by Baba Oladeji
Practise Politics of Needs, not Politics of Party
Do not be tempted to copy the West with their Left or Right politics, for they have gone beyond problems of epileptic power supply, bad roads and unclean water. Instead, relentlessly focus on needs, needs and needs of the people. In parliamentary debates about key issues like power, housing and water, don’t try to be partisan. Nigerians recognize that you are the same as the APC, so just display largeheartedness and support the APC in any policy that meets needs. Nigerians just want you both to fulfill needs not antagonize what may provide their needs. You are wasting time and Nigerians are impatient.
Your current city-states are your best business case
In these days of cash crunch and unpaid salaries, you have the best chance to show urban entrepreneurialism; for the days of urban managerialism are over. Don’t cry foul over reduced Abuja allocation anymore. Instead be thematic about your city-states. Find your unique selling point, formulate strategy, detect your business model, know your target market, and woo them. Don’t be everything to everybody. Let’s know Calabar for tourism, Oyo for history, Bauchi for wild adventure, Kano for art, Lagos for big business. Find what makes you tick! The days to manage federal allocation are gone. Learn from Lagos but don’t copy them!
Your party is also a business
You have to STOP depending on subventions from INEC or largesse from Presidency. Let your Party become a Social Enterprise. Take your offices as real estate, don’t let them go to waste. As a spectral alternative, transform your secretariats in 36 states of the country into incubator hubs for Nigerian entrepreneurs. This way, you can: pay your rents, give young Nigerians hope and greatly boost your electoral value. In essence, you have to think like a business.
Tell The World Nigeria will miss 2030 Deadline
As soon as the APC breaks ground on their many promised projects, become Green evangelists. Cry to Obama, the Pope and other Green evangelists about how many of APC’s projects will leave huge carbon footprint. Paint the danger of missing out on 2030? SDGs deadline just like we missed out on 2010 ?MDGs one. Think up a Niger Delta Green Ring since you ‘control’ the region. Think about how, through BRACED*, you can combine distilling world-class ogogoro with large-scale fish farming and refining crude oil.
Mark Your 20th Anniversary with 20 Free Umbrella Estates
Thankfully, your 20th anniversary in 2018 is a year to 2019 general elections. Use this opportunity to launch a free shelter scheme for young Nigerians. To make it almost free to own, site them at nodes, and determine to make your money back from advertising on the exterior of these houses. Target young Nigerians who don’t want to go back living with their parents. Because they are the largest voting bloc in Nigeria, you will have easy votes for 2019 without campaigning.
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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija
Baba Oladeji is a citizen who is interested in Architecture as methodology for politics.
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