ANY mention of Nigeria’s capital Abuja in other parts of the world usually evokes an instant feeling of nostalgia to the Nigerian, especially once the foreigner asks you about the famous Ladi Kwali – a woman of talent who brought the world’s attention to pottery -making.
Oh yes, pottery-making is the trademark of Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and by implication the entire FCT. Even before the siting of Nigeria’s Capital in Abuja, pottery- making had remained the economic mainstay of the FCT’s indigenous people.
Today, all that has changed with many multinational companies falling over themselves to establish their presence in the new capital.
However, what will interest a visitor to Kwali mostly is the unique way in which the new helmsman of the area council, Joseph Shazin has been transforming the area. In a country where local government authorities delight in paying workers merely monthly salaries, the Kwali chairman has tasked his administration by awarding scholarships to over 1000 indigent students from the area.
As a trained teacher he understands that the best method for the liberation of the human mind is to educate the individual because in the final analysis, the same individuals will be in a position to drive societal development.
Call it capacity building or human capital development, the truth is that you cannot visit Kwali, a suburb of the Abuja main city without feeling the impact of the various development projects which Shazin has put in place. It takes vision for any leadership to feel the pulse of the people and choose the path of honour to develop both the physical and human infrastructure, rather than use the term in office to massage the ego of political godfathers or waste the period running from pillar to post.
It is, therefore, gratifying to note that at the Kwali Area Council, massive infrastructural development is taking place in the areas of road rehabilitation and construction, provision of water, equipping of schools and hospitals, environmental cleanliness, job creation, agricultural development and health care.
Obviously, this is as it should be, for in other climes, local governments as the grassroots point for impacting on the people’s lives have proven to live up to their billing by not just maintaining existing infrastructure, but have initiated activities, including investment centres; established and funded universities, which ultimately fuelled and sustained the development of the areas. Unfortunately, the case is different in Nigeria as many local governments do not see their role in the entire gamut of a three tier government as more than receiving monthly allocations from the federation account and paying workers salaries.
The Kwali example is therefore worthy of celebration and gives us hope that afterall things will eventually improve in the way government business is run at the local government level.
What is more, the Joseph Shazin administration has taken good governance a step ahead by offering free acres of land to intending investors in the pottery or ceramics business, as it is widely acknowledged that Kwali Area Council is sitting on a vast land made of clay.
Additionally, what they have going for them is the strategic location of the town which is situated on the southern flank of the FCT and very visible on the major Abuja – Lokoja highway.
As commendable as the efforts of this council administration, this is the opportune time for governments at all levels to demonstrate the zeal for selfless service by embarking on projects that will positively impact on the people. If this strategy is adopted nationwide, the burden on the central government will be greatly reduced, while the much talked about dividends of democracy would be realised.
Nigeria, as a nation cannot continue to run in circles by overlooking the challenges of development staring us in the face, even with the huge natural resources available. What is important is to take up the gauntlet as have been exemplified by the Kwali council chairman and face development challenges frontally. Nigeria is a country in a hurry to develop, and this would require all hands to be on deck, but the leaders must first show the way.
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