Nigerian woes is nothing but leadership failure – Don

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

A Professor of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano, Kamilu Sani Fagge, has attributed the current challenges bidevilling Nigeria to poor leadership.
He stated this as a lead speaker during a special Independence Anniversary Lecture organized by Kano state government on Sunday.
Speaking on the theme: Nigeria’s Independence and Leadership Challenges: repositioning Kano for brighter future, Fagge explained that Nigeria has recorded relative progress since independent but still battling lagging among its peers.
Professor Fagge posited that countries like India, Brazil and other developed nations who shared comparative advantage with Nigeria several decades ago, have joined global development and left Nigeria backward.
The Professor of political science emphasized that despite the abundant natural resources endowed, Nigeria couldnt have grown in same proportion with the Asian tigers because of endemic failure of leadership across the sectors.
“ Since Independence, Nigeria has produced leaders. But I can since the kind of leaders since the return to democracy in 1999 are quite different from those forefathers who through their common interest, nationalism, patriotism and ideology to unity of the country fought for the Independence. Unfortunately, those kind of leaders are no more.
“ Corruption is another challenge compounding the leadership failure in the Country. People no longer regret the allegation of corruption which is being perpetrated with audacity at all level of leadership.
“And this does not limited to leadership alone but eating deep into the followers. Leaders now appropriate public resources to themselves and thereby denying the right quality and better life that citizens deserved.
Professor Fagge subsequently submitted that Kano among other sub-nations are equally battling with more complicated challenges including population explosion, drug abuse, and collapse of industries. He said the impact had continued to provoke out-of-school children, insecurity, and unemployment.
“ Part of of our challenges in Kano involves issue of population explosion. Globally, population is seen and being used to increase growth. But unfortunately it is a liability in our environment.
“And this is the root cause of Al-majiris children taking over our cities.Even though many thing Almajiri is a menace, I see it as not a problem but it is leadership problem. Leadership that should define ways of management situation are not always there.
“Collapse of of industries in Kano due to power failure has also led to unemployment, insecurity. Before now, Kano use to be hub of manufacturing companies in Challawa, Sharada and the likes. Today, those places are now ghost of themselves. The factories have shutdown because of power failure”.
He there urged government to invest more on reviving about 20 Dams under disrepair to boost irrigation system capable of enhancing agriculture growth, generate energy, reopen moribound industries.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by Commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Baba Halilu Dantiye said government is poised to reposition social economy and infrastructural development in the state.