By Akubo Augustine, mnipr
This write-up, SENATOR DR. JIBRIN ISA ECHOCHO: THE GREAT TIMELESS BRAND is an effort to justify the all-season quote of Peter Drucker, Entrepreneur, and management expert, that “Entrepreneurs innovate. Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. It is the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth. Innovation, indeed, creates a resource. There is no such thing as a ‘resource’ until man finds a use for something in nature and thus endows it with economic value. Until then, every plant is a weed and every mineral just another rock.” It is a brief bird’s eye-view and synopsis of a Book being packaged on the Distinguished Senator and People’s leader being prepared for public presentation.
Popularly renowned for his economic intelligence, and human empowerment, a business strategist; paragon of innovation and industrialization; as well as excellence in political leadership, Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho remains an epitome of selfless service to God and Humanity.
“Echocho” is the politico-economic entrepreneur defined as someone who has the ability and desire to establish, administer and succeed in a startup venture along with risk entitled to it, to make profits. The best example of entrepreneurship is the starting of a new business venture. The entrepreneurs are often known as a source of new ideas or innovators, and bring new ideas in the market by replacing old with a new invention.
This can be classified into small or home business to multinational companies. In economics, the profits that an entrepreneur makes is with a combination of land, natural resources, labour and capital. His successful businesses typify this categorization.
He has the capacity and ability as Entrepreneurship is the ability and readiness to develop, organize and run a business enterprise, along with any of its uncertainties in order to make a profit. The most prominent example of entrepreneurship is the starting of new businesses.
In economics, entrepreneurship connected with land, labour, natural resources and capital can generate a profit. The entrepreneurial vision is defined by discovery and risk-taking and is an indispensable part of a nation’s capacity to succeed in an ever-changing and more competitive global marketplace.
In a nutshell, anyone who has the will and determination to start a new company and deals with all the risks that go with it can become an Entrepreneur.
Business Entrepreneurship-
Many people made by God through Echocho have established businesses at small, medium, and small scale levels especially in the communities-such as hairdressers, grocery stores owners, travel agents, business consultants, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc. These people run or own their own business and hire family members or local employees, thereby entrenching community and neighbourhood security in his political constituency, as well as contributing to the growth and development of the nation’s economy at large.
Scalable Startup Entrepreneurship-
As we can see later in this article through the profile trajectory of Senator Isa Jibrin, this start-up entrepreneurs started businesses knowing that their vision through Senator Echocho as a role model that can change the world. They attract investors who think and encourage people who think out of the box. The research focuses on a scalable business and experimental models, so, they hire the best and the brightest employees. They require more venture capital to fuel and back their project or business.
Large Company Entrepreneurship-
These huge companies have defined life-cycle. Most of these companies grow and sustain by offering new and innovative products that revolve around their main products. The change in technology, customer preferences, new competition, etc., build pressure for large companies to create an innovative product and sell it to the new set of customers in the new market. To cope with the rapid technological changes, the existing organisations either buy innovation enterprises or attempt to construct the product internally.
Social Entrepreneurship-
Beyond the saddles of Politic, Senator Isa Jibrin is also exhibits the attributes of social entrepreneurship, which focuses on producing product and services that resolve social needs and problems. Their only motto and goal is to work for society and not make any profits.
As an Innovation Personality and ecosysytem; there are definite characteristics that make Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho, a successful Economist and Political leader. A few of them are mentioned below:
- Ability to take a risk- Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho is a political entrepreneur, who ventured into the political foray, which is not devoid of failure risk just like starting any new venture involves a considerable amount of failure risk. Therefore, despite his shot at the Governorship seat of Kogi State, he was not dettered but became more courageous and able to evaluate and take risks, which is an essential part of being part of his success stories today.
- Innovation- It should be highly innovative to generate new ideas, start a company and earn profits out of it. Change can be the launching of a new product that is new to the market or a process that does the same thing but in a more efficient and economical way.
- Visionary and Leadership quality- To be successful, the entrepreneur should have a clear vision of his new venture. However, to turn the idea into reality, a lot of resources and employees are required. Here, leadership quality is paramount because leaders impart and guide their employees towards the right path of success.
- Open-Minded- In a business, every circumstance can be an opportunity and used for the benefit of a company. For example, Paytm recognised the gravity of demonetization and acknowledged the need for online transactions would be more, so it utilised the situation and expanded massively during this time.
- Flexible- An entrepreneur should be flexible and open to change according to the situation. To be on the top, a businessperson should be equipped to embrace change in a product and service, as and when needed.
- Know your Product-A company owner should know the product offerings and also be aware of the latest trend in the market. It is essential to know if the available product or service meets the demands of the current market, or whether it is time to tweak it a little. Being able to be accountable and then alter as needed is a vital part of entrepreneurship.
Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho is a global role model of national economic development and human empowerment in the following ways:
- Creation of Employment- the economic strategy and entrepreneurial acumen of Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho has led to the massive generation of employment opportunities for the people in all sectors of the economy, right from his services in the banking and industrial sector to date.
- Innovation-His hub of of innovation that provided new product ventures, market, technology and quality of goods and services leading to increase in the standard of living of the people.
- Impact on Society and Community Development- A society becomes greater if the employment base is large and diversified. It brings about changes in society and promotes facilities like higher expenditure on education, better sanitation, fewer slums, a higher level of homeownership. Therefore, entrepreneurship assists the organisation towards a more stable and high quality of community life.
- Increase Standard of Living- His Strategic Peoples empowerment endeavours, programmes and projects has brought about the high level of Entrepreneurship that is helping to improve the standard of living of people by increasing their income. The standard of living brought about by Echocho’s leadership means increase in the consumption of various goods and services by a household for a particular period.
- Supports research and development- New products and services need to be researched and tested before launching in the market. Therefore, an entrepreneur also dispenses finance for research and development with research institutions and universities. This promotes research, general construction, and development in the economy.
Giving back to society the blessings bestowed on a man as holding in trust, as a distribution channel to the less priviledged is exemplified, epitomized and exemplified in the life of Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho This is the most important instrument and instrumentality of assuring the peace and security of the human society, before talking about general development. That is the reason why it is not far-fetched as Human development is at the core of the World Bank’s strategy to improve people’s lives and support sustainable development. The Human Development research program spans the study of early childhood development, education/skills, health, and labor, among other areas.
Distinguished Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho: A Profile of Distinction
Before Nigeria attained its political independence in 1960, Distinguished Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho was born on 28 February that year. From a humble foundational background, he attended the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) Primary School of his immediate community, Ajiolo-Ojaji, from 1967-1972 and proceeded to Our Lady of School Teachers’ College, Anyigba from 1973-1977 for his secondary education. His quest for greater education propelled him to gain admission into the Bayero University Kano (BUK), to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Economics in 1979, which he obtained in 1983.
Isa Jibrin, popularly and fondly known as “Echocho” a First Class intellectual is studded with a galaxy of academic and professional qualifications in his scholarly trajectory, which include: a Masters Degree in Economics, with specialization in Capital Market from the University of Lagos (1991-1992); M.Phil. in Petroleum and Energy: obtained from the University of lbadan, 1998 – 2002; and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2003. In addition, a Ph.D in Economics at Rushmore University, in the United States of America.
An epitome of generosity, milk of human kindness and humility personified, lsa Jibrin’s “personal carriage and disposition conceal his level of intelligence and academic prowess consistent in his educational career”. Of prominent example is the monumental and milestone fact that, Isa Jibrin came top of his class at the Bayero University (BUK), Kano where he graduated with First Class Honours in Economics in 1983. This remarkable feat at the time when Nigerian universities and their degrees had integrity merely show that his obtaining a Division One on the West African School Certificate Examination, earlier in 1977 from Our Lady of School was not a fluke.
Hence, he has series of laurels won by Isa Jibrin therefore confirming that the accolades, and encomiums that attracted and associated with prizes are monumental to his records of achievements for distinguishing himself in both academic excellence and his working career in the banking sector. To mention just a few these laurels include: Federal Government Award for the Best First Year Student in Economics at BUK (1981); BUK Prize for the Best Final Year Student in Economics (1983); Continental Merchant Bank Nigeria, Plc Prize for the Best Staff of the Corporate Affairs Division (1989) and Afribank International Limited (Merchant Bankers) Prize for an Outstanding Performance, while heading the Capital Market Group (1994).
As a renowned expert in the industrial sector, he was the Executive Director in charge of Treasury and Financial Institutions, Public Sector/Transaction Services, and Corporate Support, Afribank; He is an Economist and a Chartered Stockbroker, with over 20 years of fulfilling banking career.
It will be recalled that in 1988, the venerable and cerebral Isa Jibrin was found worthy to be appointed into the banking career at the then Chase Merchant Bank Plc, in 1988 as an Analyst, where he handled various transactions including equipment leasing, project finance, trade finance and capital market activities; He later joined the then Afribank International Limited (Merchant Bankers) in 1991 as the Pioneer Head of Project Finance/Leasing Department.
In 1993 he was appointed Pioneer Head of Capital Market group. While there he participated actively in the Privatization exercise of the Federal Government, carried out restructuring of various corporate bodies, and IPOs for some prime names. In 1998, he was seconded to AIL Securities Limited as the pioneer Managing Director/Chief Executive, within two years of existence, AIL Securities Limited attained a leadership role in the Nigerian Stock Market and has remained a household name in the Nigerian Capital Market.
Indubitably, Isa Jibrin Echocho, on the sands of time, will be admirably remembered for his tremendous contribution in the consolidation exercise of his bank and the entire banking sector of the Nigerian economy.
Hence, he has been a trustee to several corporate organizations across the country.
Over the years, he has worked tirelessly to redeem Igalaland from the slave market of marginalization, oppression and idleness. He is a man with a lion heart who despite oppositions and pressure has continued to contribute to his community.
His hobbies are observed to be his love for traveling, reading and philanthropy. With a successful, blissful marriage, he is married with lovely children.
After the seemingly political injustice that robbed him of becoming the Governor of Kogi State, he was voted en-mass to represent Kogi East Senatorial District of the State serving in leaps and bounds for the relentless progress of the Igala ethnic nationality, Kogi State and the Nigerian Nation at large.
SYNOPSIS OF THE RENEWED HOPE ATTAINMENT OF THE NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE (NCS) UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SENATOR ISA JIBRIN ECHOCHO AS ENABLED BY THE NEW PARLIAMENTARY ACT (NCS ACT 2023)
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) achieved over ₦6.1 trillion in revenue in 2024, marking its highest collection in history and a 90.4% year-on-year increase from 2023. Key achievements include exceeding revenue targets, implementing significant anti-smuggling operations to interdict illegal goods, and boosting trade facilitation through modernized processes and infrastructure. Additionally, the NCS increased its trade volume significantly, facilitated by capacity building and digital transformation initiatives, and its Comptroller-General was elected to lead the World Customs Organization, highlighting its global standing.
Revenue Generation
The NCS collected over ₦6.1 trillion in 2024, a 90.4% increase from the previous year. This represents a 22% increase over their 2024 revenue target.
The total revenue includes ₦3.6 trillion from the Federation Accounts, ₦816.9 billion from Non-Federation Accounts Levies, and ₦1.6 trillion in Value-Added Tax (VAT).
Anti-Smuggling Operations
The NCS has been successful in intercepting contraband items, including illegal drugs, weapons, and counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
They conducted intensive anti-smuggling operations that led to the seizure of large quantities of foreign parboiled rice, used clothing, and petrol.
Trade Facilitation
The NCS significantly boosted trade volume in 2024, with a 179.3% increase compared to 2023. This was achieved through enhanced stakeholder engagement, the modernization of operations, and the implementation of digital platforms like B’Odogwu. Efforts are also underway to promote non-oil exports, further diversifying the nation’s trade economy.
Modernization & Capacity Building
In consonance with the new NCS Act, the NCS prioritized capacity building and recruitment in 2024 to enhance the skills of its officers. There was a focus on modernizing infrastructure and digitalizing processes to improve efficiency and transparency.
International Recognition
In the course of Senator legislative leadership, the Comptroller-General of the NCS was elected to lead the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council, a testament to the Service’s improved global standing and alignment with international best practices.
In the words of Dr. Tijani Abutu, there is every modest, fundamental need to re-elect Senator Isa Jibrin back to the Senate of the National Assembly in order to “rebuild its influence at the national level, and secure real development for its people, then there must be a collective commitment to retaining those already making measurable impact. Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho has proven that with the right mindset and dedication, even one senator can change the narrative of an entire district.
In conclusion, the people of Kogi East must rise above the usual electoral gimmicks and embrace a higher cause, the cause of continuity in progress, consolidation of legislative gains, and the advancement of political influence. Senator Echocho is not just the best candidate on paper; he is the best candidate in practice, in record, and in vision.
The task ahead is simple but significant: Re-elect Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho, not just for Kogi East, but for the future of Kogi State and Nigeria”.
Award of Excellence on Economic Leadership on Senator Isa Jibrin Echocho by the Nigerian Custom Service
AUGUSTINE AKUBO, mnipr, is an Abuja based Media Practitioner and Public Policy Analyst.