By Edgar Barigye
I recently had the privilege of reading President Yoweri Museveni’s thought-provoking booklet, “How Africa Missed the Bus of History.” This insightful work sheds light on a pivotal moment that hindered Africa’s development – the Industrial Revolution, where European countries transitioned from manual and animal-based labor to machine power, leaving Africa behind. This missed opportunity significantly slowed Africa’s progress.
However, as I reflected on this valuable lesson, I couldn’t help but think of another critical factor holding Africa back – “The chronic misuse of time in Africa. Inefficient time management, particularly in public offices, is causing us to miss yet another bus of development”. Delayed decision-making, procrastination, and inadequate planning are stifling our growth and self-determination.
The mismanagement of time in Africa’s public offices is a silent killer, more devastating than all diseases combined. It’s the root cause of our crumbling infrastructure, staggering infant mortality rates, entrenched poverty, and rampant unemployment. This persistent problem has left our continent reeling, perpetuating misery and stagnation. If we are to catch up with another bus of development, our public offices in Africa need presidentially-appointed and empowered Commissions that can push public offices to deliver or forcefully monitor the activities of some arrogant public officials and their ineffectiveness, just like Uganda has put in place the State House Investors Protection Hub.
I sometimes think that Opposition in Africa is incubated and hatched from public offices, where people are more focused on showing off instead of working for the people whose lives are running against time. People end up hating their governments because of delayed service delivery during the time when such services are needed most. Oba when will Africa join the technological advancement race when we are still stuck in time management issues?
Take a walk through our public offices, and you will uncover a treasure trove of innovative ideas gathering dust. Potential solutions to our most pressing challenges lie dormant, suffocated by inefficiency and procrastination. The cost of inaction is staggering, measured in lost opportunities, wasted resources, and shattered dreams.
Well, I do agree as an African that indeed ‘we’ Africans owe a debt of gratitude to our colonial past for introducing Western-style education. However, it’s startling to note that up to now Africa hasn’t realized that our benefactors withheld a crucial aspect of their own success: effective time management. While they taught us reading, writing, and arithmetic, they reserved this essential skill for themselves. Ironically, every subject they taught us relies on good time management to thrive.
What most of us have not yet understood is that by withholding time management skills, the colonialists inadvertently crippled our ability to fully utilize the knowledge they imparted and this has far-reaching consequences:
First and foremost, economies in Africa are plagued by inefficiency, wasting resources and potential over time due to poor planning, duplicated efforts, unnecessary expenditures, and bureaucratic bottlenecks. This inefficiency stifles productivity, innovation, and growth, perpetuating a cycle of stagnation that prevents African economies from reaching their full potential. Missed opportunities, including delayed or unsuccessful development projects and untapped natural resources, result in lost revenue, foreign investment, and access to essential services, perpetuating poverty across generations.
The cumulative effect is economic stagnation, hindering progress, entrepreneurship, and competitiveness, and limiting access to markets and talent. To break this cycle, African economies must prioritize effective time management, streamline processes, and invest in human capital to drive growth and development within a shorter timeframe, unlocking potential, driving growth, and creating opportunities for citizens to thrive.
On the side of businesses, Africa struggles to compete globally due to poor time management, resulting in lost contracts and revenue. Delayed project timelines, missed deadlines, and inefficient supply chain management hinder companies from meeting customer demands and adapting to changing market conditions, leading to lost business opportunities, reduced sales, and decreased revenue. A lack of innovation further exacerbates the issue, preventing the development of competitive products and services, and allowing international competitors to dominate emerging market trends. Poor customer service and a damaged reputation compound the problem. To overcome these challenges, African businesses must prioritize effective time management, investing in efficient project management systems, technology, and strategic partnerships, and fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability.
By streamlining operations and enhancing productivity, businesses can improve customer satisfaction, increase revenue, secure global contracts, drive economic growth, create jobs, and establish Africa’s businesses as competitive players on the global stage.
Maybe to emphasize more on time management consider this. Countless offices receive daily communications from the public. These messages, often urgent and crucial, seek; clarification on policies and procedures, assistance with services and programs, resolution of grievances and complaints, collaboration and partnership opportunities. However, many offices fail to respond promptly, leaving the public in suspense.
The consequences of unresponsive offices are very painful as they result into; frustrated citizens losing trust in government and institutions, opportunities for growth and development slipping away, innovative ideas and initiatives getting muted, public engagement and participation dwindling. Many of these consequences may not bother you until they hit you hard too. Take for instance a farmer is made to wait for months for a response to his or her inquiry on agricultural subsidies, a young entrepreneur’s business plan gathers dust on a bureaucrat’s desk (that is delayed future)a community’s plea for infrastructure development remains unanswered and lives are lost as a result.
To break the chains of mismanaged time, Africa must embark on a transformative journey, commencing with a model shift in its educational landscape. Integrating time management into primary and secondary school curricula is crucial, equipping future generations with essential skills to navigate the complexities of productivity. Moreover, training teachers to model and teach effective time management techniques will create a ripple effect, influencing students’ habits and mindsets.
Incorporating project-based learning will foster planning and execution expertise, while extracurricular activities emphasizing punctuality and teamwork will cultivate a culture of accountability and collaboration. By prioritizing time management education, Africa can break free from the cycle of inefficiency, unlocking its vast potential, driving growth, and propelling its people toward a brighter, more prosperous future.
To revolutionize efficiency and productivity, African governments and their public sectors must prioritize time management, starting with comprehensive training for public servants and leaders. This should be complemented by implementing efficient project management systems and monitoring tools to track progress and identify bottlenecks. A culture of accountability, transparency, and punctuality must be fostered, underpinned by clear performance metrics and tangible consequences for tardiness. By institutionalizing these reforms, governments can eliminate bureaucratic delays, enhance service delivery, and restore public trust. Effective time management will unlock improved governance, economic growth, and development, enabling Africa to realize its full potential and emerge as a beacon of efficiency and excellence.
If the remedies mentioned above are not possible, we can opt for the establishment of a National Follow-Up Offices which can force public officials to deliver in time. This can be crucial for promoting accountability, efficiency, and transparency in government services. This office can ensure improved service delivery, where government agencies respond promptly to citizen concerns and resolve issues efficiently. Citizens would also have enhanced accountability, tracking progress and ensuring transparency. Additionally, Africans would experience increased civic engagement, participating effectively in the democratic process and knowing their voices are heard.
The National Follow-Up Office would also benefit various governments in Africa, leading to better policy implementation, improved resource allocation, and enhanced international cooperation. Key functions would include centralized complaint systems, regular progress updates, and collaboration with government agencies.
By establishing these offices, Africa can promote citizen participation, and ensure effective governance. This innovative approach would demonstrate our continent’s commitment to good governance, attracting more international support and investment, and driving progress for our citizens across the internet. By acknowledging the critical role of time management, we can unlock Africa’s full potential and propel our continent toward a brighter, more prosperous future.
The writer is CEO Pamoja Communal Empowerment Network / pamojauganda72@gmail,com
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