By Pius Mordi
It is an acronym that is as classy as it is inspiring. In 1999, just as the Fourth Republic was birthed, the governors of the six states that make up the Niger Delta, got together and set up the BRACED Commission – to create a strong regional economy through economic cooperation and integration, leading to sustainable development and collective benefits for the people of the region.
The acronym is drawn from the first letters of the six states – Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta. Cross River State under the charismatic Donald Duke hosted the first South South Economic Summit at the then futuristic and picturesque Tinapa Resort in April 2009 where tentative steps were taken to draw the road map for a regional approach to the development of the states.
Three years later, Asaba, capital of Delta State, hosted the second edition where Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan pulled all stops to host a three-day spectacular talk shop where Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, was the keynote speaker.
Apart from calling for the urgent review of the current revenue allocation formula to move more resources to states, the issue of worsening power supply stood out among the major resolutions adopted.
To wean the region from the epileptic national grid, the governors also recommended the establishment of a Niger Delta Energy Corridor (NDEC) so as to properly connect the people, industry and natural resources for it will create job opportunities for the teeming youths in the region.
The governors also agreed to implement the agricultural development programme. This, they agreed, should be given top priority. Their regional approach was anchored on the imperative to unbundle the national grid to enable the states harness the abundant gas deposits to an independent, reliable and regular electricity that will power the economic transformation and industrialisation of the Niger Delta.
Envisioned to hold every three years, the third edition was supposed to be hosted by Godswill Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom State in 2015. It was at this point that politics and the personal aspirations of the governors kicked in to derail what was emerging as a platform to coordinate the transformation of the region. Akpabio failed to host the summit and it has remained so ever since.
The next generation of governors did not seem to have bought into the South south agenda. Rivers’ Nyesom Wike, the combatant stormy petrel of the region and enfant terrible of Nigerian politics, saw himself as a president-in-waiting and preferred to court the partnership of states in other regions where he donated stupendous amounts of his state’s funds to win new friends.
During the extended period of inertia, Ambassador Joe Keshi, the engine room of the region as the Director General of the BRACED Commission, opted to hold sector-specific developmental subjects to keep the BRACED spirit alive while biding his time. But without the push that comes with the presence and participation of governors, the mini talks lacked the drive to actualise the laudable ideas espoused.
Despite the failure to hold further talks at governors’ level since the Asaba Summit, the resolutions and agreements demonstrated that vision and viable ideas have never been in short supply. Economic vision is as important as political astuteness. Unfortunately, in Nigeria’s political firmament, the South south is still lacking in evolving political cohesion to project and advance its interests in national politics.
Again, despite recognising the imperative to make electricity generation and distribution a pivotal part of its development agenda and get the rest of the country to buy into the idea while Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a son of the region, was still president, the resolutions ended as all talks and no action. With more than 80 percent of Nigeria’s gas deposits domiciled in the Niger Delta, that the region failed to engage the rest of the country to adopt a constitutional amendment that would remove power generation and distribution from the exclusive to the concurrent list to enable states wean themselves from the ineffectual and debilitating national grid showed the inability of the region to play national politics to its advantage.
As the saying goes, development does not mean having to reinvent the wheel. The Asaba 2012 summit laid the path for the Niger Delta to chat a path for its enduring development without the encumbrances of the federal might.
The Asaba summit urged the BRACED Commission to boldly provide developmental leadership for Nigeria as this is consistent with the historical antecedents of the South – South region and its resourcefulness. The Summit adopted some crucial policy proposals that would have knock on effects on the rest of the country.
On restructuring, they said the Federation should be restructured and unbundled, including the review of the current revenue allocation formula, to give more powers, responsibilities and funding to the States and Local Government as centres of growth.
To strengthen the nascent governance structure in the region to incorporate private sector and other non-state actors with a view to creating favourable policy, legal and regulatory environments that will stimulate greater private sector participation in the development initiatives of the region.
It called for the review of current policies and regulations on power and gas to enable the States to generate, transmit and distribute electricity to complement the efforts of the federal government and facilitate the utilization of moribund capacity in the region. This will promote and accelerate economic development in the South – South region. In pursuit of this, the Summit accepted the development of a Niger Delta Energy Corridor, a project with potentials for connecting the people, industry and natural resources and creating jobs.
To accelerate the implementation of agricultural development initiatives as the region’s priority focal area, the BRACED states offered to complement the Federal Government Transformation Agenda on Agriculture.
On the multi-modal link of the region, the governors approved the development of a strategic integrate transport facilities in the region, through a balanced development of rail, roads, waterways and airport facilities. They also offered to partner the federal government and the private sector in the development of the proposed Lagos – Calabar Railway Lines Project and press for the urgent completion of the East – West Highway.
And to create the requisite manpower needed to drive the region’s development, they pledged to ensure quality education in the region and the adoption of ICT and collateral equipment for all levels of education (primary, secondary and tertiary). A renewed impetus in the areas of curriculum development, teachers’ preparation, re-certification (in-service and professional education) and holistic training approach was recommended.
Beyond the region’s endowment with oil and gas resources, they hoped to implement policies that will release vast potentials of service economy of the region in the areas of creative industry, entertainment, culture and tourism. In pursuit of this, a follow-up Culture and Tourism Forum was to be organised to draw up the sector’s road map for economic development.
There was also the immediate adoption of mitigation and adaptation measures in climate change, bio-diversity conservation, land – use planning and infrastructural designs by BRACED States and key into investment opportunities opened.
The resolutions made 12 years ago at the Asaba summit remain as relevant as tomorrow as the nation continues the search for an equitable structure, balance and strategy for development, the BRACED states are in a position to lead the charge if only its leadership can jettison myopic and selfish politics and become statesmen for the region.
The road map is already there.
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