True to expectation, the Abuja Memorial colloquium in honour of Bjorn Beckman, radical political economy scholar in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) brought to the fore a nostalgia of developmentalist Nigeria and a productive industrializing North in particular who died at 81, November, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden. Thanks to Dr Kole Shettima Committee of friends, former students and colleagues of the scholar, who put up the manifestation which through tributes word counts and Democracy discourse offered a timely throw back at a developing productive Federal Republic in the 70s and 80s. I agree with Adagbo Onoja who in a review of the robust views concludes that “Bjorn Beckman is a friend of Nigeria in that, even at death, he is still contributing to the possible remaking of Nigeria.” Which then raises the critical question: should radicals and comrades be gathering for posthumous reflections after departed comrades or ever remain active to daily battle of political ideas and praxis to change the world urgently begging for leadership? Just imagine if Abuja Thursday grounding had taken place when Bjorn Beckman was alive! What with debates, contestations and clarifications from him? As I pointed out in the tribute on behalf of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGWN) in Gunilla and BB, I and many of his comrades in the textile union, (cited in their book) that include, Adams Oshiomhole, Alhaji Shittu, Umaru Mohammed, Patrick Dabo, Samson Omoruran, John Bull Ojo, A.B. Dania, E.A. Olaleke, Ugochukwu Ene and Salihu Lukman, had long and rewarding dose of comradeship, warmth, intellectual integrity and rigor, and generosity. The book Union Power in the Nigerian Textile Industry: Labour Regime and Adjustment published in 1998 by him is a reference book of first reading on Textile union. The couple first ..”met the union in full swing when attending its Third Triennial National Delegates Conference held at Durbar in November 1986. “The mood” they wrote was “militant and enthusiastic, despite crisis, adjustment and political repression”. Almost 35 years after here in Abuja, the union’s 12th Quadrennial National Delegates’ Conference holds from Tuesday 24th to Thursday 26th March 2020. BB in the grave would be excited that the mood would still be “militant and enthusiastic” despite the current crisis facing the industry. Yes of course” there is still more “union power” as he observed ! The union continues the struggle for a living wage for members. 45 National collective agreements have been signed with the Nigeria Textile Garment and Tailoring Employers Association (NTGTEA) since 1978, covering critical items that include basic salary, housing, transport, medical, food subsidy, leave/leave allowance, overtime among others without a single nation-wide strike. The collective agreements had been published in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO). The union is the first in the private sector to be so proactive in getting more than the new N30,000 minimum wage, bringing minimum wage in the industry to about N45,000 per month excluding overtime and other locally negotiated allowances. The Market values of the union assets in Kaduna, Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Katsina are in billions of Naira. The union has also organized the unorganized self-employed tailors in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Kaduna, Benue, Niger, Abuja, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kogi, Cross River, Edo, Imo among others. Thanks to the research by BB and Gunilla which offered insights to how tailors are organized. The union had invested enormous resources in education, women and youth participation. The Union continues to maintain active role at the level of IndustriALL global Union as the union General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu was elected Vice President at the 2nd World Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in October 2016. The union is respected globally for its commitment to the strategic goals of IndustriALL Global Union namely; Building Union Power, Confront Global Capital, Defense of Workers’ Rights, Fight Precarious Work and Ensure Sustainable Industrial Development.
Beckman and Andrea diligently brought out refreshing original findings and conclusions about “NUTGTWN: it’s experiences, problems and achievements”. The finding is that in the textile industry, a “union based labour regime” characterized by domination and contestation is entrenched. Drawing a bigger picture from this, the authors observed that the emergence of union power reflects the capability of Nigeria’s society to manage conflicts through contestation and consensus building, representation and mediation as well as contribution to the ‘democratic reconstitution of the state’. It is now fashionable to define Northern Nigeria and indeed Nigeria in terms of poverty. Beckman shows that poverty narrative is ahistorical and untenable. Their Six textile case mills in Kano and Kaduna, are all in the North. The oldest mill, KTL, (where BB’s studies began in 1984) started in 1957, indeed first in Nigeria. At its peak in the early 70s, direct employment ranged between 4000 and 5000. In 1979, as many as 8000 workers were employed in UNTL which started production in 1965. Combined jobs in Chellco, 284 NTM in Kano, 2500 Bagauda, Gaskiya 2000, stood at some 5000. All the textile mills in Nigeria at the peak in 70s and 80s employed as many as 350, 000 direct jobs more than the Federal government! Indeed North was the home of prosperity, full decent employment reinforced by union power. We must promote the historic prosperity/employment narrative of BB and Gunilla and stop top-down agonizing about poverty.
Blessed are the dead for they shall no more be suspected of our current failings. The best tribute to BB will be to revive the industry which once served as a case study that African Industrialization was possible. Industry must go farming again as BB documented. It’s all about a new radical developmentalist political economy. There must be a development agenda driven by committed leadership within the context of globalization. It is unacceptable that UNTL and Chellco textile mills in Kaduna are operating today. If the late Premier Ahmadu Bello nurtured and expanded textile production out of nothing, 19 Northern states governors must make the region an investment/employment destination. In 1986, when the union power study by BB commenced, the industry remains the key driver of sustainable jobs and development for most national economies of developing nations. Indeed for Nigeria and Africa to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2030, especially SDG 9 dealing with industry and innovation, Africa continent must innovate and industrialize. Africa must copy China’s industrialization drive which has within 20 years moved over 250 million people out of poverty through manufacturing, beneficiation and industrialization.
Issa Aremu mni
