My submission to the UK Parliament

Key evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gSbMescYwc

Summary (Abstract)

The evidence stated in this submission is an interview given by Harrod Smith (a former British government employee in Nigera) to a Nigerian journalist (Fatherland Group on Youtube) about UK’s influence on Nigerian history and development. It gives a succinct overview or history of the root of Nigeria’s under development and why all developmental efforts do not put Nigeria back on the right track for a sustainable development. The Parliament should on humanitarian grounds deal with these fundamental issues especially as Nigeria cannot plan ahead without a reliable data. The foundations of Nigeria as a county, its design and structure need to be amended to give favourable outcomes. Getting Nigeria on the right track will save Africa and make the world a safer place. UK will write its name on gold again if it takes this advice.

• What key lessons can the UK Government learn from its development engagement with Nigeria in recent years?

The UK government has to engage the Nigerian state to dismantle the political economy that it influenced Nigeria to establish before independence in 1959. It has gone from bad to worse and the worst scenario are there today. UK should not be shy because it stands to benefit if this works out. Good amount of monies earned by Nigerian diaspora in UK are plunged back to Nigeria to ease hardship, hunger and poverty. Unfortunately, these monies are spent on food.  These monies would have been put to use in the UK if Nigeria is prosperous.

Secondly, the stringent measures demanded for access to grants by FCDO calls for proposal have not translated to success and meaningful impacts. Grassroot organizations might be able to perform well but may not have necessary organizational structures/networks demanded by UK funders. Micro-grants could also serve for small organizations, grassroots or newly formed organizations; where established structures do not exist. Why would a UK funder choose a government owned university and exclude a government owned research institute in a funded call? Whereas the universities in Nigeria claim to have academic freedom; the reality on ground is not the case. A full time equivalent researcher will execute a research project better than a university lecturer not exempted from teaching class due to engagement in an external funded project.

• What are the key development challenges facing the country and how can the UK best provide distinct support for a) the Nigerian Government and b) civil society in seeking to tackle them?

Nigerian elections have not produced the right candidates. If the UK is contributing funding to elections in Nigeria, it should demand for transparency and fairness in electioneering in Nigeria. Whereas UK might feel that the status quo since independence favours its foreign policy, the experience from the Francophone African countries should inform UK’s foreign policies in Nigeria and Africa. The Anglophones will one day denounce UK just as what happened to France if UK does not act fast. Sentiments are growing with the increased poverty and frustrations in Nigeria. We cannot all empty our fatherland and migrate to Europe

The Covid-19 pandemic social protection analysis in Nigeria has shown that poverty is now endemic in urban centres in Nigeria. Poverty is fairly shared in the North and South of Nigeria. The urban population who treks long distances to work and schools is not different from the man in the rural village in Nigeria still farming with holes and cutlasses. UK and its EU partners should change its approach and disposition to funding more development programmes in Northern Nigeria till the politicians engage in reforms. Moreover, it will be appreciated if there is equitable distribution or allocation of funding to all regions based on needs.

There is nothing stopping Nigeria from going back to emulate UK Parliamentary system of government. Government cannot be wasteful and expect British tax payers to continue to fund wastages and corruption. There is no need for bi-camera legislature in Nigeria; having a senate and house of representatives. The new parliament should be a part-time assignment. Those really interested in solving Nigerians challenges should lead the parliament.

b) UK should engage both new and old civil right organizations. The new civil organizations need to make a name and will want to refer to proper execution of initial or previous projects in a bid to win more project grants. Yet most funders neglect them and go ahead to fund those who may not be in dire need for the funds.

• What principles should guide UK development engagement with Nigeria as it finalises its “Africa Approach” in the coming months?

Equity, fairness and Justice should guide the principles of Uk in development of Nigeria. Do to other what you feel will be good for you.

The reforms in Nigeria are superficial and those in government are using the reforms for political gains rather than restructuring Nigeria. UK should forget geopolitics and threat countries on merit. However, the UK has the potential to jumpstart development in Africa more than any other country or super-power. UK should cherry pick or target its Africa approach. Getting Nigeria to work will influence developments in West Africa and other anglophone countries. Nigeria should restructure its geo-political zones, balance power grabbing at the central government and also take governance to the grassroots. Nigeria needs UK help in that regards as it has been hard to reach a political consensus in that regard. UK must take steps to prove it is a reliable partner to Nigeria

• What is the UK doing to help create a fertile environment for equitable investment in Nigeria including through support of corporate and public governance, tackling corruption, and supporting effective economic policies.

Whatever UK is doing or not doing is a matter of time. France’s withdraw from Africa Francophones is reminder. UK will need to gain public trust and that trust is lacking due to the past colonial history that introduced hegemony and inequality in Nigeria. Corruption in Nigeria is rooted in ethnicity and tribal orientation in Nigerian politics, civil service and support structure. UK’s interest is seen in that light. Till UK does the needful, the informed public already has mistrust on what UK does nor does not do

More importantly, I have followed up recruitment of Nigerian officials for UK government offices and development organizations. Those recruitments to a large extent follow UK foreign policies and the trends in recruitment process in Nigeria.

Nigeria cannot reverse itself with the population census done before independence. How can the country plan without accurate statistics? UK laid the foundations behind the current political woes in Nigeria today. There are digital circulations of such stories in the media today. The UK Parliament should carry out an investigation of the manipulation of the initial population figures in Nigeria. Those who benefited have refused to allow for proper population counting or census because it is used to rig elections and gain a political gain. Till the right thing is one to get the right data, appropriating budgets and development programmes will never get the right results/outcomes.

• What is the role of development finance institutions, such as BII, in supporting the identified development objectives in Nigeria?
• What opportunities and challenges does the FCDO face as it seeks to support the localization of development activities in Nigeria?

FCDO risks wasting its efforts if Nigeria finally disintegrate. The political tension is high and countries such as Russia and China are making in-roads in Africa today. People in the North chanted for Russia’s help like what happened in the neighboring countries. Could Russia now be seen as a reliable partner in West of Africa compared to UK that has invested heavily and still investing? This calls for a rethink and change of foreign policies

Opportunities still exist in Nigeria as the Nordics, other Europeans and China prefer to invest in Eastern African countries rather than Nigeria. There are more young population in Nigeria that are digitally literate. UK should target this population before it is late. The demographical change in Nigeria demands that UK changes its approach.

The challenges of UK development efforts lie on the history of colonial rule, neo-colonialization and foreign policies towards Nigeria. The digital age needs that UK reconcile with those who fell victims to UK foreign policies in Nigeria just like Germany did in Nambia and France did to Algeria, Rwanda and other Francophone Africa.

• What opportunities are there for the UK to work with Nigerian Government to prevent conflict, promote peace and reconciliation in the Sahel?

UK has to get it right in Nigeria and that influence will get to the Sahel region. The history is that Africans do not see UK differently from the colonial French. The only difference is that the Francophone are more bonded together compared to the Francophone. If Nigeria is in disarray, what influence can Nigeria or UK as a partner wield in Sahel? UK should concentrate on Nigeria and the achievements will have ripple effects in the rest of West Africa. UK Parliament should also increase opportunities for Science Diplomacy and Public policy fellowship/training with Nigeria and others in the Sahel.

Trade in the Sahel has changed with the recent political unrest. Promotion of trade and free trade may also promote cooperation and peace. British businesses can target trade in Sahel using Nigerian supply chain or channels.

• What opportunities are there for the UK to work with civil society, particularly women, to prevent conflict, promote peace and reconciliation in the Sahel?

Target and promote gender development programmes for women and young people. Programmes on peace and conflict resolutions will help. However, the culture in Africa does not allow women to engage in things without informing their husbands. Gender programmes in Africa often do not work without involvement of all genders. Transgender politics divide Africans and attracts public distrust. UK has o thread with caution on these sensitive issues such as transgender or gay in Nigeria and Africa. Nigeria will not accept transgender promotion because they are very religious.

• How could UK investment and ODA be best catalysed to support Nigeria’s transition away from fossil fuels and respond to environmental challenges?
• Nigerian’s transition away from fossil fuel is a political issue. The fuel subsidy has increased the culture of using less fossil fuel however the rebound effect is that it has attracted public anger and political tension. UK should also approach this with caution. Nigeria has embraced the transition by using natural gas. UK should try to establish solar panel factories in partnership with Nigeria firms. There are opportunities to also establish solar energy farms or plants in remote areas in Nigeria.

UK official programmes on clean energies and technologies need to be streamline and made simpler. What does it take to ask a private company or non-profit organizations to get a local financial guarantor (insurance, Bank of Industry, Trade Association, chamber of commerce, community of practice, trade unions or cooperatives) to stand in for a funded project rather than ask a young energy company to provide counterpart funding before a renewable project is funded or financed? UK should develop other financing models for such programmes.