Away from Europe and America as model for development

In this 21st century and age of socio technological development, values, political and economic development plans are complex and peculiar to each continent’s needs and while it is expedient to operate within a global economy i.e. framework, the selfishness of advanced nations against economic advancement of developing countries will ever remain a barrier and disadvantage for developing countries to achieve their developmental goals and objectives.

This view is premised on the fact that developing countries will always be disadvantaged in economic bargaining especially for such countries whose raw materials can continually aid the economic activities of advanced Nations. Although, we have our country Men and Women who are highly placed in some of the United Nations organisations, their positions with our expertise within, can ensure that true partnership and economic/political compromise are bargained with a view to ensuring advantages for all Citizens rather than a selected few.

As I write this piece, I remember with bitterness the frantic efforts made by some political leaders in Africa, Arab and some other countries to ensure total political economic and social freedom from perceived Colonial Masters, parading as economic experts, the end result of their efforts that led to worsening economic situations in the respective Countries. Europe and American development models are good but can we as Nigerians and Africans not think of a model similar to the Singaporean Model that would give us total advantage over how our economy is run and how our hard earned foreign currency is utilised? Can we not decide to blend between what these countries have adopted and produce a local model? Yes, it is often said that we have the best brains turned out by our Universities but other developmental efforts in terms of road construction, housing and welfare schemes for the aged and other less privileged in our society have not been of total benefit to the populace especially the majority of retired staff mostly in the public sector who retired to urban/rural areas.

What have we done to provide healthcare for our citizens? What have we done to stop the migration of non-skilled workers from the Rural to the urban centres? What have we done to stop various insecurity in and around our major cities and rural areas? What have we done to provide well organised transport system to ensure the travel dignity of the average Nigerian from his home to his place of work and back? What have we done to provide adequate security for our students at all levels of education?

What have we done to lessen the burden on their parents in terms of funding their education and the welfare of the students, for most of these begging questions, we have allowed some private organisations to take over some of these burning issues. And as I write this article, I say kudos to the present Federal Government for introducing students’ loan. We need to borrow from some solid political decisions, taken by some of the leaders in the past.

Here, I would refer to as Great Patriots who put their countries interests before other political consideration from late Saddam Hussein who put aside foreign model of development and built a country for His people. A model advanced by Anwal Sadat of Egypt also provided the right development opportunities for his country, again complex international issues external to his country killed His developmental schemes.

Coming home to Africa, Dr. Nyeyere of Tanzania influenced his African Socialism on his people and it paid his country’s growth and development. Coming home in the early fifties under our Presidential form of Government, Chief Obafemi Awolowo did a lot and built for Old Western Region. Unparalleled developmental projects in Agriculture and Rural Development, Transport and good governance. The Presidential form of government which we run is a bit complex to understand. We had a Parliamentary system that was straight governance and opposition.

This Presidential systems raises questions over the welfare of the citizens and issues of National development. This current government is a year old, my personal assessment is that it is trying to take along with his team, neutral decision that will rapidly develop our country, surrounded by men and women of caliber. It is suggested that government should think of geographical spread of various industries around the country especially states where the raw materials are grown.

For example in the late fifties cum early sixties BCGA – British Cotton Growing Association was situated in the functional axis of the farm where the raw materials were grown. Tomato factory was situated along Maiduguri axis, BCGA, was sited at Funtua Gusau axis, etc. It is necessary for effective monitoring to go back to our 1-3, 5-10 years development plan for necessary development all round, the entire current states or restructure to make impact of governance all round success for the well-being of Nigerians.

The complexities of the International Trade practices, foreign exchange issues, European/American and Russian Trade and general economic policies are bound to affect the desire of our Nation for quick economic turnaround but we have to face the reality of our own future existence and begin to put our interest on equal basis through negotiations based on a win/win rather than win/lose position, which is setting our development efforts many years back.
Openiyi wrote from Ikeja, Lagos.