As a young man the romance of far horizons and the prospect of distant
unknown mountains kindled in me a primal urge to travel. Before leaving for
Northern Nigeria I had seldom been more than a hundred miles from home but had
studied geography and map making, had acquired a curiosity about foreign places
from forebears who had served abroad, and saw the opportunity of a worthwhile
and exciting alternative to a predictable and unadventurous life under grey and
drizzling skies in Europe. My education, technical training and ambition had perhaps
stirred a remnant of the pioneering spirit which had begun to open up the colonies
more than half a century before but my aspiration as I set out in 1957 was neither
political nor philanthropic. Convinced of the value of surveying and mapping to a
developing country I sought professional experience, the achievement of personal
goals and appropriate financial reward.
The prospect of a tough and itinerant lifestyle called for physical fitness and a level
of self-sufficiency to cope with emergencies and crises but as I set out I didn't know
what demands the life might make upon me. I had little regard for the possible
loneliness, repeated hardships, illness in remote places far from medical aid, how I
would adjust to local people and their values, the effects of disagreements amongst
fellow expatriates and the homesickness and privations of an unaccustomed way of
life. I had never experienced the discomforts of tropical weather and mosquitoes
and had no inkling of the monotony and uncontrollable irritability and discomfort of
long enervating days and lonely nights. But the hazards acted as an incentive and
tended to be blindly ignored, as indeed they would be by the young of today; the
minutiae I was to experience first hand. The wise words of Mary Kingsley in the late
1800s were ignored, and I think I was right to do so:
'When you have made up your mind to go to West Africa the best thing
you can do is to get it unmade and go to Scotland instead'
But another great pioneer, Mary Gaunt, said:
'A land of immense possibilities
Heat fever and mosquitoes
Gorgeous nights and divine mornings
A white man's grave -
But live wisely and discreetly
And it is no more likely to be there than anywhere else'
I was not sure I wished to stay in Africa very long and thought two tours of 18
months as Nigeria approached its independence might be enough for me. The fact
that I served for 20 years says a lot about me, but probably says more about Nigeria
and Nigerians. I knew it could never be my permanent home but there were times
when it seemed that it was, when things were going well, when work was very
satisfying and when I was so busy there was little time to think about the future. If I
survived the obvious risks some day the break would have to be made.
Independence in 1960 brought in an inexperienced democracy controlled by a
political elite followed by military coups, a civil war and territorial fragmentation into
States. Despite periodic turmoil, uncertainty and chaos my work, as it changed from
practical to administrative, continued for some years to be satisfying and rewarding.
There was reassurance that the surveyor's expertise and experience were
acknowledged and valued. With only a few exceptions there was goodwill all round.
Those exceptions were mostly found amongst those who were new to the reins of
authority, lacked technological understanding, had received little or no training in
administration, and did not possess a natural bent to lead. Military violence and the
arming of large numbers of people had engendered a dangerous and unlawful
malaise; extortion, robbery and violence threatened to become everyday events. In
spite of the well-intentioned changes to the country's administrative structure
regional, district, religious and ethnic differences and aspirations remained threats
to the stability of the nation.
Legally enforceable property rights have provided the basis for economic
development in all the major successful countries of the world. Resources, size and
a burgeoning population gave Nigeria the potential to be a prosperous leader in
Africa but there was a need to awaken the dormant capital that lay locked up in its
land resources. If rights in land are not properly documented, assets cannot be
turned into useable capital, cannot be used as an investment and cannot be traded
other than locally amongst those who trust each other or who have traditionally
exercised control over that land. There is a risk of a weakened or black economy
based on untrustworthy businesses conducted without proper documentation. The
key to a system of secure and demonstrable rights in land which cannot be held in
freehold, with little risk of counter claims, and which can be used as collateral, is an
efficient cadastral system backed by fast and efficient land surveying and an open
and dependable land register. Obtaining rights of occupancy swiftly, and with
permission to develop, has to be within the reach of ordinary people, free of any
burden of bribery and corruption.
Colonial policies had ensured that local customs and values had never disappeared
and most land was held unsurveyed under customary title. This was not however
acceptable as security for development loans and trading and resulted in a
burgeoning demand for the alternative, certified statutory leasehold titles supported
by surveyed plans of demarcated land, an internationally accepted cadastral system
enshrined in law. With a severe shortage of capable manpower it became
impossible to keep pace with demand without the introduction of innovative aerial
photographic techniques not understood by local influential land officers and to
which certain entrenched interests were opposed. Blatant corrupt practices,
abhorrent to my professional principles, found ways to resist improvements and to
retain and undermine the security and integrity of the system I was employed to
operate and it was time to leave. My signature was valued and I was urged to stay
on but I thought it better to depart while my hosts were reluctant to lose me.
Vindication of my decision came from an Assistant Surveyor-General of one of the
northern States, whom I had first appointed as a trainee Survey Assistant in 1971.
In a personal letter written to me in 1988, over a decade after my departure, he said:
"We have not been able to build upon the foundation you
laid partly due to poor resources and deliberate
administrative bottlenecks, and partly due to interference. We
just work to earn a living, not for job satisfaction"
In many ways I was sad to leave. I was enriched by my time in Northern Nigeria,
enjoyed the challenges and responsibilities which came my way, the variety, the
travelling, the gratification of standing alone on remote summits, the light, the
colour, the pleasure of relaxation after a hard day's physical work in the blistering
heat, the friendships I made, many of them surviving to this day, the camaraderie of
those with whom I shared the experience. But most of all I enjoyed helping to train
my local successors and meeting and working with so many of the diverse,
fascinating, welcoming and very likeable Nigerian people. West Africa had a way of
taking root in the imagination, a strange combination of love and hatred, regardless
of its hazards and there always resided a muted but persistent desire to return. In a
strange way I feel sorry for those who never fell under this spell. I cannot forget
Africa, and although I know it could so easily forget me I feel, as many others have
found when they revisited their former domains, that I would be welcomed back as a
helpful friend and not as the arrogant colonial oppressor so hackneyed by
prejudiced imperial critics. It continues to surprise me that in spite of the difficulties
and unpleasantness of the later years when water, power and fuel supplies broke
down and when medical and financial services deteriorated, that I survived so long
and that optimism and a strong attachment to Africa prevailed. It can be a mistake
to revisit old familiar places after the lapse of time, the disappointments can be too
great, as indeed I fear they would be if I returned to Borno, but in spite of this I still
harbour a desire and a curiosity to see once again the land that remains part of me.
|