By Patrick Chinamasa
I was in Abuja, Nigeria, from 24–28 June 2025 for the 32nd Annual Meetings of Afreximbank.
With a population estimated in 2025 to be over 237.5 million, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the most populous state in Africa and boasts an economy with the second-largest GDP on the continent after South Africa.
Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, is a well-planned city with excellent road infrastructure.
Nigeria boasts 8,200 millionaires and 4 billionaires, and unlike Zimbabweans, Nigerians are proud of the role their rich people – millionaires and billionaires – play in generating economic growth and wealth. Nigerians embrace their millionaires and billionaires. Unhappily, Zimbabweans still remain suspicious of, if not hostile to, capital.
One lesson Zimbabweans should learn – and learn fast – is that capital, whether global or domestic, is by nature a big coward. It will not go where it is not wanted or where there is turmoil of whatever nature. Mari haiyende kana kuonekwa kune madzisinyongoro kana kune kukakawadzana.
The antics of our opposition since they came on the political scene in the late nineties served to chase away our capital, and the situation was, of course, compounded by the imposition of the illegal sanctions by Western countries against Zimbabwe.
It is in Nigeria that we find the richest man on the African continent, one Aliko Dangote – a multi-billionaire.
Dangote, whose net worth is estimated to be USD $28.1 billion as of March 2025, made his fortune through the manufacture of cement and sugar but has since diversified into the production of fertilizer, oil refinery, gas, and petrochemicals.
Nigerians drive on the right side and the steering wheels on the cars are left-handed.
As for me, my short stay in Abuja culminated in a happy reunion with our Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Ambassador Maxwell Ranga – a person I worked with during my tenure as Attorney General (1989–2000) and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (2000–2013).
Take note that our ambassadors are Excellencies when they are abroad but relinquish that title when they come home.
At home, the only Excellencies are our President and foreign ambassadors representing their countries.
Ambassador Ranga served as a senior officer in the Ministry of Justice before his appointment – first as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to India.
After his ambassadorial stint in India, Ambassador Ranga was posted to Abuja.
In conversation with Ambassador Ranga, I happily learnt that the Second Republic, with President Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa at the helm, has excellent diplomatic relations with Nigeria and has accorded Nigeria its rightful place as one of the leading countries on the African continent.
In recognition of Nigeria’s importance in continental and global affairs, there is in Abuja – under construction and nearing completion – Zimbabwe’s Embassy Building, the Ambassador’s Residence, and Embassy Staff Quarters.
I had occasion to see for myself the impressive structures which are nearing completion.
A further takeaway from my short stay in Nigeria is the cultural confidence exhibited by Nigerians.
They carry themselves with confidence and are a proud people.
Unlike Zimbabweans, Nigerians are fiercely patriotic to a man and they don’t suffer the sort of inferiority complex that you find in most citizens of formerly colonised countries.
Nigerians don’t badmouth their country or their country’s political leadership while abroad, as Zimbabweans are accustomed to doing – without shame.
Above all, Nigerians give better expression to President E.D. Mnangagwa’s philosophy that “Nyika inovakwa, ichitongwa nevene vayo.”
Those who have eyes, let them “eye,” and those who have ears, let them “ear.” Nokuti hatigoni kurega kutaura zvatakaona neizvo takanzwa.
*Patrick Chinamasa is a senior ZANU PF official and former cabinet minister
