Few weeks ago, I have the opportunity of seating in
a room with probably some of the best minds in sustainability spheres
in Nigeria as part of the visit of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Focal
Point to Nigeria.
I find it quite interesting the
growing awareness in this topic as I have had to personally explain severally
even to supposedly informed individuals what I do for a living, when people ask me and I say – "I’m a sustainability professional".
Usually the next question is “what does that mean?”- Then the teaching,
explanation, clarifications, questions and answers will begin. So it is a huge
relieve for me that at least for once we have quite a crowd asking various
questions and proffering solutions on where we should steer the boat of
sustainability in Nigeria. To me that is a huge relief and big step forward.However, I must clearly state that I still have a challenge with our mind-sets as Nigerians. I fully understand the fact that this is a gradual process but I am pretty worried if the people that should be driving the process still believes that because we are Nigerians some things will never work or we won’t make a headway in some areas. I am baffled when people make such preposterous assumptions based on prejudices that since we are Nigerian then implementing sustainability or any other right thing needs to be shoved down people’s throats – on the premise that as Nigerians we are not teachable, neither do we do things till we are forced to.
As a young Nigerian professional
I can say that if the old generations are still stuck with the
past and their belief system of the country, we are ready for a change. I have
decided to start this blog based on this belief of mine. The reality as we
often hear is that the only thing that is constant is change and that is the
message I am here to preach. We cannot continue to do the same things the same
way and expect different result.
This is very apt for
sustainability too. To me my simple analogy is that sustainability is
attitudinal change. We need to change inside-out before we can positively impact
our people, environment, community and business- otherwise we would only be scratching the surface. It is time we believe and take
the challenge of being responsible and act on it. No longer shall we take the impossible toga
from anyone, by the way for how long shall we continue to be lethargic, watch
the environmental degradation around us as if it does not concern us, see our
communities degenerate and we do nothing and watch the act of corruption become
embedded in our polity it "with I don’t care attitude”
Personal and Corporate
responsibility needs to leave the level of philanthropy and green washing and
be more focused on making the real impact that will benefit the people and communities
that really needs it. No longer shall any organisation give a bag of rice worth
N50k to the needy and use N200k for publicity. We are tired of doing business
the wrong way. There needs to be attitudinal change and approach to business
and our believe of what sustainability is and how it should be implemented in our climes. Enough of the
blame shifts! Sustainability is here to stay and we shall drive it till all
organisations see the need to be truly corporately, economically and
environmentally responsible.
In the next edition I will be
touching on different areas of sustainability, trying to beam light on a host
of things and seeing how we can all learn together and influence our approach
to best practice in our nation.
Please stay sustainable.
