I believe this is what the author of this book, Nigeria Heroes and Sheroes: Diary of a Journalist of Courage, Mr Ken Ugbechie, set out to imprint in the minds of the readers; that Nigeria has a surfeit of men, women and corporates who in spite of many odds, have raised the bar of development in their individual and collective pursuits.

The first thing that caught my fancy and tickled my imagination was the title of this 644-page book; Nigeria Heroes and Sheroes: Diary of a Journalist of Courage. I was fascinated by the choice of the word SHEROES. And I guess, many people are as intrigued as I was. We know about heroes and heroines. Why Sheroes?

Pronto, my journalistic instinct propelled me to do a simple check. The Oxford dictionary describes Shero as ‘a woman admired or idealised for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities; a heroine.’

I inquired further from Merriam Webster dictionary and it describes Shero as a woman regarded as a hero.

The word Shero also has a deep history. It was first used in 1836 during the suffrage movement. Forbes magazine in March 2018 took a deeper insight into the etymology of the word, Shero. Mary Ellen Dugan, strategic marketing and brand building expert, writing for Forbes magazine, described Sheroes as “everyday people, who not only support women and diversity but have strong character and abilities. They are gender blind and champions for success. They support, encourage and push every woman to be better. Anyone (man or woman), from any culture, at any age, can be a Shero. But to get that title, the bar is very high.”

I believe this is what the author of this book, Mr Ken Ugbechie, set out to imprint in the minds of the readers; that Nigeria has a surfeit of men, women and corporates who in spite of many odds, have raised the bar of development in their individual and collective pursuits.

It is often said that a journalist is a chronicler of history in a hurry. This book epitomises this in the sense that it can pass for a repository of history on Nigeria’s march to development. Essentially, it x-rays diverse sectors from sports to science and technology, economy to politics, social justice to international relations.

Journalism, especially modern journalism, does not sit on the fence. The journalist can be adversarial, constructively critical and can, as occasion demands, take a position on an issue. We have seen newspapers and television stations, from Washington Post and New York Times to Cable News Network (CNN) endorse presidential candidates in America. The UK Guardian and The Telegraph have at various times endorsed candidates in UK politics. It takes courage and conviction to do this. This is the type of courage Mr Ugbechie has displayed in his essays. He showed courage to applaud, courage to rebuke and courage to suggest solutions and remedies.

The book is segmented into 10 sections, namely: Economy, Education, Heroes and Sheroes, Judiciary, Media, Miscellany, Oddities, Polity, Society, Sports and Villainy. In all, it is both a compendium of our collective journey towards development and a mirror that tells us at a every point how good or ugly we look as a people and as a nation. What I find most fascinating about this book is the author’s ability to write on every subject matter with compelling force of argument and flair. The author delves into technology with the same clear-headedness and passion as he does when the subject is sports, judiciary, economy and media. This is a special attribute in journalism. But when you reckon that the author is a multi-discipline graduate with a rare combination of Science and Mass Communication in the university, you will get a handle on why he is always able to navigate through several subject matters.

Focus on Development

Heroes and Sheroes in the words of the author gauges Nigeria’s march in the hallway of development. One practical index to measure whether Nigeria has taken any leap forward in development is captured in the first section of the book which is ECONOMY. In an article published on June 10, 2010, with the caption – Asobie’s thesis on the Nigerian paradox – the author quotes the then Executive Secretary of the Local Content Development Commission, Mr Ernest Nwapa, as saying that “out of every $100 made from oil and gas, only $5 is retained in Nigeria while $95 is stashed away overseas.” This is beyond capital flight. This is sheer robbery by the oil ‘super majors’ with of course connivance with corrupt public office holders in the country.

Fast forward to 2023. Is Nigeria still getting a paltry $5 out of every $100? The answer is No. The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010 has ensured that Nigerian content is given priority in contracting, staffing, consultancy and other services in the oil and gas sector. This has helped to shore up, significantly, the amount of money retained in Nigeria out of every $100. This, to me, is development. The very fact that not every service or contract in the critical oil and gas sector is left in the hands of expatriates suggests that in the past 20 years, Nigeria has moved forward in terms of maximizing the resources accruing from oil and gas. Nigerian companies are now playing big roles in both the Upstream and Downstream sub-sectors.

Again, the author wrote: “Nigeria is a victim of the “Dutch Disease” as well as the “Resource Curse. Both are symptomatic of monoculture economies where the nation relies heavily, if not solely, on crude cash. Whereas the ‘Disease’ leads to poverty in the midst of plenty, the ‘Curse’ tends to make a people lazy, uninventive and largely unresourceful. The ‘disease’ kills agriculture and the primary industry;  the ‘curse’ makes the people docile.”

But when you consider that agriculture is being revived in Nigeria through funding, largely by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), you are tempted to ask: Is this a sign of development? I’ll leave the answer to your imagination. Referencing the rice dunes in Kebbi State and a resurgent flourish in the agriculture value chain, the author insists that Nigeria has inclined herself on the plane of agro-economic revival.

Aside agriculture and its contribution to the nation’s GDP, the book recognises the growth of ICT especially the contribution of Zinox Technologies as a counterfoil to the dominance of foreign computer products and services in the country. The author did not leave out the immeasurable role Globacom, as a Nigerian brand, has played in the telecoms sector. He eloquently captured the place of Globacom in the nation’s telecoms history as a people-friendly network which introduced per second billing when others claimed it was impossible.

Under the Heroes and Sheroes section, the author paid glowing tributes to some Nigerians. Mike Adenuga, Leo Stan Ekeh, Akinwunmi Adesina, Umar Garba Danbatta, Buba Marwa, Aliko Dangote, Kanu Nwankwo, Mele Kolo Kyari, Imam Abdullahi, Joseph Blankson, Boma Goodhead, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Hadiza Bala Usman, Herbert Wigwe, Enoch Adeboye, all have their places secured in the hall of fame.

Some governors, past and present, also got elaborate spotlight for their roles in birthing development in their various stations at different times. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Hope Uzodimma, Nyesom Wike, Peter Obi, Babatunde Fashola, Godswill Akpabio, Ifeanyi Okowa, Dave Umahi, Akinwunmi Ambode, Udom Emmanuel, Samuel Ortom, Nasir el-Rufai, among others make up the ensemble, which also has casts like Aisha Buhari (First Lady), Babagana Monguno, Anyim Pius Anyim and the late Sony Odogwu.

Under the section, POLITY, the author argues that there has been an improvement in the manner Nigeria conducts her elections. Leveraging technology to improve the sanctity of the voter register and subsequently the entire electoral process, it is safe to argue that though the processes may still be shrouded in secrecy and may even by described as messy, there has been a slight improvement in the electoral process. At least, we no longer have names like Mike Tyson and Michael Jackson in our voter register.

The author seems to have kind words for the female folk. He deployed the nicest words to describe the contributions of four of the women that featured in the book. In a December 29, 2009 tribute to the late First Lady, Maryam Ndidi Babangida, who died at 61 that year, the author wrote: “Maryam was by far Nigeria’s most popular First Lady. And she ran that office with great aplomb and benign dignity. Comely, chic, fashionable without being frivolous, amiable with a trademark persuasive smile glazing her oval face, Maryam got Nigerians rethinking the office of First Lady.

“But she was not all about splash and dash. She bore, throughout her reign as First Lady, the mark of the poor. She emblazoned in her heart the pain of the rural women. She stood on the side of the weak and the voiceless. She turned her husband’s attention to the plaintive cry of the alternative social actors; the women. She got the media to focus on a category of Nigerians who would never have graced the newspapers and the television screens.”

On the current First Lady, Aisha Buhari, he wrote on October 22, 2017: “She has become the public conscience, the voice of the millions of beleaguered Nigerians, a concerned mother who wants only the best for her children. Nobody should try to stop or bully her. She is beating the bugle to remind her husband of the dirty undercurrents his handlers are hiding from him and to alert Nigerians to their duty of internal vigilance. I will not join her traducers and critics. Rather, I would harvest the best breed of Lotus from Tibet and present to her… for her relentless audacity.”

In a February 21, 2021, tribute to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who was to resume on March 1, 2021 as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Ugbechie gushed in defence of Okonjo-Iweala, thusly: “Her 25 years of peerless performance at World Bank; being privileged to manage economies of other jurisdictions from Europe to Asia, her membership of respected international fiscal policy organisations, her global network of partners, friends, colleagues and experts in economic management thrusts her to the pedestal of an elder in matters of fiscal policy articulation and management. She was the prophetess who was despised at home by her people.”

Heroes and Sheroes is written in flowing prose, easy to read and simple enough to understand the writer’s thoughts. But it is afflicted by the demon common to most printed matters. It is called the Printer’s Devil and you see pockets of its in a few pages. Yet, even this does not diminish the fine prose that has become the hallmark of the author.

The author glows in literary ecstasy when the subject matter is football. On June 16, 2011 while glorifying Kanu Nwankwo for floating the Kanu Heart Foundation, he wrote:

“Born in Africa, discovered in Asia (Japan 1993) and still blooming in Europe, Kanu Christopher Nwosu Nwankwo (aka Papilo) is a footballer of uncommon knack. Guileful, immensely gifted and cunning, Kanu reminds humanity that there is a finer craft of football than just kicking the round leather and scything opponents in life-threatening offensives. He is the Mr Clean of the Beautiful Game who got the world yelling for more with his on-field craft and adroitness. Off and on-the-field, he taught his peers that stardom comes with responsibility; he taught them that being a good footballer does not consist only in the mastery of the game but also in good conduct, patriotism and ability to submit to authorities.”

In all, this book is not just a treasure trove of history, it is a repository of fine writing and beautiful prose. It can humour you. It can also make you sober. I wish every reader as much pleasure in the reading as I had in wading through the pages for this review. I commend the author for his courage and consistency over the years.

Thank you all.

Being text of the review of NIGERIA HEROES AND SHEROES: DIARY OF A JOURNALIST OF COURAGE by Mr. Ebere Wabara, Editor, Wordsmith, Author, Publicist and Columnist on Thursday, April 6, 2023 at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.