A Nigerian woman draws water                P. Courtesy

In the United States of America, the public water supply system is not listed on the stock exchange. However, water bottling companies are, but they obtain their water from public sources. Municipal water authorities run for and on operating cost with reserve allowance, and never for profit. They are revenue center for their cities but money generated is plugged back into the system.
 
Digging water boreholes is not water supply system. No city in Nigeria outside a small section of Abuja, has a sewer system, and wastewater component is annoyingly absent. The ‘shit’ of 160m Nigerians floats in open gutters, streams and creeks and in places that add to the stench. No one cares. The entire country is on septic tank, a public health hazard that adds to her challenges.
 
Nigeria has no system that accounts for junior water and senior water, classes of water considered in how to manage their flow. Therefore the borehole water and septic liquids are in tango. That is partly the reason why cholera cases are high in Nigeria. Prove me wrong. Were Nigeria to address her water needs in a system wide format, 60 to 70% of its public health challenges will go away or become manageable.
 
It takes 5 gallons of water to process a chicken. If a major chicken plant wants to consider Nigeria and has a daily chicken processing capacity of 1m, where will they get the water? Texas Instruments, a major micro-chip manufacturer headquartered in Dallas, uses 1.6b gallons of water annually; about 4.4m gallons daily.  Were they to consider Nigeria for a small plant, apart from power challenges, where would they get the water?
 
Yes, individuals have money in Nigeria but that will never rival institutional money which is the backbone of economic development. PIMP scenarios – “Put-In-My-Pocket” culture!! Even if every Nigerian is to be rewarded with their own oil well and handed $1m, chances are, it will not be a great country. It is not about the money, but structures, rule of law and master plan suited to address recurring challenges.
 
Of all the so called money bags in Nigeria, show me a village that is well developed as a result of their resource? None. Even Dangote, has no corporate headquarters worthy of mention. His village and state, may have mansions to show he is from there, but then what? Richard Akinloye, then NPN chair during Shagari, was first Nigerian since war ended that announced making/having a Billion Naira then, worth nearly $2b, in 1982. What happened to that money? Plenty of consumer wealth with no longevity often celebrated in less than a generation or decade. Ojukwu’s father, Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, was first West African noted as a ‘Millionaire.’ Today, where is proof?
 
Earning money is different from making money. Nigerians are happy making money and they do, but they hardly earn money. There is a world of economic difference between earning and making money, a subject of a doctoral studies.
 
I am available for extended and expanded commitment to enhance the franchise; God endorsing the plan. Failure even when it happens will be a prompt to do it again.

By Ejike E. Okpa II

Dallas, Texas.