HOW NIGERIA’S VISION 2020 CRUMBLED, By Gbadebo Adeagbo

Like many other advanced nations such as Japan, Germany and so on, which we can safely call the leading countries in the world have envisaged a blueprint or template to rejig their economy, technology and social stability status; Nigeria also embarked on such long term plan strategy aimed at making her economy the 20th largest in the world come 2020.

By implication, she would conveniently seat as the largest economy in Africa without any displacement and would be able to compete with many fierce countries in Europe and the so called “Asian-Tigers”. Even beyond this, the consequences of this vision posed a savory on the standard of living of the Nigerian people if at all the vision was successfully accomplished.

But, in simple term, what has gone wrong in the actualization of this dream, despite the humongous and vast human-capital resources at our disposal? How soon do we endeavor to re-strategize on another utopia and El dardo, which would have overhauling effects on our economic growth? This question would leave us mulling eternally, because the answers are not forthcoming.

But before the chances shrunk completely, the country commissioned several committees such as National Council on Vision 2020, Business Support Group, Technical Support group, and so on. Aside this, the involvement of critical private sectors and progressive stakeholders were incorporated to compensate for the NEEDS 2 programme aimed at developing various sectors of the economy and institutionalizing sound and creative financial institutions to oversee the finances of the country.

Also included in the aims and objectives of the Vision 2020 includes, a sound manufacturing sector that can boost of 40% of the Gross Domestic Product(GDP), effective education sector that would proffer practical solutions to the country’s albatross, a health sector that can boost the life expectancy of an average Nigerian. The list remains endless.

However, this writeup is not a comprehensive report on the Vision 2020, but, instead, to expose how the failure to implement this exclusive template has continued to hunt us as a nation. Aftermath of the failure, are there plans to meet up in the near future? Are there strategies to reel out another template by the government for the next two decades or there about? Only the federal government can answer this.

Today, the country is 27th economy in the world. Recently, she has been rated as one of the poorest country in the world. Millions of her citizens can hardly live on $1 dollar per day, while inflation rate as continued to skyrocket in a frightening proportion. Without exaggeration it would take another twenty to thirty years before the country can be rated 20th largest economy. This however, would require genuine framework more practical and sophisticated than Vision 2020.

In reality, apart from Nigeria, other countries have harmonized plans for the development of their respective countries. The Schuman Declaration on 9th May, 1950 by the French foreign minister was important at that period to harmonize France and Germany together after the end of the second world war. The aim of the declaration was to pool resources together for the development of coal and steel for industrial expansion. It also incorporated other European countries to come together to pool resources together. What are the outcomes of this?

Even with the plans to phase out coal in Germany and France. The country has alternative plans of nuclear electricity and renewable energy. It might interest you that coal caters for about 40% of Germany’s source of electricity. With the proposed phase out in Germany, she would still import coal from other countries to augment her electricity need , because the cost of mining coal is greater than the cost of import.

Except we decide to live in deceit and hypocrisy, France and Germany are big wig countries. They have the financial and technological strength to decide the fate of many countries in the world. Germany is 6th, while France is 9th among producers of electricity in the world. How can such nations’ technology swim in pool of retardation among comity of nations? I simply ask.

It was not through magic that Singapore and Malaysia became the “Asian Tigers”. The countries gained independence almost the same time from the British colonial master as Nigeria does. They rebuild and rejig their countries along economic and technologic border through diligence and dedication.

Despite the annihilation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States, Japan still stood tall as the most industrialized nation in the world. The country has an effective manufacturing base which caters for a bulk of her GDP.

For contemporary justification,the more fascinating Vision is the Qatar Vision 2030. The Qatar vision 2030 is determined at ensuring a sustainable development plan for the citizens, catering for the ecological challenges, infrastructural expansion, youth development just to mention but a few.

Before 2030, the country has moved from 57th position to 36th position in human development index between 1997-2012. The country despite little natural resources, she would host the 2022 world cup, and possibly accrue billions of dollars from the competition to further boost her economy.

Nevertheless, we cannot blame the country for dreaming too big. We cannot at the same time tag the giant of Africa as overambitious. It is all for the good of the people of the country. The government can only be questioned on why the Vision was never accomplished at the stipulated time. That is if the people truly understands the concept of the template.

One of the major reason why the Vision crumbled was because it is not inclusive. There is no way citizens’ input on national project could be ridiculed on issues of national planning. What about the billions of dollars spent on this? Does it have resultant effects? No.

As much as we continue to clamor on corruption, mono-economy, and heavy dependence on import; future plans cannot survive without holistic strategies that would be all-inclusive, just as other countries in the world have successfully unleashed her plans and strategies.

Gbadebo Adeagbo writes from Ado-Ekiti. He can be reached via Adeagbo76@gmail.com