NIGERIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND RECOMMENDATION FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT

   For every society, what works are not lofty dreams and visions. What works are principles rightly applied to life’s challenges. The motor industry the world over has been the pillar upon which many countries built their technology. It was not only a take off point for some; it was a means for constant development.

    The Nigerian motor industry was born with great potentials and resounding expectations. Finally, Nigeria could become the Japan of Africa, compete globally and hold her head high, walking tall! But it was not to be. From performing well initially, the Industry fell into a quagmire of decay.

   This work is an attempt to review the Nigerian motor industry, its history, and the problems that have bedeviled it, making it impossible for it to attain its full height. It also proffers solution to this problems, which if applied would see not only the Nigerian motor industry on the path to greatness, there would also technological advancement; we would achieve the much anticipated technological transfer.

                                              CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

    According to an assessment carried out by the National Automotive Council, (NAC), the automotive industry is generally regarded as an engine of growth whose establishment serves as an important stimulus to other types of manufacturing activities.

  The council noted that the industry has capabilities to create many job opportunities; encourage the growth of other satellite industries and generate acquisition of technology. The industry could also serve as a stimulus to the development of other basic industries such as machine tool, iron and steel, petro-chemical, rubber, etc., with far reaching and significant implications for the performance of various activities such as movement of people, goods and services.

  All this benefits have accrued to other nations that have a vibrant automotive industry sector, but so far, it hasn’t worked so well for Nigerians. The questions that run through my mind are various. Are we a cursed nation? Why can’t it work in Nigeria if it worked elsewhere? Can we still revamp this sector and what are the implications for us as a nation economically, politically, and financially? Obviously, the answers to this questions are clearly dependent on several factors, which when taken care of would put this nation on the path to a competitive automotive sector.

1.2  DEFININITION OF TERMS

Automotive: - means connected with or having something to do with motor vehicle

Embryonic: - means an early stage of a development

Scooter: - a light motorcycle, usually with small wheels and a curved metal cover at the front to protect the rider’s legs

Liberalization: - the act of making a law or rule less strict

Gazette: - an official newspaper published by a particular organization containing important information about decisions that have been made and people that have been employed

Ancillary: - providing necessary support to the main work or activities of an organization

Proliferation: - to increase rapidly in number or amount or type

1.3 HISTORY OF THE NIGERIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY

   The automotive industry in Nigeria dates back to the early 1960’s when private companies, including UAC, Leventis, SCOA, BEWAC and R.T. Briscoe, pioneered the establishment of Auto assembly plants that used completely knocked down (CKD) or semi knocked down (SKD) parts.

   However this was on a very limited scale. With government involvement in the 70’s and 80’s, a broader platform was made available for negotiation with a number of automotive plants in Europe to set up two car and four truck plants using completely knocked down parts.

  During this period, the Nigerian automotive industry had the capacity to produce 108,000 cars, 56,000 commercial vehicles and 6,000 tractors annually. However, from the 1980’s, the industry shrunk from 90 percent capacity utilization to 10 percent capacity utilization.

  In 2009, the National Automotive Council (NAC), an agency charged with the responsibility of supervising policies and programs for locally assembled vehicles and components brought the attention of stakeholders on the need to revive the industry.

                                         CHAPTER TWO

2.1 NIGERIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY; 1960-1990

    Federal government involvement in the automotive industry began or kick-started under the Second National Development Plan spanning 1970-1974. Prior to that time, all we had were sales outlets. If there was any room at all for growth, it was rubbished by the protracted civil war that plunged this nation into darkness and set us back by many decades. In the Second National Development Plan, two passenger car assembly plants were established. As an impetus to this Second plan, the Third National Development Plan was  initiated in 1975, and was expected to last till 1980, i.e. 1975-1980. Under this plan, four commercial and truck plants came into the fray. These included the following:-

·         Volkswagen of Nigeria limited (VWON) at Lagos

·         Peugeot Automobile Nigeria limited (PAN) at Kaduna

·         Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company (ANNAMCO) at Enugu

·         Styer Nigeria   limited at Bauchi

·         National Truck Manufacturers (NMT) at Kano

·         Leyland Nisara Limited at Ibadan, Oyo 

  The Federal government had declared that it was entering the automotive industry to aid the quick integrated development of the industry by exercising some measures of control over both the passenger cars, and commercial vehicles arms of the industry. It further stated the need to accelerate the pace of local parts incorporation by halting the trend towards a proliferation of makes and models, thereby ensuring that parts can be locally manufactured in commercial quantities. This was to be done in other to stimulate the growth of indigenous automotive component manufacturing and ancillary industries. This would ensure greater standardization of technology and a more efficient utilization of costly equipment in the industry. Had the Federal government pursued these objectives vigorously, it is assumed that a hundred percent local content or component incorporation could have been achieved by now.

2.2 NIGERIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY; 1990 TILL DATE

   Many years after, the modern Nigerian automotive industry is yet to take off. The pace of development has been rather protracted and slow, particularly in the area of local content. During this period, Nigeria has acquired the knowledge for the assembly and maintenance of passenger cars and trucks, especially brand models assembled in Nigeria. The country still lacks a lot of infrastructure synonymous with engineering industries. This combined with the importation of fairly used cars at massive rates didn’t augur well with the sector. To discourage this importation of cars, a two percent levy charged on all imported vehicles into the country, christened the National Automotive Funds, were set up. This was meant to support the industry. But, it has not proved quite effective, what with our corrupt officers and porous borders. This has led to under collection of the levy. For instance, in ten years, from 1999 to 2009, available records show that over five million cars were imported into the country. Yet for the same corresponding period, auto levy collection was for only two million cars.

    The advent of democracy has brought promises of revival of the auto industry. There are plans on ground to revive our steel rolling mills thereby providing ample raw materials for the industry.

                                                    CHAPTER THREE

3.1 PROBLEMS FACING THE NIGERIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY

     The Nigerian auto industry is literally under fire. It is bedeviled by a lot of factors. One of such is the issue of collapsed capacity utilization. Most of the plants are operating below capacity. This under utilization came as a result of shrunken market, high production cost, stunted growth of the industry and uncontrolled or unchecked competition of new fully built units and used vehicles.

    As a result of this, the market share level of the domestic plants shrunk from sixty-six percent in 1988 to thirty percent in 1991, even though there was a decline in the supply of new vehicles of all types in 1982 as a result on account of adverse economic condition. The two passenger car makers have installed capacities of 104,200 units annually, while the commercial vehicle plants post a combined capacity of 128, 000 units per annum. Yet, at present, they don’t produce at up to thirty percent of these capacities.

   Other issues that have limited this include lack of patronage both from Nigerians and the government, poor and non conducive operating environment, poor capital base, poor performance of local content suppliers, as well as obsolete technology.

   Finally, another major factor is the lack of political will by the nation’s administrators to develop the auto industry

3.2 PROSPECTS FOR THE NIGERIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY

  At present, it appears that the government is playing politics and considering which tribe would benefit more, before it pursues vigorously the revival of the auto industry. That is the only explanation for their continued inaction. Look at the issue of import duties differential between completely knocked down vehicles and fully built ones. The government has reduced the import duty on fully built vehicles, instead of increasing it like other nations to discourage importation. Stakeholders agree that inadequate tariff protection remains a thorny issue.

  Apart from low patronage, local producers cannot compete favorably with others because they lack economy of scale, trained and experienced manpower and basic infrastructure such as electricity, good transportation system and access to cheap loans.

   Without meaning to sound like a prophet of doom, I wish to work within the scope of available data, and in doing that, I wish to categorically state that the future of the Nigerian motor industry is indeed bleak except these are fixed; except where the nation is contented to be proficient in vehicle and parts maintenance alone. However, if all these are addressed, the automotive industry would indeed contribute to the much needed Industrial growth in Nigeria.

                                                  CHAPTER FOUR

THE WAY FORWARD (A CASE STUDY OF THE INDIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY

    Principles are universal; they work whenever and where ever they are rightly applied. That being the case, we want to examine the Indian Automotive industry, where they are currently, how they got there as well as the principles they have applied over the years; with a view to learning from it and applying it in our own Industry. All things being equal, it will elicit the same response as it did for the Indians.

   The Automotive Industry in India is the seventh largest in the world with an annual production of over 2.6 million units in 2009. That same year, India emerged as Asia’s fourth largest exporter of automobiles, behind Japan, South Korea and Thailand. By the year 2050, the country is expected to top the world in car volumes with approximately 6.11 million vehicles on the nation’s road. How did that happen? How did they get there? How did they manage this incredible feat?

    It is really an incredible feat, especially for a country that was as backward as India in times past. In 1947, India gained Independence from Britain, one of the poorest nations on earth, with no infrastructure, poor road networks, few industries, high rate of unemployment. Today, they have performed a near miracle; defeating the hydra headed monsters that plagued them and taking their country from third world to first world. If they did it is no longer an issue, it is how they did it that is a lingering question.

    India was blessed to have visionary leaders right after her independence. They had a national developmental plan, set goals for themselves and worked doggedly to achieve it. First of all having realized that there was need to have local skilled personnel, they embarked on mass training campaigns in specialized fields like engineering. They did this so that when they started the actual work, they would have the necessary workforce to back them up. Next, they strategically began a series of technology transfer in other to have her indigenes acquire the technical know-how. They achieved this by embarking on the building of three steel rolling mills. In building the first, they had seventy-five percent expatriates working with twenty five percent indigenous labors. While building the second one, they reversed the order, this time having only twenty-five percent foreigners involved in the job. By the time they were ready to build the third mill, they built it completely with indigenous labor. In that manner, they achieved technology transfer which provided them with personnel highly equipped to handle other manufacturing sectors such as the automotive industry.

   Following economic liberalization in India in 1991, the Indian Automotive has demonstrated sustained growth as a result of increased competitiveness and relaxed restrictions. Several Indian automotive manufacturers such as Tata motors, Maruti Suzuki, and Mahindra and Mahindra, expanded their domestic and international operations. India’s robust economic growth led to further expansion of its domestic automobile market which attracted significant India-specific investment by multinational automobile manufacturers.

  In February 2009, monthly sales of passenger cars exceeded hundred thousand units. But back in the 1940’s this was a sector that was just embryonic. In fact, following independence in 1947, the government of India and the Private sector launched efforts to create an automotive component manufacturing industry to supply to the automobile industry when it kick starts. That is vision! However, its growth was relatively slow in the 1950’s and 60’s. This was mainly due to nationalization and license raj which hampered the Indian private sector. After 1970, the automotive industry started to grow. The growth was mainly driven by SUV’s, tractors, commercial vehicles and scooters. In the 1980’s, a number of Japanese manufacturers launched joint ventures for building motorcycles and light commercial vehicles. The Indian government chose Suzuki for its joint venture to manufacture small cars. Today, India has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of small cars. The Indian miracle was made possible by some of these factors: -

1. Strong Engineering base: - India first built for herself a strong engineering base with expertise, especially in the manufacture of low cost fuel efficient cars. Because of this, they had an abundance of cheap labor. This inadvertently led to reduced manufacturing cost. This reduced the sales price. It was only natural then for demand to swing to lower priced vehicles.

2. Expansion of manufacturing facilities of several automobile components.

3. Continuous research and innovation: - the Indian automotive industry is powered by research and innovation. Experiments are continually been made round the clock to produce better cars with great fuel economy. The Indian automotive Industry is ahead on several counts. It plans to launch electric cars later in 2010.

4. Pre-establishment of car component factories and steel rolling mills: - By establishing this factories prior to the inauguration of her automotive industry, India ensured that raw materials would always available and at lowered cost, hence, it tended to also reduce total manufacturing costs.

5. Creation of enabling environment: - India created the right environment for the automotive industry to thrive. This was in the form of availability of cheap labor, relaxed anti-foreign laws, effective power supply, and availability of cheap raw materials. This attracted the attention of multinational companies to invest in their automotive industry.

6. Good governance and governing policies: - As earlier stated, India was opportune to be blessed with visionaries as leaders. They were blessed with people who embraced sacrifice no matter the cost, in other to achieve any set goal. Yes! Sacrifice! That was how the first all made in India car was built. The Indian president and his entire cabinet declared they would walk on foot till the first Indian car was produced. They carried out their public statement, and in no distant time, Indian engineers came out with an answer-the first all made in India vehicle.

 The Nigerian automotive industry can move forward this same way. Like her counterpart the Indians, the Nigerian government should implement her policies to the letter. They shouldn’t just make policies like the amended gazette of 2005 which made it mandatory for the government and its agencies to patronize locally made/ assembled cars, they should enforce it.

  They should also review the age of vehicles brought into the country by plugging our ever selectively porous border. Finally, they should stimulate more private sector participation in manufacturing, especially the banks. They, the banks should especially be encouraged to step up from auto buying financing to auto manufacturing. This coupled with good leadership would revamp the Nigerian Motor Industry.

CONCLUSION

The Nigerian Automotive industry was established at a time when it was very much needed, a time when there was a lot of emphasis on technology transfer and development. It has come a long way; back to the times when what was the industry was simply half assembly by few companies. Since then, it still hasn’t come of age. It has every potential to be a key player in Africa, nay the world, but it can’t except the issues that have hitherto retarded its growth are addressed. If Nigerians can begin to patronize them and be proud of made in Nigeria products, then and only then would the industry live up to its full potentials. If not, chances are that the industry would go into extinction and become once upon a time. Something has to be done and fast to resurrect this sector and guide her to the path to development. Till then, all our lofty dreams of technological development would continually remain at best a mirage-a midsummer’s night dream!

                                                                        

                                      REFRENCE

1. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 6^th Edition

2. The Encyclopedia Americana, (Danbury; Grolier incorporated, 1997) vol. 8

3. Michael Izukanne, Nigeria’s Quest for Democracy (Nsukka: Afro-Orbis Publishing Co. Ltd., 2003)

4. “Timeline: India’s automotive Industry’’ BBC news 2007-04-03

5.  World motor vehicle production by country: 2008-2009 OICH

6. J. Goddy, Technology, Tradition and state of Africa, London, 1971

7. Wakama, W.T. The role of technology in the industrial development of Nigeria, Heinemann Educational Books (Nig.) Ltd., 1982

8. Gatherol, P., Politics of the past; London: Unwin-Hynam Ltd (1990)

Education for what purpose!

  Education in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. It is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another. The generation on the receiving end is called “student”. According to Martin Luther King Jnr., “education has two fold purposes; utility and culture”.

  In time past, society had responded to its various needs by adopting several paradigms of education as was suited to solving their particular needs. As epochs unfolded, so did man redefine the core objectives of what to pass on to its students. First, there was education for economic prosperity. Then with the discovery of the beauty of democracy by the Greeks, education was modified to be a means by which it could be secured by sustaining shared values such as justice, equality, and freedom.

  It has been a long march for humanity and finally, we are in the 21^st century, with its own set of challenges and peculiarities. The millennium was ushered in by a dramatic technological revolution. We now live in an increasingly diverse, globalized, and complex media saturated society. This has made students global citizens and digital learners with unprecedented exposure to knowledge. This means that for the students to be efficient, they have to be media literate, hence new curricula has to be designed.

  In the children’s story, “Alice in wonderland”, Alice reacts to everything with “it’s impossible!”. Many educators and policy makers respond just like her when challenged to adopt a new paradigm of education that is suited to the 21^st century; and there is no better time to reinvent schools for the 21^st century than now. But for such schools to ever see the light of the day, then cognizance must be taken of “21^st   century skills”.  Such skills include; critical thinking and problem solving, agility and adaptability, effective oral and written communication, and ability to access and analyze information. This is because students must be thoroughly equipped if they would be able to address a rapidly changing world filled with both new problems and possibilities.

   The 21^st century students should be research driven, not textbook driven; and focus on what they can do, not memorize discrete facts. This will be feasible only when a project based curricula is designed for students. As all manner of thought patterns and teaching pervade our society, students must be able to seek and apply truth for themselves, for it is the mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it.

  The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion.                                                                                                         

NOW THAT I AM IN LOVE WITH AN OGBANJE

  

I stood at the deserted junction, it was quite a cold morning, but my mind was far from the cold, something about this whole issue of ‘delivering’ a girl from ogbanje spirit was getting me edgy. No, I was not scared, it couldn’t have been fear. I have had a good background understanding of witches, ogbajes and other spirit cults, my maternal grandfather himself being a ‘strong man’.

Despite not endorsing the “OUT! OUT!” method of deliverance, I felt compelled to oblige my sister’s request to pray for a girl who was fed-up with being an ogbanje, she wanted out and was referred to my sister for assistance. The ASUU strike was just happening at the wrong time, but for the strike I would have not been the person to watch a girl wriggle and sway like a dizzy dancer.

I have seen my dad cast out demons from people in the past! He just didn’t use the “manifest, oya manifest!” method. He just ordered the devil OUT! IN JESUS NAME! And you hear the victim scream and THUD! on the ground, a still silence would follow. The person usually stood up free from demon oppressions. He never made a big deal out of such, his biggest brag would be: “500 persons were at the crusade, 100 accepted Jesus!” – he usually wore smiles at such times. Or it would be: “I prophesied about it! The Lord revealed it to me 7 years ago!” – he would sack the shelf and come out with an old pile, “...see! Look at it here! He would be made to leave office by the turmoil of angry nationals” – his full set of teeth usually showed complete. I never tried to become him, as a matter of fact I had always thought myself as being different. I was a third generation Christian; I never had break in my Christian life and was never at the battle field with tradition or forces of darkness. Between my two grandfathers and my dad, our family had a legacy of haven built the top three churches in our hometown, both in size, accomplishments and structure. But my paternal grandfather had died from spiritual attacks, while my maternal grandfather simply returned to his deity and lived out his life as the most revered witch doctor in the clan! I never had close experiences of even having the ukwan ball falling beside me, so there was nothing to develop the spiritual ‘fighter’ muscles in me. I only knew the scriptures, I had read the Bible through twice as a child and once as a teenager, I could even show my mom round the pages. But to CAST out devils? Jeez! What brought me back home?

She arrived just in time for us to start-up our journey to the church. I did not want people seeing us walk together, mnn-mmn... that would be some unwanted publicity. Medi had built up some reputation for herself in town as the ogbanje-disturbed-girl searching for deliverance. I had nothing much to discourse on our way to the church, as a matter fact I wanted nothing to discourse. I knew that failing at this task would place my faith on constant combat with my mind; I have had situations that made me question the potency of my faith. This was posing a similar challenge. Not that I question the potency of God’s power, NO! I have seen my dad pick up crippled persons and they began walking, I have seen people get healed. I have watched him re-light a blown out gas light with mere words! I knew there was power, but can I wield those powers?

‘Why do you think you are possessed?’ – I finally started a discussion. She looked me over, she must have been baffled. I know she felt quite disappointed at my age, she must have expected a huge, fire calling, demon destroyer as Ben’s brother. But she only met a 20 year old under-grad who doesn’t know how a girl would know she’s possessed.

I set my face with a look of ‘so, are you gonna answer me or not?’ – ‘well, when I sleep I am in the waters, in some gatherings. Some guy follows me around saying he’s my husband, but no one else sees him. I get strange visitors even when doors are all shut’ – she regarded my face to see if I was satisfied. I simply smiled at her. At the church, I did not pray for her, I just kept on with the gists, smiling and asking questions. My father’ words kept echoing through my mind: DO NOT LAY HANDS ON PEOPLE SUDDENLY! I thought I should first have a leading in my spirit to do so, but it never came. I counselled her about staying put with God and asked to leave.

I felt so small. I asked myself many WHYs. When my sister returned from  the following Monday her eyes were sparkling with excitement, I wandered what had happened – Medi had told her her brother was full of the spirit. She had come accompanied by demons who wanted to challenge anyone who dared to deliver her from the kingdom of darkness, the look she (Medi) had on her face that morning was not just of disappointment at my tender age, but that of pity as she was aware of the planned attack but was forbidden from telling anyone. We met severally before I returned to school. We had become friends, I never tried to lay hands on her, nor ‘deliver’ her. She avoided taking anything that was mine, ‘it might be used against you’ she would say. Her tales were horrorful and weird, she would tell them often times searching my face for expressions – but well, God made my face with a default SMILE! One night she belched severally and coughed out a stone or something like a stone. It was lovely but weird looking in the darkness. I must have had a different look on my face, cos she asked, ‘are you scared?’ – I recovered quickly and asked her to throw it away. I guess I saw shock on her face. When the time came to leave for school, I called on her the evening before and summarised my mission with her:

“I have told you about great healings, I have also told you about great miracles, I never told you about great deliverances because they have no physical manifestations. But I know they both work by the same principles and logic. Anything that is born of God overcomes the world. It is so not by some act of prowess, but because nothing in the kingdom of darkness is allowed to operate in the kingdom of light and vice versa. Demon invested diseases disappear when a victim crosses to kingdom of light. You don’t need a big show, just a simple believe in your SPIRIT (let’s say HEART) that it is gone! Tumour will dry up, barrenness would be healed, and drunkenness, smoking, homosexuality, lesbianism, violence and even wrong emotions of guilt, shame, disappointment and envy would be healed at that! When you are born again, you are TRANSPLANTED – more like A CHANGE OF CITIZENSHIP from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. And when I say this, I don’t mean it for pride or harm – we are not of a kind! We live in two different worlds. You are of the kingdom of darkness, not cos you are possessed, NO! But because you never for once asked Jesus into your heart. If you would, then you would have a new identity and by your new identity a new nature, which, as you acknowledge it in your spirit, those things you had hitherto suffered would gradually lose grip over you!”

She never replied a word, and I never asked her for her decision, I just stood up and left the room. As she made to see me off, I said ‘No. I am done with you’. I smiled my goodbye and added: ‘ you would never find a man who would cast the demons out of you successfully while you partner with the devil by staying put in his kingdom’.

To be sincere, I completely forgot about Medi when I returned to school. What with the academic rush to catch up with lost calendar. We also had the fellowships and friends. I seldom spent good time at home during breaks, holidays were my time of rest and refreshment - academically and spiritually, so I stayed with my uncle in Warri where I had the peace and serenity that I needed. I only met Medi while in my final years, three years after – o wooooo, she was looking so lovely. The flashing glances that seemed to invite every man to bed was gone, when she stood she had the demeanour of a teacher not a defendant as she looked before. Her smile was a radiant morning and greeted your eyes with warmth. I took this all in a swoop.

‘hnmmm... na wao! So na you be this? Wetin you dey chop? Abeg tell me your secret o’

She just replied with laughter. She laughed so graciously I had to ask, ‘there’s a lot of difference in you!’

Then she began to tell me: ‘I have always wanted to see you again, I had always wanted to say thank you. I even wanted you to be the one to solemnize my marriage... (I laughed – I hate ‘Pastor’ roles) ...of everyone I have ever met, you changed my life the most. After you left to school, I tried several other places for deliverance but it kept getting worse. I started experiencing open attacks in daylight. I will scream and fall, cars or bikes would knock me down, but no one else seems to see them. The spirit that claimed to be my husband started attacking guys that came near me. It was horrible, and then one night all you ever told me played through my mind. I remained awake till morning, turning them through and through. I walked to the church that morning and by myself knelt at the altar and asked Jesus into my life. I told myself I was now in the KINGDOM OF LIGHT, the Kingdom of God, and of His dear Son Jesus, devil had no rights over me! Though I was afraid for the night, cos I hitherto had constant spiritual visitors at night, I knew I now had the boldness to stand before them and say; I don’t want you no more! Surprisingly, night came and none of them visited. Till date I have never seen them, only once I saw the husband spirit but I screamed JESUS! And that was the last. I asked God I never wanted to see or feel them again, and like Jesus said ‘whatever you ask THE FATHER in MY NAME that I WILL DO that the Father may take glory in the Son’, Jesus did just that for me. I have loved God so much since then, finished secondary school, got into the College of Education,... and now (she was smiling broadly, she raised her fingers for me to see her rings) ... I am happily married. No fear of being killed or my man being killed. I live in same kingdom with you now (she added this last sentence laughing).’ It was the loveliest testimony for me that year. I could only pray that God would give me the grace to keep touching lives effortlessly and convincingly.

What you would learn from this is very simple: THERE’S NO BIG DEAL ABOUT YOUR PROBLEM, THE ONLY BIG DEAL IS YOU! You could stand up and walk out of that challenge today, if only you acknowledge that Jesus has paid the full price to bring you from the kingdom of darkness where pain, frustration and evil experiences reign, to the kingdom of light where there is joy and pleasure forevermore. You should also be aware that what you enjoy as a citizen of the kingdom of light is limited by what you know as your right as part of this kingdom. Until you know that healing, prosperity, joy, success, forgiveness for past deeds no matter how BAD, love and such like are yours as a part of God’s Kingdom, you will still suffer the pains you brought in from the Kingdom of darkness.

The Federal Character Policy and Technology development in Nigeria; problems and prospects

   

     Every state has its own development challenges...the problem is how to deal with the unintended consequences policies throw up NOT to shy away from them. This work seeks to thoroughly review federal character principle as it affects technological development; if it has been a bane or a boon to it. If has been disadvantageous to it, we want to know why, how, and where, as well as to know what the future holds with the continual implementation or abolition of the federal character policy.

      To achieve this in this work, we have had to journey into the past, to find out the origin of the federal character policy, the background or prelude to its being established in Nigeria. We also look at the problems created by this policy, why it became a problem in the first place, and finally the way forward. This paper ultimately unveils the loopholes in the policy and how they can be plugged in other to build a more resourceful, viral, peaceful, and well governed Nigeria-the bedrock of technological development!

                                

                                            CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

        Merit is the sine qua non in life. It ensures competition and healthy one at that. Of all the constraints on the Nigerian democracy, perhaps none has inflicted a more serious drag on the pace and direction of Nigeria’s development than her official devaluation of merit and excellence as the price of her existence, than the Federal Character Legislation. This legislation brought into being the Federal Character Commission, which supposedly monitors and enforces the above Federal Character Principle especially in appointments into all Federal Government Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Agencies.

     This Federal Character Legislation, put up to ensure equitable sharing of posts and resources among its federating components is one of the Federal Executive Bodies established by section 153 0f the constitution. There is however discrimination as that legislation is not fully complied with, since some zones receive more funds than others. This is because some of the factors used to determine who gets what are not only irrelevant, but go against the tenets of justice, fair play and anti-domination; which the Federal Character Commission is supposed to enforce. For instance, when a factor such as landmass is promoted and given greater emphasis at the expense of population density which represents the true needs of a state, it means that some states are given undue advantage. This means that the most densely populated states have had to suffer grave inequality at source.

      This conceived inequality in the appropriation of the nation’s resources not minding who produces what, has led to gross unrest and fighting in the Niger Delta and increased the incidence of agitation of fundamentalist groups such as MASSOB (Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State Of Biafra), MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People), OPC (Odua Peoples Congress), AREWA, MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta), etc.

1.2 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Federal: - Having a system of government in which the individual states of a country have control over their own affairs, but are controlled by a central government for national decisions. It could equally be described as the type of government binding a group of federating units.

2. Character: - All the qualities and features that make a person, groups of people, and places different from others.

3. Policy: - A plan of action agreed or chosen by a group. It can also be defined as a principle that a person or a group of persons believe in, that defines or influences their outlook and behavior.

4. Technology: - Scientific knowledge used in practical ways in industry.

5. Development:-Gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced. It can also be described as the process of producing or creating something new or more advanced.

6. Nigeria: - Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The capital city is Abuja.

          

                                         CHAPTER TWO

2.1 ORIGIN OF FEDERAL CHARACTER

Prior to the formation of the federal character policy, the colonialists used the principle of Native Authority. What the federal character principle simply did was to extend the colonial principle of Native Authority to key institutions in the federal state. Its unintended effect has been to turn federal citizenship into an extension of ethnically-defined membership of Native Authorities, and thereby undermine it. This they did by borrowing from the United States the principle of affirmative action; though they didn’t implement every thing to the end. By selectively choosing when, where and how to implement the federal character policy, they condemned a policy that could have worked to failure; stillborn even before it could crawl out from the legislature! We borrowed the federal system from United States but we don’t equally adopt all the cardinal federal principles enunciated by Sir Kenneth Wheares, considering the heterogeneity in our culture & tradition, religion & believe system, language, ethnicity etc.

       The genesis of this problem was in Ibadan conference 1950, where the northern politicians demanded for 50% representation in the federal house of assembly and the British were unmeritorious to grant their request. The outcome today is that we have a federal system where only what one section wants to become law will be law. Therefore, other tribes should go to hell.

But what our policy makers failed to remember was the fact that Nigeria has it own peculiarities and historical experiences different from the US and thus (while it can borrow from the US and other nations) should not simply ape US practices. The federal character principle was borne out of our own unique national experiences and realities. It was not conceived to compromise merit and quality, but rather to minimize ethnic xenophobia and maximize inclusiveness. Unfortunately, it has since been corrupted and bastardized into a system that often elevates mediocrity over merit.

2.2 BACKGROUND TO FEDERAL CHARACTER POLICY IN NIGERIA

    Even prior to the independence of the Nigerian nation, there was tension in the variegated patchwork. Each tribe was suspicious of the other, and wanted to be privy to resource control. Every Nigerian tribe is guilty of nepotism. The assumption that removing federal character will somehow remove some of the tribal clashes in our society misses the point. Nigeria problem may even be attributed to the poor implementation of federal character. If we have competent people from all over the country running the affairs of the state with equal representation as a civil servant I think we will be better off than having different section of the economy been handle by people from the same area. If we make it competitive and transparent the society will benefit enormously. A Hausa woman may not have the oratory of a Yoruba man, the Yoruba man may not have the Mathematical acumen of an Igbo woman, an Igbo man may not have the engineering competency of Tiv man. However, when you train them and put them to solve a task they will come out with a better solution than putting just one section together to solve the problem. It is call diversity. Federal character is a good way to ensure diversity. To cook a meal in Nigeria today there is element of federal character in your soup. The Igbo man sell you the gas cooker at Alaba market, Yoruba woman sell you the pepper, Edo woman sell you the cooking oil, the cow and pepper was brought to Lagos by Fulani man, the cooking gas came from Niger delta. The problem with this scenario is that one section can hold the reported recently in Lagos. The Northerner bringing goods to South west claimed they are been over taxed. They decide to go on strike. If there is equal representation in the trade from north to south the issue probably will have been resolved without resorting to strike. The country have also seen many coup perpetuated by Northerners. The banking scandal going on can be said to be more prevalent among the southerners. It is who you know that get you to places not what you know. Federal character if properly enforce will make sure that the resources of the nation is not been control by just a section of the Nigeria society. In America there is something similar to federal character it is called affirmative action.

2.3 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND FEDERAL CHARACTER POLICY; A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

     Nigeria and America have so much in common! The more I observe and examine the American society and life around here, the more reinforced my belief is in the similarities or commonalties between America and Nigeria! Both Nigeria and America have wide expansive Ocean shores, America has tropical Florida and California, and deserts like the Mojave in California, deserts in New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona, just as Nigeria has deserts in Borno state, Sokoto state etc. and then our near temperate region climate in Plateau state and Savannah grasslands in Niger state like Texas’ Amarillo!

    In America affirmative action is not the same as federal character. It was initially initiated to help the African minority population then extended to other minorities like women and the Latinos. However in Nigeria federal character has not in any way benefited in any sense, it is skewed and unjust, if you remember the problems it generates when a particular candidate cannot gain admission into the so called unity schools while others who came from some parts of the country that had in comparison lower marks is admitted. Federal character attributed to the dominance of a particular region in the echelon of the federal court system. Affirmative Action is an attempt to boost opportunities in public endeavours, especially education for African American who has been historically deprived of every opportunity.

      Likewise, the Constitutions of Nigeria, (from 1979 to 1999) for decades now, have made provisions for a Quota System and the reflection of a Federal Character in appointment of public office holders, this in my view makes perfect sense, in a diverse country and society as Nigeria, Diversity needs to be actively and purposefully encouraged and legally enforced as provided by Nigeria's Supreme law, the Constitution of Nigeria. Affirmative Action Programs Policies and the Quota System and Federal Character Policies reflect visionary thinking, a wonderful foresight, that should have the force of law, that we should all support and encourage and see that these policies continues to be implemented.

                                     CHAPTER THREE   

  3.1 FEDERAL CHARACTER POLICY; 1999 CONSTITIUTION’S DEFINITION

     The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 in Section 14, Sub-Sections 3 and 4 provides for fair representation of all the constituent parts that make up Nigeria. This is what we call the Federal Character Principle. It is observed not only in the recruitment into the Federal Civil Service, but in the distribution of amenities by the Federal Government across the whole country. It states clearly that:-

(3) The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.

(4) The composition of the Government of a State, a local government council, or any of the agencies of such Government or council, and the conduct of the affairs of the Government or council or such agencies shall be carried out in such manner as to recognize the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the people of the Federation.

      Even within a state, there is an effort to ensure local government representation. The merit system of recruitment connotes that the best candidates from each zone, state or local government is employed from among the qualified candidates rather than recruiting candidates on the basis of favouritism or other considerations. Promotion is based on merit, which may be determined by passing prescribed civil service examination and obtaining the prescribed minimum score in examinations conducted by the relevant Staff Committees or the Federal Civil Service Commission.

   The emphasis on merit is to recruit the best and reward performance. A Commissioner in the Federal Civil Service Commission is always present as an observer in promotion interviews held by Ministries to ensure compliance with these guidelines. The composition of Staff Committees also reflects federal character as much as possible to ensure adherence to merit in the system of recruitment and promotion. Qualifications for vacant positions are usually well publicized in national newspapers and applicants are shortlisted based on the Federal Character Principle. This is however seldom the case.

3.2 PROBLEMS CREATED BY FEDERAL CHARACTER POLICY

        By dividing Nigerian citizens into ‘indigenes' and ‘non-indigenes' - not of Nigeria but of individual states - for purposes of participation in national institutions, it has disenfranchised a growing number of Nigerian citizens, those who do not live in the states where they and their fathers were born. Federal character is hurting the Nigerian dream and even now contributing to the decay of the society since merit is not the criteria that are used to judge a Nigerian’s actions. It is tribe, religion and social class that determines what an individual gets. These create a number of problems to technological development. Some of these problems include the following:-

1. Disenchantment with the system: - When a person is denied a job, that he is fitly qualified for in the guise or alter of federal character, he wouldn’t be happy with the system. This ultimately leads to brain drain- a situation where these qualified professionals leave the nation in the droves to other countries. When manpower is depleted in such manners, their wont be any technological development.

2. There is no alienation of federal character principle from good governance and peace. When it isn’t well implemented and some tribes feel under represented, any leader who comes from such a tribe will carry out policies that would enrich his tribe alone, because he is ethnocentric. When sections of society feel marginalized and under represented, they tend to be caught up with anti-social behaviors and vandalization. The Niger Delta situation is a life example of what poorly implemented Federal Character policy can cause. When infrastructure already existing is vandalized, there can’t be technological development.

3.  When the best people to do a job are not allowed to do a job is not allowed to do it, lower qualities of products are delivered. At other times, rather than grant contracts to qualified personnel, the contracts are handed over to foreigners, so that a tribe won’t be a beneficiary. But, technological development doesn’t come that way. Development comes by implementing what others have done. Let us consider the case of India. India gained independence from the British highly underdeveloped and backward technologically. To develop her technological sector, India implemented her development plans irrespective of ethnic origin or religion, even though she equally is a very multi religious and ethnic country. First, they sent students to study in various disciplines abroad. Next they built several industries where these professionals were employed. For instance, India planned to build three steel rolling mills. In building the first mill, they brought in 75% of the workforce from abroad to supplement 25% of the workforce from among her local labour force. To build the second, 25% expatriates supplemented 75% local labour force. Finally, the third steel rolling mill was built completely by Indians. By neglecting issues about one’s ethnicity, religion, and/or beliefs, India was able to transform herself to a world power as long as technology is concerned. That is the only way through which technology is transformed. But because of Federal Character policy, most innovations in the country are carried out by foreigners. That is the only reason why a Nigerian Satellite would be built and launched by Chinese Engineers. What was the outcome? Even the maintenance of the satellite couldn’t be done by our technocrats with the attendant consequence that the satellite was lost till date, because they were not familiar with the satellite. They were never part of building or launching the satellite!

4.  Neglect of Agricultural Sector: - Prior to the oil boom in the 70’s, the Agricultural sector was the nation’s topmost foreign exchange earner. Most of these agricultural productions were done in the South and kept the Southerners wealthy. Ethnicity ensured that the government of the day neglected the Agricultural sector, making policies that bettered only a section of the country. For instance, the importation of stockfish was banned so that the sale of beef would be maximized, but no commensurate policy was put in place to protect our cottage industries that depended on these agricultural raw materials. This led to the decline of the agricultural sector. With that decline, almost all our food needs were imported. When a nation cannot feed her citizens, they can’t even begin to talk about technological development. This is because the agrarian revolution preceded the industrial revolution. Equally, a comparism of the nations of the world shows that the technological advancement of the nations varies directly with that nation’s ability to feed her citizens with the produce of her land. That is why you can’t compare Germany in terms of technological development with Nigeria. In Germany, 10% of the total workforce involved in the agricultural sector feeds the rest of the country whereas over 70% of the total workforce of Nigerians in the same agricultural sector still can’t feed the rest of the nation. Thus Federal Character Policy introduced a situation where we talk about the rest of us and the best of them!

        

              

                                        

                                       Chapter Four

4.1 THE WAY FORWARD

    Despite the fact that so many ills have been attributed to the Federal Character Policy, It shouldn’t be totally scraped. There is nothing wrong with the spirit of the Federal character, what is wrong is the non implementation or partial implementation of the policy. We should not abolish the federal character policy, but rather the silly bean-counting that it has grown to become in giving effect to the principle. For starters, the requirement of at least one Minister from each state in the federal cabinet not only bequeaths us with a large unwieldy cabinet, but effectively reduces the Ministers to "ambassadors" of their individual states to the federal executive, rather than servants of the entire Nigerian people. If we must move forward as a nation, then merit must be our watchword. Is there any gain in a football team made up of all the ethnic groups or that thoroughly reflects the federal character, but can’t win a single football team? None whatsoever!

     Our country Nigeria isn’t the only country that is multi faceted linguistically. If other nations such as the United States can forge ahead irrespective of their demography, then we can. The success of Tanzania as a nation that is getting it right on the continent is because the nation's erstwhile leader, Julius Nyerere, during his tenure dismantled the customary law, thereby making every one a Tanzanian citizen. Nobody or nation is a reserve of success; success is bound to and tied to principles. When the right principles are applied, they always, I repeat, always yield the right or expected outcome, irrespective of how old a nation is, the languages they speak, or even the kind of land they have.

The architects of the federal character and sundry negative programs of past leaders are still alive and can be made accountable for their creations. Abolition of these retrogressive programs is long overdue. To avoid the outpour of sectional sentiments, the concerned should make haste to make amend by making public statements, apologizing to the nation for failing us. 

        We should adopt a state of resident approach as against the state of origin approach we apply as at now.The fact of the matter is Nigeria should come before all our previous cultures. A careful in-depth search would show that quite a number of people barely know where they originated from they know where they grow up. The current law should be abrogated. In its place, we should establish a seven year residency period verifiable by tax documentation and then folks can become citizens of that state. We have to let our myopic opinions about our ancestral cultures go, if we must move forward as a nation.

Conclusion

   The progenitors of the federal character may have had good ideals when they thought it up ab initio, but right now, it has become, like the legendary sword of Damocles, an ideal that has turned on its wielders. With what we see at present for the citizenry to exclaim, they brought us desolation and called it peace!

  Partial implementation of this policy amounts to injustice. St. Augustine said, “An unjust law is no law at all”. So it is the duty, nay the right of every Nigerian to resist this policy, till it is abolished, reviewed or completely implemented to the letter. Only then would our technological sector leap to the heights like an oxy-acetylene flame!

                                        REFRENCE

1. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 6^th Edition

2. The Encyclopedia Americana, (Danbury; Grolier incorporated, 1997) vol. 8

3. Michael Izukanne, Nigeria’s Quest for Democracy (Nsukka: Afro-Orbis Publishing Co. Ltd., 2003)

4. C. N. Bittle, Man and Morals, Miliwukee: Bruce Publishing Co., 1950

5. F. Faluyi, The development of Agricultural Exports and Official Intervention in Produce marketing.

6. J. Goddy, Technology, Tradition and state of Africa, London, 1971

7. Omolewa, M, Certificate History of Nigeria, Nigeria: Longman Group Ltd. (1986)

8. Gatherol, P., Politics of the past; London: Unwin-Hynam Ltd (1990)