POVERTY: Moghalu advocates new economic thinking for wealth creation

A former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, has said Nigerian leaders are unconcerned about diversified ways of creating wealth.

Moghalu while reacting to a recent report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) pegging poor people in the country to 63% blamed the development on dependence on natural resources.

The political economist in a series of tweets on Saturday condemned the poor management of resources by leaders in the country.

He thus advocated a new political and economic thinking necessary for genuine transformation in the country.

He wrote: “I fully agree with those who say oil has been a curse to Nigeria. Many of those question the ultimate value of the reported Kolmani oil find in Northern Nigeria. But I am also practical enough to know three things.

READ ALSO:Moghalu reveals cause of poverty in Nigeria, proffers solutions

“First, some countries like Saudi Arabia, Gulf States, Norway were smart enough to use oil to build their economies, but diversified into other means of wealth creation and also built up savings (reserves/Sovereign Wealth Funds) for the rainy day that have served them well.

“Secondly, the real secret of the wealth of nations does NOT lie in natural resources. It lies in economic complexity – the ability to prioritize technological innovation and use it to manufacture complex products that are value-added and competitively produced and then exported to dominate the world trading system.

“Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Switzerland and many other of the world’s wealthiest countries have NOTHING of value under their soil but have used this principle to create wealth for their citizens. That’s why they are rich.

“We in Nigeria and most other African countries, with our so-called “blessing” of natural resources are in a poverty trap. We in fact have the resource curse. 70% of the world’s strategic minerals are in Africa, but the continent’s share of world trade is just 3% in 2022.

“The third thing I am practical enough to know is that, as Nigeria is currently led and configured, the dominant mentality of its political leadership is still fixated on natural resources and resource rents. They simply do not share in, & do not care, about the secret of the wealth of nations. Their minds still haven’t evolved to that knowledge,or more accurately the political will to de-emphasize natural resource thinking and shift to real wealth creation.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now