America’s New York Times Best-Selling author, John C. Maxwell wrote in his book, “Ultimate Leadership: The 21 Laws of Leadership” on page 37 when he quoted one of world’s greatest men, United Kingdom’s statesman and first Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli on a sub-heading, ‘To Lead Tomorrow, Learn Today’. Maxwell opined; “Leadership is developed daily, not in a day. That is the reality dictated by the Law of Process.”
In his view as quoted by Maxwell, Benjamin Disraeli asserted; “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes.” The many leaders who have carved a niche for themselves throughout history have had to cultivate self-discipline and consistency to get them to achieve whatever might have been attached to their greatness. Talk about the Demosthenes of ancient Greece who had to recite speeches with pebbles in his mouth and speak over the roar of the waves at the seashore – something he did in spite of having been born with speech impairment. Demosthenes went on to become the greatest orator ever!
As the man behind the country’s energy wherewithal, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi has proved that leadership ability is not static. Over the past twenty-four months, he has, consistently, shown capacity with noticeable and measurable deliverables. As the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), he has completely taken out the Commission out of its near-obscurity to prominence, not through media hype or propaganda, but through visible milestones. Qualified to be tagged a man with vision-in-motion, and has been severally deposed to by this author, Dr. Abdullahi has shown that he is a moving vision. A vision encapsulated perfectly in the words of Theodore Hesburgh, renowned American priest and academic,
“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.”
And talking about being a visionary man, it was America’s filmmaker and world-renowned storyteller, Sir Laurens van der Post who said,
“Without vision we all suffer from an insufficiency of data. We look at life myopically, that is, through own lens, our own world. Vision enables us to transcend our autobiography, our past to rise above our memory. This is particularly practical in human relationships and creates a magnanimity of spirit towards others.”
Dr. Abdullahi has hitherto shown that his vision, which by providence aligns with that of his employer – Mr. President, is that which will ultimately build Nigeria’s energy wherewithal through symbiotic synergies with relevant stakeholders, an energy economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda that will be long-lasting, not a swoosh-like that vanishes with just a twinge, and definitely, not a chimera or ignis fatuus that disappears with the sunny day – an affordable and accessible cleaner energy that also ultimately guarantees safer environment.
In line with his vision, Dr. Abdullahi recently scored another major point – made another history with the signing of a €100million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Clean Energy Investment deal with the London-based UNIDACO Limited, a consultant and advisory company with bespoke investments, project finance as well as international trade among others. The aim was simple – to advance Nigeria’s clean energy transition that saves lives, creates job opportunities, reduce capital flight and overall improves the country’s economy.
As typical with every leader with a goal tailored towards the overall vision, Dr. Abdullahi’s goal is in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President – to guarantee a workable Nigeria for all. It is a goal that is rooted in viable and visible results. A goal that wants to see the ordinary man on the streets have access to clean, safe and affordable alternative energy. Today, at the Energy Commission, this is what the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi is striving quotidian to bring to reality. Results are constantly evolving. Beneficiaries are swelling up in numbers. The streets are feeling the results, not only in the education sector, neither is it peculiar to the agricultural sector nor the economy as a whole, the waves of positive changes are felt even in the energy sector where Dr. Abdullahi takes the lead. He is showing workings on a large scale, albeit under-reported.
Like the Biblical disciples, Dr. Abdullahi has incontrovertibly proven himself as one of the eleven faithful followers of Christ Jesus of the Tinubu administration, helping in accentuating the milestones of the current administration vis-à-vis its manifestos and electoral promises, especially on energy revitalisation. This, he, alongside a handful others has consistently and hitherto evolved (in leadership) with several shackle breaking landmarks across the various governance architectures in the country. The list is endless. Under his ascendancy as the Chief Executive of the Energy Commission, his achievements in just twenty-four months as an appointee of the current government is enough campaign for a Tinubu re-election as President and the Commander-in-Chief.
He is indeed a visionary in motion.
– Omogbolahan L.A. BABAWALE is the Convener and Lead Resource Person of The Think-Tinubu Initiative (3TI). He writes from Lagos. officialczar2@gmail.com