The day was Tuesday 23, March 2013;
I was on the road to Maiduguri from Kano when a friend called me and alerted me
about an explosion along the popular Sir Kashim Ibrahim way, targeting a Joint
Task Force (JTF) vehicle. For those that are not familiar with Maiduguri,
Kashim Ibrahim way is like the economic nerve centre of the Borno state capital
as it gathers along it length most of the major commercial banks (including the
adjacent CBN office), and Maiduguri offices of major corporate organisations.
This is only one of the many attacks at the city main corporate organisations
hub that has killed business people and thereby killing the moral of those that
are alive. The stakes are very high when ever one engages in business
transactions along Maiduguri very dangerous streets, as you have to watch out
for the unknown. Live is indeed very short in Maiduguri! But, the main market
centre of the town is located not far away from there, in a central location
that is popularly called Post office, after the Nigerian postal office and
NITEL offices that are located around. Just a stone thrown from there is the
Maiduguri most well known market, the Monday market; I first came to know about
this market through my primary school English text books. Monday market is like
Abubakar Rimi (Sabon Gari) market in Kano or Abubakar Gumi market in Kaduna,
this is to tell you how central this market is to the economy of the state.
But, as you might have guessed, the market area is one of the most dangerous
spots in the battle between JTF and Boko Haram. A sound of gun shot or a near
by explosion is not uncommon around that area. JTF troops can enter the market
wielding very dangerous weapons at any hour searching for Boko Haram members or
weapons. The same thing applies to Boko Haram as they visit the market
regularly to attack their victims.
Last week massacre at Baga town, located at
the shore of Lake Chad (one of Africa great lakes) has further worsen the
situation in the state. Baga town is arguable the most important fishing town
in Northern Nigeria, which has no other rival in the whole of Nigeria. Its
inhabitant are mostly fishers, some of them coming from as far as Sokoto and Kebbi
states at the North Western corner of the country; every day lorries loaded
with fish left Baga town for the popular Baga fish market located in Maiduguri
city. It is from there that smoked fish from Baga find it ways to the other
parts of the country. Now that Baga town has been destroyed the number of
unemployed and displaced families shall increase throughout the state, further
collapsing the remaining economic activities that take place in the area. Last
farming season like the one that is about to enter next month will encounter
many disruptions due to the war going on in the land. The fact that many of the
youth that cultivate the land migrated to safer areas of the country is a devastating
blow to farmers and economy of Borno state. Many farming communities have been
displaced; while the few that work their farms, produces less output than
before the crisis. The annual assistance that come to farmers in form of
sending extension workers to farms and subsidized farm inputs have reduced as
the government has found herself entangled in a costly war. The recent efforts
by the current state government to boost irrigation farming has not succeeded
as expected as the insurgents have chased away the farm workers and supervisors
who were engaged to developed the program in the far northern fringe of the
state.
One noticeable feature of Maiduguri town is persistent rise in the price
of some basic commodities since the start of the crisis. Price of commodities
such as food items, electrical appliances, and car parts have increased relative
to what is found in more peaceful parts of the country. This is part of the
cost that inhabitants of Borno state have to pay. The rise in inflation in the
city and high level of unemployment have combined to put its citizens in more
hardship and suffering; and this is not to add the pure cost of insecurity that
has caused the lost of many lives and properties. The work of JTF troops in the
vicinity of Maiduguri has caused the closing of many road side businesses and
in some cases burning and destruction of goods worth millions of Naira. One
good example here on how ordinary traders have to pay, as a result of an attack
by suspected Boko Haram members on JTF vehicle, was an incident that happened
at post office some weeks back. In response to that particular bomb attack
traders alleged that JTF set their goods on fire and order them to evacuate
from the area of their business. Small scale business and artisan have (in
their own ways) bear the brunt of attacks
by suspected members of Boko Haram who alleged that their victims are spying on
them; in such cases many barbers, petty traders, vulcanizers, drivers and
labourers have lost their lives thereby depriving the economy of the state of
its very productive citizens. Since the start of the crisis in 2009 the number
of people who left the state are in hundred of thousands many never to come
back. Do not for get that before the crisis Maiduguri is the most attractive
city to petty traders and other business people in the North after Kano, but
this has since become history as other cities such as Gombe have capitalised on
this to built their commercial base.
Like most major northern towns before the
advent of Boko Haram crisis, Maiduguri remaining industries have collapsed
leaving in their trails the shadow of their former self. The aftermath of this
on the economy of the state has led to lost of thousands of jobs and investment
worth billions of Naira. Now that the crisis has finished what remain of the
few skeleton industries and business in the once vibrant capital, what is next
for the government? The odious atmosphere of war has a killing effect on
business continuity; forcing those business that insist on leaving their doors
open to work far below capacity. Now that foreigners such as European, Indians,
and Chinese are being hunted and killed, the deterioration in infrastructures
that these people help to built is going into a new low. Thus, helping to
destroy the economy further and scare away the most needed foreign investment
for the development of the region. Lagos
street in Maiduguri is one of the most popular locations in the state capital
because of it many shops that sell all kinds of things particularly to the
rich. But, the devastating impact of the crisis can be seen glaringly for any one
that cares to go there, as sight of burn shops and shut down businesses is
there for any one to see. In one of the incidents that took place there, allege
members of Boko Haram bombed a moving JTF vehicle killing score of armies
including it was said a senior ranking officer. In retaliation JTF troops were
alleged to have set fire to shops and vehicles located on the street. Thus, for
the risk takers that remain there to pursue their business, they have to do
that bearing in mind the risk of bomb exploding, shootings from Boko Haram or JTF
retaliation. That is how live is in Maiduguri. It takes courage and
determination to stay and do your day to day activities.
Southern Borno, an area that is mostly
populated by non-Kanuri and that shares a border with Gombe and Adamawa states,
has enjoyed lower insurgent attacks compare to central and northern parts of
the state. Because of that farming activities are less affected by the crisis
as I have seen during my recent visit to the area. But, even that does not
means the area does not have it own problems. The area has for long surfer from
neglect by both the federal and state governments; in my many sojourns around
this country I have never come across an area that has bad roads as that part
of the country. Couple with the mountainous geography of the area and absence
of industries the place is one of the most difficult to live in, poverty stare
at you as you enter its hilly vicinities. The near collapse of education sector
in the whole of Borno state is very painful. The sight of burn schools is very
common in rural parts of the state. The fear of attack on both the students and
their teachers make imparting of any knowledge in Borno schools very difficult.
During last year admission process of undergraduate students, University of
Maiduguri found it difficult to fill it places as it has to come out with many
admission lists as those given admission earlier refused to come and register
for fear for their lives. Borno state government is indeed overstretched as it
shares it meager budget between restoring peace and other sectors such as
education and building of roads. In education the continue burning of schools
make it more difficult for the state government to pull the sector out of it
years of decay and low productivity.
One remembers how peaceful Borno and
Plateau states were, that they were proclaimed centres of peace and tourism.
Surprisingly enough, the two states are the most volatile in northern Nigeria
today; where peace refuses to reign, killing of people and destruction of properties
the order of the day. The famous palace of Shehu El-Kanemi in the heart of
Borno, and great Lake Chad in the north have attracted thousands of tourists
from in and outside Nigeria, generating millions of naira in the process and
creating jobs for others. Alas, that has become history, no tourist come to a
place where he becomes a target. A place where light-skin foreigners are hunted
and killed for no other crime than that they are in a place where they are not
wanted; as a result the state has lost millions of Naira annually in the form
of revenue. When Obasanjo and later Yar’
adua were awarding the contract for the conversion of Kano to Maiduguri road
into an express way, one of the main justifications they gave for awarding the
contract was that it could serve as part of the much larger trans- Sahara road
linkages between West, North, and Central Africa. Maiduguri has (since time
immemorial) being the door that link traders from lands north of Lake Chad
which is today occupied by Chad and Niger (and other far North Arabian
countries) and the Southern part of the lake occupied by Nigeria.
Before the present crisis, hundreds of
trailers full of goods left Kano every week to Maiduguri city en route to Chad
and Central Africa republic. But, that
has since change with the advent of the present crisis. One, there develop a
kind of moral killing go slow on the
road from Kano to Maiduguri due to dozens of check points mounted by security
forces on the road; these slow down a journey of five hours into twelve hours
or more. Two, the border that linked Nigeria with these Northern countries was
blocked with the crisis worsening and entering a new dimension; today, it is
only few vehicles that are allowed to cross the border, as a results goods
worth millions of Naira have perished. These aforementioned facts have further
put the nail on the coffin of Borno dead economy. In conclusion, the strategic
importance of Borno state to the economies of the countries surrounding Lake Chad
has been done a devastating blow by the on going crisis. The reduction in the
movement of goods and people, the destruction of goods worth millions of naira,
and the emigration of people from the area is a clear sign of a collapse
economy. The earlier the federal government (and neighboring governments) find
a lasting solution to the present problem, the better for the people of a region
that has suffered too much for too long.
