To reclaim our native nationality
NOTHING is as vicious for a people, as the absence of a shared purpose; it is the leading cause of destruction, not the enemy. We stand at a crossroads of history. The decisions you and our political leaders make about how to engage, incite, and rally the full force of the Oodua character and ideology will determine whether we stand in the backwash of our adversaries exhaust or we restore our leadership and well- being. I need not repeat the long list of the challenges we face but, today; we are inundated by all manners of fear, the lead being, whether we would make it home from a journey or wake up alive or dead in the hands of ravaging bandits. But our woes are greater, in a land where it was once honorable to be educated, we now mock higher education, advocating for a switch to trade and artisanship. And some of you are cheerleaders. Alas!
As we grope in darkness in search of a way out, let us be clear about one thing, we didn’t get here overnight and our out will not be in a jiffy. There will be no shortcut to regaining the peaceful, economic and educational leadership we once commanded. The regional vision took us up into leadership; only visionary thinking and investments can restore our glory. Specific to the pains we now go through in the twenty- first century, our region’s military and economic power must be envisioned. We must build and rely on the rapid development and deployment of new technologies, namely: 5G, AI, robotics, microelectronics, cyber, autonomy, biotech, access to space, drones, energy storage, Virtual reality, quantum computing, and others yet to be invented.
There is no alternative path to our victory. If we must win, then we must with new technologies because it allows us to scale fast and pursue big bold ideas. The Chinese experience serves us well as good examples, not to import their technology No, but to implement the strategy which I called business, military- school- fusion. We must tear down the barriers between our local companies ( small and big), our academia, and our military- now the Amotekun.
The purpose would be to improve our security standing, economic well- being by integrating our industry, the military, and our academia, so we can develop the Amotekun and our economy into a world- class. The best thing to do is mandate our citizens, small businesses and indigenous companies, and schools to cooperate with state economic, defense, and intelligence work. Our schools must commit no less than 60% of their resources to teach and research the thoughts and disciplines that align with our region’s strategic vision. If we must rebuild our economic, security, and scientific leadership, then we must develop, maintain and safeguard our innovation edge.
Today, all our governance structure, innovation systems, procurement paradigm are driven by an archaic model of immediate personal gratification. Let me ask when was the last time, a government here founded a technological idea from a university or college of technology? When was the last time a strategic state challenge shared with academia? Who represents the government in innovation pitches across the globe looking for ideas to invest in? Where are the state labs, where you test, measure and develop policies? Frankly, the assumptions that drove our public affairs need to be challenged, they are no longer true.
Did you see what Ellon Musk just did? He launched a $ 100million XPRIZE to developed disruptive solutions to combat climate change. Indeed, the world’s biggest challenges are the world’s biggest opportunities. Now is the time for us to hunt new disruptive innovation and since we are somewhat backward in our innovation infrastructures, then we need to execute a model of imitation and scale into innovation. But we cannot be hoping to buy the next version of AK 47 and claim to hope to become economically or securely sustainable. We would at best remain, a dumping ground for other economies. It becomes so bad that the pace of innovation is so fast and rapid, making some piecemeal incremental improvement a joke.
How can we effectively compete? The leadership of Amotekun, if they have such capacity and authority must now invest in new capabilities and concepts to re- imagine how it fights. You need capital and that can come from venture capitalists ( if your vision is big and bold and market driven) to fund new ventures with the speed and urgency that is required.
So when I advocate for a fusion of academia, businesses, and the military, you may mistake my advice for coercion. No, a civil alliance is what you need, one that is driven by incentives and commercial returns. This direction and the proposed partnership or alliances will ensure our leadership in science, industry, and new technologies. Our institutions of higher learning would regain their relevance, standing, and pride. And I see beautiful new jobs in their million being created.
Besides, you need to allow and invest in the emergence of an entrepreneurship or startup ecosystem, that encourages the emergence of the brightest, boldest mind who are willing to stretch their faith, energy, and commitment for the accomplishment of outstanding successes they can be proud of.
It is time we returned to a merit- driven society. Feudalism is not our heritage, aside from the fact that it makes a few rich and a multitude subservient; it is a tool for engendering mass poverty and inequality. In the fact end, it consumes the entire society; both princes and peasants. We must destroy the systems and structures we imported elsewhere to fester this.
This is a critical time for our future. Our adversaries aren’t sleeping nor retreating. Our leadership cannot continue to carry on the governance of our security and economy as usual and let our education leadership; peace and economy disappear or languish in the backwash of the North, East, South, or anyone.
If nothing would instigate our actions, the need to preserve our heritage and the future, make compelling our need for action very urgent.