ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

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.
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