My friends and I, all Nupe from Niger state, argued whether there are stupendously rich Nupe politicians in Niger state, those capable of matching a government-backed candidate kobo for kobo as we discussed the 2023 Governorship elections. It would be the turn of the Nupe-speaking zone to present a Governor.
Of course there are incredibly rich politicians from Niger South. But how many can self-finance a well-structured, well-coordinated and well-publicized governorship campaign without seeking intervention from their banks or friends? I really believe there are a few, if any at all.
The Nupeland is unlucky to have been a largely economically dependent place, with the most of the population relying entirely on civil service and small-scale agriculture. Most of the commercial activities in the state are managed by non-Nupe residents, even in the heart of Nupeland.
Today, there’s no Nupe man who owns a nationally or internationally acknowledged business empire, and this is the legacy of our non-enterprising nature. I can’t even point to a commercially successful Nupe family, and I’m not exaggerating. Maybe they exist, but the fact that I’m struggling to come up with a name, is itself a testament to this tragedy.
This generation of Nupe political elite, and their successors, need to come to terms with these unfavorable realities and begin to think of building a society independent of this unproductive civil service, by taking advantage of the wave of social entrepreneurship and large-scale agriculture. We have a problem!
Source: Facebook