Lack of common development agenda, bane of Nigeria—Don

Professor Alex Ike Ikeme, an entrepreneurial specialist, has said the problem of Nigeria’s developmental initiative since independence has been lack of common development agenda.

Prof. Ikeme, who spoke in Onitsha recently in a paper he presented during the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN)’s 5th Founders’ Day celebration/workshop, lamented that Nigeria has not moved forward since its inception, rather the country was still bedeviled by the same problem they had 57 years ago.

He said Nigeria and Malaysia got Independence almost the same period, but while Malaysia has gone far in economic and technological development, Nigeria is still to tottering, trying to fix basic things that confronted them in 1960.

He said: “Some fifty-seven years ago, both countries were very comparable on a wide range of development indices-new politically independent nations, cash crop economics dependent on rural farming, large multi-ethnic populations and nascent petroleum industries.

“Today, the story is quite different. Malaysia has sustained a steady economic development and growth. Firstly, they modernised and expanded their agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in food production.

They also organised and invested in export cash crops, such as oil palm products, rubber, coca and timer.

“Meanwhile, they steadily built up and took control of their petroleum sector and applied the proceeds to build an industrial sector that has overtaken the petroleum sector in its overall contribution to their Gross Domestic Production.

By so doing they diversified their market and freed it from the vicissitudes of the international petroleum market.

“They also succeeded in adapting imported technology and created their own indigenous technology to fit local needs.

Why has Malaysia achieved such progress while Nigeria was drifting backwards? Firstly, they had committed and focused leadership at various levels.

They made common interest their only priority. Above all, they maintained long-term and stable policies that gave confidence to the outside investors.

Prof. Ikeme, who was the head of Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurship scheme when Prof. Chukwuma Soludo was the Governor, said in 1960, Nigeria’s basic need was power and today power still remained Nigeria’s developmental problem.

He wondered why Nigeria should be suffering epileptic power supply in this age of solar energy technology with abundant brains in the country.

But he quickly pointed out Nigerians’ undoing was their unending wait for Government to spoon feed them.

The Professor of Economics however said peace and security were paramount for socio-economic development of the country, stressing that if there was peace, there will be conducive atmosphere for development.

“When there is no peace, the environment would not be conducive for anything meaningful,” he submitted.

He challenged the Nigeria press to do more to trigger the development of the country through in-depth reportage and analysis of issues rather than pander to mundane.