As Nigeria seeks to attract investments and partnerships once again, here are some simple yet important principles that, if effectively implemented in politics, could significantly enhance the country’s attractiveness and potentially lead to greater achievements. These principles include devolving powers with clear accountability, setting time-bound targets that are publicly monitored, and using procurement as a key indicator of policy effectiveness.
Devolution with accountability is essential. Local communities face specific challenges such as managing markets, maintaining roads, running clinics, and supporting schools, all of which require tailored local budgets and clear performance metrics. Relying solely on centralised decision-making can cause delays, while decentralising without establishing proper standards can lead to chaos and disorder. Achieving the right balance is a matter of careful design and deliberate planning, not leaving it to chance.
We must establish clear, specific objectives that are bound by deadlines, with mechanisms in place for public oversight and regular updates. This approach should be applied particularly within sectors such as electricity, port management, and the justice system. It is essential to cultivate the habit of setting targets on a quarterly, semi-annual, and annual basis, ensuring that progress towards these aims is transparently monitored and publicly reported.
We should develop the capability to forecast and evaluate the delivery of commitments made by a government elected for a four-year term, with milestones set at intervals prior to the end of that period. Additionally, our parliamentary benches and legal professionals need to become adept at operating within established timelines and deadlines. Experience demonstrates that bureaucratic organisations tend to perform more efficiently when they operate with greater transparency and minimal unnecessary oversight — a lighter, more streamlined bureaucratic approach.
Procurement practices are a reflection of a government’s approach to governance itself. How a government buys is how a government governs. When a government adopts transparent and competitive procurement procedures, it not only ensures more economical spending but also enhances the quality of goods and services acquired. Furthermore, such openness helps to mitigate the influence of political patronage and favouritism, which can alienate large sections of the population and foster feelings of resentment and hostility among those who are overlooked or marginalised. A fair and transparent procurement system fosters trust, promotes fairness, and strengthens the integrity of public administration.
Outsiders might not always point this out, as it may not serve their interests, but we must recognise that being attractive to others is merely a means to an end, not the end in itself. Our current practical and intellectual engagement with California, and perhaps with other regions in the future, should prompt us to revisit and reconsider the traditional notion of natural resources in relation to that of resourcefulness. All too often, I have heard commentators and analysts focus predominantly on our natural resources, without giving sufficient thought to the importance of resourcefulness and ingenuity.
California’s gold rush served as a prelude rather than an ultimate destiny. The true treasure in California turned out to be living in the realm of technology and services, which ultimately reshaped the economy and society.
Conversely, Nigeria’s oil rush has for too long risked becoming a destiny rather than just a prelude to future growth. When a commodity pays the bills, creativity tends to shift towards consumption rather than innovation. When a nation’s economy depends heavily on commodity revenues, there’s a danger for innovation and creativity to settle into comfort zones: renting a room instead of building a solid, enduring house.
The solution lies in courageous diversification, with firm resolve: we must make investment in sectors beyond oil more appealing by lowering barriers and boosting profitability, ensuring that the country’s future is rooted in sustainable growth rather than reliance on finite resources.
There are numerous priorities that we must concentrate on and establish partnerships to effectively address. These include sectors that have the potential to generate considerable wealth for Nigeria and its partners, such as California, while simultaneously creating employment opportunities for Nigerian citizens. Key areas of focus encompass energy production, logistics and transportation, digital technology, and education. By collaborating in these critical sectors, we can work towards sustainable economic growth and development for Nigeria and interested partners.
The importance of power cannot be overstated. Reliable and affordable electricity is simply a foundational element of new industrial policy. Every kilowatt of energy produced has the potential to significantly boost productivity, help reduce inflation, and expand the tax base, thereby strengthening the economy. We must focus on consolidating our traditional energy sources, while also actively exploring and developing renewable and alternative energy options to ensure a resilient and sustainable supply. The dedicated team at the LEETS Project deserves special recognition for their valuable contributions to these efforts.
Logistics is fundamental to a nation’s economic efficiency. When a country prioritises seamless logistics and transportation, it effectively reduces the gap between innovative ideas and financial success. Well-organised transport systems operate quietly yet powerfully; they communicate a clear message to investors — that the nation is prepared for business and values their investments.
Importantly, even challenges in the logistics sector can be viewed as opportunities for improvement. Demonstrating a genuine commitment to upgrading infrastructure — such as roads, railways, maritime routes, and air travel — to be safe, accessible, and affordable for more individuals and businesses not only addresses existing problems but also signals a proactive approach towards economic growth. This visible dedication to development fosters confidence among investors and stakeholders, underscoring the vital role of efficient ports and logistics in national prosperity.
We must begin to view the digital process as both a public and private infrastructure, integral to our daily lives. Essential elements such as digital identity, financial transactions, official registries, and land documentation form the very plumbing of a modern economy. When these digital pipelines are kept clean, accessible, and widespread, they enable the smooth flow of talent, resources, and ideas, fostering greater collaboration and innovation throughout society and beyond our shores.
Partners and investors rely on impartial referees, so any society that wants to attract them needs to ensure their presence is felt.
In California, the success of the state’s innovative ecosystems can be attributed to transparent and visible institutions such as courts, regulators, and auditors. These entities serve as credible referees, ensuring that the rules are enforced fairly.
Nigeria’s markets and system are in dire need of the same kind of trustworthy oversight: non-intrusive referees who make dishonest practices costly and promote fair competition. When justice is delayed or can be negotiated, honest players suffer twice: first, by the actions of the corrupt, and second, by the erosion of public trust and cynicism. Conversely, a dependable referee attracts and encourages participants who wish to compete and succeed within the framework of clear rules and genuine fairness. Such institutions are the backbone of thriving, equitable markets and societies at large.
The diaspora dividend is a resource we undervalue at our own expense. California has perfected the art of transforming outsiders into insiders. Nigeria’s diaspora—rich in capital, skills, and networks—remains an underutilised partner. The approach is simple: facilitate investment, secure contracts, provide tax clarity, and create vehicles for co-investment in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. The diaspora will handle the rest; passion simply needs an entry point. A nation that fails to value its diaspora will lose them to countries that know how to turn outsiders into insiders.
Though moving in two directions, there is one lesson the two giants can learn from each other about the paradox of structure.
California must confront its own paradox: prosperity that prices out the future. Housing, infrastructure delays, and regulatory thickets threaten the very dynamism that made the state a magnet. The lesson from Nigeria’s relentless improvisation is that flexibility and speed are not enemies of standards; they are the proof of living institutions. Reform, in both places, means making the rules firm enough to be fair and light enough to let people move.
Nigeria must confront its central paradox: potential without routine. The work ahead is not poetic; it is procedural — power on, contracts honoured, courts quick, ports efficient, schools competent, budgets published. Nations grow when ordinary things work.
From legend to ledger: Potential is a charming myth; fulfilment is a ledger. California’s strength has been in turning dreams into actions and pricing them in markets. Nigeria’s opportunity lies in transforming energy into systems and systems into trust. Giants grow not by lifting heavier weights but by mastering better techniques. The blueprint is straightforward: ideas that are free to compete, rules that are clear to all, and institutions strong enough to be unremarkable.
If California remembers that inclusion must be affordable and Nigeria recalls that ambition must be operational, both giants will continue their ascent — one maintaining its edge, the other reaping its dividend. And the world, which values their music, films, microchips, markets, and intellect, will benefit from it.
Join me @anthonykila, if you can, to continue these conversations.
