Northern governors and the fight against poverty

a)    Starting a business b)    Dealing with construction permits c)    Registering property d)    Enforcing contracts The Northern States and the FCT rated high in all the four areas covered.  In starting a business, the FCT (came first) and 8 other states were rated among the first 10. In dealing with construction permits, Jigawa (rated first), […]

a)    Starting a business

b)    Dealing with construction permits

c)    Registering property

d)    Enforcing contracts

The Northern States and the FCT rated high in all the four areas covered.  In starting a business, the FCT (came first) and 8 other states were rated among the first 10. In dealing with construction permits, Jigawa (rated first), and 8 other northern states were among the first 10.  In registering property and enforcing contracts, the northern states occupied all the first 10 ratings with Gombe and Katsina states coming first in registering property and contract enforcement respectively.

The study serves as kudos to governance in the states rated high.  For this, some state governors got full page congratulatory adverts in some leading national dailies for the achievement while some went further to cite the World Bank rating as justification for their bid for a second term in office in the 2011 general election.

In the Doing Business in Nigeria report, the World Bank, noted that “where regulations are burdensome and competition limited, success tends to depend on whom you know than on what you can do.  But where regulation is transparent, efficient and implemented in a simple way, it becomes easier for aspiring entrepreneurs, regardless of their connections, to operate within the rule of law and to benefit from the opportunities and protections that the law provides”.  The assessment indicates that it is much easier doing business in the northern states of Nigeria.

Now emerge a domestic report that studied an area- poverty which should be the beneficiary of the said Doing Business in Nigeria, 2010.  The National Bureau of Statistics (“NBS”) released the Harmonized Nigeria Living Standard Survey 2009/10 known as – The Nigerian Poverty Profile 2010.  The survey was done with the support from the World Bank, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID UK) and UNICEF.

The northern states in this domestic report scored badly and accounted for the large proportion of the population living in poverty in Nigeria. On a geo-political assessment, the North West has 77.7% of its population living in relative poverty while the North East came second with 76.3% of its people living in relative poverty.  The North Central States has 67.5% of its people living in relative poverty.  This low score (about 9% better than the North East) by the North Central States is due to Niger State that recorded only 43.6% of its people living in relative poverty.  Niger State recorded the lowest population living in relative poverty in Nigeria.  (The Niger State assessment requires further probing.)

There is a link between the World Bank report on Doing Business in Nigeria 2010 and poverty reduction.  All the northern states had good rating in setting policies and regulations that aid doing business in their respective states.  The States should embark on meaningful and sustained drive for private capital inflow for massive industrialization to create more employment for the youths.

There is no point disputing the National Bureau of Statistics as is done by some governors.  Rather leading stakeholders such as, Arewa Consultative Forum, The Christian Association of Nigeria- North, the Jama’atul Nasril Islam, traditional and community leaders etc. should review the report as a basis to involve the political leadership to initiate actions that would reduce the proportion of people living in poverty in their states.

The involvement should include among others the following

a)    Set up an acceptable minimal poverty level which each state government should strive to achieve annually.    The level recorded by Niger State could serve as a model of minimum level for the northern states including Niger State. Targets could include reduction by more than half the current poverty level by the year 2014.  By so doing the north would be seen to do the much and best it can to tackle poverty.

b)    The northern governors’ forum would need to tilt the content of their gathering more towards economic development as a central point of northern unity.  The economy of northern Nigeria is largely agric based.  It is an area that is not divisive like religion and politics.

c)    The northern governors forum- a meeting of elected political leaders should lead in the eradication of poverty while the other groupings like the CAN and JNI should through moral methods get the political class committed to actions likely to lower the poverty levels in the north.

d)    The NBS report points clearly to the fact that Nigeria will not likely meet the United Nation’s target on the Millennium Development Goal- to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by the year 2015.  The northern states are the greatest beneficiaries of this goal if achieved.  It is in our best interest if the Northern Governors Forum takes the NBS report as an opportunity to dialogue with the Federal Government to produce positive steps that would oversee poverty growth in the north.

e)    Sokoto with the highest proportion (86%) of its population living in relative poverty, the estimated 14% of its population considered non-poor could be imperilled. The Sokoto State situation apart from raising moral issues also raises security concerns as high among state funds will be required to secure the wealth of a small minority.

f)    There is advantage in population where the populace is engaged in active economic production.  The sovereign and economic rights of the northern people are placed on the shoulders of our respective governors.  They must be responsible for improving living standard in the north   Agriculture remains the main source of the north economic strength and is not divisive as stated earlier.  However, the current security challenges posed by the Boko Haram activities could put agriculture in peril if not checked and tackled or halted.  It will affect cultivation of a large part of the arable land in the north thereby leading to the decline in food production and further worsening of the poverty level in the north.

g)    Our governors must realize that no appellation of Malam, Chief Executive Officer, His Excellency, Master Servant or Chief Servant leaves a legacy better than their act while in office.  The next survey of the NBS on Nigeria Poverty Profile we hope to have many if not all the northern states celebrating a reduction in poverty level hence improving the living standard of our people.

h)    It is amazing how the legacy of a single individual- Sir, Ahmadu Bello, more than 46 years ago cannot be replicated by the current northern leadership being stirred by the northern governors giving the high array of development tools that include knowledge, technology, finance etc.

Dodo wrote from Lakecity Plaza, Gudu District FCT