Where 2 or more Nigerians gather the topic of conversation usually centers on Nigeria as a country. They debate whether Nigeria can change. They question the leadership.
Where 2 or more Nigerians gather the topic of conversation usually centers on Nigeria as a country. They debate whether Nigeria can change. They question the leadership.
They talk about corruption; jobs, security and above all, the problem of electricity. Yet there is no one on the street demonstrating. There are no movements seeking answers to where the billions of Naira voted for electricity went in the last 10 yrs.
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Suntech is a solar company in China. The founder was a student in Australia when he came up with the idea to develop technologically advanced thin solar cells. The government of China immediately encouraged him to come back home. They gave him the necessary incentive to develop his technology in China and bring it to market. Today, Suntech is a $2.4 billion company, with revenue of $2.3. Billion while employing over 12,000 Chinese.
To date, China has encouraged and backed over 40,000 of its citizens from the Diaspora to return home to help develop its economy. When Nigerians propose good ideas to their government, such Nigerians are only paid lip service.
Our company, Capital investment group plans to build 4,000 megawatts of power, and generate up to 40,000 jobs. There are thousands of Nigerians all over the world with ideas about how to generate electricity for the country, yet the Nigerian government continues to ignore them while concentrating on the so called multi nationals. The same multi nationals that took $16 billion of our money from the Nigerian Government in the last 10 years and nothing to show for it. It is time for Nigerians to rise up and say to the current administration, you have to deal with us or we will give our vote to someone else. The time to make your demand is before you have to give up your vote. You can make your vote count by building support for the party that is capable of delivering Nigerians from darkness. You can lend your support to an organization that can put pressure on the government to give us electricity now.
Nigerians in the Diaspora would like to return home and help. The number one impediment is lack of electricity. Nigerian businesses can create more jobs, but they lack electricity to power their plants. It is election season in America, and over $3 billion has been spent by businesses and individuals to campaign and lobby for candidates they believe will do a better job of taking care of the country.
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The elections are coming, and this is the time for action. Ask yourself why you want electricity in Nigeria and what you are willing to do for it. I want electricity in Nigeria because lack of power is responsible for my 80 year old mother being bed ridden. She is also losing her hearing, due primarily to the excessive noise of the generator behind her window.
When I was growing up Nigeria had uninterrupted power. I had electricity to study at night. Today’s students have to do their homework with candlelight. The time is ripe for each and every one of us to put our money where our mouths are. I founded Capital Investment Group, to build power plants in Nigeria and create jobs. I also founded "Nigeria let there be light." a movement, to mobilize Nigerians to wake up and demand their rights to power.
Take the first step by visiting, www.Nigerialettherebelight.org and registering to do something about electricity and Nigeria. Print out this article and send it to President Jonathan in Aso Rock and ask him what he is doing about Capital Investment Group’s plan to build 4,000 megawatts of power and generate up to 40,000 jobs. As a Nigerian, it is your duty to support every effort to generate electricity and support private companies to create jobs. The next job we create could be yours. Send this article to as many Nigerians as you can and encourage them to register at www.nigerialettherebelight.org . Remember if you don't have what you want, you are not committed 100%
Toyin Dawodu is the Managing partner of Capital Investment Group, and founder of Nigeria Let There Be Light, a grassroots movement to mobilize Nigerians for Change. Email: [email protected]
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