Intellectual potential, the secret of global powers

FROM time immemorial, man has continued to dominate the world, not because he prides himself on being the biggest of creatures compared to elephants and the whales of the wild. This is in relation to the hierarchical order of stature and as seen in the biological order of the animal kingdom.

Rather, man’s domineering power lies in his unmatched creativity, innate ingenuity and intellect with which he had conquered the world, consistent with the divine order.
With a large brain size, artful skills and sagely disposition, man has harnessed his potentialities to advance the course of his existence in such complex areas as leadership and statecraft through time to date.

As such, those nations that have exceedingly harnessed their citizens’ intellectual potentiality to attain greatness in the world are thus the global powers.

Historically, stronger nations have always risen over and dominated weaker ones; some invaded in conquest, seized and acquired conquered territories as in the case of Arabs against ancient Egypt. Others colonised and ruled over less powerful people while a few other nations deployed strategic initiatives to exploit the wealth of less powerful nations. Many great nations have in like manner risen and fallen alike at some point, arguably, subject to the intellectual capacity of such nations.

In fact, nearly all African countries with the sole exception of Ethiopia experienced brutal colonialism until Ghana fired the first salvo at independence in 1957 that gave impetus to liberation movements across other African countries which followed in quick succession from 1960.

Notable among powerful nations cum empires that rose, reigned and fell are Germany, Roman Empire, British Empire, French Empire and the defunct Soviet Union (USSR). Of note is Germany under Adolf Hitler which rose to become so powerful it intended to rule the world but for the leadership of United States of America that outsmarted him by being the first to hurriedly put together a team of scientists to manufacture after the Atomic Theory Formulation of Albert Einstein, the dreaded atomic bomb in what soon became Hitler’s jugular, swiftly dropped on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That incapacitated Germany’s strongest ally in series of strategic offensives that ended World War II leading to the thunderous freefall of Nazi-Germany and annihilation of Hitler.

Yes, leadership, because the galvanization and utilisation of intellectual capacity of U.S citizens by the government was central to the victory over Hitler and key to their success and sustained dominion over world affairs to date.

Clearly, as nations rise and fall, the major point of departure lies in the gulf between harnessing citizen’s intellectual potentiality, sustainability and management, which smacks of Super Powers. At the global stage today, with ferocious politics of struggle for wealth and power, it will not be far too sweeping a statement to infer that in an era of knowledge economy as this, only such nations that have systematically harnessed and utilised citizens’ intellectual potentialities to enviable heights that occupy top global leadership positions. They also dictate the direction of affairs for the rest of the world. The U.S, U.K, China, Britain, France, Russia, and some Asian Tigers know this secret−or should know.

The United States of America is today’s most powerful nation on earth, not by mere happenstance. They have strongest of institutions guaranteed by committed visionary leadership, because they have conscious policy framework to harness the intellectual potentiality of citizens irrespective of race, creed or religion, for development and further deploy same to the leadership of all sectors of national life, especially political leadership for which it has ipso facto excelled.

It is a statement of fact that knowledge drives politics in Western World whereas in Africa especially Nigeria, it is politics that drives Knowledge, the bane of Nigeria’s development. In the U.S for instance, everything begins with education, hence, from the moment a child is brought to school for enrollment into First Grade Class, an IQ Test (a measurement of intelligence) is conducted on the child; the performance tracking follows. Upon identifying an exceptional
child, he is subsequently encouraged, mentored and supported by government via the school system such that by tenth Grade or thereabout, whatever talent the child has would have long been nurtured that the school authority could make a statement about what the child would become in life.

A case in point is Benjamin Carson, foremost American professor of neurosurgery and Republican presidential hopeful
in the 2016 presidential election, who, by his tenth grade, had been tipped as a potential medical expert by his school’s science co-ordinator and was accordingly guided. Less than two decades after, Carson had recorded a first in medical history by the successful separation of the Siamese twins joined in the head at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, and rose to the pinnacle of his medical career in his mid-30s.

Several other outstanding American leaders including Senators, Supreme Court judges, governors, even presidents including President Barack Obama were so identified and harnessed, the reason for America’s leadership success. This secret also explains why American Bank Policy is such that one can easily secure a loan facility to pursue higher education and re-pay upon graduation only by installment. Thus, decade after decade, America makes leaders out of a reservoir of
thorough-bred intellectuals with inviolable American values and unswerving patriotism on which its domination of world politics is predicated.

Other fearful intellectual giants who know this secret are the Jews. Small in population, brutally persecuted for centuries and scattered all over the world, they have exceedingly harnessed their intellectual potentiality and today are, on record, the most triumphant race on earth. Whichever way one ponders Jewish exploits, from Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist of all time, to Mark Zuckerberg, IT magnate, Facebook CEO and youngest but one of the 20 wealthiest Americans, the Jews are Nobel Prize winners in medicine, science, humanities and more, corporate leaders in Banking, ICT, Trade and Investment, the people of the book possess the secret.

Unarguably, this explains the love-lust between the Jews and U.S.A where they are dominating such sectors as Science, ICT, Banking, Trade and Investment and occupy key government positions as senators, Supreme Court judges, Security chiefs. The list goes on.

It is a fact of history that nations that ever made their mark in world leadership such as Britain, France, China, Germany, Russia, and a host of others did so because they harnessed the intellectual potentiality of their citizens and mobilised same for integrated, national development.

Rome, a sovereign nation and spiritual seat of the Roman Catholic Church is yet another amazing example. Founded in the first century AD with the teachings of Jesus Christ in the province of Judea of the Roman Empire and led by Saint Peter, the first Pope, appointed head of the church by Jesus Christ in the New Testament, and who ministered in Rome, thus starting the unbroken line which includes Pope Francis, the Church has arguably achieved unprecedented feat via the instrumentality of intellectualism to remain stable for well over 2000 years.

From the Junior Seminary School, the intellectual potential of young seminarians alongside their social and spiritual gifts is
monitored throughout their years of training. Academic, moral and spiritual training are intensive. Thus, in the end, only few successful ones are ordained priests.

However, to guarantee excellence, those who made first-class either in Philosophy or Theology or both among the young priests who are usually in their twenties are closely monitored, mentored and gradually moved to Rome and other foreign countries for further studies.

While studying, they are engaged in various church works to gain useful experience under the tutelage of the finest bishops.
Over time, many of them earn doctorate, become professors and thereafter are brought back home and subsequently ordained bishops, some later become archbishops and a few cardinals while others remain in critical church assignment.

Following this trend, you find from generation to generation, finest priests who rose through the rank to become cardinals imbued with inviolate church values among whom the future Pontiff would emerge.

Little wonder the Catholic Church has without qualms continued to thrive for 2000 years and remain the single oldest, largest and most powerful world church, yet maintained stable leadership at a time new generation churches are disintegrating over leadership squabble that could not be managed.
The United States knows this secret and hobnob with Rome.
Ironically, this is where Nigeria, the largest black nation is lacking.

Nigeria, a country with abundant intellectual potentiality can take a cue from these global examples by harnessing her potentiality for the leadership and governance in all sectors of her national life and bequeathing in succeeding generations, legacy of hardwork, excellence, core values and patriotism.

This can only be done when there is a deliberate government effort by way of systematic policy approach towards identifying and harnessing intellectual resources of citizens from the earliest possible time.

This way, Nigerian youths could be groomed for leadership. This is the only way they can be part of government, and this is how Nigerian democracy could become knowledge-based.

Ultimately, when, on one hand, knowledge drives politics instead of the reverse, Nigeria will make headway in governance process thus unleashing the giant in her as China did, and attain a well-deserved greatness. Sustaining the culture of excellence on the other hand, as a matter of state policy, will make her achieve unprecedented transformation in the development of all the sectors of national life.

By this, the change process for national rebirth is integrated, for this is the secret of global powers.

• Emeka-Nwuzor, a former Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ebonyi State Chapter, writes from Abakaliki (peterstansemeka@gmail.com)