Local Content: Nigerian Government must set course for industrialisation, eschew insensitivity
The subject of local content in Nigeria remains one coloured with distasteful sensations. The discourse over the subject itself draws bearing from the fact of the status of the Country’s profile of industrialisation. It is no doubt that while several nations of the world which used to be in the category of underdeveloped countries, have been able to gravitate with reasonable coordination of strategic optimisation of resources and advantages to pull out of the mess of the ebb, it is saddening that the prevailing situation in Nigeria do not give resemblance to same. Rather, if there is any form of industrial evolution that could be linked to the Country, such to a very large extent, remains infinitesimal and insignificant. Hence, Nigeria has deeply remained in the categorisation of the “third world” where industrialisation profile is at a very insignificant ebb.
The categorisation of Nigeria among ‘the third world’ is deep seated, with reflections of same, finding expression in numerous dimensions. The over reliance on foreign organisations to cater for local demands for industrial provisions has been a grounded clause which has set the Country at the realm of dependence. Prospect of indigenous organisations and firms to gravitate the patterns of development processes to propell virile sectors to drive economic development appears to be blurry. It is apparent that the conducive atmosphere for such gravitation to take course do not exist.
Hence, the harsh climate has only reduced indigenous innovators, entrepreneurs and investors to unfortunate conditions. The depth of risks which pose sniffing strings against industries and firms across sectors in the Country, have over the years left several firms and industries to become history of the past, while those struggling to cope, face possibilities of strangulation to go moribund.
The construction sector in Nigeria largely belongs to the category of one among other sectors where indigenous content is striving for breath. It is saddening that the conditions have been left so lamentable that even the Nigerian Government hardly would consider any local indigenous construction firm for a tangible and meaningful project. It is widely known that consideration of indigenous firms for projects, would only fall within infinitesimal project offer with insignificant volition. It is apparent that the Government itself has not in any appreciable manner, navigate efforts towards creating conducive environment for the industries in the sector to grow to the height of responding to indigenous construction demands in the Country.
The impacts have largely limited engineering profession in the Country to the fate of jeopardy against the brighter prospect of enhancing indigenous virility. It is apparent the disposition of the Government to the set-backs of indigenous firms in the Country is largely hostile to the atmosphere needed to boost growth in the sector. During a weekend tour to monitor the progress of work done on the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor, the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, had in his prejudice expressed against indigenous construction firms, said to use indigenous contractors for rail projects would be signing Nigerians’ death warrants, as they are more of “commission agents.” The Minister who frowned against the use of local content for the ongoing rail projects, had said indigenous contractors have failed to meet some prerequisite stipulations, such as five years’ experience in rail construction. He was quoted: “Most of these local contractors can be likened to ‘commission agents’ and considering them for such projects is tantamount to signing the death warrants of Nigerians.”
The Minister who also blamed the incessant breakdowns of locomotives on the Abuja-Kaduna on lack of spare parts to replace worn-out parts, was quoted, “The issue with the breakdowns of the Abuja-Kaduna train is down to lack of maintenance, which is attributable to a lack of spare parts. We have written to Mr. President on this issue and he has graciously approved the purchase of spare parts for the Lagos-Ibadan trains. Very soon, enough spare parts for the Lagos-Ibadan rail will arrive the country.By the time this occurs, we will use some of these parts for the Abuja-Kaduna and, hopefully, the issue of incessant breakdown of the trains will be resolved.”
It is pertinent to note that it is imprudent for the Government to grossly continue trailing the path of discouraging development of local content capacity in the Country, by majorly resorting to import and patronage of foreign construction firms in the Country. It is saddening that the hostile and insensitive disposition of the Government to galvanising conscious efforts towards creating conducive environment for indigenous firms to thrive, has reduced the Country to the profile of nurturing an import-backward dependent economy. Moving out of the clog is significant to boost the sector towards the development of the economy.
Beyond the construction industry, it is of more importance for the Government to awake unto concious sensitivity to driving industrialisation course in the Country. It is observable that many of the Countries which were very underdeveloped as at the time of colonial adventure, had come out of the mess by optimising the advantages of technical know-how to gravitate towards industrialisation. Such Countries as Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia, and United Arab Emirate, among others which gained independence after Nigeria, appear to have gone far beyond the Country in the profile of industrialisation. It is glaring that these nations have strategically been able to galvanise efforts with resources by full proof of taking advantage of colonial rule.
On the contrary, it is not inarguable that the Nigerian government over time has nurtured closed-mindedness against galvanising efforts and strategies towards driving industrialisation in the Country. It is apparent that the reliance orientation still dwell with the Government in what scholarly perception has conceptualised as “neo-colonial” order.
It is imperative for the Government to awake to the reality of driving, by conscious sensitivity, the demands of industrialisation in the Country. The years of clogging under a reliant economy creating sensations of dependence on the basis of which observers have questioned the independence status of the Country, has left unsavoury economic conditions. The debilitating profile of the economy has no doubt constituted a metabiotic force sprouting several dimensions of socio-economic and political strains which have largely troubled the Country in recent times. The impacts of the deficiencies is prevalently ravaging the entire configuration of the fabrics of the Country. It is sacrosanct for the Government to rise to the necessity of driving the thirst of industrialisation in the Country.
