Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, has said that Northern Nigeria’s apprehension over the Tax Reform Bills stems from the region’s lack of preparedness.
According to a statement, issued by her media aide, Israel Arogbonlo, on Thursday, Natasha made this remark while speaking at the Sardauna Memorial Day in Kaduna.
She urged northerners to embrace the vision of Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who led Northern Nigeria to prosperity in the 1950s.
Highlighting the region’s former economic strength, the senator noted that in 1959, Nigeria’s groundnut exports to the United Kingdom were valued at £27 million—equivalent to ₦3.6 trillion today.
By contrast, current groundnut exports stand at a mere $3 million.
Read also: Governors reject VAT increase, endorse tax reform bills
“In 1959, Nigeria’s groundnut export to the United Kingdom alone stood at £27m which has an equivalent purchasing power of N3.6trillion today,” Akpoti-Uduaghan said.
“The residue from the groundnut’s oil extraction was also exported to the UK as livestock feeds. Today, Nigeria’s groundnut exports sit at a distant $3m.”
She also lamented the decline of the Northern cotton industry, which once dominated the UK market and created numerous jobs through thriving textile mills.
She added, “Northern Nigeria’s cotton industry shaped the Liverpool cloth market in London, UK, between the 50s and 70s while the Kaduna Textile Mill flourished, creating thousands of jobs. Today, the cotton industry in Nigeria is pretty much non-existent, while this same industry generates $21 billion annually. That’s the thriving economy Sardauna helped create and left for us to improve upon.”
The lawmaker stressed the importance of adopting a developmental mindset among leaders to revive the economy and enhance the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystems.
“The only reason why the North is jittering about the Tax Reform Bills is because we are ill-prepared. If we were generating 3.6 trillion from one agricultural product, would we be bothered about the reforms?
“Hence, We must task our leaders with developmental mindsets to stir up the entrepreneurial ecosystems so our lands and factories can be productive once again. Let’s act from a position of economic abundance for our region and country at large,” she added.
Akpoti-Uduaghan called for collaboration between northern leaders and civil society to achieve these goals.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
