prophet without honour at home
Prof Aderanti Adepoju is an internationally-acclaimedscholar whose contributions to migration and other development issues have earned him recognition and prominent positions internationally. He was recently nominated member of the General Council on Migration of the World Economic Summit. He spoke withKOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIEon how much Nigeria losing in not making use of her highly skilled experts.
A few of Prof Aderanti Adejoju’s friends sat over drinks last Monday at the Senior Staff Club, University of Lagos, to celebrate his nomination into the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Migration.
There was laughter as they exchanged banter, discussing various issues including his nomination, which is a high honour for a Nigerian.
Adepoju, a professor of Economics/Demography told The Nation he was nominated by his peers worldwide, who regard his scholarly works on migration policy issues as outstanding.
The 63-year-old Osun State indigene is the only African on the council of 16 thinkers, whose main responsibilities are to investigate migration issues and come up with reports that will enable the G-8 countries make informed decisions in that area. They are already working on the report that will be presented at Davos, Switzerland in February, 2009 when the world economic giants will meet.
Adepoju regards his nomination as a recognition of his expertise, and a honour for the universities he has worked.
"It is a high profile recognition of my person and the universities I have associated with — Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and the University of Lagos," he said.
From Adepoju’s school records, it is not surprising that he became such a distinguished scholar. His primary and secondary education were in his hometown in Oyan. He attended St Andrews Primary School and Oyan Grammar School between 1950 and 1963 - graduating in Division I from both schools. He gained admission to study Economics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1965 but had to cross over to the University of Ife (OAU), a year later because of the civil war. When he was graduating from Ife in 1969, he was the only Second Class Upper degree holder out of the 48 in his faculty.
His Masters and Ph.D were obtained at the London School of Economics between 1969 and 1973. A few years after he returned to OAU, Ife to lecture Economics Demography, he became a professor in 1980 at 35. Two years later, he was appointed as a Research Professor at the University of Lagos.
His present responsibility is the latest in a long career on the international arena spent researching demographic issues and advising African and European governments on policy directions to improve migration.
He worked in various capacities in the United Nations Organisation for more than one decade and has consulted for such countries as Swaziland, Senegal, Sweden, and the European Union. This is a result of 33 years spent researching the problems of migration and development in Africa and publishing 20 books, monographs and over 45 articles in reputed journals.
"My publications have come in handy to learn about the African perspective. Some of the books have been translated into French and are being used for training and research, especially by foreign institutions," he said.
However, despite this international acclaim, Adepoju doubts whether the Nigerian government is aware that his expertise can be deployed to address demographic and economic issues plaguing the country. He finds it particularly painful that foreign governments and institutions recognise the value of his works more than his own country.
"African expertise like mine is now being recognised, unfortunately, by the developed countries more than my own government. It took the Dutch Government to introduce me to Nigeria for Nigeria to know that I exist. Why should the Swedish government contract me to write a white paper for their parliament when my own government does not know I exist? And this does not relate to me alone. There are many others…and Nigeria is paying foreign consultants at more expensive rates," he said.
To address this problem, Adepoju said the government needs to create a database of Nigerian experts in various fields to solve the country’s problems, instead of relying on political loyalists who are unqualified most times.
"To my knowledge, Nigeria has a pool of experts in almost all disciplines. But the dilemma is that the government does not seem interested to compile a list of those experts, who they are and what they do; instead they rely on political card-bearing people who are just politicians," he said.
While he served in the UN, Adepoju said he witnessed severally how such unqualified people when appointed delegates to international conferences disgraced the country by coming late and ill-prepared.
"I have organised several conferences where Nigeria has been invited. The delegations come dis-organised, late and unprepared. I organised a conference in Berne, Switzerland in 2004. Nigeria was to give a speech and represent the African Union on the high table. They didn’t show up at the opening to the disgrace of Nigeria. When Nigeria showed up half-way into the meeting, they did not come with a government position paper to be read. They were just scrambling to put ideas together at the venue," he said.
Nigeria’s claim to being the giant of Africa may be superficial and soon slip away if delegations continue to present what Adepoju refers to as "wishy washy" position papers to the international community. He advised government to learn from smaller African countries that are doing well in this regard.
"In many African countries like Ghana and Senegal, governments compile a list of their experts and use them to prepare background papers for conferences. They help government to articulate their policies and programmes professionally and technically in international arenas.
"Other countries set up technical working groups consisting of experts from the universities, research institutions, civil society organisations and stakeholders to assist them in articulating coherent policies. Some of them form part of the delegations to these conferences, but in Nigeria arrangements are ad-hoc, always belated and incoherent so we cannot make our voice heard as a leader in Africa," he said.
He also said most delegates attend conferences not for professional enhancement but the financial allowance, which he said is the highest in the world.
"Our officials struggle to struggle not because the mission will benefit them professionally but because of the estacode which is the largest largesse in the world," he said.
A few of Prof Aderanti Adejoju’s friends sat over drinks last Monday at the Senior Staff Club, University of Lagos, to celebrate his nomination into the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Migration.
There was laughter as they exchanged banter, discussing various issues including his nomination, which is a high honour for a Nigerian.
Adepoju, a professor of Economics/Demography told The Nation he was nominated by his peers worldwide, who regard his scholarly works on migration policy issues as outstanding.
The 63-year-old Osun State indigene is the only African on the council of 16 thinkers, whose main responsibilities are to investigate migration issues and come up with reports that will enable the G-8 countries make informed decisions in that area. They are already working on the report that will be presented at Davos, Switzerland in February, 2009 when the world economic giants will meet.
Adepoju regards his nomination as a recognition of his expertise, and a honour for the universities he has worked.
"It is a high profile recognition of my person and the universities I have associated with — Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and the University of Lagos," he said.
From Adepoju’s school records, it is not surprising that he became such a distinguished scholar. His primary and secondary education were in his hometown in Oyan. He attended St Andrews Primary School and Oyan Grammar School between 1950 and 1963 - graduating in Division I from both schools. He gained admission to study Economics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1965 but had to cross over to the University of Ife (OAU), a year later because of the civil war. When he was graduating from Ife in 1969, he was the only Second Class Upper degree holder out of the 48 in his faculty.
His Masters and Ph.D were obtained at the London School of Economics between 1969 and 1973. A few years after he returned to OAU, Ife to lecture Economics Demography, he became a professor in 1980 at 35. Two years later, he was appointed as a Research Professor at the University of Lagos.
His present responsibility is the latest in a long career on the international arena spent researching demographic issues and advising African and European governments on policy directions to improve migration.
He worked in various capacities in the United Nations Organisation for more than one decade and has consulted for such countries as Swaziland, Senegal, Sweden, and the European Union. This is a result of 33 years spent researching the problems of migration and development in Africa and publishing 20 books, monographs and over 45 articles in reputed journals.
"My publications have come in handy to learn about the African perspective. Some of the books have been translated into French and are being used for training and research, especially by foreign institutions," he said.
However, despite this international acclaim, Adepoju doubts whether the Nigerian government is aware that his expertise can be deployed to address demographic and economic issues plaguing the country. He finds it particularly painful that foreign governments and institutions recognise the value of his works more than his own country.
"African expertise like mine is now being recognised, unfortunately, by the developed countries more than my own government. It took the Dutch Government to introduce me to Nigeria for Nigeria to know that I exist. Why should the Swedish government contract me to write a white paper for their parliament when my own government does not know I exist? And this does not relate to me alone. There are many others…and Nigeria is paying foreign consultants at more expensive rates," he said.
To address this problem, Adepoju said the government needs to create a database of Nigerian experts in various fields to solve the country’s problems, instead of relying on political loyalists who are unqualified most times.
"To my knowledge, Nigeria has a pool of experts in almost all disciplines. But the dilemma is that the government does not seem interested to compile a list of those experts, who they are and what they do; instead they rely on political card-bearing people who are just politicians," he said.
While he served in the UN, Adepoju said he witnessed severally how such unqualified people when appointed delegates to international conferences disgraced the country by coming late and ill-prepared.
"I have organised several conferences where Nigeria has been invited. The delegations come dis-organised, late and unprepared. I organised a conference in Berne, Switzerland in 2004. Nigeria was to give a speech and represent the African Union on the high table. They didn’t show up at the opening to the disgrace of Nigeria. When Nigeria showed up half-way into the meeting, they did not come with a government position paper to be read. They were just scrambling to put ideas together at the venue," he said.
Nigeria’s claim to being the giant of Africa may be superficial and soon slip away if delegations continue to present what Adepoju refers to as "wishy washy" position papers to the international community. He advised government to learn from smaller African countries that are doing well in this regard.
"In many African countries like Ghana and Senegal, governments compile a list of their experts and use them to prepare background papers for conferences. They help government to articulate their policies and programmes professionally and technically in international arenas.
"Other countries set up technical working groups consisting of experts from the universities, research institutions, civil society organisations and stakeholders to assist them in articulating coherent policies. Some of them form part of the delegations to these conferences, but in Nigeria arrangements are ad-hoc, always belated and incoherent so we cannot make our voice heard as a leader in Africa," he said.
He also said most delegates attend conferences not for professional enhancement but the financial allowance, which he said is the highest in the world.
"Our officials struggle to struggle not because the mission will benefit them professionally but because of the estacode which is the largest largesse in the world," he said.
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