Northern Nigeria today stands at a crossroads. A region blessed with arable land, good climate and vegetation, vast mineral resources and a huge young, energetic labour force, but evidently lacking in leadership. Hence, instead of economic transformation and rising prosperity in the 25 years of the current democratic dispensation, the North faces an increasing spiral of poverty, illiteracy, insecurity, moral decadence and underdevelopment. This paradox is driven primarily by poor, incompetent and spendthrift nature of our leaders, particularly state governors and legislators and the bureaucracy they put in place to manage the affairs of state. Far too many of these leaders lack(ed) the skills, capacity and will to harness the abundant resources under their control, resorting instead to purposeless governance, wasteful spending and unsustainable dependence on federal allocations and borrowing. Unless such leaders change their ways or are made to give way and replaced by competent and purposeful leadership with the ability to unite, guide, influence and inspire people to work together to achieve common goals, the region and indeed the nation will continue to suffer economic stagnation, social decay and political instability.
While we should be working hard to get the rich aptitudes and talents of our populace expressed and the abundant natural resources in our region harnessed to build our economy and promote self-sustaining development, growth and greatness for our communities, most state governments cling instead to the outdated practice of dependency on federal allocations or resort to taking unwarranted loans, largely due to lack of skills and ability to create a resilient local economy from their huge human and material resources. Northern governors and legislators, who oversee some of the most cash-strapped states in the country, simply did not initiate innovations to promote economic prosperity and financial independence for their states.
Yet, the reality is that if Northern States had installed capable and purposeful leaders, both elected and appointed, in the past 25 years of our democracy they would have turned around their economies and raised the standard of living for their citizens to the glory of the entire country. But worse still, virtually all of them have been manifestly corrupt, supine and lacking in fiscal discipline even in the unwholesome dependence on federal funds for selfish, personal and political gains. This situation is paradoxically troubling because of the abundance of untapped human and natural resources in all Northern states.
Conversely, with comparative advantage of climate, vegetation, population and resources, Northern states can pull through all the challenges and obstacles to attain such development measures to earn the region and its people respect, admiration and greatness. All that is required is the requisite leadership with the right policies to create the key indices for change – i.e. turning the large Northern populace into “enterprising self-entrepreneurs”, so to speak – educated youths into skilled pools of organizers, teachers, educationists, administrators, economists, scientists, engineers, pilots, architects, accountants, managers, doctors, ITCs, researchers, lawyers, etc., instilling in the mass populace knowledge, technology, talents, skills and creativity. Then again turn the huge population into massive labour and workforce in manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, mining, sports, athletics, etc. Then further turn the mass populace into large markets of producers, consumers and service providers. Thus, the necessary economic environment to pull mass populations out of poverty would have been created; further stimulating economic activities and creativities in the skills and talents that abound in our large populace. This is undoubtedly achievable as the region possesses all it takes to make it happen.
Yet, instead of driving such initiatives, Northern leaders merely preside over stagnant economies, unable to put in the requisite efforts to mobilize the abundant resource endowments to develop the states. It is this failure that led to the worsening cycle of poverty and insecurity, with millions of Northern youths trapped in economic despair, becoming vulnerable to radicalization, and leading to the current state of insecurity and collapse of the Northern society. It is therefore a testament to the urgent need for a paradigm shift in governance if the North is to ever come out strong and compete favorably with the rest of the world.
The North must shift from the dependency on federal allocations that created a culture of complacency in our people to strive and attain financial equilibrium and economic self-reliance; hence, removing our states from the current dependent and fragile economic state, perched on federal handouts and debts now on the precipice of collapse.
The North also needs to shift from its current mode of governance. And this calls for more than just a change in policy; it requires a change in leadership as well. Leaders who cannot demonstrate purposeful leadership in creativity, foresight, fiscal discipline, resourcefulness, integrity and will should not be allowed either to remain in office or be put into office in howsoever manner. The people of Northern Nigeria now need only competent leaders to harness their resources, stimulate economic growth and create prosperity. The region can no longer afford leaders who treat governance as ornament rather than solemn service.
Furthermore, leadership recruitment in Northern Nigeria must shift from a culture of being elected on the bases of political cronyism, godfatherism or tribal and religious lineages, to dependence on patriotism, integrity, competence, creativity, honesty, trustworthiness and such other noble qualities. Northern leaders must be chosen on their ability and will to develop and foster sustainable economic growth and societal security. Hence, leaders who fail to change their ways to deliver on these fronts should promptly be held accountable, removed from office and replaced with individuals who possess the requisite values.
As the future of Northern Nigeria lies in the hands of those who lead it, to reverse the current trajectory of poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment, Northern society must undergo a fundamental transformation of installing the requisite capable and reliable leaders who understand the strategic importance of financial autonomy, who are able, capable and willing to formulate and implement necessary policies to harness local resources for growth and development, ending the era of spendthrifts and complacent dependency.
The North must also establish mechanisms to hold its leaders accountable, requiring them to meet clear performance benchmarks. Civil society and traditional rulers must demand transparency, while citizens must exercise their democratic power to elect leaders who prioritize development over dependency. Leadership positions must be entrusted only to those who demonstrate a track record of ingenuity, competence, integrity and a commitment to economic growth and sustainable development.
The crop of Northern leaders over the years has, on the whole, clearly not met these leadership benchmarks. Their lack of capacity, creativity, fiscal responsibility; their opposition to necessary reforms, reliance on federal handouts and indulgence in corruption, have combined to stifle economic progress and contributed to the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and political instability of the region. This cannot continue. Northern Nigeria is too rich in potential to be left in the hands of those unwilling or unable to lead effectively. For the North to rise, it must be guided by leaders who are driven by a vision for a prosperous future, not by the habit of dependence and ineptitude.
Today Northern Nigeria stands on the precipice of change, but this can only materialize if the people set a new leadership standard, grounded in creativity, integrity, capacity, accountability, fiscal discipline and the ability to lead purposefully. The time has come for the region to abandon leaders who fail to uphold this standard and invest in leadership change for progress. And the responsibility to inspire, motivate, effect and sustain this change lies squarely on Northern elites of good standing, such as assembled in the League of Northern Democratics. We have the capacity; what we need is bolstering our commitment. The prosperity of Northern Nigeria – and indeed of the entire nation – depends on it.
- Dr. Ardo, Ph.D, convener of LND writes from Abuja.
