Prof Ojo Emmanuel Ademola, a management consultatnt highlights the qualities of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the art of creating wealth for the people.
When it comes to the upcoming presidential election in 2023, Nigerians will have two options: They will either deplete the massive transformation efforts of the current Buhari government, or will elect a resolute transformer who combines the core qualities of an actual master-wealth creator to lead the country to the promised land. We can only strategize against the defenestration of the country and its infrastructure to the state it was before Buhari took office. When it comes to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s transformational capacity, comprehension, qualities of creating wealth, using diversity to boost productivity as an outcome, and application of governance tools for the benefit of the people, he stands head and shoulders above the other candidates in this election.
With Asiwaju as the President come from 2023, Nigerians will fulfil the greatest call of generations to have a president who indeed is a real master in wealth creation, both in private and public sectors. We know that to be great leaders, you need a great team. Identifying your Wealth Creators would unlock your national potentials. The individuals who take the Country to the next level are the wealth creators. Asiwaju is the real master of wealth creation across the board, of all the candidates vying to succeed Buhari.
The tenacity and resilience of wealth creators define Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He can, however, also be extremely task-oriented and challenging to work with him. You can argue that you don’t have to be a Wealth Creator to be a successful leader. Yes, many great leaders do not themselves create wealth. However, all leaders require the assistance of a Wealth Creators in order to drive public and private business expansion. Because of their unique combination of characteristics, Wealth Creators are able to make a leader’s vision a reality. With Asiwaju, Nigerians have a prosperous package of an actual master of wealth creation and transformational leader.
Countries and businesses are taking advantage of every opportunity to gain a slight edge over their rivals in today’s highly competitive world. Diversity is an advantage that is frequently overlooked. One of the most significant advantages of diversity is increased productivity, which is now becoming increasingly recognised by numerous nations and businesses. Companies with ethically diverse leadership teams outperform their rivals by up to 36%, according to several studies. When Asiwaju was in charge of Lagos State, he was the first governor to liberate the advantages of having a competitive advantage by having a cabinet full of people from different exemplary backgrounds. How, then, does this occur? To put it succinctly, Asiwaju successfully implemented the strategy of having leaders in his cabinet with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Effectively, this led to improved decision-making, increased innovation, increased staff engagement and retention, and increased strategic thinking.
Asiwaju had this in mind again in his address at Arewa House, Kaduna, ‘It’s time to fetch water from a dry well. We will find a way where there is none. We build the Nigeria of your dream in your lifetime; it’s a promise you can depend on because adding value is my domain. I’m not an island of knowledge, but I have the capacity to gather the best people, and together we will build this country. I’ll make our Diversity a source of Prosperity for this nation.’
Asiwaju accentuated that making diversity works in the national economic and democratic made him to build bridges across Nigeria, and with exceptional quality of strategizing as one of the youngest strategists with the late Yar’Adua, and I quote: ‘My political history is full of long-abiding relationships and support for the North. My greatest rival, Atiku Abubakar, met me with the late Yar’Adua. I was one of the youngest strategists with Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. I started here in the North. Atiku met me with Yar’Adua after he left Nigeria Customs freshly. He met me strategising for Yar’adua…ask him…’ I can only confirm that one of Asiwaju’s wealth-creation strategies is to implement a diversity agenda in a way that leads to equal opportunities and a happier, more engaged team. If this is not the case, then why was the youngest Southerner strategist at the time collaborating diligently with Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, a northerner with broad political influence? By empowering a culture of resilience and tenacity, Asiwaju surely knows how to create a culture that values learning and implementing strategies from various perspectives.
When Asiwaju was questioned about climate change at the same gathering, he articulated his response to emphasise his mastery of wealth creation. Sure enough! Deniers of climate change will assert that there is no evidence that natural climate voices cause differences. Nevertheless, Asiwaju directly applies his wealth creation mastery to this situation! Don’t expect compliance if the West doesn’t guarantee the financial benefits of this policy! It’s an excellent response; In light of their policies for increasing wealth, the UK recently reversed its position on this demand related to climate change. Britain’s fracking ban must be lifted due to the energy crisis, sparking a long-running debate. Asiwaju responded that Nigeria, as a developing nation, should primarily rely on what is available to create wealth to move from developing status to an expanded level if Britain could do that in the interest of resolving the current energy crisis.
Asiwaju demonstrated exceptional proficiency in utilising diversity to achieve national prosperity, asserting that diversity is vital beyond the executive level. Nigerian states should work together at every level to determine their competitive advantages. People have a responsibility to share the things they do every day with their intended audiences and potential customers: help them produce better goods, provide better services, and generate more revenue for the population as a whole. Lagos is a constant reminder of Asiwaju’s remarkable capacity for transformation, mastery of the framework for wealth creation, and governance skills. Others, including those who have held positions of authority for extended periods and even at higher levels, do not have any record of wealth creation encounter except using government resources to make themselves. In contrast, Asiwaju has tangible evidence of Lagos’s enormous growth during his time as governor. Asiwaju’s accomplishments in Lagos serve as an admirable wealth-creation model for the growth of Nigeria into the prosperous Federal Republic if elected the next president of Nigeria.
Notably, before entering politics, Asiwaju had acquired sufficient wealth as a senior member of Mobil Oil Producing. On the other hand, other politicians running for president in 2023 could not provide evidence of wealth creation outside of their official responsibilities. As an elected official, a presidential candidate, for instance, established a private university. One other candidate, according to the evidence, used state funds to support family businesses as the state’s chief executive. Asiwaju was busy creating wealth and establishing his teams in Nigeria. At the same time, other former top executives of States of the Federation were busy shipping the resources of their states abroad and developing foreign economies. In Nigeria today, those businesses employ a few thousand, if not millions, of breadwinners.
Asiwaju’s mastery of the phenomenon of wealth creation is demonstrated by numerous examples. At about N600 million per month, Asiwaju met Lagos IGR, leaving it at N12-14 billion per month. Asiwaju paid salaries and pensions regularly for three and a half years while the PDP government led by Obasanjo seized Lagos allocations despite Supreme Court’s ruling against the action. The payment for the allocation to Fasola’s government came from Yardua. Asiwaju created LASTMA through his mastery of wealth creation and core leadership qualities, which the then-Federal Government copied to create FERMA.
When we consider where Lagos was before Asiwaju assumed its governorship seat and where it is now, with his enormous influence looming in the governance of Lagos, we will appreciate Asiwaju’s ebullient capacity and why he remains the undisputed candidate with the proven competence and ability to transform Nigeria into the desired land of prosperity where everyone stands to benefit. The success that Asiwaju achieved in Lagos serves as a reminder that people with different experiences and backgrounds may also perceive the same problem differently and come up with other solutions, particularly when an actual master of wealth creation leads the team. Additionally, employing such a leadership style increases the likelihood that one of those solutions will be successful, highlighting the significance of being adaptable in a dynamic business and democratic environment.
Today’s case study in developmental economics is the enormous transformation that Lagos has undergone since Asiwaju took office, as well as the apparent economic potential of the state. Obviously, this is an example of how a leader’s intellect can have a significant impact on the fortunes of a state and a nation. Asiwaju made a substantial difference in Nigeria by skilfully deploying capacity, severely lacking in the country’s leadership ranks. As a result of his efforts, the fortunes of millions of Nigerians improved, which makes a significant difference in a nation that severely lacks cerebral and competent leadership. Lekki was born when Asiwaju saw a massive opportunity in a filthy, waterlogged landmass. Lekki is now a swath of a sprawling metropolis inhabited by upscale Nigerians and with a net land value that is higher than the average upscale environment in Nigeria. Asiwaju built Lekki with an excellent mind for wealth creation. Lekki has now encroached on nearby suburbs like Ajah, Badore, and others, and the value of its land continues to rise with each passing day. Lekki resulted from Asiwaju’s innovative thinking, determination to succeed, and an unquenchable thirst for success.
When discussing Asiwaju’s mastery of wealth creation and transformative power, the Lekki Free Trade Zone, now affectionately referred to as the Nigerian Dubai, is also phenomenal. The largest refinery in the world, Africa’s largest fertiliser company, and a deep-sea port are all located in the Lekki Free Trade Zone today, affecting the daily lives of millions of Nigerians. No one will ever be able to quantify the economic potential of the Lekki Free Trade Zone when it reaches its full potential because the zone is still in its infancy.
The gradual opening of Eko Atlantic City illustrates Asiwaju’s incomprehensible capacity for transformation with the prowess of wealth creation. The idea of chasing the raging Atlantic Ocean, which would then pose a threat to Victoria Island as a whole and deep within its borders, was developed by Asiwaju. He started the project, which later governments took over. Eko Atlantic City has emerged as a new preferred city as a significant portion of the ocean has been reclaimed. The city is known for its high value because it is one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the world today. The United States of America is currently building the largest embassy in the world in that city! Nigerians must give due to Asiwaju’s profound creativity and transformational capacity. By simply imagining the value that Eko Atlantic City stands to bring to Nigeria and the lives of millions of Nigerians, you will understand why no one in the current race for the presidency of Nigeria comes close to Asiwaju in his capacity to use the tools of government to create wealth, transform the fortunes and lives of millions of Nigerians.
We cannot conclude the story without looking at the significant transformation of the transportation sector in Lagos, which shows how Asiwaju used his transformative capacity to change lives. When he arrived in Lagos in 1999, the state’s growth and progress were hampered by a disorganised, turbulent, riotous, and messy transportation system. He showed up and got to work. He established LASTMA with the primary goal of enforcing road usage discipline and cleaning up the industry’s soiled image. After that, he recited the rules for how to use the road and established a schedule for gradually eliminating the rickety and shabby buses, which were Lagos’s primary mode of public transportation. He then started the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program, used in many progressive cities and metropolises worldwide. He also promised that the transportation system in Lagos would change in a record amount of time.
In Lagos, the BRT program is currently very successful and working well. In order to meet the increasing requirements of Lagosians, additional innovations and routes are being added to the program. In addition, smaller yellow buses, despite still being present, are being phased out of Lagos’ roads in favour of the shabby giant molue buses, which are now entirely extinct. Today, Lagos’ streets are cleaner and more accessible, and drivers are more disciplined and responsible when using the roads.
As the first African city to construct and operate its own intra-city rail transportation, Lagos will soon begin intra-city rail transportation near the completion of the blue and red rail lines. In a similar vein, Lagos operates a cutting-edge ferry service that carries hundreds of thousands of commuters daily across the vast waterways of the city. At the moment, Lagos has available land, rail, and water transportation systems; the only state in Nigeria with this right.
All of these factors contribute to the transformation of the transportation system in Lagos, which has not only seen the transportation sector transition from its odious primordial past to a new system that is more friendly, continues to expand by the day and empowers millions of Lagosians. Another way Asiwaju impacted the lives of millions of Lagosians was by establishing additional local government councils.
Asiwaju, a true democrat and a master of wealth-creator, sees the need to use democratic principles to improve people’s lives. He was the first governor to initiate the establishment of other local councils to not only bring governance closer to the people but also to provide viable, life-altering employment opportunities and empower Lagosians. He thought of local councils as a way to reach more people and give them more power.
The PDP federal government did not have the privilege of sharing Asiwaju’s grand vision due to its narrow understanding of governance and abject pettiness. As a result, it repressed Lagos and deceitfully seized the state’s allocations to local government during Asiwaju’s eight years as governor. Asiwaju never let this stop him from filing numerous legal challenges to this offensive act. Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that the action was illegal, the PDP government continued to withhold the Lagos LG allocation, even though he won all of the cases. But this didn’t stop Asiwaju from running the new local councils as the Local Council Development Authority.
The LCDAs are now thriving administrative councils that employ hundreds of thousands of Lagosians and provide various administrative services to the city’s residents. That is Asiwaju’s crucial transformative capacity, mastery of wealth creation, backed by a tremendous drive to complete tasks and achieve results. Because of this, he refused to give in to the bullying tactics of the Obasanjo/PDP federal government, which was determined to sabotage his efforts to establish these additional centres of governance that now significantly boost Lagos’ economy and the fortunes of its residents.
When Asiwaju was elected governor of Lagos, he had a big plan to put an end to the terrible power crisis that hampered the activities of the state power section. He came up with the idea of distributing and producing power in different ways. He then included the American power company, Enron, in the process of privatizing power generation and distribution. The PDP federal government hampered and obstructed the Enron project, claiming that power is on the exclusive list (which only the federal government can operate). Consequently, Nigeria missed out on a significant opportunity for private participation in the power sector, maintaining the hegemony of the state power company. As a result of losing Asiwaju’s initiative, power quality has deteriorated frequently, and the state power company has no solution. If the Enron project had been allowed to flourish, Nigeria would have resolved its intractable power issue by now. Asiwaju knows exactly how the workplace will change in the future, without a doubt. Nigerians can rely on Asiwaju to address the problem of inadequate power supply if he is elected president, using this indicator and other indicators as a timeline for a long-term, one-of-a-kind model of wealth creation for the entire nation.