Opinion
By Abiodun KOMOLAFE
NIGERIA is at a crossroads and Nigerians are trying to find the responses to an economic crisis and currency turmoil. Of course, all manner of symptoms keep appearing!
Towards the end of February, Governor Biodun Oyebanji unveiled a N12 billion economic relief programme for Ekiti residents. That’s in addition to other proactive steps already taken by the governor to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and naira floatation by the national government. In Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum has been putting in a stellar shift even as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has also been doing well across the board. Although not a paradise on earth, the ‘Centre of Excellence’ has a robust revenue base and a very solid social safety net thereby making it violence-free and practically the safest state in Nigeria. And in Abia State, the recent inauguration of the $800m Geometric Power Plant and the proposed state-wide light rail project have revealed what to expect from the Alex Otti-led government.
With these and other interventions in place, one can safely say that the governors are in the right mode. However, the historical imperative of this time is that men of high intellect and exposure like Oyebanji, Sanwo-Olu, Zulum and Otti should now be at the forefront of redefining the way out of the cultural dysfunction in which Nigeria is currently immersed. That the governors have the human empathy and the intellect to do so is not in doubt. So, why can’t they dig deeper into a critical response to the illusion called ‘palliative’ like the former Governor Lateef Jakande whose direct labour approach to public works projects in Lagos State helped a lot of people to break out of poverty in addition to transfer of skills by participation?
Indians were scattered across the globe, scavenging for survival. But her situation changed immediately she decided to reach out to the Diaspora Indians. Now, India is the world’s 5th largest economy. Today, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) can match any Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Remember also the Wageningen University and Research as the engine room of the Dutch economy, the power of research that has transformed that small country into its current status. But where are Nigeria’s Research Institutes situated? When was the last time the Nigerian government poured money into, say, the University of Ibadan for research works?
minds like Oyebanji, Sanwo-Olu, Zulum and Otti to favour efforts that tend towards moving away from the low-skill, low-wage labour into a high-skilled economy, which is the only way to get productivity at the optimal and internationally competitive exports. Conventionally, ‘palliative’ is just an expedient start, not a cure. It is a temporary approach, not a permanent solution.
Nigeria as a country must strive to become an agro-industrial powerhouse, most probably taking after the Dutch model. As I have argued elsewhere, our governors now have an opportunity to link agriculture with technology as most of today’s achievements in the sector are technology-propelled. For instance, the Netherlands uses the model of buying grains from the surrounding areas and processing the same into value-additioned agro-industrial products for export to other countries. So, what stops states like Ekiti, Lagos, Borno and Enugu from understudying and … implementing this model?
Our governors must also encourage the creation of Technology Parks. At a time some Nigerians have become crudely selfish and unrepentantly self-centered, only seeking the easy options, the almost-completed Cargo Airport project in Ekiti is an attestation to the fact that the government’s policy thrust is in the right direction. However, it is important to quicken the pace because time is of the essence. A state like Ekiti has one fundamental competitive advantage, and that’s its human capital resources, both at home and in the Diaspora. Therefore, Oyebanji should explore that intellectual property and turn it into gold; and ditto for the other governors. They should set up government-private sector coordinating bodies to link up their people’s capital in the Diaspora and attract Foreign Direct Investments to their states. They need to prove to their brother governors that it is the height of indolence for a governor to practically relocate abroad, walking the streets of London like a teenager on an excursion, pretending to be searching for investors. Whatever is on the ground here will speak to the shape and the size of investments that can be attracted.
May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
A.I
-March 09, 2024 @ 19:29 GMT|
Tags: Abiodun Komolafe Governor Biodun Oyebanji
