By Henry Uche
Cheta Nwabuike is woman of many parts. She is a corporate leader, lawyer and an environmental enthusiast. In this interview with Daily Sun, she shared insights on how corporate leaders can engender and reinforce integrity and business ethics in other to curb malfeasances. She also advised that Japa Syndrome should not discourage corporate organizations from investing in their human resources as well as how organizations can navigate the harrowing hostile economic environment in the country.
As a corporate strategist, how can organizations and individuals navigate this harrowing hostile economic environment in the country?
Navigating Nigeria’s challenging economic environment requires a lot of resilience and adaptability. In the last few months, we have seen significant changes happening in the country. So, the first thing is for organisations to embrace these changes, explore new revenue streams, and optimize existing offerings whilst swiftly adjusting to market changes and consumer needs. As organizational leaders, we should not get stuck in old models, but constantly look ahead to better ways of doing things. At this time also, cost efficiency is very crucial for organizations. Streamlining operations and eliminating waste will help in a long way to protect profit margins. By being lean, adaptable, and people-centric, businesses can not only survive but thrive in Nigeria’s challenging economic landscape.
In what ways can we curb incessant misconduct or any wrong doing especially by public officials?
Curbing wrong doing by public officers involves a multifaceted approach which requires a concerted and sustained effort from within organizations, supported by robust legal frameworks, external support, and a shift towards ethical leadership and employee empowerment. First, it is crucial to establish a strong ethical culture within organizations, led by the top management of organizations setting the tone at the top and walking the talk by demonstrating a commitment to integrity and ethical values and actually living it. This change be achieved firstly by strengthening corporate governance by ensuring a Robust board composition and oversight, establishing and implementing clear and transparent policies and procedures, ensuring regular risk assessments and internal audits to help identify and mitigate potential risks, and having a robust compliance programs which includes implementing effective compliance programs, including training, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms, and adherence to laws, regulations, and ethical standards. Secondly, organizational leaders have to promoting a culture of integrity and ethics by leading by example, raising awareness about ethical issues, potential malfeasance amongst employees through trainings and other forms of engagements, ensuring access to safe and confidential channels for reporting officials with such behavious, without fear of retaliation and recognizing and rewarding employees who demonstrate ethical behaviours. Lastly, enforcement of policies must be consistent and fair. Any breaches should be dealt with promptly and appropriately to reinforce the seriousness of compliance and ethical standards. This can be more effective by building stronger collaborations with law enforcement agencies, industry peers and professional bodies.
Of, course, this continues to be work in progress but by implementing these strategies, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of misconduct and build a more sustainable and ethical business environment.
After 63 years of independence, why do you think that Nigeria is yet to get it right in administration, management and leadership across the three tiers of government?
Nigeria still hasn’t got it right in administration, management and leadership across three tiers of government because the country itself is faced with complex issues which require multi-faceted perspectives and approaches in dealing with them. Firstly, we have historical legacies that have left deep-seated structural issues, including centralized power and resource control which have hindered and are still hindering effective local governance and administrative autonomy. This has further led to weak institutions and processes where fragmented power structures, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and lack of transparency have continued to hinder effective administration and resource allocation.
Secondly, Nigeria is well known for endemic corruption and lack of accountability through which the nation’s resources have been diverted away from developments that should have been a priority for us as a nation.
You talk about corruption in governance. What are the consequences of it when it comes to public trust?
Endemic corruption erodes public trust and diverts resources away from development priorities. A weak culture of accountability within government institutions further perpetuates these issues. Then we also have the lack of consistent policy implementation and strategic planning, which often comes with changes in government and political pressures leading to an inefficient governance system. Finally, we have a lack of coordination and collaboration in the public service evidenced by the fragmented and soloed approaches across different tiers and ministries that often led to duplication of efforts, wasted resources and poor decision-making. This exposes the limited skill gap in the public service and indicates that we still have a non -impactful civil service despite the several professional development and capacity building programmes organized for public servants.
Given what people have seen about government insincerity of purpose and the hardship they are currently facing, is there any hope for a better Nigeria?
Notwithstanding all these, all hope is not lost as I strongly believe that these issues can be addressed. But tackling them requires a multi-pronged approach, involving sustained efforts from the government, civil society, and even the private sector. There is an urgent need to focus on our long-term vision and systemic reforms. It is important to note that the cornerstone for building a more efficient, effective, and responsive administration across all tiers of government in Nigeria is commitment to good governance and that is a call for all Nigerians. As such addressing these challenges requires systemic reforms, capacity building, transparent governance, and a commitment to long-term, sustainable development plans, aligned with global best practices.
In recent years, Nigeria has had its own fair share of brain drain in all sectors of human endeavour. What do you make of this ugly trend?
Of course, the Japa syndrome is not helping matters at all, especially as the highly skilled employees are leaving the country in large numbers, leaving organizations to struggle with maintaining their operations with inadequately skilled employees. However, this should not discourage organizations in investing in their people as up skilling employees also foster innovation in the organization.
Corporate heads and owners must lead strongly and must communicate clearly, inspire confidence, and make decisive, informed decisions. There is a saying that tough times don’t last, but tough people do, and so in anticipation of the good times that may come, organizations should also start building robust networks and partnerships that can provide support and open up new opportunities even, in tough times.
An environmentalist, when can Nigerians breathe a clean fresh air seeing that Nigeria, Lagos in particular, ranks 133 in world’s most polluted cities -according to IQAir. And with cases of open defecation especially in Lagos which has become a menace?
Achieving cleaner air is a gradual process that requires the collective efforts of the government, private sector, communities, and individuals. Together, all parties need to works towards creating a sustained and coordinated approach to environmental management. So, Nigerians can breathe clean, fresh air when concerted and systematic efforts are made by all Nigerians to address the root causes of pollution and implement sustainable environmental practices. For Lagos, specifically ranked high in pollution, the journey towards cleaner air involves several critical steps that need to be taken over time.
So, what strategic module do you suggest?
The strategies would include conducting extensive public awareness campaigns about the health impacts of pollution and the importance of sanitation can lead to behavioral change and community action towards a cleaner environment, investing in proper sanitation facilities to combat open defecation, along with developing efficient waste management systems that reduce the release of pollutants into the air and water and the implementation of stricter environmental regulations on industrial emissions, waste disposal, and vehicular pollution, and more importantly, enforcing these laws consistently. I believe that with persistent and comprehensive actions, and especially if these measures are implemented swiftly and effectively, significant improvements in air quality can be expected over the years. However, like I said earlier, it is a continuous process that demands ongoing commitment and adaptation to new challenges and technologies.