In 2003, I ran into a young ebullient graduate of a notable federal university in one of the South-east states. Yes, through divine providence, I came across a brilliant chap in Umuahia, the Abia state capital. I found out in the course of my discussion with him that he graduated with second class upper division in laboratory science. But that due to lack of white collar job and misplacement of proper application of professionalism in the employment market in Nigeria, my exceptionally brilliant brother ended up as a soft drink distributor driver, at least, to be able to put food on the table for his immediate family.
Too painful a concern, one may be very right to say! Of course, it can never be a thing of joy for parents, especially those of average status that use their lean resources to sponsor their children in tertiary institutions only for them to graduate in flying colours and end up being employed in an organisation that has nothing at all to do with the course they studied in school. You see, the case of this young Nigerian with excellent result is just one out of many. Yes, I mean it.
We are in a country where millions of people who labour day and night to become graduates are roaming the street while the few that are lucky to be employed are not given their right portfolios. I mean they are not placed in their area of discipline where they can professionally and proficiently deploy their wealth of knowledge and experience. Besides, so far as this practice of not minding an individual’s field of study before giving out employment, there’s no way the long envisioned prosperous and developed Nigeria that we all are craving for, will come to fruition.
Come to think of it, what has a meticulously tutored press officer like some of us that are well-known to be veterans, can do as head of finance and economy or, a lawyer that is well-known as legal luminary serving as head of the education sector in Nigeria? It is an anomaly. We cannot continue like this. Until we begin to place our brilliant men in positions of authority based on their field of study from the citadel of learning, our highly desired peaceful, united and developed Nigeria will continue to be elusive.
This is very true because, a fish swims better when thrown or dropped into the water, so also it is with birds when released into the air. Flowing from the above scenario, the thought of one of Nigeria’s erudite scholars, a financial and economic management expert with numerous achievements across board comes to my mind. I am talking about Muhammed Kyari Dikwa PhD, mni. Dr Dikwa is a thorough bred financial and economic expert with versatile knowledge in financial and economic management. He deployed his intellectual prowess during his civil service working years right from the state to the federal level to set unmatchable records and enviable achievements that will continue to remain points of reference.
That’s why many public affairs analysyt and economic and financial experts that are familiar with his unprecedented landmark achievements in the public sector believe Dikwa’s silence, especially in this period that Nigeria’s economy is nose-diving, doesn’t look good. They believe that being a technocrat, Dikwa has all the requisites to transform Nigeria’s wobbling economy for the benefit of every Nigerian should he decide to step out of oblivion to team up with other technocrats and help solve the nation’s seemingly intractable economic malaise. In fact, the global economy is predicted to face debilitating recession in 2023, and Nigeria, the giant of Africa, is not an exception.
So, I say kudos to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Dr Godwin Emefiele, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Usman Shamsuddeen, and all the economic team for their relentless efforts to get Nigeria’s economy out of the woods. Nevertheless, I urge them to do more by bringing on board tested and certified technocrats such as Muhammed Kyari Dikwa in order to quickly find sustained and pragmatic solutions to the country’s recession prone poor economy.
Alhaji Dikwa, a leading national and international expert in the Public Financial Management (PFM) has what it takes to positively transform Nigeria’s economy. Dikwa possesses the wherewithal to be in charge of any financial institution or economic bodies’ management in Nigeria and beyond. Dikwa has the capacity to even preside over the affairs of Nigeria’s ministries of finance and agriculture as minister. Dikwa can also fit in as head of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, auditor general of the federation and even as CBN governor.
Dikwa is an international technocrat with over three decades professional experience. Dikwa has a doctorate in sccounting and finance, masters degree in finance and bachelor’s of science degree in accounting
He is an alumnus of Course 34 of 2012 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS. Dikwa has certificates in public financial management reforms, leadership and governance programme, high performance leadership programme and treasury management from Harvard University, USA, University of Cambridge, Oxford University, as well as Thames Valley University, United Kingdom.
Dikwa, was accountant general of Borno state, director funds, office of the Accountant General of the Federation and acting Accountant General of the Federation, PICA secretary and later, permanent secretary Federal Ministry of Finance where he retired honourably in 2020. He was awarded certificate in Advanced Corporate Finance from the Business School in France. He is a chartered accountant and a member of different financial bodies.
So, Mk. Dikwa, you need to come out of the oblivion because Nigeria direly needs your magic wand in this current global economic downturn to help salvage the country’s economy.
Jimmy Ogbe, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Ugbokolo, Benue state.
