INTRODUCTION
Today, we shall continue “Management Solutions to Youth Unemployment and Restiveness in Nigeria” with some general thoughts on, ‘Politics and Economy’ ‘Infrastructural Development’, a ‘Sincere Peace Parley’ and other factors that should take Nigeria from the brink of a possible implosion.
POLITICS AND THE ECONOMY
A true and honest political and economic restructuring is required to solve the basic problems confronting Nigeria. This should begin with the amendment of the constitution especially in the areas of revenue allocation and a return to the regional system of government where the regions feed the central government and not the other way round. The country should operate as a true federation; the present expensive ‘k- legged’ federalism should end.
The expensive political structure has twin side effects: it is killing the economy and generating bitterness. Since many of the present federating states are not viable, why can’t we collapse them into a form of regional government and have a unicameral and part time federal legislature with equal representations from the ‘regions’? Yes a balanced representation because the proposed regions with large population areas like Ibadan and Kano and the regions with large oil and gas resource areas like Eket and Ughelli should be treated with equal respect, resources are resources whether human or Oil and gas. The regions should have the power to create their own mini development units (not mini political units), control more activities, collect taxes and other resources and pay at most 40% to the federal purse. ‘’Feeding bottle federalism,’’ where resource rich states like Bayelsa, are milked through a tap in Abuja should be discontinued in order to reduce unemployment and security challenges.
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
For rapid development to take place in the country, a massive infrastructural upgrade must be deployed, especially in the areas of good roads, housing, power and the environment. How many states have metro rail and tunnel transportation systems? Government spending in these areas will lead to more prosperity and security as job creation and foreign investments blossom
A SINCERE PEACE PARLEY
This is critical to having an enduring peace. The government should be able to sit down with the people, listen to their yearnings, agree on the way out and be sincere in implementing their own side of the bargain. The people of the different geopolitical zones of the country want peace, they should get peace. Peace is a driver of employment and development anywhere in the world.
GRASSROOTS SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
In addition to popular sports like football, athletics and western wrestling let us develop indigenous games that will possibly be included in future National Sports Festivals. The Ayo (board game), kokawa (wrestling) and Dambe (traditional boxing) are hereby suggested to the National Sports Commission for further development and promotion.
MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURE.
Safe and secure farming and ranching should be actively encouraged with easy to access grants, agricultural insurance, agricultural processing plants and government guaranteed markets and produce price stability.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Organisations should be encouraged through fat tax rebates, government patronage and national honours to engage in more corporate social responsibility. They should be motivated to give more support to their near and far host communities in terms of funding (grants, low interest loans, etc.) and the entrepreneurial training of youths. This will crash levels of unemployment, restiveness and insecurity and strengthen the commitment to peace, hard work and development we all desire.
CONCLUSION
From Lagos to Jos, Enugu to Kogi, Badagry to Maiduguri, Akure to Owerri, almost every part of Nigeria is endowed with one form of resource or the other that can be commercially exploited as soon as a true federal constitution is written and endorsed by ‘we the people of Nigeria’. Any law that prevents a state or region from harvesting the resources in their land for the benefit of their citizens is highly retrogressive and must be expunged.. Our political system is too expensive and violence infested to attract the average ‘sane’ mind that sees partisan politics as a suicide mission or mission impossible. The ultra- luxurious lifestyle and do or die election campaigns of our leaders also scare the daylights out of aspiring political youths. Do you blame them?
Some suggestions are imperative. The law of the land must be just and fair and applicable to all. Situations where bandits effortlessly escape from prison or police custody and offenders with deep pockets evade justice only encourage crime and corruption. So is the culture of celebrating and not interrogating dubious wealth and “financial breakthroughs”. The tax system also needs to be looked at. A situation where the poor pays higher tax than the rich is not acceptable and breeds restiveness.
We do not need a seer to tell anyone that Nigeria is in a difficult corner especially with the large number of unemployed. Religious extremism, fear mongering, banditry, armed robbery, cult clashes, kidnapping, jail breaks and attacks on Police stations have led some to ask if Nigeria ‘has expired’. The time to act is now.
Sunday Ade Bello (SAB) is a multi-talented and analytically inspired management trainer, writer, and examiner. He is the Principal Consultant/CEO of Work Life Training Professionals, Lagos.
