By Sam Dimka, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Analyst, Abuja, Nigeria
Let me begin by congratulating Nigeria Magazine at 15. It has been 15 years of insightful, educative and entertaining publication. It has covered a wide range of areas, economy, personalities and entertainment.
Nigeria Magazine has been and will continue to objectivelypassionately and unapologetically be a strong advocate and promoter of all good things about Nigeria. Indeed, Nigeria is a land blessed with enormous potentials – name it, its natural resources that include but not limited to oil and gas, solid minerals (there is no state in Nigeria that does not have a solid mineral that cannot be mined in commercial quantity- gold, bauxite, lithium, bitumen, tin, tantalite, coal – the list goes on). It has vast arable lands suitable for agriculture, about 83 million hectares of arable land. Most importantly it has highly intelligent, motivated and innovative human resources. Nigerians have excelled in all fields of human endeavour all over the world. In fact,acommon cliché has it that wherever you go the world over and you don’t see a Nigeria ‘Just Pack and go’, because there is no life in that place.
Nigeria with enormous God given natural and human resources has made some progress. However, the level of progress should have been much better than where it is today. It is often said that Nigeria lacks the right type of leadership, albeit a transformational leader to put in place the structures and attitude that would harness all these resources for the common good. At the heart of this, is what Nigeria Magazine has been advocating for since inspection 15 years ago.
I can say with confidence, that I have been associated with Nigeria Magazine since it early days. It was in 2012 or there about when our paths crossed with Kede Aihie the publisher. I was in the public service, a pioneer staff of the Nigeria Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Authority (JDA) with Headquarters in Abuja Nigeria and Liaison Office in Sao Tome – A Bilateral organization established by a Treaty signed between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe in 2010 to jointly exploit the petroleum and other natural resources in the joint development Zone (JDZ) representing the overlapping maritime boundaries between the two countries in the Atlantic Ocean.
I was the Deputy Director and Head Corporate and Public Affairs when Kede Aihie came to the Authority to promote Nigeria Magazine and the rest is history because after retiring from the JDA, I was actively involved in many of the activities of Nigeria Magazine. I saw in Kede Aihie and his amiable wife Esosa Aihie and their team a passionate, unapologetically Nigerian and an unwavering commitment to contribute to the development of the Country.
Nigeria Magazine seeks to sensitise those in leadership positions in Nigeria to focus on promoting policies and programmes that will make Nigeria greater than what it is today. It has periscope Nigerians who have excelled and who are doing amazing things in their various locations all over the world. As part of this endeavour, Nigeria Magazine started a business promotion series on the potentials of Nigeria called ‘Revitalize Nigeria’. There were many of these events held in London, United Kingdom which I participated in.
Nigeria is at crossroads today especially when viewed against the emerging world order. We now live at a time when new and strategic alliances must be formed. Globalisation as we used to know it, is gradually being dismantled because many advanced countries are becoming increasingly wary of being generous to developing countries. Many countries are now looking inwards and forging only strategic alliances that will be beneficial to their countries.
Nigeria cannot afford to continue in its old ways of running around looking for aid from international agencies and development partners. Nigeria – the giant of Africa must as matter of urgency wake up from its slumber and chart a new course for the teeming population of Nigerians where over 60 percent of the 220 million people are youth.
How can these youthful population with the guidance of experienced hands be mobilised, energised and motivated to harness the God given resources it has?
This, in my humble opinion is the yawning gap that needs to be addressed and here lies the challenge for Nigeria Magazine and all well-meaning Nigerians. I am confident that given its antecedents Nigeria Magazine will not only up its ante but soar even higher.
I am proud to be associated with the publication and wish them a happy 15th Anniversary and many more milestones in the future.
Sam Dimka, graduated from Kansas State University,Manhattan, Kansas, U.S.A, over 4 decades ago. He has public service experience which he acquired since graduation, spanning several sectors including, Agriculture, Oil and Gas, Diplomacy, Maritime Security and Strategic Communications.
Mr Dimka was on several Nigerian Delegations to OPEC between 1998-2002, including the 2nd OPEC Heads of States Summit in Caracas, Venezuela in September 2000.
He was the Deputy Director and Head of Corporate and Public Affairs of Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe, Joint Development Authority, a Bi-Lateral Organization established by a Treaty in 2001, to exploit the Petroleum and Natural Resources in the Joint Development Zone in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sam attended many Oil and Gas, Leadership, Public Relations courses both in Nigeria and overseas.
Sam Dimka, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Analyst, Abuja, Nigeria
samdimka3@gmail.com
