By Mohammed Bougei Attah
There is a fundamental contradiction in the development aspirations of Kogi Central, the Ebira speaking tribe of Kogi State. We speak passionately about economic emancipation, youth empowerment, community transformation and the future of our people, yet our collective energy, resources, intellectual engagement and leadership attention have remained overwhelmingly concentrated around politics.
For years, political participation has been treated as the most attractive, if not the only, avenue for achieving relevance, influence, prosperity and social recognition. Political appointments, elective positions, government patronage and proximity to those in authority have become the dominant measures of success.
But one fundamental question remains unanswered: What happens to a society when almost everyone wants to participate in politics, but very few are prepared to build enterprises, invest in knowledge, develop institutions or create opportunities outside government?
This is where the idea of Private Sector as a Mirage becomes particularly relevant. Education as a tool is vital but beyond this are fundamentals.
The private sector is frequently mentioned in development conversations. We talk about entrepreneurship, investment opportunities, industrialisation, agriculture, tourism, technology, vocational development and wealth creation. Yet, beyond speeches, conferences and occasional empowerment ceremonies, how much genuine commitment exists towards building a functional private-sector ecosystem in our communities?
The private sector cannot thrive on rhetoric. It requires capital, knowledge, innovation, mentorship, infrastructure, institutional support and, most importantly, a population willing to invest in ideas and take calculated economic risks.
Unfortunately, in our environment, the language of empowerment often begins and ends with political patronage. We expect government to create jobs, provide financial assistance, distribute opportunities and solve virtually every economic problem.
The consequence is an unhealthy dependence on the public sector, while the enormous possibilities of private enterprise remain largely unexplored.
A society cannot sustainably develop when its economic expectations are tied almost exclusively to what its political representatives can distribute.
Equally important, and perhaps even more neglected, is the nonprofit sector.
The nonprofit sector is not simply about charity, humanitarian assistance or occasional donations. It is an important instrument of social development, community organisation, capacity building, advocacy, research, education, institutional accountability and social innovation.
Strong nonprofit institutions can identify development gaps, mobilise communities, attract development partnerships, build local capacities and complement government and private-sector initiatives.
They can also provide platforms through which young people acquire leadership experience, professional exposure and practical skills.
Yet, in Kogi Central, how much strategic attention, financial commitment and institutional support do we give to building credible nonprofit organisations capable of contributing to our development?
We cannot continue to celebrate philanthropy while neglecting the institutions that make organised philanthropy and sustainable community development possible.
The public, private and nonprofit sectors are complementary pillars of development. The failure to strengthen any of them weakens the entire development ecosystem.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this challenge is that the so-called elite are not entirely removed from the problem.
Education, professional titles, political exposure, international travel and social recognition should ordinarily translate into fresh ideas, new perspectives and a willingness to invest in the development of society.
However, the possession of qualifications and social status does not automatically produce an entrepreneurial or development-oriented mindset.
There appears to be a disconnect between intellectual exposure and practical investment.
In some instances, new ideas are simply unavailable because we have not sufficiently encouraged research, innovation, constructive debate and exposure to alternative development models. In other instances, ideas are available, but convincing people to invest in them becomes another major challenge.
We are often more comfortable financing political ambitions, social ceremonies and activities that offer immediate recognition than supporting innovative projects whose benefits may take years to materialise.
This raises a difficult but necessary question: How many of our successful professionals, businesspeople, political actors and other influential individuals are prepared to commit meaningful resources towards developing young entrepreneurs, supporting research, establishing community institutions or financing viable local enterprises?
The issue is not necessarily the absence of money. It is also the absence of a deliberate investment culture.One of the greatest mistakes a community can make is to underestimate the importance of investing in its people.
Human capacity development is not a favour to young people. It is an investment in the future productivity, competitiveness and prosperity of society.
Unfortunately, we have not sufficiently institutionalised a culture of investing in knowledge, professional development, entrepreneurship, technical skills, mentorship and leadership succession.
We want young people to become successful entrepreneurs, but how many established individuals are willing to mentor them?
We want our youths to become employers of labour, but how much support do we provide for their business ideas?
We want innovation, but where are the platforms that encourage experimentation, research, technology and creative problem-solving?
We want economic independence, but how often do we encourage our people to move beyond the search for government appointments and embrace enterprise creation?
A community that refuses to invest in human capacity will eventually pay a much higher price through unemployment, dependency, underdevelopment and the loss of its most promising talents.
Politics in my opinion, as someone that has seen democracy in many countries, should be an instrument, not the destination
This argument is not an attempt to diminish the importance of politics or the responsibility of elected representatives. Government remains essential in providing infrastructure, creating an enabling environment, establishing policies and protecting the public interest.
However, politics should serve as an instrument for facilitating development, not the destination of every development aspiration.
Our political leadership must begin to see its responsibility beyond electoral victories, political structures and the distribution of public appointments. For every election, we have Youths of many backgrounds, and as high as 50, aspiring to be elected into political offices. But however of same Youths can we say have come out to establish new enterprise?
There should be deliberate efforts to encourage private investment, support local entrepreneurs, strengthen nonprofit institutions, facilitate access to development finance, promote vocational and professional training, and create partnerships with credible development organisations.
Likewise, our business community and professional elite must begin to see community development as an investment responsibility rather than an occasional philanthropic obligation.
The nonprofit sector must also move beyond dependency and develop the institutional competence, transparency, strategic partnerships and project management capacity required to attract sustainable funding.
Kogi Central needs a new development conversation.
We must begin to measure progress not merely by the number of political appointments secured, the number of political officeholders produced or the political influence of our sons and daughters, but also by the number of sustainable enterprises established, jobs created, professionals developed, institutions strengthened, innovations supported and communities transformed.
We need a deliberate shift from political consciousness to development consciousness.
Imagine a Kogi Central where successful entrepreneurs establish investment funds for emerging businesses; professionals support structured mentorship programmes; wealthy individuals sponsor research and innovation; nonprofit organisations attract international development partnerships; and political leaders facilitate an environment where businesses and community institutions can flourish.
Imagine a society where young people are encouraged to become producers, innovators, employers and institutional leaders rather than seeing political connections as their principal route to economic survival.
This is not an impossible ambition. It requires a change in attitude, a redefinition of leadership responsibility and a willingness to commit resources to ideas that may not produce immediate personal returns
The greatest danger facing our development aspirations is not simply the shortage of financial resources. It is the possibility that we have become so accustomed to pursuing political opportunities that we have neglected the other institutions and economic drivers capable of creating lasting prosperity.
The private sector must become more than a recurring phrase in our development speeches. The nonprofit sector must become more than an avenue for occasional charity and project grants. Human capacity must become more than a slogan at youth empowerment programmes.
We must begin to invest in people, ideas, institutions and enterprises.
Our political leaders have a responsibility to facilitate this transformation, but they cannot do it alone. Our business people, professionals, traditional institutions, nonprofit organisations and the wider community must accept their respective responsibilities.
Kogi Central cannot build its future on political ambition alone. We must build an economy that creates opportunities beyond politics, institutions that survive beyond political tenures, and a generation whose success is determined by what it can create rather than whom it knows.
Until we are prepared to invest in human capacity, encourage enterprise and strengthen the institutions that sustain development, our much-celebrated private-sector empowerment may remain a mirage.
The time has come to move from talking about empowerment to financing it, from celebrating ideas to implementing them, and from pursuing political relevance to building enduring community prosperity.
Attah is a social worker, media consultant and procurement professional based in Abuja.