The recent meeting of 17 Governors of the Southern States of Nigeria, under the aegis of the Southern Nigerian Governors Forum (SNGF), in Asaba, Delta State, on May 11, 2021, was a landmark event. Prompted by the exigencies of the time, the governors, in one accord, assembled at the venue, at obvious costs and avoidable inconvenience, to address a common challenge.
Their concern touched on the welfare of their people, in particular, and Nigeria in general, especially the grisly security situation across the country. To achieve their objective, the governors evidently abandoned parochial considerations and distanced themselves from the usual political imperatives that dictate their thoughts and actions. They, of course, realised that these are factors which give the erroneous impression that a sense of responsibility has receded from their priorities as leaders. It is commendable that they looked beyond these enclaves with a determination to achieve a common purpose.
It must be noted that the governors are all members of the pan-Nigerian Governors Forum as well as belonging to their sub-sectional groups. Some belong to the Progressive Governors’ Forum which is the umbrella body of the Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-ruling party. Others are members of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was also an admixture of the South-West Governors Forum, the South-East Governors Forum and those belonging to the South-South states governors.
At the end, they issued a 12-point communique, which suggests that the governors succeeded in collapsing their individual and party sentiments to arrive at the underlying consensus for good governance and welfare of their people. Again, they achieved the feat by consciously demonstrating the need for a common alliance towards the corporate existence of Nigeria on which the success of their sub-nationals hinges.
It is worthy of note that there was no dissenting voice nor has there been a re-think among any of the 17 southern governors that participated physically or those that had their proxies attend on their behalf. There has not been a dissenting voice against the Asaba meeting since it was concluded.
Some critics have defined the southern governors meeting as an assemblage of ambitious politicians to propagate tribal lamentations of ethnic warlords. Others clearly accuse them of deliberate moves to undermine the unity of the country. These voices of opposition are expected in a democratic setting where freedom of association and choice of thoughts exist.
Our concern, however, goes beyond the political imperatives or other considerations underlying the event. Rather, we applaud the prompt action of the governors and the show of sincere consensus ad idem in agreeing to arise and deal with a matter. We also commend the resolution of the governors to put Nigeria in the larger picture while considering the interest of their people. We therefore believe that the governors, as a group, can build on this move by taking a step further to address the economic development of the region, not necessarily in isolation with the North, but in a complementary dimension.
In charting a course for the political interest of their zone, the governors must consider the economic welfare of their people, too. There is an alarming rate of poverty in Nigeria while unemployment soars. The World Bank recently stated that high prices (inflation) will drive additional 7 million Nigerians into poverty. With the existing 80 million living below $2 per day, Nigeria will be home to about 87 million people living in extreme poverty, who are mostly found in the northern and southern regions, and this will worsen her case as the world capital of poverty.
Southern Nigeria is rich in human capital and natural resources. Its location as the coastal territory is an added advantage. The region is blessed with good weather, lush green vegetation and solid minerals. It is the hub of manufacturing companies with numerous micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) playing an active role in the supply chain. There are massive opportunities in oil and gas, as well as ICT-related facilities and huge access to financial services.
The comparative advantage which nature bestowed on the states is a huge asset in this regard. We urge the governors to explore the flipside to their meeting by creating an agenda for economic development. From available data, the zone accounts for N3.083 trillion of the total N8.3 trillion budgets of the states and FCT in 2021. The zone also accounts for N837.65 billion of total internally generated revenue (IGR) of the states and the FCT in 2020 amounting to N1.306 trillion.
According to data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the southern region also accounts for a total of $491.2 million external debts and N409.7 billion domestic debts of the 36 states and the FCT — $4.77 billion and N4.186 trillion respectively as at December 31, 2020. Their collective PAYE tax for 2020 was N608.4 billion, out of N851.73 billion by the 36 states and FCT.
Using the opportunity of the Asaba meeting to fast-track the development of the region will urge the northern region to think along the same line. That way, the country will thrive in economic development. It will help in collapsing the dangerous borders of ethnic, regional, religious and sectional sentiments that divide and destroy us. It will also complement the efforts of the federal government in the areas of infrastructure and human capital development.
No nation has advanced economically with bad political leadership and vice versa. A successful economy encourages vibrant political leadership, which in turn encourages the development of relevant institutions. Sound monetary and fiscal policies, which drive the financial markets and boost tax regimes, are imperative for economic prosperity.
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