Whose duty is it to industrialize Nigeria?

Rotimi Akeredolu

Governor Ondo State

 I was privileged to watch a documentary yesterday on Ondo State and their Industrial strides. I was impressed.

The question is whose duty is it to Industrialize Nigeria?

Late Sam Mbakwe, the weeping Governor once called Britain to come and recolonize us. Many will find this difficult to believe but believe you me, Sam Mbakwe still ranks high if not highest among the past governors of IMO State.

Personally, I do not share that sentiment.

 Nigerians have what it takes to Industrialize Nigeria. Who then among the Nigerians? 

The Children, the Workers or the Aged? The children should go to school and the aged should enjoy their retirement.

This leaves the workers. Do they have what it takes? If they don't,  then we are doomed.

By age, it is their duty. Who then are the workers? They are the politicians, the teachers, civil servants and professionals in different fields.

For Nigeria to industrialize, there has to be a healthy intercourse among the aforementioned groups. We have no other country but Nigeria, though we now recognize dual nationality but this is our natural habitat.

If Europe and the US, China and Japan can do it, we sure can. Our politicians should see the industrialization of Nigeria as a matter of urgent national importance.

Instead of promoting graft and power show, they should glory in development brought to the environment.

In times past, Nigeria had industries and same can be repeated. All we need is to have our heads in the right direction.

It saddens me, our rate of unemployment which can be tackled by Industrialization. For a country with a teeming population and a healthy sense of fashion, our textile industry should not remain in comatose for too long.

Food in Nigeria is just too expensive. We may not know it but food is one of the magnets that draw Nigerians abroad. 

It is a disgrace that with our weather, our schools, our youths and state governments, we still have a humongous import bill.

Every state in Nigeria should be able to feed itself. We do have sports festivals as an instrument of national unity and keeping our youths healthy and busy, when are we going to institute an agricultural festival to keep our farmers busy and inventive?

Our agriculture continues to be seasonal in spite of our numerous Universities of Agriculture. This should not be so.

What stops us from having an industrial fair to show case products of industry not from individual companies like in our trade fairs but on Inter State basis not for rewards from the Federal government but patronage from members of the public, Nigerians and foreigners alike. I do not advocate State participation in business. No. The state should provide enabling environment and show case the product of industry from their geographical location. To a large extent, red tapes should be minimal here. The role of the state government should be to identify individual companies operating in their domain as a product of their benign economic policies.

We have the natural resources. What is lacking is the focus in the right direction. Our leaders should shun avarice and think of history. What legacies await them and how the world arrived at this point by the sacrifice of thinkers who preferred contribution to consumption.

Ford foundation, Suzuki, Honda are names we are familiar with for worthy causes. We too can be known if we shun avarice and remember that a good name is still better than riches.