Juliet Ezenwa Maja Pearce is a visual artist, convener of art arising Arts festival and CEO Yemoja Arts gallery. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, she takes you into her world, running the arts festival, inspiration as well as life as a feminist.
Tell us about the festival?
The festival is bi-annual\triennial. It takes places once every two or three years. The first one we had was in 2018, the second in September 2021 and we have another one coming up next year. It’s an arts festival in the sense that it is not only about visual artists.
It’s an all round creative kind of event. It was a 14 day event at the National Museum and we featured visual artists, performance artists, poets, writers, editors, publishers and everybody was involved. It was 14 days of exhibitions, discussions as well and it was really an interesting time.
What were some of the takeaways from the event?
There were many in the sense that the way we had presented it was export friendly, people were willing and ready, all of us, participants and host were ready to take any part of the festival to any part of the world. It was authentic Nigeria creative festival with many contemporary elements visible in it.
How many years have you been in the sector?
30 years as a full time studio artist, practiced as a visual artist.
Let’s scroll down memory lane. What inspired you to go into the arts?
Apart from being a creative individual as a child. I already had it in me and I took it up as a career and as a business. I would also put that blame on Nigeria because at the time I graduated in 1990 there were no jobs; Federal Government had an embargo on employment that lasted for about 5 or 6 years. And for those of us that came out at about that period we had to find other means of making a living and being a creative person, a talented it wasn’t hard to begin to practice art.
Was there something else that you had in mind then?
Like every young graduate I was thinking I would work in a commercial bank that was a period you had micro finance banks, mortgage banks before the first consolidation of bank. It was one of those jobs that brought me to Lagos to work in a Mortgage bank but as I was undergoing the interview for the bank some people asked what you do. I said, I studied Fine Arts and I have been practicing painting stuffs and selling arts. They said why don’t you practice this art rather than coming to work in the banking industry and they gave me a job to test me, to see if I could deliver.
They asked me to bring some paintings to the bank, it was a new bank, our walls are empty, come with some paintings. And that was how my life as an art dealer and an art business person begun. I was able to deliver that and make some money that I used to pay my rent in Lagos. It was a turning point for me.
Tell us about some of the memorable moments as an artist?
After that experience, I now saw that there was some money to be made in art business. I had a friend who was starting an arts gallery on Allen Avenue, Ikeja and I teamed up with her and began the Tropical Arts and craft Gallery. We began to organize exhibitions and were exposed to the full arts business world and there was no looking back from then on. I was just selling arts as a dealer, selling other people’s works and it helped me to develop mine by the side, until I became confident enough to become a solo artist.
How would you describe life as a Solo artist?
Like every aspect of life in Nigeria, it has been very difficult and challenging. But then, it is a growth period, a process of developing in the field. I was lucky in many ways and things worked for me.
Also, I was patient enough, tolerant enough and probably surrounded myself with people who encouraged me to keep going and that the skies would be bluer ahead and of course they are indeed bluer. It’s been a tough one, but it has been rewarding, there are no disappointments.
What about the people that have influenced your work, mentors and role models?
Many. I want to say a big thank you to all the Art Galleries, all the art collectors who have kept the industry alive. Many did not live to see today but when they lived the kept us going. People like Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, Sam Olagbaju, Bruce Onabrakpeya, Nike Okudaye and so many people who are keeping the industry going. Many who played a key role in the movement of the visual industry, many who are playing bigger roles today. We hope that in the nearest future we would have a tourist product.
Tell us about the challenges. Were there moments when you felt like quitting?
Many moments. Most challenges are related to Nigeria’s economy. In recent times security is an issues, if we do not have tourists who are confident, feel safe enough to come to Nigeria to patronize the art, of course it is going to impact on the business. That is the bottom line and we need to create the kind of safe environment that would enable our products to be exported and enable tourists to come and see it and patronize us. It a private sector driven industry and Government is just to support.
Let talk about your works and why you are referred to as the masquerade?
That is because some curator recently described me as a female masquerade, technically calling me that after some of my works. In recent times, I have been strongly supporting women’s rights. I am a feminist and I support women’s development and empowerment. I have chosen to always stand in a position where I can view things from a gender lens. I have also begun to interrogate our culture and cultures in Nigeria that oppose women’s emancipation, equity and equality. I believe that it is rooted from our culture, our everyday interpretation of life, gender relations and we have to deal with some salient elements and we have to become conscious of it. We have to kick it out of our life, make life more balance. The title as female masquerade is because there is a conscious effort in the not so distant past to suppress women’s strength, position and power in society. Perhaps, because we are in a patriarchal society. So, it has spiraled and manifests itself in some forms of hatred towards women, and the different kinds of violence that we have been encountering.
Wouldn’t it be right and just to say that perhaps the justifications are from our culture?
If the justifications are coming from there, then we need to interrogate our culture. The culture we choose to live by today, should be determined by us not by ancestors who lived so many centuries ago. That world has wound up and we are in a different technological world today. It is no longer like the systems in the past where the male was the superior individual in the family dynamics that made decisions because he had the sheer strength to do that. We are not living by sheer strengths, we are living by intelligence and anybody can be the intelligent pattern, in the gender dynamics and rearrange how we are going to deal with each other in the present day Nigeria. So, we have to rethink and rearrange how we are going to deal with each other in present day Nigeria.
Let’s do a flashback to COVID, how did you spend your time?
For a creative it was a pleasant time to be stuck in my studio busy with my artwork. I didn’t miss anything. I was also glad that the earth rested and breathed. Some of us are agitators of a peaceful earth. I wish and I would like to advocate and join those advocating that once a year or two years, we should have a period when every machinery shuts down.
Your husband is a writer, what role has he played in all that you do?
Yes, Adewale Maja Pearce has had a great influence on my life. He is a writer of reputation, with many years of experience. He has that international impression of how things work in the publishing and creative industry. In many ways, he is a resource person to us, establishing the art alliance artist collective. He is our go to place for direction, exposing us to international platforms for art fairs, book fairs.
When you are not doing all the arts stuff, what occupies your time?
Sleeping, advocating for gender equality. The art is both the work that I do and my play. It is where I relax, my play. I am one of those who took the advice of the wise people who said turn your play to your work and find a way to make it feed you. That way, you would never have to work any day of your life. As a matter of fact, I have to say when dealing with gender I am at work.
The Lead Pastor, Victory Life Bible Church Int’l, Apostle Lawrence Achudume, has urged Nigerians to focus on the daily blessings embedded in the country and build their business as the economy is not run by the government but entrepreneurs.
Achudume said as much at the church’s 2022 Independence Day Special Service tagged ‘winning the war’ at its Abeokuta headquarters along Ajebo road in the Ogun State capital.
He said people in governance have allowed their love for money to distract them from their core mandate which is the call to serve their fatherland, noting that the failure of past and present leaders have caused great damage to the image of the country.
“It is entrepreneurs that run the economy and not the government. All that the government need to do is to provide social amenities and enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Unfortunately, we have people in power that have lost their integrity because of money. They got to power and forget their fatherland for money. They lack the capacity to manage the economy.”
The clergyman, who noted that it is time for Nigeria to raise businessmen and women, encouraged Nigerians to build their businesses and serve God, who can take care of their tomorrow, adding that there is no need for anxiety over tomorrow with god on their side.
He said that Nigeria’s greatness is incomparable to any other nation in the world, urging Nigerians not to give up “for Nigeria will give birth to greatness in no time.”
“Every day has a womb. Nigeria too has a womb and a new Nigeria is about to be born. We all must learn to prophesy into the country. Avoid speaking evil of the nation. Every time i am travelling back to the country from nations of the world, i meet foreigners on the flight that are coming to Nigeria. They come here because they are seeing what most of you are not seeing in the country. You need to start believing in the Nigeria.”
He stressed that Nigeria is at the point of escape from sorrow and hardship, predicting that in due course, the world will celebrate the country. He enjoined the citizens and residents of the country not to leave for the land is green and filled with blessings.
“Nigeria will escape sorrow. The whole world will celebrate Nigeria, there will be peace. We have a dream for Nigeria, and it will come to pass. Nigeria is not a confused nation, but a few elements are confused. Nigeria will start benefiting from god’s blessings in abundance. We should raise entrepreneurs and not beggars”
Also speaking at the Independence Day Special Service, The Lead Pastor, Christ Royal Church, Bishop Tom Samson, called on Nigerians not to despair as the nation would soon be delivered from the clutches of tyranny and bad leadership.
Earlier in the Independence Day special service, the congregation was led to pray for Nigeria using the book of Isaiah chapter 62 verses 2 – 4 as the service had in attendance Reverend Foal Achudume, pastors, members, and dignitaries in Ogun state.
t was a weeklong celebration as Methodist Church, Nigeria celebrate its 180 anniversary in Nigeria with funfair and excitement. Clergymen and friends gather to celebrate the church milestone of ecumenicism in Nigeria. Part of the activities held included: the induction of 180 members as the knight at the Thomas Birch Freeman of Wesley Mission and the thanksgiving ceremony at Tinubu, Methodist Church, Lagos.
Speaking at the induction ceremony, Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Samuel Uche said that I am so excited, encouraged, and joyful about what God has done for Methodist Church in Nigeria. “We are the church that brought enlightenment to Nigeria. Whatever you called Pentecostalism or African Church, their root is Methodism Church Nigeria”.
He added “every Nigeria Christian is a Wesley because they drank from the water of our gospel and wanted to be independent and we didn’t begrudge them. We are the very first church in Nigeria and we are happy and proud of it. 180 anniversary means to the church, a great milestone but it is not yet Uhuru. We will not rest on our own until Nigerians are converted to Christ”.
We created new 30 dioceses at the last conference. The number of Bishops has increased from 84 to 130. It is for evangelism.
He charged the church to maintain a life of holiness. Holiness in the church at home, in private and public places. Social and scriptural holiness is what God expects from us. We should lead Nigeria on the path of righteousness, the way we started.
On the 2023 election, the prelate cautious politicians to shun hate speeches and assassination of the character of other opponents. He said that politicians should tell us what they want to do for Nigeria. Politicians should base their campaign on issues and shun assassinating the character of others. “If you cannot tell us what you want to do for Nigeria, you are a jobber, unserious, and a fake person, he said.
Uche said “tell us what you can do for Nigeria, and we will weigh it and determine where our vote will be. Assassinating the character of others won’t take any aspirant anywhere. Nigeria will no longer tolerate it. Let Nigerians be allowed to freely choose who they want to vote for”.
He urged electorates not to be influenced by money. You are selling yourself and your unborn generation if you collect money from politicians to vote.
“As I am standing here, I do not have any candidate that am supporting. All of the aspirants are my brothers and sisters. Their campaign promises will convince me of who to vote for. I am standing, I can influence 6million people. If you are an aspirant and you get 6 million votes, you know what it means. I have my people across 36 states and whatever I say is almost a law. I will educate them properly on who to vote for.
On making Badagry a Pilgrimage, Uche said “we are working with the Anglican Communion to set up Methodist/Anglican Commission which will be inaugurated soon. The two of us are the pioneers and we will talk about how to develop Nigeria spiritually.
The cleric posited that the church needs to do more in evangelizing Nigeria, and said that we have not enough and that is why the bible says that we should preach the gospel so that the people can repent and prepare for heaven. We will do more and we are very hopeful that many people will be converted.
About his 10 years in service as prelate, said that it was turf, I was encumbered. So much pressure but God was my strength. The power of God, faith, and the word of God kept me. He led me successfully and I must remain eternally grateful to God.
In his words, The Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church, Ghana, The Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo said that the 180-anniversary celebration of Methodism in Nigeria is about celebrating the goodness of God toward the Methodist church in Nigeria. “We do not take that for granted. 180 years is not a mean achievement. Thanking God is to acknowledge the fact that we did not do it by our power. Then, when we are celebrating, what our forebear did, we have to do more in terms of evangelism, education, health, social service, and improving the lives of people.
Although, Methodist Church came in 1835 in Ghana. We are proud of Nigeria, that it has also grown to be a big church like this.
“I want to thank the awardees for their sacrifice and commitment and their love for God. Once they have been acknowledged in this manner. they should continue to be role models. The work of God goes on. this award should give them more energy to do more for God in Nigeria and everywhere” he said.
Boafo noted that the holy book is the best book you find on the planet earth. if you relegate the word of God, you are relegating God. As a human being, the God factor is always important. As we read the bible, we are inspired by what has God done to his children. We should not leave the bible behind. The almost pillar in which we rest our faith is the bible. We will read it and make do with its teaching.
Responding to the award given, the Former Conference Public Relations Officer of the Church, Sir, Tola Aramide Noibi said that to God be the glory, “I regard it as an award well deserved by the Prelate. Over time, I have always been sacrificial in all my dealings with God and mankind. I have not waited for the church to compensate me. In all the services I have been rendering, I believe one day, God will smile on him”.
Also, the Patron of the Boy Brigade, Hon David Adekunle Ogunnaike said that it is a huge honour for me. I glorify God. It is too soon to know the real star of the award but I know thank the Lord in his infinite mercy for what we have done and where he is taking us to. I think it is one of the greatest honour in Methodism, to God be the glory
“I have been blessed to be counted as a worthy knight and join the host of others before me”, he said.
Glory Impact Christian Centre (GIC) at the weekend kicked off its skill acquisition and empowerment programme for youths and women at its Cathedral at Akute, Ogun State. It will end on October 3.
In a statement, the GIG Senior Pastor, Pastor Busola Afolayan, said their objective is to equip young people and women in their host community with skills that could help to solve unemployment. It is also to encourage people who have paid jobs to have multiple streams of income.
Afolayan said: “The rising unemployment in our society calls for concern. Hence, we must rise up to tackle it before it gets out of hand. It is a well-known fact that no meaningful social and economic progress could be recorded where the majority of any society is unemployed.
“Furthermore, we live in a country with an unstable economy. There is no guarantee that you will get your salary when you expect it and the reality is that there are some financial needs that you can’t delay. The more income streams you can create the more wealth you will have.”
Students with visual disabilities from seven schools will gather at The Apostolic Church, Palmgrove, Lagos on Thursday October 6, to participate in the annual Bible quiz organised by The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN).
Two students will represent each of the following participating schools in the 4th edition of the Bible quiz: Bethesda Home for the Blind, Mushin; Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the Blind; Vocational School for the Blind, Oshodi; Kings College, Obalende; Lagos State Senior Model College, Agbowa-Ikosi; Lagos State Junior Model College, Agbowa-Ikosi, and Federal Government College, Ijaniki all in Lagos.
In a statement issued by the Manager, Media & PR, BSN, Benjamin Mordi said that The Bible quiz, which will be chaired by Founder of Rainbow Foundation, Mrs. Kalango Koko is designed to provide a platform for people with visual impairment to engage with the word of God.
“The winner of the competition will go home with a cash prize of one hundred thousand naira (?100,000), the first runner-up will get seventy-five thousand naira (?75,000), while the second runner-up will get fifty thousand naira (?50,000)”.
“Apart from organizing the Bible quiz, the BSN also provides Braille Bible which costs ?50,000 free of charge to any person with visual disabilities who can use it”.
The Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) of Catholic Church, Nigeria has urged the government across states and federal to tackle poverty by supporting vulnerable families in the society following the increasing hike in the prices of commodities in the market.
The Grand Knight, Festac Sub-Council of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM), Nigeria, Charles Ifeanyi Mbama said during the recent third stanza of the ‘Feed the Hungry Apostolate’ organised by the Order to support less privilege members of the society in Lagos.
Mbama said”the government should look at the Order of Knights of St. Mulumba, the template we are using for carrying out this apostate and try to emulate it to reach out to the poor and give hope to the poor; to put food on their table,”
According to him, the programme is a self-sustaining initiative led by Don Eze, Metropolitan Grand Knight of St. Mulumba, which will survive every incumbent member of the Order because of its laudable nature of touching lives of the poor. “It is a spiritual project and above all it is one of the plans of KSM’s charity based work; so, Feed the Hungry is dear to the heart of the Lagos Metropolitan Council,” Mbama said.
He stated further that the programme was initiated to feed the poor in collaboration with the St. Vincent De Paul of the Church, which is not limited to vulnerable members of the Catholic Church.
“We assemble food stuff and distribute to the poor and give them cash for them to use to buy other condiments in cooking their food. We have our database from where we invite the poor,” he said.
Speaking further on the impact of the program, Mbama said that the first and second stanza of the ‘Feed the Hungry Apostolate’ reached about 180 households, while the Order planned to gift over 100 households in the third stanza in a continuous process not limited to only Catholics or Christians.
“What matters most is that these are the poor in the society and we need to feed them because they are hungry and we do this to the glory of God. And each time we have done this project, we spend nothing less than N800, 000. It’s always within the range of N800, 000, N1.2 million; and this is just Festac Sub-Council, and within Lagos Metropolitan Council we have a total of 29 sub-councils. So, when you calculate it, you have an idea of what the Order does in the life of the poor within Lagos Metropolitan Council,” Mbama said.
Olekoko exponent Gbenga Adenuga is a creative, energetic gospel musician with class. He speaks on his recent concerns and issues affecting gospel music in Nigeria. Excerpts:
What has been happening lately to Gbenga Adenuga?
In the last few years, I have been involved more with my business and family. It’s been a season of sojourn and trying out several ideas. I have been quite busy with work. I have done music at a low level though although I have tried doing music differently too. Of course, the Day One series has been ongoing in Nigeria for about two years and for about four years in the USA where it all started. I started Ethnocreative and GAPTV studios in 2019 and they are both doing well.
What’s worship ways all about?
Worship ways is a movement that influences mindsets. Yes, we come together to interact, sing and worship. As we do that we come in touch with grace and our lives are changed. The focus of worship ways has always been to expose us to grace in God’s presence to light up our path. We have testimonies from the many years of doing worship ways in Ibadan. Worship ways open your inner eyes. Greatness is demystified.
What should gospel music fans look forward to at the concert?
Everyone should look forward to a great time that will be life-transforming. It’s a mix of fun and depth. Music will be great of course and the ambiance will be beautiful. More so, change is inevitable. You know, worship ways is a meeting point of heaven and earth. Worship ways is a blessing. It is a place where God decides to come and mend our lives and situation. So everyone should look forward to a big session. The maiden edition holds on Sunday, October 2 at Terra Kulture between 5 pm and 7 pm.
Do you think a free concert is sustainable? What plans do you have to generate finances for its continuity?
Well, I am taking a dive into this idea of free concerts again. In the past years sustainability was a big challenge because the sessions are quite expensive to run. Also, I did not like talking to people about money but I am more mature now so I will ask friends and fans to support. Also, we will be talking to brands, the last time we did in Lagos we had MTN sponsoring. We look forward to corporate collaborations as we will endeavour to do this as excellently as we can.
For years, you have been an energetic, lively musician. Is there a likelihood you will cool down a bit in the years to come?
Cool down? Wow! I love energy. My sound has an energetic feel to it. I am not going to cool down. I don’t pray to cool down, I will not have to cool down.
When is the next album coming from you?
Now that I cannot say. The reason is that there are many musical expressions playing in my head. I am yet to decide on a particular theme so doing an album is a very difficult decision now.
What’s your input on the debate on whether gospel musicians should charge or not?
Well, I think that everyone will have to deal with this as a personal thing. I also don’t think there is a debate on that. For me and for a lot of people I know it depends on many things really- relationship, the platform, nature of the gig and a few other interests. Sometimes I charge sometimes I do not. In recent times I have been doing free gigs. But really, I think whenever a professional is being asked to provide a service, at least the cost of engagement should be covered and a gift should be put on top of it.
There was unlimited praise, singing and dancing as members of Watchtower Christian Assembly (WCA), a pentecostal church headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos, celebrated the church’s 10th year anniversary on
Sunday 25th September, 2022.
The celebration service had as its theme: ‘My help’.
Men, women, youths and children of the church were beautifully dressed dancing to songs from the choir as they worshipped God.
The church was completely filled up such that some congregants had to remain standing while the service lasted.
Besides singing and dancing, the anniversary was celebrated with different activities that those who attended will not forget in a hurry.
Speaking during the celebration service, the senior pastor of the church, Samuel Adeleke Olayinka, explained that the celebration was not just about singing the church’s praises but to reflect on God’s benevolence, goodness and mercies within the 10 years of existence.
Pastor Sam, as he is fondly called, further noted that the purpose of the church was to contribute its quota to the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom by getting men “breaded, buttered, bettered, bolstered and boosted.
“We achieve this purpose and mission by evolving a system of hunger for the Word. We believe the Word of God is the ultimate mechanism to get life work and drive it into success and fulfillment. So, we mobilize souls, and apply both conservative and modern creative techniques to execute the great commission, to get their hearts open to their ultimate need,” he added.
Speaking further, he said life was interesting and worthwhile when God is given the driver’s seat. This is appropriated if His ideas, principles and ways are fully embraced (Job 22:23-30).
The guest minister, Pastor Tokunbo Oshokoya, a popular tele-evangelist, in his sermon stressed on the need to leverage on God’s help, which is ever available, to secure all-round rest, peace and prosperity in every Christian’s life.
Using the life of King Asa, where truth is taught, believed and engaged as lifestyle, in a nation like Nigeria, church or family, cheap and permanent victories are consistent blessings (2 Chr. 14 to 16).
Founded on September 30 2012, the church has three other branches in Ogun State.
Anchor International Youth and Teen Work Academy has graduated 15 maiden children’s workers, teen workers and youth workers.
They passed out during the last residency at the academy.
The President of the academy Dr Bolarinwa Omotosho commended the set of students of the institution who made it to the last academy residency.
‘’It is truly a joyful time to see the first set of the academy students concluding their course. The excitement is that our students are always excited to come to school for their residency.
‘’The institution programme is a one-year curriculum with the expectation that the students will have their classes five times a year to equip them to answer the daily questions the young people are asking.
‘’Our curriculum is to train and mentor children’s workers, teen workers, counsellors and youth workers to confidently handle and impact the young people for the cause of Christ. Innovation leadership is a way-out to youth work development in Nigeria,’’ Omotosho stated.
He said the academy is passionate about child prevention, curious about child and youth development and interested in developing new ways to promote positive outcomes for young people from diverse communities.
‘’Our curriculum in child and youth work, with a concentration in children and youth: risks and healthy development, will prepare our students to work across development stages from childhood to youth in mental health, family service, drug use, community and legal issues.
‘’On behalf of all the members of the Board of Trustees of Anchor International Youth and Teen Work Academy, I celebrate all the students who made it to the end of this course because of their endurance and perseverance.
‘’I encourage other students of the academy that have almost dropped out to find courage and I appreciate all our renowned adjunct faculty lecturers who have made meticulous contributions to the success of the students,’’ he added.
He inaugurated the first AIYTA alumni association and encouraged the first executives to be models and give back to their community, particularly to the academy.
The first President of the AIYTA Alumni Association, Rev. Moses Ayando, his vice Deaconess, Olawunmi Fakoya, and other members of the executive were excited.
They said it was a privilege to serve rather than mere positions.
A recent visit to a public health centre by Southsouth Regional Editor, Shola O’Neil ignited a deep interest in probing the ordeal of kidney disease patients and the challenge of treating them . His finding reveals an alarming escalation in kidney-related disease, which transcends all ages and flipped known norms about the disease. Specialists who spoke on the looming epidemic deconstruct how the rise in the face of an unprepared public health system across Federal and state facilities, brain drain, and low morale in the sector spells doom for patients and their families.
The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, like most government hospitals in Nigeria, is usually a beehive of medical activities. The emergency unit on Thursday, September 8, was swarming with patients many of whom perched on makeshift beds.Others had spent days on stretchers because of unavailability of beds in the wards. The flow appeared to be endlessly turning the transitory unit into an open ward.
In that milieu, a young man in his 20s sat on the floor in a corner. His legs were swollen and he had an inimitable sickly mien about him. A middle-aged woman stood over the effete youth, a mask of worry covered her tired face.
“He is suffering from kidney failure”, one medical personnel whispered in response to the curious look on this reporter’s face. “Yes, it is (kidney failure)”, another volunteered in response to the reporter’s look of disbelief. “We are seeing more of these cases recently; it is on the increase. Look around and you will see,” she mumbled and trudged away, with her oversize scrubs adding to the cacophony of sound.
The reporter, indeed, looked around and what he found truly frightening.
Across health institutions in Delta, Rivers, Abia and Lagos States the situation is grim. Many patients, including teenagers, are being diagnosed with kidney diseases.A health official claimed t the disease accounts for up to 40 per cent of referrals to tertiary health institutions across the country.
Four years ago the National Association of Nephrologists (NAN) warned about the steady rise in renal diseases. 25 million Nigerians (about 14 per cent of the estimated 180 million population),it said, suffer from kidney related diseases. Nephrologists (experts in the treatment of kidney diseases) say the situation is more worrisome today.
“More people in the lower age bracket are coming down at various stages; most do not even know it yet because screening is rare; people hardly go for medical checkups until the signs become unmistakable. Chronic Kidney Disease is about the last stage and that is where you see the symptoms that you talked about in the young man,” a source at the hospital said.
“Usually, high blood pressure, diabetes, and environmental pollution are the primary causes of CKD. The recent spike can be traced to increased cases of hypertension resulting from economic hardship, social pressure, and lifestyle and drug abuse by youths. These are just a few of the causes,” the sources added.
Dr Akpowaye Akpomiemie, a consultant nephrologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta State, provided more insight into the trend: “Quite a number of things are responsible for the increase: infections and drugs/medications, we have quite a number of body creams and soaps that contain harmful chemicals these days that were not available to us (in the past).
“There is also exposure to environmental pollution such as crude oil spills and other environmental conditions, metals, hard metals, cambium, chromium that lead to enteritis and kidney diseases. Those are some of the reasons that may be responsible for the increase in kidney and other chronic diseases. Even global warming is a factor.”
He noted drug abuse, excess alcohol consumption and undue use of painkillers overwork the organ, noting that although most metabolisms (of drugs and other substances) in the human body occur through the liver, the elimination of those wastes is mainly done through the kidney.
Dr. Simon Musa Tada, Director, FEAT Kidney Foundation, blamed poverty, lifestyle and persistence in traditional beliefs. “Poverty is the reason people cannot afford hospital; instead they go to chemists and babalawo (witch doctors) and drink all forms of drugs (concoction) that destroy their kidneys.”
Harping on the effect of crude oil exploitation and exploitation and illegal refining, Comrade Sheriff Mulade of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice painted a gloomy future of renal failures in the Niger Delta. “The situation is worse in the Niger Delta region where nobody cares. It is hard to know the prevalence and havoc wreaked by the diseases in the region and other industrial hubs,” he said.
“Incidents of kidney diseases will worsen because of weak regulatory framework and inefficiency of regulatory and security agencies in controlling activities of oil companies and illegal bunkering gangs.”
He said the toxic wastes and chemicals used by oil firms pollute the environment, and water sources, and find their way into farmlands, and fish, which are caught and eaten by inhabitants.
CKD Epidemic Raging While State, FG Are Sleeping On Duty – Nephrologists
Amidst the galloping rise in the cases of CKDs, checks conducted in about a dozen government health institutions show inadequate preparations both in manpower and facilities. For instance, Delta State, one of the biggest oil-producing states in the country, has less than 100 dialysis machines for a population of over four million Deltans. Experts said the machines are key equipment in the management of renal failures.
“The kidney plays an essential role in the human body as the organ responsible for removal of wastes, drugs and extra liquids from the body. A failed kidney is not able to perform these essentials and therefore sufferers need regular (up to thrice a week) use of dialysis machines. The frequency of use depends on the state of the patient’s kidney,” one source said.
Amidst the gaping deficiency in public healthcare, investigation also shows that private health centres charge an average of N40,000 per session; patients usually need up to three sessions weekly (N120,000/month). Justifying the charges, a technician in a private centre in Port Harcourt, said, “dialysis machines are not cheap; a brand new APD machine costs more than N7m ($10,000) and there are other costs – servicing the machine, good water source, paying personnel, electricity bill or diesel.”
•Uduaghan and beneficiary of kidney transplant at DELSUTH
Efforts to ascertain the number of centres offering the service across the states sampled proved abortive; records of dialysis treatment centres or available machines are scanty or outdated.
“Most hospitals in Nigeria do not have dialysis machines; those hospitals that do have two, three or five at the most and most times they do not work. Teaching hospitals should have up to 100 dialysis machines, but go and find out the situation. In other countries, India for instance, you see centres with 200 to 300 (dialysis) machines,” Dr Simon Tada said.
Dr. Chimezie Okwuonu, a consultant physician and nephrologist and former chairman of Abia State Chapter of NMA, had also identified the lack of dialysis facilities, and the high cost of drugs as some of the factors militating against proper management of kidney health in the country.
In Asaba, the capital of Delta State, there are just two nephrologists to nearly 1.5million residents of the north district. One of them is Dr. Akpomiemie of the Federal Medical Centre, who confirmed the huge chasm between need and help across the country. “I know of several institutions in Delta state that are looking for nephrologists,” he said.
Dr. Tada, a consultant nephrologist, said the situation is not any better in other parts of the country. He said the problem is not fully appreciated because of the lack of a database of nephrologists or their services in the country.
“I will not be telling the truth if I tell you we have the number of registered nephrologists in Nigeria. It is just recently that we started updating the registry of nephrologists in Nigeria. We do not know the number of nurses, doctors, technicians who are encompassed in the treatment.”
Our findings show that the problem is deeper than just shortage of nephrologists; ancillary services are also in short supply. Specifically, it was learnt that the number of nurses, radiologists and other technicians in the field has steadily reduced over the past year, with the extant seven-month-old strike by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) across the country further decimating the rank of professionals in the health sector.
At RSUTH (former Braithwaite Memorial Hospital) in Port Harcourt, it was gathered that the flow of interns and trainees health workers has reduced drastically because of the ongoing ASUU strike. Our reporter learnt that only medical students from PAMOL (a private university in the state) are currently honing their skills at the fast-growing medical centre. A staff of the centre showed our reporter a brand new wing of the hospital, which he hinted would be dedicated to renal diseases when inaugurated.
Dr Tada said incessant strikes critically impact quality renal health services delivery, noting that the situation would only worsen with most young people now preferring to study medicine abroad because of the uncertainty they face in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The normal four-year courses in government higher institutions extend up to six years because of incessant strikes by the various unions.
“Manpower shortage is a challenge, “he said. “People (medics) are running away from Nigeria – from people who are trained to those who want to be trained – they are running to other parts of the world where the education calendars are stable. Imagine lecturers have been on strike for up to seven months now. How do you discourage students who have the opportunity not to choose somewhere else? Those who want to return (after studies) would think of the situation here and what they have there. This has led to a real shortage of manpower in the health sector.”
The ongoing Russian/Ukraine war has also hit the Nigerian health sector, our findings showed. Some 4,000 Nigerian medical students were at various levels of study before the war broke out in February. Some of them are currently scattered across the eastern Europe country , preferring to brace the war than return home. Those who returned are at a crossroads over how to continue their studies. A Federal Government directive that the returnees continue their education in Nigerian schools could not be fully implemented because of the ongoing ASUU strike.
“There is no doubt that this will affect the profession,” Dr Clinton Umokoro, a Delta State-based medical doctor told this reporter. “We need a steady flow of professionals, doctors, nephrologists and other specialists into the field. There cannot be a lull because illness doesn’t take a break. When there is a strike as we regularly have, and there is a war that disrupts study in Ukraine, you can imagine how this will affect critical health manpower far beyond the present.”
MEDICAL BRAIN DRAIN: HEALTH WORKERS GO FOR GOLDEN FLEECE
The NMA recently revealed that in just two years, over 9,000 medicals left Nigeria for the United Kingdom, Canada and the USA. Dr. Innocent Ujah, NMA President, said, “available records show that between 2016 and 2018, Nigeria lost over 9,000 medical doctors. The loss left Nigeria with only 4.7 per cent of its specialists to service the healthcare needs of the most populous black nation in the world. This does not paint the country in a good light.”
As grim as the picture those figures paint, findings show that the medical brain drain has worsened since 2019 because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. European and American countries with better packages for medics continue to dangle irresistible offers to Nigerian medical personnel, including renal diseases specialists.
Findings show that a resident doctor in Nigeria earns N200,000 – N300,000 (less than $500), while their colleagues in the USA earn 20 times more ($10,000 monthly), aside from mouthwatering bonuses that would make most professors in Nigeria envious.
Nephrologists associate President, Professor Fatiu Arogundade, in an interview with Punch’s Heathwise, said fewer than 250 nephrologists are available to 200 million Nigerians. “By WHO’s standard, we should have one nephrologist to 75-100 dialysis or transplant patients. If our population is 200 million and we assume that about 10 per cent of the population could have kidney disease that translates to about 20 million.”
All the doctors who spoke to our reporter last week agreed that the brain drain syndrome has deteriorated in the wake of economic hardship occasioned by the global economic meltdown, a tumbling naira, and worsening insecurity, particularly with kidnappers and terrorists targeting doctors, especially in northern Nigeria.
One doctor said the prospect of fleeing to practice outside Nigeria is “quite enticing” in the face of those challenges. “Even when you say there were 300 (nephrologists) yesterday, that figure could be less today. At least one person might just have taken a flight out to a ‘saner clime’. That is how serious the brain drain is now; it is scary.”
For Akpomiemie, “It takes a lot of patriotic zeal (for doctors) to remain (in Nigeria)”, adding, “It is not just about the pay – that is something we try to let the government know. You cannot pay doctors and specialists enough for the services we render. The basic thing a doctor is looking for is to get access to simple amenities and take care of our families; give them a good life, give our kids a good education and all that. Is that too much to ask for?”
KIDNEY DISEASE MANAGEMENT NUMBERS
Nigeria’s population 200m
Nigerians with kidney disease 25m
No of Nephrologists <250
Available dialysis machines N/A
Cost of dialysis (session) N35,000
Average cost of dialysis machine N7 million
Cost of kidney transplant N15 million
Teaching Hospitals that have done transplants +/-12
Doctors that have left Nigeria in 2 years >9,000
Monthly salary of a Resident doctor (Nigeria) N300,000
Monthly Salary of resident doctor (USA) N60million
He encapsulated the dilemma facing doctors thus: “Sadly, every doctor is one illness away from poverty and that’s the sad reality. If a doctor suffers a stroke today that is all. We do not have a good pension to cater for us, no guarantee of anything. It seems that after everything we put to save other lives, just one illness our world will unravel before us”, Akpomiemie said in an emotion-laden voice.
Dr. Tada said lack of professional and modern equipment and job satisfaction are among the reasons nephrologists and doctors are fleeing the country. “They are running to places with good environments and working conditions.”
He said government underestimates the anguishes of medical doctors who watch helplessly as their patients succumb to avoidable deaths due to lack of equipment. “It is painful for a doctor to watch patients die; you cannot do anything about it because there is no equipment. If you have a kidney emergency, for instance, it has to wait because it is likely that the dialysis machine has broken down and the functional one has someone who is also in a dying state using it.”
KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS: PRIVATE HOSPITALS TAKING THE LEAD
A permanent treatment for chronic kidney diseases is transplantation (replacing the sick kidney with a healthy one from a donor). Medical experts say although humans are born with two kidneys, they can survive and function effectively with just one. Members of the public are encouraged to donate to those in need, without making monetary demands. “It is unethical to make a donation based on financial inducement.”
However, our findings show that the quest for financial reward for such donors outweighs altruism, resulting in many, mostly young, Nigerians travelling to liberal Asian countries to sell theirs.
In spite of that, there has been some progress in kidney transplantation in the country. Records showed the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan blazed the trail in nephrology practice way back in the 1960s, but the field has expanded with the involvement of private hospitals like St Nicholas (in Lagos), which carried out its first transplant in 2000. Twenty years later (2020) the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported over 700 transplants.
Multiple sources confirmed that over 1,000 transplants have been done since, yet CKD is still generally perceived as a death sentence because of the high mortality rate in Nigeria. A senior nephrologist was recently quoted as saying, “Only about one per cent of our End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients benefit from kidney transplantation.” The factor militating against rapid transplantation is the huge cost involved.
A 2020 record showed that there are about 100 government teaching hospitals in Nigeria, yet only a handful have carried out transplants. The records place Aminu Kano University as the most successful government hospital in this regard, while Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, FMC Umuahia, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, OAU, Ife, and Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Abraka, have also done a few.
Uhawha and Arogundade
Government hospitals are crippled by a lack of equipment and poor funding. Most doctors said they or their colleagues had conducted emergency surgical operations/treatment relying on light from their mobile phones or hurricane lanterns because the public power supply went off before or during the operation. Where hospitals have power generators there is no diesel (fuel) to power them.
Eight years after DELSUTH performed the first in the Southsouth region in January 2014, the multibillion naira medical complex lays supine owning to paucity of funds. The incumbent governor, feanyi Okowa, a medical doctor like his predecessor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, is accused of starving it of funds. Patients in the state now travel hundreds of miles in search of renal treatments, while the governor is running to become Nigeria’s Vice President next year on the platform of the PDP. Only last Monday hundreds of protesters seized the facility to demand better, regular funding.
A PhD student of the University of Ilorin in Kwara State, who underwent a transplant at a medical centre in Abuja in July, told The Punch that he paid N15 million for the operation. But that is not the end of the story.Like any patient who gets a new kidney, he has to be on medication for the rest of his life. Doctors and analysts believe that only government’s genuine dedication to the cause can help patients.
“Without government support, transplant beneficiaries could spend the rest of their lives just trying to stay alive. All their labour and focus would be on getting needed meds, others the body defense mechanism would destroy the kidney, as it is seen as a foreign body,” one medical source said.
Apart from the costs, the problem of availability of follow-up treatments and other care is immense. Some patients travel up to 500km to get treatment, sometimes on bad roads and under constant security fears. These factors burnish the credentials of CKD as an irrevocable death sentence.
Prof. Fatiu Arogundade, who is the Registrar of the National Postgraduate College of Nigeria, tasked FG to rise up to the challenge of making CKD treatment affordable. In his address at the 34th Annual Conference in February, he advocated a National Renal Care Policy that “will standardize what is done for Nigerians with kidney disease and government’s subsidy for renal care.”
He decried a situation where most deaths from the ailment occur just weeks after diagnosis.
FEAT Foundation called for the overhauling of the health sector. “Government has to rise up to the stage as what is happening in other parts of the world. In those lands when someone is in danger they go and use the (dialysis) machine without the fear of who pays the bill. In Nigeria, even if patients are dying, it is ‘no money, no dialysis’ because the cost of the process is very expensive and nobody is ready to shoulder them.
“The hospitals in Nigeria cannot do it; it has to be done by the government. There is a need for deliberate policy, just as what was done with HIV/AIDS that has brought the epidemic down,” Dr. Toda added.
