Amongst Lord Lugard’s characterizations of our race type in his 1926 ‘Dual Mandate report’ was a comment about how we were “full of personal vanity and with little sense of veracity.’ Annoying, but seemingly true, for It appears that we fail to recognize the role of accurate data and its deep analysis as a foundational input in the social and economic development of a nation. Or perhaps we prefer the fluidity so we can manipulate to suit. Or perhaps we just do not truly care about inclusive development.
Data is not really needed to tell many that Nigeria’s development has been stifled by SUSTAINED primitive, mind boggling theft over a sustained period. This has ensured a general decimation of standards, bludgeoned virtues and created a wide gulf between various strata’s of society.
Yet, only a granular understanding of problems can yield lasting solutions, assuming well intentioned leadership. Data is the foundation of precise planning and even execution. It is why intelligence and reconnaissance are invaluable in warfare.
Economic development in an increasingly consumerist and globally integrated world is akin to warfare. The absence of rigorously obtained data, distilled into ‘’ easy to grasp analysis’ will likely reduce any administration to promoting and defending narratives endlessly, rather than standing stoically on the facts and making the appropriate decisions. Also, development inputs are likely be misplaced and misdirected.
An example can be found in the repeated comments about subsidy being enjoyed by only the rich, as part of the justification for its removal. How so? Yes, the scheme may have created billionaires from inherent shenanigans, but the fact that masses are lamenting the impact of the increases suggests that these comments are erroneous.
It may indeed be the appropriate conclusion that the PMS subsidy scheme be eliminated, but have we invested in rigorous data analysis. How many litres of PMS are the hardworking millions of artisans, tailors, commercial vehicle drivers, businesses who use petrol generators consuming? How many tailors do we even have considering textiles lead our importations from China, our biggest importation source? Do we understand their consumption patterns and what they add to GDP? Could we, over the years, have incentivised manufacturing for production of inverters and batteries to eliminate reliance on petrol generators, thus addressing both energy and environmental issues at the same time, rather than embarking on dollar intense importation of inverters and batteries from India, China and Europe?
Do we know how many of the 12m vehicles are actually gas guzzlers and how many are small sized engines. A harmonization of state databases could actually reveal this dataset. Do we understand the emission implications? Could we perhaps have introduced a carbon tax on certain sizes to ameliorate the subsidy bills? Do we know how many cars – purchased with subsidised dollars are lying prostrate across mechanic shops in the country as a result of terrible workmanship and / or lack of parts? Ignored realities that have serious impact of currency which in turn has impact across the entire existential chain.
Employment is another area worthy of a second look. “Japa” for example is fingered as a culprit in many recent service failures, especially in the financial sector. Odd. If there is an employment crisis, and other countries are emptying out our workers, then it means there is headroom to absorb other Nigerians searching for opportunities, provided of course rapid upskilling strategies have been emplaced.
And then, looking at the absolute numbers must arouse curiosity. By the time we deduct the 90 million under age 15, millions of housewives whose husbands do not want them to work, 2 million in tertiary education, public servants employed across the 36 states and FG, millions of farmers, the 250,000 in the Military, 380,000 in the Police, pensioners, the organised private sector with banks, retailers and support workers, our massive creative sector, gatemen (a unique Nigerian feature that depicts our under utilization of human capacity), construction workers translating the cement output of Dangote and BUA into buildings, the informal sector with millions of tailors, electricians, plumbers, site workers, mechanics, panel beaters, suya sellers etc; it is unlikely that we still have 40% unemployed. Underemployed perhaps, but certainly not unemployed.
Oh, and then there is the hustle economy where millions ‘wheel and deal’, but don’t want to be tied down to a formal job. “Yahoo, yahoo” has become a mainstream occupation. Our “hook up” sex economy, which may be as high as N10 trillion ( even if conservative assumptions are used), falls into this category, and is generating far more than most sectors. However, we do not know what percentage are forced by unfortunate circumstances nor how many of our “mothers of tomorrow” have made, or are likely to make these poor choices in the pursuit of overnight riches? We do not know how many fund expensive drug habits with their flesh. Instead, we are wont to pander to our biases in rationalising these evident anomalies.
Social media has also introduced other dimensions and industries like massive porn productions and even ‘Defamation for sale’ as the recent Eniola Badmus / Okoye situation has revealed. The Instagram economy (we have 12m users on Instagram) and Tik Tok now provide the pathway for monetizing salacious behaviour.
The pain point of most employers is finding honest and committed staff. Many no longer recruit for skills, but simply a good attitude. Hire and train. It is that dire. However, many simply don’t want to follow the established principles of starting humble, learning, and working their way up. Instead, It is a scramble for riches without rules, with arrogance and ignorance in tow. There is even a branding of “soft life” developing around this new mentality. And yet, we are expected to accept that there is a 40% unemployment rate. So one is likely to ask: 40 % of what exactly? Those able and ready to work within the employment age bracket? Or absolute population? How is the data being “skinned?”
Regardless, the realities must cause the curious mind to pause. To compound the problem even further, the frustrations of having social media fuelled aspirations without the capacity to legitimately actualize them has led into the creation of a false” mental health” industry that distorts the reality of this problem and reduces identification of those who really need help with health.
Yes, we can blame all this breakdown of morality, desperation for fast money and unrestrained conduct on leaders and the political classes over decades, for they failed to lead shape the mentality and morality of society, but that does not relegate the fact that these are realities that now confront us. Absence of granular knowledge weakens policy makers and their communication assets. This is a “data trap” waiting to consume any government. Using indicators that lack depth means that a government may invest in infrastructure, increase revenues, expend judiciously and yet the data may still present horrific indicators.
So where does all the money generated from licit and illicit activities go? The answer may point us to our obsession with excessive consumption and importation addiction to non-essentials, not because we can’t produce, but perhaps because we prefer things made abroad. Our instincts are to bludgeon and gather resources to indulge in insane accumulative expenditure on mansions, fleets of luxury vehicles, travelling and shopping around the world, and all sorts whilst displacing millions in the process through denial of qualitative education, healthcare and living standards. We produce low cost, low complexity goods and services, but import high cost, high complexity goods; and do not aspire enough to produce complex goods. If we did, electricity and other infrastructure problems would not be there. Simple.
The expenditure we still support from the incomprehensible property acquisition, cars, champagne and whisky habits of the elite ( now gulping billions of dollars), to the insatiable appetite for fake glitzy LV, and Fendi stamped clothing among the masses reflects a “wannabism” disease that is killing Nigeria, and stifling its aspirations of being a country where things work well, and where beauty, rather than slums, abound. Our dreams are increasingly about personal glitz and pomp, not societal impact. To keep ignoring the nexus between these behavioural realities, orchestrated across public and private sectors and currency value, inflation and other negatives is to play the ostrich with its head in the sand.
This lack of collective National aspiration, shamelessness at being branded corrupt, and reality denial triggers the corruption, waste and paucity of solutioning that are threatening to take us down the path of “rich but mad” countries who have experienced and suffered badly from this disease. Pervasive crime, cheating each other at every turn, incompetence, ignorance ( now manifested proudly on social media), and violent conflicts are logical outcomes.
The window for emplacing the foundation for long term global competitiveness and upliftment is closing by the day. It is time for Nigeria to STOP WANDERING IN THE DARK AND URGENTLY reprioritize the mission criticality of data and its granular analysis as a basis for evidence based governance and National development.
Headline6 years ago