THE WEALTH OF KWARA

       AKOGUN IYIOLA OYEDEPO

Last month I discussed the destruction of the solid foundation of Kwara state under the topic THERE WAS A KWARA STATE. Our knowledge of the current destruction that is passed for development; is better explained with missed opportunities and possibilities caged in frustration by leadership that turns Kwara State to a fiefdom of private or family enterprise. Under this write-up, we shall examine leadership that gives us minimum in governance and followership that are satisfied with governments that often jump and land on the same spot. This has been out lot at least in the last twenty-six years. A crop of docile citizen is created that succumb to despondency and either throw their hands up and ask a question; can it ever be better than this? Some of such citizen also conclude that; it can never be better than this. 

But there are great possibilities in our unexploited potentials if we are governed with wisdom, knowledge, and political will to do the most appropriate. Kwara State is full of potentials in human and material resources that can solve our problems of

underdevelopment.

Some people have categorized some states in Nigeria as viable and some unviable. Such people see states that can survive without monthly federal allocations or states with fat monthly allocations, as viable. The states that are in this category are not more than three or four: Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom and perhaps a few others. From my studies we delude ourselves, if we categorize Kwara to be one of such states. The internally generated revenue of Kwara State cannot sustain the state for one month. We do not have enough statutory monthly allocation to address the challenges of the state even despite the humongous monthly allocation that come to our treasury in recent years. 

There is no state that is not viable in Nigeria, their unviability is imposed by leaders that are not innovative, lack appropriate vision, skills and strategies for development. States stepped in selfishness and corruption can never move forward. If a person, community, unions, etc are viable, there is no political space that cannot be made viable through human ingenuity, appropriate skills and strategies of organization guided by altruistic purpose.

The strength and wealth of a people is not necessarily in its population, mineral resources and other natural resources. But if all these are accentuated by good leadership; they can be of great help. The United Kingdom’s population by this November 2025, is 69.7 million less than two third of the population of Nigeria and it has a land area of approximately 242, 945sq km. At its zenith in 1920, British Empire was the largest in history, covering 35.5million square kilometers which was then one quarter of the whole world. It then had dominions over colonies, protectorates in Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean. It was so large that it was commonly said that the sun never set on the empire. This was achieved by a people of 42.9 million (1920) population and a small portion of the space of the world. Singapore has a population of 6.11 million as at June 2025, and has no significant natural mineral resources, other than its strategic location. From obscurity of 1965, it has emerged from third world to the first world. Japan is a country of 123.9 million people with negligible mineral resources. The country largely depends on imported minerals to power its industries. It rules the world in automobile and electronics. An unproductive large population might be a dumping ground for the finished products of developed economy. Such large population can only be of advantage, if developed in science, technology and quality if its organization. 

Therefore, Kwara is rich in potentials but poor in management. One of the major untapped potentials for greatness is the population of the state. By the 2023 population projection, the State has a population of 3.5million people. The population of the state is made up of 70% of young people that are largely unemployed and perhaps unemployable as a result of deficient training and education. It is largely a redundant population. The state has a land area of 35, 705 square kilometers. Though, the land area is enough to sustain the economic activities of the population, it is left fallow as a result of poor policy options and misplaced priorities. The climate characteristics of Kwara State are two main seasons of wet and dry. It has adequate rainfall that can support agriculture and rivers that can even support all year-round agriculture if irrigated for such purpose. The land is generally fertile and can support varieties of crops in different parts of the state. Agriculture, if therefore supported with the varieties of crops on the fallow land will produce raw materials that will make agriculture the handmaid of industrialization.

Since 1999, that we have been electing our leaders periodically, there had been no government that had turn our population to any economic advantage. What we have produced thus far, is restless youths that are rendered economically immobile and many are now hooked on drugs, alcoholism and prostitution. Those that are to be productively engaged waste their energies on violence and other forms of criminality. The only government that pretended to encourage agriculture brought foreigners to do the work which is the mainstay of the economy of the state. Studies have shown that Shonga farm is a huge fraud. Though extensive and fertile is our land, farmers of the state are not motivated to produce and the land and the favorable weathers contribute negligibly to economic prosperity of the state. This is a huge waste of the wealth of the State. 

The main mineral resources that are available in Kwara State are petroleum as primary fuel for transportation, electricity generation, raw materials for plastics, etc. There is gold, for finance, investments and jewelry, etc. We have limestone, a key raw material for cement and concrete, etc. Marble is abundantly available for construction and decoration in flooring, etc. There is feldspar used in glass and ceramic industries. Our clay is good for bricks for construction and tiles, pottery and ceramics, etc. We also have Kaolin, for technology materials and decorative items, ceramics and porcelain manufacturing among others. There is in abundance quartz for technology in building materials and decorative items. Granite is available and used for durable kithcentops, flooring and wall cladding in both residential and commercial buildings. Laterite is commonly available for construction and as a source for mining metals, etc.

Though section 44(3) of the 1999 constitution places the ownership and control of mineral resources of the nation exclusively in the hand of the Federal Government of Nigeria, there is no excuse for Kwara State not to be a major player in the exploitation of mineral resources under its soil. Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act have spelt out how individuals and corporate bodies like Kwara can obtain mining license to mine minerals within and outside Kwara State. All that our governments has to do is to either obtain the licenses for itself or encourage individuals to do so and partner with them. Our governments rather encourage or look the other way, while illegal miners fleece off the mineral resources of the state. Another huge waste of the wealth of the State.

Tourism which includes natural tourists attractions, cultural and historical sites are part of the wealth of Kwara State. Tourism if well developed can make Kwara State a very viable state in Nigeria. It can make the state a hub for global visitors seeking fun and information. The natural tourists’ sites include: Owu Falls, which is the highest and most spectacular waterfalls in West Africa with a beauty that is wonderful to behold. Even along the axis that has the Owu water falls, are two water falls that are less prominent, but nevertheless spectacular; Atii and Aise water falls at Isanlu-Isin. In Oke-Ero Local government area of the state and not far from the Owu water falls there is the Ero Omola waterfalls. In Ilorin there is the Sobi Hill. The cultural and historical sites in Kwara state include the Esie Museum with a collection of soapstone figures, Ilorin Central Mosque, a wonderful architectural landmark, Emir palace which is the seat of tradition. There is Olomakas shrine in Oyun and the popular Patigi Regatta festival. We also have in Kwara state the cultural Egungun Elewe of the Igbominas, the Tankai dancers from Baruten and the Ijakadi from Offa. Even Kwara State can create or enable individuals to create new tourists’ attraction centers. For example, if Asa River can be dredged provided with facilities for connivences and speed boats to ply the environment, it will make for money spinning tourists and entertainment centers. 

 If all the tourists center above can be well packaged for tourism economy, they will expose Kwara to the whole world and tremendously improve the internally generated revenue efforts of the state. Most of what can be done to develop tourism can only be provided by government. Many of the sites lack infrastructures like road, water, electricity and security. Government is appropriately located to provide all these. Government needs to provide the necessary facilities to the centers so as to attract foreign and local investors. And as to the cultural festivals, government needs to encourage the yearly celebration of the festivals as it is being done at Olojo at Ile-Ife and Osun Osogbo festival at Oshogbo in Osun State. The same is being done yearly at Calabar and Abuja festivals. One can only imagine a day of carnival that will host egungun elewe of the Igbomina, Tankai Dancers of the Barubas, Ijakadi of Offa, Durbar of Ilorin, symbolic Awon mass marriage, igunnu of the Nupes annually. This will not only unite the people of the state but also improve the economy of the state.

The land, the people, the mineral resources, natural sites, cultural festivals and advantageous location are part of the wealth of Kwara State. But do we harness these for the development of this state? What do we do instead? The main source of the revenue that sustains Kwara State is the monthly statutory allocation. Monthly statutory allocation is largely an abuse of federalism, which remains the aspiration of the people of Nigeria. I foresee that one day, this main source will dry up. In as much as there is ceaseless agitation for resource control, a time will come that the agitators will succeed. Once that is done, the main lifeline of this state shall be cut off. That is when we shall all know that we are economically dressed in a borrowed robe and our state shall become truly unviable. If only we can make hey when the sun shines; the looming catastrophe may elude us. 

The only thing that needs be done is to invest what we now have, in the form of monthly statutory allocation to establish an economy that is purely controlled by the people of Kwara State.  

Some people glorify what they call economic feat of monthly generation of about four billion revenues. The first question that we need to ask is whether the sum of four billion naira in a month can sustain Kwara State. Kwara State needs to pay salaries of workers, maintain services in terms of recurrent expenditures. The state needs to embark on the upgrade of its education and health facilities, support agriculture, maintain roads and open up new ones, provide safe water for the people, provide adequate security for the people, maintain the costly life styles of the people in government, etc. Can the sum of four billion naira currently said to be generated monthly, be enough for all the above?

But the four billion monthly internally generated revenue is even a deception. The previous government re-packaged the former Internal Revenue Board and now calls it Kwara State internal Revenue Services (KWIRS). My investigations have shown that the creation is substantially in the change of name. The effect and the celebration of its effectiveness, efficiency and success stories are another set of drama. The mobilization of monthly four billion naira is not from encouraging the productive prowess of the people of this state, but rather from over taxing the people for whom the government have not been too responsible. Taxation must go with responsibility of government to the welfare and economic prosperity of the people. If the existing companies and businesses are taxed, how many businesses, local or foreign has the governments attracted to Kwara State since 1999? Those that are in the state before or during the regimes since 1999, what has the governments done for them in the areas of water, electricity, security and all others things that make businesses to have seamless operation? I am of the firm belief that businesses are paying taxes of various forms without governments being useful to them.

Secondly, the bulk of the four billion naira being celebrated as internally generated revenue comes from the personal income tax of the workers, the bulk of which are employed in the civil service of the state. My position on this is that this is taxation without innovation or significant addition in volume. Personal income tax is as old as the establishment of government. It is therefore not as a result of innovation or ingenuity of those currently in government. But those in government can increase it by ensuring an economic policy that will encourage establishment of more businesses and more productive capacities of citizens. As the civil service becomes shrink and will become more so with the use of technology in administration, the only thing that is being done is to raise this taxation, which is a burden on the few that are now employed. More businesses will mean more revenue, retrenchment and unemployment is a colossal loss of revenue to government.

Thirdly, the bulk of the internally generated revenue of the government of Kwara State also comes from ground rents and other payments relating to the purchase of properties. This is often the taxation of those that may want to buy land, either for industries, other commercial venture or even for private housing purposes. The bulk of people involved in this do not make their money in Kwara State. They may be people living outside Kwara State, but now want to have properties in the State. They are not a set of people that make serious money from the economy of Kwara State. If the economy of the state is therefore made more buoyant, the amount of money from this source will be humongous. The few that come from outside to buy land and build houses or hotels are often billed through the nose.

Another source of the deceptive internally generated revenue is from school fees and other charges in our tertiary and health institutions across the state. while it is conceded that these are internally generated, they are often retained by generating agencies for recurrent expenditure. The agencies must make available to KWIRS, the monthly collections by schools, health institutions, etc of such earnings for the record of Kwara State as revenue generated in the state. This revenue with the tenement rates and other collections from the local government areas are summed up as the internally generated revenue of the state government. When Kwara State claims that it generates four billion naira, monthly as internally generated revenue, it is not from productive ventures like manufacturing, water rates as water taps are dried for most part of the year, establishment of small and medium scale industries, agriculture, etc. When such moneys are mobilized by different agencies that should have independent accounting system which should be for internal operation of the agencies but now added to the monthly internally generated revenue of the state, it is deception. The deception comes from the fact that, when the billions of naira claimed to be mobilized as evidence of financial viability of the state, it has no effect on resources available for continued growth of the state. I am still of the opinion that Kwara state is 80% dependent on monthly statutory allocation and therefore the state is not financially viable.

The most important wealth of Kwara State is the use of the brains of the people for economic prosperity of the state. Truly, land, mineral resources, favorable weather and others may be in abundance in a geographical space, if the population is not innovative, scientific, creative and competent; they will be at the mercy of the people that can think out of the box. We need creativity and competence in all areas of our life to turn raw materials to useful finished products. Fully developed Human capital resources is sine qua none to economic prosperity of a people. This has much to do with leadership recruitments in the state. Leaders, whether political or in other areas of human endeavor must be innovative and competent. He must be development oriented. But if our leaders are only adept at maintenance of status quo, all the available minerals, land, tourism opportunities cannot be turned to the wealth of the state. But I still cannot see the evidence of interaction of those in government with the academia, intellectuals and competent professionals in this State. 

Personnel and leadership recruitment through nepotism, cronyism, favoritism, ethnicity, religionism, etc cannot attract developments. The earlier we develop a formula that will turn the wealth of our state to development, the better.