The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • On LAMATA/National Theatre transportation partnership

    On LAMATA/National Theatre transportation partnership

    Sir: In a strategic move aimed at enhancing accessibility and boosting economic activity, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is exploring a collaborative partnership with the National Theatre, now known as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts. The alliance is focused on exploring opportunities for joint efforts in transportation infrastructure development within the complex.

    The collaboration is poised to yield significant benefits for both institutions and the city at large. With three major rail lines – Blue, Red, and Yellow – converging at the National Theatre, the collaboration is poised to transform the National Theatre into a more accessible and vibrant hub for arts, culture, and entertainment, while also driving economic growth for the entire Lagos metropolis. 

    To the discerning, the collaboration between LAMATA and the National Theatre is expected to have a far-reaching impact on various fronts. 

    Firstly, it would improve accessibility. The integration of rail lines and other transportation options will enhance accessibility to the National Theatre for residents and tourists alike, stimulating cultural participation and boosting tourism.

    It is equally expected to spur economic growth. Yes, by facilitating easier access to the complex, the partnership is expected to boost the local economy through increased patronage of businesses, restaurants, parks, art stores and other businesses.

    Importantly, it will create jobs. The development of transportation infrastructure and the subsequent increase in visitor numbers will create employment opportunities in various sectors, contributing to the city’s economic growth.

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    Moreover, the LAMATA/National Theatre collaboration will boost urban development. The partnership aligns with Lagos’ broader urban development goals, promoting sustainable and efficient transportation systems. By providing improved transportation options, the collaboration will support the National Theatre’s mission to promote Nigerian culture and arts on a global stage.

    The impact of this partnership extends far beyond the National Theatre itself. By improving transportation infrastructure, LAMATA and the National Theatre are creating a catalyst for economic growth in the surrounding area. Increased foot traffic will boost local businesses, generating employment opportunities and tax revenue for the government. Additionally, the revitalized National Theatre is expected to become a major tourist attraction, contributing to Lagos’ reputation as a vibrant and culturally rich city.

    To fully appreciate the potential impact of the LAMATA-National Theatre partnership, it’s essential to examine successful transportation-culture collaborations from around the world.

    Take the Southbank Centre, the iconic cultural complex on the South Bank of the Thames in London. It is a significant cultural venue that benefits from the convenient access to the London Underground and public transportation. Its location contributes to its status as a thriving cultural and commercial hub, drawing millions of visitors each year to its various events and activities.

    In New York, the Lincoln Centre, situated near several subway lines, has successfully leveraged its convenient location to draw diverse audiences. The area has also experienced significant commercial development, contributing to the city’s economy.

    The UNESCO World Heritage site in Barcelona, Palau de la Música Catalana, is easily accessible by public transportation, including metro, bus, and tram. The venue’s integration with the city’s transport network has been instrumental in its success as a major tourist attraction.

    By studying these and other successful case studies, LAMATA and the National Theatre can identify best practices and tailor them to the specific needs of Lagos. 

    As the partnership progresses, LAMATA and the National Theatre must demonstrate commitment to keep the public abreast of the project’s milestones and achievements. Through open communication and engagement, they can build public support and ensure that the benefits of this transformative initiative are shared by all.

    To maximize the economic benefits, the partnership should focus on developing integrated transportation solutions that include not only rail but also bus services, pedestrian walkways, and cycling lanes. This multimodal approach will ensure that visitors have a variety of options to choose from, regardless of their mobility needs.

    While the potential benefits of this partnership are immense, there are also challenges to be addressed. These include issues such as traffic congestion, parking availability, and the need for adequate infrastructure to support increased passenger volumes. To overcome these challenges, LAMATA and the National Theatre must be willing to work closely with other government agencies, private sector partners, and community stakeholders.

     The partnership represents a long-term investment in Lagos’ future. By creating a world-class transportation hub at the National Theatre, the city is positioning itself as a leader in sustainable urban development. This project serves as a model for other cultural and entertainment venues, demonstrating the power of collaboration to drive positive change.

    •Elvis Eromosele elviseroms@gmail.com

  • Nigeria failing to protect its children

    Nigeria failing to protect its children

    • By Ike Willie-Nwobu

    A society where children are prone to abuse would always condone excuses for exposing children to horrific abuse. Such a society often shields the worst offenders or punishes them minimally before cutting them loose to continue their sadistic abuse of children.

    The case of 13-year-old Bridget Samuel in Taraba State is particularly pathetic. Falsely accused of stealing N5000, her hands were tied by two of her uncles and dipped in hot water mixed with pepper and sand. The horrific cruelty coupled with the fact that she was not immediately given medical attention may end up causing the permanent loss of her hands.

    The punishment meted out to Bridget which was for an unconfirmed act of theft highlights the dangers children face at the hands of adults who are supposed to protect them. No matter the crime the child committed there could have been no justification for the cruelty with which she was treated.

    Children remain tragically exposed to abuse in Nigeria where constant referrals as leaders of tomorrow is fast receding behind a cloud of complacency.

    It has been more than two decades since Nigeria passed the Child Rights Act, yet, safety has only marginally improved for Nigerian children. As with the myriad of laws passed in Nigeria, the law has been bogged down by the bogeyman of implementation.

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    Nigeria owes every Nigerian child a debt that can only be repaid by lifelong security, quality education, healthcare, social security and other variables that firm up a quality life. Generations have gone with this debt remaining unpaid.  This sequence must be snapped if the country’s future is to beat its past.

    Nigeria faces a catastrophic reckoning if the authorities do not commit more resources to protecting children.  Children are the future. Abused children will bring up an abused future. Scarred children will bring up a future mapped with scars and neglect.

    Education and sensitization about child care and protection must continue for parents, guardians, and the society at large. Those entrusted with the care of children must be made to understand that there are clear lines that cannot be crossed under any circumstances in the care of children. This is important to keep children safe always.

    For now, with child abuse rife, Nigeria needs to hold a conversation with its children about the kind of life and future they want. Without this heartfelt conversation, the needless suffering of children will continue to endanger the future of an entire country.

    •Ike Willie-Nwobu,

    Ikewilly9@gmail.com

  • Olatunji Dare: As a titan bows out

    Olatunji Dare: As a titan bows out

    • By Usman Bulama

    Sir: The name Olatunji Dare has been ringing bell for over three decades in the sphere or elitist journalism. I saw him only once and for that matter at a distance while visiting The Guardian newspapers promises in 1991. However, I have been glued to his columns all these while as he wrote  for The Guardian and until  now as he wrote for The Nation newspapers.

    He isn’t your run of the mill journalist reporting mundane stories and writing about gossips around town or making commentaries on sports; apologies to those who do these activities; for what is a newspaper without such contents? The media in general educates, inform and entertain.  In all these, the field journalist is the nexus of the newspaper house.  However, my segregating approach in describing our subject – Olatunji Dare, is because of his uniqueness as a multi-faceted communicator.

    A professor at various universities at home and abroad who churned out and mentored many journalists who in their own right have become celebrated. He as well writes with fecundity all these years without a hiatus that I can remember. He has written over and over again whether in his Matters Arising while in The Guardian newspapers; or At Home Abroad in The Nation newspapers. His educative and informative articles discussed a plethora of subjects ranging from politics, economy and the egalitarian society all persons of conscience yearn for. He along with others told truth to leaders, defended citizen’s rights and imparted knowledge. 

    A satirist, an art in which he has no equal-thus someone describing him a man of style, biting satire and rib cracking humour and wit. And, he is an eminent columnist who for many is a must read. He is in a class of scholarly communicators in The Nation newspapers  that have created a niche for themselves. The professor is nothing less than a maven in the field of journalism and an activist par-excellence. One rarely comes across such selfless people who commit themselves for public service and do so without pecuniary expectations in a materialistic milieu such as ours.

    What is more, his academic forays are said to be landmark achievements whether as a recipient of a first class degree in mass communications at the university of Lagos and post graduate studies in America, his stints as columnist at both The Guardian and The Nation newspapers were also stellar as he handled the pen in most amazing and impressive ways.   

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     The greatness of this man is summed up by a fellow columnist at The Nation as presented respectively: “Professor has been equally celebrated by all institutions he attended or worked, starting from the university of Lagos, Columbia and Indiana universities”.

    And the other says; “His retirement from The Nation’s back page as he clocked 80 isn’t just the end of a column, it is the dimming of a beacon that has illuminated the landscape of Nigerian journalism for decades”.

    Indeed, it is the dimming of a beacon for those of us who just could not miss reading his masterpieces. However, we take solace in the professor’s own words as he wrote his last column/epistle titled Farewell in The Nation of July 23. Thus Retiring the column is not the same as retiring from journalism……I should make it clear I am retiring from columnism not from journalism.

    That gladdens the hearts of his numerous admirers as once in a while we shall still read those scintillating and elegant prose. We wish professor an active and robust health as he hangs the pen for a well-deserved rest.

    •Usman Bulama,

    Mairi village, Maiduguri, Borno State.

  • How Nigeria can manage her diversity

    How Nigeria can manage her diversity

    By Stephen Olabode

    Though Nigeria has enjoyed 25 years of unbroken democratic rule since 1999, the nation still suffers from several issues along its diversity lines. While the democratic system has solved some of the problems caused by the military, it faces myriad of ethnic and cultural challenges, posing threat to national unity.

    This largely can be blamed on leadership and ineffective governance systems. Issues like insurgency, farmers-herders clashes, agitation for secession, communal conflicts, poverty, etc, have become order of the day. Despite Nigeria’s potential to thrive on the wings of diversity, poor leadership and corruption have caused a great setback. These corrupt practices, nepotism, favouritism, misappropriation, and embezzlement of public resources cause resentment and mistrust among diverse groups reinforcing stereotypes and creating tensions.

    Nigeria is yet to achieve full potentials of democracy. Communities in rural areas often lack access to dividends because there is no effectiveness of local government. A lot of these communities have suffered neglect and could not have a fair share of the federal allocation of resources needed for development. This causes marginalization and make them feel excluded.

    Ordinarily, no human will feel safe where their interests are not protected. More reason why groups from various parts of the country have been calling for secession owing to claims that their interests are no longer safe in the country. Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah said at the 21st convocation ceremony of the University of Abuja that, “when people do not feel a sense of being equal before the law, then differences become manifest”.

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    Embracing inclusion in all facets of Nigerian society is essential for effectively managing the country’s diverse cultural landscape. We must rejig and redesign our educational system entirely to celebrate and promote our cultural values.

    For instance, only the indigenous languages of major tribes are taught as subjects in schools. Moving on, provisions must be made to include the indigenous languages of other minority groups in school curriculum and should be taught to interested students. This will give these tribes a sense of relevance, preserve culture richness, and promote value.

    While the federal system of government is crucial in promoting national integration and unity, it has been observed that the system has attracted too much concentration of powers to the centre. In a democratic society, power belongs to the people. As such, Nigeria must decentralize power as a way to promote inclusion, effectiveness, and solve diversity issues by reintroducing regional government and local government autonomy.

    To further strengthen cohesion and unity, the government should give more recognition to minority and marginalized ethnic groups through sports and tourism development. Cultural heritage sites and artefacts should be developed and protected as national assets. Our National Sports Festival should include more indigenous sporting activities, especially those of the minorities.

    It is important that every citizen embrace one identity regardless of our different language and tribe. The individuality of Nigeria’s Atlanta ’96 winning team did not carry their various ethnic identity to the Olympics but a single national identity. This, we must emulate to build a nation of our dreams.

    The effort to manage our diversity must be an intentional and a concerted one. Through national orientation, good leadership, legislation, and policymaking, Nigeria can harness the strength of its diversity to propel the nation towards a future where tribes and tongues harmonize in a symphony of progress and prosperity.

    • Stephen Olabode, Abuja.

  • Food for thought

    Food for thought

    Figures released last week by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its Selected Food Price Watch for June 2024 showed that the public outcry over crushing food inflation in the country is not baseless.

    For instance, NBS said the prices of tomatoes, beans, and yam rose by about 300 percent in June 2024 from their previous prices in the corresponding period of 2023. These are staple food items, and the astronomical increase in their prices suggests that many Nigerians are struggling to survive the food crisis. 

    According to NBS, the average price of 1kg of yam tuber increased by 295.79 percent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis from N510.77 in June 2023 to N 2,021.55 in May 2024. On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 52.87 percent from N 1,322.36 in May 2024 to N 2,021.55 in June 2024.

    Also, the average price of 1kg beans (brown, sold loose) stood at N2,292.76, indicating a rise of 252.13 percent in price on a YoY basis from N651.12 recorded in June 2023; and a 14.11 percent rise in price on a month-on-month basis from N2,009.23 in May 2024.

    The price of tomatoes (1kg) increased year on year by 320.67 percent from N547.28 in June of 2023 to N2,302.26 in June 2024. On a month-on-month basis, the average price of this item rose by 55.59 percent from N1,479.69 in May 2024.

    The average price of 1kg garri (white, sold loose) went up by 181.66 percent on a year-on-year basis from N403.15 in June 2023 to N1,135.51 in June 2024.

    The report also indicated that the price of 1kg Irish potatoes grew by 288.5 percent to N2,423.27 in June 2024 from N623.75 in June 2023.

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    Notably, Nigerians continue to complain about the cost of rice.  NBS in April said the average price of 1kg rice (local, sold loose) was N1, 399.34 from N546.76 recorded in April 2023.

    Predictably, the result is food insecurity compounding the situation of many already embattled Nigerians. NBS figures last year showed that Nigeria’s annual inflation rose strikingly in September 2023. In October 2023, the country’s headline inflation rate rose to 27.33 percent from 26.72 percent recorded in September. The figure marked the 10th consecutive rise in the country’s inflation rate last year.

    The result was an alarmingly deteriorating cost-of-living crisis in the country. Economic analysts blamed the grim situation mainly on naira depreciation, higher food and energy prices, and logistical costs, among others. What has changed? This is food for thought.

     It is important to ask what the federal, state and local governments have done, and what they are doing to save Nigerians from hardship.  They are expected to urgently find solutions to the cost-of-living issues in the spaces they govern. 

  • Protest: Let’s choose wisely

    Protest: Let’s choose wisely

    Sir: Nigeria faces challenges whenever progress seems within reach. Some individuals, who benefit from destabilization, oppose advancements and incite public unrest. By comparing Nigeria to Kenya and emulating their protest strategies, they risk bringing further destruction—looting, stealing, and bloodshed. Such actions could lead to widespread condemnation of the current government, destabilize the nation, and provoke unpredictable future administrations. The irreversible losses from the EndSARS protest serve as a stark reminder.

    The current administration may face criticism, especially if another protest erupts. This is precisely what those opposed to Nigeria’s progress desire. The saying, “The pot that will contain a good stew will get seriously hot,” highlights that good things require patience. While destruction is swift, rebuilding takes time.

    President Tinubu’s administration is laying a solid foundation for Nigeria’s growth through the removal of subsidies and liberalization of forex. These reforms aim to fight corruption, promote fiscal discipline, and create a stable investment environment crucial for long-term prosperity.

    Removing fuel subsidies alleviates the fiscal burden on the government, reallocating funds to vital areas like infrastructure, education, and healthcare. In 2022, Nigeria spent over $7 billion on subsidies, draining public funds and enabling corruption. A 2012 report by Nigeria’s House of Representatives indicated that $6.8 billion was lost to corruption in the subsidy regime between 2009 and 2011. Eliminating subsidies promotes transparency, encourages market efficiency, and stimulates investment in alternative energy sources.

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    Liberalizing forex allows the exchange rate to be market-driven, addressing disparities between official and black market rates, which have fuelled corruption. A transparent forex regime attracts foreign investment by providing stability and reducing currency fluctuation risks. This policy has started to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI), essential for economic growth and job creation. Additionally, a market-driven exchange rate makes Nigerian exports more competitive, supporting diverse sectors like agriculture and manufacturing.

    Since these reforms, Nigeria has seen improved economic stability. The removal of subsidies has reduced fiscal deficits, and forex liberalization has stabilized the naira. Increased oil sector revenue is now funding social programs and infrastructure projects, enhancing Nigerians’ quality of life. Corruption related to fuel subsidies and forex allocations has decreased, with anti-corruption agencies better equipped to tackle fraud.

    While the current administration’s efforts may not yet meet everyone’s expectations, they are expected to yield positive outcomes in the near future. Despite tough times, let’s believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. As patriotic citizens, let the change we desire start with us and our household. By fulfilling our civic duties, together we can work towards making Nigeria great again.

    •Haroon Aremu, (NYSC)Abuja.

  • Protest: A call to patriotism

    Protest: A call to patriotism

    Sir: The call for a nationwide protest against hardship on Thursday, August 1, has caused anxiety among Nigerians. There are divergent views about whether the protest should be held or not. Using what happened during the EndSARS protests, which led to the loss of lives and properties, as a precedent, it will be difficult to predict the outcome of such a protest. There are fears it may be hijacked by hoodlums and become violent.

    The question arises: how did we get here? The economic policies introduced by the administration have brought untold hardship, though they were expected to be short-term and yield long-term economic benefits for the nation. Apart from the hardship, there is also an issue of trust in the government. The current level of unease and anger among Nigerians could have been avoided if the government had handled its affairs better.

    Words can start and end a war. Government officials and political office-holders should be sensitive, and avoid careless statements while communicating with the public through press interviews, press releases, social media, etc. Additionally, the Nigerian government should match its words with actions to build trust. Also giving timelines that cannot be met should be discouraged.

    The government, having promised Nigerians that their sacrifices will pay off; should also be seen to be making sacrifices and cutting costs. For example, political office holders should be encouraged to reduce the sizes of their convoys, the number of their aides, the number of foreign trips, and the size of their delegations. Flamboyance should be discouraged.

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    The approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities, including husked brown rice, wheat, maize, and cowpeas through land and sea for 150 days, and the proposed importation of 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and maize by the federal government should have come earlier. It is worrisome that weeks after the announcement, food prices are still soaring, as it seems full implementation of the food importation policy has not commenced.

    Nigerians should be made more aware of the achievements of the Tinubu administration and their significance. Some major achievements include the payment of the seven billion dollars in forex backlogs, the unification of the forex market, the student loans scheme, the consumer credit scheme, and the Renewed Hope Housing scheme. Ironically, many people aware of these achievements do not understand their significance and may therefore trivialize them. The National Orientation Agency has a big role to play in this regard.

    The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative has dragged on. Nigerians still await the CNG buses promised by the federal government, aimed at reducing transportation costs, which have been a significant challenge. The high cost of transportation has made it difficult for people to commute to their places of work or business. It has also significantly impacted the prices of goods and services. Any government intervention that reduces transportation costs would be appreciated.

    The call for a nationwide protest is understandable given the hardship Nigerians are going through. However, it should be discouraged as it may result in a worse outcome than the EndSARS protest. The government has once again called for patience. The current situation calls for more patriotism from Nigerian leaders and citizens alike.

    •Kenechukwu Aguolu,Abuja.

  • Dangote Refinery and other matters

    Dangote Refinery and other matters

    Sir: Petrol and electricity are the oxygen of any nation. Once these two crucial resources are restricted, the nation struggles to breathe. Many Nigerians were surprised by the information that Nigeria’s petroleum importation from Malta surged significantly to $2.8 billion in 2023, up from zero importation between 2017 and 2022. On the other hand, the majority of Nigerians were unhappy with the news that the $19 billion Dangote Refinery is struggling due to poor supply of crude oil and other hindrances from government agencies that are supposed to support such a national asset.

    For most Nigerians, the Dangote Refinery represents hope and the expectation of lower petroleum prices. Regardless of the various opinions people hold about Dangote, he has accomplished what Nigeria as a nation has failed to achieve in decades. In fact, in the last 10 years, only six countries in the entire world have managed to build new massive petroleum refineries; one of them is the Dangote Refinery. The others include China, which has added multiple new refineries like the 400,000 barrels per day (b/d) Yulong Petrochemical Plant and the 300,000 b/d Shenghong Refinery; Kuwait’s Al-Zour refinery with a capacity of 615,000 b/d, which started operations in 2021; Saudi Arabia’s Jazan refinery with a capacity of 400,000 b/d, also operational since 2021; and Oman’s Duqm Refinery, with a capacity of 230,000 b/d, which commenced operations in 2022.

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    Additionally, India has expanded its refining capacity with new units at the Ratnagiri refinery.

    Nigeria’s importation of petroleum products was initially intended as a temporary solution to address the insufficient supply from Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries. However, due to inefficiency and corruption, this temporary measure has become a permanent solution.

    In Nigeria, the prices of refined petroleum products are heavily influenced by import-related factors. There are over ten components contributing to the landing cost of petrol, including freight, port charges, the NMDPRA 1% levy, storage costs, marine insurance, lightering, the NMDPRA COQ and NOA, Q&Q analysis, letter of credit fees, and interest. Additionally, the high exchange rate further inflates the price of imported petrol. To eliminate these extra costs, local refining is the only viable solution. Nigeria’s only option for now is the Dangote refinery.

    Many Nigerians, both ordinary citizens and bureaucrats, view the $19 billion Dangote refinery as an asset and a blessing to Nigeria. It has the potential to liberate Nigeria from decades of dependence on petrol importation, which is one of the major causes of pressure on the Naira and scarcity of the dollar. The Dangote refinery will position Nigeria on the map of nations exporting both crude and refined petroleum products, as well as fertilizer. Dangote Fertiliser is one of the largest fertilizer plants in the world, with an annual production capacity of 3 million metric tonnes of urea. Nigeria’s annual urea fertilizer needs are only 1.5 million metric tonnes.

    Dangote has already demonstrated his capability in the cement industry. With Dangote Cement, Nigeria is a net exporter. Nigeria boasts one of the largest cement industries in Africa, with a combined production capacity of over 58.9 million metric tonnes per year among major producers. Due to Dangote’s significant cement production capacity, Nigeria not only satisfies its domestic cement needs but also exports to neighbouring countries, enhancing regional trade and economic integration.

    Let the Dangote refinery be! It will transform the Nigerian oil and gas industry into a net exporter of refined petroleum products.

    •Zayyad I. Muhammad,Abuja.

  • Enter, the new PMG?

    Enter, the new PMG?

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, well-garlanded laureate of open letters to the powers-that-be, and revered postmaster-general (PMG) of self-serving missives, has been quiet of late.

    But no bother!  Dele Momodu, Ovation Magazine publisher — loud ovation, ladies and gentlemen! — seems taking a leave from reporting the rich and the spoilt; and sprucing up the image of Diezani Allison-Madueke (beg your pardon, Diezani Agama). He is rearing to go as the new PMG!

    Watch it, Ebora Owu!  This Edo boy is gunning to annex your fiefdom!

    Indeed, Dele Momodu has been excitable latterly.  First, he fired an open letter to President Bola Tinubu.  No crime, to be sure. 

    It’s a season of opportunistic anger; and pocket messiahs, pseudo-public affairs philosophers, and emergency champions of the masses, are on the over-drive, bawling  “truth to power”. 

    It’s a noble racket too good not to be milked, in this season of sweet hysteria!

    But in Momodu’s phantom talks, he hit on the quality of cabinets; and darkly said someone had exported the “Lagos template” somewhere; pontificating about glorious cabinets belonging to the Babangida era (though he admitted his June 12 executive suicide); and the Obasanjo presidential epoch — did Dele remember Baba Iyabo’s third term gambit?

    The latest neophyte in the PDP camp is behaving true to type.  When you drink from that pool, you’re fated to forgetfulness and you start merrily hallucinating!

    Or how else would Momodu compare Obasanjo-era federal cabinet to the Lagos cabinet of that time (1999-2007), which became a national reference; and in the last 25 years has continued to throw up sheer and rare quality in the political bureaucracy?

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    Still, for context.  While Obasanjo, with brilliant cabinet in tow, was bragging that Lagos was “a jungle”, Tinubu, then Lagos governor,  was re-setting that “jungle”, weaning it from Abuja’s feeding bottle, and building its economy, which now is bigger than most African countries’.

    Polices don’t lie, do they?  Today, Lagos has two urban rail lines — Blue rail, already in use; Red rail, soon to follow.  Might someone remind Momodu that Obasanjo tried hard to shut down that rail dream, claiming rail corridors were a federal exclusive?

    Even more dramatic: Obasanjo’s brilliant federal cabinet, with “the Fixer”, the late Tony Anenih as Works minister, was shovelling sand at the roaring Atlantic that threatened to gobble up the entire Victoria Island.  Lagos, with smarter thinking, built a new town, the Lagos Atlantic City from that misery, saving VI and Lekki to the bargain.

    So, how can Momodu’s so-called “Lagos template” be a curse to anyone, talk less Abuja, which had been taking tutorials in impactful policies from Lagos since 1999?

    Yeah, talk is cheap; with too many gullible minds to be scammed, in this epoch of X, FB and sundry social media verbal diarrhoea. 

    Still, Momodu should check his facts before making empty populist posts, that do nothing but cynically milk current challenges.

  • Food insecurity: Legislature farms as core constituency projects

    Food insecurity: Legislature farms as core constituency projects

    The greatest of all challenges facing this nation is food insecurity. Remember the popular saying: “A hungry man is an angry man.” When people are hungry, they become disoriented and vulnerable to temptations. Many of the hungry people could sell their soul for a plate of porridge. Malnutrition is so widespread among children that parents and health providers assume the children’s lethargy and stunting to be normal.

    Ensuring food security has become an issue of key importance to people and government of Nigeria, and demands the support of all well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians. At a session on Thursday July 18, 2024, members of the House of Representatives agreed to slash 50 per cent of their monthly salaries for six months as part of their financial contribution to fight hunger in the country. That is commendable, but I believe the Honourable Representatives can do better.  Nigeria like many African countries is more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because we rely on rain-fed agriculture for food and livelihoods. Small-scale agriculture presents an opportunity to improve the livelihoods of the rural poor and ensure food security; however, many of the rural farmers, who had previously managed to successfully cultivate crops for subsistence use and to supplement their income, now experience poor yields or have ceased production due to attacks by terrorists and bandits.

    Increasing climate variability, fluctuating temperature and rainfall patterns, is an indicator that agricultural processes will not remain the same as crop and ecosystem responses are also expected to change. These changes comprise variations in nutrient cycling, changes in evapotranspiration, soil moisture content, as well as changes in pest incidences and plant diseases, all these entirely impact food production and food security.

    A resilient agricultural system is important in mitigating the effects of climate change.  Resilience is defined as the ability or tendency of a system to maintain its organizational structure and efficiency after perturbation. Therefore, a resilient agricultural system will keep producing high crop yields even after severe climate changes such as droughts or significant rainfall reductions. Crop biodiversity can therefore provide the connection between climatic stress and resilience of the system because a diversity of organisms is important for ecosystems to perform optimally and provide essential services. Furthermore, integrating graduates for the national youth service programs as part of the agricultural workforce would go a long way to enhance productivity.  I therefore suggest that the places of primary assignment of all Youth Corp drafts should henceforth be farms and other agricultural value chains.

    Once upon a time, all food was organic. The worldwide population has increased tremendously. Unsurprisingly, the demand for food has grown beyond imagination. And so, humans have discovered different ways of growing food. Inorganic food is one of the results of those discoveries. Organic food is grown naturally without synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, pesticides, or hormones.  Inorganic foods include food grown using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and growth hormones; food with preservatives added to increase its shelf life is inorganic.

    To ensure increased and sustainable crop productivity, Nigeria should embrace improved crop varieties that are adapted to diverse environments. Improved varieties help in building crop resilience to diseases, crop pests and environmental stresses such as the emergence of new pests. However, some Nigerians including members of the National Assembly have reservations about improved crop varieties. If the aversion to inorganic food especially those derived from genetically modified organism (GMO) is very strong, we should take drastic steps towards organic food production.

    Young people do not want to work in a sector where work conditions are inadequate and ‘dirty’ work must be performed. Modernization has the potential to attract the interest of young people. Adopting innovative practices (using robotics, satellite-based crop monitoring, farm management software, etc.) would encourage the younger generation to take over farms and improve the viability of farms.

    The problem of nation-building predisposed Nigeria’s ruling elite to thinking that the youths, who would be the country’s future leaders, would help to address its national challenges after the 1967-1970 Civil War. Government, therefore, came up with the idea of National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) which must start with the graduate youths.  But, the students thought otherwise. They were mostly of the opinion that national service ought to be inclusive, sparing no segment of the population such as ministers, public officers and parents. Whatever their agitations and demands were in this period were put to rest when government held a dialogue with representatives of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) and subsequently went ahead to establish the scheme in 1973.

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    In 2017, all River Basin Development Authorities in Nigeria were instructed to set up at least one Integrated Organic Farm patterned after the Songhai Model in Porto-Novo, République du Bénin, in each Senatorial District in Nigeria. I doubt if the task was carried out, because nothing like that in my home state, Enugu or state of residence, Lagos. We could revisit that arrangement, establishing the integrated farms in the 109 Senatorial zones of the federation for the NYSC primary assignments.  

    Students might disagree with this suggestion, just as they opposed the initial idea of NYSC. In preempting the students’ resistance, I suggest also the members of National Assembly (Senators/Representatives) in whose constituencies the farms are sited be involved as farm managers, adopting the proposed farm projects as their core constituency projects. The National Assembly members will engage their staff at the constituency offices as part of the farm workforce and supervisors.  Security operatives should be available to protect the farms.

    Food is the most basic of the three basic human needs and apart from sustaining the individual and making him fit for work and for play; it is also a national power. A nation that is self-sufficient or nearly self-sufficient in food production will become a respected actor in the international stage and will be playing from the position of strength. The one that cannot feed itself and therefore becomes a charity case must inevitably lose respect in the international arena.

    Those who know better say: “agricultural growth is three times more effective in reducing extreme poverty than growth in other sectors.  Such growth is heavily dependent on private-sector investments and functioning market mechanisms.”  I therefore call on private sector investors to join forces with the government in fighting food insecurity.