Bankole Eniola is the convener of the UK based Nigeria dialogue, a platform that pools together bright young Nigerians from the diaspora to contribute to solving the myriads of problems that bedevil the Nigerian system. He speaks with YNaija on this initiative as well as other sundry issues.
Enjoy!
What is the idea behind Nigeria dialogue?
Nigeria dialogue is a hub of Nigerians who want to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s problems. It is eay to gather around beer parlours or beauty salons and newspaper stands to talk about our problems but we are a group of people concerned about identifying the problems and proffering solutions.
Is it a physical space or an online platform?
The whole idea is trying to get Nigeria to become a developed state in terms of our legal system, health, education in the next 20 years. We have virtual representation with an online following. My present trip to Nigeria is to hit the ground running and interact with society in such a way that we can begin to work with real people.
So there is an online community as well as a physical one?
Yes.
What are your activities like?
We do all kinds of stuff, things like town hall meetings where we bring either sitting or past public holders to talk about their policies. We have done a lot of work in the diaspora, working with Nigerians who are committed to the cause of Nigeria. It is important that we come together and have this forum so we can examine where we are now and have a time line of where we are going and how far we need to work.
Has any of your work been done in Nigeria?
The answer to this question is Yes and No. We have worked with Hon. Abike Dabiri on the constitution review which is something that affects millions of us and we looked at diaspora voting and things like that. In 2014, we want to have 2 major campaigns; one is the politics of issues and we want the Nigerian public to be educated on the kind of issues we should be discussing. We want to try and move the 2015 elections away from sentiments like tribal or religious differences and on to real issues like health care, security, rule of law. So if we can succeed in crafting a conversation around these issues before the politicians step in, then we can put them in a position where they are forced to talk about those issues and make some real promises. And we are not just focusing on promises because that is the easy part, it is about putting systems in place to generate the funding you need to build the roads, to maintain them. We are talking about a holistic approach. We want to get our politicians to that point where they are truly accountable to the people.
The second is the Nigeria road talk where we are going to 25 cities across Nigeria, organising mega conferences and we are expecting 10,000 people to come so we talk to them about soft skills. We also bring in successful Nigerians to come and share their stories because part of our problem is an erosion of values and that is because now anyone that has money is a demi god. We want to give people a new genuine set of heroes they can look up to.
How effective are your efforts when Nigerians in the diaspora are not even able to vote in Nigerian elections?
The first thing you need to understand is that the journey towards the future is a long one. In 2015, we may not be able to vote but in subsequent elections, we shall get there. But that is not the only way your voice can count. The mistake we make is to think that democracy is about 4 years or about elections only, it is not. One of the ways our voices can count is when we begin to be involved in the nitty gritty and the online media space is opening up opportunities for people to write, interact and get feedback in real time. When we get the critical mass that we need to move our public office holders, we will become an irresistible force.
How did you come up with the idea of Nigeria Dialogue?
I was born and raised and had my first degree in Nigeria before leaving for the UK in search of greener pastures just like the average Joe would and I did another degree in the UK. I started climbing the ladder and was lucky to get into investment banking, working in one of the biggest firms in the world. So I was sitting on the 37th floor, just two floors below the CEO and one day I called my wife and said you know what? I have finally made it and as I sat at my desk, I thought to myself is this all there is, is it possible for the average man back home to be able to have this or does he also have to leave the country just to stand a chance and right there and then, Nigeria dialogue was conceived. And I knew I have to go back to my people to work together to build a country that works, one in which whosoever you are, as long as you aspire to something and are ready to work hard at it can achieve it. That is what drives me, the dream that the average Nigerian, irrespective of background can wish upon a star and achieve their dreams.
How long have you had this dream?
I have been doing this all my life. I was 7 years old and my teacher asked me what I wanted to be and while my mates wanted to be doctors and lawyers, I wanted to build a bridge that would connect Africa and from there I have always been involved in things like leadership development. In 2001 when I was about to graduate from one of the Nigerian higher institutions, I put together the first inter-collegiate leadership conference in Nigeria where we had over 2000 students from 10 different institutions in Nigeria come together to talk about leadership. So if you ask how long I have been doing this, I would say all my life. When did we make it a formal institution, I’ll say 2001 and I started Nigeria dialogue in 2011.
What do you think are the most important issues that should drive the 2015 elections?
I think there are 4 key issues, first is social mobility. Creating jobs and new industries. I want a politician to come and tell me the kinds of jobs they are going to create and in what industries, how they would finance it. Health care is number 2. Security is another. The Boko Haram menace just has to stop, our roads need to be safe and finally we need to focus on our politics. Why do we vote for the people we vote for? Development will be far off if we still vote for people based on their ethnicity or religion. We should learn to zero in on the issues
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