Category: Sports

This book entitled: “Poverty Alleviation from Biodiversity Management” is a 431-page treatise. It comprises 15 chapters made up of contributions from 18 scientists with expertise in ecology, agronomy, botany, zoology, fisheries, forestry, wildlife and socio-economics.

The main theme of the contributions is the focal attempt to relate the biodiversity content of the various disciplines to poverty alleviation and the development of rural economies.

The book defines poverty as the deprivation of well-being that occurs when people cannot satisfy their basic needs. “Poverty can be understood simply as lack of money, or more broadly in terms of barriers to everyday life.” The book reads. It also defines poverty alleviation as measures that raise, or are intended to raise enabling the poor to create wealth for themselves as a means of ending poverty.

The first three chapters analysed biodiversity from historical United Nations perspectives and the socio-economic values as they are inherently capable of driving poverty alleviation in rural Africa. The causes of the poverty and the prevalence poverty in Nigeria were highlighted while genetic, species and ecosystem diversities were categorized and evaluated with relvant examples and empirical evidence. The need for biodiversity conservation as a tool to enhance poverty alleviation was explicitly narrated.

Subsequent chapters dealt with the socio-economic dimensions of biodiversity management in the farm-household content as they relate to gender roles and gender, differentiated indigenous knowledge as inputs to agricultural production and utilization of plant resources.

Proposals were made for institutional interventions that can promote biodiversity as a catalyst for development. It was affirmed that “The condition, management and governance of ecosystems in all regions of sub-Saharan Africa is a dominant factor affecting the chance of success in fighting poverty and in furthering human development.”

Contributions from Chapter Six were specific in their biodiversity evaluation and the alleviation of poverty. Using the Cross River National Park as a template, an analysis was made on how the management of national parks can turn adjourning communities into better supporters of biodiversity conservation.

Analysing wildlife management and food security, a case was made for sustainability of bush meat production systems through in-situ and ex-situ management procedures. It was concluded that procurement and sale of bush meat contribute to food security as well as the potential of the wildlife industry for ecotourism.

Fishes of the Nigerian inland water mass as well as those in agriculture were identified as an important component of freshwater fisheries biodiversity that provide a significant part of our animal protein intake. Details were provided of how to set up and manage aquacultures as going concern for boosting fisheries production.

The medical plants that abound in our forests and ecosystems were identified with strong views expressed on the strategies for sustainable harvesting, since uncontrolled harvesting impacts negatively on the resources of the ecosystems. A strong case was made for the increased inclusion of traditional medicine in enhances healthcare delivery particularly in the hard-to-reach rural communities. Since health is wealth, improved healthcare would alleviate poverty.

Crop production is increasingly dependent on chemical control of pests and diseases for maximum productivity. A case was made for the use of natural pesticides from plants and their products to optimise crop production and productivity.

Olurotimi Tayo is of the University of Ibadan

This book deals with the personal experience of the author in sojourning outside the country in search for better life.

Human trafficking and migrant smuggling no doubt is a big peril to Nigeria. Trafficking in human beings has been equated to modern form of slavery by the United Nations. Similar human trafficking is migrant smuggling, more common with young men who desire to travel illegally outside the country. The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UNIGIFT) describes what may have contributed to promoting this ignoble activity in Nigeria as a prevailing ‘culture of silence,’ culture of tolerance’ ‘culture of non-concern’ in many societies permits, promotes and perpetuates trafficking in persons, and gives a free hand to the traffickers to continue without fear of punishment. Comrade Osita Osemene chooses to break the culture of silence, tolerance and non-concern by writing his true-life experience of the ordeal he experienced as an illegal migrant.

The book is divided into sections that can be read as chapters. Chapter 1 or the first section titled ‘Great Expectations’ begins by describing the desire, excitement and plans of the author to travel outside the country to Europe. It began with the opening statement Today was the best day of my life… as he had made plans to travel. The author expressed the mind of many Nigerian youths. Every Nigerian youth looked forward to going to the Jand or Yankee. All my life, all I had ever wanted to do was travel out of Nigeria, and live a better life. Getting a decent job after graduation did not come easily and business ventures did not fare well, the dream of making it in Europe was an engaging and appealing one.

Planning the trip was not easy as fraudsters and deception trailed the path. Travelling through legitimate means of legally obtaining a visa was difficult and proved impossible. A near brush with law enforcement agents at the point of departure with a fake passport and visa was a big disappointment. Other chapters dwell on different aspects of the author’s experiences in this traumatic sojourn.

The section on ‘I Must Return’ is an epilogue of the book. This section introduces us to the Patriotic Citizen Initiatives, a Non – Governmental Organization (NGO) borne out of the experience. The book also includes a section on Study Question, to engage the minds of readers into insightful thinking. It also provides other relevant information such as statistics of migrants and Nigerian Embassies worldwide.

In research work conducted and from one-on-one interviews with victims of human trafficking, the same gruesome experience is narrated. However, majority of victims tell their experience with humiliation.

Chasing A Mirage – My search For An Oasis comes highly recommended as one of the means of prevention, dispelling ignorance on the part of victims and counteracting deceptive tactics of traffickers and migrant smugglers. It should be introduced to schools and colleges as recommended literature.

However, the book is not without a few flaws. The map of Nigeria indicating Lagos appears to be superfluous, appearing in every section.

Eghafona is a professor of Sociology, University of Benin

Inside the chilly atmosphere at the Eko FM Multi-purpose hall, Ikeja, Lagos, was where the event took place. But, it didn’t really matter that Ogbomoso and Jos: two places where the author, Olayinka Oyegbile, lays claim to as home was far away from where his book, Home Away From Home berthed, the mood was celebratory. And the turn-out was indeed that of a home-coming.

The hall literarily draped in orange and blue witnessed a modest turn-out of about 200 friends, family, and well-wishers.

And looking resplendent in light brown kaftan, Oyegbile with his wife, Oluwakemi and brother, Akin Oyegbile by his side, he savoured the moment.

Perhaps, the anchor of the event, Kadaria Ahmed, a classmate of Oyegbile at the Bayero University Kano, and also former editor at Next Newspaper, were Oyegbile also had a brief spell as Associate Editor. Ahmed with roots from Gusau in Zamfara State, during the programme found herself in some melodrama as she had a daunting time pronouncing some Yoruba names.

The chairman of the occasion, Senator Ayo Adeseun was delighted at the book and harped on how the Ogbomosos, nay Yoruba stock, usually didn’t document their history.

He said; “This is something that we don’t do often, we Yorubas have a knack for not keeping records. We have a knack for not documenting events for historical references. And it is not just Yorubas. We in Ogbomoso in particular. For the fact that they have individuals like this who have summoned the courage and taken the time to put pen on paper and leave things for posterity, gradually, we are being confined to the background in this culture. In Yoruba history, Ogbomoso has played a pivotal role. Ogbomoso dominated out of the eight Aare Ona kakanfo of Yorubaland, Ogbomoso donated five.”

Going down the history lane, Adeseun said it was the Ogbomoso people who helped in defending Ibadan, the current capital of Oyo State, against Fulani hegemony. Commending Oyegbile’s efforts, he urged him to continue his pursuit in telling the story of the Ogbomosos, and even promised to be a stakeholder in future publications.

Nike Alagbe, who represented the former Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao Akala, opined the necessity of Oyegbile’s book. In her speech, she said, “I am an Ogbomoso woman and I’m proud to be one. But, for so many years of life, I had claimed Ogbomoso by proxy.”

Reiterating how Jos, over the years have played host to Ogbomoso people, Alagbe recalled when her grandfather died in 1989, her family came to Ogbomoso for burial rites. She said, “when we came for my grandfather’s burial, they all kept on saying that it is Baba Jos that died. That was the extent to which Jos was part and parcel of my family.”

And so it was that speaker after speaker recalled of being born, growing, and loving the Jos of old. Some others also spoke of encountering Ogbomoso people in Accra and along the West African coast and even in far-flung places. In fact, to explain the Ogbomosos’ global reach, a saying goes that anywhere an Ogbomoso man is not residing is not a place of welcome.

The consensus was that Jos had indeed deviated from its peaceful nature.

The issue of indigeneship/citizenship was also on the fringes of the event. But, it was none other than the author himself who would make that his focal point. During his speech, he queried this balance.

“Why is it that I was born In Jos. I didn’t leave Jos until I was 32 or 33 years old. My parents lived there for about 50 years. My father, when he got to Jos, he was too young to pay tax in the old western region and by the time he returned home, he was too old to pay tax. So, effectively, he never paid tax in Oyo State, except maybe, property tax. So, why is it that I cannot claim to come from Plateau State. If I want to apply for scholarship, my father never paid in Oyo State, I will now come to Oyo State where a Mohammed who has been paying all his tax and then they (government) will give him scholarship, they would not give the Mohammed scholarship. And then, where my own father had been paying tax and I grew up to be an adult, I cannot claim the citizenship.”

Reviewing the book was Kunle Ajibade, executive director of The News magazine who did a thorough job of it, giving snippets into the book’s content. Published by Target response Books, Home Away from Home traces the trajectory of Ogbomoso to Jos, their industry in the tin mining city. It also serves as a reminder of how the peaceful nature of Jos, despite ethnic and religious differences, has transited to a place where bombs tick off in an atmosphere of insecurity.

Publisher of the book, Engr. Yomi Taiwo, in his address said that the book “demonstrates that the different ethnic nationalities in Nigeria can live peaceably together not minding the divisive tendencies being orchestrated by people who only benefit from such.”

Some of the dignitaries present included Hon. Michael Adeoye, National PRO, Ogbomoso Parapo, Alhaji Bukola Badmus, the National Welfare Officer Ogbomoso Parapo, Kehinde Akinwumi, Lanre Olawale, Lanre Ladeji, chairman, Ogbomoso North Local government, prince Ademola Oyewumi, son of the Soun of Ogbomoso, Sayo Opatoyinbo, Olumide Iyanda, Layiwola Adeniji, and Toni Kan.

Widely travelled and award-winning journalist, Oyegbile, the deputy editor of The Nation on Sunday, was born in Jos, Plateau state. He didn’t leave Jos till after his tertiary education.

While Home Away From home is his first, he also has two forthcoming books : Inside Africa, where Oyegbile shares his thoughts of going-ons on the continent and going round the world, where he shares some of his travelogues.