ROOT COURSES OF INSURGENCE IN THE NORTHERN NIGERIA
EDUCATION
“On Health and Education “the level
of immunization of Children against dangerous childhood diseases, in the
South-East is 44.6% immunization coverage, but the North-West has 3.7% and the
North-East 3.6%.” “If you take the education of the girl-child as indicator,
you see similar pattern of inequality with the South-East having an enrolment
rate of 85%, South-Wes having an enrolment rate of 85%, South-South 75%, while
the North-East 20% and North West 25%."
Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Under
Secretary-General, Special Adviser to the Secretary General of the United
Nations in his address lamented the poverty level of the North using grim
statistics.
AS
many as 93% of female children across northern Nigeria are being denied access
to secondary school education according to recent statistics just revealed the
situation would be detrimental to the economy. cited the instance of Jigawa
State, where school completion rate among female pupils is as low as 7% as an
example.
Net
enrolment of girls in schools across the country is only 22%, with the average
for northern Nigeria a lot less.“In the North-west, 70% of women between 20 and
29 are unable to read, compared with 9.7% in the south-west.
“Only
3% of females complete secondary education in northern Nigeria. Now how do you
build the country when 93% of the girls in the most populous region of the
country do not complete secondary schools?"
“If
the women are sent to school and they have access to proper healthcare
services, there may not be the need to spend so much on security. The problem we
have is that women are their own enemies as if you are a female minister or
hold an important public position and after four years you cannot say what you
did for women, shame on you.
“Many
of these women secure these positions on the platform of gender, ethnicity
among others and when they get there, they forget the ladder on which they went
there. They become the queen bee and do not want to share the limelight with
other women,” he added.
Central Bank governor
Lamido Sanusi.
Speaking
at the Isaac Moghalu Foundation Leadership Lecture and Symposium held in Abuja.
DEPEENING POVERTY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
Over the past
three decades, poverty has increased disproportionately in the North as the
Table
below shows:
Table 1:
Incidence of Poverty by Geo-political zones
Geopolitical
zone
Percentage
Year 1980
1985/6 1992 1997 2004 2010
North East 35.6
53.2 54.0 68.0 72.2
76.3
North West 37.7 48.4
36.5 62.0 71.2 77.7
North Central
32.2 48.4 46.0 53.0 67.0
67.5
South East 12.9 30.9
41.0 79.5
26.7 67.0
South West 13.4 42.0
43.1 74.1
43.0 59.1
South-South 13.2 38.0
40.8 78.6
35.1
63.7
Nation wide 28.1
43.0 42.7 69.2
54.4 69.0
Source:
Central bank of Nigeria, 1999 and National Bureau of Statistics
The UNDP report cited above ranks Nigeria
number 159 out of a total of 177 countries measured on the
aggregate index. Nigeria (with a score of 0.448) compares unfavorably to
Norway (0.965) but better than Niger (0.311). According to
the report, Nigerians born today are, on the average, more likely to die before
their 45th birthday – Japanese born today are more likely to
die around the same time with the children of their Nigerian age mates. To
measure poverty, the report uses a much more complex ‘Human Poverty Index’ in
place of the simplified ‘less than $1 dollar a day’ measure. The index attempts
to measure not just deprivation but the quality of life available to the
citizens of the country. Using the Index, Nigeria (with a score of 40.6)
ranks 76th with the same points as Yemen, slightly better
than Burundi (40.7) but well below Uruguay (3.3) which placed 1st
in the 155 country list. In the paper presented to PDP nominees on
January 16, 2007, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the Central Bank of Nigeria
Governor, presented in graphic terms what any traveler across Nigeria can
attest to. According to his figures, although the average poverty incidence for
Nigeria stands at 54% of the total population, the three regions in the
North, account for a disproportionate share of that average. With a poverty
prevalence of 72.2%, the North East region has the highest level of
poverty in Nigeria. The region is followed closely by North West (71.1%)
and North Central (67.0%). On the contrary, South East (26.6%)
has the lowest level of poverty of poverty in Nigeria followed by South/South (35.1%)
and South West (43.05%). However, compared to actual poverty prevalence,
most Nigerians, irrespective of their regions, considered themselves much
poorer than they actually are. In fact, more residents of the South East (77.6%)
and South/South (74.85%) considered themselves poor compared to
residents of the North/West (71.9%). This irony is best explained by
other sociological factors as contentment and lack exposure to comparative
levels of poverty - issues beyond the contemplation of this article. On a state
by state basis, the picture is even gloomier for the North. According to the
professor’s paper, the 10 states with the highest level of poverty in Nigeria
are all in the North. Jigawa (95.0%), Kebbi (89.7%) and Kogi (88.6%)
top the list. Conversely, all the 10 states with the lowest level of poverty
are in the South. Bayelsa (20.0%), Anambra (20.1%) and Abia (22.3%)
top the list. These numbers are what led Professor Soludo to rightly conclude
that “very high level of poverty is essentially a Northern Phenomenon”.
Furthermore, the Professor informed his distinguished audience that the 3 zones
in the North (excluding FCT) collectively have less bank deposit than the
South/South zone alone. In fact, the entire North accounts for a paltry 10.75%
of bank deposits and a meager 8.5% of bank loans. If adjustments are
made for state and local government bank deposits and loans, the picture in the
North would be more frightening as the FCT alone accounts for more than 16%
of all bank deposits. Interestingly, Lagos still accounts for 48% of
deposits and nearly 70% of all bank loans. Summarily, what these numbers
tell us is that were the six geopolitical zones distinct countries, the
Northwest and Northeast ‘Countries’ would be in the same league with Niger
Republic, Chad and Mali while the South East ‘Country’ will be nearer to China
and Korea. Infact, using the poverty index alone, Jigawa and Kebbi states, with
9 out of every 10 residents considered poor, are no better than
Eritrea, Bangladesh or Somalia.
by Professor Chukwuma
Soludo at a People Democratic Party (PDP) retreat for it’s nominated candidates
UNDP “Human Development Index’ report 2006 released last year to a recent paper
presented.
Northern states top Nigeria’s jobless list according
to figures released by NBS
The
Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has recently released the 2011 unemployment
data which reveals a wide dichotomy between states in the North and those in
the southern part of the country.
According
to the released data, the bottom ten in the jobless list are; Zamfara
State with 42.6%; Bauchi, 41.4%; Niger, 39.4%; Gombe, 38.7%; Nasarawa, 36.5%,
Jigawa, 35.9%; Edo, 35.7%; Yobe, 35.6%; Adamawa, 33.8%, and Kaduna with 30.3%.
Only
Edo State with 35.7% unemployment rate is among the bottom ten states listed.
Osun
State lead the employment levels list with 3.0%, followed by Kwara, 7.1%;
Lagos, 8.3%, and Oyo, 8.9%.
The
Nigerian population was put at 170m, and 70% of that figure are said to be
within the ages of 17 and 65. It therefore means that the 23.9% data released
by the NBS as the national unemployment rate reveals that 40.6m of working age
Nigerians lack any form of employment whatsoever.
While
reacting to the data released, an economist and former vice chancellor of the
University of Uyo, Professor Akpan Ekpo said the data was not a true reflection
of Nigeria’s unemployment rate. He posited that the figure would ideally be
within the 35% and above range.
Suggestions
by Professor Chukwuma Soludo at a
People Democratic Party (PDP) retreat for it’s nominated candidates UNDP “Human
Development Index’ report 2006 released last year to a recent paper presented.
The ‘Millennium Project (2005)’ has
identified a four step strategy for achieving the No 1 MDG goal of halving
poverty by 2015. This four step strategy involves distilling the root causes of
and dimensioning poverty prevalence across region and gender, conducting a
needs assessment of the public investments required, developing a 10 year
framework for action and elaborating a 3-5 year poverty reduction strategy
within the context of the 10 year plan. My humble suggestions revolve around a
3-5 strategy with particular emphasis on food production and job creation.
Other important issues like access to health care and education will be greatly
impacted by improved nutrition (disease prevention) and wealth creation
(improved school enrollment due to reduced child labor).
First, the 19 Northern states, under
the guidance of the federal government, need to urgently develop a collective
agricultural plan. This holistic plan should be based on the competitive
advantage in the North. Each state should have one or two particular crops, the
production of which it shall aggressively pursue. Concerted efforts will then
be made to support the production of these crops through improved seedlings,
advanced farming techniques, provision of adequate fertilizer, agricultural
soft loans and other incentives. This plan can be better achieved by
encouraging large scale farming as opposed to the current subsistence farming.
In each state, farmers with the capacity to cultivate above 100 hectares should
be identified, developed, trained and supported. This approach will inevitably
lead to better management of resources and sustainable employment. ‘Importing’
commercial farmers from abroad is not a bad idea, it should be encouraged, but
more importantly is to develop indigenous large scale farmers who are better
placed to provide sustainable growth and impact. To avoid a situation of
depressed prices during periods of bumper harvest, states need to intervene in
guaranteeing prices for farm products. This can be achieved through direct
intervention in the market or through increased participation in the upcoming
commodity exchange. For the subsistence farmers, a robust ‘micro credit’
similar to Mohammed Yunus’s Grameen Bank scheme in Bangladesh needs to be
developed. The current =N=50 billion federal government initiative will be a
good starting point.
Second, there is an urgent need to
quickly articulate an industrialization policy for the region. In which
industry does the region have a competitive advantage? How can entrepreneurs be
developed and supported in the region? How can we stem religious and ethnic
strife that discourages investments in the region? What will be the short,
medium and long-term milestones to be achieved? Which industries will have the
most multiplier effect on the Northern economy? How will the issue of power and
fuel supply be handled within the national framework? How can small and medium
scale industries be developed in the region? How can we cultivate the
entrepreneurial spirit in the average northerner? In pursuing these objectives,
the role of the New Nigerian Development Company (NNDC) as the investment arm
of the northern sates will have to be properly articulated. For a start, NNDC
has to be recapitalized and staffed with technocrats. The company’s current
bureaucratic, top heavy structure needs to give way to a more focused and
dynamic structure. To develop businesses and improve the managerial skills of
upcoming entrepreneurs, NNDC needs to incorporate a Venture Capital Company.
The envisaged company will not only provide equity participation in
entrepreneurial start-ups but will also avail budding entrepreneurs with
management best practices in the conception and weaning of these enterprises.
Even the investment decisions of NNDC will have to be streamlined to achieve
the predetermined objective of economic development of the region. What sense
does it make sense for NNDC to invest billions in Nestle Plc when that
investment cannot influence Nestle to locate one of its plants in the region?
How come the substantial investment of NNDC and the states governments in banks
translate to only ‘8.5% of total bank loans’ to the region?
Third, political leadership in the
region have to reassess their developmental priorities. Critical questions should
be asked before any project is embarked by states in the region? Questions like
what is the economic value of this project to the state? Does it have any
multiplier effect on the economy? Is the project sustainable? What other
alternatives are there for this expenditure? In addition, states should strive
to ensure that whatever allocation comes to them from the federal government,
or is generated locally, is as much as possible retained within the state
economy. Whenever any contract is awarded by a state government, care should be
taken to ensure that as much as possible the contractor uses as much local
content as possible. This should not be confused with awarding contracts to
state indigenes which may not necessarily achieve the intended objective.
‘White elephant’ projects like airports and trade fair complexes should as much
as possible be curtailed. These projects in reality do very little to aid the
economy of the state even though they consume huge sums of money. Any state
that ignores this simple idea will end up being like Bauchi. A beautiful state
with good roads and other infrastructure but whose citizens continue to live in
penury.
Lastly, northerners have to
collectively take their destiny in their own hands by electing and promoting good
leaders. Some will argue that ultimately, a society gets the kinds of leaders
it deserves as leaders are embodiments of their society’s virtues and vices,
capacities and constraints. However, I still firmly believe that upcoming
generations of northerners need to take the charge in leading this crusade for
change. The North needs to develop leaders that posses characteristic that
transcend its people’s present level of consciousness. We cannot rely on luck
or chance for these leaders to emerge like a ‘Flash in the Pan’. As far as I
know, there are only two special reasons why Sir Ahmadu Bello, the former
premier of the Northern Region is still celebrated in the region. First, he had
the foresight and vision to institutionalize some policies that continue to
bear fruit for the region. Second, successive generations of leaders in the
region have been unable to match or surpass his achievements in their smaller
domains. This indictment on the collective abilities of northerners need not be
so. And can be changed. I strongly urge northerners who have been privileged in
one way or the other to reflect back on the state of their communities and see
what they can do individually or collectively to improve the fortunes of their
society. Either as political or business leaders, Northerners have to invest in
the North and draw investments to the North before this level of deprivation
can be reduced. Northerners should always remember that whatever may be their
personal achievement in life, the larger society will always view them through
the prism of economic and social status of their community. Today, the average
northerner is viewed as more closely related to the economic and social status
of the alms beggar on Borno Street in Ebute Metta, Lagos than to the fortunes
of Aliko Dangote who is generally viewed as an aberration.
In conclusion, the level of economic deprivation in the
north is not a local issue. The situation portends a grave danger to the
fortunes of the entire nation. Like a chain, Nigeria is only as strong as its
weakest link. The federal government and indeed all Nigerians must seek ways of
assisting the region improve its economic lot. With arguably the largest
population of Nigerians residing in the North, there is no way the collective
fortune of Nigeria can be improved without immediately addressing the issue of
acute poverty in the region. I call on the Federal Government to immediately
declare an economic emergency in the Northern region and put in place measures
to assist northerners uplift their economic status. Unless this is done,
Nigeria faces the risk of entrenching economic inequalities not only across
social classes but also across geographical lines. This will certainly hinder
national unity and Starting with the, the issue of high
levels of poverty in the North has suddenly being brought to the front burner
of national discourse. Summarily, the UNDP report and Professor Soludo’s paper
titled “Preserving Stability and Accelerating Growth’ highlighted the well
known fact that poverty is more prevalent in the Northern than in the Southern
part of Nigeria. What many may not have known, and which seems to be the crux
of Professor Soludo’s paper, is the magnitude of the disparity between the
North and the South. To put the issue in perspective.
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