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| FEATURE ARTICLE |
| Amb. Joe Keshi | Sunday, September 4, 2005 |
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joeckeshi@yahoo.com
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HOW MANY Ph.Ds DOES NIGERIA HAVE?: A REJOINDER
etween July 25th to 27th, 2005, the Nigerian National Volunteer Service (NNVS) and the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology successfully organized a conference on Bridging the Digital and Scientific Divides: Forging Partnerships with the Nigerian Diaspora in Abuja. The conference brought together Nigerian scientists in the Diaspora and their counterparts at home to discuss how to work together, through forging partnerships and collaboration to accelerate Nigeria's technological advancement. The conference was one of many initiatives designed to mobilize and involve the Nigerian Diaspora albeit, and in this case scientists, in the task of nation building in Nigeria. It was therefore curious that just a week after the successful conference, an article with the above title, originaly published on nigeriaworld.com, was reproduced in the perspective column of the Saturday edition of Thisday August 6th 2005.
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Because of the wide readership enjoyed by the sites which are visited more by Nigerians abroad, some Nigerian diplomatic missions and Nigerian organisations/associations have found the sites useful in reaching out to the Nigerian community in the Diaspora. In 2000, for example, the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Atlanta used the Nigerianworld.com among others, to mobilize Nigerians in the Diaspora for the Presidential Dialogue with Nigerians in the Diaspora. About 3,700 Nigerians attended that event. Like wise, for the science conference with the Nigerian Diaspora mentioned above, both the Nigeriaworld website and the NaijapoliticsYahoo forum were effectively utilized to also publicize and mobilize in particular, the Nigerian scientists in the Diaspora for the conference.
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How could such a meticulous columnist have missed all these or was he just being careless when he confidently avowed that the Nigerian government has not been able to channel the best resources in the land to its advantage and lamented that "Obasanjo's government has failed in this respect as it is yet to initiate a viable programme to court Nigerian Ph.Ds and other professionals to return home". To conclude from such an unfortunate statement that, he was equally playing to the gallery would be uncharitable, especially as he admitted that he had been waiting for a phone call from the President.
For this, he deserves our understanding. Were I in his shoes, waiting since 1999, probably checking my phone lines to make sure they were in perfect working conditions and frequently asking the children not to stay too long on the phone so that the presidential call can come through, I would feel a sense of betrayal and lamentation would be understandable.
There is however, nothing presumptuous, about anticipating a telephone call from the President. However, it never ceases to amuse me how many Nigerians in the Diaspora, after a meeting with senior government functionaries come out with the impression that a 'deal' has been struck. Many have followed such a "deal" by arriving in Nigeria, unexpectedly, uninvited and failing to gain access to the officials to expand or consolidate on the 'deal', have returned home raining curses not only on the poor president, governors or ministers but the whole country for being unserious.
This misrepresentation of what was promised has been among others, at the heart of some of the problems associated with mobilizing and involving the Nigerian Diaspora and why a new approach is evolving. In some ways, the President has fulfilled what ever promise he made to David-West Jr and his group. There is enough evidence to support the fact that, the present administration, more than any before, has demonstrated more commitment and desire not just to "court Nigerian Ph.Ds and other professionals to return home" but to involve the Nigerian Diaspora, in Nigeria's development process.
As earlier mentioned, in September 2000, President Olusegun Obasanjo, barely a year in office and in fulfillment of his inaugural promise to involve all Nigerians in the task of nation-building as well as in reaction to the demands of Nigerians in the Diaspora to be involved in the imperatives of development in Nigeria, convened a meeting of Nigerians in the Diaspora, first in Atlanta, USA for those in the Americas and later in London, for those in Europe.
The purpose of both the Atlanta and London Presidential Dialogues, as they were called, was to engage the Nigerian Diaspora, in fashioning a mechanism through which they could effectively be mobilized and involved in Nigeria's development process. Following the two events, a presidential consultative meeting was convened in Abuja by the President, at which the decision was taken to encourage Nigerians abroad, in particular professionals, to form a pan Nigerian organisation. This was what informed the encouragement given by the Government for the formation of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) as a vehicle for the mobilization of the Nigerian Diaspora to be involved in Nigeria's development process. There are now two main NIDO branches, NIDO Americas with headquarters in Washington and NIDO Europe with Headquarters in London and branches almost throughout the major European capitals. NIDO (Asia) is in the process of being established by Nigerians in Asia while few chapters are being established in Africa.
That NIDOA was engulfed in some crisis at its inception, is not the issue here, more especially as some stability, focus and commitment has been established by the current leadership. Suffice it however, to note that NIDO would have emerged as a more virile pan Nigerian organisation which it was expected to be, if more Nigerian professionals, professional groups and the various leaderships of the tens of hundreds of organizations and associations in the Diaspora had seen the wisdom in working collectively as a group rather than engaging in the present individual efforts that many seem to prefer. Individual efforts cannot be discounted and in some cases should be encouraged, but as the president eloquently stated in his opening address at the science conference, "it would take the involvement of a critical mass of the Nigerian Diaspora to make any significant impact in Nigeria."
In furtherance of his determination to factor the Nigerian Diaspora into the development process and to put in place a proper structure to accomplish this, the Nigerian National Volunteer Service (NNVS) was established among others, to work with NIDO and the larger Nigerian Diaspora. While NIDO was expected to, among others, mobilize and galvanize Nigerians abroad, in particular professionals, to be involved in the Nigerian project, and from the start was charged with creating a database of all Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora, the NNVS was expected to drive the Federal government Diaspora policy by tapping into the resources of the Nigerian Diaspora, encourage the transfer of skills, knowledge and expertise of the Nigerian Diaspora to augment or complement development efforts at home. In practical terms in my view, it was expected to facilitate the development of "viable and structural programmes" through which Nigerians abroad could channel their expertise and services. As I once wrote in an open letter to the Nigerians in the Diaspora on the establishment of the NNVS, the NNVS would in addition, act as their foot soldiers, to remove the frustrations that have in the past prevented Nigerians in the Diaspora from making any meaningful contribution to Nigeria's progress.
A case in point is the annual medical missions of the Association of Nigerian physicians in the Americas (ANPA). In the last one year or so, the NNVS has worked with ANPA and others to facilitate the success of the medical missions in Nigeria. We have tried to remove some of the bottlenecks that have in the past frustrated the efforts of the promoters of the ANPA medical missions. Our hope is to build by the end of next year, a volunteer force on the ground that would work with the medical missions thereby expand the scope, reach and impact of the noble intentions of Nigerian doctors in America. We have also received and channeled into the system various proposals, comments and applications for employment from the Nigerian Diaspora and have at least one or two success stories.
Today as the NNVS consolidates and seeks to actualize its mission, most government agencies are coming to accept that they have to initiate programmes to engage the Nigerian Diaspora. In the meantime, the President has even gone steps ahead in his characteristic manner to set the ball rolling. Nothing best demonstrates his commitment and faith in the ability of the Nigerian Diaspora to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria's development than the invitation extended through NIDO, to the Nigerian Diaspora to participate in the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC). Equally significant, is the two seats given to the Nigerian Diaspora on the Ministerial Committee on Software Development in Nigeria. The Committee itself has also incorporated four experts from the Diaspora into the Technical Committee of the main body.
No one with any knowledge of Nigeria's recent past would doubt whatever David-West Jr's went through during his last sabbaticals in Nigeria. All I can do is to assure him and many others contemplating doing their sabbaticals in Nigeria that things are much much better and properly structured today. The Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) now has a programme that seeks to encourage Nigerian academicians abroad to do their sabbatical in Nigeria, for a year or so, all expenses paid. This is not only an attempt to "channel the best resources in the land to its advantage" but a deliberate effort to fill, in the short term, the vacancies created by lecturers who may wish to pursue their careers elsewhere and by the expansion of our universities. The establishment of new universities invariably means that Nigeria would need many more university lecturers both now and in the immediate future.
The NUC programme-the Nigerian Experts and Academics in the Diaspora Scheme (NEADS) aims at attracting experts and academics of Nigerian origin in the Diaspora to contribute to the development of the Nigerian university system through short term academic appointments. This scheme alone is an ample testimony not only to Nigeria's desire to engage its Diaspora but seeks to encourage the Nigerian Diaspora to assist the nation in terms of the urgent needs of our universities. This should therefore assure the author that the problem is really not whether there is a policy in place to absorb all the Nigerian PhDs being minted abroad but whether the new kids on the blocks are ready to come home to fill the many vacancies that now exist in our universities, even with some improvement in the salaries of university lecturers, especially in the private universities.
The reality is that not many Nigerians abroad are favourably disposed, ready or willing to return home, at least not for now. This has compelled the NNVS and indeed the Federal government's preference for the "Diasporan option" as an effective policy for involving the Nigerian Diaspora in the country's development policy. The policy allows Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute their quota to Nigeria's development without physically relocating to Nigeria. This also entails that the Nigerian state would put in place appropriate programmes that the Nigerian Diaspora could participate in. It was in the bid to actualize this that the Science and Technology Conference mentioned earlier was held in Abuja. Jointly organized by the Nigerian National Volunteer Service (NNVS) and the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, the conference was specifically designed to bring together Nigerian scientists in the Diaspora with their counterparts at home and had among others, four broad objectives, including;
The communiqué of the conference has long been posted on Nigerianworld.com, Naijapoliticsyahoo forum, on the conference website FMST-NNVS.com and is being widely circulated among all groups in the Diaspora and within the country. Equally, NIDO and those who attended have been urged to organize regional seminars and workshops on the outcome of the conference, to bring together both those who attended the conference and those who could not. This is partly to increase awareness of the initiative and increase participation at the next conference, and partly to encourage Nigerian scientists in the Diaspora to strategize on how they can contribute to the advancement of Nigeria's technological growth.
The science conference was just a test-case in a deliberate but systematic approach designed to engage the Diaspora sectorally beginning with science and technology. Its success has encouraged the NNVS to intensify discussions with other agencies of government with a view to the development of appropriate programmes that the Nigerian Diaspora would find worthy of its time and participation. Those who were at the conference can affirm that they saw credible evidence of government's desire and commitment to engage the Nigerian Diaspora and to involve them in accelerating the pace of the country's growth and development.
For our efforts to be successful therefore, the Nigerian Diaspora must demonstrate greater commitment, involvement and understanding. It is not enough to spend endless hours debating on what is wrong with the country, pouring scorns and condemnation on its leadership and pretending or not acknowledging on going efforts no matter how small or significant. Through NIDO, the NNVS, the NUC NEADS, the Science conference and other initiatives, the Nigerian Diaspora is being gradually but effectively challenged by the Nigerian state to walk the walk. Dictating terms of engagement in response to the challenges or insisting on being treated specially is not my idea of constructive engagement or the right attitude required to ensure the success of the policy.
For Nigeria to achieve its manifest destiny, harness its huge resources for the benefit of the commonwealth, there is the need for us all, but especially the Nigerian Diaspora, to think outside the envelope. This entails change of attitudes and mindsets, about the country, about ourselves and our ability to bring about the desired changes we all clamour for. We must all appreciate the fact that a little bit of responsive and responsible efforts from all of us would make all the difference in the world. The Nigerian Diaspora must therefore set the pace, seek to dictate the pace and be prepared to work in concert with those at home who are making the changes.
In this connection, members of the Diasporan community need to appreciate that there are limits to government appointments, and even more importantly, that they can be equally useful without having to hold a post in government. All Nigerians abroad cannot be as lucky as the current finance minister whose telephone did not ring simply on a promise made, but because she had long proved her mettle working quietly as a member of the World Bank team involved in various negotiations with Nigeria. The skills and expertise displayed no doubt, brought her recognition and her subsequent appointment. There are many others too who through their visions, are capitalizing on emerging opportunities in Nigeria to mobilize resources from abroad for investment at home. Their actions are signals and an encouragement to those who may wish to return home to prepare adequately and not to look forward to any government appointment or employment which in any case is dwindling.
Many can also emulate and could indeed contribute to the efforts of ANPA and many other organisations that are involved in social work, capacity building and empowerment in Nigeria in order to improve social harmony and Nigeria's ability and preparedness to compete in an increasing globalised and competitive world. Alternatively, they could initiate programmes that could benefit the larger Nigeria society, like, the internet mentoring for science undergraduates in Nigerian universities soon to be launched. This is the brain child of a Nigerian Diaspora in Canada, who has put together about 30 Nigerian scientists to participate in the programme. The NNVS is constructing the website which will soon be deployed after consultation with the NUC.
The bottom-line is that there is now a policy framework to encourage the Nigerian Diaspora to channel its resources into Nigeria's development process. The NEADS programme of the NUC for example, is a challenge and an opportunity for Professor David West Jr and a host of other Nigerian lecturers abroad to assist the country in rejuvenating our universities. The challenge even goes beyond that, and David West Jr can assist us by encouraging the new Ph.D holders especially those who cannot gain employment within the university system abroad to consider the teaching opportunities that now abound in our universities. It also includes strengthening NIDO through the involving of professionals like David-West Jr and others of like minds whose commitment to seeing significant improvement in Nigeria is not in doubt.
