The Nature of the Governance and Ethics Problem in Africa
“Every day is for the thief but one day is for the owner” — Yoruba proverb
Context
There is a perception that Africa has a governance and ethics problem. I think the world has a governance and ethics problem that just so happens to be intensely displayed in Africa due to the resources at stake. Africa faces a negative bias that other continents don’t have to contend with. Chimamanda Nogozi Adiche put it succinctly in her TED talk, “The danger of a Single Story”. I am not saying Africa does not have real governance and ethical challenges that have to be addressed. What I am saying is that a real negative bias leads the vast majority to ask the wrong questions, and start from the wrong premise.
The truth of the matter is that Africa has a public identity problem because our narrative has been defined by the activities of a small minority of domestic and international vested interest that propagate a single story. It is important to understand the machine, the network of interests that have managed to maintain control over Africa’s resources. Colonialism really never ended, it just took on a new name and form.
Vested interests are not just within the borders of African countries, vested interests are part of an international syndicate of individuals, corporations, and public institutions that enable and support the status quo. Tom Burgis, an investigative reporter for the Financial Times, details the strength and influence of vested interests in his new book: The looting Machine. I had the privilege of moderating a panel that Tom sat on at the Columbia Africa Economic Forum on the 11th of April. The panel explored Governance, Ethics, and Compliance in Africa. It was made apparently clear from the discussion that solutions to the problem will require a multi-pronged approach.
We do in fact have a governance problem but it’s not solely for the reasons you may think
A friend of mine made a simple statement to me a few years back that has stuck with me. He said, “The reason why African countries have bad governments is because good people do not run for office”. I spent a couple of weeks trying to resolve that statement in my mind. It struck a very strong chord with me because as simplistic as it was, it carried a lot truth.
I grew up in Nigeria through the 1980s and 1990s. A period marked by political, economic, and social challenges to say the least. The best and brightest of a generation lived in a system that sought to suppress and contain. A vast majority of a generation of leaders made rational calculations and conscious decisions to distance themselves from politics. The path to success for many was an education, securing one of a few corporate jobs, or becoming part of the diaspora in the western world.
The conditions of repression and subjugation that governed the period of my upbringing have been gradually reversed over the last two decades. No condition is permanent, so goes a popular Nigerian phrase. Stable democracies across the content are becoming more the norm as opposed to the exception. “Good people” are finally running for office, but just as important, they are starting businesses, schools, and strengthening formal institutions.
There are numerous examples of African institutions that have emerged over the last few years that measure to the highest ethical standards, are influencing a new crop of leaders, and developing the next generation. There is no better way to change a negative narrative than to create and promote a new one. It’s not about improving broken systems, it about creating whole new institutions based on timeless values.
Where will the leaders of the future come from?
I recently attended a forum hosted by Ashesi University in New York. Ashesi University is a world class institution founded in 2002 by Patrick Awuah Jr in Ghana. During the Q&A session a question was raised as to why Ashesi graduates are not encouraged to go directly into government positions after graduation. Patrick Awuah answered the question by explaining that Ashesi cannot afford to graduate just good leaders, graduates have to be exceptional. He also explained that graduates armed with great educations have to hone their newly learned skills in environments that allow them to enshrine what they learn. The majority of our governments are still places where leadership potential is stifled and frustrated. The intent is for Ashesi graduates to advance far enough in their careers to enter government at the highest levels.
Educators like Patrick Awuah are creating the new African narrative. Entrepreneurs across the continent are building businesses that not only provide economic prosperity but are vehicles through which leaders can be nurtured and groomed. Africa’s negative bias problem is being addressed by writers, journalists, and professionals that do not ignore the challenges but provide a more balanced view of the facts, and present the narrative in a way that allows the discovery of root causes, and therefore produces the depth of discourse and debate that is needed to unearth sustainable solutions. Stories of waste, abuse, and fraud now stand along with stories of “good people” doing great things and building the future.
What will it take to change the prevailing narrative?
Africa is in the midst of a number of transitions that are happening concurrently. Success will be measured by our ability to uphold authenticity, and stand for integrity. A new narrative has to be embraced by a representative body of new leaders, leaders that are committed to rejecting the status quo and embracing a new paradigm of possibilities. Changing the trajectory of Africa will require a shift from prevalent positions that exist today. African leaders need to shift from positions of:
· Entitlement to Responsibility
· Bottom line to Values focused
· Competition to Collaboration
· Reactionary to Proactive Engagement
I am not naive to the facts that vested interests are strong and formidable. I do believe that vested interest can be dislodged if and when people of integrity take a stand. Lamido Sanusi, the award winning Ex-Central Bank Governor of Nigeria, speaks eloquently about this in his famous TED talk titled Overcoming the fear of vested interests.
Concerted steps need to be continued to strengthen African institutions by improving governance and transparency. Governments and institutions need to build credibility and take the lead in ridding their budgets of waste, and abuse. Establishing transparent rules and enforcing them will go a long way to attracting the right investors, and ridding the continent of the opaque deals that have allowed vested interests to subjugate the continent for far too long.
A good example of such a transaction was the acquisition of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) rights of Equatorial Guinea by BG group. The deal gave BG Group 17 year rights to all the LNG in the country. BG group managed to execute a deal that has allowed it to retain 87.5% of the profits from the arrangement while the whole country of Equatorial Guinea hold on to a paltry 12.5% of the profits. The annual $1 billion dollars in annual profits that BG pockets is the equivalent of 30% of the total income of Equatorial Guinea (using 2014 budget figures).
Every day is for the thief but one day is for the owner.
Akin Sawyerr is the Managing Partner of Feleman Limited a blockchain, payments, and financial technology solutions company focused on developing applications for emerging and underserved markets.
