16/05/2013 Thursday
Peter Marshall,
Regional Security Manager for the Canadian High Commission in Abuja, flew into
town today. An out-of-the blue e-note appeared in my inbox a few weeks back
suggesting we get together during his upcoming visit. (Have I already mentioned
this?) Because he’s so disarmingly
charming information flows in easy chit-chatty exchange. Knowing what little I
do after having worked on projects for the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade (DFAIT) it’s entertaining to interact with this consummate
diplomat. Heather, a newly graduated vet from Saskatoon, 10 days into her
placement at Pandrillus Primate Centre, joins us for dinner. Highlights:- Seemingly there are some 60 Canadians like Heather and me presently in Nigeria; the bulk are oil-industry affiliated.
- How difficult it is for DFAIT to fill African posts: few qualified peeps and little interest among those with the credentials.
- Currently Canadian diplomats are restricted to Abuja, Lagos and Calabar. Any travel outside of these areas must be in an escorted armoured vehicle. Tough to travel to Afi Mountain or Obudu Cattle Ranch under these conditions.
- Lagos is a crazy security scene but definitely worth the visit. In fact from Peter’s perspective Nigeria’s been given a bum rap. Things aren’t as fierce as the international media would have us believe.
- The security business is big business in Nigeria and tightly knit with lots of information sharing.
- CIDA’s fit into DFAIT is one big fat question mark. Maybe the geographic model currently in place will include political, trade and development officers. Interesting when you think of i) policy being influenced by or impacting corporations and developing countries; ii) corporate interests being aligned with policy and international development opportunities and vice-versa; iii) elimination of duplication in the areas of HR, finance, admin….
- The astounding money making opportunities in this country yet to be exploited. Wealth in some quarters is beyond extreme: private flight services, thriving Lamborghini and Porsche dealerships, motivational speakers motivated by rewarding financial returns are just a few cases in point.
Collins is anxious to get to wherever (on the low-down) and tries to rouse me early. But I’m off to a slow and lazy sleep-in start. He finally nabs my attention a few hours later while I’m in the shower; it’s a rather awkward exchange to say the least. He’s going to fetch food for the dogs, hops on his new motorbike and rides off shortly after 10:00. Meantime Cdn High Commission pal Peter and his wife Rehna, Director of CIDA Program Support Unit, invite me out for beers and lunch at the Marina. Their driver is to fetch me at 1:00. Come noon I text Collins. No word. I phone at 12:30 - he’s on his way. Finally ten minutes before one I make the call I’ve been trying to avoid: to let Aishat know it looks like no one will be here to watch the compound.
Over beers Peter and
Rehna talk about their interaction with different cultures. Vietnam tops their
favourite list while Nigeria takes the most challenging. We talk about the way
people treat each other. The curtness. The pervasive suspicion and
distrust. The disadvantage of being kind-hearted
= being taken advantage of. So paying N1,000 for bitter kola nuts worth N250; and
N2,500 for a water-cooler refill that should cost only N400; and N3,000 for
generator fuel that “leaked” and needed refilling much too soon. Lesson
learned. The benevolent autocrat I shall
become.
Sidebar: An interesting site that attempts to define Nigerian culture
We talk too about
the diplomatic field. The kinds of personalities it attracts. The kinds of attractive
skills that open doors to an international development career; human resources,
finance and (project) management the current biggies. - Take note Kaleigh! - We agree Nigerian food is nasty. In some
places, they tell me, baby monkey brain is a delicacy served straight out of
the decapitated head. Come on? That’s straight out of the movies. Peter tells how he's
munched on crunchy scorpion. Rehna tells how she barely managed two swallows of a gelatos gooey pig’s
feet stew to appease hosts.
All in all it’s a
delightful day with new friends and lots of great gab. We part promising to
keep in touch and pencil future visits in Abuja and Calabar on each other’s calendars.
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