By Francis Ogbimi

BILL Powell (Newsweek Magazine, June 21, 1999) described a failed nation as one that possesses the following, among other features: 1) It is unable to pay the salaries of workers; 2) It is a nation that is unable to collect taxes; 3) It is overwhelmed by corruption, decadence and decay; and 4) it is a nation unable to guarantee the security of life and property. We can add that a failed nation cannot guarantee the well-being of its citizens.

A failed nation is a retrogressing economic system. A failed nation is confronted by inter- and intra-ethnic strife. A failed nation is unable to solve any problem. A failed nation is highly indebted.

There were great hopes when Nigeria and other African nations gained political independence in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Nigeria is virtually a failed nation today. Yet, it can be worse. It can come to a state when each Nigerian has no life outside his/her house and premises; no community life.

It can come to be that there shall be no free movement outside our premises, no contact address, no light, no public water system, no refuse disposal system, no radio, no television, no markets, no functioning educational systems, each Nigerian man/woman would be against every other Nigerian man/woman. Many of us would then be living in refugee camps not knowing whether the other members of the family are dead or alive.

We would all be living in fear. I hear many millions of Nigerians say, God forbid! I too, say, God forbid! This demands that every Nigerian should work very hard to ensure that Nigeria does not fail and break up. The effort must not be left to any single individual or group. 

I laughed when I read that President Muhammadu Buhari, PMB, said he would not allow anything like EndSARS to happen again. PMB knows about the situation in some Arab nations, including Afghanistan now. Let him send his staff to find out for him what happened in the English Revolution 1640-1688, French Revolution 1789-1799, Russian Revolution 1905-1917; as well as in Sudan, Ethiopia, USSR, etc. The state of Hawaii of the USA is 4,400 km (2,800 miles) in the sea from continental USA. That demonstrates that it is not force that keeps a people together in a nation but the pride of belonging to a great nation. 

This article is part of my contribution. I am Emeritus Professor of Technology Management. I commenced a curiosity-driven research in 1986 to establish the scientific basis of the present global distribution of wealth and power and how nations develop. The research has been blessed abundantly. I have summarised the highlights of the results in a seven-book series. The eighth book is in the press. I believe that the results of our research constitute a special God’s gift-package to mankind. 

Why do I think that there should not be party-election in Nigeria in year 2023? First, Nigeria does not have political parties. President Dwight Eisenhower (1956) of the United States, reflecting on the issue of political parties, said a political party deserves the approbation American, only as it represents the ideals, the aspirations and the hopes of Americans.

 If it is anything less, it is merely a conspiracy to seize power. About 20 years later, Daniel Boorstin (1973), an American historian, again reflecting on the issue of political parties, said a political party is organised for a purpose larger than its own survival; a political machine exists for its own sake, its primary purpose is survival. I agree with President Eisenhower and Boorstin.

Political groups in Nigeria do not represent the ideals, the aspirations and hopes of Nigerians; they exist for their members. Six decades after political independence, more than 70 per cent of Nigerians are very poor today; 31 per cent of Nigerians were poor in 1960. It is clear Nigerian politicians either have no plan to develop Nigeria or do not know how to develop Nigeria. 

The second reason is that a nation that cannot promote economic growth in terms of increased employment and wealth creation cannot promote peace and security. Increased employment promotes orderliness but mass unemployment and poverty coexists with insecurity.The third reason Nigeria should not organise party-based election in 2023 is that history shows the political route to growth and development of a nation is usually very long, uncertain, prone to violence, risky, etc.

European and Asian nations drifted about 2000-3000 years with various forms of governments before the people acquired scientific knowledge, skills and capabilities and transformed all aspects of life, including politics. There is no sense continuing to emphasise a route we know is risky, very long, prone to violence and more likely not to achieve the goals and aspiration of all Nigerians.

A fourth reason for my suggestion is that party-based politics in 2023 cannot be less of a do-or-die affair than that of 2019. PMB said he was afraid of 2019 elections in 2017 or so. Nigeria is much worse in all aspects now than before 2019. If PMB were honest he should say today that he is very, very, very afraid of 2023 elections. What is the alternative? There are two main aspects to the alternative. First, is the political change. Election should be organised on community basis.

The present geo-political zones, our largest communities, should be made a federating (learning) level. Nigeria should adopt five federating (learning)-levels federation: Central, geo-political zones, state, local government and city (mayoral) governments, for more learning experiences and better coordination. Zonal leaders should be elected in the zones (communities).

The election should be a simple one about the individual within the geo-political zones. The six zonal leaders so elected for the central government will come together to form the executive arm of the federal/central government. Each zonal leader would head the central government for two years. The Federal Government will organise election once in 12 years. Similar elections should be held in all other federating levels. 

The second main part of the alternative is the management of the economy; this should become top-priority. Our research showed that learning (education, training, employment and research, integrated) is the primary basis of achieving sustainable economic growth and industrialisation. The higher the intensity of learning, the sooner the learning person or nation achieves a desired target.

The highest learning rate a nation can achieve is to mobilise all her citizens for learning. Nigeria should mobilise all her citizens for learning. In the learning-nation, no one is left idle. The Nigerian economy would be transformed in a few decades. The learning-nation will create wealth rapidly, developing simultaneously all she needs to crush any divisive force. Japan mobilised all its citizens from 1886 to 1905 and achieved industrialisation.

China mobilised all its citizens for learning in 1949 and achieved industrialisation in the early 1980s. Let us demand this saving opportunity from the government of today for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Professor Ogbimi, a commentator on national issues, wrote via: fogbimi@yahoo.com