By Femi Mimiko
Capitalism has its challenges, especially in relation to inequitable distribution of social wealth, but if properly administered, it can be very productive and is, generally relatively more efficient than the State sector.
Immediate pieces of evidence in our own clime: a private petroleum refinery runs, almost seamlessly, while government’s four refineries are practically down! Granted that they have their limitations – mostly due to poor regulation by the same State – but at least, the private telecommunications service providers – you know them – function!
Where is government’s own telecom provider, registered at about the same time with these other ones? Long dead and buried! Call this some form of brief holding for capitalism, real capitalism, and you won’t be too far from the truth.
Methinks the bottomline for us as public policy analysts is, let’s pay attention to possible and probable nuances in our analyses – at all times. We must avoid straight jackets and worn out ideas, adumberations and ‘theories,’ some of which may no longer be of much value in apprehending social realities. Sure, the State can do very well, IF properly constituted, but only, if, if, and if …!
Let me also use the opportunity to encourage us to avoid the temptation at only doing what I call single-layered analyses, focusing as it were, only on the global (macro) picture – a trend that is quite common on this platform. We must go through the tedium of searching for possible variations at the micro (sub-national) level in all our scientific inquiries.
For all you care, exciting ideas could be flourishing in one little corner of the country, in terms of responsible governance, which we often neglect to track. Let’s avoid the temptation of focusing only on the bigger canvass, and pay attention to little spaces, that could be striving in the right direction.
In the same manner, a small unit or department of government, at whatever level, could be doing so well. As analysts, we have the responsibility to track such, suggest directions for tuning-up that may be required, and recommend upscaling and adaptation, as appropriate.
*Nahzeem Oluwafemi Mimiko, is a Professor of Political Science at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. He is an educational administrator and former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State.
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