Nigeria has abundant mineral resources, high human capital, large cultivable and irrigable land, as well as an array of talented people just like Brazil, China, and India, to mention a few success stories.
These countries were in similar circumstances not too long ago, but it is very clear that they are now FIRST-WORLD countries by looking inward and harnessing their resources.
Nigeria can do the same, provided that we collectively work at it by ensuring good governance and very little tolerance for corruption.
Our oil should be looked upon as a bonus to help develop other resources and not a curse to unleash underdevelopment in the land.
Prior to 1970, Nigeria’s economy was on its way to bringing about prosperity to the majority of our people, but as soon as oil became available in commercial quantities, Nigeria and Nigerians became complacent, which actually led to a loss of focus on honest hard work and instead brought about a very high level of corruption.
It is now dawning on us to wake up and make Nigeria livable against very difficult threat factors like a high rate of unemployment, general poverty, a high level of insecurity, climate change, a nauseating level of corruption, and ineptitude.
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Giving out palliatives and support for farming activities, fighting insecurity, improving infrastructure, and doing so many lofty things will definitely help to ameliorate the situation somewhat, but the biggest threat factor of “zero tolerance for corruption” necessary to enable sustainable national development requires an iron hand!
To begin to confront corruption, Nigerians must elect or appoint their leaders based on three parameters, namely: 1. Competence, hard work and integrity.
These attributes are vital for good governance as they consolidate meritocracy, which is the foundation of sustainable development anywhere in the world!
To close my abridged thesis, I would like all Nigerians to appraise and reappraise all the efforts by the government at giving out palliatives, support windows for agriculture, SMEs, social safety nets, efforts on power, aviation, maritime, roads, and other infrastructure, health, and the economy, etc., by all administrations, including the APC administration, from 1999 to date, and come out with any good reason or reasons for the national protests apart from lack of transparency and corruption on the part of those saddled with the implementation of all the programmes!
We must severely punish all those found misappropriating, stealing or mismanaging resources entrusted to them for national development.
If this is done transparently, we will exit poverty and get into sustainable prosperity like other so-called FIRST WORLD countries, God willing.
Arc Kabir Ibrahim, FNIA; National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN); President NABG (Nigeria Agribusiness Group); Chairman BOT, NAFN (NNational Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria).
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