A GATHERING of experts on governance, on Monday , in Lagos, made a list of contributors to the development woes of the country, while acknowledging progress since the return to civil rule in 1999.
Specifically, a Professor of Government from Harvard University, United States of America, James Robinson, who was also the Keynote Speaker, at the Wema Bank’s 70th Commemorative Lecture, titled: “Why Nations Succeed”, noted that poor prioritisation of development programmes has led low several countries of the world.
Citing example, he distinguished the communist government of North Korea, which mandated several years of military training for the youth, without incentives to personal development from that of the South Korea, which engages in development of science and technology, as well as incentives for individual growth.
Contextualising it to Nigeria, the expert said that innovation and entrepreneurship development is the great way to make a nation and its citizens wealthy, saying that government’s initiatives must incorporate positive externalities that are capable of generating further opportunities for wealth creation.
Notwithstanding the assessed progress since the return to democracy, especially in the area of private sector mobilisation, he said there remained a problem of functionality of the state as manifested in the inability to contain violence, institution of pluralism in democratic processes and rule of law based on universal principles.
“Inclusive economic and political institutions will create incentives and opportunities for the broad based mass of population, ensure a level playing field and rule of law that is based on universal principles.
“This will be opposed to extractive economic and political institutions that are prevalent in most countries of the world that are poor, where opportunities are for the few and non for the most; power in the hands of few, without constraints, checks and balances.
“Africa (Nigeria) is poor because it has suffered from a long history of extractive economic and political institutions; the devastating impact of slave trade; colonial rule and the legacy of colonialism since independence; and dictatorship and military regimes which weakened the state, making it unable to raise tax, enforce its own laws and control violence,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, who was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Ben Akabueze, said the topic of discussion was timely, as the country today, has fallen short of the expectations since independence from all human development indices.
“I don’t have the experience of leading the nation, but I have stayed at the leadership of the state for eight years and I have gained insight into what it takes to lead the nation. When a system is led by visionary, selfless individuals, with strong institutions, development will always be manifest,” he said.
Robinson however, said that the way forward remained a strong movement towards inclusive economic and political institutions to herald inclusive society, which will aid the economy to sort itself out, adding: “There is need for emergence of a broad coalition, which pushes for and underpins inclusive institutions.”
But the former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, said the failure of the country was not due to its size and ethnic diversity, but lack of responsibility of political institutions and shared sense of purpose, hence there is no excuse.
