My New Nigerian Role Model

It's not Wole Soyinka. It's not Adebayo Ogunlesi. It's not Muhammadu Buhari. It's not Aliko Dangote. It's not Akinwumi Ambode.

It is the former CBN governor and current Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. He's one of the very few people who my respect for grows bigger each year. In fact, I had almost no admiration/respect for him when I first knew about him in the year he was appointed by Goodluck Jonathan to head CBN. I remember how I used to strongly criticize him for finding fault with the very government he's meant to closely work with. "Couldn't he had confronted the president privately about the missing $20 billion oil money, why make it a public affair that won't help resolve anything but make him an enemy of the very people who employed him?" "That's just plain being immature." "He talks too much." Those were some of the things I said against him.

Today, he's my best Nigerian (outside of my family and close friends).

He's got a clean and corruption-resistant reputation. He speaks the truth and with impartiality. And thé one that most endears him to me is that he is very hardworking and extremely intelligent. Last year I worked on a research work that got me reading some of his published papers. They were so un-Nigerian in depth of research, thoroughness and technical + practical soundness. He is unlike the other Nigerians who head public service. I greatly wish that our Statistician General will emulate him.

Yesterday, I read through his last week presentation that got the newspapers and media at large rattling. I downloaded it. And it is the best, both in design and content, I have come across in the Nigerian economic and policy space. All he said made perfect sense. I even learned a lot as regards data presentation and analysis. He's so very good and despite being an Emir, still diligently thorough. He's my new role model.

Obviously, the government cares more about perception management than being on the side of truth. So as usual they've been quick to say that the Emir is mistaken and not in on all the facts. But anyone who reads his presentation will know that he is not mistaken and his conclusions are strongly data backed.

I am glad to still have a Nigerian based Nigeria I can 100% hope to be like. And perfect to discover this at a time I'm still trying to pack the broken fragments of huge respect I used to have for Wole Soyinka, checking for which might still be worth keeping.