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Okowa; Leadership, Deviance and Decisiveness

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Ifeanyi Okowa Delta State

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

Although the word deviance often carries negative connotations, it is not synonymous with dysfunctionality.

Deviance is, at heart, a creative act-a way of searching out and inventing new approaches to doing things. Acts of deviance can point to areas where organizations/society/nations need to change and can result in fruitful alternatives. The chief thing to keep in mind here is that norms can have expectations. By challenging a particular norm, we can play a role in changing it.

Without an iota of doubt, the above expression by Leslie Perlow aptly captures transformational leadership prowess demonstrated in the past six years by Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Delta State.

This claim is evident in ways and manner he has to the admiration of many piloted and challenged particular norms lacking in the human face at both state and federal levels, and in the process played a key role in changing them.

Specifically, while it is common knowledge that the governor has recently in the state scored high points in areas such as youth empowerment, infrastructural provisions, security and peacebuilding, it is of considerable importance to underline that Okowa is presently making in-road and covering new grounds in areas that are more national in outlook.

Commenting on these new areas is the objective of this intervention.

But before then, it is important to add that decisiveness/ transformation is not new to Governor Okowa. He is transformation personified.

A medical doctor turned politician. A politician turned Administrative Secretary of Ika Local Government; Administrative Secretary turned Local Government Chairman (Ika Local Government); Local Government Chairman turned Commissioner where he at different times and places transversed about three different ministries; Commissioner turned Secretary to the State Government (SSG); Secretary to the State Government (SSG turned Senator and of course a Senator turned Governor of the state who is now serving out his second in office in that position.

Let’s look at these issues beginning with his recent call for a complete overhaul of the nation’s 1999 Constitution.

It was widely reported that the Senate Sub-Committee on review of the 1999 Constitution met recently, with Governor Okowa in Asaba, the state capital.

Surprisingly but to the admiration of all, Governor Okowa was not only decisive but emphatic in his position/demand. While he noted that Nigeria needs a new constitution, he kicked against the amendment of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Let’s listen to him; a new constitution for the country had become necessary in view of inherent flaws in the 1999 Constitution. It’s good enough that those sent here are familiar with the zone. So, when the people speak, they would understand “But, I also wished that some persons from other zones actually had the opportunity to come here and hear the voices of our people directly, because sometimes we do not understand the extent of the pains that the Niger Delta people truly suffer in the country.

“We believe in one country and in the unity of Nigeria, but we will continue to ask for equity as a people, and I know that the people will give their opinion at the public hearing,” he stated.

The governor urged the National Assembly to reconsider power devolution to the states, review revenue allocation formula, oil derivation and state police in the amendment to enable the Chairman of Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to provide a revenue allocation formula proposal directly before the lawmakers.

He lamented that the revenue allocation formula had not been reviewed for the last 24 years, whereas it was supposed to be reviewed every five years, Okowa noted that oil-producing states had continued to struggle for the 13 per cent derivation fund, adding that oil was a wasting asset, while the environment where it was being extracted had continued to be polluted and degraded.

Away from the call for a complete overhaul to the call for nation restructuring, he again going by media reports captures it this way; the voices for restructuring have been very strong out there. Why will somebody even criticize restructuring? The only thing you need to know is that restructuring is of various facets, you only have to bring forth your arguments”.

His stand came against the backdrop of the criticisms of the Asaba Declaration by Abubakar Malami, Federal Attorney and Minister of Justice including Mallam Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman.

“I actually thought that the voices who tend to criticize the meeting failed to have an understanding. People should learn to approach things after a very deep thought rather than just looking at the surface, picking one thing and speaking about it.

“We actually came in as state governors to reaffirm our belief in the Nigerian state and secondly we do also realise that there are things going on very wrongly and there was a need to address them”, the governor said.

On the enactment of anti-open grazing laws in the state, the Governor again, scored a very high point as he berated critics of southern governors on the ban of open grazing of cattle and the call for national dialogue to restructure Nigeria.

“These were part of the decisions taken when he hosted his 16 colleagues on May 11, 2021, in Asaba where they also called for state police and devolution of powers from the Federal Government to the States.

“We owe no apologies because we spoke the truth and we thought that the truth we spoke was in the best interest of this nation. Can we truly at this moment be promoting open grazing?

“Thank God that the President was misrepresented because I have seen news headlines that the President is not opposed to the ban on open grazing. We need to begin to look into what is best for us. Where we were 50 years ago should not be where we should be today and tomorrow.

“Today, a lot of money is being spent by the Central Bank of Nigeria to encourage farmers to ensure that we are food sufficient but a lot of these efforts are lost, because of insecurity. Farmers can’t go to the farm, their crops are destroyed, they are maimed and raped and some are even killed. We cannot continue like this, because if you have a programme you are spending billions on, we must secure it and we must ensure the food security of this country.

“Ranching obviously is the only way out as is happening in other climes and it’s not impossible in this place. In some parts of Taraba State, ranching has been on for so many years and we can actually create those ranches where the cattle will have more meat, more milk and then the children can actually afford to go to school.

“We may not go into the big ranches but we can start in some form by acquiring some lands for that purpose and it may not be owned by individuals. Government can own the ranches where individuals can come and populate and pay some form of token”, the governor stated.

On power rotation in the state, Mr Governor also created new awareness.

Speaking through, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, his Chief Press Secretary, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa among other concerns noted that there is an insinuation making the rounds that the governor came to power through zoning.

That assertion, he noted, was wrong because people from other senatorial districts participated in the primaries that brought him to power. He said that there was no time in the history of the state that any primary for the governorship was allowed as an exclusive preserve of any senatorial district.

“We are all witnesses to the primaries that brought him to power, persons from the other senatorial districts in the state other than Delta North, participated in the exercise.

“There was no time in the state, particularly in this present dispensation that any primary for governorship has been allowed to be for only one particular senatorial district.

“In all the records we have, primaries had been for all comers; people from all the senatorial districts always participated in all of that.

“For the one that brought Okowa to power in 2015, we are aware that aspirants from Central and South Senatorial Districts participated, including a former minister who has become an apostle of zoning and saying that zoning consensus brought Governor Okowa to power.

He fired again; “Indeed, former Chief of Staff, Olorogun David Edevbie, came second in that race, meaning that if he had come first, there was no way they would have asked him to stay away and allow Okowa to grab the ticket on the grounds that it was the turn of Delta North to produce the governor.

“In other words, it is not true that it was zoning that brought Okowa to power; it was his person, his pedigree in politics and the grace of God. He also had, as he still does, immense goodwill across the three senatorial districts.”

In all these, Mr Okowa’s latest call on political appointees to be a repository of ideas that will end poverty and social vices in the country appears to be the most appreciated by the people of the state.

The governor while inaugurating eight newly-appointed special advisers at Government House, Asaba, noted that the times were difficult for Nigerians and that this was not the time for them to be lazy in their duties. Even as he urged political appointees to commit themselves to more work to revive the economy and create opportunities for the younger generation, he decried the high rate of youth unemployment which, he said, had driven many into self-help, leading to the current social vices in the country.

In my view, such comment/notion can only come from an honest and decisive National Leadership.

Jerome-Mario Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via jeromeutomi@yahoo.com/08032725374.

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Collaboration Made Easy Using a Work Management Platform

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Firas Jadalla Genetec

By Firas Jadalla

Effective collaboration between security operators, teams, and other departments is essential for the smooth functioning of any organization. However, as organizations grow in complexity, it becomes increasingly challenging for teams to coordinate. Factors such as staffing shortages, high turnover rates, and outdated collaboration tools exacerbate these challenges.

When staff rely on multiple disconnected tools for dispatch, reporting, and task tracking, operations often become fragmented, leading to delays and gaps in communication. In critical areas like safety and security, these inefficiencies can have serious consequences.

Work management solutions bridge these gaps by managing, tracking, and documenting activities, streamlining processes, and fostering real-time collaboration. Built specifically for security teams, these solutions enhance communication, boosts productivity, and improves overall operational efficiency through workflow automation.

Organizations in Africa and the Middle East operate in high-security environments where seamless collaboration is essential. A robust work management platform enables swift response and coordination across complex operational landscapes.

This growing need for integration is driving more organizations to align their security and IT departments. According to a recent Genetec report, 78% of end users in the META region indicate that these departments now work collaboratively, reflecting a shift toward a more unified security approach.

Overcoming barriers to effective collaboration

Over time, many organizations accumulate a patchwork of databases, spreadsheets, and standalone systems to communicate, create reports, and track activities. Some still rely on outdated paper-and-pen processes, which aren’t only time-consuming but also prone to errors. These disjointed methods hinder information sharing and coordination.A digital work management platform consolidates these fragmented systems, offering teams a unified view of activities accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. To take full advantage of their security system data, security teams need to consider more than a generic work management solution.

An ideal work management solution for security teams should accommodate security activities such as guard tours, patrols, and maintenance inspections. It should also seamlessly integrate with existing security systems. For instance, a video operator should be able to create a work request with an attached camera snapshot and route it to the appropriate team in just a few clicks. To ensure trustworthy audits and reporting, the work management system should be built with strong cybersecurity measures and ensure that data can’t be manipulated after the fact by applying blockchain principles.

Benefits of work management systems

Implementing a work management system can transform security operations in several ways:

  • Improved Communication: Teams gain real-time visibility into task progress, responsibilities, and pending assignments. Updates and alerts can be shared seamlessly to request assistance or provide situational awareness.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Every team member contributes to shared goals rather than isolated tasks. Custom API integrations can connect with other systems, such as employee apps, further fostering teamwork.
  • Time Savings: Built-in reporting tools automate activity logs and compliance audits, freeing up time for other critical tasks.
  • Operational Efficiency: Routine tasks, incident management, and resource tracking are streamlined. Tasks are assigned to personnel with the appropriate skills, tools, and knowledge, ensuring readiness and precision.
  • Workflow Automation: Automations simplify recurring tasks, such as setting reminders, generating reports, or notifying team leads when new requests are added.
  • Resource Optimization: Features like work ticketing and asset management enable efficient resource allocation and management of internal and external requests.
  • Mobile Support: Field officers benefit from mobile apps that enhance situational awareness, communication, and access to standard operating procedures on the go.

Today, governments in Africa, for instance, are heavily investing in smart security solutions as part of their national digital transformation strategies. A centralized work management platform not only supports these efforts but also helps businesses align with evolving security regulations, ensuring compliance and streamlining reporting processes.

Tips for successful implementation

Every organization has unique workflows, so selecting a customizable work management system is crucial. It’s important to choose a solution that’s customizable and intuitive to minimize the need for extensive training.Integration is another key factor.

A platform that deeply integrates with your existing security ecosystem provides a cohesive view of operations and eliminates the need for manual data transfers or redundant processes.A well-designed work management system can break down silos, empower teams, and boost efficiency. To ensure a successful deployment, adopt a lean and agile approach: start small and gradually incorporate more features as your team becomes comfortable with the platform.

With initiatives like Kenya’s Konza Techno City, Nigeria’s Eko Atlantic City and Abuja Centenary City, organizations are increasingly integrating AI-driven security and IoT-enabled monitoring into their operations. A work management platform with automation capabilities supports these advanced security frameworks.

Firas Jadalla is the regional director for Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Genetec Incorporated

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From Struggle to Stability: How FinTech is Helping Nigerian SMEs Overcome Cash Flow Challenges

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From Struggle to Stability

When Mrs Agbaje started her school in Ibadan twelve years ago, she didn’t envision a tech-enabled future. Her dream was simple—provide affordable, quality education to children in her community. For the most part, she made it work. But as the school grew, a new challenge took root. It wasn’t infrastructure. It wasn’t teacher retention. It was something far more basic: getting paid.

Each new term brings the same pattern. Parents promise to pay fees “by next week.” Some follow through. Many don’t. As the term wears on, Mrs Agbaje finds herself juggling spreadsheets, reminder texts, and awkward conversations in car parks or at school gates. Meanwhile, salaries must be paid, books restocked, diesel bought. More often than not, she dips into personal savings to keep things running.

Her story is common across Nigeria. Small businesses—whether they’re schools, salons, logistics firms, or cooperative groups—are constantly navigating the emotional and financial toll of delayed payments. And it’s not just a matter of inconvenience. A recent study by MacTay Consulting found that Nigerian SMEs wait between 60 to 120 days on average to receive payment for services or products already delivered. That kind of delay is more than a hiccup. It threatens livelihoods. It blocks growth. It’s a silent killer.

For Chuks, who runs a car hire service in Enugu, the issue is tied to his bigger corporate clients. They insist on “net 30” or “net 60” terms—industry-speak for “we’ll pay you in a month or two.” That might be manageable for a large fleet with strong cash reserves, but for someone like Chuks, every week matters. With fuel prices rising and maintenance bills stacking up, he’s often forced to park cars because he doesn’t have the cash to fix them—even when work is lined up.

What links these stories is the reality that small businesses operate in a system where money is constantly in motion but rarely on time. Customers often mean well, but their own financial instability creates a domino effect. And the existing tools to manage payments—handwritten ledgers, POS machines, WhatsApp reminders—were never designed for structure. They’re patched solutions to a systemic problem.

Even digital banking, for all its advancement in Nigeria, hasn’t solved this issue. Many SMEs still operate informally, managing finances through personal bank accounts or apps not tailored to business needs. The result is a messy web of follow-ups, reconciliations, and emotional strain. Business owners become debt collectors, chasing down what they’ve already earned, time and time again.

What’s often missed in conversations about entrepreneurship is just how deeply this problem cuts. Payment delays mean rent can’t be paid on time. It means holding off on hiring a new staff member, or letting go of a part-time assistant. It means saying no to growth opportunities, not because they’re not viable, but because the cash flow isn’t predictable enough to take the risk.

And when you zoom out, the implications are national. Small businesses make up over 90% of enterprises in Nigeria. They contribute nearly half of the country’s GDP and employ a significant portion of the workforce. Yet, their greatest enemy isn’t market competition—it’s irregular income. This is a structural inefficiency that deserves far more attention than it gets.

Slowly, however, change is beginning to show. A quiet revolution is underway—one where technology is stepping in not as a trend, but as a tool for financial stability. More SMEs are beginning to explore digital solutions that streamline payments and reduce friction between businesses and customers.

Among these solutions is PaywithAccount, a new tool launched by Nigerian fintech company OnePipe. Designed specifically for businesses with recurring payments—schools, cooperatives, service providers—it allows them to automate collections directly from customers’ bank accounts. With full consent and transparency, payments can be scheduled, reducing the need for repeated follow-ups or awkward reminders.

For Mrs Agbaje, this has made a significant difference. Parents receive structured payment plans, reminders go out automatically, and debits happen based on prior agreement. She now spends less time tracking who has paid and more time planning curriculum upgrades and engaging with teachers.

The benefit isn’t just financial—it’s emotional. When business owners don’t have to chase payments, they gain time, clarity, and confidence. They can plan ahead, restock inventory, or finally invest in that expansion they’ve put off for years. And for customers, the experience feels more professional, more trustworthy. Everyone wins.

Technology won’t solve every problem for Nigerian SMEs. But smart, well-designed financial tools are starting to remove some of the biggest roadblocks—quietly and effectively. And that’s the point. The best systems aren’t flashy. They work in the background, reducing stress, restoring dignity, and enabling business owners to focus on what truly matters.

For Ope Adeoye, founder of OnePipe, the issue is personal. “Every Nigerian knows someone who runs a business—a cousin, a friend, a neighbour. When they suffer from late payments, it affects whole families and communities. Fixing this isn’t just a business goal—it’s a social one.”

In a country as dynamic and entrepreneurial as Nigeria, the challenge is rarely about lack of ideas. It’s about systems that help those ideas survive. And one of the most overlooked systems is the way money flows—or fails to.

As more SMEs embrace tools that put payment on autopilot, a future of stability—rather than constant survival—starts to feel possible. And in a nation powered by small businesses, that kind of shift could move mountains.

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How AI is Revolutionizing Sales and Business Development for Future Growth

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Olubunmi aina

By Olubunmi Aina

Many experts have highlighted the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the financial industry, and I would like to share my perspective on a key functional area that typically drives business growth and profitability— sales and business development professionals and how AI is impacting their work.

Sales and business development professionals are often regarded as the engine room of an organization, thanks to their eye for business opportunities, ideation and conceptualization, market engagement and penetration expertise.

AI is enabling sales and business development professionals to automate tasks, take meeting notes, analyze data, and personalize customer experiences, all of which are embedded within CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems. A CRM with an AI tool is what forward-thinking businesses are leveraging to manage leads, customer data, customer interactions, notify and remind professionals to take action when due, drive growth and profitability.

This is why it is crucial for these professionals to invest heavily in AI knowledge to remain globally competitive. This can be achieved through self-study, attending industry events, or consulting with leading technology companies that have embraced AI, such as Interswitch Group, AI In Nigeria, and Revwit.

Most importantly, to maximize the potential of AI, sales and business development professionals must pay close attention to customer interactions. and ensure they collect high-quality data. Feeding the data repository or CRM Systems with valuable insights and data from real customer engagement is key to getting AI to produce near accurate insight for effective results.

AI will continue to be a key driver of business growth and decision-making in the years ahead. If you are yet to embrace it, now is the time. Keep learning!

Olubunmi Aina is the Vice President, Sales and Account Management at  Interswitch Group

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