EGEDE ECONOMIC SUMMIT INITIATIVE. Theme: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN A SECURED ENVIRONMENT....Keynote Address by Eze Sunny Patrick Udeh, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Opening Comment

I am elated to be here among my own very people to share ideas, perspectives, to learn from each other, and shape a path to a better economic prosperity for Egede within the theme of economic development in a Secured Environment.

I am particularly inspired by the enthusiasm generated by the Economic Summit.  We are all indebted to the team of organizers who left no stone unturned to ensure the success and inclusive nature of this gathering.

Your hard work is in line with the best practice to start to address the economic development needs of a community. You have done well by providing a forum and opportunity for people from various professions, local businesses, organizations, and stakeholders to interact and openly discuss, and chart a new course to our economic destiny.

Egede Economic Summit did not spring out of thin air.  There is a pioneer.  Someone who put this great idea to fruition.  Let me salute Chief Barr. (Mrs) Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu.  Ada Eji Eje Mba.  Thank you for showing the lights for others to follow.  You have done noble.

Key Issues (Abstract) 

To outline some of the issues we will discuss today

1. We will share information and insights about economic development. We will discuss what that means and how we can carry it out in our own environment.

2.  Our discussion will narrow to Egede and her economic development prospects. We will identify assets and resources to be the basis of local economic development activities and some of the challenges of Egede and other rural communities.

3.  We will redefine agriculture (agriculture for export) and see it as a business venture with high potential for profit.  We will review the value chain of cashew and cannabis.  We will identify the external and internal sources of funds. (FGN, International Organizations & Diaspora). 

4.  We will discuss Egede in relationship to the Udi Local Government Area.  We will address the impact of impediments such as; successive failed leadership in government, perennial corruption, extreme poverty on our  journey to economic prosperity, as well as, propose possible solutions.

5.  We will revisit the challenges and obstacles on our way to economic prosperity. We will discuss security and public safety issues. We will focus on the crisis between farmers and herdsmen, and provide information to proactively prevent future crisis before they occur.

1.  Brief Economic Development

A glance at the list of the emerging and new technologies points to names such as; Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Quantum Computing, et cetera. These technologies are at various stages of development.  Most of these technologies are built by human beings like us in some of the more advanced economies like USA, Japan, and Germany. 

As I think about the technologies, I wonder what we as a people can do to contribute and how we can participate in bringing these technologies to light.  I was thinking about the people - the technologists, the research-scientists, and programmers who are toiling everyday to make things happen. These people are not different from you or I. They wake up each morning and eat breakfast. Throughout the day to maintain their energy, they'll have lunch, and round out their day with dinner. 

While we may not serve any to them directly, we provide something in between meals.  We provide snacks.  Yes, common snacks like roasted cashew nuts.  With that common snack, our economic story will transform for the better.

Today, we will find out the possibility of changing our economic fortune through the discussion of economic development activities.

Without firm definition of economic development, some refer to it as shooting at moving objects.  However, Giugale captured the essence when he described economic development at the most basic level, as the process through which a community creates material wealth and uses it to improve the well-being of its members.

Economic development is planned.  It is strategic.  It is participatory.  It is inclusive.  It is apolitical.  It is goal-oriented.  It involves all stakeholders in a community working together for a common and unifying goal.  Economic development is about job creation and job growth.  It is about youth development and empowerment.  It is about women and gender equality.  It is instrumental to the eradication of poverty by providing economic empowerment to the rural community.

In simple language, whenever you buy bags of cement in Egede to build your house, send money from Enugu or Diaspora, or buy your foodstuff; you have contributed to economic activity of our community, and by extension you have also contributed to the economic development of Egede. Whenever you pay for the education of a young man or woman, you have added value to the human capital of Egede and, in doing so, you have also contributed to our economic development.

United Nations and the World Bank encourage developing nations to employ the use of economic development to foster partnership between the people and the local government, to accelerate economic growth and achieve the more encompassing sustainable development goals (SDGs). 

However, in rapidly changing technological sphere, economic development is not a magic wand. It is not one size fits all.  What works for community A may not necessarily work for community B. This calls for carefully study and intense analysis before choosing a path. 

For our peculiar circumstances, which we all know to be successive failed leadership in government, perennial corruption, and extreme poverty -- the most appropriate path, in my opinion, is to adhere to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendation of Smart Growth economic development.  The smart growth option comes handy as a way of rethinking and addressing the economic development challenges with small, manageable solutions that create stronger, more resilient communities.

According to EPA, many communities are finding success by leveraging on their existing assets as competitive advantage to create new investments. The smart growth strategy supports businesses and workers and improve quality of life as it brings together these elements and recognize the balance among them and the need to create long-term value in addition to short-term gains. It is my recommendation that Egede is ripe for this strategy and we as her citizens and caretakers must take a closer look at our prospects.

2. Egede Amaka

Egede is strategically located between two highways – Eke through Affa and a federal road from 9^th Mile Corner to Obollo Afor.  Egede is blessed with massive land mass – vast land stretching from Amaozalla, Anekeneze, Umovu through Okpogho, all the way to Edu Ogwugwu deep into Ezeagu.  Egede’s land is ideal for large scale commercialized and mechanized agriculture.  We have enough land to comfortably accommodate a couple of Universities and still have room for industrial park.

Egede had made some marks in community development. Egede without the help from any government built the first primary school, St. Cyril.  Egede built both old site and new site primary schools--where we are today.  Egede confronted the need for secondary school and a son of Egede, a contractor took up the challenge as we completed the Egede girls without help from government.

Egede took a bold step in the construction of the massive St. Cyril Catholic church when others were building tiny churches we went big and the result is there for all to see. Egede had embarked on many successful and not quite successful development projects. We have to do more.

Egede is equally blessed with great people who are accomplished in numerous professions, both at home and spread across the globe creating a vibrant and diverse Diaspora population.  Egede has many successful academicians, business men and women, industry leaders, opinion leaders and members of the clergy. 

Egede had many political leaders. A son of Egede represented Udi North in Enugu State House of Assembly for these past eight years.  Egede has had commissioners, special advisers, and assistants to governors.  Egede has professional musicians of international repute and professional football players making global waves. To top it off, Egede is proud to be blessed by a Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who happens to be the pioneer of Egede Economic Summit.  Egede nwelu mmadu.

Today in Egede there are numerous entrepreneurs - men, women and youths engaged in various business ventures.  You can practically buy every building material you need to build a house in Egede.  Transportation within Egede is a problem of the past as you can zip from one end of the town to another in minutes.

Egede had a shot at industrialization in the past.  One of our own brought back Benjoth Nigeria Limited, acquired land and proceeded to develop a manufacturing plant.  Unfortunately, the cold hands of death aborted the efforts, stifling the opportunity for Egede to leapfrog into full scale industrialization.

However, a few years ago and within the same vicinity an Egede son is taking yet another shot at a manufacturing plant.  The Eastern Vehicle Assembling Limited is listed as number 20 on the list of car manufacturing and assembling plants in Nigeria and it is set to produce BIGST SUV and pickup trucks.  A recent chat with the director indicates that full operation will commence next year after conclusion of arrangement with their Chinese technical partners.

Egede has seen a modicum of infrastructural development with numerous roads at various stages of construction, but incomplete, criss-crossing each other courtesy of Enugu State Government, World Bank and Federal Government. Egede has a stretch of road recently constructed by one of our sons, a successful businessman.

Even though the detailed demographics of Egede can only be estimated, but evidence suggests that Egede is powered by a vibrant young population, men and women, seasoned as they are enterprising, ready and willing to participate in the new economic journey to prosperity.

While we are basking in the positive glories, unfortunately, Egede has had her down period.  Egede had stable leadership from Late Chief Ekwueme to Late Chief Onwuzu.  However, for some years, Egede was a victim of leadership tussle which stagnated cohesion and development.

Perhaps the perception of credibility gap in the leadership of Egede since the demise of His Royal Highness, Okwulu Oha 1 of Egede, Igwe Michael Onwuzu of blessed memory is still lingering. For the fact that Egede traditional political organization rhymes with the typical Igbo rugged republicanism lends more credence to the perception.

In Egede, it is more of a consultative assembly of people where every individual is treated equal. Umunna, the male descendant from the ancestors are ranked by age of the ancestors. The council of elders administer the affairs and specific age grades deliberate and make decisions on important matters. Titled men are respected for their accomplishments, but no Egede man revers another as a King or superior. Any deviation from the order tend to ruffle feathers and leave cracks in the unity of Egede.

For Egede to accomplish the vision and achieve the mission of local economic development requires the leadership to take steps to amend the situation and alter the existing perception.  The onus is now on Igwe Dr. Oyigbo & Igwe Dr. Okwesili. Both need to reach out to the entire community and improve relationships as they carry along the community. 

They have to understand the laws governing the offices they occupy and adhere to it rigorously. The people of Egede should start feeling and seeing genuine efforts in the leadership to unite the people.  Egede must cease to be seen as the petition capital at the government house. We need sustainable peace to achieve the goals of economic development.

Now, the challenge is how to capitalize on our assets and resources in view of the obvious impediments to take the giant leap into economic development activities.  We are blessed with fertile land.  We are blessed with human capital.  Our leadership is firm and stable. We are ready to start the open discussion to chart a new economic path. 

From the crowd here today, I have no doubt that we can do it if we set our minds to it.  We want other adjoining communities to also embark on the same feat, because Egede cannot be an oasis of prosperity in the desert of poverty and penury. We want the rest of Udi, Enugu State and Nigeria to start thinking in this direction.  We will do it better by understanding how others did it successfully and work toward achieving the same feat for our community.  And we can, with Agriculture as a start.

3.  Agriculture to the rescue 

Egede’s strength lies in our massive hectares of land and human capital of vibrant youths, men and women.  While it is advisable to continue seeking investment in manufacturing plants and universities, our best bet is agriculture.

Agriculture has emerged as a beneficiary of the new wave of investment in non-oil sector as calls on Nigeria to diversify its economy points towards agriculture.  Many rural communities are tapping into these calls to explore opportunities in agriculture to improve their economic lot.

According to Central Bank report the federal government has sustained its efforts in the agricultural sector with the main objective of diversifying the economy, ensuring food security and restoring robust economic growth.

Toward this end, the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATN) recently unveiled a four-year strategic plan to promote agriculture and wealth creation activities with the sum of $700 million to be invested to support smallholder farmers and young agripreneurs.

The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) entered into $10 million agreement with Kebbi State Government to promote agribusiness’ to provide seed capital and technical assistance to local agribusiness in the state.

The paradigm shift in agriculture is moving from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, creating young agripreneurs by promoting commercial mindset towards agriculture.

Agriculture is viewed as a combination of business and development activity as we focus on the value chains of products where communities, states or nations have comparative advantage.

Agriculture is a value creation and income generation activity.  Agriculture is key to the diversification of the Nigerian economy.  Agriculture is no longer for domestic consumption alone, it is now geared towards export and foreign exchange earnings.

Therefore, the vibrant youth of Egede with necessary entrepreneurial skills should be encouraged and empowered to embrace the new wave of Agriculture for export. Our vast land stretching into Ezeagu is conducive for cultivation of cash crops which will change our economic fortune.

Cashew as our cash cow/crop

With fertile land, Cashew is the best choice of cash crop because of its significant economic value. The value chain of cashew includes farmers through cooperatives, processors, exporters and consumers.  In Egede we do not have many cashew farmers but our people still derive income by picking cashew nuts from wild cashew trees scattered throughout our land.

The destination of most of the cashew nuts is India or Vietnam through export.  The cashew nuts and its useful byproducts are processed and packaged in India or Vietnam for shipment to Canada, Europe and the USA.

According to the National Cashew Association of (NCAN) Nigeria is losing billions of Naira annually because of our inability to process cashew nuts for export.  Nigeria lost N1.4 billion in 2016.

The loss can be transformed into profit if we invest in large scale processing plant to process and export directly to Europe, United States and Canada cutting out the extra cost of exporting to India and re-exporting again. 

If we embrace this idea and act on it, in five years we will be sending cargo loads of processed and packaged cashew nuts from Egede directly to Toronto, London and New York and that would unleash economic prosperity in our communities.

However, it will take lots of commitment, dedication and hard work.  It will take serious planning and financing but help is available. The Bank of Industry sectoral breakdown of disbursements showed that the agro-processing sector received N30 billion representing 26.6 per cent.

                                                     

The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology through the National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), released19 new high-yield crop varieties to enhance agricultural production        

The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN) and the University of Ilorin entered into a collaborative agreement to boost cashew production and foreign exchange earnings--partnership to create viable sustainable cultivation of cashew through mass production.

Perhaps, we take advantage of available funds from various government programs, donor agencies, and international organizations.  We must remain open and receptive to the capability and financial muscle of our sons and daughters who have made it and are ready to help others.

There is also the potential inflow of finance from our Diaspora community who are currently spending over N15 million to drill borehole and reticulate water throughout our community.  We have to tap into all available funds and then focus on exporting.

Nigeria is favored by African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) which allows eligible countries of Africa to export thousands of products to the United States without paying duties making it possible for our cashew to be exported duty free.  The good news is that AGOA was extended to 2025 and the U.S. has maintained status quo.

Cannabis as our future cash cow/crop

Another up and coming cash crop we need to be thinking about for the future is Cannabis.  I know from growing up in Egede that our soil is suitable for the cultivation of cannabis and still is today. Our energetic youths could find solace in making money with cannabis instead of consuming it.

In Dr. Potter’s book titled, World Wide Weed, he described cannabis as a plant and also a drug of two major forms, cannabis resin (popularly known as hash or hashish) and the herbal cannabis (often known as marijuana). What distinguishes cannabis from other drugs is that it is harvested direct from plant and requires no processing before consumption.

According to the East African published as recent as December 2019, Cannabis could become Africa’s forbidden gold as African government open up to the cultivation and processing of the stimulant for medicinal use in quest to participate in the $100 billion global cannabis market.

Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the legal cannabis market in Asia is rosy and expected to swell to $8.5 billion by 2024.  Thailand is looking to become the region’s cannabis capital by quickly legalizing recreational and medicinal use of cannabis.

The question is whether our Federal Government will seize the moment and legalize cannabis, not for use, but for export so that we can also participate in the $100 billion global cannabis market. But this is just something to be thinking about as we say in Egede

‘Osa nu du ata akwu chalu, welu odu tokwasi n’oghu na achaghi’

With available help in financing for agriculture and possibility of duty-free export courtesy of AGOA our venture into cashew farming and plantation will yield good economic fruit and provide tremendous opportunities for our vibrant youths and for our communities in general. But it has to happen within good governance and in a safe and secure environment

4.  Egede and Udi Local Government.

Egede is two out of about 38 communities in Udi Local Government Area. From available information Udi LGA received allocation from the Federal Government to the tune of N2.07 billion from January through November 2019.  If you drive around Egede or any of the adjoining communities you will not see any sign of visible infrastructural development commensurate to such huge allocation. 

There is no social or welfare services provided to any poor citizen of Egede by Udi LGA.  There is no road construction, rehabilitation and even grading in our communities.  The borehole handed over to Egede by a construction company is no longer functional since it was taken over by the government.

Perhaps, the obvious failure of government at the grassroot placed the burden of caring for the extreme poor on us, while we are trying to jumpstart economic development.  Even though economic development tend to be apolitical we are still citizens of Nigeria, who in our individual capacities must demand better governance to ease our journey to economic prosperity.

The good news is that there is a solution and it is called "Town Government" authored and proposed by Dr. M. O. Ene.  This proposal is not new and has been made available to all the governors since the inception of democracy in 1999.  Recently, it was forwarded to His Excellency Governor Ugwuanyi. 

According to Dr. Ene, Town Government is not new to Igbo communities . It is an independent geopolitical and socio-economic entity on democratic doctrine that is in alignment with the tested principle of Igbo republicanism.  The essence is to deliver a wide range of services to all residents and to meet the challenges of modern living as they evolve and manifest.

According to Town Government proposal, the 11 months allocation to Udi LGA of N2.07 billion amounts to about N188 million per month. If we split it into half we have N94 million Udi LGA and the other half N94 million disbursed to the 38 communities.  The two communities of Egede will receive N5 million every month.  This is about a total of N60 million annually for community development of Egede. The same applicable to all other communities in Udi LGA who receive approximately N 2.45 million monthly, roughly N30 million annually.

With the above implemented, we have effectively solved the problem of failed government, corruption, and extreme poverty as communities will be providing social and welfare services to their own people, and at the same time, engaging in infrastructural development within their domain. 

Since this proposal has not received attention from the top leadership of the state it is important to present it to you the people at the grass-root to start making demands for Town Government so that the local government allocations, which has the tendency of sinking into a useless blackhole, will begin sinking in our own blackhole of growth and development here in Egede. Dr. Ene assured that a  more detailed proposal is readily available to guide every phase.

5.  Securing our environment

Despite the impediment to economic development in rural communities of Nigeria, we are still confronted with security and public safety issues prevalent in Nigeria.

The U.S. State Department as recent as October 29, 2019 issued travel advisory against traveling to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and maritime crime.  They also warned about sporadic violence occurring between communities of farmers and herders in rural areas.

The Human Rights Watch in their World Report of 2019 reported recurring violence between herdsmen and farmers, as well as, related cattle theft and banditry in many northern states which posed considerable threat to peace and security.

The security situation in Nigeria is not getting any better and the sporadic conflicts involving farmers and herders strikes at the core of our economic development efforts.  However, we cannot cower and fold over and do nothing.  We must truck along as we come up with solutions to proactively address the security challenges.

However, before we address possible solutions, let us briefly take a closer look at those at the herders side of the conflict.  In his piece titled, ‘Of Man and Cattle, Adebayo stated that the Fulani classify themselves into two distinct groups.  The Fulani Fulbe or the Town Fulani who serve as the clerics, engage in commerce and politics. 

The other is the Fulani Ladde or Bororo.  They are the pastoral Fulani.  These people are nomadic and mobile. They understand their host, but not many hosts understand them.  They preserve their bloodline.  They are separatists.  To them cattle is the most important thing in their lives.

According to Adebayo, for some reason the Caliphate way back from 1804, when they took over failed to integrate the pastoral Fulani into the Northern Nigerian society.  They remain wanderers and strangers in the land where they graze and remain so until this day.  They are the only ethnic group with no legal title to land anywhere. In effect, they are landless as they are homeless.

Now we know the people we are dealing with, let us examine some of the possible proactive solutions to avert farmer/herdsmen crisis in our communities.  Community Policing is one of the many potential solutions to avert crime in general and could come handy in the farmers/herders conflict. The concept of mutual respect and trust between the police and the communities, the police could form a bridge to facilitate farmers/herders continuous dialogue bringing both communities together on a regular basis to reassess the security situation in our various communities.

The rural communities are best advised to strengthen their local security (Vigilante Group) providing adequate training and equipment to enable them to prevent crime.  The Vigilante Group should also be in communication with the leadership of the herders addressing and resolving potential problems.

A former police commissioner in Anambra had suggested using the state born Fulani herdsmen to checkmate the activities of other alien to the states.  Such state born could be used to foster continuous dialog with the herders community to diffuse tension and prevent conflict.

Due to the culture of the Fulani herdsmen, their long lasting nomadic lifestyle, and the inability of the Caliphate to provide permanent solution in the past, I think a note of caution is in order in dealing with them. 

The farmer/herder crisis is such that comprehensive proactive solution is required. The United Nations recommends to ground all dialogue through human security concept which is people-centered, comprehensive, context-specific and prevention-oriented responses that strengthens the protection and empowerment of all people.

While the state government should move towards banning open grazing in line with the best practices, the Federal Government should work towards a permanent solution such as ranching.  Also, the Federal, State and Local governments should work with various communities, international organizations and donor agencies to promote communication, collaboration and dialogue to avert conflict and put an end to it. 

Conclusion

Economic development is how a community creates material wealth and uses it to improve the well-being of its members.  Success requires serious planning, devising strategies and executing.  Egede needs a standing Egede Economic Development Committee (EEDC) made up of seasoned professionals and stakeholders to champion this cause. EEDC should collaborate with our Diaspora communities.

Egede is ready and determined to take the plunge.  With appropriate entrepreneurial training and land availability even to women in line with gender equality, we can cultivate, harvest and process cashew and other chosen cash crops and export to Canada, Europe and the United States within 5 years and in that case provide snack to those researchers, technologists and programmers working to bring us new technologies.

To address the successive failed leadership in government, perennial corruption and extreme poverty we recommend ‘Town Government’ as a solution.  We insist on Town government as devolution of power and allocations from the Local Government Headquarters to our various communities to put an end to the disappearance of local government allocation into blackhole.  

For these to be successful we need a very secured environment.  We recommend community policing which could increase the effectiveness in preventing crime, enhancing dialogues among warring communities. We called on the communities to have a well-trained local security (Vigilante Group) to complement security and public safety.  We recommended to the Egede economic development Committee (EEDC) to adopt the UN recommended human security approach to dialogue with the herders to prevent conflict.

Finally, we have started this economic development journey.  We have Egede Economic Development Committee. We have to plan.  We have to devise strategies.  We have to execute.  By this time next year we have to take stock and know where we are.  Let us go out there and spread the word to our neighboring communities that Egede is indeed on the path of economic freedom and we do not want to be an oasis of prosperity in the desert of poverty and penury so they have to join us.  Dee jee nu

References on demand

The Profile of Eze Sunny Patrick Udeh, PhD, MBA, BBA. President & Principal Consultant at ESPAT SOLUTIONS GROUP CORP.

For over twelve years, President and Principal Consultant Dr. Eze Sunny Patrick Udeh and his team of associates have built a solid reputation for the most trusted business, nonprofit and government solution firm. Espat Solutions Group Corp is committed to providing quality services and solutions to the global community.

Dr. Udeh believes that honest and reliable solutions to problems are the recipe for prosperity and success. While others seek to profit by cutting corners, or recommending unnecessary services to clients, Espat Solutions believe that a good reputation and consistent service will reap bigger profits in the long run. By being trustworthy, Dr. Udeh believes that all parties will enjoy a long term profitable and performance excellence in businesses, nonprofits and governmental agencies.

Armed with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA- Finance & Real Estate) from the University of Texas at Arlington, Masters of Business Administration (MBA – Management, Management Information System, and International Business) from New York Institute of Technology, and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (PhD – adoption of innovative technology) from Trident University, Dr. Udeh and his team are roundly seasoned for comprehensive solutions to most businesses, nonprofits and governmental problems.  

Dr. Udeh worked in various administrative and managerial capacities at City of New York government for 21 years. Started academic career at Berkeley College, New York City, held an assistant professor position at Trident (TUI) University, a Senior Faculty Member of Keller Graduate School of Management. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of Business Administration and Management at South University and Southern New Hampshire University. His research interest is in e-government, strategic and operations management, innovative technology adoption/use, and globalization.

Dr. Udeh’s 25-years of combined academic, business and government experience provide wealth of knowledge, skills and experience in shaping Espat Solutions Group Corp into a formidable consulting and solution firm. 

Today, Dr. Udeh is the Keynote Speaker for the second Egede Economic Summit with a theme - Economic Development in a Secured Environment - It is doable!