By Jide Ajani
At a time when all that is bad about under- development and stories of insurgency dominate the narrative about northern Nigeria, the Northern Nigeria Investment Forum, NNIF, is poised to change all that as it prepares ground for a paradigm shift with a global investment talkshop on strategies for the rebranding of the region.
Recently, President Goodluck Jonathan admitted in Kaduna State that the activities of the Boko Haram Islamic sect had overstretched the nation’s security and adversely affected the nation’s economic growth.
This may not be far from the truth owing to the growing level of threat posed by the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Prophet’s Teachings for Propagation and Jihad), popularly known as Boko Haram (Western education is forbidden).
The President, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the opening of an international conference on security and development challenges of pastoralists in West and Central Africa, also noted that criminals had been masquerading as pastoralists to terrorise the country. “The frequency of drought in the northern part of the country has enhanced constant movement towards the southern part of the country in search of greener pastures”, Jonathan said. “The movement has exposed pastoralists to a lot of challenges and loss of herds due to rustling, diseases and associated conflicts.”The intensity and diversity of conflicts over the last few years has reached an alarming proportion with the attendant loss of lives and property.
“This has, unfortunately, been more predominant in Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, and Taraba states. Other northern states are also not free from these security challenges.”Speaking further, the president noted that “such challenges have also been reported in some states in the southern parts of this country”. He went on: “The seed of conflict has continued to pose serious challenges to the nation’s security and economic growth. We are all aware of the threat posed to the nation by activities of the Boko Haram insurgents, some relying on the lingering pastoralists/farmers clash and masquerading as pastoralists to wage war against the state.
”Lately, this objective is yet to be fully realised owing to the resilience of the pastoralists and if that objective was to be realised, it would have been at a great cost to our country. I call on stakeholders, community leaders, religious leaders, youth groups and political leaders to continue to provide atmosphere for peace and brotherhood rather than resorting to conflict and violence which serves no useful purpose.”
He said the resilience of the pastoralists had ensured that the plan by those he regarded as enemies of the state did not come to pass.But the country remains one of the most challenging investing environments around – especially it’s northern flank.Before the advent of Boko Haram, investors were already grappling with issues such as corruption and access to electricity in a country that has received low scores from independent organizations on the ease of doing business.Despite the brazen attacks by Boko Haram, Nigeria’s economy seems to be withstanding the “times”. Stocks have barely dropped since the abductions last April, of the chibok girls and foreign companies have not announced plans to relocate out of the country.
While in the short term, the problem of Boko Haram can be categorized as a geographical mishap, analysts opine that its pending long term effect may be sooner than later with various observers predicting an increase in the number of violent attacks ahead of the elections next year.Economic affairs in the north is already depleting due to a massive departure of people and financial institutions from that part of the country. It has been adduced that Boko Haram is a distraction from economic growth and that could have far reaching effects on the economic integration of the West African region.
Rebranding the North
The activities of the sect and the dwindling fortunes of the northern region of the country have propelled the Northern Nigeria Investment Forum (NNIF) to map out ways of rekindling economic hope in the troubled region.
The NNIF is recognised as one of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) bodies linking private and government investment through which local opinion on commercial and industrial matters are presented directly to both national and international bodies. The forum seeks to have an influence on commercial and investment matters affecting the northern part of Nigeria by consulting with the Federal and State governments in advance on the preparation of new legislation affecting businesses and developments in the northern Nigeria community. Besides, the forum acts as a medium between investors both local and global with the people who need the developments.The Chief Executive Officer of the forum, Hajia Fauziyat Usman, on a recent trip to Nigeria noticed the socio economic change which was apparent around her.
Hajia Usman observed that the North was in a time capsule and development had not filtered down to the grassroots. Troubled by this, Usman decided not to just talk about it but to actually do her bit to try and turn things around. Poised to revamp the economy of the north, the initiative brought about the coinage of ‘Rebranding Northern Nigeria’,Usman said, “does not just involve investing millions of dollars into building infrastructure but also using the existing infrastructure in a way that would plough back its benefits into the immediate and secondary society.”
She explained that “what makes NNIF different from other organisations new and old, simply put, is that we are learning from past mistakes, taking into account present issues and identifying possibilities of the future.”In addition, she said “we are using the Japanese, Indian and Chinese formulas of development which today has turned the economies of these countries around. This is the backbone upon which the formula for NNIF’s success lies.
The next phase of the Northern Nigeria Investment Forum is the formal launching which is slated to take place towards the end of December 2014 in London at the Nigerian High Commission. It is expected to be chaired by Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida and attendance will include delegates from the UK government and governors from all the northern states of Nigeria and Abuja. Other attendees will include investors from Nigeria and countries that have shown interest in the socio-economic rebranding of the northern region,” she stated,In their contributions, Director of Innovations for NNIF, Mr Ibrahim Kitchener and Executive Financial Secretary and Head NNIF Nigeria, Alhaji Salisu Gezawa, said the Northern Nigeria Investment Forum International summit will “set the region on a new course for action redefining social, economic and industrial rebranding.”
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