The Federal Government has been advised to consider policies and strategies initiated within Nigeria’s context for possible solutions to Nigeria’s development challenges.
Political and economic experts made the call at the 4th National Colloquium convened by Engineer Zayyanu Tambari Yabo held in Sokoto, with the theme: “Nigeria: In search of an effective political/economic formula for national development”.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the event and signed by the Communiqué Drafting Committee headed by Engr. Akemokue Lukman, with members including Sammani Idris Kaura and Engr. Abubakar Shehu, variois speakers at the colloquium opined that many of today’s developed countries achieved their economic growth through strategies like tariffs, subsidies and regulations.
They noted that developing countries like Nigeria should have the autonomy to choose policies that best suit their unique economic conditions and developmental stages.
The experts also called for the inclusion of traditional institutions in all levels of decision-making and implementation of political and economic policies, adding that academic institutions should be recognised in national development policies of the country.
For women participation in national development, the colloquium also observed the reason why women contribution to national development was minimal, attributing it to exclusion of the womenfolk.
The gathering also agreed that lack of clear vision has been identified as the foundational basis for the disjointed mission of development planning in Nigeria.
“Absolute alignment to Western pattern and notion of development. Financial constraint is another factor facing developmental planning successes in Nigeria,” it noted.
For political stability and consistency in Nigeria, the speakers observed that justice was missing in the entire system, the reason why Nigeria’s contemporaries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and others were far ahead of the country.
The colloquium, however, recommended that intentional efforts should be made to include women at all levels of policy formulation so that they can contribute their own quota to national development.
“There should be continuity in government policies, irrespective of political affiliations. Inclusion of traditional institutions in all levels of decision making and implementation of political/economic policies.
“Our academic institutions shall be recognized in national development policies. There is a need for a home-grown democratic framework that is necessary for national development.
“Developing countries are encouraged to learn from the historical experiences of developed nations, understanding that the path to economic development is not linear and varies significantly based on a country’s specific context,” the communique stated.