Saturday Southerner —Another View
Saturday, March 28, 2026

Several Nigerians have reacted to the news from Windsor Castle and No 10 Downing Street, London, after the recent state visit of Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom. During the visit, Tinubu was said to have signed a port deal of about £746m pounds with the United Kingdom for the redevelopment of Apapa and Tincan Island ports in Lagos.

There is no doubt that, the Apapa and Tincan Island ports situated in Lagos require upgrading but not this way that, Mr. President has gone into it with Great Britain. Apapa and Tincan Island ports are not the only existing ports in Nigeria; there are others, such as; Port-Harcourt, Warri, Calabar, Koko, Onne, Onitsha, Lokoja, deliberately ignored and strangulated for the negative interest of the country’s economy. Why are these other ports in the country ignored and only Lagos ports used till date?

There are countries with over two hundred seaports. They are considered strategic and economically beneficial to the countries. That is the route Nigeria should have embraced. President Tinubu should have put forward the greatness of the whole country and removed ethnic and parochial interest in this matter of seaport revamping. Over the years, Nigerians have complained about the over centralization, concentration and congestion of these two ports and, advised very importantly on the need for the development of other seaports to de-congest Apapa and Tincan ports.

In signing that deal with the British government, President Tinubu should have thought of inclusiveness. These other ports of the country are as vital to the growth of Nigeria’s economy. So, not including other regions in the seaports development spells regional imbalance and, undermines true federalism as far as our seaports are concerned. You cannot be talking of reform of the economy when other regions are not considered important for economic development, if truly Nigeria is one united country.

There is no doubt that, allowing Apapa and Tincan island ports to be the only ports in Nigeria while others are deliberately killed will remain disadvantageous and destructive not only to the nation’s economy but Lagos physical structure.

For instance, some years ago, driving from Mile-2 to Tincan and Apapa connecting to Ijora, Oyingbo and Iddo was a nightmare because of the parked trucks waiting in queues for their turns to load containers of goods. The roads were easily worn out and were in terrible shape due to high number of trucks plying and parking along that corridor. That made the road difficult for other motorists to use.

The ports were congested with all sizes of containers, vehicles and goods that also overwhelmed the security agencies, port staff and clearing agents.

It is surely in the interest of Nigeria to decongest Apapa and Tincan ports by revamping other ports in the country. That would create economic boom for other parts of the country thereby providing jobs for our teeming youths and others.

This idea of promoting the economic, social and political interest of the region of the South West by the APC administration since 2015 is counterproductive and inimical to the growth and development of the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari in his eight years in power concentrated major political appointments and infrastructural developments in the Northern part of the country. Now, Tinubu has surpassed him by ensuring that, every serious economic and financial appointment and structure are located in the South West of Nigeria.

It is about time that we start viewing Nigeria from a patriotic and nationalistic lens if we must get it right. We cannot be preaching peace and unity yet, we run the country with a parochial mind. This is certainly not how to achieve a united country.

Nigerian citizens expect that, the President would correct some of the anomalies witnessed under late President Buhari and not extend their woes.

This government under President Tinubu, has so far not taken the problem in the electricity sector seriously, despite declaring during the campaigns in 2023 that, he won’t vie for second term if he failed to guarantee permanent power supply.

Till date, Nigerians pay outrageous electricity tariffs but suffer non availability of power in their homes, offices and factories.

It’s about time that President Tinubu signed a power pact with any country that can guarantee steady power supply in Nigeria, if that will solve the problem of power. In fact, steady power supply in the country is more crucial at this stage of our life.

It’s approaching four years that the president has been in power yet, there’s no critical part of the economy that Nigerians can heave any sigh of relief. Our refineries are lying comatose. There is no move by the government to resurrect even one. So, what is the essence and duties of NNPCL? Yet, the staffs, highly qualified engineers in this institution collect huge salaries and allowances for just sitting in their air-conditioned and well decorated offices every other day.

Presently, Dangote Refinery is in charge of our oil and gas market. It fixes petrol prices according to its whims and caprices without any input from the NNPCL, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources or its subsidiaries. The NNPCL has lost every moral, political and economic control of the sector.

Since they do not call the shots, the regulatory instututions allow Dangote to dictate the tunes. Of course, Nigeria cannot achieve a secured oil industry when a private refinery is the sole supplier of this product.

The steel industry in Nigeria is dead. Nigeria has two major steel industries, Ajaokuta and Aladja but none is working. They are all abandoned and rusting away. A visit to Ajaokuta steel industry some years ago made me weep for this country. The place is abandoned with all manner of remnant equipment rusting away. It is now a place for hunters and farmers to practice their trade.

What manner of leaders actually exist in Nigeria? Certainly, no country on this planet would have allowed such billion dollars investment to die. But it happened in Nigeria, the richest black country in the world.

Mr. President has not shown any interest in the steel industry sector. It is sad that, government after government appear interested in revamping major critical sectors of the economy for the greater future of Nigeria.

Since 2023, this administration has made so much revenue but where it is channeled to remains a big mystery. Suddenly, the government is building Lagos – Calabar coastal highway, when major roads in the country used daily by citizens are in a state of total disrepair. How can Nigeria be building a coastal highway when the country cannot boast of a permanent power supply? With Nigeria’s land mass and large commerce, there is no functional railway system in the country.

A coastal highway in a country without a solid educational and health structure, a country where our schools cannot be mentioned amongst the first two hundred in the world? Where in Nigeria do you have any international science and technological institute or village for studying, building and advancing science and technology? Some of us who talk or complain are usually dubbed ‘Mr. know it all’ or always sounding more knowledgeable. No, we are only enraged by the level of backwardness considering the resources available. We are simply asking questions, demanding accountability and transparent government. We want real development from our leaders and not all these “wayo-wayo” government transformation, renewed hope, change, reform. Where exactly is the real transformation or reform in the country?

There is so much stealing going on in government offices, the federal, states and local governments. Men and women with little or no commitment are the ones in government offices. People without ideas, no ingenuity or creativity, no sincerity and sensitivity have ruined this country. That is why, for about fifteen years, we are still battling insurgents and bandits. What a big shame!

For 65 years as an independent country, there is no sector that is healthy in Nigeria. None. All our major social and economic sectors are in the intensive care unit struggling for survival. And, our leaders are not engaged in drastic measures to remedy the situation. They would rather spend wrongly or looting the treasury. South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya and other African countries are marching forward economically but Nigeria is not. No normal or patriotic Nigerian will clap at the painful retrogression bedeviling the country.