By Nnedinso Ogaziechi

His frail look and vacant countenance caught my attention; he was clutching his small green plastic plate in his right hand while his left was on his waist desperately trying to pull up his oversized blue nicker that was as torn as it was dirty. His hair was unkempt and had started to self-twist into dreadlocks; tears were dropping from his eyes.

I was a visitor in Zaria town and was waiting for my host.  I decided to engage little Ibrahim who sat on a nearby pavement looking forlorn, he seemed not to know his age, but I assumed he was between the ages of seven and nine. My little friend Ibrahim knew neither his street address nor his birth date.

He however knew his Islamic cleric merely as Alhaji. His plate had tell-tale signs of usage but I doubted that Ibrahim had been well fed in the past years. His stature, gaunt look and sunken eyes were all signs of a malnourished child.  His cognitive development seemed affected by malnutrition.

As I expressed my shock at the fate of young children like Ibrahim in the city, my friend was not as shocked as she explained to me that she had ‘outgrown’ the initial shock when she arrived a few years earlier  from Port Harcourt.  She said it was the people’s culture and religion.

I could not understand her explanations. I then decided on my return to research into the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria with the picture of little Ibrahim and how millions like him have been denied the nurture and education that are their rights as children and the future of Nigeria on my mind.

I have often written about the implication of leaving the almajirai without their human dignity, proper family bonding and comprehensive education or skill acquisition that can make them grow into independent adults that can contribute to their economies.

Over the years, for a country without any population policy in place, the number of almajiris has ballooned into millions of kid-destitutes and that system has become the metaphor for child neglect, poverty, out of school children and the symbol of leadership failure.

They have become the focus of global development agencies that keep reminding the country that there would be no real development until every child is cared for with good healthcare and education.

The almajiri system of education has an Islamic root and is meant to impart Islamic religious tenets and culture to the kids at very tender ages.

However, with a dynamic world, only visionary countries willing to adjust to changing times and economic models would be guaranteed prosperity.

There had been calls on the governments to remodel the almajiri education system to a more comprehensively functional system that would retain the Islamic pedagogy with modern education system to equip the children to grow into functional and economically viable youths.

Curiously though, many Muslim countries seem not to adopt the Nigeria almajiri model that tends to plague the society with helpless, uneducated, unskilled, malnourished youth population.

Read Also: Do northern governors have political will to end almajiri?

 

The Round Table considers  the new efforts by the Northern Governors Forum to remodel the almajiri system one of the huge advantages of the COVID-19 pandemic despite its tragic effects on humanity.

In the past, schools had been set up aimed at integrating western education into the system. There had been the nomadic education properly channelled to cater for the nomads and their kids.

However, lack of committed implementation of those policies made them unfruitful in the zone.

The news from Governor  Nasir el-Rufai that the  Northern   Governors  Forum, under the leadership of Governor Lalong of Plateau State, is determined to end the almajiri system is one that is almost late in coming but as they say, better late than never.

The sad news that some of the children are already infected with COVID-19 are being ‘deported’ from Kano and other states to their states and countries is as heart-breaking as it is symptomatic of the failure of successive governments to plan and protect its children.

While Governor  el-Rufai regrets the fact that some of the almajiri children have been infected, it is curious that there are reports that some of the governors are allegedly sending the children back to their ‘home’ states.

Some have been returned to Jigawa from Kano in what appears a very tacky way of handling this pandemic. There are allegations that many have been transported to states in the South in livestock trucks.

Re-evaluating the almajiri system is a very good and progressive plan by the northern governors. It is coming late but ironically, thanks to this pandemic, this period has provided the push but we hope it is not just for fear of the spread of the virus.

However, expanding schools in Kaduna to accommodate the new intakes is good, planning to remodel the system is equally commendable, but here on The Round Table, we believe a more comprehensive and well -articulated programme must be adopted because already, these children are psychologically, socially and economically disoriented.

They have lost family bonding, love and care that should  imbue them with the humanity to be well-rounded adults.

Beginning to load mere kids into trucks for ‘deportation’ sends a very bad signal to the world. The governors must come together, own the children and treat them like children who need love and care.

The country is already suffering years of Boko Haram insurgency and other dire security challenges and leaving those kids to roam around in the guise of sending them back to their states might just continue to make them easy targets as recruits for different groups.

The governors must work at the re-orientation of the people and advise and plan better family units. They must be made to understand that just bearing children and dragging them to Islamic clerics who in turn drive them out to fend for themselves in the streets is an ill-wind that blows no one any good.

The fact that parents and governments hide under religion to sheik responsibility of loving, caring for and grooming their children under organised family units ultimately create problems for not only the region but the whole country.

The fact that Governor el-Rufai indicated that if other governors decide to retain without adjustment the almajiri system that would be their business sounds very dismissive and counter-productive.

The governors should provide leadership for the sake of the children; unbundling the system must be holistic and requires total and all inclusive participation by all stakeholders.

Each child matters and is carrying the region and country’s future and must be treated with dignity due the human person.

It has taken decades to nurture the system and it will equally take the committed leadership of the elite in the zone to re-strategise for growth.

The prognosis that in the next few decades, if nothing is done to improve the system that the region and the country would dive deeper into poverty and illiteracy is too grim to contemplate.

Already, the unenviable trophies of the highest illiteracy rates, third most terrorised country and high poverty rate can only stall development.

Those who assume they can retain the almajiri system for political expediencies ought to realise that when the chips are down, both the kings and the peasants become casualties.

The dialogue continues…

Adewale Jafojo

 

Chief Ayobamidele Abayomi Ojutelegan Ajani popularly known as Dele Momodu, but whom we the friends and close associates fondly call Bob Dee, is no doubt a man of many parts.

A progressive, media icon and guru, politician with a class, worthy protégé, peace broker, and so much more. Bob Dee for the past 6 decades has carved a niche for himself in changing the face of African continent and of course Nigeria through his writings, books, TV presentations and lifestyle magazine (Ovation International).

I have taken some time to understudy this literary genius and I have come to the subtle conclusion that Bob Dee is a simple but an extra-ordinary being.

I remember my first encounter with him in the late 90’s…. His being an epitome of humility was so amazing that I couldn’t but decide to get close to him and tap from his wealth of knowledge.

Chief Dele Momodu is a man who always loves to be very objective in his views and opinions on issues of interest regardless of whose ox is gored.

Judging from the number of years I have known Bashorun, I can say unequivocally that, like most great men who have been able to achieve success, growing up for him was not easy. But his perseverance and eclectic determination to succeed against all the odds are what have brought him this far.

Read Also: Moffi attributes success to hardwork

 

After 6 long decades on this earth, Bob Dee has not slowed down one bit. His charm, health and upbeat attitude are an inspiration to us all. His contributions to the development of our dear country in all spheres are noncomparable.

Obviously, the only knight in armour of Yeye Mobolaji Momodu wears 60 so well. Reaching 60 is a great accomplishment, but he makes it seem easy and effortless. Hence, I pray that in the years ahead he will always able to do what he loves to do with ease.

I pray the Almighty God in His infinite mercy continues to be with him and his entire family  and grant him good health for the rest of his days on earth.

On behalf of my entire family and myself, I say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Bob Dee, a man of vision at 60!

 

By Teju Abisoye

Reminiscing on the small gains Africa had made with job creation efforts including the impact of the work, we do at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), I am deeply saddened at the rapid economic downturn that has hit most countries on the continent arising from the COVID pandemic. It has set us back on job creation for our youth.

Prior to the lockdown, Nigeria as a nation was struggling with a youth unemployment rate of 23.1%. Lagos State, on the other hand, had recently made some progress by reducing the unemployment figures by 6.7% as at Q3 2018. I am concerned that, all this could be lost.

In Nigeria, small businesses are known to create over 80% of the jobs, however, due to this pandemic, some sectors (e.g. event planners that cater to large gatherings; the travel and tourism sectors) where these businesses operate have been badly hit and are going to stay affected even beyond the lockdown. Some sectors, on the other hand, will gain e.g. the Health sector will require more trained personnel and supplies while e-commerce will need vendors that can provide contactless deliveries. The entire Agriculture value chain will also require more skilled labour force especially as diversification is inevitable looking at current oil prices. Therefore, working to create wealth and eradicate poverty for African communities through support for businesses and skills development is critical.

I share my thoughts below on what I believe we should be doing to respond at this time and to ensure we sustain the wins in years to come. Employment creation is a responsibility that should make use of accurate information and data to drive interventions for improved results. These interventions should also use proven concepts like business support, mentorship, the right investments and collaboration between as many stakeholders to scale and improve the results.

1. Knowledge/Information – the interventions must be targeted using the right information.

A technology-enabled and fully automated Labour Market Information System (LMIS), will be able to provide real-time data that can more accurately guide interventions. This system is both useful to the private and public sector of the economy. The System should be able to generate adequate data that provides the skills required in each sector and are lacking on the market within minutes.

Also making sure unemployed young people have the right knowledge (skills), to take up available jobs is very important for sustainability. This will mean the acquisition of relevant knowledge, skills – both technical and soft. It is beyond reading and writing. These young minds must be exposed to the know-how, as well as the new habits and behaviour of the work environment.

Providing the right knowledge cannot be underestimated as a failure to educate with relevant information and skills, limits what can be achieved.

2. Investments

Investments are critical to the success of job and wealth creation and it can be viewed from 2 different perspectives;

– Investment in innovative ideas or industries to bring about the scale and thereby creating jobs with the hope of generating some returns/ profit; and

– Investment in infrastructure and people to help with the delivery of targeted interventions e.g. a LMIS will require a significant financial investment to originate a robust system that will be beneficial to the overall economy. It is most likely that these investments will not generate financial returns but huge socio-economic benefits.

Studies have shown that mentoring people and investing time in their growth can improve results both people in waged and self-employment.

Similarly, investing in an idea also gives it validation and has shown to improve the chances of that idea succeeding.

3. Business Support/ Mentoring

This is a time when small business owners or employees should not be shy to ask for help, in terms of knowing what to do in a state of confusion. They need to be seeking out and asking predecessors, consultants or professionals for advice.

Mentoring others requires investment, especially of time. What is required is more of coaching others through what is new or they have not been a part of previously. Mentoring can be digital or physical and in this new normal, maybe more digital.

A platform that creates the opportunity for peer and expert support will be useful for business promoters that can make use of IT facilities while in-person mentoring, or support will be useful to the informal sector.

4. Collaboration

Together, we can achieve more is evident when we examine the strategic partnerships that have emerged as a response to the COVID -19 intervention across many countries. The ability to seek effective partnerships is key at this time.

Here, I do not only refer to just collaboration for business but its relevance for LIFE. The Government can achieve more in partnership with the private sector and vice versa. Critical stakeholders must contribute their ‘strengths’ to achieving a vision of economic prosperity.

A good example of an intervention with job creation potential that can benefit from the multi-sector collaboration is support for the cooperative systems in the informal sector. In more formal finance, we will refer to this as loan syndication or blending to lower risk. This provides access to affordable financing for business development or expansion. The collaboration includes aggregating other businesses in the same sector to deliver on a project that requires volumes one business cannot deliver alone e.g. mass production of masks, face shields, and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Government facilities.

CONCLUSION

To quickly and strategically ramp up on youth employment across the continent, it is critical that interventions are guided by real-time data as this will help to minimise waste of resources. However, real-time data will require some form of investments in people, business and critical infrastructure. To reap the benefit of these investments, it is important to empower people with the right knowledge and skills. Also, we must promote a blended mentorship approach (digital and in-person) to ease individuals into the job market and help small businesses build or thrive in this economy.

Furthermore, one of the most effective tools to foster these interventions is collaboration, where different entities can put together the right resources to scale the identified intervention for greater impact.

Overall job creation should continue to be the objective for any Agency or Organization like LSETF solving unemployment and should drive how we proceed in this unprecedented time where it is no longer business as usual.

• Abisoye is the Acting Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF)

Nnedinso Ogaziechi

 

 

NO incident since the 20th Century has spoken more to the capacity of women in global politics and leadership than the present fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. From Germany to Denmark, New Zealand to Iceland, Taiwan to Finland, they seem to be saying, ‘Oh men, you guys have perfected the idea of instigating conflicts and wars that take lives but we women only know how to save and nurture lives’. They all run very viable economies too.

From all indications, these female leaders through their proactive measures saved the lives of their citizens by acting fast and decisively. Merkel, the German Chancellor, has a doctoral degree in quantum chemistry. This obviously played a part in how seriously she took the pandemic and her quick response at putting measures in place to stem the spread of the virus. She has a scientific knowledge of the implication of any lethargic attitude towards the spread and was stern and honest.

The leader of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, introduced more than a hundred measures to stem the spread of the virus as far back as January, even without a lockdown. Jacinda Arden of New Zealand was very swift in closing the borders and isolating and blocking visitors to the country, which helped keep the spread low and deaths very minimal. The other female leaders were equally very decisively proactive in carrying out early tests and isolations.

The Round Table conversation tried to not only commend these powerfully productive leaders but to also examine why amidst the tragedies from the pandemic, these women across continents are redefining leadership and reaffirming the fact that leadership qualities do not lie solely with the male gender. These women are merely doing what women do best – leading with love and empathy. They have no egos to protect and no politico-economic business interests to replace empathy with.

Dr. Georgiana Ngeri-Nwagha, the founder, CEO and Chairman of the board at Action for the Needy Foundation and former lecturer at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, says she is not in any way surprised at the stellar performances of these women leaders because historically, women have always displayed their innate capacity to lead and to protect lives. Women are not distracted by egocentric pursuits in leadership unlike men.

According to her, it is documented that in pre-colonial times in Africa, women provided socio-political leaderships at various levels and even in religion as priestesses and goddesses and left legacies of excellence. The decline in female participation in politics in Africa began with the arrival of colonialists who brought education and religion and mainly boys were encouraged to attend schools, study sciences and arts, while the girls were pushed into studying domestic science, teaching, secretarial studies surreptitiously arming the men for economic and political leaderships.

She pointed out that recent Nigerian political history shows that given equal academic and political opportunities, women have delivered leadership. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has become a poster woman of global corporate world with almost new appointments every other month into global agencies. Late Dora Akunyili redefined NAFDAC as a government agency. Amina Mohammed is today an Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations. Together with countless other women, the opportunities and exposures given them helped project their brilliant leadership qualities.

To Dr. Ngeri-Nwagha, women have always displayed brilliance in different leadership roles but it does seem that in a country like Nigeria, crass patriarchy always sticks out and the 35% affirmative Action of Beijing 1995 seems abandoned at some point. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo came close to hitting the benchmark. To her, affirmative action is not normally the best option but in the absence of equity in the political field, it seems the best option is to set out some elective and appointive positions for competent and cerebral women to contribute to national development.

She feels that the few women in active partisan politics seem to let the men off too easily by not holding them to their promises during campaigns. She recalls that in her days as the head of Bayelsa Women Forum, the group invited all candidates, including the then governorship candidate, Timipre Silva, to listen to the demands of women and tell them categorically what they need from him. She said they achieved their aim because when Mr. Silva won as governor, he implemented the demands of the women.

Because political participation is financially demanding and the Nigerian women cannot square up to the men does not suggest that women cannot provide admirable leadership like the world is seeing at this time. She believes women are naturally imbued with deep nurturing attributes and empathy given their roles in families as mothers and nurturers. The female leaders are merely effortlessly being mothers to their nations, protecting and taking all empathetic steps to create comfort and wellness.

Dr. Bilikisu Magoro Bilmor, a Development Consultant and Gender/Human Rights advocate, decries the fact that women are very few in the political field, especially in the Northern Region. The performance of the women in global leadership is a clear reminder of all that is possible with women but sadly the Nigerian political space seems to have token spaces for few women. To her, despite having qualified and competent females who often beat the odds to contest for elective positions in the North, it is still seen as a socio-religious taboo by some men.

The fact that in the whole of the North West, there is no single woman either in the House of Representatives or the Senate sums up the pathetic situation of women in the region politically. There is only one woman House of Representatives member from the North East. However, in the whole of the North, she gives kudos to the governor of Kaduna State who has a female deputy governor and females as commissioners of health, social services and heads of few other agencies. Sadly for women too, only one single woman won election into a state House of Assembly and even then she had to go to court to reclaim her mandate.

Dr.Magoro-Bilmor insists that women are not seeking for favours or handouts in the political space but to be included in the leadership evolution processes based on merit because many women are qualified and in positions to contribute to the decisionmaking processes, especially as they suffer more deprivations due to certain bad political decisions. She believes that because women are nurturers, if given a larger political mandate, they would always make the best decisions for development.

She feels that there is a nexus between the crass poverty in the zone and the absence of women in the decision-making processes of the different states. Given the productive capacity of any well-educated woman, she believes that blocking off women based on their gender is an injustice even to the men themselves because the girlchild that is married off and uneducated and without a skill will end up a burden bearing children she can neither feed nor train to be viably productive. The female world leaders being celebrated globally for their leadership beyond this pandemic period are successful because they are well-educated and allowed to contest on a level playing field with men. Their countries operate genuine democracies.

Nigeria must begin to re-evaluate a political process that excludes more than half of the population. Our dialogue continues…

 

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E-Mail: theroundtablenation@gmail.com

 

EMMANUEL OLADESU

 

THE health of a nation depends on the health of its people, young and old.

Health, as it is commonly said, is wealth. Its decline therefore, translates into wealth depreciation.

Health is a basic criterion for the attainment of quality population. Healthy people are assets; they live longer, they should be more productive, and their existence may not be associated with misery and liability. Therefore, national development is incomplete without a healthy population, which accounts for national productivity.

As a corollary,  an efficient civil service, which plays a pivotal role in the initiation and implementation of government policies and programmes, is premised on the healthy population.

The global lesson of the moment is that health should be the greatest priority. There should be no compromise. Definitely, world attention would now be refocused on health funding, preparation for medical emergency, and strategy for prevention more than cure.

In Nigeria, like in many countries of the world, health is at crossroads. People are suffering due the neglect of the health sector. The effects manifest in all facets of life-political, economic, social, educational, religious. On the global scale, the strange pestilence is taking its toll. It is also shaping the focus of international relations. At the end of these anxieties and despair, the world will not remain the same.

Coronavirus pandemic is not the only index. Health goes beyond the definition of wellness. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It also encompasses the ability to recover from illness and other problems-social, psychological, emotional.

According to experts, factors that may contribute to health include human genetics, the nature of the environment, relationships and a brand of health education that will lead to informed citizenry.

The domains of health are interrelated. Physical wellbeing derives from biological make-up; a highly level of endurance and flexibility. Strength is the core word. But, it is only achievable or premised on nutritional wellbeing and freedom from emotional distress. The lifestyle of an individual plays a role. For example, chain smokers and drunkards may jeopardise their health, the social reasons for their maladaptive or deviant behaviours notwithstanding. A healthy lifestyle is life-prolonging. It can assist in the prevention of chronic diseases and protracted illness.

Of importance is occupational wellbeing, which only appropriate  job opportunities can guarantee. It may be the baseline for personal financial wellbeing and happiness. When jobs are threatened by emergencies, as many people are currently experiencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be despair. It can affect social and emotional wellbeing, in the absence of adequate adjustive resources. When people are under-employed, it is a cause for worry. When youths roam the streets after graduation, the nation breeds a crop of disillusioned and depressed young citizenry. Yet, there is now a growing population of youths who are unemployable due to lack of skills and competence in desired fields. That, perhaps, accounts for the change of orientation towards entrepreneurial education in tertiary schools.

When basic infrastructures and common opportunities that  the state should provide and guarantee become a luxury, the public is exposed to stress. There will be discomfort, agony and dejection.

When structures of participation and responsibility are not strengthened and meaningful opportunities are not created for the advancement of individuals through education and work, and in an atmosphere of security, society cannot find within itself the resources needed to fuel its progress.

If citizens are unable to attain their purpose in life, if they cannot attain optimal capacity or performance in basic areas of life, if they cannot operate based on defined values-values being the pattern of living they prefer- and there is no balance among physical, psychological and social wellbeing, then, spiritual wellbeing becomes unattainable.

All these have implications for health. That is why health challenges are also features of under-development in Africa. In most African states, stress is concomitant with human existence. Poverty,  want, hunger, ignorance and disease at their hallmarks. Nigeria, the most populous country on the continent, is not showing a strong example of how the challenges can be tackled or how the health sector can be repositioned to meet the needs of it’s bewildered  people.

Politically and legally, health should be the right of citizens, irrespective of race, religion, political belief, and economic and social conditions.

In a developing country like Nigeria, healthcare should be qualitative, affordable and accessible. According to the late Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General, the biggest enemy of health in the developing world is poverty.

Governments have a responsibility for the health of their people, which can only be fulfilled by a rational and people-oriented leadership through comprehensive welfarist programmes. Majority of Nigerians, as experience has now shown, exist merely at subsistence level. The purchasing power is low. In the health sector, cost sharing is burdensome for the poor, the needy and indigent families. They are vulnerable to squalor and diseases. It may be the main reason for patronising quacks who continue to wreck havoc, particularly in the rural areas.

Health is non-negotiable. That may have been the philosophy behind the adoption of manifesto of free health services at all levels by the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and its implementation in the LOOBO states-Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Bendel and Oyo states- by the five progressive governors in the Second Republic.

What can Nigeria learn from its past in this period of Covid emergency? Can the country do without a high quality health care system? How should the country prepare for future emergencies, even in post-Covid period?

The debate on the future of Nigeria’s health sector is on the front burner. Reality has now dawned on government that it risks presiding over a hugely sick population at the mercy of a strange pestilence that is ravaging humanity. This period is a leveller as government officials,  big politicians, rich businessmen and other privileged Nigerians cannot even seek medical attention abroad. In the interim, medical tourism is put on hold.

For decades, the Nigeria Medical Assiciation (NMA) and other professional bodies had cried out in utter frustration that the health sector was ebbing away. But, their patriotic complaints were ignored.

The number of hospitals relative to the population is too few. So is the doctor/patient ratio. The existing hospitals have become eyesore-no medical equipment, bedding, and water. The hospital environments in some states are horrible. In the last 25 years, there was hardly a year government did not contend with strikes or threat of strike by medical personnel in public hospitals. Instead of acceding to the demands of striking health workers, they are blackmailed and intimidated, with many ignorant people also yelling at their predicament.

Unable to cope with the unconducive working environment, many doctors and nurses left the shores of Nigeria for greener pastures. Many of them excelled in their new destinations because of favourable conditions of service. The sector was hit by a preventable brain drain.

At issue is funding. More worrisome is corruption in the sector by policy makers. Stakeholders have often decried the yearly pitiable budgetary allocations to health. Expansion of the existing medical facilities has often been undertaken in a snail-like speed. It is because the sector has not been a priority to succeeding administrations.

Many have also decried the sleaze  in the sector. The First Lady was even alarmed at the poor condition of the Aso Villa Clinic, which she complained, lacked basic medical infrastructure. What has happened to the allocations?When the Senate President got to Gwagwalada Hospital, Abuja, he shed tears. It was double tragedies for patients. The premises fell short of a clinic.

How is primary health care system faring? Across the federation, they are in short supply. The existing ones are at half; forlorn, deserted and overgrown with weeds in the interior parts of the country. They are existing for cosmetic reason. The usual complaints revolve around lack of water, medical staff, drugs and even benches for patients to sit on. In remotest parts, primary health care centre is a tall dream. Where they exist, it is unattractive to medical workers who are demotivated. Although investment in rural roads can boast access to health centres, many state governments have neglected the infrastructure battle.

It is assumed that emergency has been declared in the health sector. The sector should be defended by government at federal and state levels through improved budgetary allocation. But, government cannot do it alone. Corporate organisations should increase their social responsibilities in the sector. Judging by the experience of some countries in Africa and Asia, alternative medicine should not be dismissed with a wave of the hand. Without health, the fate of other sectors hang in the balance.

In post-COVID period, Nigeria will need a National Conference-a National Summit- on Health in national interest.