The nation with the largest reserves of
crude oil in the world is Venezuela. If crude
oil could save any nation, then certainly
Venezuela would be that nation.
However, the desperate economic decline in
Venezuela, the nation with the world's
largest oil wealth under her ground is a
warning to Nigeria. We must look beyond
oil or we are at risk of experiencing the
same fate.
My people consider that nations like the US
and UK who used to buy Nigeria's oil no
longer buy our oil. As a matter of fact,
America now plans to sell her own oil. In
other words our buyers are now our
competitors.
Currently, royalties from oil accounts for
90% of our total government spending.
Many people have said that this means
without oil Nigeria could not function.
Perhaps this thinking is itself the problem.
Let us take the case of Anambra state and
make it a test state for how we could
possibly get out from the oil boom and bust
cycle.
Anambra is not an oil producing state in
that it does not have oil in commercial
quantities yet it does not take loans or owe
workers salary.
According to the United Nations, Anambra
has one of the lowest poverty rates in
Nigeria at 11.2% which places her ahead of
33 states.
Twenty years ago Anambra and other
Southeast states lagged in education and
had poor boy child school enrollment, but
today Anambra leads the nation in WASSCE
results.
For the past three years Anambra has had
over 60% pass rates in the West African
Senior School Certificate Examination.
They have made the best improvements in
education in the whole nation and the state
government even supports private schools
financially.
But look at those states that thrive by
depending solely on federal allocation. They
are broke, cannot pay salaries and are so
debt ridden, banks will not lend to them any
more. Worst of all is that these states are
performing woefully in education.
There is something to be learned from
Anambra. Is it their policy? Is it their
budgeting practice? Is it their sense of
community? Whatever it is, it is working!
The Federal Government and other states
should study what Anambra state has been
doing right and replicate it nationally
Anambra proves that Nigeria does not need
oil to thrive. What Nigeria needs to thrive is
education. What is under the ground of this
nation is chicken change compared to what
is between the ears of our people.
My name is Ben Murray-Bruce and I just
want to make Commonsense!

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hehehe this man nailed it... the secret is simply common sense !!

I see

I concur

Anambra is truely the light of the nation

It started with electing the right candidate. Nigeria will have to wait until 2019 to kick general dullard out.