HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF(DR) GODSWILL AKPABIO Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF(DR) GODSWILL AKPABIOExecutive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

LINK BETWEEN INFRASTRUCTURE, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY IN AFRICA- AKWA IBOM

EXPERIENCEPRESENTED

BY

OUTLINE

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DEFINITION OF TERMS2

INFRASTRUCTURE, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY3

CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION

AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLE

8Security Watch Africa Conference

INTRODUCTION

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When God created man, the essential needs of man were food, shelter and clothing. As men grew in time, space and number, other needs arose and these were indentified in Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs as:

Physiologicalsafety, social, esteem and self-actualization needs.

Security Watch Africa Conference

INTRODUCTION

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These needs led to a more complex society and a stronger desire for man to master his environment and meet the needs of man. These needs coalesced into a conceptual framework which has come to be referred to as infrastructure.

It is only the provision of quality infrastructure which can ameliorate human suffering and set the right and veritable conditions for growth, development and industrialization.


... INTRODUCTION

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In the same vein, human resource development has been defined as

‘organized learning activities arranged within an organization in order to

improve performance and/or personal growth for the purpose of

improving the job, the individual, and/or the organization.” The nexus

between infrastructure and human resource development being that you

need persons of a certain performance and skill level to build and

maintain the infrastructure in our communities.

Security is necessary to provide protection for the infrastructure as

well as the human resource which sustain the infrastructure. Security Watch Africa Conference

DEFINITION OF TERMS

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Infrastructure:The society is a collection of people, which needs certain physical and organizational structures for its survival, continuity, welfare and, more fundamentally, its enterprises. Infrastructure refers to these physical and organization structures which support the society and facilitates the production and distribution of wealth, the maintenance of social services and the provision of basic social amenities.

In this wise, infrastructure refers to roads, basic social services, buildings etc.


DEFINITION OF TERMS

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Worthy of note is the fact that some scholars classify infrastructure into two broad categories; Hard infrastructure refers to capital assets such as plants, transportation, garbage collection, basic energy and communication facilities, water management, solid waste management etc.

Soft infrastructure on the other hand refers to the institutions needed to sustain the economic, cultural and social standards and values of a country.

… Infrastructure:


... DEFINITION OF TERMS

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Human Resource Development:

It is the improvement and expansion of human capital within a system through the systematic development of both the system or organization and the individual.

Wikipedia integrates the “use of training, organization and

career development efforts to improve individual, group and

organizational effectiveness…it develops the key competencies

that enable individuals in organizations to perform current and

future jobs through planned learning activities. Groups within

organizations use HRD to initiate and manage change. Also, HRD

ensures a match between individual and organizational needs”.



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Security:

Security raises the question of how secure the society is for both the members and its organizations. It is assessed based on the level of protection it offers against crime, loss of human rights, damage to persons or properties and danger. What structures and processes are provided for defending fundamental human rights and securing lives and properties in the society.



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… Security:

Institute for Security and Open Methodologies (ISECOM) defines security as “a form of protection where a separation is

created between the assets and threat”. In other words,

governance is a social contract between the government and

the governed and for the payment of tax and performing his

civic duties, the government undertakes to offer protection,

security and the requisite infrastructures for human

development in the society.

And for security to be effective, it must be both reactionary and proactive.


INFRASTRUCTURE, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY

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The development of infrastructure in the world, with particular reference to the First World, should serve as a paradigm for Africa’s infrastructural development efforts.

The sustained economic development strategy of the First World is anchored on long term planning and the prioritization of human resource development.

It is an indubitable truth that high transactions costs arising from inadequate and inefficient infrastructure in our continent prevent our economy from realizing their full potentials regardless of the progress on other fronts.


... INFRASTRUCTURE, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY

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We should bear in mind the categorization of infrastructure into physical and social infrastructure. It is a fact that the existence of the physical infrastructure in functional and efficient states, and along with other services would provide the conditions requisite for development and growth.

Social infrastructure being the other subset cover water supply, sanitation, sewage disposal, education, health, entertainment and other sundry components which have a direct impact on the quality of life. This also has a direct bearing with the overall growth and productivity of the society.



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It must be stated that shortfalls in the two subsets isolated above may have given rise to congested or deplorable roads, power outages, long waiting lists for installations or acquisition of telephones, shortages of portable water, all of them combining to accentuate the widening gap between the demand and supply of infrastructure and the question of sustainability of economic growth.

This is one of the banes of our development as a continent and the reason, but it is a challenge that the new generation of Africans can tackle and change.

The security challenges that we have in Africa are man-made.



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And up till now the inherited military psyche has not completely been divorced from the police and they have failed to see themselves as a civilian establishment.

The political side of this is that our countries were not formed by our forefathers but by foreigners.

There was no attempt to build a nation out of the multifarious and diverse ethnicities which were lumped together to form nations based on geographical proximity – not consent. These more than anything else accounts for African being identified as a continent in crisis.

We can take our destiny in our hands and forge a future which would confound the history books and leave a legacy which posterity will someday describe as our finest hour.


Location: • South-South in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.• Along a Coastal Stretch of 129km from Oron in the East to Ikot Abasi in the West.• Providing a massive coastline with enormous opportunities.

Bordered on the East by Cross River State; on the West by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean. Population - 3.9 million (2006), 4.2m projected in 2009.

… OVERVIEW


... AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLE

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The rich human and material resources and the clement weather combine to put the state in a pole position for accelerate development.

What was needed was to have someone who could build infrastructure, develop human resources, provide security and set an agenda for development.



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To achieve the ambitious objective of transforming the State, we set the following

strategic goals.



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We also resolved not to play politics of any kind with projects and to be guided by best practices and serve the best interests our people in the choice of projects and their locations.

Our first challenge was to change the deplorable state of roads in the State as several roads had been abandoned for decades and communities had been cut-off for long spells of time.

Some of these roads were federal roads, which had become virtual deathtraps. Security Watch Africa Conference


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We started with a master plan for an effective transportation network for the State.

We did not discriminate between Federal and State roads, because we believed that those who got injured and died on those roads were covered by the social contract between the government and the governed.

And there is no single Local Government Area in the State which has not been touched by our revolutionary road transformation.


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLESome of the Projects/programmes

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Free and compulsory education; codified by law


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEIbom International Airport

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Completion of Ibom International Airport, which we met at site- clearing level and had since completed the first phase of the airport with 3.6 km runway.

The airport comes with a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. Domestic and international flight operations had since commenced at the airport.


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLESome Pictures of the Ibom Intl Airport Facilities



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We also resolved not to play politics of any kind with projects and to be guided by best practices and serve the best interests our people in the choice of projects and their locations.

Our first challenge was to change the deplorable state of roads in the State as several roads had been abandoned for decades and communities had been cut-off for long spells of time.

Some of these roads were federal roads, which had become virtual deathtraps. Security Watch Africa Conference

Afaha Obong by Queen of Apostle Seminary 3, Abak

ESU STREET, EKET Etim Ekpo – Iwukem Road

view from Ekim Itam market, EKIM ITAM

ROADS as they were before intervention


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLERoads

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Over 240 new roads, including about 200 km of Federal roads, constructed with three concentric flyovers in Uyo.

These roads, along with urban roads, have remained pothole-free under the Operational Zero Pothole Programme initiated by our administration.


ROADS now


NOW

A section of Etim Ekpo- Iwukem Road

Entrance to Governors’ LodgeSecurity Watch Africa Conference


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEsome of the Projects/programmes

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Construction of West African’s first digital library. This is an imposing edifice which would accelerate information and communication technology growth in the State.


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEHealthcare

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Initiation and implementation of free healthcare programme for children, expectant mothers and the elderly.


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEDrainage System

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The initiation and completion of the 3.7 km underground drainage project using the pipe-jacking technology. The first of its kind in Africa and this hopes to provide a permanent cure for the erosion and flood problems in Uyo Capital City.


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEPipe –jacking Technology Drainage System


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEHealth- Hospitals

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Construction of five new general hospitals and a specialist hospital of international standard.


General Hospital, Iquita, OronImmanuel General Hospital, Eket

Cottage Hospital, IbenoCottage Hospital, Ikot Ekpene


HEALTH FACILITIES

AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLE Ibom Power Plant

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Completion of 191 megawatts Ibom Power Project, started by the preceding administration.


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEAerial view of the Ibom Power Plant


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEGas Pipe Laying to the Power Plant

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Construction of a gas processing plant with 69 km of pipeline to supply gas to the IPP.

Gas Pipe Laying project for Ibom Power Plant by Septa Energy


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLERural Electrification

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Comprehensive rural electrification scheme which has linked additional 1,400 communities, achieving 85 percent coverage, from the 35 percent level he met at assumption of office in 2007.




AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEOther Projects

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Through the Inter-ministerial Direct Labour model, over 3,000 projects spread across the 31 Local Government Areas with each Local Government not benefitting from less than 75 projects, have been completed and commissioned.


OTHER DIRECT LABOR PROJECTS

Rehabilitation of 6 bedroom bungalow health centre Nkana Construction of 12 Open Stall Iwochang

Mini-Water Project Ikot Nkwot Ikot Nseyen Rehabilitation of Children's Ward Cottage Hospital Ekpene Obo


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLESECURITY

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Improved security with the provision of patrol vehicles, armored personal carriers and gun boats to boost security operations in the State.


SECURITYMobile Police base, Ukana

Police Boat


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLETROPICANA ENTERTAINMENT CENTER

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Construction of a world class business and entertainment resort – the Tropicana Entertainment Center.

• Cineplex (already completed), • Shopping malls, • Wet and dry park and a monorail, • Sixteen storey 250-bedroom five star hotel,• international convention center.


TROPICANA CONVENTION CENTER - Mall and Cineplex


TROPICANA CONVENTION CENTER..inside Viewing Halls, Cineplex


AKWA IBOM STATE EXAMPLEOthers


CONCLUSION

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A careful study of the projects undertaken by this administration would show the link between infrastructure, human resource development and security. The infrastructural needs of any society are hardly ever exhausted. It is apparent that as society evolves, the infrastructural needs also evolve correspondingly. At this critical time in our continent’s history, there is a greater demand on infrastructural needs, but with varying preferences to acquiesce with our own means. This is our challenge and this is our call. We must rise up to meet these needs. We must respond to the call to develop our human resources to meet the challenges of an ever changing world.


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THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS


Documents

HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF(DR) GODSWILL AKPABIO Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria