THE MOON AND THE GHETTO
Sadiq Abubakar Gulma writes on developing Nigeria beyond flyovers, palliatives and scholarships
“That’s one small step for a man. One giant leap for mankind.”- Neil Armstrong
I have been in Sokoto State every quarter of the year for the past two and half years for the implementation of a development cooperation project between the organisation I represent, the Sokoto State Government and its parastatals. On a particular day this year, we drove all over the capital city of Sokoto, surveying functional solar water pumps. We went under and above four flyovers that had interestingly distinct names: Gadar Bafarawa (Bridge of Bafarawa), Gadar Alu (Bridge of Alu (Alu Magatakarda Wammako), and Gadar Tambuwal (Bridge of Tambuwal). But these are not the official names of the flyovers. The names of the flyovers correspond to the names of all the previous state governors. Each of these past governments built a physical edifice in the form of a flyover for various reasons; to (over) ease traffic flow, to serve as a political reminder to those who traverse the city and ask what did so and so do during his tenure and for other reasons best known to them. And as if that is what the state governors wished for, the people of Sokoto remember these flyovers with the names of the governors who built them. It was a bullseye.
As the baton of government has changed in most states of Nigeria and at the federal level, both executive and legislative, people have already taken stock of what physical edifices exist before the new leaders ascent to power. Whoever completes a construction takes the laurels and the golden opportunity of naming it or having it named after them.
I didn’t recall this flyover experience until recently when I sat in a class discussing solving societal challenges through social innovations. I listened to the professor talk about a 50-year-old book titled “The Moon and The Ghetto,” in which the author Richard R. Nelson, an American Professor of Economics at Yale University, essentially argues that “If we can land a man on the moon, why can’t we solve the problems of the ghetto?” He mentions how society is fixated on spectacular technological achievements but fails to make significant gains on the basic urgent social needs. The moon landing achievement Nelson refers to in his book is the Apollo 11 Mission, where Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon on July 20, 1969.This month is almost 44 years since this “one giant leap for mankind” achievement. The goal of landing a man on the moon was a national goal set by the then US President in 1961, John F. Kennedy, characterising it as one of the urgent goals the US must achieve.
As we discussed how social innovations can be used as a process to solve complex and urgent societal challenges, the affairs of Nigeria landed in my mind. I was reflecting on how some basic needs such as access to potable water, quality healthcare and quality education still elude the majority of Nigerians and how our leaders have not laser-focused on solving these urgent issues but are interested in our own mediocre NASA-esque type achievements like building flyovers, airports, and dual carriageways, when the traffic volume does not necessitate such. Or you wonder if there aren’t more pressing needs that need massive investment than the transportation infrastructure.
Nigeria has just witnessed a change of government in so many states and even at the Federal Executive Level and the Legislature. Many promises have been made, as usual. What do these promises entail? Thankfully, the NASA-esque goals aren’t promoted in the manifestos. But somehow, at the end of tenures of different governments, you will find both the executive and legislature in most states and the federal failing to ensure or solve the fundamental issues setting the trajectory of the typical Nigerian to be terminally living in multidimensional poverty. Instead, there is success in these white elephant projects that make us easily remember how much of an investment they have made in building infrastructure for most of the population that can afford to go by without it easily.
But if we are to borrow a leaf from the ambitions of man to be on the moon, as I believe we need such grand purposes if we need to fix our country, is that the new leadership requires the moon mission mindset and a NASA-level type of coordination, in transforming the country and the areas they govern. President John F. Kennedy spoke about the man-moon-mission everywhere he believed he could garner support after setting it as a national goal in 1961. He addressed the US Congress later that year, saying it is an “urgent national goal” that needs more investment and that needs to be met. That same year, he tried to convince the then Premier of the Soviet Union to have a joint mission between the US and USSR. He spoke in 1962 at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he is famously quoted as saying, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organise and measure the best of our energies and skills because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.” Later in 1963, he proposed a joint mission to the moon to the United Nations General Assembly. JFK was murdered in 1963. There was no joint mission to the moon. But the US Government ensured a successful mission to the moon six years after JFK’s death.
We need our leaders to have this unwavering resolve to talk about the most important goals that will take the majority of Nigerians out of poverty sustainably (not on palliatives), to canvass for support wherever they get the opportunity, to do all that they can to achieve it and build systems that will ensure successive governments make on where they left off.
The multidimensional poverty situation of many Nigerians is a monster that limits productivity when we need to, limits opportunities and access, and sets off a trajectory that does not bear much promise. As we have seen, governments have already started promising palliatives and the promise of educational scholarships. While these are good, our Nigeria ought to be led with clear manifestos and measurable targets and in a trajectory that aims to improve the overall system with which most citizens function.
It is expected to send the brightest of us to the best institutions abroad since the ones at home offer far less compared to the foreign ones. But what is the plan for revamping our educational institutions to start a journey of being able to compete for Nigerian students going to Sudan, Kenya, Egypt, Niger Republic, Uganda, and eventually the UK, Germany, and the US maybe? How will the quality of primary and secondary school education change to ensure O’ level results are passed with a 95% success rate?
As boldly claimed, the President said the federal government could no longer fund the affairs of its universities. What is the roadmap for ensuring our universities are run with adequate resources? Where does that lead us in 20 years? Why should governments rush to send students abroad and not run to ensure all the public schools have roofs to ensure they have class during this rainy season, to ensure they have seats to sit on, books to write in, and most importantly, good teachers and lecturers to teach them? Aren’t these more urgent education problems, as it affects the majority of Nigerians, than flying people abroad? But yes, there is allure in flying or being in the sky for some. But those people who get sent out will eventually return to a system that they will find challenging to fit in.
As good followers, we must ensure systemic changes are aimed for, especially at the beginning of the new government eras and subsequent years. More interest needs to be placed on the state and federal legislators to ensure the executives are charged with the sustainable development of our country. If anything, the previous federal government has taught us or reemphasised that a tree cannot make a forest. A good structure and system of square pegs in square holes across the board can initiate the process of revamping the Nigerian system, with proper accountability non-negotiable.
With six successive tenures in democratic government in Nigeria and 23 years in power, we are yet to see a sector or state that flourishes to the amazement of Nigerians. The sectors are still a mess from power, roads, healthcare, education, and agriculture (yes, including rice cultivation). States still rely on federal government to fund their accounts. How many states can survive off the federal government, like fund its recurrent expenditure? The system depends on free allocation constitutionally.
Suppose the leadership prioritises Nigeria, and the followership provides the proper support, maybe one day, a certain Amarachi, Kabir or Ayoola will also plant a Nigerian flag on the moon.
Gulma is the CEO of Green Habitat Initiative
