The idea that natural resources could be more of an economic curse than a blessing began to emerge in the 1980s. Richard Auty in 1993 described how countries rich in natural resources could not use that wealth to boost their economies and how, on the contrary Intuitively, these countries had lower economic growth than countries without an abundance of natural resources. A violation of our commonwealth and high-profile corruption are among the creations of the crude oil in Nigeria that has bequeathed us. The desperate drive for public office and elective office clearly points to the depth of corruption and the curse of crude oil in Nigeria that it has brought us.

Before the commercialization of crude oil in Nigeria, agriculture and effective taxes were the main sources of our national survival. Agriculture contributed more than 60% to our exports and to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Although the confederate states that make up Nigeria were at cold war with each other over some political differences, events in the various regions were remarkable. We had the peanut pyramid in the north and the cacao pyramid in the west with a bustling coal industry in the east. The various regions started different programs just to make sure their regions didn’t lag behind among the community of states. High-paying jobs were ubiquitous and the standard of living in Nigeria was extraordinary. Quality education was a hallmark of the government, particularly in the West. Nigerians were respected at home and abroad. Nigeria made loans to other African countries and we played a very important role in the independence and liberation of most African countries. Nigerians did not need visas to travel to the United Kingdom (UK) or other developed countries of the world. They saw Nigerians as equals.

Yet that once glorious entity called Nigeria has today become a relic of itself. Those who shared the Nigerian dream have left us to pursue their aspirations in other countries around the world. Countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, China, India, Egypt, and several others that shared the same rate of development with us in the 1960s and 1970s have left us behind to become some of the largest economies in the world. . Today, Nigerians suffer incalculable hardship and torture in these countries that once regarded Nigeria as Big Brother. Obtaining a visa for these countries is like a trip to the Promised Land. What’s wrong with Nigeria? Could it be the vast cultural and religious differences? But India and Malaysia have managed despite their cultural and religious differences. Maybe it’s the size of our population. What about China? In a matter of 30 years, they have developed their economy from obscurity to become the second largest economy in the world with the possibility of becoming the first in the nearest future.

According to the Niger Delta Congress, it is estimated that more than $ 600 billion in crude oil has been extracted from the Niger Delta states since 1937 since 1937. However, high unemployment, environmental degradation and lack of resources persist basics like drinking water and electricity. The persistent neglect of the Niger Delta region has prompted some of the region’s marginalized youth to take up arms. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the fiercest and most dangerous militant group, is the product of neglect of a region that has fed Nigeria for the past four decades. Compared to other oil-producing regions in other countries, the pathetic environmental and weak infrastructure development in the Niger Delta requires some soul-searching solutions. Abuja, like other capitals, deserves a proper status. Anything below its current outlook would put Nigeria in a very negative position. And there is still more development underway without difficult political debates. Not once was the development and transformation of Abuja brought up to the Nigerian town square for deliberations. If Abuja could be transformed into a mega city in a matter of years, what is wrong with the development of the Niger Delta region that has fed the nation since independence?

Successive governments since the regime of General Yakubu Gowon, no visible development can be noted, however, the region continues to assume the survival of the nation. In terms of exploitation, the region is the one that has suffered the most. Marginalization? That is the hallmark of the region. Oil companies conduct business in this region without resorting to the state of the environment in the region. The oil spill, the burning of gas and the supply of fuel are some of the daily dangers that threaten the existence of the population of the Niger Delta region. More insulting is the vicious military invasion of the region ordered by Presidents Obasanjo and the Goodluck administrations. Hundreds of innocent civilians lost their lives as a result of brutal military atrocities. Because this assault that should have been investigated by the United Nations (UN) was ongoing, no concrete development master plan was initiated to calm the nerves of these diverse troubled communities. To this day, memories of those inhumane invasions and genocides still linger in the minds of the region’s homeless who lost their loved ones.

At one point in our political history, we had the peanut pyramid in the north, the cacao pyramid in the south, and the coal industry in the east. In the Niger Delta region, what is the proof of our oil reserves? Is it dysfunctional refineries, gas flaring, exploitation, environmental degradation or the incessant killings of innocent Niger Delta? Sincerely, there is no historical monument in the Niger Delta region that represents the vast wealth with which we have been blessed. Many writers and public commentators have offered solutions and recommendations to the Nigerian government on how to develop the region. Of all these recommendations, only the amnesty program has been implemented. Why this might be laudable is certainly not enough. What about gas flaring that the Federal Government has refused to address? Oil spill, environmental degradation and lack of modern infrastructure? Recently, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Allison Madueke admitted in a public forum that Nigeria earns more than N42b a day from crude oil. Of this distorted figure, how much is allocated to the development of the Niger Delta region? Our greedy politicians daily deplete our foreign reserve, and yet a region that produces these resources is suffering total neglect. The high unemployment rate in the region has led to the threat of kidnapping in the Niger Delta, which has spread to other regions. If we begin to list the problems facing the region, it will span too many pages.

Ultimately, urgent and concrete steps must be taken to develop this region. Enough of all the false promises and exploitations that the region has suffered. If the government of President Goodluck Jonathan or whoever succeeds it does nothing to address the core issues that threaten the region’s existence, then Nigeria could prepare for the worst of the young people in that region. A threat to the existence of the Niger Delta region is a threat to the survival of the Nigerian nation. The stage is set!

Fred Itua is a writer / contributor to The Politico Magazine and lives in Abuja, Nigeria.