I noticed a consistent behavioural pattern among Nigerian billionaires who run big businesses.

This behaviour is pronounced more among Mike Adenuga of Glo Brand and Aliko Dangote.

The behaviour is this: these business owners hardly hire Nigerians as business executives to run their businesses.

They prefer to travel as far as Pakistan, India, or Lebanon to hire their nationals to come to Nigeria to run their business.

Dangote's top executives are mainly from India and then Lebanese, while Mike prefers hiring Pakistan nationals to run Glo for him with his daughter Bella.

Dangote started hiring Indians business executives when he was a trader and since he transitioned into an industrialist, he has not looked back as he has doubled down in hiring them.

Hiring these guys comes at a steep price.

Most Dangote Group executives are Lebanese or Indian, and their annual salaries are up to 300 million naira per annum when converted to our local currency.

Aside from the high cost that they charge as salaries, you provide a duplex accommodation in Ikoyi or Banana Island with an SUV for them.

You also provide Hilux vehicle with policemen protecting them against kidnappers since they are endangered specie because of their white complexion.

Devakumar V. G. Edwin is one of Dangote's trusted lieutenants, as Aliko does not joke with him.

He has been with him since 1992, when he joined the business as a general manager.

At that time, Dangote was still a mega importer and a trader.

Edwin helped to transition the Dangote group into the industrial behomth that it is today from a trading company.

He is the one supervising the refinary project in Lekki for Dangote as Dangote trusted him so much, having supervised the building of the cement plants for the group all over Africa.

When you convert what Devakumar V. G. Edwin earns into Naira because he is paid in dollars by the Dangote group, the man earns more than 350 million naira salary per year.

Just like the rest of Dangote's top executives, he is an Indian national, and it is the same story across the whole gamut of Dangote's executives. .

The CEO Of Dangote sugar, RAVINDRA SINGH is an Indian national.

The same with the CEO of Dangote Cement.

Now I want to understand:

Why, despite the high cost of hiring them, are these Forbes billionaires more comfortable hiring Pakistanis, Indians, or Lebanese than Nigerians to manage their businesses in Nigeria?

Are they more ruthlessly efficient than their Nigerian business executives?

Is there any reason why this is so?

ultron12345:
I run a manufacturing business and a trading business.

The biggest challenge in my manufacturing business is not power, or infrastructure, the biggest challenge is getting honest staff.
Everyone we hire is appears to be on a mission to steal as much as possible. Inflated invoices, recording less than the actual number of units produced. The worst part of it all is that all the fraud we've uncovered is not done by a single person, it's usually many staff who collude with each other, from production, to sales, to finance, even top management.

There was a year I overhauled management 3 times in a year. But I've found a solution sha, I now use Indian management. So competent, so honest and so straightforward. I thought they were expensive at first with all the visa fees, accommodation, house staff, but now that losses due to staff theft have been reduced to a minimum, and efficiency increased, the Indian management has turned out to be cheaper than the previous Nigerian management. Now, all sensitive positions involving money go to Indians. Nigerians are only allowed in non-sensitive positions. I used to criticize companies like Dangote Group that hire so many Indians when there are many unemployed Nigerians, but now, I understand their decision.

My biggest challenge in the trading business is the same, getting honest staff. The form of trading occurs in the open market, and involves staff having access to huge sums of money running into a few millions. I know how much I pay to security companies to provide escorts for the staff, not to prevent robbery, but to ensure that the staff go straight to the bank to deposit the money after the day's sales and not disappear with my money. This money spent on security companies is even enough to be declared as profit. We have to spend on CCTV, biometric scanners and other things that wouldn't not be needed if staff weren't looking for the slightest opportunity to steal.

It got so bad at a point that my main criteria for employing staff was no longer competency but honesty. At least, competency and skills can be learnt, but once you're dishonest, you're dishonest.

We always complain of the economy and how they are no jobs. I know people abroad who would have loved to set up job creating businesses in Nigeria but they can't because they can't get any trustworthy person to run it.

I know people in Nigeria with so much money, they want to start factories and other job-creating businesses but they can't because they are occupied elsewhere and can't get any trustworthy person to run the business. So instead of investing in the real sector and creating jobs, they'll just buy treasury bills, while the thieves are shouting no jobs.

Many big businesses would have been born in Nigeria if we could engage in partnerships, but we can't because you can't trust anyone. This is one advantage the Indians and Lebanese have over us in Nigeria. They can pull resources together and do mega-business, unlike Nigerians that because only one person must do everything since we can't partner, end up with small, tiny businesses.

Start a poultry and they will be stealing your eggs. Some will even go ahead to be killing the chickens so that they'll be allowed to take them home.

Start an entertainment/viewing/game center and they'll be pocketing your money. On the days you're around at the business, the money
realized will be x10 of the money realized when you're not around, because they're eating your money.

Lease out a vehicle to a driver to use and watch as he'll finish you.

Start a restaurant, the same thing will happen. More than half of the total food ingredients will end up in their personal kitchens.

Even ordinary provisions shop, they will find a way to steal.

And you'll see these people point their crooked fingers at politicians when they're not any different. I usually say the reason most Nigerians haven't stolen billions of government money, is simply lack of opportunity.

Nigerians are the problem of Nigeria.

Pojomojo:
Tony Blair former PM of UK said, "Nigerians are fantastically CORRUPT"

Elsueno:
Unfortunately it's because most Nigerian workers are thieves, Only a few are honest & they are very hard to find.

I have seen a company that was working very well & taking care of thier dealers when the managers where of foreign origin..Immediately the owners started allowing Nigerians to take those positions, everything went downhill. They corner d benefits meant for d dealers & even illegal go towards cutting off the dealers with thier customers by posing as 'dealers' themselves.

If u can find a trustworthy Nigerian worker, u go enjoy well but once that's not available, bros stick to d foreigners, at least them fear what ever it is they worship

Elsueno:
Unfortunately it's because most Nigerian workers are thieves, Only a few are honest & they are very hard to find.

I have seen a company that was working very well & taking care of thier dealers when the managers where of foreign origin..Immediately the owners started allowing Nigerians to take those positions, everything went downhill. They corner d benefits meant for d dealers & even illegal go towards cutting off the dealers with thier customers by posing as 'dealers' themselves.

If u can find a trustworthy Nigerian worker, u go enjoy well but once that's not available, bros stick to d foreigners, at least them fear what ever it is they worship

Meerahbel:
hmmmmmmm

Pojomojo:
Yes, Google it

Meerahbel:
hmmmmmmm

Hamachi:
it's was actually captured ona live interaction with some dignitaries.

Meerahbel:

Gbengageorge:
The worst part of being a Nigerian is that they even instill in babies to be dishonest. Go to the senate houses, even the president can not be trusted with the country's treasuries. May God help Nigeria.

Gbengageorge:
The worst part of being a Nigerian is that they even instill in babies to be dishonest. Go to the senate houses, even the president can not be trusted with the country's treasuries. May God help Nigeria.

Gbengageorge:
The worst part of being a Nigerian is that they even instill in babies to be dishonest. Go to the senate houses, even the president can not be trusted with the country's treasuries. May God help Nigeria.

Oyindamolah:
This is the true reelection of the leadership in Nigeria.

Elsueno:
Unfortunately it's because most Nigerian workers are thieves, Only a few are honest & they are very hard to find.

I have seen a company that was working very well & taking care of thier dealers when the managers where of foreign origin..Immediately the owners started allowing Nigerians to take those positions, everything went downhill. They corner d benefits meant for d dealers & even illegal go towards cutting off the dealers with thier customers by posing as 'dealers' themselves.

If u can find a trustworthy Nigerian worker, u go enjoy well but once that's not available, bros stick to d foreigners, at least them fear what ever it is they worship

Hamachi:

oginga:
To be honest with you sir, some Nigerians in position of power will run your business down with steal***g and still run you street.

Ordinary building block of flats & managing a farm, bags of cement disappear, invoices are inflated, site manager arrange with Omo-Onile to come beat labourers on site just to get more money. I had no choice than to become ruthless both spiritually and in physical through police arrest.

I believe cheating is one of the reason why some foreigners are employed by top Nigerians to manage their businesses.

Oyindamolah:
*COPIED*

FINAL EXIT OF P&G: Farewell my 1st Love.

I finished my Youth Service in Feb. 2005. I was given a letter of recommendation from where I served in Jos (Vitafoam Nig. Plc). I was scheduled for an interview at their Head Office in Oba Akran, Lagos. I was to resume in their Kano Branch as Maintenance Engineer but religious crisis happened around that time. They had to shut down the Site to forestall collateral damages. Hence, I had to officially be flung to the ocean of "labour market". My first bite of "Nigeria Happened to You".

Fast forward to 2007. I had switched to full computer engineering. I cloned Computer systems for people and repaired same in the popular Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos. I just dey hustle anyhow to make ends meet. I always trekked from Opebi, where I was staying with the Owolabi's (May God bless that family for me) to Egbon Ojo's Office in Computer Village where I normally perch with my flash drive tied to my neck as symbol of a computer guy. It's in this state Sister Opeyemi Ajayi sent me a link to text my details to in Ibadan. I did and from that text message, my journey of 11years commenced.

I sincerely didn't know how big P&G was. I already passed UAC Management Trainee Test, scheduled for their Medical when P&G interviews were going on. A classmate I met at UAC in Lagos complained about their work culture, which was not too palatable. I shared my predicament with Pastor Kehinde Owolabi who told me how big the Company was in UK where he stayed for years. How Nigerians even lobbied and prayed to be their adhoc staff. This made me settle for P&G as my First Career Love. I resumed Sept. 13, 2007.

P&G would first host you for a month in Kakanfo Hotel in Ibadan if you didn't have anyone to stay with in Ibadan. All bills on them. The Company had bus that conveyed you to and fro the designated Bus Stop. You're trained about the culture of the Company for One Month. Free healthcare in the best hospitals in Ibadan and Lagos. Quality food at the canteen. My first salary was huge then because of all the prorated allowances. For the first time, I was treated with dignity. Naturally, the company gave me a sense of ownership till tomorrow.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo might have his negatives but Ebora Owu knows Economics. He blocked border against products being manufactured in Nigeria. Businesses were booming. We work round the clock to meet up with orders from distributors. We only shut down on 24th December and startup night of 25th. Same thing for New Year Anniversary. We shut down on the 31st, start up 1st January Night. Full operation by 2nd. We couldn't cope with the demands. P&G had to be forced to invest more in Nigeria.

I first travelled out of Nigeria courtesy of my First Love, P&G. I, with four others were sent on an automation training with Rockwell Automation in UK. Our Nigerian coursemates for that One Month were people from Total, Mobil, etc. No manufacturing company dared such investment but the almighty P&G. You're escorted even to Visa Office by Mobile Police entourage. You're taken to and fro the airport with same entourage. Because they see you as asset that nothing should happen to. Imagine giving "ordinary technician" such honour. That's my P&G for you.

"AGBARA, THE FUTURE."

Because of the market demands, P&G decided to expand their investments in Nigeria. Paper section of the company was relocated to Agbara. Over $300Million was invested there with state of the art facility built by Julius Berger Nig. Ltd. We had Gym facilities. We had massagers. We had table tennis. We had football pitch. We generated our own power with a massive Gas Generator. Your badge is the access to doors, offices, canteen, gym, everywhere. These were the stuffs you only saw in American movies like 24.

P&G prioritizes trainings. Some of my guys like Betiku Olubunmi Jude , Gbadamosi Adekunle , etc were on training for the new production lines in Cairo for a complete calendar year. If you're married, you could go with your family, even some that gave birth there like Samson Oloyede Johnson went with Malle that did omogwuo in Cairo. My friend even named his child after the Cairo Doctor that meant a lot to their family. That's how important you are to that Company. They value you. How would you not love such company? The Femcare guys like Stanley Emite , Aderanti Yomi , Adewale Ajibade ,etc, went to Germany for theirs. That's how big P&G was.

"Agbara, the Future" became the slogan. That was the plan before Nigeria happened to my beloved P&G. The startups for the new lines started getting extended due to our Nigerianness. Custom's policy summersaults started affecting the logistics. Border flung opened. Cheaper products littered the market courtesy of another Govt policies. 3 brand new babycare lines were brought for initial installations but only 2 could be installed. Cheaper products had taken over the market before we produced our first diaper. The "future" was punctured from the world "go".

We would produce but no one to buy. Sometimes you wanted to produce, Shell might tell you, they couldn't supply gas to power you generator. You had to switch to expensive diesel to power the other diesel generators to produce to meet up with the little demands. To transport the finished products became a challenge too. The roads were horrible. Containers doing gymnastics by summersaulting anyhow on those gully-holes (because those were not potholes). I even learnt the companies around the axis like GSK, UNILEVER, P&G, to mention but few approached the State Govt and proposed to fix the road with a possible tax waivers to no avail. They told them to bring the money while their works ministry help them fix it. The companies backed out because of the integrity of the govt. Hence, the road became unpassable over time.

I will be hypocritical if I failed to mention few of the damages done inhouse. Before we even left Ibadan, stories of how pallets of products were disappearing in Alomaja wearhouse became regular news. To the point that a whole truckload of products was rumoured missing... T'ori Olorun! Guys became overnight millionaires at the expense of the company. Contracts were inflated anyhow. One that I was particularly privy of: Our chiller had issues. I and Oluwatomisin Adeoluwa Adetola narrowed it down to a defective Compressor. We sourced for a supplier online that promised to bring it the next morning. Price was #600k with installations. We presented it to the TSG Manager then. He claimed it won't fly since the guy was not on the list of suppliers. Lo and behold, the guy given it to presented #2.4m. He couldn't even fix the electrical connections, I was the one compelled to fix it for him. How that made sense to anyone I don't know.

Agbara ceased to be the future courtesy of both external and internal self-destructive birthed out of greed and untamed avarice. The investors borrowed us $300m at the exchange rate of less than #200/$. In Buhari's first 6months, it had jumped to #500. He fell ill and Prof. Osinbajo was able to stabilize it at #350/$. P&G had no alternative than to do all it could to stay afloat business-wise. Gradual retrenchment was introduced. Flow-to-work became the mantra. Before the next OGSM in 2018, it was decided Agbara plant should shut down! Hundreds of professionals retrenched. I remember the words of Akinola Jibola while we were powering down Babycare Line 1: "We are shutting down what should put foods on the tables of the generations to come." It daily rings in my ears.

I hoped against hope P&G would come back but it won't. I first heard about it from a top echelon before it became 'kariile' news. You prayed such news shouldn't be true. No one finds it easy to share the demise of his loved ones. Adieu my 1st Career Love. You actually "Improved and touched our lives". You meant well but we honestly don't deserve you. We messed you up. If you're only being abused by outsiders, you could have stayed but abuse by your loved ones was the last straw that broke the camel's back. All your "offsprings" like Ariel, Pampers, Always, Duracell, Oral B, etc would always have my endorsement any day, anytime. Love you P&G

Elsueno:
Unfortunately it's because most Nigerian workers are thieves, Only a few are honest & they are very hard to find.

I have seen a company that was working very well & taking care of thier dealers when the managers where of foreign origin..Immediately the owners started allowing Nigerians to take those positions, everything went downhill. They corner d benefits meant for d dealers & even illegal go towards cutting off the dealers with thier customers by posing as 'dealers' themselves.

If u can find a trustworthy Nigerian worker, u go enjoy well but once that's not available, bros stick to d foreigners, at least them fear what ever it is they worship