By Ejike Abana
The recent visit of high profile members of the international community and foreign development partners in Nigeria to Anambra State continues to attract positive comments, commendations and hope for a better future. This is because of the huge benefits the state could get from their development efforts.
The nineteen-person high-powered delegation, led by Ambassador Samuela Isopi of the European Union, had the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, the Chargé d'affaires of the German Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Martin Huth, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christopher, Resident Representative, International Monetary Fund, Mr Ari Aisen, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard and the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations, Mr Matthias Schmale.
Their visit, on Governor Chukwuma Soludo's invitation, was laid in the fact that the governor's broad vision of building a liveable and prosperous homeland in line with his solution contract with Ndi Anambra, is in tandem with the areas of focus of these foreign development partners in Nigeria. Captured under the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, the international community is committed to the global call to action to terminate poverty, safeguard the earth's environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals that the United Nations is working on in Nigeria: No poverty, zero hunger, good health, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions.
The challenges facing the world and Nigeria in particular therefore makes this partnership inevitable. The country’s oil-dependent economy is going through a turbulent period. The sharp drop in global oil prices has had a negative impact on the country’s entire economy and clouded the outlook for the year.
Declining oil revenues have put additional stress on governments including at federal and sub-national levels. The Federal Government has reduced its spending and placed new foreign currency restrictions on companies. With Nigeria importing over eighty percent of what it consumes, inflation and cost of living are rising. These challenges and more informed the Governor's search for alternatives in his quest to fulfill his promises.
According to him, leveraging on strategic partnerships with the federal government, the international community and foundations is at the fulcrum of his administration's intentions for the state. While expressing knowledge that the international community had contributed immensely to make Nigeria work, the Governor said that part of Anambra's future lies in its past, and pointed out that the major strength of the state is in its human resource capital. He also identified the state's weaknesses and threats as environmental, infrastructural, insecurity, unplanned cities, communities and markets, among others.
The visit provided the opportunity for these major players in the foreign development field to have a first-hand knowledge of the state's challenges, identify areas of need and feel the real impact of members of the community. During the visit, the Governor took the visitors to the Sakamori drainage in Okpoko and other locations in Onitsha which are yearning for intervention.
As these development partners emphasize that for such development to be sustainable, there must be core involvement of the local people, there is therefore need for Ndi Anambra to give the government the necessary support needed to practically engage these partners in building the state of their dreams.
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