The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Northern Nigeria

  • Northern Nigeria: between theocracy and modernity

    Northern Nigeria: between theocracy and modernity

    Through mass murders, kidnappings, bombings, and other acts of terrorism, Boko Haram remains an enduring threat, principally to Northern Nigeria, but  also to the whole country. Surprisingly, not the wanton destruction it daily wreaks, nor the fact of Nigeria spending trillions fighting it, as well as trying to beat back banditry which is, unfortunately, spreading fast, have been sufficient enough to mobilise the Northern elite behind the  efforts to rein in these twin evils. Nor has the existential danger murderous herdsmen constitute to large chunks of the country been deemed sufficient to draw any reaction from this educated, and very  knowledge-able, section of the Northern society to, at least, indicate that they are awed by what a negativity the North now constitutes to Nigeria’s well- being.

    And as to the question what can they do? I say, a lot” – being the introductory part of my article of Sunday 23 February,  2020.

    In the same article I also wrote:

    “You cannot be happy with about 87% of poverty in Nigeria being in the north. You can’t be happy with millions of northern children out of school. You can’t be happy with nine states in the north contributing almost 50 per cent of the entire malnutrition burden in the country”. “You can’t be happy with the drug problem. You can’t be happy with the Boko Haram problem. Or with banditry. If the North does not change, it will destroy itself” – Quoting the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, CON.

    During the past few weeks two gentlemen – my friend of over a decade, Tony Sani, former Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, but better known as the Forum’s Publicity Secretary and Moh’d Yusuf, who I just met on these pages reacting to my articles, trenchantly criticising my views not only on the North but also on President Muhammadu Buhari – have spent considerable time interrogating the place of the North in contemporary Nigeria.

    Because I know that most of Yusuf’s criticism are misplaced, I have reminded him that long before many Nigerians fell in love with the late President, I wrote on these pages, when President Buhari was only a Presidential aspirant, that Nigeria needed him much more than he needed Nigeria. I was then relying on his incandescent inorruptibility as he has long displayed in public office.

    As to my love, or otherwise for the North, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was my first choice University and I spent two weeks in Congo campus before I relocated to another University.  I shall never forget that the fees I paid was returned, pro rata, something not many Nigerian Universities would do, even now.

    I can say, with all boldness, that my views about the North, and Northerners, have always been honest and down to earth. For instance, twice in “Psycho-Analysing Sanusi Lamido Sanusi” (1 & 2), I wrote supporting the appointment of the latter Emir as Central Bank Governor in September,  2009 when it was not the most popular view.

    So when my views seem anti- North to some, it is certainly not out of malice.

    Today, I am taking a critical look at the choice/s before the North as it continues to constitute a major embarrassment to the whole country, so bad a foreign country had come, “gun – a – blazing”.

    Northern Nigeria today stands at a critical juncture, that is, at the choice between theocracy and modernity.

    As the Emir postulated above, the North, to survive as a modern conglomerate, must acknowledge the critical need for change.

    By embracing modernity, Northern Nigeria can unlock its vast potential, contribute to Nigeria’s growth, and become a beacon of hope, not only for that part of the country alone but for the entire country.

    Presently, Northern Nigeria, rich in cultural heritage and history, finds itself at the crossroads. It

     is grappling with the challenges of balancing its traditional values with the demands of modernity. The dichotomy between theocracy and modernity has led to a myriad of problems, including poverty, illiteracy, and insecurity, all of which have become a significant drain on Nigeria’s resources.

    Northern Nigeria has a long history of Islamic influence, with many states adopting Sharia law and although insecurity can be attributed to many reasons, the most fundamental is religion.

    Read Also: Northern Nigeria: Untameable and prospect of Nigeria achieving trillion dollar economy

    Insecurity in the North is, in my view and above anything else, mostly driven by the desire of the greatest percentage of Northern Moslems, if not all of them, to have Sharia declared all over Nigeria and the country, itself, proclaimed an Islamic country.

    This is precisely what nurtures insecurity,  be it it’s funding, the not  insignificant communal support it enjoys, as well as the ease with which the various gangs recruit new members from the bazaar of out – of – school children roaming the streets.

    Whoever denies this is only just talking.

    Knowing full well that the preponderance of their numbers in the National Assembly cannot foist sharia on the country, a greater percentage of Northern Moslems, no matter their position in life, would quite easily turn a blind eye to the activities of all these Islamic terrorist gangs terrorising Nigeria, from the sahel to the shores of the Atlantic ocean, if only to achieve the objective of having an Islamic country.

    It is a well known fact that this is the primary purpose of all Islamic terror gangs the world over and it enjoys local support everywhere,  not minding the collateral damage of losing some of their members.

    It is the reason why the United State’s first point of call was Sokoto state, an area the Nigerian security has never once declared as a terror stronghold.

    Never.

    But unlike Nigeria’s successive governments, the U.S has nobody, or anything, to fear.

    This fear of the unknown is also the reason successive Nigerian governments have never been able to name terror financiers and did, absoluely nothing, when foreign countries obliged the Buhari government with some of their names.

    But for America, Nigeria would have remained in limbo never able to touch terror kingpins, only relying on reeling out the names of mere hired guns for public consumption.

    It is time for the North to realise that the forces of globalisation and technological advancement have made modernity an unavoidable reality.

    It must, therefore, adapt to these changes if it is to ever compete with the modern world. The North must realise that Education, innovation, and entrepreneurship are key drivers of modernisation, in all of which the region, unfortunately, lags behind.

    Not unexpectedly, the North’s reluctance to embrace modernity has come at a great cost. For instance, its human development indicators are among the worst in Nigeria and, therefore, in the world, and are coupled with extra-ordinarily high rates of poverty, illiteracy, and infant mortality.

    Lack of economic opportunities has naturally fueled insecurity, with Boko Haram and a host of other killing and kidnapping gangs roaming the region, daily leaving trails of blood and anguish.

    The North must make a choice between continuing to cling to a theocratic model that has failed to deliver development or embrace modernity and its attendant benefits.

    This is not a call to abandon tradition or faith but to recognise that modernity and progress are not mutually exclusive with cultural heritage.

    What then is the way forward?

    There are a few of them.

    First, the North must, willy nilly, invest in education, especially education for girls and women, aimed at empowering individuals and driving economic growth. It must launch programs to improve education access, both quantity and quality – wise. Efforts must be made to drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children.

    Indeed the world would not collapse if Almajirai is officially prohibited and the study of the Holy Book streamlined into the expanded school syllabi. This is not too much if Northern states’ governments are prepared to turn around the fortunes of the region.

    The leaders must also put enough resources into ICT which is the future.

    Economic Diversification will be key too. Reliance on primary products of agriculture must give way to medium scale industrialisation to create a more diversified economy. Incentives could be offered to businesses to invest in the region to facilitate employment, especially in dairy products.

    Mining should have been beneficial to the local  economy  but for the ranka dede culture which makes the poor or not so rich behave like slaves to the rich, and thus cannot revolt against the rich who indulge in illegal mining together with their foreign partners and supported by hundreds of terrorists who, in addition  engage in kidnapping.

    Equally important is good governance which is mostly lacking in Northern states as a result of the uncritical culture of the people.

    Serious effort must also be made to strengthen institutions, promote transparency and hold leaders accountable.

    There must also be a cultural evolution which mass education should facilitate and promote. This should include a culture of tolerance, openness, and innovation.

     Finally, Northern region can significantly benefit from exchange programs with other regions, even other countries, to promote understanding, innovation and faster economic development.

    The North must seize this moment to redefine its place in all ramifications.

     The future beckons – it’s time for the North to make a choice.

  • Food for thought for Northern Nigeria

    Food for thought for Northern Nigeria

    “Woe betide a society whereby their dead leaders are better than their leaders that are alive” … Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule CFR, the Late Dan Masanin Kano, and Former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations

    For the record, I am from Northern Nigeria, a Muslim, and a patriot of Nigeria. I am currently not a member of any political party. However, I am worried that our narratives and posturing as northerners will not change our collective situation for good unless we tell ourselves the truth and take the necessary actions.

     By the way, while I am talking about northern Nigeria, the people from other regions in Nigeria should also take my message as a mirror for their regions, so that they can also make progress. Because we all have similar tendencies.

     The Crux of the Issues.

    It is proper and very important for interest groups of northern Nigeria, like other regional, ethnic, and religious groups in Nigeria, to continue advocating for good governance and pushing for more equitable leadership and representation at the federal level, while keeping the fee of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to fire.  

     However, in my view, the issues bedeviling northern Nigeria and the actual solutions will depend on how we, the northern elites and establishment, view the issues, our sincerity of purpose, and the actions that we take to address them. The root causes of most of the challenges facing Northern Nigeria are more regional and local than federal. Therefore, we must refocus, expand our vision, and change our mindsets if there is to be any hope of redemption, growth, and development. 

    Living in denial and blaming trade will only complicate and exacerbate our situations. The combined ticking time bombs of tribalism, ethnic jingoism, religious extremism, religious bigotry, hypocrisy, poverty, jealousy and envy, greed, hatred, erosion of our core values, corruption, etc., are part of the multi-dimensional issues that we must address as our realities. Indeed, we must also accept that the issues are mostly self-inflicted, either deliberately or inadvertently.

    Consequently, political grandstanding and gaslighting will not help us but only make our matters worse. The population growth rate of northern Nigeria, the preponderance of out-of-school children, rising unemployment, youth restiveness, rising social vices, insecurity, etc., in northern Nigeria reflect our dire situation, which calls for sincere and sober reflections. Without decisive actions to contain the ugly trends rather than blaming trade, we will be doomed.

     Some questions for all of us who are Nigerians from the northern region are as follows:

    Having produced the highest number of Presidents and Heads of State in Nigeria, and having been key stakeholders in the political evolution of this country, how many banks are owned by northern Nigerians? How many media houses are owned by northern Nigerians? How many manufacturing plants, or factories, are owned by northern Nigerians, apart from Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Alhaji Abdulsamad Isyaku Rabiu, and a few others? How many industries or factories in Nigeria are operated or managed by northern Nigerians? How many of the former State Governors of northern Nigeria have even a “pure water” factory where they have employed 10 people? How many of all former State governors of northern Nigeria, former and serving Senators, and Members of the House of Representatives are actually employing people or that actually have scholarship programs/systems whereby they are supporting children from their constituencies, with their own money, or the money they have taken from us? How many of us own or are managing (at top level) the insurance companies, and other private financial institutions, corporate organizations, apart from the Non-Executive Directorships that we are occasionally given, to give a semblance of national outlook for Companies that are owned majorly by southern Nigerians in which we have no real stake, etc.? These are the critical indicators that will tell us whether we are moving in the right direction or not. Today, most of the masses in northern Nigeria are “on their own”, with no help from the elites.

     Most times, we, the elites, only speak out loudly when it comes to issues that directly affect us or our children, but not really for the common good. How did we allow our region to slide into the abyss of over 80 million out of over 133 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians? Are these issues entirely the fault of a President, i.e., President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan, President Muhammadu Buhari, or the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Why do we have to shout all the time about issues that we are also responsible for? For example, we have a situation whereby a former northern State governor, who was a governor maybe 15 years ago, has become a glorified personal assistant to a current state governor. This speaks volumes to how we are making progress as northern Nigerians, or as Nigeria in general, because, by the way, this is not just a northern Nigeria issue.

     Certainly, if we are able to speak truths to ourselves, we may start moving in the right direction. Most of our leaders block their ears, close their eyes when they are in power, whether as Presidents, Vice Presidents, State Governors, Deputy Governors, Federal and State legislators, Judges, Chief Executives, Civil Servants, etc., but they shamelessly become “latter-day activists” when they leave office, having failed to deliver good governance during their tenures. It is time that we, the people of Northern Nigeria, start calling out such leaders.

    For the past 65 years in Nigeria, from independence to date, in every administration, northern Nigerians have been given the opportunity to lead or to serve. Whether the number is enough or not is not the issue. Recently, the late President Muhammadu Buhari was the President for eight years. How did our northern leaders, who were given the opportunities, perform? How did they change the fortunes of northern Nigeria within those eight years? Not long ago, during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, most of the top government officials who were found blameful or responsible for the diversion of the funds that were appropriated and disbursed for the procurement of weapons to fight terrorism were from Northern Nigeria. They were found to be in cahoots with misappropriating money that was meant to save/ protect their people, other Nigerians, and residents from being looted, kidnapped, raped, maimed, and killed daily in thousands. What This is the height of wickedness! Shame! What did the northern elders, elites, or citizens do, or what are they doing to stop these menaces and evil tendencies of self-service?

     Currently, the two Ministers of Defense, two Ministers of Agriculture, the Coordinating Minister of Health, Minister of Information, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Transport, the National Security Adviser, etc., are from northern Nigeria. It does not matter what political party is in power at the federal level; we always have a significant share of power and the highest number of representatives in the power dynamics of Nigeria.  Therefore, what should matter is how we perform and how we utilize the opportunities.

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    Self-Service OR Sincere Agitation?

    For instance, months into the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there was agitation by the Northern elites that there was a plan by the administration to sack northerners from CBN, etc., when 70% of the children in the CBN are our children, i.e., children of the elites. What about the children of Shoe shiners or peasant farmers, etc? Are we addressing the issues of almost 70% of our public primary and secondary schools that are dilapidated, with our children that sit on bare floors, in open areas? How about the teeming Almajiris that we maltreat? Is that the responsibility of the federal government? We all know that the State governments are primarily responsible for primary and secondary schools’ education, and yet we have over 10 million children and youngsters out of school. How are we, the elites, also speaking truth to our state governors to ensure that they do the needful? So, these are the posers for us to address as Northern Nigerians.

     Moreover, 70% of the leaders from North and indeed from Southern Nigeria came from humble backgrounds. But most of them forget where they come from, only when they need their votes. The fact is that about 60 or 50 years ago, they were given opportunities by leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, etc., and yet most of them have abandoned their people. Most of them were like the Almajiris of today, and yet they were given those opportunities to excel and become leaders in their Country.  Now, all they think of is themselves and their children. Yet here we are blaming all our woes on any President who is in power.

    Therefore, I urge our political, religious, traditional leaders, top leaders, intellectuals, and the entire elites to have a moment of introspection.

    In the subsequent episode, I will continue expounding on the issues bedeviling northern Nigeria and how I think we should best address them.

  • Food for thought for Northern Nigeria

    Food for thought for Northern Nigeria

    By Uba Sani

    “Woe betide a society whereby their dead leaders are better than their leaders that are alive” … Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule CFR, the Late Dan Masanin Kano, and Former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations

    For the record, I am from Northern Nigeria, a Muslim, and a patriot of Nigeria. I am currently not a member of any political party. However, I am worried that our narratives and posturing as northerners will not change our collective situation for good unless we tell ourselves the truth and take the necessary actions.

     By the way, while I am talking about northern Nigeria, the people from other regions in Nigeria should also take my message as a mirror for their regions, so that they can also make progress. Because we all have similar tendencies.

     The Crux of the Issues.

    It is proper and very important for interest groups of northern Nigeria, like other regional, ethnic, and religious groups in Nigeria, to continue advocating for good governance and pushing for more equitable leadership and representation at the federal level, while keeping the fee of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to fire.  

     However, in my view, the issues bedeviling northern Nigeria and the actual solutions will depend on how we, the northern elites and establishment, view the issues, our sincerity of purpose, and the actions that we take to address them. The root causes of most of the challenges facing Northern Nigeria are more regional and local than federal. Therefore, we must refocus, expand our vision, and change our mindsets if there is to be any hope of redemption, growth, and development. 

    Living in denial and blaming trade will only complicate and exacerbate our situations. The combined ticking time bombs of tribalism, ethnic jingoism, religious extremism, religious bigotry, hypocrisy, poverty, jealousy and envy, greed, hatred, erosion of our core values, corruption, etc., are part of the multi-dimensional issues that we must address as our realities. Indeed, we must also accept that the issues are mostly self-inflicted, either deliberately or inadvertently.

    Consequently, political grandstanding and gaslighting will not help us but only make our matters worse. The population growth rate of northern Nigeria, the preponderance of out-of-school children, rising unemployment, youth restiveness, rising social vices, insecurity, etc., in northern Nigeria reflect our dire situation, which calls for sincere and sober reflections. Without decisive actions to contain the ugly trends rather than blaming trade, we will be doomed.

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     Some questions for all of us who are Nigerians from the northern region are as follows:

    Having produced the highest number of Presidents and Heads of State in Nigeria, and having been key stakeholders in the political evolution of this country, how many banks are owned by northern Nigerians? How many media houses are owned by northern Nigerians? How many manufacturing plants, or factories, are owned by northern Nigerians, apart from Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Alhaji Abdulsamad Isyaku Rabiu, and a few others? How many industries or factories in Nigeria are operated or managed by northern Nigerians? How many of the former State Governors of northern Nigeria have even a “pure water” factory where they have employed 10 people? How many of all former State governors of northern Nigeria, former and serving Senators, and Members of the House of Representatives are actually employing people or that actually have scholarship programs/systems whereby they are supporting children from their constituencies, with their own money, or the money they have taken from us? How many of us own or are managing (at top level) the insurance companies, and other private financial institutions, corporate organizations, apart from the Non-Executive Directorships that we are occasionally given, to give a semblance of national outlook for Companies that are owned majorly by southern Nigerians in which we have no real stake, etc.? These are the critical indicators that will tell us whether we are moving in the right direction or not. Today, most of the masses in northern Nigeria are “on their own”, with no help from the elites.

     Most times, we, the elites, only speak out loudly when it comes to issues that directly affect us or our children, but not really for the common good. How did we allow our region to slide into the abyss of over 80 million out of over 133 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians? Are these issues entirely the fault of a President, i.e., President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan, President Muhammadu Buhari, or the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Why do we have to shout all the time about issues that we are also responsible for? For example, we have a situation whereby a former northern State governor, who was a governor maybe 15 years ago, has become a glorified personal assistant to a current state governor. This speaks volumes to how we are making progress as northern Nigerians, or as Nigeria in general, because, by the way, this is not just a northern Nigeria issue.

     Certainly, if we are able to speak truths to ourselves, we may start moving in the right direction. Most of our leaders block their ears, close their eyes when they are in power, whether as Presidents, Vice Presidents, State Governors, Deputy Governors, Federal and State legislators, Judges, Chief Executives, Civil Servants, etc., but they shamelessly become “latter-day activists” when they leave office, having failed to deliver good governance during their tenures. It is time that we, the people of Northern Nigeria, start calling out such leaders.

    For the past 65 years in Nigeria, from independence to date, in every administration, northern Nigerians have been given the opportunity to lead or to serve. Whether the number is enough or not is not the issue. Recently, the late President Muhammadu Buhari was the President for eight years. How did our northern leaders, who were given the opportunities, perform? How did they change the fortunes of northern Nigeria within those eight years? Not long ago, during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, most of the top government officials who were found blameful or responsible for the diversion of the funds that were appropriated and disbursed for the procurement of weapons to fight terrorism were from Northern Nigeria. They were found to be in cahoots with misappropriating money that was meant to save/ protect their people, other Nigerians, and residents from being looted, kidnapped, raped, maimed, and killed daily in thousands. What This is the height of wickedness! Shame! What did the northern elders, elites, or citizens do, or what are they doing to stop these menaces and evil tendencies of self-service?

     Currently, the two Ministers of Defense, two Ministers of Agriculture, the Coordinating Minister of Health, Minister of Information, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Transport, the National Security Adviser, etc., are from northern Nigeria. It does not matter what political party is in power at the federal level; we always have a significant share of power and the highest number of representatives in the power dynamics of Nigeria.  Therefore, what should matter is how we perform and how we utilize the opportunities.

    Self-Service OR Sincere Agitation?

    For instance, months into the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there was agitation by the Northern elites that there was a plan by the administration to sack northerners from CBN, etc., when 70% of the children in the CBN are our children, i.e., children of the elites. What about the children of Shoe shiners or peasant farmers, etc? Are we addressing the issues of almost 70% of our public primary and secondary schools that are dilapidated, with our children that sit on bare floors, in open areas? How about the teeming Almajiris that we maltreat? Is that the responsibility of the federal government? We all know that the State governments are primarily responsible for primary and secondary schools’ education, and yet we have over 10 million children and youngsters out of school. How are we, the elites, also speaking truth to our state governors to ensure that they do the needful? So, these are the posers for us to address as Northern Nigerians.

     Moreover, 70% of the leaders from North and indeed from Southern Nigeria came from humble backgrounds. But most of them forget where they come from, only when they need their votes. The fact is that about 60 or 50 years ago, they were given opportunities by leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, etc., and yet most of them have abandoned their people. Most of them were like the Almajiris of today, and yet they were given those opportunities to excel and become leaders in their Country.  Now, all they think of is themselves and their children. Yet here we are blaming all our woes on any President who is in power.

    Therefore, I urge our political, religious, traditional leaders, top leaders, intellectuals, and the entire elites to have a moment of introspection.

    In the subsequent episode, I will continue expounding on the issues bedeviling northern Nigeria and how I think we should best address them.

  • Food for thought for Northern Nigeria

    Food for thought for Northern Nigeria

    “Woe betide a society whereby their dead leaders are better than their leaders that are alive” … Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule CFR, the Late Dan Masanin Kano, and Former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations

    For the record, I am from Northern Nigeria, a Muslim, and a patriot of Nigeria. I am currently not a member of any political party. However, I am worried that our narratives and posturing as northerners will not change our collective situation for good unless we tell ourselves the truth and take the necessary actions.

     By the way, while I am talking about northern Nigeria, the people from other regions in Nigeria should also take my message as a mirror for their regions, so that they can also make progress. Because we all have similar tendencies.

     The Crux of the Issues.

    It is proper and very important for interest groups of northern Nigeria, like other regional, ethnic, and religious groups in Nigeria, to continue advocating for good governance and pushing for more equitable leadership and representation at the federal level, while keeping the fee of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to fire.  

     However, in my view, the issues bedeviling northern Nigeria and the actual solutions will depend on how we, the northern elites and establishment, view the issues, our sincerity of purpose, and the actions that we take to address them. The root causes of most of the challenges facing Northern Nigeria are more regional and local than federal. Therefore, we must refocus, expand our vision, and change our mindsets if there is to be any hope of redemption, growth, and development. 

    Living in denial and blaming trade will only complicate and exacerbate our situations. The combined ticking time bombs of tribalism, ethnic jingoism, religious extremism, religious bigotry, hypocrisy, poverty, jealousy and envy, greed, hatred, erosion of our core values, corruption, etc., are part of the multi-dimensional issues that we must address as our realities. Indeed, we must also accept that the issues are mostly self-inflicted, either deliberately or inadvertently.

    Consequently, political grandstanding and gaslighting will not help us but only make our matters worse. The population growth rate of northern Nigeria, the preponderance of out-of-school children, rising unemployment, youth restiveness, rising social vices, insecurity, etc., in northern Nigeria reflect our dire situation, which calls for sincere and sober reflections. Without decisive actions to contain the ugly trends rather than blaming trade, we will be doomed.

     Some questions for all of us who are Nigerians from the northern region are as follows:

    Having produced the highest number of Presidents and Heads of State in Nigeria, and having been key stakeholders in the political evolution of this country, how many banks are owned by northern Nigerians? How many media houses are owned by northern Nigerians? How many manufacturing plants, or factories, are owned by northern Nigerians, apart from Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Alhaji Abdulsamad Isyaku Rabiu, and a few others? How many industries or factories in Nigeria are operated or managed by northern Nigerians? How many of the former State Governors of northern Nigeria have even a “pure water” factory where they have employed 10 people? How many of all former State governors of northern Nigeria, former and serving Senators, and Members of the House of Representatives are actually employing people or that actually have scholarship programs/systems whereby they are supporting children from their constituencies, with their own money, or the money they have taken from us? How many of us own or are managing (at top level) the insurance companies, and other private financial institutions, corporate organizations, apart from the Non-Executive Directorships that we are occasionally given, to give a semblance of national outlook for Companies that are owned majorly by southern Nigerians in which we have no real stake, etc.? These are the critical indicators that will tell us whether we are moving in the right direction or not. Today, most of the masses in northern Nigeria are “on their own”, with no help from the elites.

     Most times, we, the elites, only speak out loudly when it comes to issues that directly affect us or our children, but not really for the common good. How did we allow our region to slide into the abyss of over 80 million out of over 133 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians? Are these issues entirely the fault of a President, i.e., President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan, President Muhammadu Buhari, or the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Why do we have to shout all the time about issues that we are also responsible for? For example, we have a situation whereby a former northern State governor, who was a governor maybe 15 years ago, has become a glorified personal assistant to a current state governor. This speaks volumes to how we are making progress as northern Nigerians, or as Nigeria in general, because, by the way, this is not just a northern Nigeria issue.

     Certainly, if we are able to speak truths to ourselves, we may start moving in the right direction. Most of our leaders block their ears, close their eyes when they are in power, whether as Presidents, Vice Presidents, State Governors, Deputy Governors, Federal and State legislators, Judges, Chief Executives, Civil Servants, etc., but they shamelessly become “latter-day activists” when they leave office, having failed to deliver good governance during their tenures. It is time that we, the people of Northern Nigeria, start calling out such leaders.

    For the past 65 years in Nigeria, from independence to date, in every administration, northern Nigerians have been given the opportunity to lead or to serve. Whether the number is enough or not is not the issue. Recently, the late President Muhammadu Buhari was the President for eight years. How did our northern leaders, who were given the opportunities, perform? How did they change the fortunes of northern Nigeria within those eight years? Not long ago, during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, most of the top government officials who were found blameful or responsible for the diversion of the funds that were appropriated and disbursed for the procurement of weapons to fight terrorism were from Northern Nigeria. They were found to be in cahoots with misappropriating money that was meant to save/ protect their people, other Nigerians, and residents from being looted, kidnapped, raped, maimed, and killed daily in thousands. What This is the height of wickedness! Shame! What did the northern elders, elites, or citizens do, or what are they doing to stop these menaces and evil tendencies of self-service?

     Currently, the two Ministers of Defense, two Ministers of Agriculture, the Coordinating Minister of Health, Minister of Information, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Transport, the National Security Adviser, etc., are from northern Nigeria. It does not matter what political party is in power at the federal level; we always have a significant share of power and the highest number of representatives in the power dynamics of Nigeria.  Therefore, what should matter is how we perform and how we utilize the opportunities.

    Read Also: Meet Adamawa-born comedian Mktechnic doing wonders on social media

    Self-Service OR Sincere Agitation?

    For instance, months into the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there was agitation by the Northern elites that there was a plan by the administration to sack northerners from CBN, etc., when 70% of the children in the CBN are our children, i.e., children of the elites. What about the children of Shoe shiners or peasant farmers, etc? Are we addressing the issues of almost 70% of our public primary and secondary schools that are dilapidated, with our children that sit on bare floors, in open areas? How about the teeming Almajiris that we maltreat? Is that the responsibility of the federal government? We all know that the State governments are primarily responsible for primary and secondary schools’ education, and yet we have over 10 million children and youngsters out of school. How are we, the elites, also speaking truth to our state governors to ensure that they do the needful? So, these are the posers for us to address as Northern Nigerians.

     Moreover, 70% of the leaders from North and indeed from Southern Nigeria came from humble backgrounds. But most of them forget where they come from, only when they need their votes. The fact is that about 60 or 50 years ago, they were given opportunities by leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, etc., and yet most of them have abandoned their people. Most of them were like the Almajiris of today, and yet they were given those opportunities to excel and become leaders in their Country.  Now, all they think of is themselves and their children. Yet here we are blaming all our woes on any President who is in power.

    Therefore, I urge our political, religious, traditional leaders, top leaders, intellectuals, and the entire elites to have a moment of introspection.

    In the subsequent episode, I will continue expounding on the issues bedeviling northern Nigeria and how I think we should best address them.

  • The Northern question in Nigeria

    The Northern question in Nigeria

    We have the largest number of poor people in the world, most of them in Northern Nigeria. Nigeria also has the largest number of out of school children, virtually all of them in Northern Nigeria.

    —Nasir el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, at the Northern Youth Summit on Saturday, July 6, 2019

    In the North-western and North-eastern parts of Nigeria, more than 60 per cent of the population live in extreme poverty … the 19 Northern states, which accounts for over 54 per cent of Nigeria’s population and 70 per cent of its landmass, collectively generate, only 21 per cent of the total sub-national IGR in the year 2017.

    —Aliko Dangote, speaking at the Kaduna Investment Summit on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

    From time immemorial, regional problems have been central to the formation and development of kingdoms, empires, and modern states.  However, the nature and effects of regional problems vary across time and space. In some cases, the problems are complicated by religion. In other cases, ethnicity is a key factor.

    There are also cases where social and economic divisions loom large just as there are others where the desire to preserve people’s rights and liberty is foregrounded.  Sometimes, one or the other of these factors could be highlighted to mask the others. Any of these factors could derail the unity or development of a kingdom, empire, or state. A convergence of two or more factors could pose even more serious challenges.

    For example, in the Southern United States, the desire to preserve slavery for economic reasons led the 13 Confederate states in the South to fight a bitter civil war, although apologists of the war often couch the reasons in terms of the preservation of liberty and independence. Residues of the division between the South and the rest of the United States loom large today, especially in race relations and democratic politics.

    The regional problem is even more pronounced in contemporary Italy. It was Antonio Gramsci, who problematized the regional issue in that country in his now famous The Southern Question, published in 1926.

    In the essay, Gramsci not only highlighted the social problems of Southern Italy, where he came from, he also outlined a theory by which class-regional alliances were employed by the Fascist government to maintain a hegemonic hold on power. The alliances involved creating a bridge between the Northern proletariat and the Southern peasantry.

    Yet, despite the Italian government’s investment in the South to pull up the region, its backwardness relative to Northern Italy continues to stand out.  As indicated below, many factors are responsible for the fate of Southern Italy, making it one of the less developed areas in Europe.

    If Northern Nigeria and Southern Italy were flipped, then the Italian situation would provide an instructive analogy to the regional problem in Nigeria, where the focus has been on the Northern question. To be sure, certain features are unique to each of the two regions in their respective countries, but there are interesting shared features to justify such an analogy. Correspondingly, Northern Italy compares to Southern Nigeria in developmental strides, including industrial growth, per capita income, contribution to GDP, and so on.

    First, both Southern Italy and Northern Nigeria share higher unemployment and poverty rates than other regions in their respective countries. On the one hand, the unemployment rate in Southern Italy has ranged between 15  and 20 percent in the last five years, while the average unemployment rate in the country as a whole is about 9 percent.

    On the other hand, the average unemployment rate of over 35 percent across Northern Nigeria has been consistently higher than the rest of the country at about 27 percent. When underemployment figures are factored in, over 30 percent of Southern Italians have little or no employment, while over 50 percent of Northern Nigerians are in a similar category.

    It is not surprising, therefore, that the poverty rate in Southern Italy and Northern Nigeria is much higher than the rest of their respective countries. Furthermore, the risk of poverty is also considerably higher in both regions than the rest of the country. That risk is accentuated by relative lack of education.

    Second, both Southern Italy and Northern Nigeria are more educationally backward than the rest of the country. They contain the majority of out-of-school children and school dropouts in their countries. Unfortunately, the situation has been getting worse, rather than better, in Northern Nigeria, as indicated in the opening quotes.

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    A recent letter by legendary Civil Servant, Ahmed Joda, to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, shows that the situation in Northern Nigeria is rooted in history as it is in Southern Italy. According to Joda, who was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education in 1971, only 250 candidates from the North were found qualified and were awarded Federal Government Scholarship in that year, whereas 2,750 candidates from the South got the same award.

    Of course, Northern leaders cried lopsidedness then and the Federal Government, controlled by Northerners most of the time since then, has used several methods to “compensate” the North. Almost 50 years later, the change has been for the worse, rather than for the better.

    Again, el-Rafai sums it all up in his speech to the Northern Youth Forum: “Northern Nigeria has become the centre of drug abuse, gender violence, banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism. We have also been associated with a high divorce rate and breakdown of families.” The situation compares to some extent with Southern Italy noted for organized crime, drug abuse, and “underground” economy, often controlled by the Mafia.

    Yet another feature shared by Southern Italy and Northern Nigeria is a state-dependency mentality by which the people wait for government largesse—government jobs or share of government funds. The result is unbridled corruption and appalling lack of transparency. The almajiri image of begging for food with bowl-in-hand is symbolic of the state-dependency mentality of the region. While the Governors and Emirs distribute the largesse in Northern Nigeria, the Mafia does the same in Southern Italy. The result at the end of the day is little or no development of the region.

    Dangote’s injunction to Northern leaders is now more urgent than ever: “Northern Nigeria will continue to fall behind if the respective states governments do not move to close the development gap”.

  • Northern Nigeria’s mounting debts

    Northern Nigeria’s mounting debts

    SIR: The recent revelation of the debt profile of states has cast a troubling shadow over the economic stability of several northern states. Among them, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina rank highest in accumulated debt, raising urgent concerns over fiscal responsibility, transparency, and the future of sustainable development in the region.

    As of December 2023, Bauchi State alone owed over N143.9 billion in domestic debt and $186.8 million in external debt, according to data from the Debt Management Office (DMO). These figures place Bauchi among the top five most indebted northern states. However, despite this significant borrowing, visible infrastructure, improved social services, and measurable development outcomes remain elusive.

    Debt, in itself, is not inherently problematic. Governments around the world leverage borrowing as a tool for economic expansion and long-term investment. However, the challenge arises when debts are incurred without a corresponding improvement in the welfare of citizens or clear accountability for how funds are used.

    In Bauchi and other northern states, this paradox is stark. Education, healthcare, road infrastructure, and water supply systems remain grossly underfunded or abandoned. Rural communities still lack access to basic amenities, while state budgets continue to prioritize debt servicing over service delivery.

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    A 2023 BudgIT report reveals that many northern states are allocating a significant portion of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to debt repayment. For instance, Bauchi spent approximately 70% of its IGR servicing debts in the last two years, leaving little room for meaningful capital investment or human development.

    While governors often cite “legacy projects” and economic development plans to justify borrowing, a lack of transparency and weak institutional oversight has raised red flags among policy analysts and civil society organizations.

    In Kaduna, for example, successive administrations justified loans for infrastructural expansion, yet public schools and primary healthcare centres remain in distress. In Kano, the rising debt burden has coincided with increased cases of delayed pension payments and growing dissatisfaction among civil servants. Katsina faces similar challenges—borrowing has done little to stem the tide of poverty, unemployment, and insecurity.

    In Bauchi, Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration has repeatedly emphasized infrastructure and agricultural transformation. However, several projects are either incomplete, poorly executed, or of questionable public relevance. Communities in districts like Itas-Gadau and Shira continue to suffer from poor roads and inadequate health facilities, calling into question the efficiency and equity of resource allocation.

    Northern Nigeria’s development challenge is not solely a matter of limited resources—it is primarily a problem of poor financial management and lack of political accountability. As debt levels soar, there must be a coordinated demand from civil society, the media, and concerned citizens for open financial books, project audits, and debt justification mechanisms.

    Instituting a framework where debt is linked to measurable outcomes—such as reduced maternal mortality, improved school enrolment, and increased access to clean water—is critical to ensuring that future borrowing delivers tangible value.

    As Nigeria navigates a delicate economic recovery in the post-fuel subsidy era, state governments must embrace reforms centred on fiscal discipline, revenue diversification, and transparent governance.

    For northern states, especially Bauchi, this is not just an economic imperative—it is a moral duty. Leaders must understand that borrowing is not a substitute for good governance. The people deserve more than recurring debt announcements and ceremonial project commissioning; they deserve lasting impact.

    The road to sustainable development is paved not just with funds, but with vision, integrity, and accountability. Anything short of that is a disservice to the millions who continue to live without the most basic essentials of life.

    • Yasir Shehu Adam (Dan Liman), Bauchi.
  • Why northern Nigeria should not reject tax reforms

    Why northern Nigeria should not reject tax reforms

    Is Tax Reform against islamic law? Will VAT be charged on muslim inheritance?

    May, I will refer us to the Holy Quran, the Holy Book that guides (with the support of Hadith) our actions as Muslims; Al-Qur’an is the word of Allah SUBHANAHU WA TA’ALA – incontestable, unambiguous, and undeniable. In the Holy Quran, in Surah Al-Anbiya (21:7), Allah SWT Tells Muslims to seek for knowledge and understanding on matters that are beyond their understanding. The Tafsir of Ayat as also elaborated by Hadiths, is very succinct and clear with regard to how Muslims should engage in things that are beyond our understanding or areas of specialization. To that extent, I urge our religious leaders, that when matters that have to do with economics, politics, or indeed areas that require specific specializations, which are beyond their scope or understanding, then they should contemplate and proceed with this Ayat in mind. We have very sound and intelligent Northern Nigerians who can objectively do evaluate to such specialist areas. More than that we should also be able to get multiple opinions on such matters. Indeed, I will also suggest that religious leaders and traditional rulers, should speak last on such matters or midway into the matters, such that they would have gotten full briefing from diverse opinions, which will guide their contemplations as they guide us all. Certainly, the religious leaders and traditional leaders are supposed to be the guides of the conscience of our societies, and they are also the beacons that shine the light to the right pathways we should follow. That is why in my opinion, sometimes rushing to be in the forefront to speak on sensitive matters without adequate research and contemplation, may be counterproductive. Indeed, I totally align with the fact that our Clerics (the Ulamas) need to rise to the occasion, whenever such thorny issues come up, so as to guide people’s thinking and actions to ensure peace, stability and progress.

     That being said, I intend to shed some light on some grey areas in the proposed Tax Bill, in case it will help to give more perspectives that will guide the thoughts and decisions of our Ulamas, traditional rulers and also importantly the entire Muslim Ummah in northern Nigeria. 

     For example, the question about if the bill antithetical to Islamic injunctions? I have come across various write-ups by highly respected intellectuals and academics in northern Nigeria, erroneously referring to a section of the Bill, giving the notion that the bill will charge tax on inheritance, after the reform is done. Those respectable scholars are making specific reference to chapter 2, part 1, section 4, sub-section 3 of the National Tax Bill; titled “Income, profits or gains chargeable to tax”. This section states and I quote; “Income of a family recognized under any law or custom in Nigeria as family income in which several interests of individual members of the family cannot be separately determined”. The section is clearly referenced in error, because the section is not speaking about “inheritance”, but about “income”. In the entire Bill there is no proposal to tamper or deduct tax from inheritance which is forbidden in Islam.

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     Is Tax Reform anti-north?

    90% of the vulnerable Nigerians, and all low income (minimum wage) earners will be exempted from this Tax in the proposed Bill. So, as a northerner, where about 70% of the about 133 million multidimensionally poor Nigerians are residents and surviving and struggling under the vagaries of socioeconomic headwinds, the reform should be pleasing to us.

     In the case of VAT. I am a strong proponent, allocation by derivation or allocation by consumption. Because that is the sharing formula that will ensure balance and equity and not the current VAT sharing arrangement which favors only Lagos and Rivers States to the disadvantage of the other 34 States and FCT. For instance, for Sokoto where BUA is producing Sokoto Cement, the current policy says because the headquarters of BUA is in Lagos, almost the entire VAT goes to Lagos. The new VAT law proposal is telling us that a chunk of VAT will be paid back to Sokoto State, and not Lagos. Is that anti-north? In my own opinion by simple arithmetic, the people of Sokoto should be happy that now they have an opportunity for them earn significant increase in income.

     The same scenario applies to my state, Kano State. If you look at MTN subscriptions, as an example. According to NBS, for MTN subscribers in the first quarter of last year, 2023;

    Lagos had 26 million subscribers, Ogun State was next with over 13 million, then Kano State with over 12 million, Bayelsa had 1.6million, while Ebonyi State had 1.6million subscribers. What the proposed reform is telling us, is that, MTN will now not pay the chunk of VAT that accrue from all the subscriptions in the entire Country to Lagos. But the in the new arrangement, each State will get the chunk of the VAT that accrued in that state based on the subscriber usage in State, i.e. It means that the VAT paid by those 12 million subscribers will be accounted for and prorated and be sent back to Kano State (which will increase the income). Whereas as it is today, almost all the states in Nigeria lose to Lagos just as an instance. Is that anti-north? The answer is, No.

    Northeast development Commission (NEDC) is the only Development Commission in Nigeria funded with VAT

    Its worthy of note that it is only North East Development Commission (NEDC) is the only Development Commission in Nigeria that is funded with VAT. 3% of the Gross annual VAT collection in the entire Country is deducted (before sharing) is paid directly to NEDC “as first line charge, to accrue to the Commission for a period of 10 years, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law” as one of its source of funding, in line with the provisions of the NEDC Act.

     Interestingly, President Tinubu asked that the provision should not be tampered with, nor should the NEDC act be amended. All the other regional development commissions i.e NDDC, SEDC, and SWDC, and even the NWDC that is undergoing legislation are being funded or to be funded from the “monthly statutory allocations due to member States from the federation Account – his being contribution of the Federal Government”, in line with provisions of the respective Acts of the regional commissions.

     With a Budgetary allocation of about N131bn in 2024 NEDC alone, recognizing the impact of Boko Haram insurgency to the region and the need to revitalize the region with such provision; how could we say that the reform is anti-north. This is so especially when other regions are not protesting this deduction from the VAT as a first line charge. Is this also anti-north? Certainly not!

    Conclusion

    The integrity of the process is a critical success factor. Therefore, the parliamentary process must be proper and it must follow due process. Therefore, the Federal Government should not give the impression that the bill is being forced down the throats of Nigerians. To that extent, I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing the Ministry of Justice to engage stakeholders and ensure that all the necessary inputs are made. I advocate that the consultations should on pari passu the legislative process; because time is of essence.

    I strongly advise all well-meaning Nigerians to read the Bill, and not to wait until they are told about the bill by politicians. We need to go through the proposal and where we don’t understand, we should seek understanding from those who may be subject matter experts.

     I am of the view that the Bill is worth a review and evaluation by northern Nigerians. There are areas that we need to look at and address critical issues and negotiate where necessary. However, I believe that allowing politicians to push us to reject the bill will not be in the interest of Muslims, northern Nigerians, and Nigerians in general. We should go through the bill so that we can consult, engage, debate and negotiate (if need be). That is the essence of democracy.

      God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Halting the tide: Rechannelling, optimizing potential of youth in Northern Nigeria

    Halting the tide: Rechannelling, optimizing potential of youth in Northern Nigeria

    By Haroun Harry Audu

    In the aftermath of the calamitous and disastrously mangled #endbadgovernance protests which in early August 2024 consumed some towns and cities in Northern Nigeria, I was exposed to discussions online about the fate that may have befallen the region as a consequence. One of them in particular (Hunger Protest, Violence and the Russian Flag: Unfolding Events in Northern Nigeria, issued by my brother and friend, Hussaini Abdu, PhD.) offered a distillation of some of the core drivers of this unfortunate turn of events, especially in Northern Nigeria.

    Now that the dust has settled(?)I am inclined to hasten to restate the same points, albeit from another, more personal angle: Without minimizing the plethora of factors offered to explain and perhaps as a cure to aspects of the problems, it is my contention that as political, economic and civil society elites of northern extraction, we (yes, many of us) have for too long pretended, ignored, overlooked or simply downplayed and/or failed to collaboratively confront and proactively stem in creative ways, the slowly germinating seeds of youth restlessness and their attendant restiveness, across huge swaths of the region. And this has been the story of the region, going back over 4 decades.

    In the late 80s and into the 90s, I was privileged to have spent quite a lot of time in the company of the former (and late) military governor of Northern Nigeria, Ciroman Katsina, Major General Hassan Usman Katsina, of blessed memory. At just about every private and public function that he had the opportunity to speak, he would openly and loudly lament the sorry, degenerating state of parental and community leadership and the gradual failure and erosion of family and societal values in the North. Citizens everywhere would often praise and thank him for his (then rare, near-solitary public) forthrightness about the issues as it were. Thereafter, and again and again, we all returned to our businesses as usual.

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    The situation continued to be made worse within the north, by an insipid, vapid, and outlandish culture of “maula”, gleefully and mindlessly practiced and encouraged by a thieving rentier class of dealers masquerading as leaders in the public, private, and faith sectors of the socio-economy. Add to this as well, the inexplicable veneration and promotion by some, of a culture of begging involving hundreds of thousands of minors in just about every capital city and major towns in Northern Nigeria and even outside of it.  These are children birthed by parents who clear-eyed, have mindlessly abdicated their responsibility. It should be a badge of shame and dishonour that parents would instead wilfully “export” innocent kids away from home with hardly a compass to sensibly navigate their way through rough, brutish, and harsh terrain, thereby rendering them as cannon fodder for only God knows what. Add to these festering maladies within the culture, the general onset of apathy to (and the deliberate, criminal divestments and wanton corruption which have weakened public) vocational and formal education. Amongst several other factors, these have combined to disadvantage a rapidly expanding youth bulge, girls and boys, all over the north. The general collapse of education opportunities and standards all over Nigeria, with the north bearing the most brunt, became the bitter icing on the cake. And this was a region that had by all indicators of progression in modernity, lagged far behind its counterparts in Nigeria, long before independence in 1960.

    Today, this generation of youth, those born between 25 to 35 years ago have all grown and matured in the north seemingly flailing without direction. The lived reality and experiences of these youth have been but a witness to violent conflict and the rapacious pilfering by their so-called political, social, and religious elites of public resources. They have watched with envy – thanks to the ubiquity of social media – the abhorrent lifestyle of such officeholders in the region and elsewhere, as exemplified by the opulent economic and social aggrandizement by political and faith leaders, serially on display in their villages, towns, and cities. They have seen and felt the apparent incapacity fuelled by corruption, how a section of men and officers in state law enforcement and security have woefully come up short and/or have abused, misused, and compromised their role and gotten stupendously rich in the process. In stark, unmistakable terms, youth in the North of Nigeria are today living in the truest nightmare of a state apparatus manifestly unable to crucially combat and end banditry and curtail and punish kidnapping as a criminal enterprise. Our matasa have encountered first-hand through nearly 2 and half decades now, a rampaging insurgency that has wreaked untold havoc upon the foundations and very fabric of the north. Clearly, then, we should be unsurprised that young people in Northern Nigeria cannot visualize and locate for themselves a visible trajectory of a thriving future of socioeconomic opportunities, and this goes back from especially 1999 to date.

    But – away from the lamentation – I wish to hazard a guess that some of the many answers and solutions to this dangerous state of affairs are right before us. I will mention a few presently.

    Agriculture in the north is and remains our lowest-hanging fruit. Public, private, and civil society actors must quickly work together to redirect and deploy the vibrant energy of our youth population to full, sustained participation in this sector. The sad reality to acknowledge is that, within a space of just 8 years, a sitting president of northern extraction wistfully (some would say, absent-mindedly) and inexplicably superintended over the unfortunate “democratization” of insecurity, shamefully and shamelessly all over the region. Under his watch, rampaging insurgents and kidnapping gangs gleefully laid to waste commercial and subsistence farming leading to acute shortages in food provisioning. Farms and farming communities had to contend with endless acts of daily, vicious terror, rendering thousands of arable farmlands to lay waste year after year. The options before us are as clear as day: we must quickly put heads together, figure out a way to attack this challenge, sensitize and partner with state agencies, and commence the difficult but necessary act of mobilising our young population to return in their numbers, to our first love historically, as a region.

    Our villages, towns, and cities are increasingly, an environmental sanitation eyesore with dirt and filth and unhygienic practices in overdrive as core living habits. The serial outbreaks in many of our communities of preventable and other serious diseases and ailments reflect the degenerate health and living conditions of the majority of our compatriots in Arewa. Yet again, our teeming youth population can and should be mobilized, trained, and offered incentives in their various locations, to take up massive clean-ups of our neighbourhoods on a weekly basis. We must move to reimagine and put forth concrete and viable action steps in this regard, consciously engage with state, non-state, and educational/research institutions, so as to design pathways that will ultimately convert the state of our despondent residential and commercial environments into the sustainable gold mine that they most certainly are. We have the numbers of young boys and girls, who will be constituted as the vanguard for this badly needed turnaround.

    Finally (I have several other ideas but let me end it here for now with this point): our northern governors must unashamedly and immediately ask to borrow in part or wholesale, the developmental blueprint of Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor of Borno State. In a short 4 years of his first term in office, and building on the foundations of his predecessor, he instigated a huge experiment in skills and vocational training for thousands of youths annually. The majority of these youth on account of the Boko Haram insurgency, lost their chances at formal education, but given another few years now, Borno youth will be blazing the trail in Northern Nigeria with their globally acclaimed entrepreneurial skill sets. We were in Maiduguri, Borno State for a couple of days in late 2022, and based on my first-hand insights into these and other accomplishments by the government of Borno in health, education, agriculture, trade, and commerce, the time is now for every governor in the north to emulate this example and commit to skilling not less than 10,000 young people annually in various trades, crafts and entrepreneurship starter packs. The resources are there. It is doable.

    We are, without a doubt or any form of pretence, far behind as a region. Let us step up to do something about it. I wish to charge socio-political and cultural platforms in the north, to come together and convene a platform of like-minded Arewa persons. The time is now to step forward together and thoughtfully hash out and make concrete contributions to charting a fresh course. History beckons, yan’uwa.

     • Audu is a Marketing Communications Consultant; Public Policy Strategist; Resource Optimization Specialist & Legal Practitioner.

  • Reorienting Northern Nigeria

    Reorienting Northern Nigeria

    One of the biggest news scam of this century was that there was an agreement amongst the primordial actors that the amalgamation of Northern Protectorate and the Colony of Lagos and Southern Protectorate in 1914 was structured to last for only 100 years. The purveyors of the fake news niftily encouraged those disenchanted with the state of Nigeria to treat the nation as an expired product hence their trenchant determination to discard Nigeria into a waste bin. Of course, the protagonists made no attempt to provide proof of their wishful claims.

    The majority of the protagonists in the southern part of the country who see the northern part of the country, especially those in the north-west and north-east, as a burden on the rest of the country merely got further ammunition to pursue their desire to end a troubled Nigerian union. They point at the humongous socio-economic challenges facing the northern part of the country, and hold the view that nothing good can ever come from that part of the country. Those from northern part of the country, who because of the exigencies of Nigerian history, see themselves as the privileged class, view the agitators, as trouble makers who should be dealt with, mercilessly.

    On their part, the by-product of the decades of mismanagement in the north: the talakawas, almajaris, internally displaced persons, petty cattle rustlers, long trekking cattle herders, and other hordes of poverty-stricken masses in the northern part of the country see their compatriots in the southern part, with different idiosyncrasies, culture, religion and sundry practices, as the root cause of their social, economic and political dislocation. Thus at any slightest opportunity, that horde of the disposed and disoriented commoners, seeks to exert hefty prices from those who cause their problem. 

    In the southern part, a fervent wave of agitators who believe inextricably that the ways of the people from the so-called core north, and the ways of their compatriots from the southern part, can never align, seek both lawful and unlawful means, to end the nightmarish marriage, called Nigeria. The more enlightened amongst them, deride people of the northern Nigeria, as economic laggards, who depend on the southern part of the country for their survival. At every election cycles, political actors from the northern part of the country thus make strenuous efforts to show that the north is not a strain on the rest of the country. 

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    Last week, the northern governors and the traditional rulers in the north, once again fell into that narrative, that they depend on the resources from southern parts of the country to survive. They moved against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly. According to experts, the new tax reform bills are made up of four major components. And each is expected to deal with a specific aspect of tax administration. The part that the northern power elite stringently oppose, deal with the sharing of the proceeds from the Value Added Tax (VAT).

    In a show of brinkmanship, the Nigeria Economic Council (NEC), headed by vice president Kashim Shettima, also asked the federal government to withdraw the bill, and engage in more consultations, with stakeholders. While the NEC asked for withdrawal, the northern power elites that met, asked their representatives and political leaders not to support any bill that is against northern interest – read, the provision that seeks to alter the sharing model for VAT monies, in favour of where the goods and service are derived, as against a nebulous equality of states.

    Expectedly, the Tinubu administration which has shown remarkable determination to push on with its economic reforms is resisting the advice to withdraw the bills. The spokesperson of the president avers that the bill is a result of one year of painstaking consultations, and that any objections from any group to any provision of the bill should be made during the legislative process, towards passing of the bill. That ordinarily is the right part to follow and not to throw away the entire bills, for a few disconcerting provisions.  

    While political brinkmanship is part of the business of politics, the northern leaders must begin a reorientation process. The seemingly dependency mind-set, which may have informed their opposition to the VAT provision of the tax reform bills or any other effort at fiscal federalism, needs to reset. But for short-sightedness and incompetence, the north is potentially richer than the south. Even the northwest states of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kastina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara, most of which have the worst indices of poverty, arguably are very rich with mineral resources and agricultural potentials.  

    The mineral resources in Zamfara were reputed by the former state governor, Mahmudu Aliyu Shinkafi, to be about 60 percent of the entire mineral deposit in the country. The lands in many parts of the northern region are much more fertile than in the south, which makes them the food basket of the country. Recent food crisis in the country has shown that the southern part of the country is actually dependent on the north for its food supply. Since insurgency became trenchant in many states in the north, Nigeria has been in the throes of food crisis.

    Yet, despite the enormous natural resources the northern states are endowed with, the poverty indices in the region remains endemic. In a paper, presented few years ago, Kingsley Moghalu, surmised the comparative poverty levels amongst the regions of the country thus: “Comparative regional poverty rates in Nigeria are: North-West: 80.9%, North-East: 76.8%, North-Central: 45.7%, giving a northern poverty average of 67.8%. Compare this with the southern regions: South-West: 19.3%, South-South: 25.2%, South-East: 27.4%, with a southern average of 24%. Northern Nigeria is nearly three times poorer than Southern Nigeria.”

    If the north wishes to liberate itself from the strangulating poverty and underdevelopment that has castrated the region, and by extension the entire Nigeria, it must begin to look at economic models, different from the dependency syndrome, which has not saved the day. Since Nigeria’s independence, the northern part has had more heads of state or presidents than the southern part of the country. The north has more states, senatorial zones, federal constituencies, local governments, and land mass, which are all the criteria used to share or cream resources from the federal centre.

    Yet, despite all these advantages, the north is still thrice poorer than the south. So, the north needs to introspect and seek new ways to extricate the region from the gripping poverty that makes the region a ticking time bomb – a bomb that could consume not just the region, but the entire country. Luckily, there seems to be some new state governors working had to change the paradigm.  While not urging the north to swallow the tax bills, hook, line and sinker; the enduring principle should be to create its own wealth, rather than seek to own what does not belong to the north, rightfully.

  • Monday sit -at -home: where are Southeast leaders?

    Monday sit -at -home: where are Southeast leaders?

    Writ large on my mind when a few weeks ago I flew a kite regarding a Marshall Plan for Northern Nigeria, was a situation where the deployment of huge funds could be used to banish the crawling poverty in that part of the country by socially and infrastructurally restructuring the region – get millions of out of school children heading to schools, tens of thousands of the citizens waiting to be eagerly recruited by all manner of criminal gang’s  getting gainfully employed as many agro- allied midlevel industries are established to process its more than abundant agricultural products.

    I equally believed that seeing these possibilities, at least one or two, if nòt many more,  of the hundreds of billionaires in that part of the country would not only react to the article but actually initiate the process of getting the Plan in place.

    But for where?

    I had forgotten  that many had become so stinkingly rich through government while those of them who are actually engaged in productive activities make their millions of dollars, on a daily basis, in Southern Nigeria where things are far less restive, and that their concern for the deleterious consequences of  the large scale insecurity convulsing their homeland does not go beyond sending palliatives.

    Unfortunately, the reaction of Southeastern leaders – Obis, politicians, its world acclaimed Igbo intellectual, merchants of all manner of enterprise – has shown, conclusively, that Northern leaders – Emirs, Generals, especially retired, super rich businessmen and the equally world acclaimed Northern intellectual, forever holding conferences, all the year round, on all manner of subjects – do not have a monopoly of treating their homeland with benign neglect.

    I did my humble little in ‘It is Time For a Marshall Plan For Northern Nigeria’ (The Nation. 15 September, 2024) to prick the conscience of the average Northerner, to see what hell on earth their people are going through, being daily subjected to Boko Haram activities, banditry, sporadic shootings, abduction, maiming, arson as well as sundry extrajudicial killings.

    Unfortunately, not a whimper was heard in reaction.

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    Today, I shall be turning my gaze Southwards to the Southeast where, for years, things have not been better than we see in both the Northeast and the Northwest.

    Below is a typical iteration of the Southeastern condition as reported by several newspapers this past week:

    “The Defence Headquarters on Thursday said Troops of Operation UDO KA at FOB Orsu in a sting operation apprehended a terrorist leader identified as Mr Pius Iguh after troops conducted an offensive operation in Orsu and Obubra LGAS of Imo and Cross River States respectively. Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba revealed while addressing media at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja that Troops also made contact with IPOB/ESN terrorists in Arochukwu LGA of Abia State.

    General Buba said the arrested Mr Pius Iguh is an IPOB terrorist founding father responsible for Orsu general area in Imo State. He also added that Troops conducted a sting operation and arrested IPOB/ESN terrorists in Ehime Mbano, Oguta and Orsu LGAs of Imo State as well as Udenu LGA of Enugu State respectively. In a separate development, troops at FOB Amaruku conducted a raid on an IPOB commander. The raid was successful and led to the arrest of the Commander identified as Emmanuel Onwugu in Mbano LGA of Abia State. In another development, troops and security forces conducted a combined sting operation. General Buba said the operation led to the arrest of a notorious cult leader named Ifeanyi Rock and 10 of his combatants in Arochukwu LGA of Abia StateOverall, troops of Operation UDO KA neutralized 24 terrorists, arrested 12 violent extremists and rescued one kidnapped hostage. Troops recovered 10 AK47 rifles, 15 pump action guns, 153 rounds of 7.62mm amongst other items.The ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations of the armed forces has dealt significant blows to terrorist capabilities. Troops have denied these terrorists from accomplishing their strategic objectives…”

    Now which of these ought to mean nothing to the average Igbo, especially its leaders: that after the slaughter of millions of Igbo youth in the unfortunate civil war, countless numbers of its very vibrant youth aarenow putting themselves to this needless death? Or the fact that not only are businesses unnecessarily disrupted weekly by the activities of these young men and, to quote the researchers we already referenced at some length: “the destruction of life and property, piles of dead bodies, displacement, torched villages, maimed victims, lots of casualties, an increase in internal displacement, forced migration and food shortages, a humanitarian crisis with an increase in the number of internally displaced persons, student abductions and wanton killings?”

    Why then has the Igbo leadership not moved, like one man, into some meaningful effort to stanch this horrible daily experience of their people? I do not come into these issues, North and South, because I am some good Samaritan, rather it is simply because I can see what peace, Pan – Nigeria, can do for this currently thoroughly beleagured giant of Africa.

    I also do not intend to patronise Igbos when I say are rigorous, brilliant, courageous and, above all, highly resourceful.  But is all that only as far as money makinggis concerned, and nothing else matters?

    What is stopping637 Igbo intellectuals from acting if their politicians are playing timid, fearing they might lose their highly profitable sinecures?

    I once raised this very question with a younger Igbo friend of mine, a professor.  He wisely told me that given what is going on in the Southeast, with hardly any respect for human life, it is only reasonable to wait and watch. Of course, I agree with him  because it is common knowledge that many Igbos, visiting from abroad, do not go beyond Lagos, or  have an occasional visit to Abuja before going back. And if they must get home at all, they would have to pay protection money to whichever criminal gang controls their area.

    Were my advice sought on this matter, I would go straight to the words of Anambra state governor, Professor Charles Soludo when he says that: “these are criminals kidnapping people for ransom. Killings and destruction, he emphasised, are not agitating but engaging in LUCRATIVE CRIMINALITY. We know where these criminals are… It is not agitation, but a criminal activity”.

    Now I am going to a very risky territory because I know Igbos idolise their ‘young kings’ who they actually believe are the messiahs who will take them out of Nigeria back to Israel since they claim they are Jews; these very boys oiling criminally in Igbo land. To touch them, as am now doing, is to open oneself to a barrage on infantile name calling on social media. But what would that profit them. Besides, I’ve  been on this column since 2006 – do the arithmetic, and name calling has not succeeded in removing a strand of hair from my head.

    But what does the bible say about a people whose kings ( rulers/leaders) are children?

    Says Ecclesiastes 10:16-17-”Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!”.

    These young Igbo messiahs, well aware of the Igbo psyche, always emerge posing as freedom fighters but Soludo knows them.

    First was Ralph Uwazuruike who, thanks to a WhatsApp post which trended some months ago, is now a  multi- millionaire. From nowhere emerged the charismatic prince, Nnamdi Kanu, ever flamboyant, and blessed with the gift of the garb, who soon seduced every Igbo so much Igbo National Assembly members, fearful of losing election, literally worship him. One of them even signed up for him as surety, never believing the strong man could ever vote with his feet. The Nigerian government had to, creatively, bring him back home (rendition) from Kenya; an action already adjudged illegal by a court of law. And now the latest, and perhaps the most dangerous of them all – who singlehandedly, successfully shamed Nigeria by exposing her diplomatic impotence to the entire world.

    Simon Ekpa, ensconced in Finland now for years, instigating all manner of criminalities all over the Southeast, and only last week inviting the Nigerian Army to a contest of  weaponry, “if the Nigerian Army could dare”, has made mince meat of any influence the ‘giant of Africa’ may claim to possess as Nigeria has failed dismally to get Finland to move against him.

    But how does that advance the cause of the Igbos or how does the massive insecurity benefit Igbo businesses or life in general?

    If all the answers are in negative territory, as they are, then when would Igbo leaders, its opinion leaders, their politicians, if they can be trusted, all get together, and say enough is enough?

    While it is true that the Igbo republican nature makes them independent minded, it is an undeniable fact that these Unknown Gun Men who Soludo told us are known, but not yet arrested, as they sure would, do have parents. Since Soludo also described what these criminals are doing as lucrative criminality, I make bold to say that if Igbo leaders are not being influenced by consideration for the huge fortune their ‘young kings’ are making, especially from Diasporan Igbo, then the time is now for the entire race to get together and say enough because as things stand, Igbos are literally destroying themselves.

    With iron clad determination, they should be able to put an end to all these killings and economic strangulation in their homeland because, unlike Northern Nigeria where the bandits, Boko Haram elements and the criminal Fulani herders tormenting the region are multinational, those ravaging Igboland are their own Igbos. Igboland can make do with a modicum of peace.

    I wish them all they wish themselves.