The importance of the Nigerian Military and the Police in maintaining sovereignty, law and order in the country cannot be over emphasized. A breakdown of law and order in places like the Niger Delta and the North East and how they have affected oil, agriculture and other revenue streams of the country are indications of how important law and order is for economic activity.
On Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria, the Nigerian Minister of Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali launched a biometric pension card that would serve as a form of identification, verification, means of payment, rewards and discounts for members of the Army, the Airforce and the Navy at a press briefing which also kicked off events for the 2017 Armed forces remembrance day celebration.
Yes, that's me looking at the Photographer like "Didn't I warn you not to take my picture"
I attended the press briefing and got an opportunity to observe members of the Nigerian military in a more "relaxed" setting.
This wasn't the first time I was hearing about the card, but the statement by Valentine Obi, CEO of Etranzact, a pan African mobile banking and payment services company, responsible for powering the biometric pension card in partnership with MasterCard and Access Bank of Nigeria got me thinking.
His statement: "We are happy to be key partners in this great and commendable project in support of our courageous ex-service personnel and military pensioners. The resilience and courage of the Nigerian military is a source of joy to everyone and we hope that this pension card project not only solves identification and verification issues for the military but also gives the private sector an opportunity to offer special rewards and discounts."
The card offers immense benefits to its recipients as it can be tied to a bank account, attached to a mobile money wallet or operated as a stand-alone reloadable card. Other benefits like a 5% discount on airtime top-up, discounts on airline tickets, restaurant discounts, etc., are other benefits that are possible with the card.
eTranzact Founder and CEO, Mr Valentine Obi launching the Military Pensions card with the Nigerian Minister of Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali
Focus for me in the statement was how the cards would give the private sector an opportunity to offer special rewards and discounts. The question that popped in my head was; can the private sector do more for the Nigerian Military?
In America and most developed nations, members of the military experience an economic and social security that isn't comparable to working class Americans. Apart from the basic guarantees of clothing, food, shelter, and medical care, family members of serving Americans are also taken care of, making joining the military a lot more attractive. Members of the military also enjoy free bus rides, special post service or veteran discounts and other life time service benefits. America even has a GI Bill and enlistment bonuses. The GI bill addresses education and training. Under this bill, the military will pay for your schooling, and might also provide housing and study material stipends.
In Nigeria, the case isn't the same and it gets worse as you go down the ladder. Ignore the picture painted by the corruption stories we hear from the top of the line which have increased in recent times, but take your minds to daily interaction, stories and leaked interviews with the military in different parts of Nigeria. Take your mind to your daily experience with the Nigerian Police and the number of N20 or N100 nairas you have parted with to avoid delays even when you had all your complete car documents and permits.
Google "benefits of being a Nigeria soldier" and "benefits of being an American Soldier" and the appearance of an official page run by the American army versus all the tales of woe for the Nigerian search will give you some indication of the situation.
The government is certainly doing a lot to improve the service and post service conditions of the Military and I was impressed by a lot of the things the Minister said. However I will like to focus on 4 ways I think the private sector can do more for the Nigerian military;
i.Group discounts on air fares, bus rides, shopping at super markets, ecommerce stores, etc: The launched military pensions card Is a very good initiative that members of the private sector can participate in. The card is a MasterCard so enjoys the global acceptability of MasterCard. Beyond airtime discounts which they enjoy, airlines, bus companies, super markets, etc. can have permanent military and veteran discounts that they write off as yearly CSR. Ecommerce companies like Konga, Jumia can also come on board with special discounts for veterans that shop online with the cards.
ii.Government- private sector collaboration: Arguments against point 1 will be that businesses are not here for charity but I will point out that without protection there may be no business like we are learning the hard way in the North east and Niger delta. This second point involves some form of legislation that allows companies get tax rebates based on the volume of discounts they give veterans and the military every year.
iii.Participation in the Armed Forces Remembrance day: In the US, Veteran day or Armed Forces Remembrance Day is November 11 and it honors veterans who have served in the US military. It is a federal holiday. In Nigeria, Armed forces Remembrance Day is January 15 in commemoration of the surrender of Biafran troops to the Federal troops on 15 January 1970 thus signaling the end of the Nigerian Civil War. The private sector can participate more on this day by sponsoring different activities on the grand scale or even with increased discounts on that day, Companies like Uber can give free rides to military personnel and veterans with their ID cards or to civilians that have contributed to the celebration by wearing the military emblems.
Emblem for 2016
iv.Private sector training and aptitude discovery: One of the biggest problems ex-military personnel face is finding employment post service. The major reason for this is the difficulty employers have with understanding how military experience can be translated to civilian employment. The private sector can help reduce the amount of military personnel that resort to violent professions or use their skills as hired goons, by providing training and special consideration for ex-military personnel
There are other things like providing opportunities for loans, low cost housing, etc., that the private sector can offer as incentives for exemplary service in the military.
Some of these things are quick wins while others involve some further planning and thinking, but it is important we see the importance of the Military and Police and how these initiatives of the private sector can go a long way in making life and service easier for them.