Insecurity Restraining Diaspora Nigerians From Investing At Home – Oguh

Dr Marcelli Oguh, an experienced entrepreneur and Founder/President, Omenma Ndi Imo Foundation, is one of the Nigerians in Diaspora that have been positively impacting on the lives of Nigerians through his philanthropic deeds, In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, the Mbaise-born philanthropist speaks on his investment in tourism and leisure industry, even as airs his views on crucial issues on the state of the nation. Excerpt:

In what ways have you assisted the communities in your area or state in­cluding empowerment programmes?

Since 2013, my foundation, the Omenma Ndi Imo Foundation, has embarked on my audacious humanitarian projects; I have built four houses for indigent widows, ranging from two-bed rooms to four bedrooms apartments. The last one was completed and hand­ed over to the family on March 27, 2024. I have renovated to standard four different primary schools in the community. I have donated a transformer to my community. I installed solar lights all around my community, over two kilome­tres of solar street lights. Besides, every year, I grade over four kilo­metres of road to make it motor­able. The last was during the 2024 Christmas, Currently, I have four children under my scholarship programme. One of them is a blind girl from Udo, who is about to com­plete her school and aiming to go into the university. I have three of them in the university and school of nursing. Also, I have created a number of opportunities through employment, both direct employ­ment and indirect employment. These are the most visible ones. I am not even talking about those I have helped to start up a business, including indigent women in my autonomous community, who are about to receive money for start-up community businesses. Through my foundation, I have provided soft loans to community members in­terest-free to start small businesses to keep them busy, plus numerous community efforts, which are too much to mention here.

We understand that you are setting up a magnificent hotel in your home state, Imo, Could you tell us your anteced­ence in business?

I have been a business owner since 2006, when I set up my Ac­countancy firm, Rochvilles & Co. Chartered Management Consul­tants, Accountants & Tax Adviser, followed by Max & Max Group Uk Ltd, all in the United Kingdom. So, I am an experienced entrepreneur, hence, I want to repeat the same thing in Nigeria.

Why did you consider Imo for the sitting of the hotel? Why not Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Enugu or Port Harcourt, well known for lucrative hotel business?

I considered Imo State for the simple reason that I am from Imo State. They say, “Charity begins at home.” Yes, it may be more profit­able to site it in Lagos or Abuja, as an Igbo man. The current situ­ation in Nigeria makes it possible that we come to understand that the development of the South East lies only on the South Easterners. I do not foresee any government development in the South East in the near future. Again, there is no place like home.

Also, why did you choose Ihitte in Mbaise for the location of the busi­ness?

In a simple short answer, I am from Ihitte in Mbaise. Our people say Akurulo, Amara onye nweya (if wealth reaches home, the owner will be known). Ihitte is a town I love so much. I was born in Ihitte. I schooled in Ihitte. The bond be­tween me and Ihitte cannot be broken easily. I rejected a couple of places given to me to site the hotel in Mbaise, I insisted Ihitte or nothing. The siting of the hotel in Ihitte now creates over 28 em­ployees, majority from Ihitte and the neighbouring town in Mbaise. At the same time, it has helped to put Ihitte on the map. Ask anyone directions from Owerri to Mbaise, that you are going to Omenma Ho­tel. You are guaranteed of getting the right direction immediately. This is due to our continued ef­fort in marketing, promotion and publicity of the hotel situated in Oparachi Mbaukwu Ihitte. Even the Road where the hotel is situ­ated, Omenma Avenue, is named after the hotel.

Imo State is known to be a theatre of attacks by armed groups and security agencies. Don’t you think this may affect the success of your hotel?

Don’t be fooled by this belief, such things may be happening in other parts of Imo State. I can guarantee you that it is not the same in Mbaise. I visit Nigeria over three times a year. At the same time, in Imo State, I never experienced any such thing. How­ever, I cannot entirely say it never happens. It happens in many other parts of Nigeria. We are not going to run from our homes because of insecurity. We must persevere to make Imo State and Nigeria a good place to live and work by venturing into things like development and bringing things like this home.

You are based in London. How would you ensure the proper management of the hotel since you are not on ground to oversee its operation?

You are absolutely right. It will create all sorts of operational prob­lems. Honestly, I am almost there every day. I rely heavily on robust technology systems, clear Stan­dard Operating Procedures, strong communication channels, regular performance reports, and a well-trained leadership team on-site, who can effectively delegate tasks and address issues as they arise, while consistently seeking feed­back from both guests and staff to identify areas for improvement. I routinely send mystery guests to the hotel, whereby I pay for their rooms and feeding to spend a day or two, go round the hotel, inter­act with staff, and management to gather their opinions and relay to me. I also have 24-hour CCTV in all the key areas in the hotel, bar, restaurant, reception, front office, utility rooms. I can actually speak to them through the solar powered CCTV anytime any day. I partici­pate in staff meetings every morn­ing through this process, where I can see all of them clearly. They hear me and I hear them clearly. However, they cannot see me, but I do see them very clearly. I have the opportunity to sign in into the POS system back office anytime I want to see the total transaction every day. No guest is booked into the hotel without the hotel man­agement system installed. With all these, I am more like being pres­ent in the hotel all the time; staff knowing full well that I can sign in to monitor them without them being aware that I am online with them.

How do you see hotel and Leisure business in Nigeria?

The hotel and leisure business in Nigeria is seen as a growing and potentially very profitable sector, with significant potential for fur­ther development, particularly driven by leisure travel. But, it is also facing challenges related to infrastructure, security concerns, and regulatory complexities. Key areas of focus include targeting the growing middle class, devel­oping unique local experiences, and investing in upscale accom­modations in major cities. The ru­ral areas are also up and coming, as major investors like myself are now trying hard to invest in their various communities close to home, rather than concentration of all investment in the cities. If we continue to concentrate in the cities, who will develop our own towns and villages?

What is your take on the spate of insecurity in the country?

Insecurity in Nigeria has var­ious consequences for us in gen­eral. As we all know, violence de­stroys life; impairs human welfare and social solidarity; destroys in­frastructure; erodes capacity and opportunities for productive eco­nomic enterprises; constrains so­cial interaction; depletes personal and community economic assets, and diverts personal community and state resources from develop­mental mentality to fighting inse­curity. This has led to some busi­nesses leaving Nigeria all together. Even Nigeria Diasporas, who are strong businessmen and women abroad, are afraid of insecurity in Nigeria. This set of Nigerians would ordinarily invest in Nigeria because no matter who you are, no place like home. I have been in Eu­rope for well over 35 years. Most of my adulthood has been spent in Europe. All my higher educa­tion was in Europe. Yet, for the fact that I was born and nurtured in Nigeria, I am as much a Nigerian as any other Nigerian, who has not stepped out of Nigeria before. The government of the day should encourage all of us to come home and invest by solving the problem of insecurity. I can tell you, if the government can solve the prob­lem of insecurity in Nigeria, a lot of us will invest in Nigeria, even possibly relocate back to Nigeria. No matter how long you are in a foreign land, you will never be considered as part of them. But your country of birth will always accept and accommodate you. Inse­curity affects economic growth by driving out investments, increases unemployment and dwindles gov­ernment revenue.

Several businesses are exiting the country and relocating to other West African countries. How do you think the Federal and state governments can reverse the trend?

First of all, the current govern­ment should do better by reduc­ing the cost of doing business in Nigeria. The exorbitant cost of manufacturing goods in Nigeria remains the major reason many companies are leaving Nigeria. Imagine running a generator all day, imagine been without light for few days, then business resort to running their generators at an exorbitant cost of diesel. The gov­ernment will do well in improving market access for Nigerians in the business of exportation of goods and services. The government will do Nigeria businesses well by harmonising policies at all levels. Cut middle men and all manner of red tapes and punish those who vagrantly violate the system.

How do you see the poor state of the Nigerian economy, the poor value of the Naira and the crushing debt burden? Do you see any hope for the country, especially under the current President Bola Tinubu administration?

Before 2015, Nigeria was ranked as the fastest growing economy in Africa ahead of South Africa. To­day, Nigeria ranks third in Africa below South Africa and two oth­er countries in Africa. The chief reason for this trend is unemploy­ment, corruption, non-diversifica­tion of the economy, over reliance on crude oil, income inequality, laziness and poor education sys­tem. All these can be attributed as the primary reason for the decline of the economy. However, the nai­ra has been appreciating in the last two months or so. We cannot completely write off the current administration as we believe there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. As we all know, there is an economic downturn around the world. We are hopeful that things will improve before the end of the current government term.