In Vision 20:2020, Nigeria's political leadership, through the men and women gifted with vision, promised Nigerians that by the year 2020, the country would have a strong, diversified, sustainable and competitive economy that effectively harnesses the talents and energies of its people and responsibly exploits its natural endowments to guarantee a high standard of living and quality of life to its citizens. Nigeria is expected to be one of the 20 leading economies in the world with a GDP of $900bn and a per capita income of no less than $4000 per annum. This is not the first visioning process for Nigeria as we had the still-born Sani Abacha's Vision 2010 and others you may not exactly describe as visions but plans with set targets and implementation strategies.
Vision 2020 was anchored on four dimensions, namely social, economic, institutional and environmental. In the social dimension, we dreamt of a peaceful, equitable, harmonious and just society, where every citizen has a strong sense of national identity and citizens are supported by an educational and health care system that caters for all, and sustains a life expectancy of not less than 70 years. The economic dimension sees a globally competitive economy that is resilient and diversified with a globally competitive manufacturing sector that is well integrated and contributes no less than 25 per cent to the GDP. The institutional dimension envisions a stable and functional democracy where the rights of citizens to determine their leaders are guaranteed and adequate infrastructure exists to support a market-friendly and globally-competitive business environment. The environmental dimension speaks of a level of consciousness that enables and supports sustainable management of the nation's God-given natural endowments to ensure their preservation for the benefit of present and future generations. The projection was that the country will record economic growth of 13.8 per cent a year to achieve this vision.
This discourse has reproduced the overall vision statement and the dimensions of the economic blueprint as a basis to engage and interrogate whether Nigeria is moving in the direction of realising the vision. Alternatively, did we produce a vision and thereafter go to sleep hoping that when we wake up, we find ourselves in the Promised Land? Admittedly, we have drawn up a First National Implementation Plan (2010-2013) and we are on the verge of drawing up a Second National Implementation Plan. But what have been the achievements of the first plan? Are we making haste slowly on the way of progress or are we receding speedily from the previous grounds already covered?
It is imperative to acknowledge that the four dimensions of Vision 2020 are interlinked, which means one cannot be achieved without progress being made on the other dimensions. Examining the first dimension which is the social dimension will reveal the key words, namely, “peaceful, equitable, harmonious and just and a strong sense of national identity”. Apparently, these key words were used as game-changing words without thinking them through and without the Nigerian people buying in to define them. Do we have a pan-Nigerian vision of a just order? In the South-South region for instance, their conception of a just order might be to allow them to control their mineral endowments and pay tax to the Federal Government or have a greater percentage in the scheme of derivation. They have precedents and support in the practice of the First Republic when derivation was as high as 50 per cent. The industrialised Lagos and South-West areas may query the rationale for the bulk of the Value Added Tax derived from their territory being shared by all with little or not much extra to show as the territory from where the taxation has been derived. The people of the North-East and North-West may insist that the current federal revenue distribution scheme serves their interest or even unduly skewed against their access to what they consider federal resources. In the South-East, people are still at a loss when they do not get what they consider to be their rights more so when the federal character principle is used to deny otherwise highly suitable and qualified persons from the area access to federal positions and resources. Essentially, talking of a just order without the parties in a union agreeing on what constitutes that just order is a wishful thinking
Today, peace has eluded Nigeria and with the exception of the civil war period, we cannot reckon any more troublesome time in the history of the country. War is being declared on the nation under the guise of terrorism. Did the persons sponsoring these acts of terror buy into the idea of enhanced peace for Nigeria? What are the conditions and circumstances that breed citizens with a strong sense of national identity? Can there be a strong sense of national identity when people are repeatedly murdered in their country for simply being of a different ethnic origin or religion? The security agencies will tell you they are doing their best but more persons are further mowed down in broad daylight on a weekly basis. Yet the merchants of terror are not brought to book. Yes, it may be fashionable to repeat the American hype of thinking what you can do for your country and not what your country can or will do for you. But that mindset makes eminent sense in a setting where people can see that their resources are being prudently managed and their leaders do not hold them in contempt. It is totally senseless in a situation where ministries, departments and agencies of government compete on who will steal or mismanage the largest volume of resources. It is also senseless in a situation where high level crime of looting the treasury attracts a national award instead of a prison cell. The incentive system only rewards those who violate the laws and cut corners. The social dimension mentions education and health care that cater for all and supports life expectancy of not less than 70 years. Education and health provide the best evidence that we are far from the target.
As the nation starts the process of drawing up the Second National Implementation Plan, it is imperative to interrogate those issues we take for granted or consider as having been resolved. And this interrogation must be a political process which sets the tone for other sub-sets of agreements. For instance, what are the ideas of Nigeria's component units, social groups, etc, of a just and equitable order? How do we resolve the conflicting demands of the components so as to build a greater whole? The answers or agreements we get from this robust engagement will facilitate the formulation of appropriate new strategies to achieve our dreams. We may decide to continue to pretend that all is well and call some technocrats into air-conditioned rooms to repeat the flowery grammar of the past hoping that Vision 2020 will achieve itself. But this will lead us nowhere and the movement in a barber's chair will continue.
