or farm or garden. 

I considered it an eyesore as it 

grew between our vegetables 

and crops. Apart from that, 

it’s quick to reproduce due to 

its numerous spikelets that 

contain several seeds. 

Weed as it may seem, paragis 

is found to be antihelmintic 

(good for treatment of 

intestinal parasites), diuretic 

(good for kidney disease) 

diaphoretic, and a febrifuge. 

Several studies have shown 

that it contains some 

important medicinal benefits 

like: 

• anti-inflammatory 

• anti-bacterial 

• anti-convulsant 

• anti-diabetic 

• anti-leishmanial 

• anti-oxidant 

• anti-plasmodial 

• cytotoxic 

• pancreatic lipase inhibitory; 

etc. 

China has earned billions of 

dollars from its cultivation 

due to it medicinal values. In 

traditional medicine practice, 

it is used to manage several 

health problems. 

It's an anti-inflammatory plant, 

severally used for arthritis, 

bone setting, skin problems 

and joint pains as a result of 

strain or sprain. It's also an 

important plant for urinary 

tract infection and renal 

diseases because it is highly 

diuretic in nature; it helps to 

boost urination. Traditionally, it 

is used for hyperglycemia due 

to it anti-diabetic properties. 

Paragis has been explored 

for its suitability in managing 

diabetes. It is believed to 

help regulate blood glucose 

levels by enhancing insulin 

production and improving 

insulin sensitivity which is key 

for blood glucose treatment. 

Chronic and serious health 

problems like cancer and 

auto-immune diseases can 

also be well managed with 

paragris or as an adjunct 

treatment option. 

This so because, paragris 

contains powerful antioxidant 

properties. Paragis 

contains anti-oxidants that 

help to protect the body 

against oxidative stress. 

These anti-oxidants may 

help prevent cell damage 

and reduce the risk of various 

chronic diseases like cancer. 

When looking for what to use 

for treatment of bacterial 

infections, you may consider 

paragris as an option. It has 

anti-microbial effects against 

certain bacteria and fungi. It 

could also be used to treat 

infections, especially those 

that affect the urinary tract as 

well as wounds. 

In conclusion, paragis is 

also effective for feverish 

conditions because it 

also contains anti-pyretic 

substances and much more. 

There are some plants that 

combine well with paragris for 

treatment of viral infections, 

prostate enlargement and 

stroke management. 

Nature is supreme. Science 

will continue to study nature 

because without nature, there 

will be no science. 

If you are interested in getting 

further information on the 

use of paragis glass, kindly 

contact the author of this 

article. 

JOEL 

N. LOGBO 


Dr. Joel N. Logbo is a patientcentred 

Natural Medicine 

doctor with 12 solid years of 

industry experience in Lagos, 

Nigeria and Wales, Scotland. 

He is currently seeking more 

international collaborations 

to provide holistic, noninvasive 

medical care for 

patients and the public on 

health promotion. 

His unique approach 

that has led to admirable 

achievements include 

meeting with patients to 

assess their health and 

wellness, learn their health 

goals and create treatment 

plans. He also collaborates 

with various teams of 

medical professionals 

to provide first-line and 

supplemental medical 

treatments through a holistic, 

natural approach.He loves 

traveling, adventures, 

cooking and driving. 


| 71

ACCOMPLISH HEALTH 

Autism 

Awareness 

Day: 

How to 

Cater for the 

Autistic 

by Tolulope Akinruli 

World Autism Day, observed 

every April 2nd, is a day of 

recognition and understanding 

for a neurological condition 

that affects millions of people 

around the world. The day was 

first established by the United Nations in 2007, 

with the goal of raising awareness and promoting 

acceptance of individuals living with autism. 

to create an inclusive environment that supports 

their needs. As we look to the future, it is crucial that 

we continue to advocate for the rights and well-being 

of individuals with autism. World Autism Day serves 

as a reminder that we must work towards building a 

more inclusive and supportive world for individuals 

with autism, where they are valued, respected, and 

empowered to reach their full potential. 

In recent years, the focus of World Autism Day 

has expanded to include efforts to promote early 

diagnosis and intervention, improve access to 

support services, and enhance the quality of 

life for individuals with autism. The day also 

provides an opportunity to recognise 

the contributions and achievements 

of individuals with autism and to 

celebrate the diversity and unique 

perspectives that they bring to 

our society. 

Autism is a neurodevelopmental 

disorder that 

affects communication, social 

interaction, and behaviour. 

It is important to recognise 

that individuals with autism 

have unique abilities and 

challenges, and it is essential 


ACCOMPLISH HEALTH 

Dr. Richard Akinluyi is 

a seasoned medical 

professional and works at 

the General Hospital, Ile- 

Ife, Nigeria, shares insights 

about this condition with 

Accomplish Magazine. In 

this interview, he describes 

ways of effectively 

supporting individuals with autism, addressing 

common concerns and uncertainties. 

Accomplish Magazine: How can we create a friendly 

environment to accommodate the sensory sensitivities of 

autistic individuals? 

Dr. Richard Akinluyi: This can be achieved by reducing 

bright lights, loud noises, and strong smells that can 

be distressing for those with sensory sensitivities. Using 

softer, indirect lighting and sound proofing materials can 

help create a more calming atmosphere. Using natural 

materials and avoiding harsh cleaning chemicals can help 

eliminate triggers for sensory discomfort. 

Accomplish Magazine: What are some effective strategies 

for promoting communication and social interaction 

for autistic individuals in different settings (e.g. school, 

workplace, community etc.)? 

Dr. Richard Akinluyi: When there is promotion 

in communication and social interaction for autistic 

individuals in different settings, it will require the 

implementation of effective strategies that are 

designed for their specific needs. By creating 

supportive and inclusive environments, providing clear 

communication and instruction, offering sensory-friendly 

accommodations, and fostering opportunities for social 

interaction, individuals with autism can thrive and 

participate more fully in school, workplace, and community 

settings. It is essential for educators, employers, and 

community members to be proactive in understanding 

and supporting the unique communication and social 

needs of autistic individuals. 

Accomplish Magazine: In what ways can we modify our 

educational and employment practices to better support 

the learning and working styles of autistic individuals? 

Dr. Richard Akinluyi: Schools should consider 

implementing sensory-friendly classrooms, offering 

alternative learning spaces, and providing individualised 

accommodations to help autistic students thrive 

academically. This could include things like noisecancelling 

headphones, fidget toys, or access to a quiet, 

designated space for taking breaks. Educators should 

receive training on how to effectively teach and support 

autistic students, including methods of communication 

and behaviour management that are tailored to their 

specific needs. 

When it comes to employment, there are also 

opportunities to modify practices in order to better 

support autistic individuals in the work force. Many autistic 

individuals possess valuable skills such as attention to 

detail, reliability, and a unique way of thinking that can 

be beneficial to employers. However, the traditional job 

application and interview process can be a barrier to their 

employment. 

Employers should consider modifying their hiring 

practices to be more inclusive of autistic individuals, such 

as offering alternative methods of communication during 

the interview process or providing on-the-job training and 

support to help them succeed in the work place. 

Accomplish Magazine: What are some practical 

approaches for promoting independence and self-care 

skills among autistic individuals? 

Dr. Richard Akinluyi: Many individuals with autism 

are visual learners, so providing them with visual aids and 

schedules can help them understand what is expected 

of them and what steps they need to take to complete a 

task or activity. Visual aids can include picture schedules, 

checklists, and other visual support that can help 

individuals with autism navigate their daily routines and 

take care of themselves without constant prompting from 

others. 

Accomplish Magazine: How can people effectively 

collaborate with families and care givers of autistic 

individuals to ensure holistic and individualised support? 

Dr. Richard Akinluyi: One way to effectively 

collaborate with families and care givers is to establish 

open and transparent communication. This can involve 

regularly sharing information about the individual's 

progress, challenges, and goals. By maintaining open lines 

of communication, families and care givers can provide 

valuable insights and observations that can inform the 

development and implementation of support strategies 

and can help build trust and foster a sense of partnership 

between professionals and families or care givers. 

Conclusion 

Autism Awareness Day is a reminder of the need to cater 

for individuals with autism in our society and it is important 

to remember that every individual, regardless of their 

abilities, deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. 

Let us use this day to reflect on how we can better cater for 

the autistic in our communities and strive to create a more 

inclusive and accepting society for all. 



My love to impact knowledge to the 

young and old led me to research and 

writing. Also, l have been businessoriented, 

right from childhood, which 

made me focus more on driving the 

business world and also to help people 

grow their business. As a writer, I aim 

to create an insightful image in the 

minds of every reader for maximum 

wealth and health. 


| 73

LIFESTYLE 


ARTS & THE MASTERS 

• Richard Serras $2 Million Masterpiece 

Steals the Show at Frieze Los Angeles 2024 

Up to $2 million worth of art work was sold during Frieze Los Angeles’ launch on Thursday, March 14. 

Sales reports from a number of galleries indicated that solo exhibitions performed especially well. 

Joe Bradley, John McCracken, Steven Shearer, Lisa Yuskavage, Huma Bhabha, Dana Schutz, and 

Suzan Frecon were among the artists whose pieces sold for between $250,000 and $650,000 on David 

Zwirner’s first day of sales. In addition to the mega-dealers who sold pieces in the first hours of the starstudded 

show, sales of $250,000 or more in works were recorded by Casey Kaplan, Vielmetter, Roberts 

Projects, and Tina Kim Gallery. 

According to Dominique Gallery, all of the pieces, including sculptures priced between $12,000 and 

$100,000, were included in Mustafa Ali Clayton’s solo exhibition. 


LIFESTYLE 

• Horse Sculptures and ‘Everywoman’ 

to Adorn London’s Iconic Fourth Plinth 

Two art works will be erected on the 

fourth plinth of Trafalgar Square, a 

hollow, life-sized person on a horse cast 

in a slime-green resin and a bronze 

sculpture honouring a woman of colour. 

Tschabalala Self and Andra Ursuța's 

pieces were chosen from a short list that 

also included pieces by Veronica Ryan, 

Thomas J. Price, Gabriel Chaile, Chila 

Kumari Singh Burman, and Ruth Ewan. 

The idea of Self's Lady in Blue, scheduled 

for installation in 2026, was to introduce 

a modern "everywoman" to Trafalgar 

Square. 

Lapis lazuli blue, a pigment that has 

been used since antiquity in North Africa, 

the Middle East, and Europe, including 

by artists like Titian and Vermeer, will be 

applied on the bronze sculpture. 

DAMIAN 

IKENNA NGERE 


Ikenna is a graduate of Physics and Education, 

who works as a freelance writer. He has interest 

in technology, humanity and sports. 


| 75

Travel / Escape 

Take A Cruise 

By Joy Agbakoba 

Are you a cruiser, or 

not yet? Whatever 

your response, 

this article will give 

you a feeling of 

what awaits you 

when you cruise. 

First, what’s a cruise? A 

cruise can be explained 

as a seven-star 

moving resort which 

enables people 

to visit multiple 

destinations. 

I bet you can 

NEVER compare 

a cruise to land 

vacation. Why? 

Simply, because 

land vacation is 

dependent on your 

budget, but on a 

cruise, you don’t need 

to be on a budget once 

you’ve paid your fare. Yes! 

You don’t pay for activities 

or orders in a cruise. It now 

boils down to if you have 

enough time and energy 

to enjoy the activities 

and eat limitlessly! 

Well, the only thing not 

free in a cruise is the 

alcohol served during 

the cruise. Thankfully, 

it's a way to have less 

drunken people! 

Food in most restaurants 

during a cruise are free, 

but the specialty restaurants 

are chargeable. While visiting 

the restaurants, it is mandatory 

that you dress properly unlike the 

windjammer where, probably, 

you can have your bikini or shorts 

and engage in binge eating. 

Here, you will find meals which 

you are probably not used to. I 

guess this is good for those trying 

to experiment. My bet is that you 

will go back to binge eating and 

drinking at the windjammer after 

visiting the restaurant. On a cruise, 

your room is entitled to a bottle of 


Travel / Escape 

wine which should be consumed 

in the room and not onboard. The 

one bought onboard can then be 

drank onboard. 

What's more? On every cruise 

ship, there are four main cabins 

which have a subset of cabins. 

These four cabins are: the interior 

cabins, the ocean view cabin, the 

ocean view with balcony cabin 

and suites. On each ship, there 

are rooms based on their names, 

which are unique to them. For 

example, the Symphony of the 

Seas cruise ship has an ultraspacious 

ocean view with balcony 

while Wonder of the Seas is not as 

spacious as the Symphony. 

Did I mention that you could also 

go on tours at every landing a 

destination before the take-off 

to another landing. Oh yes! You 

could say "Hi" to the Pope in Rome 

before sailing to Paris! 

What else? Payments! If you 

want to know more 

about payment 

plans, please 

reach this 

author 

through 

my email 

address. You can also move your 

sailing forward to a convenient 

date after making an initial 

deposit, if the time for your trip is 

still three months plus away. 

JOY AGBAKOBA 


Joy Agbakoba is the 

Chief Executive Officer of 

Travellers Haven Limited and 

has built its solid reputation 

since 2003, providing travel 

consultancy services as well 

as organising cruises and 

private tours. She is also 

the Founder of Women’s 

Business Arena, a market 

place for creative female 

entrepreneurs. 


| 77


FLUTTERWAVE: 

REVOLUTIONISING 

PAYMENTS IN AFRICA 

Compiled by Harry Choms 

FLutterwave stands as a beacon 

of innovation in payment 

processing across Africa. 

Founded in 2016 by the 

visionary duo - Iyinoluwa 

Aboyeji and Olugbenga 

Agboola - i t has rapidly 

evolved into a versatile platform and 

API, facilitating seamless transactions 

ranging from credit cards to various local 

payment alternatives like Mobile Money, 

MPesa, and ACH, transcending borders 

within the continent and beyond. 

In an era where online transactions 

reign supreme, security remains 

paramount. Flutterwave acknowledges 

this reality, prioritising robust security 

measures amidst the ever-looming 

threat of c yber crime. Recognising the 

vulnerability of user data in the digital 

landscape, Flutterwave ensures a secure 

environment for conducting financial 

transactions, safeguarding the privacy 

and integrity of i nternet users globally. 

The challenge of cross-border 

transactions, particularly in developing 

countries like Nigeria, prompted the 

inception of Flutterwave. Sensing the 

need for a reliable payment gateway 

a ccessible locally and internationally, 

Aboyeji and Agboola embarked on a 

journey to r evolutionise the payment 

landscape. In a market previously 

constrained by limitations from platforms 

like Stripe and PayPal, Flutterwave 

emerged as a g ame-changer, 

facilitating seamless transactions within 

78 | 



and beyond Nigeria's borders. 

History of Flutterwave 

Flutterwave's journey epitomises 

resilience and growth. From its 

inception, the platform has witnessed 

exponential growth, catering to 

the diverse needs of businesses 

by offering a comprehensive 

suite of services. From accepting 

payments to facilitating payouts 

and managing business finances, 

Flutterwave provides an integrated 

platform that fosters global 

connectivity for users. 

Flutterwave's impact transcends 

borders. It processes billions of dollars 

worldwide and earns the trust of 

countless Nigerian and African 

businesses. Renowned digital service 

providers such as Nairabox, Uber, 

Max.ng, and Accessbet, alongside 

many other enterprises, rely on 

Flutterwave for seamless online 

transaction management, cementing 

its position as a trusted payment 

partner across the continent. 

Fulfilling Our Mission 

Flutterwave's mission is to build 

a robust payment infrastructure 

that bridges Africa with the global 

economy. Through relentless 

innovation and technological 

advancements, Flutterwave 

empowers businesses and banks 

to deliver seamless and secure 

customer payment experiences, 

fostering economic inclusivity and 

growth. 

Milestones 

Since its inception, Flutterwave has 

achieved remarkable milestones, 

processing close to $2 billion in 

payments and facilitating 25 million 

transactions across 33 African 

countries. 

Its s uccess has garnered significant 

i nvestments from esteemed fintech 

investors, solidifying its position as 

Africa's leading company in the 

payments platforms. 

Flutterwave’s Features and Products 

Flutterwave offers many features 

designed to empower businesses 

and foster growth: 

Features: 

1. Payment Tool: 

Seamlessly receive payments from 

anywhere in the world. Conduct 

transfers, both single and bulk, t o 

various accounts. Accept payments 

i n over 150 different c urrencies, 

enhancing global accessibility. 

2. E-commerce Store and Tools: 

Create a free online store to e 

nhance o nline visibility. 

Generate professional i nvoices and 

payment links, facilitating smoother t 

ransactions. 

3. FaaS (Fintech as a Service): 

Embed financial services into 

products, enabling customers t 

o perform diverse transactions. 

L aunch apps facilitating wallet 

management, b ill payments, and 

virtual card creation. 

4. Virtual Cards: 

Issue physical and virtual cards with 

global functionality. 

Manage cards effortlessly from any 

location, enhancing convenience for 

users. 

5. Capital: 

Access flexible loans to fuel 

business growth and expansion. 

6. Registration: 

Incorporate and register businesses 

seamlessly from anywhere, s 

treamlining administrative processes. 

Flutterwave's digital marketing 

efforts have been commendable, 

yet growth opportunities remain. 

Leveraging visual content platforms 

like YouTube could significantly 

broaden their reach, tapping i nto 

the visual-centric preferences of o 

nline audiences. 

Products 

Flutterwave offers two major 

products: Barter and Rave. Let us t 

ake a moment to evaluate each of 

them. 

Barter: Barter is a payment platform 

that allows users to enjoy life 

more rather than worrying about 

spending, borrowing, and saving 

money. The barter team manages this 

process for its clients and is t rusted 

by over 30,000 people. 

Rave: Rave by Flutterwave is regarded 

as one of the simplest methods for 

making an d accepting payments 

from customers anywhere in the 

world. Their payment solution make 

s thing s easie r b y providin g secur 

e an d dependabl e tools . Whethe r 

yo u nee d a simpl e paymen t link or 

to manage payouts for hundreds of 

people, they have tools to help you 

fully integrate a globa l payment s 

platform. 

Who is Flutterwave for? 

For Payment Solution Developers 

and More 

Flutterwave caters to those who 

are involved in creating payment 

solutions for others. This includes 

entities like PayStack, which utilises 

Flutterwave's services. Individuals 

or companies developing solutions 

for merchants and clients can also 

leverage Flutterwave's offerings. 

Global Payment Solutions 

The Flutterwave platform facilitates 

transactions in over 156 countries 

worldwide. It seamlessly processes 

payments through well-known cards 

such as Verve, Visa, and MasterCard, 

thus catering to local and 

international transactions. Signing up 

with Flutterwave is free, with a nominal 

fee structure of 1.4% + ₦50 for local 

card transactions and 3.5% + $1 for 

international transactions. 

Beyond Payment Gateways 

Besides its primary payment gateway 

function, Flutterwave operates a 

versatile fintech application called 

Barter. This app serves as a 

valuable tool for social e-commerce 

transactions. While the potential 

launch of WhatsApp's digital 

payment service could impact 

Barter's e-commerce transactions, 

Flutterwave remains focused on 

other lucrative areas, s uch as the 

mobile money market and crossborder 

payment solutions, ensuring 

a steady influx of users. Notably, 

transactions through GetBarter incur 

a minimal fee of approximately 40 

naira or 11 cents each. 

Pros and Cons of Using 

Flutterwave 

Pros: 

• Aggregates payment services 

from over 68 gateways; enhancing 

convenience. 

• Operational in over 30 African 

countries, facilitating seamless 

transactions. 

• Offers global services, extending its 

reach beyond African borders. 

Cons: 

• Limited service availability in some 

African countries. 

• A relatively new entrant in the 

payment processing industry. 


| 79

ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

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