Palliatives for Nigerians – way forward – Part 2

It is very important that government address and remove market inefficiencies in the country’s food production and distribution. Agricultural Extension Services need to be moved into a robust process that will lead to an increase in agricultural production.

There is need to embark on effective capacity building of micro farmers in the areas of good agricultural practices and good agricultural collections practices that will reduce post-harvest losses.  The process of getting farm produce to the table of Nigerians must be efficient in the sense of addressing the unfair activities of the players in the distribution and marketing of farm produce.

As the country proceed on this path and the vision of the President, there is need to conduct a needs analysis of rural roads and the transportation modes to get produce from the farm to the tables of Nigerians. Government must repair the rural roads and get them to a point where the roads are designed to take on the weight of vehicles moving produce from the farms to the cities.  One approach will be to examine the possibility of locating processing plants near the farms.  Perhaps government should revisit with more vigor and determination the Staple Crop Processing Zones initiative of former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, and ruthlessly implement it.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) defines Energy Security “as the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price” Availability and affordability are the most important aspects of energy security.

Implicit in this energy security definition are two attributes; long-term energy security which will address the timely investments for adequate energy supply that is aligned with Nigeria’s economic development aspirations. The other is short-term energy security which concentrates on the ability of our energy systems to quickly react to sudden fluctuations in Nigeria’s energy supply equilibrium.  Fellow Nigerians, we have neither of these.

It is imperative the perennial energy crisis is addressed. Nigeria must have 24/7 uninterrupted electricity supply. The absence of 24/7 power supply is killing the economy. This has been responsible for the country’s 8-hour economy which is not desirable at all.  Addressing the country’s short-term energy security must include the rehabilitation and modernization of all existing refineries and building more to address Nigeria’s energy needs.

There are refineries in boxes all over the world that can be put in place quickly on a plug and play basis.  Nigeria is more a gas producing country than a crude oil producing country. Let us take advantage of this important natural resource to grow the economy. Initiatives such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered transit buses and cars need to be implemented quickly.

Mr. President has proposed some CNG initiative already.  More can still be implemented in addition to his proposal.

Let’s expand it to include conversion centers for cars and other gasoline powered vehicles. We strongly urge the government to quickly upgrade existing gridlines so that the gridlines are ready to adequately absorb high electricity volume from injection stations. Perhaps, the country should stop grid build out and move to a decentralised off grid power distribution network that will cover rural areas.  Government should encourage with incentive 24/7 renewable energy systems for Nigerian households, particularly, rural communities.  Government must establish large solar farms as part of the country’s energy security basket.

The long-term energy security plans must be aligned with the economic goal of a year-on-year growth of 8% in the next 10 years. There is need to set a goal of producing 150,000 MW of power in the next 60 months. It is time to have 24/7 stable and conditioned power supply in Nigeria.

Nigeria as a matter of urgency must provide efficient transportation systems for its citizens nation-wide. The country must phase out low occupancy vehicles (LOV) as mode of transportation and replace them with high occupancy vehicles (HOV) in rural and urban communities. There is need to look at mass-transit buses that will move 200-300 passengers at a time. Urban rail network needs to be implemented.

Nigeria has the population to support this, what boggles the mind is why some of our major cities still do not have rail networks to move people and goods efficiently and cheaply. It is unconscionable that cities such as Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan, Ile Ife, Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu and Benin City still do not have a semblance of modern, effective, efficient and cheap transit systems in place.  Lagos has been able to do some important things in the area of transportation systems but more needs to be done. So, Gov. Sanwo-Olu and team Lagos, please get cracking. A lot can be done in 4 years. 14 passenger minibuses are often referred to as “MASS TRANSIT”. What is mass about a 14-seater minibus?

Our objective with this piece is to awaken our fellow Nigerians’ consciousness, particularly those that are in positions of authority, and have the responsibility to make some of the measures we have discussed here happen. President Tinubu has provided a pathway through his courage in terms of policies he has implemented thus far. Let all hands be on deck so that the country can move forward and meet the aspirations of Nigerians.  Nigeria’s economy needs to be growing at 8% year on year for the next 10 years. The country has the capacity to do this. What we need now is the determination, commitment, and dedication to implement the measures discussed in this writeup. As late great Martin Luther King once said, “There is a fierce Urgency of Now” Nigerians, particularly the youth can no longer wait.

Government must act now. God Bless Nigeria and her people.

Concluded

Oniyide, Social and economic analyst, Abuja and Prof. Onabanjo, Social Entrepreneur, resident & CEO: A D King Foundation, Inc USA.