Do Not Be Deceived: Igboland Is Landlocked And Will Face Economic Hardship By Churchill Okonkwo
It is also important to warn that landlocked Igboland should not be deceived by the success of the few rich landlocked countries like Switzerland that specializes in finance, which does not travel by boat, and its high-end manufacturing is integrated with Europe's single market.

BY CHURCHILL OKONKWOMAY 19, 2020

Chinua Achebe, in Things Fall Apart, tells a story of Okonkwo, the main character, who was banished from his village of Umuofia for accidentally shooting a young man. When it was time for Okonkwo to return, after seven years in exile, he instructs his wives and children to prepare a huge feast for his mother's kinsmen in a gesture to show his gratitude for their support. When asked why he was “overloading the table with food,” he said, “I cannot live on the bank of the river and wash my hands with spittle.”


Suffices to say that like Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, Igbos who are known to be outgoing are not washing their hands with spittle, because across the Nigerian landscape, they are living right at the banks of the Benue River, Kano River, Kaduna River, Ogun River, Sokoto River, Cross Rivers, etc. They also thrive at the banks of these rivers and “overload” their abode with human and infrastructural development.

Unfortunately, every now and then, one of the most absurd analyses by the proponents of an independent state of Biafra which is that the five Igbo states in imaginary Biafra is not landlocked makes it to the mainstream media. Last week, in a piece “It is a lie: Igboland is not Landlocked” published in Sahara Reporters, Aloy Ejimakor presented what looks like overwhelming evidence on how easy it is to transfer Apapa Port to the banks of the “Atlantic” Oguta Lake in Igboland for the business of shipping.

As expected, those without a good understanding of the Nigerian physical and human geography; no good grasp of the maritime industry, and no clue on the economies of shipping and logistics are attempting to push water uphill. The campaign to entice Igbos to withdraw from the waters off the coast of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri, etc. is an attempt to force the waters to flow uphill.

Forget about the “dredging” of the Oseakwa River in Ihiala, the Azumiri River, or the “Atlantic Ocean” at the mouth of OgutaLake, the truth is that Igboland is landlocked and will suffer, economically. Do not let anyone deceive you about that. All you need to confirm that is to consult a good physical geography teacher. If you do not have one, simply go to Google Maps on your phone and look for blue markings indicating water bodies and decide for yourself how close the Atlantic Ocean is to Igboland. It should be that simple, if only you approach this quick visual research with an open mind.

Here are some facts per World Bank economists working on trade logistics issues, being landlocked is a major reason why 16 of the world’s 31 landlocked developing countries are among the poorest in the world. According to the Economist, of the 15 lowest-ranking countries in the Human Development Index, eight have no coastline. All of these are in Africa.

Without seaports, these landlocked countries pay more and wait longer for imported food, and other goods. Also, they have an equally hard time exporting, with the result that they trade less and grow more slowly than their coastal neighbors. A quick look at the map of Africa and the location of Central African Republic, Burundi, Niger, Chad, South Sudan, Mali, and Burkina Faso, will give you an idea of what it means to be landlocked. So, it is clear, the most obvious handicap of Igbo people who are known for international trade will be moving goods to and from ports.

It has been augured that the actualization of the state of Biafra does not mean that Igbos will be forced to come back to the land-locked states. We are told that we will still have access to the ports in the neighboring countries around landlocked Igboland and as such can easily import and export goods and services. A counterargument is that if Igbos are forced to pass through dozens of police checkpoints between Lagos and the Niger Bridge, Onitsha, under one country Nigeria, how many roadblocks will be put in place if Biafra is an independent country?

Just imagine that for a moment.

Now, imagine also what will happen if the same blockade is put in place from the northern, southern, and eastern boundaries all around Igbo land. How on earth will such an independent state be independent economically? If the movement of imported heavy goods must be re-transported inland to landlocked Igboland, how on earth will the economy be viable?

I am a teacher who makes use of graphics to help my students understand some concepts that would otherwise be difficult to grasp. So, for clarity and easier comprehension, I ask that you pause here and take another look at the Nigerian map. Pay particular attention to the location of Apapa, Port Harcourt, and the new Lekki Deep Sea Port under construction. Then, slowly move your eyeballs inland towards Igbo states for a good understanding of why seaports are sited on the coast of major water bodies. So, forget about emotions and sentiments, a sea is a sea and a river is a river.

So, do not let anyone deceive you, international treaties can promise access to the oceans, but the responsibility for implementing them lies with the governments of the "transit states". Now, imagine how happy and eager the minorities in the Niger Delta region will be to help build infrastructure that would mainly help their landlocked Igbo neighbors. They have little incentive to.

Also, just like Nigeria has closed its borders for months now, transit states to landlocked Igboland can interrupt commerce making the economic viability of landlocked Igboland difficult. For Nigeria with known civil strife between ethnic nationalities, landlocked Igboland will have to reroute trade at exorbitant cost, reducing their competitiveness. You cannot argue with facts.

It is also important to warn that landlocked Igboland should not be deceived by the success of the few rich landlocked countries like Switzerland that specializes in finance, which does not travel by boat, and its high-end manufacturing is integrated with Europe's single market. Also, Botswana, a middle-income landlocked country, exports diamonds, which are shipped by air. Pointing at such countries offers little hope to a landlocked Igboland without similar natural resources and with people that are heavily involved in the importation of heavy goods in containers.

From the analysis, above, you will see that it is not necessary to tell a wise person to get out of the sun. We are Igbos and we are wise. There should, thus, be no need for anyone to tell us that land-locked Igboland is an economic disaster waiting to happen.

On a final note, when you show the moon to a child, it sees only your finger. Sadly, no matter the size or how full and bright the moon is, people who want to see the Atlantic Ocean at the banks of Oguta Lake or Otamiri in Imo state will see one. But, do not be deceived, landlocked Igboland will be an economic disaster. As my father used to say, I am a teacher and my responsibility is to keep teaching irrespective of whether the students are listening or not.

The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open. Igbos should not lock themselves up. Rather, we should leave the right doors open as we work for an equitable and better Nigeria, for all.

Together, we can.

Churchill Okonkwo, Ph.D.

On Twitter @Churchillnnobi


http://saharareporters.com/2020/05/19/do-not-be-deceived-igboland-landlocked-and-will-face-economic-hardship-churchill-okonkwo

Looking at the proposed map of Biafra below, you'll realise the Igbos claiming marginalization as the motor of the agitation for Biafra had only one mission, the land grabbing of the South-South States with the sole aim of using their numbers' to marginalize, suppress and oppress the indigent locals
Economic sabotage and exploitation of the South-South was the lifeline of the Biafra agitations, while impoverishing Nigeria and nothing more

Yolo...... Bats at work

If it is landlocked what then will you say about the North abi is it both sealocked and landlocked

Burkina Faso is shipping through Ghana, Botswana is shipping through Namibia and South Africa, Ethiopia the same thing through Eritrea and a couple of other European countries. Just go and find out.

If these countries are doing this, what do you think of Biafra. They will ship through their southernmost neighbors if eventually their southernmost neighbors doesn't join them in their independent country. And as such their economic activity continues.

I always laugh at you guys ignorance when it comes to this Biafra landlocked of a thing.

You should even worry about the North because they are not closer to the south and the Atlantic Ocean unlike Igboland.

Crixxx:
Yolo...... Bats at work

lol

Asuito7:
If it landlocked what then will you say about the North abi is it both sealocked and landlocked

Burkina Faso is shipping through Ghana, Botswana is shipping through Namibia and South Africa, Ethiopia the same thing through Eritrea and a couple of other European countries. Just go and find out.

If these countries are doing this, what do you think of Biafra. They will ship through their southernmost neighbors if eventually their southernmost neighbors doesn't join them in their independent country. And as such their economic activity continues.

I always laugh at you guys ignorance when it comes to this Biafra landlocked of a thing.

You should even worry about the North because they are not closer to the south and the Atlantic Ocean unlike Igboland.

The North are not trying to ship their fine work abroad

Padlocked land

temblor1:
Looking and the proposed map of Biafra below, you'll realise the Igbos claiming marginalization as the motor of the agitation for Biafra had only one mission, the land grabbing of the South-South States with the sole aim of using their nunbers' to marginalize, suppress and oppress the indigent locals

We. Have the records of the people that marginalized minorities ....the record is clear

Right now we don't need the south south .. give the igbos referendum and allow us suffer our suffer

Take our properties all over Nigeria we would settle our brothers

Allow us suffer na ...do you people like us this much ?

You people hate igbos so much that you don't appoint them into position, you refused to elect them ...you even staved them for 3 years killing 3 million igbos

But you dont want to let them go because they would suffer .....suffer is worse than this one in Nigeria

Yenefer:
The North are not trying to ship their fine work abroad

helinues:
Padlocked land

While Buhari is busy feeding school children who aren't in school with more than 600 million daily..

You lots are here opening teeth...

Such a pity for the future of the country

Forget about the “dredging” of the Oseakwa River in Ihiala, the Azumiri River, or the “Atlantic Ocean” at the mouth of OgutaLake, the truth is that Igboland is landlocked and will suffer, economically. Do not let anyone deceive you about that

I dont understand where this Okonkwo guy is coming from. Lets just assume that the South East becomes an independent country, will it have acess to the Sea? People keep talking about being "landlocked" as if that is what is important. What is important is if the SE has access to the Sea, not if it is landlocked. Many people have come to believe that being landlocked is the same as not having access to the Sea, it is not. The River Niger and its tributaries are international waterways which are owned by no nation. Nothing stops the SE from building River ports in Obuaku in Abia state and Oguta in Imo state and dredging the River to the Ocean.

Another thing people dont consider is badge technology. London is the capital of Britain and handles much of Britain's export/import yet London is landlocked. But fortunately for London, it has the River Thames that runs through London to the ocean. The only thing London did was to build some River Ports then use barges to move goods in out of London via the River Thames. These barges will sail to the River Ports, collect containers, sail to where the River empties into Ocean, wait for the Merchant Ships to arrive, discharge the export containers, collect the import containers and return to the River ports. They didn't even bother to dredge the River Thames because the huge merchant Ships dont have to use the River Thames

This can be replicated in Oguta, Obuaku and even Onitsha. I dont know what the argument is all about, the SE has full access to the Sea

Igbochief001:
You people hate igbos so much that you don't appoint them into position, you refused to elect them ...you even staved them for 3 years killing 3 million igbos

But you dont want to let them go because they would suffer .....suffer is worse than this one in Nigeria

Hahahaha. Ranthq

It is landlocked
It is Countrylocked
It is Economiclocked



Best of Luck guys

HeadShot:


While Buhari is busy feeding school children who aren't in school with more than 600 million daily..

You lots are here opening teeth...

Such a pity for the future of the country

This is simply ranthq

Igbochief001:

We. Have the records of the people that marginalized minorities ....the record is clear

Right now we don't need the south south .. give the igbos referendum and allow us suffer our suffer

Take our properties all over Nigeria we would settle our brothers

Allow us suffer na ...do you people like us this much ?

Lol...continue dreaming lol...
By the time you wake up with the recent gullying, you'll find yourself on a tree

Trouble you dey find

A good president would douse all these tribal hate and issues

Buhari was just wrong for a united nation.
It was never this bad..

helinues:
Padlocked land

just imagine

Niger State
Borno State
n some Northern states are bigger than d whole south east n these noise makers will not allow us to hear word

yoruba impostor deceiving his skull with Ibo name.

Cool

Yenefer:
The North are not trying to ship their fine work abroad

so according to you the North will not be shipping(both import and export) their fine works? Well that will be their problem to bear.

If so what then concerns you with Biafra shipping their works abroad whether their land is locked or not

Igbo

Asuito7:
If it landlocked what then will you say about the North abi is it both sealocked and landlocked

Burkina Faso is shipping through Ghana, Botswana is shipping through Namibia and South Africa, Ethiopia the same thing through Eritrea and a couple of other European countries. Just go and find out.

If these countries are doing this, what do you think of Biafra. They will ship through their southernmost neighbors if eventually their southernmost neighbors doesn't join them in their independent country. And as such their economic activity continues.

I always laugh at you guys ignorance when it comes to this Biafra landlocked of a thing.

You should even worry about the North because they are not closer to the south and the Atlantic Ocean unlike Igboland.

The funny thing is that the same Nigeria has not managed to use its coastline to achieve any meaningful economic success. In the mean time, landlocked countries like Ethiopia and Bostwana are doing better than them

hollah123:
just imagine

Niger State
Borno State
n some Northern states are bigger than d whole south east n these noise makers will not allow us to hear word

Imagine oo, yet they can't develop that tiny land.

Honestly why do yorubas want one Nigeria really ...it's something I can't really understand ...

What have they benefited from one Nigeria ?

Allow igbos do their thing abeg

temblor1:

Lol...continue dreaming lol...
By the time you wake up with the recent gullying, you'll find yourself on a tree

Lol ...Igbo Nation is matching u guys got nothing on us

helinues:


Imagine oo, yet they can't develop that tiny land.

yorba muslim, which of your land is developed ! Hypocrite..

Igbochief001:
Honestly why do yorubas want one Nigeria really ...it's something I can't really understand ...

What have they benefited from one Nigeria ?

Allow igbos do their thing abeg

Caused , they can't survive outside Nigeria. That is why they're fighting very hard to keep every one in this contrap...

hollah123:
just imagine

Niger State
Borno State
n some Northern states are bigger than d whole south east n these noise makers will not allow us to hear word

They're big yet they can't stare on thier own.

Fact check
Do you know that the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria was formely know as Presbyterian Church of Biafra in 1846,a big evidence that Biafra has been in existence before Nigeria.
Something Yoruba,afonja gutter media won't tell u.
Go and Google it,then you can quote me.

Asuito7:
so according to you the North will not be shipping(both import and export) their fine works? Well that will be their problem to bear.

If so what then concerns you with Biafra shipping their works abroad whether their land is locked or not

I don't want a situation where the black man is always viewed as criminal