India’s economic success as model for developing countries

• OLUBODE OLUSESAN


• 13 MAR 2018

India,  with a population of  1.25 billion people, the second largest in the world, after China and over six times the population of Nigeria, is a success story which is very fascinating and worthy of emulation.

India has been able to develop practical and effective methods to run its economy, feed its large population and acquired  nuclear  power  capabilities for peaceful and defensive purposes.

Medicine in India has grown into a big industry which is rivalling the best medical facilities in Europe and America. India’s generic pharmaceutical products have  also contributed to  dramatically reducing the cost of medical treatment in developing countries.

It must be noted, however, that the success of India did not come by chance, but an outcome of well-planned policies built on sound education, internally designed economic programmes, disciplined armed forces, food sufficiency, and direct government involvement in matters of public interest.

India is the largest producer of milk in the world with over 163 million metric tons annual production.  Milk is thus the main source of food for the majority of the vegetarian population. Cheese replaces meat, milk butter for cooking, infant milk formula for children, yogurt and other dairy products form the foundation of India’s food security and self-sufficiency.

In India, cattle are  reared for the milk and not the meat. A milking cow may produce an average of  40 litres of milk a day which at 1USD/ litre could  earn an income in excess of $14,000 a year, over five to seven years of milk-producing life.

The Nigerian cow, on the contrary, is sold for the meat which is less than $1000 (N350,000) a pittance compared to the best practices in other countries where modern farming methods raise cattle for the milk and  derived products.

India endeavours against all the odds to put all its children in school. Doctoral holders are given automatic employment by the government and those in the sciences  and technology work in research and development in universities and India’s version of Silicon Valley in Bangalore.

In contrast, 15 million Nigerian children are out of school, the highest in the world.  The children in government schools fare hardly better than those out of school because of appalling conditions in overcrowded classrooms and unqualified teachers.

The brain drain in Nigeria is a reality. The hospitals, universities and other institutions which require high intellectual capability have almost all been deserted by their personnel who have moved abroad.

Educational   backwardness is the bane of Nigeria’s development. Nigeria cannot remain on the current level of ignorance and still aspire to join the league of developed nations, and this challenge should be on the priority list of the country’s economic planners.

India’s economic policy had been inward-looking and fashioned to meet the needs of the country. The economy was shut to non-essential foreign goods for decades to promote  basic improvised locally manufactured  products which have now become the Indian brand.

India is the largest democracy in the world with a disciplined, politically neutral and  loyal armed  forces. The Nigerian armed forces have  for almost two decades now  imbibed this commendable culture which is in the best interest of the military and the country.

In sum, India’s food security policy which is based on milk production, best agricultural practices of confined animal farming, the priority given to education generally, internally  developed economic policies, development of locally  manufactured  brands, disciplined and politically neutral  armed forces, good social and medical services are  the strong  attributes which have moved  the country from a struggling developing country some decades ago to a strong, stable and emerging economy. This is a good example which Nigeria and other Third World countries should emulate.

Ambassador Akinkuolie Rasheed is a former Director, Trade, Investment and Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Email: akinkuolie. rasheed@gmail.