In 2017, the National Bureau of Statistics revealed a staggering gap in literacy between Nigeria’s North and South, with Yobe at the lowest at 7.23%, while Imo in the South had the highest at 96.43%. The North also grapples with high poverty rates, averaging 56.8%, compared to the South’s 18.9%. Northern states like Sokoto and Yobe continue to face extreme challenges, despite receiving substantial federal allocations. The education and economic disparities have far-reaching consequences, contributing to extremism, violence, and social unrest, especially in the North.

The article stresses that while these problems are often attributed to the masses, the real issue lies with Nigeria’s ruling elites, particularly in the North, who have failed to uplift their regions despite significant federal support. Northern elites, despite controlling more than half of the federal allocations, have allowed their populations to remain impoverished, uneducated, and susceptible to extremist ideologies like Boko Haram and ISWAP. It highlights how these funds, instead of being invested in education and infrastructure, are mismanaged and looted by those in power.

In stark contrast, the Southern regions of Nigeria have made progress in education and economic growth, but issues persist there as well. In the South, disenfranchised youth often become involved in cultism, crime, and violence, further contributing to societal instability. The article argues that both regions face deep systemic problems that are exacerbated by the ruling class’s failure to govern responsibly.

This stark divide in literacy, poverty, and governance between the North and South presents a serious challenge to Nigeria’s stability. The article suggests that this imbalance in educational access and economic prosperity fuels a dangerous cycle of radicalism in the North, where young people, denied opportunities, are drawn to extremist groups. Meanwhile, in the South, disenfranchised youth turn to criminal activities such as cultism and political thuggery.

The piece further argues that the root cause of these problems lies in the self-serving Northern ruling elite, who have prioritized personal wealth accumulation over the welfare of their people. Despite receiving substantial federal allocations, Northern states remain impoverished, with literacy rates alarmingly low. Yobe, for instance, received N30.95 billion in federal funds in 2016, yet it still ranked as the least literate state, compared to Imo, which received slightly less but maintains a literacy rate of over 96%.

The issue, the article asserts, is not just financial but deeply rooted in corruption and mismanagement by Northern elites who continue to exploit their regions’ federal allocations without addressing critical social and educational needs. The author criticizes these elites for deliberately keeping their population in socio-economic bondage, making them more vulnerable to radical religious ideologies as a means of finding purpose in life. This has perpetuated a cycle of poverty and illiteracy, which continues to keep the North lagging far behind the South in terms of development.

While the article acknowledges that these challenges are significant, it also stresses that the situation is not irredeemable. It highlights that there have been efforts, even in the North, to resist this oppressive system. Protests against the regime’s incompetence and insecurity have taken place in Northern states like Kano, Yobe, and Sokoto. These protests show that there are progressive voices in the North fighting back against the ruling class’s neglect. For example, Northern students historically led protests against military regimes, such as during the Ibrahim Babangida years, and more recently against fuel price hikes and insecurity. These protests, though small, signify a growing discontent with the status quo.

The article also cautions against oversimplifying the divide between the North and South. It calls for understanding the root causes of these socio-economic problems and directing anger toward the ruling elites who have perpetuated them, rather than demonizing the Northern masses, who are often victims of this system. It argues that the real battle should not be between the North and South, but between the educated and progressive masses of both regions against the corrupt ruling class that benefits from the country’s continued dysfunction.

In conclusion, the article argues that the solution to Nigeria’s challenges lies not in secession or division, but in a united effort across both regions to challenge and dismantle the corrupt political elite that has dominated Nigeria for decades. The article calls for a re-discussion of Nigeria’s future, involving whether to remain a united country or split into separate entities. However, this decision must come only after addressing the deep-rooted problems caused by the ruling class, who continue to exploit Nigeria’s resources for personal gain at the expense of the general population. The true enemy, it argues, is not the regional divide between North and South but the shared plight of Nigerians across the country who suffer under the same corrupt and ineffective governance.