THE NEW AFRICA MAGAZINE February 2021 Volume 35

The 

Africa 

N E W A F R I C A P U B L I C A T I O N 

2021 

Creating Empowered 

Human Rights Defenders 

in Africa 

Exclusive Interview 

Houda Benmbarek 

Gender and Migration Expert

Editional 

W e l c o m e ! 

Welcome to the February edition of our 

delightful magazine. So many interesting 

events unfolded this month around the 

continent of Africa and the world: From Crypto ban in 

Nigeria to WTO getting a new Director- General; a 

woman and and African. 

We also listed the longest serving African leaders, 

Interesting places to visit in Africa while telling you 

more about the blessed country of Kenya and letting 

you into the beautiful world of artificial intelligence. 

We are committed to educating, enlightening and 

entertaining you and we hope this captivating and 

thrilling edition makes your day. 

Happy reading 

Gift Chindima Nnamoko Orairu 

Publisher/Editor in Chief 

EDITORS 

Susan Richard 

Francis Kojo Antwi 

Orji Ikechukwu 

SENIOR EDITORS 

Karima Rhanem 

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS 

Gloria Robson 

Vania Carvalho Moura 

CONSULTANT 

Dr. Eno Praise 

WEBSITE ENGINEER/MANAGER 

Oluseye Kushimo 

Ogboazu Stephen 

GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT 

Kay Johnson 

Adebayo Grace 

MARKETING 

Ozom Ekuma 

Anthony Christopher Ajah 

PARTNERS 

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01 

N E W A F R I C A M A G A Z I N E

Exclusive Interview 

Houda Benmbarek 

Gender and Migration Expert 

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Africa Post Covid19 Needs To Invest 

In Human Development, Promote 

Inclusive Digital Economies And 

Protect Vulnerable Groups, 

Migrants And Minorities 

Interview by Senior Editor Karima Rhanem 

ouda Benmbarek is a gender and migration 

Hconsultant with more than 20 years of field 

experience in women's human rights in North 

Africa and a great expertise in migrant's rights in Africa, 

Middle East and Europe. 

She works with local based organizations, migrant's youth 

led groups, and human rights defenders to promote 

migrant's human and legal rights as well as a large network 

of experts in the field. Her ultimate goal is to inspire other 

women in her society to break their silence and speak out for 

their rights and to end gender-based violence 

During Codvid19, Houda's work has been impacted. Yet, she 

views disruptions led by this health crisis as a new 

opportunity for communities to build the societies they want 

as the world is shifting to new dynamics, paradigms and 

emerging needs and priorities. She also thinks that digital 

transformation countries are facing today should lead to 

new inclusive digital policies enabling an equal access to 

digital services to marginalized and vulnerable groups. 

Houda believes that Skills development relevant to the 

digital economy is one of the most critical investments that 

needs to be made to ensure sustained economic growth in 

Africa after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mrs. Benmbarek collaborates in the design, implementation, 

and evaluation of the Fund for Global Human Rights 

Multifaceted Migrant's rights program, including 

institutional and organizational diagnosis, mapping, 

inventory, organizational strategy and all aspects of the 

grant making cycle. Houda has also gained extensive 

international experience working with NGOs in several 

countries. She has a Masters in Law, Management 

Economics in Business Administration from the University of 

Dijon, and a professional Bachelor from Marne la Vallet 

University, both in France. She speaks fluent Arabic, French 

and English. 

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1. You are one of the emblematic figures of Human 

rights work. Can you tell us about your career, and what 

inspires you to become human rights defender? 

Being a woman born and raised in Morocco made me the 

person I am today. Since I was young, I have been intrigued 

by the injustice and inequality that exists in many countries' 

patriarchal systems. I'd often been subjected to 

intimidation—not only for being an African, but also for 

being a woman. And even though I stayed silent, something 

in my head would say, "You should act and stop this!” 

Living in a conservative society with very limited 

opportunities for women, especially young women, I faced 

social restrictions, discriminatory laws, and political and 

social violence. I have been stigmatized by my society for 

choosing to be independent and for choosing the life I want 

to live. For this reason, I have spent the last 20 years 

defending women's and migrants' rights, starting with 

demanding my own—my rights to live a life free from 

violence and to have equal opportunities as men. I want to 

inspire other women in my society to break their silence 

and speak out.” 

I want to raise awareness about the everyday brutalities, 

discrimination, xenophobia, vulnerable people, including 

migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are facing around 

the world. I want people to be conscious of what it means for 

a refugee or an irregular migrant to live in a host country 

with no access to any resources and no enjoyment of his/her 

basic human rights, most of which the freedom of 

movement. 

2. Can you describe to us your daily routine during 

Covid19 and how you dealt with this crisis at the 

personal and professional level? 

COVID-19 has complicated my work even further. The arrival 

of the pandemic has not stopped me nor my organizations 

to continue operating, but it has limited it. While most of our 

work was In-Person due to its nature, now most of it has 

shifted to online. I'm on video calls all day, working extra 

hard to manage my programs and my emotions as well. Like 

everyone, I experienced coronaphobia due to the extensive 

amount of news coverage of the pandemic, which made me, 

feel anxious and sometimes even experience waves of panic. 

COVID-19 has ushered in an entirely new human 

experience full of hand sanitizer and Zoom. It has 

brought most of the world to a halt and fundamentally 

altered global human mobility. Working from home all 

the time was new to me and had its own challenges, 

especially with children. It was really hard to be as 

productive as usual. I am used to physically meeting and 

engaging with people, especially in the field. Human rights 

work depends on personal relationships based on trust and 

understanding. The people I work with need to know that I 

will do all I can to help them in any way possible. 

At a professional level, the response to the COVID-19 

pandemic has included many measures being taken against 

migrants, refugees, and other displaced persons. These 

have included border closures, quarantines, expulsions, and 

lockdowns of migrant worker communities and refugee 

camps. Migrants, refugees, and other displaced persons 

have also been excluded from health and economic wellbeing 

initiatives. The threat of COVID-19 doesn't exclude 

any geographic borders, class, race, age, gender, sexual 

orientation, status, or situation. The pandemic has also 

enabled abuses of power, posing a threat to human rights. 

Our beneficiaries' needs were constantly on the rise and the 

frustration of not being able to meet the moment has 

weighed heavily on me. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, but 

a small voice keeps saying to me, "You are not allowed to 

give up.” 

3. What makes you special as an activist who has 

received recognitions in the field? What is unique about 

your work? 

Having open and transparent relationships with grantees 

and developing mutual trust is what makes this work so 

special and unique. My work gets me closer to others, allows 

me to listen to the communities, pushes me towards 

change, and gives me a reason to continue to fight and have 

hope. Seeing these civil society organizations and activists 

up close, I'm amazed at their commitment and their 

tenacity. Because of this exchange and close collaboration, I 

have learned a lot and been able to further develop my 

analytic and strategic capabilities. 

Fund grantees provide critical services to people 

undertaking perilous migratory journeys in search of safety 

and a better life. They document abuses to shed light on the 

need for stronger protections and humane policies for 

migrants. They create hotlines and other means for families 

back home to discover the whereabouts of their loved ones. 

They also work to end child trafficking and ensure that 

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Unexpected things – good and bad – often spring out of 

disaster. To ensure that the good outweighs the bad 

following this deadly outbreak, we must act to foster the 

outcomes we wish to see and to reject the worst impulses of 

our governments and ourselves. As a human rights 

defender, I am on the front lines of this struggle. It has been 

necessary to play a leadership role from the local to the 

global level. I have especially turned to digital platforms to 

adapt my work. Moving my activism online means I can 

actually reach out to a wider audience, as people can 

engage with the work from almost anywhere. 

5. How do you see the Migrant's rights post Covid19 and 

how young migrants can take advantage of the digital 

transformation to innovate new approaches? 

young migrants can stay safe and resume schooling. In 

addition to flexible financial support, the Fund provides 

migrants' rights organizations in North Africa, Latin 

America, and Asia with unique opportunities for learning 

and cross-regional collaboration. This enables experienced 

groups to advise others, particularly those facing recent 

increases of asylum seekers, and facilitates the development 

of more effective strategies to educate governments about 

migrants' needs. 

4. As an activist, how you managed to overcome the 

obstacles that you may have encountered more 

specifically during Covid19? 

During the pandemic, the world has, necessarily, become 

more isolating. Physical distancing is currently the most 

effective way to slow the spread of the virus. As a result, 

anything that relies on human-to-human contact – which is 

to say, most aspects of our lives – must be adapted to 

account for the dangers of the virus. Digitization has 

stepped in to bridge the gap created by mandated 

lockdown and distancing measures. Without digital 

tools and technologies, we would have no way to work, 

shop, go to school, etc. After the pandemic is over, digital 

initiatives may need to be reprioritized based on their 

relevance. New urgent problems and opportunities may 

come to light. Any digital transformation roadmap that 

does not deliver value with every incremental step will 

need to be reimagined. The key is to continue to 

experiment and innovate with digital solutions. 

Youth-led human rights activism is another area affected by 

the pandemic. It has never been an easy task. Even before 

COVID-19 disrupted the lives of people everywhere, many 

young human rights defenders faced multiple challenges to 

These are hard times. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing 

immense disruption, grief, and anxiety, as well as physical 

suffering and death in most countries in the world. And yet, 

these disruptions may also bring hope and opportunities for 

communities to build a new and better world, both now and 

the future as the world is containing the spread of the virus 

and shifting to new dynamics, paradigms and emerging 

needs and priorities 

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their activism. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only further 

exacerbated the existing barriers for participating 

meaningfully in civic spaces and for speaking up about 

injustices. 

6. What is your mission in Africa and how have the 

African CSOs managed the Covid19 consequences? Any 

special measures you have taken to mitigate the impact 

of the emergency states and lockdowns? 

After generations of colonialism, many African societies 

struggle with conflict and unchecked corporate power that 

exploits their natural and human resources. Throughout 

Africa, we support activists working to resist the 

violation of Human Rights and non-democratic 

practices, rehabilitate child soldiers, decrease sexual 

violence, and promote sustainable economic 

development. We also endeavor to support the 

development and enforcement of greater protections for 

women, LGBTQ people, and ethnic minorities. It is also 

very important to focus on addressing the safety and legal 

needs of migrants seeking peace and better economic 

opportunities for their families. 

Last year, the Fund conducted two surveys with its grantees 

to understand how they were adapting to the conditions 

created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Incredibly, all of the 

grantees within our Migrants' Rights Initiative were able to 

continue their core work, with some adjustments. When the 

pandemic first hit, many groups indicated they had difficulty 

reaching the communities they serve. However, the groups 

were able to adapt, working from home during lockdowns 

and using digital tools to reach people. Many groups even 

expanded their activities, monitoring the impact of COVID- 

19 on their communities and advocating for fair, inclusive 

emergency assistance. 

Our grantees were able to develop new work strategies to 

guarantee continuity and to provide emergency services to 

migrants during this period of crisis. They had to migrate to 

remote work, exploring new technologies like Zoom, Teams, 

Jitsi, or others to provide trainings, hold meetings, and offer 

online sessions or webinars. They adapted in record time, 

learning to use these digital technologies to ensure that 

their pivot from local fieldwork to virtual and remote work 

didn't affect their ability to serve their communities. 

When borders closed, businesses shut down, and entire 

nations-imposed lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID- 

19, no one knew what would be its impact on human rights 

work. However, thanks to the grit, courage, and sheer 

resilience of community activists and local leaders across 

the globe, the fight for human rights continues. 

7. Where do you see Africa after this pandemic more 

specifically from a development and Economic 

perspective? 

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Although the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities 

might still appear comparatively low in Africa than in other 

regions, the looming health shock of COVID-19 may still 

have disastrous impacts on the continent's already strained 

health systems and could quickly turn into a social and 

economic emergency. 

Beyond health risks, COVID-19 shocked African economies 

through lower trade and investment from China in the 

immediate term, less demand from the European Union due 

to lockdowns, and continental supply shocks affecting 

domestic and intra-African trade. Looking ahead, there are 

opportunities to invest in rights-respecting economic 

development that is controlled by communities and meets 

their needs rather than the needs of governments and 

multi-national corporations. Skills development relevant 

to the digital economy is one of the most critical 

investments that needs to be made to ensure sustained 

economic growth in Africa after the COVID-19 

pandemic. Additionally, effective implementation of the 

African Continental Free Trade Area can strengthen regional 

value chains, reduce vulnerability to external shocks, 

advance the digital transition, and build economic resilience 

against future crisis. 

8. What are the key motivations and lessons learned you 

can share with African Youth? 

priorities is key through the identification of the steps or 

actions we must take to move toward our goals. Going 

through this process might be time consuming and 

emotionally taxing, but I think it is a good way to guarantee 

progress toward success. 

As young Africans, we cannot afford to be left behind. I 

recommend youth to focus on taking key steps toward a 

future-proof career, such as learning a new digital skill, 

upgrading a hobby, joining a new association, or 

practicing interpersonal and leadership skills. 

Broadening one's network is also important by joining a 

community development or a human rights organization, 

helping youth gain relevant experience. 

Additionally, it is so important to be proactive with our 

careers: Subscribing to newsletters and alerts to stay 

informed, using time-management apps, making schedules 

for yourself, and seeking expert advice from people you 

admire or career counsellors. Making a plan will help youth 

track progress, keep themselves motivated, and stay 

grounded in their priorities. At the end of the year, young 

people should be reviewing and reflecting on their plan to 

evaluate what worked well and what did not. This process 

will guide them to decide what new skill to learn, what 

hobby to focus on, what group to join, what new 

opportunities to pursue, and what new strategies to explore 

and develop in the coming years. 

Developing a personal plan provides an opportunity for 

people to reflect on themselves and their journey and to 

determine their career direction. Understanding our 

“ 

Making a plan will help youth track 

progress, keep themselves motivated, 

and stay grounded in their priorities. 

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Access Bank: 

Consolidating Potential 

as Africa's financial hub 

By GIFT NNAMOKO 

ith plans to eventually expand to 22 

WAfrican countries to cushion challenges 

in some markets, Access Bank will in no 

time consolidate its vision of becoming one of the 

biggest financial institutions in the continent. 

With foothold already in 12 countries following a 

series of acquisitions, the Nigerian bank, currently the 

biggest in asset valuation, is still yearning for 

expansion and currently targeting some major 

markets in another eight countries. 

The target markets as disclosed recently by the 

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr 

Herbert Wigwe, are Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory 

Coast, Senegal, Angola, Namibia and Ethiopia 

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Essentially, the forward looking lender, apart from 

growing its assets in leap and bounds across Africa 

and offices outside the continent, is also at the verge 

of maximising opportunities presented by the 

recently implemented Africa Continental Free Trade 

Area (AfCFTA) agreement. 

Confirming this recently, the managing director said 

there was an opportunity for Access Bank to expand 

to high-potential markets, leveraging the benefits of 

AfCFTA. According to him, "Africa presents a market 

opportunity of over 1.3 billion people and 

additionally, the AfCFTA is expected to expand intra 

Africa trade and provide real opportunities for Africa. 

The AfCFTA plans to ease non-tariff barriers to trade 

on the continent, such as the reduction of red tape 

(which improves the time to export and import), 

removal of quotas and licenses, and easing of rules of 

origin, among others."We see many benefits to the 

bank and the various African economies within the 

AfCTA deal. 

new opportunity markets and positioning the bank as 

a trade and payments gateway to the world. 

The bank already operates in 12 countries following a 

series of acquisitions spanning from Kenya to Nigeria. 

"The markets of interest are Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, 

Ivory Coast, Senegal, Angola, Namibia and Ethiopia. It 

will also use its London-based unit as an “anchor for 

growth” to expand representative offices in countries 

such as India, Lebanon and China."We have rigorous 

philosophy and approach to organic and inorganic 

growth and expansion; capital accumulation and 

protection over time despite investments in 

infrastructure and growth; deliberate strategy to 

ensure diversification of earnings and dilute exposure 

to soft currencies and strong bench of talent with the 

bandwidth to deliver future aspirations."For a great 

Access Bank would be optimising and taking 

maximum gain of the trade agreement by 

repositioning its operations and payment platforms 

t o s e r v e m o r e c u s t o m e r s a c r o s s t h e 

continent."Access Bank, which total assets and 

contingents amounted to ₦6.2 trillion as at 30 June 

2019, a 43.1 per cent growth over 2018 on account of 

the business combination with Diamond Bank Plc, 

currently enjoys the status of being the largest bank in 

Nigeria by total assets as at H1, 2019.Wigwe said: "The 

group has consistently delivered growth and created 

value over time and has the largest customer base in 

Africa, with a significant share of digitally active 

clients. The bank is also becoming an aggregator in 

Africa by building a global payments gateway, 

offering holistic trade finance support and offering 

correspondent banking services."It is also focusing on 

key markets to support regional trade by targeting 

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and unwavering deal for clients, the lender is 

considering floating an insurance brokerage 

subsidiary apart from leveraging the bancassurance 

partnership with one of Nigeria's biggest insurer, 

Coronation Insurance Plc, to ensure that transactions 

with customers are well covered. 

According to Wigwe, "the group is considering 

floating an insurance brokerage subsidiary in a bid to 

leverage on the insurance market opportunity of $150 

billion in countries with Access Bank presence. 

"Having secured the permission of its shareholders 

and relevant stakeholders to operate a Holding 

Company (HoldCo) structure, the bank is, however, 

planning, to be the hub of all financial services, not 

only in Nigeria, but Africa and the global stage."The 

proposed insurance brokerage would adopt a 

dynamic and creative approach to provide a valueadded 

insurance broking services focused to meeting 

customers’ insurance protection needs. 

There is a market opportunity of $150 billion in 

countries with Access presence assuming insurance 

penetration in these countries (4.4%) grows to South 

African penetration (13.1%). "Access insurance 

brokerage would adopt a dynamic and creative 

approach to provide a valueadded insurance 

broking services focused to meeting customers’ 

insurance protection needs. "Access Bank is in 

partnership with Coronation Insurance to offer 

insurance products to the bank’s customers, while 

Access Bank-Coronation Insurance bancassurance is 

already available in Nigeria and Ghana."Access 

insurance brokerage would adopt a dynamic and 

creative approach to provide a valueadded 

insurance broking services focused to meeting 

customers’ insurance protection needs."Beyond the 

obvious, the lender also plans consumer lending and 

agency banking as well as payments to boost revenue 

and is equally transforming payments and 

remittances using cheap forex from international 

remittances to feed trade, leveraging AccessAfrica 

connections to wallets and payment platforms. 

It is also building on partnerships with financial 

investors, development finance institutions, among 

others and providing strategic support to protect and 

grow partners’ value."Across Africa, there is an 

opportunity for Access bank to expand to highpotential 

markets. The Holding Company (HoldCo) 

will consist of four subsidiaries which include the 

Access Bank Group, Payments business, consumer 

lending and agency banking as well as insurance 

brokerage. "We will therefore reorganise to capture 

these opportunities by transitioning to a HoldCo 

structure. Through this reorganisation, we will create 

new product revenues without taking additional risk 

for the enterprise, ensure diversification of earnings, 

and support outside of Africa expansion."Access Bank 

Group will consist of Nigeria, Africa and International 

subsidiaries while the payments subsidiary will 

leverage the strong suite of the bank’s assets. The 

consumer lending business has seen greater than 60 

per cent growth in digital lending volume and value 

while the Insurance subsidiary will adopt a dynamic 

and creative approach to deliver value-added services 

focused to meet customer insurance needs," he 

noted. 

“ 

We will therefore reorganise 

to capture these opportunities 

by transitioning to a HoldCo 

structure. 

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The New Director 

General of the WTO 

Africa is Blessed. 

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (born 13th June, 1954) 

is a Nigerian economist and international 

development expert. She sits on the boards 

of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance 

for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and the African 

Risk Capacity (ARC). 

Early Life, Education and Career: 

Okonjo-Iweala was born in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta 

State, Nigeria, where her father, Professor Chukwuka 

Okonjo was the Obi (King) from the Obahai Royal 

Family of Ogwashi-Ukwu. Okonjo-Iweala was 

educated at Queen's School, Enugu, St. Anne's School, 

Molete, Ibadan, and the International School Ibadan. 

She arrived in the US in 1973 as a teenager to study at 

Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude with 

an AB in Economics in 1976. In 1981, she earned her 

PhD in regional economics and development from the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a thesis 

titled Credit policy, rural financial markets, and 

Nigeria's agricultural development. She received an 

international fellowship from the American 

Association of University Women (AAUW), that 

supported her doctoral studies. 

Okonjo-Iweala had a 25-year career at the World Bank 

in Washington DC as a development economist, rising 

to the No. 2 position of Managing Director.[9] As 

Managing Director, she had oversight responsibility 

for the World Bank's $81 billion operational portfolio 

in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia. Okonjo- 

Iweala spearheaded several World Bank initiatives to 

assist low-income countries during the 2008–2009 

food crises, and later during the financial crisis. In 

2010, she was Chair of the IDA replenishment, the 

World Bank's successful drive to raise $49.3 billion in 

grants and low interest credit for the poorest 

countries in the world. During her time at the World 

Bank, she was also a member of the Commission on 

Effective Development Cooperation with Africa, which 

was set up by the Prime Minister, Anders Fogh 

Rasmussen of Denmark, and held meetings between 

April and October 2008. 

Career in Government: 

Okonjo-Iweala was the first woman to serve as 

Nigeria's finance minister and the first woman to serve 

in that office twice. In 2005, Euromoney named her 

Global Finance Minister of the Year. 

During her first term as Minister of Finance under 

President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration, she 

spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club that led 

to the wiping out of US$30 billion of Nigeria's debt, 

including the outright cancellation of US$18 billion. In 

2003, she led efforts to improve Nigeria's 

macroeconomic management including the 

implementation of an oil-price based fiscal rule where 

revenues accruing above a reference benchmark oil 

price were saved in a special account, "The Excess 

C r u d e A c c o u n t " w h i c h h e l p e d t o r e d u c e 

macroeconomic volatility. 

She also introduced the practice of publishing each 

state's monthly financial allocation from the Federal 

Government of Nigeria in the newspapers. This action 

went a long way in increasing transparency in 

governance. With the support of the World Bank and 

the IMF to the Federal Government, she helped build 

an electronic financial management platform—the 

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Government Integrated Financial Management and 

Information System (GIFMIS), including the Treasury 

Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Payroll and 

Personnel Information System (IPPIS), helping to 

curtail corruption in the process. As at 31st December, 

2014, the IPPIS platform had eliminated 62,893 ghost 

workers from the system and saved the government 

about $1.25 billion in the process. 

Okonjo-Iweala was also instrumental in helping 

Nigeria obtain its first ever sovereign credit rating (of 

BB minus) from Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's in 

2006. 

Following her first term as Minister of Finance, she 

served two months as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 

2006. She returned to the World Bank as a Managing 

Director in December 2007. 

In 2011, Okonjo-Iweala was re-appointed as Minister 

of Finance in Nigeria with the expanded portfolio of 

the Coordinating Minister for the Economy by 

President Goodluck Jonathan. Her legacy includes 

strengthening the country's public financial systems 

and stimulating the housing sector with the 

establishment of the Mortgage Refinance 

Corporation (NMRC). She also empowered women 

and youth with the Growing Girls and Women in 

Nigeria Programme (GWIN); a gender-responsive 

budgeting system, and the highly acclaimed Youth 

Enterprise with Innovation programme (YouWIN); to 

support entrepreneurs, that created thousands of 

jobs. 

This programme has been evaluated by the World 

Bank as one of the most effective of its kind globally. 

Under her leadership, the National Bureau of Statistics 

carried out a re-basing exercise of the Gross Domestic 

Product (GDP), the first in 24 years, which saw Nigeria 

emerge as the largest economy in Africa. She took a 

lot of heat for the government's fuel subsidy removal 

policy, an action that led to protests in January 2012. 

In May 2016, the new administration eventually 

removed the fuel subsidy after it became apparent 

that it was unsustainable and inefficient. 

In addition to her role in government, Okonjo-Iweala 

served on the Growth Commission (2006–2009), led 

by Nobel Prize winner Professor Michael Spence, and 

the United Nations' Secretary-General's High-Level 

Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda 

(2012–2013). She also co-chaired the Global 

Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. 

In 2012, she was a candidate for President of the 

World Bank, running against Dartmouth College 

President Jim Yong Kim; if elected, she would have 

become the organization's first female president. 

Later Career: 

After leaving government, Okonjo-Iweala was also a 

member of the International Commission on 

F i n a n c i n g G l o b a l E d u c a t i o n O p p o r t u n i t y 

(2015–2016), chaired by Gordon Brown, and the 

Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial 

Governance, which was established by the G20 

Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors 

(2017–2018). Since 2014, she has been co-chairing the 

Global Commission for the Economy and Climate, 

with Nicholas Stern and Paul Polman. In January 2016, 

she was appointed the Chair-elect of the Board of 

Gavi. 

Okonjo-Iweala is the founder of Nigeria's first 

indigenous opinion-research organization, NOI-Polls. 

She also founded the Centre for the Study of the 

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Economies of Africa (C-SEA), a development research 

think tank based in Abuja, and is a Distinguished 

Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development 

and the Brookings Institution. 

Since 2019, Okonjo-Iweala has been part of UNESCO's 

International Commission on the Futures of 

Education, chaired by Sahle-Work Zewde. Also since 

2019, she has also been serving on the High-Level 

Council on Leadership & Management for 

Development of the Aspen Management Partnership 

for Health (AMP Health). In 2020, the International 

Monetary Fund's Managing Director, Kristalina 

Georgieva, appointed her to an external advisory 

group to provide input on policy challenges. Also in 

2020, she was appointed by the African Union (AU) as 

special envoy to solicit international support to help 

the continent deal with the economic impact of the 

COVID-19 pandemic. 

In June 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari of 

Nigeria nominated Okonjo-Iweala as the country's 

candidate to be director-general of the World Trade 

Organization (WTO). She later advanced to the 

election's final round, eventually competing with Yoo 

Myung-hee. Ahead of the vote, she received the 

backing of the European Union for her candidacy. In 

October 2020, the United States government 

indicated that it would not back Okonjo-Iweala's 

candidacy. The WTO in its formal report said Okonjo- 

Iweala "clearly carried the largest support by 

Members in the final round; and, enjoyed broad 

support from Members from all levels of development 

and from all geographic regions and has done so 

throughout the process". On 5th February, 2021, Yoo 

Myung-hee announced her withdrawal from the race, 

in "close consultation with the United States". 

According to a statement issued from the United 

States Trade Representative, which says “The United 

States takes note of today's decision by the Republic 

of Korea's Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee, to 

withdraw her candidacy for Director General of the 

World Trade Organization (WTO). The Biden-Harris 

Administration is pleased to express its strong 

support for the candidacy of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 

as the next Director General of the WTO". 

Okonjo-Iweala was unanimously appointed as the 

next director-general on 15th February, 2021. Her 

term will begin on 1st March, 2021, making her the 

first African to hold the office. 

Okonjo-Iweala became a US citizen in 2019 after 

spending several decades working and studying 

there. She is married to Ikemba Iweala, a 

neurosurgeon and they have four children. 

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A RARE 

GEM 

Sunny Sylvester Moniedafe was born in Jimeta 

Yola on the 23rd of September, 1956. He got 

his FLSC from Saint Theresa's Primary School, 

Jimeta, Yola in 1970. He received his secondary school 

leaving certificate from Villanovan secondary school, 

Numan, in 1975. He also has a B.Sc in Political Science 

from University of Maiduguri in 1991, a Master of 

Public Administration Degree from the University of 

Lagos in 1998 and a PH.D in Policy Analysis in view at 

the University of Abuja. 

He was an SDP ward delegate from Karena ward in 

Jimeta, Yola in 1990; ACD Deputy Party Chairman of 

AMAC (February to June 2006); FCT AC Treasurer(June 

2006-July 2007); AC Party Chairman (July 2007- 

December 2010). He was a member of the National 

Convention Committee of the ACN which held in 

Benin in December 2010 where he served as a member 

of the Venue and Accreditation sub-Committee; 

Member of the stakeholders that led to the formation 

of APC in the FCT; Member of the SEC of the APC (2014 

- 2018); member, APC Party Registration Committee in 

Niger State; Member, Delta State National Assembly 

Screening Committee (November, 2014); Secretary of 

the Taraba State Congress Committee (April, 2014); 

Chairman of the Plateau State House of Assembly 

and Gubernatorial Primaries Committee. He also 

served in different committees in the process of 

setting up the structure of the APC at different 

levels. 

While intelligent and articulate, the 64-year-old is 

seen by critics as vocal and a leader focused on party 

interest above personal interest which is why he never 

cross carpeted across parties even when wooed with 

juicy positions that would have advanced his personal 

ambition. With a serious manner and a stern gaze, 

Moniedafe has always carried everybody along. 

When he became the Party Chairman of AC in July 

2007, then aged 51, he was perceived by many as a 

promising young politician, free of the corruption 

plaguing the rival rulling parties and of cause, most of 

the politicians who have cases with EFCC/ICPC. 

Our country, Nigeria, is in dare need of rare gems like 

Dr Sunny Moniedafe. More of his kind in elective 

positions will be the beginning of the cleansing 

process we so much crave for in our polity. 

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The 

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16 


10 MOST 

POPULAR HOTELS 

IN AFRICA. 

frica is a continent full of beautiful 

Anatural scenery and lovely hotels. 

Much beauty can be found in the 

variety available in this vast continent. So 

much that curious souls looking to explore 

constantly find themselves debating on 

where to start. Perhaps, you are looking to 

dive into the rich history of Egypt and its 

mysterious pyramids. Or maybe you are 

more into surveying the splendor of South 

Africa's distinct ecosystem. The opportunities 

are indeed endless when it comes to Africa. 

W h e t h e r y o u r t r i p c e n t e r s a r o u n d 

exploration, curiosity and adventure, you will 

surely need the perfect hotel to make the 

most of your stay. To assist you in the trip 

planning process, here is a list of the 10 best 

and most popular hotels in Africa. 

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Tanzania - Serengeti House: This exclusive retreat 

opens its relaxing environment to both families and 

friends. Seated amidst the vast Grumeti Reserves, the 

Serengeti House is one of Tanzania's finest 

accommodations. Multiple houses can be chosen from 

and the majority can accommodate up to 8 guests. 

10 

There is also a choice of regular and garden suits. 

Amenities include free breakfast, a fitness center, access 

to an airport shuttle as well as a spa. 

Mauritius - The Oberoi Beach Resort: A taste of 

Mauritius is even sweeter when The Oberoi is involved-- 

the five-star luxury hotel of your dreams. Enjoy your stay 

on sunset shores nearing the Indian Ocean. Located on 

the island's capital city of Port Louis, this hotel is located 

right on the white-sand beach and very close to a 

natural marine park. 

09 

When hungry, head on over to the Oberoi's unique 

restaurants where authentic creole cuisine and 

international cuisines are served. Lastly, better your 

mind-body connection via the several therapeutic and 

mindfulness activities offered by the resort. 

South Africa - Graceland Hotel Casino & Country 

Club: Head on over to South Africa with style by staying 

at the Graceland Hotel Casino & Country Club. Much as 

the name says, this hotel includes both a splendid 

casino and a refined country club. Situated 20 minutes 

from the city center, this hotel features an array of 

advantageous amenities within suites and rooms, but 

also on-site. 

08 

A family-friendly option, you may benefit from a kid's 

playground while enjoying massages and body 

treatments at the hotel spa. Evidently, it's a win-win. 

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Seychelles - North Island Villa: The unique island of 

Seychelles is one of Africa's go-to for those seeking 

exotic beach fun. The North Island Villa fulfills every 

traveler's needs with its all-encompassing features. This 

turquoise haven is surrounded by a clear-blue ocean 

that benefits from both an active and healthy sea life. 

07 

From fancy lounges and dining rooms to rim-flow pools 

seated near the epic water views, this accommodation 

option is a rare sanctuary waiting to be experienced. 

Sudan - Corinthia Hotel Khartoum: Most tourists 

head to Tanzania to go on safari, but you would be 

remiss if you didn't save time for seeing the country's 

other treasures. In addition to its animal-filled plains, 

Tanzania boasts other worldly natural wonders, 

including red-hued Lake Natron, Ngorongoro 

Conservation Areas expansive crater and Mount 

Kilimanjaro – the tallest mountain in Africa. For the 

ultimate adrenaline rush, book a climbing excursion up 

the continent's famous mountain through a local tour 

operator. 

06 

South Africa - Delaire Graff Estate: South Africa has 

positioned itself amongst the greatest with this hotel. 

This beautiful, luxury hotel is found nearing majestic 

mountains and offers a splendid view of nearby 

vineyards. A magnificent Capetown gem, this is the 

property you will shamelessly boast about to your 

friends and family. 

05 

Its state-of-the-art lodges grant you with perfectly 

selected styling which includes the display of African 

artifacts. Further artwork of South Africa's finest artists 

can be found throughout the estate and its winefocused 

amenities. 

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Egypt - Fairmont Nile City Hotel: This awe-inspiring 

hotel will only better your experience in Egypt. Take a 

break from visiting the pyramids by relaxing in this 

beautiful accommodation located in the historically rich 

city of Cairo. What makes this location so unique is its 

views which grant visitors with breathtaking glimpses of 

the Nile River and Pyramids. 

04 

To top things off, the fine culinary experience attached 

to this hotel will also make your palate quite happy. 

Outside of your modernly designed room, enjoy some 

relaxing time at the Willow Stream Spa or dive into the 

rooftop pool. 

Cape Verde - Hotel Riu Touareg: The tiny island of 

Cape Verde is usually left out in the conversation when it 

comes to Africa. Yet this Portuguese-speaking country 

remains one of Africa's hidden gems. Enjoy your stay in 

Cesaria Evora's homeland by staying at the hotel Riu 

Touareg. Not only is this place all-inclusive, but it is also 

adults-only hence you get to enjoy it alone, with adult 

family members, a special someone or even with 

friends. 

03 

Nestled in the southern hemisphere of Boa Vista Island, 

Hotel Riu Touareg offers 1000+ nicely furnished and 

comfortable rooms. Amazing leisurely and relaxing 

activities are also offered on-site. 

Morocco - Palais Namaskar: This North African gem 

can be found nestled in the dazzling outskirts of 

Morroco's vibrant city of Marrakech. Enjoy a stay 

between the desert and the Atlas in Namaskar's 

peaceful and luxurious oasis. Features include modern 

amenities, top-notch restaurants serving both local and 

international meals, a ravishing outdoor pool and a 

fresh American breakfast served every morning. 

02 

This luxurious accommodation also offers an array of 

different suites with some including en-suite showers 

and baths. It is also very close to the airport so shuttle 

service is widely available. 

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01 

Tunisia - Movenpick Resort & Marine Spa 

Sousse: This jaw-dropping hotel tops off our list 

for numerous reasons. The upscale five-star 

property offers fantastic architectural aesthetic 

and views of the Tunisian coast. As Movenpick is 

located in Tunisia's liveliest towns, you may still 

enjoy some high-quality fun outside of this highquality 

hotel. 

This accommodation offers a series of packages 

for both families and couples to experience 

unique holidays. That is what we can call visiting 

North Africa in style. 

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Crypto Ban in Nigeria is 

Nothing New" -CBN 

The Central Bank of Nigeria said its warning to 

banks on Friday was not a new position, but a 

r e i t e r a t i o n o f i t s 2 0 1 7 s t a n c e o n 

cryptocurrencies. 

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) issued a five-page 

statement, Sunday, clarifying its position on 

cryptocurrencies after a regulatory warning to local 

banking institutions on Friday sent shockwaves 

through social media. 

In Sunday's statement, the CBN said Friday's letter was 

only a reminder that cryptocurrencies were not legal 

tender in Nigeria, and was reiterating a position the 

bank has held since 2017, not imposing new 

restrictions on the industry. 

“It is important to clarify that the CBN circular of 

February 5, 2021, did not place any new restrictions on 

cryptocurrencies, given that all banks in the country 

had earlier been forbidden, through CBN's circular 

dated January 12, 2017, not to use, hold, trade and/or 

transact in cryptocurrencies,” the statement said. 

The CBN sent a letter to local financial institutions on 

Friday, ordering them to shut down all bank accounts 

associated with cryptocurrency trading platforms. In 

response to the letter, crypto trading platform, 

Binance, and local electronic payment apps like 

Bundle halted deposits. Angered Nigerian crypto 

users took to Twitter and other social media platforms 

to express their displeasure. 

The press statement, signed by Osita Nwanisobi, Ag. 

Director of Corporate Communications, goes on to list 

other countries that have banned its banks from 

dealing in cryptocurrencies and makes the claim that 

in China, “cryptocurrencies are completely banned 

and all exchanges closed as well.” 

Africa 

17 

The 22 


While China has imposed a number of restrictions on 

crypto exchanges and users, it has not outright 

banned cryptocurrencies entirely. 

It also states that cryptocurrencies are issued by 

“unregulated and unlicensed” entities, and that crypto 

assets are volatile speculative assets that can be a 

danger to Nigerian users. 

“The very name and nature of 'cryptocurrencies' 

suggests that its patrons and users value anonymity, 

obscurity, and concealment,” the statement said. 

In the letter, the CBN assured that this stance will not 

inhibit the progress of the fintech sector in the 

country, or its payments ecosystems. The directive 

became necessary, it said, to protect Nigerians, 

including its youths from the risks inherent in crypto 

assets transactions. 

“Due to the fact that cryptocurrencies are largely 

speculative, anonymous and untraceable they are 

increasingly being used for money laundering, 

terrorism financing and other criminal activities,” the 

statement said. 

The letter also stated that the high volatility inherent in 

crypto assets posed a great threat to “small retail and 

unsophisticated investors” who stand to lose a lot. 

“In light of these realities and analyses, the CBN has no 

comfort in cryptocurrencies at this time. It will 

continue to do all within its regulatory powers to 

educate Nigerians to desist from its use and protect 

our financial system from activities of fraudsters and 

speculators,” the statement said. 

When he became the Party Chairman of AC in July 

2007, then aged 51, he was perceived by many as a 

promising young politician, free of the corruption 

plaguing the rival rulling parties and of cause, most of 

the politicians who have cases with EFCC/ICPC. 

Our country, Nigeria, is in dare need of rare gems like 

Dr Sunny Moniedafe. More of his kind in elective 

positions will be the beginning of the cleansing 

process we so much crave for in our polity. 

The 

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23 


Artificial 

Intelligence 

AI 

Reshaping Our World. 

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tificial intelligence (AI) refers to the 

Asimulation of human intelligence in 

machines that are programmed to think like 

humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be 

applied to any machine that exhibits traits associated 

with a human mind such as learning and problemsolving. 

The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its 

ability to rationalize and take actions that have the 

best chance of achieving a specific goal. A subset of 

artificial intelligence is machine learning, which refers 

to the concept that computer programs can 

automatically learn from and adapt to new data 

without being assisted by humans. Deep learning 

techniques enable this automatic learning through 

the absorption of huge amounts of unstructured data 

such as text, images, or videos. Weak AI tends to be 

simple and single-task oriented, while strong AI 

carries on tasks that are more complex and humanlike. 

Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

When most people hear the term artificial 

intelligence, the first thing they usually think of is 

robots. But nothing could be further from the truth: 

Artificial intelligence is based on the principle that 

human intelligence can be defined in a way that a 

machine can easily mimic it and execute tasks, from 

the most simple to those that are even more complex. 

The goals of artificial intelligence include learning, 

reasoning, and perception. 

As technology advances, previous benchmarks that 

defined artificial intelligence become outdated. For 

example, machines that calculate basic functions or 

recognize text through optical character recognition 

are no longer considered to embody artificial 

intelligence, since this function is now taken for 

granted as an inherent computer function. 

AI is continuously evolving to benefit many different 

industries. Machines are wired using a crossdisciplinary 

approach based on mathematics, 

computer science, linguistics, psychology, and more. 

Algorithms often play a very important part in the 

structure of artificial intelligence, where simple 

algorithms are used in simple applications, while 

more complex ones help frame strong artificial 

intelligence. 

Applications of Artificial Intelligence. 

The applications for artificial intelligence are endless. 

The technology can be applied to many different 

sectors and industries. AI is being tested and used in 

the healthcare industry for dosing drugs and different 

treatment in patients, and for surgical procedures in 

the operating room. 

Other examples of machines with artificial intelligence 

include computers that play chess and self-driving 

cars. Each of these machines must weigh the 

consequences of any action they take, as each action 

will impact the end result. In chess, the end result is 

winning the game. For self-driving cars, the computer 

system must account for all external data and 

compute it to act in a way that prevents a collision. 

Artificial intelligence also has applications in the 

financial industry, where it is used to detect and flag 

activity in banking and finance such as unusual debit 

card usage and large account deposits—all of which 

help a bank's fraud department. Applications for AI 

are also being used to help streamline and make 

trading easier. This is done by making supply, 

demand, and pricing of securities easier to estimate. 

Categorization of Artificial Intelligence 

Artificial intelligence can be divided into two different 

categories: weak and strong. 

Weak artificial intelligence embodies a system 

designed to carry out one particular job. Weak AI 

systems include video games such as the chess 

example from above and personal assistants such as 

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Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri. You ask the assistant 

a question, it answers it for you. 

Strong artificial intelligence systems are systems that 

carry on the tasks considered to be human-like. These 

tend to be more complex and complicated systems. 

They are programmed to handle situations in which 

they may be required to problem solve without 

having a person intervene. These kinds of systems can 

be found in applications like self-driving cars or in 

hospital operating rooms. 

Special Considerations. 

Since its beginning, artificial intelligence has come 

under scrutiny from scientists and the public alike. 

One common theme is the idea that machines will 

become so highly developed that humans will not be 

able to keep up and they will take off on their own, 

redesigning themselves at an exponential rate. 

Another is that machines can hack into people's 

privacy and even be weaponized. Other arguments 

debate the ethics of artificial intelligence and whether 

intelligent systems such as robots should be treated 

with the same rights as humans. 

Self-driving cars have been fairly controversial as their 

machines tend to be designed for the lowest possible 

risk and the least casualties. If presented with a 

scenario of colliding with one person or another at the 

same time, these cars would calculate the option that 

would cause the least amount of damage. 

Another contentious issue many people have with 

artificial intelligence is how it may affect human 

employment. With many industries looking to 

automate certain jobs through the use of intelligent 

machinery, there is a concern that people would be 

pushed out of the workforce. Self-driving cars may 

remove the need for taxis and car-share programs, 

while manufacturers may easily replace human labor 

with machines, making people's skills more obsolete. 

Nonetheless, businesses today are realizing the 

prospects of AI; they know how valuable the 

technology is for achieving increased productivity. 

Unlike human labour that can be very limited, artificial 

i n t e l l i g e n c e p r o v i d e s m o r e i n p u t w i t h a 

corresponding positive output - on average. 

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18 Interesting Facts 

About Africa 

frica is distinctively unique continent amongst 

Athe seven continents of the world. It is rich in 

cultural heritage and diversity. It also boasts of 

enormous wealth of natural resources, and offers 

breathtaking tourist attractions. 

Unravel the beauty and uniqueness of Africa below: 

(1)Africa is the second-largest continent in the world 

both in size and population. 

(2)Islam is the dominant religion in Africa. Christianity 

is the second. Arabic is also the most widely-spoken 

language in Africa. 

(3)Africa has the shortest coastline despite being the 

second largest continent in the world. 

(4)Africa is the most centrally located continent in the 

world. Both the prime meridian (0 degrees longitude), 

and the equator (0 degrees latitude) cut across it. 

(5)Nigeria has the highest population (154.7 million 

people) in Africa. This represents 18% of Africa's total 

population. 

(6)Both the world's tallest and largest land animals 

both come from Africa. They are the giraffe and African 

elephant, respectively. 

(7)Around 2,000 different languages are spoken in 

Africa and each of them have different dialects. 

(8)The world's longest river -- the Nile -- and the 

world's largest desert -- the Sahara -- both are home in 

Africa. 

(9)Algeria is the biggest country in Africa by land area. 

(10)The world's hottest place -- Ethiopia -- is in Africa. 

(11)The continents terrain was inhabitable and 

remained unknown for thousands of years, earning it 

the name of 'Dark Continent'. 

(12) The equator passes through the middle of the 

Dark Continent and it receives direct sunlight 

throughout the year. 

(13) The major animals in Africa include -- cheetah, 

African elephant, lion, zebra, Egyptian mongoose, 

giraffe, addax. 

(14)The largest waterfall in Africa is the Victoria Falls 

and it is located on the Zimbabwe and Zambia border. 

It has a height of 355 feet and the width of the water 

fall runs into almost a mile. 

(15) More than 50% of the world's French-speaking 

population lives here on the continent. 

(16)Angola has more Portuguese speakers than 

Portugal. 

(17)Africa has a pink lake in Senegal. 

(18)Africa is the hottest continent on earth. 

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REVEALED 

African Countries That Were 

Never Colonized. 

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here are two countries in Africa considered 

Tby some scholars to never have been 

colonized. The truth, however, is that brief 

periods of varying levels of foreign control during 

their early histories have left the question of 

whether they truly remained fully independent a 

subject of debate. 

Between 1890 and 1914, the so-called “scramble for 

Africa” resulted in the rapid colonization of most of 

the African continent by European powers. By 1914, 

around 90% of Africa was under European control. 

However, because of their locations, economies, 

and political status, Ethiopia and Liberia avoided 

colonization. 

What Does Colonization Mean? 

The process of colonization is the discovery, 

conquest, and settlement of one political body over 

another. It is an ancient art, practiced by the Bronze 

and Iron Age Assyrian, Persian, Greek, and Roman 

empires, not to mention the post-colonial empires 

of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and 

Canada. 

But the most extensive, most studied, and arguably 

the most damaging of the colonial actions is what 

scholars refer to as the Western Colonization, the 

efforts of the maritime European nations of 

Portugal, Spain, the Dutch Republic, France, 

England, and eventually Germany, Italy, and 

Belgium, to conquer the rest of the world. That 

began in the late 15th century, and by World War II, 

two-fifths of the world's land area and one-third of 

its population were in colonies; another third of the 

world's territory had been colonized but were now 

independent nations. And many of those 

independent nations were made up primarily of the 

descendants of the colonizers, so the effects of 

Western colonization were never truly reversed. 

However, there are a handful of countries that were 

not subsumed by the juggernaut of Western 

colonization, including Turkey, Iran, China, and 

Japan. In addition, the countries with longer 

histories or higher levels of development before 

1500 tend to have been colonized later, or not at all. 

Characteristics that drove whether or not a country 

was colonized by the West appear to be how 

difficult it is to reach them, the relative navigation 

distance from northwestern Europe, and the lack of 

a safe overland passage to landlocked countries. In 

Africa, those countries arguably included Liberia 

and Ethiopia. 

Considering it essential to the success of their 

economies, the imperialistic European nations 

avoided the outright colonization of Liberia and 

Ethiopia—the only two African countries they 

considered viable players in the trade-based world 

economy. However, in return for their apparent 

“independence,” Liberia and Ethiopia were forced 

to give up territory, agree to differing degrees of 

European economic control, and become 

participants in European spheres of influence. 

Ethiopia: 

Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia, is one of the world's 

oldest countries. Dating to around 400 BCE, the 

region is documented in the in the King James 

Version of the Bible as the Kingdom of Axum. Along 

with Rome, Persia, and China, Axum was considered 

one of the four great powers of the era. Throughout 

the millennia of its history, the willingness of the 

country's people—from farmers to kings—to come 

together as one, coupled with its geographic 

isolation and economic prosperity, helped Ethiopia 

score decisive victories against a series of global 

colonialist forces. 

Ethiopia is considered “never colonized” by some 

scholars, despite Italy's occupation from 1936–1941 

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ecause it did not result in a lasting colonial 

administration. 

Seeking to expand its already considerable colonial 

empire in Africa, Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1895. In 

the ensuing First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896), 

Ethiopian troops won a crushing victory over Italian 

forces at the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896. On 

October 23, 1896, Italy agreed to the Treaty of Addis 

Ababa, ending the war and recognizing Ethiopia as 

an independent state. 

On Oct. 3, 1935, Italian dictator Benito. Mussolini, 

hoping to rebuild his nation's prestige lost in the 

Battle of Adwa, ordered a second invasion of 

Ethiopia. On May 9, 1936, Italy succeeded in 

annexing Ethiopia. On June 1 of that year, the 

country was merged with Eritrea and Italian Somalia 

to form Africa Orientale Italiana (AOI or Italian East 

Africa). 

Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie made an 

impassioned appeal for assistance in removing the 

Italians and re-establishing independence to the 

League of Nations on June 30, 1936, gaining 

support from the U.S. and Russia. But many League 

of Nations members, including Britain and France, 

recognized Italian colonization. 

It was not until May 5, 1941, when Selassie was 

r e s t o r e d t o t h e E t h i o p i a n t h r o n e , t h a t 

independence was regained. 

:Liberia 

The sovereign nation of Liberia is often described as 

never colonized because it was created so recently, 

in 1847. Liberia was founded by Americans in 1821 

and remained under their control for just over 17 

years before partial independence was achieved 

through the declaration of a commonwealth on 

April 4, 1839. True independence was declared eight 

years later on July 26, 1847. From the middle 1400s 

through the late 17th century Portuguese, Dutch, 

and British traders had maintained lucrative trading 

posts in the region that became known as the “Grain 

Coast” because of its abundance of melegueta 

pepper grains. 

The American Society for Colonization of Free 

People of Color of the United States (known simply 

as the American Colonization Society, ACS) was a 

society initially run by white Americans who 

believed there was no place for free Blacks in the 

U.S. They believed the federal government should 

pay to return free Blacks to Africa, and eventually its 

administration was taken over by free Blacks. 

The ACS created the Cape Mesurado Colony on the 

Grain Coast on Dec. 15, 1821. This was further 

expanded into the Colony of Liberia on Aug. 15, 

1824. By the 1840s, the colony had become a 

financial burden on the ACS and the U.S. 

government. In addition, because it was neither a 

sovereign state nor a recognized colony of a 

sovereign state, Liberia faced political threats from 

Britain. As a result, the ACS ordered the Liberians to 

declare their independence in 1846. However, even 

after gaining its full independence a year later, the 

European nations continued to view Liberia as an 

American colony, thus avoiding it during the 

scramble for Africa in the 1880s. 

Some scholars argue, however, that Liberia's 23- 

year period of American domination until 

independence in 1847 qualifies it to be regarded as 

a colony. 

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DIGITAL 

MARKETING: 

The Marketing of the Future. 

The 

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31 


igital marketing, online marketing, internet 

Dadvertising…whatever you call it, marketing 

your company online is a big deal these days. 

After all, internet usage has more than doubled over the 

past decade and this shift has massively affected how 

people purchase products and interact with businesses. 

So, what is digital marketing? Digital marketing is like any 

other type of marketing—it's a way to connect with and 

influence your potential customers. The real difference is, 

you connect with and influence those customers online. 

Basically, digital marketing refers to any online marketing 

efforts or assets. Email marketing, pay-per-click 

advertising, social media marketing and even blogging 

are all great examples of digital marketing—they help 

introduce people to your company and convince them to 

buy. 

Here are some of the most common digital marketing 

assets and strategies businesses use to reach people 

online: 

Digital Marketing Strategies 

The list of digital marketing strategies is also constantly 

evolving, but here are some of the strategies most 

businesses are using: 

Pay-Per-Click Advertising 

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is actually a broad term 

that covers any type of digital marketing where you pay 

for every user who clicks on an ad. For example, Google 

AdWords is a form of PPC advertising called “paid search 

advertising” (which we'll go over in a second). Facebook 

Ads are another form of PPC advertising called “paid 

social media advertising” (again, we'll get into that 

shortly). 

Paid Search Advertising 

Google, Bing and Yahoo all allow you to run text ads on 

their Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Paid search 

advertising is one of the best ways to target potential 

customers who are actively searching for a product or 

service like yours. 

Digital Marketing Assets: 

Almost anything can be a digital marketing asset. It 

simply needs to be a marketing tool you use online. That 

being said, many people don't realize how many digital 

marketing assets they have at their disposal. Here are just 

a few examples: 

Your website 

Branded assets (logos, icons, acronyms, etc) 

Video content (video ads, product demos, etc) 

Images (infographics, product shots, company photos, 

etc) 

Written content (blog posts, eBooks, product 

descriptions, testimonials, etc) 

Online products or tools (SaaS, calculators, interactive 

content, etc) 

Reviews 

Social media pages 

As you can probably imagine, this list just scratches the 

surface. Most digital marketing assets will fall into one of 

these categories, but clever marketers are constantly 

coming up with new ways to reach customers online, so 

the list keeps growing! 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

If you don't want to pay to show up in the SERPs, you can 

also use search engine optimization (SEO) to try and rank 

pages or blog posts on your site organically. You don't 

have to pay directly for every click, but getting a page to 

rank usually takes quite a bit of time and effort (for a more 

in-depth comparison of paid search and SEO, check out 

this article). 

Paid Social Media Advertising 

Most social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, 

Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Snapchat will allow you to 

run ads on their site. Paid social media advertising is great 

for building awareness with audiences that might not be 

aware that your business, product or service exists. 

Social Media Marketing 

Like SEO, social media marketing is the free, organic way 

to use social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter to 

market your business. And, just like SEO, organically 

marketing your business on social media takes a lot more 

time and effort, but in the long run, it can deliver much 

cheaper results. 

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Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) 

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the art and science 

of improving your online user experience. Most of the 

time, businesses use CRO to get more conversions (leads, 

chats, calls, sales, etc) out of their existing website traffic. 

Content Marketing 

Content marketing is another fairly broad digital 

marketing term. Content marketing covers any digital 

marketing effort that uses content assets (blog posts, 

infographics, eBooks, videos, etc) to build brand 

awareness or drive clicks, leads or sales. 

Native Advertising 

Ever get to the bottom of an article and see a list of 

suggested articles? That's native advertising. Most native 

advertising falls under content marketing because it uses 

content to attract clicks (“you'll never believe what 

happens next!”). Often, native advertising can be a bit 

hard to spot, since it is usually mixed in with non-paid 

content recommendations…but that's kind of the point 

know who you want to target, you can use digital 

marketing to target anyone, anywhere. 

However, that being said, certain types of businesses will 

benefit more from certain types of digital advertising. As 

a quick overview, let's take a look at which strategies tend 

to work best for business-to-consumer (B2C) companies 

and business-to-business (B2B) companies: 

B2C Companies 

Generally speaking, B2C companies have much lower 

price points than their B2B counterparts. After all, it can 

be a little hard to sell a $150,000 drill bit (believe me, they 

exist) to a harried mom. But a $10 pair of kids pants? 

That's a fairly straightforward sell. 

The good news is, because B2C companies aren't trying 

to sell incredibly expensive products or services, they 

don't need big sales teams or complicated marketing 

funnels. All they have to do is get their products or 

services in front of the right audience with the right 

messaging and the rest should take care of itself. 

Email Marketing 

Email marketing is the oldest form of online marketing 

and it's still going strong. Most digital marketers use 

email marketing to advertise special deals, highlight 

content (often as part of content marketing) or promote 

an event. 

As a result, the primary goal of most B2C companies is to 

get people into and through their marketing funnel. For 

example, if you can get that harried mom onto your kids 

clothing website and offer her an exciting deal, there's a 

good chance that she'll buy today. You don't need to 

build a ton of brand awareness or trust before you can 

close a sale. 

Affiliate Marketing 

Affiliate marketing is essentially paying someone else (a 

person or a business) to promote your products and 

services on their website. 

As you can see from the list above, there are a lot of 

different ways to market your business online, which is 

why many businesses either hire an agency to manage 

their digital marketing efforts or pay for an in-house 

marketing team and marketing automation software to 

cover their marketing needs (for an in-depth comparison 

of these options, check out this article). 

Does Digital Marketing Work? 

Digital marketing is a great option for any business. It can 

be used to grow all kinds of businesses—from mom-andpop 

shops to internationally recognized universities and 

beyond. That's the beauty of advertising online. If you 

With that in mind, B2C companies often see great results 

from higher-funnel marketing channels like social media 

marketing or paid social advertising. These channels do a 

great job of getting your business in front of potential 

customers who might not otherwise know that you exist. 

Now, supplementing with other digital marketing 

strategies like paid search or SEO is always a good idea, 

but if you have to pick one channel to start with, paid 

social advertising or social media marketing are great 

options for B2C. 

B2B Companies 

In contrast, paid search is a great option for B2B 

companies. Most B2B companies have very specific niche 

audiences that can be hard to target using social media. 

However, if you sell $150,000 drill bits and someone 

searches for “diamond-tipped oil drilling bit 

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manufacturer”, you want to be the first result they see. 

Yes, you might pay more for your click than you would 

with paid social advertising, but with a $150,000 price tag, 

it's money well spent. 

In addition, most B2B companies have a much longer and 

more involved sales cycle than B2C companies. If you're 

selling a $150,000 drill bit, most people probably don't 

come to your site, give you a call and say “I want one.” As a 

result, longer-term strategies like content marketing or 

email marketing are often necessary to close a deal. 

return-on-investment (ROI). 

When you get right down to it, the ultimate goal of any 

marketing effort should be ROI. After all, if your digital 

marketing spend isn't driving profitable revenue for your 

business, why are you marketing online? 

Clicks and even conversions are great, but your company 

doesn't make money from clicks (in fact, you actually 

spend money on clicks) or conversions. It makes money 

from sales. 

Of course, the right blend of digital marketing tactics will 

vary from industry-to-industry and business-to-business, 

but simply comparing B2C to B2B should help give you a 

sense for how different strategies can be better for 

certain businesses. Not every strategy is right for every 

business, but with a little trial and error, you should be 

able to identify the most profitable approach for your 

company. 

How Do I Get Started? 

The good news is, getting started with digital marketing is 

fairly easy. Most online advertising platforms make it easy 

to sign up and create your first campaign (it is how they 

make money, after all). Here are a few links to beginner 

guides for several different digital marketing strategies: 

Paid search advertising 

Search engine optimization (SEO) 

Paid social media advertising 

Social media marketing 

Conversion rate optimization 

Content marketing 

Email marketing 

The core of every successful digital marketing campaign, 

however, isn't a guide. Regardless of which strategies you 

choose to use, here are 4 questions you need to answer 

before you get started with digital marketing: 

1. How Much Do You Need to Make? 

To figure out what you need to spend on digital 

marketing, you first need to clarify what your goals are. 

How you approach digital marketing can vary quite a bit 

depending on whether your ultimate goal is to drive 

clicks, conversions or leads, sales, revenue or a certain 

With that in mind, the first thing you need to determine 

before you decide what your digital marketing budget 

should be is to decide how much revenue you want to 

drive. Once you know that, you can use that information 

to determine how much ad spend it will take to reach that 

revenue goal. 

2. Who Are You Marketing To? 

Once you know how much money you want to make from 

digital marketing, you need to identify who you are 

marketing to. This is critical, because different buyer 

personas require different marketing tactics. And, even 

more importantly, different buyer personas turn into 

different types of buyers. 

So guess what? If you don't understand your buyer 

personas, you can't create an effective digital marketing 

strategy! 

If you've got a sales team, talking to sales can be one of 

the fastest ways to get a decent buyer persona together. 

After all, they're the ones who talk to your customers the 

most, right? 

However, even talking to your sales team and doing a 

little research isn't enough to really get at the level of 

detail you need to put together an effective digital 

marketing plan. To do that, you need to get on the phone 

and call your actual customers. 

Ask how they found you, why they converted and what 

convinced them to pay you. This information will give you 

a ton of insight into your marketing and sales process that 

you can use to both improve the performance of your 

advertising and choose your marketing budget. 

3. What are Your Customers Worth? 

Typically, people look at buyer personas as a good way to 

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craft an effective marketing strategy. Buyer personas are 

great for this, but they are also an important part of 

putting together an effective digital marketing plan. 

With 60% of internet activity taking place on mobile 

devices, the shift from desktop to mobile has had a 

profound effect on digital marketing. 

4. How Much Do You Need to Spend to Reach Your 

Goals? 

At this point, things are pretty simple. Just take your CAC, 

average purchase order value and average number of 

purchases (if you have a subscription model, you can just 

use the average lifespan of each buyer persona here) and 

plug them into this calculator! 

The default for this calculator shows the monthly budget 

and ROI for SaaS-A-Frass, assuming that SaaS-A-Frass 

wants to produce $2,425,500 in new revenue from digital 

marketing each month and they've determined that to do 

that, they need their marketing efforts to produce 100 

sales a month (90 Steves, 9 Mandys and 1 Edward). 

Per our example, a new Steve pays $125/mo for an 

average of 14 months, a new Mandy pays $1,500/mo for 

an average of 48 months and a new Edward pays 

$15,000/mo for 108 months. 

Plugging all of that into the calculator, SaaS-A-Frass will 

need to budget $348,300/mo to achieve their new 

lifetime revenue goals. 

To make things even better, you can use this calculator to 

calculate your overall digital marketing budget or you 

can pick a specific strategy and use it to figure out 

whether or not a given strategy makes sense for your 

business. For example, if you need a CAC of $75, but your 

average cost-per-click on AdWords is $25, AdWords may 

not be the right digital marketing channel for you. 

Now, as you might imagine, this approach isn't a perfect 

estimate of what it will take to hit your revenue goals. This 

calculator is only as accurate as the information you can 

give it. But, it's a lot better than picking your monthly at 

random and hoping that digital marketing will produce 

the results you need. 

How is Digital Marketing Different on Mobile? 

As you can probably imagine, digital marketing on 

mobile is very different from digital marketing on 

desktop. These days, these differences are particularly 

important because smartphones are now the primary 

device people use to interact with the internet. 

Last year, Google Ads got rid of the sidebar ads on their 

results pages to create a consistent experience between 

mobile and desktop. Facebook Ads still shows sidebar 

ads on desktop, but only shows in-stream ads on mobile. 

Shorter blog posts outperform longer blog posts on 

mobile…and the list of differences goes on and on. 

To be honest, in today's digital marketing world, it's a 

good idea to assume that people will encounter your 

marketing on mobile and then adapt your strategy for 

desktop as needed. 

In addition to optimizing your ads for mobile, it's also 

important to think about your site and landing page 

experience. Sure, your website might look beautiful on 

desktop, but if it's impossible to navigate on mobile, 

you'll end up alienating a significant percentage of your 

web traffic. 

At a minimum, you should have a mobile-responsive 

website, but ideally, your mobile experience should be 

specifically designed to facilitate an effortless mobile 

experience (not just an adapted version of your desktop 

experience). 

Whether most advertisers realize it or not, digital 

marketing is primarily a mobile experience now. The 

good news is, if you're relatively new to digital marketing, 

you don't have to worry about reinventing the wheel. You 

can start by coming up with compelling mobile 

advertisements and then adapt as needed for desktop. 

Conclusion 

Digital marketing is the marketing of the future. In 

addition to all of the benefits we've discussed throughout 

this article, you can track the results of your digital 

marketing efforts with incredible accuracy, which means 

it is easy to see which strategies are producing profitable 

results and which ones need some works. 

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BE DISTINGUISHED 

In a world where "anything goes" has become the norm, it 

means that people no longer place importance on doing the 

right thing anywhere they go and they won't care. It's even so 

bad that if one person does the right thing, people around such a 

person begin to look at such a person as ABNORMAL. 

It's absolutely unfortunate! 

When I was growing up, there were values that Parents inculcated in 

children, that whenever they stepped outside their homes and 

exhibited such, people outside respected and applauded their 

parents. It's a shame that it's no longer so. Full grown men 

misbehave even at public spaces feeling nothing wrong. They are 

ready to step on women and other people, talk to them anyhow, 

maltreat them and relegate them to the background just to prove 

they are THE MEN. 

Same goes with some women who do things without shame. A 

woman ought to have decorum and decency,but you see, it's a 

different ball all together these days. 

You see a boss,who maltreats his /her workers , making them feel 

they are nothing. Employees also have got nasty Attitude that is a 

put off to the boss. I know this often happens In any work 

Environment, but it must not always be so. 

Now here is my point really! 

What would it take you to behave right and be Distinguished? 

It takes nothing. The only thing it needs is your MIND . 

Please Understand that, you can never be able to manage your 

Global Stage Effectively if you still have weak character, SPEAKING 

Challenge, dressing Challenge, Attitude problem, pride, Courtesy 

issues , unapologetic and incorrigible. 

As the world is evolving, we must endeavor to evolve positively to 

be able to raise our standards to thrive on our Global Stages. The 

world is in search of ideal men and women to sit in the position 

meant for only Ideal and Polished Personalities in an unideal 

society. Would you rather be ignored or relegated to the 

background as a result of your unpolished Lifestyle? Or you prefer 

to stand out on top with your Polished and Ideal Lifestyle which will 

help you connect well with creme de la creme of our world ?. 

The choice is yours to make. Hoping that this article helps you sail 

well on your Global Stage. 

Written by:©Gloria Robson 

Global Brand Polisher / Certified Mentor & Coach / Business 

Branding Expert 

I just released my First Book in print titled " Distinguished Ladies & 

Gentlemen". It's a beautiful book simply written for any man and 

woman out there who desire to become IDEAL and 

DISTINGUISHED. 

Hope you make your order. 

Your MIND is a powerful storehouse. Once you Discover that 

something is missing and that you need to fix the missing link, then 

you know you are ready to drop the abnormals and embrace the 

normals. Sometimes, I know that our FOUNDATIONS played a very 

vital role in our upbringing. That's why sometimes we see that what 

is norm for you is not normal for others. Truth is , we can't all be the 

same . But there are universally Acceptable Behaviors expected of 

us. Therefore if you fall below these Behavioral patterns and 

presentations, you are seen as backward in some social gathering 

or Environment. 

Contact me: 

Facebook@Brand Polisher 

Instagram@Brandpolisher 

LinkedIn@Gloria Robson 

www.packway.com.ng / www.gloriarobson.com 

+2348133522476 

In my book " Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen" I have 

attempted to help men and women out there Understand what it 

takes to behave right and be Distinguished. It is not a day's job, but 

if you open up your mind , you can Achieve it. 

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Africa’s Longest-Serving Leaders. 

The continent of Africa has many leaders that have blatantly or cunningly 

refused to relinquish power. Some have been in power for over four decades, 

turning themselves to dectators on mofty. Below is their list: 

(1)EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Teodoro Obiang - 41 years 5 months 

(Aug. 3 1979 - present) 

Obiang, 78, seized power from his uncle in a coup. While opposition parties 

were legalised in 1992, Obiang's Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea 

dominates. He has won over 90% of votes at every election, some of which the 

opposition boycotted. 

(2)CAMEROON - Paul Biya - 38 years 2 months (Nov. 6 1982 - present) 

Biya, 87, took over in 1982 from President Ahmadou Ahidjo after serving as 

prime minister for seven years. Biya has won five multi-party elections since 

1992. The opposition has called the results fraudulent. Two-term limits were 

abolished in 2008. 

(3)CONGO REPUBLIC - Denis Sassou Nguesso - 36 years 9 months 

(Feb. 8 1979 - Aug. 31 1992; Oct. 25 1997 - present) 

Sassou Nguesso, 77, assumed office in 1979 before losing the country's first 

multi-party elections in 1992. He regained power in 1997 after a civil war and 

changed the constitution in 2015 to let himself stand for re-election the 

following year. 

(4)UGANDA - Yoweri Museveni - 34 years 11 months 

(Jan. 29 1986 - present) 

Museveni, 76, became president when his forces seized the capital Kampala 

after a five-year guerrilla struggle. Museveni has won five elections since 1996. 

Parliament has twice changed the constitution to allow him to run, first 

removing a two-term limit in 2005 and then abolishing the age limit of 75 in 

2017. 

(5)ESWATINI - King Mswati III - 34 years 8 months 

(April 25 1986 - present) 

Absolute monarch, Mswati, 52, was crowned in April 1986. Political parties have 

been banned in eSwatini, previously known as Swaziland, since 1973. 

(6)CHAD - Idriss Deby - 30 years 1 month (Dec. 2 1990 - present) 

Deby, 68, took power at the head of an armed rebellion. Two-term limits were 

abolished in 2005 and reimposed in 2018. The move will not be applied 

retroactively, meaning Deby could serve two five-year terms after the next 

election in 2021. 

(7)ERITREA - Isaias Afwerki - 27 years 7 months (May 19 1993 - present) 

Afwerki, 74, has ruled since Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia. There have 

never been national elections in Eritrea, which rights groups consider to be one 

of the most repressive states in the world. 

(8)DJIBOUTI - Ismail Omar Guelleh - 21 years 8 months 

(May 8 1999 - present) 

Guelleh, 73, was picked to succeed his uncle, independence leader, Hassan 

Gouled Aptidon. He won a fourth five-year term in 2016 and is expected to seek 

another term this year. 

(9)MOROCCO - King Mohammed VI - 21 years 5 months 

(July 23 1999 - present) 

Mohammed VI, 57, was crowned when his father, Hassan II, died of a heart 

attack. The Moroccan royal family has reigned since 1631, making it the Muslim 

world's oldest dynasty. 

(10)RWANDA - Paul Kagame - 20 years 8 months 

(April 22 2000 - present) 

Kagame, 63, was widely seen as the de facto leader of Rwanda after his rebel 

army ended the 1994 genocide. He was elected president by parliament in 

2000. The constitution was changed in 2015 to let him seek a third seven-year 

term in 2017 and two more five-year terms, meaning he could stay in power 

until 2034. 

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The Problem with 

Barcelona FC. 

uring the dog days of Jose Mourinho's reign as manager of 

DReal Madrid, he used to refer to his great nemesis Barcelona 

as "the beautiful children of football". It was a disparaging 

remark. He despised them, and what really got his goat up was that 

everyone else in the football world—with the exception of 

madridistas—seemed to be enthralled with their brand of football 

and culture. 

For several years, chiefly under Pep Guardiola's stewardship, the team 

played mesmerising football, which drew on the artistry of three great 

players in their prime, Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres 

Iniesta, who, like the bulk of their supporting cast, were drawn from 

the club's youth academy. 

It was an intoxicating brew for romantics, heightened by the fact that 

the club was run by its members (or their elected officials) while oil 

sheiks, Russian billionaires and hungry American investors ran most of 

the other big clubs around Europe. Barcelona also eschewed shirt 

sponsorship for over a century and had a tasty political backstory as 

the purveyor of Catalan identity. FC Barcelona—with the help of some 

favourable propaganda—was more than a club, as its motto 

professed. Now, however, Barca seem to have lost direction. They 

have taken sponsorship coin from Qatar. The production line from La 

Masia, their youth academy, has dried up. They chase big-money 

signings to appease the jittery fan base. 

Victor Font, who was an early runner in the race for president of 

Barcelona in 2015, says part of Barcelona's problems has to do with 

the antiquated business structure of the club. It's an old boys' 

network. Directors aren't appointed because of what they know about 

football or about their ability to run modern corporations. Instead 

they get positions because they're rich and they have links to the 

president. 

"If I'm someone who wants to become president," says Font, "I have to 

be a member and wealthy enough to be able to put up all the bank 

guarantees that are needed—15 percent of the budget. Taking round 

numbers if this year's budget was €700 million that would be €100 

million, split it up amongst 20 directors is around €5 million per head. 

Those are the only requirements you need. 

"You end up having good cules, good FC Barcelona fans, wealthy 

enough to put up the bank guarantees as directors, but they lack the 

relevant experience to govern the club. The track record they have in 

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managing a multinational of the world of football is questionable." 

Barcelona's forays into the transfer market over the last couple of 

years have been uninspiring, with Arda Turan, Lucas Digne and the 

unfortunate Andre Gomes, who has been pilloried by fans, among the 

players the club has signed who have failed to establish themselves. 

Recall that Gerard Deulofeu, who was added to the roster for €12 

million couldn't make Everton's starting XI and it symbolises the 

decline of Barca. 

"During the Guardiola glory years," says Carlin, "we used to bang on 

and on about La Masia—and how wonderful it was that Barca 

produced all these wonderful young players, that they didn't have to 

go into the transfer market to buy Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, for example. 

They just inherited them. 

"There was a certain mystification of La Masia as this sort of factory of 

guaranteed production of Rolls-Royce players. Unfortunately, that 

has not been the case. It's a question of cycles and circumstances and 

good luck and bad luck.” 

Barcelona's board have, however, fallen down in their brief. They have 

two football jobs to carry out. One, they have to hold on to their 

marquee players. In losing Neymar to PSG, they have failed. Second, 

they have to secure the targets they make cow eyes at. Over the 

summer, coveted players included Marco Verratti and Dani Ceballos, 

who gallingly joined Real Madrid instead. Real Madrid also pinched 

Asensio from under their noses in the winter of 2014. 

"You just don't get the sense that these guys are sufficiently adept at 

the sophisticated and complex game of negotiating and acquiring 

players," says Carlin. 

"Not only is Real Madrid's football team significantly superior to 

Barca but also so is its board of directors. Real Madrid's Florentino 

Perez and Jose Angel Sanchez have been there for the best part of 

the last 15 years. They're maestros of this business of finagling, 

within the legal bounds of cheating and cunning and knowing 

when to apply pressure and when to let off. They completely 

outclass Josep Maria Bartomeu in this department." 

The lack of a clear ideology is troubling, says Font, which is evident in 

the club's transfer dealings. He singles out the case of Xavi, the club's 

great ideologue. It is three years since he left after 17 years of service. 

The club has failed to replace him with a like-minded midfielder like, 

say, Verratti. "Instead the club hires players like Andre Gomes and 

Paulinho where their physical characteristics are more important then 

their technique," says Font. 

Barcelona's president Bartomeu took over from Sandro Rosell—who 

is currently languishing in a prison cell for alleged money 

laundering—in 2014. Bartomeu is under intense pressure. 

"Bartomeu's biggest mistake was to rule for too long 

'against'—against everything the previous board did, whether it was 

good or bad," says Ramiro Martin, author of Messi: Un Genio en la 

Escuela del Futbol. 

"It debilitated the club. Another mistake he has made has been that he 

hasn't followed the football line marked out by Guardiola, which gave 

the club so much prestige and titles. 

“To become better, Barca's project had to be radical in its convictions, 

extreme, very loyal to Johan Cruyff and what he taught. What 

happened was when men who were not convinced arrived—like 

Rosell and Bartomeu—Barca abandoned that line. Barca must either 

be all or nothing.” 

Font concurs. The civil war politics at board level has affected the 

club's footballing philosophy. "People in the club who were aligned to 

Cruyff became enemies. One of the hidden agendas of the new board 

was to dismantle everything that was done by the previous board, 

which meant getting rid of talent and people like Pep Guardiola, Txiki 

Begiristain, Oscar Garcia Junyent and many more coaches in the youth 

teams that were part of this Cruyffism philosophy." 

Font advocates re-building the foundations of the club by installing 

directors with one of three traits: Directors, he says, from the world of 

football who are responsible for the club's sporting decisions like at 

Bayern Munich; directors who have experience of managing modern, 

innovative corporations; and those with an appreciation of the 

Catalan heritage and values of the club and the role it plays in the 

world. 

"You need people who have experience and capabilities that are 

relevant to manage the challenges of a sports club in the 21st 

century," he says. 

Carlin cautions, however, against making too many bold or 

pessimistic predictions in the medium term about Barcelona's 

demise. Yes, the first team is in decline, but three or four years ago, 

commentators were writing off Messi. After Guardiola lost to newly 

promoted Numancia and drew at home to Racing Santander in his 

first two games as Barca coach in 2008, he was denounced as a 

neophyte. But then the team clicked and he went on to win 14 

trophies in four seasons. 

Barcelona may well emerge from the transfer window with an exciting 

signing. Sure, the loss of Neymar has been traumatic but not as 

seismic an event as, say, the filching of Luis Figo by Real Madrid in 

2000, argues Martin. 

“No, it's not as troubling," he says, "because today Barca has Messi. 

And having Messi in your team is playing always with a card up your 

sleeve.” 

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