Institute of Strategic Management Annual Conference

Today in Abuja, at the under-utilized  International Conference Centre, the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria  (ISMN) "strategically managed" to bring various government officials around to talk to Nigerians  about change.

It is at the Annual Conference of the Institute, 2016 edition.

The theme of the Conference is : STRATEGY AS THE ANCHOR OF CHANGE. 

Change,  and the place of Strategy in that dynamic process. This is very important, as no nation can progress without being strategically managed. Gather your resources, pick a goal, and deploy strategies and tactics to and chive your goal.

This means a Plan of Action is sine qua non for progress. Which is why we need to see Strategic Plans from all our Ministers, and a proper communication of that strategy.

Roll Call include the Vice president, and the articulate Minister of Environment, as well  the ambassadors of Cuba, Malaysia, Pakistan among others. 

The event is ongoing. The Minister of Environment is making very important points, including plans for the Great Green Wall which is absolutely critical for our environment. 

Watch this space,  please, for a comprehensive report.

At Analytical  Perspectives  Nigeria Limited,  we are for strategic thinking to move the Nation (and mankind)  forward. More analysis will come later.

Sent from my Customized Samsung Tablet

One good news

This is a view of the Kubwa  departure Lounge of the Abuja-Kaduna rail line.

This looks fine enough. The important issue is that this has to be maintained on the same level of cleanliness and functionality going forward. 

It must not be a case of good today bad tomorrow.

We do not have details of the arrangement with the Chinese builders of the railway. But this should include a solid arrangement for maintaining facilities at a pristine stat at all times.

We are not calling for exploitative rates, but we hope the ticket costs have been properly arrived at. If the tickets receipts are not enough to keep a profit for the operators, then the seed of future decay and collapse would have been laid.

We congratulate the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi for the completion of this project. We also congratulate all those that have something to do with it, from conception to now. 

And that includes all the administrations in this democratic dispensation.

Hoping Nigerias will benefit from this project as intended.

Sent from my Customized Samsung Tablet

Now, truly waiting for POTFERON.

At last, the Abuja -Kaduna  rail Ine is to get a visit from the sitting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (POTFERON).

It has been announced that the much awaited rail will be inaugurated on July 26 2016 by Potferon.

JOYFUL FOR MINUTE MERCIES.

Guess we must be grateful for small mercies, that a project was completed and will be launched for use as planned. That is something new.

We have been hearing of railway modernisation by the Chinese since the days of the goggled one. But I am not aware that any project under that Talk was ever inaugurated for use.  We heard of figures, and grand plans, but no show on actual projects.

MANY FATHERS 
This project was initiated/ conceptualised during the OBJ years, started by Yar Adua, continued by Jonathan and completed by Buhari. Hence the project has many fathers, and the intellectual tug of war as to who has the glory for the project is unwarranted and petty. We have a project on ground, and we should now own it and make it work, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

WE MUST OWN IT
We have to take this project as ours, and insist that it must work as it is meant to work.  First, is the Minister himself. This project must be properly super used from the Ministry. 

The starting point is the pricing. NOBODY must talk of any subsidy that is likely to bankrupt the railway down the line. There is no need for subsidy of any type.  It must be priced economically,  for everybody's sake, including the so called  poor in whose name many crimes are committed against humanity.

Second is cleanliness.
The trail cabins must remain clean and inviting.  Perhaps prices may also be used to discourage overcrowding the business class cabins, so that middle class users will not be forced to abandon it and return to the dangers of the road,

Capture your Revenue

Third,  a means must be devised  to make sure everyone pays. Anything less than that is a fraud on the Nigerian People, no matter the motivation.

Transfer of Knowledge.
Finally,  Nigerians must be trained to take over the system 100% within a short time.

These are the minimum requirements for the Abuja -Kaduna rail line to succeed. We trust the Minister to put things in place for these.

The power of dreams - and dreams of power

Human beings are generally of two types: they are either manifesting the power of dreams, or are engaged in mere dreams of power.

We have been told that the only thing we have to create is our minds. The only activity of the mind is thinking,  dreaming.

Everybody dreams, but not everybody has the determination to carry the dream to reality. When we dream and then have the discipline to  bring that dream into reality,  we are manifesting the power of dreams. Leaders need this a great deal. A leader that can not have a lofty dream is just occupying an office, not a leader. Just office holder.

Meanwhile, there is another set of people, some pretending to be leaders. They only dream of power and more power. For themselves only.  And this power not to manifest anything great, but to remain as overlords of others, mostly those better than themselves.

What type of person/ leader are you? Are you manifesting the Power of dreams, or you are Dreaming of Power?

Leaders that show the power of dreams are a blessing to their country, as are individuals who manifest power of dreams are blessings to their surroundings. Think Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid AlMaktoun, think Lee Kwain Yew,,think Steve Jobs.

Leaders who just dream of power are a curse to their country, and dictators develop from that. Countries are ruined under their watch: Think Muhammed Siad Barre,  Mobutu Sese Seko, Idi Amin Dada; or as an aftermath of their watch: think Saddle Hussein .

Anywhere we are, leaders or not, we should manifest the Power of Dreams - dare to dream, then do all what is necessary to bring the dream to pass. Leaders meanwhile, should be careful not to just engage in dreams of Power.

Warnings from Venezuela.

I just love Nigeria.

This is a country that is blessed by the Almighty beyond our wildest wishes. Yet we are unable to show gratitude for this gift and harness it's benefits for all of us.

What we do is to find excuses to fight each other over trifles. Yet If we fail to live together as wise people, we should surely perish separately as the fools that we would have proved ourselves to be.

Now, Venezuela, has the largest oli reserves in the world. This, in the pedestrian thinking mode, means that country should be the richest in the world. But no. Today, Venezuela is in chaos. Queues for bread are as long as our former fuel queues.

Imagine that, standing in line to buy bread! Many people depend on food aid from the government. Food lorry convoys move around the country under armed military escort, or looters will claim it after hijacking the vehicle. This in a country that should be able to feed itself, or have enough money to import enough.

Nigeria need to take warning, and not allow itself to become more of a warning to other countries. And maybe I should mention that no militant is blowing up any pipelines in VENEZUELA. And they are still in the mess.

Nigeria and Nigerians better know that  what we sow, we reap. We are sowing hatred, we may real mutual hatred and destruction.

The Abuja-Kaduna rail will work (f we allow it)

The above title can seem pessimistic. But it is more realistic than pessimistic . One is only speaking from a study of our best ideas that have gradually been allowed to become monstrosities.

I went through the route and saw some good things. First. The good: the stations were clean, with modern infrastructure ture like good seats, and at the Kubwa station at least, there were innovative additions. There was prayer room for men and women,  conveniences for the physically challenged  ( differently able).
Water was running in the conveniences, and the whole environment was clean.

The train made the trip to Kaduna in about 3 hours, though we are told this would change once full service starts. This is just test running.

The cabin was air conditioned,  with window blinds, and nice red seats. Overhead racks complete the expected inner furniture. Scrolling message interacted with the passengers on the trip. And there were double faced TV monitors.

All in all, it's okay, though the standard will need to be improved upon.

Further posts will say more.

Bayo Ezekiel.