DOMESTIC GROWTH VS. FOREIGN RELATIONS

DOMESTIC GROWTH VS. FOREIGN RELATIONS

The business of nation building is a deliberate and strategic one. On account of the current reality of the world being a global village, the place of international relations cannot be underestimated. This is also coupled with the advantage of leveraging to achieve an end or another by nations. However, it is quintessential for a nation to approach each strategically in the pursuit of national development.

It is substantially the duty of each nation to take responsibility for its growth and the welfare of the citizenry. There can be no substitute for this in whatever form. The avenue to achieve this includes government policies, legislations, regulations and ultimately strategic plan. In fact nations like US, France, South Korea, Brazil, Singapore, China, United Arab Emirate, and Qatar to mention a few that have all made it to national prosperity take domestic responsibilities more seriously and this influence a good chunk of their foreign and diplomatic relations strategies. It will cause more evil than good for any nation to rate foreign relations higher and above its domestic responsibilities. I will like to discuss from the nations mentioned earlier, South Korea and China.

A piece titled: THE RISE OF SOUTH KOREA, A LESSON FOR AFRICA published in NewAfrican magazine, April 2011 edition contains my captivation. With reference to a book titled Bad Samaritans- The Guilty Secret of Rich Nations and Threat to Global Prosperity by Ha-Joon Chang, it states:

…According to Chang: The country’s obsession with economic development was fully reflected in our education. We learned that it is our patriotic duty to report anyone seen smoking foreign cigarettes. The country needed to use every bit of the foreign exchange earned from its exports in order to import machines and other inputs to develop better industries.

Valuable foreign currencies were really the blood and sweat of our industrial soldiers’ fighting the export war in the country’s factories. Those squandering them on frivolous things, like illegal foreign cigarettes were ‘traitor’. Imagine any African country doing that? It would be promptly charged with “draconian laws”. But South Korea went even further than that. “Spending foreign exchange on anything not essential for industrial development was prohibited or strongly discouraged through import barns, high tariffs and excise taxes (which were called luxury consumption taxes),” says Chang. “Luxury items included even relatively simple things like small cars, whisky or cookies…

“Foreign travel was banned unless you had explicit government permission to do business or study abroad. As a result, despite having quite a few relatives living in US, I had never been outside Korea until I travelled to Cambridge at the age of 23 to start as a graduate student there in 1986.”

But wait for this: Like the strict rules of currency transactions in Europe under the Marshall Plan, the South Korean Government took absolute control over the country’s then scarce foreign exchange. Chang recalls that violation of the foreign exchange controls could be punished by the death penalty!

For China, from the same edition of the NewAfrican magazine, a piece titled FROM POVERTY TO WEALTH… HOW THE OTHERS DID IT states thus:

Like the USA in the mid-19^th century, or Japan and South Korea in the mid-20^th century, China used high import tariff to build up its industrial base. Right up to the 1990s, China’s average tariff was over 30%. Chang admits that China has been more welcoming to foreign investment than Japan or South Korea were, but China still imposed foreign ownership ceilings and local content requirements that demanded the foreign firms should buy a certain proportion of their inputs from local suppliers.

Contrary to the liberalisation theory and hands-off-by-the-state sermons preached to Africa, China used heavy state intervention and an enlightened state-owned enterprise (SOE) strategy to grow its economy to a point where it is now an economic superpower vying for global domination with the more established big boys. In the past, all Chinese industrial enterprises were owned by the state, but today, the SOE sector accounts for 40% of industrial output.

This is heavy food for thought for Nigeria. To the extent that South Korea and China understand the place of international relations, they were strategic about it and will not allow it dominate their domestic life but otherwise.

I indeed agree with a number of us that have maintained the position that Nigeria does not need to adopt the approach of other nations to development but a Nigerian solution must be designed for the Nigerian problem. However, some factors are fundamentally constant on nations’ path to development. A cursory look at the China’s approach with that of Nigeria reveals the Nigeria is also adopting Foreign Investment (through direct and portfolio investment) and the Local Content recipe.

On Foreign Investment, Nigeria is making huge effort to attract foreign investors, more so with some incentives to encourage same. There has been growth in economic activities of the nation but the nation is not recording the expected attraction. This may not be unexpected in view of the poor infrastructural facilities, insecurity among others bothering the nation.

The salient question to ask is how far foreign investment will help the nation to achieve the desired economic prosperity. Being objective, any foreigner dealing on the Nigerian soil has the guaranteed right of repatriating the profit realized to his home country to the tune of 100%. So if the foreigner repatriates the profit, the money so made is no more exchanging hands within our system. The solution is then cosmetic. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry boss stated recently that a real and sustainable growth in the nation’s development will be achieved when we have more Nigerian investors whose moneys will remain and revolve within our system. By this we won’t be at the mercy of foreigners.

With respect to Local Content, Nigeria in 2010 promulgated the Local Content Act. The objective of this is essentially to increase value-added content, thereby contributing to national economic development as well as that of stakeholders, partners, clients, companies, employees and contractors, technology transfer and develop local know-how. This is quite admirable being an appropriate step forward. But there appears to be more emphasis on the Oil and Gas industry, then others passively. Even though this industry accounts for about 87% of our nation’s income, we should always remember that there are other viable sectors which have been ignored upon the discovery of oil in Nigeria.

Further to this, implementation, monitoring and enforcement are major challenges to a number of government policies, programmes and enactments. The Local Content Act is facing its own now. More than this, the workability of this law is frustrated by a number of factors including inadequate access to finance, quality of our personnel or manpower, sabotage and poor infrastructural facilities that should aid the functioning of our local industry. In all, enacting a law such as the Local Content Act without considering and ensuring its effectiveness by other factors amounts to a substantial effort in futility.

In the course of my study on Nigeria, our economic history, growth strategies and plans (which is still in progress), I discovered that we have a number of documents which if lived up to, would have moved the nation farther than where it currently is. As I do not intend to turn this piece into a thesis, I will briefly mention the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies (NEEDS) which evolved from the nation’s compliance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Like the era of National Development Plan in Nigeria, the NEEDS should be the major influence in drawing the national Budget, Legislations and Policies.

It is imperative to note that the goal of a nation’s development is first and foremost a deliberate and strategic project. Leaders can go about other nations seeking for collaboration in moving a nation forward, it will most certainly not be to the advantage of the aspiring nation.

In conclusion, our national growth will not depend more on our foreign relations or collaboration but more on our domestic seriousness, deliberate and strategic plans to achieve development. In fact, foreign relations will not guarantee national development in the absence of local seriousness save we are travelling back into imperialism.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

President

The Joseph Initiative, Lagos.

LEGACIES OF JUNE 12 AND M.K.O. ABIOLA

LEGACIES OF JUNE 12 AND M.K.O. ABIOLA

Nineteen years after the remarkable victory of Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola in the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, the victory is still as fresh as ever in the hearts of Nigerians. Though the election was inconclusive as no official results were announced, it was so also clear to the blind that he had won the election. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) overwhelmingly defeated his rival Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) even in his home state (the North). The election has since been Nigeria’s freest and fairest Presidential election by national and international observers.

However, the election was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida which inflamed political crisis. The annulment was unacceptable not just to Abiola but the people and the people supported the courageous Abiola all the way to reclaiming his people-earned mandate. This struggle witnessed the fall of mighty heroes including Kudirat Abiola (his wife). Abiola also lost his life in 1998 in this struggle.

There is no gainsaying that the June 12 undeclared victory of Abiola, the political crisis, the loss of lives of the mighty; the supporters; and innocent souls, and the firm advocacy for civil rule in Nigeria all culminated into the current day democracy we are experiencing.

Beyond the foregoing, I have been compelled to ask some questions as to why after nineteen years, the fire of June 12 is still burning in hearts of the people. It gains more momentum by the year. So, I have asked myself two questions viz:

1.      What if it had been another person who contested for the June 12 Presidential election, would it have gathered such momentum till date? and

2.      What made Abiola so loved and desired by Nigerians nineteen years after June 12, 1993 and fourteen years after his demise?

On the first question, what readily came to my mind was that, the victory of June 12 was the victory of the people achieved for Abiola. As noted earlier, Abiola won even in the opponent’s home state. He won at the national capital, Abuja, the military polling stations, and over two-thirds of Nigerian states. The victory was unalloyed expression of the truism that sovereignty lies in the people. It was obviously the people’s desire that prevailed. So, the victory of June 12 was the victory of Nigerians for Abiola. The people were also ready to stand and in deed stood by this victory with Abiola till date. It may not impossible to say that if it had been another candidate, the people would still have prevailed but this will be better explored in answering the second question.

What made Abiola so loved and desired by Nigerians nineteen years after June 12, 1993 and fourteen years after his demise? Without much ado, there are three things identifiable in answering this:

1.      Philanthropy

2.      Vision

3.      Identity with the people.

PHILANTHROPY

Abiola sprang to national and international prominence as a result of his philanthropic gestures. His sacrifices and contributions across every sphere of public life was numerous. There has never been a philanthropist on his scale in the history of this nation. In 1990, he donated N1m to each state university, N50,000 to each Federal University for students welfare, N20,000 to the libraries of each Federal University, N25,000 to each Polytechnic and College of Education. To his credit was the construction of 63 secondary schools, 141 libraries, 121 churches and mosques, and 21 water projects in 24 states in Nigeria. He established Abiola Bookshops to provide affordable, locally produced books in the 1980s when imported books became out of the reach of ordinary Nigerians when Naira was devalued. He awarded over 1,000 scholarships to deserving students in tertiary institutions at home and abroad.

This is actually overwhelming. It is expedient to note that philanthropy on this scale is beyond taint with motive to achieve presidency. He did not need to do so much if he had the intention of buying people’s hearts to vote for him. It was more of an expression of compassion which establishes the fact that he related with the people and understood their difficulties. He did not just stop at the understanding, he made efforts to remedy the situation. The people therefore had no iota of doubt that if he became the President, he would do more with the effective use of office.

One of the indispensable qualities of a good leader at any level is relating with followers to understand their fears, worries, emotions and wants. No one will ever be able to touch the lives of the followers without compassion. Abiola exhibited this and the people loved, longed and desired him to lead the nation. Developing a nation and ensuring a better standard of living of the people through government activities, policies and legislations, regulations among others are tied to compassion of the leaders to the followers. If there is no compassion, things can only get worse for the nation.

VISION

Having an understanding of the economic status of the nation which affected the finances and standard of living of Nigerians,  Abiola casted a vision of ending poverty in Nigeria. He spoke the people’s language and because of his personality an deeds, the people believed in his competence and capability to lead the nation out of poverty.

Clarity of vision is an essential factor to be considered in the race of leadership all levels both in the public and private sector. A leader with no vision or clear vision will only stagnate the followers all through his period in leadership. Abiola has a clearly spelt out vision and communicated it to the people. This naturally made people go all out to vote for him and when the election was annulled, the people stood by him to the end of his life even till date.

IDENTITY WITH THE PEOPLE

Abiola identified with the people as opposed to the selected few people that threaten national growth. Though I was in the secondary school in the election year till his demise in 1998 when I left secondary school, my study of this giant revealed that his strength was substantially in the power of the people. He made it incontrovertible to the people that sovereignty lie in them.

This may not be unconnected to the fact that he had enough resources to run his race for presidency. Funding of political races has diverted the loyalty to the few people with resources who support the candidates at the expense of the populace. However, growth in democracy may be a gradual process but we all have the responsibility to desire advancement and indeed advance. Until the time when candidates are sponsored and supported by the ordinary Nigerians collectively, the stake of the few above the populace may drag on.

To conclude this piece, the legacies of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election by the candidacy and struggle of M.K.O. Abiola and all the people should not be isolated from the celebration of the day.

It is also the day of victory of the strength and will of the people. The challenge of the legacies to the current leaders is to understand the people and have compassion for the followers without which nothing substantial can be done to make people benefit the dividends of democracy. More so, it is a challenge to leaders at all levels to earn the love and support of the populace as opposed to the current few. Loyalty should be to the people.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

President

The Joseph Initiative, Lagos.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND NATIONAL UNITY

THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND NATIONAL UNITY

I am a patriot with indefatigable desire not only for national development but for national unity. I have discussed the subject of our national integration in a piece where I stated that “history has thrust upon our generation an indescribably important destiny- to complete the process of integration which our nation has long developed too slowly, but which is our most powerful chance for development”. This piece shall be made public soon.

In advocating for national unity, I am immeasurably thrilled with the person of Theodore Roosevelt (an American President from 1901-1909) and his position on the subject. An encounter with a survey on him in the book: Presidential Leadership is nothing below inspirational and instructive to the people of our nation Nigeria even at this point in time. I feel compelled to share part of the survey on him bothering on national unity.

“… For all his varied interests, national greatness was the dominant concern of his life.

Roosevelt’s patriotism professed a faith in America’s pioneer ethos, the virtues that had won the West and inspired Americans to believe in ourselves as the New Jerusalem, bound by sacred duty to suffer hardship and risk danger to protect the values of our civilisation and impart them to humanity…

…He abhorred the multiculturalist’s adulation of diversity as more important than national unity. He insisted that every American owed primary allegiance to American political ideals and to the symbols, habits, and consciousness of American citizenship. He believed such patriotism didn’t disparage the distinctions of experience in American history, but encompassed and transcended those experiences in a shared and noble endeavor of building a civilisation for the ages, in which all people may share in the rights and responsibilities of freedom.

He spoke out against “the spirit of provincial patriotism” that aggrandized the sentimental attachments people feel for their towns and states into something greater than their national pride. He warned that “the overexaltation of the little community at the expense of the great nation” had ruined many nations and had prevented the countries of South America from uniting in to one great republic.

Were he alive today he would denounce both liberal and conservative extremes, for the former’s emphasis on wants and the latter’s emphasis on rights, and for their mutual disregard for the duties inherent in American citizenship. “We have duties to others and duties to ourselves”, he avowed, “and we can shirk neither”. The Roosevelt code gave equal respect to self-interest and common purpose, to rights and duties.

“When I left college”, he wrote, “I had no strong governmental convictions beyond the very strong and vital conviction that we were a nation and must act nationally…”

Concluding the survey on him, it was written:

“He understood the central fact of American history: that we are not just an association of disparate interests forced by law and custom to tolerate one another, but a kinship of ideals, worth living and dying for, and that we deserve to have our ideals vigorously represented at home and abroad by our national government. He believed that people who are free to act in their own interests and are served by a government that kindles the pride of every citizen would receive their interests in an enlightened way. We would live as one nation, at the summit of history, “the mightiest republic on which the sun ever shone.”

There is no gainsaying that we share our diversity in ethnicity in common with the United States of America.  The unity if the several parts of the nation have contributed immensely to its being a world power today. The giant of Africa can be revived in us as a nation if we get our unity straight and our priorities with values redefined. We will no doubt go farther with unity.

I’m trying to manage my words for pending further details but national unity is our pre-requisite for safety, development, peaceful co-existence, friendly business environment, enhanced diplomatic relationship…

Furthermore, I consider is expedient for anyone in public leadership to read the book: Presidential Leadership. The book is certainly not only for Presidents but also for those who work with the presidency among other citizens. Details of the business of the office of presidency are shared extensively through the survey of past leaders leaving room for a game of gamble or reinventing an already existent wheel, save for approach.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

The President,

The Joseph Initiative.

PROBING THE YOUTHS PASSION FOR CHANGE

PROBING THE YOUTHS PASSION FOR CHANGE

I was at the symposium organized for young and emerging leaders by The Future Project in March 2012. The event was tagged: “The Challenge of Responsible Governance: How Can This Generation Do Better?” – Headline speech delivered by Mrs. Obi Ezekwesili. Also in attendance were Governor Kayode Feyemi, Governor Rotimi Amechi, Prof. Pat. Utomi, Mr. Dele Momodu among others.

While addressing the audience, Governor Rotitmi Amechi said “you think you are the goods ones and we the elders are the bad ones; some of you feel the old people in public offices should be removed and substituted with the youths. You think you can do it better. The problem of the nation is in the economic system and until that is fixed, we will be waiting for you to come and join us in the evil world”.

After an encounter with a recent book titled WHY NATIONS FAIL, I am more of the opinion that the major problem we are confronted with in the system of Nigeria is the political system/ institution. It is the political institution that has power to influence the economic system of a nation and not otherwise.

The truth is that we youths are angry. This may be connected to the fact that we are the victims of the ills of the nation: social disorder, poor standard of education, poverty, corruption, greed, poor health system, high rate of unemployment, decay in public infrastructure and dark future in view of the status quo. It is more annoying when we reconcile these to the fact that we are over 55% of the population of the nation with an estimate of 167 million people.

In view of the above and our fury at it, we desire change. Therefore, some of us are creating platforms or joining platforms to speak and stand against the system and the disciples. Some are engaging in activities to promote and influence a reversal of what we are victims of. A good number of us are displaying admirable passion for change even in our current individual units and positions. We have been referred to as the turning point generation. In fact, there is almost no need to ask if we are the messiah or another should be expected.

However, we must inquire what our passion is actually on. Some of us who have displayed passion and a high level of competence or people who have identified with us have been invited into public leadership but have fallen by the way side. When some are being entertained with money, they run out of passion for change. For some, the taste of power is it; it burns out all the passion. Because they are now involved in government, pride derived from money or power sets them apart from the passion and they become avoidably absent from fellow comrades in the struggle for change. So the story changes.

It may be necessary to cite examples. Though I was taught in law that hearsay evidence (somebody told me) is not admissible in court. I am not also oblivious of the fact that it is not in all cases that judges completely shut their ears to such. It may help in arriving at justice in some cases albeit it may not be formally relied on.

During the Occupy Nigeria for protest against the removal of fuel subsidy, it was posted on facebook by some of us that while one of the current public officers was in tertiary institution and was in Student Union Government, there was a proposal for the removal of fuel subsidy which he vehemently opposed declaring it as an evil against the people of Nigeria. But in 2012 being in public office, he said the removal of fuel subsidy is long overdue. One is compelled to ask that what went wrong. Or better still, when he was in school, was he just angry that he was not the one in public leadership to have a share in the “national cake”.

Another is campaign manager to one of the candidates of the 2011 elections who is also a youth. After the elections where his principal lost, he was invited into another political party. Earlier in the year, probably after being entertained, he was also said to have stated that there is no political party like the one he is now.

Having a flashback, people like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Alh. Tafawa Balewa, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Rtd. Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Alh. Sheu Sagari to mention a few could not have lost focus because of money or power. They could not have been distracted by logistical needs, ignoring the ultimate. People with genuine passion for change appreciate the place of money and power but more importantly, they understand the purpose of money and power.

To be hypnotized by money or power will be living the words of Margaret Thatcher- These days, we are governed by people who care more about feelings than thoughts and ideas. We currently have people in public leadership who are more consumed with the euphoria of office and not the essence of the office they occupy. For some of them they might have had good intention and genuine passion, but the force of money and power coupled with some constituted principalities, they were lost in the crowd.

One can keep mentioning the inexhaustible factors that may threaten our passion for social change, but beyond our passion, we owe it a duty to our individual and collective cause to guard our passion with all our strength such that money or power will only serve as instruments for us to influence and achieve positive change in our nation.

What really is the change that we desire in our nation? A nation of peace; a nation of religious tolerance, a nation with ethnic groups mutual respect and understanding; a nation with food security; a nation of commerce and industry; a nation of adequate health facilities for all; a nation with empowered women; a nation of better life for everyone; a nation with a secured future for the younger generation; a nation where rule of law prevails; a nation of justice for all; a nation of equality and fairness; a nation where politics is played with strict compliance with national interest…

To achieve these, we must keep our faith alive, our passion strong and our integrity unfainting! We must live up to our dreams and the tag on us as the turning point generation. The destiny of this nation lies in our hands. The hope of a better Nigeria hangs around us. We have the opportunity to re-write the history of our nation and we must work hard to re-write it.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

The President

The Joseph Initiative, Lagos.

THE CYCLE OF LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA

THE CYCLE OF LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA

William J. Bennett in the foreward of a book titled Presidential Leadership stated that “As a proud country that once taught our youth the importance of heroes and the importance of leadership…” I was moved to realize America could take responsibility for breeding leaders and great people. Today, I see leadership trait in an average citizen of the nation and that is the product of investment.

It is important to state that our nation Nigeria most likely will not rise beyond the quality of our leadership. The quality of our leadership will determine the quality of the nation among the committee of nations. What greatness means to us as a people will rub off on the nation. If it is more about substance than form, affiliation or sentiments, then there is hope for us. But if greatness to us centers on vain things of life, then it is a sorry state. In all, leadership and greatness is about adding an exceptional value in an environment, field or endeavour.

At all material times, there are always 3 classes of generation: 1. The older generation, 2. The younger generation and 3. The future generation. The older generation include our leaders, our fathers (for the youths) and elders. The younger generation includes the youth or emerging ones while the future generation, toddlers and the unborn.

A question to ask is what is the older generation breeding out of the younger generation, or what role are they playing in raising leaders who will take over from them (if at all they realise a generation will actually succeed them)? About 60% of the older generation is guilty of complete neglect of the younger generation, lack of trust in them and wants to lead in perpetuity. However, these older generation has made public leadership complex and unfruitful, the nation is saturated with bribery and corruption, mismanagement of public funds, high level of injustice, nepotism, disregard to the rule of law, disregard to national interest, lack of fairness and equality, greed, selfishness and self-aggrandisement among others.

Unfortunately these 60% are influencing or breeding about 75% of the younger generation with their nature. It may not necessarily be direct grooming but the younger generation is observing. Better still, it’s leadership by example. However, each generation is an advancement of the previous one. One should not wonder too far on where some of the younger generation get this “get rich quick syndrome”. It’s modeling. If the older generation will do anything to get into public office for the purpose of enrichment while displacing the path by hard work in trade or service, one can expect an advanced approach by the younger generation.

Using the Information Technology language, if the speed and reasoning of the older generation is functioning at 50-100 kilobyte per second (kbps), the younger generation is flowing at 150-512 megabyte per second (mbps). One can only imaging what that of the future generation will be like. So, if our leaders are syphoning public funds, I wonder what the younger generation will do when given opportunity in public leadership. It is even worrisome what some presently engage in: internet fraud, robbery, vandalisation of public properties, falsification of figures and most recently, terrorism. While we publicly denounce terrorism, we should not be guilty of inactions or costly oversight that encourage it, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta for example.

 In spite of these, all hope is not lost. There is a call on all, both in public leadership and outside to retrace our steps and actions. We need to bear it in mind that we are breeding a cycle of leadership. No one should act like an ostrich that lays egg and forgets about it immediately. Posterity will judge us if the older generations act ostrich and the younger generations inherits this.

The task on the older generation is to re-organise their values and interests, the younger generation to be repositioned and both generations to work for a positive change in our national life with a better life for everyone. Further to this, we should take responsibility for modeling and teaching the importance leadership and greatness in our future generation. They must inherit a worthy legacy from us!


Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

NDP VS. MDGS: MOVING NIGERIA FORWARD

NDP VS. MDGS: MOVING NIGERIA FORWARD

The school of leadership and administration has established that where there is no vision, the people perish. A clearly defined vision inspires and guide decisions, activities, and the utility of resources among others. It becomes obvious that where there is no clearly defined vision with mapped out strategies for achievement, abuse of position and misappropriation of resources becomes inevitable.

National Development Plan (NDP) is a culture for nations that are resolved to economic growth and social change. There is the East Timor National Development Plan of May 2002 (a post- independence plan); the Republic of Zambia Fifth National Development Plan 2006-2010; the Kenya’s Vision 2030; and more recently within the shores of our nation, the Economic Master Plan 2012-2015 of the Ogun State Government.

NDP is not alien to Nigeria as history dating back to 1946 shows that the colonial government introduced a 10 year plan of development and welfare for Nigeria under the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund. This was later abridged to five years. Nigeria has adopted the NDP after independence to foster development.

NDP is a veritable tool to accelerate economic growth rate and achieving sustainable social and political equilibrium. The First NDP of 1962-68 stated that: “The basic objective of planning in Nigeria is not merely to accelerate the rate of economic growth and the rate at which the level of the population can be raised; it is also to give her an increasing measure of control over her own destiny”. The Second NDP stated further that “national planning should be aimed at the transformation of the whole society: The present plan… recognises explicitly the possibilities of using planning as a deliberate weapon of social change by correcting defects in existing social relations in various spheres of production, distribution and exchange”. Succinctly put, NDP is a panacea for social change.

It is congenial to trace the history and effect of NDP in Nigeria.

The practice of NDP in Nigeria started in 1946 when the Colonial government introduced what it tagged “Ten Year Plan of Development and Welfare for Nigeria”. The focus of this plan was building transportation and communication system. Little provision was made for industrial development. It was also selective in its focus on agriculture as there was concentration on limited range of cash crops which include cocoa, palm products, cotton, groundnut and timber. It has however been argued that this plan was meant to serve the interest of colonial masters rather than that of Nigerians. The truism always remain that it formed the origin on NDP in Nigeria.

Since independence in 1960, Nigeria have formulated and launched other development plans, which were more comprehensive. The First NDP was launched in 1962 and was to cover a period of six years (1962-68). This was interrupted by military intervention in 1966 and the 1967-70 civil war. Consequently it was extended to 1970. The achievements recorded by this plan include: the Federal Government built Oil Refinery in Port Harcourt, Paper Mill, Sugar Mill, Niger dam (in Jebba and Bacita respectively, the Niger bridge, Ports extension, construction of a number of “A” roads. The University of Ibadan was built be the Federal Government; Ahmadu Bello University by the Northern Nigeria Government; University of Nigeria Nsukka by the Eastern Nigeria Government; and the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) by the Western Nigeria Government.

These were all achieved in spite of the crises because annual capital budget operated within the development plan framework. They were employed as the main instrument of control and allocation of development resources. This was in itself made possible by the existence of development plan which provided guideline for meaningful and coordinated development during the plan period despite the two political crises.

The Second NDP was launched in 1970 by General Yakubu Gowon. It was launched after the civil war ended. Due to this, it focused on the reconstruction of a war-battered economy and promotion of economic and social development in the new Nigeria. Its philosophy influenced by the exigencies of the war, included building a united, strong and self-reliant nation, a great and dynamic economy, a just egalitarian society, a land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens; and a free and democratic society.

The achievement of the Second NDP included but not limited to successful construction of many federal roads, the successful takeoff of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme, the introduction of federal scholarship and loan scheme for Nigerian students etc.

General Gowon further launched the Third NDP in 1975, a five year (1975-80) plan. This was a unique plan as it had extensive consultation with the private sector of the economy in the preparation process. The focus of this include: increase in per capita income, more even distribution of income, reduction in the level of unemployment, diversification of the economy, balanced indigenisation of economic activities. The implementation was adversely affected by the change in government in July 1975, three months after its launch. The change in government led to the re-appraisal of some of the cardinal objectives of the plan. More emphasis was however placed on those projects which were thought to have direct effect on the living standard of the common man. Sectors that were thus given priority included agriculture, water supply, housing and health.

The Fourth NDP (1981-85) was launched by President Shehu Shagari in 1981. The plan was designed to further the process of establishing a solid base for the long term economic and social development in Nigeria. This plan incorporated the Local Government at the level of preparation and allowed them to have their separate programmes under the plan. The Fourth NDP was again affected by the change in government in 1983 and another in 1985.

The tradition of NDP was brought to a halt during the Babangida administration. The achievements of the NDP (First – Fourth) form the basis of development in Nigeria today. Not so much exceptional achievement in development has been made to surpass the legacy of the NDP era. Regional governments were able to achieve much more owing to the spirit of the development plan.

One of the essential role of NDP as noted earlier is that it serves as an instrument of control and allocation of resources. When there are specific development projects to engage in, resources must be channeled towards realisation of same.

On account of the demise of the NDP, the spirit of continuity in governance has been de-emphasised. An administration may initiate a project that may take a while to complete, but once another administration comes in, a simple dislike of the previous administration may ignite an abandonment of such project irrespective of how beneficial it is to the nation or society. Hence, public offices are administered haphazardly. Little will one wonder how the nation got here- with over 70% of the population living in poverty, sporadic decline in the standard of education, neglect or poor maintenance culture of public properties and mal-administration of public investment. The popular saying that one who is failing to plan is planning to fail readily comes to mind.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs)

After series of conferences, the world leaders in September 2000 in New York came up with Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This is an offshoot of the World Summit on Social Development held in Copenhagen in 1995 which enthroned poverty eradication, employment creation, enhanced expenditure on education, health and other social indicators. The object of the MDGs is to bridge the gap between the developed and developing countries.

Briefly, the MDGs consist of eight (8) time bound goals (2015) with eighteen (18) targets and forty-eight (48) indicators. The goals are:

1.      Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger;

2.      Achieve universal primary education;

3.      Promote gender equality and empower women;

4.      Reduce child mortality;

5.      Improve maternal health;

6.      Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; and

7.      Develop a Global Partnership for Development.

Sequel to these goals, the African leaders met in July 2001 in Lukasa, Zambia, discussed and came up with a programme known as New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). This was adopted by the African Union (AU) and anchored on the premise that Africans must be involved in the development process. Moreover, they came up with a programme: African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to monitor the progress of NEPAD. This was anchored on four areas:

1.      Democratic and Political Governance;

2.      Economic Governance and Management;

3.      Corporate Governance; and

4.      Social Economic Development

In Nigeria, the Federal Government came up with National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). This is the Nigerian plan for prosperity/ poverty reduction strategy. At the State level is the State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (SEEDS). The Local Governments have the LEEDS and Communities, CEEDS.

As the nation has lost touch with her own plan for development, the reception of the MDGs was with no difficulty. An objective perusal of the MDGs vis-à-vis the nation’s endowment with human and resource capital will reveal that the goals of the nation should be more than the ones prescribed by the MDGs. However, adherence to the MDGs at least is better than not having a vision at all to run with.

The time limit for realising the MDGs is 2015. So, we should ask how far how far we have gone in achieving these goals. A fair assessment of the NEEDS confirms that it contains worthwhile strategies for development but the achievement is scanty leaving so many substantial ones unattained. Such of the unattained is on education which includes:

1.      All primary and secondary schools curricula will be reviewed and streamlined so that the products can profit from higher education as well as co-operate maximally in the world of work.

2.      Establishment of Handicraft/ Resource Centres at least one in each Local Government in the country.

3.      Re-activation of all the defunct Handicraft/ Resource Centres nationwide.

The achievement of these would have contributed immensely to the economic activities and standard of living of the people.

It may be surprising to realise that the complete liberalisation of pricing and marketing of petroleum products leading to the recent proposed phase out of government price subsidies to NNPC is one of the NEEDS. However, the commitment of the nation to achieving the MDGs is far below average. This may also account for the people’s lack of trust in the system to achieve sustainable development in the nation. The offices of the MDGs are next to non-functional to say the least.

The MDGs have been so infused into our system to the extent that it has a Community Development Unit in the NYSC Scheme. To the extent at which the NYSC members of the MDGs are achieving so much in development in various communities, the salient question to also ask is what next after 2015.

The MDGs have succeeded in reiterating the indispensable role of development planning to us as a nation. As we continue to draw the curtain of the MDGs, we should restore the tradition of the NDP. There is so much to be done in developing our nation which should not be left to be determined at the pleasure of public office holders.

For Nigeria to achieve sustainable development, there must be clearly mapped out strategies stating short, medium and long term goals. The short term plan should include a critical appraisal of all existing policies and legislations and their review to facilitate the attainment of the ultimate goal of social change and economic prosperity.

The preparation of the NDP should involve the three tiers of government, the private sector, the people and stakeholders. It is quintessential that the NDP should be people involved and oriented. This will not only gain the people’s unreserved support for development but will also ignite resolute commitment to engage towards the achievement. This will also prevent the affairs of the nation from being administered haphazardly by elements in authority and achieve decline in the level of corruption in the nation. Clearly defined NDP will serve as a recipe for good governance.

In conclusion, a National Development Plan Committee should be set up for this task. The Committee shall be chaired by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and viced by the Minister for National Planning. The responsibilities of the Committee shall also include coordinating, monitoring and evaluating activities on economic growth, education, health, security, power, transportation, information and communication technology, rural development among other. With this, sustainable development in Nigeria becomes guaranteed.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

The President

The Joseph Initiative, Lagos.