Abubakar Malami And The Northwest Regional Campaign Manifesto (Part 3) -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

In the last essay on this serious, I have made attempt albeit briefly to discuss some of the socio-economic problems besetting the Northwest Region of Nigeria in an attempt to explain the suitability of the joint manifesto presented by Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the other NDC gubernatorial candidates of the region.  I observed that the major problem of the region at present is insecurity which is made worse by the Nigerian poor border management oversight that allows the uncontrolled influx of criminals and bandits and arms proliferation into the region. Insurgency, banditry, kidnap for ransom and farmers-herdsmen conflicts have made life unbearable for the people inhabiting region, creating serious humanitarian crisis as IDP camps are springing up everywhere in the region due to displacement of people in areas where the bandits have taken control.

I also identified resource theft as one of the problem of the region because it is not only that the region is losing its endowed natural resources to thieves that is the problem but that the process of illegal exploitation of the mineral resources is fueling violence and banditry in the region. There is prevalence of poverty in the region as 78% of population are living below the poverty line. The challenges of infrastructural deficit was also highlighted. And I stated that the North-West Development Commission (NWDC) established by the federal government is not funded enough to carry out the required programs and projects for economic development of the region. Furthermore, I mentioned that the region has the poorest human development indices in the country. The literacy level is low; there is poor human capital development. The number of out-of-school children is very high at 8 million and this is due to adverse socio-cultural environment that has allowed the outmoded Alimajiri system to thrive. This has created a vicious circle from lack of basic education, ignorance, lack of employment opportunities, poverty, and vulnerability of the youths to joining criminal syndicates and militias, insecurity…

Moreover, the region has acute healthcare challenges which I will look at and the environmental issues affecting lives before we explore the economic geography of the region and its enormous potentials for economic growth and development which I think is the main objective of the manifesto.

The major healthcare problem of the region are caused by severe poverty, insecurity and inadequate healthcare facilities and insufficient trained health workers. The region has the lowest life expectancy in the country and worst high maternal and infant mortality cases due to shortage of skilled birth attendants, low level of formal education and poor cultural habits. There is a weak primary healthcare system and staff shortages. There is high level of malnutrition and malnourishment due to poverty and insecurity that has prevented farmers from having easy access to their farms and food production. And because of poverty, ignorance and other environmental factors, the region experiences recurrent outbreaks of preventable diseases like cholera, measles, diphtheria, meningitis etc. These problems are exacerbated by the insecurity and banditry that disrupts food supply chain, mobility and access to health facilities within the region.

Apart from the major challenges highlighted above the region also faces severe environmental issues. Insecurity and poor technology are not the only problem militating against farming in the region. The issues of climate change, environmental degradation, pollution and human pressures constitute some of the major problems threatening agriculture, food production and food security in the region.

One of the environmental challenges has to do with desert encroachment and land degradation. The Northwest geopolitical region of Nigeria has a total landmass of about 212,065 square kilometers and approximately 14 million hectares of arable land. But this land mass is threatened by desertification as the region lies on the frontline of the Sahara Desert’s southward expansion. The desert encroachment has led to loss of arable land which is also worsened by overgrazing and tree-felling for fuel and other uses.

The issue of climate change has created environmental challenges that has negatively affected lives and farmers in the region due to poor technology and poor adaptable mechanisms. The drying up of rivers and local streams and other sources of water supply is forcing farmers to dig premature artesian wells to irrigate their farms. Rainfall patterns have become erratic and unpredictable. There could be prolonged drought and occasional thunder storm, flash floods and over flooding which at times alters the planting season calendar. Torrential heavy down pours often result to erosion and leaching that washes away the soil nutrients and affects soil fertility. The climate change has also created rising temperature and heat stress that affects livestock farming. Rising temperature causes physical harm and diseases and leads to pest proliferation. The withering pasture occasioned by desertification has forced herdsmen southwards in search of grazing land and this is identified as the major cause of the farmers-herdsmen conflicts.

I believe that the contents of the manifesto are carefully selected to address these myriads of problems confronting the region and leverage on its abundant natural endowment to develop the region. In the next part, I will examine the resource endowment of the region and try to establish it can be harnessed to address the problems of the region.

To be continued.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK.