Nigeria has an international reputation for corruption, and one that is based on reality. However, there does seem to be a large element of hypocrisy in the criticism directed at Nigeria and Africa in this regard.
For example, today it has been announced that the criminal investigation into corruption at BAE (British Aerospace) has been dropped. This has happened just as the UK Serious Fraud Squad has began to uncover details of secret Swiss bank accounts.
It appears that in Nigeria there is progress in revealing corruption, and trying to deal with it; in the UK, in contrast, we are moving in the opposite direction, i.e. becoming more secretive.
So who is progressing towards the moral high ground?
Friday, December 15, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Computers for Africa?
An article in the UK Independent newspaper describes how recycling your computer helps developing countries.
Like a lot of aspects of development, this is open to debate. One opinion is that "you can't eat computers", i.e. the priorities should be clean water, food, healthcare.
Another valid issue is that of pollution; computers contain a lot of dangerous substances, which need to be carefully disposed of. A cynical (but perhaps realistic) view would be that the big computer manufacturers and sellers see developing countries as a dumping ground to get rid of this waste at little or no cost, (or even at a profit).
My own experience is that both computer hardware and the skills to use it can be very valuable. When I was in Abuja I visited NAFDAC. Actually I was invited by an employee who had learned that a "computer expert" was working at GTZ. At the NAFDAC offices I found rooms full of paper files; I wrote a report suggesting that a basic computer network and document management system could improve their efficiency by a huge amount. If the documents were scanned into a database, any particular file could be found in a few seconds and displayed on screen, compared with 20 - 30 minutes spent manually searching through roomfuls of paper files.
I was also involved in designed and mentoring a training scheme for young graduates to work as IT specialists in community finance. The training was done by a Nigerian institute, to a high standard and at reasonable cost. At the start of the training we focused on basic hardware support and maintenance; there are a lot of stories about schools and colleges in Nigeria who have computer labs full of computers that don't work, or work very slowly.
Another issue is software, especially which operating system to use. If you are using Pentium 2 or 3 processors with 64 or 128 mb RAM then results with Windows XP are going to be poor; you are going to get much better results with Linux.
Like a lot of aspects of development, this is open to debate. One opinion is that "you can't eat computers", i.e. the priorities should be clean water, food, healthcare.
Another valid issue is that of pollution; computers contain a lot of dangerous substances, which need to be carefully disposed of. A cynical (but perhaps realistic) view would be that the big computer manufacturers and sellers see developing countries as a dumping ground to get rid of this waste at little or no cost, (or even at a profit).
My own experience is that both computer hardware and the skills to use it can be very valuable. When I was in Abuja I visited NAFDAC. Actually I was invited by an employee who had learned that a "computer expert" was working at GTZ. At the NAFDAC offices I found rooms full of paper files; I wrote a report suggesting that a basic computer network and document management system could improve their efficiency by a huge amount. If the documents were scanned into a database, any particular file could be found in a few seconds and displayed on screen, compared with 20 - 30 minutes spent manually searching through roomfuls of paper files.
I was also involved in designed and mentoring a training scheme for young graduates to work as IT specialists in community finance. The training was done by a Nigerian institute, to a high standard and at reasonable cost. At the start of the training we focused on basic hardware support and maintenance; there are a lot of stories about schools and colleges in Nigeria who have computer labs full of computers that don't work, or work very slowly.
Another issue is software, especially which operating system to use. If you are using Pentium 2 or 3 processors with 64 or 128 mb RAM then results with Windows XP are going to be poor; you are going to get much better results with Linux.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
African Hair
I was walking through Tooting (a London suburb) yesterday, and walked past a young woman with an Afro. She looked great; is the Afro making a come-back?
Saturday, November 25, 2006
healthy, wealthy, wise?
One of the images of Africa in the Western media is showing unhealthy people: either mal-nourished or dying of aids.
LIke most of the images that we see in the West this is based on truth, but only shows a small part of the big picture.
One of my strongest impressions of Nigeria is that the typical Nigerian is healthier than the most Europeans, both physically and mentally.
In fact my own health improved considerably in the two years that I lived in Abuja. I practice martials arts (Shorinji Kempo) and had a major problem with my back.
While in Nigeria I started daily exercises to improve my lower back strength and found a big improvement.
Living in a warm climate made a big difference, but I think that the major factor that helped me was the quality of the food.
Most of the food that we eat in the UK is processed, and not very nutrious, whereas food grown in Nigeria is generally organic and probably a lot healthier.
I also found that my mental attitude improved a lot when I was in Nigeria, perhaps partly due to the weather, (although I actually like the variety of having four seasons).
People living in a big city like London tend to be withdrawn and isolated, which can lead to depression and other mental health problems.
In contrast, I never felt lonely in Nigeria; there is always some-one to talk to or give you a friendly smile and a welcome.
Thinking about these health issues, I came across an article on the web about human organs for sale:
I find this to be very worrying, especially having experienced the attitude of some Westerners who see Nigeria as a major market opportunity.
I think that countries like Nigeria have to be very careful about opening up their markets, and to make sure that they are not a target for this kind of exploitation.
LIke most of the images that we see in the West this is based on truth, but only shows a small part of the big picture.
One of my strongest impressions of Nigeria is that the typical Nigerian is healthier than the most Europeans, both physically and mentally.
In fact my own health improved considerably in the two years that I lived in Abuja. I practice martials arts (Shorinji Kempo) and had a major problem with my back.
While in Nigeria I started daily exercises to improve my lower back strength and found a big improvement.
Living in a warm climate made a big difference, but I think that the major factor that helped me was the quality of the food.
Most of the food that we eat in the UK is processed, and not very nutrious, whereas food grown in Nigeria is generally organic and probably a lot healthier.
I also found that my mental attitude improved a lot when I was in Nigeria, perhaps partly due to the weather, (although I actually like the variety of having four seasons).
People living in a big city like London tend to be withdrawn and isolated, which can lead to depression and other mental health problems.
In contrast, I never felt lonely in Nigeria; there is always some-one to talk to or give you a friendly smile and a welcome.
Thinking about these health issues, I came across an article on the web about human organs for sale:
I find this to be very worrying, especially having experienced the attitude of some Westerners who see Nigeria as a major market opportunity.
I think that countries like Nigeria have to be very careful about opening up their markets, and to make sure that they are not a target for this kind of exploitation.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Open Source
The "consultants" spoof on the previous blog was from Tech Republic.
This is an excellent source of IT information and resources.
Before coming to work in Nigeria I completed an MSc in Internet Engineering at the University of East London. My dissertation was on the use of open source software in developing countries: if anyone would like a copy please email me.
Most of the copies of Microsoft Windows being used in Nigeria are pirate versions (including organisations such as GTZ). This is understandable in most cases: a licensed copy of Windows XP costs about 20,000 Naira, i.e. 1 - 2 months salary for an office worker. Microsoft charge the same prices in Nigeria and other developing countries as they do in Europe and the United States, although the cost of Windows XP in the UK equals about one days work for an office worker. This is understandable because it's so easy to arbitrage software, i.e. buy it where it's cheap and sell it where it's expensive.
A lot of big companies are turning to Linux and other open-source software as an alternative to Microsoft. The downside is that there is a steep learning curve, although it is getting to be more user friendly. Linux is an excellent way to learn about computers and operating systems. I predict that it's going to take off in the future, as Microsoft start to protect their property rights in countries like Nigeria, therefore I would recommend budding IT entrepreneurs to get a copy and start playing with it.
This is an excellent source of IT information and resources.
Before coming to work in Nigeria I completed an MSc in Internet Engineering at the University of East London. My dissertation was on the use of open source software in developing countries: if anyone would like a copy please email me.
Most of the copies of Microsoft Windows being used in Nigeria are pirate versions (including organisations such as GTZ). This is understandable in most cases: a licensed copy of Windows XP costs about 20,000 Naira, i.e. 1 - 2 months salary for an office worker. Microsoft charge the same prices in Nigeria and other developing countries as they do in Europe and the United States, although the cost of Windows XP in the UK equals about one days work for an office worker. This is understandable because it's so easy to arbitrage software, i.e. buy it where it's cheap and sell it where it's expensive.
A lot of big companies are turning to Linux and other open-source software as an alternative to Microsoft. The downside is that there is a steep learning curve, although it is getting to be more user friendly. Linux is an excellent way to learn about computers and operating systems. I predict that it's going to take off in the future, as Microsoft start to protect their property rights in countries like Nigeria, therefore I would recommend budding IT entrepreneurs to get a copy and start playing with it.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
accountability
While I was working at the GTZ office in Abuja, the office decided to purchase some new computers. The Nigerian IT Officer and myself both recommended that these should be mid-range models, which would be "fit-for-purpose", i.e. email, browsing, word processing and spreadsheets. This advice was over-ruled by Ed ("International Consultant") who determined that top-of-the-range PC's should be purchased, each PC costing about 1,000 Euros more than the standard model. There are about 20 PC's in the office in total.
Ed is an IT wannabe, the sort of person who always upgrades to the latest model of mobile phone. etc. Maybe that's why he need to get paid so much.
1,000 Euros is not much in terms of GTZs' budget (one days "work" from a consultant), but when you realise that this money is paid by German Taxpayers intending it to help poor Nigerians then it's not hard to imagine how this money could be used more constructively.
I'm planning to visit the GTZ Head Office in Eschborn in a couple of weeks to discuss the workings of their Abuja Office. I'll keep you informed.
Ed is an IT wannabe, the sort of person who always upgrades to the latest model of mobile phone. etc. Maybe that's why he need to get paid so much.
1,000 Euros is not much in terms of GTZs' budget (one days "work" from a consultant), but when you realise that this money is paid by German Taxpayers intending it to help poor Nigerians then it's not hard to imagine how this money could be used more constructively.
I'm planning to visit the GTZ Head Office in Eschborn in a couple of weeks to discuss the workings of their Abuja Office. I'll keep you informed.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
A little light relief
One of the best things about working in Nigeria is peoples sense of humour; strange that we never hear about this in the West when reading media reports about Africa.
Anyway, here's a link to a post on a site called E-Budo.
This is a discussion site for people involved in martial arts. The first time that I visited Africa was almost by accident. My Shorinji Kempo teacher is a WSKO (World Shorinji Kempo Organisation) instructor, which means that he is sent to various countries to teach seminars. On this occasion the venues were in Kenya and Tanzania. He invited me to accompany him to "carry his bags".
I've travelled a lot in Europe and to Japan and the U.S.A. and Canada, but never had a desire to go to Africa; however I found something there that really attracted me. It's hard to quantify, but was really concerned with the spirit of the people; somehow I felt a real connection.
History tells us that Africa is the Motherland for us all; where humanity originated.
Anyway, here's a link to a post on a site called E-Budo.
This is a discussion site for people involved in martial arts. The first time that I visited Africa was almost by accident. My Shorinji Kempo teacher is a WSKO (World Shorinji Kempo Organisation) instructor, which means that he is sent to various countries to teach seminars. On this occasion the venues were in Kenya and Tanzania. He invited me to accompany him to "carry his bags".
I've travelled a lot in Europe and to Japan and the U.S.A. and Canada, but never had a desire to go to Africa; however I found something there that really attracted me. It's hard to quantify, but was really concerned with the spirit of the people; somehow I felt a real connection.
History tells us that Africa is the Motherland for us all; where humanity originated.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Authenticity and credibility
There’s an article in todays’ UK Guardian Newspaper about the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee. The article states “He singles out the rise of blogging as one of the most difficult areas for the continuing development of the web, because of the risks associated with inaccurate, defamatory and uncheckable information.”
A very important point, and relevant to some of the issues that I’ve raised here.
The question of authenticity and credibility is crucial: I’m happy to send a copy of my resume to any-one interested in checking this out (as long as you promise not to use it to 419 anyone).
I’ve worked as an IT consultant in London for companies including Sony, Texaco, Polygram, Morgan Stanley, and EDS, which I feel gives me a valid basis to comment on the activities within the EoPSD project. Before coming to Nigeria I also completed an MSc in Internet Engineering at the University of East London; coincidently a college with a lot of Nigerian students.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
People are listening ?
This morning I checked the EoPSD website and see that there have been some significant changes; a lot of the marketing bullshit has disappeared.
Perhaps the managers at GTZ are responsive to constructive criticism?
International Development is a complicated area; there are no easy solutions. As well as the money-grabbing consultants I did meet people at GTZ who seemed to be genuine in their desire to work side-by-side with Nigerians, not try to impose a foreign ideology on them from a position of supposed superiority.
Since returning to London I find that I miss Nigeria more and more; the kindness, good humour, love of children, and respect for older people that we seem to be losing in the so-called “developed” countries.
more about EoPSD/EaGPP
Thanks to Jeremy who mentions this blog at his own naijablog (linked at the right).
I've been reading his blog for a while, and find it interesting to keep in touch with what is happening in Naija. Nigeria has huge potential, which is why organisations such as GTZ are looking for influence there. GTZ is a limited company which usually takes on projects for the German Government, although it also works for other organisations.
The finance behind EoPSD is interesting: 60% is from the German Government and 40% from other sources, although it's not clear who these are.
This is reflected in the management of the EoPSD project which is controlled by the two "project consultants". If I were a senior manager at GTZ I should be very concerned about the effect that this is having on GTZs' image internationally.
VSO have now terminated their contract to supply people to GTZ due to the attitude of the EoPSD managers. The final straw was when GTZ were offered the services of a Nigerian living in London who has a lot of experience in minerals (rocks, not soft drinks).
GTZ complained about paying for a Nigerian specialist; they also complained about paying for the Kenyan specialists also supplied by VSO.
It is always east to make accusations of racism, but the attitude shown here by the "project consultants" raises some serious questions.
I've been reading his blog for a while, and find it interesting to keep in touch with what is happening in Naija. Nigeria has huge potential, which is why organisations such as GTZ are looking for influence there. GTZ is a limited company which usually takes on projects for the German Government, although it also works for other organisations.
The finance behind EoPSD is interesting: 60% is from the German Government and 40% from other sources, although it's not clear who these are.
This is reflected in the management of the EoPSD project which is controlled by the two "project consultants". If I were a senior manager at GTZ I should be very concerned about the effect that this is having on GTZs' image internationally.
VSO have now terminated their contract to supply people to GTZ due to the attitude of the EoPSD managers. The final straw was when GTZ were offered the services of a Nigerian living in London who has a lot of experience in minerals (rocks, not soft drinks).
GTZ complained about paying for a Nigerian specialist; they also complained about paying for the Kenyan specialists also supplied by VSO.
It is always east to make accusations of racism, but the attitude shown here by the "project consultants" raises some serious questions.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
"The kindness of consultants"
At GTZ in Nigeria I was part of a project called EoPSD
EoPSD stands for "Employment oriented Private Sector Development", although a better name might be EaGPP, standing for Ed and Gabby Pension Plan.
Ed and Gabby are two "Development Consultants" who were part time "project advisors" to GTZ. They are paid at short term consultant rates (1,000 Euros per day), although the project is scheduled to last between 5 - 10 years, hence EaGPP.
The title of this post is ironic: one one occasion Ed asked me to work at the weekend, and promised to buy me lunch if I did so. As a VSO volunteer I anticipated a rare treat such as a pizza; at a cost of 2,000 Naira not normally affordable on a VSO allowance. Actually Ed sent a driver to buy takeway from Mr Biggs, the Nigerian equivalent of McDonalds. This cost him about 350 Niara, saving him 1,650 Niara, or about 10 Euros, i.e. 1% of his daily income. I hope he spent this money wisely.
To be fair I have to say that there was also a full time consultant at GTZ who headed up the team working in the financial sector with community banks and MFI's. In contrast to the two part-timers he was very generous to all the VSO volunteers (there were seven working at GTZ at various times), and showed us a lot of kindness.
It was interesting to see how "International Development" is a business; I wonder how the typical German taxpayer would feel to see how their money was being spent; for example the EoPSD website was developed by a German consultancy firm in collaboration with the two part-time consultants (who do not have any experience in this area). Before going to Nigeria I worked as an IT consultant in London and have an MSc in Internet Engineering, so I can confirm that there are Nigerian firms with the skills to create complex websites. I would therefore have to ask why this expensive (and largely non-functional) website was developed in Germany.
EoPSD stands for "Employment oriented Private Sector Development", although a better name might be EaGPP, standing for Ed and Gabby Pension Plan.
Ed and Gabby are two "Development Consultants" who were part time "project advisors" to GTZ. They are paid at short term consultant rates (1,000 Euros per day), although the project is scheduled to last between 5 - 10 years, hence EaGPP.
The title of this post is ironic: one one occasion Ed asked me to work at the weekend, and promised to buy me lunch if I did so. As a VSO volunteer I anticipated a rare treat such as a pizza; at a cost of 2,000 Naira not normally affordable on a VSO allowance. Actually Ed sent a driver to buy takeway from Mr Biggs, the Nigerian equivalent of McDonalds. This cost him about 350 Niara, saving him 1,650 Niara, or about 10 Euros, i.e. 1% of his daily income. I hope he spent this money wisely.
To be fair I have to say that there was also a full time consultant at GTZ who headed up the team working in the financial sector with community banks and MFI's. In contrast to the two part-timers he was very generous to all the VSO volunteers (there were seven working at GTZ at various times), and showed us a lot of kindness.
It was interesting to see how "International Development" is a business; I wonder how the typical German taxpayer would feel to see how their money was being spent; for example the EoPSD website was developed by a German consultancy firm in collaboration with the two part-time consultants (who do not have any experience in this area). Before going to Nigeria I worked as an IT consultant in London and have an MSc in Internet Engineering, so I can confirm that there are Nigerian firms with the skills to create complex websites. I would therefore have to ask why this expensive (and largely non-functional) website was developed in Germany.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Good news from Africa
The image of Africa presented in the Western media is generally negative. It would be nice to encourage more Africans to use the web to counter this, whether by blogging, creating websites, etc.
One good source for news on Africa is the BBC World website.
One good source for news on Africa is the BBC World website.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
why have I started a blog?
There is a quote that sticks in my mind: "there are two superpowers in the world today - the United States of America and global public opinion"
The aim of this blog is to change the world, by influencing other people, and giving them the opportunity to influence me. The title of the blog refers to my experience as a VSO volunteer in Abuja, Nigeria. I went out to Nigeria in March 2004 and returned to London in March 2006. It was a fantastic experience; contrary to the image that we get from the popular media in the U.K. Nigeria is a great country, corrupted and exploited by a few selfish and greedy people.
Being part of VSO was, and is, also a fantastic experience. In Nigeria I met VSO volunteers from Holland, The Philipines, Kenya, Uganda, Canada, The U.S.A, New Zealand, Germany, and probably some others that I can't remember.
To get the blog started, here is a link to an article in todays Observer .
my VSO experience was unusual, and interesting, in that I was working for GTZ; the German Agency for Technical Co-operation. The aim was for a partnership between VSO and GTZ in Nigeria; unfortunately this didn't happen. I'll write more about this in future blogs.
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