Governor Bindow Jibrilla’s Roads to Freedom and Matters Ahead
In his 1918 book, “Roads to Freedom”, Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher, historian, logician, mathematician, writer, political activist, social critic and Nobel laureate, offered an assessment of several competing streams in the thought of the political left which included Marxian socialism, anarchism and syndicalism. Ever since then, the work has been selected by scholars as being of cultural importance and as forming the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. While Russell’s book was themed around discussions on social equality and egalitarianism which are often in opposition to social hierarchy, nonetheless, in more generic terms, there seem to be a link between roads as passages from one place to another and freedom as entitlements through which we thrash our ways to privilege and expression. It is in this context that Adamawa state governor, Bindow Jibrilla’s remarkable achievements in road constructions in the state, comes to mind.
Although I am from Adamawa state, however, as a doctoral student living in the UK (for a period of three years starting from early 2015), my academic sojourning outside Nigeria could not grant me the opportunity to be in constant touch with the visible achievements of the Bindow administration, particularly in the areas of township road networks. The rehabilitation of roads within the state capital have effectively transformed the state and its economy for good. It can be recalled that prior to the present administration, it can be said that within the northeast geopolitical zone, Yola, the Adamawa state capital had suffered tremendously due to decaying road infrastructure, and this was like no other state capital in the north east. It is therefore impressive that credible transformational change on major infrastructure was achieved within the first two years of the Bindow administration.
But it is also important for the Adamawa state government to proceed even further and develop on more economic empowerment strategies by addressing challenges in other key areas of the state’s economy. Areas of worthy note could be education, agriculture and solid minerals development.
The education sector in northern Nigeria has been in the forefront of developmental discussions for many years now. The history of education in the north is not particularly impressive when evaluated vis-à-vis the key performance indices from the southern part of the country. But even more disadvantageous for the region is the fact that government policies in recent times have not been especially favorable to the northern Nigerian population. Thus, Adamawa state cannot be an exception in the plight of the educational challenge plaguing northern Nigeria. It is in this purview that education should be given a special priority to promote the stakes even higher and to offer a competitive advantage on the part of the state’s younger citizenry.
Since agriculture is a sector that requires a lot of improvement in Nigeria generally, it is important to highlight that one of the major areas for the diversification of the economy lies in this sector. The Adamawa state government could innovate new ideas to optimize agricultural production. As a first step, incentives should be put in place for citizens to see the need to patronize and consume locally produced food from rural farmers who engage in small and medium agriculture. In addition, increased interest should be placed on mechanized farming to help agricultural produce consumption. If these can be achieved, the state government can begin to put mechanisms in place to pave way for the local and international export of agricultural produce that could not be consumed within the state. In the Benue Valley for instance, modern irrigation control methods, if explored, can greatly improve farm productivity. But it is also important to note that for effective agricultural production to be achieved, the government must not only declare agriculture as one of its highly prioritized areas, but it also must ensure efficient provision and delivery of fertilizers and seeds, and other tools that aid farmers participation in agribusiness. Beyond these, there could also be a need for the state government to encourage agricultural entrepreneurship and businesses by giving out loans of various kinds to local farmers.
The solid mineral sector in Adamawa state is yet to be explored for commercial advantage. From a more holistic perspective, it is not in doubt that the solid mineral potential of Nigeria can greatly complement earnings from the energy sector. The solid mineral deposits in Adamawa state include iron ore, lead-zinc, cassiterite, manganese, columbite, tantalite, limestone, gypsum, kaolin, etc. Since the federal government has recently earmarked billions of naira for the solid minerals sector in a bid to develop it to a reasonable degree that could attract foreign investors on the one hand, and a reduction in the overdependence on oil on the other hand, it wouldn’t be out of place for the Adamawa state government to create its own priorities and align the deliverability of such priorities with that which is already put in place by the federal government. The federal government had already indicated that since Nigeria is starting from a low base, it is important to have a portfolio of exploration activities in place that could stimulate the attention of investors, and so should this be for the case of Adamawa state. The development of these mineral deposits will create a great economic opportunity for our state. It is also worthy to emphasize that there will be enormous domestic and foreign demands for minerals and metals from Adamawa state. All these, if achieved, will go a long way to attract and sustain investments, improve the economy, and carve out a place for our state within the global economy.
May 27, 2018
Yola, Nigeria
