By Comrade Issa Aremu, NPOM, mni Secretary-General Alumni Association Of The National Institute (AANI) Vice President Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) At A Sallah Dinner Lecture Organised By The Third Estate, Ilorin, Kwara State Saturday (October)4, 2014
GREETINGS
Alhamdullahi, we are in a season of festivities. On behalf of my family, I convey Sallah greetings to all by saying Barka da Sallah! As reflected in my profiling, yours truly is a child of independent Nigeria. I was born a year after the historic lowering of the Union Jack and the hoisting of Nigeria’s Flag Green White Green. I therefore also say Happy 54th anniversary to all the compatriots of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially our fathers who fought for independence. Interestingly Nigeria shares same liberation dates with the People’s Republic of China founded on October 1st, 1949. Last Thursday October 2nd also marked the 145th birthday of the iconic preeminent leader of Indian Independence movement October 2, 1869, Mahatma Gandhi. The common feature of these sacred and secular festivities is humanity (human resources!).
For one, Eid ul-Adha (the festival of sacrifice) is undoubtedly a celebration of human resources. This Sallah honors the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (as) to sacrifice his promised son, Ishmael (Ismail) as an act of submission to Allah command. In return for faithfulness, Allah intervened to provide Prophet Ibrahim (as) with a lamb to sacrifice instead. This sacred favour for Ishmael underscores the fact that in the eye of Allah, human resource is sacred in the hierarchy of creation. Allah demonstrated to us that human life is important to be made a sacrificial lamb, a sacred reminder to modern day kidnappers and murderers who take human lives at will.
Similarly acknowledging the Independence of Nigeria (170 million), China (1.3 billion), and India (1.2 billions) means acknowledging the countries with the highest concentration of human resources on earth!. In the case of Nigeria, it specifically brings to the fore the historic contribution of the fathers and mothers of modern Nigeria.
APPRECIATION
My profound appreciation goes to the hardworking Executive officers (Executive human resources!) of the third Estate led by my brother and the President of the THIRD ESTATE, DR YUSUF LAWAL for the privileged invitation extended to me to reflect on the topic; Human Resources as Critical factor in National development.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
We are in Sallah dinner. We must consciously avoid intellectual stress. I will therefore only pose the famous five 5Ws; What, why, who, when, which, where and how of human resources as critical factors for national development.
WHAT IS HUMAN RESOURCE?
Standard received wisdom sees Human resources as a “..set of individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, an economy or country” . This definition only explains human resources, it does not name or tame them! I agree with Ken Robinson who says; “Human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they’re not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves.”
One notable strength of Nigeria is its population. With 170 million people we are the 7th most populous on earth. In quantitative terms, our human resources are not buried. 2006 Census figures show that the least populated state is Bayelsa with 1.7 millions, but more in terms of human resources than Guinea-Bissau with population of 1.7 millions, also bigger than Gabon, 1.4 millions and Trinidad and Tobago 1.3 millions. Both Kano (9.4 millions) and Lagos States (9.5 millions) are as big as United Arab Emirates of 9.4 millions, which is the past time of Nigerian bourgeoisie and labour aristocrats like me.
Kwara State ranks 30th on the list of states in the Federation with some 2.3 millions. Even at that Kwara state compares with Jamaica (2.7 million). It’s certainly more than Namibia (2.1) millions), Lesotho (2 millions), Qatar (2 millions), Botswana, (2 million people) and the Gambia (1.8 millions).
DIVERSITY
The beauty of Nigeria’s human resources is also its diversity and heterogeneity in terms of social distribution, languages, ethnicity and class. As a comrade, understandably class analysis has an appeal to me. Whether we take Max Weber’s notion of class (status, power, position, skills, professions, grade) or Karl Marx’s paradigm of class, relations of production, properties, Nigeria can best be described as a country of robust Social Classes of human resources. Nigeria’s human resources include great entrepreneurs in trading and manufacturing, transport and commerce. We also have significant critical mass of human resources in politics, Military, Art and Music, Media, Literature, Religion, Sports, International models, Medicine and science and of course in academia as well as traditional institutions. In standard management literature, the real human resources are the working men and women. The strength of the Nigerian working class lies in its big size. Nigeria has an estimated labour force of 57.2 million, which is almost the size of population of Ghana. Nigeria has the potential of having a total workforce of 80 million people if manufacturing sector is revived and if there is full employment as it was in the 70s and 80s and we factor in the huge labour reserve of the informal sector.
WHY HUMAN RESOURCES ARE CRITICAL?
Notwithstanding the quantitative strength of Nigeria in human resources, in both policy and governance discourse, we have almost redefined resources as oil and gas in Nigeria and mineral resources. We have increasingly relegated human resources to the margin in the hierarchy of critical success factors for development.
Many thanks to the Third Estate for mainstreaming human resources back in national development discourse. Human capital is an important factor for the wealth of a nation due to its influence on the overall production of the country. There is no doubt that land with abundant mineral resources and capital is an important factor of production. Nigeria has almost 1 million (923,768.00) square kilometer land mass (including of course Bama, Chibok, Michika, Konduga, near Maiduguri!). We also have proven reserve of 22 billion barrels of crude oil, with abundance of precious, semi-precious and industrial minerals resources. Nigeria is also 13th on the League of Oil producing nations, with some 2.5 millions barrels per day representing 2.62% of world production. It is good we are endowed with these important factors of production. But often ignored is that Nigeria with 170 million people is the 7th most endowed in human resources on earth. China’s selling point is its billion population not necessary oil and gas. Using GDP per China’s worth at 10 trillion dollars is the second biggest economy in the world next to USA’s 17 trillion dollars. The transformation of China lies in its human resources which add value to other factors of production in turning China into the world’s factory of goods.
HOW HAVE HUMAN RESOURCES FARED IN NIGERIA?
FOUNDING FATHERS
Human resources were once critical factors of development in Africa. According to Walter Rodney Europe deliberately underdeveloped Africa because of colonial greed for Africa’s abundant natural and mineral resources. It is instructive that it was the African human resources through the trade unions and nationalist political parties and their leaders that fought against imperialism and fought for independence. The likes of Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere Former president of Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, Leopold Senghor of Senegal Sekou Tuore, Patrice Lumunba, Amilca Cabra of Guinea Bisau, Samora Machel of Mozambigue, Jomo Kenyatta and Nelson Mandela of South Africa were the notable human resources that came out of our continent. They altered the image of Africa from dependence to independence, dignity of labour and self reliance. They were also pan African and envisaged the African Union long before it became a reality. Many have rightly venerated pastor Martin Luther King’s dream speech, but the first I have a dream speech was that of Nkrumah who prophetically declared that “Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up to the total liberation of the African continent”. Since that historic speech colonialism has been defeated from Accra to Harare to Cape Town.
Also in Nigeria, Celebrating 54th Independence anniversary is in many respect celebration of Nigeria’s human resources. It raises the nostalgia of eminent human resources like Sir Herbert Macaulay (1864 – 1946), Dr. Alvan Ikoku (1900-1971), Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904 – 1996), Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909 – 1987), Micheal Imoudu, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello (1909 – 1966), Alhaji (Sir) Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912-1966), Alhaji Aminu Kano, Habib Raji Abdallah Magaji Dambatta, Abba Maikwaru and Bello Ijumu of Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) and Margaret Ekpo.
ENTREPRENEURS
In terms of enterprise, Nigeria parades remarkable Entrepreneurial human resources over the years. FOREST TOM a scholar with University of Oxford (1995):“The Makers and Making of Nigerian Private Enterprise” that dating back to the 1880s, Nigeria has thrown up great old entrepreneurs like Jaja Opobo, Nana Olomu of Itsekiri land, Mobolaji Bank-Anthony, Alhassan Dantata of Kano, Mohammed Shitta-Bey, J.W Cole, J. H. Doherty and groundnut trader for UAC like Alhassan Dantata, Odutola. Modern day faces of Nigerian private capital include Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Ekene Dili Chukwu, the Ibrus, Ishaku Ibrahim, Austin Okere: Okoya-Thomas, Gaius-Obaseki,Cosmas Maduka: Entrepreneur par excellence, Pascal Dozie, and Jim Ovia among others.
KWARA DIMENSION
KWARA has a significant share of this cesspool of human resources. As a matter of fact the old Kwara state comprising of the present Kogi and some parts of Niger was the supply centre of the needed human resources for the old Northern region. The name Ilorin is synonymous with embodiment of knowledge; Gari Sheik Alimi!.
No wonder the first lawyer to take silk in the whole of Nigeria’s North is from Ilorin: Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq (SAN). Since then, the legal human capital in Ilorin is globally acknowledged. His Royal Highness, the Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, is a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal. Justice Saidu Kawu, retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Alhaji Aliyu Alarape Salma (SAN) are also from Ilorin. The Belgore family has made notable contributions to the profession, with Justice Alfa Belgore as the former Chief Justice of the Federation and Justice M.B. Belgore, retired Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, whose two children are also lawyers, including M.D. Belgore, SAN. Of course, we have our respected retired President of Court of Appeal, Comrade Justice Mustapha Akanbi who also successfully pioneered headed the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
In the field of international diplomacy, there is a recurring name from Ilorin; Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, CFR a globally acknowledged Nigerian scholar and diplomat. He was Minister for External Affairs between 1984 and 1985, appointed by the Secretary-General of United Nations Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission as Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur effective from 1 January 2010. He is currently the Special Adviser on the International Compact with Iraq and Other Issues for the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he had served as the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (USG) for the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). I bear witness that the success of the concluded National Conference was due to the skills and experience the likes of Professor Gambari brought to bear in compromises, consensus building, diplomacy and dialogue.
Cultivating human capital requires education. As far back as 1925, Oba Abdulkadir 1919 – 1959 – was presented with King’s Medal for Native Chiefs, 17/06/25 by Frank Baddeley Ag. governor in recognition and appreciation of his achievement in Human Capital. Notable Ilorin indigenes such as Mohammadu Gobir and Usumanu went to the Training College at Katsina thereby becoming the first indigenes of the Emirate to obtain Secondary Education. Among the children of Mohammadu Gobir, the late Alh. Yusuf Amuda Gobir, Alh. Yakubu Amori Gobir were among the frontline educated elites of Ilorin. They rose to very high positions in Public Service.
Knowledge has always been valued in Ilorin and indeed in the entire Kwara state.
The pioneer primary and secondary schools were products of community efforts. Some of them include the former Provincial School (Now Government Secondary School GSS, Ilorin) – 1924 about to make its 90th year anniversary, Ilorin Teachers’ College (ITC) – 1953, Queen Elizabeth School – 1956, United Primary School in 1941 through fund raising activities) and also established my secondary school, Ilorin Grammar School in 1967.
Today Kwara hosts a number of Higher institutions in the state including the federally owned University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Federal Training Centre, Ilorin, State College of Education, Ilorin and Oro, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin and the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilorin Kwara State University, Al-Hikma University and Land Mark University (a private University) located in Omu Aran.
Ilorin has produced eminent religious human resources (eminent Islamic scholars and educationists) such as Sheik Mohammed Kamaldeen. Islamic Scholar, preacher and educationist and Sheik Adam-el-Ilory. Kwara’s human capital also include,Cornelius Adebayo, politician, Tunde Adebimpe, Musician, David Bamigboye, soldier, Theophilus Bamigboye, soldier and politician, Ibrahim Gambari, diplomat, Salaudeen, Latinwo, soldier, David Oyedepo, cleric, Abubakar Olusola Saraki, politician, Bukola Saraki, politician, Rashidi Yekini, soccer star, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju sulaiman, Politician among others.
All the above human resources contributed to the growth and development of Nigeria and Kwara state in particular.
It is instructive that before the current dependence on oil and at a time Nigeria was driven by human resources, Nigeria was a fast developing nation. In 1965 for instance, Nigeria’s GDP was $5.8 billion, compared with $3.8 billion for Indonesia, and $3.1 billion for Malaysia. Thirty years later, in 1995, Nigeria’s GDP had increased to $26.8 billion (3.6 fold increase), Malaysia’s to $85 billion (27 fold increase), Indonesia’s to $198 billion (52 fold increase) and Venezuela to $75 billion (20 fold increase). The implication is that these countries have left Nigeria far behind in terms of productivity, income generation and general economic development. The challenge lies in reinvention of the human resources in Nigeria.
REINVENTING NIGERIA’s HUMAN RESOURCES
SOME SUGGESTIONS
APPRECIATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Just as the Third Estate has done, our politicians must see the importance of human resources in development. In his latest book, MY VISION, Challenges in the Race for Excellence, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashidi Al Maktoum, the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and constitutional monarch of Dubai observed and I agree that; “Human beings are the most precious assets of all nations and the most important factors in the progress of countries. We consider the development of human resources as a gauge for the development of our country.” .
It will be refreshing to get some quotable qoutes about human resources from Nigeria’s leaders. If we don’t name it we cannot tame it.
LABOUR, MOST CRITICAL FACTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Certainly all factors of production are critical for development. In particular, technoloy can provide more efficient production-methods like machines and computers. Capital and finance are also significant for states that are being run based on debts and bonds. But it is the human resources and skilled labor in particular that are most critical to manage these other resources to improve the quantity and quality of production and quality of life. Indeed it can be argued that where critical human resources are lacking in quality, other factors can hardly add value to development. States can borrow billions of Naira as most states do, but the human managers might divert the funds for the indulgence of the leaders such as buying private jets rather than proving basics like water and motorable roads.
What happens to 170 million human resources is as important as what happens to 2.5 millions barrels per day! It is certainly a scandal that we are losing as many as 900,000 barrels of crude oil to oil theft. This is unacceptable for a nation with almost 200,000 military personnel and an Army that is ranked as the 4th in Africa and 34th in the world! But even more scandalous is the tragic fact that according to New York Times, “America Is Stealing the World’s Doctors” including many Nigerian doctors. According to Minister of Health Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu, recent research has revealed that more than 5000 Nigerian trained medical doctors are currently practising in the United States of America! Currently, Nigeria has only 600 paediatricians to care for its over 40 million children, compared to the United Kingdom’s over 5,000 for 20 million children. Why must we export doctors when we lack them at home? The point am driving at is that Nigerians must be moved by crude oil theft no less than we must be alarmedp at the pillage of our scarce human resources.
LABOUR ON THE EXCLUSIVE LIST JUST LIKE CAPITAL ISSUES
Labour must be on the exclusive list of the constitution just like other factors of production like capital and land.
ERADICATE ILLITERACY NOW
The formation of Nigeria’s human capital is of great importance in the coming years if Nigeria wants to be part of the leading economies in 2020. As we have seen Nigeria is strong quantitatively in terms of the size of the population. But the quality is declining fast. The Human Development Index (HDI) provides a measure of human capital development in three dimensions: income, health, and education.
Nigeria is ranked 156 among 187 countries meaning that Nigeria is considered to have low level of human development. In terms of literacy level, Nigeria is in the bottom.
As part of the activities lined up to mark this year’s International Literacy Day, ILD, in Anambra, the National Mass Education Commission, NMEC, has revealed that as many as 64 million Nigerian adults are illiterate. The Chairman of the Governing Board of the commission, Esther Udehi, said “It is a shame that in the 21st century we should be having such a number of illiterates”. For me it is not just a shame, it is a reversal of fortunes for a country that was on the road to eradicate illiteracy in the past.
It is is a tragedy If countries with less endowment like Zimbabwe and Cuba had archived literacy rates of 90.70 and 99. 9 per cent respectively, it is a scandal that 13th oil producing nation like Nigeria could be slide back into mass ignorance and underdevelopment. Precisely because education is on the concurrent list, I therefore suggest that local government edits and state laws must make primary schooling compulsory. The state laws must also criminalize and penalize parents that do not allow their wards to go schools in the 21st century.
IMPROVE ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION; Declare Emergency on Secondary Education In 2014, almost 69 per cent of all candidates that sat for West Africa Examination failed to have 5 credits including English and Mathematics! Indeed only 31.2 percent (i.e.529, 425,000 out of 1,692,435,000 candidates) had credit pass in 5 subjects including English and Mathematics in the 2014 as against a 36.57 percent in 2013, and 38.81 percent in 2012. I suggest Nigeria should declare emergency on secondary education with a view to remotivate school teachers for educational service delivery!Nigerian secondary education system is terribly sick and requires an urgent, full-scale diagnosis, and deserving physicians. All state governors should be held accountable for the performance of their students.
OVERCOMING MASS UNEMPLOYMENT . Nigeria must grow the real sector of the economy revive the labour intensive industries to create mass jobs. I commend the new National Industrial Revolution Plan as announced by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The new automotive industrial policy is also commendable if fully implemented many car manufacturing plats can spring up to create sustainable industrial jobs. It sad that many of our children have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. unfortunately, they don’t have a J.O.B. ”We must reinvent the real sector of the economy, revive labour intensive industries and get the army of unemployed working.
IMPROVE ON PRODUCTIVITY
We must also improve on productivity. In 1958, late Ahmadu Bello said that “My motto for the new born North is “Work and worship”. We should not consume what we do not produce; stop exporting what we should add value to. The most precious input factor in productivity is time and time management. We parade highest number of public holidays on earth. Some of these holidays legitimize idleness rather than promoting decent work with respect to rest. How on earth do you declare a free working day to “mark” Democracy Day, a day arbitrarily chosen by one man in office that could even fall on a Monday? Why would children not be in schools on a Monday in the name of democracy? To deepen and defend democracy, we must work and work, read and read, not just idle away. Anti-democratic forces are at work only when we are asleep and slumber in ignorance. Nigeria works 8 hrs, 5 days a week.
But on average, other 19 countries in our preferred club of 20 most developed countries, (come the magic 2020!) work longer hours, 6 days a week. Out of 365 days in a year, Nigeria is at rest for some 120 days. Out of the official 8 hrs, we resume unofficially at 10 am, set to do some unofficial school (children) runs by noon, only to unofficially close shops at 3 pm ostensibly to beat the traffic
SKILL AQUISITION
We must implement the resolutions of the national Conference on skill acquisition for the unemployed so that they can be employable.
MOTIVATION-ITS TIME FOR A NEW MINIMUM WAGE
To appreciate human resource we must motivate the labour which constitutes the great resource. We must ensure workers are paid well and on time. It should be noted that delay of salary is the same as wage theft. The national Minimum wage is due for a review next year. The 2010 National Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage headed by Justice SMA Belgore GCON recommended that to avoid ad-hoc approach, the minimum wage is supposed to be reviewed every 5years. It is due this year! Time to review this is NOW!
REWARD SYSTEM; COMNEND GOODLUCK JONATHAN
We must also institute a system of reward and discipline to motivate labour for development. I commend President Goodluck Jonathan for the recent national honour award and recognition of the designer of Nigerian Flag, Mr Taiwo Akinkunmi after years of neglect and his employment as a Special Assistant, with a salary for life. Indeed the President is further encouraged to pay his arrears since 1960 he designed Nigerian flag.
WE MUST REINVENT. GOVERNANCE
2015 ELECTIONS should be contests of ideas not conquest of gladiators. In therefore praise General Buhari who advised his followers not to indulgence in violent and abusive campaign. In Kwara state, there is a cause for alarm given the war of words among contestants during the last Eid celebration. We therefore urge all contestants to make the campaign issues driven. The desecration of public space through personalized Slogans and Bill boards is unhelpful . Public spaces are meant for public enlightenment such as campaign for Polio eradication and against Ebola not glorification of power mongering leaders. Leaders should be held liable for the violence perpetrated by their members!
NATIONAL SECURITY
I commend the security forces on the fight against insurgency. However security goes beyond this. We also need assurance that the police and the army will not be used to intimidate the citizens. We therefore econdemn the recent misbehavior of AIG Mbu who arbitrarily detained a journalist in Abuja over simple exercise of freedom of expression. Mbu should respect the Police Code of Conduct or resign from the policy. Nigeria fought for democracy to get liberty to pursue happiness not to be assaulted by police officers paid with tax payers money.
IMPLEMENT NATIONAL CONFERENCE RESOLUTION ON CARPET CROSSING
The COMMITTE ON POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE of the concluded national conference recommends that; government should Ensure that an elected official who carpet-crosses from the political party that sponsored him/her to another party,before the expiration of the tenure of the office to which he/she was elected, shall loose his/her seat. We therefore urge Governor Olusegun Mimiko to resign as a Labour Party governor having decamped to PDP.
POLITICAL CLASS SHOULD THINK GLOBAL
Nigerian politicians should stop being parochial. We stop the North/South, Muslim/Christian unhelpful campaigns of hate. As the biggest African country on earth, we cannot avoid to be insular. Our leaders should think Global and act national and unify all the peoples for prosperity and development. We have done it in the fight against Ebola, we can do it against all other national odds.
Thanks
