•Delta, Edo, Enugu, Anambra among top 10 viable states •Kebbi, Adamawa, Jigawa, among 10 poorest states •States celebrate in style TODAY is a unique day for 12 of the country. It marks exactly 25 years of creation of one-third of the 36 states, namely, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Osun, Taraba and Yobe. The creation of the states on August 27, 1991 by the Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida regime elicited spontaneous celebrations from the indigenes of the states, most of who had been complaining of marginalisation in their parent states.
Abia was carved out of the old Imo State; Delta and Edo emerged from the defunct Bendel State; Adamawa and Taraba arose from the defunct Gongola State; Anambra and Enugu (old Anambra State); Jigawa was carved out of old Kano State; Kogi (from old Kwara); Osun (from old Oyo); Kebbi (old Sokoto State) and Yobe (old Borno State).
With their creation, the expectation was that developments would be rapidly spread to the grassroots in the new states. However, 25 years after, it has been mixed fortunes for the 12 states. While some of them are among the few states that are doing well, at least in terms of internally generated revenue, IGR, others are among the poorest states of the country.
Four of them – Delta, Edo, Enugu and Anambra are among the top 10 viable states in the country in terms of IGR. Indeed, most of them are still dependent on federal allocation for survival, like adults pandering after breast milk. The top 10 leading IGR states in Nigeria are Lagos State with N268.22bn IGR in 2015, Rivers State (N82.10bn), Delta State (N40.80bn), Ogun State (N34.59bn), Edo state (N19.11bn), Enugu (N18.08bn), Oyo (N15.66 bn), Anambra (N14.793bn), Akwa Ibom (N14.791bn) and Kano (N13.611bn).
Six may not survive without federal allocation
Six or 50 per cent of them – Kebbi, Yobe, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa and Jigawa are among states that may not survive without Federal Allocation due to their poor internally generated revenues. Yobe generated N2.2b compared to the N57.4bn it received as Federal Allocation between June 2015 and May 2016, which is about 3.9 per cent.
Kebbi had IGR of N3.5bn compared to its N64.8bn federal allocation representing 5.5 per cent within the period. Taraba generated N4.1bn compared to federal allocation of N56 bn representing 6.4 per cent; Adamawa eked out N4.4bn compared to N62.2bn allocation amounting to 7.1 per cent; Jigawa realised N5bn compared to N73bn allocation (7 per cent); and Katsina generated N5.7bn compared to allocation of N88.8bn (6.5 per).
Three among 10 poorest states in Nigeria
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, three of the states – Kebbi, Adamawa and Jigawa are among the 10 poorest states in Nigeria with over 70 per cent poverty rate. A survey carried out on the bureau’s website, disclosed that Sokoto remains the poorest state in Nigeria with an 81.2 per cent poverty rate.
The other five poorest states are Gombe, Plateau, Ebonyi, Bauchi and Zamfara. According to the NBS survey, Katsina has the highest poverty prevalence among the six states of the North-Central geo-political zone including Abuja, the Federal Capital territory. Adamawa, which is one of the states carved out of the old Gongola State has of late been terrorized by the Boko Haram terrorists, disrupting it’s economic development and growth hence the increasing poverty among its citizenry.
Jigawa, which was carved out of old Kano State is situated in the North-western part of the country. It is mostly populated by the Hausa/Fulani, who are spread throughout the state. It has a 74.1 percent poverty rate. Kebbi, which is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and Benin Republic The recently concluded Sir Ahmadu Bello International
Airport (SABIA), stands out as one of Nigeria’s most sophisticated airports and is expected to boost the state’s economy.
Three among 10 most indebted states
According to the records of the Debt Management Office (DMO) as of April 2015, three of the 12 states are among the 10 most indebted states in Nigeria. DMO’s external debt figures (without adding domestic debts) show Lagos as Nigeria’s most indebted state with $1.17 billion debt. It is distantly followed by Kaduna with $234 million debt, Cross River ($142 million), Edo ($123 million), Ogun ($109 million), Bauchi ($88 million), Katsina ($79 milllion), Osun ($74 million), Oyo ($72 million) and Enugu ($69 million).
Five among 10 least indebted states
The states that are least indebted are Taraba (N4.56 bn), Borno (N4.61 bn), Delta (N4.85 bn), Plateau (N6.19 bn), Yobe (N6.25 bn), Benue (N6.62 bn), Abia (N6.76 bn), Zamfara (N7.11 bn) and Kogi (N7.16 bn).
Resources of the 13 states
Agitators for the creation of the states cited viability apart from huge population as one of the reasons for their demands. Indeed, apart from Jigawa that has only Barities, most of the 12 states have numerous natural resources they can explore to boost their IGR. But unfortunately, most of them are yet to do so their economic misfortune.
According to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, Abuja (cited in Tell, July 11, 2005) and Multi-disciplinary Journal of Research Development Volume 9 No. 2 December, 2007, Abia State, which was carved out of the old Imo State has Gold, salt, limestone, lead/zinc, oil and gas.
In like manner, Adamawa is blessed with Kaolin, bentonite, gypsum magnesite, barites, bauxite. Anambra has Lead/zinc, clay, limestone, iron, lignite, salt glass-sand, phosphate, gypsum, oil and gas In Delta, there are marble, glass-sand, clay, gypsum, lignite, iron-ore kaolin, oil and gas
Edo – Marble, clay, limestone, iron-ore, gypsum, glass- sand, gold, dolomite, phosphate, bitumen, oil,gas while Enugu is endowed with Coal, limestone and lead/zinc. The rest are: Katsina, Kaolin, marble and salt; Kebbi, Tantalite, limestone and bitumen; Osun, Gold, talc, tourmaline, columbite, granite; Taraba, Kaoline, lead/zinc; and Yobe, Diatomite and soda ash.
States celebrate in style
To mark the 25th anniversary of their creation, some of the states have mapped out elaborate programmes that are at their peak today.
One of the states holding an elaborate ceremony is Anambra State, which has emerged from the status of a rural state to one of the 10 best states in the country. Apart from the Onitsha fly-over, three other fly-over highways have been built in the last two years. Many health institutions have been built. Now, Anambra is among the few viable states in Nigeria coping with the debilitating economic downturn in terms of internally generated revenue.
As Anambra celebrates 25 years of eventful statehood, today in Awka, the state capital, the citizens have a lot to pop champagne for. It is time to celebrate the industrious people of Anambra. Most of the industrial base of the state is private sector-driven, spanning from agro-allied, auto-mobile and manufacturing situated mostly in the Nnewi industrial belt. Onitsha market is reputed to be the biggest in West Africa. But beyond the ululations of the celebration, the people and leaders must brace up for the onerous tasks ahead to keep the state on the trajectory of rapid development. The leaders must shun divisive politics and join forces to ensure that the state did not return to its sorry past. All the gains made in education, health, agriculture and industrialization must be sustained
Delta in five- day celebration
To ensure a memorable celebration, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, had last July set up an eight-man organising committee, which after weeks of meeting released a five-day programme.
The festivities started with a children’s party hosted by the wife of the state Governor and Founder, 05 Initiative, Dame Edith Okowa, on Wednesday August 24 at The Event Centre, Asaba. It was followed by a Cultural Parade on Thursday August 25 at the Cenotaph, Asaba. One of the high points of the celebration was the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit, which started yesterday and will end today at the Event Centre, Asaba..
A Grand Gala and Awards Night will also take place this evening at Event Centre, Asaba. The milestone celebration will be concluded with an Interdenominational Service at the Event Centre, Asaba,tomorrow.
Kogi begins celebration with football championship
In Kogi, also known as Confluence State, the silver jubilee celebration was kick-started with a state-wide football championship. The 21 local governments in the state are collectively bankrolling the tournament tagged ‘Adoza Bello Cup’ as part of bid to foster peace and unity in the state.
At the kick-off of the football event, Commissioner of Youths and Sports, Honourable Adoji Arome explained that the sporting activities were arranged to commemorate and celebrate the present administration’s ‘New Direction’ elected by God to rescue the state.
Osun celebrates dramatic, monumental achievements
In Osun where the state government’s reported plan to spend N140 million on the celebration is till raising dust, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the state of Osun has called on its citizens to be prepared for a contemplative 25th anniversary.
According to the party, the mood of the moment calls for every individual’s deep reflection rather than festivities to identify and assess the progress made thus far, economically, educationally, , agriculturally and infrastructurally in order to correctly determine how these have impacted the present and would potentially influence the future.
‘Of the 25 years that Osun has been created, the last six years have been the most dramatic and monumental, even if partially controversial, the APC declared.
‘It is a period that future generations will recall with nostalgia as when Osun was jolted from its slumber as a so-called ‘civil service state’ to a potential commercial hub of the South West’, the party further claimed.
In a statement signed by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Barr Kunle Oyatomi, the party said ‘the socio-economic, educational and infrastructural development recorded by the state between November 2010 and now is unprecedented in the history of the state of Osun… The progress this state has made in the last six years is more than double that recorded in the last 19 years before Rauf Aregbesola came to power in 2010.’’
However, the Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State, CSCEOS, has expressed dissatisfaction over the spending of N140million by the state government on the anniversary celebration of the state.
According to the civil group, expending such a huge amount of money to mark the carving out of Osun out of old Oyo state at a time when indigenes of the state are facing economic hardship is unreasonable and unacceptable.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by the CSCEOS’ Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi,Alimi Sulaiman, the group said “such a celebration should not cost more than N10 million when the state as part of the federating unit of the country is facing economic recess. But to spending N140m is sheer wasteful.” http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/25th-anniversary-10-poorest-viable-states-in-nigeria/Manmen |
