The north should make use of its abundant potential, urges Aisha Shuaibu
The future of Northern Nigeria looks bleak as the long-term abuse and reluctance from Northern leaders to prioritise the people has set a deteriorating motion that has been impossible to recover from. Arewa as said in the Hausa dialect is at the very bottom of the development ladder as majority of its growing population remains uneducated, jobless and at the mercy of a worsening insecurity situation. Exploitation, especially during election seasons remains the order of the day from politicians seeking loyalists and blind followership instead of focusing on healing the land that has been left to rot. Knowing that the visions of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria) and Sir Ahmadu Bello (the Premier of the northern region and Sardauna of Sokoto) for a united, progressive and socio-economically advanced Arewa is far from attainment is truly heart-rending. Their life’s work has been drowned by the incompetence of visionless, heartless “excellencies” that are nothing near excellent.
By statistic, seven out of 10 Nigerians born today are from Northern Nigeria. Recent data shows that among the 15.01% growth in population between 2016 and 2019, 68.7% belonged to Arewa, doubling that of the South which was reported at only 5.85 million within the same time span (National Population Commission, 2022). To point fingers at President Buhari’s administration as the object of blame would be ignorant and inaccurate as the problems in Arewa began a long time ago when power was passed down from one monger to another. Families, particularly those in grassroot communities hold part of the blame as they lack the ability to provide for children they cannot afford but continue to have. Northern Nigerian men with no decent work or earnings continue to insist upon marrying more than one woman, contributing to the horrendous statistics out of the region. The former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was a strong advocate for the education of Nigerians across the country on family planning with a focus on the North due to its prolonged Almajiri problem. The Emir and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) described it as a social issue that required urgent attention, warning that in years to come, the poor children of today who aimlessly roam the streets will be a danger to society tomorrow. The prevailing issues of drug abuse among youth is a disturbing preview of exactly who these youth will become, should we just watch them and do nothing. The Emir’s efforts were unfortunately met with criticism from conservatives set in their ways and unwilling to welcome change, even though it was a fight for their own good.
The catalyst for development everywhere is empowerment through education. While we hold government accountable in the provision of our basic human rights, we must apply the same level of justice to ourselves. Arewa is rich in population, resources and history that has proven useless towards its sustainable development as the masses are too busy with mindsets of ethnocentrism and backwardness. The preservation of traditional norms should not interfere with the liberation of a people. Northern Nigerian leaders must realise that their biggest responsibility to this region is granting access where there is none. Failing to provide basic infrastructure to your people to guarantee their wellbeing and prosperity is failing to lead, period. What we risk by continuing to neglect the Northern Nigeria situation is that eventually, it will destroy itself and swallow the rest of the country whole. The World Bank’s 2022 poverty assessment report identified Northern Nigeria as the “global headquarter of poverty” being directly responsible for the country’s increased poverty rate of 65.2%. People unaccustomed to purposeful living have nothing to lose and should they choose to, will take others down with them. The data from Northern Nigeria is scary and getting worse. It is an injustice to the country to ignore these numbers. It isn’t all bad news, though. It is within our capacity to identify a means to an end even if that appears unattainable. For the leaders we choose, we must choose the daring and compassionate ones. Arewa is in desperate need of changemakers able to address the systematic barriers that hinder the implementation of effective policies. Within the people, we must be cooperative and improve planning in the family unit. It’s simple, stop marrying women and birthing children you can’t take care of!
Through the lens of its growth potential is Arewa’s solid mineral goldmine, its historic sites and architecture and age-long successful businesses. A 100-year-old leather processing company in Kano State, GB Tannery export its leather to companies all over the world. Leather from Kano has been used in the production of goods by renowned world fashion brands like Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen. It’s a bitter taste in the mouth to imagine Nigerians travelling to shop these goods without realising they are paying a fortune for raw materials from their own homeland, but also unable to access goods of similar quality directly from Northern Nigeria should they want to. Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo had said in 2021 that Nigeria’s leather industry is capable of generating over one billion dollars by 2025. Prosperous industries as such strengthen the job market and promote innovation. Northern Nigerian leaders must abandon corruptive practices, align their priorities and create an enabling environment for local businesses to thrive, generating income for the states, among other benefits. Best said by Sir Tafawa Balewa himself, “political independence is totally inadequate, if it is not accompanied by stability and economic security”. We might as well welcome back colonisers to keep us in line since we insist on neglecting the largest region in the country.
Shuaibu is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board
