At AIDCA, Aisha Salisu Demands Good Governance, Unity, Social Development In Nigeria

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of March Energy Limited Hajia Aisha Salisu, epitomised excellence and inspiration in advocacy for good governance, national unity, and social development in Nigeria when she delivered a thought-provoking speech recently at the top-class African Industrial and Development Conference Awards (AIDCA) organised by Dotmount Communications in league with BBC and other partners.

At the A-class event hosted at the prestigious Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, she radiated excellence charisma and confidence in advocacy for good governance, national unity, and social development in the country. The event which was loud in Abuja did not only attract the creme de la creme from various walks of life but also aimed to highlight and acknowledge the industry leaders from wide-ranging sectors and specialties across the continent.
Hajia Salisu was down-to-earth in her preference for factors that engender cohesion in the country using the enormous strengths of its people, ethnic groups, and faith.

“My day isn’t complete without having association either by means of work and or friendship with different persons from various ethnic groups in Nigeria, irrespective of their faith. We would choose competence over mediocrity and that’s not to say there aren’t those with nepotistic tendencies. Ethnic sentiments and religion are tools that have been used to tear us apart. But a vast majority of us do not live by this ethnic or religious coloration. We just want good governance,” she stated.

She said: “Good Governance is an approach to the government that is committed to creating a system founded in justice and peace that protects an individual’s human rights and civil liberties. Good governance can also be called a Great Administration, but the success of democracy is impossible without participation of the people; good governance is an ideal that is hard to accomplish in its entirety. It ordinarily includes well-intentioned people who bring their thoughts and ideas from experiences, and other human qualities to strategy or policymaking.”

The Amazon now making waves in Nigeria’s buzzy oil and gas industry identified citizen participation as a key element of a good governance system. According to her, “good governance isn’t the responsibility of the government alone, recognizing that engaging citizens can complement government’s efforts to promote it; with our participation, it will help curb corruption, increase service delivery, public financial management, natural resources management, as well as ability to hold public officials accountable.”

This, she said, will culminate in an improved economy and better standard for every Nigerian. “Good Governance provides a united goal, giving everyone a clear sense of what they are collectively trying to achieve thereby fostering national unity,” she exclusively told Pleasures magazine.
For her, the feelings of national unity remain crucial to lead the nation towards progress and prosperity. To buttress this, she asserted: “Unity promotes peace and love in a nation. Where people are united, they can put efforts into eliminating vices like corruption. It gives people a sense of security for they are able to know one another better and understand one another’s sensitivity. Unity promotes cooperation and opens opportunities for excellence. The spirit of national unity and good governance plays a crucial role in enhancing the pace of a country’s economic wheel.”

Aisha is firm in her belief that Nigeria has an enviable culture, full of aspiration and vitality and her people’s cherished national value of love for one another propels nothing but development. She further stated: “We must see our exchange of culture as a source of wealth. That’s the value inherent in our diversity, all ethnic groups in Nigeria are unique in their own way, having different fashion senses, food, music, dance, and architecture. With over 250 ethnic groups, Nigeria has a huge economic opportunity open for investors to tap into, which are a huge gift for economic transformation. This is how the average Nigerian who has wielded culture as an economic tool has become a premium brand not just in Africa but the world at large! Our music industry has gone global setting high standards in Africa; same with our food and delicacies; that’s why Ghana is trying so hard to win the jollof war with us despite it not originating from Nigeria, and fashion has taken over the globe. It’s time for diversity skeptics and naysayers to get over their hang-ups. Our sustainable development is being threatened by insecurity and violence, encouraging wider engagement in the fields of peace and development in working to build stability and resilience. While the grief for the lost lives is going to create a permanent scar in our hearts, the implications of this painful episode on other spheres of life cannot be overemphasized. These incidents have a severe impact on our economy. Now, we have to work hard with unity and devotion in bringing back the confidence of investors and development partners.”

The oil magnate is optimistic that terrorism and other vices perpetrated by malefactors can be defeated. However, she holds the view that people must stand together, unite and focus on what unites them and not what sets them apart, leverage commonalities to explore ways of reaching a common front if terrorism, corruption, and bad governance, must be defeated. The goal, she maintained, should be to see the nation’s diversity as a source of wealth and not to legitimize the hate and division of the bigot who wants to push the clash of civilization.

She added: “We all have roles to play in peacebuilding, conflict, post-conflict reconstruction, development activities, and social cohesion.
I firmly believe that this is possible given the pedigree, milestone achievements, and development trajectory already delivered by the category of guests, award recipients, leaders, and managers that are gathered at the event. We can all, therefore, continue to make it happen for our country.”
Aisha is an astute business executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist with more than 15 years of experience in banking and oil and gas international trade.
In 2010, she founded an indigenous haulage company affiliated with Total, Conoil, and Forte Oil, distributing refined products from various depots to designated stations nationwide.

Aisha holds a Diploma in Public Administration and a BSc in Political Science.
She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of March Energy Limited committed to providing first-class oil and gas services and solutions.