I would like to see President Tinubu establish a Nigerian Directorate of Futurustic Thinking with a mandate to think the unthinkable

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Those of you who did chemistry will be familiar with this gentleman Robert Boyle, popularly referred to as the father if modern chemistry. He died in 1641 and when his study was visited after his death, they found a wishlist of 24 things he hoped man would achieve in the future

[2] This wishlist included things like flying, swimming under water, making body armour light and tougher, organ transplants, producing hybrid seeds, keyhole surgery, the prolongation of life, etc. Of the 24 things on the list, 22 have been achieved today

[3] When Boyle wrote his list, I can imagine how many people must have read it and thought he was mad but hey all visionaries are seen that way. He had a dream of a bright and rosy future but at the time, very few people could envisage the image he had in his head

[4] Like Boyle, I dream and when I look at the African continent and see its potential, I wonder if I am alone in the world. This is a continent that is bang in the middle of earth with the best climate on the planet, rich in mineral resources, very sparsely populated, the last abode of wildflife and unique in that it is the only place you find certain animals like giraffes, zebra, lions, cheetahs, leopards, etc

[5] In my dreams what I see is a potential global colossus with the ability to dominate the globe in a manner similar to that of the Roman Empire, the Ancient Egyptian Empire and the Ottoman Empire

[6] In my dreams I see an Africa led by its giant, a certain country of 220m people who have over the years gained the experience of diverse nationalities living together under one roof. They then allow the continent to get rid of all its artificial borders imposed on it for former colonial conquerors and turn itself into a massive beast

[7] In my dreams I see an Africa in which the Sahara Desert is made habitable again through an unprecedented irrigation programme and the unbelievable use of air conditioners in public spaces

[8] In my dreams I see the opening up the continent with some of the greatest feats of public transportation that will for instance provide for a highspeed rail link between Cairo and Johannesburg

[9] In my dreams I see a continent everyone has to visit to see wildlife because we have placed a global ban on zoos and the selfish transportation of animals around the world for man's pleasure. If you want to see animals, go to see them in the natural abode

[10] Like Martin Luther King, I believe I have been to the mountain top and seen the Promised Land. However, I may not get there when the time comes as it may be too distant in the future but that believe you me, the dream will come true