Andrew Efemini
- This post is much about Nigeria and Africa. I chose northern Nigeria as a typical case of a bug hurting Nigeria in a unique way.
- The effort to help the north is altruistic and aimed at our common good.
- Nigeria maintains what is known as Federation Account which is typical of unitary system. The contribution of each region to the Federation account is lopsided with heavy reliance on oil revenue.
- The north and by extension the rest of the country now engage in collect and spend.
- The collect and spend culture has forced a wrong assumption which sees development as a project; awarding contracts to sponsor one project or another.
- The net impact of development as project is that millions of people in the north as much as other regions are left in extreme poverty.
- The north is worse of because those who have to government are so rich while others languish in misery!
- The impact of religion on the worldview of the north is something we must address by emphasizing modern education as opposed to religious education.
THE WAY FORWARD
- The colonial economy is a big lesson. It was essentially agro oriented. Britain imposed timber, rubber, palm oil, and cocoa in the south, groundnut, coffee, and cotton in the north.
- It is on record that the agro economy ran Nigeria until the oil boom of the 1970s. Unfortunately we abandoned the agro economy and criminal dependence on oil took the front stage.
- We must come up with a master plan to revive agriculture such that the sector’s contribution will compete with oil.
- Why can’t Nigeria earn 20billion dollars from agro sector?
There is a greater problem facing us; the quality of our politics. All I have written above will amount to zero if we don’t reform our politics.
Andrew Efemini is a Professor of Philosophy of Development, University of Port Harcourt
