By Kayode Emola
One of the many problems afflicting Nigeria today is the inability to maintain adequate and current data on its citizens. It is the reason why each successive government embarks on a new data capturing exercise upon assuming office, thereby incurring unnecessary expenses; expenses for which we lack the resources to meet.
I remember President Olusegun Obasanjo’s initiative to generate a national identity card for every Nigerian citizen during his first term in office. However, this lofty project failed woefully, with even those who registered for the national ID then largely being unable to get their card.
Since then, the ID card programme has gone through a number of iterations and modifications, but still many people struggle to be captured, and those who succeed in the data capture cannot get more than a temporary paper card for years. Even when someone eventually gets the permanent card, it is still no guarantee that they will avoid the problem of their data not being recognised as present in the government database.
However, it is well documented that data management is key to the development of any nation; thus any nation that fails to manage data properly has only itself to blame if they are not reaching their full potential. Historically, when a Yoruba child was named, it was the family name and the compound (agbo-ile) that was regarded above all else. It was this that was the major identifier, and our ancestors employed it efficiently, enabling them to maintain a decent society where the rule of law was honoured.
If this system was successful for our ancestors – who are so often considered primitive – why is it that we, who claim to be advanced, cannot use our modern technology to improve on this foundation? Had this simple model been adopted, it would have made Nigeria far greater than it is today; but our leaders’ wastage mentality means they seek to be seen delivering a project, rather than critically assessing ways to increase efficiency in the system and minimise spending.
The most basic data in an effective system are the unique identifiers of an individual and their place of residence. This must accommodate for people’s residences changing from time to time, with the ability to update the data as promptly as possible. This simple model has worked for the UK for many years, and it is working for several advanced countries, including Australia and the USA. This is why the economic activities of most western democracies are flourishing, whilst those of Africa are dwindling.
In Nigeria, we have several forms of identification: National Identity Number (NIN), permanent voters registration cards, driving licence, and international passport. The strife of even obtaining any of these documents discourages people from enduring the same again in order to update their details, thereby rendering the collected data obsolete, oftentimes very shortly after it has been obtained.
In a future sovereign Yoruba nation, the importance of maintaining adequate and accurate information cannot be overemphasised. The commonly held belief is that the Yoruba population numbers around 50-60 million, so we could project that an independent Yoruba nation’s population may peak at around 60-70 million. However, we would be wise to implement strategies that can cater for a population of up to 100 million people. In so doing, we ensure that the infrastructure is already prepared for any future population increase, so no one is left behind.
An adequate data management system for Yoruba nation needs to adopt a ‘cradle-to-grave’ policy. In this manner, we ensure that all people are catered for and life opportunities are created. This will result in fewer people leaving the country in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
Firstly, at the very beginning of an independent Yoruba government, every adult born in Yorubaland will be required to obtain a new digitalised birth certificate from their local authority of birth. This allows that should the physical certificate be lost, a replacement can easily be issued. Eventually, this will negate the system of people having to rely on sworn affidavit to prove their age; a system that is fraught with challenges and laxity that allows many people to manipulate their age.
Once the birth registration is completed – a process which should take no more than 3-6 months for the initial phase, though it will remain ongoing for new births – a national census will be necessary. This will give us an accurate number of people living in Yorubaland, enabling effective planning and allocation of resources to where they are most needed. Subsequent censuses may be undertaken every 10 or 15 years, as the government deems appropriate.
Next to be implemented will be a national identification system. This will comprise a social security number, linked to national database and regularly updated. Should a person move house, they will be able to update their records online or by phoning the National Identity Management System.
Those residing in Yorubaland who are not citizens will also be recorded on this database, incorporating a means to distinguish them from Yoruba nationals. Citizens who leave the country for a prolonged period and take up residence abroad will be able to easily update their international details, ensuring effective data management. Meanwhile, foreigners who cease to reside in Yorubaland will not need to update their details: these will automatically become dormant once they have been out of the country for a continuous period of six months.
This new identification system will streamline the multitude of data capture exercises the government currently enacts at intervals. When someone moves into a new area or a new house in their local area, they will simply need to update their details with the relevant local authority. These data will automatically generate lists of the eligible electorate, removing the need for a separate voters’ registration exercise and resultantly saving large sums of money, which can then be redeployed to other essential development projects.
This system will also ensure that people requiring assistance are identified and appropriately supported, both by the government and by international agencies. An effective data management system is imperative for the efficacious management of every other sector of the economy.
It is worth noting that the technology required for this great undertaking has already been developed, ready for deployment as soon as we attain our sovereignty. The sooner we withdraw from Nigeria, the better it will be for every Yoruba person and foreigners living in our land alike.
Most importantly, the issues of insecurity and other social vices that we face now will become a thing of the past: in Yorubaland such things will be nipped in the bud as soon as they manifest. I exhort everyone to pool all our strength and resources together, so that we may as soon as possible establish our sovereign Yoruba nation and start reaping the benefits that this new dawn holds for every one of us.
