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Real sector on the rebound after years of sad tales

Things are looking up for the real sector after years in which some firms died and others relocated because of what was described as harsh operating environment. It recorded growth between January and March; its capacity utilisation also increased. It is thanks to the Federal Government’s interventions and the sector’s push for a better deal. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

Last quarter of 2014 to last year would probably go down as the most challenging period for manufacturers. The decline in foreign exchange (forex) flow into the country, caused by the sharp drop in oil prices, left a sour taste in manufacturers’ mouths. Many of them were unable to source forex to import critical raw materials that were not locally available.

Expectedly, the result was telling. For instance, manufacturing capacities stagnated below average. Many manufacturers recorded huge financial losses. Many of them who could not weather the storm shut down; others relocated to neighbouring West African countries. Consequently, many people lost their jobs. Hopes of riding on the sector’s crest to diversify the economy also receded.

But there are indications that the sector is gradually bouncing back. For instance, the manufacturing sector recorded positive growth in first quarter of the year, hitting 1.36 per cent, against -2.54 per cent it recorded in fourth quarter of last year. Capacity utilisation also increased to 59.18 per cent in the second half of 2016, from 44.3 per cent recorded in the first quarter of that year.

As far as manufacturers are concerned, this growth recovery, driven by better policy adjustments particularly in the area of forex management, following MAN’s various meetings and presentations to the Federal Government, portends that the manufacturing sector is out of recession. MAN President Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs who made this known described it as “heart-warming.”

The President, who was represented by the group’s Director-General, Mr. Ajayi Kadri, stated this at last week’s breakfast meeting for directors/chief executive officers in Lagos. The event themed “Nigerian economic recovery: Strengthening the real sector” was organised by the Ikeja branch of MAN.

The meeting is a yearly event that provides a platform for effective interactions of more than 300 chief executives, thereby helping them to chat the way forward to overcome the economic challenges/threats facing them.

Jacobs said that in line with the recovery momentum in the manufacturing sector, any further discussion on the theme will evoke more credible measures that will help sustain and strengthen the sector’s recovery process. He expressed optimism that government’s current policies and guidelines aimed at addressing the challenges facing manufacturers will improve the operating environment in due course.

One of the policies that may have put the sector on the recovery path, The Nation learnt, was the creation of a 60 per cent special forex allocation window for manufacturers by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), following several representations and stakeholders’ engagements by manufacturers.

The apex bank explained that the gesture was to address an observed imbalance to the sector, as a negligible proportion of forex sales were being channelled towards the manufacturing sector hence, it directed authorised dealers to dedicate at least 60 per cent of their total forex purchases from all sources to end users, for the importation of raw materials, plants and machinery.

The CBN said the balance of 40 per cent should be used to meet other trade obligations visible and invisible transactions. It also mandated forex dealers to publish weekly sales of foreign exchange to end users in the national newspapers and render statutory returns of sales on same to the CBN promptly.

Recall that the CBN in June 2015 announced a forex policy that restricted importers of 41 items from accessing its official forex window. Even those who export products that fall under the 41 items listed in the CBN circular were barred from using their export proceeds to fund the importation of raw materials, which were classified as not valid for forex.

The apex bank had argued that the policy was necessary to promote locally-produced goods, build robust foreign reserves, and also create jobs. “…We needed to aggressively begin the process of feeding ourselves by ourselves and producing much of what we need in this country.

“The huge amounts of money the country spends on importing things we can produce locally have become a significant drag on our foreign exchange reserves…,” CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele had said.

But manufacturers and other members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) kicked, describing the forex restriction variously as “obnoxious, superfluous, and ill-conceived.” Many of them argued that they were not consulted by the CBN and other regulators before the restrictions were placed on the items.

They also pointed out that the vague nature in which the items in the import prohibition basket were described in the circular impeded the access of several local manufacturers to foreign exchange for procurement of their raw materials.

They accused the CBN of emasculating manufacturers by failure to properly appraise domestic capacity for production of some of the excluded items, and therefore, called for a review.

But CBN kicked its heels in, insisting that the policy was in the interest of the economy and Nigerians. The apex bank reiterated that the policy was necessary to re-awaken the consciousness of manufacturers on the need to look inwards and embrace the utilization of local raw materials, conserve foreign exchange and create jobs.

However, following persistent requests by real sector operators, the CBN directed that a special 60 per cent forex allocation window be set aside for manufacturers. And as it turned out, the policy has infused life into the real sector as the performance of the sector has improved in the first half of the year.

According to Jacobs, the policy has seen MAN’s membership strength increased by 415 in the last two years. He said that although, the CBN has removed the 60 per cent preferential forex allocation through its forex policy of February 21, 2017, it has promised to continue to accord the manufacturing sector strong priority in forex allocation.

The MAN boss stated that because of the increases in capacity utilisation and local sourcing of raw-materials, manufacturing production surged to N5.02 trillion in the second half of 2016, from N4.21 trillion in the same period in 2015 and N3.76 trillion recorded in the first half of 2016.

Ease of Doing Business, MSME clinic, others also

But the special forex allocation is not the only policy intervention that is gradually changing the manufacturing sector’s narrative. The establishment of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) is also said to have the capability to further boost the performance of the sector.

PEBEC’s mandate is to improve the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) in the country. As Jacobs stated, “The performance score card of PEBEC indicates that its seven points objectives set in line with the World Bank Indices of Ease of Doing Business (EODB) have been achieved.”

The MAN boss observed, for instance, that there has been visible improvement in the ease of company registration, which is now being facilitated through a web portal. Also, trade facilitation constraints have been removed. He also noted the implementation of some aspects of the single windows ports operations, among others.

He, however, said MAN will continue to encourage investors to take advantage of these initiatives while imploring government to extend the improvements to other areas that affect the Ease of Doing Business not currently captured in PEBEC framework to improve Nigeria’s competitiveness.

Other policy interventions that may have signalled a new dawn for the sector include the recently launched Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Clinic, the inauguration of the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitive Advisory Council, which has the mandate to drive Nigeria’s industrial agenda of which MAN is a strong member.

The recent signing of three strategic Executive Orders by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to promote patronage of made in Nigeria products, transparency and ease of doing business as well as the review of CBN’s list of 41 items that led to release of 32 items of raw materials that can now have access to the official forex market are also gradually impacting the manufacturing sector.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye, said that his ministry was at the concluding stage of the industrial policy review where various laws are being promulgated to ensure adequate security, social welfare and economic well-being of the people of the state.

He pointed out that the state had addressed the issue of multiple taxation and that the work place inspection team had been harmonised under one umbrella to reduce the incidence of multiple agencies carrying out inspections in the same company at different times.

On her part, the National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Chief Alaba Lawson, noted that the Federal Government in April this year launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020, which lists 24 programmes made up of 60 strategies and 369 key activities.

She said the programme is to provide a catalyst through which the economy can be revamped to advance the diversification drive, ensure efficiency in government processes, promote ease of doing business, encourage easier access to capital, and solve the daunting challenge of infrastructure deficit, among others.

While describing the ERGP as “laudable,” Lawson, however, lamented that the ERGP, just as other government programmes, plans and strategies aimed at strengthening the economy and the real sector, is being hampered by issues around proper guidelines, timelines, proper implementation, monitoring, feedback mechanism and information dissemination.

She therefore, said that for policies and strategies to truly succeed in revamping the economy, the real sector must track the initiatives of government, offering insightful recommendations, reporting verifiable impact on the real sector and the Nigerian economy at large.

August 11, 2017
Sad tales of mentally challenged children
- Frustrated parents dump kids in hospitals, roadsides
- Many parents break down, develop mental illness –Psychologist
- How sugary food compounds challenges –Nutritionist
- Challenge sparks global concern
As the world prepares to celebrate mental health day on Monday, October 10, the rising cases of mental health challenge in children appear to be attracting global concern. In the United States, an online report by Mind Health Institute, shows that out of the 74.5 million children in the country, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a psychiatric disorder — more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. In view of this, the House of Representatives in the US recently approved the first comprehensive mental health system reform legislation in years to tackle the menace. In the United Kingdom where the population of such children is equally high, Prof Dame Sue Bailey, the chairperson of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, last week advised that the UK government needed to spend heavily now on mental health services for children if a crisis was to be averted. Within a space of time, the government allocated an extra £25m to accelerate plans for improving mental health services for children and young people in the country. INNOCENT DURU, in this report, examines the problems associated with the challenge among children in Nigeria.

Emotions mixed with empathy when The Nation encountered and spoke with parents of some children suffering from mental health challenges recently.

They looked distressed, forlorn and disconcerted. Some of them, pouting their mouths, vented their frustration on the hapless children while tears gathered in the eyes of some others as they gazed emptily into the sky, apparently wondering when their misery would come to an end.

The children they gladly celebrated their births, have suddenly become their source of sorrow. Each time they look at their once adored jewels, tears drop from their eyes.

That was the case of one of the parents who simply identified herself as Mrs Ogbo. Filled with rage and regret, she narrated how her failed bid to abort the baby because of poor attention from her husband led to the son’s predicament.

She said: “My husband is the cause of the problem that this boy is going through today. He wasn’t caring for me and the children. So, when I found out that I was pregnant, I took different concoctions to abort the baby. Unfortunately, things didn’t work the way I wanted it and I eventually gave birth to him. It was shortly after his birth that I noticed some abnormal traits in him.

“It has been physically, emotionally and psychologically traumatising taking care of him. It takes someone that is God-fearing to continue to take responsibility for a child like this because a lot of ridicule, insult and embarrassment come with it. I feel a lot of pains trying to hide my child from visitors. I regret my action of attempting to abort him and take the suffering I am undergoing as the punishment for my action.”

Also bemoaning her daughter’s plight, a mother who gave her name simply as Mrs Aje, said she didn’t have any problem when she was carrying the pregnancy of her baby and wondered how the challenge came about.

“I didn’t have any health issue when she was in my womb and after I was delivered. It was eight days after her birth that I started noticing that she wasn’t behaving well. I quickly took her to a private hospital where they gave her some treatment. After some time, her head started turning backward. When I returned to the hospital, the owner was furious because the doctors didn’t do the right thing when I brought her the first time.

“It was then that I was referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The head has returned to the normal position but she has suffered some disabilities and also developed speech problem. It has not been easy taking care of her all alone. The father left me to marry another woman after seeing my baby’s condition and the condition of the elder sister who has sickle cell disorder. I really don’t know what I have done wrong to be in this condition. Tears have never ceased dropping from my eyes over the years.”

Women are not however alone in this situation. A chat with some of the children’s fathers also showed that men also go through the challenges that women experience taking care of the mentally challenged children.

Ahmed, one of the fathers who hails from Kogi State, shared his daughter’s predicament thus: “My daughter was born without complications. Her problem started at a tender age when her niece backed her. They were going to buy something when the niece’s leg stepped on the wrapper she used to tie my baby and they both fell. My daughter badly hit her head on the ground and within few minutes, her head became swollen. The head was so swollen that it was as big as those of two cows put together while the neck was as tiny as a stick of broom.

“This makes her to suffer from seizures twice every month. As we speak, now, she has stopped going to school because the teachers stopped her from coming. To make matters worse for me, the mother who should have been assisting to take care of her, left me when I lost my job. It has been challenging but I find it difficult abandoning my child in this kind of situation. People mock me, use her condition to describe me each time they need to say something about me but I have accepted all that as part of the pains of life.”

Hon. Bawa Mohammed, a native of Benue State, in a chat with our correspondent, recounted how his son’s condition made him to transverse traditional healing centres across the country after a private hospital in his area failed to stabilise his son.

His words: “ I was in Saudi Arabia when my wife called that my son was having severe epilepsy. I quickly returned to the country and took him to a hospital in my place. After a very long time of treatment in the hospital, people advised me to go for traditional treatment. I quickly agreed because I wanted my son to be well. I moved from one traditional healer in the country to another all to no avail.”

After failing to get the expected help from the traditional healers, luck eventually smiled at him when he a team of people working on mental health issues in the state met him and asked him to bring his son for treatment and that was the turning point in his son’s condition.

“When I got there, they said the drug will cost N300 for a whole month. I told them it was all nonsense, considering all that I had spent and gone through seeking treatment for my boy all over the country. He only took the drug for a short time before he started overcoming the challenge. His condition has tremendously improved compared to the past when he frequently fell down in the course of playing with his peers,” he noted.

Unlike other respondents, Bawa gladly asked that his full name and picture be used in the story because he wants to let other parents learn from his condition.

“Our people had the erroneous belief that the problem was communicable and incurable but that is not true. My boy has gone back to school and I have been going about preaching to other people to go to the clinic. There is no need for anybody to be ashamed about the health condition of his child. Other parents should learn from me.”

Frustrated parents abandon children in hospitals, roadsides

Following the huge challenges that come with taking care of mentally challenged children, findings showed that many parents and care givers have resorted to dumping the children in hospitals and other places.

The Acting Head of Department, Social Welfare section of Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Mrs Salako Harry, confirmed this in a chat with our correspondent. She said: “ There was a child that was abandoned by the mother in the hospital. We traced her to her house using the address she wrote on the hospital card. But the supposed neighbours said they didn’t know her.

“There was another that the person that brought her to the hospital abandoned under the tree and left N1, 000 with her. We took her to the police but they brought her back to us to take care of her. We educate the society telling them that the sickness can be handled. We do television and radio programmes to enlighten the people.”

A worker with the Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs, who did not want her name in print on the ground of being a civil servant, also said that they have a large number of such children abandoned by their parents in the remand home.

“The remand home is supposed to be for children that have committed one crime or the other but because they are minors, they are kept in the home. Incidentally, it is now populated by children suffering from mental health problems. We do pick them from various places in the state and take care of them. We take them to Aro from time to time for medical attention,” she said.

The Programme Officer of Comprehensive Community Mental Health Programme in Benue State, Comrade Samuel Ogbole, also attested to this, blaming it on what he referred to as care fatigue.

“Many parents and caregivers often suffer care fatigue as the conditions sometimes present difficulty for the carers. Again, in many cases, it imposes serious financial burden on families. Care for children with mental and neurological conditions can be for a long time, some for a lifetime. This has implications for cost and care. Of course, there are such conditions all around us. Statistics put it at one per extended family, therefore the burden of disease is high. I visit some of the clinics during group therapy and I see them.”

Ogbole described Benue State as a model in the care for mental health issues, adding: “The Benue State government currently partners with an Australian-funded programme being implemented by the Methodist Church Nigeria, Otukpo Diocese. The programme Model coordinates mental health response in the state supported by the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi, and CBM International.

“The programme in collaboration with its partners has established over 45 mental health units around 17 LGAs of the state where community psychiatric nurses and mid level manpower, including community health extension workers, have been trained to deliver accessible services at the communities.”

The programme, according to him, has also supported the development of 15 service user groups where economic integration activities are also supported. “Over 600 service users and caregivers participate in these groups which has also proven therapeutic, and foster reintegration of discriminated population back into the society. This has led to uptake in accessing mental health services in the communities. Many more families have been able to cross the barrier lines and come for services within their communities. The programme advocates rehabilitation within the community in more socially, legally and culturally acceptable ways as opposed to the asylum system before now.

“Ignorance is still a huge burden on our communities. Mental health issues have largely been attributed to primordial issues like witchcraft, and inheritance through genetically transferable factors. It is common to hear people refer to epilepsy as a family disease, so is dementia and schizophrenia.”

The challenge of taking care of the children, according to the Head of Department, Clinical Psychology of Neuro Psychiatric Hospital (NPH) Aro, Mrs Ibikunle Imisiola, causes many parents to break down. “You can see the pains, the agony on the parents. Some of them keep screaming, ‘Why me? Who have I offended?’ when they come here. Some of the parents are fed up. Some of them, even the males among them, break down in the course of taking care of the children. Some even develop mental illness because of the situation of the children.

“We talk to them and teach them how to take care of the children in a way that they would not be a liability. Some of the children can engage in sheltered occupation. After talking to the parents, you will see somebody that came here in tears going back home smiling,” she said.

Psychiatrists speak

Some experts who spoke with The Nation noted that the number of reported cases in the hospitals has been increasing.

Speaking with our correspondent, a Senior Consultant Child Psychiatrist at NPH, Dr Agboola Akanni, said: “We have a lot the victims coming to the hospitals now because of increase in awareness. Since we started our hospital in 2008, we have had a tremendous inflow of patients. We treat different conditions ranging from problems resulting from damage to the brain. They arise from uncontrolled epilepsy or seizure disorder, cerebral palsy in which a child that was doing well before because of one illness or the other to the brain loses what he has acquired, that is the motor and sensory skills.

“In fact, more than half of our patients’ population here in Aro are children with primary or secondary brain damage. We also have children that are not suffering depression, conduct disorders not necessarily because of brain damage, we also have those with brain damage. We have children suffering from autism, those with psychosis, that is early onset of schizophrenia. It is a major psychiatric problem that is seen in adolescents and adults but you also see them in children below the age of 10.

“The treatment has been encouraging because in our hospital, we have experts ranging from the doctors, clinical psychologists, social workers, the speech therapists, the nutritionists, the occupational therapists and so on. We have collaborations with pediatricians in teaching hospitals and also collaborate with non-governmental organisations.”

Explaining the common mental health issues in children, Dr Agboola said: We have issues about mental retardation. The IQ of a child with mental retardation is usually below 100. In some children it could be as low as 70 percent. We can talk about mental retardation as mild, moderate and severe. It could also be profound. When we say profound mental retardation, it means the individual cannot take care of himself. He has to be bathed, clothed. He just cannot do anything on his own. That individual’s IQ is in the range of 20; IQ of 20 percent is quite low.

“The people with severe mental challenge are better than those with profound mental health problem. The IQ of people in this category is 35. When you have people that are better than severe, you say they are moderate. The IQ of people in this class is about 50. You also have people that their mental retardation is between above 50 and 70. A mildly retarded individual is better than others in other categories, because he could take care of himself but occasionally need supervision. Such an individual can learn some handworks like cobbling, tailoring under strict supervision.

“There is also another problem arising from psychological development. This involves challenges like autism also called Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Autism is a condition in which there is a disorder that is observable within two or three years. Such a child often has problem with social interactions. Normally, children play around with themselves and share toys. But autistic children have problem with social interactions. They love to play alone and when you want to play with them, it is like you are intruding. Such a child could also have problem with speech and language. A child of two to three years should be able to say I want to eat, I want to urinate but this set of children can’t express themselves. Instead of saying that they want to eat, they will drag the parent or the child giver to where there is food and point to the food. Another thing about them is that the way they play is repetitive. They love doing the same thing all over and not getting tired of doing it. They have what we call repetitive and restrictive behaviour.

“ A normal child will play with a toy in different ways but if you give autistic children a toy, they will play with it the same way. They lack imitative plays. Also a normal child at the age of seven or eight months will be receptive when you reach out him when he is crying but if you attempt to do that to an autistic child, it may worsen the situation. You may start noticing that by age two to three years, a mother that is observant will know that there is a problem with that child.”

He added: “There is also another condition we call conduct disorder. It is a major problem among adolescents. They could be problematic to the family and the society. They could be so erratic in their behavious in the sense that they lack emotional feelings. They don’t care what you think about them. They can smoke, rape, play truancy, they are bullies. Such a child will need to see not only a psychiatrist but all other experts in the field.

“You could also have children with Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder (ADHD). Here the individual has problem comprehending what he is being told and difficulty in focusing on things. They have problem of attention and maintaining that attention. At the time the teacher is teaching them, their mind wanders about. Apart from not paying attention, they also have hyper activity disorder and always on the edge.

“They disrupt the normal activities in the class and not friendly with other students. They are always on the move and can injure themselves or other people. Other children tend to stay away from them. They could also perform poorly in school. It is not a common problem that could be managed at home. The child would have to be brought to the hospital.”

Epilepsy, according to him, is another issue in children. “It is involuntary movement of parts of the body like the mouth, the leg, or the hand which the individual cannot control. It is due to abnormal neuron discharge in the brain. It is a major problem because each of the episodes leads to damage to the brain. If it is not well controlled, it could lead to physical and intellectual disability in that child, because as each of the episodes occurs, the blood and oxygen supply to the brain is affected . In the whole of that, there is a progressive damage to the brain. This could cause immediate or future problem.

“In the treatment of such a child, apart from controlling the abnormal neuron discharge, you also need a physiotherapist to work with.”

He pointed out: “The patients with functional problem are those without obvious physical problem. When a child has brain damage, merely looking at the child the way he walks or talks will show that there is a problem with him. But if a child with functional problem where the chemical in the brain is affected, you may not see any sign, especially if the child is on medication. When you see a patient with depression or anxiety disorder, you will not know that there is a problem unless on a closer examination. The beauty of it all is once those children are treated, they do well. You will hardly know they have a problem except they open their mouth to say so.”

As a child psychiatrist, Dr Agboola said: “When they come to us, we might interview them together with their family members and also spend time with them alone. This is because they may be afraid of the parents and may not be willing to say much in their presence. When we are interacting with them, we also want to see them play in their usual environment. This is why it is it important for a child psychiatrist to spend time to play with such children.

“Before some of them come to the hospital, the parents would have warned them to behave themselves and not to disgrace them in the presence of the doctor. When such children come, they will be calm but that could give a doctor a false impression about what is actually wrong. At times, we take the child away from the parents and play with them the way they do in their natural environment.

“We do ask questions from parents or child giver about the birth of the child because the problem could have come up at the time the child was in the womb. We want to know if the mother fell sick during pregnancy, if the mother went through ante natal care, if the mother had prolonged labour, was there complications during labour? Did the baby cry immediately after birth or was there delayed cry after birth? If the baby did not cry immediately after birth, it means that the lungs functioning of the baby at that period of delayed cry could be impaired.

“ You need the baby to cry to open up the lungs and for oxygen to come in. If oxygen could not flow into the lungs, that means that the brain of that baby could be starved of oxygen. If you have problem of oxygen supply to the brain, it could also lead to a damage to the brain at that tender age. Children 15 years and below have their brains still developing. A small problem to the brain could have a severe impact unlike that of an adult. We also want to know if the child had convulsion or epilepsy.”

He also explained: “There is what we call developmental milestones. At age two to three months, a child should be able to control the neck. Some children by age four to five months will be able to reach out to nearby objects and by eight months be able to stand with support. By 10 to 12 months, a child should be able to stand without support and by age one, a child should be able to take the first step. Although, it is not every child that would be able to do all these within the period I mentioned, there could be some variations that could be normal.

“But when a child who is almost two years is not able to walk, you begin to wonder what the problem is. Was the problem during pregnancy or during labour? Was there any infection after birth that could have affected the brain and made it to slow down? When you have gone through all these, you can then know if the child has a delayed developmental milestone or it is a challenge that could be a bigger problem later in life.

“ Some of the problems could be when the child is in the womb. It could be as a result of not taking immunisation, like polio, which could affect the spine and the brain. We want to know if the child took all the vaccines. Some of the challenges may not be obvious until when they are adolescents or even in higher institutions.’’

Prevention

Enumerating how the challenge can be tackled, Dr Agboola said: “When you talk about prevention, we are looking at three levels at which this can be done. One of this is the primary level where you prevent that child from having the problem from the beginning. Before the mother becomes pregnant, you make sure she is not malnourished. When a mother is malnourished, the baby too will be malnourished in the womb. The organs will not develop well. Apart from that, you make sure the mother attends ante natal care.

The secondary level of prevention is when the child already has the problem and you want to intervene, treat the child so that there is no complication. The tertiary level is when a child has complications, you treat the primary problem and also treat any other problem arising from the primary problems. The advice is that mothers should be careful so that the child does not have any problem at all.’’

Why recovery is slow

Aside from the medical treatment, experts in other areas of managing mental health issues in children at NPH, also spoke about why recovery of the patients could be slow.

The nutritionist and dietician, Mrs Mbe Godfrey Olabisi, said: “Some of the children have problems that have to do with nutrition. A number of the parents live with the erroneous belief that their mentally challenged children must not eat this food or that. But we correct those wrong beliefs.

“Some parents give sugary food to the children. This makes them hyper-active. When they eat vegetables and fruits, it calms them down. A recent research conducted on children over a period of three months showed that children fed with vegetables and fruits behaved better than those fed with sugary and processed food.

“We have always advised parents to feed their children with beans ball and pap made from different types of cereals. If they can’t do away with giving their children sugary food and processed food, they should reduce it. We provide menu table for the parents but most of them don’t follow it.”

The Pediatric Physiotherapist, Mrs Oyebowale Serah, hinted that most of the children are not brought early enough for treatment. “Early intervention helps functional outcomes. Another challenge is the cultural beliefs of the people. A good number of the people attribute the problem to spiritual attack. Besides, there is no enough physiotherapists in the land to attend to patients. It is expensive to take care of these children. They need aids and you need to modify the home environment. A physiotherapist can’t see a child in isolation. It is an inter-disciplinary approach and this is why it is expensive.’’

Explaining her role in taking care of the children, the Occupational Therapist, Mrs Oguntoyinbo Opeoluwa, said: “We rehabilitate children with medical conditions. We don’t believe that these children cannot function. Occupational therapy is not about profession but about what ones does on a daily basis that gives meaning to his life.

‘’The problem we have is with the parents or the care givers because they skip sessions. They often complain about distance, money and so on. This affects the recovery of the child. Compliance with the treatment session helps the children.”

Also speaking, the speech and language therapist, Mrs Nnamami Olalade Olayinka, said: “We do see patients with learning difficulty, autism, cerebral palsy etc. We don’t use medication. We simply use practice. The problem we are facing is that awareness is lacking about speech therapy management. Apart from that, so many parents always delay in presenting their children. When they do and you ask them to pay, they delay. A woman brought her four years old child and was asked to pay N2,000 for assessment of the child. She didn’t come back until two and a half years after. That was when the boy was almost seven years.’’

Global approach to the challenge

Developments across the globe revealed that many developed countries have recognised the imminent danger that mental health issues have on the future of the society.

This obviously accounted for why the House of Representatives in the US approved the first comprehensive mental health system reform legislation in years with a number of sweeping reforms.

The bill, introduced by Reps Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), has 197 cosponsors, including 141 Republicans and 56 Democrats.

In a statement on his website following the House vote, Murphy said the bill promises an end to “the era of stigma.”

“This historic vote closes a tragic chapter in our nation’s treatment of serious mental illness and welcomes a new dawn of help and hope,” he wrote. “Mental illness is no longer a joke, considered a moral defect and a reason to throw people in jail. No longer will we discharge the mentally ill out of the emergency room to the family and say ‘Good luck, take care of your loved one, we’ve done all the law will allow.’ Today the House voted to deliver treatment before tragedy.”

In the UK, Prof Dame Sue Bailey, chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, described mental health services as a car crash waiting to happen. Bailey warned that the UK should brace itself for a “tsunami” of adults with mental health problems unless urgent action is taken to help today’s children. She advised that the government needed to spend heavily now on mental health services for children if a crisis is to be averted.

“The pressures on young people today are very different. We do know there has been a record number of phone calls to ChildLine from children with suicidal thoughts; that 55% of headteachers are reporting large number of pupils with anxiety and distress; and that rates of admissions for self-harm are at a five-year high,” she said

Last week, the UK government announced that it was allocating an extra £25m to clinical commissioning groups across England to accelerate plans for improving mental health services for children and young people. It said the money would help to cut waiting times for treatment, reduce backlogs and minimise the length of stay for those in in-patient care.

The first child and adolescent mental health conference in Nigeria was held recently at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, in a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, stressed the importance of child mental health through his representative, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, Professor Chris Bode.

The delegates discussed extensively the urgent need for the governments of Nigeria and other African countries to focus their attention on the plight of children and adolescents because most of them face a life of poverty, and poor physical and mental health.

They also looked at the importance of the continued generation of research evidence to support the existing burden of child and adolescent mental health challenges, and the efficacy of tested interventions was revealed at the conference.

They equally examined the links between food, nutrition, mental health and nation building. Common nutritional deficiencies such as iron and iodine have detrimental effects on the developing brain and consequently on mental health. They observed that stunted children earn 20% less than their peers in adulthood and the cost to the nation is estimated at 13 billion dollars annually. It was emphasized that it was the collective responsibility of the governments and all stakeholders of the region to ensure proper development of children‘s brains because children are the leaders of tomorrow and if their brains suffer through nutritional deficiencies, the type of leadership they will be able to provide will be problematic.

Another psychiatrist who works with Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) Enugu, Dr Muideen Bakare also noted that the awareness about mental health issues in children is increasing.

He said: “ Awareness about the challenge is increasing compared to what we used to have some years ago. Our people always attribute mental health issues they cannot explain to supernatural forces. This is part of the reasons for late reporting of cases.”

He said no case of abandonment of children has been recorded at FNPH, he said: “ We have had such in the case of admitted adults but we have never recorded such in children. But it could also happen where such a child has intellectual disability and the parent thinks he is useless.”
October 8, 2016
It’s sad my husband didn’t live to see what I’ve become, says Lanre Hassan

After more than 50 years of acting, veteran actress, Lanre Hassan, aka Iya Awero, in a chat with The Nation revealed that she feels pained that her husband did not live to see what she has become today, as one of the top cross-over actresses whose name is known home and abroad.

Having lost two children while shooting, she said, “It is so painful that my husband did not live up till this moment to see what I have become today. He was very patient and understanding.

“I didn’t see any cause to remarry because doing that means I have to start all over again. I already have children and I just decided to focus on them. Having another marriage might lead to neglecting of my children, and I didn’t want that,” explaining why she didn’t remarry.

“Even when I lost two children while shooting and had people saying all sort of things, like spiritual attack, we didn’t believe in that, because my God is sufficient enough,” she added.

July 15, 2015
Ebimobowei sad despite scoring a hat-trick

Peter Ebimobowei fired a hat trick to record his 18th goal of the season for Bayelsa United and thereafter showed his displeasure at his omission from the home based Super Eagles’ squad preparatory for the international friendly match at Uyo on Friday.

Ebimobowei who netted three goals in his club’s 4-1 home win over Lobi Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City disclosed that he ought to have been given a chance to vie for one of the shirts because of his form since the beginning of the season till now.

He insisted that having top-scored at the end of the first stanza with 10 goals alongside Ighodalor Osaguona he ought to have been considered ahead of some of the players picked from the National League.

“I am not happy even though I scored 3 goals. Imagine that I was not picked among the 24 best players in the league with all the goals and effort I have put in. I was the highest scorer in the first stanza with 10 goals and I have not stopped scoring ever since. It is a shame that I was overlooked,” Ebimobowei told Nationport.

November 3, 2014
Fayemi: his death sad, devastating

Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi has expressed condolence on the death of a celebrated journalist, Mr. Dimgba Igwe.

He described the death of Igwe, 58, in an accident as sad and devastating.

Fayemi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said losing a media icon with a deep understanding of public affairs like Igwe at this time was devastating.

He said Igwe was one of the pioneers of human angle genre in the print media, which brought freshness and excitement to journalism.

The governor said he practised the profession with zeal, candour and integrity, adding that Igwe’s place in journalism was secure, as he gave much to the job as an editor, a columnist, a manager and an administrator.

Fayemi recalled Igwe’s trailblazing roles at the defunct Weekend Concord and the Sun, which recorded successes in the print media.

He said his column in the Sun was a must-read for Nigerians, who looked forward to his incisive analyses on burning issues.

September 8, 2014
‘Chibok girls’ abduction sad and sensational‘

As Bishop of Oyo Diocese, located hundreds of kilometres from North Eastern Nigeria, the epicentre of the current Boko Haram terrorist activities, my analysis of the situation in Nigeria is bound to be somewhat detached. I submit these views however for two particular reasons. First, as Chairman of the Communications Apostolate for the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria I often interact with the Bishops who live on the frontline areas of the insurgence on a daily basis and have a fair idea of their pains. Secondly, in Oyo diocese Catholics coexist with a very large population of Muslims. We are only about 45,000 Catholics among about 1million Muslims with whom we thankfully enjoy cordial coexistence. This consists of occasional exchange of ideas, gifts and visits, intermarriages and mutual interaction in each other’s social events. The Boko Haram insurgency and the kidnap of the Chibok girls have often been issues of discussion between me and some Muslim leaders. The murderous activities of the group are as alien to some of the Muslim leaders as they are to me.

Nigeria’s woes have been coming for some time –a combination of misuse of power, resources and capacities for decades past and the near total disregard for the rule of law, provoking layers of unreserved resentments in the past in accumulated suffering and bewilderment in the nation. The insurgency which at this moment strangulates the country and has bloodied its face at home and in the international community is actually not the result of a sudden explosion of conflict and aggression. It is the outcome of many warning signs which had been neglected by the authorities at a time in which it was widely believed, prompt action could have been taken to salvage the situation. The betrayal of the Nigerian nation does seem to have been carried out with considerable help from some segments of the international community and powers.

Importation of arms into the country, some of which were occasionally intercepted, had been a source of worry for many people and for a number of years, provoking sufficient outcry for groups and individuals. There were strong allegations about some countries even using Nigeria as a safe passageway for the arms trade. Even the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) spoke out on the issue at national and regional levels. Scant attention was paid to those calls and no credible arrests were ever made.

The same can be said for the problem of unemployment. The teeming unemployed and unemployable population in the North of Nigeria which has been a perennial problem in the nation has often brought government to raise questionable policies and mindboggling sums of money ostensibly to tackle the problem. Such effort has often been suffocated by corruption, political patronage and bad management with little result and much resentment from other parts of Nigeria having other no less challenging problems but getting much less attention. The same kind of resentment is incubated all over the country owing to unresolved issues and problems.

The general opinion among Christians in the North is that the Boko Haram insurgency is a child of powerful northern politicians who had armed some young thugs for their selfish interest. These then got radicalized and have run amok killing anyone who tickles their fancy going beyond even the control of their originators. It has however become very clear that what Nigeria is facing in the insurgency is, more than just a bunch of thugs, but a well-trained army of criminals who are able to disconcert and demoralise even the Nigerian army by the strategy of their warfare and their weaponry.

Boko Haram has largely targeted Christians, Christian institutions and churches over a period of time. This may be true but the entire movement has also gathered a lot of moss along the way destroying government structures, facilities and wiping out entire villages. There is talk these days about political, religious, economic and other versions of Boko Haram suggesting the differing interests which might hide under Boko Haram to gain mileage in a brutal way. This does not diminish the heavy losses which Christians are suffering. In Maiduguri Diocese alone for example, over 40 churches, priests’ residences and church structures have been totally destroyed with the dead Catholic members alone put at over 400. Thousands are injured and displaced, physically and emotionally as well.

The sad and sensational abduction of nearly 300 girls from Chibok gone for over 100 days now stands as a tragic icon of lawlessness and insecurity in North Eastern Nigeria. More people have been abducted and kidnapped by Boko Haram and others since. The general impression is that the group is heavily sponsored from outside the country and enjoys sympathy and sponsorship even among people in government and the security agencies. This much has unfortunately been admitted even by government officials in Nigeria. Had it not been so Nigerians question the possibility of anyone abducting such a large number of people, with no one seeing or noticing a thing with the security agencies totally helpless. Neither did the sluggish and contradictory responses from government quarters help matters.

In other words it has become extremely difficult if not impossible to differentiate what interests are really being served or targeted by the attacks. It is so bad that two recent bomb blasts in the city of Kaduna were allegedly targeted at a popular Islamic cleric and a main opposition party leader who also is a Muslim, fortunately without success. Muslim leaders have been brutally slaughtered and quite a number of Catholics would swear that there are periods of the insurgency when far more Muslims are slaughtered than are Christians. Indeed to most Catholics what does it really matter what the religion of those who died may be? Bombs thrown in public places really do not distinguish who gets killed nor what religion or tribe gets affected. The eloquent testimony of John Cardinal Onayekan of Abuja in forging peaceful coexistence and that of the Archbishop of Jos and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Reverend Ignatius Ayau Kaigama deserves attention. The latter has set up a programme to cater for Muslim and Christian young people so that they can relate and learn together as to reduce the rancor, mutual suspicion and vengefulness among them.

The endemic corruption in Nigeria is the hydra headed monster that fuels the insurgency most. Corruption has been described in many terms in Nigeria as extreme, endemic, institutional and even pervasive. One would be at pains to successfully discount any of these ideas. The frustration and resentment which this has generated has turned many into willing elements for any kind of mischief as a way of getting back at the system and those who operate it in Nigeria. Nigeria’s leadership seems to have perfected the art of evasiveness in addressing the issues and playing the victim whenever dissenting voices are raised.

However, the times do not allow for mudslinging or trading of blames. They call for constructive, inspirational criticism and action to give hope to the youth for they must be given the motivation to refuse to be conquered by despair. The positive side to the tragedy of the insurgency, if it can be so stated, is that it has increased the solidarity/charity character of the Nigerian Catholic Church. Many dioceses have taken up the support for the affected places and families in a way that could hardly be imagined before.

I am convinced that there are forces and groups trying to make hay in this turbulence to give religion a bad name. The impression being created often is that Christianity is under persecution in Nigeria but there is no such official position. Many people are getting the message that religion itself is a problem and a cause of conflict. Given the deep religious character of African communities this is a very dangerous impression. It is important to highlight more and more the good that religion and religious people have done and continue to do in the daily life of people, in conflict resolution, development and nation building. This is often missing in the media and public discourse. Coming from my part of Nigeria there have always been deep relationships between Muslims and Christians and adherents of other religions with intermarriages and co-habitations quite commonplace. I myself have majority of my household as Muslims and most of our schools have a majority of Muslim children and students in them.

It is important to enlist as many people as possible behind the effort to bring about peace and inspire them to be more vocal and direct about those efforts. Creating a better society can also be a game of numbers. Similarly the cultural strength of African communities in accommodating different religious perspectives must be brought to the fore and promoted. This will require planning, commitment and resources. The media generally cannot claim to be contributing to world development and peace without prioritizing this dimension of their work.

While attention is focused on the plight of the Chibok girls who have been abducted perhaps just as much attention should be given to the plight of hundreds of thousands of Nigerian youths who will never get an education or of thousands of others who could never be sure when they begin or end their educational programmes. Their lives have somewhat been abducted as well by the damage that has been inflicted on the country through corruption and bad leadership. The present administration cannot be held responsible for all the mess but it must be held responsible for not courageously confronting the cankerworm of corruption even in spite of its modest achievements.

It is my opinion that the entire Nigerian problem is about power and the politics of personalities currently being played out in the country. Such tyrants must be stopped in their careless wastage of human lives. There seems to be much hypocrisy in the concern of the international community in helping to solve the problem so far as has been in many problems of conflict in Africa. How come no one is asking where all the arms used for the killing and destruction in Africa and in Nigeria in particular, come from? Who is buying and selling them and who really is benefitting from the growing destabilisation of Nigeria and of Africa at large. And is it really impossible to trace the source of funding for Boko Haram and other insurgencies and wars in Africa, in such a forensically efficient world? These are questions that leave a lot of weight on the consciences of the Western countries who dispose of the most modern means of development and of destruction. Finding answers and acting positively is the only way to rouse the ailing Nigerian giant.

August 11, 2014
I’m sad because no guy wants me even at 18

Good day ma. I’m a gal of 18 years and at my age no guy has ever approached me. My friends advised me to always smile but it’s not working. Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and get sad. I will say I have lost my self-esteem. People say if a guy approaches you that it means you have something worth looking at. Please help me. – Worried Gal.

Dear Worried Gal, why are you looking at this issue from the negative perspective? Have you sat down to see why guys may not be looking at you? It could be that you look so respectable that no guy wants to toy with you except he is ready for a serious relationship. It could be that you have a good reputation as that girl who won’t take nonsense from a guy. It could also be the Heavens protecting you from dangers that some premature relationships bring. Just be yourself and face whatever you are doing now to safeguard your future. Be happy and don’t smile only because you want guys to notice you; smile because life is more beautiful when we smile.

May 11, 2013
Sad exit of a General

The death of Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi, the former Army and Defence Chief is as painful as it was unexpected.

After his removal as the National Security Adviser (NSA) some months ago by President Goodluck Jonathan, Azazi had retired into a quiet private life, until recently when he was appointed as the Chairman, Bayelsa Flood Relief Committee.

That Azazi had an illustrious career in the Nigerian Army is an acknowledged fact. A graduate of the Regular Combatant Course 7 of the Nigerian Academy, the Ijaw, Bayelsa State-born gentleman and officer rose through the ranks from a Second Lieutenant in 1974 to a three-star General in 2006 following his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff.

He later joined the enviable league of four-star generals produced by the Nigerian Army after his appointment as the Chief of Defence Staff by former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

An army intelligence officer, Azazi held the position for about two years before he retired after putting in about 35 years of meritorious service.

Before his appointment as COAS, Azazi served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the elite 1st Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna. He was also a former Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI). Azazi is the third army intelligence officer to assume the position of the Chief of Army Staff, after Lt. Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, who had a brief stint of three months as COAS from August to November, 1993, and Major Gen. Chris Alli, who served from 1993 to 1995.

Azazi was brought out of retirement in 2011 by President Jonathan and appointed as the NSA succeeding Lt. Gen. Gusau.

As NSA, Azazi went about his work quietly. As the coordinator of national security, Azazi faced several challenges, most especially the menace of the Boko Haram insurgence in some states in the North, necessitating strident calls by concerned Nigerians that he should be relieved of his duties.

December 16, 2012
Jonathan, Mark, Tambuwal, Tinubu, ACN, others sad

President Goodluck Jonathan led the tributes for the late Oyo State Governor Lam Adesina.

The President expressed sadness over the death of the elder statesman.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said: “On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and all Nigerians, President Jonathan extends heartfelt condolences to Adesina’s family and the Government and people of Oyo State.

The president joined the late Adesina’s family, relatives, friends, associates and all who knew him in mourning the renowned educationist and political leader.

Jonathan noted that the former governor devoted his entire adult life to working for the progress of his people and the nation.

He believed that the late Adesina’s indefatigability in political struggles as well as his honesty, integrity, sincere commitment and dedication to the service of his people before and during his tenure endeared him to all.

“According to him, Adesina will be honoured and remembered by present and future generations as an exemplary leader who did his utmost best to improve the lives of his people.

“The president prayed that God Almighty would receive Adesina’s soul and grant him eternal rest.”

Senate President David Mark described the late Adesina as a progressive who stood on the side of the people at all times.

Mark, in a condolence message to the government and people of Oyo State, noted that the former governor would be remembered for his passion, selfless service and love for the ordinary man.

He said: “Death is a necessary end that must come when it shall.

“We are, however, consoled that the late Adesina contributed positively to the development of the society during his life time and left an indelible footprint on the sands of time.

“He left a legacy of service to the society, honesty and commitment to the ideals of nation hood.”

The Senate President counselled today’s leaders to emulate the virtues of honesty, hard work and democratic ideals which the late Adesina represented.

He noted that imbibing the late Adesina’s virtues is “the sure way to keep his legacies”.

Tambuwal said the late Adesina’s death has created a very big vacuum, adding:

“Lam has been a very patrotic and commited Nigerian, a nationalist, a man who lived an exemplary life, right from the time he was a columnist and when he became the Governor of Oyo State. It is indeed a national loss.”

The Speaker is sad that he did not have the priviledge of meeting with him.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) described the death of Adesina as a devastating blow to the party in particular and a big loss to the nation in general.

In a statement in Ibadan yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said with the demise of the former governor, Nigeria has lost an irrepressible voice of conscience.

‘’Lam Adesina has remained a constant fixture in the nation’s body polity for over three decades, either as a newspaper columnist, member of the House of Representatives, social and political critic, prisoner of conscience, state governor, or an elder statesman.

‘’Though deceptively meek, he was a political lion who was ferociously effective. A perfect validation of the saying that all politics is local, Lam Adesina never lost control or confidence of his people. Even during the locust years when the PDP captured the body of Oyo State politics, the soul of the people remained with the former Governor,’’ it said.

The ACN said it was remarkable that even after he was rigged out of the state’s governorship, he remained in his Molete home in Ibadan, right in the midst of his people, instead of migrating to the GRA or other elitist areas of the city as many in his class would have done.

‘’From that modest abode, he influenced political discourse and direction in Nigeria. There is no better attestation to this than the fact that he never lost touch with the ordinary people during his rich and purposeful lifetime,’’ the party said.

The party prayed that God will grant repose to the soul of the departed, and give his family the strength to bear their irreplaceable loss.

Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a tribute, said the late Adesina was an “astute progressive, a democratic warrior who never gave up in the face of intimidation, detention and manipulation”.

“He led the democratic struggle against the military that led to the triumph of the people and the brightening of hope and opportunities for the mass of our people.”

The AC N national leader described the late governor as an irrepressible fighter, one who faced heavy enemy fire at the worst of times during military rule. He was a courageous NADECO hero who with his leader, the late Chief Bola Ige, was paraded on the streets of Ibadan as prisoners of war” for having the temerity to oppose the late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha.

He praised Adesina for serving Oyo State to the best of his ability. “This is the exit of one of the titans of our time, a proven progressive of the Awoist stock”.

Tinubu, who described the former governor as a forthright leader, said the late Adesina was a sincere and honest person in his relationship with others. “He was loyal to both friends and all those he had dealings with. Loyalty permeated his politics. He was a man fiercely committed to the welfare of his people and sought power only as an instrument of emancipation and not exploitation,” said Tinubu.

To him, the late Adesina was a steady, consistent and progressive political leader of our time whose dedication to serving the people and commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s democratic development is not truncated cannot be questioned. “He remains one of the most credible democrats that lived and we shall miss him. Though his party was robbed out of office, he remained a committed progressive and helped tutor others. Adesina exits gloriously after seeing his party back in power and the progressive ideas he fought and lived for back on the agenda. He will be missed.”

November 12, 2012
Sad story

•Again, NACCIMA draws attention to the plight of the many firms closed down in Nigeria

The dire economic strait in which Nigeria is enmeshed was, once again, forcefully brought home at a zonal workshop organised in Asaba, Delta State, by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). Presenting a paper on the occasion, the President of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr. Herbert Ajayi, revealed that no fewer than 800 companies had closed down in Nigeria between 2009 and 2011 due to the harsh economic climate in the country. Although the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) does not believe this figure, the fact is that many firms had closed down in the country due to the reasons adduced by NACCIMA. The issue may be with the number.

To worsen matters, Ajayi further disclosed that more than half of the surviving firms are classified as ailing, which portends grave danger for the continued existence of the manufacturing sector. Of course, these statistics are not new to Nigerians, particularly the youth who have over the years borne the brunt of the massive unemployment that inevitably accompanies the collapse of companies on such a colossal scale. What is sad is that, even though the problems have been severally diagnosed and solutions proffered over the years, the situation is only worsening. This newspaper, for instance, has had cause to decry the alarming rate of de-industrialisation in the country, as major firms have closed their operations, abandoned multi-billion Naira complexes and re-located to neighbouring countries.

Some of the reasons identified by the NACCIMA President for the unwholesome situation include poor infrastructure, inefficient transportation, pervasive insecurity, incessant increases in the prices of petroleum products used by industries, multiple taxation, unabated smuggling and the inability of government agencies at the ports to meet the 24-hour target for cargo clearance, which in turn has negative cost implications for the manufacturing sector. But by far the most serious problem is epileptic power supply. The attainment of over 4,000 MW, which has been celebrated in recent months, does not even begin to address the huge demand for power, domestic and industrial, in a country of over 150 million people. The implication, as Dr. Ajayi points out, is that the manufacturing sector relies on generators for over 70 percent of its energy uses, a situation that further hampers efficiency and profitability.

Another huge obstacle on the path of a viable manufacturing sector is inadequate access to local and foreign loans to fund business operations. The huge interest rates charged by banks in Nigeria, which hardly ever drop below 20 per cent, make it virtually impossible for any serious business to rely on the banks for funds and yet break even. It remains a mystery why after several much hyped banking reforms over the last few years, our banks are still unable to discharge the elementary responsibility of providing affordable funds for the real sector to operate optimally, generate jobs and create wealth.

Yet, these same banks not only declare huge annual profits, their chief executives continue to maintain extravagant lifestyles completely at odds with the country’s economic realities. And those companies that try to access cheaper funds from abroad more often than not find themselves in unpleasant and untenable positions. Bureaucratic delays and unpredictable fluctuations in the value of the Naira invariably make it difficult for them to meet the conditions of their loan obligations, with harmful consequences for their businesses.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) surely has its work cut out for it. The apex bank must face the challenge of devising measures that will enable banks more effectively fulfil their functions of funding the real sector for accelerated economic growth and development. In addition, the relevant authorities must also work towards reviving the country’s moribund industrial estates to enable firms enjoy economies of scale that enhance profitability.

October 3, 2012