By Olanrewaju Ganiyu
“People differ in capacity, skill, health, strength; and unequal fortune is a necessary result of unequal condition. Such inequality is far from being disadvantageous either to individuals or to the community.” -Pope Leo XIII
As a heterogeneous nation with such a big landmass figure of 923,768 square kilometers and a population of over Two hundred million, Nigeria is a country on the continent of Africa where virtually all natural resources are available. Yet wealth distribution and allotment of certain structures of government seem to bring about inequality in the country.
The table below is a representation of the imbalance which causes inequality in the system.
| States | Landmass | LGA | H/R Member | Natural Resources |
| Abia | 6,320 Km2 | 17 | 8 | Gold, Zinc, Limestone, Crude oil & Salt |
| Adamawa | 36,917 Km2 | 21 | 8 | Bentonite, Gypsum, Kaoline, Magnesite, etc. |
| Anambra | 4,844 Km2 | 21 | 11 | Lead/Zinc, Lignite, Phosphate, Limestone & Salt |
| Bauchi | 49,119 Km2 | 20 | 12 | Wolfram, Coal, Limestone, Iron ore, etc |
| Bayelsa | 10,773 Km2 | 8 | 5 | Crude oil, Manganese, Uranium & Limestone. |
| Benue | 34,059 Km2 | 22 | 11 | Barite, Coal, Iron ore, Zinc, Marble, Gemstone, Limestone & Salt. |
| Borno | 70,898 Km2 | 27 | 10 | Bentonite, Diatonite, Hydro-carbon, Kaoline & Limestone |
| Cross River | 20,156 Km2 | 18 | 8 | Barite, Zinc, Lignite, Limestone, Crude oil, Manganese, etc |
| Delta | 17,698 Km2 | 25 | 10 | Crude oil, Iron ore, Lignite, Kaoline, Marble, Glass-sand & Gypsum |
| Ebonyi | 5,670 Km2 | 13 | 6 | Bitumen, Dolomite, Phosphate, Gold, Salt & Zinc. |
| Edo | 17,802 Km2 | 18 | 9 | Crude oil, Iron-ore, Glass-sand, Gold & Lignite |
| Ekiti | 6,353 Km2 | 16 | 6 | Feldspar, Kaoline, Granite, Seynite, & Tatium |
| Enugu | 7,161 km2 | 17 | 8 | Coal, Lead/Zinc & Limestone. |
| Gombe | 18,768 Km2 | 11 | 6 | Gemstone & Gypsium |
| Imo | 5,530 Km2 | 27 | 10 | Gypsium, Marcasite, Crude oil, Salt, Lignite, Zinc & Phosphate |
| Jigawa | 23,154 Km2 | 27 | 11 | Butyles, Asbestos, Amethyst, etc |
| Kaduna | 46,053 Km2 | 23 | 16 | Hyanite, Kaoline, Mica, Ruby, Rock crystal, Sapphire, Tentalime, Topaz, Sihnite |
| Kano | 20,131 Km2 | 44 | 24 | Gassiterite, Copper, Gemstone, Glass-sand, Zinc, Tantalite, etc. |
| Katsina | 24,192km2 | 34 | 15 | Kaoline, Marble, Salt & Gold. |
| Kebbi | 36,800km2 | 21 | 8 | Gold |
| Kogi | 29,833km2 | 21 | 9 | Iron-ore, Dolomite, Feldspar, Gypsium, Talc, etc |
| Kwara | 36,825km2 | 16 | 6` | Cassiterite, Columbite, Iron-ore, Gold, Mica & Marble. |
| Lagos | 3,345km2 | 20 | 24 | Amethyst, Coal, Barite, Barytex, Chalcopyrite, etc |
| Nasarawa | 27,117km2 | 13 | 5 | Limestone, Iron-ore, Tourmaline, Mica, Quartz & Zireon |
| Niger | 76,363km2 | 25 | 10 | Gold, Zinc & Talc. |
| Ogun | 16,762km2 | 20 | 9 | Bitumen, Kaoline, Limestone, Clay, Coal, Dimension stones & Feldspar |
| Ondo | 15,500km2 | 18 | 9 | Granite, Kaoline, Gypsium, Limestone & Crude oil |
| Osun | 9,251km2 | 30 | 9 | Gold, Granite, Talc, Columbite, Tantalite & Tourmaline. |
| Oyo | 28,454km2 | 33 | 14 | Silimonite, Talc, Dolomite, Gemstone, Kaoline & Marble. |
| Plateau | 30,913km2 | 17 | 8 | Phroclore, Molybdenite, Marble, Zinc, Tin & Wolfram |
| Rivers | 11,077km2 | 23 | 13 | Crude oil, Glass-sand, Lignite, Marble & Clay |
| Sokoto | 25,973km2 | 23 | 11 | Clay, Flakes Gold, Granite, Gypsium, Potash, Silica, Kaoline, Sand & Salt |
| Taraba | 54,473km2 | 16 | 6 | Lead/Zinc, Kaoline, etc. |
| Yobe | 45,502km2 | 17 | 6 | Soda-Ash & Tintomite. |
| Zamfara | 39,762km2 | 14 | 7 | Coal, Cotton & Gold |
| Federal Capital Territory | 7,315km2 | 6 | 2 | Gold, Dolomite, Zinc, Marble, Tantalize & Clay. |
Meanwhile, abundant resources numerous to mention abound in Nigeria as it is pictured above. Every state is blessed with natural resources but few of them are blessed with Crude oil which is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.
However, regardless of the areas where these resources are available, they are meant for the use of every Nigerian. And the government should make its presence felt in the nooks and crannies of the country, try and give equal opportunity to everyone without paying attention to one’s religion or ethnicity.
Olanrewaju Ganiyu writes from Accra, Ghana
