I would not show a 1 picture of abuja, the north is the most develop part of Nigeria.

I would not show a 1 picture of abuja, the north is the most develop part of Nigeria.

I would not show a 1 picture of abuja, the north is the most develop part of Nigeria.

becomrich is right about the road network in the north being of a better quality when compared to that of the South West.  Driving from Kaduna to Kano, through Zaria, is actually a pleasure.  You don't have the typical death traps found in the South West there.

I however, do not believe that good road network is sufficient to deem an area developed.

Igbo-Ukwu To Spend N1bn On Projects

•As Community Celebrates Odunke ’09

By Okey Maduforo, Correspondent, Awka





Igbo-Ukwu community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State is to embark on developmental projects worth N1 billion.

This is in a bid to improve socio-economic development in the area and also attract investors to the community.

According to President General of Igbo-Ukwu Development Union (IDU), Chief Bob Ezeife, and Publicity Secretary of the union, Chief Pius Admuo, who spoke with reporters in Awka, “The launching for the project is part of activities marking the celebration of Odunke festival 2009 and this occasion would be the mass return for our brothers and sisters outside the state and beyond.”

He explained that the festival is not a pagan or fetish tradition but a festival that seeks to showcase the cultural heritage of Igbo-Ukwu people and also serve as teacher to the younger generation of Igbo-Ukwu people.

On projects that would be embarked upon, he said: “We also need to embark on road construction from the market through the other end of the market to ease traffic.

“We need modern abattoirs to minimize infection from the meat that our people sell. Also we need a community library for primary and post primary school children and rehabilitate some other roads in the town to attract development.”

On the basic social amenities in Igbo-Ukwu town the President General Ezeife said, “We have a total of 10 health centres in our town, which include the Apex Medical Centre, Niger Optical Services, Ifite Health Centre owned by state government as well as St. Raphael Catholic Maternity and the Anglican Maternity among others.”

Group Laments Beggars’ Invasion Of Ibadan
By Gbenga Abegunrin Reporter, Ibadan




A community-based socio-political group, Apata Solidarity Forum (ASF), has lamented the increasing rate of beggars on the streets of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

ASF President, Michael Babatunde Bankole, condemned the trend, while briefing journalists about a four-day empowerment workshop organised by the group for residents of Apata community of Ibadan.

The group called on both the local and state governments to rise up to address the problem of increasing number of beggars across the state by empowering people through skill acquisition training and soft loans to petty traders.

While stressing the need for the empowerment training powered by an aspirant for the chairmanship seat of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of the state, Kenneth Adeniyi Tinuala, Bankole maintained that the programme was designed to assist widows and less privileged people in the society.

The ASF president added that those who have suddenly turned themselves to beggars can still contribute to the economic development of the state if they are assisted to be self-sufficient.

He said those who will speak during the workshop with the theme: “Teach Me How To Catch Fish” include the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate for the 2007 election in the state, Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi and Busari Adebisi.

He revealed further that participants at the workshop will be assisted with soft loans after the programme to enable them practice the skills they have acquired.

Emerging Trend Of Social Almajiri InYorubaland
By Hakeem Jamiu
There is a social malaise which is gradually creeping into the lexicon of Yorubaland and this is the ugly spectre of hungry children begging for food and alms at social events. Older women are equally not left out in this ugly but strange practice in Yorubaland. It is strange in Yorubaland because the concept of almajiri which simply means street urchin is common in the Northern part of the country. Yorubas use to refer derisively to anybody soliciting for arms in Yorubaland in the olden days as almajiri. The almajiri of the North are usually children between the age bracket of 7 and 20 in most cases. Almajiris are so desperate for food that any unsuspecting visitor to the Northern part of the country who goes to a restaurant to eat but mistakenly left his food to wash his hands is likely to lose such to waiting almajiris before he comes back for the food.

I first noticed this ugly trend at a ceremony I attended a few months ago at Ayetoro Ekiti. Elderly and middle aged able bodied women from Kwara, Osun and Oyo states invaded the burial ceremony uninvited and were embarrassing guests who refused to give them money. Also noticeable were children with their begging bowls who thronged the venue of the ceremony soliciting for left over food and alms. The children were a pitiable sight. Poverty was clearly written on their faces. I have attended many social functions after that and the same trend was noticeable. But I became worried a few days ago, when I attended the burial ceremony of a friend's father in Ilesha , Osun State . They came in various groups and employ different methods in soliciting for alms. There were the elderly women who were busy harassing guests in the name of praise singing and would not leave until you part with money, there were the men with their public address system which they use in praise singing but which is disturbance and yet, there were Yoruba children in the mould of almajiris with their begging bowls scrambling for left-over and at the same time soliciting for alms.

Fellow guests on my table at the event who were also journalists expressed their concern in unison about the growing trend of almajiri of various categories in Yorubaland. They all agreed that it has become a social problem. We started discussing and realised that the culture of begging in the mould of almajiris is alien to Yoruba culture. In those days before the advent of the British, the Yorubas are a proud people known for their hard work and industry. They practiced hoe agriculture and were well known as traders and for their crafts. Yoruba artists have produced masterpieces of woodcarving and bronze casting, some of which date from as early as the 13th century. Many of Nigeria 's best-known artists and writers are Yoruba. Other occupation of the Yorubas at that time were drumming and masquerading which would now be called showbiz. They engage in all the foregoing occupation but a Yoruba man or woman (able bodied) would not beg for alms as it is considered shameful and something akin to a curse. The Yorubas cherish their oriki (folklore) which is a poetic version of eulogizing the exploits of their progenitors which is an incentive for them to excel and even surpass their progenitors. The Yorubas have harsh words for lazy people. Such people are objects of ridicule and butt of jokes in the society. With this background, it is understandable why we became worried with the array of beggars at the Ilesha ceremony.

After leaving the party, I reflected on the scenario of the almajiris in Ilesha and I was able to draw a relationship between Political almajiris and social almajiris. I discovered that social almajiri had its root in the advent of the politics of do -or-die introduced into the political lexicon of Yorubaland by apostles of mainstream politics especially ex-President Obasanjo. The grand Patron of political almajiris who recently passed away was Chief Lamidi Adedibu. Many have argued that his dath has led to the profilration of almajiris in Yorubaland. This is because those he hitherto dole handouts to must look for other means of survival since he is no more. These political almajiris are ready to exchange their mothers for few coins. A new political class of men without integrity and anything goes was created and they became political almajiris who survive on crumbs from their masters. They would rig, kill, maim and do all sort of things to acquire political power. With the ascension of these men in power, good governance became a thing of the past. Our collective patrimony was squandered by these political almajiris. Nigeria has never been so blessed with petro dollar with oil selling for $156 dollars per barrel but Nigeria has never been so poor with a chunk of the population living below poverty line. So versions of the political almajiris are the social almajiris that now invade ceremonies in Yorubaland. With these children begging for alms, a ready made market for thuggery and other social vices is assured. The activities of the beggars are not limited to parties. At bus stops in our cities, it is a common sight to see women most of who are still in their mid thirties, who would strap a baby at their backs and approach men with stories of despair to solicit for alms. Many of them would end up in bed with such men. This is another brand of alamajiri and these are Yoruba women. A violent version of almajiri but which is gradually being tackled in Lagos is the 'Area Boys' syndrome. These are Yoruba street urchins who are semi- armed robbers.

The underlying factor in this new trend is failure of the Nigerian State on one part and the laziness on the part of these women. Most of them don't want to work,  In those days, when everybody's occupation was farming you dare not beg. You must find something to do. But these days, our women and children are too lazy. It is either they steal or beg. In most cases a mother and child become almajiris at social events. So the question now is can a Yoruba man now refer derisively to a Hausa beggar as almajiri when we have many of them now in Yorubaland? The answer is no! This trend must be arrested before it goes out of hand. The almajiris in the North these days engage in novel forms of drug abuse like sniffing of gutter water to get intoxicated, sniffing of adhesives and other drugs so that they are ever ready to unleash terror on the rest of the society whenever they are called upon to do so by the political wing of almajiris. I strongly recommend that guests at public functions must stop encouraging almajiris by giving them money.

But can government which itself owns the political wing of almajiris arrest this trend? Time will tell.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jul/9/221.html

I don't think the fine buildings of Abuja city makes its residents above poverty after all a huge majority live in the suburbs. Pls visit the likes of Gwagwalda, Kuje, Abaji, Some parts of Garki, Lugbe across, Tudunwada-Lugbe, Apo, Jikwoyi, Nyanya and you'll know that people are suffering and smilling in Abuja.

^^^^^^
Abuja is part of North Central; high poverty rate too.

Old school theories should be overlooked

Table 2.7: Child and Infant Mortality Rates by the Regions of Nigeria
Neonatal Post-neonatal Infant Child Under-five
mortality mortality mortality mortality mortality
National 53 56 109 121 217
North-Central 53 49 103 70 165
North-East 61 65 125 154 260
North-West 55 59 114 176 269
South-East 34 32 66 40 103
South- South 53 68 120 63 103
South- West 39 30 69 47 113
http://web.ng.undp.org/reports/nigeria_hdr_report.pdf

Makes sense, actually.
In the South West, you see more of government activity rather than economic activity. You have more civil servants there.
In the South East you see less of government activity but a lot of economic activity.
Hence the Onitsha, Aba, etc. Apart from Lagos, not much is happening in the South West.
Research like this is good, it makes people 'open eye', rather than hanging on to age-long false beliefs.

, Table 4.10 Mean Expenditure and Proportion of Households by Geopolitical Zone of Household Head
Percentage share of households
Mean
Proportion of National mean Income
South west
7.08
1,281.48
1.17284
South east
14.79
1,513.26
1.38498
South south
15.47
1,257.53
1.15093
North east
19.37
851.06
0.77891
North west
21.96
890.79
0.81528
North Central
21.33
1,302.43
1.19202
Source: Computed by the Authors
Table 4.13 shows that South East zone has the highest mean income of N1513 while North east zone accounts for the least mean income of N851.06. However, in spite of differential value of average income across these zones, the inequality index is very high in all the geopolitical zones with the southwest being the zone with the highest level of inequality and the northwest with the lowest level of inequality (Table 4.14). The within-group component of inequality accounts for 95 percent while the between-group component accounts for 5 percent of total inequality in Nigeria. This means that some policies to reduce inter-geopolitical zones might reduce some inequality in the country

from the article: http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0002273/Human_Capital_Nigeria_Oct2005.pdf
page 25

Becomerich,

you are misleading the folks on this forum. The pictures you posted are dubious. Niaralanders, pls take some time to verify becomerich claims. Just google 'map of Nigeria' on google website and click on satelite. I ve done that. The google satilite map shows that Iseyin and Minna ( a city that has produced 2 former presidents) are on the same level.
Besides that, you seemed confused as you cant distinguish between economic growth ( and economic developed development) and infrastructural development. Although the latter is one of the factors that sustain the former, it may not necessarily be the case, particularly in a country like Nigeria. I just want to encourage folks on NL to do their research on dubious posts as becomerich's. You also seemed to ve an axe top grind with Yoruba pple. I dont just understand why some pple run other tribes down even in the face of glaring evidence. Abi mekafo nie ni?

overhyped:

Becomerich,

you are misleading the folks on this forum. The pictures you posted are dubious. Niaralanders, pls take some time to verify becomerich claims. Just google 'map of Nigeria' on google website and click on satelite. I ve done that. The google satilite map shows that Iseyin and Minna ( a city that has produced 2 former presidents) are on the same level.
Besides that, you seemed confused as you cant distinguish between economic growth ( and economic developed development) and infrastructural development. Although the latter is one of the factors that sustain the former, it may not necessarily be the case, particularly in a country like Nigeria. I just want to encourage folks on NL to do their research on dubious posts as becomerich's. You also seemed to ve an axe top grind with Yoruba pple. I dont just understand why some pple run other tribes down even in the face of glaring evidence. Abi mekafo nie ni?

Becomerich is Yoruba, although a crazy one.

overhyped:


Besides that, you seemed confused as you cant distinguish between economic growth ( and economic developed development) and infrastructural development. Although the latter is one of the factors that sustain the former, it may not necessarily be the case, particularly in a country like Nigeria.

If U go thru this thread, U will find that a lot of posters have tried to drill that into his head.

But Becomerich will always be Becomerich. Stubborn as a mule

Nigerians are poor,
Notwithstanding any tribe.

Hmmmmn 2 d northern state being more developed i second dat but 4 odas i cnt say 4 now

People should stop arguing blindly. What has infrastructures got to do with the impoverish state of the people of an area. There are many African countries with better infrastructures but the people in some of these countries live in abject poverty. Zimbabwe is a good example! I have traveled to many states in Nigeria and I can say from the level of poverty that I've experienced that there is no region that is a poverty stricken as the North.

It is only in the North that you can travel 5 hours on a motor bike on a dusty God forsaken road  to get to another village! Those who probably think that the North is well developed are only the privileged Notherners who have not traveled to the interiors of the North. The road in the North are longer because of the land mass the region enjoys and it could have been the same for the South if the South also enjoys big land mass. My logic tells me that no matter the distance between a state and another, you just have to create a link.

Also, you can't judge a bull by its horns. When you go to most of the villages in the North, their cry is usually "those of you in the South are so privileged". Thank God my job takes me to the interiors in the North.

One thing that should be noted is that we are all still very "poor" in Nigeria, and the development some are being egoistic about is not development when you compare it with what obtains in Industrial/advanced nations. We should stop deceiving ourselves about the physical infrastructures we see.

Just a statement for thought: How many times have we seen an Ibo begging for alms in our major cities? But go anywhere in Nigeria, you will surely see the Notherners in their thousands and the South Westerners in their hundreds. I stand to be corrected.

mekusxxx:

^^^^^^
Abuja is part of North Central; high poverty rate too.

Yeah!

so where is all this argument leading to?

omodapson:

Just a statement for thought: How many times have we seen an Ibo begging for alms in our major cities? But go anywhere in Nigeria, you will surely see the Notherners in their thousands and the South Westerners in their hundreds. I stand to be corrected.

My sentiments exactly.
I hope you're from the South West, same as myself. That way nobody will accuse you of tribalism.

so where is all this argument leading to?

That the South east is as rich as any developed country, that the North is dirt poor, and that the South West should join benin republic

interesting statistics.
i think another reason why the northern areas suffer greatly from poverty is because they dont value education and its just their culture.
daughters marry young, the men marry multiple wives.
hmmm, interesting stuff though.

interesting statistics.
i think another reason why the northern areas suffer greatly from poverty is because they dont value education and its just their culture.
daughters marry young, the men marry multiple wives.
hmmm, interesting stuff though.

Not really that is probably second hand information- it goes deeper than that

4Play:
If you look at the poverty stats, Lagos has a relatively lower level of poverty. The higher levels of poverty in the South West is due to the surrounding states. In Nigeria, there are greater levels of poverty in the rural areas than the urban areas.

What these stats reveal is the total disconnect between Govt investment and the poverty levels. A good lesson for lefties everywhere, including the UK/US. If state intervention reduced poverty, the North will have far lower levels of poverty.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I would have to disagree with this view. How do the stats reveal a disconnect between government investment and poverty levels? Are u insinuating that the Federal Government has done more for the North than for the South? In reality, the Federal Government does not directly intervene in the lives of Nigerians. Whatever economic conditions exist in individual parts of Nigeria are due as much to the policies of the state government as they are to the policies of the Fed. And in a country like Nigeria where the Federal Government has not done its parts in creating the enabling conditions for economic prosperity, are you really advocating that the government (both Federal & State) should not directly intervene in creating economic prosperity through poverty reduction and social welfare programs?

Another post from someone suffering from complex syndrome trying to be-little other tribes. And how has this index affected you personally?

Pls someome should help me with security aid, my cousin and his friend had just been kidnapped @ about 10pm at Ihembosi junction, anambra state

beejaei:

4Play:
If you look at the poverty stats, Lagos has a relatively lower level of poverty. The higher levels of poverty in the South West is due to the surrounding states. In Nigeria, there are greater levels of poverty in the rural areas than the urban areas.

What these stats reveal is the total disconnect between Govt investment and the poverty levels. A good lesson for lefties everywhere, including the UK/US. If state intervention reduced poverty, the North will have far lower levels of poverty.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I would have to disagree with this view. How do the stats reveal a disconnect between government investment and poverty levels? Are u insinuating that the Federal Government has done more for the North than for the South? In reality, the Federal Government does not directly intervene in the lives of Nigerians. Whatever economic conditions exist in individual parts of Nigeria are due as much to the policies of the state government as they are to the policies of the Fed. And in a country like Nigeria where the Federal Government has not done its parts in creating the enabling conditions for economic prosperity, are you really advocating that the government (both Federal & State) should not directly intervene in creating economic prosperity through poverty reduction and social welfare programs?

The point here is that the North enoyed more attention in terms of infrastructural development,projects allocation,LG creation,etc more than any other part of Nigeria.But they still languish in poverty because there is no direct correlation between infrastucture and economic development.

AjanleKoko:

Makes sense, actually.
In the South West, you see more of government activity rather than economic activity. You have more civil servants there.
In the South East you see less of government activity but a lot of economic activity.
Hence the Onitsha, Aba, etc. Apart from Lagos, not much is happening in the South West.
Research like this is good, it makes people 'open eye', rather than hanging on to age-long false beliefs.

Thats exactly it.

Huuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnn, did I hear someone claim ownership of Lagos? It belongs to all Nigerians, reason being that it was a Federal Capital. The place was also developed by the oil money from the south, so let nobody start another civil war by asking Igbo people and other Nigerians to go to their states. Again the constitution of Nigeria guarantees all Nigerians the right to live and own property anywhere in Nigeria. Now to the poster, DID YOU REMEMBER THAT THE LATE OBAFEMI AWOLOWO AS THE FED. COMMISSIONER FOR FINANCE CONFISCATED ALL THE MONEY OWNED BY EASTERNERS AND USED THEIR SWEAT TO DEVELOP THE SOUTH WEST WITHOUT PAYING THEM ANY DIME?

triaophant:

Huuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnn,  did I hear someone claim ownership of Lagos? It belongs to all Nigerians, reason being that it was a Federal Capital. The place was also developed by the oil money from the south, so let nobody start another civil war by asking Igbo people and other Nigerians to go to their states. Again the constitution of Nigeria guarantees all Nigerians the right to live and own property anywhere in Nigeria. Now to the poster, DID YOU REMEMBER THAT THE LATE OBAFEMI AWOLOWO AS THE FED. COMMISSIONER FOR FINANCE CONFISCATED ALL THE MONEY OWNED BY EASTERNERS AND USED THEIR SWEAT TO DEVELOP THE SOUTH WEST WITHOUT PAYING THEM ANY DIME?

Awolowo is dead. Let's talk about our immediate threat now which is Boko haram and his legion of disciples.