THE CONVENER-IN-CHIEF OF WESTERN NIGERIA, HIS THEORY OF NATIONAL CHANGE, REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AND TRANSFORMATION

Dipo Famakinwa is dead and while my mind tries to grapple with the monumental loss, I felt this morning that I would like to preoccupy my mind with Why He Lived.

My friend, colleague and “Egbon”, that I fondly called “Convener-in-Chief of Western Nigeria” was the epitome and expression of the aspirations of millions of Nigerians, for a Prosperous, Peaceful and United Nigeria driven by Economic Competitiveness, Sustainability and Inclusiveness. In his time as DG DAWN, he worked tirelessly to build bridges within and across political party lines in the greater regional and national interest, and providing Nigeria is first leading regional platform where the Governors were committed, invested and dedicated to a Strategic Framework for Regional Coordination as the basis for Regional Competitiveness.

To the onlooker, at first glance this would appear as a mere ethnic agenda that sought to further divide Nigeria, except you understood Dipo’s Theory of Change and National Transformation. Something he fondly called “One Bloc” Template.

The first time he discussed this concept to my hearing was it was still loosely binding to his curious and fertile mind, Dipo was sitting in the Boardroom of the Workforce Management Centre, and my partner and friend many years, Bolaji Olagunju had called me in to introduce Dipo. Mr. Famakinwa had just been appointed by The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) the Pioneer DG of DAWN, No Structure, No Staff, No Institutional Support, No Partners, No Significant Funding, but a clear and passionate commitment to drive and achieve in his time the regional integration of Western Nigeria. And yes, Workforce Group helped to headhunt the pioneer talents at the DAWN Commission and Dipo would now and again note the difference highly capable individuals made in accelerating DAWN towards its goals.

If the track record of Late DG DAWN is anything to go by, he is primarily responsible for “the renewed fervour by Southwest States regarding regional integration and cooperation, which has led to smooth cooperation among Southwest Governors” as noted by the ARG yesterday.

THE KEY ELEMENTS OF DIPO'S THEORY OF CHANGE AND REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

So, what was the theory of Change in the mind of Dipo as he dotted Nigeria advocating, intervening, mobilising and engaging regional and national stakeholders? In his own words,

“The entire world waits for Africa. Africa looks up to Nigeria. Nigeria must devise the means to enable and empower her constituents to deliver on strong economic performance, and Western Nigeria must lead the way”

On several occasions, I would probe him on the how of his philosophy and he would say “the One Bloc” Template. So, one day in 2016, as Nigerian Economic Summit Group was preparing for World Economic Forum Session on National Competitiveness, where he was meant to speak, he sends me a manifesto in which he describes the One Bloc Theory of Change. He argued that National Competitiveness has evaded Nigeria because we had not paid deep attention to regional competitiveness. He noted that,

“because Competitiveness relates to the productive capacity of a nation, region or state to effectively utilise its human, capital and natural resources. It is the only forte of nations and the measure of their level of social progress and economic sophistication. Indeed, in the age of globalisation, the performance of nations is better assessed by their level of competitive abilities and capabilities. Within the context of the current national challenges, competitiveness is the only way for jobs, growth, revenue, prosperity . Of course, there is a direct correlation between competitiveness and the creation of peace and social harmony”

Dipo therefore insisted that the key drivers of National Competitiveness where Regional and hence, the axis of intervention that gives us to impetus to leapfrog into the comity of advanced nations. Trust Mr. Famakinwa for depth of research and empirical evidence, he went on to present this theory of change within the Porters Competitive Advantage of Nations. Noting that,

 “According to Professor Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School, Regions are the most important economic unit for development and competitiveness in large countries such as Nigeria. Within most of our States, there is limited capacity for radical transformation. The competitiveness of Nigeria lies within the Regions – the essential drivers of Nigeria’s competitiveness reside in the Regions. Nigeria’s new growth model should be predicated on organizing for regional development”.

Unlocking Economic Growth and Competitiveness: Dipo’s most potent position on the restructuring of Nigeria was based on the fact conviction that organising for regional actions, mobilisation of regional endowments and assets, and optimising the space for development through the Regions constitute the key to achieving sustainable growth in Nigeria.

“The Regions should become the strategic anchors for development and empowering them as centre of development activities, economic development and social engineering is the way to go. Scale is where the traction, the big results and sustainability lie”

According to Dipo, The One Bloc Theory of Change and Philosophy of National Restructuring was a Cause-Effect Logic that required no defense:

• Step 1 - Regional Integration: Geo-political Zones as Development Centres
• Step 2 - Regional competitiveness: Competition and cooperation
• Step 3 - Regional Development: Economic Development and Social Transformation
• Step 4 – National Competitiveness - Inclusive economic growth, Shared prosperity, Resource optimization, Improved revenue, Improved well-being and Greater Nigeria

The Strategic Processes of Change and National Restructuring

Dipo did not just believe in his theory of change, this is the basis of what DAWN has achieved to date. Within the DAWN Commission he implemented strategic processes for engaging the Western Region:

• Bridge excessive developmental disproportions among our States
• Optimise regional assets and endowments, as well as the collective enterprise of all the people living, working and investing in the Region for development
• Optimise the utilisation of common templates, and pursuance of joint programmes, joint ventures and joint projects as a deliberate development strategy
• Optimise the space for shared learning and implementation of best practices
• Optimise State-level developmental activities especially in line with their respective comparative/competitive advantages

The result of this approach is self-evident for all to see. According to the ARG Chairman,

“The DAWN Agenda may have remained a document on the shelves, like many of such in Nigeria but Famakinwa, following the adoption of the Commission by the Southwest Governors, worked hard to give life to it and nurtured the seed to a blossoming tree that is now the model and go-to place as far as regional integration in Nigeria is concerned.”

Every time Dipo and I spoke in 2017, he noted that it took more than Western Nigeria and that there was a need to get the One Bloc Theory of Change incorporated into each Region of Nigeria for action. In death, the Convener-in-Chief of Western Nigeria bequeaths to us a legacy of impact and an agenda for a bright future. “Egbon” Eternal Peace and Rest. Tayo Aduloju