For Bright Enabulele, a pan-Africanist who founded Oduwacoin, blockchain and agriculture have transformative potential that African leaders should consider.
In this interview, Enabulele, also known as Nana Obudazie Oduwa I, highlights Africa’s enormous challenges and solutions.
Excerpts…
What will you say are Africa’s primary challenges?
The challenges Africans are facing today is leadership. It is not just to govern the people, it’s having the right wisdom as well. Our people in Africa perish through lack of wisdom and it boils from the leadership. You can be a leader but it takes exceptional traits to lead.
It is what you have that you give to the people, and if you don’t give the right knowledge and wisdom, the country will perish. For me, even though we have people elected in leadership positions, I feel they don’t have the right wisdom to lead, especially in a continent that has a population of 1.4 billion. It will surprise you to know that 99% of African leaders are not inspiring. Hence, they aren’t motivating.
What do you think are Africa’s greatest assets?
We have numerous assets that can make us control the world, but I will say agriculture, and our youth population stands out. We have vast areas of lands in Africa -these lands can be made fertile again. They are just there. This alone makes me wonder why there is a food shortage in Africa, a continent with fertile lands.
Agriculture is Africa’s greatest asset, representing the continent’s immense potential for economic growth and food security. Rich in diverse climates and fertile lands, Africa’s agriculture sector can alleviate poverty, foster sustainable development, and empower local communities, while also contributing significantly to global food production and promoting environmental resilience.
On the other perspective, our youth population represents a tremendous demographic advantage. With our burgeoning young workforce, Africa has an unprecedented opportunity to harness their potential through education, skill development, and innovative solutions. Leveraging this demographic dividend can drive economic progress, social development, and shape Africa’s future prosperity.
How do you think these assets can be leveraged?
First, we need to start from making good use of our resources. The key here is knowing what the resources are and how to use them. We also have to invest in our education system-don’t know who we are because the education given to us is only used to exploit our talents.
The leaders we have in Africa today are about the race of other people’s intelligence. We lack our wisdom. We hear everywhere that we have gold, minerals and other resources but locally, we are not equipped for what they said we have.
What would you advise African governments to consider to change the continent’s fortune?
The integration of blockchain technology into governance and economy at large will easily transform Africa. Agriculture as well has the potential to revolutionize the continent, propelling it towards becoming a better one.
By leveraging blockchain’s decentralized and transparent nature, Africans will experience good and accountable governance. Smart contracts, traceability, and data-driven insights will enhance productivity, sustainability, and inclusivity.
More so, when agriculture is taken more seriously, farmers will have access to efficient supply and sustainable chains, secure land rights, and fairer financial systems., unlocking Africa’s agricultural prowess and fostering socio-economic growth.
Kindly elucidate further on the role of blockchain in shaping Africa..
Blockchain is a movement of financial data and non-financial data from one end to the other. It is all about using encryption, which is to protect unauthorised users from getting access to what they’re not supposed to get access to. Let’s go back to our finance today, what do we suffer most in Africa, we are talking about transparency, we can’t put our trust on anyone, we’re looking for technology that doesn’t require interference, a technology that would help fight counterfeits, a technology that would help us keep records that can’t be erased, that builds us systems that are irrefutable. Only blockchain addresses all these challenges.
Blockchain is a necessity. When I delved into this industry in 2017, the primary goal was to launch in Africa so that it would give what we needed to get to the promised land and free us from all our financial burdens. Look at Africa today, nobody trusts their currencies, all the currencies in Africa are weak. Amongst other things blockchain enables fast and secure transactions.
