In his interview with ISS, Issac Adewole discusses his term as Nigeria’s health minister (November 2015-May 2019), especially his role in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. He explains how his ministry worked with others to create a transparent financial management system. He also discusses how the project was implemented throughout Nigeria and the challenges of designing a program involving many central government and state agencies in Nigeria’s federal system of government.
Dr. Isaac Adewole is a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the University of Ibadan and the former minister of health of Nigeria. He served as part of the Cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2019. As minister of health, he took a leading role in the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. Prior to his appointment, he served as vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
In this interview, Kayode Idowu describes his role as Chief Press Secretary for Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He explains the transparency and accountability that Jega has brought to INEC through changes such as maintaining open, honest communication with the media and taking responsibility for problems as they arise. For instance, Idowu recounts the delay in the April 2ndelections, explaining that INEC chose to postpone elections rather than use non-official result sheets that were not secure. He also comments on how the rise of social media has changed media relations, making both INEC and the conventional media more accountable. Idowu discusses his experiences handling the public relations surrounding election violence, distinguishing the security aspects from the electoral aspects of the issue. In response to election violence, INEC initiated cooperative efforts with security agencies; Idowu describes this process as well as INEC’s communication and cooperation with other groups, including Parties, civil society, and the State Electoral Committees. Throughout the interview, Idowu explains how his background in print media helps him understand and relate to the media with whom he works.
At the time of this interview Kayode Idowu was serving as the Chief Press Secretary to Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the commission. Jega recruited Idowu in July of 2010 from his post as deputy editor of The Nation. Idowu previously served as editor of the SaturdayPunch, deputy editor of the SaturdayThis Day, and chief sub editor ofThe Guardian. He is also a former Saturday editor of the now-defunct The Comet.
Dapo Olorunyomi discusses his work as chief of staff for Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He details the evolution of the EFCC’s work with different segments of Nigerian society and focuses on the role of community and media outreach in the EFCC’s anticorruption work. Olorunyomi particularly focuses on the role of religious groups and leaders in supporting anti-corruption efforts, as well as engaging public figures and celebrities to endorse the commission’s work. He also discusses strategies for working with local government officials. Olorunyomi also touches on staff training and retention issues, the political tensions that were sparked when the commission targeted politicians, and the necessity of looking beyond Nigeria’s borders for inspiration and lessons.
At the time of this interview, Dapo Olorunyomi was the enterprise editor at Next Newspapers and executive director of the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism. He served as chief of staff of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from 2005 until he left the EFCC after Chairman Nuhu Ribadu’s dismissal in 2008. He also worked on Ribadu’s 2011 presidential campaign. Olorunyomi worked as a journalist and human rights activist in Nigeria during the military regime of Sani Abacha before moving to the United States, where he worked as the Nigeria Project Director for Freedom House. He returned to Nigeria in 2005 in order to work for the EFCC. He has won numerous awards for his work in journalism, including the PEN Freedom to Write Award in 1996 and the International Editors Award in 1995.
Dora Akunyili describes the eight years she spent serving as the director general (DG) of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Recounting the circumstances of her appointment, Akunyili highlights the tensions surrounding her ascension to the position. From there, she identifies the major challenges she encountered in trying to fulfill her responsibilities as DG, emphasizing the corruption and conflicts of interest that can impede any attempt to address food and drug related problems. She further talks of the many threats to her personal safety and family she faced in the course of her work, and goes on to provide information about the destruction of NAFDAC facilities by those she was targeting. Akunyili describes how, by gradually winning the bolstering confidence and trust of both the Nigerian people and government, creating extensive awareness about drug counterfeiting, and pursuing the counterfeiters with an unwavering dedication to the cause, she and her colleagues significantly reduced the problems of drug and food control that had had significant repercussions in Nigeria. Akunyili stresses the importance of never compromising one's ideals and "selling out" to the very people one is looking to put behind bars, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of dedicated and honest leadership in the success of any effective institutional reform.
At the time of this interview, Dora Nkem Akunyili was the minister of the Federal Ministry of Information and Communication in Nigeria. She was appointed to this position in December 2008. Prior to this appointment, she was the director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for nearly eight years, taking office in April 2001. As director general, Akunyili was an integral part of the campaign that worked tirelessly and with significant success for the eradication of counterfeit drugs and unsafe food in Nigeria. A pharmacist before becoming a governmental administrator, Akunyili was a senior lecturer and a consultant pharmacologist in the College of Medicine at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) until her appointment as director general. She was also the zonal secretary of Petroleum Special Trust Fund (PTF) for four years. She has received international recognition and numerous accolades for her work in pharmacology, public health, and human rights, including a Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner Award by International Service in 2005.
Obadiah Mailafia recounts his experiences as the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, where he was responsible for monetary policy, statistics, economic analysis and relations with regional and international institutions. His governorship came at a time of financial flux in the country, and Mailafia participated and led a number of progressive reforms. The three that he emphasizes were the consolidation of the banking system, the establishment of a policy support instrument in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund, and the negotiations with the Paris Club for debt relief. These reforms, in particular the consolidation and overhaul of the banking system, met strong and sometimes violent resistance, but reformers attempted to maintain public support by maintaining openness and transparency, engaging with the press along the way. The reform was nonetheless slow and was susceptible to cults of personality, corruption and changes in government that left efforts vulnerable to backfire or failure. Mailafia also identifies areas of the Nigerian civil service that require training and capacity building, particularly information technology and statistics services as well as leadership training. He credits much of the central bank's success to the open and team-like community he cultivated with his employees, whom he describes as the brightest in the civil service.
At the time of this interview, Obadiah Mailafia was the director of the Center for Policy and Economic Research, a Nigerian macroeconomics and public policy think tank that he founded. Mailafia studied economics at the Institut International d’Administration Publique (of l’École Nationale d’Administration) in France, and went on to earn his doctorate in economic development and international relations at Oriel College of Oxford. He taught at the American University of London and at Regent’s Business School before he joined the African Development Bank, first in Côte d’Ivoire and then Tunisia. He received the Mamoun Beheiry Award for distinguished service to the ADB Group. In 2005, Mailafia was invited back to his native Nigeria to serve as the deputy governor of the central bank, a post that he held until 2007. He was briefly a senior policy adviser to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the rank of Minister of State. After this interview, Mailafia was appointed chief of staff at the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States in Brussels.
Sarah Adebisi Sosan discusses the governance plan implemented by Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola in Lagos State, with special emphasis on the education initiatives in which she was personally involved since the beginning. In the context of the Nigerian policy of universal education and the challenges raised by service provision in a large metropolitan area, most measures focused on enhancing the inclusiveness of the school system within urban areas and the extension of educational infrastructure into rural areas. In particular, to address the financial burden faced by parents, the state provided free textbooks, covered fees for national terminal examinations and made transportation and meal arrangements for children with special needs both within the regular school system and at specialized institutions. A second focus was on infrastructure and equipment, especially concerning laboratories. A third focus was on capacity building through the school system in a variety of ways: by improving technical and vocational schools, by promoting sporting and science competitions, and by requiring membership in a state-sponsored scout organization aimed at building leadership skills and providing children with teamwork experience. This approach complemented emphasis on teacher training and awards to incentivize good teaching. Sosan singles out funding as the main challenge faced by the governance program and in particular by its educational component. While most of these reforms were facilitated by a significant initial budgetary increase, Lagos state fostered involvement of private actors through programs such as "Adopt a School." Public support and trust were secured through both follow-up on electoral promises and as a result of increased transparency and access to top officials. Other areas such as health care and transportation were at the center of similar progress, with Lagos state focusing on visible issues that could enhance public confidence in the government.
At the time of this interview, Sarah Adebisi Sosan was the deputy governor of Lagos State during the governorship of Babatunde Raji Fashola. Trained as a teacher, she served as the principal education officer of the Lagos Ministry of Education from 1990 until 1999. Among other accomplishments, she contributed to maintaining computerization on the ministry's agenda. She was appointed as deputy governor in 2007.
Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke recounts his experiences developing tourism in the Nigerian state. He explains how investing in education and health care and improving service delivery, agriculture and infrastructure were key components in this process. Duke goes into detail about how appointing the right people was essential to the task, as well as changing the inherent culture in the civil service left over from years of military rule, and the mediation of conflicts of interest that became apparent. Duke talks about the need for specific training of civil service staff, as well as the compromises made to accommodate opposition party members. He explains how required funds were secured from banks and funding agencies, and he emphasizes the need for thorough and accurate data analysis of before any reforms were to be implemented. Duke recounts how he used digital mapping of the state to influence his investment in infrastructure. Throughout the interview, Duke explains the need for leaders to be approachable, open to the public and dedicated.
Donald Duke served as governor of Cross River State, Nigeria, for two terms spanning 1999 to 2007. During his terms as governor, Duke initiated a variety of reforms promoting business, tourism and investment in Cross River State. Before running for office, he served as commissioner for finance, budget and planning, and as a member of the National Economic Intelligence Committee and the Federal Economic Council. He earned a law degree from Nigeria's Ahmadu Bello University, and a master's in law from the University of Pennsylvania.
Muiz Banire discusses the reforms he implemented as Commissioner for the Environment in Lagos State as well as other government posts. Among his major advances was the execution of systematic refuse disposal. Banire hopes to improve this system even further by recycling more of Lagos’s waste. He explains that a major element of the successful reforms was educating people on the rules and alternatives to problematic behaviors. Additionally, communicating the individual benefits of alternative practices helped spread change. Banire found that interpersonal communication was the most effective method of delivering his messages. In this interview, he explains how his department prioritized their various goals, picking achievable targets despite the large quantities of improvements they sought. Banire operated at the local government level, setting up offices within Lagos State’s local governments. In four of the twenty local governments, he established zero-tolerance offices to reduce environmental nuisances. He also describes international initiatives to address climate change, including West Africa’s first International Summit. The reforms incorporated the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government, and Banire talks about the legal process of setting up these reforms. He also describes his human resource management and how he worked with his staff. Banire stresses that he found a role for everyone. Overall, Banire says his work as Commissioner of the Environment increased the number of jobs in Lagos State.
At the time of this interview, Dr. Muiz Banire was Commissioner for the Environment in Lagos State, Nigeria, a position he had held since 2007. Having been in government since the late 1990s, he had previously served as Commissioner for Special Duties in the governor’s office and Commissioner for Transportation of Lagos State. Prior to that, he had practiced law and taught law at the University of Lagos. He holds a doctorate degree in Property Law from the University of Lagos. He is the author of several publications, including numerous articles: The Nigerian Law of Trusts (2002) and co-author of The Blue Book 2004: Practical Approach to the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004.
In this interview, Professor Humphrey Assisi Asobie recounts his experiences working for the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to increase transparency within the Nigerian government and its service industries through the increased involvement of civil society organizations. He goes into detail about the challenges he initially faced in his role, including recruitment issues, maintaining a strong moral compass, increasing capacity to undertake the work, countering the culture of secrecy amongst the bureaucracy, and finances. Asobie provides step-by-step guides as to how he tried to address these issues, and how he ensured the ideas were favorably received. He also talks about his efforts to build support for the reform initiatives to help move the reform process along, and the role of NGOs, civil society, and the public. He addresses questions regarding the purpose of transparency initiatives, and how to engage civil society not only in the initiatives, but also in using the information provided. He also emphasizes the need to conduct reform efforts against corruption from the ground up in order to establish a base from which to attack those higher up the ladder. Throughout the interview Asobie is candid about what strategies worked, what strategies did not work, and the lessons learned from the process.
At the time of this interview, Professor Humphrey Assisi Asobie was head of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for Nigeria. He has been involved in the program since 2004 as the head of Transparency in Nigeria, representing civil society at EITI. Prior to his role at EITI, he was President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria as well as Vice President and subsequently President of Transparency Nigeria. Upon his appointment as Chairman of EITI in Nigeria in 2008, he stopped being a representative of civil society and began representing Nigeria.
In this interview, Nyimbi Odero explains the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission in providing a certified voters’ register for the 2011 elections in Nigeria. He describes his role in designing and obtaining the necessary equipment to run the election through the mechanism of a reverse vickery auction designed to improve transparency. He details the process by which the INEC redesigned the power system to run on extended lithium ferrous phosphate batteries to increase efficiency. He explains how he led the INEC in taking advantage of existing open source software and altering it to fit the Nigerian context. He elaborates on how this effort to be cost efficient was initially met with a backlash from companies that had traditionally profited from the elections. Odero describes how his team installed a patching infrastructure to facilitate the process of installing software on a large number of computers that were used for the voter registration, and explains how culturally embedded meanings of the word ‘patch’ caused Nigerians to be skeptical of the new technology. He discusses how severe time constraints forced the INEC to train people and improvise with equipment throughout the registration process rather than before it began. Odero touches on the key role that Nigerian youth played throughout the process. He explains how the INEC used social media to involve the Nigerian electorate, and details the widespread use of mobile phones to improve security and information sharing. He concludes by emphasizing the potential of open source software to improve the transparency and efficiency of democratic elections across the African continent.
At the time of this interview, Nyimbi Odero was a consultant for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nigeria. A native to Kenya, Odero has extensive experience as a software, Internet, and network entrepreneur with various startups in Africa. Prior to joining INEC as an electoral assistant, he worked as the Office Lead for English-speaking West Africa at Google. In that role, he created programs, initiatives and projects to increase the number of Internet users in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia. He has experience engaging the government as well as the public and private sector regarding policies regulating the competitiveness and accessibility of the Internet. Odero has a special interest in education, and he initiated the Google University Access Programme, which delivers bandwidth, wireless networks and inexpensive computing devices to university students and communities.
