Tech and 2015 Elections in Nigeria

The recorded success of the 2015 elections have paved the way for future development of disruptive apps that will continue to re-define governance and foster citizens participation in Nigeria.

Is the country's socio-political ecosystem ready to maximize the opportunity, beyond political rhetoric?

Read my take on tech and 2015 Nigeria elections:

- Harvard Africa Policy Journal

- VOA News

Moving forward, Nigeria!

On Our Road To Change: Give Room For Others To Fail...Forward!

On my way to work the other day, I boarded one of the red BRT (Lagbus) to CMS. If you are familiar with this route, you will notice that there is a new development in their modus operandi. To cut the long story short, we now have new air-conditioned Lag buses. Commuters pay a few naira extra for the comfort (the fare for non air conditioned buses are cheaper).

Unlike the old lag buses, these new ones are of a different model-- and somewhat smaller too.

The first week they started operating, there was a lot of drama. I remember on one occasion some passengers started shouting at the driver for allowing the bus to jerk each time he changed the gear. It was so bad that a lady called the customer service to lay a complaint, "it is either your buses are bad or your drivers don't know how to drive them yet," she said to the other person on the line. I didn't dare look back to see the expression on her face as she made her call through.

Jerk, bump, change in motion, jerk.

"Driver I beg take am easy o." Some of us called out.

I am not sure why the passengers were so panicked. But in retrospect, it could just be that we were all responding to the change in the system differently.

Although the buses were brand new and quite comfortable, we didn't trust the drivers or authenticity of the system (the vehicles).

Some of the passengers were quick to propose that the driver in question be replaced immediately.

I travelled in more than one of these buses that week and realised that the technical difficulty we encountered the first day was not unique to the driver whom passengers complained about. Others faced the same challenge. They were not used to the way the buses worked and had to learn through the process. But us impatient passengers had expected immediate perfection.

Today, the buses still ply the route and the drivers have improved.

Change, as beautiful as it looks is sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes hard, sometimes bumpy.

Eventually, if we give ourselves enough room to fail, to jerk on the steering, to stagger through path while finding a solution-- if we are patient with ourselves to acknowledge the inadequacies of our team members and see how we each can provide support, complement one another as oppose to being quick to make a call through to the powers that be, then we will succeed.

Am I advocating for us to celebrate mediocrity? No.
Am I saying we should smile like everything is okay when those we entrust with the responsibility of driving us to safety and progress is pushing us overboard? No.
Of course we should raise our fist in protest. Of course we should speak up. Of course we should demand for accountability and request for a replacement if things don't improve for the better.

But-- before we raise our hands to cast the first stone-- before we launch that epic criticism, we should first make sure we are not being unrealistic with our demands. It is okay for the bus to jerk and make us uncomfortable on the first ride.

Let us not set ourself up for failure by expecting an overnight change. It takes process...

Happy Democracy Day Nigeria!

God bless Nigeria.

Satyagraha Institute: Summer Training For The Next Generation Of Global Leaders

Our world suffers for lack of leaders rooted in the traditions of nonviolence.
When conflicts arise, many leaders teach us to wield threats, coercion, and harm.When unfamiliar perspectives disturb, many leaders rally us to certainty and defensiveness. When decisions must be made, many leaders encourage us to value self-interest, immediacy, and possession. As we follow these guides, the fabric of our community weakens, and life becomes more difficult for ourselves and others.

Satyagraha Institute works to create a different future by training leaders in the traditions of nonviolence.

As August draws near, we are excited about the growing group of participants that will join together in the Black Hills in August! To make the Institute a success, we can use your help in three ways.

1. Please "like" the new Satyagraha Institute Facebook page. And help spread the word. Thanks!

2. Recommend the training to anyone in your community who would benefit from the opportunity to develop the skills, understanding, and heart of nonviolence. Encourage them to apply.

3. Donate to help us hit our budget milestone as all-volunteer administration devote more time to the final preparations for the program. See our website for ways to make a donation.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to chat about the possibility of attending the Institute, please email or call us.

Happening this summer! Satyagraha Institute provides leaders interested in nonviolent social change an opportunity to deepen their understanding, skills, commitment, and community. This year's institute will be held August 4-18 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The total cost of this fourteen-day program is $700. This fee includes meals, lodging, and program. For those who cannot attend the entire program, early departure on August 14 is an option, with a reduced fee of $500. Application deadline is June 28. Space is limited, so early application is encouraged. Please see our website for details. What is Satyagraha? Mohandas Gandhi, who famously experimented with the possibilities of nonviolence, coined the Sanskrit term satyagraha to identify a method of social change. Gandhi proposed that satya (truth) combined with agraha (firmness) creates a useful social power that does not rely on harming others. Gandhi often referred to this power as “truth-force.” Satyagraha is a way of directly engaging with others to work out the difficult aspects of life without resorting to coercion, harm, or ill intention. It is the social power which arises when we act with kindness, respect, patience, generosity, and service. Please feel free to share!

See Mama, I made it to Ghana by Road! :-)

"The city looked familiar yet strange. And the trail of motorcycles [okadas] were almost endless—zooming across the streets like we see in Lagos mainland.

Through Contonuo we traveled. 

Through the busy streets. 

Into an untarred road. 

ZZZzzz. 

I slept and woke up and we were still in Benin Republic. 

The untarred road spread across us like a blanket covering an unmade bed....

I posted it! ---->>>> READ: Our Road Trip: Traveling From Lagos To Ghana By Road [Part 1]: http://ruralreporters.com/road-trip-traveling-from-lagos-to-ghana-by-road/

Announcement: She Leads Africa launches the 2015 Entrepreneur Showcase

She Leads Africa announces the launch of its second annual Entrepreneur Showcase for the most talented female entrepreneurs across Africa and the diaspora. This event is the premier platform for young female entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale their businesses across Africa. Participants in the competition will compete for $15,000 in cash prizes, media features in international news outlets, and exclusive meetings with top investors.

Applications for the 2015 competition open on May 1 and close on June 30. Businesses from any industry are eligible to apply as long as there is one woman on the founding team between 18-35 years old. Companies must have launched their product or service, been in operation for less than 3 years and received less than $50,000 USD in funding.

Applications and more details can be found at www.sheleadsafrica.org