Diversification and Restructuring: Nigeria's way out of "Feeding Bottle" Federalism and imperative for Economy Development.

Nigeria economy is in recession and many reasons have been advanced for the perilous state of the nation.
We have heard of ‘corruption’ as the cause, except that our ordinary level economics class taught us that recession is a factor of drop in productivity.

Economists call it Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is to say that an economy need not go into recession simply because people steals otherwise, all capitalist countries will be on permanent recession mode because ‘corruption’ is built into capitalist or market-force driven economy.

So what is responsible for Nigeria’s arrested development?.

In the words of Prof. Akinyemi Onigbide, Nigeria economy cannot enjoy a sustainable growth and neither can it be diversified because there is even no basis for economic growth.

If we recall the idea of diversification of the economy, as a major policy option of the present administration, first hinted at by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, it was no more than political-gallery acting, as his widely reported statement was a deliberate subversion of strident calls, by different sections of the Nigerian polity, for a review of terms of co-existence by Nigerians.
These agitations, calling for the rebuilding of the Nigerian state, is contained in the code-name of ‘restructuring' and would provide the bench mark for true growth and development.

Nigeria will continue to remain in a state of suspended animation, economically, as long as some sections of the Nigerian nation space feel short-changed by the Nigeria political economy, due, largely, to the operations of present structure of the Nigerian state.

It is only in Nigeria, purporting to run a federal system of Administration that a serious business of policing is centralized, where an Edo-born and nurtured police officer is expected to secure the people of Kibiya in Kano state.
But why is it difficult for policy makers to know that policing, as subset of security matter, is a local affair?.
Truth is, as long as the centre holds a ‘veto power’ over the economic activities of Nigeria so-called federal units, Nigeria's manifest destiny will remain dormant.

Again, we speak of ‘diversification’ of the economy which means that states should seek other areas or means of generating income internally instead of depending on monthly allocations from the centre, whose income has dwindled, due partly to less of our mono-cultural product being demanded on the international market because alternatives to our only export ( crude oil) are being daily patronized.

Again, let us agree that even if there is
peace in the Niger Delta, and we are meeting our quota for export, we must also agree that oil is a vanishing and non-renewable product. Hence, the urgent need for ‘diversification.’

Regrettably, ‘diversification’ can hardly proceed as a policy-option without the requisite infrastructure procurement. And infrastructure procurement is hinged on the constitutional resolution of the ‘First Principle’, says Prof. Onigbide.

Many still posits and believes that Internally Generated Revenue is the only way states of the Federation can be freed from feeding bottle of the Nigerian government over extended state with some states already a testimony to it.

It becomes more interesting here because aside the Agriculture productive sector which is still left untapped, let us take a look at the mineral resources at our disposal of which many are ignorant of because we elect leaders with no knowledge of their field of leadership. We will start from the federal capital, which is Abuja and narrow it to the least in alphabetical order.

Abuja is rich in Marbel, clay, Tentalite, Cassiterite, Gold (Partially investigated), Lead/Zink (Traces), Dolomite

Abia is home of Gold, Salt, Limestone, Lead/Zink, Crude Oil

Adamawa state is endowed with Kaolin, Bentonite, Gypsium, Magnesite
Akwa Ibom: Lead/Zink, Clay, Uranium (Traced), Salt, Lignite (Traced)

Anambra is filled with Lead/Zink, Clay, Limestone,
Iron Ore, Lignite (Partially investigated), Salt, glass, Sand, Phosphate, Gypsium, Crude Oil

Bayelsa is home of Clay, Limestone, Gypsium (Partially investigated), Uranium (Partially investigated), Manganese, Lignite, Lead/Zink (Traces)

Bauchi has lots of Amethst (violet), Gypisum, Lead/Zink (Traces), Cranium (Partially investigated)

Benue state is endowed with Lead/Zink, Limestone, Iron-Ore, Coal, Clay, Marble, Sekt, Berytes (traces), Gem stones, Gypsium

Borno state houses Diatomites, Clay, Limestone, Hydro-carbon, oil and gas (partially investigated), Gypsium, Kaoline, Bentonite

Cross River is known for Limestone, Uranium Manganese, Lignite, Lead/Zink, Salt, Crude Oil

Delta state is known for Marble, Glass sand, Gypsium, Lignite, Iron-Ore, Kaoline

Ebonyi state is blessed with Lead, gold shocked, salt

Edo is blessed with Marble, Lignite, Clay, Limestone, Iron-Ore, Gypsium, Glass Sand, Gold, Dolomite-phosphate, Bitumen, Crude oil

Ekiti state has Kaoline, Feldsper, Tatium, Granite, Synite

Enugu state has always been known for Coal, Limestone, Lead/Zink
Gombe: Gemstone, Gypsium

Imo state is known for Lead/Zink, Limestone, Lignite, Phosphate, Gypsium, Salt, Crude Oil

Jigawa state is blessed with Batytes

Kaduna state is endowed with Sapphire, Kaoline, Gold, Clay Supenitinite, Asbestos, Amethyst, Kayginte, Graphite (partially investigated), Silhnite, Mica (Traces), Aqua Marine, Ruby, Rock Crystal, Topaz, Flosper, Tourmaline, Gemstone, Tantalime

Kano, Prrochinre, Lassiterite, Copper, Glass sand, Gemstone, Lead/Zink, Tatalite

Katsina: Kaoline, Marbel, Salt

Kebbi: Gold

Kogi: Iron-Ore, Kaoline, Gypsium, Fieldsper, Coal, Marble, Iron-Ore, Cassiterite, Colubite, tantalite, Fieldspar (Traces) Mica (Traces)

Lagos: Glass sand, Clay, Bitumen, crude Oil

Nasarawa: Bery (emerald), Asquamite and Haliodor), Dolomite/Marbel, Sappire, Tourmaline, Quartz-Amethyst (Topaz gamet), Zireon, tantalite, cassterite, columbite, Limenite, Galena, Iron-Ore, Barytes, Falspar, Limestone, Mica, Cooking Coal, Talco Clay, Salt,Chalcopyrite
Niger: gold, Talc, Lead/Zink

Ogun: Phosphate, Clay, Fieldspar (traces), Kaoline, Limestone, Gemstone, Bitumen Crude Oil

Ondo: Bitumen, Kaoline, Gemstone, Fieldspar, Granite, Clay, Glass sand, Coal, Crude Oil

Osun: Gold, Talc, Tourmaline, Columbite, Granite, Marble, Clay

Oyo: Kaoline, Marble, Clay, Sillimote, Talc, Tale, Gold, Cassiterite, Dolomite, Gemstone

Plateau: Emrald, Tin, Marble, Granite, Tantalite/Columbite, Lead/zink, Barytes, Iron-Ore, Kaoline, Beronite, Cassitenite, Plurochlore, Clay, Coal, wolifam, Salt, Bismuth, Fluoride, Molybdonite, Fluoride, Molybelemine, Gemstone, Dioxide.

Rivers: Glass sand, Clay, Marble, Lignite (Traces), Crude Oil

Sokoto: Kaolin, Gold, Limestone, Phosphate Gysium, Silicon-sand, Clay, Laterite, Potash, Flakes, Gold, Salt

Taraba: Kaoline, Soda Ash (Partially investigated).

And lastly,
Zamfara with abundance of Coal, Cotton and Gold.

But because of the way our country is structured, politically, as enshrined in the 1999 fraudulent constitution, states can do very little in accessing the mineral resources underneath its soil, as only the Federal Government can accord explorers and miners. And given the atavistic nature of our retail politics, hinged, essentially on zero-sum equation, where it is “winner takes all”, such requested mandate on economic activity in States may be denied in Abuja, especially if the said state government is under the administration of a different political party from the one in the nation’s capital.

The Imperative of Restructuring can not be overemphasized at this point where the world has become a global village with countries diversifying to ICT, Agriculture and sustainable energy.

It is time we remind ourselves of why we are being asked to ‘diversify’ and decipher the benefits thereof.

Let us know that diversification and restructuring is a call meant to steer us from the ‘feeding bottle’ federalism from one local government to the centre of power, every month end.

To receive from the ‘lord of manor’, is benevolence but
Lets not forget, for a moment, that what we are being ‘dashed’ by the putative benefactor are proceeds from the beneficiaries, constitutionally warehoused to the central from where the states receive a token of their contributions.

At this junction, Nigeria need less prayers because he that answers prayers has given even before men were placed on planet earth, Nigeria inclucive.

However, we just need to arrange the terms and conditions of our relationships, to co-exist under equity and justice and Nigeria will flourish.


Idemudia Franca
Journalist
Clevenard.com.

Category:

Economy