₦airaland Forum

It is really a no brainer that Nigeria is capable of growing in double digits for the next decade with real development that would affect the lives of the ordinary Nigerians.

The potentials abound, in people, natural resources, and market. However, with a LOOTOCRAT like GEJ in power, it will be a long pipe dream for Nigeria and Nigerians to attain her rightful place development wise.

One reason We need to get rid of GEJ come 2015! Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind. We missed out on the BRICS, now there is the oppourtunity to join the MINT, if not nah TOM TOM we go later join

In 2001 the world began talking about the Bric countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - as potential powerhouses of the world economy. The term was coined by economist Jim O'Neill, who has now identified the "Mint" countries - Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey - as emerging economic giants. Here he explains why.

So what is it about the so-called Mint countries that makes them so special? Why these four countries?

A friend who has followed the Bric story noted sardonically that they are probably "fresher" than the Brics. What they really share beyond having a lot of people, is that at least for the next 20 years, they have really good "inner" demographics - they are all going to see a rise in the number of people eligible to work relative to those not working.

This is the envy of many developed countries but also two of the Bric countries, China and Russia. So, if Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey get their act together, some of them could match Chinese-style double-digit rates between 2003 and 2008.


Something else three of them share, which Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena pointed out to me, is that they all have geographical positions that should be an advantage as patterns of world trade change.
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Find out more
Listen to the first episode of MINT: The Next Economic Giants on BBC Radio 4 on Monday 6 January from 09:00 GMT
MINT: The next economic giants

For example, Mexico is next door to the US, but also Latin America. Indonesia is in the heart of South-east Asia but also has deep connections with China.

And as we all know, Turkey is in both the West and East. Nigeria is not really similar in this regard for now, partly because of Africa's lack of development, but it could be in the future if African countries stop fighting and trade with each other.

This might in fact be the basis for the Mint countries developing their own economic-political club just as the Bric countries did - one of the biggest surprises of the whole Bric thing for me. I can smell the possibility of a Mint club already.

What I also realised after talking to Meade Kuribrena, is that the creation of the Mint acronym could spur pressure for Nigeria to become a member of the G20, as the other Mints already are.

This was something the charismatic Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was keen to talk about: "We know our time will come," she said. "We think they are missing something by not having us."

Meade Kuribrena went so far as to suggest that, as a group of four countries, the Mints have more in common than the Brics. I am not sure about that, but it is an interesting idea.

Economically three of them - Mexico, Indonesia and Nigeria - are commodity producers and only Turkey isn't. This contrasts with the Bric countries where two - Brazil and Russia - are commodity producers and the other two - China and India - aren't.

In terms of wealth, Mexico and Turkey are at about the same level, earning annually about $10,000 (£6,100) per head. This compares with $3,500 (£2,100) per head in Indonesia and $1,500 (£900) per head in Nigeria, which is on a par with India. They are a bit behind Russia - $14,000 (£8,500) per head - and Brazil on $11,300 (£6,800), but still a bit ahead of China - $6,000 (£3,600).Projected growth in average income (thousands $)
2000 2012 2050 (projected)

Mexico
7.0
10.6
48.0

Indonesia
0.8
3.6
21.0

Nigeria
0.2
1.4
12.6

Turkey
4.1
10.6
48.5

Sources: IMF, Goldman Sachs


A big question that guided my thinking on visits to these countries for the BBC was - "How do these countries actually feel on the ground, compared to my own expectations and the general consensus of opinion?"

When expectations are low - as one might generally say about Nigeria for example (although not in recent years among specialist investors in Africa) - it is easier to be positively surprised.

But the opposite is also true - and this could be a problem for Mexico, which financial investors are really quite excited about.

Mexico owes much of its rising wealth to the oil which it sits on, especially offshore oil

I returned from my travels thinking it won't be so difficult for Nigeria and Turkey to positively surprise people, as many put far too much weight on the negative issues that are well-known - crime and corruption in Nigeria, for example, or heavy-handed government in Turkey.

Indonesia, I am less sure about. The country's challenges are as big as I thought and I didn't hear too many things that made me go "Wow" in terms of trying to deal with them. The country needs more of a sense of commercial purpose beyond commodities, and has to improve its infrastructure.

In Turkey, visits to white goods manufacturer Beko and Turkish Airlines, the world's fastest growing airline, definitely made me go "Wow", and in Nigeria, I was saying it all the time.

Turkish Airlines: The world's fastest-growing airline

The creativity in that place is so easy to get enthused about, at least it was for me, and I returned full of excitement about different personal investments I might follow up on.

In Mexico I was all set to be disappointed, as expectations are so high, but the young president and his equally young colleagues are full of determination to change the place.

If you thought Maggie Thatcher stood for serious reforms, these guys make her seem like a kitten. They are reforming everything from education, energy and fiscal policy to the institution of government itself.

What about all the challenges and things that usually scare people? Well corruption is obviously one topic that all four would seem to share, and I had many interesting discussions about it in each country.

In Nigeria, Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi argued that corruption rarely prevents economic development - and that the growth of the economy, accompanied by improvements in education, will lead to better governance and greater transparency.

Such views are important to listen to, as an alternative to our often simplistic Western way of thinking. For many credible people in the Mint countries, corruption is a consequence of their weak past, not a cause of a weak future, and certainly not the number one challenge. It falls way down a list compared with the costs of energy and the breadth of its availability and, of course, infrastructure.

Generators are much in demand in Lagos

Sorting out energy policy was seen in both Mexico and Nigeria as a top priority and each country has launched a major initiatives this year, which if implemented, will accelerate growth rates significantly.

Here is an amazing statistic. About 170 million people in Nigeria share about the same amount of power that is used by about 1.5 million people in the UK. Almost every business has to generate its own power. The costs are enormous.

"Can you imagine, can you believe, that this country has been growing at 7% with no power, with zero power? It's a joke." says Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote.

Continue reading the main story
More from BBC News
What kind of superpower could China be?
Nigeria could be the next Bric
Mexico approves energy bill

He's right. I reckon Nigeria could grow at 10-12% by sorting out this problem alone. That would double the size of its economy in six or seven years.

In Indonesia, the fourth largest country in the world, I would say leadership and infrastructure are the major challenges, though there are many more too. But challenges and opportunities sit side by side.

In one of Jakarta's slum areas, Pluit, the land is sinking by 20cm per year because of over-extraction of water, but property prices elsewhere in the city are rocketing.

I talked to a man building the country's first Ikea store, who reckons a third of greater Jakarta's population of 28 million (the third biggest conurbation in the world) would have sufficient disposable income to shop at his store. As he said: "We just know it's going to work."

In Turkey of course, its politics and the combination of a Muslim faith with some kind of desire to do things the Western way is a unique sort of challenge. Some might argue the same challenge exists for Indonesia but I returned thinking this was not the case. In Jakarta at least, the Western way of doing things seems to be generally accepted - in striking contrast with Turkey.

So can the Mints join the top 10 largest economies in the world, after the US, China, the rest of the Brics and maybe Japan?

I think so, though it may take 30 years.

I look forward to going back to each of them more regularly now I am helping to put them on the map, just as happened with the Bric countries 12 years ago.

[url]For Brown SAUCE please click Here[/url]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25548060

awodman: So in ur opinion it is Fashola who detest any atom of Transparency that will lead us to the promised land?..

I mean the same Fashola who heads Lagos state where govt officials are not allowed to speak to the press unless they have been given clearance?

What is this one saying Atom of transparency? Sorry you made no sense

Ewdin Clarke,

Tell the world what happened to your daughter in London

All the PDP demons in Nigeria, plus the 'e-demons' on NL like Jmaine, Taraqh, Insincere9nigerian, OcheJoesph, Manny4life, Altwireless, Baba God has disgraced you all and may 2014 be the year your house will be consumed by strange fire.

Oshiomhole is healthy and good governance shall take full root in Edo State.

Imhakhena Primary School Ogbona- Etsako Central

WARNING: Newly built schools in Edo State are equipped with desk and chairs, tiled floor, PVC ceilings and decorated doors.

Idia College -2

WARNING: Newly built schools in Edo State are equipped with desk and chairs, tiled floor, PVC ceilings and decorated doors

atlwireles: Can you post one picture of Edo state teaching hospital? or shut the hell up.

Do not be in hurry! We are coming to Hospitals and We will not be posting CGIs

Nah so Ibori take hurry for resource control him come go enter Oyinbo prison .. sector by sector...

Holy Trinity Grammar School.

WARNING: Newly built schools in Edo State are equipped with desk and chairs, tiled floor, PVC ceilings and decorated doors

Intra and Inter City Buses

WARNING : Edo intra and Inter-city buses are equipped with seats and seat belt, well mannered drivers and conductors.

homesteady: So the buses has working AC's?

Go board one from opposite House of Assembly complex going to Oko Central and come back here and tell me if it has AC or not . Or you can board the one at Akpakpava road close to CBN toward Ramat axis then come back here and tell me if it has AC or not.. meanwhile.. lemmi go refresh because Arsenal gonna kill totten the rotten hams by 5pm tonight ...

homesteady: Omo_Tier1 please stop spreading lies! I have entered that bus many times! There is nothing like AC in that bus!
Since you stay abroad, and I stay here in Nigeria, who is meant to be telling who about the state of Nigeria? You only feed your eyes with internet pictures, and I feed my eyes with both internet and real pictures! So I'm meant to be telling you what's up, not the other way round!

Hehe.. in your mind, London to Benin still takes 21 days to travel, hence we should rely on nonentities like you who are agent of the devil to feed us lies on the internet? God forbid bad thing!

When ever I am in Nigeria and Benin, I use these facilities and visit these places for myself so I do not need your falsehood

atlwireles: Evestar200 thanks for posting the pictures. We know Uduaghan can do more and delta should be the leading economy in the South after Lagos. Things have not worked 100% right in the last 14 years, but comparing Edo to delta, is not only silly but totally childish.

Hehe... another wishy washy statement. So you mean to say Delta State would eclipse Rivers and Bayelsa economy .

We have seen the pictures of what yearly budget of N200bn or more actually do in Delta State. It is obvious the statement : Delta has gone to the dogs" will remain true for a long time yet

For the records, (and when my online storage is up) these are the roads outside of Benin that have been completed that I hope to post pictures off as part of the good governance in Edo State

• The 22.3 km [/b]Oja Uneme Osu-Enwan – Igarra raod with a bridge at Ojirami
• The [b] 22km Sebe – Ogbe – Otuo toad with a bridge at Ihievbe
• The 8.35 km Uhen- Olumoye road which covers
• The 10 km Ivbioghe – Igiode – Uzanu road
• The 16 km Ogan – Idunmogun road17.
• The 57 km Evboeghae- Ugo - Urhonigbe road with bright at Uromehe
• The 25 km Iguobazua – Uzama – Siluko road
• The 40 km Igueben – Ewohimi – Ewatto – Ohordua – Okhuesan road with a bridge at Emu
• The 30 km Ekperi – Anegbette road ( with 2 bridges) which transverses on the most difficult terrains in the country
• The 12 km Jattu – Afowa – Iyora – Apana road with a bridge at Afowa
• The 29.7 km long Irrua-Usugbenu – Ugbegun – Ebudin – Ujiogba road
• The 29 km Ayogwiri – Apana – Imiegba – Imiakebu road with a spur at Igodor to Okpekpe and 2 bridges over Obe River.
• The 13.7 km 6 Lane Auchi – Jattu – Afashio – Ikabigbo – Ojio road
• The 9 km Amiendokhian – Ugboha road
• The 5.6 km Igueben – Udo road

Edo Transport -

WARNING : Buses in Edo State fan you with all year round Harmattan aka oyinbo cool breezy aka air condition

homesteady: Haba! This your lie sef!
Whenever I'm travelling out of edo state, I use to peep into most state schools by the road side! The inside is a direct opposite of the outside!

God punished devil from the beginning because He lied .

Now I say, be gone from here Satan... for that take the things of God as yours? Even the blind knows Edo Schools renovated or built from scratch by present EDSG are all equipped with the same furniture,with tiled floors, glassed windows, and decorated doors .

manny4life: Quit spreading lies, stormy weather indeed. I guess all the servers used in the UK are affected as well, anytime a U.S. region has stormy weather, all servers are affected. Is your online storage server located in your house abi is it located in a remote data center? Please limit how you spread your lies, if you have no pictures, simply say so.

@ bold, you are not making sense at all.

If I had no pictures, why would I have opened the thread in the first instance? Sometimes, I wonder why the same criminal brain most of you exhibit you cannot use it to reason properly .

Since Christmas, the adverse weather hear has affected IT facilities. Internet has been intermittent due to damages to BT hubs. My online storage is hosted by small private firm and they have been affected by the weather since Wednesday and did manage to keep alive until the Thursday backlash.

So stop spewing rubbish agricultural pilot

go here and see some pictures for yourself

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25601796

Why is it that Nigeria government always implement good policies that make sense but at the wrong time? This policy would have made so much sense now if His government had encouraged the auto industry in Nigeria 4 years ago to start car assembly and production.

Also, why do we not learn from the mistake of the past? Obasanjo did the same thing, and research showed that smuggling of used vehicles across our boarders increased and corruption by Custom officers at boarder post also increased.

If GEJ's government encouraged some of the major auto manufacturers to set up plant in Nigeria years ago with some very attractive schemes, I am sure by now Nigerians would even be the ones crying out loud for this policy to be implement.

Anyway, GEJ has only 15 months left to go and any obnoxious policy would be reverted sharp sharp by the new president in 2015

Agbado Primary School

WARNING: Schools in Edo State are built with tiled floors, glassed windows, decorated doors and are equipped with desk and chairs per student

homesteady: Please Was it oshiomole that built that overhead-bridge at the outskirts of benin?

Which overhead bridge at outskirt of Benin? All the bridges Oshiomhole have awarded contract for are in the rural areas and none in Benin. All the flyovers in Benin e.g, the Benin City bypass were done during Obsanjo's regime as part of the Benin City outer ring road project.

We do not engage in frivolous projects in Edo State. The current EDSG is responsible enough to know that roads, schools, hospital, water and transportation is what Edos need the most and not so wishy washy overhead bridge that only serve aesthetic and ego and not change the life of the ordinary man on the street.

donphilopus: They know nothing! They are just claiming they know. They've not even come to the rural areas in Edo and see something.

Some villagers who have not seen coloured alluminium zinc in their entire lives, have started feeling it in Edo. Villages who only depended on stream waters before, are now beginning to feel boreholes; so, what else do they want.

Igarra-Ososo road in Akoko-Edo is already a completed project! Dualization of Auchi road is also a complete project, with street lights, so what else do they need? Can they compare the present Auchi to the Auchi of PDP's government??

These people are only showing us the pictures of urban area in Delta! I enjoin them to show us pictures of their urban areas.

Are you not seeing them posting picture of statues and school gates as good governance in Delta State

Initially when some of my matey who are commissioners there were saying to me "No show for Delta" I thought they must be joking, until when I visited them and we went on tour of various places, Warri, Sapele, Oghara, Effurun, and then cross over to the other side of Asaba axis, Gboji Gboji etc, it was then I truly believed what they were saying.

What struck me hard was the massive Hotel and Mansion of Tompolo...

homesteady: You should see when Delta state guys are insulting benin in UNIBEN
If you guys know that Delta are getting a higher allocation, then why are you now comparing them together? Is it not expected that Delta governor will perform more?

Every time, they are always posting this picture of ring road when it was first built! Some of this pictures are even surprising me! is it the same benin that I know that those pictures are showing me?

Look, I know these people very well. I spent time with most of them those days in GRA so I know them like the back of my palms. Very mouthy but lacks substance.

Most of them know the truth, go to Bob Izua motors now and see if almost 80% of those coming down from the bus are not from Delta State who come to Benin to shop for the weekend.

5 Junction : Good governance in Edo State.

WARNING: ROADS IN BENIN CITY ARE CONSTRUCTED WITH COVERED DRAINAGES, SIDEWALK AND STREET LIGHTS THAT WORK.

5 Junction is still under construction and 5 roads linking the poplar 5 Junction are being constructed simultaneously.

theoctopus: You cannot hide today. No matter where you go, I will follow you. There is no rest for you today! Oshiomole did not construct Airport road. He renovated sections of it and demarcated it. You cannot hide anywhere today.

Hehe.. Ogogoro at work . No be only demarcate, He also water colour the road nah

Pikin wey say Him mama no go sleep, him too no go sleep nah .

Lemmi sip my pepper soup jor.. and I will continue my posting of Edo good governance soonest.

donphilopus: Obvious?? Can you compare Delta's allocation to that of Edo state before judging??

They obviously did not understand why I titled the thread " Good governance in Edo vs Delta States". Any sane human that knows anything about the budget of the two states would truly wonder if Delta States have not gone to the dogs. To think they are showing us CGIs are projects is really laughable.

Some are even posting DESOPEC and NDDC projects

Stormy weather here in the UK appears to have affected my online storage server, finger crossed before this weekend runs out it would be up and running and I would post pictures for all to see.

theoctopus: Which good governance did Fashola show? You mean the schools were children sit on the windows to write exams? You mean all the dilapidated schools all over Lagos? Or you mean that one funny 2 story building that agbameta keeps posting from different angles, like 100 times? Why did Tinubu go to the UK to treat common knee problem after your good governance charade? Liars unlimited! No rest for you today

For a man who claim Airport road in Benin was not constructed by EDSG led by Oshiomhole, then you msut be a mad man for sure

First you claimed it was only schools, now you have admitted that there are actually roads, but hmm..actually they are dirty.. hehe... you be real exotic clown .

Please exit this thread as it is not meant for "Ogogoro drinkers" as this thread concerns Edo and Delta states good governance comparison and only natural born Edo and Delta citizens should post developments in their respective states.

enm: @ omo_tier and co please you people should post what you know about not what you don't know.

So please leave lagos state and jonathan out of this. We are talking delta vs edo here .

For enlightment sake street light and traffic light in lagos for a very long time was powered by generators and to this day some are still powered by generators, though at one time there were solar powered street light in some location in lagos "but I don't think they still exist"

Its just of recent that ipp project are extending out to powering street light from powering only government buildings and some lagos state owned company like water works.

To those that know more correct me if am wrong please.

Really? No wonder the politicians from where most of you are from take you people to be foo.ls big time. I know you only started reading news about Lagos when Fashola began to show your type what good governance means, hence you think that the Ikeja IPP is the first in Lagos and also the first to power street lights in Lagos.

Use your etisalat mb very well to educate yourself... un doh

theoctopus: You are posting absolute rubbish and making a fool of yourself. Are those the roads you say Oshiomole has constructed that makes him a performing governor. Please go back to page 3 and 4 and see examples of roads which the castigated Uduaghan has done and come back and tell me how these dirty roads you are posting is commendable? Very big shame on you

Even your own fellow liars have abandoned you as more and more pictures burst their lies Even Deltans whenever they want to castigate Uduaghan always use Oshiomhole roads and Schools as an example for Uduaghan. #FACTS

theoctopus: Just look at the hogwash of an excuse you posted! huh! After six years? You are a real big sycophant! You are shameless. After six years, you are spewing this hogwash and lying through your teeth? What a load of bile! Benin has one of the best network of roads in Nigeria. All a governor needs to do in Benin is just fix some strategic roads like 2nd, 1st, textile mill, Okhoro, Erie, Igun, amongst a few others and Benin will open up like a morning flower.

But no, all you and your thieving governor has done is propaganda after propaganda, just like they do in APC states. Noise making and more noise making. Shame on you people. You have defeated yourself on this thread.

You are too dull to know which roads in Benin City are strategic roads. In your whole sane minds these roads 2nd, 1st, textile mill, Okhoro, Erie, Igun are strategic roads in Benin City?

Okhoro road is part of the Benin City waterstorm project and I would implore you to go and have a read of the Benin City waterstorm project contract and which roads are to be constructed once they have finished the initial layout of the storm drainage ways

You sure are a stranger in Benin City.

Jattu - Ayua Village road.

WARNING: Edo inter village roads are constructed tarred and not graded with red sand.