Like many other states in the country, agriculture serves as the mainstay of Gombe State economy, employing about 75 per cent of residents. In this report, SOLA SHITTU examines how relative peace has yielded an increase in agriculture production in the state

Agriculture continues to play a crucial role in world development, especially in low-income countries like Nigeria where the sector is large both in terms of aggregate income and total labour force. According to United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report for 2022, despite hopes that the world would emerge more quickly from COVID-19 pandemic and food security would begin to recover from 2021, the pandemic held its grip and even tightened it in some parts of the world.

“The rebound of gross domestic product (GDP) growth observed in most countries in 2021 did not translate into gains in food security in the same year. Enormous challenges are still faced by those who continue to be the most affected: those with less wealth, lower and more unstable incomes and poorer access to critical basic services. The COVID-19 pandemic increased inequalities between countries and within countries that the economic recovery has not yet been able to reverse.”

Apart from the fundamental role of providing food and raw materials, agriculture also provides employment opportunities to a large number of the population, and it’s the only sector that absorbs both literate and illiterate population in large numbers. This perhaps explained why, on May 29, 2019, when Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya assumed office, one of his first assignments in less than one month in office was the provision of fertilizer for the rainy farming season. This he did effortlessly to the surprise of many who had hitherto thought it was an impossible task.

In his campaign manifesto, Yahaya had promised to prioritise agriculture with a pledge to work based on the promises he made to the people of the state. “As the mainstay of our economy that engages over 75 per cent of our population, we would accord priority to agricultural development in efforts to diversify the economy and ensure food security. Consequent upon this, we shall ensure a timely and adequate supply of farming inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, seeds, etc. as well as provide agricultural credit facilities to our farmers.”

The commissioner for agriculture, Mohammed Magaji Gettado, said Gombe has always remained an agrarian state, but the potential was not tapped, especially in the area of livestock and livestock rearing. “On 29th of June, Governor Yahaya was able to flag off fertilizer sale at the subsidised rate and distributed 120 tons of fertilizer to all the eleven local government areas of the state within just one month. This has never been done before. Again, before, there was no vaccination for livestock. This is the third consecutive year we have been doing annual vaccination of livestock free of charge, which has positively affected over 1.5 million heads of cattle in the state. At the same time before the coming of this administration, nobody was talking of Wawa Zange grazing reserve at all.”

The military administration of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) established Wawa Zange grazing reserve, but the reserve has since remained abandoned by both the state and federal government. IBB was at Wawa Zange himself for the commissioning of the reserve.  Now, the administration of Governor Yahaya has taken up the challenge as part of efforts in fighting insecurity and curbing farmers/herders clash by collaborating with the federal government to resuscitate the grazing reserve.

“As of today, we have over 2.2 million herds of cattle in the Wawa Zange grazing reserve right now. We have collation center; we have grasses planted; we have boreholes; two road network for both the Western part and Eastern side; that is the Wawa side (East) and the Zange side (West). We are also desilting old dams and constructing a new dam because you cannot keep livestock where there is no water.”

Wawa Zange grazing reserve is linked with the cattle routes from Mali, Niger, Chad, Yobe, Gombe and Obudu cattle ranch in Cross Rivers State. As a matter of fact, the relative peace in Gombe State is traced back to the reactivation of Wawa Zange grazing reserve, which has helped in reducing to the barest minimum the cases of farmers/herders clash. The reserve is spread over four local government areas of the state, Duku, Nafada, Kwami and Funakaye. The state government has also employed 20 Range Guards under the state ministry of agriculture to provide surveillance for the reserve and prevent it from harbouring criminals. The Range Guards were provided with uniforms, rain boots and motorcycles.

In addition, three veterinary clinics were built by the state government, one hospital and a primary school for the families of the herders. The administration also set up a farmer/herders conflict resolution committee headed by the commissioner for agriculture with representatives from the farmers, herders, Miyetti Allah, traditional rulers and all the security agencies in the state. “We don’t want conflicts to happen; we would rather prevent it from happening. That was the reason why for the past three years, there was no serious conflict recorded here in Gombe. This year, the Governor warned everybody to ensure that no farm produce is affected whatsoever because farmers have suffered a lot with high cost of inputs and flooding. That was why he warned that no herder should come into Gombe State from the end of October to the end of January next year when harvest will be completed. Similarly, movement of herders from one local government area to another is also restricted for local herders. Night grazing was banned and farmers were not allowed to burn their farm leftovers but leave it for cattle to graze on after January.”

Gettado confirmed that because of all the machinery put in place to ensure peace, the state is recording a high increase in food and animal production. “Definitely, food production has increased and I am proud to say so because the number one thing every farmer needs is relative peace. Without peace, you may have your farm even just behind your house but may not be able to go there. So because of the relative peace we are enjoying in the state, most of our farmers have been able to increase the hectare of farm lands and thereby increase outputs.”

The increased output, according to him, was also the result of free provision of dry season farming inputs for farmers since 2019. “Despite the fact that we had COVID-19, yet the government in 2020 distributed more than 10,000 metric tons of fertilizer every year to farmers. That is more than 333, 000 metric tons of fertilizer in this small state. I am proud to tell you that in the whole of Nigeria, only Gombe State bought NPK 1515 fertilizer this year and gave it to farmers at subsidised rate.”

To him and other farmers in Gombe State, the Governor is not seen as an accountant but simply referred to and called “Inuwa gona gona, Inuwa ruga ruga” because he is the only governor that has provided their cattle with free animal vaccination for three consecutive years. The state government  has continuously assured the people of its determination and commitment towards ensuring self-sufficiency and sustainable food security, stimulating export of livestock and livestock products as well as creating wealth and job opportunities in the state.

So far, this administration has keyed into many agricultural initiatives at state, regional and national levels to boost its performances. To this end, in an attempt to increase access to agricultural extension/advisory scheme to farmers in the state, the state government has established across the three senatorial zones, additional five farm service centres in Kalshingi, Lodongor, Dukul, Dukku and Gelengu with some intervention of the North East Development Commission (NEDC). This project was complemented by another gigantic one that currently helps in the improvement of the sector, which was the establishment of Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Centre at Garin Tafida to fully equip young farmers with skills and knowledge on how to earn much from the sector while providing the needs of the people.

The government is also tapping into the great irrigation potentials of its three major dams of Dadin Kowa, Cham and Balanga in order to promote large-scale irrigation activities. The state’s farm service centers have been revived to serve as one-stop shops of agricultural services and have allocated about 250 hectares out of the 1000 hectares earmarked for the Gombe Industrial Park for the purpose of developing an Agricultural Industrial Cluster in order to provide room for enhancement of the agriculture value chain through the processing of agricultural commodities that are highly abound.

All these, together with many donor-driven and private sector-led initiatives, are turning Gombe’s agricultural sector around by diversifying its economy, improving productivity, enhancing revenue generation, creating jobs and promoting food security. In his desire to support and empower farmers’ associations and other relevant rural-based cooperative societies in order to facilitate easy access to grants and loans, the governor introduced the Cooperative Reactivation Project (CRP) which benefitted several farmers associations. Through this initiative, a great number of registered farmers associations secured grants and soft loans to improve their activities for improved yields. The governor’s interest in dry farming led to the government’s giant intervention in irrigation. This saw the construction of 32 tube wells and provision of accompanying water pumps accessories to farmers across the state.

To further improve on the supply of the fertiliser, the governor upon receipt of experts recommendation on the abandoned Gombe State Fertiliser Blending Plant, leased the facility to a leading producer of quality fertiliser in Nigeria, Tak-Agro & Chemical Ltd, for greater efficiency. This arrangement has become a win-win for the state, as the facility is back to life and its operations will generate revenue to the state, the difficulty in getting fertiliser supplied to the state in adequate quantity and on time is no more; and also, it has created job opportunities for youths in the state.

On the occasion of the 2022 Farming Season Fertiliser sales to farmers, held at Farm Service Center, Dukul, Kwami local government area, Governor Yahaya lamented that “for the 2022 wet farming season, security issues and other challenges have caused delay in the procurement, production and distribution process associated with this exercise.” To support the federal government agricultural intervention programmes in the state, the state government approved and disbursed all counterpart funds to commit itself in the implementation of the programmes: N45 million was paid as counterpart fund for UNDP/GEP project; N20 million was paid as counterpart fund for FADAMA III AF project; and N25 million to Leventis Foundation, Tumu, for training of students on modern farming.

As part of the commitment of the state government to agricultural development, especially the livestock sector, being one of the mainstays for livelihoods and economic emancipation of the people, the state government has keyed into the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) as well as Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) project of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which are aimed at improving livestock production and curbing farmers/herders clashes.

Barely two decades after Paris debt cancellation, Nigeria’s sovereign debt has reached an all-time high with over $103 billion (42.8 trillion), pushing the country towards another debt crisis. It is against this backdrop that the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), with support from Christian Aid (CA), organised a one-day forum on media presentation of research on the role of private creditors in Nigeria’s debt crisis where stakeholders agreed that for governments to desist from borrowing, it will have to maintain a realistic debt management model to help improve debt sustainability and fiscal prudence. Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF reports

The history and roles of international finance can be traced to 1944 when the two Bretton Woods institutions-World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD and the International Monetary  Fund (IMF) were created to respond to the global need for development finance.

With no provision for the private sector, over the years it remains a godfather to government of various nations in lending money. As every nation grows, so its financial needs increases and in the absence of resources, it will look for a way to sustain its economy. The accountability and transparency advocacy group’s main cry is predicated on the fact that despite the loans being taken, successive administrations in Africa’s most populous country have been unable to meet their obligations either for national economic growth and development or better life of the people, who are supposed to be major reason of government system.

Close to two decades after Paris debt buyback that saw Nigeria’s sovereign debt crashed to an almost ground zero, the debt burden of the country has now reached an all-time high of over $103 billion (N42.8 trillion) as at March 2022. It is against this backdrop that the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), with support from Christian Aid Nigeria, embarked on a one year research to address the self-inflicted financial burden. That is, the essence of the collaboration is to see how they can really campaign against the issue of private creditors. “Because they are difficult to be asked to give you a relief, multilateral, bilateral, you can easily negotiate for rescheduling or for loan forgiveness.”

Last Friday, CISLAC and Christian Aid Nigeria organised a one-day forum on media presentation of a research on the role of private creditors in Nigeria’s debt crisis where stakeholders agreed that for governments to desist from borrowing, it will have to embark on capital expenditure that will promote GDP and also maintain a realistic debt management model to help improve debt sustainability and fiscal prudence.

The research was a product of a 12-month project that centered on revealing and challenging the role of private creditors in hindering people’s recoveries to enhance the urgency with which the international community must address sovereign debt crises. The research was commissioned to fully highlight the Nigerian context and dimensions of the indebtedness to private creditors for policy options and deliberate efforts to ending it. According to the organisers, the ultimate outcome of the project aims to engender an international financial architecture and macroeconomic environment that enable the fulfilment of human rights and the undertaking of climate action in economies that center on care.

In his opening remarks, executive director, CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, who spoke virtually via zoom, said the research became necessary because as Nigerians, “we can’t allow the government to put us into perpetual poverty because we have an analogue governments that are lazy to invest in human capital. This advocacy journey by CISLAC, with support from Christian Aid, became imperative because it will help prevent the future generations from the burden of debt.

“We find today’s engagement crucial to amplifying the interests of the 130 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians, as well as a huge percentage of those who sit above the poverty line, whose lives,  livelihoods and future are being impacted by gross lack of adequate investment in critical social sectors and the growing threats of climate change. As we all know, Nigeria is presently in a debt crisis – with a fiscal deficit well above the statutory threshold of 3%, an increasingly unsustainable debt profile, a rising cost of debt servicing worsened by the rising interest rates, and socio-economic investments sacrificed at that expense. Government patronage of private creditors is plunging Nigeria into debt burden, impeding physical development.”

Speaking further about CISLAC collaborations on a series of engagements, the CISLAC boss said, “This included a research commissioned to fully highlight the Nigerian context and dimensions of the indebtedness to private creditors for policy options and deliberate efforts to ending it as well as a policy roundtable on the modality for setting a debt limit as a veritable mechanism for providing the parameter for checks and control of the debt stockpile of all the tiers of government and ultimately avert a national public debt crises of bankruptcy proportions. As we share the findings of this research today, we hope that it contributes to protecting the interests of present and future generations by spurring present and incoming governments in Nigeria to commit to and take urgent actions to salvage the country from the current and impending economic throes,” Rafsanjani said.

While making his presentation on the FORGE research findings, an evidence based research on the role of private debtors in Nigeria’s debt crisis, research consultant, Botti Isaac, clearly explained the problems with patronising private creditors, the evils doing so accrue to a nation of Nigeria’s stature and why, despite the gains of accessibility of it, Nigeria has remained at same point neither being able to meet its obligations nor move forward.

Noting that the loans problem is just by the federal government, but also the 36 states of the federation, Isaac said the major issue is because the law or legal framework guiding borrowing in the country does not support doing so outside of multi-lateral and bi-lateral arrangement. He, however, faulted the requirements for accessing loan by the private creditors, which make it easy for government to take, but insisted that, as civil society groups and media organisations, they would continue to talk until the right thing will be done to save the soul of Nigeria from burden of such debts.

“We need to be concerned because most of the loans and their private creditors are not known to the public. The law is that loan can be taken from multilateral, bilateral and at conventional interest rate. We also need to be concerned because it is difficult to understand  the terms and conditions under which these loans are obtained, which is not the case if they were taken from the sources approved within the legal framework for borrowing. We need to be concerned because, despite that we borrow, we are still unable to meet our obligations,” adding that the problem is because some people just wake up and want nothing more or less than taking loan.

“Parameter for checks and control of the debt stockpile of all the tiers of government and ultimately avert a national public debt crisis of bankruptcy proportions. As we share the findings of this research today, we hope that it contributes to protecting the interests of present and future generations by spurring present and incoming governments in Nigeria to commit to and take urgent actions to salvage the country from the current and impending economic throes.”

Corroborating the CiSLAC boss, the head of Programmes, Christian Aid Nigeria, Victor Arokoyo, said government can’t be borrowing irresponsibly because it will have negative impact on the generations to come. “We support CISLAC on the research to know where they are borrowing the money and what the money is being used for.”

Arokoyo  said the 75-year-old international faith-based development and humanitarian organisation that will be 20-year-old in Nigeria next month believe that poverty is not a product of nature but of a systemic manipulation of the economic system skewed against some people to make them to be poor. “In line with our economic justice, social and political justice, we are part of the tax justice and political platform in Nigeria. One of the things we are doing around that governance platform is campaign for private creditors to begin to see the need not to give Nigeria loan again because their loan is costing government the ability not to respond to public services.

“For example, you can see from the graph that was shown by the research consultant, that such money is spent on servicing debt compared to what is spent on education and health. And then, our debt and revenue ratio, you can see that we are borrowing now to pay debt.  I borrow Mr. A’s money, I can no longer pay. I will go and borrow from B to pay A. For instance, foreign exchange violability has been contributing to the rise in foreign exchange debt, thus, higher debt burden results from constant depreciation of local currency.

“So, there is no wisdom in it and there are other sources from which we can get money to address this. Particularly, what government is currently doing is against the law. The law prescribes the kind of loan you can take and where you can take it from. What government is doing now is to go outside that legal framework to collect loan anywhere the money is available and then put the country in serious debt burden.

“So, we are interested in widening the knowledge of citizens about this issue and possibly for citizens to demand from the government the need to look inward. Let us have some period of pains now so that we can have gains tomorrow, rather than have gains now and our children will have pains tomorrow.”

At end of the media dialogue, recommendations were made that the government must embark on ventures that will boost its revenue generation, reduce reliance on borrowing from the international capital market, maintain a realistic debt management model to help improve debt sustainability and fiscal prudence, improve public borrowing transparency and accountability, strengthen the foreign exchange policy to reduce the impact of volatility on loan repayment, strengthen legislative review approval processes to ensure that only concessional loans are approved and to establish an independent committee that comprises CSOs representatives, the Auditor General office, the Ministry of Finance and the DMO to carry out independent review of all future loan requests with a view to determining  their variability and importance. CISLAC boss ended the discussion by calling on the National Assembly to save the country from imminent economic collapse and also call on the three tiers of government to develop realistic economic policy that will curb recklessness.

The Nigeria Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower, initiated in 2005 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration and located in the heart of Abuja and, is an abandoned project. Despite its revenue generation potential, the audacious national monument housing Abuja’s tallest building, recreational facilities, offices, a hotel and many more is only 40 per cent completed. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports that only about $400 million is needed to complete the breath-taking project

Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stands out for its aesthetic appeals, architectural design and serenity. Located in the heart of the FCT is the state-of-the-art Nigerian Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower (NCCMT) – one of Nigeria’s most ambitious projects that would have further added to the city’s aesthetic appeals. Being one of the well-planned cities of Nigeria as early as the 1980s, the centre of the city has several banks, administrative offices, ministry headquarters, corporate offices, the secretariat, plazas, etc. The Abuja National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre Church flank the NCCMT on both sides, creating a harmonious environment.

Conceived in 2005, the tower is a multifunctional edifice with facilities for cultural exposition, tourism, socialisation, recreation, hospitality and commercial activities. The project, which has reached 40 per cent completion, is expected to upon completion, self-finance itself through the revenues generated from the running of all the commercial activities in the complex. The scope of the project comprises cultural centre with four museums, expansive arcade consisting of 40,000m2 platform for hosting national and other events and a five-star hotel with 55 luxury rooms and nine suites for about 130 persons. Others are offices, passive and active recreational facilities, 1200 capacity auditorium, conference rooms, exhibitions halls, shops, a sport centre with an indoor pool, gyms, fitness, squash courts and a two-level 1,200 capacity basement car parks. The millennium tower itself is a 170 meter tall structure accommodating a revolving panoramic restaurant for more than 130 diners.

At 170 metres (560 ft), it is said to be the tallest artificial structure in Abuja. Construction for the tower started in 2006 and was topped out in 2014 whilst the cultural centre is still under construction. The site is severed by a main road so the two structures will be linked via an underground arcade. The tower consists of three cylindrical concrete pillar-like structures varying in height and linked together near the towers first peak using a disc shaped section, which is intended to house in its two floors, an observation deck and a viewing restaurant. Around the pillars of the tower three transparent stainless steel wings wrap around the base of the tower and gradually open outwards in a fan like fashion as they extend up the height of the tower

Designed by the architect, Manfredi Nicoletti, the Nigerian Cultural Centre, Millennium Tower, and the Square form an integral part of the national complex. Having a tropical wet and dry climate, the city requires proper insulation from heat and cold, keeping in mind the dryness and dust haze. The site, according to findings, was wisely chosen as the best location for an observatory tower and a cultural centre, forming a harmonious convergence of culture, art, administration, and leisure. To satisfy the needs of the locality, the programmes of the Nigerian Cultural Centre include meeting rooms, museums, restaurants, offices, fitness centres, hotels, a swimming pool, and one 1,200 seating capacity auditorium, enclosed by a steel-glass pyramid confining about 16,500sqm. The observatory tower is 170m tall and embraces an observation deck and a revolving restaurant at a height of 110m, offering an exhilarating 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city.

The vertical tower is the key feature of an uncompleted Nigerian Cultural Centre. The sad tale is that the project, initiated 17 years ago, has been abandoned. The three cylindrical pillars along Independence Avenue are the signature identity of Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. The monolithic structures dominate the skylines like a gallant sentry, watching the city from any incursion by its adversaries. They are prominent icons in the Central Business District and an immediate draw for residents and visitors to the city. Tourists are attracted to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tower Bridge in London and Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

At night, they are brightened by the neon bulbs that illuminate the environs and add to the aura of the city. The tallest of the towers stands at 170 metres (560ft). Now, they are regarded as the tallest structures in the city. The columns are surrounded by stainless steel wings, wrapped delicately but protectively around the base of the tower. They gradually open outwards as they extend up the height of the tower. At the peak, accessible by an escalator, visitors can have a conspicuous view of the city including iconic structures like the National Assembly, the Presidential Villa, National Mosque, Ecumenical Centre, the National Secretariat, Police Headquarters, and the Millennium Park, among others.

On top of the tower is a revolving restaurant, where diners can take a panoramic view of the city and feel its pulse during the rush hour. The Italian Manfredi Nicoletti designed the tower as part of the integrated National Complex project. The extensive project was initiated in 2005 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, and it’s only 40 per cent completed. It incorporates the National Library, the National Square, International Auditorium and the Nigerian Cultural Centre.

The National Square, the Cultural Centre and the Millennium Tower and International Auditorium are linked by an underground basement that houses a parking space for 1,200 vehicles. The measurement of the basement is 7,000 square miles. Unfortunately, the federal government is stalling on the project completion arising from inadequate funding.

According to the government, the completion of the Nigeria Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower project would require an additional $400 million. A couple of weeks ago, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, paid an inspection visit to Nigerian Cultural Centre, National Square and Millennium Tower. This time, however, he was accompanied by his Information and Culture counterpart, Lai Mohammed. The visit to the site of Nigeria Cultural Centre and the Millennium Tower by the two Ministers was to inspect, review and seek other sources of funding for the national project.

According to Bello, his administration inherited a lot of capital projects in the city, and a lot of resources and time was spent on completing them, most of which are being done in phases in order of priority. “We are doing that in a phased manner. We started by tackling the road network, then the rail system and now, we are tackling water.”

However, funding has stalled work on the magnificent Millennium Tower project, as the Minister explained: “To be frank with you, we don’t have enough resources now to be able to complete this project. That’s how it is; you complete what you can within available resources. So we are here with the Minister of Information and Culture to see how we can discuss alternative sources of funding.”

Popularly called the Millennium Tower, the project is not just an eloquent witness to the quality of Abuja’s great development, but it is also designed to showcase Nigeria’s unity and strength, and a great tourist site. Like the Millennium Park, the Nigerian Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower project, comprising development of the site for the National Square and National Museum, within the city’s cultural spine, is handled by Salini Nigeria Limited for the FCT Administration. The Abuja Master Plan, under its urban development strategy for the Central Area, provides for the Three Arms Zone, Ministries Zone, the Cultural Spine, as well as the Central Business District.

Simply, the Cultural Spine, which houses the Tower and the Centre, stretches between Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, PTDF building on one side, and Shoprite, running through the National Mosque, National Library, the National Square, National Museum and the National Ecumenical Centre, ending up in a Loop around the NTA, FCTA Secretariat and the Murtala Mohammed Foundation. It literally grows from the ground, like a flower surrounded by transparent wings upon which is fastened a luminous Coat of Arms  crowned with white and green rays that are visible at all times.

Mohammed, while soliciting private-sector collaboration for the execution of the project, disclosed that only $400 million was required for its completion, even as he praised Nigeria’s past leaders for envisioning such a monument for the country. Mohammed said: “This is the only part of the world where every infrastructure is built by the government. In other parts of the world where you have this kind of project, it is done in collaboration with the government and the private sector. As a matter of fact, government is just to be an enabler

“My appeal, therefore, is to the private sector, particularly lovers of arts and recreation, to join hands with the federal government to complete the project. All the facilities have to do with contents, cultural centre, five star hotel, museums, arcades and others. It will generate a lot of revenue for whoever has the courage to partner with us. This audacious national monument, with the facilities, is going to generate a lot of revenue for whoever has the courage to partner with us,” he assured.

The Information and Culture Minister, who commended the vision of the past leaders who initiated the project, said when completed, it would rival the most audacious national monuments across the globe. Design of the project drew inspiration from Nigerian tradition, particularly the Yoruba tradition such as the monumental shrines and the Afin enclave, among others. The residents of Abuja and indeed Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the completion of the breath-taking project.

The Ogun State Government Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), if successfully implemented, is a plank relied upon by the state to modernise her transport system, change her development strides and fast-track her growth trajectory. In this report, ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE analyses the ambitious plan

For so long, Ogun State bore the festooned epithet of the Gateway State. But for much of its 46 years, it had remained a flat-footed giant; at least, until three years ago when the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration established the Ministry of Transportation as a plank the state can rely on to transform its development trajectory. The new ministry was to be a game changer. And that informed why the governor carefully selected the man to superintend the new office.

With his work profile, Gbenga Dairo, the pioneer Commissioner for Transportation, is a round peg in a round hole. Within three years, many residents in Ogun State believe his strides in the office have changed the face of the state, turning the otherwise rusty state into a truly Gateway State.

Ogun, with a land size of 16,432km2 and a population nestling close to a mega city at 7.2 million, (a megacity is 10 million population), is a manufacturing hub, which plays host to the largest concentration of industries in Nigeria. It borders four Southwest states – Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, and the Benin Republic, making it the country’s major access to the West African cluster markets, and a major logistics hub that provides strategic linkage to the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western regions of Nigeria, the West African sub-region, and the African continent.

Ogun prides itself in being the closest state to Lagos – Africa’s fifth largest economy, and hopes to convert the ‘push’ factor chasing many individuals and corporate bodies out of the former to its own peripheries into a ‘pull’ factor, attracting and ‘trapping’ new investments. The state has the highest number of registered (public/private) universities and higher institutions in Nigeria. Ogun State is also the home of the first and only University of Education in Nigeria. It is also the food basket of the West, contributing significantly to the production of poultry products in Nigeria, and the popular Ofada Rice, named after the town where it is being cultivated, nourishes a vast population.

But despite these phenomenal strides, Ogun State has the most primeval transportation system that is almost exclusively private-operator-driven. At their best, the vehicles that populated the Ogun road networks –whether two, three or four wheelers or more – are rickety, derelict, low capacity, dysfunctional and hardly fit for a growing and discerning urbanised use. For much of its entire 46 years of statehood, the state government had left transportation almost exclusively in the hands of poor operators plagued by low funds, low capacity and largely inexperienced. The net effect of this is a low-optimised road network, low output and almost stunted economic growth despite the huge economic potential that surrounds the state. Unarguably, the state became a victim of its tardy preparations and commitments to transportation.

Despite its huge potential, Ogun State was usually the fifth in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and the state was almost being grounded as her huge opportunities remained locked due to a transportation system that could hardly support the demands of a growing state. That was the story until the coming of the Dapo Abiodun administration. The challenge before the state government was how to turn the conversations around for Ogun State. To do this, the administration found a ready answer in changing the transportation model by investing massively in efficient, safe, affordable and reliable intermodal public sector-driven public transportation that leaves a low climate footprint.

According to Dairo, to drive its initiative, the government berthed a Transportation Master Plan through which the Ministry of Transportation, as the coordinating ministry, formulates policies and performs its regulatory roles in conjunction with specialist agencies and parastatals. The agencies are Transport Authority, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Parks and Garages Agency, Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (OGSMVAA), and the Vehicle Inspection Services (VIS), among others. While unveiling the 25-year Strategic Transport Master Plan on April 7, 2022, the then Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, praised the resilience of the state in formulating a policy to drive the government’s interventions in the sector.

For the Governor, the medium to long-term aim of the plan is to develop a framework that would provide inter-modal transportation for its six urban centres of Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta, Sagamu, Sango-Ota, Ilaro, and create a non-motorised transportation policy that would engender cleaner environment. Similar to Lagos that has the School of Transportation, (LASU-SoT), Ogun, partnering with the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (UK-FCDO), is pushing its manpower development needs through Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).

The state intends to pursue the integration of all transport modes that would ensure the development of railway and water transport service infrastructure that would connect with Bus Mass Transit (BMT) and provide last-mile connectivity for citizens of the state from the main arteries to inner city roads and their homes. The idea behind this, Dairo noted, is to change the narrative and cause a shift from the private low-capacity operators to encourage patronage of public transport operations anchored by the government.

The government would not only deploy safe, convenient, cheap and reliable alternatives, but it would also ensure the deployment of an transport system transportation architecture that would be the preferred alternative by the people, irrespective of social class or status, promote non-motorised transport, formal and informal transport, such as walking and motorcycle riding, especially in informal areas. Other areas of focus for the TMP are traffic impact assessments, land use and transport planning alignment, funding strategies and sustainable private sector participation strategies and effective linkages of all Ogun economic clusters.

Unlike other states that have banned motorcycles and tricycle taxis, para-transit operators are, according to the TMP, still part of Ogun State’s current transport system; with the government averring its commitment to developing the capacity to reduce the attendant risks. This is besides the provision of walkways and cycle paths, especially along new road developments to make non-motorised transport attractive.

The TMP also provided a policy that would address the haulage/logistics side of operations in the state; issues of safety, tonnage/volume that must be transferred to other modes outside road traffic. Central to the new policy, which would elapse in 2047, is the provision of metro-bus services not only servicing the capital city shuttles, but also the other contiguous towns such as Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Sango-Ota and Ilaro.

Programmed for expansion/reconstruction/rehabilitation are inter-town roads to highway standards, construction of by-passes around major towns and cities to highways standards, township roads reconstruction, provision of trailer parks and provision of interchanges and junctions. Some of these new roads, upon completion, would be tolled. Junctions around Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Ota and Ilaro, would get new traffic signals, traffic management control centres, responsive incident management, and the installation of automatic number plate recognition technology to enhance road efficiency.

The government has begun inter-city bus/road transport/taxi services with a pilot phase of Bus Mass Transit from Ita-Oshin to Adatan, with more to connect its other cities; while inter-city/intra-city bus services such as Abeokuta-Sagamu, inter-state services to connect with Lagos and Ibadan and the transformation of parks and garages to terminals and introduction of bus mass transit Ota to Oshodi to Abule-Egba.

For rails, the Ogun State TMP hopes to connect with the Lagos Red Line, which terminates at Agbado, and extend the train service to Ijoko, Kajola/Ifo. The Lagos Blue Line, which would extend its second phase from Mile 2 to Agbara, and the Purple Line, which would link the Redeemed Camp to Berger, would equally be extended to the Sagamu Interchange and from there to the Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport.

On the national trunk, the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s East-West (Lagos-Calabar coastal rail) network is expected to have spurs (branch lines) at the Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport and Olokola Deep Seaport; while the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail (LISGR) has stations at Itori, Obada Oko, Osiele and Odeda, with proposed spurs to Wasimi and Kajola Inland Container Depots.

For waterways, the state’s TMP proposed to connect the East and the West ends of the state through the Lagos lagoon, Badagry and Five Cowrie Creeks. Among communities to be served by the waterways are Ipokia, Ado-Odo/Ota, Odogbolu, and Ogun Waterside area. For air transport, Ogun State is currently constructing an agro-cargo airport at Iperu-Remo to enhance effective connectivity for international, regional and local cargo and scheduled air traffic within the country and the West Africa cluster.

With 5,000 hectares of land aerotropolis, the state, last week, consolidated on its comparative advantage in berthing a Special Agro-Processing Zone, a specialised economic zone that promotes agriculture and provides a home to hordes of agro-value chain manufacturing industries. Flagging off the project last week, Governor Abiodun said the agro-cargo airport, which would be completed in “a matter of months,” was revived during the COVID-19 in 2020, after being on the drawing board for 14 years.

“This airport will probably be the fastest constructed international cat 6 airport on the continent, he said; adding: “At the moment, this same location that was, till March 2021, a forest, or better still, a dump site, has now become a reality, an aerotropolis-airport city, where the Nigeria Customs have now decided to locate one of their biggest facilities.”

With the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), a joint venture between the state and Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), which was officially flagged off last Friday, Governor Abiodun said Ogun State would soon become the country’s gateway to prosperity, adding that the state would take advantage of the Africa Continental Trade Agreement (AfCTA).

While corroborating the governor’s assertion, the Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo, said the administration’s economic objective is to make Ogun State the fastest-growing economy in Nigeria. Okubadejo, who is also the Chief Economic Adviser to Governor Abiodun, said in just three years, the state seeks to create an enabling environment for business, with the execution of various reforms, policies and initiatives to pave the way for active private sector partnership towards the fulfilment of our “Building Our Future Agenda.”

He described the state’s developmental pillars as summarised under ISEYA, where I stands for Infrastructure, S for social welfare and well-being; E for Education and Human Capital Development, Y for Youth Empowerment and A for Agriculture. Okubadejo said in three years, the administration has recorded giant milestones that have rewritten the history of the state as not only the safest but also one with the best investment climate in the country.