Restructuring is the new boss in town..

In 1997, the US Army War College was defining what they called: " the future of warfare" framed as the "conflict between information masters and information victims"..

For the facebook/google/twitter generation, the word 'restructuring' kept popping up like a virus on their news feed as in the psychodrama and the relentless, totally hysterical, fear inducing narrative of: if we refused to 'restructure', we are doomed to eternal condemnation. However, the reality of the situation is more prosaic as we are spoon fed to believe by the information masters of the universe( in Nigeria).

Now, lets go for a short ride:

This going to be a skeletal view of mine concerning the issue of 'restructuring'. Different people have different views, but the major thinking is, 'restructuring' is the magic wand that can solve Nigeria problems once and for all, or perhaps, reduce most of those problems. Dr Aliyu U. Tilde will write a more detailed view of his concerning 'restructuring' this or next week, and his views will abrogate mine. Will not mention names or regions or exhaust history, but will just say what I think( am no historian or a social scientist anyway)

Restructuring isn't a bad thing in the context of Nigeria situation, but is not the MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GET US OUT OF THE WOODS AT PRESENT. We have to go back to history and learn a few or more things in the context of how we even become a country in the first place, and how external factors/actors shape the world as we know it.

Before oil, each of the regions of Nigeria produced an important agricultural produce for exports to imperial British industries oversee. We often bragged,often times beating our chests, sometimes: " before oil, agriculture was the mainstay of the economy,.."northern agricultural proceed was used to explore the oil in the Niger Delta"( false and debunked),..bla bla blahhh

Then oil came, we abandoned agriculture, had the oil boom, then the civil war blah blahh..

Now, understand this: with the above mentality of ours, Nigeria can never progress. No amount of soap box of 'restructuring' can make Nigeria progress. North, Niger-delta, East, South-west or whatever, will remain in perpetual poverty for eons. Additionally, if it's the same people that will form a part of the leaders in either a restructured or a divided Nigeria, then, praised the lord! It's Nigeria 2.0 all over again.

Why did I say the above? It's a simple concept of a consumer mindset and a producer mindset. The industrialized nations who plan a world order designed to make other countries perpetually poor using many carefully crafted tools will explain better. Nigeria and a host of other African nations are victims of these scenario. The only continent of the world that has managed to escape this neoliberal agenda is Asia. Remember the Structural Adjustment Programme? The Asians have now understood this concept and are coming to Africa to entrenched it the more: double blast for a black man of Nigeria and Africa.

Finally and summarily

Donald Keburaka, a former president of African Development Bank said this: " we can learn from the [Chinese] how to organize our trade policy..to educate our children in skills and areas that pay off in just a couple of years. Human resources is the key, if it can be harnessed well and efficiently. Countries are forming unions all over the place to improve trade and transfer of know how eg G8, G20, SCO, BRICS etc, yet, some in Nigeria are calling for division.

In a worst case scenario, if Nigeria has to be restructured, then the best form of Federalism should be asymmetrical.

Abbas Hamisu
abbasgarba..com

Your last paragraph about imperialism is exactly the point why restructuring is essential.

With restructuring, the North would begin to buy tractors to farm all that large expanse of land.
The Igbos would be manufacturing all that is manufacturable.
The West would be providing all the services the country needs.
And the South would be providing all the energy we need.

Its really that simple.

PapaBrowne:
Your last paragraph about imperialism is exactly the point why restructuring is essential.

With restructuring, the North would begin to buy tractors to farm all that large expanse of land.
The Igbos would be manufacturing all that is manufacturable.
The West would be providing all the services the country needs.
And the South would be providing all the energy we need.

Its really that simple.

You don't understand, I buy tractor from someone, right? I need money to do that. From where will I get it? Someone with the money. Who? Under what condition? OK, what of if I improvise and continue to improve? I need the know how.

The igbo will manufacturer what ever they like. Who will buy? Definitely not those developed world, but still us up north. What of if we continue to buy their thing s and encourage them to improve? What of we collaborate and come up with a chain of production -something within same domain, so capital will not go somewhere?

If south south will just be providing the energy, then they will be the worse loosers as we will be back to where we trying to run away from.: raw materials economy

Mune:


You don't understand, I buy tractor from someone, right? I need money to do that. From where will I get it? Someone with the money. Who? Under what condition? OK, what of if I improvise and continue to improve? I need the know how.

The igbo will manufacturer what ever they like. Who will buy? Definitely not those developed world, but still us up north. What of if we continue to buy their thing s and encourage them to improve? What of we collaborate and come up with a chain of production -something within same domain, so capital will not go somewhere?

If south south will just be providing the energy, then they will be the worse loosers as we will be back to where we trying to run away from.: raw materials economy

I get your point. But I think you are mistaking restructuring for separation. The idea of restructuring is to discuss a way that would ensure that every part of the nation can contribute effectively to the development of the country.

What you are missing out is that the greatest hindrance to our collective productivity is our terribly dysfunctional centralization that has been designed solely for the sharing of oil wealth.

The North can be super rich via Agriculture and mineral resources. Same with the South via industry, services etc.

Recently I visited Kaduna and Kano. And it was so striking that all the best buildings I saw in both cities were actually built in the time Of Ahmadu Bello when Nigeria had a decentralized system.
The famous groundnut pyramids happened under a decentralized system.

The North has actually been the greatest victims of this terrible centralization. I really wonder why it still would prefer to maintain the status quo.

We can create a great nation where our forefathers have failed if we simply decide to understand each other and come up with a functional system that would work for all.

PapaBrowne:


I get your point. But I think you are mistaking restructuring for separation. The idea of restructuring is to discuss a way that would ensure that every part of the nation can contribute effectively to the development of the country.

What you are missing out is that the greatest hindrance to our collective productivity is our terribly dysfunctional centralization that has been designed solely for the sharing of oil wealth.

The North can be super rich via Agriculture and mineral resources. Same with the South via industry, services etc.

Recently I visited Kaduna and Kano. And it was so striking that all the best buildings I saw in both cities were actually built in the time Of Ahmadu Bello when Nigeria had a decentralized system.
The famous groundnut pyramids happened under a decentralized system.

The North has actually been the greatest victims of this terrible centralization. I really wonder why it still would prefer to maintain the status quo.

We can create a great nation where our forefathers have failed if we simply decide to understand each other and come up with a functional system that would work for all.

It depends on your view of what actually restructuring is though I understand that it is the 'center' which is the main focus.

Truthfully, what am trying to say is simple: the African mentality of I have resources so am rich is the biggest culprit of all. Your resources can go somewhere for processing at a cheaper price and come back to you as an expensive finished good.

Now understand this: I export oil at say $10 per barrel to China. They gladly buy! The only benefit I will get is that $10. Now, the Chinese will process that oil and still send it back to you. Note these:
1. The processing of the oil require man power.
2. The company processing the oil will buy machinerie from their domestic market.
3. Other expenses to arise and the money circulate only withing the Chinese economy
4. Then they bring you back fuel to buy.

Who do you think lose? Remember, there are other countries producing and exporting same oil making the market volatile and competitive. They may also give you loan repayble on strictest terms requiring you to export more to service the debt. Remember other countries have to export more too, saturating the market and making things more difficult..

Am from Kano state. We had a governor by name Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. It was during his brief tenure that I found out that the issue of the bad center is nothing but a ruse. In just 4 years, Kano was transformed. If you have visionary leader, you are blessed, and that's what all of the other states need : visionary leaders