I want to bring the best practice from Botswana to Nigeria — Ade Adefeko
Ade Adefeko was appointed Botswana’s Honourary Consul to Nigeria in Lagos by Lemogang Kwape, the Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Botswana in December, 2020. On the 11th of January, 2021, he presented his letter of commission to the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema in Abuja. He has been described as a Commercial Diplomat and a Polyglot. He speaks 10 languages including French, English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, , Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba his mother tongue, Swahili, Zulu and Ndebele. In this interview, he bears his mind on his ambition of service to humanity, his corporate, government relations insight and general matters arising from his recent appointment as Botswana’s Consul to Nigeria in Lagos
Background
Ade Adefeko was born into the family of a Diplomat about 51 years ago. He attended Federal Government College, Odogbolu and is a 1990 graduate of Foreign Languages from the University of Port Harcourt. As a communication guru and image manager, he further worked as public affairs director for Multichoice, owners of DStv. He is also the current Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Agricultural Trade Group and a member of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and industry-LCCI Export Group. He is also the vice-chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Export Group (MANEG) and a member of the Industrial and Competitiveness Presidential Advisory Council. He is presently a Vice President, Corporate and Government Relations at Olam International, unarguably Nigeria’s largest Agri Business and Food Company as well as Africa’s biggest Rice Farmer and Miller. He started off as a French Lecturer at Alliance Francaise, worked briefly in the Oil and Gas sector before picking up an appointment at British American Tobacco.He also worked for years in the banking sector across a number of banks as a core banker and switched lanes within the same industry where he rose very quickly to become the Head of Corporate Banking at Societe General Bank (SGB).
Being a Nigerian, how do you feel as Botswana’s Honourary Consul to Nigeria?
These are very interesting times like I said when I presented my letter of Commission to the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Nigeria had established relations with Botswana since 1966, which was the second African nation after Zambia and that, speaks volumes. Let me quickly correct the position of an Honorary Consul. An Honorary Consul operates where the Ambassador doesn’t operate, so you have the High Commission in Abuja and I operate from Lagos, so I am the Honourary Consul of Botswana in Lagos. This means that I represent the country’s interest in Lagos. I am going to be making sure I promote relationship and trade between Botswana and Nigeria. There is a lot to be done between both countries, let’s not look at the population, let’s look at the potentials, let’s not look at the challenges, let’s look at the opportunities. Those opportunities are the things I have been trying to bring to bear in our relationships. Actually as I speak to you, I am on my way to Botswana tomorrow.
Tell us about the economic growth of Botswana and the lessons to be learnt from them by other countries?
Let me say something unequivocally, Botswana is about 2.1 million people, it is always joked about, but a serious joke at that because it is the truth, Botswana has more herds of cattle than people, but their potentials are not in the herds of the cattle but in other things they are very good at. They are a mining nation. They are also an agrarian nation to a very large extent because of the beef. Botswana is the largest producer of beef in Africa, so if a country of 2 million populations is the largest producer of beef in a continent of 1.5 billion people that says a lot. So with the ACTFA we will take advantage of the opportunities. For me, what I see are opportunities, opportunities and opportunities. These opportunities are what I am trying to highlight and I have been working on them. I have hit the ground running; I am going to Botswana in spite of the COVID-19. There is a lot to be done particularly in the area of tourism.
What lessons can Botswana share with Nigeria in the area of mining?
The lessons we can share there is what you call deregulations. Botswana is the largest producer of diamond as well and diamonds are not forever but diamonds are forever now in Botswana including gold. The country has the Botswana Development Commission BDC which is like a one stop shop for a lot of things being done in Botswana. BDC is like the NIPC of Botswana, what Nigeria should try and do is to have a one stop shop in Nigeria where all investment related activities can be done and harnessed. This is why I am particularly looking forward to the meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, who of course, I know has a very good understanding of how we should handle trade across the continent. For me tourism, agriculture, health, education are key areas of cooperation between Botswana and Nigeria. We have large swathes game, when you talk about fauna in Botswana. What I want to do is to bring a lot of Botswana to Nigeria and take many Nigerians to Botswana.
When I return, I want to do something noble by meeting with the minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika for both countries to set up a BASA so that we can have direct flights from both countries. Don’t forget that right now as we speak, South Africa Airways is more or less moribund. Direct flight to that country is nonexistent, even me going to Botswana now, I have to do that via a connecting flight through Addis Ababa. You can understand how cumbersome it is to go through Addis first before I go to Botswana. Like I said, with the ACFTA, we need to do something and whatever we need to do, we need to do it right.
How can Africa countries undertake successful joint ventures and partnerships with multinationals in the mining of solid minerals like we see in Botswana without the people being undermine?
I like the partnership you mentioned, Botswana has partnership with most south African countries, of course they are in the southern part of the continent as well, to that extent, there is a lot going on and there is a lot that can be done. First those partnerships must be partnerships that work, there must be a handshake, for them, they do a lot of alluvia mining. For Botswana there is an efficiency and effectiveness in what they do. African countries must learn this. I was listening to the PIB debate in Nigeria; we must know that regulation is very important in Nigeria, those are the things we need to do. Nigeria regulations have so many fake flukes. This is not however about Nigeria but Botswana, for me I want to bring the best practice from Botswana to Nigeria and vice versa, you export one and import the other.
How is the mining sector supporting the country’s populations?
The resources of Botswana have not been a curse but a blessing to its people. Education is free, health care is free and citizens are given money to set up businesses. So you can understand how easy it is for an average Botswana man, boy or girl to be able to do anything they set out to do. When you have these basic necessities free tell me, what better value can you get from government?
How has political stability contributed to the country’s economic growth?
Botswana had just 4 presidents since 1966. It has a semblance of smooth political transition from one leader to other, there is a good organisation over there. It is a rarity to even hear that there is coup in a country like Botswana. It is a tourism haven, political bedrock, an investment hub and oasis within the continent. It is small but mighty, corruption is at its lowest. Transparency International will tell you how transparent elections are conducted there.
