We uploaded the 47th chapter yesterday and there were some questions of whether even African countries do better than us in attracting investments and promoting businesses. My answer is an emphatic “yes”. I shall share a story with us…
In the past five years, as the central government makes business life more difficult for local and foreign investors in Nigeria, my little outfit has ventured more into other African countries for better opportunities; we were simply following the well-beaten path of those that since given up on the policy madness of Nigeria. And we’ve had some interesting outings. We actually get invited by Presidents…yes, presidents…We are called “foreign investors”!
So one time we were in Sierra Leone… on business…on the invitation of the president. Off we went…
The Sierra Leone International Airport is on the Island of Luingi…have you seen the movie “Blood Diamond”? Yes, that was the location. Luingi Airport is rather small but clean and very efficient. The presidential protocol ushered us into clean Prado SUVs and asked us to wait a while. He approached a facility just inside the airport and collected several tickets before returning to the vehicles. He handed each of us a beautiful ticket labelled “Sea Coach”…and off we went…
Less than 10 minutes later, we were at a jetty on the Atlantic. We were surprised…”why on earth are we here”? And we were informed that we must go by Sea Coach (ferry) to get to Freetown (he pointed out to the ocean but I couldn’t make out any landform). Members of my team were worried but I assured them…I had worked at sea for years so it was okay…
On the flight from Accra through Abidjan to Sierra Leone, we found some ex top Nigerian Government officials. At the jetty, we all met again…there were principal officers from the national assembly, and a former federal minister. At any rate, we all boarded.
The Sea Coach facility on the island was impressive! Several boardwalk jetties such that at least 5 ferries could be loaded and unloaded simultaneously. You don’t really claim your baggage at the airport as the Sea Coach and the airlines have a seamless arrangement. You check-in your bag in Nigeria, and check it out with the Sea Coach in Freetown.
Sea Coach gave us fresh water and juice to quench our parched throats…at no obvious cost.
Beautiful ferries…good music.. uniformed seamen…organized stevedores…nice in all.
And the journey started…
…in the middle of the Atlantic…
At a decent clip…
With whales surfacing to jet out water and suck-in air…
Fishing boats all over…
Chinese trawlers…
All a sight to behold…
And we were at sea for almost 40 minutes… building a bridge across over 40km of ocean would be an Herculean task.
And we arrived the Freetown Sea Coach Terminal!
What a facility!
Beautiful…
Pristine…
Organized…
Just like the terminal of any Airport albeit smaller. With restaurants, malls, ticketing offices, bars…
And free Wi-Fi!
We checked out our bags and the Government vehicles took us to our hotels. I’d not speak about the hotels on the ocean…where you look out your windows and you’d see that you were exactly on the ocean and the sea beneath your floor…the food? The drinks? Chai!
We commenced our business with the Government..we were treated like Lords…the Government of Sierra Leone would do anything to make you invest…they were practically giving us the country…and the ordinary people were virtually pleading with us to commence in their enclaves first…
The Chinese and Lebanese have laid claims to a large chunk of the country and are doing things…so are the Nigerians! But I digress…
Sea Coach charges about $40 per passenger. Any passenger traveling to or from Sierra Leone must use Sea Coach! The airport has a throughput of over a thousand per day! Do the maths; Sea Coach grosses over $40,000 per day…every day, 24-7. $1.2million per month!!! They make so much money that they build free hospitals and stadiums for the government! They dine with the President at will. And the president used them as an example to show us how they promote investments in Sierra Leone.
Who the hell are these guys?
Sea Coach is owned by a Nigerian of Yoruba origins. He started Sea Coach in Lagos from Ikorodu and Ebutte Metta to the Island. The numerous regulations from NIMASA, NPA, Lagos State Water Transport Authority and the rest of those unnecessary agencies, virtually drove his business aground!
This gentleman just took a trip to Sierra Leone and discovered that there was no organized water transportation system between Luingi and Freetown. He discovered that there were no regulations. He set up shop there and established Sea Coach with organized and modern outlook. The regular passengers and the Sierra Leonean government couldn’t believe their good fortunes. And they welcomed him with open arms…
Sea Coach is raking in millions in Sierra Leone, impacting on the GDP and has employed hundreds of people! And doing far more..the Government is offering them more investment opportunities daily. I was there!
We were extremely impressed…and the Sierra Leoneans gloated almost openly at us…’your loss, our gain” oin!!!
Well, we were back in Nigeria a week later…we really love the Fisherman’s Soup offered by Farm City in Lekki so we went to have some there…lo and behold was a Sea Coach ferry by the jetty, surrounded by Lagos State official and unofficial touts, yelling at the pilot that he would not be allowed to “load” unless he presented some ‘documents”. We watched in awe the madness called Nigeria… then looked at one another and shook our heads in wonder…”if only they knew”…
Dear Friends, these are live events without embellishments; whereby other African countries limit regulations and just encourage you to invest while they concentrate on the taxes and policies, the Nigerian State actively destroys businesses, investments and initiatives with the Insanity of Over-regulation and Centralization…and you think Nigeria is not a tragedy?
Nigeria, as constituted, with a most despicable constitution, is a debilitating Tragedy! We must restructure or Burst!
Baron Roy
