BY AWELE OGBOGU/RITA OYIBOKA
Hon. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi epitomizes the indisputable role of Diaspora in politics and nation-building. The two-time chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora, Germany and Europe respectively, ex-member of the Hamburg Senate Foreigners Advisory Council in Germany and former Senatorial Aspirant (Delta North), is presently home, but certainly not the happiest of individuals, with the shape of affairs in the country. For a man who represented the interests of over six million Nigerians in the Diaspora through the Nigerians In Diaspora Organization, Europe (NIDO-E) and was Global Coordinating Chairman representing the interests of over 20 million Nigerians in the Diaspora (Worldwide), he could not hide his pains over the lot of the majority back home.
During a recent visit to The Pointer, Gbandi reflecting on the elusive search for progress, erupted “don’t ask me why, don’t ask me how”, meaning the solutions are not exactly elusive, many of which he has prescribed. He used the opportunity to speak about the upcoming Akwukwu-Igbo Economic Summit on December 28, which on a wider scale, is about re-calibrating and galvanizing resources, skills and financial capabilities for the country’s socio-economic development. It makes interesting reading…….
For the sake of protocol, who is the man ‘Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi?’
I’m a native of Akwukwu-Igbo, headquarters of Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. I’ve been in the Diaspora for the past 28-30 years. I was the chairman of Nigerians In Diaspora, Germany and later chairman of Nigerians In Europe, representing about six million Nigerians. I also coordinated Nigerians in Diaspora Worldwide, representing the interests of approximately 20 million Nigerians globally.
I’ve always taken it as a mark of patriotism coming back to contribute to Nigeria’s overall development. In 2023, I contested in the Senatorial election in Delta North Senatorial district of Delta State but ‘unfortunately’, I didn’t succeed. Whether it was because my people were not yet ready to have me or it was the system, I can’t really say. Regardless, I remain committed to Anioma’s development and the welfare of Nigerians, in particular, Deltans.
I’m currently home in preparation for the forthcoming Akwukwu-Igbo Economic Summit. To give you a brief background, I’m also a journalist, the publisher of a TV, radio and newspaper outfits. I was among the first to introduce an African magazine in Germany and I have the longest-running African programme on German TV to date.
With your vast experience in the Diaspora and having returned once again, how does the current hardship in the country make you feel?
They say that acknowledging a problem makes it half solved. Fortunately, many of us are now aware of the problems which is the first step. This same awareness was what inspired me to run for Senate (Delta North) although I didn’t get the people’s mandate.
One critical area to address is our mindset. I’ve often said, and I shared this in an earlier interview with The Pointer that until Nigerian politicians understand their role as servants of the people, not their overlords, we won’t see much progress. They need to be accountable to the people, to understand the people’s needs through regular engagements, town hall meetings, and similar avenues, to mention but a few.
However, what we are seeing currently is a master-servant relationship, where politicians are treated like royalty. This needs to change. We must collectively discuss problems and find solutions. Additionally, as someone with the knowledge of best international practices, having spent three decades in Germany, not only as a leader within the Diaspora but also as a member of the Hamburg Senate Advisory Council, where I chaired the formulation of migration policies that were later adopted in other states, serving the people and putting them first is fundamental in national development.
From your profile, you served in Edo State during your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and was given automatic employment by the state government. What made you to leave for the Diaspora rather than staying back in the country to be part of the solution?
That’s a great question. I served in Edo State, specifically in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area. I initiated several community development projects, involving doctors, lawyers, and teachers. These efforts earned me recognition from the Auchi monarch and a state award from then-military governor of the state.
Subsequently, I was retained as a teacher at Boys’ Model Secondary School, but after three months of working without pay because teachers were owed salaries, I found it difficult to survive. Beyond that, the labour market in Nigeria was challenging even at that time, so I sought international exposure to broaden my horizons. However, my departure was not an abandonment of my country. I’ve always believed in reversing brain drain into brain gain.
The Europeans came to Africa, learned from us, and applied that knowledge to build their empires. Similarly, we go abroad, learn of the best practices, and return to contribute to homeland development.
As chairman of the Investment Diaspora Organisation, we prioritised homeland development. Nigerians in the Diaspora contributed significantly, with remittances exceeding $62 billion between 2005 and 2007, which helped to keep the nation from going bankrupt, according to the IMF. So, while we may not be here physically, we are present economically and spiritually.
Some argue that Nigeria is in a hurry, and that development takes time, pointing to how long it took Europe to get to where they are today. What’s your take on this?
I would say yes and no. While it took Europe centuries to develop, they lacked the technology we have today. We now have these tools and should leverage on them for accelerated development across sectors. If it took 20 years for previous generations to achieve certain milestones, we can achieve them in far less time by utilising modern technology. This is why I don’t entirely agree with the notion that we must follow the same timeline.
You are passionate about the Anioma, so how do you think the Diaspora community can help in addressing prevalent issues such as land disputes/grabbing currently prevalent in a number of communities?
The situation is indeed disturbing. Youth unemployment is a major concern. Youths easily resort to land grabbing as a quick way to make money. To address this, we must tackle youth unemployment headon.
Personally, I’m organising an economic summit for my community, bringing together stakeholders to conduct a SWOT- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis to examine all of the above.
The goal is to mobilise resources, both local and internationally, to create employment and empower the people. Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District will be one of the guests of honour at the summit along with Member representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ngozi Okolie.
I strongly believe that while the government cannot do everything, communities can compliment its efforts. My 30 years of Diaspora experience will be instrumental in formulating a sustainable economic blueprint for Anioma, Delta State and the country at large.
Many economic summits lack practicability. How will you ensure that an impact is made at the end of the day?
That’s a valid concern. Let me clarify that the summit isn’t just about empowerment. It’s about creating a roadmap for sustainable development.
One key outcome will be strategies for sustainability. For example, during my time in the Diaspora, I ran one of the largest youth empowerment programmes in Asaba at the Maryam Babangida Civic Centre. A practical example is that when the Chinese come to Nigeria, they bring minimal resources sponsored by Chinese development banks to establish large-scale projects here within a few years.
Meanwhile, Nigerians will sell all they have to travel abroad, facing the risk of deportation. There is a mismatch. This summit is to teach people how to fish. It is not political and we are not disbursing handouts for show. We are focusing on skills development, partnerships, and self-reliance. By equipping individuals to empower others, we can create a ripple effect that ensures sustainability over time. So what we are going to do is to draw up a roadmap that considers both short-term and long-term goals, as well as the sustainability of the actions to be taken?
Also, have you identified the economic potentials of the community and areas of comparative advantage. Who are we expecting locally and internationally to make the economic summit worthwhile?
Having spent 28 years in the Diaspora, I have come across some of the best international practices. I returned from Germany just four or five days ago, where I hosted the Minister of Water Resources at a programme in Hamburg. The programme was aimed at building partnerships between the European and Nigerian business communities. If I can facilitate such collaborations on a national scale, I believe we can replicate that success at the community level. Our approach like I said earlier, is to conduct a SWOT analysis.
In fact, we have already started working on this by distributing a questionnaire targeted at both local residents and the Diaspora. The questions focus is on identifying the economic potentials, notably agriculture. It has emerged as the top economic resource, followed by the availability of a youthful labour force and the growing entertainment industry. Based on the analysis, we’re focusing heavily on agricultural potentials.
This means any partners we engage with—whether locally or from abroad—must show a genuine interest in agribusiness. We’re aiming at the whole value chain: from land cultivation to putting food on the table.
Another area of interest is the entertainment industry, which has shown significant potential. A lot of Nollywood movies are shot in our localities because of the picturesque settings. We see this as an opportunity to leverage cultural tourism. Imagine positioning our environment as a cultural destination for the Nollywood industry and beyond. We could attract great stars to help market our communities for growth.
Let me give you an example. I recently visited Morocco, and one of their key tourist attractions was a site showcasing traditional crafts like iron works and weaving. Europeans were paying monies to watch people create hand made products. I thought to myself, “this is exactly what we do dailyin Anioma for free and no one is paying us a penny for it.” Worse still, we struggle to sell these products afterwards.
Now, imagine that we can replicate this cultural tourism model in places like Anioma. Visitors would watch locals weave Akwa Ocha fabric manually, without modern machinery. With proper security and organisation, people would pay thousands of dollars to see such unique craftsmanship. These efforts would not only attract foreign exchange but also directly benefit our communities by providing more resources to invest in agriculture and other sectors. The goal is to create a sustainable system that drives economic growth and uplifts our people.
But can you get people from the Diaspora to directly invest in our rich, arable land?
Part of my political benchmark was to establish modern agricultural centres in the nine local government areas of Delta North. I already have partners willing to invest in these rich, arable lands across Anioma and ultimately establish what I call a Green for Life system.
However, it was not entirely possible because in this country, one needs political leverage to execute certain things. Without it, you cannot achieve much. About this, if you want to put me on record, I will say this: When I was the chairman of Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation, I brought investors from Germany.
They came here with intentions to generate power without the government paying a single dime for it. All they required was for an off-taker for the generated power. But it didn’t happen. So, when you ask ‘why we can’t bring in investors’, I’ll ask you this: ‘have we tried it before?’ Yes. Has it worked? No, it hasn’t’.
When Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa was governor, one of his commissioners approached us in Abuja with a proposal to establish a film village in Delta State. We provided them with a comprehensive blueprint. Shortly after, a film village emerged in Asaba and another location. I won’t say they stole our idea, because no one has a monopoly of ideas. But in addition, we envisaged collaborations with Europe to attract tourists directly to the film village and other cultural centres.
Similarly, I was instrumental to pioneering Nigeria’s image makeover initiative, but others ran away with the idea without recognising or involving us. Did they execute it the way we intended? No. So, it’s always easy for people to ask, “why don’t you just come and do it?” The truth is, we have tried. Time and again. We took up initiatives, but systemic challenges in the country often hindered success. Even our investors are aware of this. Unless we’re in the driver’s seat of any project, the chances of its success are slim.
How do these things work in Germany and generally in Europe?
Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘how it works’ in Europe or Germany. One thing is clear: Rule of Law. I always tell people this. The current Chancellor of Germany is my good friend, but even that doesn’t give me any baseless leverage. For example, if someone from Germany needs a visa, I cannot just write a letter and say, “I know the Chancellor, so grant this person a free visa.”
It doesn’t work like that. You must undergo due process no matter who you are. In Germany, even the Chancellor can be stopped by the police and issued a ticket for driving on the wrong side of the road. Can you imagine a policeman stopping someone as high-profile as Bola Tinubu in Nigeria and issuing them a ticket? That’s unthinkable—it could be fatal for the officer. So, yes, the rule of law is the cornerstone of their system, and it’s something we lack in this country.
Again, without proper security, the rule of law, and due diligence, our economic aspirations will always be limited. If we can establish these foundational principles, then we can ensure the sustainability of any project we embark on.
Stemming from the above, are you running for Senate again?
As a leader in the Nigerian Diaspora, I’ve been actively involved in advocacy efforts for reforms. For instance, we worked with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to push for electronic voting and Diaspora voting. Through years of mounting pressure, we were happy to see the introduction of electronic voting and the BVN (Bank Verification Number). While it wasn’t solely my achievement, it was a collective effort, and I take pride in the role we played in that advocacy.
I truly believed the BVN can be a game changer in Nigeria, ensuring that every vote counts. That belief was one of the reasons I ventured into politics. However, the manner of elections in this country demonstrates that INEC still has a fundamental problem. Hence, running for political office in such a flawed system is like pouring water into a basket.
There is hope, though. With the appointment of a new Chief Justice of the Federation, who has expressed her commitment to advocating for the rule of law and purging rogue elements in the judiciary, I am cautiously optimistic.
If reforms in the judicial and electoral systems materialise, I may reconsider my stance on participating in future elections.
What plans are underway for the upcoming Akwukwu Igbo Economic Summit?
The Akwukwu-Igbo Economic Summit is scheduled for December 28, starting at 10am. We’re excited to have a robust line up of the who-is-who in different facets of life, including high-ranking government policy advisors and, hopefully, the Deputy Governor of Delta State. We’ve also secured confirmation from Senator Nwoko, while Dr. Newton Jibunoh (Desert Warrior) will serve as chairman of the occasion.
This summit will set an economic roadmap, aiming to become a model for Anioma and national development. We look forward to working together to make Anioma, state and country a model of sustainable development.
