By Bayo Fasunwon

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Welcome to 2023. At last the much anticipated and much talked about year, especially for Nigerians, has finally arrived. In the realm of politics, and which happens to be the most viral issue on most Nigerian’s social handle, as expected, the intrigues and strategies would come to a head this year and then fizzle out. At the close of last year, while involved in discussions with critical minds, someone opined that every Nigerian who made it to this 2023 should be congratulated and given a national merit award.

While we laughed over this suggestion, the latter continued that those who made it to 2023 were survivors. To him such survived post COVID trauma, Immefielesm (sic), kidnapping, robberies, harassment, accidental discharges, road carnages, high cost of living, food scarcity, cash shrunk, inflation verbal assaults, palpable fears and of course fuel scarcity. Making it to 2023 was more like escaping from the German concentration camp. So, though hilarious, my heartfelt congratulations go to all the escapees, and we sincerely hope that this year 2023 would be a soothing balm, and a refiner’s soap that would heal all wounds and wash away all the shaming dirt of the year gone by.

Every end of year, and sometimes the beginning sees policy makers, breadwinners and even bread hunters reverting to the drawing boards to map out strategies for overcoming obstacles and also attaining the desired goal for the year. For our great nation, the 2023 elections occupy the front burner, and it seems that event would be the only event for the year. Thinking like that would make us lose the benefits of 2023. The elections would come and go, and the nation shall witness the inflow of new blood in new positions, who shall have to answer to both international, and international challenges as well as opportunities that would emerge in the post-election period of 2023. The present government has already laid challenging foundations, some call it traps for the incoming governments. The debt profile of Nigeria is set to hit the N72 trillion mark come June, and coincidentally, the fuel subsidy would be removed around that same time thereby officially increasing the price of Petroleum and associated products. The volatility of this product would cause a domino effect in the purchasing power of many Nigerians, and of course agitations, would follow. However, it is pertinent to note that the Director-General of the Debt Management Office had re-echoed our earlier advice to the Federal Government. Patience Oniha, the DG of DMO stressed that the huge fiscal deficit in the budget can only be reduced by an improvement in revenue generation. Improved revenue generation on the other hand is the outcome of increased qualitative productivity.

If that is the goal of the Federal Government, sadly, more borrowings would have to occur. There are clear indications that the country is losing huge sums of money to thieves, bandits, corrupt public officials, contractors, and oil bunkerers. Also, it seems government has realised the folly of sending unearned money into circulation hence the need to ‘mop up’ excess cash. All these factors would of course push the nation into the creditors’ financial market for more viable cash in this new year, especially with the monetized elections loading. By now, Nigerians would have observed that it is vain to advise government not to borrow. If we cannot prevent borrowing, then we should insist that borrowed funds should be productively engaged. Where should borrowed funds be channeled in this new year? All must be channeled to revamp our power sector. Until there is light, all efforts of government and individuals to revamp any aspect of this nation would remain an exercise in futility. It has been argued in this column before now that even when the Almighty God was faced with the challenge of rebuilding the Earth, the first He put in place was light. Light during the night and the day were precursors to the ‘good’ and ‘very good’ things that God made thereafter.

In other words, even the Celestial understood that development does not take place under the hood of darkness. It is said that Nigeria has twenty-three (23) power generating plantsconnected to the national grid with the capacity to generate 11,165.4 MW of electricity. However, as at November 2022, we rolled out the drums to celebrate Nigeria’s power generation, yesterday, of 4,735.1 megawatts, (MW). Even with this celebrated ‘peak’, it is much less than the 40,000 MW needed to sustain the basic needs of the population. Basic, and not industrial needs. Unfortunately, many Nigerians are yet to appreciate this ‘peak’ performance, as the light supply in their areas have neither improved nor the ‘unlighted’ communities receive light. Now, even solar panels and other accessories have gone up in prices, and the generating plants need more money for lesser supply of light. The implication is the increased cost of production, flight of industries and persons, as well as low quality goods that cannot compete with imported goods in the market; so whither the capacity for improved productivity that would stop the borrowing leeway.

It is quite interesting to note that Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his Edo State Campaign had lampooned former President Olusegun Obasanjo for strangulating his vision and strides to increase power supply in Lagos State as well as Nigeria. He did not fail to mention the whooping sums of money, hitherto meant for power revitalization, which the former President’s henchmen licked with no consequence. From his submission, there is the need for policy change, support and focused funding of the power sector so as to revamp the economy. Truth be told, without electricity security cannot be achieved. The country needs electricity to power the security technologies, produce weapons as well as track offenders. The last time yours truly checked, CCTV cameras do not run on water. Adequate and functional electricity would also help in health recovery and sustenance; also aid learning and improve marketing of produced goods and services. So, literarily speaking, when there is light in this nation, government may not need to worry about unemployment because there shall arise many industrious and profitable entrepreneurial ventures that would engage more Nigerians, and take them off the street. Even in the much-touted agricultural sector, functional electricity would go a long way in promoting profitable productivity. By the way, can cashless economy succeed in the absence of electricity?

One thing that this country lacks is light. As we venture into this new year, let us join forces, lift up our voices and cry ‘Let there be light!’. If this is the only thing that Government achieves in 2023, that feat would in no less time lead to greater achievements in other areas. Nigeria, in all your getting this year, get light.