The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Development

  • How to unlock sustainable development, by SAN

    How to unlock sustainable development, by SAN

    International energy law expert and global vice chair of the International Law Association, Prof. Damilola Olawuyi (SAN) has called for more strategic focus on international energy law and diplomacy to advance all aspects of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Olawuyi who is also a UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development HBKU, made the remarks while delivering a compelling public seminar organised by the Centre for International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore.

    Olawuyi was in Singapore as a distinguished Visiting Global Scholar at CIL, a foremost hub for international law research and discourse.

     With the theme: “International Energy Law: Recent Developments and Future Research Agenda,” the event brought together close to one thousand participants, both in person and online, including practitioners, academics, students, business executives, and other stakeholders in international law who converged under the aegis of CIL’s Energy Law and Policy programme.

    The event featured opening remarks from Dr. Nilufer Oral, Director of CIL, while the session was moderated by the Head of Energy Law and Policy at CIL, Denise Cheong. He described the journey so far in the development of international energy law as a distinct discipline that governs the development, use, transfer and management of all forms of energy, whether renewable or non-renewable.

    Prof. Olawuyi noted that international energy law has come of age, and will be crucial for balancing the three important goals of energy security, energy transition, and energy sovereignty.

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    According to him, “Several of the energy-related challenges facing our world today, ranging from achieving energy security, promoting sustainable energy, and accelerating a just and inclusive energy transition that leaves no one behind, cannot be addressed in isolation.

    “There is, therefore, an urgent need for a more focused research agenda on international energy law aimed at unlocking legal innovation that will accelerate energy trade and cooperation, access to energy transition minerals, grid-to-grid interconnectivity, and joint energy infrastructure financing and development across countries and regions.”

    Olawuyi lamented the increasing tendency for isolation and lack of multilateral energy cooperation.

     He, therefore, called on international energy lawyers and stakeholders to unlock innovative win-win approaches for accelerating energy trade, reducing  conflictive geopolitics, resource nationalism, and other pressing challenges that may stifle international solidarity and cooperation that is urgently needed to accelerate all aspects of the SDGs globally, especially SDG 7 on energy for all.

  • The right to development and governance

    The right to development and governance

    • By Ekpa Stanley Ekpa

    Sir: The right to development is fundamental to building an inclusive and prosperous society. It ensures that every individual and community have access to the resources and opportunities needed to live a life of dignity. In Nigeria, like most other developing countries around the world, the divide between urban and rural areas continues to undermine this right. While urban cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and other capital cities benefit from relatively advanced infrastructure, economic opportunities, and services, rural areas, with nearly half of Nigeria’s population, struggle with inadequate access to basic amenities such as clean water, electricity, healthcare, and education.

    For instance, according to Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, 61% of rural Nigerians live in poverty, compared to 42% in urban areas. Similarly, while urban areas enjoy an electrification rate of about 85%, only 41% of rural communities have access to electricity. These disparities illustrate the urgent need to prioritize the right to development and extend governance to every inch of Nigeria.

    Globally, the right to development has been enshrined in the constitutions of several countries, where it is recognized as enforceable in court. South Africa stands out as a model, with its constitution guaranteeing socio-economic rights, including access to housing, healthcare, education, and social security. Citizens can demand these rights through litigation, as seen in cases like Government of the Republic of South Africa vs. Grootboom, where the Constitutional Court ruled that the government must take reasonable measures to provide adequate housing. India has also broadened the interpretation of its constitution’s right to life to include the right to live with dignity, incorporating development-related rights such as education, healthcare, and a clean environment.

    In contrast, Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), while emphasizing socio-economic rights in its directive principles of state policy, falls short of making these rights justiciable, limiting the ability of citizens to hold the government accountable for inability to provide the constitutionally envisaged development for Nigeria and Nigerians.

    Since development is deeply intertwined with fundamental human rights, the right to education, health, and shelter, which are integral to human dignity, cannot be achieved without deliberate and inclusive governance that prioritizes equitable development. In our rural areas, where schools are often understaffed and healthcare facilities under-equipped, these rights remain elusive.

    As reported by UNICEF, rural primary school attendance is just 60%, compared to 80% in urban areas, while maternal mortality rates in rural regions are more than double those in cities, reflecting the lack of adequate healthcare services. These disparities are a stark reminder that the right to development is essential for fulfilling the broader spectrum of human rights enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

    Read Also: Presidency blasts Bauchi governor over remarks on Tinubu

    Effective governance and efficiency in public service delivery across the 774 local government areas, and all entities and systems of governance in Nigeria is critical to achieving the right to development. This requires targeted investments to address disparities and ensure that rural areas are not left behind. Policies must prioritize sectors that directly impact human development particularly at the subnational and local government level, such as agriculture, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

    Given that improving rural roads and transport networks would enhance access to markets, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth, governments at the local level must prioritize and ensure quality in expanding and opening communities for productivity and prosperity. Similarly, expanding rural electrification would unlock opportunities for small businesses, improve living standards, and foster economic inclusivity. Additionally, equitable allocation of resources is essential to ensure that all regions benefit from national development plans.

    Governing every inch of Nigeria requires leveraging technology to bridge the urban-rural divide. Digital tools can enhance the efficiency and accessibility of development initiatives, from deploying e-governance platforms to streamline service delivery to using data analytics for better resource allocation. In remote areas, mobile technology can expand access to education and healthcare, while geographic information systems (GIS) can help identify underserved regions and prioritize infrastructure projects.

    But our leaders must never allow tech and digital engagements to replace their human and physical interaction with constituents. Governing every inch of Nigeria with fairness and accountability ensures that no community is left behind and that the benefits of development are shared equitably. If we make the right to development justiciable, investing in rural transformation, and embrace inclusive governance, Nigeria can bridge the gap between urban and rural areas and fulfil the promise of a society where every citizen has an equal opportunity to thrive. Only through such deliberate efforts can our country achieve shared prosperity and strengthen our foundation for sustainable development.

    • Ekpa Stanley Ekpa,

     ekpastanleyekpa@gmail.com

  • Christian leaders urge citizens to contribute to growth, development 

    Christian leaders urge citizens to contribute to growth, development 

    Christian leaders from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has urged citizens to hold elected officials accountable for resource utilization and to contribute to the growth and development of the nation.

    At a town hall meeting organized by the Christian Awareness Initiative of Nigeria (CHAIN), the leaders urged citizens to take an active interest in governance and contribute positively to nation-building.

    This was as they endorsed the proposed tax reform bills sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The meeting, themed “Church and Society: Tax Reforms and Matters Arising,” brought together prominent Nigerian leaders, experts in tax laws, and Christian leaders to discuss the implications of the tax reform bills.

    Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the 8th National Assembly, delivered the keynote address, while Mr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, chaired the occasion.

    The leaders resolved that taxation is biblical and not strange to Christianity, citing Jesus’ teaching on paying taxes. 

    They also emphasized the importance of knowledge and understanding in making informed decisions about the tax reform bills.

    The leaders encouraged Northern leaders to focus on developing citizens and bringing out their potentials, and called on the north to fix a day of prayers and confession over regional challenges.

    The endorsement of the tax reform bills by Christian leaders is seen as a major boost to the government’s efforts to reform the tax system and stimulate economic growth.

    The meeting’s resolutions are expected to have far-reaching implications for citizen involvement in governance and the passage of the tax reform bills.

  • Localising humanitarian and development programmes in 2025 Nigeria

    Localising humanitarian and development programmes in 2025 Nigeria

    • By Judith-Ann Walker

    As the Nigerian government, at national and state levels, addresses development and humitarian assistance priorities in 2025 budget estimates, a new generation of catalytic programmes are being rolled out, simultaneously, to equip Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and innovators to complement government’s efforts. Importantly, the new initiatives are being rolled out as launch events under the rubric of localisation.

    The first such event, a project launch, was held last week, 14-15 November, 2024 at the State House Banquet Hall where a large gathering of stakeholders, at the instance of the Office of the Vice President, deliberated on the merits of the Humanitarian Supply Chain Management – Partnership for Localisation Study. The study is conducted under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and supported by USAID. Given the demonstrable commitment and zeal of the Nigerian CSO humitarian community to localisation, the study will, no doubt, document local CSO comparative advantages and innovations as well as capacity gaps. The study will go on to propose capacity strengthening strategies for CSOs, positioning them to take leadership along the humanitarian procurement value chain. Findings from this study hold the promise of empowering community associations in situations of humanitarian emergencies to deliver supplies, services, commodities and resources to beneficiaries in line with principles of cost effectiveness, accountability, reliability and responsiveness.

    The second event in the localisation space is the launch of the Grand Challenges Nigeria (GCNg) Project on 18th November 2024, at the Presidential Villa. The GCNg is a development facing project in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology (FMIST) to foster, fund and advance local innovations to solve key problems in science, health, food systems and development in Nigeria. The first Request for Proposals funding call will be made public and unveiled on the 18th November and published on the GCNg’s website.

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    As part of the Global Grand Challenges family of 15 initiatives, inspired by a think piece at the Gates foundation in 2003, with first awards in 2005, the Nigeria Grand Challenges project, is long awaited and much anticipated. GC Rwanda was launched in 2023; GC Senegal was launched in 2022; and 3 GCs for Africa, South Africa and Ethiopia were all launched in 2015. Between 2005 and 2024, 21 years of Global Grand Challenges funding by 15 GC initiatives, a total of 4,024 awards have been made with only 88 or 2.2% awards made to Nigerians. The largest number, 44 or 50% of all awards to Nigerians, was made by only one of the 15 initiatives – Grand Challenges Canada (GCC). Professor Peter A. Singer, the then CEO of GCC and current Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organisation, took a personal interest in Nigerian innovations, showcasing projects in his 2013 reflective Letter from the CEO’s desk.

    The launch of GCNg is a phenomenal opportunity to inspire and support out-of-the-box thinkers and actors working to address the country’s many challenges, to apply good science and local knowledge in coming up with innovative and sustainable solutions. As GCNg rolls out at the Presidential Villa in the presence of previous Nigerian award recipients, this is a consequential moment for localising the science of change, including innovations in behavioural change sciences. It is instructive that the only two Nigerian awards made under the category of Development Grand Challenge since 2011 were made to the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) to implement a behavioural change innovation, engaging Muslim Opinion Leaders to promote maternal health in Northern Nigeria. These two opportunities offer possibilities for building communities of local solutions-oriented innovators to address the many challenges of 2025.

     •Dr Walker, Brookings Scholar and Ashoka Innovator, is CEO of dRPC, a Nigerian non-profit organisation formed in 1994 by lecturers. She pioneered postgraduate programme in Development Studies at BUK, Kano.

  • Blame game as hindrance to development

    Blame game as hindrance to development

    • By Bashir Khalid Furyam

    Sir: The blame game has become a pervasive and entrenched phenomenon in our country’s affairs especially among rival politicians or political groups. Over the years, successive governments, leaders and ruling parties at both federal and state levels have spent much of their time in blaming previous administrations for underdevelopment or the socio-economic or security problems they are unable or unwilling to address. Sometimes they also accuse opposition elements of frustrating their efforts.

    On the other hand, opposition politicians and their groups or parties rarely come forward genuinely to join hands with the government to find a solution to pressing public problems.

    Competition for political power and control is a significant factor that leads to blame game and accusation trade. Absence of effective accountability mechanisms also allows politicians to deflect responsibility. It is common for yesterday’s ‘devils’ to be perceived as ‘saints’ today and vice versa. Politicians across the divides tend to exploit the strong ethnic, religious or regional sentiments among Nigerians. This gives them a window to escape accountability and proper public and institutional scrutiny.

    Despite the existential threat Nigerians face due to insecurity and economic hardship, politicians seem focused on corruptly amassing wealth, fostering their economic and political interests to the detriment of the masses. Nigeria is among the richest countries in the world in terms of human and material resources, but its citizens languish in hunger, poverty, insecurity and educational backwardness.

    Read Also: Senate postpones public hearing on alleged economic sabotage in oil sector

    Instead of focusing on collective efforts to tackle these endemic problems, Nigerian politicians shift the national discourse from public service to public blame game. National debates have reduced complicated concepts of national identity, economic stability, resource management and other high-level ideas to blaming and scapegoating.

    Promoting issue-based politics is crucial in Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy and biggest economy. Transparency and accountability in governance are equally important. The political class must lead by example. This is critical for both those in government and opposition because the attitude of the political class impacts on the attitude of the general public.

    Constructive inter-party dialogue in Nigeria will help the country to move forward. This should be based on public interest taking national unity as well as economic and social development into consideration.

    There must be serious consequences for those involved in corruption, mismanagement of public funds, spreading misinformation and hate speech as well as those undermining Nigeria’s security and economy. The justice system must work to expectation.

    Nigerians are known to be hardworking, innovative and resilient; having good political leadership will spur the country’s development for the benefit of this and future generations.

    •Bashir Khalid Furyam,

    Bauchi, Bauchi State.

  • In search of avatars of development

    In search of avatars of development

    • The crying children of Lot

    How does one describe a vast and richly endowed nation with access to humongous revenues accruing from petroleum resources which cannot feed itself? Anytime the word famine is mentioned in the same breath as Nigeria, one cannot but marvel at the huge paradox of human evolution and development.  All things considered, this is turning out as a defining conjuncture for Nigeria. All the sins and cumulative failures of our ruling class seem to be converging in what looks increasingly like a perfect storm.

     When the crisis of feeble production enters into a potentially fatal contradiction with the crisis of profligate consumption, there is always the possibility of a tragic unraveling of the society itself. Please come with the columnist as we encounter a graphic and stunning illustration of this crisis of development. On a typical weekend, the entire Lagos-Ife corridor with its rich and alluvial soil littered and dotted with vast and sprawling places of worship is transformed into an interminable Bible Belt teeming with joyous and enraptured worshippers.

       But as soon as they troop out having been robbed blind and extorted to the limits of human endurance by spiritual quacks and mountebanks what looks like a historic epiphany begins to reveal the real material circumstances of its provenance: misery and hunger of biblical proportions. As they fan out, the hordes of stricken humanity soon begin to groan and argue about why a single cob of corn should cost a whopping two hundred and fifty naira.

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      Was it not the same thing that cost fifty naira a few years back? The sense of irony is lost on the denizens of dystopia. At this point in time, the distinguished and incredibly principled retired General Alani Ipoola Akinrinade would have spent several hours of back-breaking labour on his remote farm somewhere off the Akinlalu loop on the same corridor. When India was confronted by the same problem shortly after independence, Pandit Nehru declared to his compatriots that if they could not feed themselves, then they should go hungry.

      The bible says that humanity must not live by bread alone. But the same bible affirms that those who cannot work, let them go hungry. We must however note that this was the same condition of abject poverty and harsh material deprivation which threw up Grigori Rasputin, the mystic charlatan and spiritual crank, who held the royal family hostage at the tail end of Tsarist Russia until some outraged and affronted princes of the Romanov dynasty saw him off. It was too little and too late.

  • Ujah calls for unity, peaceful co-existence, development

    Ujah calls for unity, peaceful co-existence, development

    Omolara Akintoye 

    The Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Health Sciences (FUSHO) Prof Innocent Ujah has called for unity and oneness for the corporate existence and development of the country.

    The VC spoke during the conferment of a chieftaincy title of Nwannedinma 1 in Ezeleke, Umuahia South Local Government in Abia State on him.

    Ujah, who appreciated Eze Godfrey Ibeakanma, the Ezeukwu Ezeleke Autonomous Community for his visionary leadership, described it as transformational, insisting “this is not in Idoma land, not Benue State, not even in Enugu State that is closer to us, but in Abia State. And again, it is good to keep relationship , we need to open up because we are all human beings and one Nigeria”.

    Ujah, who noted that prior to his recognition by royal majesty, Eze Godfrey Ibeakanma and traditional council, he had no personal contact, ” but through interaction with other processes, they decided that I deserve to be honoured. I have resisted this for a long time, but the way this one has been celebrated because is about the belief that I deserve and I really appreciate”.

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    According to him, there was a great lesson to be learnt for the friendship across border lines because of the tribalistic, nepotistic attitudes make it difficult for us to trust one another,” but this an attestation done that we are still one.

    Performing the ceremony, His Royal Majesty, Eze Godfrey Ibeakanma, Ezeukwu Ezeleke, Umuahia South Local Government of Abia State, who made the passionate appeal during the chieftaincy investiture of Prof Ujah in his Palace corroborated the position of Prof. Ujah, stressing that Nigeria would be stronger and better if Nigerians were united as one put together by God.

    While confirming Prof Ujah as the Nwanndinamba 1 of Ezeleke Autonomous Community Umuopara, Umuahia South Local Government of Abia State,, HRM stated that Prof Innocent Ujah was honoured for his contributions to the growth and development of education and humanity in Nigeria.

    According to the monarch, Ujah is a true Nigerian,,’ he is a detribalized Nigerian who has gone beyond religion, ethnicity and other primordial sentiments”

    He explained that Ujah’s as records prove have not only contributed immensely to the development of medical profession in Nigeria, but equally to the development of humanity irrespective of the divide which according to him is what Nigeria need.

    Speaking further, the traditional ruler informed that “We are happy we discovered him because of his contributions on medical education and human capital development in Nigeria and in our community here in Abia State. So we decided to honour him with a Chieftaincy title of Nwannedinamba 1 of Ezeleke Autonomous Community, Umuopara, Umuahia South Local Government of Abia State because we have equally befitted from his large heart”.

    He explained further that Ezeleke Autonomous Community traditional council recognizes people based on their sound track records and antecedents expectations that they will do more tomorrow. 

  • Sad development

    Sad development

    • EndSARS victims in some states are yet to get compensation three years after

    The discordant tunes from the states, nearly three years after the various panels set up to investigate the EndSARS protest, do not bode well with democratic practices. In October 2020, the nation shook to its foundation, following protests by young Nigerians against the brutality of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), an arm of the Nigerian police. While we condemned the hijack of the protests and the violence by protesters that followed, we are shocked that some states have treated the findings of the panels they set up with levity.

    According to some national dailies, many states have refused to implement the findings of the committees, on the premise that the police force is a federal agent, and as such the Federal Government should pay for their wrong actions. While that argument is debatable, the fact is that it was states that set up the panel and as such, are  most suited to implement the findings, including the payment of compensation. After all, it is indigenes and residents of the various states that were affected by the police brutality.

    Lagos, which may be considered the epicenter of the protests has paid N420 million to victims of the EndSARS protests. But some other states, like Akwa Ibom, Benue, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Gombe, among several others, have reportedly refused to pay the compensation recommended by the panels they set up. Some states, did not even follow through with the judicial panel of enquiry, once the din from the crisis subdued.

    It was the National Economic Council (NEC) that recommended states should establish the panels, and some merely submitted panels’ reports to the body as an end in itself.

    In an interview with ‘The Punch’ Newspaper last year, Justice Ifiok Ukana (retd.), chairman of Akwa Ibom State Judicial Panel, argued that: “It is the Federal Government that will pay. The panel was set up at the instance of the Federal Government, through the office of the National Economic Council. So, the liabilities belong to them. When you are talking about atrocities committed by the police, they are controlled by the Federal Government. Forget about the assistance being made by state governments.”

    We consider that argument as specious. While we have campaigned against the centralisation of the police, and called for state police, we do not agree the police is a federal agency. It is a national organ for the maintenance of law and order; the main challenge being the centralised control, and the debilitating inefficiency arising therefrom.

    Again, the victims are individuals who have no capacity to engage in contestation with the federal authority, and it behoves the state governments to protect their interest.

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    Since the governors, sitting as the National Economic Council, set up the judicial panels, they can in that capacity, or similar others, like the Nigeria Police Council, made up of the President, governors, chairman of the police service commission and the Inspector- General of Police, determine who pays the compensation.

     In one of the dailies, it was reported that the former Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, now, Chief of Staff to the President, promised that necessary budgetary allocation will be made for the payment of the compensation.

    Such procedure can be adopted, after all, the Nigerian police are agents of the entire country, and compensation for their infractions can be borne from the national budget.

    While assuaging the wrong doings of the past, it is necessary to ensure that similar atrocities are not perpetrated, going forward. Even as efforts are being made to decentralise policing in the country, measures should be put in place to ensure that officers and men of the present police conform to world’s best practices.

  • A good development

    A good development

    • FCT’s decision to prosecute looters is welcome even if it is not enough

    Just as well that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has decided to prosecute 15 suspects it arrested in connection with the looting of a warehouse belonging to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in Gwagwa-Tasha, Abuja, on March 3. Foodstuffs and other items kept in the warehouse were stolen. The roofing sheets, doors and gates were also carted away by the hoodlums.

    Josephine Ade, the FCT police spokesperson said in a statement later in the day that two security guards that were supposed to be securing the place were among the 15 suspects. She said 26 bags of maize, five motorcycles and some vandalised aluminium roofing sheets were recovered from the suspects.

    “The Police Command in the FCT is fully informed about the impulsive attack on Agric Department Strategic Food Store located at Tasha area of Abuja, on March 3,” the statement reads.

    “The attack has resulted to the vandalism and looting of the warehouse.

    “The command wishes to state that normalcy has since been restored to the area and the situation under control.”

    The looting, said to have taken place between 7.00a.m. and 9.00a.m. was allegedly perpetrated by residents of Jiwa and Karmo, conterminous communities to Gwagwa.

    We welcome the decision to prosecute the suspects arrested in connection with the looting. In such a situation, it is difficult to apprehend all the culprits. Only those of them that are caught, arraigned and convicted would serve as warning that the government does not approve of such shameful conduct. When such scapegoats are eventually sentenced in accordance with the law, it would serve as deterrence to those who might want to toe a similar path in the future.

     However, much as we condemn the action of the looters, we urge the government to work harder to assuage the hunger in the land. There is no doubt that the economic crisis is taking a huge toll on the average Nigerian and there is an urgent need to lessen its impact on the people.

    We acknowledge the plan of the FCT authorities to further tighten security at all public warehouses in the federal capital. This is good except that we doubt if we have enough security personnel for such duties in a way that it would not jeopardise security in some other areas.

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     Second, there is a limit to the kind of crowd that such security men can check. We saw the kind of crowds that participated in the #EndSARS riots in 2020. How many policemen or soldiers do you deploy to check such crowds protesting almost simultaneously in several parts of the country?

    What we are saying in essence is that while nothing should justify crime, and that people should not resolve to self-help to solve their problems, the government too must take actions to reduce the pang of hunger.

    Demoralising as they could be, incidents such as the attack on the warehouse in Abuja and similar ones in other parts of the country should not make governments to contemplate stopping warehousing of foodstuffs and other essential commodities for the rainy day.

    Indeed, they should strengthen the resolve of governments to do more on social palliatives, even if they must review the process from time to time for efficiency.

    Moreover, governments at all levels must find means of engaging our jobless youths in mechanised farming. Those wishing to establish small scale businesses should be assisted with training and soft loans.

    Meanwhile, we look forward to the arrested suspects having their day in court. As the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, observed, those who carted away roofs, doors and gates cannot be said to have done that because they were hungry. They are criminals and should be so treated.

  • Confronting challenges of development in Northwest

    Confronting challenges of development in Northwest

    • By Godwin Ortserga

    The North West Development Commission (NWDC) Bill, sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, and co-sponsored by 20 other Senators from the North-West geopolitical zone, scaled the second reading in the Senate, on Thursday, February 15, 2024, following a unanimous support, through a voice vote by all the senators present during the sitting.

    As succinctly canvassed by Senator Barau in his lead debate at plenary, ‘the Bill seeks to provide for the establishment of North West Development Commission to act as a catalyst to develop the arrays of potentials of the North West as well as address the gap in infrastructural development of the region.’

    The intent and vision of this Bill are very apt and compelling, especially, when juxtaposed with prevailing realities in a region ravaged by so many debilitating factors such as insurgency, banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom and attendant general insecurity.

    Explaining further, Senator Barau said; “The North West as a region has contributed immensely to the overall development of Nigeria in terms of Agriculture and other spheres of the country, yet the region remains hugely underdeveloped. What the region requires now from the Federal Government is support to develop its infrastructure and educate its teeming youths to drive the process of developing the zone in its entirety to grow at par with the more developed zones in the country.

    “The infrastructure of the zone has been immensely destroyed by the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents, armed bandits and kidnappers across the region leading to the exodus of investors, businessmen, managers of companies and employees. This destruction is having a major effect on the economy of the region as it has led to severe food shortages and unemployment in a region that has traditionally produced cash and food crops across the Sahel. Also, some parts of the region are currently facing the problem of desertification. All these have contributed to making agriculture and other economic activities suffer thereby creating more poverty in the zone.

    “The Federal Government is in the right position to show concern in the face of the plethora of problems and challenges facing this geo-political zone by creating the North West Commission to appropriately address the developmental needs of the zone. ‘’

    Senators across party lines and geopolitical zones were in total support of the passage of the Bill during the debate at plenary. Leading the support for the bill, Senate Minority leader, Senator Abba Moro, said “ There is the need to accommodate this region as a developmental centre and that is what this bill seeks to achieve. As the world continues to modernize, there is an imperative need for all of us to agree that we must establish centres of development, the aggregation of which will lead to the overall development of the country.’’

    Senator Adamu Aliero submitted that; The North West geopolitical zone has suffered a lot of devastation and destruction with the activities of Boko Haram and banditry. The North West has the largest number of out-of-school children. Nigeria is the only country in the world that has 20m children out of school. We can’t afford this, and we can put these children in school so that we can develop their talents to enable them to contribute their quota to the development of their country.’’

    According to him, the North West Commission if created, is not going to affect whatever the state governments are doing. Instead, it is going to complement their developmental efforts.

    ‘’ It will exist side by side with the state governments to develop the region. It will catalyze to accelerate the development of the zone and we have seen it in the North East where several projects executed by the North East Development Commission have helped tremendously in the development of the region and this has restored peace and stability relatively in that area.

    “ As the sponsor of the bill said, the North West has the largest population of about 70m in the country. Right now, so many industries are moving out of the North West because of insecurity and instability. In Kano State, about 250 have moved out. In Kaduna, about 120 have moved out while in Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto States, we have lost about 200 factories. So, there is a mass exodus of investments out of the zone simply because of insecurity and instability.  We need to establish this commission to take care of development in the zone.”

    Senator Gbenga Danial concurred with the spirit of the Bill saying “I rise in solidarity to support this very important bill on the need for the establishment of NWDC. There is no doubt in our minds that the North West is a very important component of our country. Without a doubt, the most populous states in the country belong to the North West. We have no doubt therefore, that on account of population alone, it is clear that we need to bend over backwards and encourage anything that will bring further development to this important region.”

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    In supporting the Bill, Senator Ifeanyi Uba averred “ While supporting this bill, I will call on my colleagues to ensure that there is equity and fairness to all regions.”

    In his summation of the debate on the Bill, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio gave his nod saying “This is very straightforward. The North West is very large; the population is large; the need for development is obvious. The insecurity will be minimised if more development enters there and educational facilities are made more available. For us, development anywhere in this country is development everywhere.”

    The establishment of special intervention bodies such as the  Nigeria Delta Development Commission and the North East Development Commission, were all in the spirit of accelerating the development of regions whose development was slowed down by some peculiar factors. The establishment of the North  West Development Commission will be fittingly, along this line.

    •Ortserga, is an Assistant Director (Information) in the National Assembly, attached to the Deputy President of the Senate Office.