Tinubu must avoid reckless borrowing as Buhari did for the Nigerian Economy to Grow - James Jukwey

Buzz Times: You studied Mass Communication at the University of Lagos between 1975 and 1978. Why the choice of journalism as a career especially at that time when Nigeria was under the jackboot of military rule with deleterious consequences for journalists in the country?

James Jukwey: Like many other young people at the time I was quite idealistic about Nigeria and the prospects for the relatively young nation. I believed journalism would give me the opportunity to inform fellow Nigerians about what was happening around them. There were few graduate journalists at the time and many people in the profession were those who had failed in forging ahead in their political careers. UNILAG and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka were the only universities in the country offering mass communication at the graduate level then and the profession gained more public respect as graduates joined it. There was less kowtowing by graduate journalists to those in authority as we saw them as our equals or lower to us in status educationally.

Buzz Times: A veteran journalist who is your contemporary and practiced the profession in the UK said that at the time it wasn’t fashionable for those with journalism aspirations to study mass communication at university because it was newly introduced to the curriculum due to American influence. It was fashionable to study anything but mass communication and its undergraduates were laughed to scorn because the course didn’t give them an expertise base. How true is her statement and what is your advice for a review of the curriculum to reflect the current-day digital disruptions that have seen your much-beloved print media which was your entry point go obsolete?

James Jukwey: The veteran journalist you have cited is quite right. When I opted to study mass communication in 1975 some of my high school teachers thought I was crazy and should instead go for a more serious profession such as law. The fact is that while mass communication was becoming popular in universities in the United States, and the mass comm department at UNILAG was set up by Americans, across the pond in the United Kingdom there was no such course. Aspiring journalists in Britain studied history, philosophy, or any other liberal arts subjects and went into journalism or broadcasting straight after,  learning the nitty gritty on the job or at best on a certificate course in a polytechnic. The current smartphone digital revolution has taken the world to where people think anyone can be a reporter and publish anything without the need for an editor to vet their copy. My worry is that this has led to so much fake news and rubbish on the internet that the public is losing faith in what they see or read online. Today anything can be "breaking news." When I was at Reuters any time we had breaking news it would be something cataclysmic that shook the world such as the assassination of a president, a coup d'tat, or the collapse of a government in a major country. I'm talking about events that could affect commodity prices or currency exchange rates. We never did celebrity reports unless the person was really well known like say late Mohammed Ali. My view is that the current digital disruption will self-correct. Some mass media groups will die but those that survive will gain the respect of more discerning readers. Good journalists will be required to provide content, not only for print and broadcasting but also for serious online outfits. Therefore, hang in there. Universities should continue to offer journalism courses but model them for a world that moves at a much faster pace and thrives on quick turnover of news and events. So rather than reading a newspaper at leisure or watching the news on a large television with a glass of wine in hand be prepared for news on the go. That is what every media outlet, old or new should aim for to remain competitive. Some have adapted and those that haven't may not survive.

Buzz Times: You started your career with the defunct New Nigerian Newspapers and later moved to the Democrats now also rested. Please tell us about your experiences in both once-great newspapers – the memorable stories, interviews with celebrities as well as great personalities, low moments, newsroom politics etc.

James Jukwey: There is so much to recall but I'll keep it brief. The New Nigerian Newspapers was a unique place. It was owned by the Northern states' governments. While we promoted the interests of the region we defended the independence of Nigeria as a whole with all our might and always fearlessly published what we thought was right for the country. As a journalism student at UNILAG, I covered the world conference for action against apartheid for the New Nigerian Newspapers in Lagos in August 1977 where I interviewed the late Robert Mugabe, at the time the leading freedom fighter for independence for his country, Zimbabwe. He made a huge impression on my young mind. I thoroughly also enjoyed covering the 1979 election to end military rule in Nigeria and was lucky to follow great leaders in the south such as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Late Sam Ikoku used to provide fantastic quotes for us. I became news editor for the New Nigerian in Lagos shortly after President Shehu Shagari assumed office after years of military dictatorship and it was exciting reorganizing the newsroom to meet the new challenges. I was quite young but had many highly experienced reporters who worked hard with me to produce unbiased coverage of the restored democracy in Nigeria. I later became editor of the Benue State government newspaper, The Nigeria Voice in Makurdi. From there, I went on to join an independent media group that was being put together in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria by prominent Nigerians, the so-called "super permanent secretaries" of the General Yakubu Gowon regime. These are people who loved Nigeria and wanted to see civilian rule prosper. Ironically, on the night of 31st December 1983 when we launched their newspaper, The Democrat in Kaduna, Shagari's government was overthrown, only a few months into his second term, and a certain Muhammadu Buhari seized power and became head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. What followed next is the well-documented history of Nigeria which included the infamous Decree 4 that seriously curtailed media freedom.

Buzz Times: The crowning moment and finest hour of your career was when you joined Thomson Reuters then simply known as Reuters in 1984. Please tell us how you got the job, what year were you sent to work in London, and how it happened, did you experience any form of racial discrimination in London? 

James Jukwey: After the overthrow of the elected Nigerian government on the last day of 1983, it was clear to me and many others of my generation that the military was back in power for the long haul. Luckily for me, I was among several Nigerian journalists discreetly approached by Reuters to know if I would be interested in working for them in Lagos. Of course, I said yes because joining an international news organization is what most journalists dreamt of although I personally never thought it would happen. Many senior Nigerian journalists were interviewed and after a lengthy process they settled on me and we were able to swiftly agree on terms. I resumed my job in Lagos on August 1, 1984. Not only was the job different in the sense that it was thorough but your story had to answer every conceivable query from sub-editors thousands of miles away before it was published. Colleagues, both in Nigeria and abroad treated one another with a lot of respect. Even Nigerian officials were quite different when I called them, introduced myself as a Reuters correspondent, and sought answers or comments to questions circulating in the local media or for stories we were exclusively working on. This was the sort of reporting I'd hoped for when I wanted a media career and so I decided I would be a Reuters journalist for a long time. This proved to be a turning point in my life. I was 28 years old. The following year I got married to the love of my life whom I had met in Kaduna where she came to do national youth service the year before. In 1986 we had our first child, followed by the second one in 1987. Meanwhile, I had become a key member of the Reuters team traveling to European cities and reporting on OPEC, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, whose meetings were decisive in determining the price of oil and consequentially inflation levels in Western economies. In 1988, Reuters assigned me to the Energy Desk in London. It was a revelation working in what was then one of the biggest newsrooms in Fleet Street, a world-famous media hub.

Buzz Times: 1993 was a year of mixed feelings for you – the year Reuters sent you to be its Nigerian Bureau Chief from London and also the year you had to give up a place for your Masters Degree Program in Journalism at the prestigious City University – arguably the best journalism school in the UK. How did you effectively handle the good and bad news?

James Jukwey: On Christmas Eve in 1992, our third and last child was born. I was looking forward to more family time in London. But then the June 12 crisis exploded when the Nigerian military hierarchy annulled elections that business mogul MKO Abiola was poised to win. About the same time the Reuters bureau chief in Lagos was posted to Jakarta, Indonesia. I was posted to Lagos to take over, which as you pointed out meant I lost my admission to City University in that autumn of 1993. Being bureau chief in my home country was a rare opportunity I couldn't resist so many sacrifices had to be made, especially by my young family. My wife was doing postgraduate studies in London and it was tough for her but she managed to complete it while coping with three children, one of them just a baby. I arrived in Lagos solo. It was so busy in the aftermath of the June 12 election and I was completely engulfed in the reporting. Fortunately, my colleague, Tunde Obadina, a former BBC and Punch journalist who was vastly experienced, was there to work with me. Nigeria was a top world story with riots, workers' strikes, an interim government that the international community ridiculed, which General Sani Abacha soon sacked, and the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and some of his fellow Ogoni minority rights advocates. When Reuters broke the story of the hanging of the Ogoni activists, the United Nations Security Council was meeting in New York. All hell broke loose with everyone there condemning Nigeria and demanding sanctions against the Abacha regime. In Auckland, New Zealand, the Commonwealth heads of government were holding their summit and a similar reaction erupted. For days the story was so big sometimes I had to stay in the office overnight to provide regular updates. At the time we didn't have seamless telecommunication like there is today. I would regularly return to the office at night to file breaking stories. It was exciting but also exhausting.

Buzz Times: Please share your experiences – the good, bad, and ugly as the Nigerian Bureau Chief of Reuters which coincided with the time of the June 12 presidential elections annulment. How did you manage the conflict between representing the interests of a foreign news agency as a Nigerian and the intransigence of the then General Sani Abacha-led regime to deny Late Chief M.K.O Abiola his mandate?

James Jukwey: It really wasn't that difficult. Reuters standards demand correspondents report what is true from solid sources with proper background. Nigerian officials would publicly complain that the foreign press was out to destabilize the nation but privately they would concede that Africa's so-called giant was in its worst crisis since the Biafra civil war. As a Nigerian, I had a duty both to the country and to my employers to report the truth, nothing but the whole truth. No one could dispute the facts. It was stark and couldn't be concealed. Reuters also a had good network of well-remunerated stringers across the country who worked tirelessly for us, even more than they did for their principal employers. We reported what we saw happening on the streets, and binned press releases that were being issued every other hour to attract foreign funding by pro-democracy groups that sprang up overnight. It was that simple.

Buzz Times: You spent 29 years and 4 months in Reuters in a profession where its practitioners regularly job hop. Why long-term loyalty to them? Kayode Soyinka, Dele Momodu, etc shook London with their Africa Today and Ovation Magazines publications which projected Africa in a much better light away from the negative Caucasian media stereotype. Were you tempted at some point to delve into media entrepreneurship?

James Jukwey: I had no need to job-hop. Working for Reuters was not only financially rewarding but also prestigious. I respect journalists who have successfully run their own media empires. I never thought that I could personally do it and therefore never ventured into as you put it "entrepreneurship." I was happily working for a company that at the time was among the top firms on the London stock exchange, the FTSE 100, paid well, and had a good employee share ownership scheme that generously rewarded staff members.

Buzz Times: You have been in retirement for about a decade now. How has the experience of being a senior citizen in the UK been? Do you feel betrayed by the Nigerian State that you can’t enjoy your twilight years in your native Gboko? At three years shy of the Biblical three scores and ten, will you consider writing your memoirs so that the younger generation can learn and tap from your wealth of experience and wisdom?

James Jukwey: After nearly 30 years working for Thomson Reuters, it was possible to take early retirement and live modestly on a company pension scheme. I wish many companies in my native Nigeria will embrace similar schemes to help their employees avoid poverty in old age. My heart hurts when I see my mates who served Nigeria with all their might denied their entitlements after they leave service. I hope the new governments at the federal and state levels will address the non-payment of pensioners, sometimes for many months. I wouldn't survive under such circumstances.

Buzz Times: The economics of your beloved profession is not looking good globally. There is digital disruption which has greatly reduced the influence of traditional media leading to massive layoffs with current threats from artificial intelligence as well. What is your advice for young people who want to get into it today in what I will describe as perilous times?

James Jukwey: The digital disruption in my view is a passing phase. Eventually, the media landscape will even out. Outfits like yours, Buzz Times, might become mainstream, offering quick turnover content to meet the requirements of global markets. You will, however, still need to employ young, enterprising journalists to provide useful contextual content. Even when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fully deployed in the next digital wave, humans will still be needed to direct them and make their output meaningful. I have no fear that journalists will soon become obsolete and machines will take over. Let's be a bit more positive. You can't buy from off the shelf the experience we have had and which young people like your good selves will have and offer society.

Buzz Times: Your state – Benue was in the news for the wrong reasons during the alleged eight-year misrule of former Governor Samuel Ortom. From regular attacks by the Fulani herdsmen which even saw the Governor almost lose his life as he scampered for safety on an occasion by the marauding cattle dealers to his ‘empowerment scheme’ with the public unveiling of wheelbarrows for the youths, to the backlog of salaries for both the civil servants and pensioners. It was a sigh of relief when suspended Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia took over as the helmsman. Do you see the plight of the Man on the Street improved under Alia? What advice do you give his administration to make life more bearable for the good people of Benue State?

James Jukwey: I agree that the last 8 years were hard for many people in Benue State. My mates who are pensioners suffered the most. So much so that I was part of Benue people in the diaspora who supported and were overjoyed to see Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia become the state governor. I'm hopeful he'll change the fortunes of the state. He can only improve on the hardship of the recent past. Luckily, Benue is now in alignment with those in power at the centre in Abuja. Governor Alia, working in concert with the new Secretary to the Federal Government George Akume will ensure Benue State gets its fair share of federal largesse and utilizes it for the benefit of a majority in the state, and not just a thieving few.

Buzz Times: Nigeria was good to you in your youth. You came to Lagos as a starry-eyed 17-year-old lad from Gboko and attended the prestigious Kings College Lagos for your Higher School Certificate between 1973 and 1975. Then you proceeded to the equally great University of Lagos fondly called the school of first choice and the nation’s pride between 1975 and 1978. Great journalism jobs followed in Lagos and London. Today, that era is told to my generation as ‘the good old days.’ How can the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu bring back that Renaissance or golden era? What advice do you have for him to revive the battered economy? Do you advise him to adopt the Stephen Oronsaye report that proposed a merger of ministries to cut costs in the public sector? 

James Jukwey: I, and indeed most people of my generation should be grateful for what the country offered us in its golden moments. After high school in 1975, I began teaching in a secondary school in a beautiful town called Riyom in what was then Benue Plateau State. Two weeks later I got a telegram saying I'd been admitted to UNILAG to study mass communication and should report immediately. Armed with the telegram I went to the scholarship board in Jos, the state capital, and within an hour I got a scholarship to attend UNILAG. That can't happen in today's Nigeria, not even in the most educationally disadvantaged states. It is unfortunate that successive leaders ruined the country through incompetence, mismanagement, and looting. I have a lot of sympathy for the youth of today. It must be horrible to graduate and return home to live on your parent's sofa because of lack of employment. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has his work cut out. Like many other Nigerians I'm willing him to succeed and improve the nation's fortune for the sake of the younger generation. Slicing the cost of governance by two thirds will free funds to invest in productive services, schools and hospitals. Adopting the Stephen Oronsaye is therefore a no-brainer.

Buzz Times: There is a shift from certificates to skills in the new world global economic order. In the UK where you reside, Euan Blair – Former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s eldest child has An Edtech with Unicorn status called Multiverse that targets students just finishing their A Levels and convinces them not to go to the university so as not to rack up prohibitive students’ loans. Rather, it places them on an apprenticeship with large brands which over time metamorphoses into regular employment as they have market-in-demand skills. How can President Tinubu’s administration’s public policy thrust reflect this skills-based economy? How can it provide the needed support to the private sector to drive the agenda? How can the educational thrust of his administration reflect the shift to a skills-based economy and adequately prepare the students for that future?

James Jukwey: Unfortunately, most of us Nigerian parents and grandparents believe going to university is a must and feel a failure when our children don't graduate. Britain used to produce skilled craft people through apprenticeships. Ironically, Tony Blair's government opened up university education to just about anyone who wanted it. Now the UK produces many graduates but there are not enough graduate jobs to absorb everyone. I applaud his son, Euan Blair for his Edtech initiative which is benefitting many young people. President Tinubu's government can learn from it.

Buzz Times: What is your opinion on the student loan act signed into law by President Tinubu? Do you believe that government should hand off the funding of education and leave it to market forces? Do you believe in the populist view of Fidel Castro who ensured that his regime heavily invested in the training of medical doctors who were then exported abroad and over time trumped sugar as its main foreign exchange revenue earner?

James Jukwey: I believe government should fund education if possible but the problem is that in Nigeria the population is now so large that it's impossible to meet every demand. Perhaps on student loans Nigeria can adopt what is known as"means testing." No one should get loans if their parents earn above a certain threshold. The loans should be reserved for only those whose parents can't afford the fees. I think the era when Fidel Castro could export doctors is outdated and long gone. Today individual freedom takes priority over state dictate. Many doctors trained in Nigeria move abroad to boost their income and practice in better-equipped hospitals. For example, Nigerian officials come to England for medical service and find the person treating them is in fact a Nigerian doctor. Embarrassing!

Buzz Times: What is your view on the removal of fuel subsidy by President Tinubu without palliatives to cushion the effects? Some economists posit that palliatives don’t work in large economies citing India and China as basket cases; do you share that view? What is your view on the recent executive orders signed into law by President Tinubu which included the suspension of the excise duty escalation contained in the 2023 Fiscal Policy Measures imposed by the previous administration, suspension of the Green Tax on some categories of vehicles, the deferment of the Finance Act 2023 effective date and some customs tariffs?

James Jukwey: I honestly don't understand how palliatives will work in a hugely populated country like Nigeria. Who gets what and who doesn't get? Knowing our country most of the palliative funding will end up in private bank accounts abroad. During the COVID crisis, Nigeria received donations of vaccines from abroad. A lot of it was hoarded and ended up being destroyed after the expiry of its sell-by date.

The fact is that President Tinubu had no choice but to end fuel subsidies in his first address to the nation. The scheme simply ran into a cul-de-sac and there was nowhere else to go. Buhari would have had to do it too if he had been for two more months. President Tinubu must hold his nerve and see it play out. By the time Dangote's huge new oil refinery comes into full flow the market might turn in favour of consumers. Aliko Dangote is a serious businessman and won't allow his huge investment to waste as the NNPC has done with government-owned refineries. 

I also fully applaud the government's decision to strive for a single currency exchange rate for the country. Everyone knew the previous policy of multiple exchange rates was simply a scam to make certain people rich at the expense of the nation.

For whatever it is worth if I was in President Tinubu's position I would have gone further and declared a time-limited amnesty for Nigerians with money abroad to bring it back home and invest in local businesses with no questions asked. Whether it's loot or legitimately acquired wealth the important thing is to use the money to revive and boost economic growth at home. I would forget about probes and equally scrap the EFCC. How much stolen Nigerian money has it recovered from abroad since its inception? Not even Abacha's loot. Let's close our eyes for say two years for people to bring back their funds, legitimise their ownership and pump up the economy. It could create jobs for our teaming unemployed youth. Such an amnesty could also make it attractive for foreign direct investment to flow back as it will allow the repatriation of profits.

Nigeria also has an opportunity to massively and aggressively embrace renewable energy, especially solar power. Let solar panels be installed on every suitable building to capture power from sunshine which Nigeria gets in abundance all year round. Why, for example, are discos not tapping our God-given sunshine as a matter of course?

I would also urge this government to be bold and tackle head-on our population explosion. It's heartbreaking when you travel around Nigeria and see boys and girls whose sole is to hold a bowl and stay in one spot all day begging for alms. It is not a crime to have children but it's immoral to bring them into the world with no idea of how to cater for them. The Tinubu government should devise policies to combat our ballooning population. It can no longer be business as usual. Let there be real change.

I hope at the end of 4 or 8 years Nigeria will be a better place with sound policies that a new government will simply go along with or at best fine-tune and perfect. 

What President Tinubu should never do is go on a borrowing binge like his predecessor did. The economy won't grow with Nigeria spending 80 percent of its income servicing foreign and domestic debt.

Buzz Times: Thank you for your time and we wish you many more years in good health, peace of mind, and all the good things you desire for yourself. 

James Jukwey: Thank you for giving me the chance to express myself. Best wishes to you and your colleagues at Buzz Times. The future is bright.