The workshop recently organised by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) on the role of the socio-economic amenities and infrastructural facilities to the development of the country is indeed a step in the right direction.
This shows that through the exemplary leadership of the commission led by Dr Muheeba Dankaka, the FCC is really intensifying its efforts for the actualization of its mandate on the socio-economic and infrastructural facilities as a basis for the overall development of Nigeria.
It is generally believed that the conscious implementations of the second mandate of the commission on the socio-economic and infrastructural development will greatly impacts the development in all its ramifications of the rural and urban areas of Nigeria.
It is also generally believed that if this goals and objectives given to the Federal character commission by the enabling law that created it are well implemented no zone in the country would be left underdeveloped.
The chairman of the commission, Dr Muheeba Dankaka through this workshop on socio-economic amenities and infrastructural facilities for development has deliberately shown that the FCC can truly be a catalyst of change towards the achievements of this important national goals through its relentless services towards national building.
Infrastructural facilities and socio-economic developments are basic essential services that should be a priority of any government that crave for developments through its deliberate putting in place of programmes and initiative totally geared toward enabling this development to occur.
Economic development of Nigeria can only be facilitated and accelerated by the presence of infrastructural amenities for socio-economic development. If this needed infrastructural facilities are not in place, developments will be difficult and this infact can be likened to a very scarce commodity that can only be secured at a very high cost and price.
The provision and development of infrastructure have been subject of much theoretical analyses and empirical studies. This study in line with this has tried to evaluate infrastructural developments and economic growth of Nigeria, using simultaneous analysis. In this very important workshop, two models are specified and after applying the substitution methods which is the reduce form evaluation, the two models collapsed to one which enables participants to use OLS to run the regression.
From the results, it is very clear to all that infrastructure as an important socio-economic tool is an integral part of Nigeria’s quest for development and economic growth that must be taken seriously by any governments that seeked for a quicker route for developments. It is undermining the growth and development of the Nigerian economy as the verdict of the workshop rightly stated.
The workshop showed that infrastructure is an intermediate goods and services for the real sector and a finish goods and services for the consumers. So, if the real sector which is the engine of growth is to propel Nigeria’s socio-growth and development, infrastructural developments should therefore as a priority for governments must be given qualitative and urgent attention.
Today, rural development is seen as a panacea for development. The fact that Nigeria has one of the highest growth rate in population in the world can no longer be over emphasized. Using the last census figures of over 200million, over 70percent of this figures of Nigerians are indeed living in rural areas. A resultant of this growth has led to rapid urbanization and an enormous increase in the population, leaving rural areas and now living in urban areas.
Demographic, environmental and economic issues becomes primary area of concern with the rapid growth of Nigerian urban centres and its attendant effects on rural areas.
Policy makers and urban planners are faced with the worries these factors are placing on existing infrastructures and services. While various environmental and socio-economic factors are easily associated with the rapid rural-urban migration trends of Nigeria, it is obvious and of utmost importance to identify their impact/implications and developing strategies to combat their effects.
The workshop therefore argues for rural developments through the provisions by governments at all levels of infrastructural facilities as a panacea for rural-urban development.
The workshop which was organised by the FCC to show the role of the equitable distribution of socio-economic and infrastructural provisions to the unity of the country which should be built through justice, inclusiveness, fair play and equity as pillars of true democracy was adjudged by all to be timely.
The role of the FCC in ensuring that the federal character is strictly observed in the distribution of infrastructural facilities and socio-economic amenities was strongly highlighted by participants. In the past, the workshop recognised that the FCC has not lived up to its expectations and mandates of ensuring that amenities were distributed evenly.
The workshop with the theme: Integrating strategic partnership with critical stakeholders and sensitization on the socio-economic mandate of the FCC’ was therefore timely and the leadership of the FCC must be commended for its organization as we are indeed living in an era of change.
The workshop highlighted the need for the FCC and the two committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives in the National Assembly to work together to ensure inclusiveness in all aspects of governance at the national level.
The purpose of the calls of this inclusive governance is to promote national unity, collective sense of belonging, stability, cohesion and maximization of the gains of brotherhood within a nation of various cultures, beliefs systems, regional geographic backgrounds and dichotomy through equity in the distribution of infrastructural and socio-economic amenities.
To this end, the leadership of the FCC led by Dr Muheeba Dankaka considers it appropriate to bring together stakeholders to brainstorm on issues which can hinder or obstruct the ways to our corporate existence as a nation were examined and addressed through collective bargaining.
The workshop has endeavoured to bring into discourse, as central themes, the cardinal ideals of representative democracy-balanced development, equitable distribution of opportunities, structural balance, even allocation of socio-economic amenities and infrastructural facilities and effective/unbiased protections of all citizens under threat of insecurity.
In the era of heightened insecurity, accompanied by inter-group distrust, hatred and antagonism, there is no better time to call for re-assessment and review of the contributions of the FCC towards nation buildings and how to re-enforce its efforts and that of other agencies/arms of governments for full realisation of the principles of the federal character as enshrined under the 1999 constitution as amended. This will douse the tensions generated by political struggles for power/resources which currently threaten us.
Thanks to Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka for this opportunity that cannot be missed.
– Musa Wada writes from Abuja.
