Transport
infrastructure is a major factor in promoting sustainable development because
it increases accessibility and creates opportunities for less developed or
neglected areas. Urban expansion and growth requires increased accessibility
and that is ensured by providing networks that will ease linkages in urban
centres. In fact, when roads are provided in an area, development is attracted.
Urban centres with more networks tend to develop faster than those with less
connectivity. This being the issue, all urban centres of Nigeria try to improve
their accessibility and connectivity, thus Lagos and Abuja remain envy to other
States including Kano and Ibadan.
A
little wonder therefore when Kano State Government initiate the construction of
new flyovers and under passes from 2011to date. The current State Government
ensures that the bridges that were unfinished by the last government, were
completed or being completed. In addition, new ones were built at Kofar Ruwa
and Panshekara. From 2011 to date, billions of naira were expended on these
giant projects which have beautified the city but also addresses some teething
traffic challenges. These bridges also fetch political marks to governors and
become their campaign landmarks.
One
of the roads that have a series of these bridges is Zaria road. The Gidan
Murtala overhead is less than three kilometers to the popularly Gadar Lado (Ado
Bayero Bridge) then the Bypass flyover. With the diversion of traffic at the
Dangi junction for those going through Zoo road, Zaria road is among the most
traffic-jam free roads in Kano metropolis. You hardly see long traffic along
Zaria road, for this, we must commend the State and Federal Governments for
their foresight because Zaria road could be the most important link road of
Kano with many important parts of Nigeria.
Most
recently, it was in the news that Kano State Government is building a new bridge
at Dangi roundabout, a project that will gulp a whooping 4 billion naira. The
new project will connect Zaria/Silver Jubilee and Zoo road in the metropolis.
The statement issued by the State Commissioner of Information, Youth and
Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba says “the project is also aimed at reducing
carbon emission, minimizing road accidents, beautification of the state capital
among others’. Although how the project will be funded is not clear, radio
adverts seem suggests that IGR from taxes will be the source of funding.
When
I heard about this new project, I found it intriguing. The first question one
should ask is is there need for this project in Kano at this critical time when
we are short of funds. Many critical sectors are facing challenges including
education and health. Children still sit on the floor. Existing health
facilities are in bad shape. To me, the Dangi project is preposterous. Any
observer and student of transportation will tell you that there is no
justification for that huge spending in that location. Zaria road is free of
traffic and in the next ten years or even more there won’t be need for this
kind of project. The reasons given by the Commissioner is absurd. First of all,
reducing carbon emission argument is deceptive because, the same State
Government has allocated green areas in the State that serve as carbon sink,
for example, along BUK road, especially between Kofar Gadon Kaya and Kofar
Famfo land has been allocated that will not only increase carbon emission because
of the traffic hold up it will create but also destroy 500 year Kano people’s
historical monument (remnant of the famous Kano city wall). Several public
parks have also been converted to other uses. Cutting all those trees reduces
the city’s capacity to reduce the effects of carbon emissions. The issue of minimizing road accidents and
beautification is also misleading. Zaria road has the least road accidents
rates (get the records from the Federal Road Safety Commission). This cannot be
a justification for spending tax payer’s money on it while there are other
priorities even in the metropolis. The talk about beautification is also
another misguided priority. We beautify cities with public parks and gardens (in
Kano governments destroyed them) not by building flyovers or underpasses.
But
this is not the main challenge of this great state of ours that we continue to
ignore. Kano State has one of the largest concentrations of population in
Nigeria, thus most part of the State is often considered as Closed Settled
Zone. Yet, the state has among the least developed Local Governments and one of
the reasons is that most of the development projects are concentrated in the centre
even by governors who come from rural areas. Kano State has a terrible
connectivity especially in rural areas. Rural areas are the engines of economic
development because they do not only produce food but also raw materials for
industrial development. Rural people remained poor and most of them have to
migrate to urban centres adding pressure to already over-stretch infrastructure
and services.
Unlike
neighbouring states such as Katsina that have made giant strides in increasing
its rural intranets opening up new areas and creating opportunities, Local
Governments in Kano State lack such linkages. It may come as a surprise to many
to note that most local governments in Kano State are not interconnected or
poorly so. For example Sumaila and Warawa LGAs are cul-de-sac, you can’t link up to anywhere from there. So many
neigbouring LGAs are not linked until you get out and join another road
extending travel time and preventing economic and social interactions. For instance
neighbouring LGAs like Sumaila and Doguwa, Ajingi and Gabasawa, Gabasawa and Minjibir,
Kunchi and Makoda, Albasu and Gaya, Bichi and Makoda, Rogo and Kiru, Kabo and Kiru
and of course Shanono-Tsanyawa, I stand to be corrected. This inhibits development
and subjugates the rural people into a permanent cycle of poverty. This long
term neglect in favour of the capital makes Kano LGAs less developed for years.
One wonders what the members of the Kano State Assembly who are representing
these rural areas are doing. Kano LGAs need to be connected and that’s what
visionary governments should do rather than spending tax payer’s money on beautifying the metropolis with white
elephant projects.
In
my opinion which may not matter, this proposed project will be a huge waste of
scarce resources, ill-informed and not politically strategic. The ruling APC in
Kano will have made more impact when it open up rural areas with this money
they will waste beautifying the city.
There is no pride in capital cities whose rural areas are neglected. There is
no beauty in cities whose rural areas are isolated. There is no gain in cities
being opened when rural areas are left inaccessible. Spending 4 billion naira
in Dangi underpass and flyover will not yield any economic benefit but boost
the ego of some misguided politicians. If Kano State Government invests this
huge sum in constructing rural roads in addition to whatever they have done or plan
to do, Kano State will be better for it and development will come to Kano State,
we can then manage our growing population. We have seen enough flyovers and
under passes in these years and what we need today is increase linkage of rural
areas to boost economic development. Whether this article will make them change
their mind or not I made my point and will henceforth continue to make it. If
there are people in Kano, elders in particular, who really love this State and
its people, they heard me and they know what to do. Our political leaders must
be guided to doing things in the interest of public good. Politics is a
dangerous game and politicians are selfish and short sighted.
March
29, 2018
