Calls For Restructuring Will Not Translate To National Development - Ademiluyi

Prof. Israel Ademiluyi

Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji & 

Adenike Sanusi 

ABEOKUTA - A Professor of Geography and Regional Planning from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Prof. Israel Ademiluyi has condemned the call for restructuring, saying territorial partitioning does not necessarily translate into development.

Prof. Ademiluyi disclosed this on Tuesday while delivering the  95th Inaugural lecture of Olabisi Onabanjo University held at the University's campus. 

He explained that, the call for spatial restructuring Will lead to redundancy in the states and increase the cost of administration in the country. 

He said, though, new urban centres attracted industrial projects and provided the platform for addressing regional inequalities, but the clamour for regional government was the way out of the multi-faceted challenges confronting the nation, saying it would only duplicate and overlap functions, increase cost of administration and promote undertone of primordial and ethnic sentiment.

He further stated that, the resources of the country is in the hands of few minority, hence, rendering majority of Nigerians to live in abject poverty amidst of many. 

Ademiluyi who cited the 2010 National Bureau of Statistics report stated, about 102.2 million Nigerians are living in poverty demonstrating a low quality of life and life expectancy of less than 60 years for either males or females.

According to him, "Notwithstanding, the potentials of spatial restructuring affirmed that territorial partitioning does not necessarily translate into development. The Nigerian example has demonstrated the tendency for spatial restructuring to lead to redundancy in the created units, increase the cost of administration, duplicate and overlap functions, promote undertone of primordial and ethnic sentiments, power play and of course the possibility of increasing rather than reducing inequalities. 

"Recent literature has shown that a good quality of life is tied to economic concepts like - income, money and financial support. However, the 2010 report of Nigeria's National Bureau of statistics has shown that 102.2 million Nigerians live in absolute poverty and a life expectancy of less than than age 60 years for either males or females".

"Poverty in Nigeria has is associated with the unique levels of inequalities which had existed through history. Regional inequality would make it easy for development to bypass groups which are not within the axis of economic development vibrancy. Inequalities can only be addressed through structural processes that support redistributive policies.

"But restructuring is not the solution to Nigeria's problems. We need to change of ways of living. We need to redistribute the national resources which are in the exclusive hands of few minority controlling us. Without this, we cannot progress as a nation because even with restructuring, we will continue to recycle in the same problem."