Niger state has lost its prestigious status in Nigeria. Successive governments have treated it as mere vote-generating factory, which they abandoned after every election. The inter-state roads in Niger state seem as though the people are being punished for some wrongs. A THREAD. 
Someone asked why I don’t draw attention to the state of the roads in Niger state and I asked whether I participated in bringing to power the man charged with fixing the problem. It gets tiring. Elections are intended to be a good transaction but such exchange does not favour us.
I doubt there’s a state in Nigeria that has endured ingratitude as much as Niger state. Especially in this government that not only treats the state and its people as some occupants of the nation’s boys’ quarters, who only deserve crumbs from the National Cake. I’ll explain.
1. When the Abuja airport was about to be rehabilitated, Kaduna airport was chosen and rehabilitated over the Minna airport. It didn’t matter that Minna was closer, and the temporary use of its airport could’ve facilitated repair of its road and revival of its local economy.
2. In choosing Ministers, Niger state representatives are often given junior roles or tasked with overseeing insignificant portfolios. This happened in both 2015 and 2019, and also experienced in 2007 and 2010, with Nigerians less qualified handed significant ministries.
3. Even though Niger state voted for Buhari overwhelmingly in all his five presidential bids, the reciprocation has been spiteful. It’s this sentiment I cited when confronting the fellow asking me to draw attention to the state of roads in Niger state. We must receive sense!
4. Niger state is technically the source of electricity in Nigeria, but the power situation in the state undermines such status. It’s been a never-ending series of power outages, and this has crippled both industrial outputs, and frustrated small business and the helpless people.
It’s tragic, really. It stirs a certain curiosity that a state hosting the residences of two former Presidents of Nigeria and a bunch of powerful military and political overlords, has no negotiable road to the federal capital, and is undergoing such glaring marginalization.
Perhaps these new realities of marginalization of Niger state may trigger the elite in the state, and also the usual block-voting masses, to re-assess their political choices. Or, to cite Buhari’s famous speech, are we only suffering the consequences of our actions?
