Creating a new Nigeria: welfare policies and human-centered development (3)

Continued Since yesterday

Fourth, Nigeria needs accommodation For everything.A better quality of life requires to access has decent And affordable accommodation For all. I remember growth up, how hard My father work has be able has build We A decent House has stay In, After life For years In high density areas, In What East called face-me-i-face You. What A joy he was has Finally to have OUR own pieces with thermal baths And bathroom. This joy escape hundreds of millions of people In Africa, Again several Governments stay watch without being discouraged And unshakable as millions of their citizens live In slums. Today on 65 by hundred of people In sub-Saharan Africa live In slums.

To leave Me bring This closer house.In Nigeria, 49 by hundred of THE population live In shanty towns, according to has data by UN-Habitat. That East A staggering 102 million people!

These tendencies need has change, quickly.Welfarist Strategies are urgently necessary has ensure that 100 by hundred of citizens to have to access has basic And affordable accommodation. THE opprobrium Strategies that seek has upgrade slums should be dropped. There East Nothing as A 5 stars Slum: A slum East A slum. Urgent Actions are necessary has support mortgage funding And refinancing And to use of innovative funding constructions has increase long term capital For closing THE accommodation deficits.

Fifth, Nigeria needs government responsibility And tax decentralization For A TRUE federalism.

Democracy East more that THE RIGHT has casting A vote. He East THE RIGHT of citizens has socket Governments indebted For improvements In their well-being. Citizen responsibility forums are necessary In order has to have A say In how their the nation resources are be used And how their Governments are efficient. Governments must to show concrete And transparent evidence of tax responsibility.

Governments without citizen responsibility become synonyms For democratic dictatorship.

Today, SO, there East A bigger need For electronic governance systems has improve transparency And responsibility of Governments, In service of THE people. That East What people-centered governance East all about. That East Why THE African Development Bank East development A public service delivery hint that will rate Governments on THE quality of service delivery For citizens.

Development clearly requires A significant Rising of funding, which Governments need has increase. A primary tool For TO DO SO East through Taxation. THE reasoning For breeding taxes In Nigeria East that THE the nation tax/GDP report East weak compared with has other African Or non-African countries. However, Taxation In THE absence of A social contract between Governments And citizens East simply tax extortion.

Participatory tax based funding systems require participation governance. Take THE case of Norway For example. It is tax/GDP report East 39 by hundred. He East easy has TO DO THE comparison And say Nigeria needs has increase It is taxes Since 6.1 by hundred of GDP has A similar level as Norway.

But consider that In Norway, as all THE Nordic countries, education East free through university. And if You finishing your course on time, any of them loans You took has food yourself, clothe yourself And maintain yourself, are converted In grants.

We must distinguish between nominal taxes And implicit taxes – taxes that are supported by THE people but are not seen Or recorded.

Truth be said, Nigerians pay A of THE The highest implicit tax rates In THE world. Most of THE citizens provide electricity For themselves via generators; they repair roads In their neighborhoods if they can allow has. They provide drilling For while drinking water with their own money. In THE 21 century, This East incredulous as each household should to have piped water!

Unfortunately, THE unnatural has has been normalized.If people pay Taxes, Governments must deliver services has citizens And be detained indebted For their ability has TO DO SO Or not. Governments should not transfer their responsibility to citizens. When Governments Or establishments fail has provide basic services, THE people bear THE burden of A heavy implicit tax.

HAS succeed with a lot necessary welfarist And people-centered Strategies through Nigeria, he East necessary has change THE governance system And decentralize governance has States In order has provide bigger autonomy.

States to have tremendous potential has become even more financially autonomous through bigger tax caution. If States to focus on unlocking THE huge resources they to have, base on areas of comparative advantage, they will quickly develop wealth For their people. With such increase wealth, they will be able has to access capital markets And secure long term funding has Expressway their growth And development.

States that adopt This strategy would be to have less of A need For monthly travel has Abuja For subsidies. Instead, part of their federal income allowances can be checked in as internal 'State sovereign wealth funds'. This can SO be used as guarantees against...