What if as a leader, you discovered that the treasury was empty? When the question of financing development and transformation pops up at Africans, they think it is all about pumping millions of dollar into the hands of her citizens or building some sort of gigantic structures in the name of infrastructure. What then does it mean to finance development and transformation? This short write up will enlighten African youths to understand how we ought to finance development and transformation as leaders. A farmer who does not take good care of his seed stock during harvest has already failed before the commencement of the next planting season. As seeds are to a farmer, so also are youths and human resources to a leader. According to Wikipedia, a youth can be defined as the appearance, freshness, vigour, and spirit, characteristic of one who is young. Investing in youth is the ideal way to finance development and transformation as a leader. A critical study on Africa reveals that her youths been neglected. Millions of dollar is continuously been spent on roads, infrastructure and refineries. In fact, most of this so-called physical infrastructure will end up been destroyed by the youths for whom they were provided. This systemic failure has made our youths to channel their strength negatively thereby, making them agents of destruction instead of agents of transformation. I will finance the well-being of the human resource resident in my locality. A society with a population of 5000 youths, and well catered for with the available resources in terms of education, health, and other amenities will witness more transformed than a community with the same resources that placed emphasis on the physical development of her society. I recount an experience in my life that I will like to share with you all. Some children lived with their parents in the suborning villages around my school. An outreach team of students decided to find a way of reaching out to them with the gospel, moral training, and teachings. These students never gave money to the children but told them to shun vices like stealing, fighting, insulting and many others that were common in the locality. A visit to these villages after the passage of time showed that the children had adopted some of virtues imparted into them. They parents themselves testified to the change witnessed in the life of their wards. Do you know that when these kids grow up, they may be opportune to handle public funds, which they will do in all honesty, and sincerity.
“Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful,” says a scripture. How far we go as a continent is dependent on our obedience to faithfulness. African is laden with numerous examples of leaders that I would not mention in this space that diverted funds meant for public use for personal gain. As a leader, I will try to be financially faithful, as this will have a way to rubbing off on my followers’ attitudes too. During my primary school days when I was just about 10 years or there about, we contributed some money for financing of our graduation party. Some mates of mine and I were saddled with the responsibility of getting gifts for our teachers. Faithfulness in the area of finance helped us to go for some quality products and diversion for personal gain.
Furthermore, being visionary as a leader cannot be neglected for Africa to develop. It will help to channel finance on the needs instead of wants. This catalyst stimulates finance in the right direction to yield development and transformation. Most leaders are not ambitious so are not able to deliver when given opportunity to lead.
Finally, I will adopt the culture of entrepreneurship financing instead of job hunting among my followers. No government on earth can effectively cater for the developmental and transformation needs without the help of the private sector. Through financing entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs like Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Jean Bosco Nzeyimana, Alan Knott-Craig Jr and a host of others have been able to sponsore projects, thereby contributing to the physical development and transformation of Africa.