Fowler
Without doubt, since 2005 when Babatunde Fowler, 58, took up the top job as the executive chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), he has raised the revenue profile of the state, making it conveniently the richest in Nigeria. For evidence, when Fowler took office nine years ago, the Lagos State budget was N14 billion, but in 2014, the state presented a budget of N500 billion. Also, while the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) was N3.6 billion when he assumed office over the past three years, the state’s IGR has been a minimum of N23 billion monthly. But what is the success software guiding Fowler who is commonly referred to as “Mr. Taxman”? In this conversation with Ayo Arowolo, Bamidele Obafemi and Tayo Adeleke, Fowler gives a peep into his world, the wheels that give meaning to his job in Lagos State
The initial brief we had sent ahead for the conversation with Babatunde Fowler, the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue, was simple and unambiguous: it would take place after office hours and in an environment where he would not be distracted. The fact that he gave a nod for the interview was also interpreted to mean that he would abide by the rules of engagement.
But when the crew for the interview found its way into the Boat Club at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the venue of the interview, Fowler was seen buried in the piles of office files, signing documents and working on the contents with rapt attention.
We thought we had agreed that there would be no distraction, we just gently observed. “I know, but the truth is that it is difficult sometimes to let go. Well, you are in my boat club. You can sometime work in a relaxed atmosphere. For instance, when you came in, I was signing files looking at the water. I am a lot at peace on water.”
Besides, Fowler says that when you work in the area of your passion, the work is nothing but fun. He says he is enjoying every bit of his job as the No.1 revenue man for Lagos State.
Who is Babatunde Fowler? How did he get the top job and how has he managed to retain it for nine unbroken years, something of a feat, given that appointments into such positions usually attract envy. “Before I took up the government job in 2005, I used to be a banker and I had spent 20 years in the banking industry. I have two Bachelor’s Degrees and an MBA (Master in Business Administration). I worked for two major banks during my banking career. I started with Commercial Bank Credit Lyonnais and I moved to Chartered Bank in 1990 where I spent the rest of my banking career. I covered most areas of banking spanning operations to credit. Another aspect that I was involved in was revenue collection for Federal and state governments and also government parastatals like NITEL. We were able to develop that business to the point that we were among the three top collection banks for the Federal and state governments. At a certain point in time, I was approached by a friend about Lagos State on issues of the Tax Board. So, I did a small write-up on how the government could improve revenue generation and also account for it. And that was the beginning of my discussion with the Lagos State Government. Initially, I did not have a desire to be in government, but then a lot of us in the private sector, rightfully or wrongly, like to complain about the government. A friend asked me a simple question: ‘What have you done and why don’t you come in and see what impact you can make in government?’ And that was how I met the former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We spoke about the vacancy in the Board of Internal Revenue and I gave him an impression as regards what could be done and he also gave me his own vision for the board. That was how I started working for the board in 2005.
Ordinarily, working as a civil servant is a different ball game from working in private enterprises that are driven by different sets of rules. How did he manage the switch and what did he pull along to his current job from the private sector? “One thing about the private sector is that they teach you to be focused. They always carry out cost /benefit analysis. In the private sector, you are time-bound and start up with set objectives. You have to achieve your goal. In the private sector, one thing that is certain is that if you are not performing, you are likely to lose your job. But in the public sector, you may not perform and not still lose your job because it is very difficult to remove or sack people once they are in the system. So, with the exposure and experience that I had in the private sector, I make sure the board runs with a vision. Time is of essence; set goals and objectives are achieved, and there is transparency.”
In most cases, people sometimes face difficulties in choosing which career to pursue and how to go about it especially in those areas where there were no guidance and counseling services. Even now because of the economic realities, some people say that the most practical thing to do in choosing a career is to figure out what would put bread and butter on your table, and then, every other thing will fall in line. Survival first, that is. But Fowler has a different view. “Firstly, Nigeria as a country or Africa as a people has a notion that if you study a particular course you will be successful, regardless if they like it or not. It was believed that if you are a Doctor or Lawyer you will be successful. Of course, a lot of young people study Medicine or Law, but internally, their desire could have been to play music or do something else. I believe that you have to enjoy what you are doing and have full interest in it. For example, I have a friend who is a structural engineer but he’s extremely good at handling computers. Though he can make money in handling computers, his chosen profession is engineering. So, I believe that if we improve on the talents that we are all born with, we will definitely fulfill a purpose. Growing up, during my school days, you couldn’t tell your parents that you wanted to study music. The impression would be how would you survive? But look at music today in Nigeria, it is acceptable worldwide. So, you can figure your talent out because internally, you know what you are good at. Discovering talent has no time bound/limit. You can discover it late and still fulfill purpose in life.”
Reflecting on his career path, would it be right that what he had done in the past had prepared him for his current job?
“I had a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and later attended California University (in the United States) where I had my MBA. But while I was doing my MBA, I did a second Bachelor’s in International Business. After I finished my MBA, I worked with Johnson & Johnson in New Jersey under MBA development programme where MBA students are trained and some of them are sent to their home countries to take managerial positions. My first career choice was International Marketing. Now, in coming home; l discovered we were operating import economics. Basically, I did not have much of marketing to do. If you have a licence you will import and sell, otherwise you couldn’t import and sell.
So you don’t really apply what you have learnt in school. So, I said the next choice was International Finance, and that was why I decided to go into the banking sector in 1984 to be specific. Over the period, I was treasurer for the bank and assistant credit controller.
So, I had initial experience there before I moved over to Chartered Bank in 1990. As I said I got involved in revenue collection and that was how the dots connected to one another.”
Would he say that the switch from private sector to public sector has been fulfilling?
“Yes. Coming from the private sector l realise a lot of people in the private sector do not understand the way government works. The public sector should basically be seen as directly giving back to the society. It is a place where you can impact lives of many people. Private sector is income and profit-driven but when you come into the public service, there are lots of factors you have to consider. Anyone in the public service must look at the needy as well as the affluent, the literate and illiterate. So whatever you do impacts the lives of everyone. So you have to factor those things when you are working in the public sector. A lot of time you hear a comment that public servants close early, yes some civil servants go home early but if you are going to do it right and do the best you can a public servant has no closing time if the need arises. For instance, the current Ebola episode, all those involved from the governor to the medical staff in civil service have no closing time. They have to be constantly on duty and make sure that the issue is contained. So, genuine public servants really don’t have closing time and public service is more service-oriented towards general population or society where you reside while the private sector is more of individual-focused and profit-oriented.”
Fowler said he got the top job when someone linked him with the then Executive Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. But Tinubu is out of the government house and he has had to deal with another person. To what would he attribute his ability to retain his job for so long? Governments in which I have served: the former Governor Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babatunde Fashola are performance-driven. If my performance was not good, certainly there will be a change. I believe if you are not giving your best or your best is not acceptable, then, you should step aside deliberately. There is no point being somewhere and you cannot make impact. So with our performance, one can say the board has done a good job. We have increased Lagos State revenue by 600 per cent within nine years. We have made Lagos State independent of Federal allocation. We have been able to move internally-generated revenue from N3.6 billion per month in 2005 to an average of N20 billion per month. In 1999, the budget size of Lagos State was N14 billion, but as of the budget size, it was N500 billion. You can imagine what the government can do with that type of revenue. Currently, the Lagos State Government is receiving about N8 billion as Federal Allocation and over N6 billion being spent on staff salaries.”
Does he believe God exists, and how has that belief influenced his day-to-day activities? “Definitely. I believe that every person is around here for a purpose and has a destiny; and without God it is almost impossible to reach your destiny. I believe l got it only by the mercy of God. I believe God gives life and God preserves life. God also shows man favour. When I was given that job, I was not the only person who had an MBA or two Bachelor’s degrees, or who had some banking experience but at the point in time that I was offered to come to Lagos State Government, I think it was part of God’s divine timing. I also think God has given everyone a talent and it is now left for you to make use of your God-given talent. I have always allowed those values to influence the decisions I take.”
Without any doubts, Fowler can be described as a workaholic. A close friend observes that ‘it appears that he has strange anointing for work.’ While being dedicated to one’s work is commendable, experts in relationship say that a man or woman who devotes 100 per cent of his time to office work without paying attention to other aspects of his life such as tending to the family, for example, may be courting a disaster. How has he been able to maintain balance between work, building relationship, taking care of his health; setting time aside to unwind; creating time to help others without necessarily profiting from such extra-curricular activities?
“First, I have a wife and two children. From the time I was a banker up till now, one thing you would not have in the public service is your time. Banking also is very time- demanding. You can’t afford to get to work late once you are a banker. Sometimes if you are in operations, you may hold the key to the vault, if you don’t open the vault the bank can’t operate. One thing that taught me is timing. You have to be very careful not to lose the key to the vault. The closing time for most bankers is between 7:30p.m and 8:30p.m. The public sector is the same thing if you must do it well. So your family must try and understand what your job entails and the objectives. That is why you find out that in banking, if one banker marries another banker, one has to resign because both of them cannot go out early in the morning and come back late at night. So, public life is similar to that. Before I joined the public sector, I had a friend who was a commissioner. One day I asked him how he was coping with the demands of the job because we may see in the morning and you find out in the afternoon that he had gone to Abuja and he might not come back till the following day. He just smiled and said he has a suit case packed with clothes, so anytime he was asked by the governor do this, he just takes his suit case, goes and does it. So, it is a sacrifice and your family members have to be supportive. It is obvious every wife will want more time with her husband. At times my wife would want us to have more time together, so we find ways to cope with that. At times, if I don’t have a state function, every public holiday from a set time 7:00a.m to 12 noon, we do have family time. We may go and watch movie or visit a recreation centre and spend time together.”
“I have always paid attention to my relationship with people. You can be skillful but if you have bad personality you can’t keep people around you. So, in my dealings with people, I place a very high premium on loyalty or friendship and that premium has no condition. You don’t have to be wealthy or successful to be my friend. Many of my best friends, I met them when I was in secondary school and they still remain my friend till today.”
Would he consider himself comfortable? What are the principles he has employed in making, managing and investing money?
“By the grace of God, yes. I am comfortable. I think I must give credit to my father. My father is a medical practitioner and former professor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos. He taught me to be very prudent. Some people say prudent people are stingy, it is not true. Prudency is not stinginess. They are people who know the value of money, hard work and think of tomorrow. My father also taught me to save for the rainy days. When I was studying, I grew interest in money management that is why I became a banker. I am investing in properties, i.e., building property from the extra I have and over the period of time I sold and bought new ones. Everyone has to put aside something for tomorrow and the easiest way to put aside something is to put it somewhere you won’t have easy access to it like properties. I also invested in some banks’ shares that also appreciate.”
But, how does he spend his salary?
Once I collected my salary or benefits, I gave my wife her own share for house keep, pay my tithe, give to the needy people, my children, if need be and keep the rest. I believed in sowing a seed. I believe in giving goodwill offering. I believe what happens in the physical originates from the spiritual and giving should not be done like gambling. It is good to give according to the Word of God.
At fun time, what does he do?
“Well, you are in my boat club. You can sometime work in a relaxed atmosphere. For instance, when you came in, I was signing files looking at the water. I feel a lot at peace on water. Sometimes I go on the water with my wife and children. I like fishing.”
He has this to say about his health “In my office, I am on the fifth floor, so I try to exercise daily. I also try to walk but my wife walks a bit more than I do but I try to walk and keep fit. I don’t do what I call strenuous physical exercise. At a stage in life, you have to be careful because some people who are too physical may break a bone. The older you are, the more difficult it is for bone to connect, so one has to be careful and apply some wisdom in exercising.”
On mind development, Fowler reveals “I try all the time to keep my mind productively engaged and one way I do this is to read. I read books on management, especially those written by Myles Munroe (of blessed memory), I watch Discovery Channel on TV and National Geographic. I also watch some movies that have got inspiring factual thoughts to them like a film called LUCY which spoke about the origin of man. The film also highlighted that mankind uses about 10 per cent of its brain while Dolphin uses 20 per cent. Can you project how life could be if we make use more of our brain? After watching that movie I related it back to the Bible. When Adam was created he named all the animals. So at that point of time, maybe he was using 90 per cent of his brain. Then as man progressed in the building of Tower of Babel to hit the heaven, may be they were using 75 per cent of their brains. Let us also come down to the Egyptian Empire, till today man cannot say how the pyramid was built. If man at that time could build the pyramid, may be they were operating at 50 percent of their brain.
So, where we are now, operating at 10 percent of our brain but we can send rocket to the space. So, those are things I find interesting either from reading books or watching films.”
What about giving back to the society? “Well, I am a member of The Nigeria Red Cross, and I do something quietly in other areas. We do have two primary schools as a family business. I am the chairman of one of them and member of Board in the other one. We also have Vivian Fowler Secondary and Top Grade Secondary School. We are in the process of trying to establish a university. So, when I am not occupied with government works, I also use my talents and skills in other areas.”
How does he see failure?
“I am not afraid of failure. Failure to me is something you should think of to inspire you not to fail. Nobody should put failure in the forefront and failure should not be an option. Like I said, everyone has a talent and the talent and skills are given you so that you don’t fail. Now, not coming first is not a failure. You may not achieve your set goals but that doesn’t mean you are a failure. I think those who fail or fall under that category have chosen or accepted to be a failure.”
Is there a formula for overcoming fears?
“Yes. Let me put it this way: for a long time I couldn’t speak publicly. I did not see myself working for the government at a point in time neither did I see myself working in church presenting a sermon. One way of doing this is by practice. Once you are prepared and you know what you want to say, the battle is half-won.
Another thing is for you to realize that the people you are addressing are humans like you. So, have it in mind that as long as you prepare and what you want to say makes sense, those who are going to listen to you are people like you.”
On the lessons life has taught him, he has this to say: “In a nutshell, I believe my upbringing and my family have influence in me. My parents always speak about integrity and hard work.
Those are the two main issues that have helped me succeed and they have remained in me. I always ask myself the question ‘who am I?’ If you find money on the road and you don’t take it, then who are you? If you know who you are, it will always guide your actions. Another principle is hard work. Though I am not perfect, all these have guided what I do. I so much believe that what you sow is what you shall reap; and always remember there is tomorrow.”
In advising the young people, he says: “There is one thing I would like young people to think about, regardless of their dreams because most young people will dream about being wealthy. I advise them to put that in the background, but they must realise that with hard work, wealth will come.
They should try and get involved in the political structures of their state or country. They should use their skill for public good and that way Nigeria will develop faster and become a better place for everyone to live in. Don’t abuse your skill”.
Where does he see himself taking Lagos state to in the near future?
“My objective is to get at least 99.9 percent tax compliance. If that happens, then the Lagos State Government could be in the position to have budget in excess of N750 billion per year. With that we can transform Lagos State to become the new Dubai.”
Fowler’s Wisdom Tips
CAREER
• Go for what you are passionate about
• Seek counselling early to make wise choice
• Be focused and diligent at work
• Be performance-driven
FAMILY
• Choose your spouse carefully
• Make your spouse a stakeholder
• Level with your spouse always
RELATIONSHIP
• Make all the contacts you make count
• Contact can get you a job, but you need skill to sustain it
• Don’t forget old friends; always connect
PERSONAL FINANCE
• Don’t spend all you earn; put some away
• Put money where you cannot touch
• Get your spouse involved to some extent
SPIRITUALITY
• It makes sense to believe God exists
• Put aside 10% of your income to God
• Be guided by timeless truths always
FUN TIME
• Create time to enjoy your wealth and life
• Don’t take yourself too seriously all the time
• Work hard, play hard but maintain balance
GIVING
• Learn how to give back to the society that has blessed you
• Sow your wealth, talents and skills in other people’s lives
MIND DEVELOPMENT
• Give your mind food by reading good books
• I find the Christian Bible very illuminating
• Watch films that expand your mind as I do.
Culled from: http://www.thisdaylive.com
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