Post #465

💥Nigeria is Shattered (Again) Nigerian regions can’t agree on a gold refinery In politics, you never know which event will trigger the next storm and heated debate. In Nigeria, that trigger turned out to be a remark by Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake at a forum in Saudi Arabia, where he boasted about the opening ofa gold refinery in Lagos. 🔸 A self-congratulatory comment typical of such gatherings sparked outrage on social media and drew critical statements from several civil groups, including the Northern Elders Forum. 🔸 Voices from the NigerianNorth are accusing President Tinubu’s government of favoritism toward Lagos arguing that the refinery should have been located in the North, where a significant share of gold is mined. Their opponents gloatingly remind that the oil riches of the Niger Delta in the South has long been likewise taken away and distributed across the whole country. 🔸 While a single plant would never have solved the North’s industrial problems in any case, the debate highlights the depth of Nigeria’s regional divide. Some Northerners are dissatisfied with the state's efforts to bring their states up to the national average, while people in the South and Southeast view support for the subsidy-dependent North as unfair. ❗️ And although this problem long predates the current leadership, the fact that Nigeria's President Tinubu has assembled a government composed almost exclusively of representatives from the South West — particularly from Lagos — clearly does nothing to help resolve it. ➡️ Stay informed - @devilsbelow