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Tag: MDG’s

  • Attaining MDGs in Nigeria

    Attaining MDGs in Nigeria

    In September 2000, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, joined other world leaders to attend the Millennium Summit to map out some developmental goals that the country should achieve. Many Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief thinking that the prayers of their founding fathers were about to be answered. But little did they know that their dream was still far from reality.

    During the summit, eight goals were set by the 189 United Nations member states at the time (there are about 193 currently), known as United Nations Millennium Declaration. These goals were referred to as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

    The Millennium Development Goals include: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to achieve universal basic education; to promote gender equality and empower women; to reduce child mortality; to improve maternal health, to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; to ensure environmental sustainability and to develop a global partnership for development.

    It was, however, projected that by 2015, the member states must have achieved, if not all, a reasonable success within the 15 years life span it has.

    With all the supports given by agencies such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Agricultural Development Bank and others, and with the current state of Nigeria, one cannot be far from wrong if concluded that achieving the set goals seems impossible with barely a year to go and none of the goals has been satisfactorily achieved to the benefit of the common man.

    As of 2013, progress towards the goals was reported to be uneven. Some countries achieved many goals while others were not on track to achieve any. A.U.N conference which was held in September, 2010, reviewed the progress and concluded with the adoption of a global plan to achieve the eight goals by their target date. New commitments targeted women and children’s health and new initiatives in the world wide battle against poverty, hunger and disease were made.

    Nigeria who claims to be the giant of Africa is undoubtedly behind some other African countries in their bid to achieving the set goals.

    Many Nigerians still live on less than $1 per day. With this, how can it say that goal 1 has been achieved?

    One will normally expect a country like Nigeria, which is blessed with abundant human and natural resources not to have any problems with achieving the goals. What is the use of the resources it has if not to put it into use such that it will benefit the masses? In a country where corruption is the order of the day, every other thing remains either stagnant or regressing.

    How much have we empowered women when our girls who will become mothers of tomorrow had been kidnapped for about three months and the President has not taken his time to visit  Chibok in order for him to show his sympathy to the affected? Can we say that an environment that is riddled with terrorism is sustainable?

    For Nigeria to achieve the MDG, it needs selfless leaders. I mean leaders that will serve this country as if their lives depend on the state of the nation, leaders that will distribute the state’s resources equally between the elites and the masses. I believe Nigeria is yet to have these types of leaders.

    Nigeria is far from achieving any of the goals. To others, the country might have achieved something. Assessing the government’s effort is based on individual opinions.

     

    Mubarak, 500-Level Animal Science, UDUS

  • Akwa Ibom gets N9b from MDGs cash transfer

    The Akwa Ibom State Government has received over N9billion from the Millennium Development Goals Conditional Cash Transfer (MDGs-CCT) scheme since 2007.

    The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr. Precious Gbeneol, spoke during the launch of the (MDGs-CCT) Scheme for 2,275 benefitting households in Uyo, the state capital.

    Gbeneol said the MDGs-CCT Scheme was designed to reduce poverty and improve the lives of the poor through monthly stipends of N5,000 to  women, disabled or minor.

    The presidential aide said from the National Poverty Mapping Exercise conducted around the country, five local government areas in Akwa Ibom State- Udung Uko, Nsit Ibom, Etinan, Okobo and Uruan- were selected for the pilot scheme and five wards, which brought the number of benefiting families  to 2,275.

    Her words: “It will interest you to note that the Akwa Ibom State Government has actively participated in MDGs Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme since 2007 to date, receiving over N9billion.

    “Of this sum, over N5billion was allocated to the conditional cash scheme;

    “N3.2billion was appropriated to 16 local governments, with N775million going for conditional cash transfer to 2,600 households in five local governments, targeting health, education, water and sanitation, as well as improvement in agricultural value chain.”

    Governor Godswill Akpabio assured the Federal Government that the state would meet six of the eight goals of the MDGs by next year.

    Akpabio said the state’s investment in the power sector was to halt poverty-breeding elements by providing the needed energy for micro-economic activities.

    Represented by Deputy Governor Valerie Ebe, Akpabio said: “Today in our state, extreme poverty is no longer acceptable.

    “My administration has shown uncommon courage and commitment in implementing projects that improve the living standards of the people.

    “We have witnessed unparalleled political and socio-economic developments through the administration’s Uncommon Transformation Agenda and sectoral reforms that have engendered confidence and growth.”

  • Setting a new gender agenda

    Setting a new gender agenda

    The Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) have been the international development framework for more than a decade and half and the 2015 deadline for achieving this is fast-approaching. Yetunde Oladeinde looks at the challenges, failures and prospects

    WOMEN all over the world made a commitment to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure adequate education, health care, and gender equality for all. While many developing countries, including Nigeria, have made significant efforts towards achieving these goals, some successes have been recorded with still a great vacuum waiting to be filled.

    Focusing on gender equality has been a powerful advocacy tool and it has helped to close up some of the gaps. It has also helped to draw increased attention to equality issues for women and the girl-child. Experts also inform that these goals have strengthened accountability for commitments and given new directions for a better society.

    To this end, the United Nations has issued a global consultation on what should follow the MDGs in 2015. These are some of the issues deliberated upon at the just-concluded Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. Louisa Ekhomu, Executive Director of Echoes of Women in Africa Initiative, was a participant and she tells you it was on the front burner.

    “The 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women for many women’s and human rights advocates, organisations and movements was an important opportunity to encourage member States to really put women’s human rights and gender equality at the centre of development.  The CSW theme was based on review on ‘Challenges and Achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for Women and Girls’ and how these link to both the Post 2015 Development Agenda Process and the important 20th anniversary review process of the International Convention on Population and Development, ICPD.

    Ekhomu added that “This year, a number of links and connections were made to the upcoming Open Working Group (OWG) negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the upcoming International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) Cairo+20 and how these processes link directly to negotiations on the new development framework that will replace the Millennium Development Goals when they come to an end in 2015.”

    In addition, ending violence against women and girls and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols were discussed and looked into. “Governments have signed up to International Human Rights instruments such as Beijing Platform for Action(PFA), UN Security Council Resolution 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889 which are existing obligations to address systemic gender based violence and women equality. However, a focus on these rights was lost in the MDGs framework even though GBV is fundamental to realising MDG3 to promote gender equality and empower women. This omission which did not include violence against women and girls, knowing the impact has direct implications for progress on all the MDGs” Ekhomu said.

    For Temitope Akpelishi, a medical doctor: “It is sad to note that we live in a society where good health care cannot be accessed by the average Nigerian. When you overcome the first hurdle, then you move onto another stage that is quite frustrating. Here you discover that the things that are needed to effectively practice medicine in terms of facilities and equipment are not available in the country. This, unfortunately, is the challenge that we face every day.”

    She continued: “As a practitioner, you also need to understand the mindset of the people towards healthcare. Interestingly, the mindset of the people towards healthcare includes their traditional beliefs and this can really be a big problem. For a number of practitioners, these are part of the challenges that are faced on a day-to-day basis. For instance, I am aware that some patients will rather visit traditional bone setters and come back with the complications than visiting the hospital immediately the problem occurs. There are so many other examples and cases that we come in contact with in the course of duty.”

    Akpelishi is, therefore, passionate about health advocacy, especially in the area of cancers. “I believe one should do everything it takes to get screened and also live a healthy life. I also have a passion about the issue of drug abuse and rehabilitation of drug addicts. I have come to realise that we do not have enough support system in the country to rehabilitate youths that are dependent on hard drugs effectively, and that is why you see a lot of them going back to it or relapsing. I have started my own campaign in a little way and I hope to still continue. They are the future of the nation and they need to be nurtured in the right way.”

    Akpelishi believes that government’s involvement in health care is not enough and there is need to do more.  “The provision of good health care services is the responsibility of every government to its citizen and until we understand this, we cannot achieve excellent health care delivery in this country. The issue of sending patients for treatment outside the country will not help the growth and expansion of good health services in the country. The government needs to invest more in terms of funds, provision of adequate and up-to-date facilities and also increase manpower development by sending doctors and other healthcare professionals for training.”

  • Don’t play politics with MDGs, First Lady tells lawmakers

    Don’t play politics with MDGs, First Lady tells lawmakers

    First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday urged lawmakers and stakeholders in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to avoid playing politics with the programme.

    The First Lady said it was important to consider the interests of those the lawmakers represent and ensure that such interests were taken care of.

    She said the development programme included participation of states and local governments, besides the interventions from the Federal Government.

    Mrs Jonathan noted that other tiers of the government should do their obligations on the MDGs.

    The First Lady spoke yesterday at the launch of Village Health Workers Scheme at the State House.

    She was reacting to the demand of the Chairman of the House Committee on MDGs to include the most remote local governments in his home state of Sokoto among the next benefitting councils in the programme.

    Mrs Jonathan said: “Before I end my speech, I need to specially thank the honourables in the National Assembly. You know there are things you play politics with and things you do not play with. We should think of our people – women and children – because they voted us to power to improve their lives.

    “They voted us to improve our communities and foster development to our villages. So, I must say we should not play politics with it, because we need to understand that the MDGs are usually about collaboration among federal, state and local governments. There are roles each of the level of government will play.”

     

  • 169,500 households benefit from cash transfer scheme, says special adviser

    169,500 households benefit from cash transfer scheme, says special adviser

    Dr Precious Gbeneol, the Special Adviser to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), at the weekend, said 169,500 households benefited from Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme between 2012 and 2013.

    The figure is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Mr Desmond Utomwen, the Media and Communication Consultant to the office of the MDGs.

    CCT is a special form of social assistance scheme which provides cash to families subject to the condition that they fulfil specific behavioural requirements.

    The conditions oblige individuals to satisfy some actions associated with human development goals such as parents ensuring that their children attend school regularly.

    It would be recalled that the Federal Government, on Nov. 28, 2013, approved N10 billion for the scheme, aimed at developing education, healthcare and transfer of agricultural enterprise.

    In the statement, Gbeneol said “the MDGs office is working toward consolidating poverty reduction efforts such as strengthening CCT mechanism and scaling up the scheme to include many more households beyond the current reach.

    The MDGs boss noted that “the scheme entails the provision of grants to targeted poor households on the condition of investment in human capital development and it consists of two main components of payment.

     

  • MDGs agenda must reflect wishes of developing nations – Jonathan

    MDGs agenda must reflect wishes of developing nations – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday in Addis Ababa said the post-2015 United Natons anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agenda must reflect the wishes of developing nations.
    Jonathan made the declaration in a meeting on post 2015 Development Agenda at the 22nd Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU).
    He noted that African leaders had voiced the need to ensure that the unfinished business of the MDGs was carried into the MDGs successor agenda.
    “There is need for us to remain focused and vigilant to ensure that decisions on what forms the new framework is all inclusive, reflecting the wishes of developing countries’’ he said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Jonathan affirmed Africa common position on the post-2015 Development Agenda as set out in the AU policy document of March 2013.
    According to him, the AU document promotes universal and equitable access to quality health care, gender equality, education and human capital development, disaster risk reduction, poverty eradication, shelter provision and water resources management.
    The president said the document also endorsed the harnessing of the potential of Africa’s growing population demographics.
    The Nigerian leader told the meeting chaired by Liberia President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, that Nigeria had recorded strides toward some of the eight MDGs, especially poverty reduction, education and maternal health.
    “The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in 2013 acknowledged that Nigeria has halved the proportion of those who suffer from hunger way ahead of the 2015 deadline.
    “The net attendance levels for basic schooling have risen remarkably in the country. Gender parity targets at primary and secondary education levels have been achieved.
    “The under-five mortality and maternal health have equally seen reversal of the previously negative trend. There is continual fall in the HIV prevalence of the country.
    “Government in collaboration with stakeholders is mobilising the necessary attention needed to focus on goals lagging behind,’’ he said.

  • How Nigeria can attain MDGs 4 and 5

    How Nigeria can attain MDGs 4 and 5

    How can Nigeria meet the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 in 2015? An expert, Dr Olurotimi Akinola, believes it can be attain through what he calls accelerated aproach to reduce maternal mortality ratio (MMR).

    MDGs 4 and 5 is aimed at reducing maternal death next year.

    Akinola, the Lagos Sector Chairman of Society for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SOGON), said the reduction of maternal mortality was a major policy issue.

    According to him, maternal mortality is both a national and international problem, which demands collaboration to tackle.

    SOGON, he said, had taken some steps, such as maternal death review (MDR) to know the number of deaths recorded. “What happened will help us to identify the problems and proffer solution to them,” he said.

    He said: “The Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) says MMR is 545 per 100,000 in 2008. In 1999, it was 800; the target is to reduce it to three-quarter, if we get down to what happened, it is going to be a lot easier to address it other than the global positions that are being canvassed. So, MDR is one of such methods. SOGON, in conjunction with various ministries in government, has prepared policy documents on it with an international body, and it has been adopted by the National Council on Health (NCH) as a weapon to reduce MMR.

    “The implication is that we will look into the cause of every death. What went wrong? Is it that blood was not available because haemorrhage kills? Was it that there was no doctor or nurse to attend to the expectant mother? Who were the people? Was it a family planning problem? All these things are taken cognisance of and then the decision is taken to say what the action point is.”

    Lagos State, he said, started MDR last May to unravel and audit every death in public hospitals and clinics.

    Questions, such as why and how it happened, and how to ensure it does not happen again, are asked.

    SOGON, he said had also instituted a Volunteer Obstetrics Scheme (VOS), which actually is a donation of SOGON nationally. This, again, was domesticated in the state.

    “At present, the Lagos State government has on its list over 75 obstetricians and gynaecologists, both in private and government services, who are affiliated to different primary health care (PHC) centres free so that in their spare time, they go to the centres to train the staff working there on what to do and how to do it,” he added.

    Consultants, he said, were called to assist at the centres during a problem.

    Akinola said the society was addressing the delays that can cause maternal death.

    “I was told that the national health and demographic survey done last year claims that MMR is 350 per 100,000 based on the survey conducted last year. If that is so, then it is a significant progress, but then, we can still go a lot further if we implement the policies.

    “By using the accelerated approach, which is integrated measures, we can attain MDGs 4 and 5. We thought that it was not visible, but from what we have seen, it is feasible.

    ‘’The government shows commitment by doing every thing as planned with adequate funding, it will be achieved; we need to have the personnel and build capacity. Haemorrhage kills; so, we really need to know how to do our blood transfusion services and to upgrade it. SOGON has full hand on engagement in the implementation of the policies.”

  • Revisit the Oronsaye report

    Revisit the Oronsaye report

    SIR: It is disheartening that Nigeria, the sixth largest exporter of crude oil in the world, still has over 70 per cent of its estimated 170 million population living below the United Nations poverty threshold of $2 per day. It is in our country that more than 70 per cent of national resources are channelled into running a government that is unduly large and cumbersome to manage, while leaving behind, less than 30 per cent for the execution of capital projects and debt servicing.

    It is my dear country that continues to promote a bogus and corrupt system that can never bring about any development because we keep consuming and consuming and producing little. Our country is a nation that runs a bicameral legislature that is notorious for being the highest remunerated in the world, where the unemployment rate is embarrassing high and the attainment of all the known human development indices such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals MDGs by 2015, which is barely a year from now, remains a mirage.

    As a way out of the quagmire, the Goodluck Jonathan administration came up with the idea of Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, under the leadership of retired civil servant and former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye. At the end of the assignment, the committee recommended the scrapping and merger of 220 out the existing 541 government agencies.

    Unfortunately, the Federal Government appears to have dumped the report. The Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy presented by the Presidency to the National Assembly point to the fact that all the money-gulping MDAs were still provided for in the 2014 budget to the tune of about N200 billion.

    This development is a clear demonstration of the government’s lack of political will to implement policies that can impact positively on the economy as well as the polity. The two untenable reasons that had been given for the inability of government to implement the findings of the committee are: the money to be saved from the exercise is negligible and so not worth the stress and secondly, the legal framework is not in place for its implementation.

    If this is the case, why did we waste money and precious time setting-up a committee when its outcome will never be implemented?

    The comatose economic situation calls for a fiscal philosophy that vigorously tackles corruption, waste, inefficiency, poor governance, bloated bureaucracy and inequitable distribution of wealth. Hence, implementing the report is capable of returning the economy to the path of restoration and rejuvenation. The money that will be saved from scrapping and merging these agencies can be used to set up industries in each of the geo-political zones of the country. These industries will be self-sustaining and without any yearly budgetary allocations. So many Nigerians will also be employed by these industries.

     

    • Adewale Kupoluyi

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,

     

  • I-go-dye now UN Millennium ambassador

    I-go-dye now UN Millennium ambassador

    FRANCIS Agoda, also known as I go dye, has been appointed a United Nation Millennium Development Goal ambassador.

    By this feat, he has the mandate to continue to facilitate the realization of the United Nations Development Goals (MDGs).

    It is a global initiative to recognise individuals who have championed and enhanced, through their works, the overall development of humanity based on selfless services, creativity and compassion towards human development.

    I go dye started his comedy career at 13 in 1991 at the Delta State Television (DTV) with a veteran broadcaster, Tunde Omonode.

    He was a co-host of a programme called Mock News with Otaghware Otas Onodjayeke fondly called I Go Save.

    Mock News gained popularity because of its hilarious nature.

    He subsequently got a contract to perform in the first comedy club in Nigeria at Prest Motel, Benin City.

    His style gave him a lot of attention on some broadcast stations across the country, thereby facilitating his meeting with Baba Kome who discussed the idea of performing in the Night of a thousand laughs with him.

    His introduction to the Night of a Thousand Laughs and his impeccable performances have been described as exciting.

  • JCI presents gifts to New Year babies

    JUNIOR Chambers International (JCI), Akure Chapter has donated gifts to the first, second and third babies that were born in 2014. The donations were made at the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Ondo State.

    The first baby was given birth to at exactly 12:25am on January 1, 2014.

    The donation of gifts was done in conjunction with the office of the First Lady of Ondo State. The first lady, Her Excellency, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lady Yemi Mahmud Fasanmi. They were received by the Matron of the Hospital, Mrs. S. M. Bosede. The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju was also present.

    While speaking on the idea behind the donations, the President, Junior Chambers International, Akure, Amb. Kunle Omowaye, said: “As part of community development and the belief by the Junior Chamber International that service to humanity is the best work of life, that is why we embarked on the 2014 annual baby of the year award ceremony.”

    Amb. Omowaye further commended the wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, for her gender-friendly programmes, especially for women in the state and he expressed readiness to partner in areas of need within the scope of JCI and the United Nations Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).