Independence
Alhaji Sa’idu Dattijo Adahama, a Kano elder statesman, says Nigeria has attained political independence but is yet to achieve the economic independence designed by its founding fathers.
Adahama, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Nigeria’s 66th independence anniversary, said the country’s founding leaders envisaged a united, economically productive nation capable of producing and exporting goods while developing its human capital.
He said the expectation of the founding generation was also to build an economy driven by indigenous industries and entrepreneurship and to educate Nigerians to play leading roles in national development.
Adahama said his interactions with people and institutions in the early post-independence period convinced him that economic development was central to the aspirations of the founding leaders.
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He said Nigeria had recorded some achievements, particularly in maintaining national unity, but leadership challenges and economic policies had hindered the country’s progress.
According to him, the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree of the 1970s was among efforts aimed at increasing indigenous participation and ownership in the economy.
Adahama said Nigeria should return to policies that promote local production, indigenous industries and entrepreneurship, arguing that excessive dependence on imports has weakened the country’s productive capacity.
He identified currency depreciation and what he described as excessive liberalisation of trade among factors affecting local businesses, employment and the country’s ability to produce goods for export.
Adahama also called for greater emphasis on skills acquisition in the education system, saying academic qualifications without practical skills could leave graduates dependent on scarce white-collar jobs.
“Education without skills — that is the most unfortunate thing,” he said, urging the government to develop a skill-based education system capable of producing a productive population.
On healthcare and infrastructure, Adahama advocated stronger public-private partnerships, saying government alone could not provide all the services required by Nigeria’s growing population.
He urged greater private-sector participation in healthcare, medicine production, infrastructure and electricity, while also advocating the expansion of solar energy, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Adahama attributed insecurity and social instability partly to poverty and ignorance, urging the government to use the media more effectively to promote peace, unity, economic opportunities and public enlightenment.
He also called for greater honesty and trust between leaders and citizens, saying corruption, tribalism and selfishness must be addressed if Nigeria is to achieve the aspirations of its independence generation.
The elder statesman said both leaders and citizens must demonstrate patience, honesty and commitment to national development.
He urged leaders to ensure that public resources were properly managed while citizens remained patient with reforms aimed at improving the economy.
On the current administration, Adahama said he was particularly impressed about what the current administration has done in job creation , describing job creation and local production as areas requiring sustained attention.
Adahama, who said he had been an employer of labour for 48 years, urged the government to prioritise policies that would enable Nigerians to produce what the country currently imports.
He also advised the President to seek divine guidance in leading the country.(NAN)
