Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has attributed Northern Nigeria’s concerns over the proposed Tax Reform Bills to the region’s lack of readiness to adapt to such changes.
In a statement released by her media aide, Israel Arogbonlo, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan shared these views during the Sardauna Memorial Day event in Kaduna. She urged northern leaders to revisit and embrace the vision of Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who once championed economic prosperity in the region during the 1950s.
Reflecting on the region’s past economic achievements, she highlighted the impressive groundnut trade of 1959, when Nigeria exported £27 million worth of groundnuts to the United Kingdom—a sum equivalent to ₦3.6 trillion in today’s currency. In stark contrast, Nigeria’s current groundnut exports are valued at just $3 million.
“In 1959, groundnut exports to the UK were worth £27 million, or ₦3.6 trillion today,” she noted. “Even the residue from oil extraction was exported as livestock feed. But now, our groundnut export sits at a paltry $3 million.”
Decline in Regional Industries
The senator also lamented the decline of Northern Nigeria’s once-thriving cotton and textile industries, which played a pivotal role in global markets.
“Between the 1950s and 1970s, the North’s cotton industry was a major player in the Liverpool cloth market in the UK,” she said. “Kaduna’s textile mills thrived, providing thousands of jobs. Today, that same industry, which generates $21 billion annually worldwide, is nearly nonexistent in Nigeria. This is the prosperous economy Sardauna left behind, which we were meant to build upon.”
Call for Economic Revival
Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized the need for a developmental mindset among Northern leaders to revitalize the economy and foster entrepreneurship.
“The North’s unease with the Tax Reform Bills stems from being unprepared. If we were generating ₦3.6 trillion from a single agricultural product, would tax reforms be a concern?” she asked. “We must challenge our leaders to focus on development, ensuring our lands and factories become productive again. Only then can we approach reforms from a place of economic abundance.”
She also called for collaborative efforts between northern leaders and civil society to rebuild the region’s economic framework.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s remarks serve as a reminder of the region’s rich economic history and a call to action for its leaders to reclaim and expand upon that legacy in the face of modern challenges.
