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Visualizing
critical data that informs Arewa leaders and organizations of the region's
unique characteristics.
Stronger Economies Together
Stronger Economies Together (SET) empowers communities and counties in rural
areas to work together in developing and implementing an economic
development blueprint for their multi-county r egion
that strategically builds on the current and emerging economic strengths of
that region. Creating, attracting and retaining jobs as a single rural
county in isolation from other nearby states is becoming increasingly
ineffective. In today’s global marketplace, economic
development progress is more likely to be realized when rural, suburban and
urban communities
work together as a region to assess their resources and then design and
implement plans that build on their assets and comparative economic
strengths.
Regional Economic Goals
Broad economic goals are developed from regional
economic data analyses, asset identification and citizenry input. Each goal
identifies key strategies, responsible parties charged with moving the goal
forward as well as the timeline and status of each action item spanning a
five-year period.
Manufacturing/Industry
Plan to create a diverse industrial, manufacturing hub in States within the
region, utilizing a diversified
workforce, to regionally sustain and grow existing and new businesses.
Cultural Tourism- Through collaborations, promote and create rich
destination experiences that attract visitors and contribute to the quality
of life for local citizens.
Center Workforce Education
Through education and training, create a workforce pipeline to enhance
employee recruitment, retention and engagement; including self-reliant
Entrepreneurship
Develop an entrepreneurial culture for business creation and retention that
sustains and grows our existing industries and businesses.
The benefit of economic growth
For developing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa like Nigeria, economic growth
enables countries to escape the worst levels of poverty. Even a small level
of economic growth can facilitate higher living standards and an improvement
in life expectancy. It depends on the nature of economic growth. For
example, if economic growth leads to more pollution and congestion, then
living standards may not seem to hit and who benefits from economic growth.
If growth benefits primarily the richest in society, growth may do little to
overcome poverty.
ICT is the convergence of communications, computing and
information technology and has become the catalyst
that enhances development
process of a nation...READ
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AREWA STRONGER ECONOMIES TOGETHER
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In many counties
today, especially in Nigeria, finding ways to create, attract and retain
good jobs is a challenging process. In today’s global marketplace,
economic
development improvements are more likely to be realized when rural and local
government areas (LGAs) within States in a given region work together as a
multi-LGAs to assess, design and implement plans that build on their
collective assets and comparative economic strengths. That is what the
Stronger Economies Together (SET) program is all about.
The purpose of SET is to strengthen the
capacity of communities, rural areas
in local governments (LGs) and
States
to
work
together to develop and implement an economic development blueprint for
their self-defined multi-area in line with regional economic development
plan, one that will strategically build on best practices in partnership and
collaboration.
Key benefits of SET
For regional teams taking an active part in SET, the program offers
quality coaching and training that:
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Guides the
formation of strong, inclusive and
effective Arewa regional teams;
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Assists
teams in discovering the assets and
economic strengths of the entire region;
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Promotes
strong working ties among the States'
economic development partners in the SET
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Advances
the development of a high-quality Arewa
regional economic development plan; and
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Provides
guidance on how to get the plan off the
ground, sustain momentum and achieve
long-term success.
Data Products
One of the important benefits of being
involved in SET is to gain access to a variety of Arewa regional data
resources that can
be
tailored to meet the information needs of all the States in the region. The
list of data report will be generated and provided to the SET regional
teams, which will be constantly updated and listed (studied and discussed)
under Module topic.
Modules
-
Launching
SET & Building a Strong Regional Team in
various States within Arewa;
-
Exploring
the Arewa Region’s Economic &
Demographic Profile;
-
Focusing
on the Arewa Region's Competitive
Advantage as well as Industrial and
Occupational Clusters;
-
Exploring
Arewa Strategies for Enhancing the
Regional Economy;
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Developing
each State's Vision & Goals in line with
the Regional Economic Development Plan;
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Discovering Assets & Barriers of the
Region;
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Planning
for Success of the Arewa Regional
Economic Development Plan;
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Measuring
for Success of the Arewa Regional
Economic Development Plan.
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Restructuring
is good for the North because
the North has so many Potentials of
Solid Mineral Exploration, so great
that by the time the northern
Governors realize it they will
almost forget about allocation funds
coming from Federal Government and
too much Taxes on its citizens to
generate more internally generated
revenue (IGR). The potential is
great and better than crude oil of
the south. Gold, Uranium, Iron Ore,
Gemstones, Columbite, Tantalite,
Kaolin, Goshenite and other precious
minerals are everywhere across the
north, but also Lithium Brine Rocks,
lithium-bearing pegmatite and
spodumene, a critical component for
making electric car batteries. By
2030, oil will no longer be that
important as electric cars will take
over, lithium batteries will also be
used for powerhouses and so much
more. The potentials for export of
these natural minerals and local use
in manufacturing from the north are
unparalleled. The Southerners are
just beginning to realize the
potentials and if we begin to
explore them, what it will mean to
their so-called oil; and clamour for
Restructuring. That is why some of
them are beginning to downplay the
issue of restructuring now: every
region to control its resources, but
the north must insist on
Restructuring Now. Because the
southerners erroneously believe that
northerners are backward and
uneducated and think that the north
is dependent on the south simply
because they have oil while
forgetting that the south depends on
the north for its staple foods. 80%
of food consumed in the south, apart
from cassava comes from the north:
rice, beans, maize, guinea corn,
yam, wheat, tomatoes, onions,
pepper, spices and meat: cow, goat,
and donkeys, etc. Nigeria plans to
spend 15 billion naira, about $42
million over the next year or so to
explore minerals and attract
investors into mining and reduce its
dependence on oil. Also, the north
has oil too but abundant of natural
resources: solid minerals. The North
must get its act right and the
future will be much brighter, more
prosperous and better. The teaming
Youths will have ample jobs and
things to do; and for every mining
job, 4 more jobs will be created and
the north will virtually have
near-zero-unemployment.
The
northern demographic shifts will
fuel the growth of new sectors,
markets and service lines. They will
begin to innovate and with
creativity build viable businesses
in areas of the business supply
chain, and in agriculture, livestock
mainstreaming, no more transporting
live animals to the south but
slaughtered and freight in
refrigerated trucks, renewable
energy like solar farming, ICT,
Business Processing Outsourcing and
in healthcare, manufacturing and
revitalize the Kannywood
entertainment industry in
partnership with Indian Bollywood.
Staple food commodity would no
longer be transported to the south
but buying-zones can be created
along the borderlines between north
and south for southerners to come
and purchase there. “Wallahi it is a
matter of time and the time is very
soon, it has already begun. The
unity of northern diversity is the
power that will propel the business
communities and consequently, the
northern upcoming industries into
new dimensions of performance. Soon
there will be on the horizon, more
northern banks, northern media and
corporations; and northern
intelligentsia that will meet every
contemporary challenge; build
capacity and human capital
knowledge-pool; and the end of
youths banditry, kidnappings,
communal crises, terrorism and
religious violence because everyone
will have work and meaningful things
to do under strong, compassionate
leadership, propelling the country
to a Greater Height as a whole. ICT-enabled
solutions in healthcare,
agriculture, education, financial
services and States-public services
will drive socio-economic inclusion
of everyone in the region and the
country faster, cheaper and more
efficient than traditional methods.
Indeed, the North; and Nigeria will
be Great Again. The PAN-Niger Delta
Forum said that the news that
Northern leaders, who identified
themselves as Friends of Democracy,
advocated a return to the 12-state
federal structure of 1967 and 100
percent resource control was
thought-provoking but calls for
restraint and further
cross-questioning. The Pan-Yoruba
socio-political organization,
Afenifere, said it agrees with most
of the views of the northern leaders
and hoped to inter-face with them
later, but said for a group of
northerners to now be advocating for
100 percent resource control, calls
for caution and further
interrogation.
The question been are asked is that
who will suffer if Nigeria is
restructured or in the event of a
break-up of the country in terms of
food security or development?...
READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW |
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“Given the emergence of
new regional dynamics in development policy and
practice, Arewa region MUST fine-tune current regional
development perspectives and
to develop new ones that are not only more in sync with
the present and future global context but with the
governance systems being currently adopted that are
becoming more and more decentralized and grassroots
oriented. States Governors within the Arewa region must
come together to create and adopt the Arewa Regional
Economic Plan with emphasis on a balanced approach to
development and opportunity for all diversity
irrespective of one’s tribe, social class, religious
belief and even political affiliation; and establish
targets for economic growth of the entire region taking
advantage of our Demographic Shifts, which will fuel the
growth of new sectors, markets, and service lines in our
communities. The ability of our diversity to build
strength and unity is the power that will propel the
region and consequently, the Nigerian industry, into new
dimensions of performance and inclusive growth.
Catalyzing Inclusive Growth Through ICT-enabled
solutions in healthcare, education, financial services
and public services can drive socio-economic development
and inclusion of more than 30 million citizens each
year, faster, cheaper and more effectively than
traditional models. The economic plan should be built on
current regional opportunities, collaboration and
innovation linking States macroeconomic models with
regional development and economic plan termed: Regional
Econometric Model”…President
ACRD
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