Niger Delta Human Development Report - UNDP Nigeria - United ...

CHAPTER
SEVEN
A Human Development Agenda
for the Niger Delta
WHY A NEW APPROACH TO
PLANNING?
A number of trends have marked the history
of development planning in Nigeria.
These serve as lessons to guide a future
human development agenda for the Niger
Delta. First, for a long time, economic
policy revolved around a state-planned
economy. A gradual shift towards a market-based
economy has only taken place
in the last few years. Second, strategies
have often been designed from the top by
development experts, without the benefits
of consultations with people affected by
these plans. Third, economic development
has consistently been concentrated in urban
areas at the expense of rural areas,
even though many of the resources for
development come from the latter, and the
vast majority of Nigerians make a living
there. While some geographical areas have
made significant gains, progress has been
slower in others because of the lack of
discipline and accountability in programme
implementation, and gross neglect in the
distribution of development investments.
To date, development choices have failed
to galvanize people into optimally productive
activities. There have not been adequate
opportunities for people to positively
explore, expand and display their
skills. The strategies adopted have failed
to:
• improve education for children,
youths and adults;
• expand people’s access to basic
health care services, clean water and
sanitation;
• produce the right atmosphere for
investment promotion, peace and
social stability;
• develop a holistic plan inspiring
confidence in the future; and
• coordinate development activities to
NIGER DELTA HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT
make the most effective use of
resources.
The human development agenda for the
Niger Delta region set out below draws
from the strengths and weaknesses of past
national development planning efforts as
well as the programmes of NEEDS,
SEEDS, LEEDS, the Regional Master Plan
of the NDDC, the action plan of the
NDES, the plans of the National Poverty
Eradication Programme, and the
programmes of the National Action Committee
on AIDS.
Above all, the human development agenda
is people-centred. It seeks to remove obstacles
that prevent people from achieving
their life objectives, and to empower
people, particularly at the grass-roots and
on the margins of society. There are attempts
to reduce inequalities of all kinds,
including those related to location, gender
and generation, and to enlarge people’s
choices, especially in the political, economic,
social and cultural realms. These
steps point to overall social inclusion, with
an ultimate objective of achieving human
development for the region as a whole.
Integrated policies will be key to this goal.
The proposed agenda cannot solve all the
problems of the Niger Delta at once. It
serves as a foundation, however, for calming
the anger and indignation in the region,
promoting good governance, creating
sustainable livelihoods, reducing poverty,
ensuring social and economic justice,
and reducing social exclusion.
Over the longer term, a human development
agenda could transform the delta
into a region that is economically prosperous,
socially stable, ecologically regenerative
and politically peaceful. It could
ensure development that is rapid, just,
equitable and sustainable.
The proposed agenda
cannot solve all
problems at once. But it
can help calm
frustrations and lay the
foundations for the
region to become
prosperous and peaceful
over time.
Economic development
has consistently been
concentrated in urban
areas at the expense of
rural areas, even
though substantial
resources for
development come from
the latter and the vast
majority of Nigerians
make a living there.
The lack of discipline
and accountability in
programme
implementation
accounts for low
development outcomes
in the region.
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