Some of the problems we face in Africa are self-made. No two ways about it. And today we’ll try and dive into how effective delegation can solve one such problem, and hopefully unleash the incredible potential that lies dormant within our nations.

The Productivity Paradox: Busy Doesn’t Equal Effective

It’s an incontrovertible fact that often-times a nation’s economic vitality and societal well-being are directly tied to the efficiency and productivity of not only its people, but also its leadership. China is a case in point.

This fact is especially true for developing countries from Nigeria to Swaziland, many of whom do not have centuries worth of developmental credit accrued from years of colonial conquest, and via trial and error of years of democratic governance.

Specifically, in many African countries, a concerning pattern exists: Presidents and high-ranking officials who often find their calendars filled to the brim with funerals, school openings, and other minor events. These may be significant perhaps from a cultural, symbolic or local standpoint, but ultimately their effect is to drain the leader’s time and country’s valuable resources. They slow us down.

By dedicating precious hours to these events – tasks that could be effectively handled by capable junior officials – we Africans are in fact creating bottlenecks in the productivity of our countries.

Now I’m not saying there aren’t any circumstances in which a leader can legitimately and effectively visit certain projects or events. Of course there are, but in my view, such visits should probably have a major underlying determinant that is tied to a broader government policy / framework that has a much bigger significance beyond the visit itself. An example is below, where Zambian president, on a visit to Chambeshi Water treatment plant decries the inflated costs of projects in Zambia – a major problem of indirect theft of government resources, not just in Zambia, but across the whole of Africa. So big is the problem of overinflated invoices(generally ‘procurement fraud’) in Africa, that it is estimated that the continent loses between 8% to 25% of government resources to the problem. That’s billions and billions of dollars.

So then, getting back to our subject, imagine the ministers, crucial for departmental progress, perpetually on the move, escorting the president on a whirlwind of trips (both local & international), attending ground breaking of schools and bridges… expensive motorcades… When, ladies and gentlemen, amidst all this constant motion and ‘busyness’, do these officials find the bandwidth to carefully tackle the problems in their departments? The backlogs that keep mounting. The projects that need their consideration and sign off, the core responsibilities which should drive strategic initiatives within their ministries?

While attending small events may possess undeniable weight, the numbers of such events are unconscionable. It all begs a critical question: are we truly maximizing the leadership potential on the African continent? All the ministers standing around at the airport when the president is going on an international trip? What are they there for?

The answer, unfortunately, is a resounding no, such time wasting doesn’t maximise our productivity. Our leaders waste too much time in insignificant or miniscule non-events which junior officials can more than take on.

A Glimpse Beyond: Developed Nations and the Art of Prioritisation

Let’s turn our gaze towards developed nations. If you look carefully you find that their approach to governance offers valuable lessons. Often times there is a clear understanding of prioritisation and resource allocation. Officials meticulously manage their schedules, dedicating their time to high-impact endeavors that propel economic growth and the progress of their departments, and often delegate lesser requests to junior staff members. Here, delegation isn’t a suggestion, it’s the cornerstone of efficient governance. The effect is that not only is there replication in impact, but the most important issues are able to get the attention they deserve.

Moving Beyond the Playground:

Unfortunately, change is not optional, it’s imperative. If we truly want to improve, then we’ll need to change. Thus, below, please allow me to present what I think are the 16 action points that can increase the productivity of our officials across our continent. In no particular order:

1. Delegation with Clarity: Establish clear protocols for delegation. Empower deputy ministers and junior officials to represent the government at smaller-scale events, freeing up senior leadership for more strategic tasks. Here, a scoring system is necessary to measure which issues and concerns deserve the most attention.
2. Prioritisation: The president’s and cabinet’s time should be meticulously managed, focusing on strategic planning, international alliances, policy formulation, and high-level decision-making. Anything that, when fully executed, will not grow the economy or will not have another high impact yield should probably be delegated to a junior official, or crossed off the list entirely.
3. Time Audits for Efficiency: Conduct regular time audits to identify and eliminate time-wasting activities that hinder progress. See this link on how such type of audits can be established(Source: World Bank Group).
4. Bridging the Distance: Invest in efficient transportation and communication systems to reduce travel time and facilitate smoother collaboration. In other words, if you’re going to attend something important you have to be able to get there and back to your department quickly.
5. Embrace Virtual Collaboration: Promote the use of technology for virtual meetings and remote collaboration, maximizing efficiency and minimizing unnecessary travel. Who said every event requires you to be there physically present?
6. Streamline processes: Cutting through bureaucratic red tape is important for Africa. We should be making things simple. So, there’s a great need to streamline administrative processes to reduce bottlenecks and delays in the way we conduct public policy/ government business. In my view most public-policy or government approvals / decisions should be decided by no more than 3 people, in no more than 3 offices, within 3 days. Imagine the explosion in efficiency!
7. Accountability and Performance: Foster a culture of accountability and performance-based evaluation for all government officials. Reward productivity and hold those who under-perform responsible. We need to reward (visibly) as many people as possible who have demonstrated and shown excellence in their work. These presidential medals or honours should come with monetary benefits e.g. US$5,000. I know with these things the devil’s in the detail, but a fund can be established from which such awards are issued.
8. Sharpening Skills: Invest in training and capacity-building programs to equip our leaders and officials with the necessary skills to maximize productivity and manage their time effectively. Again this can be done virtually to minimize resources (instead of having seminars and conferences where people go not to learn anything but primarily to receive allowances).
9. Collaboration is Key: Encourage public-private partnerships and engage with civil society organizations. By sharing responsibilities and fostering collaboration, we can achieve more together. This on the broader level is one reason why I still believe that Federalism is a good thing.
10. Learning from the Best: Benchmark against best practices from other nations. No one knows it all. Let’s be humble and adopt successful productivity strategies from countries that have achieved remarkable economic growth. We don’t have to agree with everything that those countries have done we just have to learn from the positive and remarkable things that they’ve done well.
11. Succession Planning: Effective delegation necessitates robust succession planning. Yes we should have a three year plan, a five-year plan and a 10 year plan. But we should also have a 20 year plan and religiously enforce it. This will at the minimum ensure continuity of operations irrespective of who is in power. The National Vision should be bigger and greater and transcend party political squabbles, religious differences or ethnic and tribal divisions and pettiness. Divisions along these lines are petty, & mediocre. Simply put they’re bad for Africa, and as a continent, we would be a lot stronger and more unified if these issues weren’t even concerns and didn’t cause conflict or divisions among us.
12. Investing in Growth: Prioritize investment in critical infrastructure and sectors that drive economic growth. This creates a fertile ground for increased productivity across all levels.
13. A Productivity Mindset: Cultivate a national mindset shift that prioritizes productivity and efficiency across all levels of government. Let’s move beyond the current state and embrace a results-oriented approach. Small convoys, short disruptions to other people’s lives, ensuring minimal outage in… everything.
14. Adapting to Change: Regularly review and update productivity strategies. The world is constantly evolving, and our approach to governance needs to be adaptable to emerging needs and global trends.
15. Embrace Technology: Invest in technological advancements that can automate routine tasks, freeing up human resources for more strategic endeavors. This is one reason why AI, for example can potentially be beneficial for Africa.
16. Performance Management Systems: Implement functional performance management systems to track progress towards achieving national productivity goals and hold government officials accountable for delivering results. This is related to point 3 above in that how will you know if your policies are working or not if you are not measuring or keeping track of each step of your progress?

Greater Productivity = Brighter Future

By embracing these action points and fostering a culture of delegation and strategic prioritization, there is no doubt in my mind that we will unlock the immense potential of our African nations. Increased productivity will pave the way for economic prosperity, social progress, and a brighter future for our people on the continent. Remember, the journey to a more productive Africa begins with each of us. Let’s take these steps together and propel our nations towards a future brimming with opportunity and hope.

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