Memo To South West Governors: Keep Integration Vision Alive

Nigeria as a country is gradually coming face to face with reality. The reality underpinning our present pervase underdevelopment has its roots in the inability to resolve the issue of the nationalities. Without a resolution of the national question, widespread poverty, underachievement and a sequence of events leading to possible disingration will continue to debilitate the republic.

For this reason, any discerning observer cannot but give kudos to the Governors of the South West for taking the bull by the horn. It will be recalled that the highly cerebral Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has recently inaugurated a committee on the integration of the South-West. This is both sensible and laudable. Because we all know that what is needed now is a blueprint for the future integration of the region.

There is frankly no alternative to this course of action. The empirical evidence is there. The reality is that the repudiation of the act of settlement which preceded independence in 1960 has condemned millions to poverty. The abrogation of the 1963 Republican Constituition has led to the construction of a pervasively centralized union. This is of course a contradiction in terms. For a multi-ethnic union thrives on the basis of respect for diversity and strong federating units.

Whereas in Nigeria today, the federating units cannot develop at their own pace and develop their own resources. This is why  there is stunted development. This is of course being generous. For actually in our own case there is no development at all. This is why Canada’s long serving premier of the 1950’s and early sixties ‘Big Chief’ John Diefenbaker so succinctly interpreted the concept of federalism as, ‘you eat what you kill.’

Nigeria under the current absurdly balkanized 36 states structure, there is hardly anything to eat. This is why regional integration is now the way out. Regional integration properly used will result in the efficiency of inducing economies of scale. This will be applied across the board to bring down costs. For example, in Osun State, the innovative Governor, Rauf Aregbesola has introduced the tablets. This is a good tool to engineer a second education revolution. However, under a regional integration masterplan, the unit cost will be brought down because 5 or six states will be jointly negotiating with the manufacturer.

The reach of this wonderful tool will therefore be broadened and greatly extended. This of course will be replicated across the board. In every area of endeavour regional integration will have a very decisive effect. With strength in numbers. The overall social benefits in agricultural development, education, linkages through an integrated transport masterplan will be truly astonishing. For the sake of another generation it must and will be done.

We must not forget that the cost of balkanization has been excruciatingly high and unfavourable to the development of the South-West. For instance, bureaucratic costs are ludicrously high. Duplication of effort and the concommittant absence of linkages has stultified overall development. This has led to a classic case of growth without development. The result has been increasing poverty.

There is much to be said about bringing down costs through integration. Economies of scale is vital for example to build an industrial base. Linking local raw materials through to the manufacturer requires collective effort to build modern industrial parks. Today we all still benefitting from the positive effects of the industrial commurbations built in the 1950’s and 1960’s by the valiant efforts of the regional governments. With all the determination in the world, the present balkanized states cannot replicate them.

Therefore we have to integrate to develop. The work cannot however be left to the South West Governors alone. This will be impracticable. Legislators from the region have a decisive role to play. For example, let us take the key question of transportation. In this vital field a host of encumbrances such as the 1955 railways Act has to be removed. This cannot be done by the Governors. The legislators from the South-West have to build strategic alliances across the geo-political zones to achieve this aim. And, this is just one of a host of examples.

Let us therefore reiterate very firmly. Regional integration provides the key through which to regenerate the prospects for generations of our people yet unborn. It must be done in a principal and determined manners. Frankly, there is no alternative route.