Why Kenneth Gbandi Is Being Tipped For NIDO Chairmanship

Nigerians had before now not known what it's like to leave the country in droves until the mid-80s. The most important reasons for the ongoing transnational mobility stem from the economic and social crisis in Nigeria since the mid-1980s and the simultaneous expansion of education for the broad population. This has resulted in flights from the country to other parts of the world in search of the proverbial greener pasture.

Many have actually had to leave the country and available statistics back home have not provided a comprehensive figure or given us a clue to the demographic and socio-structural analysis of Nigerians in the Diaspora nor given us a detailed information.

However, grapevine sources say that no fewer than ten million Nigerians live outside the shores of Nigeria in a bid to escape from the harsh and intolerable living conditions in their homeland.

Nigeria has had a long history and tradition of migration like I said before in the opening paragraph of this piece. In a growing population group with formal education and middle-class aspirations whose aspirations coupled with the quest for better living conditions and opportunities for promotion and improvement, a good number of Nigerians first migrated to Europe, USA and other English-speaking countries in search of the Golden fleece and the government was actively involved in this drift by way of arranging and sending students abroad for studies via trainee or in-service training programmes.

Conversely, the situation has changed. The migration we see and hear today is no longer borne out any of the above-named reasons. Many Nigerians have been forced out of their homelands in search of greener pastures abroad. Over 92% of Nigerians on the migrant train to the unknown are none other than economic migrants who have had to run or still running away from the severely battered economy back home if the truth must be spoken precisely.

Up till today, the situation is better imagined than real resulting from directionless and visionless economic policies of its successive governments. Complex migration networks between Nigeria and other destination countries have grown over the years which facilitate so-called chain migration. In the 1990s, poverty reduction and remittances

transferred to the families became important motives for young Nigerians to migrate.

However, in Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the decision to migrate is not up to the individual alone but is often taken and supported by the extended family. In return for their support for the migration, the family expects remittances, as well as investment in follow-up migration. This puts many migrants under extreme economic pressure, who cannot return until they have achieved economic success.

From the foregoing you can see migrants today do so from economic reasons and in a bid to get to their various destinations embark on adventures where entry visas are not available.

Many Nigerians have died in these journeys to the unknown. A good number of unnecessary and untimely deaths have been recorded while crossing the fiery Sahara desert to the coast of North Africa from where they board substandard or rickety boats across the Mediterranean to Europe. These boats rickety as many of them are often capsized mid-sea resulting from their inability to withstand the strong ocean currents.

These needless adventures with many Nigerians involved have indeed become a cause for concern. This has in no uncertain terms alarmed the world leaders because never had this surge been recorded in Mediterranean history.

Those who have been able to make it to Europe indulge in many illegalities in their host countries to survive knowing full well what failure would certainly amount to. Under this setting, every means is employed to make it including armed robbery and most of us end up in European jails.

Recently, there was a campaign here in Europe for Nigerian to be good ambassadors of their country especially with a publication in the not too distant past by The Telegraph , a British newspaper while interviewing Nigeria's President Muhahammadu Buhari that Nigerians have a penchant for crime.

That gave Nigerians a bad image in no small measure so much so that our host communities often hold fast to their purses while sitting beside you either on the train, crowded township buses and city trams.

Be that as it may, Nigerian leaders of thought in the Diaspora met about three months ago had extensive and insightful discussions on how to redeem our image across continental Europe, it was resolved, however, that Nigerians in the Diaspora need to come together this time under a dynamic leader notwithstanding the fact that a structure is already on the ground - Nigerians In the Diaspora Organization (NIDO). Key issues were discussed and one of these is dynamic leadership and who will be able to mobilize our people across the European Union under the auspices of NIDO

It goes without saying that good leadership is crucial to any successful organization. Good leadership hinges on effective communication. Communication is one of the most key elements of leadership. Good communication skill is deemed absolutely necessary to effectively become a good leader or manager. When communication occurs, as a leader, you will be able to accurately convey your ideas and thoughts to those that work for you.

Motivation was another thing we considered and discussed extensively. Motivation was seen as another variable that plays into good leadership. Stagnation occurs when motivation decreases and it will decrease, without proper motivation. Many leaders try to motivate the old-fashioned way through fear. This is not advisable since it tends to only deliver short-term results and cause even less competent work in the long run, due to resentment resulting from the fear tactics

Teamwork was not left out in this discourse and was aptly treated. Teamwork is always something to consider when striving to become a good leader. This means not only teaching your followers to work together but to become part of the team yourself. A good leader recognizes that his followers are more than just followers, they are people too. These people have lives outside of work where they have to make decisions on a daily basis, from how to deal with house payments, to car bills, to raising children, to uncountable tasks in everyday lives most especially living under the economic recession that is sweeping across Europe.

Educational background and qualification featured in our discourse. Education doubtless and immeasurably improves your leadership skills alongside a cognate experience. And in whom do we find the above-named qualities all encapsulated?

One man that readily came to my mind was none other than Mr. Kenneth Gbandi whose vast experience as NIDO chairman, Germany chapter would help us to meet these aims, objectives, ideals, and aspirations.

Having served in this capacity as a good manager of men irrespective of their religious, social and political divides, I see him as one who would indeed be capable of combining organizational capacity with realism, a man who would never be swayed by normative ethnic maneuvers considering the various ethnic nationalities from Nigeria dotting the 28 countries that make up the European Union.

Iyoha John Darlington, a social critic, political analyst and public commentator on national and global issues wrote from Turin, Italy.