Two metaphors on public waste: Flyovers and tractors

By Dele Sobowale

“Nothing is more wasteful than doing with great efficiency that which should not be done.” Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business Review, March-April, 1993.

For five years, after being confined to a wheelchair, I now feel strong enough to travel around Nigeria more often. Thus, in August, I was able to touch eight states. What I saw, as well as what was not seen, painted a grim picture of a nation being misled by its elected officials. Nigerian governments prove that Levitt was only partly right in his observation about waste.

The second most wasteful thing is not doing well what needs to be done efficiently. Right now, Nigerian governments, Federal and States, are wasting tons of money on so-called capital projects in a way that any right thinking economist would find appalling and concerning. For a poor country, grappling with several deficits, what I observed on my trips to some states, as well as what I have read, are convincing proof that we are currently badly-led. And, there is evidence that some former Governors did more harm than good to their states. Some projects were absolutely atrocious.

Although not listed among the two matters to be discussed, anybody is challenged to go to Abeokuta and observe what has become of multi-billion pedestrian walkways; which I was told were erected by ex-Governor Amosun – a professional accountant, FCA for that matter.

In two days spent in the Ogun State capital, I observed closely flyovers, to which I will come in a moment, and pedestrian walkways. Not once was any one seen using the walkways; which were constructed after demolishing buildings, shops, residences and paying compensations to the well-connected. Today, it is beyond dispute that, with the people voting with their feet and bodies, the government had done what should not be done. Who benefits? Only the contractors and politicians. Commonsense dictated that when the first flyover was built and unused, there was no need to erect a second one. Instead a more elaborate one followed – with predictable results. Waste has no better definition. 

FLYOVER-MANIA AND ABANDONED PROJECTS

Lagos State was the birth place of flyovers in Nigeria before the federal capital moved to Abuja. Given the population, number of vehicles and the geographical size of the tiny state, flyovers were inevitable. Movement would have come to a grinding halt in several parts of the state without it. Even now, despite the numerous flyovers, driving in Lagos State remains a nightmare in some areas.  Developers of the Abuja Master Plan were proactive enough to have included flyovers in the original plans; and the new FCT is the better for it.

Several state governors, unimaginative copy cats, have since latched unto the idea of flyovers, which increasingly are just plain wasteful. A lot of abandoned projects in some states began as flyovers. My recent trips to eight states reveal to what extent flyover-mania has taken over in state capitals. Traffic situations which, elsewhere, are managed by intelligent traffic routing arrangements, now receive the flyover treatment everywhere. Former Lagos State Governor Ambode and his Commissioners demonstrated how traffic congestion can be managed more effectively without roundabouts or flyovers with the way the Bonny Camp-Lekki-Epe Expressway was re-constructed. But, Nigerian Governors from the bush don’t want to learn from that cost-effective approach. They prefer costly flyovers. Abeokuta, in the South West and Minna in the North Central were shocking examples of how things can go wrong and money wasted on flyovers. In the two cities, there are abandoned flyovers uncompleted by previous administrations – which the new Governors have left strictly alone. The costs are incalculable. They include demolition of existing structures, paying compensation to owners, engaging and mobilising a company to start work on a project which is now totally useless. 

Even, the flyovers completed frequently constitute a waste of resources. I found a place to sit near two of those completed in two other states during busy time and counted the vehicles using them per hour. In the two instances, less than 100 vehicles were counted on both sides; or less than two per minute. Is that a sufficient reason to build a flyover instead of using the funds to improve rural health centres?

MORE TRACTORS; LESS FOOD – A NIGERIAN PARADOX

“Let them eat cake”. Marie Antoinette, 1755-1793.

Food is a serious and explosive business. When Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, was told that the masses were starving because the price of bread had gone beyond their reach, she responded with the joke – “Let them eat cake” – which led to the French Revolution, which resulted in her death. Though political leaders no longer get dragged out of State Houses for their nonchalant attitude about food supply and pervasive hunger, Nigerian leaders and the people need to know why a food crisis is imminent. The paradox of more tractors and less food is as Nigerian as the Nigerian Factor. The more governments promise, the less food we get. Why?

Until 2020, when I was battered by cancer, it was my habit to visit at least 28 to 30 states of Nigeria every year; and the personal objective was achieved until my legs were paralysed. Those trips saved me from the Lagos columnists disease of sitting in Lagos and writing about Sokoto, Chibok, Okija, Ugep etc – among other places. Thank God, I am getting better, not in perfect health – but better. Now I can travel again; go out and see things for myself.  My recent trip to eight states revealed one shocking fact about food production in the states, as well as the Federal Government’s contribution, or lack of it, to the efforts aimed at achieving national food security. The main problem can be reduced to one word – TRACTORS.

Those of us who care to follow governments pronouncements regarding food production must have seen the Governors and Commissioners standing with several tractors newly-purchased for the use of farmers to boost food productivity. President Tinubu is too busy traveling around the world to stand in front of tractors. But announcements are made on his behalf. Always very impressive shows but uniformly deceptive as well.

On this trip, which deliberately included visits to rural areas, one astonishing fact was the lack of tractors in the farms. That led to the question: where are they, if they are not being used by farmers? I was preparing to write to the Federal Minister of Agriculture to seek explanations. Daily Trust, Monday, September 1, 2025, provided the answer – which I want to share with you. At least, the report proved that I was not suffering from optical illusion. The tractors were not there.

“69 days after launch: farmers await FG’s tractors”.

The reasons summarise why Nigeria is food insecure might remain so for ages.

“We are awaiting the Presidency’s directive – Ministry’s officials.”

Meanwhile, “It’s getting too late – Farmers.”

Follow me on Facebook @ J Israel Biola

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