ADAMAWA: Wealth right under our feet (1)

ADAMAWA: Wealth right under our feet (1) It is often said that third world countries are areas for the collection of raw materials by the Developed world to service their production glutony. Seemingly so, is also the claim by third world countries that the stagnation in their respective economies is largely due to the parasitic nature of the advanced economies. The failure of most economies of the under developed countries is lack of patriotic leadership owing to faulty emergence of political actors. Who have repeatedly moulded the state apparatus around their individual egos, rather than wrap it around collective nationalistic interests. Africa is blessed with all the factors of production; land, labour, capital etc. Nigeria, for instance, is said to be giant of Africa not only because of its physical size, but also population and natural resources. The only factior missing has been an organised leadership to drive home the need to optimally utilize all the endowments. Both foreign and domestic observers of global economy have reiterated why Nigeria should diversify its economy to include the stepping up of precise agricultural products that have global economic advantage. Individual States too must enhance their internally generated revenues (IGR) by modifying their approch to developing robust agroindustries that would export produce and refined products to the international market. One of these natural resources is sugarcane. In Adamawa State, there is a feasibility for the cultivation of sugarcane in most of the Local Government Areas (LGAs). A fact in point is the Savannah Sugar Company, owned by the 23rd richest man in the world (Forbes,  March 2014). Governments have neglected this area where excellent opportunity for wealth generation and employment exist. Byproducts of Sugar cane, apart from the traditional production of sugar, can generate electricity, fertilizer, paper, ceiling, plaster of Paris (POP), animal feed, fungicide, insecticide, methane, Rum,Ethyl alcohol (C2H50H), Acetic acid, the list is endless. Adamawa can benefit tremendously from alternative power supply. It is not very clear weather Savannah Sugar generates electricity from its byproduct bagasse. It is recommended that the utilisation of surplus bagasse to produce electricity should be pursued vigorously. The State is agrarian in nature; farming and livestock are part of its economic advantage. Therefore, the production of fertilizer and animal feed can lessen cost and enhance profits. J.M. Paturau in his piece ‘Alternative uses of sugar cane and its byproducts in agroindustries’ concluded by stressing that ‘the large-scale utilization of byproducts of the sugar cane industry, if efficiently implemented, has a dual and important advantage of generating reasonable profits, not only for the sugar producers themselves but also for the national economy at large, as exemplified by cheap electricity, imports replacement, the efficient use of local fuels and forest preservation. It is worthy to advise that Government should collaborate with wealthy individuals, especially in Northern Nigeria, where Sugar cane is in abundance; where it is also ravaged by poverty to lead in the diversification of Government revenue generation. India, Hawaii, Mauritius are examples of countries reaping profits out of the cultivation of sugar cane.