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From pioneers to change makers, the 11th edition of the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year list is a rich collection of avantgardes, whose love for the continent is helping to reshape the continentʼs narrative globally. The African Leadership Organization, publishers of African Leadership Magazine unveiled this yearʼs list amidst enthusiasm.
In his remarks during the unveiling ceremony, the founder and Chairman of the African Leadership organization, Dr Ken Giami, stated that, “Africa has traditionally been the cradle of great leadership; from Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Steve Biko, to Julius Nyerere, the continentʼs contribution to leadership philosophy remains indelible. However, a new leadership paradigm is evolving in the continent – they are the new Changemakers.” Continuing, the chairman, added that, “our nominees are Changemakers, who have chosen to push through with their vision to build and bequeath an Africa that works for all to the next generation.”
“Our winners see progress, where others see retrogression; they see possibilities in the midst of challenges. They are on a mission and are eager to lead Africa to the promise land,” he said.
The African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Awards is Africaʼs premier vote-based endorsement, reserved annually for the leading Africans who are contributing towards promoting the continentʼs progress, and positively altering Africaʼs perceived negative image. The annual event has also become a platform for honouring people-centred leadership and Africans that are pursuing a pan-African agenda in their chosen fields of endeavour
Below are the winners and a brief profile on their leadership strides:
1. AFRICAN OF THE YEAR 2022
H.E DR. JULIUS MAADA BIO
Julius Maada Bio is the current president of Sierra Leone.
Born on 12th May 1964, President Bio completed his primary, secondary and undergraduate education in Sierra Leone after which he ventured into the public service as a teacher before joining the Sierra Leone Army where he rose through the ranks to the position of Brigadier He served in various capacities as: Chief Secretary of State, Chief of Defense Staff, Minister of Information, Minister of Marine Resources, Deputy Head of State, and ultimately Head of State of Sierra Leone from January to March 1996.
As Head of State in 1996, President Bio presided over the conduct of the first democratic elections in Sierra Leone in nearly three decades.
Presently in Sierra Leone, President Julius Maada Bio is popularly referred to as the “Father of Democracy” because of his outstanding contribution towards the restoration of democracy and attainment of peace in the country
2. AFRICAN FEMALE LEADER OF THE YEAR 2022
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the seventh Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is a global finance expert, an economist, and an international development professional with over 30 years of experience which spans across continents.
She has served on the boards of various organisations such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Incorporated.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was a twotime Finance Minister in her home country, Nigeria, and also served as
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
She had a career with the World Bank spanning 25 years as a development economist where she rose to the position of Managing Director, Operations.
3. AFRICAN EDUCATIONIST OF THE YEAR 2022
Dr. GETRUDE NWANGALA AKAPELWA
Dr. Gertrude Nwangala
Akapelwa is the Founder and ViceChancellor of the Victoria Falls University of Technology, Zambia which she helped establish in 2002.
Dr. Akapelwa has 49 years of working experience in leadership, strategic management, and operational functions in various key sectors of the economy
She served as the Chairperson of the Zambia ICT Authority Board, the regulator of the ICT sector in Zambia and also served the African Development Bank (ADB) in different capacities for 23 years, in Ivory Coast and Tunisia.
4. AFRICAN INDUSTRIALIST OF THE YEAR 2022
Patrice Motsepe.
Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe is a South African businessman and entrepreneur
He is the Founder and Executive Chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, ARM.
Motsepe made his fortune through mining interests which expanded to a successful multifaceted mining company, ARM, which has investments in gold, ferrous metals, base metals, and platinum.
He sits on several company boards, including being the nonexecutive chairman of Harmony Gold, the world's 12th-largest gold mining company while his firm, African Rainbow Minerals, controls 19.8 percent of Harmony
5. AFRICAN POLITICAL LEADER OF THE YEAR 2022
H.E. Hakinde Hichilema, President of Zambia
Hakainde Hichilema popularly referred to as President H.H. is the current Zambian President.
The 50-year-old businessman came into power in 2021 after having contested five previous elections in 2006, 2008, 2011,2015, and 2016.
Under his leadership, Zambia has recorded several successes, from the introduction of free education at the primary and secondary levels to a substantial increase in the Constituency Development Fund to upholding the rule of law and respecting human rights and freedoms.
6. AFRICAN PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR 2022
Tsitsi Masiyiwa.
Tsitsis Masiyiwa is a social entrepreneur devoted to empowering young Africans with educational opportunities and access to technology
She is the Executive Chairperson and co-founder of Higher Life Foundation Zimbabwe.
In the last two decades, Masiyiwa through the Higher life Foundation has supported the education of over 250,000 vulnerable students in Zimbabwe, Burundi, and Lesotho.
She is also the lead organizer of the African Gender Initiative, a network targeted at uniting African philanthropists behind the common goal of advancing gender equality across the continent.
7. EMERGING AFRICAN LEADER OF THE YEAR 2022
Emma Theophilus.
Emma Theophilus is the Deputy Minister of Information, Communication, and Technology, in Namibia.
Her appointment as deputy Minister came at age 23 making her one of Africa's youngest ministers.
She is a board member of Namibia's National Council for Higher Education and has a law degree from the University of Namibia as well as a Diploma in African Feminism and gender studies from the University of South Africa.
8. AFRICA PEACE & SECURITY LEADER OF THE YEAR 2022
Yankuba Drammeh.
Yankuba Drammeh is a Gambian military officer and is also the current Chief of Defence Staff of Gambia.
His military career saw him rise to the rank of Brigadier General and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff before he was dismissed from the army by Yahya Jammeh on 30th November 2009 but was later reinstated in December of the same year as a Major General after being cleared of any wrongdoing.
Reassigned from the military, Drammeh also served his country in the diplomatic service as Ambassador to Turkey and then as Consul-General in New York before going back to the military
9. AFRICAN ENERGY LEADER OF THE YEAR 2022
Patricia Simon-Hart.
Patricia Simon-Hart is the founder and Managing Director of Aftrac Limited, an oil and gas service company that has been operational for over 20 years.
She is also the Secretary to the Executive Board of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), and a co-founder and Vice President of Women in Energy Network
Patricia has over 30 years of experience in Management, Public Policy, and Administration. She began her career in the Information and Communications Technology sector after which she set out to establish her own oil service company
Analysts have maintained that one of the cardinal objectives of government policies on Agriculture across the continent should be to stabilize income of agricultural producers. This will no doubt safeguard farmers and producers and insulate them against losses resulting from anticipated increases in the production of cereals.
In this exclusive interview with the African Leadership Magazine UK, the Chief Executive Officer of National Food Buffer Stock Company, NAFCO, Hanan Abdul Wahab, talks about the company's efforts towards ensuring that farmers receive requisite value for their products, Excerpts:
eliminate or drastically reduce post-harvest loses which is a major issue farmers face. So upon our establishment, we decided to serve as Off-takers for the Ghanaian farmer. All the grains we deal in are purchased from the local farmers and this has greatly contributed to spoilage and post-harvest loses.
Again, we took a decision to provide these farmers with storage support, so we made our Warehouses dotted across the country and in the farming communities available to them to store their commodities. This has helped greatly since most of them were at the mercy of the weather
We also offer the farmers regular training and education on best practices relating to farming, food safety, food storage and process as well as agribusiness generally
Most of the SMEs are licensed by us to their buy or supply from the farmgate to our Warehouses.
According to the 2020 Population and Housing Census, more than three million Ghanaians of 15 years and above are involved in the agricultural sector Available data shows that the sector recorded an average growth of 4.9% n the first half of 2022, which is relatively low, as compared to 8.9% growth recorded in the same period in 2021. As a player in the sector, what's your assessment of the sector at this time, and what are the interventions that could help improve food production and the growth in Ghana's agricultural sector?
One of the sectors affected by Covid-19 is agriculture and the United Nations has constantly called for aggressive measures to safeguard that sector, especially in African countries. The agriculture sector expanded by 1.0 percent in 2nd quarter 2022 compared to 1.5 percent in the 1st quarter of 2022. The Fishing sub-sector declined by 3 percentage points from 4.7 percent in 1st Quarter 2022 to 1.7 percent in 2nd quarter 2022. The growth of Crops & Cocoa sub-sectors slowed to 1.0 percent from 1.3 percent in the 1st quarter of 2022.
As a major player in the sector, we see a future and we see a fresh rebound. Government is seeking to expand the Planting for Food and Jobs ( PFJ) initiative to increase yields but that aside, there is a huge discussion ongoing about import substitution which we think will help position our local economy properly
Overall, I am upbeat.
NAFCO has contributed immensely towards the success of the government's flagship free SHS programme. There have however been calls for increase in the amounted allocated to a child in the country's school feeding programme, as well as the expansion of the programme to enable more children in schools to benefit from the programme. What is your take on this? And in your opinion, how sustainable is the school feeding programme in the long term?
For 7 years, we have executed the free SHS programme, largely successful but like any other project, it is often scrutinized publicly and for us, that is good, for the sake of feedback, critically needed for improvements. Government is listening to all the arguments but the overall interest is to make education accessible to greater or all our children.
The programme is sustainable and we all all working at it.
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), although agriculture employs over 60 percent of the African workforce and accounts for roughly a third of the continent's GDP, Africa is the most food-insecure region in the world with more than 232 million under-nourished people, or approximately one in four. In finding solutions to the challenge of food insecurity in Africa, kindly share of the lessons-learned in piloting the school feeding programme in Ghana as CEO of NAFCO, which can be we replicated across Africa.
So after undertaking the school feeding programme over time, we have learnt some useful lessons. One of such lessons is the utmost need for government to take agriculture mechanization and industrialized farming
serious. It is the only way to attain selfsufficiency else you will have to import to feed your children. Agro processing, import substitution and a well-trained human resources; these are key. Of course, we succeeded in achieving an increased enrolment and retention using the provision of free food to them to advance our education sector
What are some of the challenges in realizing your mandate of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Ghana, and how have you been able to surmount them?
Overall, it has been good. There are two sides to our operations; the commercial part and the strategic portion of it. We have worked hard. We have engaged all the relevant stakeholders including the government and Parliament and even the donor community on the need for an increased funding to support our operations. Our operations are so central to the food security agenda of the entire nation.
At the heart of the successful running of an organization is good corporate governance. Not only does it improve the overall performance, such as the case with NAFCO, under your leadership, it also promotes trust among the shareholders and other stakeholders. As a leader, how have you ensured good corporate governance practices at NAFCO?
I have always ensured there is a governing Board in place, who will provide the policy direction and guidance to the Management team, made of up very professional and passionate individuals. It is also important that good rapport exist between the Board, the Management and the staff while making sure there is compliance to regulations and procedures, among others.
As a leader in the agricultural sector, what is your advice for young leaders and entrepreneurs across the entire value chain of the agricultural sector?
It is an advocacy that we carry around our country as part of our corporate social responsibilities. We have consistently gotten to our young folks, especially the university graduates that there is fortune and future in agriculture. Government has put in lots of investment to make agriculture attractive and not only that, there are different financing schemes available to join for people wanting to venture into agriculture and I will always urge them to choose agriculture over the others.
Government has put in lots of investment to make agriculture attractive and not only that, there are different financing schemes available to join for people wanting to venture into agriculture and I will always urge them to choose agriculture over the others.
Botswana's Vice President Slumber Tsogwane has stated that the agriculture sector remains a priority area for economic diversification and sector competitiveness in the country
The VP stated this while speaking as a panelist at the Feed Africa Summit in Senegal recently during a discussion on priorities for food and agriculture transformation, he said Botswana was continually making efforts to turn the economy around and improve its GDP
Previously treated as a unilateral sector, agriculture was now being integrated into other government programmes to increase its potential to grow other industries, Mr Tsogwane revealed.
He dìsclosed that the government had crafted policies that improved and eased investment in the sector as well as promoting the treatment of agriculture as a business.
Responding to a question on what Botswana was doing to build a livestock production reservoir for export, the vice president mentioned construction of a multi-species abattoir as well as tapping and processing semen for cattle and small stock.
Previously treated as a unilateral sector, agriculture was now being integrated into other government programmes to increase its potential to grow other industries
Mr Tsogwane said the presidential bull donation initiative was a major milestone to encourage farmers to improve herd genetic quality
“All these initiatives are meant to improve the quality of livestock and increase the national herds,” he said.
On other issues, Mr Tsogwane said the summit was a platform for learning and sharing skills on increasing the agricultural sector's contribution to GDP
He told the audience that while Botswana continued to intensify efforts to drive an export-led economy, the country was experiencing challenges in ferrying goods to other countries because it was landlocked.
Mr Tsogwane said whereas agriculture had been treated as a tradition in Botswana, the sector's performance had been declining over the years in the wake of reliance on diamonds as a driver of the economy
Because Botswana was also drought-prone, farmers were struggling to grow the agriculture sector while young people were reluctant to invest in the sector because of the risks involved, the vice president said.
He argued that agricultural financing was never enough because of the reluctance of financial institutions to invest in the sector
The summit looked into unlocking Africa's food production potential and focused on mobilising highlevel political commitment around production, markets, and trade to implement food and agriculture delivery compacts for selected countries.
Other objectives are mobilising and aligning government resources, development partners, and
private sector financing for food and agriculture delivery compacts to achieve food security on a large scale in each country
The discussions also focused on sharing successful food and agriculture experiences in selected countries and platforms for scaling up support for agriculture as well as for research and development.
Held under the theme; of Feed Africa, Food Sovereignty and Resilience, the meeting is also expected to double agricultural productivity through advanced technologies, livestock and aquaculture, and climate-smart advisory services.
…. the summit was a platform for learning and sharing skills on increasing the agricultural sector's contribution to GDP
The Brazil-Africa Forum, held in late November 2022 in Brazil, was an opportunity to renew an old and valued partnership. Stephen Williams reports from Sao Paulo
Having won a very tight 2022 election, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (known universally and affectionately as 'Lula'), assumed the Brazilian presidency on the first day of 2023.
He was first elected president of Brazil 20 years ago (2003–10), and proved a firm friend of Africa, reviving Brazil's interest in Africa and set it on a surer footing, as part of a larger goal of expanding Brazil's global profile.
For example, President Lula da Silva visited Africa during his tenure 12 times, taking in 21 countries, something unprecedented among Brazil's past leaders.
In 2022, with Lula beating the right-wing incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro in a ‘run-offʼ, all the signs suggest that Africa will, once again, be near the top of Brazil's foreign affairs' agenda.
For Lula, who only three years ago was released from prison (his conviction for corruption – which he described as politically motivated – was quashed), said that winning the elections was the easy part. He will preside over a bitterly divided country and Bolsonaro's party will be the biggest in Congress and have
President Lula da Silva visited Africa during his tenure 12 times, taking in 21 countries, something unprecedented among Brazil's past leaders
the ability to block or delay the president's policies.
Nevertheless, there is a genuine optimism that there will be a renewed partnership between South America's economic giant and sub-Saharan Africa. And that optimism was evident at the BrazilAfrica Forum, held at the World Trade Center in Brazil's economic capital Sao Paulo last November
This was despite the anticipated attendance of the president being cancelled. Lula had undergone surgery and was not able to speak He had previously successfully battled throat cancer
The event did however attract a galaxy of African participants who all made the journey across the Atlantic to take part in the forum. And joining them was a host of Brazilian speakers and observers.
Brazil's trade with Africa increased between 2000 and 2010 from US$4bn to $20bn, creating a positive environment for the Brazilian National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES) to underwrite loans furthering trade between the two regions.
Two thirds of the Brazilean Cooperation Agency's development spending was allocated to African countries.
But under Bolsanoro's government, trade slumped and major investments were scaled back
Petronas, Brazil's state-owned major oil and gas company, sold its hydrocarbon interests in Nigeria for about $1.5bn; and Brazil's giant mining corporation, Vale, withdrew from the Moatize coal mine in Mozambique (then Brazil's biggest investment in Africa) .
The forum is organised by the Brazil Africa Institute and has been held annually for the last 10 years. Each year, there is a theme. In 2022, the forum focused on 'Sustainable Cities; Global Challenges and Local Solutions', and there were lively discussions at various panel
sessions.
One senior contributor was Patrick Khulekani Dlamini, the Chief Executive and Managing Director, of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).
Although headquartered in Midrand South Africa and financed by the Tshwane (Pretoria) government, its mandate is broader than simply the Republic of South Africa. It extends to the whole subregion of Southern Africa, and indeed has cooperation agreements with partner organisations such as the Banque Ouest Africain de Developpent (BOAD, West Africa's development institution), signed at COP27 in 2022 at Sharm el Sheik
As BOAD's President Serge Ekue said at the signing ceremony: "BOAD is more than ever aware that the challenges facing Africa require a coordinated and multifaceted approach, involving all public and private development players.
“Consequently, we are convinced that the new partnership established between BOAD and DBSA, through this Memorandum of Understanding, will help promote sustainable economic growth in the region and improve the living conditions of our communities”
Dlamini added: “Building Africa's prosperity requires all developing nations to work together to promote regional integration.”
Dlamini sat on the Brazil-Africa Forum's panel dealing with infrastructure, one of the DBSA's most crucial activities. He began his address by expressing his appreciation for Brazil's renewed attention to African issues.
Although too diplomatic to mention the fact, the reality is that Lula's predecessor, Jair Bolsanaro, despite all of Brazil's historical links, had virtually ignored Africa, not even setting foot on the continent.
But Dlamini was clear in emphasising Brazil's importance to Africa in terms of the expertise that it can offer such as its experience in
hydroelectric generation, other renewable energy systems as well as crop cultivation.
“You are well known for your hydropower expertise,” Dlamini told the forum, “ and the launch of a US$132m fund for ESG at the Glasgow COP16 means that we can better partner Brazilian companies for renewable, sustainable energy projects.”
Renewable energy was the subject of another panel discussion that had the added advantage of including the participation of Frannie Léautier, partner and chief executive of SouthBridge Investments – one of Africa's most important and progressive investment companies.
The observations of Léautier were particularly relevant as it was accepted by representatives of the public institutions like Dlamini of the DBSA that the role of private institutions in Africa's development dynamics was especially important.
And Léautier was especially well placed to comment on this, being a former vice-president of the World Bank and her current position at the helm of SouthBridge. Her experience meant that she had, as it were, two feet in the game. That gave her first hand knowledge of the way that both public and private institutions operate, not least how both parties find comfort that the other has 'skin in the game'.
Renewable energy has been, and is, an important sector for investment as the world turns away from fossil fuel energy in the interest of reducing global warming emissions.
Léautier's outlined three reasons that renewable energy systems are such an attractive investment proposition for developing and emerging economies.
“The first and most obvious is that as its name says, it is renewable and virtually inexhaustible – it does not get depleted: she explained.
But Léautier also pointed out
another reason for the adoption of renewable energy in that it is essentially modular
“A schoolchild can carry a backpack to school with an integrated solar charging panel to power a laptop,” she commented. “That means that on reaching school, the laptop is powered and ready to download data relevant to the school curriculum.
“Similarly, the laptop can be recharged on the walk home from school, ready to complete homework at home. It means that whether or not the school or home has grid electricity, the schoolchild can study on line. And we can leapfrog.”
Her analysis is that Africa has an opportunity with renewable energy to structure the transition to a zero carbon economy
The third reason, Léautier suggests is that the very nature of renewable energy, in that it is modular, is a clear advantage. For most cities in Africa, their income is also modular. That means that it is easier to make a case for investment in renewable energy in urban areas.
Meanwhile, as Léautier explained to the forum, COP 27, held in Sharm el Sheik Egypt just two weeks earlier, had reached an agreement that those countries that had not contributed to the problem of global warming with carbon emissions will receive a US$2 billion fund for the loss and damage they have experienced.
Africa has agreed to replant 128m hectares in what is already the largest contiguous forest area in the
world. In short, Africa's forests provide 'lungs' for the continent's rapidly growing cities.
And this fund means that a smallholder with just a few trees on his or her land can benefit from carbon trading.
Responding to a question from the floor, Léautier also addressed the problem of water stress; how certain regions such as East Africa are suffering severe drought while other regions like Nigeria, Mozambique and even Sao Paulo experience an excess of rainfall and flooding.
It is a problem that has to be confronted, Léautier believes. The scientific evidence indicates that global warming is causing ocean temperatures to rise, the consequence of which is greater energy in storms and dramatically erratic changes in rainfall patterns.
Drought and flooding both present severe problems to the provision of potable water,, as well as sanitary and hygiene services.vem Sanitary and hygiene concerns are being addressed by the United Nations that established a new, dedicated fund, in November 2021: the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) in November 2021.
Dominic O'Neill, the SHF's executive director, led a breakout session at the forum that addressed the issues surrounding the fund's work, essentially meeting the objectives of the SDG 6 .
An estimated four billion people worldwide do not have access to safely managed sanitation services, and until they do, the world cannot meet the goals of inclusive and sustainable development by 2030.
SHF aims to raise US$2 billion over the next five years.
Dominic O'Neill put a question to the forum's infrastructure session, pointing out that in Nigeria alone, it is estimated, sanitation and water has an investment opportunity of some US$8 billion.
He asked how it would be possible to attract investment in off-grid sanitation in the same way as, for example, off-grid energy?
It is a question that engages both O'Neill and Léautier – Léautier also sits on the SHF board.
However, Léaurier's SouthBridge Investments was not the only investment company attending the Brazil-Africa Forum. So too was Orango Investment Corporation's chairman, Paulo Gomes who sat on the forum's PPP session (or private-public partnerships: an agreement in which a private company commits skills or capital to a public-sector project for a financial return).
Gomes, a former World Bank Executive Director, argued that many financial institutions (including the World Bank) still had much to learn regarding PPPs, and in particular the issue of African risk
He called for African governments to develop an entrepreneurial spirit, and a spirit that would persist over electoral cycles.
One of Gomes' fellow panelists was Sergio Gusmão Suchodolski, the CEO of the Development Bank of Minas Gerais (a state in south-east Brazil) and the Brazilian Development Association.
Suchodolski's contribution was to state that we need to mobilise funding in a sustainable manner, and funding consisting of a basket of the local currencies of lesser developed countries.
He went on to say that there is already a network of DFIs on the regional, national and even subnational level that know the challenges of the various countries and are best placed to channel development funding to them,
In 2001, an analyst at Goldman Sachs devised the BRIC label to refer to the four growing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, and the label stuck (Goldman Sachs 2001, 2003), later to be joined by South Africa to create the BRICS.
On the political front, the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum was established in Brazil in mid-2003 as a space for these three multi-ethnic and democratic global players to exchange knowledge and pursue common interests.
These alternative arrangements were strategically aligned with the world vision elaborated by Lula, Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, and his minister of foreign affairs, Celso Amorim, who aimed to find new spheres of political articulation for an intermediate power such as Brazil.
These alternative arrangements were strategically aligned with the world vision elaborated by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, and his minister of foreign affairs, Celso Amorim, who aimed to find new spheres of political articulation for an intermediate power such as Brazil.
Amorim is quoted as saying in 2010: “Building these informal groups [or South-South arrangements] will help bring change to formal institutions.”
It was highly appropriate that with the unfortunate absence of President-elect Lula, Amorim provided a closing statement to the 2022 forum.
“Brazil is part of Africa,” Amorim told the delegates. “Although it might have been said that 'for every African problem there is a Brazilian solution' Africa is developing so fast that the reverse may soon be true. 'For every Brazilean problem, there is an African solution'.“
A well-rounded and accomplished professional accountant with 24 years' experience, and more than 17 years' experience in the mining industry, Naseem Banu Lahri has held strategic roles in a career, before her eventual emergence as the youngest female CEO of a Diamond Company in the world. In May 2018 she was promoted to become the Managing Director, and the first woman and the first Motswana woman to serve in this capacity for a diamond mining company in Botswana and the youngest female MD in mining in the world.
She also served as a board member on the Debswana Pension Fund, Botswana Accountancy College and Pula Medical Aid. Recently appointed as a board member at First National Bank Botswana rated the best bank in the country.
In this exclusive interview with the African Leadership Magazine UK, she tells us more about leading in a male dominated industry, among other issues. Excerpts.
You have been in the diamond mine development business for many years. Please provide our readers with an overview of the company and some of your significant achievements along the way?
Lucara Botswana is a diamond mining company which runs Karowe Mine, a state-of-the-art mine located 20km out of Letlhakane Village. Karowe is 100% owned by a Canadian company, Lucara Diamond Corp, listed on the TSX, Swedish Stock Exchange, and the BSE. Karowe Mine was fully commissioned in Q2 2012. It is one of the world's foremost producers of large, high-quality, Type IIA diamonds above 10.8 carats, including the historic 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, 1,758 Sewelo, and the 813-carat Constellation. Lucara Botswana is known for the technology it uses for diamond liberation and the unique sales platforms it sells on.
Botswana is Africa's largest diamond producer and Second in the world and exporter. How do you view the development of the industry within the country in the nearest future?
The industry will grow from a downstream perspective in the country. More polishers and retailers will come on board soon. The government is also looking at marketing its provenance, which will eventually lead to better pricing of diamonds due to its provenance. The country will revolutionize the way it sells its diamonds and will also revolutionize the downstream activities.
You are the first woman to ascend to the position of MD of a diamond company in Botswana. Can you tell us a little about your journey to becoming a woman of "first" in the diamond industry?
My journey began with me as an Accountant with a hunger for growth and never believing in impossibilities. I came into the mining sector just over 17 years ago, and after a few years of
working as an Accountant and climbing up the ranks in my area of qualification, I was ready for a new challenge or a leap of faith.
I joined Lucara Botswana 10 years ago, and one of my dreams was to become the Managing Director of a Diamond Mining Operation. I had never seen it done before, but I was confident in myself and that the skills and expertise I had gathered over the years would equip me to do this job.
I'm grateful to Ms Eira Thomas, The Lucara Diamond CEO, who saw the potential in me and appointed me as Lucara Botswana's First Female Managing Director, a move that resulted in me being named the first Motswana woman to become a Managing Director in the Diamond Mining Industry. True to Lucara's progressive and inclusive nature.
Beyond the production capacity of Lucara, the group has shown a solid commitment to social and environmental responsibility. What are some of the significant initiatives you have carried out in this regard in the last couple of years, and what are the plans for the future?
The communities in and around our mining area are paramount to us at Lucara Botswana. We understand that there will come a time when the mine has reached its capacity and must cease operation. Our responsibility is to ensure that while we are still operating, we do what we can to empower our communities and capacitate them to lead financially stable lives for generations to come. We have carried out many initiatives to ensure that the communities of interest can be sustainable beyond my life. These projects are:
Mokhubilo Farm – In line with the Botswana Government's 2036 Vision Pillars number 1, Sustainable Economic Development, Lucara Botswana took it upon itself to start a poultry and fresh produce project, a first-of-its-kind farm in a village
called Mokubilo in the Central District of Botswana. This is a community-owned and operated commercial farm that has ensured that the people of Mokubillo Village, who initially had no access to fresh produce and had high malnutrition rates, now receive all the nutrients from the farm produce. The farm currently employs seven people who are learning what it takes to run a farm so that they can start up their farms and create generational wealth.
Lucara prides itself in providing innovative projects to the communities of interest to ensure they are empowered beyond the mine life.
Lucara Botswana is building a multifaceted sports facility in Letlhakane that aims to be a sporting and recreational hub where young talent can be nurtured and existing skills enhanced. This facility will provide the country with another location to host national and international sporting events, thus also bringing in income to the village; can you please throw some light on the diversity and inclusion (D&I) agenda at the company?
At Lucara Botswana, we have no plan that favours gender, age or race; we have created a platform where we recognize talent over gender. We believe that women are equally capable as men and that it's time to change the status quo on industries being gender specific.
As it stands, 75% of our board as women and 33% per cent of our workforce is women, double the global industry average.
Representation is crucial and opens our minds to new possibilities. When women look at me, a Motswana woman born and raised in a small village called Moshupa, as an example, they are
encouraged to pursue dreams that once seemed farfetched. This is shown in the statistics we have quoted. This helps with sustainable progression on the inclusion agenda.
6. What is the status of the underground development at Karowe, and what are the prospects for the project?
The project will extend my life of mine to 2040. The project spends estimated at USD 547 million and will add approx. $4 billion additional net revenues. NPV $1,280 million/$750 million (pre/post tax)
Furthermore, I look forward to maintaining good partnerships with the community and the government. Our mandate is to ensure that when the mine no longer exists, the communities are well-equipped and can sustain themselves and generate wealth and income.
What lessons have you learned as a woman in leadership?
Approve and validate yourself first.
I have learnt that being a woman in leadership requires a significant amount of patience with people and yourself, primarily as a woman in the Mining Industry, there are always voices and people that will question your ability and on my part as an Accountant, now Managing Director your technicality for the role.
A high level of EQ will go a long way for you because you are balancing and juggling much while building a career in unchartered waters. Most importantly, be unapologetic in what you do and be true to your cause.
@ 5%; using conservative diamond price assumptions. The project is due to be commissioned in 2026.
What are your plans for Lucara Botswana in the coming years as the MD?
To continue to elevate the company's position to new and greater heights concerning the value chain, specifically the downstream. Over and above that, I look forward to growing the business portfolio from being a single-asset company to having more successful assets.
You have just been nominated to be conferred with the African Mining Personality Award by the African Leadership Magazine for displaying innovative leadership. How do you feel about this honour?
I am humbled and exhilarated all at the same time. I love my job and my work, so to receive an honour of this magnitude as a result of that is impressive. I have noted the leaders that have received this award over the years, and to be placed alongside them is a huge milestone and motivator
Furthermore, this nomination is a reminder that hard work indeed pays in due time.
Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, the deputy speaker of Liberia's Parliament, is an eccentric political leader adept in the science and art of constituent representation. A Lawyer and political leader whose short but meteoric rise to prominence in Liberian politics show a healthy understanding of politics and the ability to cut across political and ethnic divides to accomplish national goals and objectives. He has been instrumental in passing crucial gender-responsive bills, including the Domestic Violence Bill and the Female Genital Mutilation Bill.
Cllr. Koffa, or JFK, as popularly known in Liberian circles, was born in then Sasstown Territory (now Grand Kru) County in 1963 into the union of Major Stephen Jaitoh and Margaret Mona Koffa. The son of a military officer, his family relocated to Monrovia, Liberia, in 1966, where he grew up and began his educational journey
JFK was recently lauded by the Regional UN Women Ambassador for Africa, Madam Jaha Dukureh, over his efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Liberia.
She praised him for being a significant player in the Legislature for championing bills in the interest of women, including the bill to outlaw the practices of FGM.
In her words, "we have seen this as an opportunity for us to interact with you, and we would like to say this as a fact that you are a champion in the fight against female genital mutilation in Liberia."
"Honorable, I must confess that your stance against fgm is realistic and honest, and since I have been here, I have not found someone who is so passionate and firm on this issue as you: your dedication, your commitment, your passion and your willingness to champion is excellent, "Amb. Jaha said.
Prior, the Deputy Speaker was very instrumental in the passage of the Domestic Violence Bill.
Legal Role:
He is the founder and Managing Partner of the International Law Group (ILG), and he has been practising law since 1997, both in Liberia and the United States of America.
Hon.Cllr. Koffa was also admitted into the Supreme Court Bar of the Republic of Liberia with distinct honour as valedictorian of the graduating class.
Political Role:
In 2016, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed Koffa as Minister of State without Portfolio and Special Prosecutor of the Sable Mining Bribery scandal case.
A few months later, he was appointed legal counsel to the President of Liberia.
Cllr. Koffa resigned in late July 2017 to participate in the General and Presidential elections as a candidate for the Representative seat in Grand Kru County District 2.
On October 19, he was declared the winner of that electoral process, and in 2021, he was subsequently elected as Deputy Speaker of the 54th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia.
Leadership Role:
Hon. Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa is the immediate past Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the 54th National Legislature. He was a member of the Committee on Elections and Inauguration and the Committee on Human & Civil Rights.
He is the current acting Chairperson of the Grand Kru Legislative Caucus at the 54th National Legislature and the Deputy Speaker of the 54th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia.
As discussions around decarbonization and Africa's quests for industrialization continues to gather momentum, Ivanilson Machado the Chief Executive Officer of Pumangol, Angola's leading downstream company talks shares his thoughts on managing the process for seamless energy transition in the continent, Excerpts:
You have remained an inspiration in Africa's oil and gas sector and a leading light in the industry. How were you able to build and sustain your towering pedigree in the continent's oil and gas industry?
First of all, in any organization or business people are the pivotal element that drives growth and sustainability. That said, I have adopted a people´s centered approach that has been providing useful insights that lead me to having the right people at the right job for better results. This has been making a great difference in my success as a manager and as a person.
Secondly, I love my job, I love what I do so I devote my mental and physical energy at achieving the best and excel every day. I work closely with those who make things happen and our clients. It makes also a big difference to wear the company´s hat at all times and have the passion about the brand we represent. By working closely with my staff, I instill on them the same principles.
The energy and strength I put in at my work give me a clear vision of the way forward and how I contribute to the improvement of the downstream sector, by overcoming the challenges of the local economic, cultural and social context as well as the impacts of the global markets.
One other key thing I would like to add is that knowledge sharing with the young generation makes new leaders and bring positive results. So in my opinion, it may be easy to climb the ladder to the top but remaining there is a different and far harder thing. It is required to stand out from the crowd positively With the growing pressure towards decarbonization and the Africa's need for industrialization, what in your view should be the priority for countries in the continent?
This is a big dilemma for Africa to conciliate and evolve around the two requirements. In one side we have the decarbonization issues affecting all countries either because they are dependent on fossil fuels or for the misusage of their natural resources for access to energy and wealth. On the other hand, there is the fact that Africa is lagging development as there are basic needs that are still to be catered for, like access to food, clean water, employment, energy, paved roads, telecoms, and overall ensuing economic development.
In addition to that most of Africa is very vulnerable to climate change impacts that hamper the continent´s efforts to survive, least to develop. It is kind of a Cath 22 situation where there is no lee way as far as decarbonization is concerned but we do need to develop industrialization in Africa, a big challenge under the current context of the continent, either in terms of leadership, humans resources, infrastructure, industrial develop, employment, climate change,etc. However, like in any other difficulty, conflicting or critical situation there are always opportunities to grab. Africa does not need to start things from scratch in its effort to repositioning the continent to foster industrializationand economic development whilst pursuing the decarbonization agenda. African leaders need to have a clear vision that enables the delivery of the basic needs in tandem with requirements to underpin industrial development in a sustainable way
Each country has got its priorities, specificities, and its dire needs. Therefore, what is a priority for Angola might not be the same for Mauritius or DRC, for example. However, in my view, it is important that countries have a coordinated effort and continents shared vision towards economic development and industrialization whilst accounting for the continents carbon footprint reduction and sustainability
With about 125.3 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 17.55 trillion standard cubic meters of natural gas, Africa is no doubt blessed with abundant hydrocarbon resources. However, poor governance issues, lack of infrastructure, amongst other continue to hinder countries from fully benefitting from these natural resources. What in your view can be done to address some of the prevailing issues in the country?
There is a common perception that the misusage of African natural resources is an endogenous disease that affects leaderships in mineral rich African countries. It is fair to say that the external influence and manipulation is far more damaging to those African countries than the lack of shared values, vision, responsibility, true nationalism and Africanism African rich countries need to have country centric policies, i.e. invest more on education, have policies that clearly focus on bringing development, economic prosperity, equal opportunities and access to wealth; we need to have strong institutions, only achievable through education and capacity building. It is important to create in place attractive investment opportunities and above all have a sustainable approach embedded in everything we all do to change the status quo in the continent.
According to a report by McKinsey, Africa needs to build oil and gas pipelines, liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, distribution hubs and gas-fired power plants over the next 20 years to unlock its energy market with more than 600 million people, as Energy demand is expected to grow rapidly over the next two decades.
What is your take on this position?
This indicates that the world will be dependent on fossil fuels for a long time to come, and it means a lot of challenges and opportunities. There is a need to make the right choices and decisions in accordance with the specificities and needs of each and every country in the continent. Africa does not necessarily need to rush or embark on fossil fuels solutions to enable access to energy. This is perhaps the time to have the right balance between the use of fossil fuels and the energy transition and there is a lot of potential for solar, wind and hydro power energy production solutions. In any case, at the end of the day, it should all be driven by the countries and continent shared vision for development, industrialization, economic recovery and development, the economics behind the best sustainable win-win solutions to respond to the energy growth demands in the continent. This sounds a bit idealistic but that is the direction that we, Africans, should aim at when confronted with the investment needs particularly in the energy sector
How do we boost local participation in the oil and gas industry in the continent?
One thing that should underpin any investment decision in the energy sector is a sound policy framework that would take into consideration of how much of that investment will be spent locally, either directly in the sector and related activities but also outside of the energy sector and also consider the number of jobs that will be created and what new local businesses will be created as a result of such an investment. In terms of human capital, we know that Africa is short of qualified personnel in skilled areas of the oil industry. This is not the case for admin and unskilled job positions, and we should have legislation in place that would ensure that countries are not importing unskilled manpower that will take up job positions that should be filled by locals. For each investments there should also be a human capital development programme target associated with the project so that within a certain number of years locals would be prepared to take up the skilled jobs of the project gradually. I am glad to share that we see this happening in a way in the upstream Angola oil sector but not in other sub sectors of the industry
Nevertheless, in the company I lead, there is no expatriate, we procure most of our services and products locally and yet we operate and deliver under any global standards in our downstream sector
What will be your parting word for young leaders who are also looking to make their mark in the industry?
Prepare, prepare, and prepare yourself well. Work hard every day to excel yourself and keep focused at all times. Life as got challenges but with them opportunities. If we have a vision, set up a creative tension that will fuel us to get to wherever you envisage to get to, keep the focus, nothing will let you
down and success will come as a result. Note that nowadays it is no longer average talents that company are looking for but rather highly talented people who have the right attitude of giving the extra mile, excel themselves beyond expectations. This is where the young leaders are expected to rise and make the difference as well as being a step ahead of everyone else.
As a distinguished honouree and recipient of both Special African Leadership Commendation Awardand induction into the ALM African Leadership Council (ALC), how do you feel and how does this add to your personality?
I feel humbled and further motivated with the responsibility this brings in making good things for Africa and inspiring other African leaders to strive and shine both in the continent and the world to regain respect and trust in African leadership capabilities. This is a step forward to breaking stereotypes about African leadership capabilities and bring hope that the African generation of young leaders will bring change and true development in the continent.
With just 11 employees in 2012, Credentia has become a behemoth today, solving essential problems and helping clients actualize their fintech services and other related challenges. In this exclusive Interview with African Leadership Magazine UK, the Chief Executive Officer, Sharma K. (Sanjeev) Gopaul, shares the company’s growth phases and how the group has grown to become a crucial part of the Mauritius fintech story.
Can you share some of the growth phases of the company in the last couple of years?
The last few years have been exalting for the company as we have experienced our best years of growth since we started operations in 2012. With 11 employees in 2019, our team now comprises of over 44 talents with diverse expertise, personalities and capabilities. The growth of the team has been in line with our vision to position our staff as our most prized asset. Our people today,believe in our story and are fully committed to participating in our journey.Their personal and professional growth has resulted in a commendable expansion of the business over the last couple of years.
Indeed, our business has metamorphosed over the years,
settingus out asspecialists in the capital market sector. We have positioned ourselves in the fintech segment through a well-thought strategy since 2013 and today we assist world-class businesses through Mauritius. Our clientele originate from Europe, Asia and Africa and our end-clients come from around the world, principally from Africa, Asia and Latin America. In line with the same philosophy, we have also developed our outsourcing activity through a longterm partnership with the panAfrican multilateral trade finance institution, the African Import Export Bank, Afreximbank
According to data by the African Union, the COVID-19 pandemic has set African businesses back by nearly two decades. How were you able to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on your businesses?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been highly disruptive to African businesses resulting in both demand and supply shocks, besides negatively impacting the well-being of millions of our African brothers and sisters. These businesses have been catapulted many years backward but we have seen enormous investments by various governments to help them.
Fortunately, Credentia's businesses were not affected by the pandemic and weexperienced organic growth both prior to, during and post the pandemic period.This has been possible due to several reasons. In the first place, being involved in the service industry, we have been investing in capacity building for several years, caring for the well-beingof our staff,both at a psychological and professional level. In so doing, they
stood by the company and provided an unflinching effort in servicing our clients from their homes without disrupting our client services levels.
Prior to the pandemic, we also invested in technology and this allowed us to provide an uninterrupted service to all our clients. We were lucky! The strong technology allowed us to operate seamlessly at any place outside our office premises.
Being in the fintech segment and not involved in physical products has also been a blessing. We were not affected by external conditions such as lockdowns, rise in cost of freights, increased healthcare costs etc.
A recent report by Investopedia shows that Africa has the highest rate of entrepreneurs in the world, but, about 80% of businesses in Africa fail within their first five years of existence. Can you share some of your business success nuggets, to help budding entrepreneurs in the continent?
Indeed, with a population of over 1.4 bn, the opportunities to do business in Africa are massive. However, as is the case in general,
data around the world show that majority of businesses fail in the first five years. If the business manages to exist for five years, the hopes ahead are higher for success. Africa is not different. Failure in the first five years can be for different reasons such as good ideabad fellows, false starts, excess optimism and risk related to execution, technology, financing and demand risk
My first recommendation to entrepreneurs is to understand the meaning of failure and to reverse failure and make it become their biggest force. The Lean Startup guruEric Eriesrightly said that “If you cannot fail, you cannot learn”. The lesson from set-backs is two-folds: from direct personal experience which is a powerful teacher and learning from others' failures can substitute for direct personal experience. The thought process needs to shift from why the start-up failed to how to handle the failure of the start-up.
For any aspiring entrepreneurs, we would suggest that he or she moves fast to capture opportunity and refrain from over analyzing. Trust your instincts and be persistent although failures slap you
on the face, competitors spring surprises and your products have glitches. Be passionate about your business and have this passion burning whatever may come.
Focus is of prime importance in entrepreneurship. The clients are looking for value and you are the creator of that value. Focus on the creation of value by finding your target customers and create a product that amazes them.
Digitalization is also welcomed during your first five years of operation. Data shows that over 40% of businesses that implement digitalization initiatives experience stronger revenue growth. Going digital would better insulate your businesses against economic shocks or as seen recently, the pandemic has pushed many businesses to close.For the businesses which stayed afloat, digitalization was most important contributing factor Can you share some of your company's milestones and achievements since the formation of the company?
Turning back the clock to 2012, the first milestone was to start Credentia and taking the first step towards entrepreneurship. It has
been an electrifying ride since then, although we have had our shares of successes and experiences (failures as described by the common man).
We have been involved with many industry firsts' such as listing of the first company to trade in EUR on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius, assisting for the first permit to be delivered to an investor for 10 years and obtaining the first Single Family Office Licence, amongst others.
One of our main achievements over the past decade is that we have pioneered the establishment of world class brokerage companies in Mauritius. We currently hold the biggest portfolio of international brokerage companiesand service them from the city of Ebène in Mauritius.
At group level, we have diversified our offerings over the years and have set up specialised and separate companies to offer fiduciary services, consulting/advisory services, compliance services, outsourcing services and company secretarial services.
As a Philanthropist, how have your programmes and investments impacted Mauritius and Africa?
Philanthropy is engrained in our culture and through our foundation, the M&S Foundation, we contribute towards our society. The Vision of M&S Foundation is to assists children with physical congenital disabilities to obtain the necessary medical accessibility and assistance to correct this infirmity in order to have a healthier life.
The Foundation concentrates on children born with a physical deficiency and disabilities preventing them from having a normal upbringing; an insufficiency that may affect their mobility, their respiratory system and/or internal organs to digest and extract fluids fluently and naturally. It can be that a child with an irregular heartbeat or a cleft lip need assistance to finance the restructuring of the child's palette and lip or that a baby
is born with club-foot and requires reconstructive surgery and reeducation.
The Foundation's Council has the core responsibility to raise capital or seek sponsorships whereby they can then provide a second chance to a family or support in a physical and tangible way for the family to cater for the child's medical needs.
Our first projects have been locally through collaboration with clinics and doctors. We intend to touch other African countries in the near future.
Every man has a dream, what are your expectations for Credentia Group in the next 7-10 years?
With respect to our strategy, we always consider 5-year periods. We devise clear strategies for our group which are to be reached following implementation of clear goals and targets.Our strategies can be modified along the way, depending on changes in our external environment. We have positioned ourselves for the long-term and we always share with our people that we will always need to behave like a startup. With this mindset, you always have the hunger and the fire to achieve big dreams.
In quoting Martin Luther King “if you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”. We follow this principle to the core and believe that the foundation to become a world-class player has already been laid. We aspire to progress and attain excellence every day, to be known as the group which functions with the highest ethics and transparency
As an individual, it is important that above all we have a positive impact on society and other fellow people. For me,Credentia is not just a profit-making company, we want to contribute to society even more then that we are doing today through the group and personally. When looking back on our lives it is
always more impactful to know and appreciate that we have had a positive impact on other peoples' lives either through our business ventures or personally in our relationships with others.
As a distinguished honouree and recipient of both African CEO Impact Award and induction into the ALM African Leadership Council (ALC), how do you feel and how does this add to your personality?
It is an honor to know that my contribution is being recognized but in no way do we do this alone, we are surrounded by wonderful people every day who contribute to the dream and by achieving objectives together, we make impactful advancements. As an individual, I am humbly recognizant that my contribution has brought about a positive bestowal. It has made the lengthy hours of hard work and sacrifices all worth it.My success is the success of all these persons around me, the success of their families and the progress we all are making.
On a side note, I consider Napoleon Hill and Jim Rohn as my mentors and all my work is greatly influenced by the thoughts of these great men.
I would like to thank the AFRICAN LEADERSHIP MAGAZINE for this validation, it encourages me to pursue what I have been relentless ensuring with enhanced motivation.
My first recommendation to entrepreneurs is to understand the meaning of failure and to reverse failure and make it become their biggest force
Whether you are considering starting a new business venture or just need a morale boost to keep up the hard work of running an existing business, quotations from successful entrepreneurs educates, informs and inspires. They help remind us that every successful entrepreneur faces hurdles, and their ability to overcome those hurdles makes them successful.
Here are top 10 nuggets of successful African entrepreneurs.
ALIKO DANGOTE, a Nigerian industrialist and founder of Dangote Group.
“Every morning when I wake up, I make up my
mind to solve as many problems, before retiring home.”
TONY ELUMELU, a Nigerian economist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.
“Entrepreneurship means Africans no longer have to find a job or be trained to be employees. Instead, it will enable our young people to create their own jobs, become employers, and take charge of their futures, instead of letting the future happen to them. As an
entrepreneur myself, I understand what it feels like to yearn for a lifeline, to hope for a 'big break', to look forward to enjoying some luck”
JOHANN RUPERT is a South African billionaire businessman and the chairman of the Swiss-based luxury-goods company Richemont and the South Africa-based company Remgro.
“As you start out in life, it is important that you know at least something about everything, but as you get older it is important that you know everything about something.”
ISABEL DOS SANTOS, Angolan businesswoman.
“I think there are a lot of people with family connections but who are actually nowhere. If you are hardworking and determined, you will make it and that's the bottom line. I don't believe in an easy way through.”
STRIVE MASIYIWA is the founder and executive chairman of diversified international Telecommunications, Media and Technology group, Econet Wireless
“Attitude determines your altitude, if you have a bad attitude, even if you are way up there, you will come crashing down, and if you are still trying to take off, a bad attitude, will keep you on the ground, revving your engines but going nowhere.”
MIKE ADENUGA is a Nigerian billionaire businessman. His company Globacom is Nigeria's second-largest telecom operator
“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
LATE DR. CHRIS KIRUBI was a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist. He was a Director at Centum Investments, a business conglomerate.
“Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to failure. Every great success has always been achieved by fight,
every winner has scars. The men who succeed are the efficient few; they are the few who have the ambition and will-power to develop themselves. So choose to be among the few today”
MOHAMMED DEWJI, Africa's youngest billionaire and CEO of METL.
“Business as usual will never lead to growth and development. Only through innovation and change will you see real progress!”
FOLORUNSHO ALAKIJA, Nigerian billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist. She is involved in the fashion, oil, real estate and printing industries.
“Dream big. There is nothing seen that wasn't imagined. There's no overnight success. You have to start by dreaming big and working towards your goal.”
HAKEEM BELO-OSAGIE is the chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, Nigeria's fourth largest mobile telecom.
“In today's world, paradoxically, it is the boldest action that is often the safest. Remaining where you are in a world that is changing so rapidly is, in fact, the most dangerous of all places to be in.”
Mathieu Mandeng, the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Mauritius, is a seasoned professional with a 33-year career across the banking, metals and mining, and technology industries in Africa, Asia and Europe.
For over 21 years, Mathieu has been at the pinnacle of banking,16 years of which have been at Chief Executive Officer (CEO) level. His experience has regularly been sought on various economic development and financial sector forums and councils for input on strategy and resilience.
Mathieu was appointed CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Mauritius in December 2015 and, in that capacity, chairs the board of four Standard Chartered Bank Private Equity Funds investing in India, China, Nigeria, Botswana, Hong Kong, and Mauritius. Mathieu joined Standard Chartered in 2004 in his native Cameroon, where he held the positions of Executive Director, Head of Client Relationships (Corporate and Institutional Banking) and Deputy Managing Director before being appointed CEO in 2007.
His sustained track record for driving record business performance throughout his banking career has earned him many awards, including the Standard Chartered CEO of the year award for Africa and Middle East (AME) in 2019. As CEO of Standard Chartered Cameroon, Mathieu was engaged at various levels of the economy, including as Chairman of Cameroon's Banker's Association (APECCAM), Chairman of Business Coalition Against Corruption and Member of the Prime Minister's Investment Council and Cameroon Business Forum.
Mathieu further worked with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), promoting trade and investment between Singapore and West Africa.
Before Standard Chartered, Mathieu worked at Citibank Cameroon. Following an induction in New York, he becomes Country Head of Global Relationships with Banking and Financial Institutions, Country Coordinator for Return on Economic Capital, and Credit Officer. Before banking, Mathieu worked in France, where he accumulated ten years of experience in various capacities in the metals and mining industry
Mathieu was appointed a Director of the Economic Development Board of Mauritius (EDB) by the Prime Minister of Mauritius and is also a director of Mauritius Finance and a member of the Economic Committee of Business Mauritius (BM). He previously served as Vice Chairman of the Mauritius Bankers Association (MBA), Chairman of the Global Business Committee of the association, Director of Global Finance Mauritius (GFM), Chairman of the Corporate Finance Taskforce and Vice Chairman of the Sustainable Finance Committee of the Financial Service Commission (FSC) in the context of the Financial Services Blueprint design and implementation.
Mathieu holds an MSc in Finance and Management Control from the University of Orleans and an MBA in Enterprise Management from the University of Bordeaux, France. He also has a BSc in Economics from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon and is an alumnus of the Said Business School of the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Rokel Commercial Bank (formerly Barclays Bank) was established in 1917 as Barclays Bank DCO with 100% shares owned by the parent company
On 17th September 1999, Barclays Bank PLC which was the majority shareholder at the time (60% shares) withdrew from its operations in Sierra Leone after extensive discussions with the Government of Sierra Leone. The Bank after consultations with the Government was renamed Rokel Commercial Bank (Sierra Leone) Limited.
Rokel Commercial Bank (SL) Ltd. is the dominant bank in the market place providing about 25% of all banking business in the country.The Bank has 26 branches and outlets nationwide. With branch and outlet in hard to reach areas like Bonthe, and Tongo. This clearly shows the banks' drive for financial inclusion.
The Bank is headed by a visionary and dynamic Managing Director; Ambassador, Dr. Walton Gilpin, a seasoned and internationally recognized financial expert with over 27 years of experience in managing complex policies and processes in Banking and banking-related institutions in Africa, Europe, South Pacific, Caribbean, and the United States. He is ably supported by a management team comprising of professionals with extensive experience in the financial Industry
All our Branches provide real time banking services and the concept of banking with the bank is manifested through our network of branches, among which is the SME Loan Scheme for low income earners and small business owners nationwide.
The Sierra Leone Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency is a government entity established under SMEDA Act No. 11 of 2016. This Act was developed through a stakeholder's consultation and a Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the Bank of Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry and the International Labor Organization (ILO) in order to finetune the policy on SME and strategy that was developed in 2014.
One of the key drivers of the SME Project is Financial Inclusion and R.C Bank as a key financial Intermediary with its support from the un-matching zeal of excellence of the Managing Director Dr Walton E. Gilpin has provided loans and technical support to various SME businesses nationwide in a way that has helped to boost socio-economic and human capital
development.
The SME arm of our institution (Rokel Commercial Bank (SL) Ltd) was re-introduced as a result of the need to support government through the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) launched by the Central Bank in increasing availability, accessibility and affordability of finance for Micro Small and Medium Enterprise in Sierra Leones.
As at the end of 2022, through the SME Loan Scheme the bank has been able to impact the lives and livelihood of One Thousand (1,000) individuals of which 300 are Men and 700 are Women .We provide loans for expansion purposes and thus we have thereby expanded over a thousand small businesses which means the SME project has been able to provide /keep these individuals in jobs which in turn provide a source of livelihood for them and their dependents. Thus, the project has helped government in providing access to basic social amenities for these families (Food, Shelter, Housing and access to Education etc).Traders, farmers and wives of military officers have so far benefitted from this scheme.
From the above indications you can see the tremendous impact the SME project has made to the beneficiaries and the economy of Sierra Leone as a whole. It is clear from this perspective that the Rokel Commercial Bank SME project is a multiplier tool to the technical efficiency and growth of Sierra Leone's GDP
Human beings can live without having foot wears and clothes, they can navigate life without computers, and move without cars but human beings cannot live without food. This is how important farming is to the human race.
Farming is known to be one of the most dignified forms of employment, with it's role as a food supplier
Agriculture and farming hold great promise for the African continent as more than half of the Earth's arable land which is roughly 600 million hectares is located in Africa.
While other parts of the world are reaching the limits to the amount they grow per hectare of land, Africa can still substantially increase yields with currently available technology
Yet, with all this natural endowment, Africa is a net importer of food. Despite an abundance of uncultivated farmland, African countries in the region spend about US $35 billion importing food instead of creating the conditions to grow more food locally
A lack of political will, supportive agricultural policies, and investment, coupled with a focus on short-term development solutions, have left large tracts of agricultural land underutilized, small scale farmers poor and food insecurity on the rise in some places.
In Africa, there are an estimated 33 million smallscale farms, and the farmers that live on them contribute up to 70 per cent of the food supply
With greater investment in small-scale agriculture, many African countries have the potential to increase food production and reduce poverty
In Sub-Saharan Africa, we could see it has a quarter of the world's arable land but only produces 10 per cent of its agricultural output.
Economic growth from Agriculture is eleven times more effective at reducing extreme poverty than any other sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In the Sub-Saharan region, bringing small-scale farming into the 21st century and dealing with rural poverty remains massive hurdles.
In this region, small-scale farmers are known to produce the greater proportion of food consumed in the developing countries..
The various national and international agricultural research centres located in these parts of the world have developed agricultural packages which have been proven, at experimental levels, to be highly productive.
However, small-scale farmers in these areas continue to produce at levels far below the capacities of these packages as predicted from experimental results. Consequently, these farmers, despite their relatively large numbers, could not produce enough to feed themselves let alone the general population.
In order to improve the development of small scale farming in the Sub-Saharan African region, here are some of the measures to put into consideration.
There is a need to study the various factors responsible for low agriculture production of smallscale farmers at the household level.
Studying these factors could lead to relevant national and international policies with respect to small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan region.
Such factors could include factors as to why the produces spoil so fast and reasons for low patronage among others.
For this region to enjoy agriculture to its fullest, small scale farmers need better farming tools like improved seeds, fertilizers, animal feeds, Medication irrigation and mechanization services.
Again, modern technology such as the use of soil microbiome, which does not require nitrogen fertilizer application in crops like maize, wheat, and rice as well as grass pasture, should be adopted.
This concept was advocated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO in 2018.
This system allows a group of farmers to be trained, and in turn, these farmers return to their different communities to train other farmers on what they have been taught. With this, small-scale farming could reach massive development faster
Training and retraining in any field are faster ways of getting quick and positive results, even if governments or other bodies cannot train every small scale farmers, the FAO concept could go a long way if
In Africa, there are an estimated 33 million smallscale farms, and the farmers that live on them contribute up to 70 per cent of the food supply
adopted in this region.
Assisting small scale farmers in the Sub-Saharan region so that they would be able to produce food all year round is a great push for improving small scale farming in the region and in the African continent general.
For instance, in communities where there are water bodies, they could assist the small-scale farmers in facilitating the provision of irrigation services. These services might not necessarily be free, the button line is that the small scale farmers have access to these and with it, they can do more in food production.
In the same vein, mechanization services should also be made available to small scale farmers as this would enable them produce more food for the continent.
Most small-scale farmers do not have the necessary tools and facilities to work with. These sets of farmers should be given access to loans with a flexible and convenient re-payment method.
Provision of affordable loans and credit facilities would also help small scale farmers to purchase the needed farming inputs. With this, small scale farmers would be able to expand the hectares of land cultivated.
Most of the farmers in cooperative societies and associations can be provided with money to purchase agricultural machinery for a group of farmers in a community, so that these services can be offered to them as and when needed at a reduced fee.
These loans or grants would also help them in purchasing modern farm techniques
These research systems need adequate resources so that they continue to make high-yielding, drought or flood- resistant and disease resistant varieties.
Joint research and planning meetings between research and extension workers on one side and farmers on the other is necessary. With this, farmers problems can be made known and addressed through research.
Many communities in Africa have practiced the research and extension system and it yielded great result for the communities. For instance, in Ethiopia, their agricultural extension system is worthy of emulating, where to every farming village, three extension workers for crops, soils and livestock are posted. Since Ethiopia introduced this approach, the agricultural sector has consistently produced superior results
With the research systems working adequately, many setbacks concerning small scale farming in the sub-Saharan region could be handled and solutions given.
In the Sub-Saharan region of Africa, farmers face a lot of post- harvest losses and majority of these losses are from small scale farmers who have limited or no proper treatment and storage facilities for their farm produce.
They can be taught simple and economical ways on how to store their farm produce like the use of the local made cribs. If these loses are curtailed, small-
scale farmers would not only save more money but they would also be able to push more farm produce to the markets.
Making it possible for small-scale farmers to venture into agribusiness is another way of building entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector
Focusing on this area would be a plus and an added advantage in growing the African economy
In conclusion, the agriculture sector in the subSaharan region of Africa especially the small-scale farmers need to be given attention so that food production can be intensified.
There is no doubt that small-scale farmers have an important role to play in the development of the African Economy
They are also seen as food providers, livelihoods creator and a source of foreign currency earnings for Africa.
Therefore, if the suggestions in this article are followed, then small-scale farmers should be able to take advantage of the vast opportunities that exist to change the fortune of Sub-Saharan Africa region and the continent at large .
Bold, courageous and forward-looking, Dr Sibongile Moyo, the Managing Director of Nedbank Zimbabwe, is relentless in her pursuit of excellence. She tells us more about leading a successful brand and making a difference. Excerpts:
You are an inspiration for women in the continent who desire to become leaders and heads of corporate institutions in the continent. What lessons can you share on your journey to the top?
I am deeply honoured to have been recognized by the African Leadership Magazine community as an inspiration to
fellow women in the corporate world on the continent. I was privileged to be raised in a home with a strong matriarch, my grandmother Mavis Moyo (nee Zulu), who is ninety-three (93) years old now, and who was an incredible inspiration and role model as an accomplished professional and someone who demanded the highest standard in everything.
I began my corporate career in Africa in my thirties after spending years abroad, immersed in contexts encouraging individual expression, creativity, self-assurance and courage. Courage is the single most critical determinant of whether fellow women grow
to achieve their career potential and rise into positions of leadership and influence. Women have incredible ability, strength and often more excellent aptitude. However, our socialization has only sometimes enabled us to be as courageous and bold as we need to be professional. We need to exercise professional courage: in the face of opportunities and challenges; make decisions with clear convictions; make our voices and those of others heard; choose our battles; and influence at scale in the spaces where we operate; continuously
With leadership aspirations, you are already outstanding, conscientious, committed, hardworking and purposeful. Therefore, the second critical lesson I share is that you should be willing to start at the bottom, operate at any level and nurture relationships across the board. One needs to be openminded, to teach and to learn, to guide and to be guided, to collaborate truly and to lead by example. This has not been as easy as it sounds, as it requires incredible humility, empathy, and patience and stretches you beyond your comfort zone.
Nedbank, under your leadership in Zimbabwe, has successfully migrated customers from the traditional banking model to the digitally enabled ecosystem. Can you share some beneficial outcomes of this digital migration?
Digital enablement has been at the core of our business strategy to drive client-centricity, accessibility and convenience. The Bank delivered a record number of solutions in line with industry trends and keeping with the demands of the changed operating environment. Over eighty per cent of our clients are digitally active, with the bulk of these using our enhanced mobile banking solution launched in the first quarter of 2021. Mobile banking enhancements included: pioneering zero data-rated mobile banking application access; online query logging; online account application;
biometric login; and interoperability of funds transfers to mobile numbers across all three mobile network operators (MNOs). Contactless payments were also enabled via "tap and go" cards availed to our clients for seamless transacting.
The most rewarding digital enablement in terms of impact on entrepreneurs has been providing thousands of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) access to our mobile banking application and ATM cards. With ATM cards, SMEs can make payments on point-ofsale terminals market-wide and withdraw cash at ATMs in multiple currencies, enabling them to transact online from anywhere twenty-four hours a day all year round. We further launched an instant person-to-business (P2B) merchant payment solution on our mobile application for SMEs to receive funds from their customers anywhere. The Bank also launched an electronic and printed SME Handbook to assist entrepreneurs in navigating issues around the formalization of their business operations, banking, and compliance with tax, companies and other legislation. (The Nedbank Zimbabwe essential guide for small business owners may be accessed by clicking https://bit.ly/3Ru61U6)
We introduced open banking to our corporate and institutional clients through application programming interface (API) integrations to facilitate multi-user and bulk payments and collections initiated by debtors or creditors. Via API integrations, our clients and their ecosystem users can access the Bank directly from their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for seamless transacting.
Client engagement, query logging and resolution via our twenty-four-hour contact centre are undergoing further enhancement to integrate additional communication channels, including Webchat, on our journey to achieve omnichannel access. Further, our clients that prefer to walk into our brick-
and-mortar branches have enjoyed the in-branch WiFi-enabled tablets for query logging and self-service.
The Bank, under your leadership, has continued to promote the financing of critical sectors in the country, including mining, Agriculture, manufacturing, and green energy, amongst others. How has the Bank's financing helped to advance the growth of these sectors in Zimbabwe?
As a subsidiary of Nedbank Group, Nedbank Zimbabwe benefits from history and expertise shaped over a century in African and global markets. We have tapped into this legacy to deliver client solutions across various industries. Our mining financing has extended existing relationships with regional and international mining houses and DFIs. The latter provides funding for significant capital expenditure and mine development. We have offered complementary financing of last-mile activities in local operations, funding value chain SMEs, and facilitating international trade-based transaction banking services. The mining industry has grown in leaps and bounds regarding overall output volumes across critical minerals of gold, chrome, lithium and platinum group metals. We are proud to be part of the story
In funding primary Agriculture, our Asset Backed Financing (ABF) solutions have contributed to expanding capacity via mechanization, irrigation infrastructure and specialist postharvest handling facilities for highvalue export produce. The tobacco industry, where we have always played a significant role as Nedbank, continues to benefit from our offshore financing to exporting merchants for green leaf purchases and processing. This support extends to the thousands of contract farmer SMEs in their ecosystem whom we serve in seasonal agency banking offices in the remote areas where they operate. There has been a pleasing steady rise in output and export
revenue from the agriculture enterprises we Bank and the sector as a whole.
Commodity trade finance solutions have been at the centre of our Manufacturing industry support with instruments used to acquire raw materials, including collateral management structures modelled around marketable securities to free up working capital. Retooling of the industry has benefited from our term loans, vehicle asset financing (VAF), and equipment lease financing via our regional business partners. In the broad sense, our funding to manufacturers has enabled them to extend credit terms to their distributors, essentially SMEs – wholesalers and retailers - which spurs and smoothens overall economic activities. We have seen overall national industry capacity utilization increase steadily over the last three years, with a pivotal role for Banks in availing much-needed tradebased working capital solutions and retooling finance.
Green energy financing is a passion project for us in line with our purpose and the wealth of expertise built up over the years by a pioneering parent, Nedbank SA, in the area of climate action and green financing. We have workshopped renewable energy requirements with many of our clients and EPC contractors, via whom we are financing renewable energy substitution projects for clients in all segments and at various scales. We are excited about the prospects and impact in this space, and we will see these unfolding across industries, including in planned mini hydroelectricity projects.
Nedbank, under your leadership, has continued to post impressive results. How have you been able to increase profitability for the Bank amidst the prevailing global economic headwinds?
The Zimbabwean economy has not been spared from the effects of the global economic downturn, from the coronavirus pandemic's onset and the headwinds from the
ongoing geopolitical tensions. The fast-changing environment has challenged our business models, requiring us to be agile to remain relevant to our stakeholders and the economy
I inherited a robust platform at Nedbank Zimbabwe with the strong balance sheet, a strong core client base and a committed team. The challenge for me became that of optimizing the platform with a focus on; seamless transaction banking services; optimal levels of earning assets; capital preservation; client experience; human capital deployment; and team wellbeing in the face of all the uncertainty
With the introduction of the first rigid lockdown restrictions, it became imperative to ensure minimal disruption in transaction banking service to clients by ramping up focus on our digital channels. We became the first Bank in the market to enable our ATMs
for multi-currency cash withdrawals in April 2020 for our salaried client base and SMEs. Transaction volumes on our point of sale (POS) machine network in essential service merchants grew significantly with the public's demand for seamless, reliable transaction channels. Our corporate and institutional clients could integrate their ERP to the Bank directly via an application programming interface (API) to perform multi-user and bulk payments and collections initiated by them and their ecosystem users. The seasonal agricultural marketing activities where thousands of farmers rely on Banks for payments presented a challenge with movement restrictions under lockdowns. Therefore, the Bank established several remote agency banking sites with online branch access to serve farmers in small towns across the country for convenience and client retention – a model we have
replicated from year to year
We leveraged the Bank's healthy network of international correspondent banking relationships to deploy foreign assets and to conduct brisk business in cross-border payments in all major currencies, even when most major international banks were de-risking from the country When runaway inflation made it difficult for the Bank to advance local currency loans aggressively, we leveraged our Treasury capabilities. This ensured that all excess deposits and resources in local and foreign currencies were efficiently deployed into interest-earning assets in foreign banks and government securities. Through fruitful engagements with our foreign parent, we managed to provide foreign currency-denominated loans to domestic clients for their short- and medium- to long-term investments.
Considering the hyperinflationary environment and its impact on local currency devaluation, we adopted a deliberate strategy to preserve foreign currency earnings as a hedge while preserving capital. This has seen us record profit uplift from the resultant translation gains over time. Further, with our local currency earnings, we have invested in strategic fixed assets to preserve value and benefit from the revenue uplift.
Our clients remain our primary focus when all is said and done, and our success can only be attributed to their loyalty and custom. We continue to put our customers first, prioritizing step improvements in client experience and engagement. This is through continuous enhancements to our contact centre, service excellence coaching and responsiveness by our teams. Our leadership team is actively involved day-to-day as recipients of client communication via the Bank touchpoints, and this has improved issue resolution and user confidence. As a continuous learning and improvement process,
putting our customers first has been well-received by the market and yielded positive results.
We are finally focusing on our people and their wellbeing, and striving to make the Bank a "great place to work" has unlocked a positive culture shift with inclusiveness, openness and collective accountability. This heart hand has been our oil as a Bank Can you share some of the Bank's core areas for Corporate Social Responsibility in Zimbabwe?
We continuously seek opportunities to live our purpose to leave a lasting imprint in the communities where we operate. The Bank's core corporate social investment (CSI) areas are youth empowerment, education, environment, health, sport and entrepreneurship.
Youth empowerment and accelerating financial inclusion initiatives for the youth are a priority as they are the country's future business leaders. We launched the Nedbank Youth Accelerator Program (YAP) in 2021 in recognition of our role as a leading employer in contributing towards the empowerment of young graduates. The Bank has extended the programme to over 100 young graduates in two years, with the participants selected from thirty (30) countrywide locations. The Youth Accelerator Programme is a fixed term six months work immersion programme for unemployed graduates under twenty-eight (28). The program equips the youth with formal onthe-job training and job-related skills in financial services whilst being coached and mentored by the Nedbank teams to gain transferable skills to apply in their future entrepreneurial pursuits and formal employment. We are pleased that Banks has employed many program participants on completion as they would now have essential work experience.
In a further commitment to technology education, the Bank
invested in an innovation hub in Emganwini township, a marginalized area on the outskirts of Bulawayo city, in early 2022. The innovation hub was opened to advance technology education in coding, computer skills and workforce development for the youth in that area. Young children from schools near the Nedbank innovation hub have been attending an after school-coding and computer skills programme where an average of 1000 students will benefit annually from the free internet access and training by fellow youths from the community
For over a decade, Nedbank Zimbabwe has partnered with Junior Achievement Zimbabwe ("JAZ") under JA Africa and contributed significantly towards the entrepreneurial development of thousands of high school youths who have been enrolled in the programme annually. Further, through the Nedbank Education Fund, the Bank extended its support to thirty-six talented students pursuing STEM programs in medicine, engineering, mathematics, actuarial science and technology in universities across the country. The STEM students have progressed well, and graduates who completed their studies have been employed with the Bank's assistance.
Our healthcare support in 2022 was extended to boosting neonatal care in the two largest public hospitals in the north (Sally Mugabe Hospital) and south (United Bulawayo Hospital) of the country by providing them with highdependency unit infant incubators. We further supported WizEar Trusts for ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists to host ear camps to conduct free screening and critical surgeries for over sixty children from underprivileged backgrounds. The Bank is also committed to annual programs to support therapy for children with disabilities and children living with albinism.
In line with our sustainability goals, in efforts to counter the
negative impact of climate change, we participate in the annual National Tree Planting season. We have planted over 3,600 indigenous and fruit trees with our partners at Tertiary institutions, schools, hospitals and orphanages across the country since 2020. The Bank has also supported the provision of clean water and sanitation through infrastructure investments in highdensity suburbs in the Midlands. As a Bank, we have also had the opportunity to speak on various regional platforms on climate action by the private sector and advocacy
Under the sports pillar as a tool to unify communities, we committed sponsorship over two years towards the national rugby team, "The Sables", in their bid to qualify for the 2023 rugby world cup. The Bank also launched
a local rugby challenge cup introduced as a platform to scout for talent from various provincial rugby clubs countrywide for selection to represent the country at the Currie Cup in South Africa and the Africa Cup in France in 2022. The Nedbank Running Club, incorporating both professional Zimbabwean runners and Nedbank staff, participates in several flagship marathons annually, including the World Championships held in Oregon, USA, in 2022 and the Comrades marathon in SA, under our sponsorship.
What is your parting word for women looking forward to playing big in the financial services sector in Africa?
Understand what drives the business and the value you contribute to its success. This requires you to see the big picture and zero in on your contribution and how you will actively drive it. In the financial services sector, it is down to the balance sheet and how much value you move there. Therefore, as you work up the career ladder, it is essential to identify the critical strategic levers and position yourself to contribute and drive value on the balance sheet. If you are in an enabling role that does not directly impact the balance sheet, focus on value-creating collaboration and demonstrable support to the balance sheet drivers. Then, let your hand be seen in the process, and your voice is heard to achieve the same recognition. This will undoubtedly earn you currency, increase your visibility amongst the rainmakers, and earn you a seat at the next higher table. Ten years ago, I had an experience with a senior group executive of the Bank who had jetted into the country with the GCEO for the first time; he came up to me and said, "I heard that you move the traffic around here". This was a defining moment for me where the penny dropped, and I realized that impact does not go unnoticed and cannot be ignored, even in this male-dominated industry
Create and nurture relationships at all levels and actively engage in building networks. Your name should be synonymous with positive outcomes so that when an opportunity comes up, your name is on the
lips of the decision-makers. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that you have arrived or allowing yourself to be put on a pedestal, and there is always more and better to learn. Lastly, appreciate the power of fellow women at all levels in your institution, rallying behind you with their support. This is tangible power and comfort, which is good for your soul.
As a distinguished honouree and recipient of both the Special African Banking Leadership Excellence Award and induction into the ALM African Leadership Council (ALC), how do you feel, and how does this add to your personality?
I am deeply honoured and delighted to have been recognized by the African Leadership Magazine community as an honouree and recipient of the Special African Banking Leadership Excellence Award and for induction into the ALM African Leadership Council. It is humbling to have been selected for this award amongst many accomplished colleagues in the Banking sector in Zimbabwe and across the continent. The ALC membership will allow me to learn from the best and contribute to the discourse and action to address issues impacting the continent as a whole.
Critical lesson I share is that you should be willing to start at the bottom, operate at any level, and nurture relationships across the board. One needs to be open-minded, to teach and to learn, to guide and to be guided, to collaborate truly, and to lead by example
When preparedness meets opportunity, it produces leaders like Sonny Zulu whose commitment to doing things differently leapfrogged his journey on the corporate ladder. In this exclusive interview with African Leadership Magazine UK, the Chief Executive Officer, of Standard Chartered Bank, Zambia, talks about, leadership, Banking, among other sundry issues.
Excerpts:
You are one of the continent's leading light in Banking; Futuremakers programme, which aims to lift participation of women by enabling them to grow their businesses through technology. Can you share your growth phases. What shaped your leadership journey?
I had the privilege of ascending to a senior leadership position at a very early stage in my career. Within about 7 months of joining Standard Chartered as a management trainee, I had the privilege of acting as the Country Head of Corporate Affairs and was later confirmed. Interestingly, what got me into the top management team was neither the double calculus nor my knowledge of assets and liabilities management. It was the demonstration of leadership on the delivery of a mundane task which involved the closing of numerous accounts manually.
A few months after joining the bank, I was given the task of closing over three thousand accounts one by one which, in the past, notoriously kept reopening when the bank performed the end-ofmonth run. Using my problemsolving skills acquired from my engineering background, I quickly figured out the reasons why these accounts were force-reopening and my one-page report on the root cause and the corresponding solution become my one-way passport to the Boardroom. Although the ascension did not happen immediately, everyone in the top management at the time got to know the young management trainee who had solved the long outstanding risk issue that was being tabled at Executive Risk meetings for months.
Soon after delivering on this task, I was assigned another chore of manually sorting out piles of hundreds of physical files for client segmentation. At first, I wondered whether I had made the right decision to join a management training program where I was being asked to sort and pack hundreds of dusty files. As days went by however, I found myself learning a lot about the clients. At the end of the project, I became the go-to person in the Bank for any queries relating to segmentation. Name the client, and I could tell from my sleep in which segment they were sitting. On a few occasions, I was called into senior management meetings to clarify the segmentation for a few groups of companies. It was moments like those that started to shape my leadership journey
I learnt very early in my career that school will only teach us so much, the rest we learn from what I call the untaught syllabus in my book, Eccentric: Thoughts Unraveled.In addition to working smart and working hard, attitude, humility and good relationships with colleagues plays a critical role in one's leadership journey
Your Bank recently unveiled its $40 Million Headqauters in Zambia in
the presence of the president and key stakeholders. This bold step strategically positions the bank as one of the country's biggest financial institutions. Can you share the bank's history in Zambia?
The opening of our new Headquarters in Lusaka was a significant moment for us. This iconic structure is the first-ever building in Zambia to meet the globally recognized Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certification. We continue to thank the President of the Republic of Zambia – Mr. Hakainde Hichilema for gracing the occasion. His presence at the launch of this energy efficient building reinforced the tone from the top on the country's commitment to the sustainability agenda.
Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Plc was the first bank to open in Zambia. Established in 1906, the first branch opened in Kalomo District (Southern Province). Since 2019, Standard Chartered is the first-ever Digital Bank in Zambia. We are the only bank where one can open a Zero monthly fees; Zero monthly charges bank account in 15 minutes via smartphone or online, without the need to ever visit a physical branch.
Today, over 116 years later, Standard Chartered Bank remains one of the leading banks in Zambia, with an excellent franchise. The bank has branch presence in Lusaka and the Copperbelt. We are also the only international bank in Zambia listed on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LUSE) and we have been ranked the Best Digital Consumer Bank in Zambia for the last 7 consecutive years.
Over the past decade, Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Plc has pursued a clear strategy of focused organic growth and being a market leader in providing innovative, banking products and services to its customers. The bank is in a unique position to leverage its deep-rooted local knowledge, its international network, and expertise for the benefit of Zambian corporates,
individual depositors, and multinationals.
The Bank's Futuremakers programme, is designed to lift the participation of women by enabling them to grow their businesses through technology” Can you tell us how this has fared thus?
Futuremakers by Standard Chartered is our global initiative to tackle inequality and promote greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people in our communities. Futuremakers by Standard Chartered is anchored on three pillars: Education, Employability and Entrepreneurship.
Launched In Zambia in 2020, Futuremakers programmes have been actively promoting social and economic inclusion for more prosperous and sustainable communities. Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Plc has four active programmes under FuturemakersSC Women In Tech (WiT) Incubator Programme, Youth To Work, Enhanced Youth Entrepreneurship and Employability (EYEE) Programme and Goal.
As Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Plc we are firmly committed to our clients and the communities in which we operate, including lifting the participation of women in the economy. That is why we launched 'Women in Tech' in November 2020 in partnership with Bongohive to align with calls for more diversity in technology, entrepreneurship, and the need to create more opportunities for Zambian women to develop entrepreneurial and leadership excellence. WiT supports Zambian women-led or women-owned businesses to apply technological innovation to their operations or business. Most important, WiT gives access to seed funding - each year USD150,000 is invested in the programme for Zambian women to scale-up their businesses through the power of technology.So far 10 Zambian businesswomen from various sectors have each received USD10,000 seed funding through this initiative with 22 women going
through the incubation phase.
With no mistakes, you have worked tirelessly to get to where you are today, enlighten us on your biggest moments in the industry?
Oh no! I have made several mistakes on my journey. Chapter 1 of my book Eccentric: Thoughts Unraveled highlights one such moment where I thought that was the end of my career. I will not spoil it for those that are yet to read the book. On my big moments, there has also been several. To mention a few, I was privileged and honoured to have led the introduction of extended banking in Zambia after my exchange programme in India where I found a 24/7/365 Branch. It was also an honour to have led the introduction of the first mobile banking platform in Zambia. At that time, it was not even on smart phones, it was only based on Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD). I personally worked with Aggregators, and I had to engage the Central Bank on several occasions to get approval. Great memories when I see how far we have come. The most recent big moment was my assignment in the United Arab Emirates. I was given the task of turning around a business that was almost being shut down. With support from several colleagues in the Bank, the business was transformed and has since become the best performing business across the Africa and Middle East region.
According to a 2021 survey by FinCop, about 40% of Zambians adults do not have access to quality financial products, and about 60% who have the access, do not use it. What is your leadership doing to change this numbers?
I will start by stating that financial inclusion is not just having a bank account, we believe it's about having access to affordable financial products and services. You may have a current account, but if you do not have access to loans or wealth management products when you need them, then you have been excluded. To this end, we have ensure that we our digital platforms continue to evolve and to include all the products and services that our clients need. Regarding the traditional definition of financial inclusion, we are very delighted that through our digital bank, we are opening 5 times more accounts that we were opening with brick and motor. We are not opening account across the entire country in all province while in the past, we were only acquiring clients in the cities where we had physical presence. In partnership with the mobile network operators (MNOs), we have reached out to many Zambians out there. Some of our Corporate clients are paying over 5,000 individual beneficiaries from their corporate account using our Straight2Bank platform to the mobile banking wallets.
Alongside the digital migration, we have created a hybrid model. We have introduced agency banking
where we have already commenced the roll out of 100 agencies across the country including remote areas and we are looking to increase the number of these agencies to over 300 in the next phase.
What are the guiding principles that have served as elements to your rise in Leadership, Business and management?
One key guiding principle for me is relationships. As a trainee Metallurgist, I would often be left alone at Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) to manage the froth flotation plant. Armed with my training, I would adjust the underflow discharge of the Hydrocyclones by simply making a few changes to the apex or the input parameters. Too technical? Well, let me come back to banking. When I moved from working with machines to working with people, I realised I could not change the output from colleagues by simply pressing a few buttons as I did at KCM. I needed to build strong relationships. We are in a people business.I have heard some people say, 'I am not here to make friends.' This effectively means they just want to do their job and go home. This may also mean that they don't care how others feel as long as they get the job done. Well, from my experience, teams are more effective when colleagues share great working relationships.I cannot easily recall all my budget numbers from previous years. However, I clearly remember the moments I spent with several individuals and teams. Over the years, I have learnt a few principles on relationships that have helped me:
LISTENING - We naturally connect with people who listen. Whether you are a people leader or a member of a team, develop the habit of listening. Listen to the unspoken words and ask open ended questions to genuinely understand. Show empathy and genuine interest in others. Offer support.
HUMILITY - When we relate with others with the
Financial inclusion is not just having a bank account; we believe it's about having access to affordable financial products and services. You may have a current account, but if you do not have access to loans or wealth management products when you need them, then you have been excluded
spirit of humility, we learn and we grow. It also demonstrates that we are secure, and it becomes easy for others to connect with us.
LEAD THE HUMAN, NOT JUST THE TASK - Human beings connect with human beings - not machines. Humans face challenges. They forget things and sometimes they have no answers. If you always portray yourself as a superhero, flawless, and one who has all the answers, it will be hard for others to connect with you.
BE DELIBERATE – Happiness is a choice, and happy people overachieve. Create an environment that will foster happiness as you work with your colleagues. Be creative with your team building activities. A team that does not find any time to have fun together may struggle to build strong relationships. When you invest in happiness, the scorecard begins to turn green!
I have said a lot but just remember that people are not machines. They have emotions and they make choices. Connect with people before attempting to connect them to your vision.
From your experience so far, how best do you think Zambia, Africa can be economically improved?
Zambia and many African countries must review their current governance systems. Developing countries must define for themselves what they consider and accept to be democracy. The current approach where everything is centred around a 4–5-year election cycle may never develop any country. Real and tangible economic development requires sacrifice and several mediumto-long term plans. Unfortunately, most leaders do not have the opportunity of executing long term plans. Just as they plan to start, an election is knocking on their door. Leaders are therefore torn between pursuing initiatives which they know are required for long term gains, or to do what will please the majority to win the next election. It will require a lot of selfless engagement to change the borrowed governance systems as it will never be an easy discussion. Unfortunately, this can not be changed by anyone from outside, we have to do it ourselves.
I strongly believe that we have what it takes and we have everything we need. We also have a lot of great plans. We just don't give ourselves time to execute them. Leaders get in a hurry to acquire, and to do as much as they can within the shortest possible time before their time is up. That's a cancer we must cure.
Happiness is a choice, and happy people overachieve. Create an environment that will foster happiness as you work with your colleagues. Be creative with your team-building activities. A team that does not find any time to have fun together may struggle to build strong relationships
Dr. Macharia Irungu is the immediate former Managing Director (MD) of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). He has over 30 years of experience at Senior Management level in Lubrication, Retail, Real estate, and Supply Trading in the petroleum sector in Kenya and Africa.
Dr. Macharia joined KPC in the wake of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, he spearheaded a multi-agency team including Public and private sectors in executing unrivaled initiatives geared towards containing spread of the pandemic in the Country. These initiatives entailed; coordination of production and free distribution of over 1,500,000 litres of hand sanitizers to vulnerable Kenyans across the country and; Donation of Kshs 55,000,000 ($ 550,000) to the National Youth Service (NYS) for production of 1,500,0000 protective face masks. These initiatives strengthened the Country's response to this global pandemic.
During his tenure as KPC MD the Company remitted dividends worth over $300 million to the exchequer. Part of this went into supporting rehabilitation of NairobiNanyuki Meter Gauge Railway and rehabilitation of Naivasha –Kisumu Meter Gauge Railways lines the objective being to spur socioeconomic development in the Mt. Kenya and Northern regions. Further, he was instrumental in mobilizing resources towards the transformation of Kisumu Port into a regional transport hub contributing to the creation of a blue economy
During his tenure at KPC, the Company recorded Kshs. 7.6 billion in 2020/21FY which translated to 31% growth of Pre-Tax Profit (PTP) from Kshs. 5.8 billion in 2019/20FY. With respect to the refined petroleum products transported through the pipeline, the Company recorded a growth of 6% to 8,111,539 m3 in FY 2020/2021 above the previous year's performance of 7,686,427 m3. The improved performance is largely attributed to enhanced corporate service delivery and streamlined systems and processes.
Dr. Macharia is a member of the America Chamber of Commerce, Kenya Hospital Association, British Business Association, Institute of Directors and the Kenya Institute of Management. He is also an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (England and Wales), Institute
of Certified Secretaries (Kenya) and Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.
Additionally, Dr. Macharia has held various positions of leadership. To highlight a few, he was the Group Managing Director at Gulf Africa Petroleum Corporation (GAPCO), Director at Total Kenya Plc and Director of Libya Investment Petroleum, Mobil. He has also served in various Boards including; Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), British American Tobacco Kenya Ltd (BAT), Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) among others.
Some of his distinguished accomplishments include being part of the lead team that steered of the construction of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya and operationalization of the Rift Valley Railways in Kenya as the Chair of the Project Committee. Designing and implementing construction of Oil and Gas strategic storage facilities in the Great Lakes Region which has enhanced supply of Oil and Gas in East and Central Africa among other projects. He has also been very instrumental in regulating the importation, refining, exportation, transportation, storage and sale of petroleum and petroleum products as a Director at the Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority
Due to his assiduousness, achievements, and relentless determination to achieve nothing but the best, he has garnered several awards and recognition globally His awards include the Mobil International Golden Nugget and Global Recognition award, given by Exxon Mobil. He was also recognized with Presidential awards of the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) and Uzalendo Award.
Dr Macharia holds Master of Business Management Degree from Newport University (USA) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi.
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” Building excellence is not a journey that can be achieved in a day but a gradual journey which is never an accident but is born out of being intentional, committing sincere effort, intelligent direction, skilful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities hence the need to invest more in quality education which leads to excellence.
The growth in the world's labour market is in Africa. Education is a critical means by which Africa's human capital can be developed. Africa's population increases each day and this continent will be home to a billion children and adolescents under 18 years of age, almost 40 per cent of all children and adolescents in the 0-18 age group worldwide. Investing in the future of young ones today would definitely yield mind-boggling results in the years to come and one major channel to achieve this vision is through education. Children and adolescents who receive the right opportunities have an advantage to better thrive and develop their full potential which would be beneficial for the individual, community, nation and
the world as a whole. Africa's young population can be a powerful source of growth and progress in Africa and the world if given the right access and opportunities. Only then can African countries position themselves to reap the benefits of increased economic productivity
Over years, Africa's educational system has had challenges with quality, equity and relevance which must be addressed for excellence to be reached. From the primary to higher level of education in Africa, the drivers of inequality in education are many and complex, yet the response to these challenges revolves around simple and sound policies which will aid in solving other developmental issues such as inclusive growth, the eradication of poverty and exclusion, increased investment in education and human development, good governance and many more.
Since the early 2000s, African countries have made efforts to improve access to education with stunning results however, more needs to be done to reach excellence. For example, in the Times Higher
Education Ranking which is an international education ranking, out of 1500 listed universities only 60 African universities were included of which 31 were located in Egypt and South Africa. The importance of education to the African continent intensifies the need to build excellence in education because providing high-quality education today will help build the skills for the world's future workforce, increase incomes, and grow economies.
Building excellence entails collaborative work from all its stakeholders; the government, teachers and students to review and diversify their systems of education and expand the level of skills to
make products of institutions relevant to the demands of the labour market. To build excellence, all aspects of education must be reviewed and focused on. These include; institutional supply, human capital, research output, infrastructure, and quality of graduates for the labour market among many others.
One critical area for excellence is human capital in the educational field. From management of educational institutions to tutors and lectures brought on board, the right and qualified people for the job should be engaged. These people should have integrity as a hall mark and both a personal and collaborative desire towards
achieving excellent in their field. Every step of the ladder and decisions made must be targeted towards top notch deliveries which will improve the educational sector by day
Also, the curricula of Africa's educational system must be critically revised if excellence is the goal. The quality of graduates remains problematic because of persistent mismatches between graduates and skills requirements of the job market which has translated into high levels of unemployment in societies. The gap between the knowledge taught in school and the practicality of the job market must be addressed from the lower levels to the higher levels.
The promotion of holistic and innovative curricula that impart skills for the jobs of the 21st century; adopting and using educational technologies that support the whole student for student success going beyond the certificate given and the creation of effective policies and interventions to address this will an build up and give a sense of direction in preparing graduates fit for the job market.
Installing the culture of research from lower educational levels is an important aspect of building excellence as the research culture in most European states have yielded results in their economies. According to the latest UNESCO Science Report 2021, Africa spends only 0.59% of GDP on research and development, compared to a world average of 1.79%. Being involved in research at an early age builds on one's mindset from an early stage and will help discover numerous gaps that need to be worked on for Africa's development. Research and development will guide Africans into field that can be explored for excellence, growth and development.
Another aspects is the investment in infrastructure taking into consideration the technological advancement and transformation. Educational excellence partly depends on the state of teaching and learning facilities: classrooms, libraries, laboratories, recreational amenities, and campus housing. Africa needs to continually upgrade infrastructure to meet the changing demographics of students, curricula and demands of 21st-century higher education taking into consideration the digital era we live in. There is a need to embed digital transformation in institutional culture, from strategic planning and organisational structures, to operational processes, to rethink capital expenditures that historically favoured physical contact; develop online design competencies; entrench technologymediated modalities of teaching and learning encompassing faceto-face, blended and online; and embrace changes in terms of curricula design and delivery that involves students as active participants in the learning process rather than passive consumer achieving this goal.
In addition, exercising prudential financial management and promoting financial sustainability Finance is a key issue in building educational excellence. For excellence to be attained in this sector, finance is immensely need. The African continent is not one that can boast of wealth as it has been ranked as a low income continent. Striving for excellence means investing in every step of the journey and the need of funds cannot be overlooked. Funds raised by governments and institutions must be invested in innovative, entrepreneurial activities and sustainable development. Also, revenues used should be a accounted for
Furthermore, creating partnerships as well as strengthening existing partnerships with international institutions and intergovernmental organizations will aid build excellence. Learning from International educational systems which have made progress in quality education is possible through partnerships as it offers an avenue to explore areas and gain adequate aid needed to grow excellence in Africa.
Building excellence in Africa's education might seem like an impossible dream but when all it's stakeholders are committed to seeing a change and transformation this dream would surely become a reality. Some governments in Africa have taken a step in the right direction and this is reflected in innovative ideas, innovations and inventions of African specifically in the vocational and technical field striving for excellence today would serve the continent better tomorrow particularly in the development of many of it's nations. Hence, all African nations must be willing to sacrifice and commit all necessary resources toward this goal for a hope in the global world for it's generation.
Vision Fund Zambia under the leadership of Simon Ziba is a deposit taking microfinance institution, 91% owned by VisionFund International and 3.1% by World Vision Zambia Ltd, with a rural focus targeting the economically active low income entrepreneurs who are excluded by traditional financial institutions mainly in the underserved rural areas. VisionFund Zambia has been in operation since 2003 having been incorporated in 2002 and helping towards reducing the number of the unbanked members of the society
VFZ currently has a network of 12 branches plus 9 sub branches, totaling to 21 locations largely dotted in rural areas in 8 out of the 10 provinces in Zambia (except Luapula Province and Western Province), serving 17,159 clients with a portfolio value of K70,337,000, impacting 58,001 children. VFZ has a staff compliment of 177 committed employees.
VFZ is one of the recognized MFIs driving the financial inclusion agenda in Zambia and enjoys a warm relationship with the regulator (Bank of Zambia) and the Zambian Government through programs in partnership with institutions such as RUFEP under the Ministry of Finance, Zambia. Overall, a strong partnership (integration) with World Vision Zambia Limited (WVZ) has been key in delivering rural financial empowerment through the various WVZ programs such as ANEW and THRIVE in the WVZ Area Programs (APs). VFZ also collaborates with GIZ mainly on technical capacity building to enable VFZ provide agricultural and rural finance efficiently and is also implementing the SaTF 3pin model savings group a rural banking strategy which is a precursor to deposit and savings business in partnership with MasterCard Foundation.
From the beginning of time, man has relied on agriculture for sustenance and survival. As man evolved, so did agriculture in the way and manner man cultivated the land. In other words, agriculture has endured its own unique revolution. Simply put, the agricultural revolution is the name given to a number of transformations that allowed humans to change from hunting and gathering subsistence to agriculture and animal domestication.
Every region has its own unique agro-revolution story. For Nigeria, agro-revolutions have always been at the center of most agroeconomic policies of the government with the objective of diversifying the base of the economy using crude oil as a
springboard.
Some of these factors have contributed to Nigeria's agrorevolution are :
Ÿ The increased availability of farmland.
Ÿ A favorable climate.
Ÿ More livestock
Ÿ Improved crop yield. Agriculture is the mainstay of Nigeria's economy upon which the country's nationalists founded their agitation for independence. Nigeria was a leading agricultural economy in the 50s, being the largest producer of palm oil, groundnut, cotton, and cocoa globally. The sector employed over 70 percent of the labour force, and accounted for
as much as 62.3 percent of the nation's foreign exchange earnings. However, the discovery of crude oil in the 1950s progressively led to the neglect of the sector, which made Nigeria fall in the global market rankings for which it was taking the lead. To remedy this, agricultural policies have been dished out by different leaderships of the country in order to revolutionize the sector to support food security
Strive: Post-independence Policies
In the bid to cushion the effect of the Nigerian civil war on the country's food security, the then Nigerian Head of state, Yakubu Gowon, rolled out the National Accelerated Food Production Programme (NAFPP) in 1972.
It was an agricultural extension programme established to tackle a food crisis by increasing the country's food production through proper education of farmers on farming and production.
Also, in 1973, the military leader established the River Basin Development Authority (RBDA) policy with the aim of providing irrigation facilities through the construction of dams, provision of potable water, and construction of feeder roads to ease agricultural activities.
In 1975, there was a bilateral agreement between the Nigerian government and the World Bank to boost food production and the standard of living of small-scale farmers. Sequel to this, the Agricultural Development Project (ADP) was established; while in 1976, Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) was introduced by the federal military government headed by Olusegun Obasanjo. Its target was to make food cheap by increasing food production, thus, ensuring a higher nutrition level. The OFN lasted until the civilian government of Shehu Shagari in 1979.
In April 1980, the Shagari administration introduced the Green Revolution Programme to ensure self-sufficiency in food production and to introduce modern technology into the Nigerian agricultural sector. In 1986, Ibrahim Babangida established the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI), with the aim to identify, involve and support viable local community organisations so as to ensure the effective mobilisation of the rural populace for sustainable rural development.
Thrive: 1999–To Present Day
President Olusegun Obasanjo established the National Special Programme for Food Security
(NSPFS). It was aimed at helping farmers to increase output and income, strengthen extension service delivery, and promote simple farm technologies, and other resources for food production.
In Obasanjo's eight years reign as a civilian president, agriculture had the highest average contribution to the nation's GDP in recent times.
Under Umaru Yar'Adua's seven-point agenda, the National Food Sector Plan (NFSP) was launched to ensure food security. In 2011, the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) was launched by Goodluck Jonathan. It was created with the hope of boosting the income of smallholder farmers' and rural entrepreneurs, who are engaged in the production, processing, storage, and marketing of selected commodity value chains on a sustainable basis.
When President Muhammadu Buhari came in 2015, he launched the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP). According to the president, Nigeria's agricultural revolution has led to the creation of over 13 million direct and indirect jobs in the last seven and half years.
Focused interventions in agriculture transitioned the country from being a net importer of rice, Nigeria's staple food, to becoming self-sufficient in its production. The revolution in the sector has also improved the country's capacity in the agro-allied sector, making it more efficient in enhancing and maximizing production yields and post-harvest losses.
There is a popular saying that films are a reflection of society, yes, this is true but films not only reflect society, but they can also change it by telling impactful, compelling and informative stories.
Seeing movies are interesting pastime activities that keep the mind entertained. However, movies aren't just about entertainment, rather they can also contribute to social change and encourage social and political participation.
Often, they serve as a motivational tool to inspire citizens to engage in developmenttal activities which cut across social, economic, political and cultural divides for individual and national development.
From the team of Nigeria's Nollywood producers to Ghana's Ghollywood giants to South African movie producers and others on the African continent, the African movie industry has produced movies which have impacted the continent positively
In this write-up, we will look at ways through which movies have been and can be used for national development.
To start with, imagine yourself in a cinema or movie room seeing the Malawian movie: "The Boy
Who Harnessed the Wind " which depicted the inspiring story of a young teenager whose community was faced with starvation due to drought.
As one who is natural at engineering and with some information at his disposal, he was inspired to build a windmill that brought sufficient water to the surface to save the crops in his community, save lives affected by starvation and effectively got his community engaged in their farming activities through which they flourished.
At the end of this movie, I bet as an African, one is bound to come out with thoughts of possibilities, problem-solving mentality, thoughts of harnessing available resources or even thoughts of discovering and developing the talents in almost every individual for the development of the critical infrastructures to grow the continent.
Such is the power of movies on all humans irrespective of age or class or gender. Like the example above, movies have the potential to inform, educate and uplift people's spirits to do more for themselves and society at large.
The African movie industries also enhance national development through stories that focus on peaceful co-existence, good governance, fighting corruption and building on the African culture for good.
To catch a feel of this, take a few hours to see the Nigerian movie, "The Invaders", which projects Nigeria's fight against ethno- religious wars.
The movie also depicts how politicians use campaigns to drive ethnoreligious sentiments as and when needed to achieve their selfish interests while the movie also admonishes Nigerians on the right things to do which is to shun campaigns of disunity during the electioneering period and promote peaceful coexistence.
The same feelings and thoughts are also provoked in the Nigerian feature film " Water of Gold" which preaches against corruption in all forms and teaches Nigerians about whistle-blowing against corrupt practices.
Based on feedback and research, seven months after the release of the movie, its impact was felt as about 240 people in 106 small communities where the movie was shown were spurred to send in reports of corrupt practices.
Well, that happens to be just a few as there exist others across the various countries on the continent teaching values and national ethics.
Economically, filmmaking also rakes in so much money for countries in Africa which promotes nationbuilding and aid development either directly or indirectly
For instance, Nigeria's Nollywood according to a 2021 UNESCO report created an estimated one million direct jobs, making it the second-largest employer in Nigeria after agriculture.
With that, the industry contributes almost one billion dollars to Nigeria's economy annually
The report further stated that on the continental stage, Africa's film and audio-visual sectors could create over 20 million jobs and contribute around $20 billion to the continent's combined GDP
In other areas of social issues, gender and cultural issues, African films serve as a vital point of integration as they can help build better relations and motivate communities on collaborative actions to fight a common cause.
This was exemplified in the 2021 Tanzanian film, Binti, which triggered a conversation on gender norms, gender-based violence and the role of women, especially in urban societies.
Being a film by women and for women, Binti which in Swahili means "daughter" draws attention to some of the realities of the girl-child as she grows into a girlfriend, wife and mother as well as societal expectations of her which sometimes puts pressure on her wellbeing while also indirectly pointing out the gaps that can be filled by all in the society to make life worth living for women.
So many other movies have all impacted lives, inspired desired steps for behavioural changes and addressed negative stereotypes about Africa that have been passed down over the years.
As much as movies have proven to be impactful tools for national development, they have some negative impacts but as the positives outweigh the negatives, filmmakers need to continue to choose the right content for the right audience to continue to inspire, educate, reshape and add values that will develop the continent and take Africa to enviable heights.
"The fight to defeat climate disasters and have a liveable planet must be won this decade". UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
The year 2022 has been a year of new weather extremes, food shortages, a hike in the price of fossil fuel, and rising costs of living in virtually all countries, with increased geopolitical tensions further stoking the crises. With each passing day, the impact of climate change shifts from predictions to reality
Although climate change is a global phenomenon, it is manifested differently in Africa. Never before have African countries felt such a sense of urgency to act, adapt and build resilience. But with recent disasters ranging from hunger and famine in Madagascar to the flood that swept Nigeria off its feet, Africa is unprepared.
A recent publication by the World Meteorological Organisation explained that East Africa has suffered a below average rainfall in four consecutive wet seasons, the longest in 40 years, with indications that the current season could also be dry. As a result of the persistent drought and other factors, an
estimated 19 million people faced food crises or worse levels of acute food insecurity before June 2022. Humanitarian agencies are warning that another below-average season will likely result in crop failure and further exacerbate the food insecurity situations in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
Set against a backdrop of crises relating to climate, food, energy, health and debt across Africa, COP27 was thus, an opportunity to spotlight the African continent's special needs and circumstances. These crises indicate that for Africa, and developing countries around the world, it is no longer enough to mitigate the climate crisis. It presents a need and opportunity like never before to galvanise immediate, on-the-ground action in the countries that most need it. They need to adapt and build resilience, to survive and thrive. Africa, therefore, needs a sustainable approach to building a resilient climate change agenda for Africa.
While Africa has done the least to cause climate change, the continent's people, especially the youth, are suffering the worst impacts. The climate crisis is undermining hard-won
development gains and deepening cycles of poverty, fragility and vulnerability across the continent. Thus, the most valuable contribution that developed countries can make is to reduce their emissions faster while investing in Africa to build a sustainable, green climate.
According to the African Development Bank, the continent already has an infrastructure financing gap of more than $100 billion per year. Against a background of increasing climate change impacts that are already costing the continent an average of 5% of GDP per year, Africa must invest in infrastructure resilient to climate change. Closing the infrastructure gap means investing up to US$170 billion per year in sectors such as energy, transport, water, sanitation, and ecosystems. These sectors are sensitive to the adverse impacts of climate change, including more frequent and intense floods, droughts, and heat waves.
To avoid future disasters, more climate ambition is needed globally In Africa, this need is more acute than anywhere else.
Africa has made great efforts in
driving the global climate agenda. This is demonstrated by the very high levels of ratification of the Paris Agreement. Many African nations have committed to transitioning to green energy. Africa's Agenda 2063, which was concluded in 2013, recognizes climate change as a major challenge for the continent's development. COP27 was a reminder of the commitments made to address the climate menace.
But beyond COP27, Africa needs a well-orchestrated and coordinated African agenda on climate change for a stronger climate change response. This requires visionary leadership and partnerships that enable Africa to speak with one voice, build resilience and secure sustainable food and energy systems. This will strengthen its international presence, its negotiating power and the attainment of its climate change goals.
While the African region has been consistent in its call for developed countries to support developing regions in addressing the financing, there is also a need for enhanced domestic resource mobilization and capacity development in support of Africanled and African-owned climate responses. African countries need to invest in climate adaptation and shift to a low-carbon growth path to support sustainable development. Strong climate action and increased climate financing will help countries realize their full potential.
One promising approach throughout the continent to reducing climate-related risks and extreme event impacts has been to reduce poverty by promoting socioeconomic growth, in particular in the agricultural sector. In this sector, which employs 60% of Africa's population, value-addition techniques using efficient and clean energy sources are reported to be capable of reducing poverty two to four times faster than growth in any other sector
Around 70 per cent of the
population in Africa are smallholder farmers with limited capacity to cope with climate shocks. Keenly aware that the risks posed by climate change could undo years of development gains, a significant majority of countries in Africa have increased the existing sectoral scope or added sectors for adaptation action in their Nationally Determined Contributions. Agriculture and land use are prioritized by many countries for adaptation action, as the dependency of livelihoods on agroecosystems remains high in the region.
Also, ensuring an inclusive and equitable shift towards low-carbon economies is paramount in Africa. Taking advantage of green growth to also create a just transition through decent job opportunities is vital for the future of Africa's youth, who make up 70 per cent of the continent's population. In the past few years, interesting developments have occurred on this front. Nigeria and Zimbabwe have paved the way for just transition mainstreaming by undertaking green jobs-related activities to inform their revised Nationally Determined Contributions.
Timely and accurate information is vital in building climate resilience across Africa. Digitalization within the context of the climate change agenda should be projected as a process that enables access to upto-date climate data for informed decision-making and service provision and ensures that the continent is ever-ready and able to rapidly adapt when required. To achieve this, a process of changing data from analogue to digital form is needed. With the foundation of digitization, actors such as individuals, businesses and governments will be able to leverage digital innovations and business processes to transform climate responses and green economy development.
African countries can turn their natural capital into wealth. In central Africa, the Congo Basin is home to 70% of Africa's forests, which act as
the world's largest carbon sink. Its forests are estimated to contain between 25 to 30 billion tonnes of carbon. It is one of the most important hotspots on the planet for valuable biodiversity, which is rapidly depleting, as well as a major source of livelihood for the poor, through food, forest produce, and fishing. The Congo Basin represents the first line of defence against climate change. However, with the support of the global community, the region will need to translate this asset into revenue streams locally, nationally, and globally
Countries in the region such as Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are proactively addressing land degradation. They experience first-hand the benefits of carbon sequestration for job creation and enhanced climate resilience. Ensuring African countries' participation in carbon markets will be the next priority to leverage additional climate finance.
Recognizing that the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of action is a major point. For all Africans living the reality of climate change, it is imperative to reinforce collective efforts and turn the climate crisis into an opportunity Africa must ensure that beyond COP27, their voices are heard and a resilient climate agenda is set for the continent.
Timely and accurate information is vital in building climate resilience across Africa. Digitalization within the context of the climate change agenda should be projected as a process that enables access to up-to-date climate data for informed decision-making and service provision
Rich in stunning white sand beaches, magnificent crystal clear turquoise lagoons, natural waterfalls, unusual animals, rugged mountains, and other tourist attractions. Both natural and artificial sights of every kind can be found on the Island.
In addition, it features a subtropical temperature, picture-perfect beaches, tranquil seas, tropical flora, and animals, as well as diverse people that are hospitable and accepting.
These tourism-related resources are Mauritius' most significant asset, especially since world-class beach resorts, hotels, operational services, and architecture support them.
And for this reason, behind the industrial industry
The Island's economy has grown dramatically due to the tourist industry, which has also played a crucial role in Mauritius' overall development.
In reality, visitor arrivals during the last two decades have climbed at an average annual rate of 9%, while tourism-related revenue has increased by roughly 21%. As a result, a little over 14% of Mauritius' GDP came from tourism.
The "opening of the skies" action plan is a new approach that its government has embraced to grow the local tourism sector
The fundamental goal here is to create new
markets, which includes expanding into new nations and attracting new types of customers.
Additionally, to increase the number of rooms available on the Island, the Mauritius government promotes the construction of new hotels.
And as a result, tourism has emerged as one of the most significant and rapidly growing sectors of the global economy
The economy of a nation benefits significantly from just this one industry
A boost in tourism can help the nations' economies, especially in terms of GDP and employment opportunities. However, the objective of this effort is to travel to the locations without putting the locals or the environment at risk while positively impacting society, the ecology, and the country's economy
Tourism may include the following elements: travel to the location, local transit, hotel, leisure, entertainment, shopping, and dining.
Travel for work, leisure, family, or friends may be included.
Although there is disagreement about how to accomplish this, there is a consensus that tourism expansion should be sustainable.
Consequently, the travel and tourism industries play a significant role in the global economy
And for this reason, the tourist sector continues to play a significant role in creating jobs and money in many nations' formal and unofficial sectors.
For instance, the Mauritian tourist industry, positioned at the top of the global market, contributes significantly to the Island's gross domestic product (GDP).
Additionally, FDI has dramatically benefitted the diversification of the Mauritian
economy and the Island's economic expansion.
The economy has also benefited from FDI in several ways, including increased productivity, technological advancements, adopting new practices, managerial abilities, and market expertise.
With its GDP per capita rising from US$260 in 1968, the year of independence, to more than US$7000 in 2013, Mauritius is most of the time known to be one of the wealthiest and most successful African economies. For the past 25 years, the country's economy has grown almost continuously at about 5% annually
Given its limited domestic market, the Mauritian economy's performance can be mainly attributable to its trade openness policy
On the other hand, sugar, textiles, and tourism have historically been vital components of growth.
In addition, the economy has expanded into financial services, information technology, and computer science while maintaining its historic industry basis.
Bold reforms were implemented in 2005 by the nation that altered the environment for commercial activity in Mauritius. These included labour reforms, revisions to legislation relating to the ease of doing business, and the liberalization of tariffs (the idea of a duty-free island).
The significant infrastructural investment was also made in the economy, and there was broad agreement about switching to more significant value-added industries.
Therefore, these reforms have helped to strengthen and increase the economy's competitiveness.
The Mauritian story, however, is built on five pillars: political leadership, robust institutions, ethnic diversity, a class of local entrepreneurs, and a well-organized
private sector that regularly engages the government in policy discussions.
Along with this, the revolution has always ensured a balance between social and economic goals, emphasizing human capital through free healthcare and education and a minimally adequate social safety net for the most vulnerable.
After the previous year has closed, Trading Economics global macro models and experts anticipate that foreign direct investment in Mauritius will reach 19000.00 MUR Million.
The econometric models predict that over the long term, foreign direct investment in Mauritius will trend around 19000.00 MUR Million in 2023.
tourism-related resources are Mauritius' most significant assets, especially since world-class beach resorts, hotels, operational services, and architecture support them.
In African communities, attaining leadership has long been justified by the idea that maturity develops with age. As a prime example, in ancient times, leadership duties were separated according to age, with the old being seen as leaders in their spheres of influence.
But with time, everything changed. Young people today are attempting to fill leadership positions formerly held by seniors, a development yet to be well embraced by the old.Despite all the challenges, youngsters are urged to take on leadership roles to represent their demographic and help them develop into excellent future leaders.
For this reason, Mr Jolson Masaki, 29, a former chairperson of the Youth United Nations and an information analyst, asserted in an interview with Success that adult oversight of youth leadership opportunities frequently results in missed opportunities for youth to take the lead, whether consciously or unconsciously. However, despite this, the outcomes are usually the same: a missed chance for child to assume leadership.
As a result, The African Leadership Magazine has selected some of the top young African CEOs who will soon have a significant impact on the development of Africa.
The top 100 individuals were chosen based on their dynamism, remarkable track records, and active involvement in the rise of Africa as a significant player in the world economy
Here are some of the top five african CEO's shaping the business world.
Of course, the first one is Mohamed Dewji of Tanzania, who serves as the CEO of Mohamed Entreprises Tanzania Ltd. Other than that, he is a former politician and rich businessman from Tanzania. He was a Member of the Tanzanian Parliament for Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) from 2005 to 2015, representing his hometown of Singida. He is the proprietor of the MeTL Group, a Tanzanian conglomerate created by his father in the 1970s. Dewji was the 17th richest person in Africa and the youngest billionaire as of October 2022, according to estimates of his net worth of US$1.5 billion. In 2013, Dewji became the first Tanzanian to appear on the cover of Forbes.
In 2014, Dewji founded the Mo Dewji Foundation. In addition, Dewji pledged to contribute at least half of his wealth to charity, either during his lifetime or in his will, when he signed the Giving Pledge.
The second one is Nigerian Igho Sanomi.
Nigerian rich businessman Mr. Sanomi was born in 1975 and has interests in oil, power, logistics, telecommunications, the marine industry, aviation, and real estate. In addition, he works as a geologist, a public speaker, and a benefactor
Sanomi is the chairman of the Dickens Sanomi Foundation (DSF), which he
and his siblings established in 2011 to honor their late father. The DSF only conducts business in Nigeria thanks to funding from the Taleveras Group and the Midel Group.
In addition to receiving the Martin Luther King Legacy Award for generosity, Sanomi has allegedly promised a "significant gift" through the Dickens Sanomi Foundation to the Bobby Moore Fund for cancer research in the UK "to help fund essential prostate cancer research.
The foundation also donated money to Oxfam and Save the Children. In addition, Sanomi was chosen to serve on the advisory board of the West Africa Book Development Fund. He succeeded the late Ade Adefuye as the honorary chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Salute Committee.
Igbinoba Jennifer, sometimes called Jenny's Glow, is third in line. She is one of Nigeria's most prosperous skin care and beauty business owners. She humbled herself to enter the field of the beauty industry and now owns some of the most amazing discoveries and best-selling skin care and beauty products in the country. She started the company in 2017 and has since opened outlets throughout the nation. She recently opened Hair by Jennysglow, a high-end wig shop. She has several well-known influencers working as brand ambassadors. She is undoubtedly well-known in the skincare and beauty sectors.
Teta Isibo, 32, the founder of the Rwandan company Inzuki Dbees," and their store is in the center of Kigali.esign, which specializes in jewelry, accessories, and home decor, is also named by Forbes as one of the continent's most promising young businesspeople.
Teta collaborates with regional women's cooperatives to produce colorful, high-quality crafts by hand utilizing local materials at Inzuki Design.
Locally, "Inzuki" means "bees," and their store is in the center of Kigali.
