Somebody asked me a question during a lecture I gave at Wetland Hotel to the political class. There were many journalists present, and the senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District was also there. It was actually Abraham, the former editor of the Guardian Group of Newspapers, who asked the question: outside politicians, how can we develop our country?
Think about that.
The Red Cross is not a government organisation. Somebody came up with an initiative and started it, and today it is all over the world. The Red Crescent in Islamic countries is also not a governmental organisation, yet it is doing great work across the Islamic world. What about Doctors Without Borders? It is not a government or political organisation, yet it is making a global impact.
So, in Nigeria, we need people who can come up with brilliant ideas that will positively affect society without necessarily being politicians. We need to start thinking.
Recently, a girl made a post in Rivers State about the poor condition of a school in her community. The politician involved, instead of addressing the issue, allegedly went there to harass her. That was not a solution. The solution began when the incident was publicised, and support came in to rebuild the school—from fencing to a complete modern structure.
That is an example of initiative outside government.
I am currently opening a new development between Ughelli and Effurun. I did not wait for the government. I am building a composite centre that will include a higher institution, a healthcare facility, farms, and an event centre. No government funding.
We must start projects. We must begin to do things that will dispel darkness, poverty, and underdevelopment in our communities without waiting for government.
Poverty does not think futuristically. The average wealthy person prefers to distribute rice and consumables. No. We need institutional investments that can drive long-term development.
Every day, when students leave my school and workers close for the day, each worker supports about four other people. By extension, many lives are impacted. There are children in the school whose parents work there and receive scholarships. Many of them have gone to university—opportunities their parents could not have afforded otherwise.
I have another centre at Okokoro, employing mechanics, electricians, tailors, cleaners, and teachers. These are systems that create value and sustain communities.
There are examples around us. A grammar school established decades ago has produced countless individuals and contributed significantly to its community. Mission schools and hospitals have done the same. Faith-based organisations run many institutions that employ people and provide services.
We cannot and must not wait for government to develop our society. We can—and should—contribute.
There is a church nearby constructing its access road with interlocking materials. One man built that church and is funding the road project. That is initiative.
Let our wealth go beyond displaying cars, private jets, expensive watches, and buildings. Let us identify the darkness in our society and put up small lights to dispel it. I call it community-initiated development.
As we do this, the country will begin to change gradually.
God bless you.
