HOW TO LEAPFROG BENUE OUT OF POVERTY

Posted on July 1, 2022

Benue as a State is on an oxygen mask considering the loans, decay in infrastructure and the high unemployment rate. The recent statistics from DMO, NBS and BudgIT are not smiling with the State. So how can we navigate ourselves out of this growing level of poverty caused by bad governance?

One may say massive Agriculture considering our arable land. Unfortunately, most of our farmers are peasants who carry out their farming activities to solve fundamental life issues and not for business. We are yet to go into complete mechanized farming and there is no clear link in the value chain from the farmers to the middlemen to the production plants.

Another person may suggest massive industrialisation and rehabilitation of moribund industries like Taraku Mills, Otukpo Burnt Bricks, Sheraton hotel, Fruit Industry Kastina Ala, Mbatiav Cement Gboko, Benco Rooftiles Abinsi, Guma, Coal Powered Plant, Owukpa, Igumale cement etc. This cannot be achieved with a debt-burdened government. The private sector may not jump into salvaging the situation since they are not charity organisations. Also, the enabling environment is not yet created by the government to lure the private sector.

So how can we lift the next generation out of poverty since the majority of the population is into subsistence farming and small-scale businesses? Although education is one of the state’s comparative advantages over other States, most of the graduates are not in science, medicine and engineering or ICT. In essence, we have so many people with certificates and limited skills to drive the industry.

To leapfrog our way out of poverty, we need to focus on the area of ICT like the Indians. ICT is the new Oil and Gold. Raising a generation of ICT experts is not as expensive as medicine and engineering. Here you just need a human being who is ready to learn, a reputable ICT institute, and a laptop installed with the needed Software and internet. And within six months, that person will have all the skills to work anywhere in the world. Through my experience as an IT Consultant and CEO of an IT firm, I know our people are brilliant enough to learn and acquire new ICT skills quickly. If they acquire these skills, they can work remotely in Benue for ICT companies in Europe and America, and they will be paid in hard currency.

I see a possibility of another Silicon valley in Benue State if we all put our hands on the deck and key into this vision!