These countries launched themselves on the pedestal of Industrial Revolution through the textile industry. Why Nigeria must take a cue from this experience is that Nigeria has relative comparative advantage in the production of Cotton which is the major raw material for this industry.Therefore, an Integrated agricultural policy that includes Value Addition can be created through investment in cotton production, bulk purchase at international competitive prices (even if government in the short run, has to subsidise) processing into yarns before getting to the loom for the end-user production is imperative. The multiplier effect of this single initiative in terms of direct and indirect employment, wealth creation and social stability is better imagined. In the ensuing transition and transformation of agriculture to manufacturing through a value chain process, government must consciously provide the infrastructure and robust institutions that will support growth process on sustainable basis. In this connection, five fundamental infrastructure requirements, among others are essential. They are;(i) Finance(ii) Power(iii) Transportation; And(iv) EducationThe essence of finance as infrastructural need in this new order of priorities is to help galvanise the much-needed funding to power agricultural revolution, generate raw materials, create value chain, engender manufacturing or production, create institutions for bulk purchase with possible subsidy policy and assist in aggressive marketing policy/market penetration of the international markets (beginning with the West African sub-region) especially through our embassies. The development finance infrastructure must create the enabling environment for genuine farmers to access funds with limited or no inhibitions. With adequate and timely provision of finance, the required transformation in agriculture, manufacturing and housing for the people which constitute the immediate national order of priorities will take off with great hope and expectations. While the current effort of government in providing the sum of two hundred billion naira (part of which the sum of forty six billion naira has been accessed till date), government must consider the removal of the 20 percent counterpart deposit by the farmers before they can access this development finance initiative. The essence of this recommendation is to avoid a situation where this important fund will end up in the bank accounts of arm chair farmers with farmland in airconditioned offices and thus become a dis- incentive to genuine farmers and the national economy.Power: As a driving force to industrialisation, efficient and affordable power generation, transmission and distribution are necessary. The current effort of government in this regard is a welcome development. The independent power project initiative (IPP) should be more vigorously pursued with transparency and accountability as the watchword. The programme must be co-ordinated and integrated into this national order of priorities in a manner that will make available and affordable to farmers, manufacturers and housings units that will spring up from this initiative. The current effort of the present administration to bring about collaboration and partnership among the MDAs must be encouraged and sustained so that the required harmonisation of policies can be achieved for the benefit of the nation and her people.Transportation: There is no doubt that the unwavering commitment and synergy of government in the MDAs will bring about improved agricultural output and production activities which in turn will require that raw materials, manpower and finished goods will move round a lot. This scenario presupposes that an efficient and affordable transport system must be articulated and integrated into the national order of priorities. Even with decreased or virtually non-existing production in the economy, our experience has shown that road as the only feasible means of transportation will shatter the dream or the agenda of this new national order of priorities. The implication of having to move raw materials, goods and men through the road alone will not support the realisation of this national agenda. Therefore, apart from improving and expanding the network of roads in Nigeria, alternative and more efficient transportation system must be integrated. The rail and water transportation must be fully developed in order to fast-track movements of goods and men in a safe and affordable manner thereby wetting the ground for profitable and wealth creation activities with the concomitant impactful growth and development of the Nigerian economy and progress for her people.Education: The next on the agenda will be development of a responsive educational policy capable of providing resourceful manpower needs of the emerging economy as a result of the transformation engendered by this new initiative. New educational policy in this era of transformation must be D-BASED. For example, the National Universities Commission(NUC) and other relevant agencies of government must be supported to enhance their capabilities in gathering empirical information about the manpower needs of the nation and thus restructure the curriculum development of our tertiary institutions to meet this national manpower need. Although Nigeria presently has about 117 public and private universities excluding the recently licensed nine federal universities, yet, these institutions year-in-year-out produce an army of unemployable youth(nor just because of the so-called low standard)but more importantly, because most of them fall outside of the manpower requirements of the nation. In this connection, the Minister of Education should quickly energise the NUC to conduct a data-based manpower needs of the nation and also urgently re-engineer the curriculum and then give admission priorities in the area of the needs of national economy. It is not enough to create new universities in order to meet the admission gaps without a corresponding consideration for the possible employability of the products of these institutions. This will compound our national challenges rather than find solution to them.
Click here to read full news..
