The origin of development planning in Nigeria can be traced to the colonial period, specifically 1946 when the 10-year plan for development was launched. Prior to that, two development plans had been launched in 1929 and 1940 for all the British colonies across the globe. Core objectives of a development plan for a developing country like Nigeria include Increase in per capita income; even distribution of income; reduction in the level of unemployment; increasing the supply of high level manpower, diversification of the economy; balanced development and indigenization of economic activities. Since then, bridging the infrastructure gap to unleash economic…
Author: Musa Ilallah
It is not a matter for debate that the journey of Nigeria@61 was with its ups and downs, good and bad times, successes and failures, challenges among others things. Even the independence handed over to Nigeria by the British colonialists on October 1, 1960 did not come on a plater of gold, nor without some positive and negative consequences. Things however began to take shape for the speedy growth and development of the country given the enthusiasm and anxiety that accompanied Nigeria’s independence and territorial integrity. In the concluding chapter of his book titled “What Britain did to Nigeria” by…
In my attempt to open the discussion on Nigeria’s external and domestic debt status and its implication on her economy, i find it very convenient to lay a foundation by giving a global perspective of current indebtedness of countries around the world. Talking about Debt to GDP Ratio in 2021, a list of the top ten countries in the world with the most national debt shows that Japan’s National Debt is put at ¥1,028 trillion ($9.087 trillion); Greece’s €332.6 billion ($379 billion); Portugal €232 billion ($264 billion); Italy €2.17 trillion ($2.48 trillion); Bhutan $2.33 billion; Cyprus €18.95 billion ($21.64 billion);…
It is worth beginning this piece by looking at the evolution of Boko Haram, (Westernization Is Sacrilege) founded in 2002 by Muhammed Yusuf in Maiduguri, North Eastern Nigeria. Since 2009 when Muhammad Yusuf was killed, the association carried out assassinations and large-scale acts of violence and vowed to avenge the deaths of Yusuf and other group members, who were pre-judiciary killed by security forces in 2009. Boko Haram activities in Nigeria was as a matter of belief against Westernization and education, which it views as negatively impacting Islamic values. The group blames Western influences for Nigeria’s culture of corruption, which…
President Muhammad Buhari’s article titled “Africa needs more than US military aid to defeat terror”, published in the Financial Times of London recently, came as a big surprise and shock to naysayers but a timely, nationalist and frank view to well-meaning Nigerians and other Africans. PMB’s thought-provoking views expressed in the article which coincidentally came on the same day with the complete takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, has further confirmed PMB as a man of the moment for his honest concern with the larger implications of the Afghanistan take over visa-a-vis the further danger and threats posed by ISWAP…
When President Buhari pledged to commit billions of Naira and Dollars to revamp agricultural activities in Nigeria with a view to changing the fortunes of the country and her farmers, wailers in their usual style cried wolf where there was none. They vehemently opposed it on the premise that it was going to be a wasteful excercise and one that will only enrich its promoters. Years after the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, ABP domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 17, 2015, Nigerian farmers are today the largest…
By way of providing a background one needs to refresh our memory of the FGN/ASUU 2009 agreement entered into between the Nigerian Government and the country’s University Teacher’s union, ASUU. Presently, the Federal Government has 43 Universities; state governments have 48 Universities and Private individual and organisations have 79 Universities. Among other things, the agreement included details such as the breakdown of lecturers’ salary structure, staff loans, pension, overtime, and moderation of examinations and the funding of Universities where both parties agreed that each Federal University should get at least N1.5 trillion between 2009 and 2011 among others. Other aspects…
It is undoubtedly no longer strange to Nigerians from all walks of life that the country has been engulfed in life threatening crimes such as terrorism, banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed robbery, drugs peddling, rape and a lot more that have become a cog in the wheel of progress of Nigeria and Nigerians. Similarly, the dwindling fall in oil prices triggered by global economic melt down and recessions have impacted adversely on Nigeria’s march to growth, progress, development and economic and infrastructural development. This made it very imperative for the Nigerian leadership from 2016 to seek for alternatives to bridge…
President Muhammadu Buhari’s massive infrastructural development of the country does not in anyway discriminate against the divides of tribe, religion, region or considerations of party affiliations, etc, etc. My greatest interest in this piece is to bring to the fore what I consider as important, if not the most important, sector in the PMB administration’s effort to fill in the gaps in the country’s infrastructure. The gaps were the creation of previous governments in littering the country with uncompleted and abandoned projects which the PMB government had shown the determination, commitment and patriotism to complete, and even embark on new…
From being on the throne as the party in power in Nigeria for 16 years, to becoming the largest opposition political party in May 2015 till date, Nigeria’s People’s Democratic Party, PDP is today facing its worst times since its formation in 1998 that may likely result to its extinction. Enjoying the spoils and intoxication of power, PDP members have times without number, in their first, second, third and fourth terms in office, boasted that the party will remain in power for upwards of 60 years. Between 1999 and 2015, PDP had more than 20 State Governors and more than…
Nigeria, as the largest oil and gas producer in Africa is a major exporter of crude oil and petroleum products to the United States of America. In 2010, Nigeria exported over one million barrels of crude oil to the United States of America, USA representing 9% of the U.S total crude oil and petroleum products imports and over 40% of Nigeria exports. However, European countries are the largest importer of Nigerian crude oil as they imported 41% of our oil import in 2015. Nigeria’s oil and gas exports revenue fell from $82.5 billion in 2014 to $45.3 billion in 2015…
For the developed and developing nations, debt borrowing in the world is not just a pastime but a necessary evil that is taken to address the scorching and depressing financial needs of such countries during critical times in their lives. It is in most cases a norm to take loans, grants or aids to facilitate development and stabilize their economies. In 1988, under the banner of the Jubilee 2000 campaign, 70,000 people surrounded the G7 summit in Birmingham, UK demanding that the debts of 52 impoverished countries are canceled by the year 2000. Uganda, an African country became the first…
By way of introducing this piece, please allow me to borrow former US President Barack Obama’s words: “Climate change is a potentially existential threat to the entire world if we don’t do something about it.” The History of the climate change conferences, COPs dates back to 1992 when the first conference was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil aimed at uniting all the country signatories to UN Climate Change Conference, UNFCCC. In the early 1990s, debates about how to limit emissions of gases that cause the greenhouse effect of which CO2 is the most, resulting in a clear-cut distinction between…
It is no longer hearsay that presently Nigeria like other countries in the world are threatened by terrorism and cyber criminalities. In its determination to tackle the challenges of cyber and internet crimes head-on, the Buhari administration recently launched a comprehensive National Cybersecurity Plan to End terrorism and Internet Criminalities in Nigeria. In his ever usual patriotic strategic move, President Buhari announced the first comprehensive cybersecurity policy for the country during which he urged for more emphasis on exploring the internet for economic growth opportunities, enhancement of knowledge and mitigation of crime. One thing that makes President Buhari to stand…
