Any Development Programme Which Does Not Improve the Lives of Citizens, Serves No Purpose – Gen Ogomudia

By Correspondent

A former Chief of General Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Gen Alex Ogomudia, rtd, has submitted that “Any development programme which does not improve the lives of citizens serves no purpose.”

The retired army General now, Pro Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, Delta State University, Abraka, gave this advice and many more when he delivered a lecture: ” at the just concluded 2024 Midwest Herald Achievers Award, held in Benin City last Wednesday March 12, 2024.

The development strategy expert pointed out that, over the years, the challenge of national development in Nigeria and the way forward has been a subject of intense debate due to the slow pace of development, in spite of the abundant human and natural resources available.

“Considering the abundance of these resources, Nigeria, for quite a while has been classified a potential power and an increasingly significant state actor in a changing international geopolitical system.

“But, despite those structures, the development or national growth have often encountered challenges to the existing order.”

These potentials, he said, are indeed “the imperatives of national development.”

To overcome the challenges, Ogomudia said, that there is need for the application of an effective strategy to drive the expected growth.

“Therefore, current development plans are designed to take cognizance of the management of our environmental challenges such as: bridging the infrastructure gap to unleash economic growth and wealth creation (digital, energy, roads, rails, telecom, housing infrastructure, etc.).

“Optimizing the sources of economic growth to increase productivity and competitiveness (agriculture, health, manufacturing, tech).

“Building a productive, competitive, and functional human resource base for economic growth and social advancement (education, digital technology).”

The plan must also recognize the need for reduction of carbon emission and achieving the 0-Emission Policy by 2050, he said.

“In all these, sustainable development must be inclusive, i.e. take cognizance of deforestation, desertification, erosion, and flooding since they are all part of the environmental challenges.”

He advocated a diversed approach to national development. “National development also connotes both physical and the mental with the infrastructure being the physical, and mental being the strategies deployed to create the enabling environment for citizens to actualize and improve their personal standards of wellbeing.

“While the physical infrastructures include roads, railways, telecommunications, educational institutions, medical facilities, and sporting facilities, the mental deals with the orientation of the people to affect their behavioral patterns in support of the goals and aspirations of the state.”

In terms of measurement of global standards, Ogomudia said the GDP to manufacturing ratio of China and Malaysia stood at 41% and 38% respectively, while Nigeria stood only at 25%. While capacity utilization, which is a major performance indicator, Nigeria achieved 55% compared to 76% and 78% of China and South Africa.

The Midwest Herald Achievers Award is held annually to honour change makers in Nigerians across fields.

See Also: national Development