FBI AFRICA MAGAZINE

| 51 FBI Magazine

aim of improving the African economic, social, and challenges not noncommunicable diseases. Universal
political performance that reflects on their constitu- health care will be integral to achieving SDG 3, per-
encies and programs. All achievable through effective haps, ending the poverty and reducing inequalities.
tools of sharing information and experiences; period- However, the SDGs will require a new target directed
ic meetings to organize the structural frameworks of towards a holistic integrated approach from govern-
the network; and the support and development of ments. While SDG 3 is the health-focused goal, in-
other frameworks of coordination mechanisms that tersectoral synergy and complementarity are essential
may emerge among NGOs. In uniting the continent, for the health sector to meet its goal. It’s a combine,
the African Union is way behind, foreign infiltrations, concerted effort, therefore, Governments require new
slow to implement one currency, non-address of in- enabling platforms to monitor the social sector and
ternal issues proactively as it relates to Xenophobia health needs, including the protection of the most
in South Africa, not taking stringent measures on vulnerable in the society. Its mandatory for stakehold-
autocratic leaders, ignoring the dreams of past and ers and partners, to continue to assist in developing
deceased leaders, the likes of Muammar Muhammad the capacity of the health sector so that technicians
Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi of Libya, Kwame Nkrumah of and decision makers can implement these needs.
Ghana, Nelson Mandela (South Africa). How can the Government encourage the private de-
SDG 3 calls for the promotion of healthy living and lIinveervyeroyf hneaatilotnh,ctahree Gseorvveicrnesm? ent is tasked with cre-
the well-being of all. What role should governments ating of an enabling environment, applicable law,
and partners such as WHO play to support Africa regulatory and monitoring for healthcare through
Rinemacahrikeavbinlyg, stehtetaSrDgeGtss? have made great progress Ministries of Health and other related Ministries

against several leading causes of death and disease, not and Agencies. These agencies play a significant role
limited to Life expectancy increased and decline in in- in health development through strengthening health
fants and maternal mortality rates. HIV and malaria systems and generation of human, financial and oth-
deaths upturned drastically to about the previous rate. er resources. This permits health systems to achieve
Progress has been uneven, both between and within their goals of improving health, reducing health in-
countries. Good health availability and affordabili- equalities, securing equity in health care financing,
ty are keys to sustainable development and the 2030 and responding to population needs. The position
Agenda reflects the complexity and interconnected- of governments in health development is well docu-
ness of the two. It considers widening economic and mented worldwide and is illustrated by the impressive
social inequalities, rapid urbanization, threats to the growth of health systems, initiated, and supported by
climate and the environment, the continuing burden governments and pursued through keen cooperation
of HIV and relative infectious diseases, and emerging with the private sector, nongovernmental organiza-

FBI Magazine 52 |

tions, and charitable institutions. The evolving chang- Relentless efforts should be made to strengthen the
es and challenges taking place in the last four decades various health system functions with particular focus
have greatly affected and led to a repositioning of the on governance, financing, and service delivery in a
government’s role in the health sector as well as oth- timely manner.
er social sectors. However, the case of the health sec- Under your leadership, the implementation of a new
tor is distinct from other sectors because the market information system technologies worth $1.55m was
forces fail to properly address the health needs of its handled. In your opinion, how is technology influ-
population, for obvious reasons, leaving governments Eenvceinntghtohueghhelaalmthncoatreaninedxupsetrrtyi?n the health industry
with special responsibilities in health development. but my years of working at Open Options, United Ce-
Because of market failures, governments have an ob- rebral Palsy, Life Unlimited and Cerner Corporation,
ligation to intervene to improve both equity and effi- a leading American supplier of health information
ciency, to carry out important public health functions technology (HIT) services, devices and hardware with
and to produce vital public goods which have a lot of net worth of US$ 524.4 million in 2014 in Kansas City
bearing on health development. Additionally, health is as a quality assurance analyst draws me closer with
perceived in Africa, not merely as a market commod- an in-depth understanding of some of the on-goings
ity, but as a basic human need and a social right, as and given the opportunity to categorically contribute
stated in many constitutions and signed treaties. Such to some level of knowledge. Technology has brought
commitment entails significant roles and responsibil- about a massive and welcome change to the health-
ities for governments, regardless of evolving political care industry therefore, revolutionizing the industry
and social environments. For example, the govern- in unique ways, and holistically driving the healthcare
ments in the Eastern Mediterranean Region receive ahead in a way that could deliver great dividends to
conflicting messages with respect to their changing healthcare providers and consumers alike. Interest-
roles and responsibilities in the field of health, partic- ingly, patients now have access to some of the best di-
ularly in relation to privatization policies and moves agnostic tools, new and cutting-edge treatments, and
towards market economy. This question sheds some a myriad of minimally invasive procedures resulting
light on the role of government in health development in less pain, quicker healing, and little turnaround
and draws some lessons on the need to protect this time.
role in view of increasing vulnerability in many coun- What’s the biggest challenge for health care delivery
tries of the region. Ongoing policy reforms should in Africa and what practical steps can African coun-
aim at modifying to challenges without eroding the tries take to improve their national health systems?
social role of government keeping in mind the soci-
etal values and national, regional, and international
commitments and obligations are not compromised.

| 53 FBI Magazine

Personally, I understand Africa is facing some of the care workers on the ground, engaging in talks with
worst pandemics in history, such as Ebola and Zika other countries and coordinating efforts, as needed
and is now fighting COVID -19. Hence, Africans are and by embracing network physicians, nurses, mid-
living in fear and uncertainty over the rising viral in- wives, and others. The system needs to provide med-
fections, coupled with poor health service offerings, ical treatment to the poor, needy and people with de-
worker shortage, inefficient management, and coun- velopmental disabilities. Additionally, it has become
terfeit drugs. Talking about Healthcare in African the needful to design solutions that ensure a healthy
countries has a lot of opportunities for improvement and happy life for its citizens
needing the Governments and NGOs to work mutual- Are African scientists making any contributions to
ly to fix that. For instance, countries like Zambia, Ni- vAasccpienresoannadl mopeidniicoinnse, ddeevveellooppminegnct?ountries vaccine
geria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and South Africa have made and medicine manufacturers would like to see Africa
significant strides to improve healthcare for their cit- developing their own manufacturing capacity; more
izens by introducing Strategic health planning, public than likely, some would even expand their capacities
health reforms, and adopting new technology. Strate- to Africa in the future. However, the critical aspects
gic health planning is necessary to revamp the health for establishment of vaccine production capacity dif-
sector of a country setting goals and creating open fer from country to country. Over the years, Africa has
minded objectives for areas where a state would like been a dumping ground for obsolete machineries, not
to improve on and then proceeded to construe a plan limited to vaccines, and medicines. In other words,
to accomplish these objectives. In the health sector es- Africans are classified as human guinea pigs, used for
pecially, healthcare planning must consider potential testing all types vaccines and drugs regardless of the
government challenges faced by the people, techno- adverse effects. As such the need for our scientists to
logical advancements, policy changes, and economic take the bull by the horn to begin to fully participate
trends that could change the countries’ operations in as developed countries to address issues as needed.
a significant way. At present, the healthcare system in Hundreds of drug trials around the world have been
Africa demands innovative and multi-faceted solu- testing possible COVID-19 treatments, but almost
tions to tackle these issues. This is achievable by mo- none have been in Africa. Now, researchers on the
bilizing revolving resources, deploying skilled health- continent are mounting a large effort to try to answer
a crucial question that has gotten relatively little atten-
tion: Could cheap, widely available drugs prevent pa-
tients with mild illness from becoming severely sick?
In summary, African scientists need adequate support
and acceptance to make the necessary contributions
to vaccine and medicine development as compared to
their foreign counterpart.

We are currently aware of covid-19 vaccine availability
in other advanced continents, will the vaccines avail-
ability across Africa prove promising or problematic?
The availability of the vaccine is a welcome devel-
opment because COVID-19 is a deadly pandemic,
adversely affecting both human race and the global
economy, changing ways of doing business, indirectly
forced most businesses to close down due to sever-
al lockdown and curfews. The game plan as you may
be aware, if not, let me make it clear; the approach
to making the vaccines available to Africa, will not
be now most especially, the virus was more prevalent
in the United States, and developed countries. Very
minimal casualties in developing countries except a
few. As such, the distribution, is going to be “chari-
ty begins as home”, the western world will fully and
adequately address it issues first before considering
Africa. As they prepare to provide the vaccines to Af-
rica, Africa should determine if they need it or not,
and or if they need a supplementary vaccine because
it never suffers adversely from the pandemic and
moreover, some reactions to the vaccines are being
recorded. Very importantly nice for African Medical
professional to continue to understudy the on-goings,
to better guide administering the vaccines. Whatever

FBI Magazine 54 |

the case may be, African travelers will be asked to take ans, and people with disabilities in America and Af-
the vaccine before travelling to countries other than rica needing healthcare services, medical equipment,
theirs, like developed nations, or tentatively it’s going medications-vitamins- nutrition, basic daily needs,
to be part of the airline regulations to show certificate etc. including but not limited to moral, psychological,
of COVID-19 vaccine. As it is today, this is a serious emotional, and social well-being by nurturing them
business, needing collective approach. to have human dignity and decency all through the
How can countries in the world be better prepared remainder of their lives on earth. As you may know,
CagOaVinIsDt -f1u9turheasepcihdaenmgiecds atnhed pwaonrdldesmnico?menclature, no organization is an island, neither is HOPe Africa
perceptions, and medical response time to this out- that is working with the One Warm Clothe, Panera
rageous virus. As of now, it remains a mystery in its Bread, United Nations, Heart to Heath International,
contraction. This deadly pandemic had put everyone HOPe Care Services, Keeping Communities on Guard
to work: the government, medical practitioners, and (KCOG), Wiggins Walking in the Mission, and many
the society at large. The resultant of this is the advent more. The need for assistance is increasing, coupled
of masks, social distancing, contact tracing, hand- with the effect of the pandemic. HOPe Africa has
washing, sanitization, speedy testing and self-isola- done remarkably well over the years in the provision
tion-quarantine. Even though progress is being made, of food to shelters, medical equipment, clothes, birth-
many businesses are closing and never to reopen, day cakes to people with disabilities, vitamins to the
because of the economic hardship, unemployment, elderly, including training and development. Current-
family restoring to longlines to getting food from ly, as we request for more volunteers and donations,
pantries and mortgage defaults and evictions. Amer- we are:
ica appeared to be largely hit, leading to the largest • Working with African Union to develop a book on
death toll in the world. In view of these, its critical
for countries to develop their capabilities to prepare The Best Aging Practice in Africa
for and respond to any future public health event that • Promoting veterans exchange programs.
may threaten public health security by implementing • Promoting of African Americans settlement in
the International Health Regulations. These are a set
of rules adopted by all countries to strengthen their Africa and in Nigeria.
• 10 million pencils and sanitary pads campaign for

Africa.
• Accepting recommendations for reward, recogni-

tion, and awards for best practices.

core capacities, provide adequate funding, and collab- Looking at the direction of Mining opportunities in
orate with partners. They are also designed to enhance Africa, about 35 mineral resource and revenue rich
cross-border cooperation on preparedness and to re- countries in Africa still have a high rate of poverty
spond to threats arising from epidemic- and pandem- head count in terms of human development. It clearly
ic-prone diseases. The participation of civil society shows that the mineral revenues haven’t been distrib-
and the private sector is also very crucial. uted to all and have not improved life for the poorest.
As Founder of HOPe Africa, what void do you ex- As a lecturer who has taught in Mining, what are your
HpeOctPteoAfiflrlicwaitihs tnhoits-ffooru-nprdoaftiito, np?ublic charity organi- views on this?
zation formed to provide for the poor, elderly, veter- This is a questionable calamity that we have as much,
human, and mineral resources, yet we are suffering in

| 55 FBI Magazine

the mist of surpluses. I addressed this proclamation My encouragement to African youths regardless of
while l was doing a course on business management. being at home or in the diaspora; its clear youths are
My professor asked me to reword my topic for the fare youths and must begin to take ownership and leader-
of the government arrest. Similarly, l have asked Pres- ship by being captain of industries, regardless of their
ident Olusegun Obasanjo at a national radio-phone- ethnicity, religion and money which are used against
in-program, that Nigeria is a complex society guided them, and to divide and rule over the youths. The Af-
with unforeseen circumstances, this earn me to sub- rican youth need to consider to get over the signif-
mit a proposal to the Federal Government of Nigeria icant indifferences, and must ensure and ascertain
on International Investors Shopping Summit. I was the renowned saying “Youths are the leaders of to-
invited to meet with Mr. President, those who were morrow” and as sang by Michael Jacksons team, “We
supposed to take me, never did. However, met him are the world”. It very important for African youths
where both of us boarded a flight at Heathrow airport to regroup, reorganize, re-energize and challenge to-
to Nigeria. We kind of recapped, this time he was no wards one common purposeful continent. They must
longer the president. I am relating these events to our not allow dictatorial leaders and pre-colonial agendas
abundant mineral resources, yet poor and suffering, over them. The youths have all it takes and within
all because of our dictatorial, autocratic leadership their fingertip existing arrays of global opportunities
with Precambrian ways and matter of doing business, at their disposal. In a twinkle of an eye, because all re-
coupled with imbedded corruptions, including abject sources are available online, therefore, no need to re-
foreign manipulations at the detriment of the poor invent the wheel but retrofit. Africa Youth must grow
people. This is unacceptable! According to a World their brands, with empathy and passion to develop an
Bank report, “Strong economic growth in the past de- egalitarian continent, not limited to frequently net-
cade among African countries rich in oil and minerals working and dialogues which are the bane of mutual
has failed to make a significant dent on their poverty relationship and total quality of understanding each
levels.” My way forward, mining should be addressed other brings the continent comparable to the standard
like agricultural farming, investing in communities, of the western world. The present and future belongs
and creating enabling environments with enviable to the African Youths at home and in the diaspora. It’s
markets not negotiable, the African Union must entertain by
As a Publisher with over 550 articles, also an author engagement of the youths in all their structures, while
of two books, what would be your advice to our Af- training them to take over, and unwinding to disen-
rican Youths and younger generations on the read- gage. This annotation also transcends to the youths
iSnogfacrusltougroeoadn,dl ckannorwemledemgebaecrqmuyisfiitrisotnasrtvicialeriena1d9in9g2., in diaspora, leaving diaspora youths subdivided frag-
published in the then the Reporter Newspaper, sub- ments, exploding into the likes of Xenophobia, com-
sequently in the Democrat New Nigeria Newspaper, monly witnessed in South Africa, where Nigerians
Hotline in Kaduna. I was excited each time l read my were extinguished, yet there was no resultant political
publication, l was looked at as a hero and respected. will from the South African Government, Nigerian
Finally, published two books currently sold on Am- Government neither African Union spoke up.
azon: Baby Steps to Aging Practice and Disparities
among Black Africans and African Americans. This
gave me the impetus to publish over 550 articles,
mostly on: People Democratic Party (PDP) and All
Progressive Party (APC), Democratic National Con-
gress (DNC), Republican National Congress (RNC)
and, on burning issues and entertainment. My hob-
by in writing yielded to become an online publisher
of TipsNews and member of Online Newspaper As-
sociation (ONA). Something to bear in mind, when
you don’t read to get knowledge and get educated, it’s
going to be a little difficult to bring the necessary and
investigative journalism to the trust of your follow-
ers. And it is believed that all these will ginger Afri-
can Youths into reading, writing, and publishing, not
limited to becoming a publisher and the purpose of
reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what
you already know. If you do not know anything about
a subject, then pouring words of text into your mind
is like pouring water into your hand.
What would you say to encourage African Youths
both at home and diaspora who has lost hope in Af-
rican Leadership and poor system of governance?

FBI Magazine 56 |

LIEUTENANT

TOBI
LOVV

w...iFthoraginnegwFmoriwssaiordn

| 57 FBI Magazine

Many know her as the For every stage of my childhood I have always been
young Army officer who blessed to be in a supportive environment. Growing
is actually the first and up, we lived in Kano, Kaduna and Abuja. No doubt
only female Nigerian in the Israeli that the exposure to different religions and cultures
have provided me with an understanding and ability
Defense Force. However, there to relate and to connect. And while I have been called
is more to be said about Tobi an unofficial ambassador of Africa to Israel– which
(COHEN) Lovv, founder of the for me is truly an honor, I simply see my voice as one
which can and must be heard. A voice that reflects my
ShareLuvv International. In this experiences, background and identity.
interview with Dr. Babalola, Lt. What experience at childhood pointed you to this
Tobi invites the readers into her path you have chosen as a career?
world by chronicling the experi- My childhood provided a lot of opportunities to shap-
ences that have shaped her from ing my character. First of all, I am the first born and
her childhood in Africa to her from day one, I have been taught that what you give
out is what you will receive in return. Second, my ex-
posure from day one to a multitude of cultures, tra-
ditions and practices have certainly dreamt up my
passions. I have for the past 10 years dedicated myself
to building bridges, and through ShareLovv Interna-
tional, my growing initiative which seeks to do the
unprecedented, which is to be a leader in promoting
cross- continental collaboration between the Middle
East and Africa. We believe there are so many undis-
covered paths of cooperation and through our plat-
form we seek to do the unparalleled.

training years in Israeli Defense The Israeli Army is reputed as one of the most pow-
Force, and to her new mission as erful forces in the world, what barriers did you have
the millennial diplomat connect- to overcome as a foreigner during your training?
Indeed, the IDF, Israel defence forces is of reputable
ing Africa to Israel. name, which isn’t a result of its technological finesse
but of its humanitarian attribute. You see in the army,
Many know you as the first Nigerian female in the you are a human before you a solider.
Israeli Army, some call you the unofficial diplomat What was the proudest moment and the most chal-
connecting Africa to Israel while few others call you lenging part of your career?
the millennial diplomat, who do you say you are, During my service, which was a total of 3 active years
your background and childhood experience? and 5 years of reserve duty, I can honestly say that ev-
When I made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel at the age eryday I put on my uniform for those 8 years gave me
of 16), I never dreamed that this is where my path pride. A bliss memory would be at the end of officers’
would take me, international recognition for some- training, where my parents and sister flew in for the
thing that I considered an act of duty. I can say today ceremony, this was especially surprising for me, as I
that what I am doing and who I am is nothing but a had not seen them for close to one year.
result of the environment I was brought up in, and The most challenging fact was the lone factor. You see,
not just a Christian and Jewish home with strong val- because my family was abroad, I was categorized as a
ues and principles but the exposure from a very young lone solider, alongside all the benefits were the down-
age to obligation, responsibility and accountability. sides of having to spend the weekends and the holi-
My background is one where diversity meets respect. days without your immediate family.
Now talking about insecurity in Africa, with your
background, what kind of solution would you pro-
pose to tackle insecurity in some parts of Africa, es-
pecially in Nigeria
Sadly, there is no one final answer for this, otherwise
it would have happened by now. This is a series of

FBI Magazine 58 |

complicated stratum of insecurity. However, I believe this young boy from Nigeria got his life turned around
with the right investment in technology and security, just from one video which went viral. So, I would say,
as well as investment into these forces put in place to social media has proved its effectiveness so perhaps
keep the community safe and not for abuse of pow- the African youth should turn to the internet and
er- would go a long way. Once the community enjoys social media to gain access and opportunity. I know
a level of security, this will further encourage inflow that there is a positive growth of access to the inter-
of people from around the world and once you have net across much of Africa so why not use the hammer
more persons coming in, there is more incentive to that already knows how to hit the nail? That is not to
keep the streets safe. The most important thing I say that education and basic infrastructure is not ab-
think we have to encourage as a continent is mutual solutely necessary.
responsibility. Looking at the security architecture of the country,
Some Security expert believe unemployment and Nigeria, do you support state policing?
poverty are the two major causes of criminality. No. Look at Israel for example, as a democracy, there
What are your thoughts about unemployment es- are checks and balances and albeit the responsibility
pecially amongst the youths in Africa? What is the and power the police carry, it is nearly impossible for
way forward? them as an institutional body to overstep their bound-
My heart breaks at the insufficiency that youths across aries.
Africa suffer; insufficiency of food, education, jobs What, in your personal view, is/are the most press-
even basic facilities and in some cases an effective gov- ing security concern(s) for the African continent,
ernment. If as you say unemployment and poverty are both now and in the future?
causes of criminality, then they must be at the top of As the African continent and its nations are blessed
the list for any nation facing high crime rates. I have with abundance of resources so too has this recur-
always marvelled at the skill level of many persons rently become its unbecoming. Fragile states, natural
across Africa. Recently, thanks to social media, these resources, identity conflict are some of the reoccur-
young people are receiving unprecedented interna- ring concerns. I’m not sure there is one that is more
tional exposure. Take the recent case of the young important, they must all be taken care of. However,
male ballet dancer, Anthony Mmesome Madu! I mean

| 59 FBI Magazine

again back to the social media effect, now more than standing and similarity, cooperation and partnership.
ever all the pressing security issues are being brought You see, I believe there is so much good fortune across
to light. Nothing can be hidden anymore. Maybe this Africa in the form of the people, the talents and the
is the catalyst of change the continent needs. hard-work that this needs to be much exposed in a
positive light to the world. On the other hand, I know
The black lives matter has generated lots of global as well that the Middle East has within it a diversity
interests and disinterests. While some are fighting like no other. There are so much these two continents
for equal treatments on the global stage, there are can do for each other. In the end, these continents are
lots of disunity within the African continent. We nations, these nations are populations, these popu-
have seen Africans killing their fellow Africans and lations are communities and these communities are
discriminating against themselves. How do you re- people like you and I trying to live in a better world.
act to this? We all have so much in common that I believe that it
I oppose any and all forms of violence. It does not prevails what divides us.
matter if you are African or not. Nothing justifies So, on the top of our list is the development of Afri-
murder and mass killing. Lack of education and ex- ca and more specifically African youth. We first and
treme desperation are two dangerous things that, foremost welcome anyone reading this interview to
when brought together can result in very dangerous come join our community on Facebook- ShareLovv
movements, the likes of which we have seen time and International. Much more than this, we also work
time again and across much of Africa. I strongly be- with influential persons- men and women all over the
lieve that if the governments across Africa invest in continent because we understand that this is an effec-
education especially of the youth in the local economy tive means of getting through to the youth!
as well as security then things will be put in place and Israel has seen the ups and downs of its relationship
these discriminations brought about by migration and to African countries over the past decades. More re-
movement will greatly reduce. cently, the Israeli government has shown renewed
One of the ways you have decided to contribute to interest in the continent with the recent visit of the
Africa’s socioeconomic development is through Israeli Prime Minister to Africa. In your view, how
the Share Lovv foundation International initiative. would you describe the relationship between Africa
What is the story behind this and what void are you and Israel; what do they both have to offer each?
filling with this foundation? Indeed, there has been a reignition of relationship
ShareLovv International is a unique initiative that between the Israel and Africa, which I bless and wel-
seeks to promote cross- continental collaboration be- come. Even way back to the administration of our first
tween the Middle East and Africa. ShareLovv Interna-
tional is something that seeks to unite through under-

FBI Magazine 60 |

female prime minister- Golda Meir, there has been
some level of diplomatic relationship between Isra-
el and many Africa countries. In those nations that
Israel does have an official diplomatic channel, I am
aware the Israeli embassies have truly invested in skill
development and incentives. Israel has always looked
for allies and friendships and will continue to do so.
Lots of people haven’t been most optimistic about
the investment ecosystem in Africa. Could you give
us a frank overview of how you see the market and
the investment scene in Africa?
I recently watched a webinar hosted by the Milken
Institute titled Investing for impact in emerging and
Frontier markets and during the conference, one of
the speakers Mr Strive Masiyiwa , Founder and Exec-
utive Chairman of Econet Group said something that
resonated with me “Africa is often seen as an exotic
place, but if you are an investor and you come looking
for what investors look for it’s a lot easier. The key to
success is localized knowledge and finding the right
partners”
Do you feel African governments are supportive
enough of local entrepreneurs and African busi-
nesses?
There is always space for improvement. I can see there
is a movement indeed for local businesses however,
most of these are on a private level. Something else
that I believe is that if the youth were much more in-
vested in, these persons who are yearning for success,

if only provided with the right help then the picture
would be much different
What is your advice to people looking to invest or
do business in Africa
I would always advice Investors to be discerning re-
gardless of region. Africa has so much to offer and
learn from, of course you should invest! As much as I
encourage with words, I do believe in leading by ex-
ample too. I, myself am a director at the Afri-fruits
Ltd (www.afrifruitsltd.com), one of the leading com-
panies in Nigeria in the field of Agriculture, Irrigation
network and Greenhouse facilities. A company that
has been operating in Nigeria for close to 30 years. Its
main advantage is injection of foreign expertise and
technology, from Israel and around the world. So, my
advice to anyone coming to invest in Africa is to think
long term as well as the positive by-products. Any
business that seeks to be set up anywhere in Africa
must have a social responsibility in the very least and
a strong trustworthy partnership.

| 61 FBI Magazine

5 Places
To Visit
In Africa

After
Covid-19

FBI Magazine 62 |

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| 63 FBI Magazine

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FBI Magazine 64 |
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| 65 FBI Magazine

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FBI Magazine 66 |

| 67 FBI Magazine

Opinion

Year 2020: Focusing on will help to improve the GDP of the nations with direct
Personal Development impact on the wealth of citizens.

I survived the year 2020 by Finally, Politics and Power: It is important to note that the
focusing on personal de- new world order is about POWER. Russia, China, North
velopment, research and Korea, United State of America are amongst nations who
innovation and I will love want to rule the world. Global politics cannot be played
to share with you all the like local politics. Power amongst the G8 is not same with
Ideas that shaped my sur- G20. Humanity must begin to understand that there is a
vival. force behind every major event. It is therefore important to
First, Innovation: while be strategically positioned not to be cut in-between pow-
we were all in isolation or ers that be and emerging powers. It may as well take Chi-
restricted from moving na more than 30 years to be the world power, but they are
around, I will advise that certainly closer to their vision. Take records of how many
people should spend more nations owe China.
time meditating on ideas
that can improve humani- Adebowale Jeff Johnson
ty. You do not have to be an IT expert before you can ideate Leading Management Consultant in Africa.
an idea that will transform your profession. We MUST not
leave innovation to a class of people. It’s our collective ef- Welfare Package For
forts that will bring change quickly. Imagine as a driver, you Nigerian Entertainers
innovate solution(s) to the long-time challenge(s) you face
during your duty. Start from there. Spend time meditating I have observed with a lot
on these things. I can assure you, someone else around the of disappointment that Ni-
globe is thinking the same thoughts. In a little while, the gerian entertainment struc-
solution(s) will become a common phenomenon. ture don’t provide health in-
Secondly, Government and Leadership: reading the book surance for their members
“Why Nations Fail”, it is clear how governance and leader- and also residual income
ship or the lack of either can influence the prosperity of the culture.
nation. Geography has never been a factor in prosperity or In Hollywood you can fea-
poverty. Color of your skin has got nothing to do with na- ture in a movie and the
tional wealth. Good governance and leadership have been residuals from that movie
a major asset in every group of people. Mark Sanborn said if it’s a blockbuster can take
in his book, “You do not need a title to lead”. A lot of the care of you for up to 5 years.
time, a leader reflects his followers. It goes vis-a-vis. If a Also, a part of what you
leader doesn’t see the need to do the right thing, he may earn goes into health insur-
influence a group of his followers who will become bur- ance and unemployment
den to others. There are several examples of this around benefits. It’s very embar-
the world. rassing for actors to always
Thirdly, Expenditure Vs. Investment: after the World War have to appeal to the fans
II, nations who reduced their expenditure and created to take care of their medical
enabling environment for investments grew very quickly. bills or else, they just die like
Government expenditure MUST be reduced with the in- nobodies after giving blood,
tention of investing in the people and infrastructure. In- sweat and tears to entertain
dividuals must also do same. There must be reduction in their fans.
spending and increase in investment. To be put in anoth-
er way, your spending MUST be investment focused. This Seyi Brown
Hollywood based Nigerian
entertainer comedian and actor.