I dedicate this column today to two illustrious Nigerians who have achieved great things and made giant contributions to our society in their different forays. In the order in which our paths crossed, the first is Dr. Aderotimi (Rotimi) Adelola and the second is Professor Babafemi Badejo (BB). My path and Dr. Adelola crossed at the Omegabank (formerly Owena Bank). The Revd. Segun Agbetuyi had been hired to reposition Owena Bank and Dr. Adelola was one of the fine technocrats he recruited to help get the job done. My path and Agbetuyi crossed when the union leaders opposed to his radical restructuring efforts attempted to bribe me into publishing a story that would damage Agbetuyi and his restructuring agenda.

The unionists came to my office with cash stashed in two cartons of beer. After listening to them, I rejected their offer and drove them away with the bribe money. As they amassed their bait; the union leaders had boasted that Agbetuyi would smear himself once their damaging report was published by the high-flying Saturday PUNCH, which I edited together with the daily, The PUNCH. Saturday came, no dice! It was then Agbetuyi realised I had turned down the unionists’ offer. He anxiously wanted to meet me and sent Sola Oloidi, the Bank’s Public Relations guy at the time.

When I got to the Apapa head office of the bank at the time, Agbetuyi himself was downstairs waiting to receive me. That was how a relationship with the bank and its key managers developed and blossomed for many years. Its PR department became a second home to me after I left the PUNCH – what with the likes of Segun Ilori, Ademola Akinbola, and Ayo Arowojolu holding sway there at one time or the other! I printed the bank’s Omegabank newsletter for a spell of time until Soludo’s bank consolidation dabaru of the banking sector.

From Omegabank, Dr. Adelola went on to accomplish other milestones, one of which was as the longest-serving Secretary to the Ondo State Government under Gov. Olusegun Mimiko (aka Gba-sibe). What you are about to read are excerpts from the “Foreword” to Adelola’s “Working under the Sunshine: Reminiscences on how a State Government in Nigeria created values for the People”. Incidentally, Professor Femi Mimiko who wrote the “Foreward”, is not only the blood brother of Gov. Mimiko, he was also my classmate at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife. Femi read Political Science while I read History/Political Science. I invite you to enjoy the bit of the “Foreword” that space constraint will allow us here.

“ A major lacuna in Political Science, Public Administration, and governance scholarship, which we have so often referenced, is the tendency to undertake analysis of social formations, and the workings of their political economy, only at the macro level, to the exclusion of the nuances presented by the sub-national realm. The immediate implication of this marginalization culture is that the particular is often lost in the treatment of the general. A preponderance of academic inquiry into, as well as the softer levels of discourses of Nigeria, fits within this disturbing mould.

“To be certain, Nigeria’s system, by a combination of the state formation process, the character of the state, organisation of its politics, and the structuring of its economy suffers from the lingering challenge of throwing up responsive governments capable of answering to the yearnings and aspirations of the people – their own ‘revolution of rising expectations,’ as it were.

“The central government in Nigeria, without much regard to the theoretical precepts in federalism, under which the federating units and central government are supposed to be ‘coordinated and independent’, remains the very locus of power, authority, and influence; animating the other levels of government. The truth, which we have to deal with, is that this governance structure detracts from the possibility of throwing up leaders with the vision and technical capacity requisite for transformationalism. It instead has proven itself adept at producing leaders, many of whom are ‘short in capacity, limited in vision, and too compromised, to be the anchor for national unity and development.’

“In specific terms, the nature of the compromises that many a political practitioner must make to access power, heavily concentrated in the central government – under the rubric of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) – are such that constrain the prospects of emergence of leaders ‘of such quality and commitment requisite for a fresh berth for the country.’ Small wonder, the outcomes in mediocre performance, often paraded in the Nigerian leadership landscape since independence in 1960.

“This, however, does not suggest that the ecosystem of governance in Nigeria is completely bereft of flashes of captivating performance at the sub-national levels – local and State. Yet, under the restrictive analytical framework referenced here, the failure of the Nigerian central government is often projected over the entire country, denying observers the opportunity to engage with significant and impressive efforts at transformational leadership at the other levels of governance. The point being made here is that in the wholescale focus on the macro level, and prioritization of the central government in analysis, the dysfunctionality often associated with that level of government in Nigeria is magnified and projected over the entire social formation, without regard to regional specificities.

“For a fuller, truer, and more nuanced sense, it behooves any serious analyst to look beyond the bigger picture and apprehend critical trends at the lower (sub-national) levels, some of which may be significant enough to shape the nature of the analytical narrative, and the conclusion reachable. It is also not impossible to have what constitutes best practices across governance landscapes within a country. Except the details of such possibilities are tracked and interrogated, it becomes difficult to exact the advantages thereto as we keep at the task of reinventing government, to the ends of good governance, conceived by Goran Hyden in his 1992 work on the same subject, as ‘the conscious management of regime structures to enhance the legitimacy of the public realm…’

“This is one of the primary reasons why Adelola’s (book) deserves the attention of scholars and practitioners of development alike. As the title suggests, the book is a dissection of the patterns of governance of a sub-national unit in Nigeria, over eight years, under a civil democratic dispensation. In the words of the author, it is an effort to elucidate ‘the workings of the people-oriented State Government under the transformational leadership of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, CON, and the first Governor of Ondo State to serve an undisrupted two terms in office.’ “

I agree with Professor Mimiko that Abuja is not Nigeria, just as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or his government is not all there is about governance in the country. Focus must not only be on the government at the Centre but also on States and Local Governments just as Dr. Adelola has appropriately done in his reminiscences.

Professor Badejo I met during COVID-19 in company of other egg-heads at the University of Lagos Staff Club where we met to discuss the state of the nation and the way forward. Since then, we have become like family. Thus, his latest success did not come to me as a surprise. Let’s savour it with him as much as space would permit us!

“The Award Committee of the 2025 Africa Annual Events and the University of Texas at Austin have conferred the prestigious Nelson Mandela Distinguished Africanist Award on Professor Babafemi Badejo, a political scientist, lawyer, and diplomat, in recognition of his lifelong dedication to African studies and service to the African people. In a statement, the committee announced that the award “named in honour of the late Nelson Mandela, is a lifetime achievement recognition given to individuals who have demonstrated resilience, courage, and commitment to African liberation, the promotion of freedom and rights for Africans, and outstanding leadership in public service”. Past recipients include renowned scholars and leaders such as Bonny Ibhawoh of McMaster University, Canada (2018), and Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja (2024).”

Advocate for African development and professor of Political Science and International Relations at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Badejo’s career has been dedicated to shaping African governance, peacebuilding, development, and international relations. His extensive research, publications, and policy engagements have significantly influenced discussions on Africa’s role in global politics, security, and socio-economic advancement. He has also played a practical role in peacebuilding efforts across several African countries during his tenure at the United Nations.

Badejo’s work reflects his strong conviction in celebrating African culture and consciousness. His intellectual contributions span key issues such as corruption, leadership deficits, and the evolving nature of democracy in developing nations. The award coincides with Badejo’s 70th birthday, marking a significant milestone in his career. The recognition, according to the statement, serves as an inspiration for future generations of African scholars and leaders.

In his acceptance speech, Badejo described the award as both a privilege and solemn responsibility. “To be recognised in the name of Nelson Mandela—an enduring symbol of Ọmọluabi, Ubuntu, courage, resilience, justice, and African dignity—is truly remarkable.”, he said. Addressing Africa’s challenges, Badejo emphasised the continent’s leadership deficit and the external forces that exploit its vast natural resources, pledging, however, “a renewed commitment to research, peace, and governance reform in Nigeria and the continent”

We say congratulations to Dr. Adelola and Professor Badejo and wish them more power to their elbows!

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Former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-Chief, BOLAWOLE was also the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Westerner newsmagazine. He writes the ON THE LORD’S DAY column in the Sunday Tribune and TREASURES column in the New Telegraph newspaper on Wednesdays. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television .