WHAT DO YOU SEE?

What Do You See?

On the wall of my office is a picture of what one barrel of oil (42 gallons) yields, i.e. the different value added products that can be obtained from refining one barrel of crude oil. It includes Gasoline 43%, Distillate 21.5%, Residual 11.5%, Jet Fuel 6.9%, Feed Stock 4.7%, and Still Gas 3.8%. 

Others are Asphalt 3.1%, Coke 2.6%, LPG 2.3%, Kerosene 1.3%, Lubricants 1.3%, and Miscellaneous 0.67%. That picture serves both as a source of despair and encouragement. Despair because I an amazed that a country with such huge reserves of oil and gas is filled with poor people.

Encouragement, because I can see what Nigeria can be transformed into when we are able to harness these huge reserves of oil and gas for the benefit of the people. Presently, Nigeria has the capacity to produce 2.5 million barrels of crude oil a day with reserves expected to last another 40 years.

In the case of gas, Nigeria is actually a gas producing nation with crude oil, but much of the gas is flared as at date.Therefore, whether we are talking of crude oil or gas, we are like the owners of a farmland who cannot even farm or are too lazy to learn how to farm. 

First, we invite interested farmers to bid for the right to farm our farmland on either a shared cost basis or sole cost basis.The bid and acceptance fee initially paid by these farmers is supposedly used to train our own people to become good farmers in eternity. 

Second, we engage persons who hardly go to the farmland, to make sure that those farming our farmland actually are doing the right thing.Third, those farming our farmland declare to us their farm yield, after which in some cases we allow them to deduct the cost of farming before sharing the proceeds with us.

Fourth, those farming our farmland take their share of the farm produce to their homes in distant locations using their own transportation, and add value to it.They have perfected many means of getting various byproducts from the farm yields that are worth more in value and productivity than the original product.

Sixth, we take our share of farm products, sell them in their raw state and call a monthly meeting, and share the income on some strange formula among artificial entities.The artificial entities are under the control of few people and are legitimate avenues to corner the bulk of the farm produce for their personal and related uses.

Seven, to add insult to injury, those who originally owned and occupied the farmland before the start of the farming exercise, have no direct access to the proceeds of the land. Even when the proceeds are channeled to them, it is routed through several artificial entities with nothing going directly to these communities.

Then finally, the income derived from selling our share of the farm produce is used to import valued added products from those who we hired to farm our land in the first place.The result is lack in the midst of plenty, and the absolute poverty that has held Nigeria in a stronghold and made corruption the status quo.

In my minds eye, I see a Niger Delta bustling with refineries, plants, processes, and operations that add value to the oil and gas we have in abundance. I see unemployment as disappearing, and the Nigerian productivity index rising to unimaginable heights.

I see the financial, manufacturing, and agricultural sectors as complimenting one another and working at full capacity. I see an educated, skilled, and robust Nigerian workforce that rises to meet the challenges presented by increased development.

I see a nation where we allow the Niger Delta communities to collect 50% of the rent from the use of their land for exploration and production of oil and gas. We can do this because much more revenue will be coming into our coffers from taxation and being shareholders of the companies adding value to oil and gas in the Niger Delta.

Imagine our ports bustling with vessels some of which belong to Nigerians and employing Nigerians, shipping these finished products worldwide.Then we can use what some have called a curse to transform Nigeria by generating wealth that endures long after the oil and gas is exhausted.

Then we can ensure that every Nigeria becomes a homeowner as happened in Singapore that gave people in a multicultural society a sense of belonging. Then we will no longer have slums in our cities, and everyone gets a fair chance at succeeding in life.

Then we will be a nation where all the communities live together in peace and harmony because all are well provided for. Then we will be a nation that points the pathway to other nations that some call underdeveloped and developing.

To achieve this, we can start by overcoming the small mindedness that has overwhelmed our ruling class and the spirit of selfishness that rules in the average Nigerian heart. We need leaders who are visionary and can make us elevate our sight from our limitations to see the big picture.

We also need leaders who are developmental, and can set us on the path to that which we have envisioned.