Soji Adeleye is the CEO of Alfe City Institution, an advocacy organisation on the national economy. In this interview with IGNATIUS CHUKWU in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, he said that his firm was trying to see what it can do to change the dynamics of the socio-economic condition of Nigeria. He also said that as an advocacy group, they campaign on issues they think can change the trajectory of Nigeria. Excerpts:
Can you kindly introduce yourself the way you would want our readers to know you?
My name is Soji Adeleye. I am the CEO of Alfe City Institution, an advocacy organization on the national economy. We are trying see what we can do to change the dynamics of the socio-economic condition of Nigeria. We campaign on issues we think can change the trajectory of our country.
What actually is blue economy; should we attempt the definition from point of the ocean or from point of any body of water?
The basic definition is the sustainable use of the ocean for the betterment of or improvement of the people. Initially, this was limited to the coastline because in a lot of ways, most people considered that the downtrodden were found along the coastline. Initially, the understanding was that blue economy would lead to the development of the coastline, but now, all forms of waste that come from the hinterland ends up in the ocean. It ends up affecting the livelihood of those at the coastline. They now developed a more global appreciation of what should be the definition of blue economy. It has now been defined as sustainable management of the ocean and all that goes into it; and all ecosystem that would make that possible including all that flows and ends up in the ocean. So, if you want to manage the ocean, you have to manage all the sources (debris) of things that flow into it. That is what the blue economy now is in terms of definition.
Why are you committing so much time and resources to this; what exactly do you want done?
I have had opportunities to live in other countries and I have come to appreciate what good quality of life is. Ideally; you want to live happily in your own country. I am not a politician. Some people say, if you so much want things to be better, why not go into politics. But I know I am not cut out for politics. I know that the Blue Economy offers Nigeria the best chance to start again or to jumpstart the economy.
After thorough investigation of the Nigerian economy, my understanding is that Blue Economy offers Nigeria the best chance to escape economic downfall and jumpstart a new economic life. It is to really change our dynamics and transform the country. That is why I have devoted a lot of time and energy and resources in this Blue Economy project or advocacy for about four years now.
Can you itemize the things you want the Government to do to deliver a blue economy?
First, I think the government has to understand how important the Blue Economy is because I am not too sure they understand what it can do. There was this presentation we had in Port Harcourt the other day during the Blue Economy Conference 2024 when the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was discussed. When I was talking to the organisation behind it, it was clear to me what they think they are doing is just road construction; all about transportation, speed, etc, whereas conceptually, what that particular highway stands for or will bring is opening up the coastal areas of the country. If you can do this, apart from the potentials of opening up new centres of economic growth, there is this possibility that the level of insecurity which to some degree stems from the coastal areas of the country could be mapped. If the proximity of the road to the coast can beam some light and attention on that area, there would be security attention on the area and security is one of the major challenges Nigeria is facing today.
You find out that a lot of corporate entities have left Nigeria due to insecurity. Nigeria should be one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world but most of the international investment outfits that use to be in Nigeria when the colonial masters were here have all left due to insecurity. Unless we do something about insecurity, there is nothing the government can do to change the situation we have at the moment.
Beaming attention on the coastline and securing the place will be the starting point in tackling insecurity in Nigeria.
Those who attended the Blue Economy Conference 2024 in Port Harcourt will recall that the representatives of the construction firm said some non-state actors do disturb the construction work to the point of forcing a change of the route of the road just to accommodate the demands of those groups. It means additional cost on the part of the government. This is a serious matter because it is the responsibility of the Government to decide where roads should pass and to have the final say over security matters. This is fundamental and it is the hallmark of sovereignty which demands that you have control over every inch of the soil where you exercise sovereignty. That is what the government must actually try to assert, and I think that is what enthroning the Blue Economy is going to help to achieve.
So, what have you achieved so far in this advocacy for a Blue Economy?
At the beginning, it was kind of a challenge because there was no recognition. People were like, who is this person; maybe he is just coming to look for how to make money. If there is anything we have achieved, it is recognition.
This project started about four years ago. At that time (in the Mohammadu Buhari administration), awareness was very low. We organized stakeholders conferences, outreaches, etc, but the present administration took it out from the drawing board and set up a Ministry of Marne and Blue Economy which has made a big difference. Before, you were dealing with the Ministry of Transportation but now, it is specific ministry whose main responsibility is to advance the blue economy. That is an achievement that we are actually very proud of.
Where is Nigeria in the steps that can launch the country into a Blue Economy?
Ah, we are just at elementary or advocacy stage. Nigeria has really not started a blue economy. The discussions at this stage seem to be about whether we are to do it or not. We have not really started. There is nothing on ground you can call blue economy.
Like I keep saying, the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Highway, to us, is a major development and we are grateful for that, whether the government realizes it or not.
Why do you advocate for a Blue Economy Commission?
Well, eh, in the course of what I do, which is essentially corporate advisory and advocacy, I have had a lot of instances where I had to deal with many government institutions. I have had a grasp of how our institutions function. When we were kids, when you wrote a letter to a public institution, it was not advisable to go there to check it or follow up. It was certain that they would receive the letter, process the letter, and reply you. Now, if you write a letter to any government institution or ministry, if you do not follow it up, if they do not know who you were, chances are that the letter will end there. You must follow up, but that is wrong. You cannot follow anything up on phone, you must go there. This means there is a culture of not doing anything until the owner shows up. It is total lack of appreciation of what their job is to serve the people. You are actually there to serve the people. Most of these people do not see it as their real job but just one of those jobs. A letter will take over a month to write it, something a person can write in a minute.
From the foregoing, we can say the reason why we are pushing for a Commission as a strategy is because some say blue economy is not new because there are existing structures but the idea of managing a blue economy is new.
There is a need for a structure that is actually new. We have been saying that there is really no way a Ministry can coordinate a blue economy. Look, for this particular event (Blue Economy Conference 2024) it is something that we worked together with the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. But, somehow, somebody just came up with something to do somewhere (a roundtable on Blue Economy to draw up policy steps), but did not remember that the same Ministry was discussing this one with them.
That kind of manner of approach is not going to be acceptable to run a Blue Economy. That’s all the more reason why we press harder to set aside an entity that would focus on Blue Economy. We were saying that the one entity in the world that is akin to what we are asking for is the SEC (Security and Exchange Commission) in the US. That institution like I said is an innocuous institution. It is something you wont feel but it is there until you step on its wires. You buy a single stock in the US that particular day, the SEC will notice that you exist.
We want the establishment of a strong and vibrant institution whose head will be young (between 35 and 40); somebody with a sound education and very comfortable in the computer and IT world, somebody that is financially savvy, tech savvy, and at home with the economy with some consultancy background in first class consultancy institutions around the world. The person would really combine all the elements of the Nigerian economy because at the end of the day, the Blue Economy will be the Nigerian Economy because the Blue Economy affects all aspects of other forms of economy. That is why we are making a case for the establishment of the Nigerian Blue Economy Commission.
Those opposing the idea of a commission or independent body tend to understand it to be demand for another parallel agency whereas you meant independence for the management of the sector?
That’s a fact. You know, in so many ways, it is understandable because there is a high level of ignorance even within the educated class. It will take some time and educating to get people to understand. Sometime today, we were having a discussion of the various agencies in the maritime industry mentioning the likes of NPA (Nigerian Ports Authority) NIMASA (Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration), NIWA (National Inland Waterways Authority), etc. That is why this conference is an ecosystem in the sense that it tried to identify all the stakeholders and those doing legitimate activities in the system. So, the ecosystem is about all the appendages that would be needed to carry out any activity in the Blue Economy of Nigeria. All of these agencies would continue to have their functions. The body to be created to oversee them would continue to evolve but in structure and law. It is a peculiar agency of government that would be regenerative, working with the other agencies and. All other agencies would recognize it as the one that sets the stands that everybody must follow. It would create steps and set goals that would be reviewed. Over time, you will have a specialist role. It is expected to be a very powerful agency that will interpret what Blue Economy means and what every agency in the ecosystem should do within set time. This way, Nigeria will achieve what it should.
Do you think the FG should now begin townhall meetings and engagements to harvest a body of ideas to now plan what to do next in actualizing the Blue Economy?
The answer is yes, but you will think that by now, that would have been done. It is a necessity. The thing with the Blue Economy is that all strata of the economy are affected. One of the things we are pushing is that the littoral states who are the coastal states should have coordinated action from the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to find out what the states are doing and to support their efforts and note timelines and targets for them for the collective good of the country. The states and local governments in Nigeria must understand their roles and stakes in the new economy and understand that they are stakeholders. If they do not understand this, it makes them look like strangers to the Blue Economy project.
Finally, who are you and what gives you the confidence to push such a sensitive project; what background do you have?
My background is in law and investment banking. Primarily, my most important point is that there is nothing without a solution. As an investment anker, I studied financial engineering. Whatever you want to do, you must need money. That is where we come in.
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