NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT

It will help many of the problems of Northern Nigeria " some governors of states are doing very well  in governance but they could excel if they coordinate their activities. Yes, things are not that simple. For instance, while Communal Conflicts may be the top concern of Governor Orton of Benue State, Child- begging and poor school enrolment may be Governor Tambuwal's major problems in Sokoto State.
Still, each could achieve better results when they cooperate. Sokoto and Kaduna have made basic education compulsory and outlawed begging. Borno cannot float a University in the midst of cash- crunch, as they proposed, they can jointly fund the Yobe State University in exchange, and have 30% student admissions and staff recruitments at the school exclusively reserved for Borno Indigenes each year.

There are other avenues for Cooperation in Commerce and Industry.  Plateau State has huge deposits of solid minerals but it is also most indebted northern State(N96bn as at Dec 2015), which makes it difficult for the government to invest in mines and earn more revenues.

A way out is a joint-venture Mining Company with a richer State such as Kaduna as Shareholder.  All Plateau needs to contribute are land, mining rights and existing infrastructure which are then monetized as Company Shares.

The partnership shouldn't affect mining arrangements that private investors have with Plateau  State. However,  we favour state enterprises in this sector because experience shows that in  Nigeria, only governments have the stomach to invest in Capital lntensive Projects whatever the potential dividends, moreso in the North where the term business' actually means govt contracts or at best, buying and selling merchandise.

In like manner, Sokoto,Kebbi and Zanfara can pool resources to invest in gold, mines and jointly generate electricity from the Dadin- Kowa and Kiri dams located less that 100km apart. That  will not only revamp ailing SMEs in both States, it can also generate State IGR from sale of electricity to Discos.  It will also be a catalyst for partnerships in cement manufacturing and uranium mining ( uranium and limestone are found in both States).

So, coordination and business parneraships between States will help in solving many of the problems of northern Nigeria- from child begging and illiteracy, to poor power supply and dwindling State revenues".


RPI.................Mission Rekindled.