Why Has Northern Nigeria Remained Under-developed And Poor?

Why Has Northern Nigeria Remained Under-developed And Poor? FILE: Almajiris feed off food poured on the road in the Government Reserved A...

Why Has Northern Nigeria Remained Under-developed And Poor?

FILE: Almajiris feed off food poured on the road in the Government Reserved Area of Gombe. Photo: Chima Azubuike.

Development can be said to mean volution, growth, maturing, expansion, enlargement, spread, buildout, progress, success, blossoming, blooming, burgeoning, headway, forming, establishment, institution, initiation, instigation, inauguration, origination, invention and generation. It is a specified state of growth or advancement. It is also an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation.

The major causes of underdevelopement are numerous, ranging from poverty, political instability, corruption, externally oriented economy, ethnicity, conflicts, weak states, poor leadership etcetera.

When we talk of infrastructural development, NORTHERN Nigeria has the greatest government capacity, developed and organized infrastructural institutions/parastatals. For instance, there are more international airports and local airports in the North than any in other regions. North has more Federal and State universities, Federal and State Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. They are supposed to have more Professors and Graduates than all other parts of the country. North has working railways and more boarders than any other region, even dry seaports.

Northern Nigeria has total land mass of about 20,131km, that is 7,773 sq miles and a population of about 120 million as of today. According to Forbes ranking of the richest men in Nigeria, we have Aliko Dangote as the number one richest man in Nigeria. His net worth is about $12.5 billion, Theophilus Danjuma as the fifth richest man in Nigeria, with his net worth ranking at $1.7 billion, the sixth person is Abdulsalam Abubakar with net worth of about $1.5 billion, just to name a few and all these men are from Northern Nigeria.

Since independence, Nigeria has been ruled by the Northerners and the first Northerner to rule Nigeria was Alhaji Tafawa Belewa, followed by General Yakubu “Jack” Dan-Yumma Gowon became the Head of State of Nigeria at the age of 32. He took over after Major General Aguyi Ironsi was overthrown and assassinated. He ruled from 29th July 1966 to 19th July 1975. Gowon ruled for 8 years, 362 days.

He hailed from North Central, Plateau State. General Murtala Rufai Ramat Muhammed 30th July 1975 to 13th Feb, 1976. The same group of officers who announced the overthrownof General Yakubu Gowon appointed General Murtala Mohammed as the Head of State and that was how he joined the list of Nigerian Presidents. He was in office for 199 days before he was assassinated. From Sokoto State, North-West, Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, another one time Nigerian President, was born on 25th February 1925, in a Northern Shagari village to his father Aliyu in Sokoto State.

He was the Nigeria President from 1st October 1979 to 31st December, 1983. He ruled for 4 years, 91 days, From North West, Katsina State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari was born on 17th December 1942 to a Fulani family of Chief Hardo Adamu in Daura. He ruled from 31st December 1983 to 27th August 1985. He ruled for 1 year, 239 days. General Ibrahim Gbadamosi Babangida is also one of the Nigerian Presidents/Head of State. He was born on 17th August 1941 in Minna, Niger State to his father Muhammad Babangida. Ruled from 27th August 1985 to 26th August 1993, for 7 years, 364 days in office. He came from Minna, Niger State, North Central. General Sani Abacha was another person on the list of Nigerian Presidents that ever ruled. He was born 20th September 1943 in Kano. Stayed in office from 17th November 1993 to 8th June 1998 and died.

Ruled for 4 years, 203 days. General Abdulsalami Abubakar was born on 13th June 1942 to his father Abubakar Jibrin in Minna. He was Nigeria President from 9th June 1998 to 29th May 1999, ruling for 355 days. He hails from Niger State, North Central. Alahji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua the 13th Nigerian President was born on 16th August, 1951 in Katsina into a Fulani family. He was in office for 2 years, 341 days, from 29th May 2007 to 5th May 2010. Hailed from Kastina State, North West of Nigeria. Major General Muhammadu Buhari – is the current President of Nigeria starting from 25th May 2015 till date and has completed 3 years now and in the 4th year. He hails from Kastina State, North-West, Nigeria.

Nigeria has 774 local government areas and according to the geo-political zone, North-East has (6 States) Bauchi, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe and Yobe  with 113 local government areas, North-West has (7 States): Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa with 186 local government areas, North-Central has (7 States): Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nassarawa, Kwara and FCT with 118 local government areas. South-West has (6 States): Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Lagos and Ogun with 137 local government areas, South-South has (6 States): Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Rivers, Cross River and Delta with 125 local government areas, while South-East has (5 States) of Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Northern Nigeria Has Remained Under-developed And Poor Despite All

Development can be said to mean volution, growth, maturing, expansion, enlargement, spread, buildout, progress, success, blossoming, blooming, burgeoning, headway, forming, establishment, institution, initiation, instigation, inauguration, origination, invention and generation. It is a specified state of growth or advancement. It is also an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation.

The major causes of underdevelopement are numerous, ranging from poverty, political instability, corruption, externally oriented economy, ethnicity, conflicts, weak states, poor leadership etcetera.

When we talk of infrastructural development, NORTHERN Nigeria has the greatest government capacity, developed and organized infrastructural institutions/parastatals. For instance, there are more international airports and local airports in the North than any in other regions. North has more Federal and State universities, Federal and State Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. They are supposed to have more Professors and Graduates than all other parts of the country. North has working railways and more boarders than any other region, even dry seaports.

Northern Nigeria has total land mass of about 20,131km, that is 7,773 sq miles and a population of about 120 million as of today. According to Forbes ranking of the richest men in Nigeria, we have Aliko Dangote as the number one richest man in Nigeria. His net worth is about $12.5 billion, Theophilus Danjuma as the fifth richest man in Nigeria, with his net worth ranking at $1.7 billion, the sixth person is Abdulsalam Abubakar with net worth of about $1.5 billion, just to name a few and all these men are from Northern Nigeria.

Since independence, Nigeria has been ruled by the Northerners and the first Northerner to rule Nigeria was Alhaji Tafawa Belewa, followed by General Yakubu “Jack” Dan-Yumma Gowon became the Head of State of Nigeria at the age of 32. He took over after Major General Aguyi Ironsi was overthrown and assassinated. He ruled from 29th July 1966 to 19th July 1975. Gowon ruled for 8 years, 362 days. He hailed from North Central, Plateau State. General Murtala Rufai Ramat Muhammed 30th July 1975 to 13th February 1976. The same group of officers who announced the overthrownof General Yakubu Gowon appointed General Murtala Mohammed as the Head of State and that was how he joined the list of Nigerian Presidents. He was in office for 199 days before he was assassinated. From Sokoto State, North-West, Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, another one time Nigerian President, was born on 25th February 1925, in a Northern Shagari village to his father Aliyu in Sokoto State.

He was the Nigeria President from 1st October 1979 to 31st December, 1983. He ruled for 4 years, 91 days, From North West, Katsina State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari was born on 17th December 1942 to a Fulani family of Chief Hardo Adamu in Daura. He ruled from 31st December 1983 to 27th August 1985. He ruled for 1 year, 239 days. General Ibrahim Gbadamosi Babangida is also one of the Nigerian Presidents/Head of State. He was born on 17th August 1941 in Minna, Niger State to his father Muhammad Babangida. Ruled from 27th August 1985 to 26th August 1993, for 7 years, 364 days in office. He came from Minna, Niger State, North Central. General Sani Abacha was another person on the list of Nigerian Presidents that ever ruled. He was born 20th September 1943 in Kano. Stayed in office from 17th November 1993 to 8th June 1998 and died. Ruled for 4 years, 203 days.

General Abdulsalami Abubakar was born on 13th June 1942 to his father Abubakar Jibrin in Minna. He was Nigeria President from 9th June 1998 to 29th May 1999, ruling for 355 days. He hails from Niger State, North Central. Alahji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua the 13th Nigerian President was born on 16th August, 1951 in Katsina into a Fulani family. He was in office for 2 years, 341 days, from 29th May 2007 to 5th May 2010. Hailed from Kastina State, North West of Nigeria. Major General Muhammadu Buhari – is the current President of Nigeria starting from 25th May 2015 till date and has completed 3 years now and in the 4th year. He hails from Kastina State, North-West, Nigeria.

Nigeria has 774 local government areas and according to the geo-political zone, North-East has (6 States) Bauchi, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe and Yobe  with 113 local government areas, North-West has (7 States): Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa with 186 local government areas, North-Central has (7 States): Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nassarawa, Kwara and FCT with 118 local government areas. South-West has (6 States): Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Lagos and Ogun with 137 local government areas, South-South has (6 States): Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Rivers, Cross River and Delta with 125 local government areas, while South-East has (5 States) of Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and Anambra  with 95 local government areas. This is One-Nigeria! Yet people complain that the North is poor.

With these analyses, could one still stand to defend why Northern part of this contraption called Nigeria yet remains the poorest? Northern Nigeria is just wearing the badge of wounded self esteem to confuse the whole world because out of knowledge, North is not poor in the real sense of poverty. But it is arrogantly mentally poor, wicked, selfish and so  backward in issues pertaining to political/economic, development and contemporary trends/lifestyle. Northern elites have ruled Nigeria for most years but have woefully failed to develop their land due to their wicked selfishness and foolishness. Despite the looting of the national treasury by the Fulani military and their fellow Northern politicians, the North has remained irredeemably poor and they should contend with that.

Written by Obulose Chidiebere N.

Peter Nonso Ikeh For Family Writers Press International

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