summary guide to understanding the problem with economic reform in Nigeria

chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

POOR ADMINISTRATIVE INNOVATION

Nigeria as a developing nation is expected to put into place basic infrastructures that will enhance national security and promote domestic growth. As a developing nation, it is vital that the private sector is encouraged and deals are struck in such as manner that the government and a well established private organization go into agreements in infrastructural development nationwide. These private organizations will look at the possibility of sponsoring mega projects that will see the nations GDP shoot up and such improvements will only attract other foreign based organizations that will seek to liaison with Domestic Corporation and expand on the development scope.

Such arrangements will create job opportunities, sustainable jobs and offers will be in place because those businesses created, are not only domesticated but become international projects and connect to the global market and world, products made in Nigeria with foreign investors in private sector advertised globally, even with a market place in the investors home country. On the part of the government, policies can be made to be flexible to encourage investors, like tax cut projects, tax policies on such domesticated foreign companies which will still pave way for the effective management of their infrastructures on ground improving services and employing more Nigerians, rendering services that are constant. For example, the Nigeria breweries company could decide to build a private lake resort like a tourist attraction at the reserve on the rivers Niger bridge shore close to Anambra state in Nigeria, a place where people can go for fishery sports and even refreshments, an artificial taste of what the sea may present. A place of relaxation and equipped with private helicopter landing bases for buoyant individuals, perhaps this could further interest and draw in a willing and able foreign investor to expand on this idea, maybe building and investing in transport system to encourage the tourist, perhaps a connecting train, that transport people to the inner city markets or hotels or business centers, generating income as well, this may lead to the creation of a new street maybe closer to the sight of tourism for security purpose etc, such administrative innovation is hardly a sight in Nigeria, instead in order to generate income most governments within the country will seek to impose tax levy on big organizations or companies affecting their ability to employ more people around the country, forcing them to centralize investment to reduce cost in each state.

The result of poor administrative innovation both in public and private sectors of the economy gets over burdened by old or aging structures that hinder economic opportunities for example, the health sector, which is a complete shambles today. Our government officials and top administrators will happily proclaim in news mediums that they are travelling overseas for medical checkup or treatment humiliating and demolishing the image of the country sighting the country as inefficient and not capable of protecting foreign visitors, a country considered the giant of Africa. Nigeria should be the kind of place where other Africa countries are trooping into for medical checkup, helping bring in revenues considering that in the united states alone, over 4000 Nigeria medical practitioners are working and contributing to the united states GDP.

The type of administrative innovation in Nigeria is truly frightening , in some parts of the country our state administrators in a bid to generate revenue will design a project like sending out touts dressed in some kind of uniform, waiting at road sides for the slightest motorist mistake even a flat car tyre and a stop by the road side could warrant wrath, all in a bid of extorting citizens, some tout officials will descend on that person as if they were thieves only to extort money from them, in most case the government would have invested in the scheme and in such organization, with aim of earning extra from traffic defaulters, buying these uniformed officials new trucks to enable them carry out their jobs effectively, and when these officials find an offender, they settle it at the road side collecting money and pocketing it not remitting back to government as an ideal investment, wasting tax payers money, even the money for the brand new truck in a year has not been covered by generated revenues’ call that poor professionalism.

There are so many wrongly designed policies in place throughout the federation of Nigeria hindering the nation’s economy; in a recession the government is still using policies from the days of abundance exposing the poorer citizens to even greater economic hardship, no policy reform to address pending issues.

Let us also take a look at the judiciary system in Nigeria, possibly the worse of the administrative nightmare in the country; some structures that exist in the judiciary were modified for a poorly formed federation early,, yet till today almost nothing have been added to improve on the foundations. The poorer masses are continuously exploited by those in authority abusing their rights and for some who are in the business of exploiting some regions the supreme courts being the highest court in Nigeria will fail to address or advice the government but will rather work for the government in harassing those poor masses or affected regions, all in favor of securing jobs and appointments as an affiliate or tribes man of those in power who are in wrong.

Lets further examine professionals like the senior advocates of Nigeria, who have turned out to be more interested in sponsoring of problems into big cases in order to secure huge salary pays for themselves, this is considered an innovation in their language without being called corrupt, instead of spare heading government or private sectors defaulters in favor of an investor who seeks flexibility with the law, or workers who were denied wages and fired , these senior advocates comfit to titles only.

The problem of administrative innovation is indeed a huge problem to the economic prospects of Nigeria. A country were rule of law is openly rejected, poor innovative mindset, no remodeling actors that emulate positive orientation on the youths, who would take over the mantle of leadership in the future, in fact the youths have been spectators to the economic and political unfolding in the country picking sides over national patriotism a danger to tomorrows political stability,

A country where its leaders fail to advertise its citizens in the right light, for example the current president of Nigeria, President Buhari has been sited calling his citizens lazy, criminals and untrustworthy in a bid to win admiration of world powers as a differ to the population .