The rumble over RUGA

The vitriolic public outrage over Federal Government’s desperate moves to settle nomadic pastoralists, across the country, is a reflection of the Nigeria’s fragility and volatility. Despite the suspension of Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) settlements, purportedly to end recurring conflicts between herders and farmers, tension, among various ethnic nationalities,  remains  high, for economic, historical and security reasons. Similarly,  the National Livestock Transformation Plan(NLTP) is also controversial and suspicious, due to public contentions over its funding and execution. Critics query Federal Government for earmarking N179 billion to the 10-year initiative, considering the nation’s parlous economic parameters.

Certainly, government’s frenzy to hurriedly  acquire land for animal husbandry, which is essentially private business, is overheating the polity. Agitations over government’s neutrality and sincerity are worsened by its refusal to enunciate a national policy on ranching, thus tacitly supporting herders, whose primitive grazing system and militancy undermine lives and economies of agrarian communities. Failure of security operatives to disarm pastoralists,  have exacerbated the crises in the last five years, causing incalculable  human, material losses and food deficiencies. Today many agriculturalists have abandoned their farms, while some live in camps because of  atrocities, murder, kidnappings, rape and other barbaric acts associated with these bandits.

The 2018 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), said last year, ‘Fulani herders  killed, nearly 1700 people, estimatedly, six times more than those killed by terrorist group, Boko Haram.’ ‘Land scarcity, the over use of resources, and climate change have dried up fertile land in Northern Nigeria which the Fulani have historically used for grazing, driving many further south,’ GTI revealed. Sadly government’s bent is not only viewed as reckless and  discriminatory but also provocative, because it violates the principle of self-existence and economic enterprise for land owners.Therefore the current approach is neither a viable template for peace nor  security of lives and properties. This agenda is generally criticised, as another recipe for widespread destructions. President Muhammadu Buhari being a Fulani, is believed to be sympathetic to the herders, hence his administration has not shown enough political will to stop the mayhem, particularly in states such as Taraba, Enugu, Ekiti and Benue the epicenter of the crises.

There is need for caution with escalating threats from various ethnic and religious groups.
Several Northern leaders and groups, obviously miffed by the suspension of RUGA are scheming for its re-introduction, instead of routing for ranching, as the international best practice for animal husbandry. Alhaji Tanko Yakassai said, ‘RUGA settlement is only suspended, but not abandoned. It will come at a later date very soon. It would be in the interest of Nigerians for the Fulani herders to be settled in a place.’ The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG)  gave the Federal Government a 30-day ultimatum to rescind its suspension order and implement RUGA, warning  that there would be no peace in the country, if cattle breeders were not allowed to move freely.

Several socio-cultural organizations in South and Middle Belt regions, including  Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and Pan Niger Delta Forum responded vehemently, urging people to defend their territories and resist any surreptitious move to cede their land for grazing. Fulani herdsmen, like other business owners, must seek ways to modernise and capitalise their operations,  through loans and co-operatives, they argue.
Meanwhile South-East governors have banned movement of cattle into the geo-political zone, through bush paths. A statement from the Director General, South-East Governors Forum, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, said: ‘Henceforth, movement of cows into the zone should be done through the roads by using trucks in conveying the animals and offloading them to their specific cow markets. We will no longer allow foreign herdsmen to bring their cattle into our geopolitical zone through the bush paths by foot because this is what always cause conflict between our people and the herders.’ ‘We have not and do not intend to donate lands for the creation of RUGA settlements or implementation of the National Livestick Transformation Plan (NLTP) in the region.’ They however pledged support to states, where the initiatives will be established.

Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, warned that ‘any attempt to foist RUGA scheme on the South-West would be resisted. ‘It is unwarranted, needless and a dangerous policy, that can break this nation. It is overheating the polity. The plan is an attempt to revisit an alleged jihadist agenda that was started in 1804.’
‘We didn’t see the policy as a way to settle the crisis of herdsmen. We saw it as a dangerous trend that was coming to the South-West, as a way of imposing on us those who had been threatening our lives and properties.  We didn’t want the RUGA settlement policy.’ Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, in a communiqué,  called on citizens to defend themselves following the 30-day ultimatum over the botched Ruga project. ‘The ultimatum delivered by a sectarian order to the President to set up the so-called RUGA cattle settlements across the entire nation within a stipulated time, despite the national outcry, should be acknowledged as an entitlement under the bounty of freedom of expression.’
‘In return, we exercise ours and call upon Nigerian nationals  to defend the sanctity of their ancestral lands. This birthright has never been annulled, not even under colonial occupation. Among such issues of urgent import are the ongoing insurrectional movements that derive from religious fanaticism and intolerance, exemplified by Boko Haram, as well as aspects of commercial enterprise. Some groups consider themselves  privileged and above the laws. We have in mind destructive forms of social transactions that characterise groups such as nomadic cattle herdsmen, and their umbrella groupings in the nature of Myetti Allah.’

‘We confess ourselves increasingly distressed and appalled, that the hitherto harmonious cohabitation,  among the productive arms of society, have deteriorated to unprecedented levels of barbarity, contempt for human lives and a defiant trampling on the civic entitlements of other productive sectors such as farmers. Certainly deploying scarce national resources to fund private or ethnic enterprises epitomises corruption.

Enforce the Basel treaty on disposal of toxic waste

The global campaign for safe disposal of toxic materials has scored a major victory, with the latest treaty on indiscriminate dumping of plastics and lethal wastes across international borders. This victory was secured in Geneva, at the just concluded Convention tagged: ‘Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste,’ with an impressive representation from 180 countries.

Given the international outrage against the alarming levels of toxicity from refuse dumps  in the oceans, delegates amended the Basel Convention, to include plastic wastes in a legally-binding framework, under the auspices of  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)  and sister agencies.

UNEP’s Acting Executive Director of U.N. Environment Joyce Msuya said ‘one-third of global plastic production is non-recyclable and at least eight million tonnes of plastic flows unabated into our oceans and water bodies each year. The world is choking on plastic.’  ‘The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal is the most comprehensive international environmental agreement on hazardous wastes and is almost universal, with 180 parties.’

Unfortunately the United States (US), Canada and a few other nations are not party to the latest framework, which takes effect from next year. ‘With an overarching objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous products, its scope covers a wide range of wastes categorized as household waste and incinerator ash.’ The unanimous vote to include regulation of export of plastic waste became imperative, as unquantifiable tonnes of toxic elements  flood oceans and seas annually.

Many world environmentalists, including Dr. Sara Brosche of IPEN and Dr. Desmond Majekodumi hailed the decision, as historic and timely given the disastrous impact of toxic wastes, harmful chemicals and non-degradable plastics, on human life, ocean resources and the entire ecosystem.

Nigeria’s ocean waters are severely threatened by poisonous industrial and human garbage, due to gross mismanagement of pollutants by the authorities, to the detriment of all life forms. Hence, it is doubtful if the country, with its poor commitment to environmental sustainability, can and will enforce these new restrictions, given its resource deficits, political instabilities and technological limitations.

However, experts believe that the new charter will benefit all developing nations, as the new restrictions would make ‘global trade in plastic waste more transparent, better regulated for human health and environmental sustainability.’ Pollution from plastic refuse, is obviously, ‘a major environmental problem of global concern, and has reached epidemic proportions with an estimated 100 million tonnes of plastics now found in the oceans, 80-90 percent of which comes from land-based sources,’ the agency said.

Participants at the event also considered the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, as part of a holistic review of pollutants endangering mankind and the ecosystem. UNEP’s Executive Secretary of the three Conventions Rolph Payet, said parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions also highlighted alternatives to these harmful chemicals, as well as best practices.

His words: ‘approximately 1,400 delegates around the world converged for the meeting. I’m proud that this week in Geneva, parties to the Basel Convention reached agreement on a legally-binding, globally-reaching mechanism for managing plastics. Plastic waste is acknowledged as one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. The fact that this week close to one million people around the world signed a petition urging Basel Convention parties to take action here in Geneva, is a sign that public awareness and desire for action is high.”

Payet announced the establishment of ‘a new partnership on plastic waste to mobilise business, government, academic and civil society expertise to assist in implementing the new measures, through providing supports, tools, best practices, technical and financial assistance – for this ground-breaking agreement.’

Other far-reaching decisions from the two-week event included ‘the elimination of two toxic chemical groups, totalling about 4,000 chemicals, listed in the Stockholm Convention, namely Dicofol and Perfluorooctanoic Acid. The latter has till now been used in industrial and domestic applications including non-stick cookware and food processing equipment, as well as a surfactant in textiles, carpets, paper, paints and fire-fighting foams.’

The Rotterdam Convention also received a boost, ‘with the addition  of two chemicals, the pesticide phorate and the industrial chemical hexabromocyclododecane, to the Prior Informed Consent Procedure, through which countries can decide on future imports of these chemicals,’ he added. Cheerily the decision to approve mechanisms to ensure compliance with this convention was also adopted,’ he noted. Similarly, his colleague in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Executive Secretary of the Rotterdam Convention, Hans Dreyer, said ‘we were able to list two out of seven candidate chemicals and will continue working closely with parties to identify feasible alternative solutions to hazardous pesticides, taking due account of food security and market access aspects.’

No doubt these reviews would satiate the agitation over transparency in trans-border movements of toxic wastes and industrial chemicals. Nevertheless, implementing these new protocols, may remain herculean for  poor nations, who are dumping grounds for toxic products from developed nations.

Dr Brosche said ‘the new decision would empower developing countries to refuse plastic waste dumping. For too long developed countries like the US and Canada have been exporting their mixed toxic plastic wastes to developing Asian countries claiming it would be recycled in the receiving country.’

Shell targets 2,400MW electricity equivalent from New gas supply project

Oil giant, Shell Oil and Gas Nigeria, stated that 2,400 Megawatts electricity equivalent is expected to be produced from its new gas supply  project.

The country chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria and the Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Mr. Osagie  Okunbor said that the development project which is ongoing in Assa North/Ohaji South, Imo State is expected to generate 600 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, is equivalent to 2400 Megawatts and enough to provide uninterrupted electricity to about 2.4 million homes. He stated this at the media launch of the 2019 Shell in Nigeria Briefing Notes held in Lagos, an annual publication detailing the activities of Shell companies in Nigeria covering SPDC, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Petroleum Company (SNEPCo), Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).

Okunbor said that the project will satiate Nigeria's quest for energy sufficiency as well as continuous supply of local content development as part of its contribution to economic growth and development. Giving a breakdown of the gas production, Okunbor said 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day would be processed at a new gas processing plant owned by the SPDC Joint Venture while the remaining 300 million will go to a proposed gas processing plant by SEPLAT Petroleum.

The operations of Shell Companies in Nigeria have impacted directly on driving economic activity in Nigeria as more jobs have been created in communities were they operate by utilizing Nigerian service companies and strengthening Nigerian contracting capacity. In 2018, about $1.3 billion was spent by shell companies in Nigeria on contracts with Nigerian companies.

According to SPDC's General Manager External Relations, In 2018, approximately 10% of the country's domestic gas was supplied by the SPDC JV, chiefly for power generation and about 13% of the nation's grid connected electricity was supplied via the Afam VI power plant, which has a 650-Megawatt generating capacity. Also, about 100 industrial and commercial customers in Ogun, Rivers and Abia majorly, were supplied natural gas from SNG, used for power generation and production by industries.

SPDC and SNEPCo contributed to economic growth, by paying N515.14 billion in taxes, royalties and levies to the Federal Government in 2018. They paid N39.58 billion to the Niger Delta Development Commission as well as disbursed N44.36 billion for various community driven projects and N17.03 billion on social investment projects.

The event was also attended by, the SNEPCo's Managing Director, Bayo Ojulari, SNG's Managing Director, Ed Ubong and Strategy/Value Assessment Manager, Tunde Adams.

Global concerns over escalating hunger in Nigeria

The unprecedented level of poverty and hunger affecting many Nigerians, may have reached exponential dimensions, according to global reports.Research findings from 15 agencies in the international humanitarian and development community showed that Nigeria, particularly northern region, was among eight countries, with two-thirds of the 113 million people, affected by acute hunger last year. The worst food crises in 2018, in order of severity, were: Yemen,  Democratic Republic of  Congo(DRC), Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syrian, Sudan, South Sudan and Nigeria. These eight countries accounted for two thirds of the total number of people facing acute food insecurity – amounting to nearly 72 million people.’ 

The latest survey by United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU), identified terrorism and violence, as major factors fuelling destitution, particularly in the north, the epicentre of humanitarian crises and underdevelopment in the country. Last year’s global food crises, was generally driven by persistent instability in conflict-ridden regions and adverse climate, it added.

Experts expressed worry over escalation of food deficit in Nigeria, due to its motley challenges, including population explosion, gross mismanagement of scarce resources and security infractions. In this year’s Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), the UN said ‘the number of people unable to meet their daily food needs without humanitarian assistance has been rising for several years. Unfortunately, a short-term outlook of food insecurity for this year showed that Nigeria will remain among the world’s most severe cases of food crises, as the other seven currently affected.’ An estimated ‘three million people were acutely food insecure in  three North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, affected by the 10-year Boko Haram insurgency, where protracted conflict and mass displacements disrupted agriculture, trade, markets, livelihoods and hiked food prices,’ it added.

Indeed Boko Haram and other splinter groups have ravaged the region and hounded residents into extreme poverty and debilitating. Widespread violence still affects many areas of northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)  ‘with an estimated 5.3 million people in crisis.’

These appalling  findings point to a systemic rot, indicative of a nation in disarray and  dire need of a pragmatic transformation of its political and socio-economic ideals. The entrenched infrastructural decay across all sectors is not only outrageous, but shameful, given the nation’s enormous oil resources, solid minerals and agricultural potentials. International development agencies and stakeholders have resonated the need for government to initiate viable programmes, capable of stimulating economic growth and attracting  direct foreign investments, especially in the agro-allied industry.

Evidently,  the nation’s comatose public sector, characterized by flagrant profligacy and impunity also impedes citizens’ inalienable rights to good food, decent housing,  health insurance, living wages and attainment of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). It is both sad and ironical that over 60 percent of the population still subsists on less that one dollar daily, despite government’s  poverty alleviation projects such as Tradermoni and  school feeding. Last year the Senate queried the utilization of N500 billion, totalling a whopping sum of N1.5 trillion, over a three-year period,  allegedly, on spurious projects, with little or no bearing on disenfranchised masses. These lofty initiatives, are still  largely viewed as pipelines for graft and political patronage, due to lack of transparency, sustainability and equity in the  implementation.

Obviously, executive lawlessness, as well as intractable carnage have taken a huge toll on agriculture and economic activities, across the land. According to Amnesty International, since three years, over 3,600 people in Nigeria have been  killed in clashes between farmers and herders, while over 2,000 died in 2018 alone. Similarly, Global Terrorism Index (GTI), said recently that ‘nearly 1,700 violent deaths were attributed to Fulani herdsmen in attacks carried out between January and September 2018.’ This has led to massive loss of farms and crops as farmers, particularly, in the middle-belt, are hounded and killed, in hostilities with  pastoralists.

If left unchecked these massive destructions of lives and properties, will invariably devastate  the region’s rich agricultural and livestock economy and potentials, experts warn. Also Human Right Watch,  in a recent review,  said ‘recurring violence between herdsmen and farmers, as well as related cattle theft and banditry in many northern states posed serious threats to peace and security.’ In Zamfara state, armed bandits have reportedly, killed over 3,500 persons, injured 8,219 and devastated 500 villages in the last five years. Other vulnerable states include Kaduna, Benue, Anambra, Enugu,Delta, Plateau, and Taraba, due to ethnic tensions and grazing demands. Sadly government ineptitude and discriminatory tendencies tend to exacerbate the imbroglio.

Prominent nationals including, including  business mogul Aliko Dangote, blame politicians and  state governors for  destabilising  and impoverishing the north.Dangote, at a recent  forum, blasted northern governors for failure to confront poverty and hunger, which tend to escalate the intractable carnage and religious extremities in the zone. ‘It was unacceptable for a people with vast arable land to live in such poverty. While the overall socio-economic condition in the country is a cause for concern, the regional disparities are very alarming. In the North West and North East, over 60 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty,’ he said. To him it is anomalous that, ‘the 19 northern states which account for about 54 per cent of Nigeria’s population and 70 per cent of its landmass, collectively, generate only 21 per cent of the total subnational IGR in 2017.’

Undoubtedly the region is challenged by numerous complexities, which  undermine its peace and progress. Government needs to address this anarchy, as part of a holistic review of the national template on agricultural revolution and  integral development. The nation must embrace  best practices on mechanised agriculture, which not only focus on novel breeding techniques, genetic modification and crop multiplication methods, but on empowering poor rural farmers with relevant incentives, loans and modern technologies to boost their trade and well-being. Unless urgent measures are taken, food crises will engulf the country, as currently witnessed in the north, beleaguered by youth restiveness, desertification, land disputes and intractable conflicts.

Overpopulation still a major challenge to Nigeria, Africa.

Overpopulation remains a major challenge to Africa and it’s peoples due to poor policies and implementation of family planning programmes.

Dr. Leticia Adelaide Appiah, the Executive Director, National Population Council, Ghana stated this in a recent interview, with ADEZE OJUKWU, on the far-reaching consequences of escalating population in many African countries including  Nigeria and Ghana. Excerpts:

Dr please what is your academic and professional background.

I completed medical training in June 1993 from Donetsk Medical School in Ukraine and came home immediately fired up to contribute my quota to national development. During my training in Donetsk, the maternity ward was the happiest of all the wards because; there was joy, flowers and smiles when babies were born. I therefore decided that I needed to specialise as an obstetrician gynaecologist because I wanted to be there to always welcome new precious citizens into our world.  However, when I started practising medicine in Ghana, I realised to my dismay and sadness that not all babies in Ghana are received in the world with joy, laughter and smiles. Some parents are ill prepared to receive them whiles some are just not wanted and end up abandoned, malnourished or simply maltreated. I therefore decided to pursue a Master’s in Public Health to enable me get closer to the community since health or diseases are manufactured in homes which is the best place for health interventions for maximum effect.  In 2003 I completed my Master’s in Public Health and completing my PhD in public health this year.

I was appointed as the Director of Health Services in 2008 at the Ledzokuku-Krowor Health Directorate in the greater Accra Region when the Municipality was newly established, a position I held until November 2016 when I was appointed the Executive Director of the National Population Council, the highest advisory body to the government of Ghana on population and related issues.

What is over population?

Over population is an undesirable condition where numbers of existing human population exceed the carrying capacity of the earth. This is because of reduced mortality rate, better medical facilities, industrialization and improved public health and high fertility levels. Currently, Africa’s problem is the extremely rapid population growth rate that makes it extremely difficult for governments to supply the needed social and economic programs to improve quality of life.  For example, the total population in Nigeria was estimated at 191 million people in 2017 and a net increase of about 14, 000 people (21,000 births and 7,000 deaths) daily or about 5 million annually.  In 1960, Nigeria had 45.1 million people.  The United Kingdom on the other hand had a population of 52.2 million people in 1960 and was estimated at 66.2 million people in 2017, according to the latest census figures. Though UK had more people than Nigeria in 1960, Nigeria has about three times more people compared to UK in 2017.

Such high population growth rates lead to widespread food shortages, malnutrition, crowded and sub-standard schools, crowded hospitals, teeming slums, inadequate water supply, inadequate electricity supply, failing banks and security threats among others. Afterall, nation building is by the people and for the people. There is therefore the need to balance the reproduction and production capacities of the citizenry through effective policies and programs with the welfare of the people as the paramount goal. Healthy people are more productive while unhealthy, malnourished, stunted, poorly skilled people consume more than they produce.

What are the major causes and consequences of this challenge?

The population growth rate which is a function of birth rate, death rate and migration, acts as the supply of labor force for a country and the economic situation -the demand factor. 

An imbalance between the supply of labour and demand gives rise to unemployment, underemployment and poverty. A vicious cycle generated by a high dependency burden associated with a young age structure leads to low savings and investment per capita by families and nations which in turn leads to low economic growth and a low standard of living.

The produce of high fertility rates in turn heightens the dependency burden perpetuating the cycle putting pressure on governments to spend more just to maintain quality of life. Some economists have stated that at 1 percent  population growth rate, nations need between 6.5 percent and 7 percent of GDP to maintain the same quality of life. This is termed running to stand still. With Nigeria growing at over 2 percent growth rate, how much of GDP is needed just to maintain quality of life?

Dr What should be done to curb these negative trends?

This vicious cycle can be broken at only two points. First, at the high fertility stage primarily by introducing an effective family planning program and at the stage of low economic growth by adopting policies to accelerate economic growth. To be successful, both actions must be pursued simultaneously. Balancing reproduction and productivity is key to national development. Unfortunately, some of our leaders focus only on the productive part of education and job creation with little attention to the reproductive needs of their citizens thereby keeping a lot of women and girls under the bondage of involuntary reproduction and nations bearing the consequences thereof.

Please would you like to mention a few countries that have achieved success in population control especially Ghana?

Thailand within 15 years from 1971 halved it’s growth rate from 3.2 percent to 1.6 percent and increased use of contraceptives among married couples from 15 percent to 70 percent within the same period and number of births per woman reduced from 6 to 2 The population of Thailand in 1970 was about 37 million and increased gradually to about 68 million in 2016 with GDP per capita increasing from $570 in 1960 to $ 5901 in 2016.  In effect, Thailand produced fewer, healthier, happier and more educated people for national development.

Rwanda is another country which places emphasis on the harmonization of population growth in its Economic Development and Poverty Reduction vision 2020. The reduction of the main causes of mortality, reducing total fertility rate, decreasing infant and maternal mortality and ultimately reducing population growth as the thrust of the vision.  The vision identified high population growth rate as a major challenge and singled out Family Planning (FP) as a key intervention crucial for reducing birth rates and improving quality of life.

The program has so far been successful that the contraceptive prevalence rate among married women increased from 4 percent in 2000 to 10 percent in 2005 to 45 percent in 2010 ( RDHS, 2005 & 2010) and the total fertility rate decreased from 6.1 per woman in her lifetime in 2005 to 4.6. In 2010, maternal mortality ratio reduced from 750 per 100,000 live births in 2005 to 487 per 100,000 live births in 2010 underscoring the important role of FP in addressing population growth and improving quality of life. How many unintended births, miscarriages, abortions and other morbidities with detrimental health and economic consequences to women, children, families and communities were averted in Rwanda by repositioning family planning as key intervention? By how much has it reduced the cost of their social interventions  in health, education, water, electricity, road infrastructure, LEAP, prison services, and police services) or improved services?

Dr What is the situation in Ghana and Nigeria in terms of public acceptability and use of contraceptive.

Contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning are key to effective fertility management, improving reproductive health and ultimately health of all citizens worldwide. Contraceptive use helps couples and individuals realize their basic right to decide freely and responsibly if, when and how many children to have and remain a sustainable family. The use of contraceptive methods not only results in improvements in health-related outcomes such as reduced maternal mortality and infant mortality but also educational, employment outcomes and in reaping demographic dividend.

According to the world trends in contraceptive 2015 report, globally, the contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods is 57 percent. Within Africa, countries with contraceptive prevalence of 50 percent or more are mainly islands (Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Réunion), or located in the north of the continent along the Mediterranean coast including Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia as well as  in Southern Africa such as Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

Five countries in Eastern Africa including Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe also had contraceptive prevalence levels of 50 per cent or more in 2015. In contrast, 17 African countries including Nigeria had contraceptive prevalence levels below 20 per cent with high unmet need for family planning and corresponding high dependency ratio and pregnancy related morbidities and mortalities.  Ghana is doing relatively better than Nigeria because the population is far less and the fertility rate is also lower. Nonetheless, the government of Ghana also needs to reposition family planning to reduce fertility and dependency ratio for accelerated socio-economic development.

Advocating for the acceptability of contraceptives in Sub-Saharan Africa should be a socio-economic empowerment agenda spearheaded by our political leadership enlisting the support of all stakeholders including the religious leaders, traditional leaders, health workers, teachers, civil society, private sector, the media, school children and the international community. Reducing fertility through increased contraceptive uptake reduces expenditure in all sectors and set the stage for accelerated economic development of families and ultimately nations. Focusing on family planning education and access in an enabling environment should therefore be an agenda for African leaders. Afterall, good politics improves human lives, reproductive health rights and responsibilities also improves human lives, therefore improving reproductive health and rights in a responsible way is good politics.

India and China recorded huge successes in shrinking their demographics through giving incentives to families with one or two only children. Do you think that this approach can be adopted in this region?

Yes, China and India implemented population policies that worked for them though some aspects were unethical by forcing people or through coercion. Currently, China has a fertility level that is below replacement of 2.1 per woman and therefore has relaxed its policy to allow women to have at least 2 children. Population policies differ from country to country and at times within countries, like weight management. Just as people who are over weight should reduce their weight to within a normal BMI range, so should countries with high fertility rates have policies that gives incentives and encourages fertility reduction as most countries in SSA. Countries with fertility rates below replacement level fertility of 2.1 should have policies serving as incentives and encouraging women to increase their fertility to the replacement level and countries with fertility levels at the replacement level should maintain whatever they are doing.

Governments drive everything through the policies they implement. An example is Iran. In December 1989, the government of Iran introduced a family planning program with 3 major goals. First to encourage women to space their pregnancies between 3-4 years, discourage pregnancy among women younger than 18 years and older than 35 years and limiting pregnancies to three per woman. Iran therefore fashioned its policy around reducing high risk pregnancies through advocacy and free supply of contraceptives. In as much as citizens had the right to have as many children as they wish, the government made them responsible by making citizens bear the full cost of additional births after the third child. The total fertility rate declined from 5.2 births per woman in 1989 to 2.8 in 1996. There was reduction in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, improvement in health care and educational outcomes among other advantages.

What roles should ECOWAS and AU play in strengthening member countries on adoption of more stringent policies and legislation in this campaign?

ECOWAS and AU member countries should support each other in breaking the poverty cycle by simultaneously implementing an effective family planning program in addition to all the economic activities.  Afterall, the World Bank talks about GDP per capita. This means, nations should help their citizens reproduce themselves healthily and work effectively and efficiently to improve the GDP per capita. ECOWAS and AU must focus on reproductive health rights and responsibility as equally as they focus on economic interventions because one cannot afford to forget the per capita part of GDP per capita and meet the SDG goals or the Africa Agenda 2063. Nigeria being the most populous African country with a high population growth rate with massive population momentum, should be targeted for support by ECOWAS to reposition family planning as a critical socio economic intervention to improve human lives in this generation and set the stage for improved life for the next.

What is your advice to  executives of population control agencies in Nigeria and other countries?

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country. It has over 40 percent of its population below 15 years and has a net annual increase of about 5 million people. That is about the population of Norway being added to Nigeria’s population annually. This is certainly not sustainable for sustainable socio-economic development.

Population growth dramatically increases the need for all services including job creation. Linden, writing in the New York Times in 2017, illustrates the burden of exploding population. He said per the population structure of the United States, on average 129,000 new jobs monthly were created in 2016 but an America-size Nigeria would have to produce 319,000 jobs monthly, without cease. How can we sustain this? Let us know that the might of a nation is not necessarily in its size but in the might of its people that is the human capital.

Dr What are your final thoughts on these issues?

I believe that every pregnancy should be wanted, and every child cherished and nurtured to be a productive and proud citizen of nations. That is the only way any nation can develop since quality human capital accumulation is key for manufacturing durable assets for common good. Adequate investment in children from infancy through adolescence till they become productive is expensive and time consuming but that is the only way to transform our human resource to human capital for development.  Investing in reproductive health and rights have huge returns not just in terms of preventing high risk and unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and complication, but also improves nutrition for women and children, reduces risk of anaemia for women and children, increases survival and better health for mothers and children and fewer orphaned children. Investing in reproductive health in addition to reducing heath bill, frees up money for quality education of the citizens, thereby improving the status of all including women to contribute to economic growth. Investing in reproductive health saves money and helps nations produce healthy productive citizens for sustainable socio-economic development. The Africa we want, where no one is left behind.

As the former President Olusegun Obasanjo said on TV once, “if you don’t see what you should see, and you don’t do what you should do, you will become a victim of what you don’t like”.

I totally agree with him and urge all of us to see the importance of reproductive health rights and responsibilities as a developmental agenda and focus on it to enable us get the results we so desire. Let us see what we should see and do what we should do to get the results we desire.

The albatross of Nigeria’s escalating poverty

The swift dismissal of the Brookings report, that Nigeria has the highest number of poor persons globally, by Federal Government was not unexpected.

This verdict was not only damnatory, but a blow to the administration’s seeming achievements.

Nigeria has already overtaken India, as the country with the largest number of extreme poor in early 2018. Our trajectories suggest that Nigeria had about 87 million people in extreme poverty in May, compared with India’s 73 million.
Extreme poverty in Nigeria is growing by six people every minute,’ the report stated. By this status, Nigeria has surpassed India and other African countries in pauperism.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, queried the findings saying, ‘the indices used for the report might have been compiled, when Nigeria was in recession.’

Government reserves the right to dismiss any appraisal, however it is  pertinent to pay close attention to the disturbing projections by the agency.

The institution has nothing to gain by posting a fallacious dossier on Nigeria, given its antecedents, in providing credible data on global issues.

It is doubtful if Nigeria can match the expertise of this institution,  because since its inception, in 1916, Brookings has been involved, in credible research on development trends, with its coterie of over 300 leading world experts in government and academia.

The minister knows well that this country has been beleaguered by years of excruciating deprivation of basic amenities, but has reached a tipping point, according to Brookings, under this regime.

Indeed the nation’s current dismal demographic index is unprecedented in its annals, hence the hurried efforts to paper the unsavoury news that out of 190 million, over 85 million citizens are poor.

Obviously no responsible government  exposes its country to ridicule, but strives to strengthen its ebbs, through effective policies.

Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to mask Nigeria’s bourgeoning economic and social imbroglio, due to ineffective and reckless governance.

Economic experts and world leaders have expressed concern over the country’s degeneracy, amidst the opulent lifestyles of government officials.

Daily struggles for survival by the populace, despite fleeting resources, energy crises, bogus budgets and widespread violence are too glaring to hide or ignore.

Nigeria’s demographic score card, as the world’s topmost poor nation is devastating, despite reported gains in economic recovery, rice production and  importation reduction.

The minister reeled out a string of statistics to justify success of government’s economic recovery plan, however, his  explanations were dismissed, by critics as incongruous with society’s brazen realities.

His arguments were at odds with the precarious lives of ordinary citizens, as many  go to bed hungry, with majority slaving on less than a dollar.

Clearly, the masses are tired of  phony policies and programmes, with little or no bearing on their welfare. The international community is also not impressed by all the endless grandstanding, being paraded as achievements.

Drug abuse and suicide rates are increasing, due to lack of  socio-economic safety nets. 

Additionally the rising overpopulation burden, unemployment, educational deficiencies and low life expectancy are all reflections of extreme penury and leadership failure.

Yet experts predict worsening food crises, following the killing of farmers and destruction of farm lands by suspected pastoralists, particularly in the Middle Belt, as many agrarian communities  flee their farms over the unrelenting carnage.

Federal Government recently admitted that life is cheap, following the Plateau state massacre and similar killings across the country.

Indeed, life in Nigeria is now, unquestionably cheap, essentially, due to irresponsible governance,  security failure, income disparities, terrorism, infrastructural decay and graft by the ruling class.

Lack of fiscal federation and dependence on oil sales are also, major factors for ineffective governance, budgetary discrepancies and social malaise afflicting  the country.

As a result, the nation is bereft of  investments in vital sectors, crucial for job creation and infrastructural development.

These infractions have increased the  calls for devolution of power and fiscal federalism, as the panacea for this political and economic sham.

The well-being of  citizens, is often the barometer for judging government’s performance, hence the clamour for this regime to stop paying lip-service to poverty eradication, by embracing international best practices and standards in economic growth and human development to save the country from doldrums.

Until this is done the country and its administrators may continue to bear the brunt of global disdain for incompetence.

Computer magnate and philanthropist, Bill Gates spoke passionately about this disconnection recently in Abuja.

Gates advised his privileged audience to visit primary schools and hospitals in rural areas in order to see the enormity of the nation’s decrepit infrastructure.

‘I visited a health clinic in Bodinga LGA in Sokoto. It reminded me why I do this work. I’d like to ask all of you to spend one hour at a health centre. You’ll see how the system can be improved.’

The Nigerian primary health  system is not adequately funded. But it also doesn’t get the most out of its current funding, due to lack of  transparency and  accountability. Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan identifies “investing in our people” as one of three “strategic objectives.” But the “execution priorities” don’t fully reflect people’s needs, prioritizing physical capital over human capital,’ he added.

To anchor the economy over the long term, investments in infrastructure  must go hand in hand with investments in people. People without roads, ports, and factories can’t flourish. Roads, ports, and factories without skilled workers to build and manage them can’t sustain an economy.

Citing a  ‘World Bank World Development Report,’ which identified education as vital to employment, productivity, and wages, Gates noted that ‘more than half of  Nigerian rural children can’t read and write. The conclusion is inescapable: Nigeria’s economy tomorrow depends on improving its schools and primary care system.’

He concluded his discourse with the words of world-acclaimed novelist and activist, Chimamanda Adichie: 

‘Nigerians are known around the world for their big dreams and big ambitions.” 

Government bears much of the responsibility for these dreams to become reality.

OAU sex scandal: Historic victory for Osagie

The recent dismissal of Professor Richard Akindele over sexual impropriety by the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has again resonated the urgency for effective legislations against gender-based crimes in the country. Justice has been served for the bold and courageous Monica Osagie, who nailed the fate of the randy lecturer with overwhelming evidence. The women rights community is quite enthused over the historic victory, as a boost for its campaign, because Osagie, unlike many others, remained stoic, despite tremendous threats, stigma and pressure against her.

The initial apathetic response from the university sparked off widespread media and public rage, with some legislators and Edo state government calling for expeditious investigation and justice in the case. Osagie, in several media interviews including CNN, said she remained dogged in the battle for justice, due to the rise in sexual objectification and exploitation of women across society.

“I am happy I came out. I am helping many ladies that have gone through the same thing I have gone through. Most of them can’t talk about it. They are scared of coming out in public. But I know it happens everywhere, not just in Nigeria. Speaking up will bring more women to speak out,’ against the evil trend,’ she said. Indeed the evidence against Akindele, a professor of Accounting and Management was staggering, hence he was summarily dismissed by the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede said ‘Akindele operated in a position of power and authority over Miss Osagie by sexually harassing her. He was liable for all the allegations of misconduct levelled against him and was dismissed,’ the VC said.

‘To disabuse the minds of the general public on the issue of an alleged cover-up, he said the duo were duly invited and investigated after which the lecturer was dismissed, ‘ he added.

‘Prof Akindele had an inappropriate relationship with his student. This was established through their conversation in the audio recording; his reply to the query; the oral evidence; and the printed ‘WhatsApp conversations’ tendered before the Committee. He offered to change Miss Osagie’s purported 33 percent result to a pass mark in consideration for sexual favours, though she had passed the course. His request for sexual favours from Osagie to change her examination scores was scandalous behaviour that portrays the university, as an institution where its teachers and examiners trade marks for sexual favours,’ he explained.

The judgement is a relief because it will not only serve as a deterrent to other sex perverts, who victimise people over sex and money for grades, but will encourage others to report such maleficence.

Many victims are often denied justice, due to lack of evidence and legal services, as well as, family pressure, social stigma, threats and psychological trauma. Nigeria is currently witnessing increasing cases of sexual crimes in several institutions, prisons, police cells, Internally Displaced (IDP) camps and homes.

The gory details of sex-related crimes perpetrated across the country are quite alarming and horrific, hence the heightened demand for stiffer penalties for assailants. Amnesty International recently accused members of Joint Task Force(JTF) of rape and sexual exploitation of women in Internally Displaced (IDP) Camps in the North-East, saying it had ‘evidence that thousands of people have starved to death in the camps in Borno state, since 2015.’ Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said ‘it is absolutely shocking that people who had already suffered so much under Boko Haram have been condemned to further horrendous abuse by the Nigerian military.’ ‘Thousands of women and girls are abused by the Nigerian security forces, who claim to be rescuing them,’ it alleged. Despite the international rage against rape and sexual offences, they have continued to escalate in India, Nigeria and other countries. Global statistics indicate increasing incidences of sex-related violations against women.

In Nigeria, such crimes are largely under-reported because of societal inhibitions, lack of professionalism, corruption along with other weaknesses bedevilling the security and judicial system. Other factors include discriminatory social norms, primitive cultures, political crises and ineffective legislations. Generally, women in patriarchal and traditional societies, as well as those in the entertainment industry and institutionalized settings are more predisposed to sexual assault. Spain is presently besieged by protests across several cities, following the controversial judgement over the alleged sexual abuse of a young girl, due to bail options for the assailants. Meanwhile, United States (US) famous actor, 80 year-old Billy Cosby faces a mandatory state jail term of up to 30 years, after his conviction, as a sex offender.

The world is awash with stories of despicable sexual atrocities, involving top politicians, business moguls, entertainment icons, particularly, in Europe and America.

Sadly India, seems to lead the global chart on sexual offences and rape, due to its ancient caste system, primordial cultures and religious mythologies, which mortify females and poor people. In India a women is reportedly raped every 15 minutes. Generally it is believed that a girl is sexually abused, virtually every day, in several countries. It is said that most females suffer a form of sexual abuse at least once in their life time.

Sexual rights of women are violated from the home to the work place, as well as in IDP camps, schools, stadia, prisons and other heinous circumstances across this country. Successive governments have failed to implement several global benchmarks on basic human rights, including the conventions on women, children and physically challenged persons. Nigeria is signatory to several United Nations (UN) conventions and protocols on women rights, but has not domesticated many of the treaties.

For instance government has not implemented the 2016 World Health Assembly on strengthening health systems in addressing violence, against women, girls and children. United Nations(UN) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), has intensified calls to implement the principles of CEDAW, as global standards in tackling sexual crimes and gender-based violence, which constitute human rights violations. It also called for concerted efforts to end all discriminatory policies and violations that undermine the safety and lives of women and girls, through economic empowerment, microfinance, training, education, legislation and media advocacy.

Meanwhile government, weekend, said it ‘will deal decisively with any university council that fails to deal with reported cases of sexual harassment in their institutions.’ Nigerians hope this is not another irredeemable pledge.