Anambra, in 2016, led in the West African Senior School Certificate examination followed by Abia state. It is also the first Nigerian state to adopt a structural plan for its cities and just yesterday, the commissioner for agriculture, Mr Afam Mbanefo declared that Anambra has attained self-sufficiency with respect to rice production with an expected yield of 236,000 metric tonnes against Government’s targeted yield of 210 000 metric tonnes. This is the product of the hard work of 14,300 industrious farmers.
As I enjoyed the programme called The Platform on October 1, 2016, I listened carefully to the former Governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi and his interesting speech on wastage, corruption and frugality within the Nigerian public sector. I concluded that, just like it is rules Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there is a spirit on Anambrans that select the right leaders. I once told myself that Onitsha or Aba will compete one day against Lagos and Kano as leading international business hubs in Nigeria.
While states are looking around for aids, Anambra is looking for how to legitimately pull maybe 200bn out of the 800bn Nigeria spends on rice imports annually. For now, self-sufficiency has already happened. While Anambra is raising very brilliant kids who are not permitted to hawk during school hours despite the states commercial activity, some states left their students for hijab arguments, promote them anyway and “pass them out” with rich-red F in SSCE!
With a per capital GDP of $1615 and critical achievements in education, urban planning, agriculture, tourism, trade and commerce, Anambra is positioning like a state that is planning not only to feed herself but also this nation. With this level of farming and planning, Anambra might one day start lending money to Nigeria. The state seems not to be ready to celebrate her recent achievement as an oil producing state. It is still above all, planning hard at raising kids that have not only global education but local relevance.
Same thing that Anambra is doing with rice, Ondo state can do with Timber and Osun can do with Cocoa. If these get done, some states may develop cities like Paris within a decade. Governor Willie Obiano’s Anambra is creating agricultural opportunities by providing superior enabling environment for business and training kids that will sustain not just a business mindset but a business empire. This is how to prepare for the future!
As I enjoyed the programme called The Platform on October 1, 2016, I listened carefully to the former Governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi and his interesting speech on wastage, corruption and frugality within the Nigerian public sector. I concluded that, just like it is rules Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there is a spirit on Anambrans that select the right leaders. I once told myself that Onitsha or Aba will compete one day against Lagos and Kano as leading international business hubs in Nigeria.
While states are looking around for aids, Anambra is looking for how to legitimately pull maybe 200bn out of the 800bn Nigeria spends on rice imports annually. For now, self-sufficiency has already happened. While Anambra is raising very brilliant kids who are not permitted to hawk during school hours despite the states commercial activity, some states left their students for hijab arguments, promote them anyway and “pass them out” with rich-red F in SSCE!
With a per capital GDP of $1615 and critical achievements in education, urban planning, agriculture, tourism, trade and commerce, Anambra is positioning like a state that is planning not only to feed herself but also this nation. With this level of farming and planning, Anambra might one day start lending money to Nigeria. The state seems not to be ready to celebrate her recent achievement as an oil producing state. It is still above all, planning hard at raising kids that have not only global education but local relevance.
Same thing that Anambra is doing with rice, Ondo state can do with Timber and Osun can do with Cocoa. If these get done, some states may develop cities like Paris within a decade. Governor Willie Obiano’s Anambra is creating agricultural opportunities by providing superior enabling environment for business and training kids that will sustain not just a business mindset but a business empire. This is how to prepare for the future!
In this era of economic recession, states that key into agricultural businesses of comparative advantage will generate inflows beyond the naira and sustain it with well-trained kids while states that ignore her agribusinesses will one day attempt to borrow teachers’ salaries from Rwanda and leave 25 years bailout debt for kids that are failing SSCE right now.
Anambra makes me remember the case of California, an American state that generates more revenue than the whole of Canada! Until our states learn to be self-sustaining without Federal allocation, our economic prosperity will never happen neither will we ever be able to meet our endless organic obligations.
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