Nigeria: 65 legacies lost in 65 years

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•From determination giants to authorities midgets
•How to regain ‘Paradise’, by apical economists

By Nnamdi Ojiego

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria emerged from assemblage regularisation with anticipation and ambition. It was a state of immense resources, youthful leaders, and a imaginativeness to rival the Asian Tigers. 65 years later, that imagination has curdled into disappointment.

The federation that erstwhile stood arsenic a continental beacon present wrestles with epileptic powerfulness supply, collapsed industries, and a governmental people much adept astatine sharing handouts than astatine gathering institutions.

At independence, Nigeria’s leaders were young, determined, and visionary. They built schools, industries, farms, and fiscal institutions without lipid money. They thought successful decades, not predetermination cycles. Their projects reshaped society, laid the foundations of modern Nigeria, and acceptable the state connected a promising path. But six decades of corruption, waste, and short-sightedness person eroded those gains, leaving the federation adrift.

Laboratories of progress

In the years earlier and aft independence, each portion became a investigating crushed for bold ideas. The Western Region nether Chief Obafemi Awolowo stood retired arsenic an concern and acquisition powerhouse. The Eastern Region, nether Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and aboriginal Dr. Michael Okpara, pursued what became known arsenic an “economic revolution.” The Northern Region, guided by Sir Ahmadu Bello, placed agriculture and acquisition astatine the halfway of its maturation strategy.

Awolowo turned cocoa revenues into enduring infrastructure. Cocoa House successful Ibadan, past the tallest gathering successful West Africa, became a awesome of prudent management. Liberty Stadium and Western Nigeria Television, the archetypal connected the continent, showcased a tone of innovation. Awolowo’s escaped superior acquisition argumentation transformed literacy and opportunity, portion the Western Nigeria Development Corporation created factories, banks, and security firms that powered occupation creation. These were not projects driven by overseas assistance oregon lipid revenues but by cautious usage of humble resources.

In the East, Okpara pursued agriculture and manufacture with adjacent vigor. Agro-industrial estates flourished successful Aba, Enugu, and Port Harcourt. Nigercem astatine Nkalagu, Golden Guinea Breweries successful Umuahia, and textile and solid factories expanded the concern base. Palm plantations and atom schemes made the East the fastest-growing system successful Africa. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, became a cornerstone of quality superior development.

The North, agelong neglected, recovered a determined modernizer successful Bello. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, grew into the largest successful sub-Saharan Africa. The Bank of the North and the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation financed textiles, factories, and hotels. Agriculture thrived, with Kano’s groundnut pyramids symbolizing prosperity and export-driven growth.

Squandered inheritance

These achievements were accomplished with less resources than today’s leaders command. Oil had not yet transformed the economy, yet visionary governance produced results that outlived their architects. By contrast, the find of lipid has been much of a curse than a blessing. Then the subject struck and the 3 determination governments nether parliamentary strategy gave mode to 12 states portion the authorities astatine the national level became precise almighty and the states became its appendages.

Later the fig of states became 19 and past 36 but alternatively than remaining giants, they became midgets. And the federation adopted statesmanlike strategy of authorities aft the subject near power. Trillions of naira successful revenues person since been squandered, leaving poverty, insecurity, and despair successful their wake.

Factories that erstwhile employed thousands present prevarication successful ruins. Nigercem is silent. Cocoa and thenar plantations that funded schools and roads person been overtaken by weeds. The groundnut pyramids that drew traders from crossed the satellite person vanished. In spot of concern estates, leaders administer motorcycles and pepper-grinding machines successful the sanction of empowerment.

The occupation is not incompetence unsocial but brazen theft. Budgetary allocations are looted with impunity. Borrowed funds vanish into backstage accounts. Public bureau has go a gateway to obscene wealth, portion citizens are near successful hunger and unemployment.