Azogor Ideba|26 January 2018
When he took the gauntlet on May 29, 2015 as the Executive Governor of Cross River State, his maiden speech quickly outlined his lofty plans for the state. Indeed in clear terms, Ayade sounded a very ambitious tone mentioning two key signature projects to the consternation of ¾ of the spectators at the CICC inauguration venue. The heterogeneous audience had come with almost a common expectation. They did not expect anything unusual from the newly sworn in Ayade. But he had come with a clear-cut and very sophisticated blue-print.
Ayade had come very prepared, bearing in mind that, the economic down turn in Nigeria with its adverse effects did not spare Cross River State, coupled with the inglorious loss of 76 oil wells to neighbouring Akwa-Ibom state which automatically had led to loss of revenue, leaving the state resultantly with one of the least allocations from the federation’s account. Ayade also came with the consciousness that Cross River state is one of the poorest states in Nigeria in terms of what she gets from the centre.
But the fortunes of the state appear to be turning around considering the massive development nay transformation sweeping across the state. We owe this wave of development to what is known as Ayadenomics.
Ayadenomics simply means Ayadetian Economic Philosophy or Ayade (political) Economics. Ayadenomics can be defined as an economic philosophy which advocates expanded government, mass employment, massive public investments or industrialisation via government interventions configured within a free market economy or mixed economy to boost production and commerce, as a way of bolstering income for government in a bid to foster prosperity even in times of recession and dwindling finances.
Consummately, Adams Smith’s ‘The Wealth of Nations’ and John Keynes ‘The Means to Prosperity’ gave roots to Ayadenomics.
Ayadenomics believes that demand drives production and services and increase in both variables will lead to increase in employment, increase in commerce and ultimately increase in GDP; thus the higher the GDP of the state, the better her economy.
Very central to Ayadenomics is job creation and industrialisation. The mission is to decouple the economy of Cross River from reliance on the centre.
One of the objectives of Ayadenomics is to build a viable production economy for Cross River. To achieve the afore-stated, engagement in the production of consumer good with the establishment of factories involved in production to boost demand and capture supply. Ayade’s investments in Agriculture like Cross River Banana Plantation in Odukpani and Boki, Songhai Farms in Abi, Cross River Integrated Cotton Farm in Yala, Diary and Honey Farm in Obudu Ranch, Cross River Cocoa Expansion Project in Ikom, Cassava Processing Factory in Obubra, Bansara Rice Mill in ogoja, Cross River Rice Processing Mill and Factory in Ogoja and Yala, Cocao Processing Factory, Ikom, the Calabar Rice City Complex in Calabar, Ayade Integrated Farms in Obudu, Cassava Fields across the state, The Cement Plant etc., Pharmaceuticals like the Calapharm, ICT, etc. speak to this effect.
It is also an objective of Ayadenomics to create an efficient service economy for the state. Here, Ayadenomics is investing in critical infrastructures and utilities which would be used to generate revenue for the state in way of tax in line with Adams Smith economic postulation. Ayadenomics drives the Bakkassi Deep Sea Port, the 275km Superhighway criss-crossing 2/3 of the 18 local government areas of the state up to Katsina –ala in Benue state Northern Nigeria, which will serve as evacuation corridor for the deep sea port, The Cross River State Garment Factory which already has created over one thousand jobs, the Summit hills Estates Development Project, Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Tinapa Health City, Norticot city, Centicot city and Calavegas city and the Obudu new city intended to be a world class tourism, human resource development and professional learning hub in Nigeria, amongst other service oriented investment come to mind.
Another objective of Ayadenomics is to establish a virile knowledge economy for the state. The knowledge economy driven by ICT is expected to propel both Production and the Service economies. In today’s world ICT is key and drives the growth and successes of businesses. ICT enhances productivity and efficiency and eases the rigours of doing things with modern trends and innovations. The Calabar Smart city project which encompasses the deployment of Wi-Fi in the entire city of Calabar; the upgrading of the government data centre to a world class status and the extension of fibre to the home (FTH) for voice, video and data. Here also, the IPTV component of the project will offer over 1000 channel for citizens and organisation within and outside the state.
More so, the knowledge economy makes it possible for other value added services like e-health, e-education, e-agriculture, e-tourism, e-commerce etc. and summarily, an efficient e-governance in the state and across the local government areas of the state.
Again the Tinapa Knowledge City which will enable the commencement of full training on soft- ware, firm-ware and hard-ware development, including the production of made in Cross River phones and computers is being activated.
These various but very strategic projects will create hundreds of thousands of job, stimulate commerce and commercial traffic in, to and from the state, boost the GDP of the state and ultimately create a vibrant economy for the state. The key here is to stimulate trade and boost commerce.
The aggregation of the all benefits of these economic initiatives in the long run will certainly decouple the state from reliance on the centre to prosper. This is the ultimate desire of Ayadenomics, a carefully researched and well-articulated economic footprint by his Excellency Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade.
Ayade’s vision for Cross River is far rooted in faith with the conviction that the word ‘impossibility’ is a vocabulary which exists only on the pages of dictionaries. And he has continued to prove book markers wrong.
Obviously, today, Ayade is in conversation with history through his many strides to bequeath to Cross River an insured and assured future. And History tomorrow will be kind to this deep thinker and great visionary who has revolutionise development in his time.
If you could pause for a while to reflect on Ayade’s programmes and projects and try to relate them to the economic realities of today and the uncertainty of tomorrow (please cast doubt, disbelief or bias aside), then you would clearly see the future Ayade envisions for Cross River and probably be convinced to support the governor in his avowed commitment to take the state to greater heights.
Sooner or later, Cross River is bound to emerge as one of the most economically vibrant and prosperous states in Africa if not in the world through the instrumentality of Ayadenomics. This is the roadmap to Cross River’s economic recovery and prosperity; designed to decouple the state from reliance on the centre for survival; to grow and develop at her own speed.
With Ayadenomics, Cross River is financially buoyant and economically self-reliant till infinity. The Ayadetian economic revolution is on.
Azogor Ideba
Is the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the 8th Cross River State House of Assembly
