Change Nigeria Project

Generally, Infra-structure represents collectively, the subordinate parts and installations that form the basis of an Enterprise.  If Nigeria is an enterprise, then Nigeria’s infra-structure describes all the components parts the functioning arms that work synergistically to make Nigeria function properly, produce desired results and provide the desired services. Nations with well improved and effective infra-structure usually attracts tourists because they provide very conducive and ‘happy’ environment.

Recent international survey indicates that the countries with the most improved infra-structure and also attract the largest tourists and visitors are Canada, Italy, Australia, Switzerland and France while the countries that attract the least number of visitors are Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Estonia and Lithuania.  While Iran and Saudi Arabia may be among the least attractive tourists haven for various reasons, Nigeria falls into this group essentially because of marginal functioning infra-structure – unreliable power supply, bad roads, decayed rail transportation, very costly low quality accommodation, insecurity, etc.

The infra-structures that need to be developed in Nigeria are as follows:

The Nigeria Rail transportation was really abandoned and little had practically done to improve on it since after the civil war. It is therefore deteriorated and without maintenance, may not be safely recommended for transportation and freighting.  The services rendered by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) have been reduced to the barest minimum.  At its height of operation, NRC was freighting more than 3 million tons of goods compared to its current estimate of 500,000 to 1 million tons.  In the same vein, the NRC which used to provide transportation to more than 15 million passengers, now can record a bare 1 million passengers. The General Abacha regime focused on contracting the Chinese to re-build the rail lines, but the contract was later put in abeyance because ‘too many bents on the rail lines” existed in the planned structure which would have defeated the main purpose of providing a fast transportation service for the country.

The road has become the life-line of the citizen but most of the roads are in total disrepair for several reasons.  There are reportedly, 195,000 km of road in the Federation. Out of this, only 16.5% or 32,100 km of federal trunk roads, 15.8$ or 30,900 km of road is describe as state roads.  The rest of the roads which accounts for 67.7% or 132,000 km are local government roads.  It is no surprise that the most of the roads would be in total disrepair if one considers the fact that in most states of the Federation, local governments are financially submerged by the state governments.  A report the Federal Government of Nigeria estimated that about 50% of roads in the federation are in poor state due to the following: (1) Low level investment on building roads, (2) Weak contracting procedures which most people believe that opens opportunity for corruption, (3) Poor planning by the appropriate government agent, (4) Poor Maintenance culture.

Movement of large population in densely populated cities is important in improving productivity in both private and public economic sectors. Currently, bus mass transit exists in both Lagos and Abuja. Malam Nasir El Rufai (as former Minister of Federal Capital Territory) did an incredible job in replacing motor-cycle ‘taxi’ (okada) system with minibus-type mass transit system. It is regrettable that he did not have enough time in office to extend these services to Abuja satellite towns (if they were under the FCT boundaries).  In Port-Harcourt, excessive traffic congestion in the morning and evening hours means that the Government of Rivers State should act as matter of urgency in introducing some form of Mass Transit to decongest the roads.

Nigeria’s urban population growth is one the highest in the world with an average growth rate of 5.5% per year.  Because of high unemployment in the local towns, there is a mass movement of the unemployed young school leavers to the urban areas in search of better life. However, this rapid expanding urban population is taking place in Nigeria without apparent formal planning. Available data indicates that Nigeria has a deficit of 16 million housing units and a gap of N30 trillion for financing housing infra-structure. Former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir El Rufai adopted measures that discouraged the ongoing mass movement of the unemployable citizen to the streets of Abuja.

One of the current problems faced by city and local duelers in Nigeria is that of high cost of housing.  Considering the salaries paid to workers in Nigeria, the cost of housing is unreasonably and recklessly high that it encourages corruption in the highest, middle and lowest economic strata.

There is data and physical evidence to support the fact that Nigeria really needs to enhance the livability of its citizens by increasing waste disposal infra-structure.   Reports indicate that only about 50% of all waste is properly disposed in both cities and local towns.  However, the degree of waste disposal varies from state to state.

6.         WATER AND SANITATION

Water and sanitation go hand in hand because unsanitary environment is one of the major sources of water pollution.  As an important African nation, Nigeria should at least provide, for its population the same level of clean (portable) water and clean and sanitary environment as South Africa.  According to World Bank report, on 48% of Nigerians have access to improved water compare to 88% South Africans.  On the other, while only 44% of Nigerians have access to improved sanitation facilities, 65% of South Africans have access to improved sanitation facilities.

It would be help to recommend to the Federal Government to consider restructuring its ministries to encourage more attention being paid to improving portable water and sanitation facilities. Because Nigeria places great importance to food production, Agriculture may be receiving greater attention at the expense water and sanitation in a Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. In the recently announced 2009 Federal Budget, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources allocated N15 billion to the purchase of fertilizer while only N11.5 billion was allocated for improvement of water and sanitation for the whole federation.  Considering that most of the water bone diseases of typhoid fever and Cholera among the greatest killers of Nigerians in the local areas and inner city slums, Nigeria ought to spend more funds and pay more attention in providing clean water and improved sanitation to Nigerians.  This can be done more effectively by establishing a separate Federal Ministry for Water and Sanitation.

Every member of the committee can attest to the fact the impact of infrequent supply of electricity affects every economic, social and technological facets of the Nigerian nation.

Social infra-structure describe many areas that have been discussed in other target areas but needed to be mentioned here because they represent integral component that should be made available for a country to succeed economically and well as technologically. They are as follows: (a) Education should  focus on both formal education (primary, secondary and tertiary) and informal education (traditional and apprenticeship), (b) Health should focus on improvement of health providing institutions and hospitals, and improvement of environmental health as a preventive mechanism., (c)  Security should focus of restructuring the security apparatus to enhance safety of citizens lives and property and the respect of law and order, (d) Environment should focus of improving the environment for enhanced health, safety and citizens’ well-being.

PAYING FOR INFRA-STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

The cost of providing these infra-structural subordinate components may be astronomical.  The Federal and States governments must be encouraged to do their best.  Still, it may be difficulty for the government to pay for all the needed infra-structure without going bankrupt.  Hence, infra-structural concessions may be strongly recommended for providing some of the service infra-structures.  Concessions are contracts which the government can sign with individuals or other private sectors to build structures within the public domain and may collect toll to recover expenses made.

State of the Nation Committee:

Robert Ngwu, Chair

Hadjia Fatima Wali